Friar John Francis of France, Text (4 of 4)

Friar John Francis of France · Text (4 of 4)

Let your olde Father and Mother, (Iohn and Catherine Debnam) ſterue in England, by reaſon that being aged and impotent, they can not by laboure procure thinges néedefull, as in youth they did, and fedde both themſelues and you, with the reſt of theyr chyldren: Theyr ſonne Samuell muſt (if he will hearken to his new mother of Rome) liue ſtill in Fraunce, béeing fedde and ſuſtayned by the labour of others, and write to his Father and Mother (bee their caſe neuer ſo harde) that he muſt faſt and pray, and whippe himſelfe for their ſinnes, and obſerue the Rule of a bonehome all the dayes of his life, and not come ouer into England, and lay hys laſie limmes to any honeſt laboure, whereby he may eate his own breade, and helpe to féede the féeble bodies of his decayed Father and Mother, or doo any honeſt ſeruice in the Common weale of hys Countrey. Yea that mother of his telleth him, that he is exempted from all ſecular power, and ſo ſequeſtred from the world, that he may not imploy himſelfe, or ſuffer himſelfe to be imployed, in dooing any good therein.

Our Mother hath tolde vsus▪ that we may not ſhedde any mans bloud, for who ſo ſhall doo ſo, ſhall hauehave his bloude ſhedde by man. But your mother telleth you, that if you can ſhed the bloud euen of Princes that be Proteſtants, you ſhall thereby purchaſe forgiuenes of all your ſinnes, and be canonized for a ſaint, and hauehave your name written in the Popes Calender, yea and you ſhall be called vppon in the Letanie, amongſt ſuch as the Pope alloweth of for ſaints: Sancte Samuele Iohannes Franciſce, or a pro nobis. O holye Samuell Iohn Frauncis: pray for vsus. Our mother hath told vsus, that our fathers wyll is, that we ſhould kéepe our bodies vndefiled by adulterie or fornication, and that he wyll deſtroy them that ſhal defile his Temple (which is the body of eueryevery Chriſtian) eyther by fornication or adultery, and therefore he would hauehave all men and women that hauehave not chaſte mindes in chaſt bodies, to match them ſelues in chaſte mariage. But your mother hath taught you to vowe a wiueles lyfe, net knowing whether God wyll make you able to performe that vowe or not. So that although you ſhall burne in concupiſcence neuer ſo much, yet mary you may not, to p. 51kéepe your body vndefiled, for you hauehave forſworne that remedye, which is the onelyonly remedie that God hath appointed. Our mother hath tolde vsus, that our father hath forbidde vsus to ſteale, or to take anie thing that doth not by ſome iuſt title belong to vsus, eyther by force or by fraude: But your mother teacheth you to robbe God of his glory, yea, and to challenge and clayme to your ſelf, that which belongeth onelyonly to him, as the appoynting of a mediator, and the meanes of mediation, for the obtayning of pardon, and forgiuenes of ſinnes: which you aſſigne to Angels and ſaints, and to maſſyng Prieſtes, and to your ſelues, and to al other merite mongers. Perſwading the poore and ſimple people that wyll harken vntounto you, that by your auſteritie of life, your going and lying woolwarde, your ryſing at midnight, your ſinging, your ſaying, your faſting, your praying, and by your whypping and ſcourging, theyr ſinnes ſhalbe forgiuen, becauſe they féede and mayntain you in idlenes by their fore labours, and thus you robbe and ſpoile them of the fruite of their labours, vnderunder pretence of long prayers, and ſuch other hipocriticall workes, as the Phareſies did, Mathew. 23. But our mother hath tolde vsus, and we beléeue it, that our father hath made his onelyonly begotten ſonne Chriſt Ieſus, our onelyonly Mediatory: yea, and the onelie mediator betwixt him and all mankinde. 1. Tim. 2.

Our mother hath tolde vsus, that our father hath forbidden vsus to beare falſe witnes againſt any man: But your mother teacheth you to belye all ſuch as ſhe calleth Proteſtants, and to ſay of all ſuch, (as you hauehave in theſe your Letters written) that they are the deuills miniſters, and that their life is ſuch, that if it were knowne to the ſimple Chriſtians, they would not onelyonly wonder at their wilines, but alſo forſake theyr folly. Whereas that which you call theyr folly, is heauenly wiſedome, and that which you call wilines in them, is ſimple and true dealing.

Our mother hath tolde vsus, that our heauenly father woulde not that we ſhould luſt after any thing, that belongeth to our neighbour: But your mother hath taught you to luſt after the kingdom of England (which belongeth not to you that be fugitiues and Rebels) & to hauehave your Order of Frauncis of Paula to be ſetled there. Yea, it ſéemeth that you are more then halfe aſſured that it ſhalbe ſo: For you wryte that you hope, that it ſhall ſhortly be in Englande. I feare me therefore, that fugitiue, or Rebell, is too good a name for you, ſith you ſéeme to be ranke Traytors indéede. Well, I wold wiſh you to hearkē no lōger to your Romiſh mother, leaſt ſhe bring you at the laſt to preache at our Tyburne. A méete place for ſuch to preache in, as being Engliſh borne, hauehave Romiſh harts. We dare not rowle our ſelues vp and downe in the lappe of ſuch a mother. We will not forſake that mother, that hetherto hath taught vsus, and doth ſtill teache vsus, to feare, honour, and louelove our heauenlie Father, and to frame our liues according to his will. In her lap we wyll rowle our ſelues vp and downe, as hetherto wee hauehave doone, and craue at Gods hands that we may doo ſo ſtyll, and encreaſe in louelove toward our heauenly father, and towardes her. Her wordes we doo beléeue, and her words we doo hope we ſhal beléeue, ſo long as we ſhall liue here: for they are the words of truth, and words that teache nothing but the will of our heauenly Father, which is the God of truth.

The Sermons which you call hereticall: your father & mother neither may nor will leaue. For they are the plentifull pappes of that louing mother, in whoſe lap they doo rowle themſelues. And out of thoſe pappes they and all others that doo rowle themſelues, together with them, in that mothers lap, doo ſucke that milke that S. Peter writeth of. 1. Pet. 2. which nouriſheth to ſaluation. They will not therefore leaue thoſe dugges, but will hange ſtill vppon them. Your mother of Rome hath not ſo ſwéete, ſo pleaſant, nor ſo healthſome milke in her withered dugges. Her milke is poyſon to the children of God: wherefore our mothers children will none of it, neither will they leaue of going to thoſe Sermons, where they may ſucke ſo much good and healthfull Milke as may ſuffice them.

You aduiſe your mother not to riſe ſo earelie in the morning, as ſhe hath béene accuſtomed to doo, to damne herſelfe body and ſoule. Goe no more (you ſaie) to thoſe Sermōs of Crowly, Barber, Field, and the reſt. So that, to riſe in the morning to heare the Goſpell of Chriſt preached, is in the iudgment of men of your ſort, to damne both bodie and ſoule. But if your mothers dwelling were in Paris, as it is in London, and ſhee woulde riſe at midnight, and goe to Nigeon, to heare Frier John and his fellowes ſinging theyr mattins before their bleſſed ſacrament of the Altar: thē ſhe ſhould be accounted the holyeſt Matrone in all Paris. Yea her ghoſtlye Father would aſſure her, that the place which the bleſſed Virgine p. 52Marie doth nowe poſſeſſe in the kingdome of heauen, were meane enough (yea too meane) for her. But eſpeciallie, if ſhe did not vſe to come emptie handed, but bring with her, either a bottle of the beſt Wine, or a bagge of the beſt Nuttes, or a good quantity of the beſt Figges or Reyſons, or Almons, or any other fruites, as the times of the yéere ſhould yéelde: for Minime Friers may eate all manner of fruites, when they be giuen vntounto them, as Frier John himſelfe hath written.

But doo ye not ſée (Sir Frier John) howe this parte of your exhortation, rebowndeth vponupon your ſelfe. Riſe not at midnight to damne your ſelfe bodie and ſoule. Goe not, I ſaie, to ſing your Mattins before your bleſſed Sacrament of the Altare, which neyther dooth nor can heare you. Take no ſuch daily paynes as you doo, in ſinging your high maſſes, which can not profite you, but ſhall condemne you to hell fire (if you repent not) for all that you doo therein is Idolatrie, and falſe worſhippyng of God. Yea, it is the ſetting vp of an Idole in the place of God, and the giuing of Gods honour to an Idole. Returne againe therefore into Englande, and accompanie your aged mother to the places, where ſhe and you together, may heare the doctrine of ſaluation preached by Crowley, Barber, Fielde, and other. In which exerciſe, your mother attayned to the knowledge of Chriſt, euen in the daies of her virginity▪ when as yet Frier John was not Samuell Debnam. She is not builded vponupon ſande or grauell: but vponupon the firme Rocke Chriſte Ieſu…, and therefore, it is not the vayne blaſte of your Friarlike cloquence that can remooue her.

You wiſhe her to burne her bookes of Sermons, and other bookes that hauehave hereſie in them. If ſhe hauehave any ſuch bookes (as I thinke ſhe hath not) I would wyſh her to doo as you bidde her, but if her bookes be no worſe then I doo thinke them to be, I hope ſhe wyll make greater account of them, then you wil her to make. Your maſſe bookes, your Gradalles, your Legends, your Manualles, your Portiſes, your Proceſſioners, and your Hymnalles, your Pontificalles, and your Decretalles, with the reſt of your popiſh Vtenſiles: are méeter matter to be ſacrificed in fire to Vulcan, then are thoſe bookes of your mothers, which you will her to burn. You ſay furder to her▪ Be not aſhamed of y^e name of a Papiſt Goe to cōfeſſion, confeſſe your ſins to a prieſt: this is as much as to Be not aſhamed of the name of a Traytor. For eueryevery one that (being an Engliſh man, or woman) is a right Papiſt, ſuch a one as you bragge that your ſelfe are: the ſame is a ranke Traytor to the Prince and ſtate of the Realme of England. You hauehave therefore a Traytors hart towards your Prince and Country, that can wyſh your mother not to be aſhamed of the name of a Papiſt. Your mother hath learned of Ieſus Syracke, not to be ſo lauiſh of ſpéeche, as to open her ſecrete ſinnes, either to fréende or to foe. If the Prieſt that you would hauehave to confeſſe her ſinnes to, be neither her fréend nor her foe: then perhaps ſhe may be perſwaded to tell him ſomewhat. Syracke. 19

But wyll you ſée, what opininion S. Auſten hath conceiued of theſe ghoſtly fathers that you ſpeake of. Quid mihi ergo est cum hominibus, vt audiant confeſſiones meas: quaſi ipſi ſanaturi ſint omnes lāguores meos? Curioſum genus▪ ad cognoſcendam vitam alienam deſidioſum ad corrigendam ſuam. Quid a me quaerunt audire qui ſim: qui nolunt a te audire qui ſint? Et vnde ſciunt, cum a meipſo de meipſo audiunt: an verum dicam? quandoquidem nemo ſcit hominum, quid agatur in homine, niſi ſpiritus hominis qui in ipſo eſt? Auguſtinus confeſſionum, libri. 10. cap. 3. What hauehave I to doo with men y^t they ſhould heare my confeſſions: as though they ſhould heale all my langors? A kinde of men curious to knowe the life of another man, but ſlack to amende their owne. Why doo they ſéeke to heare what manner of man I am: which are not wylling to heare thée declare what manner of men themſelues be. And when they doo heare me make report of my ſelfe, howe doo they knowe whether I doo ſay true or not? For no man doth knowe what is doone in man, but the ſpirite of man which is in him. Auſten, in the 10. booke of his confeſſions, the 3. Chapter.

I hope you wyll not blame your mother, though ſhe followe not your counſell, ſith both S. Auſten and Ieſus Syracke hauehave aduiſed her to doo the contrary. She doth confeſſe her ſinnes to God eueryevery day, becauſe ſhe is aſſured, that he doth knowe when ſhe ſpeaketh trueth. And that he is able to pardon and to forgiue her ſins, and that being vnfaynedly penitent for her ſinnes, he doth and wyll pardon, forgiue and forget her ſinnes, according to the ſaying of the Prophet Ezechiel. Chap. 18, At what time ſoeuer a ſinner ſhall repent him of his ſinnes from the bottome of his hart, I will p. 53put all his wickednes out of my remembraunce.

Your mother, and all we Proteſtants, are and wilbe ready to doo as ſaint Iames teacheth in his 5. Epiſtle, where he ſayth thus: Confeſſe your ſinnes one to another. When we hauehave treſpaſſed one againſt another, we acknowledge our faultes one to another. We aſke forgiuenes one of another. We ſatiſfie & make a mendes one to another, if our habilitie will ſtretch ſo far: if not▪ we know that God wyll require no more of vsus, then hee will make vsus able to doo. And as touching faults that are committed againſt vsus, wée forgiue them, as Chriſt hath commaunded and taught vsus. Yea, though our brother ſhall treſpaſſe againſt vsus ſeauen times in a daie, and ſhall ſaie ſeauen times in a day, it repenteth me: we forgiue, becauſe we knowe that otherwiſe our heauenly father wyll not forgiue vsus. And when the horrour of our ſinne, is ſo great before our eyes, that we can not otherwiſe be ſatiſfied, and aſſured of forgiuenes at Gods hande, but by ſuch comfort, as ſome that wee thinke to be of more knowledge, and of better life then we knowe our ſelues to be of, can miniſter vntounto vsus: then we make choyſe of ſome ſuch one as can certifie vsus indéede, by the mercifull promiſes of God contained in the holie Scriptures▪ made to peniſēt ſinners, and not by popiſh penaunce enioyned, and popiſh abſolution pronounced, by vertue of anie power giuen by that moſt holy Father of yours, the Romiſh Antichriſt. Wée are not ſo madde as you were, when you hauing taſted of the ſwéete mylke that our Mother, the true Catholicke and Apoſtolicke Church did miniſter vntounto vsus, by her pappes that ſhe offered to vsus, at the Spittle in Eaſter wéeke, 1583. woulde on the Saterday following (as your ſelfe doo write) runne into a corner, like a Waltams Calfe, ſéeking to bee ſatiſfied with the mylke of a Bull. Giuing credite to a falſe forſworne Traytor, that (without all manner of proofe) told you, that all the healthful milke that you had ſucked before, was poyſon, and that if you would finde milke that might féede you to euerlaſting life, you muſt runne to Rhemes, or to Rome, for there it is to bee had, and not els where. But I hope you will remember your ſelfe better, and returne to your firſt fayth, from which you are for a whyle fallen, that ryſing againe you may confirme others, & ſtay them from the like horrible fall.

You wyſhe your mother to leaue this worlde that is ſo diſceitful, and to ſticke vntounto God. So ſhe did before you were borne, and doth ſtill, & ſo purpoſeth to continue all the daies of her life: though ſhe minde not to ſhake of the yoke of duetie towards her huſband, (your father) and profeſſe herſelfe a Nunne, as you hauehave profeſſed your ſelfe a Fryer, and hauehave ſhaken of the yoke of duetifull obedience to her and to your aged Father, and to the Common weale of your Countrey, that hath nouriſhed you vp, whervnto you doo by naturall order, owe a third part of that ſeruice that GOD hath made you able to doo. Your mother knewe, before ſhe did knowe you, that this worlde is diſceitfull, and therefore, ſhee neuer did repoſe any truſt in it. She hath learned to liue in the worlde, and not to be of the worlde, neither to ſerue the worlde, but to ſerue him that made her and the worlde, giuing his creatures to her and others his children in the world, for whoſe cauſe he hath made all his creatures that are in this worlde. And ſhe hath learned to be thankfull to God, for the vſe of his creatures in the world, and not to be in louelove with thys worlde, or with anie thing in it, but to hauehave her affection ſtyll fixed vponupon that other worlde, where ſhee is aſſured that ſhe ſhall for euer dwell with him, that hath made both this and that world. She is not ſo madde as to thinke that there is none other way to heauen, but thorowe Rome gates. She knoweth that Chriſt Ieſus is the way, the trueth, and the life: and not the Pope, nor your Frauncis, nor any other father of your n…we founde Religions.

Although you ſay that your Religions are auncient, and ours newe, yet ſhe knoweth that yours are new, and ours is auncient. And although you charge vsus with many Religions, yet ſhe knoweth that our Religion is but one, and yours is manifolde. You hauehave written, that your Order is called the Order of S. Frauncis of Paula: what that Frauncis was, or in what time he liued, I can not finde in any Hiſtory. Sabellicus, and other Hiſtorians hauehave noted, that about 400. yéeres paſt, there liued in Italie, one Franciſcus Aſiſias, a man of ſinguler vertue (as they reporte) and that this man beganne a newe Order of Fryers, whom he named Minors. And after that, he inſtituted an other Order, whom▪ he called Pauperes, or poore Friers. There ſpronge from him a thyrde Order alſo, which were called Poenitentes, or repenting Friers. By all likelihoode, your Order is of that ſort of Fryers. But let it be p. 54of which you luſt to make it, it can not be of ſuch antiquit…, that you may compare with vsus. We hold not of anie of them that you name Captaine Proteſtants. We are not Caluiniſts, we are not Zwynglians, we are not Lutherans, Wickliffians, nor Huſſians: yea, we holde neyther of Apollo, of Peter, nor of Paule: but wee holde of Chriſt onelyonly, and are and wylbe called Chriſtians. You are and wilbe called Minimes, Franciſcans, Dominickes, Minorites, Carmelites, Benedictines, Augustines, Barnardines, and I knowe not what. And by a common name, you wylbe called Papiſts.

Your popiſh Religion beganne, when the Popes did firſt take vppon them the high dignitie of vniuerſall Byſhops, and heades of the vniuerſall Church of Chriſt, which was about 610. yéeres after the Aſcention of our Sauiour Chriſt, not full 1000. yéeres before this day. At which time, Bonifacins the third of that name, was ordeyned the high and vniuerſall Biſhop. But our Religion beganne in Adam, and continued in the poſterity of Sethe, euen tyll the incarnation of Chriſt, and was by him made Catholicke, to bée vniuerſally receiued of all Nations. And that Religion onelie doo we holde and profeſſe. And in this Religion were you baptized amongſt vsus. And this Religion did you once profeſſe, before many witneſſes. I would therefore wyſh you to leaue your newe Religion, and profeſſe your olde Religion againe, repenting vnfainedly your Apoſtacie, and crauing forgiuenes at our heauenly fathers handes, who is alwayes more ready to graunt vsus pardon, then we can be to craue it. So ſhall you ſhewe your ſelfe to doo, as you wyſh your mother to doo: that is, you ſhall leaue the worlde, and worldly deuiſes, and cleaue vntounto God alone, as your mother and al vnfained Proteſtants doo. You procéede, and ſay thus.

The Fryer.

Beleeue me if you wyll: I know as wel as you, the hereſies of Caluine and Luther, and could peraduentnre, hauehave defended them, better then you can. And therefore, knowing their opinions, and ſeeing that they were moſte falſe and damnable, contrary to all holeſome doctrine, and to the Scripture it ſelfe: I was by reaſon of thys conſtrained to leaue them, and to make my ſelfe a Papiſt. For truſt me if you wyll, when ye ſhall yeelde your ſoules to God, your bodies returning to the earthe, you wyll then tell me another tale. You would then if you could, bewayle your ſinnes, but you ſhall not be able &c.

Crowley.

If we wyll beléeue you, we may. But for my parte I can hardly beléeue, that eyther you did then, or doo nowe, knowe the doctrines that Luther and Caluine taught, which you call hereſies, ſo well as your Father and mother both did then and doo now knowe them. But be it that you did: yet without peraduenture, you were neuer able to defende them halfe ſo well, as they bothe could and can. For if you had béene of ſuch habilitie to defend our Religion, as your Father and mother were then, and be now alſo, vndoubtedly, you coulde neuer hauehave béene ſo ſoone vanquiſhed as you were, by ſo weake aduerſaries, as by all likelihoode you had. But it ſéemeth that you had no outward aduerſary at all, but the ſpirit of Arrogancie onelyonly that lurked within you, and mooued you to preſume vponupon your ſelfe, and to take vppon you to iudge of the doctrine of others, before you had any knowledge of doctrine your ſelfe. But we muſt beleeue you (if wee luſt) when you ſay that you did knowe theyr opinions, & did ſée that they were moſte falſe, and abhominable, and contrary to all holeſome doctrine, and to the Scripture it ſelfe: and by reaſon of thys, you were conſtrained to leaue them, and to make your ſelfe a Papiſt. A meruailous matter (more to be muſed at then to be beléeued) that ſo young a man as Samuell Debnam was, in Anno. 1583. (at which time he was not Fryer John Frauncis) ſhoulde hauehave in that little corps of his, all holeſome learning, and ſuch a knowledge of Scriptures, that he was able to affyrme for truth, that the opinions that Caluine and Luther helde, are contrary both to all holeſome doctrine, and to the Scripture it ſelfe. And yet I dare affyrme for trueth, that this profounde Clarke, did neuer (before that time, wherein hee ſayth he was enforced to make himſelfe a Papyſt) reade any one worke thorowe, that either Caluine or Luther hauehave written. Yea, and as I thinke, I may be bolde to affyrme, that this proſounde Diuine, had at that time, as little knowledge of that doctrine which he calleth ſounde: as any young Grammarian, eyther hath or can hauehave of the déepeſt miſteries of Diuinitie. For I knowe, that before that time he neuer gaue himſelfe to any graue ſtudy. neyther dyd he gyue himſelfe to any manner of orderly reading. But his whole time (in manner) was ſpent in toying and tryfling, and for y^e moſt parte in idlenes, and vayne playing. And in the Scriptures, hee p. 55coulde hauehave none other knowledge, then ſuch as he might attayne vntounto, either by hearing in the Churches (where he neuer vſed to hearken attentiuely) or els by reading in my houſe, at the times of myne ordinary dinners and ſuppers, vntounto which exerciſe I did employe him, as I did other young boyes, that I kept in my houſe, as I kept him. And yet ſée howe he taketh vppon him, to condemne for moſt falſe, damnable, and contrary to all holeſome doctrine, yea and to the Scripture it ſelfe, the opinions that thoſe two excellent men (John Caluine and Martine Luther) helde and taught, and hauehave left behinde them in wryting to the viewe of all poſteritye. Arroganting to himſelfe, the full and perfect knowledge, as well of the Scriptures, as of all humane Doctrines, both good and bad. Yea▪ (by thoſe ſpéeches that he vſeth) he would ſeeme to hauehave read and wayed, both the one and the other, and to hauehave conferred the one with the other, as one very deſirous to hauehave founde them agreeable, the one to the other. But the falſhode of that which hee then fauoured, was ſo great and damnable, and the contrariety to all holeſome doctrine, and to the Scripture it ſelf, ſo manifeſt: that although …ore agaynſt his wyll, he was conſtrayned to leaue the doctrine and profeſſyon of a Proteſtant, and to make himſelfe a Papyſt. Yea, by the wordes that he addeth, he ſeemeth to be perſwaded, that except he had doone ſo, he muſt of neceſſity, hauehave periſhed euerlaſtingly▪ For thus he ſayth.

Truſt me (if you wyll) when yee ſhall yéelde your ſoules to God &c. You wyll tell me another tale: you woulde then yf you coulde &c. But you ſhall not be able. Would not a man (that readeth theſe wordes) thinke that thys young Fryer, hath as much knowledge as is poſſible for a man to hauehave? And yet when he is opened, and thorowly ſearched, there is not one crumme of knowledge founde in him. Undoubtedly, it was but a viſion in ſléepe, that deceiued him. He dreamed that he knewe the opinions, that he wryteth of: and that he compared them with all holeſome doctrine, and with the Scripture, and founde them, as he reporteth. But when he ſhall awake out of hys dreame (for as yet, hee lyeth ſno…ing and ſnorting, in his déepe ſléepe of wylfull ignorance) then he ſhalbe that caſe that the poore begger was in, which awaking out of hys ſleepe, ſought after money, but founde not one croſſe of Coyne about him, notwithſtanding, that in his ſléepe he dreamed that he had more bagges of Golde then he was able to beare. Hee vttered certayne ſpéeches amongſt his companions, whylſt he was in my houſe, before he tooke his iourney into Fraunce, which wordes doo ſauour of ſuch a Dreame. What wyll you ſay (ſayth this dreamer) when you ſhall ſée me preache at Paules Croſſe? And agayne. I wyll ſée Rome before I bee a yéere elder. Theſe ſpéeches agree with that deſire that he had to creepe into the wéede of a Minime Fryer. No man coulde diſwade him from it. By all likelihoode he had hearde that diuers Friers of S. Frauncis Order, hauehave béene made Popes of Rome. As Sabellicus the Hyſtorian noteth, that before his time, fiue Franciſcane Fryers hadde beene made Popes. Enneadis▪ 9. Libro. 6. And I knowe the courage of Fryer Iohn Frauncis to be ſuch: that though his perſonne be but little, yet hys heade would holde vp the triple Crowne. And although there hauehave béene many bloudy beaſts that hauehave worne that crowne, yet I thinke that amongſt them all, there hath not beene one more bloudy, then thys little vermine woulde be, if he myght once change his Minimes hoode for a triple Crowne. But to returne to our matter. He procéedeth with hys exhortation to hys Father and mother, and thus he ſayth.

The Fryar.

I hauehave hearde my mother ſay, that in the olde tyme, the people were more deuoute then nowe they be. Nowe, if ſo be that, you be nowe gouerned by God, and the Papiſts in olde time were gouerned by the deuill, you muſt needes confeſſe, that the deuill is better able to make men deuout then God is, for becauſe that by your owne confeſſyon, the Papiſts were more deuout in the olde time, then the Proteſtants are nowe.

Crowley.

Thys is a poynt of déepe Diuinity, and of as cunning Sophiſtry. Fryer Iohns Mother did once ſay ſo, therefore of neceſſity it muſt needes be ſo. But it may be, that Fryers of your Order hauehave a Priuiledge, whereby they may frame arguments, that ſhall conclude neither in Mode nor in Figure: and yet no man may denie, either the argument or any part thereof. I hauehave hearde it reported, that once there was a Pope, that would ſéeme to be a better Latiniſt then he was indéede, and therfore he would nowe and then be talking a little Latine, though hee did oftentimes reache Priſcian a blowe. But on a time, there was one preſent, that hearing him make default in not obſeruing the Rules of p. 56Grammer in his ſpéeche: thought good wyth due reuerence to admoniſh him, ſaying: It may pleaſe your holines to pardon my boldnes▪ As I take it, your holines hath broken Priſcians heade. The Pope anſwered, and ſayd: As I hauehave ſpoken ſo ſhall it bée, in deſpight of Priſcian, and all the Grammarians in the worlde. Nowe, if that holy Father, or any other amongſt your holy fathers of Rome, hauehave graunted you as large a liberty in framing Arguments, as that holy Father himſelfe vſed in ſpeaking Latine, then you may maintayne your argument for good amongſt Papiſtes, but amongſt Proteſtants it wyll neuer be allowed for good. The meaning of your mothers wordes, is as much as if ſhee ſhould ſay thus. The people were more addicted to Religion, in the olde time then they be nowe, but the Religion that then was in vre, is a corrupted and vnpure Religion, and the Religion that now is in vſe is more ſincere and pure. The people therefore are more addicted to embrace a corrupted Religion, then that which is more pure. Thys argument hath ſome ſence in it. And this ſaying is according to that ſaying of our Sauiour Chriſt. Iohn. 3. Lyght is come into the worlde, and men hauehave loued darknes more then light. Nowe, if you ſhoulde enforce theſe words againſt the Apoſtle, and others that were the Schollers of Chriſt, you ſhoulde doo them great wrong, for they were not of that ſorte of men, that loued darknes more then light, for they were choſen out of y^e world, and had theyr myndes renued, and as they were renued, they loued light and hated darknes, that is, ignoraunce and wickednes of lyfe, which is the fruite of ignoraunce and darknes. Euen ſo, you doo open wrong to the Proteſtants, in that you enforce your mothers ſpéeche agaynſt them, concluding that of neceſſity they muſt confeſſe, that eyther they be gouerned by the deuill: or els that the deuill is better able to worke deuotion in men, the God himſelfe is. Thys concluſion followeth not vponupon the Premiſſes. For although men generally, hauehave not ſo great deuotion to the true Religion that is nowe in vſe, as generally they had to that Religion, that was in vſe in the time of ignoraunce: yet ſuch as be now vnfayned Chriſtians, euen ſuch as men of your ſorte doo vſe to call Proteſtants, hauehave nowe as greate deuotion to the right Religion, as euer the Papyſts had to theyr vayne ſuperſtition, or as you (Maſter Fryer John) hauehave nowe to that ſolery y^t you hauehave nowe profeſſed in Nigeon.

The ryght Proteſtant, is the right Chriſtian, and hath receiued the ſpyrite of Chriſt (as all that belong to Chriſt hauehave doone. Rom. 8.) and is gouerned and ledde by that ſpyrite, which ſpirite worketh in him▪ a feruent deuotion to ſerue God, in ſpyrit & in trueth, that is in true holines and righteouſ…es. The ryght Papyſt, is the ryght Antichriſtian, and hath receiued the ſpirite of Antichriſt, and is gouerned and ledd… by that ſpyrite, becauſe he hath gyuen ouer himſelfe to be ledde by that ſpyrite, forſaking y^e ſpirit of truth. 2. Theſ. 2. I conclude therefore, that your concluſion that you infer vponupon thoſe wordes that you hauehave hearde your mother ſpeake, concerning the deuotion of the people in the olde time, is a fonde fryarlike concluſion, and toucheth not vsus any thing at all. We know that our God is in heauen, and that he can doo what hee wyll doo, and hath doone what he woulde doo, both in heauen, in earth, and in hell, and in all deepe places. As for the deuill, we knowe hym to be but a ſl…ue to our God. And that of himſelfe, he hath no power at all. For all power belongeth to God. Pſal. 62 And we knowe that deuotion, is a good gyft, and therefore commeth from GOD, who is the gyuer of all good gyfts, and that no good gyft doth, or can come from the deuill. That therefore, which you call deuotion, and is wrought in you Papiſts by y^e ſpyrit of Antichriſt (which is the deuill) is no deuotion indeede, but a méere ſuperſtition, and a ſuperſtitious zeale to falſe Religion. And thus much for aunſwere to that matter. You procéede and you ſay thus▪

The Fryar.

Conſider this, looke to your ſoules health, remember the ſaying of our bleſſed Lord and Sauiour. Whoſoeuer loueth Father or mother, Brother or ſiſter, ſonne or daughter, landes or goods, yea or his owne ſoule more then me, he is not worthy to be my diſciple. Thinke not therefore, that it is ſo much to burne your bookes, ſeeing God will not hauehave vsus to louelove our owne ſoules more then him.

Crovvley.

We ha…e conſidered that which you hauehave wylled vsus to conſider, as in the words that goe immediatly before, you may ſée. Such care for our ſoules health, as becommeth Chriſtians, wée hauehave had, hauehave ſtil, and we doo not doubt but we ſhall hauehave, ſo long as we ſhall liue in thys tranſitory eſtate. The ſaying of our bleſſed Lorde and Sauiour, we forget not, We louelove not Father, mother, p. 57ſonne, daughter, landes, goods, no nor our owne ſoules more then we louelove him. Yea we louelove none of theſe otherwiſe then in him, and for his cauſe. And yet doo we not thinke our ſelues worthy to be his Schollers. But hys holy ſpirite which he hath gyuen vsus, doth inwardly in our harts aſſure vsus, y^t in mercy hee hath accepted of vsus, & made vsus not onelyonly his Schollers, but alſo his ſons and daughters by adoption, inheritours of his owne kingdom, and heyres annexed with hys onelyonly begotten ſonne, Chriſt Ieſus. And therefore, we doo not in our dangers flée from him (as you Papiſts doo, ſéeking helpe in creatures) but we flée to him, as obedient children to a louing Father, and we cry Abbapater, Father, Father, But let vsus ſée what followeth in your exhortation.

The Fryar.

Beleeue me, I pray you, I am your ſonne. Beleeue not them that flatter you before your face, and behind your back laugh you to ſcorne. If your hart be turned (as I beſeeche God it may be) if you can not finde a Prieſt to heare your confeſſyon, & to reconcile you, and make you a member of the holy Church, at the leaſt wiſe burne your bookes hereticall, vſe not the Englyſh Bible, goe no more to the Proteſtants Sermons, buy a payre of Beades, and pray to our bleſſed Ladye to helpe you, and wyſh in your hart that you had a Prieſt to confeſſe you, and wiſh ſo as often as you can, but ſpecially when you fall ſicke, or that you are like to die. Purpoſe ſtedfaſtly, if you coulde conueniently, to confeſſe your ſinnes, and to goe to ſhryft? &c.

Crovvley.

When you woulde perſwade your Mother to burne her Bookes, you put her in minde of thys ſaying of our Sauiour Chriſte: Whoſoeuer loueth father or mother. &c. But nowe, when you laboure to drawe her from Chriſt to Antichriſt, ſhe muſt beléeue you, for you are her ſonne. A pretie point of Rhethorike, and very rhethoricallie applyed. If your behauiour had béene ſuch towards your mother, that ſhe might hauehave had thereby ſome cauſe to thinke, that you beare a childlike affection towardes her: or if you had in theſe your Letters, ſought by humble and dutifull ſpéeches, to winne agayne that fauour, which by vnduetifull behauiour you hauehave loſt: then it might hauehave ſtande with ſome reaſon, that you require her to giuegive credite to you (her naturall ſon) rather then to any other, ſuch as you ſpeake of. But ſith you neyther hauehave nor can purge your ſelfe of that déepe diſſimulation that you vſed, at and before you ſlipped away from her, neither of that vndutifull behauiour that hath béene in you towardes her, in all the time of your abſence, and is ſtill: I can not ſhinke that you were well aduiſed, when you woulde vſe that way to perſwade. For what mother can beléeue any word that is ſpoken or written by that ſonne, that would hipocritically accompany her to the Sermons at Eaſter, and with his penne take notes of them: and yet on the Saterdaie following, woulde goe ſecretely to a Romiſhe ghoſtlie Father, and be by him reconciled to the Romiſh Catholick Church, promiſing to be an enemie, yea a mortall enemie all the reſt of his life daies, to the doctrine which he had ſo latelie hearde, and in outward ſhewe ſéemed to hauehave allowed of? yea and what credite can you hope to hauehave at her handes, in whoſe company, you receiued (I feare me to your owne condemnation) the holy Supper of the Lord, the next day after you had béene reconciled to that Antichriſtian Church of Rome? And how can you hope, that your mother will beléeue you, that making haſte to be gone from her, on the Munday in the after noone, pretended to goe to heare that Hebrewe Lecture, that the miſchieuous Hereticke Ba…ber (as it pleaſeth you to terme him) did reade vntounto you? And doo you think that you (lying ſo nigh London the two firſt nights, after your departing from your mother, and three wéekes after that, within one mile of London, and hearing what ſearche was made for you, by your carefull parents and other fréendes, would not ſhewe your ſelfe to that ſorowfull mother, but ſuffer her to continue ſtill in that remediles care, not onelie during the ſpace of thrée monthes, which was the time that you continued in Englande, before you could paſſe ouer the Seas: but alſo, euen to the ende almoſt of thrée yéeres, continuing in Fraunce, would neuer make your place and caſe knowne to your mother, or anie of your fré…ndes in England) can hauehave anie ſuch credite with this mother of yours, as in theſe wordes of yours you ſéeme to make account of? If your Mother will hearken to you, ſhe may giuegive no credite to thē that flatter her to her face, but laugh her to ſcorne behinde her back. And I pray you, can there be any that hath or coulde deale ſo with her more then you hauehave doone? Can any man thinke that you did not laugh in your ſléeue, when you heard that your father and mother made ſuch enquirie and ſearch after you, and yet coulde not méete wyth p. 58you? and could anie flatter your mother to her face, more then you did all y^t Eaſter time before you departed? There is no cauſe there fore, why ſhe ſhould either giuegive leſſe credite to any, then to you, or diſtruſt any more then you. If her hart be turned from Chriſte to Antichriſt (as you doo craue of God it may be) then ſhe muſt ſéeke for a prieſt, to heare her confeſſion & reco…cile her, and make her a member of y^e holy Church, but though ſhe can find no ſuch prieſt, yet ſhe muſt (if ſhe wil folow your aduice) burn her hereticall bookes, & vſe the Engliſh Bible no more, and refrain going to y^e Proteſtants Sermons. To pleaſure your mother in this caſe, you might hauehave doone very well, to hauehave written to her, where and howe ſhe might …inde one of theſe reconciling prieſts, and by what token ſhe might know a right reconciling prieſte, frō a coſening knaue, leaſt hoping to be made a member of y^e holy Church, ſhe might be admitted into the ſociety and felowſhip of coſoning mates, that hauehave no authority from your Antichriſt of Rome, and ſo ſhoulde ſhe be in worſe caſe then now ſhe is, or that you doo now ſuppoſe her to be. For hauing forſaken God (as you doo aduice her to doo) ſhe ſhould not be receiued of Antichriſt, and ſo ſhould ſhe be as a maſterles hownde, that ſmelleth to euerie mans garment, and neuer findeth any that will accept of his ſeruice. And where as you wiſhe her in any caſe to burne her hereticall bookes, you might hauehave doone wel to direct her to places & perſons, where, and by whoſe meanes ſhee might come by ſuch bookes y^t you doo allow for Catholick. &c. But in that which followeth, it appeareth what your meaning is. For ſhe may neyther vſe the Bible in Engliſh, nor heare the Proteſtants preache, neither doo you direct her which way ſhe may take, to come where ſhe may heare Catholick preachers. Your meaning therfore muſt néedes be, to bring her into the darke dungion of ignoraunce, which men̄ of your ſort doo vſe to call the mother of deuotion & obedience. And this your meaning is opened in theſe words following. Buy a paire of Beades. &c. What man or woman, that hath any maner glimmering of Chriſtian knowledge, can like of that manner of praying y^t they doo vſe, which pray vponupon Beades? Firſt, they perſwade thēſelues that they pray to our Lady. And ſo doo you exhorte your mother to doo, for you ſay. Bie a paire of beades, and pray our bleſſed Ladie to help you. But can you perſwade your ſelfe, that you pray to our bleſſed Ladye, when you ſaye. Our Father which art in heauen. &c. And hayle Mary full of grace. &c. And I beléeue in GOD the Father. &c? There is not one petition in the Lordes prayer, that may anie way be thought to bee a petition made to that bleſſed Virgin: except you can imagine that ſhee is that Father which ſéeth in ſecrete, to whom our Sauiour Chriſte commaunded hys Schollers to pray, when hee taught them howe they ſhoulde pray, ſaying: When you pray you ſhall ſay. Our Father, which art in Heauen. &c And in that ſalutation which the Angell Gabriell vſed to the bleſſed Virgine, there is not one word of petition or prayer, made eyther to her or to any other. And as for the Créede, it is a confeſſyon of beléefe, wherein are contayned the ſpeciall Articles of the Chriſtian fayth: but there is not one worde therein that can be, by any meanes wreſted, to ſerue for petition or prayer. Nowe, the order of your praying vponupon Beades is thus.

Fyrſt you ſay one Pater noſter. Then, the Aue Maria tenne times, and then one Pater noſter, and agayne, the Aue Maria ten times: and ſo forth, tyll you hauehave rehearſed the Pater noster fiue times, and the Aue Maria fyftie times. And then you rehearſe Credo in Deum Patrem, once. And this is the order of your praying vponupon Beades. And when you hauehave gone ouer your Beades three times, in this order: then you hauehave ſayd our Ladies Pſalter (as you doo terme it) I meruaile y^t you did not aduiſe your Mother to forget the Lords Prayer and the Creede, that ſhe hath learned in the Engliſhe tongue, and learne the Pater noster, the Aue Maria, and the Credo in Deum, in the Latine tongue. For our Engliſhe Prayers can not agrée with your Italian Beades. Neither is it poſſible, for that perſon to be deuout, in that kind of deuotion, that is not ſo ignoraunt, that he vnderſtandeth not one word of y^e prayers that he vſeth. I meruayle therefore, that you which doo vnderſtand the Latine tongue, can be ſo blinded, that you can allowe of that manner of praying. I feare me, that you hauehave ſo prouoked God to wrathe, by your wylfull Apoſtacie, that in iuſtice he hath ſo blinded your vnderſtanding, that you take darknes for light, and ignoraunce for knowledge: the deuill for God, and GOD for the deuill. And then is your caſe moſt miſerable, as ſayth the Prophet Eſay. V ae qui dicitis bonum malum & malum bonum. &c. Eſay. 5. Woe is vntounto you, or alas for you, that doo ſay that good is euil, and p. 59that euyll is good. If thys be your caſe, I doo not hope, that thys which I nowe doo, or that can be doone by any other, can helpe any thing at all to drawe you out of your darke dungion of ignorance. But hoping better of you, and that though my laboure coulde not profite you, yet ſome other may bee profited thereby. I hauehave thought good to make thys matter as plaine as I can, that the manifeſt truth, may (if it be poſſible) preuayle with you, and bring you backe agayne to your former happy eſtate, wherein you were once, and ſéemed to be ſetled therein. If that can not bee, yet I hope this labour of mine may be a meane to ſtay ſome ſuch as you were from running headlong after you into that pytte of deſtruction that you are fallen into.

You teache your mother to craue helpe at the handes of the bleſſed virgin, that was neuer able to helpe her ſelfe. Shee her ſelfe ſayth, That her ſpyrite reioyced in God her Sauiour: and woulde you that your mother ſhoulde nowe put that bleſſed virgin (whom God hath ſaued) in the place of that God that ſaued her, by crauing that helpe at her handes, which can not be had at the handes of any, but of God himſelfe? Your mother had learned (before ſhée bare you) that it is God that draweth the Infants out of theyr mothers wombe, and that it is he that ſuſtaineth them whylſt they hang vponupon their mothers dugges. Pſalm. 22. And when ſhe trauelled of Chylde, ſhe called vponupon him, and not vponupon the bleſſed virgin. And whence came thys calling vppon the bleſſed Virgin in that caſe, but from the cuſtome of the Heathen women, which beeing perſwaded that the Moone hath a naturall dominion in moyſt matters, called vppon her vnderunder the name of Iuno lucina. And when Chriſtians beganne to declyne from that perfection of Chriſtian knowledge that had beene taught by the Apoſtles, and theyr immediate ſucceſſors: Chriſtian women thought they ſhould not doo amiſſe, to put the bleſſed mother of our Sauiour Chriſt, in y^e place of this Iuno, and ſo they fel to calling vponupon her, in their peril in the trauayle of Childbyrth. And wyll you bring your mother backe agayne to this ſuperſtition?

If you wyll giuegive any credite to ſaint Auguſtine, hee wyll fell you, that the bleſſed Virgin dooth neyther require nor allow of anie ſuch honour to be giuen vntounto her. In his Booke intituled of true Religion, and in the laſt Chapter thereof, hee wryteth thus. Non ſit …obis Religio cultus hominū mortuorum: quia ſi pie vixerunt, non ſic habentur, vt tales quaerant honores, ſed illum a nobis coli volunt, …uo illuminante, laetantur meriti ſui nos eſſe conſortes. Honorandi ergo …unt propter immitationem: non adorandi propter Religionem. Let vsus not hauehave a Religion (ſaith S. Auſten) of the worſhipping of dead men and dead women: For if they liued godly, they be not of that minde, that they woulde ſéeke to hauehave ſuch honor at our hands, but theyr deſire is, that we ſhoulde worſhip him, by whoſe illumining they reioyce that we are companions with them, of his merite.

They muſt therefore be honored, by immitation: not worſhipped for Religion. If you woulde reade that Booke of S. Auguſt…ne, I thinke you woulde forethinke that euer you went about to perſwade your mother to make prayers to anie creature. Although …he bleſſed virgine, be amongſt creatures moſt excellent, yet is ſhée not Deified. She remaineth ſtill a creature. She is ſtill a woman, méete to be honoured by immitation as S. Auſten ſaith, but not to be worſhipped for Religion. The honour that we may giuegive to her, or to anie other holie ſaint of God, is to followe that good example of life, that they hauehave left behinde them. Who ſo will honor her a right, muſt call to minde, her great humility, her moſt ſtedfaſt and conſtant fayth, and her integritie of life in all conditions, and endeuour to follow her therein. But to make prayers to her, and to …raue helpe at her handes, as you exhorte your mother to doo: is to put her in the place of God, by giuing Gods honour to her, and ſo making an Idole of her. If it be not lawful to beléeue in her, then is it not lawfull to pray to her. For the Apoſtle ſaith: Quomodo inuocabūt in quem non crediderunt. Howe ſhall they call vponupon him, in whom they hauehave not beléeued? Rom. 10. The Prophet Dauid, in the Pſalme 50. ſpeaking in the perſonne of GOD, ſayeth: Call vppon mee in the day of thy trouble, I wyll deliuer thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie mée. The ſame Prophete ſayth, Pſalme, 145 The Lorde is harde at hande, with euerie one that calleth vppon him: with euerie one that calleth vponupon him faithfully. In another Pſalme, the ſame Prophete ſayth thus, ſpeaking in the perſon of GOD. I am the Lorde thy God, which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt: open thy mouth wyde, and I wyll fill it.

By opening the mouth, is there meant, the crauing at Gods p. 60handes by prayer, which the people of GOD are there commanded to vſe. Pſalme. 81. Aſſuring themſelues to receiue at his hands as much as they doo or can aſke.

If you would marke well the Pſalmes that you vſe to ſing in your midnight Mattins, you ſhoulde finde in them many ſuch encouragements to call vppon GOD, but not one worde to encourage you, to call vponupon any creature, be the ſame neuer ſo excellent or holy. Yea, if you ſhall reade the whole Scriptures thorow, from the firſt word in Geneſis, to the laſte in the Reu…lations of Iohn, you ſhall not finde one worde, that (beeing rightly vnderſtanded) may giuegive you any manner of encouragement, to make Prayers to anie creature, or diſcourage you to make prayers to God. Yea, you ſhall not finde any one example in any holy man, that hath fledde from GOD, to ſeeke helpe at the handes of creatures at anie time.

But you ſhall finde that Ieremie the Prophete complayneth agaynſt them that hauehave doone ſo. Ieremie▪ 2. His wordes be theſe. Obstupeſcite caeli ſuper hoc, & portaeeius deſolamini vehementer, dicit Dominus. Duo enimmala fecit populus meus. Me dereliquerunt, fone tem aquae vi…ae, & foderunt ſibi cisternas, cisternas diſcipatas, quae continere non valent aquas. O yee Heauens (ſayth the Lord) bée aſtoniſhed at this thing, & yee Gates thereof be ye greatly abaſhed. For my people hauehave committed two euills. They hauehave forſaken me, which am the Fountaine of lyuing water, and they hauehave dygged Ceaſternes for themſelues, Ceaſternes that can not holde Water. Heere the Prophet leremie diſprooueth the people of Iuda for two euills. And hee dooth it in the perſonne of God himſelfe.

One of thoſe euils is, the forſaking of him, the Fountayne of liuing water, as you teache your mother to doo, when you will her to burne her Bookes, and to leaue the vſe of the Engliſhe Byble. The other euill is, the dygging of Ceaſterns, that can not holde any water. This euill you feache your mother to commit, when you wyll her to buy a payre of Beades, and to pray our bleſſed Ladie to helpe her. Although that bleſſed virgin bee a moſt excellent creature, yet ſhe is but a creature, and therefore but a broken Ceaſterne in compariſon of GOD, which is the Fountaine of lyuing Water.

They therefore that ſéeke helpe at her hande, doo but dygge a broken Ceſterne, for ſhe could neuer helpe her ſelfe, as before I hauehave moſt plainely prooued, much leſſe can ſhe helpe them that flée from God, and ſéeke helpe at her hande. The ſentences of Scripture that I hauehave before cited, doo moſt manifeſtly proue, that there is no cauſe that may giuegive vsus occaſion to flée from God, to ſéeke help at the handes of any other.

He is almighty, able to helpe in eueryevery neede. Hee is mercifull, and readie to helpe in all diſtreſſes. He is faithfull, and hath promiſed to helpe ſuch as call vponupon him faythfully. He knoweth our caſe, and néedeth not any Memoranſor to put him in minde of our caſe. He hath a prouident and fatherly care for vsus, ſo that he letteth no occaſion ſlyppe, but taketh eueryevery occaſion to doo vsus good. And would you wyſh your mother, to forſake thys ſo mighty, ſo mercifull, ſo faythfull, and ſo prouident a father, and to gyue herſelfe to the ſeruice of hys daughter, in whom none of theſe thinges be, otherwyſe then by participation from thys father, in whom the fulnes of all theſe things remayneth? God forbid. Remember your ſelfe better (Samuell) and make haſte home againe. Tarry no longer in that Dungeon of darknes in Nigeon. Take againe that fruition of the light of the Goſpell, that once you did enioye in Englande. Shake of thoſe chaynes of ignoraunce, wherein ſathan hath ſo bywrapped you: and embrace againe with vsus, the fréedome of knowledge, which the almighty GOD hath ſo plentifully beſtowed vponupon Englande. But let vsus conſider, that which is next in your exhortation.

Your mother muſt wyſhe in her hart, that ſhe had a Prieſte to confeſſe her: and ſhe muſt doo thys, as often as ſhe can, but eſpecially, when ſhe ſhall fall ſicke, and ſhall be like to die. And ſhe muſt purpoſe ſtedfaſtly, to confeſſe her ſinnes and to goe to ſhryft, if ſhee could conueniently. Of ſuch Prieſtes, as you would hauehave your mother to wyſhe for, I hauehave before written ſufficiently. I hauehave wrytten alſo enough concerning that confeſſyon of ſinnes that God requireth at the handes of Chriſtians. Your mother knewe before you were borne, and knoweth ſtyll, what ſinnes ſhe ought to confeſſe, and to whome ſhe ought to make her confeſſyon. She myndeth not to wyſh after, to ſéeke for, or to acquaint herſelfe with any ſuch Ghoſtly Father, as you mean… of, although ſhe might, with p. 61out all bodily danger doo it. She knoweth them to be Traytours, to GOD, to our Prince and Countrey, and to all ſuch ſimple Chriſtians as doo hearken to them. Her ſt…dfaſt purpoſe therefore is, to confeſſe her ſinnes to God euerie day, bothe in ſicknes and in health.

She doth continually craue at Gods hande, the grace of continuall and vnfained repentaunce. Of full and frée pardon of all h… ſinnes (by the mediation of Chriſt Ieſus) ſhe craueth a full and perfect aſſuraunce, With all popiſh Prieſtes, pepiſh ſhri…t, and with all maner of popery, ſhe is, and ſtyll wylbe at defiaunce. But you procéede with your exhortation, and thus you ſay.

The Fryer.

Beleeue without doubting, all that the holy Catholicke Romaine, and Apoſtolicke Church doth belceue: although that they ſurpaſſe and excell mans vnderſtanding. To be briefe, ſay eueryevery day theſe wordes. O ſweete Ieſus, I doo ſtedfaſtly beleeue, all that my Sonne Sa…uell beleeueth. And in that fayth, in which he is, I will liue and die. Be mercifull vntounto me, a moſte wretched ſinner, for thy names ſake. Holie Marie mother of GOD pray for me, thyne vnworthy handmayde, nowe, and in the hower of my death. Say thys prayer onelyonly euerie day. And if you can goe to ſhrift, confeſſe your ſinnes, and receiue the bodie and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt▪

Crovvley.

Your mother hath iuſt cauſe to muſ… what you meane by this part of your exhortation, wherein you will her to beléeue all y^e the holy Catholick, Romane, and Apoſ…lick Church doth beléeue. For there is no ſuch Church as that in any part of the world. There is indéede a Romaine Church, but that Church is neither holy, Catholick, nor Apoſtolick. Holy ſhee is not, becauſe ſhe renounceth that holines that is fréely giuen in Chriſt, and cleaueth to an holines, that ſhe imagineth to be in her owne workes, wherein no holines at all, either is or can be before God. The caſe of this Romaine Church, is as euill, or worſe then the caſe of the Church of the Jewes was, when they béeing ignorant of the righteouſnes of God, ſought to eſtabliſh their owne right…ouſnes, and ſo neyther were, nor could be ſubiect to the rightcouſnes of God. Rom. 10 Euen ſo theſe Romaines, which you call the Romaine Churche, beeing ignoraunt of that holines that is fréely giuen in Chriſt, and is therefore the holines of GOD, and not of men, doo ſéeke to ſette vppe and aduaunce their owne holines (which is no holines indeede) and ſo are not, neither can be ſubiecte to that holines that God giueth in Chriſt: and ſo by good conſequence▪ there is in them no holines at all. Catholicke that Romaine Church is not: for that ſhe holdeth not that fayth, which Chriſt in his owne perſon taught in Jeruſalem, and in other parts of the lande of Iewrie, and at the time of his Aſcention into heauen, commaunded his Apoſtles to teache Catholickly, that is, all the worlde ouer, according to the ſignification of the worde Catholicè. That is Catholickly, or vniuerſally. In his owne perſonne our Sauiour Chriſt did preache this fayth, as appeareth in the firſt Chapter of S. Marke. Postquā autem tradi…us est Johannes. &c. After that Iohn was impriſoned, Ieſus came into Galile, preaching the Goſpell of the kingdome of GOD, and ſaying. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draweth nigh. Repent, and beléeue the Goſpell. To beléeue the Goſpell, is that fayth which is called Catholicke. And whoſoeuer beléeueth the Goſpell, is a Catholicke. And on the contrary, he that beléeueth not the Goſpell, is no Catholicke. To beléeue the Goſpell, is to b…léeue Gods word. For in our olde Engliſhe ſpéeche, Gods worde was called Gods ſpeale: and nowe (corruptly) we doo call it Goſpell. This Goſpell (or Gods ſpeale) is that promiſe that GOD made firſte to Adam, the firſte man: when he promiſed that the womans ſéede ſhoulde breake the Serpentes heade. Gen. 3. This promiſe was renued to Abraham, when GOD ſayd to him: In thy ſéede ſhall all the Nations of the earth bee bleſſed. Gen. 22. And this Goſpell, is by the Grecians called Euangelion, which worde dooth (by interpretation) ſignifie a gladde tydinges. This Glad tydings dyd our Sauiour declare, firſt to the loſt ſhéepe of the houſe of Iſraell, both in his owne perſonne, and by the miniſterie of his Apoſtles. And at y^e time of his aſcending into heauen: he gaue commaundement to thoſe Apoſtles, to declare the ſame Catholickly, (that is to ſay, generally) all the worlde ouer. For thus he ſayd vntounto them then. Euntes in mundnm vniuerſum, praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae. Goe into all the world, and preach the Goſpell to eueryevery creature. Vnderſtanding by creatures, all Nations and ſortes of men. By thys meanes, thys Goſpell or Gladde tydinges (which at the firſt was made knowne but to few, p. 62in compariſon of all) was made knowne to the whole worlde, and was therefore called Catholicke. And when in the primitiue time of the preaching of thys Goſpell, certayne fantaſticall heades beganne to teache doctrines contrary to thys Catholick doctrine, and to drawe diſciples after them: then the Fathers that held & taught thys doctrine, called themſelues Catholicks, and thoſe other Schiſmatickes, and Heretickes.

The firſt Romyſh Chriſtians, were right Catholicks, as appeareth by that Epiſtle that the Apoſtle Paule wrote to them, and ſo the Chriſtians of that Cittie continued many yéeres after ſaynt Paules time, as appeareth in the Hiſtories of the Church. But for the ſpace of a thouſande yéeres laſt paſt (almoſt) that Church, that hath béene, and is in Rome, hath béene, and is ſtyll, ſchiſmaticall: and therefore the name Catholick is no méete name for that Romyſhe Church. They denie the frée iuſtification by fayth, which S. Paule taught the firſt Romyſh Chryſtians, and they belee…ed hys doctrine. They glory in theyr owne wyſedome, ryghteouſnes, holines, and redemption: preſuming to redéeme theyr owne ſinnes, and the ſinnes of others alſo: by theyr faſtings, their prayers, theyr whyppings, and other workes that they hauehave deuiſed, whereby they thinke (and perſwade as many as they can to think) that ſatiſfaction may be made to God, for ſinne committed in breaking the commaundements of God: whereas by the Catholicke fayth we are taught, that as there is but one God, ſo there is but one mediator betwixt God and man, which is the man Chriſt Ieſus▪ …. Tim. 2. And this Mediator had none other meane wherby hée might worke our reconciliation, but onelyonly the ſhedding his of own hart bloude for vsus. That death which our ſinnes had deſerued, was (and of neceſſity muſt bee) ſuffered by him y^t purchaſed our peace with God.

I conclude therefore, that the Romiſh Church, taking vponupon it (in ſome ſorte) the O…yce of the Mediatour: is not Catholicke, but Antichriſtian. And therefore your mother béeing a Catholicke Chriſtian indéede, may not harken to her ſonne Samuell, when he wylleth her to beléeue all that the holye Catholicke, Romaine, and Apoſtolicke Church dooth beléeue. &c.

And whereas you name the Romaine Churche Apoſtolicke, you doo great wrong to that Church which is Apoſtolick indéede, and ſo doo yée to the Apoſtles themſelues. For you father vponupon them all your hypocriſies and ſuperſtitions, all your counterfayt & falſe Religions, all your Idolatrous abhominations, and all your inordinate and great power and vſurpations: from which the Apoſtolicke Church, both is, and euer hath béene, as farre ſcuered, as in diſtance of place, heauen and earth are ſeperated. The Apoſtles, and the Apoſtolicke Church neither doth at this day, neither any time héeretofore, hath receiued, or maintained wittingly and wyllinglie, any maner of hypocriſies or ſuperſtitions. It neyther dooth nor hath embraced willingly and wittingly, anie counterfayte or falſe Religions. It neuer hath nor doth embrace, vpholde or main taine▪ any Idolatrous abhomination. It neuer hath, doth, or wyl delight it ſelfe in anie inordinate power or vſurpation. The Apoſtles themſelues, did (according to the example of our Sauiour Chriſt) wyllingly ſubmitte themſelues to Princes, and all other Noble eſtates, as to ſuch as by Gods ordinaunce, hauehave the ſupreame authority, ouer the bodies and goods of all men, of all ſorts and profeſſions, that liue within thoſe Countryes that of right doo belong to their domini…ns. Rom. 13. …. Pet. 2. The Apoſtolicke Church, neuer tooke vppon her, to depoſe Kinges, or to diſpoſe of kyngdomes at anie time heretofore, neither preſently dooth, nor in time to come will.

The Apoſtolick Church hath alwayes, dooth ſtyll, and for euer will, embrace, vpholde, mainetaine, teache and preache, that doctrine, which by the appointment of Chriſt Ieſus (to whome all power in heauen and earth dooth belong) the Apoſtles themſelues, dyd whilſt they liued vponupon earth, embrace, vpholde, maintayne, teach and preach, without any manner of adding to, taking from, or altering or changing, in any manner of reſpect, ſo far foorth as Chriſt Ieſus, (whoſe ſpouſe ſhe is) pleaſeth by his holy ſpyrite to direct her, and to make her able to doo. The Apoſtolick Churche, dooth not, neither hath nor will, commaunde or counſell men or women, to beléeue all that ſhe beléeueth: before ſhee hath let them vnderſtande what ſhe beléeueth, and ſo enſtructed them, that they may be able to render a reaſon of that hope that is in them, neyther dooth ſhe wyll them to beléeue any thing that dooth ſurpaſſe mans vnderſtanding, tyll ſhee hauehave made them vnderſtand, what p. 63moueth her to beléeue thoſe thinges. But your Romain… Church, which you call Apoſtolick, doth, and for theſe 1000. yéeres laſt paſt (almoſte) hath doone, and ſtill pretendeth to doo, the contrary to all theſe thinges. I conclude therefor…, that ſhee is not Apoſtolicke, but Apoſtatate: and therefore all thynges that ſhee beléeueth, are to bée ſuſpected, and not to be receiued, till they ſhalbée throughly tryed, and founde to bée Apoſtolicke. But now you wyll growe to a concluſion, and thus you ſay.

The Fryar.

To be breefe. Say eueryevery day theſe wordes. O ſweete Ieſus. &c.

Crovvley.

In your concluſion, wherein you are bréefe: you giuegive me occaſion, to be longer then willingly I would. You preſcribe your mother an order of proteſtation and prayer, which ſhee muſt vſe eueryevery day, if ſhe hope to be accepted amongſt the Romiſh Catholicks.

It beginneth very well, for thus ſhe muſt ſay: O ſwéete Ieſus. But in the next wordes, you teache her to flée from Ieſus, and to be at defiaunce with him. For ſhe muſt ſay thus: I doo ſtedfaſtly beléeue all that my ſonne Samuell beléeueth. Which is as much as if ſhe ſhoulde ſay thus. Farwell ſwéete Ieſus: I wil no longer depende vponupon thée. For my ſwéete ſonne Samuell, hath commaunded me to depende vppon hym. I may no longer beléeue as thou haſt taught me: but I muſt, and wyll beléeue all that my ſonne Samuell beléeueth. Thou haſte taught me to beléeue, that whoſoeuer beléeueth and is baptiſed, ſhalbe ſaued. Mar. 16. But my ſonne Samuell ſaith, that except I confeſſe my ſinnes to a Prieſt, and be by him abſolued, and reconciled to the Romyſh Catholicke Churche, I ſhall bee damned both body and ſoule, and I am ſure hée woulde not ſay it, except hee dyd beléeue it. O ſwéete Ieſus, thou haſte called mee, and haſte ſayde vntounto mée amongſt other, Come vntounto mée all yee that laboure, and be heauy laden, and I wyll refreſhe you. Take my yoke vppon you: and learne of mée, for I am méeke and humble of harte, and you ſhall finde reſt vntounto your ſoules: for my yoke is pleaſaunt, and my burden is lyghte. Mathew. 11.

But my ſonne Samuell beléeueth, that eueryevery man and woman muſt ſuffer for theyr owne ſinnes: and therefore hee goeth and lyeth woolwarde, hée refrayneth the eating of fleſhe, and of al white meates, he riſeth eueryevery night at midnight, he doth ſcourge himſelfe naked often times: yea, he gyueth himſelfe 400. ſtrypes at one time. Yea, fearing to fall into the handes of the liuing God (which is horrible) hée hath for ſaken the world (as he ſayth) and the life of a Scholler, and hath made himſelfe a Minime Fryer, chooſing rather that way to fall into the hands of GOD, then (liuing as his Father and I doo) to fall into the pawes of the deuill. His ghoſtly father hath tolde him, (and he doth beléeue it) y^t though thou dooſt cal him, and offer to take the heauy burden of ſinne from him: yet it is neceſſary that he doo penaunce in hys owne perſon, & by that penaunce he do redéeme his owne ſoule. And although thou haſt bydden him bowe downe hys necke vnderunder thy yoke, & take thy burden vppon his backe, aſſuring him that thy yoke is eaſie, and thy burden light, and that in thus dooing he ſhall finde reſt to hys ſoule: yet if he wyll finde that reſt indéede, hee muſt of neceſſitye take the yoke and burden of S. Frauncis vppon his necke and ſhoulders, and doo penaunce all the dayes of hys life, according to the rule of S. Frauncis Order.

O ſwéete Ieſus, beare with me, I muſt beléeue all this, for my ſonne Samuell dooth beléeue it, and hath wylled mee to ſay eueryevery day, that I doo beléeue all that hee dooth beléeue. O ſwéete Ieſus thou haſt ſayde, Let ſuch as hath eares to heare, hearken. Math. 13. And thy holy Apoſtle Iames hath ſayde: Be ſwyft to heare. Iam. 1. And thine Apoſtle Paule ſayth, that fayth commeth by hearing. Rom. 10: But my ſonne Samuell, wylleth me to leaue my early ryſing, and goe no more to the Lectures and Sermons of Crowly, Barber, and Fielde, or of any other Proteſtants, for hee ſayth that they are the deuills Miniſters, and that the deuill of …ell is the foundation of that Religion, that they doo teache. And I muſt beléeue that this is true, if I wyll beléeue all that my ſonne Samuell doth beléeue.

But my conſcience telleth me (O ſwéete Ieſus) that thou art that Rocke on which Crowley, Barber, Fyelde, and the reſte that bée the Proteſtant Preachers doo builde: and I thynke that I doo plainely ſée, that they doo not builde vppon thée, eyther ſtraw or ſtubble, but Gold, Syluer, and ſuch other matter, that can not be conſumed by the force of the fire of Gods ſpirit, which p. 64in hys good time wyll trye, all that men hauehave builded vponupon thée, which art that foundation that all the builders which wyll buylde the Temple of GOD, muſt needes builde vppon, becauſe there is none other foundation to builde vppon. 1. Cor. 3.

O ſwéete Ieſus, thou haſte commaunded mee to ſearche the Scriptures. Iob. 5. And thy holy Euangeliſt ſaynt Luke reporteth, that in Berroaea, ſuch as receiued the doctrine of the Goſpell gladly, dyd ſearche the Scriptures daily. Acts. 17. But my ſonne Samuell forbyddeth mée the vſe of the Byble in Engliſh. And hée knoweth that I vnderſtande none other language. Hys meaning therefore muſt needes bée, to forbydde that which thou hath commaunded. O ſwéete Ieſus, ſuffer mée not to be ſeduced by my ſonne Samuels flattering and hypocriticall ſpéeches. Hée teacheth mée, to beſeeche thee to bée mercifull to mée, a moſt wretched ſinner, for thy name ſake. A better leſſon then this, no man can teache.

O ſwéete Lorde Ieſus, doo thou imprint thys leſſon in my harte, that I doo neuer forgette it. And worke thou in my hart by thy holye ſpyrite, that I may hauehave a ready good will, dayly to vſe it. But alas, he beléeueth that thy bleſſed Mother Mary, is able to helpe ſuch as call vppon her, and therefore, hée teacheth me to pray vntounto her to helpe mée: But thou haſt taught me a leſſon contrary to that. When you pray, you ſhall ſay: O our Father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy wyll be doone in earth, as it is in heauen. &c.

O ſwéete Ieſus, let me neuer forgette that forme of prayer. Gyue mée grace (I beſéeche thee) to vſe it nyght and day, to craue continuallye, at the handes of thy heauenly Father, which through thee is become my heauenlye Father, all thoſe thyngs that in that forme of Prayer thou haſte taught mee to craue. Let mee not ſo hearken to my Sonne Samuell, as that following hys counſell, I ſhoulde doo contrary to thy commaundements. Bleſſed Lorde Ieſus, I doo knowe that thy bleſſed mother, is a moſt bleſſed creature. But thou, with thy Father and the holye Ghoſte, art her Creator and mine, and the Creator of all creatures. Wée muſt ſay of her, as the Prophette Eſay ſayde of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob▪

Abraham neuer knewe vsus, Iſraell is ignoraunt of our caſe, but thou art our Father, thou art our deliuerer. Eſay. 63.

Thinkeſt thou (oh thou blynde Fryer Iohn) that thy mother that bare thee, is ſo blinded with affection towardes thee, that ſhee wyll turne her backe vppon Chriſte Ieſus to follow thee? Thou teacheſt her to vſe daily a forme of prayer, which in the firſt words is ſwéeter then honnie, to the taſte of a faithfull Chriſtian, but in all the wordes that followe, it is full of moſt peſtilent and deadlye poyſon. She wyll none of it therefore. She wyll pray to the heauenly Father, in ſuch ſorte as Chriſt Ieſus the ſonne of God hath taught her, and not to creatures as thou dooſt exhort her. Though ſhe coulde, yet ſhe wyll not goe to ſhryft, to make confeſſyen of her ſinnes to a Prieſt. Shée knoweth who it is, againſt whome ſhée hath ſinned. To him alone ſhe wyll confeſſe all her ſecrete ſinnes. At his handes onelyonly ſhe wyl aſke forgiuenes of her ſinnes, becauſe ſhe knoweth that he onelyonly is able to forgiue them. And when ſhe ſhall ſinne againſt men, ſhe wyll confeſſe thoſe ſinnes to thoſe men agaynſt whom ſhe ſhall committe them. Shee will doo all that ſhée ſhall bee able to doo, in making ſatiſfaction to them. Shée wyll craue forgiuenes at their handes, and beſéeche them to pray to GOD for her, that ſhe may obtaine forgiuenes at hys handes alſo.

The bleſſed body and bloude of our Lorde and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſte, ſhée will receiue, as often as ſhée may: but not after ſo bloudy a manner as you imagine that you doo. Shee hath learned to receiue an outwarde Sacrament into her mouth and ſtomache, and by fayth, to receyue ſpirituallie into her ſoule, the thing that is ſignified by that outwarde Sacrament. Shée knoweth, that if ſhée dwell in Chriſte, and hauehave Chriſt dwelling in her: ſhée dooth at the Lordes Table, receiue, eate, and drinke, the Lordes bodye and bloude, in the Sacrament exhibited to her, and to the reſte of the faithfull. But if ſhée ſhoulde intrude herſelfe into the companye of Chriſtians, not dwelling in Chriſt, neyther hauing Chriſte dwelling in her: ſhe knoweth that though ſhe ſhoulde receiue the Sacramentall breade, and drinke the Sacramentall wyne neuer ſo often, yet ſhée ſhoulde neither eate the bodye nor drinke the bloude of Chriſte, but the Sacrament of ſo excellent a thing, to her owne condemnation. August, in ſermone de Sacramentis fidelium.

p. 65Feria. 2. Paſchae. Thys is the iudgment of ſaynt Auguſtine in hys Sermon that he made of the Sacraments of the faythfull, the ſeconde day of Eaſter.

And (Fryer Iohn) I muſt aduiſe you to call to remembraunce that dealing of yours, when you preſumed to bée partaker of the Sacrament of the body and bloude of Chriſte, in company wyth your mother, the morrowe after you hadde béene at ſhryfte, and were (as your ſelfe hauehave in theſe your Letters confeſſed) reconciled to the Romiſh Catholicke Church. If Chriſte did then dwell in you: vndoubtedly, bothe Chriſt and Antichriſt may dwell together, which is knowne to bée a thing impoſſible. You were reconciled to Antichriſt, therefore hée dwelt in you, and not Chriſt. You preſumed with Iudas, to eate the Lordes breade, againſt y^e Lord, as Iudas did, when he had before bounde himſelfe by promiſe (for money) to deliuer the Lorde into the handes of the high Prieſtes and Elders of the people.

Euen ſo had you compacted with your new fréendes, and made promiſe to forſake the Proteſtants Religion (as you terme it) and to embrace the Romiſh Catholicke Religion, during the whole time of your tranſitory life. And howe durſt you then thruſt your ſelfe into our Communion the next day after you hadde made thys promiſe to your ghoſtly father, that had béene the meane and inſtrument of your reconciliation: and ſo diſſemble both wyth your newe and your olde fréendes, as a Newter, or Iacke on both ſides? But it may be that your ghoſtly Father had ſome large Commiſſion from the holy father of Rome, to diſſpence in ſuch caſes: For ſuch doo account our Sacrament, to bée but a péece of breade, and a cuppe of wyne, and that therefore, there is no danger in the receiuing of it in ſuch manner as you did then receiue it. But that diſpenſation can not helpe you: for it was Panis Domini, the Lords breade, as well to you, as that other was to Iudas. And you receiued it Contra Dominum. againſt the Lord, as Iudas did, euen to your owne condemnation, becauſe you made no difference of the Lordes body. To your mother (and to other, the faithfull that dyd at that time receiue that Sacrament) it was Panis Dominus. The breade which is the Lorde, and it did nouriſhe them to euerlaſting life, although it were to you a condemnation.

But haſting to an ende of your exhortation, and ſo of the whole matter, you thought méete to impart to your mother in theſe your Letters: you ſay thus, as followeth.

The Fryar.

If you be perſecuted, reioyce with S. Paule in your perſecutions: remembring that ſentence which our Lorde hath ſpoken, ſaying: VVhoſoeuer wyll come after me, let hym deny himſelfe, let him take vp hys Croſſe and follow me. Saint Paule ſayth, that the Paſſions and tribulations of thys world, are not worthy of that glory, which GOD wyll gyue vsus. Thus I commend you to God. From our Fryery at Nigeon, a myle from Paris, the ſeauenteene day of Marche. 1586. Your ſonne, carefull for your ſoules health: Fryer Iohn Frauncis. And then you write thus in the margine. I hauehave changed my name. I am no more called Samuell Debnam: but Fryer Iohn Frauncis. If you ſende any Letter to mee, wryte on the backe of it. A frere Jehan Francoys Minime a Nigeon aupres de Paris, ces Lettres ſoyent donnees.

Crowley.

To comfort your Mother againſt perſecution, you put her in minde of the words of our Sauiour Chriſt, in the ninth Chapter of Luke. And of the wordes of S. Paule in the 8. to the Romaines. I hope ſhée wyll remember theſe ſentences, when you ſhall come into Englande (as you ſay your hope is ſhortly to doo) and ſhall there ſette vp that Order of Bone homes, which you hauehave profeſſed, and bée an Inquiſitor there: that ſhee may ſtande conſtantlie to the profeſſyon of that auncient, Catholike, and Apoſtolick fayth, which ſhée hath by hearing learned, and by the aſſyſtaunce of Gods ſpirite profeſſed and practized, before, and euer ſince ſhe bare you: a babe of whom ſhée hoped to hauehave had ſuch ioy as naturall Parents doo naturally hope to hauehave in their naturall Children. But nowe that you are degenerated, and become an Apoſtata, forſaking that right Religion, wherein you were baptized and Catechized: ſhée hath iuſt cauſe to wyſh, that ſhe had neuer nouriſhed you with the milke of her breaſts (if the Lords will hadde béene ſo) but rather that her wombe hadde béene your graue. It is true as you ſay, that whoſoeuer will come after Chriſt, muſt take vppe theyr Croſſe and followe him. It is true alſo, that the paſſyons and tribulations of thys worlde, are not woorthye of that glory which GOD wyll giuegive vntounto vsus. But ſir, if your mother ſhould hearken to you, and by going to ſhrift and hearing of p. 66maſſes, and profeſſing of Popery, pull ſuch a Croſſe vponupon herſelfe, as they doo beare, which willingly and wittingly doo put thēſelues into the danger of y^e iuſt Lawes of our Country: ſhe ſhould beare a heauy Croſſe indéede, but not after Chriſt. For not Chriſt, but Antichriſt calleth men and women, from their due allegiaunce to Princes, and diſpenſeth with thē for their lawfull othes of faythfull obedience, which they hauehave taken to be true to theyr princes. The paſſyons & tribulations that your Seminary men, and ſuch as follow them doo ſuffer, are not perſecutions, but iuſt executions, euen ſuch as GOD commaunded to be executed vponupon falſe Prophets and Idolators. Deu. 13.

If you may hauehave your wiſhed hope, I doubt not but you wyll put both your Father and mother, and all others that hauehave béene your foſterers, to their tryall: for yeeare become an hungry whelpe of that bloudie▪ Butchers curre, that ruleth in Rome, and thyrſteth after the bloude of the Engliſh Nation. But that God, that hath the hartes of all Princes in his hande, wil (I hope) worke ſo in the hart of that Noble Prince that nowe raygneth, in that noble Realme of Fraunce, or in the hart of ſome of hys ſurceſſors, that all the Romyſh rabble, ſhall by them be rowſed out of theyr dennes, as in the dayes of our noble King Henry the eight, they that then were in England were rowſed. And then that hope of yours will be at an ende.

But ſir, what meane you by thys, that you ſay that God wyll gyue vsus that glorie, whereof the paſſions and tribulations that wée ſuffer héere are not worthy. Howe ſtandeth this, with that which you hauehave written before, by occaſion of the wordes of our Sauiour, in the xxv. of S. Mathewe, where you ſay that the féeding of the hungry, &c. are the cauſe of that ioyfull ſentence. Come ye bleſſed of my Father. &c. For there you ſay, that thys glorye is due to thoſe and ſuch like workes, and nowe you affyrme that it is Gods gyft. God wyll giuegive it, ſay you. Mendacem memorem eſse oportet. A lyer muſt not bée forgetfull. You lyed before, but now you affyrme the trueth.

For that glorye which you ſpeake of, is indéede the frée gyfte of GOD, through Ieſus Chriſte our LORDE: and canne not bée deſerued either by our working, or by our ſuffering. And that was the meaning of the Apoſtle. Our workes, though they be neuer ſo many, neu…r ſo good, neuer ſo orderly doone: yet can they not be worthy of that glory. Our paſſyons and tribulations, although they be neuer ſo greate, neuer ſo vndeſerued, yet they can not bee woorthy of that glory, which GOD hath prepared for them that louelove him.

And thus you commende your Parents to GOD, in as courteous manner as you ſaluted them at the firſte. That is, euen as though they had béene ſome of your companions and not your Parents. Such is the Arrogancy of Fryer Iohn Frauncis. But yet hée is the ſonne of thoſe (ouermeane) Parents, and careful for their ſoules health. It were well, if you had a care for your owne ſoules health, which you can not hauehave, ſo long as you hauehave no care to doo any duety, either to your naturall Parents, or to your natiue Country, or to any others, to whom you doo owe duety, both by the Lawe of GOD and of nature.

You hauehave renounced that obedience that GOD hath commaunded all naturall Children and Subiects to ſhewe towardes theyr naturall Parents and Princes: and you hauehave choſen a new obedience, and vowed to obſerue that. Your Pryor and your Subpriors in the Minimes Religion muſt be obeyed. The holye Father the Pope, muſt hauehave his commaundements obſerued. You may not doo that which GOD commaundeth to bée doone, except the ſame be commaunded by your holy Father the Pope, the Pryor, and your Subpriors. If the Popes holines, your father Pryor, and your Subpriors commande any thing: that you may, and muſt doo, and you may not mooue any queſtion at all, whether God hauehave not commaunded the contrary. Yea though you know that GOD hath forbidden the dooing of it: yet you muſt néedes doo it, for you hauehave vowed obedience. &c. You know that GOD hath forbidden the worſhypping of Images, and all vſe of Imagry in the exerciſe of Religion. Exo. 20. And yet you muſt néedes hauehave them and worſhip them, becauſe they to whome you hauehave vowed obedience▪ doo commaund it. Chriſt hath ſayd, Patrem nolite vocare vobis ſuper terram: vnus est enim Pater vester qui in coelis est. Call no man your Father vponupon earth, for one is your Father which is in heauen. Mat. 23. But you muſt hauehave a moſt holy father, which is the Popes holines. And he muſt bée called Papa. That is Pater p. 67p…trum. Father of Fathers. If your eyes bée not altogether blinded, your eares ſtopped, your vnderſtanding doubled, and your hart hardened: you can not but ſée, perceiue and vnderſtand into what miſerable caſe you hauehave brought your ſelfe. Repent therefore betime, receaue againe your firſt name, leaue Fryer Iohn Frauncis in Nigeon. Let Samuell Debnā come ouer into England againe. Iohn and Catherine wyll embrace their Prodigall and loſt ſonne. All theyr and your fréendes wyll reioyce together with them, when they ſhall ſée Samuell Debnam (that was loſt) founde and brought home agayne. Your fall hath cauſed greate gréefe, your ryſing agayne ſhall cauſe greater ioy. The meaneſt ſeruaunt in your Fathers houſe, is in better caſe, then the happyeſt amongſt your ſuperiors in Nigeon. You thinke your ſelfe to bée in the way of ſaluation, but in very déede, the ende of your way is deſtruction. Come vntounto Chriſt that calleth. Math. 11. Open vntounto Chriſt that knocketh. Apoc. 3. Forſake the whore of Babilon. Defie Antichriſte, and his whole Religion. From London, the ſixt of Auguſt. 1586.

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Your inſtructer, eueryevery way, carefull for your ſoule health. Robert Crowley,