A Case for the Spectacles, Response to text · Chapter 1 · Response to chapter (2 of 2)

A Case for the Spectacles · Response to text · Chapter 1 · Response to chapter (2 of 2)

p. 85The Councel of Milevis, alias, the African Councell, is falsified by Gratian for the Popes Supremacie: The words of the Councell are these, Those that offer to appeale beyond the Seas, let none within Africa receive them to Communion: Gratian observing that this was a strong evidence and barre to the Popes Supremacie, according to his custome, hath thrust in these words into the Canon (Except it bee to the Apostolike See of Rome.) Now what saith Bellarmine to this falsification? He confesseth that some say, This exception doth not seem to square p. 86with the Councell: I know not how the squares goe with your men at Rome, but I finde that amongst your partie there is no rule without an exception; especially if it make against your doctrine.

St. Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria is purged in the Text it selfe, and is forged by Aquinas, for two principal points of faith; viz. Transubstantiation, and the Popes Supremacie: Touching the first he saith, That we might not feele horrour, Aquin. in Catena in illud Luc. 22. Accepto. pane, &c.Luke 22seeing flesh and bloud on the sacred Altar, the Sonne of God condescending to our infirmities, doth penetrate with the power of life into the things offered (to wit, Bread and Wine) converting them into the verity of his owne flesh, that the body of life, as it were a quickening seed, might be found in us. Here is a faire Evidence, or rather a foule falsification for your carnall presence. But what saith your owne Vasques the Jesuit?Citatur Cyrillus Alex. in Epistola ad Casyrium, quae inter ejus opera non habetur, illius tamen testimonium citat S. Thomas in Catena. Aquinas in opusculo contra errores Graecorum, ad Urbanum quartum Pontificem maximum. Cyrils testimony is cyted by Thomas, but there is no such Tract to be found in all his workes.

Againe, touching the Popes Supremacie, hee brings in St. Cyrill saying, As Christ received power of his Father, over every power, a power most full and ample, that all things should bowe to him; so hee did commit it most fully and amply, both to Peter and his Successors, and Christ gave his owne to none else save to Peter fully, but to him he gave it. And the Apostles in the Gospels and Epistles have affirmed in every doctrine, Peter and his Church to bee in stead of God. And to him, even to Peter, all doe bowe their head by the law of God, and the Princes of the world are obedient to him, even as to the Lord Jesus. And p. 87we, as being members, must cleave unto our head the Pope, and the Apostolike See: That it is our duty to seeke and enquire what is to be beleeved, what to bee thought, what to be held, because it is the right of the Pope alone to reprove, to correct, to rebuke, to confirme, to dispose, to loose, and binde. Here is a large and ample testimony cited in the name of an ancient Father for the honour and power of the universall Bishop. This passage is alledged out of Cyrils worke intituled The Treasurie against Heretiques; Thesaurus adversus haereticos. Tom. 2. p. 1.but whereas there are 14. Bookes written by him of that Title, there are no such words to be found in the whole Tract. But observe the proceedings of your good Saint; hee conceived the authoritie of one Father (though rightly cited) was not a sufficient proofe for an Article of faith, and thereupon, to make good his former Assertion, hee summons 630. Bishops, who (saith hee) with one voice and consent made this generall acclamation in the Councell of Chalcedon; God grant long life to Leo, the most holy, Aquinas in opusculo, ut supra.Apostolike, and universall Patriarch of the whole World. He tels us further, it was decreed by the same Councell, If any Bishop be accused, let him appeale to the Pope of Rome, because we have Peter for a rocke of refuge, and he alone hath right, with freedome of power, in stead of God, to judge and try the cause of a Bishop accused, according to the keyes which the Lord did give him. Without doubt this decree was a good inducement for the Church of England to subscribe to the Popes Supremacie (if you could make good this proofe out of the Councell of p. 88Chalcedon) for it is one of the first foure generall Councels, which we subscribe unto by our Acts of Parliament. An. 1. Elizab.But where are those words to bee found in that Councell? Your Pope Zozimus falsified a Canon in the first Councell of Nice (as I have shewed) and your Popes Champion St. Thomas hath falsified another, and both for the universality of the Pope; by which you may easily discerne, that you wanted antiquity to prove your faith, when your men are driven to forge and faine a consent of many hundred Bishops, in an ancient and generall Councell,See Concil. Chalced. Can. 28. Act. 15.Acts 15 for the supporting of your Lord Paramount; when as in truth it decreed the flat contrary doctrine.

Grat. de Consecr. dist. 2. c. Comperimus. Gelasius Papa Majorico & Johanni Episcopis. Ibid.Gelasius Bishop of Rome is corrupted, where hee condemneth halfe Communion as sacrilegious: his words are these; We finde that some receiving a portion of Christs holy Body, abstaine from the Cup of his sacred Bloud, which because they doe out of I know not what superstition, we command therefore that either they receive the entire Sacraments, or that they be entirely with-held from them; because the division of one and the selfe-same Mystery cannot be without grand Sacriledge.

Gratian, the compiler of the Popes Decrees, borrowed his chapter out of that Epistle of Gelasius (saith Bellarmine) & withall prefixed this Title before it, Bell. de sacr. Euch. l. 4. c. 26.The Priest ought not to receive the Body of Christ without the Bloud; Ea Epistola Gelasii, quae modò fort…sse non e…. Ibid.that is to say, without the consecrated Cup; and yet by Bellarmines confession, That Epistle peradventure is not now extant: and p. 89which is more, your Non conficient Priests doe generally commit that Sacriledge, by receiving the consecrated Bread without the Cup, flat contrary to the decrees of the ancient Bishop of Rome.

In the sixth age, the second Councell of Orange is falsified in the behalfe of your merits; the words of the Councell are these:Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur & credimus, quod in omni opere bono non nos incipimus, & posteà per Dei misericordiam adjuvamur; sed ipse nobis, &c. Concil. Arausicanum, Can. 25. Bin. Tom. 2. p. 639. We solemnely professe and beleeve, that in every good worke wee our selves doe not first begin, and are helped afterwards by the merciemercy of God; but he, Nullis praecedentibus bonis meritis, no good merits of ours going before, doth first of all inspire us with faith, and love towards him. This Councell condemned the Pelagians for their doctrine of Merits and Freewill; and accordingly declared that we have neither free will of our selves to doe good, neither any fore-going workes to merit any thing of our selves; and this is a safe and humble confession both of our weaknesse, and Gods good grace and mercy towards us. But observe your Church-men, for the defence of their merits, they have falsified the Canon, and quite perverted the sense and meaning of the Councell; and in the place of nullis meritis, no merits, have inserted the word multis, many merits; so that the Fathers of the Councell are taught to reade a new lesson, flat contrary to the ancient Doctrine of the Church, viz. We solemnely professe that wee first beginne (many) of our owne merits going before, &c. than which assertion what can be more arrogant, in assuming power to our selves, and derogating from the goodnesse of our God.

p. 90In the seventh age, Gregory the great Bishop of Rome is falsified: his words be these; The King of Pride is neare, Greg. Ep. lib. 4. Indict. 13. Ep. 38. p. (mihi) 146. b. Edit. Antwerp. 1515. & Paris. An. 1521. fol. 384. in Aedibus Francisci Regnault.and, which is a haynous thing to name, Exercitus Sacerdotum, a whole armie of Priests is provided to attend his comming. In your Edition of Antwerpe and Paris, for the word (exercitus) you thrust in (exitus Sacerdotum) so that whereas Antichrist comming it is observed that an host of Priests shall belong unto him; now on the contrary it is read, that at Antichrists comming there shall be an end of Priesthood.

Now as you have detracted from Pope Gregories doctrine in one place, so likewise you have added to him in another, for honour of his See, and the Canons of your Church: the words are these, Let not the reverence due to the Apostolike See bee troubled by any mans presumption; Greg. l. 11. Indict. 6. Ep. 42. Citatur à Bel. in Ep. ad Blackwell. contra jus regium. Vide Jacob. Regis opera. p. 262. & 279.for then the state of the members doth remaine sound, when the head of the faith is not bruised by any injury, and the authority of the Canons alwayes remaine safe and sound. This was urged to Blackwell the Priest, by your Cardinall Bellarmine, as a principall testimonie Contra jus regium; and yet, as it is observed by a learned Divine, M. Stephanus.these and many such particular passages are inserted into the printed Gregory, which are not to bee found in the ancient Manuscripts.

Againe, in the former Epistle St. Gregorie is likewise falsified by Stapleton, in behalfe of the Popes Supremacie: the words of St. Gregorie are these,Greg. Regist. l. 4. Indict. 13. Ep. 38. Certainly Peter is the first member of the universall Church; Paul, Andrew, and John, what are p. 91they but heads of particular people? and notwithstanding they are all members of the Church under one head. And lest any should apply the name of head to Peter, in his 36. Epistle, being the second Epistle before this, he saith,Omnia soli uni capiti cohaerent, viz. Christo. Ep. 36. Stapl. de princip. doctrin. l. 6. c. 7. All the members are joyned to one head, Christ. Now observe the addition and falsification of your learned Stapleton; Andrew, James, and John (saith he) were heads of severall Congregations, and all members of the Church under one head, Peter. And thus your Popes creature hath left out Peter in the first place, where hee was made a member, and added the name of Peter in the last place, to make him a head.

Againe, Gratian, who was ever ready to supply all defects for the Popes title, hath given us an inexcusable forgerie, in the name of Gregorie, for the Papall power: the truth of it was this; When Anatolius Deacon of Constantinople, had written to Pope St. Gregory, that the Emperour commanded another Bishop to be chosen in the place of the Bishop of Justiniana, by reason of his head-ache; St. Gregory made this answer, You wrote unto me, Greg. l. 9. Ep. 41. Indict. 4. p. 370.that our most religious Lord the Emperour commanded another to be chosen in the place of our reverend Brother John Bishop of Justiniana, because of the paine of his head: by which tenour St. Gregory shewes that the Popes obeyed the Princes lawes (so they were not against their Canons.) Now observe Gratian hee leaves out first the words,Grat. causa 7. quest. 1. fol. (Mihi) 186. our most religious Lord, and in stead of the Emperours name, he assumes the Popes person, saying, Your lovingnesse p. 92wrote to me, that I should command another to be chosen, whereas in those dayes, by the confession of Pope Gregory, the Emperors made Election of the Bishops, and not the Popes.

The sixt Councell of Constantinople is falsified & corrupted by Gratian; in the 36. Canon of the said Councell it was thus decreed: We determine that the See of Constantinople shall have equall priviledges and honour with the seat of elder Rome, and in Ecclesiasticall matters be advanced as far forth as it, being next unto it: Gratian cites the former, non tamē in Ecclesiasticis (saith he) but not in matters Ecclesiasticall; which is flat cōtrary to the meaning of the Councel.

The eight age. An. 700. to 800.In the eight age venerable Bede was living, and taught our doctrine touching the Sacrament, but was afterwards forged by Fryer Walden, to prove the doctrine of Transubstantiation against Wickliffe; Ibi forma panis videtur, ubi substantia panis non est, nec est ibi, inquit, panis ali… quam panis qui de coelo descendit. Wald. Tom. 2. de sacr. c. 82. fol. (mihi) 138. b.his words are these: There the forme of Bread is seene, where the substance of Bread is not, neither is any other Bread there, but that which descends from heaven: This is alledged out of the Booke de mysteriis Missae, in the name of Bede, when as in all his 8. Tomes, hee never wrote or mentioned any such worke.

The Councell of Franckford is likewise corrupted and falsified, for the honour of your Images; for whereas Regino saith,Concil. Franckford. An. 794. Bin. p. (mihi) 141. Bin. Not. in Concil. Frāc. p. (mihi) 164. b. The false Synode of the Grecians, which they made for the defence of their worshipping of Images, was e…ected by the Bishops assembled at Frankford, under Charles the Great: Binius the publisher of the Councels, declareth p. 93that the Acts of the second Councell of Nice in the cause of Images was confirmed by it; which is so farre from truth, that he is inforced to confesse that therein he doth dissent, though unwillingly,Quam sententiam optarem esse veram, sed suspicor esse falsam. Bel. de Imag. l. 2. c. 14. §. Multi. from Baronius and Bellarmine: and indeed Bellarmine professeth; I could wish this opinion were true, but I suspect it to be false. Againe, to make the world beleeve that the Synod of Franckford condemned not the second Councell of Nice (the chiefe upholder of Images) your men have razed out Nice, and thrust in Constantinople, which altogether condemned Images: Now therefore take a short view of all these your forgeries and corruptions.

In the first Age you have depraved the Scriptures by your false translations and corruptions; and when all could not save your turne, you place the Bible amongst the Bookes prohibited.

In the second Age you have forged Epistles in the names of 31. Bishops of Rome, which were none of theirs; and to suppresse our Doctrine touching the Communion in both kinds, and to uphold your invocation of Saints and Angels, you have corrupted Ignatius by a false Translation; and you would have the Record razed touching the marriage of Priests.

In the third age you corrupt Tertullian for your Transubstantiation; you falsifie Saint Cyprian for your circumgestation of the Sacrament, and your Popes supremacie.

In the fourth Age you corrupt Eusebius Caesariensis for the Popes supremacie; you forge Eusebius p. 94Emissenus for your corporall presence; you falsifie the Councell of Laodicea for your invocation of Saints and Angels; you forge Saint Hierome and Saint Basill the Great, for your worship of Images; you falsifie Saint Ambrose for the Popes succession in the Roman See, and most corruptly for the Doctrine of the Sacrament.

In the fift Age you have razed two evidences in Saint Chrysostome, both which confirme our Doctrine, the one concerning the Lords Supper, the other concerning our tryall by the Scriptures: you have falsified the Councell of Carthage for the baptizing of women, and for the shaving of Priests: you have falsified Saint Austin for your Purgatory, and for your Doctrine of Transubstantiation, and your Popes decretall Epistles: you have forged the Councell of Africa for the honour of your Apostolicke See: you have forged Saint Cyrill for your Transubstantiation, and your Popes Supremacie.

In the sixt Age you have corrupted the Councell of Orange for your Doctrine of merits, and for the honour of your Priesthood over secular powers.

In the seventh Age you have razed Gregory the Great touching the comming of Antichrist; you have purged him in an Epistle which maketh against the Popes Supremacie: you have falsified the Councell of Constantinople in your Popes behalfe.

Lastly, in the eighth Age you have forged venerable p. 95Bede in behalfe of your Transubstantiation; and you have falsified the Councel of Franckford in behalfe of your Image-worship; and yet for all this you are not ashamed to professe, that for ancient Authors you note onelyonly what is amisse, but you neither raze nor blot out any thing; that corner-correcting (say you) wee leave for such corner-companions as shunne the light, p. 144. What credit can be given to you or your Church, let the Reader judge, when as by your owne confession, the Trent Councell hath decreed it as a thing unlawfull to change any thing in the Bookes of ancient Catholikes, Concil. Trid. in Ind. lib. prohib. de correct. 4. p. (mihi) 32.except a manifest error appeare to have crept in by the fraud of Hereticks or negligence of the Printer. Sure I am you will confesse that all these mentioned corruptions are not Errata, slips of the Printer; And as touching the fraud of Heretickes which did corrupt them, your Trent Councell (which made the Decree) could not meane the Protestants: for in those dayes they had printed no Fathers, neither had they any Manuscripts, but such as were kept prisoners in your Church: The name of Heretickes therefore doth properly reflect upon your Pope Adrian, upon Gratian, upon Stapleton, upon Thomas Aquinas, upon Cardinall Bellarmine, who appeare to be Authors of your falsifications; and in generall upon your Roman inquisitors, who are the knowne Authors of your corrupting and altering the true Fathers. And this must needes seeme very probable to all, because they are corrupted chiefely in those main Articles of Faith which make against p. 96your Church. The ancient Records and Evidences which you have had many hundred yeeres in your possession, doe all witnesse these forgeries and corruptions in the printed Fathers, and will you claime the Fathers for your Rule of Faith, when you make them speake more like children than fathers? Shall a Guardian to an infant, having possession of his Lands, and keeping his Deeds and Evidences during his minoritie, raze and falsifie them, and thereby intitle himselfe to the Wards Lands, because hee was some time possessed of them, and can produce forged Evidences for them? This is our very case: The Church of Rome in her infancie was a faithfull Guardian of her childrens right, shee kept the Manuscripts and the ancient Records of the Fathers, in that puritie as she first received thē; after the Pope had made an universall Title and claime to all Catholike Churches, hee intruded into other mens Rights by forgerie and corruptions, he made the Fathers speake according to the Trent decrees, in an unknowne tongue, and now by forged cavillation detaines the possession against the right owners. But let me tell you, as the Kings Subject, you are lyable to punishment in such cases in temporall affaires.See the title of Forger of false deeds fol. (mihi) 180. b. For if any person shall by false conspiracie, subtilty and falsity, forge any Deed, Charter, or Writing, or shall pronounce, publish and shew forth in Evidence any such false or forged Deed or Writing as true, knowing the same to bee false and forged, and shall be thereof convicted, he shall be set upon the Pillory in some open Market Towne, and there to have p. 97both his Eares cut off, and also his Nosthrils to bee slit and cut, and seared with an hot iron, so as they may remaine for a perpetuall note or marke of his falshood.

Compare now this humane law with those forgeries of divine Evidences, and tell me what you and your fellowes can say for your selves, why the same judgment should not be pronounced against you. For if the lawes of Kings are so strict in behalfe of temporall records and assurances betwixt men, what may wee thinke the Law-giver himselfe will require at their hands, who doe not onelyonly raze and falsifie Evidences touching the greatest mysteries of Salvation, who I say not onelyonly doe the same, but have pleasure in them that doe them?

Thus much touching the razing and corrupting of the Fathers for the first 800. yeares. Now I proceed to your Index Expurgatorius, your purging and blotting out the moderne Authours for the last 800. yeares.

Forasmuch (say you) as concerneth the late Catholike Authors of this last age, for this our Index (of which is al the difficultie) beginneth but from the yeere 1515. whatsoever needeth correction, is to bee amended or blotted out; yet for others going before that time, it is expresly said, that nothing may be changed, unlesse some manifest errors, through the fraud of Heretikes, or carelesnesse of the Printer, bee crept in: Thus you.

From your corrupting the ancient Councels and Fathers (which I have showne) wee are at last p. 98come to the correcting of moderne Authors; and as I have led you through an Hospitall of maimed Souldiers, so now I will send you to the house of correction, where I will leave you without Baile or Maine-prize, till you have cleared your selfe and your associates, for wounding and cutting out the tongues, of your owne Authors, in speaking truth against the corruptions of the Church.

P. 24. & 144.But your correcting Index (say you) began but from the yeare 1515. and nothing is changed of Catholike Authors before that time.

I assure you, I have not heard as yet one sentence, nay scarce one word of truth fall from your pen, wherein you dissent from us; and this your assertion will prove as true as the rest. Yea, but (say you) it is expresly declared by the Church, that nothing may be changed; and if this be true (as true it is indeed) the lesse credit is to be given you or your Church-men, who make decrees, and breake them at their pleasure; for it shall appeare that your Index doth extend it selfe to the time of the Apostles: and howsoever you pretend to purge the Fathers onelyonly in the Index and Table of their Bookes; yet I say some you have purged in the Text it selfe, others you have corrected in the Index, in the expresse words delivered in the bodie of those Bookes. And as touching your Assertion, that you purge the latter writers onelyonly from the yeare 1515. and not beyond that time, this is most false, and you had said more truly, if you had confessed that for 1515. yeares together, your Church spared no Authours, p. 99ancient or moderne, if they speake not Placentia, agreeable to your Popes faith and doctrine.

For the better manifestation of this truth, looke first upon your Correctorium (for so Lucas Brugensis termes it) your worke of correction upon the Bible; and tell me if you have not altered, by your Popes command, above three thousand severall places in the Scripture, even in your vulgar Translation, which you call St. Hieromes; and although you dare not lay a Deleatur upon the sacred word of God, yet upon the Commandements, upon the Lords Prayer, upon severall places of Scripture (as I have shewed) there is a Deletur, a leaving out, and a detracting from it.

Looke upon your Index Expurgatorius, printed at Madrid, by Cardinall Quiroga, and tell me if you have not purged certain places in the Index of the Bible, which are ipsissima verba, the very words to a letter, in the Text it selfe: as for instance;aaJustificamur fide in Christum, Galat. 2.16.Gal 2:16 We are justified by faith in Christ: bbJustitia nostra Christus, 1. Cor. 1.30.1 Cor 1:30Christ is our Righteousnesse: ccFide purificantur corda, Act. 15.9.Acts 15:9By faith our hearts are purified: ddJustus coram Deo nemo, Psal. 143.2.Ps 143:2No man is righteous before God: eeUxorē habeat unusquisque. 1 Cor. 7.2.1 Cor 7:2Let every man have his wife, &c. All these passages I say are the very word of God, in the Body of the Scriptures, and yet they are commandedffInd. Hisp. Madr. f. (mihi) 15. B. tanquā propositiones suspectae (for so are the words of your Index) as if they were things questionable, to bee blotted out. Againe, when your glosses or marginall notes agree not to your doctrine, you cause your Index Expurgatorius to lay hold on them: as for instance; in the 26. of Leviticus, we reade in your owne Translation: p. 100You shall not make to your selves an Idoll or thing graven; Deleatur illud, Sculptilia prohibet fieri. Idem fol. 7.when the glosse in the Margent saith, God forbiddeth graven Images, Let that passage (say you) be strucken out. And whereas Samuel saith: Prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him onelyonly: Ibid. fol. 8. b.the glosse upon the Text, which is the same in substance, viz. wee must serve God onelyonly, you command to be blotted out. These and the like places relating to the Scriptures, being contrary to your Trent doctrine, you have excluded from your late printed Bibles in the places aforesaid, as being too obvious to the eye of every Reader.Ind. Hisp. Madrid. p. 6. 7. & f. 138. (Mihi) 62. Crakenthorp. adv. Spal. p. 66. Bell. de verbo Dei, l. 4. c. 11. &c. Ind. Madrid. fol. 62. a. Deleantur ex Textu illa verba: Sed ubi non habuerit Dei timorem in seipsis, nec Jesum per fidem incolam, &c. Ibid. Eam verò solūmodò naturam, quae increata est, colere & venerari didicimus. Ant. Meliss serm. 1. Bell. de script. Eccl. p. (mihi) 184.

Looke upon the Fathers, and tell mee if your Index Expurgatorius doth not correct both St. Chrysostome, and Austin, and Hilarie, and Hierome, in their Index, touching the prime points of controversie betwixt us: Nay more, St. Austin (saith Vives) is purged ten or twelve lines in the body of his workes; St. Chrysostome in his 49. Homily is purged 70. lines; & by Bellarmines confession, other places are razed out of him and other Fathers, as I have shewed before. Looke upon St. Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria, who was living above 1200. yeares agoe, and tell me if your Inquisitors have not commanded a Deleatur upon his words, in the very Text it selfe. Looke before his time upon Gregory Nyssen, and tell me if through the sides of Antonius Abbas (who was living, by Bellarmines accompt, neare 900. yeares agoe) you doe not wound that ancient Father in the body of his workes, in commanding p. 103this golden sentence to bee blotted out:Ind. Belg. p. 270. foreign. Greg. Nissen. in Orat. 4. Tom. 2. Edit. Graeco-lat. p. 146. We have learned to worship and adore that nature (onelyonly) which is uncreated: **Parsōs warn-word to Sir Fran. Hastings wast-word. Enc. 2. c. 9. p. 69.your F. Parsons takes great paines to little purpose to excuse it; one while he tells us, that the sentence is not to bee …und in Gregory Nissen (which is most false:) another while he confesseth, that they cannot stand to give a particular reason of every censure or expurgation that is made (which is most foolish.)

But tell mee in good sooth, if those places of Scriptures and Fathers did make for your Religion, would you purge them? Or must we beleeve, that your Inquisitors would take such infinite care and paines to review all Authours for 1600. yeares, and spunge them onelyonly in the Index? Without doubt that man who doth willingly deface the Kings picture, stamped in his coyne, would, if he durst, attempt it upon his person: the Tables of Authors, and Glosses, were especially intended for the benefit of the Reader, both for his better understanding, and his more speedie searching of the truth.

They resemble the Phylacteries of the Jewes, which had a Ribband of Blue upon the borders of their garments, that by them they might the better remember the Commandements of God: he that would have cut the fringes of those garments in those dayes, to prevent the remembrance of Gods law, would (no doubt) have offered violence to the Tables, on which God himselfe had written, if hee durst attempt it. The truth is, the words imprinted in the skirts and tables of your Bibles and Fathers, p. 104are thornes in your eyes, and goades in your sides: and from hence we may easily discerne, why you leave out the second Commandement, and alter the fourth in your Psalters and Breviaries, which you dare not alter in your Bibles. And that your Assertion may more particularly appeare to bee most untrue, viz. that you purge no Authours before the yeare 1515. I will begin from the ninth age, where I last left, and shew your owne Authours purged, and forbidden in all the succeeding ages for this last 800. yeares.

First therefore the Reader shall understand, that your Roman Inquisitors have published an Index of prohibited Bookes, and in that Index they have divided the Authors into three severall Classes, or orders.Classis. 1. In the first they ranke all those Bookes which are adjudged by your men for Heretikes; as namely, Berengarius, Wickliffe, Luther, Cassander, Erasmus, Raynolds, and divers others; whose Bookes not onelyonly now written, but whatsoever shall be published in their names hereafter, are prohibited as Hereticall.Classis. 2. In the second Classis they have ranked all those whose doctrine is not very sound, but suspected, and offensive, although the Authors themselves never forsooke the Church, and therefore not personally to bee noted: and of this sort are Charles the great, Agobardus, Bertram, Huldericus, Cajetan, and divers others, whose Bookes are now purged; and some of them lived 800.Classis. 3. years since. The third is of namelesse Authors, which (say they) deliver pernitious doctrine, and p. 105are condemned by the Roman Church; and those onelyonly which have beene published without a name since the yeare 1584.

These three rankes of Classicall Authors, according to our Adversaries doome, may be destinated to these three severall places. The first sort to Hell, which containes the Heretikes and damned persons, never to be redeemed. The second sort to Purgatory, which are suspended and restrained upon suspicion of false doctrine, or veniall sinne, and must not be freed till they be purged, and have payd the utmost farthing to the Pope. The third, to Limbus Infantum, and those are Anonymoi, such as were unbaptized, and have beene published without a name, from the yeare 1584. Of these three sorts, I will produce onelyonly the Authors of the second Classis, which lived and died members of your Church, such as were never condemned for heresie, but (touse your own words) have Suspectam Doctrinam, that is to say in plaine English, Protestant Doctrine: whereof some you have purged in your new Editions, others you have forbidden to be read till they be purged:The ninth age. An. 800. to. 900 See Crakenthorp, p. 56. Carolo magno falsò adscriptū, de Imaginibus, cujus Titulus est, Opus illustrissimi, &c. Ind. l. prohib. p. (Mihi) 18. and this (as shall appeare) was many ages before the time prefixed, 1515.

I proceed: In the ninth age Charles the Great wrote foure Bookes concerning Images; he professeth that hee began the worke in his owne Kingdome; and your owne Ecchius, and Luzenburgus, both witnesse that this Emperour wrote all those Bookes: yet your Index Expurgatorius layes hold on him, and forbids the worke; pretending that it p. 106is falsely ascribed to him, when as the true reason is, because he condemned Image-worship, and forbids the 7^th. Councell to be called either a generall, or lawfull Councell: for otherwise your owne Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes, Hinckm. Rhē. contr. Hinchm. Jandun. Episc. c. 20.who was living when these things were fresh in memorie, professeth, that a generall Synod was kept in Germany by the convocation of the Emperour Charles, and there, by the Rules of Scripture and doctrine of the Fathers, the false Councell of the Grecians, was confuted and utterly rejected; of whose confutation there was a good bigge Booke sent to Rome by certaine Bishops from Charles the Great, which in my younger yeares I read in the Palace.

Now admit that Charles were not the Authour of those Bookes (although your owne men witnesse he was) yet the Authour you see was ancient, and living in that age; hee condemned your Image-worship, hee confuted the reasons of the Nicene Councell, and by this it appeares that your Church hath transgressed her limits above 700. yeares; and therefore your Trent decree was made sutable to your Spectacles, which makes that seeme to be, which is not.

Agobardus Bishop of Lyons (An. 840.) is purged, propter non sanam & suspectam doctrinam; because he delivers our Protestants doctrine, which you account non sanam, in these words; If the workes of Gods hands be not to be adored and worshipped, Si opera manuum Dei, &c. Bibl. Pp. Tom. 9. p. (mihi) 590.no not in honour of God, how much more the workes of mens hands are not to be adored and worshipped, p. 107in honour of those whom they represent? Titulo de Imaginibus expurgantur omnia quae sub hoc titulo continentur, usque ad titulum. 2. Classis Ind. lib. prohib. pag. (mihi) 711.This passage is yet extant in your late Bibliotheque of Fathers, under the title of Images: but your Spanish Inquisitors have commanded all the things which are contained under that Title to bee blotted out, usque ad Titulum, to the very title.

Papirius Massonus, the publisher of Agobardus workes, delivered the argument touching Images and Pictures in this manner; Detecting most manifestly the errours of the Grecians (that is, the Fathers of the second Nicene Councel) touching Images and Pictures, he denyeth that they ought to be worshipped; which opinion all wee Catholikes doe allow, and follow the testimony of Gregory the Great concerning them. This passage, together with more ample authorities are already purged according to command, by the Divines of Cullen, in their late corrupt Edition of the great Bibliotheque of the ancient Fathers:Bibl. P P. Tom. 9. par. 1. edit. Colon. Anno 1618. p. 548. & p. 551. but Gretzer your fellow Jesuite extremely wondreth that this judgement of the Booke of Agobardus should proceed from a Catholike; for Agobardus in that whole Book doth nothing else but indevour to demonstrate, although with vaine labour, that Images are not to be worshipped: Usher p. 463.and yet I say it is more to be wondred that your men should purge such Authors of Antiquitie contrary to your Trent Decree; and when by purging them they have made our Faith and Doctrine invisible in them to the Reader, you call upon us to shew where our Church and Religion was visible before Luther.

Johannes Bertram, a Priest of the Monastery of p. 108Corbey in France, wrote a Booke of the Body and Bloud of Christ: This Booke is forbidden to bee read by command of your inquisitors, and condemned by the Councell of Trent. But the Divines of Doway, perceiving that the forbidding of this Book gave an occasion to many to seeke more earnestly after it, thought it better policie to allow it, and accordingly they publish it with this Declaration, Although we care not greatly whether this Booke of Bertrams be extant or no; Ind. Expurg. Belg. p. 5. edit. Antwer. Anno 1571.yet seeing we beare with many errors in others of the old Catholike Writers, and extenuate them, and by inventing some devise, oftentimes deny them, and faine some commodious sense for them when they are objected in disputations or conflicts with our Adversaries; we doe not see why Bertram may not deserve the same equity and diligent revisall, lest the Heretikes cry out, that we burne and forbid such antiquity as maketh for them. This is a free and faire confession of your men in our behalf, that the Fathers are but pretended for your Doctrine, when as oftentimes they make against you; and indeed accordingly you have framed a commodious sense for the better understanding of this Author: as for Instance, where he saith the substance of the Bread was to be seene visibly, wee must read it (say they) invisibly: and where he saith, the substance of the creature which was before consecration, remaineth after consecration; by substance, say they, you must understand accidents: These devises, howsoever at first they seemingly made some shew of answer to the vulgar people, yet they proved p. 109harsh & untunable to the eares of your learned Proselytes, and thereupon your Romanists wisely by way of prevention at length gave up this verdict; It were not amisse, nor unadvisedly done, Ind. Belg. p. 421 & Quiroga p. (mihi) 140. B.that all these things should be left out. But it seemes these small pills did not sufficiently purge the Authour; and thereupon, after more mature deliberation, it was at last concluded, Totus liber penitùs auferatur; Ind. Belg. p. 17.let the whole Booke be suppressed. Now what answer doe you thinke can be made in justification of this proceeding? Your Jesuite Gretzerus briefly resolves it: Dum prohibetur Bertramus, Gretz. de jure prohib. libr. l. 2. c. 10.while Bertram is forbidden, I deny that a Father is forbidden; for the Father is no naturall Father, but a Stepfather, who nourisheth not the Church with wholesome food, but with darnell and pernitious graine together with the Wheate: wherefore as the Popes have dealt with some writings in Origen and Tertullian, by the same right may they now, according to their wisdome, abolish any writing of others, either in whole or in part by cutting or blotting them out. Thus first they dispensed with this ancient Author and our Doctrine; then they correct him in some passages, by speaking flat contrary to his owne meaning; and when all would not serve the turne, they absolutely forbid him to be read, or rather command him to be utterly blotted out, and totally suppressed.

In the tenth Age (975.The tenth Age Ann. 900. to 1000. Aelfrichs Sermon on Easter day.) Aelfricus Abbot of Malmesbury wrote an Homily touching the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which was then read throughout all our Churches on Easter day, and consonant p. 110to the Doctrine of our Articles. This Booke is extant in the Saxon tongue in many Libraries: but what is the reason he is not numbred amongst your Bookes prohibited? Why surely you have foisted in a Parenthesis, which by a miracle inferres your corporall presence, which makes some shew for your Religion; and yet because it is contrary to the whole scope of his Booke, you confesse that Harpsfield in his History shewes, That the Berengarian Heresie began somewhat to bee taught and maintained out of certaine writings falsely attributed to Aelfricke: and thus for one reason you will not prohibit him, or lay a deleatur upon his works; but for the other reason there is a deletur upon him, and he is a man cleane out of your Bookes.

The eleventh Age, An. 1000. to 1100. Ind. lib. prohib. pag. 47. & p. 93.In the eleventh Age, Huldericus Bishop of Auspurg wrote an Epistle touching the single life of the Clergie, wherein he taxeth Pope Nicholas for restraining Priests from marriage, and therefore is rejected by your Inquisitours; his words be these: Assuredly you are not a little out of the way, Hulder. Episc. ep. de caelibatu Cleri.when you doe compell Clerks by force to keepe themselves from marriage, which you should admonish to forbeare; for it is violence when any man is constrained to keepe a particular decree against the institution of the Gospell and the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost; wherefore wee counsell you, by the fidelity of our subjection, that with all diligence you will remove such a scandall, and by your discipline root out that Pharisaicall Doctrine from the flocke of Christ. And whereas it was objected, that Gregory the Great long before that time p. 109had made a Decree for the restraint of Priests marriage, in his first Epistle to Pope Nicholas, hee tells him,Ibid. p. (mihi) 482. Orthodoxagraphia Patrum, Tom. 1 p. (mihi) 481. Plusquam sex millia infantum capita viderit, p. (mihi) 1482. There be some which take Gregory for a maintainer of their Sect, whose ignorance I lament; for they doe not know this perillous Decree was afterwards purged by him, when as upon a day out of his ponds were drawne above 6000. childrens heads; which after he beheld, he utterly condemned his Decree, and praised the counsell of Saint Paul, It is better to marry than to burne; adding this also of his owne, It is better marry than be an occasion of death. Here you see our Doctrine was taught, touching the marriage of Priests; and because it is a plaine evidence for our Church, your Inquisitours have ranked this Epistle amongst the Bookes prohibited.

Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury taught our Doctrine in the most substantiall point, touching faith and good workes. The forme of preparing men for their death, was delivered to the sicke man in this manner:aaCredis nō propriis meritis, sed passionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi virtute & merito, ad gloriam pervenire? &c. Ind. lib. prohib. p. 696. Dost thou beleeve to come to glory, not by thine owne merits, but by the vertue and merit of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ? Dost thou beleeve that our Lord Jesus Christ did dye for our salvation, and that none can be saved by his owne merits, or by any other meanes, but by the merits of his Passion? then for a conclusion it followes (fol. 35.)bbNō erit desperandum vel dubitandum de salute illius, &c. Ordo baptizandi cū modo visitandi. Imp. Venet. Ind. Belg. p. 419. 1575. Ind. Madrid. p. 149. Ind. lib. prohib. p. ut supra. We ought not to doubt or despaire of the salvation of that man, who beleeveth with his heart, and confesseth with his mouth the forenamed propositions. These severall passages are commanded by three severall Indices to be blotted out: Nay more, the Booke p. 110which containes this Doctrine, you thrust it into the third Classis, amongst those namelesse Authors, which deliver Doctrine (say you) in some sort pernitious to the Catholike faith; as if the foundation of all comfort in Christ were pernitious to the Christian faith: But let me tell you, your Inquisitors have much forgot themselves; for they forbid that Booke, which, say they, was printed at Venice (1575.) when as by their owne rules they professe openly, that they never meant to condemne any namelesse Authors, but such onelyonly as have beene published since the yeere (1584.) nor any Author whatsoever (by their Trent Decree) but from the yeere (1515.) Howsoever this namelesse Author was both printed ataaSee Bishop Ushers answer to the Jesuites Challenge, cap. Of Merits, p. 513. Venice, at Antwerp, at Coleine, at Paris, juxta ritum S. Romanae Ecclesiae (for so be the words) according to the rites of the Romane Church.bbCassan. in Append. ad opusc. Jo. Roff. de fiducia & misericordia Dei. Cassander tells us the Book was to be had in all Libraries, and particularly was found inserted among the Epistles of Anselme, who was commonly accounted to be the Author of it: and the like is confessed by CardinallccHosius in confessione Petri, cap. 73. Hosius himselfe. But this was the time wherein the Devill was let loose, and wherein your Pope Hildebrand did not onelyonlyddNon solum fabulas comminiscitur, annales corrumpit, res gestas invertit, sed etiam coelestia oracula adulterat. Aven. Annal. l. 4. pag. 455. invent Fables, corrupt Chronicles, and inverted things that were done, but did also adulterate the Scriptures themselves; and therefore Cardinall Ben…, who wrote of the life of Hildebrand, and was living in that age, iseeInd. lib. prohib. p. 11. vide Illyric. de vita Hildebrand. p. 1322. forbidden also to be read, because he toucheth to the quicke your Caput fidei, the head of your Church.

p. 111In the twelfth ageaaSigeberti liber contra Papam Gregorium, & contra Epist. Paschalis Papae. Ind. lib. prohib. p. 85. Sigebertus Monachus Gemblacensis wrote a Booke against Pope Gregory, The twelfth Age, An. 1100. to 1200.and against the Epistle of Pope Paschalis; hee lived and dyed a member of the Roman Church, yet his Booke is prohibited, because it complaineth of the state of your declining Church;bbSigebertus Ab. ep. p. 188. in lib. Goldasti Replic. Hactenus interpretatur, ideo docuisse Petrū per Babylonem signare Romam, quia tunc temporis Roma confusa erat Idololatriâ & omni spurtitie At nunc dolor meus mihi interpretatur, quòd Petrus prophetico spiritu dicens Ecclesiam in Babylone collectam, praevidis confusionem dissentionis quâ hodie scinditur Ecclesia. Ibid. For what greater confusion (saith he) was there in times past in Babylon than there is now in the Church? In Babylon there was a confusion of languages among the Gentiles, in the Church of Rome the tongues are divided, and the minds of the faithfull. Saint Peter saith, the Church which is Babylon salutes you; hitherto hee did interpret that Peter by Babylon did signifie Rome, because Rome at that time was confounded with Idolatry and all uncleannesse: But my griefe doth now interpret unto mee, that Peter by a propheticke spirit, by the Church at Babylon, foresaw the confusion of dissention, which doth now rent the Church of Rome.

If this testimonie had made for our Church, (as it doth against yours) certainly you would never forbid the Record to be read nor to be blotted out; but this shewes that there was a revolt, a defection from the faith (after the loosing of Sathan) which were proper for your men to permit to bee read and seene in after ages, that the truth might appeare in all and every age of the alteration of the Church.

ccArnol de villa. Novaopera nisi repurgentur. Ind. lib prohib. p. 5. & 36. & 37.Arnoldus Carnotensis (Abbas bonae vallis) his workes are forbidden till they be purged, and for no other reason, as I can conceive, but because he discovers the errours of your Church. He tells us, that p. 112Cloyster Monkes are damned, because they falsifie the doctrine of Christ, and leade soules to Hell. He tells us, that your Clergie-men did most perfidiously mingle Philosophicall dreames with the sacred Scriptures. He tells us, that Masses did neither profit the living, nor the dead; and for these and the like Protestations against the abuses of his time, he is now condemned by your expurgatory Indices.

Anno 1215. Urspergensis in Anno 793.In the thirteenth Age, Urspergensis Abbas is both corrupted and purged by the Inquisitours. The Synod (saith he) which not long before was assembled under Irene and Constantine his sonne at Constantinople, called by them the seventh generall Councell, was therein the Councell of Franckford rejected by them all, as voyd and not to be named the seventh, nor any Councell at all. This Councell was assembled at Nice and not at Constantinople; but the word Constantinople is forged in stead of Nice, that the honour of that Councell for Images might not seeme to be impeached or condemned, when as the Synod at Constantinople banished Images. Now what answer I pray is made in defence of this forgerie?August. Stench. de Donat. Constant. l. 2. numero 60. Behold your Augustine Stenchius, Keeper of the Popes Librarie, tells us that wee have forged those Bookes, and conveyed them into the Popes Library, where they lye written in ancient hands. How probable this answer may seeme, that wee should forge Authours in defence of your cause, and convey them into the Vatican at Rome, I leave it to be judged; sure I am it stands corrupted in your Copie, printed by command of your Inquisitours and Superiours.

p. 113Againe, there be certaine additions to the Historie of Urspergensis, which treate of divers memorable things, from the time of Fredericke the second,Ind. lib. prohib. p. 94. unto the time of the Emperour Charles the fifth; that is, from the yeare 1230. to the yeare 1537. all which are forbidden to be read; wherein are contained the proceedings of the Councell of Constance against Hierome of Prague, and John Husse; where the decree is mentioned for the 19. Session of the Councell of Constance, viz. aaSess. 19. decernitur, Haereticis non esse servandam fidem, quam vocant Salvum conductum. Paralip. p. 378.That faith is not to bee kept with Heretikes, which is wholly omitted and purged in your printed Councels.

Honorius Bishop of Anthum in France, Anno 1220. Honorio Angustodunensi (falso ut creditur) adscriptus liber de praedestinatione & libero arbitrio. Ind. lib. prohib. p. 47.wrote a Booke of Predestination and Free-will, but so different from your doctrine, that your Inquisitors forbid him to be read untill hee be purged. What good soever the Elect doe, it is God that workes it in them, (as it is written) God doth worke in us both the will and the deed, according to his good pleasure; if therefore God doe worke in us, what reward is imputed to man? God doth worke, and the Elect do worke; God doth worke his Elect by his preventing Grace to be willing, and by his subsequent Grace to bee able, and both co-operate by Free-will, by consenting with a good will, this good will is rewarded in them, as it is written, We have received Grace for Grace; wee have received Grace when God prevented us to be willing, and followed us to make us able.

Looke into his forbidden Dialogues: Turne thee (saith he) to the Citizens of Babylon, consider the principall persons there, and thou shalt finde the p. 114See of the Beast; for they neglect the service of God, pollute his Priesthood, seduce his people, and reject all Scriptures which belong unto salvation. Vide Illyr. p. 1426. in Dialog. de Praedestin. & lib. arbitrio.For these and the like discoveries of the corruptions in your Church, he is forbidden, and under this pretence also, that the Booke of Dialogues is falsely ascribed to him.

An. 1320. Bell. de script. Eccl. p. 269. de Gulielmo Ocham.In the fourteenth age flourished William Ocham a Fryer Minorite and a learned man, saith Bellarmine; but being too earnest a favourer of Ludovike the Emperour, by that meanes hee fell into some errours, and therefore deserved to have his name registred amongst the Bookes prohibited. Now observe those errors;Ocham. Compend. Error. Joh. 22. He complained that many in his dayes perverted the holy Scriptures, denyed the sayings of the holy Fathers, and rejected the Canons of the Church, and civill Constitutions of the Emperours; He professed, according to St. Hieromes and the doctrine of Gregory the Great, Idem. Dial. par. 3. Tract. 1. l. 3. c. 16.that the Bookes of Judith, Tobit, the Machabees, Ecclesiasticus, and the Booke of Wisdome, were not to bee received for confirmation of any matter of faith; He professed that the Pope and Cardinals were no rule of faith; Idem Tract. 2. part. 2. c. 10. Dial. part. 1. l. 5. c. 25. p. (Mihi) 494.He professed that a Generall Councell, although it be a part of the militant universall Church, yet is not the universall Church: and consequently (saith he) It is rashnesse to say that a Generall Councell cannot erre against the faith; Idem Dial. l. 3. prim. Tract. 3. part. c. 8.He professeth that it cannot be proved manifestly by Scripture, that Peter was Bishop of Rome, or that he removed his seat from Antioch to Rome, or that the Bishop of Rome p. 115succeeded St. Peter,Idem. Dial. part. 1. l. 2. c. 3. p. 413. or that the Church of Rome hath the Primacie, or that hee governed the Church of Rome, or anything touching the Papacie thereof; He professeth with us,Idem Dial. l. 2. c. 1. part. 3. p. 788. that though it be expedient there should be one Bishop over some part of the Church and People of God; yet there is not the same reason there should be one over the whole Christian world: And lastly, touching Pope John the 22. he reports from the mouthes of them that heard it, that in the yeare 1333. on Munday being the third of January,Idem 2. part. proem. p. 740. Guliel. Ocham. opus 90. dierum. Item Dialogi & script. omnia contra Johannem 22. Ind. l. prohib. p. 4. Anno 1420. Nicholai Clemangis opera quamdiu expurgata non prodierint. Ind. lib. proh. p. 71. Clemangis de corrupto statu Ecclesiae. Pope John held a publike Consistorie, wherein by word of mouth, with great earnestnesse he indeavoured to prove that the soules of Saints being purged, see not God face to face till after the day of judgement. These are the supposed errors which caused his Dialogues and other of his workes to be prohibited.

In the fifteenth age, Nicholas Clemangis Doctor of Paris, Archdeacon of Bayeux, so long as his works remaine unpurged (saith your Index) are forbidden. Now observe the reasons why hee is put to silence. The truth is, he wrote a Booke Of the Corrupt estate of the Church; he declared that the Pope was the cause of all the calamities and disorders of the Church; he shewes that he was not contented with the fruits and profits of the Bishopricke of Rome and St. Peters Patrimonie, Idem. c. 4.though very great and Royall; he layd his greedie hands on other mens flocks, replenished with milke and wooll: Cap. 5. & 7.and usurped the right of bestowing Bishoprickes and livings Ecclesiasticall throughout all Christendome: Cap. 5.and disannulled the lawfull elections of Pastors, by his reservations, p. 116provisions and advowsons, Cap. 6. Cap. 7. Cap. 8.and oppressed Churches with first fruits of one yeere, of two yeeres, of three yeeres, yea sometimes of foure yeeres; with tithes, with exactions, with procurations, with spoiles of Prelates, and infinite other burthens, Cap. 9.and ordained Collectors to seize upon these taxes and tributes throughout all Provinces, with horrible abusing of suspensions, interdictments and excommunications, if any man refused to pay them: Cap. 10. Cap. 11. Cap. 12.and used such merchandise with suites in his Court, and rules of his Chancery, that the house of God was a denne of Theeves, and raised his Cardinalls as complices of his pompe from Clergie men of low estate, Cap. 13.to be the Peeres of Princes, and enriched them with his dispensations to have and to hold Offices and Benefices, Cap. 14.not two or three, or ten or twenty, but a hundred or two hundred, yea sometimes foure hundred or five hundred, or more, and those not small or leane ones, but even the best and fattest: To bee short, in that he filled the Sanctuary of the Lord with dumbe dogges, and evill beasts, even from the highest Prelates to the basest hedge-Priests, Cap. 19. & 20. Cap. 7. & 14. Cap. 29. Cap. 42. Cap. 18. Cap 3.4. 5 9.through usurpations, exemptions, compositions, symony, prostitution and fornication committed with Princes of the earth, and all to maintaine the pride, and lust, and riot of his wordly state, which he hath lifted up above Kings and Emperours. Lastly, he complaines that the Study of Divinity is made a mocking stocke, and that which was most monstrous for the Popes themselves, they preferred their owne traditions before the Commandements of God. These bee the pretended errors (Mr. Floyd) which causeth your Index expurgatorius p. 117to spare no Author for his age; and yet you tell us, such corner-correcting you leave for such corner-companions as shunne the light, p. 144.

Aeneas Sylvius (who was afterwards Pope Pius the second) is forbidden by your Index: and the reason is given for it; Aeneas wrote in behalfe of the Councell of Basil, when he was a young man (saith aaBell. de script. Eccles. de Aenea Sylvio. p. 289. An. 1450.Bellarmine) but when he was an old man, and Pope, he retracted it, and so his Bookes are deservedly forbidden. But what say you then to his Retractations? are you pleased with them? No,bbCautè legenda opera Aeneae Sylvii; ipse enim in Bulla Retractationis nonnulla quae scripserat, dānavit, &c. Ind. lib. prohib. Class. 2. …. p. 3. you must yet warily read the Workes of Aeneas Sylvius, for in his Bull of Retractations hee hath condemned something himselfe which he had written; and therefore when a new Edition shall come out, let that Bull also be purged in the beginning of his Workes. It seemes then, neither that which hee wrote as a private man in his younger dayes, nor that which he retracted as Pope in his latter dayes, are well pleasing to your Church: Let us therefore compare the difference of his Doctrine with the difference of his degrees, and then you shall obs…rve, whether according to the ancient saying, Honours have changed manners. Aeneas Sylvius as a private man, protested thatccAntè Nicenā Synodum unusquisque sibi vixit, & parvus respectus ad Ecclesiā Romanam habebatur. Aene. Sylv. in Epist. 288. before the Councell of Nice each Bishop lived severally to himselfe, and little regard was there then had to the Church of Rome: Pope Pius the second (being the same man, but onelyonly that hee was now become a Pope) doth exhort andddSuadete omnibus, ut id solium prae caeteris venerentur, in quo salvator Dominus suos vicarios collocavit, &c. Bulla Retract. Pii, 2. Tom. Concil. 4. post Concil. Floren. p. 739. perswade all, that they would reverence the See of Rome, or that Throne of Majesty above all. Aeneas Sylvius saith, They p. 118thinke themselves well armed with authority, that say, no Councell may be kept without the consent of the Pope: Ex hisce authoritatibus mirum in modum se putant armatos, qui Cōcilia n…gant fieri posse si…e consensu Papae: Quorū sententia, si ut ipsi volunt inviolata persistat, ruinā secum Ecclesiae trahet. Quid enim remedii erit, si criminosus Papa perturbet Ecclesiam, si animas perdat, si pervertat malo exemplo populos, si denique contraria fidei praedicet, haereticisque dogmatibus inbuat subditos? sinemusque cum ipso cuncta ruere? At ego dum veteres l…go historias, dumactus p…rspicio Apostolorum, hunc equidem morem non invenio, ut so…i Papae Concilia convocaverit, nec post; tempore Constantini magni, & aliorū Augustorū ad congreganda Concilia quaesitus est magnopere Romani consensus Papae. Idem de Concil. Basil. l. 1.Whose judgement, if it should stand as they would have it, would draw with it the decay and ruine of the Church. For what remedy were there then, if the Pope himselfe were vitious, destroyed soules, overthrew the people with evill example, taught Doctrine contrary to the faith, and filled his subjects full of Heresies? should wee suffer all to goe to the Devill? Verily when I read the old Stories, and consider the acts of the Apostles, I finde no such order in those dayes, that onelyonly the Pope should summon Councels: And afterward the time of Constantine the Great, and of other Emperours, when Councels should be called, there was no great accompt made of the Popes consent. On the contrary, PopeaaBulla Pii 2. Retractat. p. (mihi) 739. Pius saith, Order requireth that inferiours should be governed by their superiours, and all should appertaine to one, as the Prince and Governour of all things which are below him: As Geese follow one for a leader; and amongst the Bees there is but one King; even so in the Church militant, as also in the Church triumphant, there is one Governour and Judge of all, which is the Vicar of Christ Jesus; from whence, as from a head, all power and authoritie is derived into the subordinate members. Thus when he was young, and had read the old Stories, and considered the acts of the Apostles, hee found no such Authority and respect given p. 119to the Pope: but when he was Pope, and old, it seemes he forgat the Apostles and ancient Writers; then hee attributes all power and reverence to the Pope of Rome. Briefly, Aeneas Sylvius saith,aaDe Romanis Pontificibus liceret exempla admodum multa adferre, si tempus fineret, quoniam aut haeretici, aut aliis imbuti vitiis sunt reperti. Idem de Concil. Basil. lib. 1. Of the Popes of Rome wee might shew forth very many examples (if time would permit) that they have beene found either Hereticks, or else defiled with other vices. But Pope Pius saith (speaking of these and the like assertions)bbPude… erroris, poenitet malè fecisse, & male dictorū, scriptorumque vehementor poenitet, &c. Bull Retract. ut supra. I am ashamed of my error, I earnestly repent both of my words and deeds, and I say, Lord remember not the faults and ignorance of my youth: And thus being Pope (saving all advantages to his See) he hath condemned himselfe and his Writings, as published by him when he was a private man; and yet notwithstanding, the Inquisitors professe hee hath retracted that, as Pope, which afterwards hee condemned; and therefore by their doome hee must have a new purgation, and from thenceforth, Tum Pius Aeneas. But tell mee I pray, was hee Pius Aeneas, when he complained that at Rome theccNam & ipse manus impositiones, & Spiritus sancti dona venduntur. Aene. Sylv. Ep. 66. imposition of hands, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost were sold for money? Was hee Pius Aeneas when he complained that the Court ofddQuid est Romana curia hi… qui summam tenent, nisi turpissimum pelagus ventis undi{que} durissimis, & tēpestaribus agitatū. dem. Ep. 188. Rome, in the chief amongst them, was but a most filthy Sea tossed on every side with winds and strong tempests? Was hee Pius Aeneas when he protested with griefe, thateeJacet spreta religio, justitiae nullus honos, fides penè incognita. Ep. 398. religion was despised, righteousnesse dishonoured, faith in a manner unknowne? Or was hee Pius Aeneas when he retracted, as Pope, that which he had written, or when he condemned that which hee had retracted? No surely, he was Pius in nothing (in the opinion p. 120of your Church) but in his Bull of Retractations; and he was Aeneas in nothing more than in condemning that which he retracted. And accordingly he himselfe beggs of your Church,Bulla Retractat. Pii 2. Illud Gentile nomen, parentes indidere nascenti; hoc Christianum, in Apostolatu suscepimus. Ibid. Pium recipite, Aeneam rejicite, Receive you Pius, but reject Aeneas; and he gives his reason for it; Aeneas is a heathenish Name, which our Parents gave us at our Birth; but Pius is a Christian name, which we assumed in our Apostolike calling.

You may adde to this, Aeneas was a private man, and subject unto errour, but Pius was a Pope, and therefore in his determinations infallible; or rather you may truly say with him, that Aeneas before he was Pope,Nihil mentiti sumus, nihil ad gratiam, nihil ad odium retulimus. Bulla Retractat. delivered the truth neither for feare nor hatred, and yet he was forced to retract it: but Pius **Cum doctrinā non sanam, & suspectam, & quae offensionem parere potest, contineant, &c. Class. 2. in Ind. lib. prohibit.when he was Pope, delivered false and suspected doctrine, and such as was offensive to your Church, and for that cause is commanded to bee purged.

Quid Pius Aeneas, in te committere tantûm?

What ill hap had good Aeneas, or rather what ill fortune had Pope Pius, that he could neither satisfie your Church, either as he was Aeneas, or as he was Pius? neither as a private Doctor, nor as an infallible Pope? or rather I may say with your owne Canus, Rivet. Criticū Sacr. Specimen. c. 7. p. 49.What doth it availe men who desire to know the truth, to raze Records out of their Bookes, when they cannot blot it out of their mindes?

Anno 1450.Petrus Crinitus was a Romish Priest, and is commanded to be purged; and if we shall examine the reason, we shall finde it for no other cause, but p. 121that he speakes the truth against your Pope, and Popish Doctrine. To instance in particulars: Let both the Title and the Chapter be razed (say your Inquisitors, touching Pope Boniface the 8.Petr. Crinit. l. 7. c. 13. de dom. Disciplinâ.) and the reason is pregnant: that Chapter shewes the insosolencie and pride of the Pope in particular, in matter of fact; and it further declares, that under pretence of Religion, the Popes in generall thinke they may doe what they list. Againe,Idem. l. 14. c. 5. when he speakes of ancient Lawes, made in generall for Marriage and propagation of Children, they command that page to be strucken out; and there can be no other reason, but because on the contrary it is a positive law of your Church to forbid Marriage. Lastly, whereas he shewes that Leo the Emperour made an Edict,Idem. l. 9. c. 9. that all Images in Churches and houses of the Christians should be razed; and hee declares in his opinion, that it doth not appertaine to Religion to adore any mans Image; and that Valens and Theodosius made Proclamation to all Christians, that they would suffer no man to fashion, to grave, or paint the Image of our Saviour, either in colours, or in stone, or in any other kinde of metall or matter; and that wheresoever any such Image should bee found, they commanded it to be taken downe: Index Belgic. p. 421. Index Madrid. p. 150. Ind. lib. prohibit. p. 79. & 718. Bulla Pii 4. Art. 9. Art. 22.These and the like passages, your Inquisitors in three severall Indices command to be razed out; and what cause can you pretend, but that it makes against a speciall Article of your faith, viz. that Images should be set up in Churches, and worshipped? and by this meanes you strike likewise at the Articles of our Church, p. 122and when you have made such Doctrines and Evidences invisible, by razing the records, then you bid us shew where the Church was visible before Luther.

Now what credit shall the Reader give unto you and to your Trent Councell, that would assure us that your Church intended the purging of no Authors, but from the yeare 1515. when as it appeares plainely that you have spared neither the writings of the Apostles nor the Fathers, in razing and falsifying their owne very words and sentences? And as touching other Authors in the latter ages, you have gone beyond your Commission, hundreds of years, in falsifying, corrupting, forbidding, and purging them; and this was long before your prefixed yeare of 1515.

Anno 1517. Bell. Chronol. p. 3. pag. 117.In the sixteenth age Luther began his Heresie (saith Bellarmine) Anno 1517. and your Church, to make some shew that your Index Expurgatorius had a relation onelyonly to Luther and his followers, tooke her rise from the yeare 1515. (which was but two yeares before his comming) as if all the members of your Church before his comming had lived in the unity of one faith and doctrine. This deceivablenesse of your unrighteousnesse, I have in part discovered. Now I come to your Authors of this last age (for I will cite none but your owne Authors) and therein lieth another mysterie not inferiour to the first; and that is this: your Index Expurgatorius was first proclaimed generally against all Heretickes (meaning the Protestants) but when p. 123it comes to examination, it points especially at the particular members of your owne Church; and that which is most remarkable, after that your Trent Councel had distinguished with Anathema's her Roman faith from the faith of Protestants, after she had forbidden and condemned by her Index divers of your owne Authors, as savouring of suspected, and false, and scandalous doctrine; nay more, after she had declared all to be Heretickes, and their Doctrine Hereticall, who would dare to teach or publish any contrary beliefe to that which was once established by a Generall Councell; yet I say, the members of your owne Church, and those not of the meanest ranke, both Bishops and Cardinals, have delivered in print many points of Doctrine agreeable to the Articles of our Church; and yet you say they never left the Church, they are not personally to be noted nor ranked amongst Heretickes; when for the very same Tenets we are accused, accursed, forbidden, and utterly condemned as Heretickes and Reprobates: and thus the head of your Church being divided from the members, in points of saving faith, may say unto the tongue, I have no need of thee, and consequently may cut it out. Howsoever, this use we may safely make of your Index, that if in after ages by new Impressions the true doctrine of Protestants shall be razed and utterly abolished in your Roman Authors, yet your very Index will appeare as a strong Evidence, to shew that such doctrines were taught in former Ages: and howsoever the faction in the Papacie formerly p. 124prevailed, yet it is more than evident by the Testimonies and Records of your owne men, that we had not two Churches before Luther, but that we had alwayes Testes Veritatis, witnesses of Gods truth and our owne Religion in all Ages, in the bosome of the Roman Church.

Anno 1500.I proceed to particulars in this last age.

Cardinall Cajetan is purged in severall and maine points of doctrine, being different from your owne Church: Touching the ground of Transubstantiation, he denies that the words of Scripture (This is my body) are availeable to prove it of themselves, and thereupon your Jesuit Suarez complaineth, Ex Catholicis, &c. aaEx Catholicis solus Cajetanus, in Commentario hujus Articuli, qui jussu Pii 5. in Romana editione expunctus est, docuit, seclusâ Ecclesiae authoritate verba illa (Hoc est corpus meum) ad veritatem hanc confirmādam non sufficere Suarez. Tom 3. Disp. 46. Sect. 3. quaest. 75. Art. 1. p. 515. Impress. Mog. An. 1509.Amongst the Catholikes, Cajetan onelyonly teacheth that the words, This is my Body, bee not sufficient, without the authoritie of the Church, to confirme the truth of it: And therefore by the command of Pope Pius the 5. this passage is blotted out in the Roman Edition. Touching justification by faith (onelyonly) whereas hee saith,bbAbsque exceptione aliqua cōditionis, sexus, qualiatis, &c. dicitur omni credenti, sola fides exigitur ad salutem. Cajet. Ep. Pauli &c. Parisiis 1571. fol. 4. Ind. lib. prohibit. p. 876. without any exception of person, of any Sexe, or quality, or condition, It is said of every Beleever, faith alone is required to salvation: your Index commands those latter words to bee blotted out. Lastly, in speaking of the Crosse and the like, he saith; These are altogether unlawfull, and not to be embraced, because they are part of an ill worship: you cause these words to be strucken out, and in lieu of them, you subjoyne these words following (which are flat contrary:)ccIdem. p. 805. These are altogether lawfull, and are to be embraced, because they are part of the divine worship: and the better to colour p. 125these miserable shifts and falsifications, you give this Caveat to the Reader:Idem ibid. p. 805. Be warie if you finde any such Doctrine, for it is to bee feared the Heretikes have suggested it.

Alphonsus à Castro wrote a large Booke against Heresies,Anno 1500. and in particular he charged Luther with many. Yet in his first Booke and fourth Chapter hee attributeth the same title of Heretike to the Pope, and shewes the Pope as Pope is subject to Heresie; but behold the record stands published against Luther, but is wholly razed touching the Pope. The words in my Edition are these; Whereas some say that he which erreth wilfully in the faith, Quod autem alii dicunt eum quierraverit in fide obstinatè jam non esse Papam, ac per hoc affirmant Papam non posse esse haereticum, & in re seria verbis velle jocari. Ad hunc enim modum quis posset citra impudentiam asserere, nullum fidelem posse in fide errare? nam cum haereticus fuerit, jam definit esse fidelis. Non enim dubitamus an haereticum esse & Papam esse coire in unum possint; sed id quaerimus, an hominem qui alias in fide errare potuisset, dignitas Pontificalis efficiat à fide inde viabilem. Non enim credo aliquem esse adeo impudentem Papae assentatorem, ut ei tribuere hoc velit, ut nec errare, aut in interpretatione sacrarum literarum hallucinari possit. Nam cùm constet plures eorum adeo illiteratos esse, ut Grammaticam penitus ignorent, quî fit ut sacras literas interpretari possent? Alph. à Cast. advers. haer. l. 1. c. 4. p. (mihi) 6. b. Coloniae excudebat Melchior Nouesianus, Anno 1543.is now no longer Pope, and thereupon concludes the Pope cannot be an Heretike, they seeme in a sad matter to dally with words: For (saith he) wee make no doubt whether the Pope and an Heretike may agree in one person; but this is our question, Whether a man that otherwise might have erred in the Faith, by vertue of the Papall dignity, be made such as he cannot erre. For I doe not beleeve that there is any so impudent a flatterer of the Pope, that will give him this preheminence, to say, that he can neither be deceived nor misse in the expounding of the Scriptures; for seeing it is well knowne that many Popes be so utterly void of learning, p. 126that they know not the Principles of their Grammer, how may it be that they should be able to expound the Scriptures? These words I have cited at large out of my Edition 1543. for if you looke into Alphonsus, printed within these last threescore yeares, I beleeve you will finde them razed in this particular without an Index Expurgatorius; which plainly shewes that as the Pope was and may be an Heretike, so likewise falsifying of Records is a proper marke of Heretikes.

An. 1500. Usher p. 162.Johannes Ferus a Frier Minorite, and prime Preacher at Mentz in Germany, is purged and falsified in many points of controversie which he held with us. Touching the power of Priesthood in remitting of sinnes, it was the doctrine of Ferus: aaNon quòd homo propriè remittat peccatum, sed quòd ostendat ac certificet à Deo remissum. Ne{que} enim aliud est absolutio quam ab homine accipit quàm, si dicat, En fili, certifico te tibi remissa esse peccata, annuncio tibi te habere propitium Deum, & quaecunque Christus in Baptismo & Evangelio nobis promisit, tibi nunc per me annunciat & promittit. Fer. Comment. in Matth. l. 2. c. 9. Mogunt. An. 1559. Lugdun. apud Johannem à S. Paulo. An. 1609. Contr.Man did not properly remit sinne, but did declare and certifie that it was remitted by God: so that the absolution received from man is nothing else, than if hee should say, Behold my sonne, I certifie thee that thy sinnes are forgiven thee, I pronounce unto thee that thou hast God favourable unto thee, and whatsoever Christ in Baptisme, and in his Gospell hath promised unto us, hee doth now declare and promise unto thee by me. Of this thou shalt have me to be a witnesse; goe in peace and in quiet of conscience. This declarative power of remitting sinnes was Ferus doctrine; this is ours. But behold the case is altered; for in Ferus printed at Lyons 1609. all those words are razed out, and on the contrary saith, thatbbSacerdos enim Dei minister verè remittit peccata, ac certificat à Deo remissa. fol. (mihi) 160. b. In Matth. l. 2. c. 9. the Priest doth truely p. 127remit sinnes, and, as the Minister of God, doth also certifie that they are remitted of God.

Touching our justification by faith onelyonly: the true Ferus saith,Nempe quòd solâ fide in Christum, & nullis meritis nos…is, justificamur. In Ep. Pauli ad Rom. c. 16. In verba illa deleatur. Ind. lib. prohibit. p. (mihi) 629. & Ind. Madrid. fol. 133 & Ind. Belg. p. (mihi) 393.Rom 16 That we are justified by faith alone in Christ, and by none of our merits; That our owne workes, whatsoever they be, are not of that value that they should merit a reward of condignitie or congruitie, but so farre forth as God in his merciemercy doth accept them. These and the like passages are commanded to be blotted out.

And whereas hee sayth,aaSic verè nullum hominum genus est quod minimè movetur verbo Dei, quàm hi qui in sua justitia confidunt. Idem. in Joh. c. 1.John 1 There is no kinde of men that are lesse moved with the word of God, than those which trust in their owne righteousnesse; your men, as being guilty of their trust in their merits of workes, command this and the like passages to bee stricken out.

Your Index of prohibited Bookes, published by thebbOpera tamdiu prohibentur quādi… expurgatio nō pro dierit. Ind. l. prohibit. p. 56. Cardinall of Sandonall and Roxas, tells us, that the workes of Ferus are forbidden to be read till such time as they shall be purged; and sure I am when they are purged they are none of his. For I appeale to you and your fellow Jesuites (Mr. Floyd) whether these passages following be his or yours; I meane, either the Protestant doctrine, which he published before Luthers dayes, or the Popish tenets which are since altered by the Inquisitors, and taught by the Trent Fathers.

In the third of St. Matthew, the true Ferus sayth,ccQuòd si aliquando mercedem audis polliceri, scias non ob aliud esse debitam quàm ex promissione divina. Ferus in Math. 3.Matt 3 If at any time thou heare of a reward promised, know that it is not due for any thing else, but for the divine promise sake. Your Inquisitors command p. 128it to be altered thus;Quòd si aliquando mercedem audis polliceri, scias non sine promissione esse debitam Ind. Madrid. fol. (mihi) 125. If thou heare of a reward promised, know that it is not due without the promise. The one saith, it is not due for any respect, but for the divine promise, ex promissione divina; the other saith, it is not due without the promise: when the true Ferus addes Gratis promisit, gratis reddidit, He promised freely, and he hath given freely; you command these words to be stricken out. And whereas Ferus commenting upon the words of Christ,Ind. Belg. p. (mihi) 372. Ind. lib. prohib. p. 627. Qui hanc fidem nescit, ad Ecclesiā non pertinet, etiamsi videtur primus esse in Ecclesia. Idem in Mat. l. 3. c. 16. p. (mihi) 25. Ind. Madrid. p. 125. Ind. Belg. p. 370. Tu es Petrus, &c. Thou art Peter, and upon this Rocke I will build my Church, shewing that this Rocke was meant of Christ by the confession of Peters faith; And (saith hee) whosoever is ignorant of this Faith, belongs not to the Church, although hee seeme to be the chiefe in the Church. These words are otherwise read in your generall Indices, and are commanded to bee stricken out. And upon the words, Si quis natus fuerit, &c. he saith,aaIn Joh. c. 3. p. (mihi) 69. Ind. lib. proh. p. 625.John 3 The Preachers of Gods Word ought first to teach faith by which a man is justified, and afterwards good workes; there the words (by which a man is justified) are commanded to be stricken out.

Now as you have purged many places, so likewise you have forged and falsified others by addition or retraction: Looke upon his Commentary on the first Epistle of Saint John, and you shall behold strange additions, and the true Protestant Doctrine wrested to flat Popery; as for instance,bbScriptura sacra data est nobis seu certa quaedam regula Christianae doctrinae. Idem in 1 Ep. Joh. c. 2. edit. Antwerp. An. 1556.John 2 The holy Scriptures (saith the true Ferus) are given us as a certaine sure rule of Christian Doctrine. In Ferus printed at Rome, he is taught to say, The holy Scriptures p. 131(and aaRomana edit. An. 1577.traditions) are given us as a certaine sure rule of Christian Doctrine. The true Ferus saith,bbJustus licèt in Christo manet, tamen sine peccato nec esse potest; septies enim in die etiam justus cadit. Idem in cap. 3. Though the just man remaineth in Christ, yet he is not, neither can be without sinne; for even the just doe fall seven times a day: your Roman Ferus addeth,ccSine peccato originali. not without veniall sinnes. The true Ferus saith,ddFidē & charitatē conjungit Apostolus, ita tamen ut fidem praeponat. Ibid. The Apostle conjoyneth faith and charity, yet so as hee preferreth faith: your Roman Ferus addeth, he preferreth faitheeAdditur, ordine, non perfectione. in order, not in perfection. The true Ferus saith,ffCharitas timorem expellit, quia fidem quâ Christum, vitā, propitiationem & salvatorem nostrum apprehendimus, probat & confirmat, certámque reddit. Ib. c. 4. Alite r. Charity driveth out feare, because it trieth, confirmes, and makes assured our faith, whereby we apprehend Christ, our life, propitiation and salvation: your Romane Ferus saith,ggCharitas timorem expellit, quia peccata remittit, & Spiritus sāctus eam consolatur testimonium perhibens quòd filii Dei sumus. Ibid. Charity drives out feare, because it forgiveth our sinnes, and the Holy Ghost doth comfort it, giving testimony that we are Gods children. The true Ferus saith,hhIbid. cap. 5. There be some, who after faith doe earnestly urge good workes, but because they teach not withall, to what end they are to be directed, and how much is to be ascribed unto them, they give cause that almost all the common people doe trust in their owne workes, and so they build upon the sand: the Roman Ferus saith, There were some, who after faith, and with faith, did earnestly urge good workes; but because they cast away their necessity, and others ascribed too much to them, they all did build upon the sand. Lastly, in the true Ferus, sometimes by changing of a word, or by taking away of a word, you pervert the sense and meaning of the Author: As for instance; whereas the true Ferus saith, Saint John condemned all glorying in our workes (omnem gloriam;) your Roman p. 132Edition hath turned omnem into inanem, and saith, Saint John condemned (inanem gloriam) vaine glory, &c. And whereas the true Ferus saith, It is ridiculous that some will have Cephas for the head: Ridiculum est quod quidam hîc volunt, Cephas idem esse quod caput. Idem. in Joh. c. 1. p. mihi (43)John 1your Roman Ferus hath left out the word (ridiculum est) and saith, That some will have Cephas taken for the head, which is most ridiculous.

Claudius Espencaeus Bishop of Paris, lived and dyed a member of the Roman Church; yet is purged, because hee speakes not Placentia, sutable to your Trent Doctrine. In his Commentary on the Epistle to Titus, in his first digression, hee is commanded to be purged (per quinque paginas) five leaves together; in which hee complaines of the abuses and corruptions growne into the Roman Church and See; he shewes that their greedinesse of gaine, and love of money caused them to dispence with all kindes of wickednesse; as namely, with unlawfull and forbidden marriages, with Priests keeping of Concubines, with incests, murders, rapes, witchcraft, killing of Fathers, of Mothers, of Brothers, and things not to be named; and under the name and title of the Taxes of the Apostolicke Chamber (for so they terme them) in which Booke (saith hee) being publikely and daily printed,Taxae Camerae Apostolicae. you may learne more wickednesse than in all the summes and catalogues of vices. Then hee shewes that the Councell of Trent was a third time assembled by the command of Pius the fourth;Adeo tamen Romanam curiā repurgare non permisit. yet by no meanes would hee permit that the Court of Rome should be reformed. And p. 133thus in severall pages,Ind. Madrid. f. 60. & Belg. p. 74. Deleantur illa verba in Ep. ad Tit. c. 1. p. 74 p. 76, 77, 78. & 82, 83, 84.Titus 1 where hee complaines of the like abuses in the See and Court of Rome, the Inquisitors command to be blotted out.

Lastly, hee proves out of Gregory the Great, and Saint Bernard, aaIbid. p. 526. In Tit. c. 3.Titus 3That every soule is subject to the higher power; that is, the Priesthood to the secular power, the Bishops and Archbishops to Emperours and Kings: and in conclusion, when it is questioned (saith hee) touching the reformation of the Clergie, and orders of Monkes, for sending the Shepheards to their owne folds, and compelling them to feed their owne flocks, they say it is a thing that belongs to a Synod, and the Bishop of Rome: Res est synodica & pontificia Ibid. p. (mihi) 526.But was there any Reformation at the Councell of Trent? Did the Pope and Councell cause them to bee more diligent in their calling? &c. This and much more to the like purpose they command to be blotted out.

Polydore Virgil, a member of your Church, is purged in many points of Doctrine which make against you. Possevine tells us,Possen. Appar. p. (mihi) 294. Tom. 2. that his Booke De inventionibus rerum is permitted to be read, if it be such as Pope Gregory the thirteenth commanded to be purged at Rome (1576.) Now if any man list to compare that and Polydore printed at Paris 1528.Parisiis ex Officinâ Roberti Stephani, Anno 1528. hee shall finde that the true Doctrine of Polydore is not allowed, which protesteth against many points of Popery; but by the Inquisitors command hee is inforced contrary to himselfe to speake the Trent language. As for instance;Polyd. de Invent. Rerum l. 2. c. 23. in initio p. (mihi) 41. whereas the true Polydore saith, When God is every p. 134where present, certainly there is nothing more foolish than to counterfeit his image: in your later Editions you have added these words, In the beginning after the first creation there was nothing more foolish; as if it were wisdome to represent God the Father in these dayes, which in the beginning of the world was foolishnesse.

Ibid. l. 5. c. 4. p. 84. usque ad p. 87.In his fifth Booke and fourth Chapter, your Inquisitors command seven whole pages to bee stricken out; and the reason is pregnant: The marriage of Priests, which is prohibited by a positive Law of your Church, is proved to be lawfull, yea and in some case commanded by the Apostles Doctrine, and justified by the examples of Saint Paul, of Peter, of Philip, and other Apostles, that had wives; and he addeth, that according to Saint Pauls Doctrine, the Bishops and Deacons, and consequently all orders of Priesthood, had them; and this custome (saith hee) continued long in the Church: and withall concludes;Porro, dum sacerdotes generabant legitimos filios, Ecclesia faelici prole virūm vigebat; tum sanctissimi erant Pōtifices, Episcopi innocentissimi, Presbyteri Diaconíque integerrimi castissimíque. Ib. p. 86, 87. Ibid. c. 9. Furthermore, whilst the Priests did beget lawfull sonnes, the Church flourished with a happy off-spring of men; then your Popes were most holy, your Bishops most innocent, your Priests and Deacons most honest and chaste. Then he proves from Pope Pius the second, that as Marriage upon good cause was taken from the Priests, so it ought to be restored upon better. This and much more concerning the marriage of Priests, is commanded to be stricken out.

In his ninth Chapter, hee saith, Worship thou one true and eternall God; but worship thou no Image of p. 133any living creature, Ind. Belg. p. 175deleatur (say your Inquisitors) let it be strucken out.

In his sixth Booke,Idem. l. 6. c. 13. and beginning of his thirteenth Chapter, he testifies from St. Hierome, That almost all the holy ancient Fathers did condemne the worship of Images, for feare of Idolatrie. He proves from the Law of Moses, that nothing made with hands should be worshipped; and from the Prophet David, Confounded bee all they that worship graven Images. Hee shewes further, that Gregorie the Great, albeit hee reprehended Serenus Bishop of Marsilia for breaking downe of Images, yet hee commends him for forbidding the worshipping of them. These and the like passages are commanded to be strucken out, per octodecem lineas, Ind. Belg p. 177. Ind. lib. expurg. p. (mihi) 725.for eighteen lines together.

Ludovicus Vives a Priest of your second Classis is purged, and namely by the Divines of Lovan, Plantins print at Antwerpe, 1576.in their Edition of St. Austins workes at Antwerp, Anno 1576.

In his Epistle to King Henry the 8^th, where he saith, that Princes are supreme Governours on earth next under God, this is commanded to be blotted out: And where he saith, The Saints are worshipped and esteemed by many, as were the Gods among the Gentiles; this passage without a command, in the aforesaid Edition is razed out.

Againe, in his Comment on the 8^th. Booke of the Citie of God, he tells us how your Romish Priests upon good Friday doe celebrate Christs passion upon the stage. There Judas (saith he) playeth the p. 134most ridiculous Mimick, Lud. Viv. in August. de Civit. Dei, l. 8. c. 27.even then when he betrayes Christ; there the Apostles runne away, and the Souldiers follow, and all resounds with laughter; then comes Peter and cuts off Malchus eare, and then all rings with applause, as if the betraying of Christ were now revenged; and by and by this great Fisher Peter for feare of a Girle, denies his Master, all the people laughing at her question, and hissing at his deniall; and in all these revels and ridiculous stirs, Christ onelyonly is serious and severe; but seeking to move passion and sorrow in the audience, he is so farre from that, that he is cold even in the divinest matters, to the great guilt, shame, and sinne both of the Priests that present it, and the people that behold it. These words and blasphemous actions,Ind. l. expurgat. p (mihi) 41. as being ashamed of them, you doe well to command them to bee blotted out; but yet they are reprinted, and your men are not ashamed to continue the practice of it in your owne Religion.

And lastly, where he sayes, That those who preferre the Latin Translation before the Greeke and Hebrew fountaines, Idem in Aug. l. 15. c. 13. p. 83.are men of evill mindes and corrupt judgements; that passage is left out in the Antwerpe print. And whereas he saith, that the story of Susanna, Idem. l. 18. c. 31of Bell and the Dragon, are Apocryphall Scriptures, and not received of the Jewes, nor translated by the Septuagint: Ind. l. expurg. p. (mihi) 41.all those words are commanded to be stricken out.

Jacobus Faber Stapulensis, a member of the Roman Church, taught the Protestant doctrine in many points, and therefore he is purged by your severall Indices.

p. 135Whereas the Rhemists translate the Greek word foreign, Penance, he defined it Repentance, Jac. Fab. in Evang. Matth. c. 3. fol. (mihi) 13. b. Ibid. c. 5. fol. 24. in initio.Matt 3and makes a distinction betwixt Repentance and Penance, such as the Protestants doe; and therefore it is commanded to be stricken out.

Againe, speaking of the Scribes and Pharisees, who did attribute righteousnesse to themselves and their owne workes;Ibid. c. 6. f. 30. a. Ind. Madr. fol. 112. The faithfull (saith he) which are of the Law of grace, doe worke most diligently, but doe attribute nothing to themselves, or their owne workes; but all of them doe impute their righteousnesse to the grace of God; All consisteth with the one in the merit of workes, with the other in grace: the one respect themselves and their workes, and are delighted therein; the other regard not themselves, but the grace of God; they admire his goodnesse, and therein is their chiefe delight. Againe, if any man shall doe good in this world, hee must not doe it because it is his will, but because God commandeth it; For he which is perfect hath not a will peculiar to himselfe, but his will must be the will of God; and this is the third Petition of the Lords Prayer.

In the sixteenth Chapter of St. Matthew, upon the words, Thou art Peter, &c. he shewes, that according to St. Pauls doctrine,Ibid. fol. c. 16. (mihi) 74. b. the Rocke was Christ; Hee shewes that Peter was so farre from being a firme rocke, that Christ himselfe did intimate the contrarie, when he said, Get thee behinde me Sathan, for thou savourest not the things of God, but of men: He shewes us further, that our Lord Christ promised to Peter the Keyes of binding p. 136and loosing, but withall testifies, that those Keyes were not Peters, but Christs, whereby Peter doth not binde or loose by his power, but by the will of Christ. He addeth moreover, that not onelyonly Peter received those Keyes, but also all the rest of the Apostles: But (saith he) there be some which understand by the Keyes of binding and loosing, the Popes power, as Christ spake of that faith, witnessing that he was the Sonne of the living God, which is one of the Keyes of the heavenly Doctrine, upon which the Church is founded, and Peters faith, as upon the true Rocke Christ, was builded. aaDeleatur ab illis verbis, Ne quis putet Petrum, &c. usque ad, Aeterni Patris infusio. Ind. Madr. fol. (mihi) 113. & Ind. Belg. p. 51.This and much more to the same purpose, for thirty lines together, is commanded to be strucken out.

In his 20. Chapter he saith,bbVerum qui operibus suis aliquo modo fidunt, minus Deo fidunt, minusque amant Deum: qui autem nullo modo, sed pacto, s…d promissioni imo omnia Deo tribuunt plus Deo fidunt, cujus ineffabili bonitate qui novissimi fuerunt operando, facti sunt primi gratiam recipiendo; & qui primi operando, novissimi gratiam recipiēdo: Quare bonum, &c. deleatur us{que} ad Dei autem omnia. Ind. ut supra. Those which any wayes trust in their workes, have the least affiance in God, and love him the lesse; but those which give all to his promise, and to God himselfe, they trust most in God; by whose ineffable bounty, those which are last in working, are made first by receiving grace; and those that are first in working, are become last in receiving: Whatsoever therefore a man doth, it is good for him to trust wholly to God his goodnesse, for it is the will of God, and of his speciall grace, that wee are saved, and not of our will or workes: These words, and much more to the same purpose in the same chapter, are commanded to be blotted out.

Touching his Commentaries upon Saint John, your Inquisitors have pronounced this definitive sentence,ccInd. Madr. fol. (mihi) 115. Because they cannot be handsomely purged, let them all be spunged and blotted out.

p. 137Touching his Commentaries upon Timothy, In Tim. c. 3. fol. (mihi) 205.hee shewes, that it was lawfull for Priests to marry a Virgin till the time of Gregory the seventh, (which was nine hundred yeeres after Christ:) hee shewes likewise that the Grecians kept the Apostolicall Tradition in marrying of Wives, and could not change them, and that other Churches which vowed single life, by their incontinencie fell into the snares of the Devill: And lastly, in his Commentary upon the Galathians, at large he proves,aaPer solam fidem Christi infunditur justificatio. In Gal. c. 2. fol. 154.Gal 2 That by the Faith of Christ alone we are justified, and that he which bbIdem c. 3. fol. 156. Qui autem confidit in operibus, in seipso confidit, & baculo innititur arundineo, qui frangitur in seipso, & supernum lumen non videt, unde descendit Justificatio.trusteth in his works, trusteth in himselfe, and leanes upon a staffe of Reed, which is broken in it selfe; whereby he doth not discern the heavenly light, from whence our justification doth descend: These and many other like passages in severall places of his Workes, which are consonant to our Protestant Doctrine, are commanded by theccInd. Madr. f. (mihi) 118, 119. Inquisitors to be strucken out.

ddFriderici Furii Cenolani Valentini Bononia; sive, De libris sacris in vernaculam linguam convertendis.Fridericus Furius writes a whole Book of translating the Bible into the vulgar tongue, for the benefit of the Lay people; hee dedicates his Booke to Cardinall Bovadillius, and he tells him that wee esteeme it an excellent thing to reade the workes of Greeke and Latine Philosophers; and therefore much more ought wee to search and know the will of God out of his sacred Scriptures: for the one is a matter of pleasure, and the other is a matter of necessity; the not knowing of the one may hurt little or nothing at all, but to bee ignorant of the other brings a grievous mischiefe, besides eternall destruction p. 138of the soule. Againe, what is it (saith hee) to forbid the Scriptures to bee read in the vulgar tongue, than to forbid God his owne purpose, and as it were to command God, which doth declare himselfe to all by his Word, that hee should not be manifested unto us? This is the whole scope of the Author, and for this cause, lest the reading of the Scripture in a knowne tongue should discover Antichristian Doctrine by frequent reading,aaInd. lib. proh. p. (mihi) 36. the Book it selfe is forbidden, till it bee purged in this and the like places witnessing against your Romane Doctrine.

Johannes Langus is numbred amongst your Heretiques in the first Classis, pag. 51. Yet his Annotations uponbbPermittuntur verò ejusdem in D. Justinum an oratiōes, itē in Nicephorum scholia, si expurgentur. Ind. l. proh. p. mihi 51. Justin Martyr, and his Commentaries upon Nicephorus, are allowed if they bee purged. Now let the Reader observe for what cause you would have him purged: First touching his Annotations upon Justin Martyr; ccMulta continet parum Catholicae Religioni consona, inter ea autem illud est praecipuum, quòd transubstantiationem non agnoscit, sed opertè contendat, cum corpore & sanguine Christi remanere veram panis & vini substātiā.They containe many things disagreeing to the Catholike Religion; but among those, that is chiefe, that hee doth not acknowledge Transubstantiation, but doth openly maintaine, that the true substance of bread and wine doth remaine with the body and bloud of Christ. Againe,ddPerversè admodum interpretatur illud Malachiae, In omni loco offertur sacrificium nomini meo, de doxologia, benedictione, laudibus, & hymnis. Sic Ind. ut supra. He doth very maliciously interpret that place of Malachy, In every place a sacrifice shall be offered to my name, that is (saith he) in giving of glory, blessing, laud, and praise to the Name of God.

eeGerardi Lorichii Adamarii collectio triū librorū, &c. de missa publica proroganda. Ind. l. proh. p. 11.Gerardus Lorichius is prohibited till he be purged for the reproving and condemning your private Masse, and Communion in one kinde; his words be p. 139these, There be false Catholikes, that are not ashamed by all meanes to hinder the Reformation of the Church; they, to the intent that the other kinde of the aaDe Missa pub. Racemationum, lib. 2. Canonis pars 7. p. (mihi) 177.Sacrament may not be restored to the Lay people, spare no kinde of blasphemy. bbExcusum an. 1536.For they say, Christ said onelyonly to his Apostles, Drinke yee all of this; but the words of the Canon of the Masse, are, Take and eate you all of this: Here I beseech them let them tell mee, whether they will have this word (All) to pertaine onelyonly to the Apostles? ccSee more, lib. 2. pars Canonis 17. p. mihi. 210. &c.Then must the Lay people abstaine from the other kinde, of the bread also; which thing to say is an Heresie, and a pestilent and detestable blasphemie.

Ambrosius Catharinus Archbishop of Compsa wrote against Cajetan; eeOpuscula verò similiter prohibentur, nisi corrigantur, Ind. l. prohib. p. 4.and (saith**Bellar. de Ec. Scrip. p (mihi) 312. Bellarmine) hee wrote likewise against Luther: Yet something hee wrote is disallowed of the Church, as namely, touching the words of consecration: other things are commonly refuted by the Doctours of the Church, viz. the certainety of Grace, of Predestination, &c. therefore his Workes are warily to be read. Thus you have Cajetan against Luther, and Catherinus against Cajetan, and Luther & both against the Tenets of their own Church; insomuch as the Inquisitors have commanded a deleatur upon Cajetan and Catharinus in the second Classis, and againstffCommentaria in Lucam, nisi fuerint ex repurgat… & impressis ab an. 1581. vel nisi anteà edita, expurgentur. Ind. l. prohib. p. 26. & p. 318. Ind. Belg. p. 317. Ind. Hisp. p. 63. Luthers whole Workes in the first Classis.

Didacus Stella is prohibited to bee printed before hee be purged. The places which are purged are such wherein hee teacheth Protestant Doctrine, as may be seen inggSee Appendix to the Romish Fisher caught in his owne net. Mr. Crashaw, and D^r. James, and D.F. Observations.

p. 140Ad solam vitae benè actae imitationem, non etiam ad religiosum cultum, quem adorationem vocant Theologi, Divorū monumenta conservare fas est. In Comment. Jos. hist. c. ult. Ind. l. expurg. p. 31.Andreas Masius in his Commentarie upon Josuah is purged for this Protestant doctrine; Wee ought to preserve the Monuments of Saints onelyonly for the imitation of their godly life, not for Religious worship, which Divines call Adoration. Againe, hee saith,aaIdem in Jos. c. 22.Josh 22 The Church sets before our eyes the figure of Christs Crosse, (not that wee should worship it;) which latter words are commanded to bee razed out.

Lastly, Cardinall Bellarmine, who was the first and best that ever handled all controversies in difference betwixt us, was in danger of a prohibition, or rather of an absolute suppression of all his workes.bbInd. Belg. p. 269. Your owne Barclay witnesseth of him,Barclay of the authoritie of the Pope. c. 13. p. 66. Engl. That there is not one of the Popes partie, who hath either gathered more diligently, or propounded more sharply, or concluded more briefly or subtilly, than the worthy Divine Bellarmine; who although he gave as much to the Popes authority in temporalties, as honestly hee might, and more than he ought, yet could he not satisfie the ambition of the most imperious man Sixtus the 5^th. (who affirmed that he had supreme power over Kings and Princes of the whole Earth, and all People, Countries, and Nations committed unto him, not by humane, but by divine Ordinance:) and therefore he was very neare by his Pontificiall censure (to the great hurt of the Church) to have abolished all the writings of that Doctour (which doe oppugne Heresies with great successe at this day) as the Fathers of that order (whereof Bellarmine was then) did seriously report unto me. How probable this may seeme, his worke p. 141of Recognitions doth witnesse to the world; wherein he was inforced to recant that doctrine, which he had both sincerely taught and published according to the truth. As for instance; whereas he professed that the Pope was subject to the Emperour in temporall affaires; on the contrarie hee recants it, saying,aaBel. Recognit. de summo Pont. p. 16. I allow not that which I said (with Albertus Pighius) that Paul appealed to Caesar to be his lawfull Judge. Againe, whereas it was said the Popes used to be chosen by Emperours, the word Emperor (potest, & fortè debet deleri) bbIdem de Cler. p. (mihi) 52.it must, and peradventure ought to be blotted out. And when I sayd that Paul was subject to Caesar, as to his temporall Lord, I meant it was soccDe facto, non de jure. Ib. p. 17. Sapendo M. Paolo chasotto Sisto Quinto usci un Indice de libri prohibiti, il quale se ben subito si occulto, non fu pero cio cosi presto fatto che non ne restassero gli essemplari. Et in questo erano compresse le opere del Bellarmino. In lib. Confirmatione del considerationi del M. Paulo di Venetia, di M. Fulgentio Brestiano servita. In Venetia appresso Ruberto Mejetti 1606. Con licentia de superiori. in 4^to. in fact, but not of right.

And in truth it seemes, that neither the Pope, nor his Inquisitors were well pleased with this Catholike doctrine: For Frier Paul of Venice acknowledged Cardinall Bellarmine and Baronius for learned men; and further saith, that he hath knowne the one and the other in Rome; but he could wish withall, that they had written that which they sincerely thought, without being forced to recant any thing that they had spoken. For Frier Paul knew well that under Sixtus Quintus there came out an Index of prohibited Bookes, which though it were suddainly stayed and called in, yet it was not so closely acted, but that there remained Copies of it; and in that Index the workes of Bellarmine were comprehended. If this learned Cardinals Booke had beene forbidden, you and your fellowes would have beene to seeke of an answere for many objections made against you; p. 142for it is usuall with you to referre me for an answer to Bellarmine. But as it is observed, they recanted many things in their writings:Dum plurima Annalibus digerendis pervocutanda fuere, agnovit ingenuè quae primis editionibus aut māca, aut non omnino ad plenam veritatem abs se fuerāt scripta, id quod in Annalibus non semel testatus est. For Baronius confesseth, that in his first Editions many things were imperfect, and not altogether true, which were corrected in the other impressions. And I am perswaded, ere long wee shall have an Index aaDefēsio Johānis Marsilii in favorem respōsi 8. propositiones continentis, adversus quod scripsit illustrissimus Cardinalis Bellarminus. Venetiis. 1606.Expurgatorius lay hold on him; For (saith Johannes Marsilius) I have heard that as he hath taken a liberty to mend the Fathers, Canons, and Historians, so he will correct the Councels after his manner, and for his owne purpose, and so assume unto himselfe a licence hereunto; which God forbid. Againe (saith he)bbMarsil. p. 357. See B. Mortons encounter against M. Parsons reckoning, l. 1. c. 1. p. 10, 11 the Answers of Cardinall Baronius are not unlike the answers of Cardinall Bellarmine, who whilst he cannot finde an objected argument to be assoiled by Historie, he saith, that those words have beene inserted into the Bookes: much like to Mr. Floyd, when there is no answere to be made to some particular objections out of the Authors, you reject them all as condemned by your Inquisitors: And this answere I am sure may serve for all objections that can bee made from most Classicall Authors.

The last thing which I here meane to speake of, is a certaine distinction of explicite and implicite faith, which the Knight and his Ministers cry out against, and are pleased sometimes to make themselves merry withall, as if they would laugh out; but it is too well and solidly grounded to bee blowne away with the breath of any such ministeriall Knight, as he is. Thus you.

p. 143You professed formerly to teach mee for my learning; now it seemes you would instruct me for my manners: you tell me I make my selfe merrie with your doctrine, as if I would laugh out: truly I am sorry to thinke you teach such ridiculous doctrine, as should deservedly cause laughter. Shall I make you my Confessor? I cannot chuse but smile when I consider what great paines you have taken in this whole Chapter, to uphold the Articles of your Faith with sixe pretended rules, and all infallible, as namely, Scripture in the plaine and literall sense; Tradition or common beliefe and practice of the whole Church; Councels either generall or particular, confirmed by the See Apostolike; the authoritie of that whole See it selfe defining Ex Cathedra, though without either generall or particular Councell; the common and uniforme consent of ancient Fathers or moderne Doctours and Schoole-men, delivering any thing unto us as matter of Faith: All these sixe rules (say you) we acknowledge, and are ready to make good whatsoever is taught any of these wayes.

When I say you assume confidently, that all these are infallible rules to leade men to the knowledge of your Faith, and at last you conclude, and as it were shut up all those rules of knowledge, with the doctrine of an implicite faith. This I confesse is such a mystery of foolishnesse, as deserveth rather laughter than an answer: For, as Cato said, He marvelled that a Soothsayer did not laugh when he saw a Soothsayer: So I am verily perswaded that your selves p. 144doe smile when you meet each other, to thinke how you cousen the poore ignorant people with a blind obedience, and an implicite Faith. To let passe your Golden Legends and leaden miracles, (which occasion sufficient mirth in long winter nights for all sorts of people) what I pray is that implicite Faith, that you condemne me and our Ministers for laughing at? Mistake us not, I know no Protestant doth laugh at an implicite Faith, which is directed to the proper object, the holy Scripture; we laugh not at an implicite Faith, which cannot be well unfolded or comprehended by reason, as namely, the unsearchable mysterie of the Trinitie, of Christs conception by the holy Ghost, and the like; but we disclaime and condemne your Catholike Colliers Faith, which is canonized for your Popish Creed; that is, to pin our Faith upon the Churches sleeve, and to assent to every thing the Church propoundeth to be beleeved, without examination whether it be agreeable to the Scripture, or besides it. We laugh, or rather wee pitie that Merchant of Placentia, who chose rather to bee a Papist than a Protestant,Laurent. Discept. Theolog. p. 5. because (saith he) I can briefly learne the Roman faith; For if I say what the Pope saith, and deny what the Pope denyes, and if he speake and I hearken unto him, this is alone sufficient for me. And wee cannot choose but smile at the judgement pronounced by your Gregorie de Valentia, upon this poore ignorant Merchant; God (saith he) will have nothing to lay to this mans charge at the dreadfull day of Judgement: His meaning, it may p. 145be is, God can charge him with nothing, because this man knew nothing.

This doctrine of Obedience doth well agree with Cardinall Bellarmines exposition upon that place of Job, The Oxen did plow and labour, Bell. de Justif. l. 1. c. 7.and the Asses fed by them. By the Oxen (saith hee) are meant the learned Doctors of the Church, by the Asses are meant the ignorant people, which out of simple beliefe rest satisfied with the understanding of their Superiors. And accordingly your Cardinall Cusanus perswades his Proselytes to relye upon the Church, without further inquirie of the truth;Cusan. exercit. l. 2. & l. 6. For (saith he) Obedience without reason is a full and perfect obedience, that is, when thou obeyest, without enquiring of reason, as a horse is obedient to his Master. He that shall make a question in your Church, whether the Pope can erre, must resigne up his understanding with this beliefe,Bellar. de Pont. l. 4. c. 5. If the Pope should so farre forth erre, as to command vices, and forbid vertues, the Church were bound to beleeve that vices are good, and vertues are evill, unlesse she will sinne against her owne conscience.

This is Bellarmines lesson, and that must bee your Faith. Nay more, Cardinall Tollet will assure you, that if one beleeve his Bishop, Toll. de Instruct. sacerd. l. 4. c. 3.although it be contrary to the faith, yet in beleeving that falshood, hee shall performe an act meritorious.

I understand you are a Jesuite, and therefore I doe not much wonder, that you so much insist upon the justification of an implicite faith; for you had it from your founder, and are injoyned to make it p. 146good by your owne Order. There is a little Pamphlet entituled Regulae Societatis Jesu, which your selves have caused to be printed at Lyons, in which Ignatius Loyala, the Spanish Souldier, and Patron of your Sect,Anticotton, or a refutation of Cottons letter to the Queene Regent, p. 24. printed at Lyons by Jaques Roussin. Anno. 1607. hath laid downe these rules to your Societie: Entertaine the command of your Superiour in the same sort, as if it were the voice of Christ. Againe, Hold this undoubtedly, that all which a Superiour commands, is no other than the commandement of God himselfe; and as in beleeving those things which the Catholike faith proposeth, you are presently carried with all the strength of your consent; so for the performance of all those things which your Superiour commands, you must be carried with a certaine blinde impetuosity of will, desirous to obey without further inquiring why or wherefore. And lest that such command might seeme sometimes unjust and absurd, he commands your Jesuits so to captivate their understanding, that they sift not the commands of their Superiours; but that they may follow the example of Abraham, who prepared even to sacrifice his sonne at the commandement of God: and of Abbot John, who watered a drie log of wood a whole yeare together, to none other purpose, but to exercise his obedience; and another time put himselfe to thrusting downe of a great Rocke, which many men together were not able to move, not that hee held them things either usuall or possible, but onelyonly that hee would not disobey the command of his Superiour.

p. 147This is that blind obedience and implicite faith which wee laugh at, and this is the ridiculous Doctrine which your Rhemists teach. He saith enough, Rhem. Annot. in Luc. 12.11.Luke 12:11and defendeth himselfe sufficiently, who answereth he is a Catholike man, and that his Church can give a reason of all the things which they demand of him. But we have not so learned Christ; wee are ready alwayes, according to the Apostles instruction, to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us. 1 Pet. 3.15.1 Pet 3:15And for the better fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets, wee testifie with Moses, Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children, Deut. 29.29.Deut 29:29that we may doe all the words of the Law. We say therefore, particular knowledge is to be joyned with the assent of faith; for no man can assent to that which hee never heard, and therefore I thinke no man of understanding, with a blind obedience and implicite faith, will resigne up his eie-sight, and looke through such spectacles as you have tempered for them. For without doubt it was the constant and uniforme Doctrine of the ancient Church, that howsoever faith apprehends mysteries not to bee inquired into, yet the proposition and doctrine of all the Articles of Faith were distinctly taught and conceived by all: and thereupon Theodoret, who was then living, gives us to understand, that in his dayes You might see every where the points of our Faith to bee held and knowne, foreign, &c. Theod. Graec. Serm. 5.not onelyonly to them who are Masters in the Church and Teachers of the people, p. 148but even of Coblers, Smiths, and Weavers, and all kinde of Artificers, of all sorts of women; and all these you may finde (saith he) discoursing of the Trinitie, and the creation of all things.