The aunswere.

IN these words yee geue vs to vnderstande, your • yr • e, your Order, your state, and condicion. You begin wyth Confiteor, yeelding a shewe of modesty, by confessinge your vnworthines. The 〈◊〉 inferre a vehement suspicion, & lest that your reader should long stand in suspēce, you display your banner and vncouer your nakednes. Wee finde you a Priest: no • orce. Of the Catholike church: not amisse if it be true. A Iesuite, as you write Of the Society of Iesus.

You bewray your selfe, whē as vnder the faire name of Iesus you haue together with your complices lately found out a fond order neuer heard of, the space of fifteene hundred and odde yeares after Christ. Here I am to warne my Brethren and Countrey men, that they take heede they be not deceiued by meanes of you, and such as you are, entitlīg your selfe a Priest of the Catholick faith, and for the further aduaūcement of your credite, to father your felowship vpon Iesus. Wee know that Waspes haue Honye Combes as well as Bees: wicked men haue companies like to the Church of God: your brethren of the societye or Family of Loue haue a Glorious title▪ but we find them a detestable sect of Hereticks, of like antiquity with your order they are not straight way the people of God, which are called the people of God, Rom. 9. neyther be they all Israelites as many as are come of Israel, the Father. The Arrians were Heretickes, yet bragged, Socrat. that they alone were Catholickes calling the true professors, Ambrosians, Athanasians, Iohānits, as you do nowe call the professours of the Gospel, Lutherans, Zuinglians, Caluinists &c. Nestorius ye Heretick (sayith Theodoret) cloked his falsehoode with the coloure of truth. Theodoret. Ebion beyng in opinion a Samaritane, yet sayth Epiphanius, Epiphan haeres. 30. would hee be called a Christian. The Turkes comming by lineall discent of Agar the bondwoman, yet sayth Sozomenus, Sozom. eccl. hist. lib. 6. cap. 38. will they be called Saracens of Sara, Abrahams true & lawful wyfe. The Spirit in the Reuelation reporteth of some, how they call themselues Ievves, yet testifyeth he, they are the Synagoge of Satan. The Pharisies told Christ, Apocalyp. 2. Iohn. 8. they had Abraham to theyr father: yet affyrmeth Christ, they were of their father the Deuill. Looke vnto your selfe, that ye be not in a wrong boxe, for assure your selfe, vnlesse we fynd your doctrine Catholike, wee will not allowe of your title. You bleare the eies of ye simple with mouthing the Church, the Catholicke Church, our holy mother the Church: Not vnlike the vayne guyse of Hipocriticall professors in the time of Ieremie, Ierem. 7 who had in their mouthes, The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord, but in their harts th • idole groue of the deuill. you are therein to be aduysed with them: trust not in false lying vvords, saying: 〈◊〉 is the temple of the Lorde &c. they shall not auayle you. Here you tel vs of your order, a fayre shew without, but a foule shame when the secrecy therof is opened. It is a new order, new maysters▪ newe men, new lawes, new leaders, the deuil is an old knaue, and now he hath put on a new coate: we are forewarned that if an Angell from Heauen should bryng vnto vs any other Gospell, any other Christ or christiā order, Galat. 1 thē we haue already receyued, we should shun him Bevvare of false Prophets (saith Christ) for many vvil come in my name, saying: I am Christ (or as you say of the society of Iesus) & deceiue many if any say vnto you, Math 7. Math. 24. Marc. 13. Luc. 21 here is Christ (in this order or that order) beleue them not. If they saye vnto you: behold, he is in the desert (in this Cell or yt Cell, in this rocke or that rocke, in this vale, or that vale) goe not after them. or if they say, behold, hee is in the secrete closet or inner chamber, (in City, Towre, Temple, Chappel, Ile, Aulter, Shryne &c.) beleue them not. And now with your pacience, I will blaze the armes of your order, the antiquitye of your house, the originall of your lyne, & progresse of your society, whom your selues call Iesuits, the Printer shal play the crier, & publish the same (if ye please in our natiue soyle & sweete country of Englād) to the knowledge of ye posterity, & yet for more indifferency let an other speak for vs both. Ther was (saith Martinus Chēnizius) a certain Souldier by name Ignatius Layola (as Pantaleon wryteth) Cātaber, a spaniard of Biskay who being at ye siege, Martin. Chemnizius exam. concil. Trident in praefat. of Pompeiopolis was shot throughe both shankes with a Gunne, and returning into his countrey made away with that litle which he had, and determined with himself thēceforth to lead a straict and austere kynd of lyfe: Pātal. Chronograph, and consideringe with himself that Learning and knowledge auayled much to further his enterprise & purpose, hee got him to Paris, where he studied (as it is reported) the space of ten yeares, and linked vnto him, in that space, ten associats or cōpanions of his new-founde order and deuysed trade of life. At the tenth yeares end with his tenne cōpaniōs he returned into Spayne in the yere of our Lord 1536. The yeare followinge, to wit: 1537. they came to Rome, crauing the Popes Bul a faculty to goe a pilgrimage to Ierusalem there to visite (as they signifyed) ye holy places. They toke their voiage to Venice, and then as storyes record, the Turkes warred with the Venetians, and trauaylinge was so daungerous, that they were disappoynted of theyr iourney. Immediatlye they alter theyr mindes and determine to geue them selues to preaching. Whereuppon the Popes Legate, oyled after the Romish manner, and shore Priestes seuen of them, and gaue them licence freely and in all places to preach, to heare confessiō, and to minister the Sacramentes. In the yere 1540. through the help of Cardinal Contarenus they made sute vnto Pope Paulus 3. that, that order of theirs might by his autority be cōfirmed. Paulus 3. graū ted theyr request ratifyed theyr order, with this prouiso, that the number of theyr society exceeded not 60. This Pope afterward beyng geuen to vnderstande how avayleable this order was for the vpholdinge of his kingdome, and the repayring of the ruinous walles of his pontificall autority, esteemed of this society as excelling all others, so that in the yeare 1543. he decreed, yt the society of Iesu, should not be tied to any one place of abode, neyther limitted to any certayn nūber of brethren. So farre, Mart. Chēnizius. To be short, they preuayled so much yt they got them a place at Rome, where (as this Pilgreme cōfesseth) their Prouost is alwaies resident, & sendeth abrod his Pupills, as I may iustly say to deceaue the people of God. Lastly, after ye Ignatius, & Cardinal Moronius, had cōsulted together, meanes was foūd that in the yeare 1553. there was a Colledge builded at Rome for the trayning vp of youth to goe abrode to seduce the Inhabitaunts of the earth. Now sir will it please you to behold your Coate. The first of your gentry was Ignatius Layola the creeple, hee standing vnder Pompeiopolis towre geues the Pellet out of his tayle: the supporters be two Cardinalls: your Crest is a shauē crowne: your prerogatiues & royalties (if you may be beleeued) are great: your lyberties reach far, yee may go whither ye wil you beīg such a mā, as ye say: Of the Sosciety of Iesus, why hide yee your selfe in hucker mucker? Why come ye not forth? why repayre you not to ye temple & sit among ye Doctors? but as touching your order, I see ye fulfilled which long agoe hath bene foretold to happen in the latter dayes, concerning Teachers and Hearers. Men haue itching eares,2. Timoth. 3. endeuoring to procure thēselues teachers after their fond humors. Men are high minded, self willed,2. Timoth. 4. louers of them selues, being wedde to their owne wayes and deuises, leauing ye law of God, Math. 15. and following after the traditions of men. What mooued you to forsake your natiue Soile, and the famous Uniuersities of England, florishinge with all kinde of good litterature? the scriptures are in this land lernedly expounded: the fathers alleaged: the coū cells examined: the hystories deuine, & prophane, morall, and naturall, throughly pervsed: ye lawes Ciuill, Canon, Statute, and temperal diligently scanned: iustice is put in vre: and yt which cōfirmeth the right vsage of all ye premises, God hath blessed this Land with peace these many yeres. Blessed be his name therfore. I hope ye are come home to taste wt vs, Psalme. 33. hovve svveete the Lord is. But this lōg time you haue neglected al ye aforesaid, & whereas there are many orders and sects vnder Abadon King of Locustes as Mōckes, Apocalyp. 9. Anachoretes, Eremits, Fryers, Carmelits, the order of Basill, Augustine, Benedict, Dominike, Frauncis, Ord • Cluntacēsium, Grandimontensium, Volaterran. Anthropolog. lib. 21. Carthusiensium, Cisterciensium, Clarevallensium, Praemonstratensium, Camaldulensium, vallis vmbrosae, humiliaetorum, Guilielmitarum, seruorum beatae Mariae, Sanctae Brigittae, Coelestinorum, Canonicorum regularium, montis • liueti, Militum sancti Iohannis Baptistae, Templarorium, Sanctae Mariae Teutonicorū, sancti Iacobi, de Calatraue, militum Iesu Christi, Militū Alcant • rae, de redēptione captiuorū, montē siae, sancti Sepulchri, and infinite other Locusts, hauing their originall, successe, & confirmation, by southsaying, coniuring, dreames, visions, fantasies, lies, illusions and fayned Miracles: you for nouelties sake haue found out a newe rule, and ye lousiest order of all. They had some colour, either they fathered their inuention vppon the virgine Mary, or vpon some sainct. You addict your selfe to a maymed souldier, and bringe forth vnto vs an haulting religion. It shoulde appeare you repose therein holines. Deceaue no lōger your self, goe not aboute to delude Gods People, and her Maiesties louing and obedient Subiects It is neyther the place, nor the habite, that maketh a man the holier. Gregory sayth: Gregor. in Ezech. lib. 1. Homil. 9. Si desit spiritꝰ nō adiuuat locus &c. If the spirit be wāting the place helpeth not. Lot was holy in Sodome, yet sinned he in the Moūt. And that the places gard not the myndes, let our great graundfather Adam testify for he fell in Paradise▪ For if the place could haue succored, Satan had not fallen from Heauen. The same words in maner hath Ambrose. Ierome also writeth: Non sanctorum filij sunt, Dist. 40. cap. Non est. qui tenent loca sanctorū. They are not the sonnes of Saincts which enioy the rowme of Saincts. Chrysostome telleth vs: Chrysost. in Math. homil. 43. Nō locus sanctificat hominem, sed homo sanctificat locum, the place maketh not the man holy, but the man maketh the place holy. Againe. Gregory sayth: Non loca vel ordines, creatori nostro nos proximos faciunt. Dist. 40. cap. Non loca. It is not the places nor the orders that makes vs neerer or more acceptable vnto God our Creator. It was Symmachus, that poisoned the streames which you dranck of, where he sayth of the Pope: Si desint bona acquisita per meritum, Ibidem cap. Non no • ▪ sufficiunt quae a loci praedecessore praestantur. If there want good things gotten by his owne Merittes, the good thinges which hee hath gotten of his Predecessor are sufficient. Here the treasor house of the church, and the merite Cell of orders, Munkry, fratry, and societies is established. In the iudgement of this Pope, as it also gathered by the glose, Gloss. ad cap. Non nos. Peter hath graunted his Successours (vt essent haeredes bonitatis suae) that they should be heires of his vertue and worthynes. Agayne: Gloss. ad cap. sic nos. dist. 19. Papa Sanctitatem recipit à Cathedra, the Pope receaueth holines of his Chayre. Pontifical. in benedic: ad vest. sacerdo • . In hallowinge the Priestes vestiments ye say: that thy Priestes wearing this holy vesture, may deserue to be shielded and defended from all assaults, and temptations of the wicked spirites.

Pestilent is that opinion of Thomas of Aquine, who saith that the wearing of Frauncis or Dominickes cowle, hath power to remoue sinne, as wel as the sacrament of baptisme. Alphons. aduer. Haeres. lib. 7. cap. 7. Alphonsus de Castro a Minorit reporteth, that in his hearing, a certayne Thomist preached: VVhosoeuer forsaketh the iudgment of Thomas of Aquine, must bee taken as suspected of Heresie. Heere is a dilemma. Eyther put no holinesse therein and so followe no choyce of order: or else put holinesse therein, & therefore according vnto the premises you are iustly to be cō demned. This supersticious Opiniō of your fantasticall orders, Sleidan. lib. 12. hath be witched not onely meane Personages, but also great Prynces. For Franciscus Marques of Mantua, ye second of that name, Albertus Pius Prynce of Zeugitana lying at Paris, and Christophorus Longolius yt great Clerke buried at Padua, charged their executors, to bury thē in Sainct Francis Weede. They hoped (sayth the Story) to obtayne Remission of sinne, if they vvere buried in a graye Fryers Coate. It appeareth vnto ye World howe shamefull and vile was the romish Religion in those dayes. For men were ledde into that palpable ignoraunce and blindnes that to bee buried in Muncke, or Fryers Weede was thought inough to bring a man to eternall Lyfe. These your deuised dreames doe nought else, but leade to the Deuill, & damne as many as drinck of your Cuppe.

Chrysostome exclaimeth against you, & your Pharisaicall sects. O the vvickednes hereof, Crysost. in Math. Homil. 43. (saith he) they vvill shevve more holines in theire apparell, then in the body of Christ &c. that hee, vvhich despayreth in Gods mercy, should put his trust in the garmēt of a man. The auncient councell of Gangra hath decreed: Concil. Gangrens. cap. 12. Si quis virorum putauerit, sancto pròposito, id est, continentiae conuenire, vt pallio vtatur tanquam ex eo iustitiam habiturus &c. Anathema sit. If any man thinke it agreable to his holy purpose, to vvit, of cōtinent life, to vveare a cloake, as though therby he vvere to haue righteousnes &c. let him be accursed. And loke what is here spoken of the cloke, maye bee vnderstoode of other habits and garments. Many learned and Godly men, from tyme to tyme, haue lamented the miserable state of the Church, seyng the infinite number that in shew professe religion, the diuersity of orders, their varing in seruice, their addictyng vnto Saynctes, seruinge as it is written, rather the Creature then then the Creator. Rom. 1. In this respect the complaynt is made: My people (sayth the Lord) haue done tvvo euilles. They haue forsakē me the vvell of the vvater of life, and digged them pittes, Ierome. 2. yea vile and broken pittes that hold no vvater. Kingdomes haue bene bepestred wt these swarmes of locusts, eating the fatte of the earthe, and makinge as it were heauen of this world, Anno. 1279. there was a councell summoned at Lyons where the pope being presēt, order was takē for the suppressing of Friers and religious mē, that thenceforth there should but onely foure orders be receiued About the yeare 1392. Henry Crumpe an Irishman wrote a greate volume: contra religiosos mendicā tes. Richard Fitz Rafe. Archbyshop of Armach. wrote xvi. Bookes, De Religios. domib. capit. Ne nimia. contra fratres mendicantes. Innocentius. 3. decreed: Lest that the ouermuch diuersity of orders in religion, bring great confusion into the church of God, vve straitly forbid, that none henceforth do inuent a nevve order: but vvhosoeuer vill vovve or professe, let him take one of the orders allovved.

I will not presentlye stande longer in recitinge eyther graue fathers, or learned men, who from time to tyme, misliked not onely with the varying orders of Munkery & Fratrye, but also with the vayne and vnconstant heads of the deuysers and founders therof. Your Cannon law layeth down, what opiniō we should cōceaue of you & such as you are in so doing: quisquis cōtemptis hijs cum quibus viuit, Dist. 41. cap. clericus. Lautiora sibi, vel austeriora prae caeteris indumenta, vel alimenta quaerit, aut intē perans sui, aut superstitiosus est. VVhosoeuer dispisinge his ordinary trade of liuing procureth vnto himselfe beyonde others a more delicate or a more austere kinde of rayment, or diet, he is eyther intemperate or superstitious. Now I come to tender your state and condition where ye say that: yee haue resigned your interest and possibillity of vvealth, honor and pleasure, vvith other vvorldly felicityes. Haue you solde your annuitye? but ye made not the buyer priuye vnto your desperate enterpryse. Haue ye done away your possibility? why did ye so? ye might haue bene a byshop: you would make vs peraduenture beleue: you care not for preferment, no more then Theatinus the Iesuit, who had vowed as wel as you, but plaied the egregious hypocrite, Ioh. Balaeus Anglic. script. Centur. 8. he pleaded pouerty, but practised the fillyng of the poke. quam sectā (saith Caelius) postea deseruit, cum quod venabatur accepisset. vvhich order he aftervvard forsoke, vvho he had gotten that vvhich he gaped for. Hee founde meanes to be Cardinall, and afterward Pope. When he should goe to Rome to be stalled in his Pontificalibus his bretherne the begginge Iesuites asked him whither hee wente, his answeare was, as Christ sometymes answeared his disciples: Ioh. 1 • . vvhither I go, thither cannot ye come: meaninge that hee went to be Pope, that he would playe the Iesuite no more, & that they should goe a •• ging aboute the Countrey such is the holines of your societye in renouncinge the possibilitye of worldly preferment.

The Aunsweare.

BY your words I gather first your obedience to your generall Prouost. Secondlye your affiance and opinion of him and his auctority, beynge as ye say: a vvarrant to you from heauen, and an oracle from Christ. Thirdly your pilgrimage frō Prage to Rome, from Rome to England. Touching your obedience & tyinge your selfe to that order & trade of life (beyng an Englishmā) to a forrain and a straunger (whom yee call your Prouost) enemy to god, as we fynde by examininge your religion, and as it were a sworne aduersarye to our soueraygne Lady, the Queens maiestye the Crowne & Dignity (in yt he sēdeth such pilgrims as rebellious skoutes into her Dominiōs) what scripture haue ye for your warāt? ye are cōmaunded to geue vnto Caesar that vvhich is due vnto Caesar, Math 22. Rom. 13▪ & vnto God, that vvhich is Gods: tribute to vvhō tribute belongeth custome to vvhom custome belongeth: feare to vvhom feare belongeth, & honor to vvhō honor belō geth. • ▪ Pet. 2 Rom. 13. Agayne: Feare God, honor the King. Agayne: Let euery Soule be subiect vnto the higher Povvers. Paul meaneth not here your subiection eyther to Pope or Prouost, & so forget your dutye to your Prince. Wil yee bee tried by Peter? be ye subiect (sayth hee) vnto all manner ordinaunce of men, • Pet. 2. for the Lordes sake, vvhether it be vnto the King as vnto the chief head, either vnto rulers as vnto thē that are sente by him. Herevpon Chrysostome, that the Apostle sheweth, quod ista imperentur omnibus, & Sacerdotibus, & Monachis, Chysost in. 13. Rom. homil. 23. nō solum secularibus. That these ordinaunces haue a • tority ouer all, both Priestes, and Moncks, not onely ouer seculer, and lay persons. Agayne sayth he, be subiect, (etiam si Apostolus sit, si Euangelista, si Propheta, Ibidem. siue quisquis tandem fueris) yea if thou bee an Apostle, if thou bee an Euangelist, if thou be a Prophet, yee whosoeuer thou be. and agayne, least you should thinke this any preiudice to Christian order, hee sayth: Neque enim pietatem, subuertit ista subiectio▪ neither doth this obedience (to your Prince) ouerthrowe piety or religion. He asketh the question: seeing then thou mayst haue a Prince that commendeth thy well doing, and furthereth thyne affayres, why becomest thou not obedient? lastlye hee preuenteth an obiection, which is moste commonlye ryse in the mouthes of Romishe Rebelles, sayinge: I will in no wise heare thee saye, that oftentimes the Prynce abuseth his autority, but beholde thou the goodlines or decency of this ordinaunce, and thou shalt see the great wisedome of him that ordayned it from the beginning. The Apostle layeth before vs the perill of disobedience saying: They verely vvhich resist, Rom. 13. purchace vnto themselues damnation. Notwithstanding all the premises and the strayct iniunctions of ye holy Ghost, you haue left your natiue soyle, neglected your obedience vnto the truth of Gods worde, and forgotten your loyalty and subiectiō vnto her Royall maiesty, and her godly proceedinges. Do yee not knowe that power, ordināce, Rom. 13. and gouernment is of God? the Prynce sitteth in Gods chayre, the prynce beareth not the svvord in vayn. As God is a Ielous God, so he wil not haue ye honor, Exod. 20. Malach. 1. loue, feare, and seruice due vnto him, done to any other. Haue you forgotten that euer yee read of the Ielousy of Prynces ouer their Subiects? What? is ye pope a friend to Englād? is your Prouost a fauorer of her maiesty? were your cō panions her louers? What are you your selfe, wt your patience be it demaunded? had yee licence to passe ouer? now yee are comebacke, what obedience do you shew? Let it not grieue you yt I thus examine your estate. Yee are as you say a Iesuite, your Prouost and Controller is at Rome. You are as it may bee gathered become his seruant and sworn subiect.1. Corinth. 7. Sainct Paule geueth good counsaile if ye would follow it. Yee are bought with price make not your selues slaues vnto men. Ambros. in 1. Corinth. 7. Saynct Ambrose expoūdeth ye same: serui hominum hij sunt, qui humanisse subijciunt superstitionibus. They are the slaues of men, that make thēselues subiect to mens superstitiōs. This holy father geueth yet a further light vnto the Apostles wordes, saying: The Apostle nowe remē breth that which he rebuked in the beginning of his Epistle, because they would say: I holde of Paule, an other: I holde of Apollo, and you hold of your Prouost, hee of the Pope, & the Pope of ye deuill. Alphonsus de Castro one of your own crew, calleth ye like obedience: Alphons. aduers. haeres. Lib. 1. cap. 7. Miserimam seruitutem, a most vvretched slauery, where some addict them selues to Thomas, some to Scotus, some to Occam, so that thereof they are called Thomists, Scotists, Occamists, & you with ye Turkes, refusing Agar, & chusing Sara, take skorne to be called Ignatians, of Ignatius your lame leader, call your selues Iesuites, and swere fealty to your Romish Prouost. The iudgemēt of Alphonsus in this poinct is grounded vppon the Apostle where he sayth: Ibidem. Paule hath commaunded vs (saith he) to submit our vnderstanding, but vnto the obedience of Chryst, 2. Corinth. 10. not vnto the obedience of men.

Secondly, as touching the opynion you haue in your generall, your vvarrant (as yee say) from heuen, and Oracle from Christ: Deceaue not your selfe in trustinge to a rotten staffe. Caus. 11. quaest. 3. si quis hominem. Harken what Ierome sayth: Si quis hominem qui sanctus non est, sanctum esse crediderit, & dei cum iunxerit societati, christum violat cuius membra sumus. If any mā belieue that man to be holy, that is not holy, and will ioyne hym to Gods company, hee doth villany to Christ whose members vvee are. He is no Iuppiter Hammon, Dodonaeus, Heliopolitanus, Nicephorius of Mesopotamia, hee is no Oracle of Apollo in Delphis, Branchida, Larissa, Lycia, the Ile Delos, nor Daphne yt deceaued thousands: he sits not to geue answeres in the temple of Serapis in Canopus, neyther in the temple of Pasiphae, neither in ye tēple of Aesculapius among ye Pergamits Narbaca of the Hyrcans, Aridalus of the Traezenians, Apis in Aegypt. All these Oracles are silent & now onely doth yours geue answeres? If the reader looke that philosophy should yeelde him the cause of their silence, I referre him to Plutarch who discourseth thereof in his booke: Plutarch. de Oraculis quae obmutuerūt, and agayne in hys booke: Cur Pythia versibus non respondeat amplius.

But leauing him to his philosophicall conclusions, chrystian Relligion directeth vs, and fully resolueth that the power of Gods woorde preuayled so much, that (as a great light expellinge Mist and darknes) the mouthes of all wicked spirites were stopped, heathen Oracles ceased, & in steede thereof, Satan now sendeth forth Romishe spirites, vnder colour of Religion, to carry away in ignoraunce as many as will credit their lyinge Oracles. Your Prouost is no seer of Israell, he is no Samuel vnder the Ephod, hee is no Moses on the Mount, hee is no Aaron with Vrim and Thummim, hee is no Arke with the Tables of God, the rod of Aaron, neyther wyth the golden Pot of Manna, that you shoulde put such confidence in him. We perceaue welinough what hee is, one sitting in the synagoge of Satan, and offring sacrifice in the temple of Antichrist at Rome. Moreouer you signifie vnto vs that hee is not onely your Oracle, but also your warrant from heauen. This you barely affirme without warrant of Gods word. This dealing inferreth a vehement suspicion, it hath bene Satans practise of olde, for the further aduauncement of his purpose. Mercurius gaue the Aegyptians lawes, receaued (as he sayth) of the God Mena: Zamolxis to yt Getae, and Thracians from the Goddesse Vesta: Lycurgus to the Lacedaemonians from Appollo Delphieus: Solon to the Athenians, Zaleucus to the Locretians, Philolaus to the Thebans, Minos to the Cretians from Iuppiter: Lactant. Diuinar. Instit. Lib. 1. cap. 15. Numa Pompilius had conference wt the Goddesse Aegeria: the Lady Pallas directed the Troians: and as Lactantius writeth, Cabyrius ye Macedonians, Vrana the Carthaginians, Faunus ye Latines, Saucus the Sabinians, Iuno the Samnites, Venus ye Paphites, and all as they would make vs belieue proceeded from some God or Goddesse. The Turke also (as he saith) receaued his Alcoran from heauen. In like sort hath your Prouost his autority from heauen. The Pope deceaued him, he deceaued you, and nowe you goe about to deceaue others. The gift of prophecying in the iudgmēt of the learned is done away: extraordinary callyng is either very rare or not at all: working of miracles is ceased and in the iudgment of Chrysostome: If there be any such, Chrysost. in Math. homil. 49. it is rather founde amonge the false christians. Wherfore if either your Prouost, or you, haue eny warrant from heauen, for the establishing of any such order, bring it forth out of Gods word, or else yee are not to bee belieued. Chrysostome telleth vs flatly: Ibidem. Antea enim multis modis ostē debatur quae esset Ecclesia christi & quae Gentilitas: nunc autem nullo modo cognoscitur, volentibus cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia christi nisi • antummodo per scripturas. In times past it was shewed by many wayes which was the church of Christe, and what paganisme, but now it is known no maner of way, of them that will vnderstande which is the true church of Christe, but only by the scriptures. Your brethren of ye romish church haue fathered their orders vpon visions, dreames, myracles, and apparitions, and thereby deluded thousandes. Nauclerus writeth of Pope Hildebrand called Gregory the seuenth, Naucler▪ how that lying at the poinct of death: Protestatus est corā omnibus, vt cauerent ab hominibus siue viris siue mulieribus, sub specie religionis, loquentibus visiones sui capitis, quia per tales ipse seductus. He made a solempne protestation before all that vvere presēt that they should take heede of people, vvere they men, or vvere they vvomen, that gaue forth the dreames & visiōs of their ovvne brayne, for by such he him selfe had bene deceaued. Old father Gerson Chaunceler sometimes of Paris tryeth out agaynst the abuse of that corrupte tyme which receiued, Iohn Gerson. sectes and orders by dreames & visions without warrant of gods word. Frier Alphonsus is in a pelting chafe with such as geue credit to mens workes, Alphons. aduers. Haeres. Lib. 1. cap. 7. as if they were Oracles from aboue, and geue them that honor which is due vnto the sacred scriptures. Non enim iurauimus (sayeth hee) in verba hominis, sed in verba dei. VVe haue not vovved the truth of mans vvord, but of gods vvord. Thirdly in this vayne hope and confidence you repose in your fained order, you trauel from countrey to countrey (which is greatly to be lamented) as ye report your selfe from Prage to Rome, from Rome to England. I am affraid lest the story of the wicked spyrit in the Gospell, bee fulfilled in you where it is said: Math. 12. Luke. 11. VVhen the vncleane spyrit is gone out of a man, hee vvalketh through d • y places, seeking rest and findeth none. Then saith hee: I vvill turne agayne into my house from vvhence I vvēt out, and vvhen he commeth, he findeth it empty, svvepte, and garnished. Then goeth he his vvay and taketh vnto him seuen other spirits vvorse then himself, & vvhē they are entred in, they dvvell there, & the end of that man is vvorse then the beginning. Ye haue wandred farre and nigh and passed through dry places, Chrysost. in. 1 • Math. hom. 30. as Chrysostome expoundeth: homines aridos qui nondum pluuiam euangelicae doctrinae susceperunt in se: dry men vvho as yet haue not receiued into their breasts the deavv of gods vvorde in the gospell. You haue visited that Romish babylō, Apocalyps. 17 that great citie vvhich beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth You haue beheld her seuen hils described in the reuelation: I doubt not but you shaked hands with Antichrist and swore vnto hym obedyence (saluo vestro ordine, as the maner is) vpō the sole of his foote. What neede I repeat vnto you the abhominations which you haue seene, reporte them your selfe, tell the truth and shame the deuil. Iohannes Sarisburiensis sayth: In ecclesia Romana sedent Scribae et Pharisae: Ioh. Sa • isbu. in Polycrat. The scribes and pharises sit in the church of Rome. It is a very dry soyle, Lyra in. 2. Thess. 2. for Nicolaus Lyra aboue two hundred and fifty yeres agoe sayd of that Seea: Ab ecclesia Romana, iam diu est, quod recessit gratia. It is longe sithence the grace of god is departed from the churche of Rome. Cornelius bishop of Bitonto lamented that the clergie of Rome vvas fallen from christ to Antichriste. Cornel. episc. Bitonto in Cōcil. Tridēt. Franciscus Petrarcha calleth Rome: the vvhore of Babylon, the mother of all Idolatry and Fornication, and sayth further: Francis. Petrarch. Cant. 92. that all shame and reuerence is quite departed from thence. That it is become a schole of error and a temple of heresy. Iohannes Episcopus Chemē sis one of your own saith: Ioh. Chemens. Lib. intitul. Onus Eccles. Cap. 19▪ Ecce Roma nunc est vorago et mammon inferni, vbi diabolus totius auaritiae capitaneus residet.

Behold Rome is now the gulfe and Mammon of the infernall lake, Where the Deuell head and general or chieftaine of all auarice is resident. Agayn: Sedes bestiae, id est ecclesiae peruersae, est in curiae Romana. The seate of the beast that is of the wicked church, is in the court of Rome. O miserable Rome (saith a bishop of your owne) Which in the time of our elders hast brought forth the lightes of worthy fathers, In concil. Rhemes. but in our daies hast brought forth monstruous darknes, shamefull and slaunderous to the time to come. Petrus Bēbus sayth: Petr. Bembus. Romae est sentina pessimorū hominū & totius orbis. Rome is a sinke of most pestilent varlets, and of the whole World. Luther confesseth: I would not for a great summe of Money, but that I had seene Rome, otherwise I shoulde haue stood in great feare, Henric. Petr. Rebenstock. in Colloq. & Medit. &c▪ Luth. least that I had misreported ought of them. But what I saw that speake I, and testify, and cry out with Mantuan.

Viuere qui sancte cupitis discedite Romae, Baptist. Mantuan. Omnia cum liceant, non licet esse bonum. Fly Rome all yee that meane a life in holinesse to leade Though all yee may, yet bard is this: the godly way to treade.

Agayne.

Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit: honorandae diuûm Ganymedibus Aedes.

The substaunce of these later verses is such yt with modesty they may not bee englished. The shame I referre to the fauorers of the cause, and the clokers of the filth. What say you to these reportes? The Wel of your religion is there, the Pillers of your fayth are at Rome, and your selfe made a Pilgrimage thither. Wee are to take heede of poysoned Rayment, and rotten Shepe, least they infect the flocke, and you also warely to tender your state least that accordinge to the Storye of the Euangelist: Math. 12. the ende be vvorse (with you) then the beginninge. The practise of such aduersaries and patrons of the Romishe sect is very pernicious. Chrysostome wryteth: Crysost in Math. Homil. 30. Christianus si malus euaserit peior fit quam si fuisset gentilis. A Christian if hee reuolt, proueth vvorse then if hee vvere a Gentile, or Heathen. Therefore I am to warne my Brethren that they take heede of you. Now I will heare you further.

The aunswere.

NOw ye publish your commission, is your calling ordinarye or extraordinary? extreame ordinary. who made you a Preacher? youre Prouost of Rome. Are yea preacher of the Gospell? I pray ye of what Gospel? there haue bene many heretikes that reiected the true gospel (that is) of Iesus Christ, and deliuered into the world the Gospels of Peter, Thomas, Mathias, Andrevve, and yet would they be counted preachers of the Gospell. Euseb. eccle. hist. lib. 3 cap. 22· lib. 6. cap. 37. Epiphan. lib. 1. Tom 3. haeres. 38.39.40. Helcesaitae had amonge them (as they sayd) a Gospell fallen from Heauen. Sethiani had their Iobelaea, the reuelation of Seth, and Abraham. Archō tici had their Symphoniam. Cayni, the heretikes of Cayn the murtherer, worshipped Iudas the traitor as you do the Pope, and alleaged hys Gospell, The Ebionits had a gospell secundum Ebraeos, Euseb. eccle. hist. lib. 3. cap. 24. and yours is secundum Romanos. Let as many as feare God, and syncerely embrace the gospell of Iesus Christ, vnder the globe, mantel, or cope of heauen beare witnes, and iudge betwene you and vs. you preach the popes supremacy, canons of Coū cels, decrees of fathers, cōstitutions of men, rites and ceremonies, pardons and indulgences, inuocation of Sainctes, merits by workes, pilgrimage, purgatorie, masses, diriges, trentalles, images, pictures, reliques, alters, shrines, liues of fayned saincts, false miracles, visions, dreames, fantasies & such other trashes without warrant of gods word, as it appeareth vnto the world in your sermons, and Romish postilles. and in fine ye are iustly to bee charged, as companions of the Pharises▪ that ye set light by the gospell of Iesus Christ, that ye forsake the law and follow after the traditions of men. Unto the Pharises farre worse then the heathen Iebusits, a fitter name for you then Iesuits, Math. 15. it is said: In vaine do they serue mee, while they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the cō maundements of men. VVhat sacraments do ye minister? the church of God receiueth two: numero paueissima, August. ad Ianuar. epist. 118. of the smallest number (as Augustine wryteth) which are: baptismus trinitatis nomine consecratus & cōmunicatio corporis & sanguinis ipsius. Baptisme, hallovved in the name of the Holy Trinity, and the communicating of his blessed bodie and bloud, fygured in the old testament by the circumcision and the pascal lambe. But you of your own braine, haue added thereunto fyue more, such is your dealing. Are ye an instructer of the simple? and yet at the first iumpe, ye take the lords of the coūsel in hand you would haue to your audience not onely their honours, but the doctors, maisters, and chosē men of both vniuersities. Are ye come to reforme sinners? Why turne ye not your face to the fountayne of your religion, where the water is troubled, muddye, & noysome, I meane the synagoge of Rome, full of deformities? As for this realme of England (the Lord of hostes be praysed therefore) gods word is here plāted, we haue a gracious princes (whose life God blesse and longe continue) our supreme head next & immediatly vnder god: her maiesty hath counsailers that be noble, wise, vertuous, & learned: we haue florishing vniuersities & scholes of learning of great fame: we haue good magistrates, and good gouernment, and godly lawes established: Antichrist of Rome is abādoned: idolatry and superstition rooted out: the dregs & filth of heresies detested and abhorred: euery one in his calling with al endeuer seruing god, obeying his Prince and embracing brotherly loue, and now are ye come to be a reformer? I vehementlye suspect your dealing. We haue a president of the late hypocriticall practise of your brother Theatinꝰ the Iesuite. He pretēded reformation in the church of Rome, as you do here in England, and wrote vnto Paulus the third a booke (as Vergerius saith) de emendanda Ecclesia. Although (saieth he) he reformed it nothinge at all. Peter Paulus verger. citat▪ a balaeo. Anglic, script. Centur. 8. Luther profecied of the reformation, then wished & pretended by the Pope and his Cardinals. (I meane at the late Councel of Trent) by the picture which was set before his booke as an argument of their doings. For (saith Sleidan) the bishop was placed in an high seate and certaine Cardinals standing about him, Sleidan lib. 12. which vvith Foxes tayles tied to staues like besomes svvept al things vpside dovvne. This Theatinus aforesaied hauing gotten vnto himself therby some credit, crept on so fast, that he attained vnto the papacie, and being Pope looke what he had preached against before, that he practised himselfe. This was the first of your worthies, and the famousest of your order, such examples we haue of your pretended reformation. Are ye a confuter of errors? They are infinite in the church of Rome. What a number of Popes haue bene heretikes, schismatikes, blasphemers of God, & polluters of peters chaire? are ye come to England to confute errors? Why turne ye not to them that disobey their prince, thrusting in forreyne power, gaping after the Pope and the fleshpots of Aegypt? Why turne ye not to your countrimen here, that will not repayre to the church, to here Gods word and deuyne seruice, that wil not be pertakers of the blessed communion, that mislike with her maiestyes procedinges, that secretly conspyre, that practise treason, coniuringe, calculating, southsaying, sorcery, and witchcraft, with other abhominable dealinges? reforme first your selfe, then confute these errors, and you shal do God good seruice, and great commodity to your natiue countrey. Are ye a trier of all armor spirituall, and a deliuerer of your Countriemen? a proper Champion ▪ your skil therein, & the proufe therof wil appeare in your practise. but I am nowe to deale with you an other way. Me thinks the liberty of your society, and the ranging abroade of your brethren semeth contrary to good order, & the course of your owne cannon law. August. de haeres. ad Quod▪ uult. Affrica in the time of S. Augustine hath bene bepestred with two sortes of heretikes, Donatists, and wandring Circumcellions, passing frō Affrike to Rome & from Rome to Affrik, as you do from Englād to Rome, & from Rome to England. There was a grieuous cōplaint made vnto the councell of Calcedon agaynst religious men that passed from citye to city, as you do: Causa 16. quest. 1. quidā. et perturbationes paci ecclesiasticae inferebāt, & diuersorum domos corrūpebant, and disturbed the quiet estate or peace of the Church, & corrupted the houses of diuers men. when complaynt was made vnto Pope Pelagius, of Probinus, Milianus, Ibidem cap. probinum. & Probinianus, who leauing their cloister, loitred about, he charged Iohn the gouernor of that regiō to banish them the soyle, & you may thinke yee speade wel, if so ye cā escape. The councel of Calcedon, Dist. 71. cap. extraneo and the councel of Antioch haue decreed, and S. Agustine likewyse requesteth his colleags the bishops about him, to receiue no priest without testimoniall and commendatorye letters. Cap. hortamu • Cap nullum. & dist. seq. dist. 98. per tot. Also touching Transmarinos: that is such as passe ouer sea, it is decreede: that they be not receiued without the testimonies of fiue bishops at least, and that vnder their handes and seales, the reason therof is, therby to shunne the Maniches, and such as were rebaptized with other Heretikes, which thrust thēselues into ye church (as you do now) vnder the name of Catholicke priestes▪ now sir where is your pasport, and the testimoniall of your soundnes in religion? Causa 2. quest. 1. legum, your law saith no priest is to be receiued without his letters of orders▪ Dist 23. ecclesiastica. Cansa 12. quest. 1. dno. shew them if ye haue any▪ your law maketh mention of your stole to bee worne on both shoulders, in token of aduersity and prosperity, and shauen crowne in token of the kingdome which is hoped in Christ. Let vs see the character of your order, that consequently we may bee the better acquainted with your person. The order of the Church is that none do preach vnlesse he be orderly called, licensed, and sufficiently autorized therunto. This custome beganne of olde, because of Arius the heretike, who beynge but an inferior priest, presumed to reprehend the manner of Alexander Byshop of Alexandria, his expounding of scriptures and to Preache errors himselfe, beyng not therunto licenced. If ye be a preacher, bryng forth your licence, and cōsider with your selfe whether your prouost of Rome cā licēce preachers in England. The liberties of your priesthode (by your owne confession) stretch not only to preach, but also to minister ye sacraments I hope yee wil iustify the whole by your owne law. hee that is shorne Priest by your owne decrees, first must haue a title, to wit, he must be entitled to some proper place, cure, or liuinge without ranginge Circumcellion wyse abroade. I will not here stād to distinguishe of titles. The councel of Calcedon hath decreede. Neminem absolute iubemus ordinari presbyterum, neque diaconū, Dist. 69, neminem. neque quēlibet in ecclesiastica ordinatione constitutū, nisi manifeste in ecclesia▪ siue ciuitatis, siue possessionis aut in martyrio, aut in monasterio, hic qui ordinatur, mereatur ordinationis publicae vocabulum▪ eos autem qui absolute ordinantur, decreuit Sancta Synodus, vacuam habere manus impositionem & nullum tale factum valere ad iniuria ipsius qui eū ordinauit▪ vve commaund that none bee made priest absolutelye (as your order is) neither deacon, neither anye other vvithin Ecclesiasticall orders, vnlesse that manifestly in the Church eyther of citye, or of patrimonye, or in the martyrie, or in the mōasterie, he which is ordred by publickly intitled▪ as touchig thē yt are absolutely ordred, the Holy Synod hath decreed, that their laing on of handes bee voyde, and that no suche acte henceforth should be of force to the reproch of him that ordred such a one▪ Agayne, ye coūcyll sūmoned at Placētia, by pope Vrba hath cōtrary to your order established, as Gratian the Rapsodist hath alleaged, saying: sāctorū canonūstatutis, cōsona sāctione decernimus vt sine titulo facta ordinatio irrita habeatur, 〈…〉 cap. sanctorum. & in qua ecclesia quilibet intitulatus est, in ea perpetuo perseueret. According vnto the rules of holy canons vvith like consent vve deeree, that the ordering of priestes vvithout title be voyd, Causa. 21. quest. 1. Clericus. and that euery one continually be resident in the church vvhere he is intitled. Againe: Vnusquisque secundū Apostolicā vocem in quo vocatus est, in hoc debet manere & in vna locari ecclesia. Euery one according vnto the saying of the Apostle, must abide vvherein he is called, and be placed in one Church, The reasō of this title, is that euery priest should haue somwhat to sticke vnto, if it pleased god to visit him with infirmity or blindnes, that he became not a burthen vnto the church: the which in my simple opinion you should deepely consider. For if God layd blindnes vpon you who should leade you out of the land. Secondly the ecclesiasticall law forbiddeth one bishop to intermedle with an others diocesse, one pastor may not busy himself with an others flocke, one vicar or curat may not examine an others charge, and are ye come from your prouost in Rome to play the priest and the preacher here in England without orderly admission? Causa. 16. quest. 1. cap. adij cimus. your law sayth: nulli sacerdotum licet alterius parochianum ligare vel soluere. It is not lavvfull for any priest to bynd or loose (that is to excommunicate or absolue) an others parishioner. The auncient ecclesiasticall histories doe record the greate whurliburly at Constantinople betweene Chrysostome and Epiphanius, and all about the breach of the breach of the canons of the Church in this behalfe not obserued; when as Epiphanius bishop of Cōstantia in Cyprus, encroched vpon ye iurisdiction of Chrysostome archbishop of Constantinople. Epiphanius in the name of Chrysostome is thus charged: Multa contra canones agis Epiphani: Socrat. eccle. hist. lib. 6. cap. 11.13. primum quod ministros ecclesiae ordinas in ecclesijs quae sunt in mea diocesi: deinde quod antequam erat tibi a me potestas permissa, tua ipsius autoritate sacra mysteria celebrasti: contra cum eras a me inuitatus renuisti, ac rursus iam tibi, ipse facis potestatē. Thou doest many things o Epiphanius contrary to the canons of the church: first in that thou madest Ministers in the Churches vvhich are vvithin my diocesse: secondly in that before I had licensed thee, of thine ovvne autority, thou hast celebrated the holy misteries: of the other side, vvhen I offred thee curtesy thou didest refuse it, and novv again of thine ovvne head, thou geuest autority to thy selfe. The conclusion directed vnto him, I referre presently to you to consider of: Vide igitur ne situmultus ob eam causam in populo oboriatur, periculū inde in tuum ipsius caput redundet. Take heede therefore, least therof rise any tumult amonge the people, and the perill or daunger there hence light vpon thine ovvne pate. Take wt all the behauiour of Epiphanius, for saith the story: quae cum Epiphanius audiuisset, perculsus metu decedit ab ecclesia. VVhych thynges vvhen Epiphanius had heard, he vvas stricken vvyth feare, and departed oute of the church. I would wish here that ye learned wit of Epiphanius.

The Aunswere.

YEt agayne I see there is much a doe with you. Yee are a lofte in bragging, and bosting, then sodē ly downe yee fall into a vayne of hypocrisy. Agayne yee skippe and mount into the Skyes, displaying your Banner of defiaunce to all the Protestants liuing, and like a iolly Champion yee challeng the Combat. I maruell that one, being (as you say yee are) a dead man, willing to cast his head vnder euery mans foote, and to kisse the ground they trade vpon, can play such pageants. Nowe yee shewe your selfe a disciple of Ignatius the maymed souldier, as it were one begging, comming from the warres: or rather mee thinkes you play Skoggan, with the King: or yee expresse (as Sozomenus writeth) the Story of the Beggers which went about to deceaue Epiphanius. Sozomē. eccl. Hist. lib. 7. Cap. 26. The one being well, begged, the other lay downe and fayned himselfe dead, when the Bishop had done his deuotion & passed by, the counterfeit dead man was stirred, and hee was found dead in deede. Deale not wt your countrey men in iest, I feare mee in fayth, you will be found dead in earnest. Of Ecebolius ye Sophist of Constantinople it is written, that in the time of Constantius he was hot in religion, in the time of Iulian, colde: agayne in the dayes of Iouinian, earnest. And in these his changes he would prostrate him selfe at the church Porche, saying: me quasi salem insipidum pedibus conculcate: Socrat. ecel. Hist. lib. 3. Cap. 11. treade vppon mee, or trample mee vnderfoote as vnsauory Salt. The Pope who is accepted amonge your professors as prince of Prelats, head of the Church, gods liuetenaunt on earth, christs vicar generall, wryteth him selfe: the seruaunt of seruaunts. Your docter Bonner sayd sometimes of him (and as I hope your eyes wilbe opened to see the same) Notvvithstanding the pope be a very rauening vvolfe in sheepes clothing, In prefac. ad lib. Stephan. Gard. de vera. obed. yet he calleth him selfe the seruaunte of seruaunts. In him is the saying of Irenaeus, Irenaeus lib. 5 founde true: Antichristus cum sit seruus, tamen adorari vult vt deus. Antichrist being but a seruant, yet vvil be vvorshiped as god. The aungel enfourmeth Vguentinus the monke, in a vision of the Romish priestes, Vguentini Monach. lib. vision. saing, In quibusdam videtur ceruicis inflexio, sed nō deponitur in eis cordis erectio. In certene religious personnes, Douking or bovving of the necke is seene, but in them the lifting vp of the heart is not laid dovvne. Now sir do ye see your self? Behold ye are againe in the clowds with your courage, affiance, assuraunce, perfect knovvledge, euidence impugnable against al protestantes lyuing, such an other Champion was Golias the great bastard of the Philistins. 1. Reg. 17. As ioly a Champion as ye are, take heede ye ouermatch not your selfe. There happely may meete you a simple curate who with the flinge of Dauids confidence & the stone of gods word, may pearce your Lyons pelt, Ruffin. eccl. hist. lib. 1. ca. 3▪ and ouerturne you with al the Bombast of your Romysh religion. Ruffinus reporteth of the lyke brag made at ye coūcel of Nice by a subtil philosopher who set himselfe against all the bishops there, where a seely poore Christian, the symplest of all the number toke him in hand, so that in the end, this Bragger (sayth the story) ita obstupefactus virtute dictorum, mutus ad omnia, hoc solum potuit respondere, ita sibi videri, nec aliud verum esse, quam quod dixerat, vvas so astonied vvith the force of those thinges that vvere spoken, he had not a vvord, this onely could he ansvveare, that it semed so vnto him, and that there vvas no other trueth then the christian had spoken. And now to consider of youre challenge, I saye vnto you, if there were no wyser then my selfe, you should be disputed withall, as longe as yee were able to turne your tounge in your mouth. yf ye conforme your selfe (otherwyse I am not to bolden you) and become a ciuil subiecte, and a student in any of the Uniuersityes within her maiesties Dominions, as ye know the maner, the Scholes are open, set vp your questions, appoint the day, let euery thing be don in order, & yee shalbe disputed withall. Or if vnto the wise and discrete this way seeme not best, take your penne, call your fyue senses and wittes togeather, alleage what ye can, ye shal be aunswered. And whereas ye charge vs that: vve fraye men in our pulpittes, ouerrule them in our Kingdome of Grammarians and vnlearned eares, we are no bugges, the Pope with his pupilles is hee that frayeth men wt the terrour of the Lions pelt much like Xerxes king of Persia, who hauīg brought ouer his huge army into Graecia, sent his letters of defiance vnto the great mount Athos in Macedonia, commaundinge him to stande still, not to stirre a foote, not to worke any displeasure, ether to him or his army vpon payne of his high indignation. For ye Pope, wyth as good discretion sendeth out hys preceptes, and princely summons, to commaund Aungels, Archaungels, all the powers of heauē, to goe, to fetch, to carry at hys will. Antoninus Archbishop of Florence setteth forth the bugge where he wryteth: Anton. summae Part. 3. tit. 22. cap. 5 ante. §. Potestas papae maior est omni alia creata, post potestatem christi, aliquo modo extendens se ad coelestia, terrestria & infernalia, vt de • o possit illud verificari, dictum de christo in psalmis: omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius. The popes povver is greater thē any other povver, that god euer made after christ, after a sort stretching it self to things in heauen, earth, and hell, so that of him the vvords may bee verifyed vvhych the prophet Dauid spake of christ, in the psalmes: thou haste made all thinges subiecte vnder his feete. Here is the bugge that fraieth and amazeth the harts of the simple by cursing with bell, booke, and candle. The histories record that when Gregory the .7. had cursed the emperour Henry .3. the Princes of Almayne fearing the popes thunderbolt wente about to chose an other emperour and again whē he came to be reconcylde to the Pope, not one of his nobility durst accompany him. Moreouer when Calixtus .2. required Henry .5. to surrēder vnto the Pope and his successors the inuestyng of bishops, the princes of Germany trembling at the Popes banning and cursyng perswade him to yelde.

I will not presently trouble the reader wyth the words and forme of ye Diuells pater noster, and the Popes blacke sanctus. But now God bee praysed the Asse may • et vp and downe in the Lyons skinne with more ease and lesse terror, for hee is stript of his counterfaite weede and now appeareth as hee is. It pleaseth you lastly to terme our sway the kingdome of Grammarrians & our auditorie vnlearned eares. As for the teachers ioyne whē yee will, you shall finde such as shal aunswere all the wandring Iesuites of your order, not onely in humanity which yee call Gammar, but in any the lyberall sciences or noble faculties, with good skill and knowledge in the learned languages florishing at this day in ye famous Uniuersities of Oxenford and Cambridge. Our auditors whom your predecessors in that your Romishe profession and companions haue heretofore termed Pigges, & swyne and now yee call vnlearned eares (be it spoken to the glory of God, and the comfort of their fellowe Brethren in Christe) are so instructed in Gods worde, and so trayned vp in Religion, that many of them being but laye men ate able not onely to confirme their owne doctrine, and fayth with sufficient proofes and allegations out of holy Scripture, but also to confute your errors and superstition & blanke in their language the greatest bragger of your Society.

The Aunswere.

YOu are still in hope of good successe. No doubt their honors will yeld credit vnto that whych is faythfully deliuered accordyng vnto Gods worde but where ye charge vs with hudling vp and confounding of questions in diuinity and matters in controuersie I returne ye same vnto you and the shame to light vpon their pates that deserue it. Your complices of the Romish religion haue defended your holyewater by the exāple of Elizaeus and by the words of the prophet Ezechiel▪ 4. Reg. 4. Esay. 40. Exod. 25. 3. Reg. 6. Num. 21. In compendio▪ Theolog. your pardons by the prophet Esay: your images by the Cherubins and brasen serpent your seuen sacraments by the seuen seales, seuen trumpets, seuen starres, seuen golden candelstickes, seuen eyes: your seruice in an vnknowen language without translating of ye scriptures into ye vulgare tongue by that which Peter reporteth that there are some things harde to be vnderstood in Paule:2. Pet. 3. de vot. & voti. redempt. cap. magnae. your vowed pilgrimage by that where it is commaunded, that none puttyng hys hand to the plough must looke backward: de celeb. missa. cap. cum marthae Anacletus epist. 1. your eleuatiō in the sacrament by the story of Lazarus, where it is sayd that Christ lyfted vp his eyes: your superiority of ye church of Rome by the words of our sauiour vnto Peter, thou arte Peter & vpon this rocke (our sauiour meaning hys faith, no say you, vppon the Sea of Rome) I vvill builde my Church: your right of both swordes by the answer of Peter in the garden, Paralip· vspergens. de maiorit. & obed. cap. solitae. behold here are tvvo svvordes: your popes primacy aboue the emperour, by comparing the Pope to the sunne and the emperour to the moone. such is the practise of your side, such is your confusion in matters of diuinity, and such is your hudlyng vp of Scriptures. you proceede on further and hope to crepe into fauor by declaring that many handes are lift vp for the State of England, by the Englyshe Studentes beyonde the Seas. This is right Frierish, Limit or like, God saue my good maister & my good dame, the scrip be like is empty, and are yee nowe come to fill it? their flying declareth their disposition, their absence sheweth their loue, and their practises open vnto vs what prayers they make. You tell vs of your league and that you are determined neuer to geue vs ouer. No more as I think then the Ievves which vowed neyther to eate nor to drincke before they had killed Paule. Act. 23. But that God which deliuered Paul out of the handes of the Ievves hath and vndoubtedly will defēd England from all Romish cōspiracies. And me thinks by your words you are at a desperate poinct, yee wey neyther crosse, nor racke, nor torment, nor prison, nor pikes, nor tyburne, nor Stories tippet. Nowe I see in you the liuely paterne of the Circumcellion Haeretickes, of whom Sayncte Augustine writeth that they were a sauadge and a rude sorte of people, August. de Haeres. ad Quod vult. of notorius rashnes, not only in practising horible acts against others, but also in not sparing thēselues from extreme cruelty. For they vvere vvont to destroye themselues by sundry sorts of death, as by drovvning, burning, and breaking of their Neckes. Also they seduced as many others of both sects as they could, to fall into this fury, sometimes threatning them death vnlesse they prouoked others to dispatch them. My counsayle is that you fauour your selfe, without running vpon the pykes. Beholde the fall of your Mates in Ireland and such as the Pope had blessed in a bad howre and directed thither to his great shame and their vtter destruction, as it is manifestly knowen. Haue ye not heard of theyr great bragges, theyr reioycing, and bonfyres they made at Biskay vpō the returne of the newes of their safe arriual in Ireland? they triumphed before the conquest. The godly in the psalmes sovv in teares but reape in ioy. they go on theyr vvay vveeping and beare forth good feede, Psal. 125. they come agayne vvyth ioy and bring their sheaues vvith them. what is become of their mirth, they began wyth the laughing game, and past by the weping crosse, and so tasted of the whip. Beware Trophonius denne. you know the prouerbe, he was a headchopper. Erasmus wryteth of patriks pit, Eras. Chil. 1. Centur. 7. in Trophon. Antro. cō monly called Sainct Patriks purgatory in Ireland. Qui descenderunt (aiunt) sibi ridendi libidinem in omni vita ademptā. They vvhich goe dovvne, say, that theyr laughing for euer is taken avvay from them. Luke. 16. You were best warne your brethren that they come not into the like place of torment Beware of rebellion in Ireland. It is ill saying masse in Patriks pit. You say the expence is rekoned and the enterpryce is begon. It is wisedome not onely to behold the beginnyng but to respect the endyng, experience of the fal of Romish practises heretofore may make you faint in your purposes. you pronounce sentences, Ye say, it is of God it cā not be vvithstode. I fear me your doings are frō ye pope and his practises frō the deuill, therefore will they come to naught.

Coel. Rhod. ex philostr. The head of Orpheus hath geuen forth for an Oracle, that Troy can not be wonne without the arrowes of Hercules. Anton. Gueuar. in vita. Commod. The image of the goddesse Pallas being fallen from heauen vpon the walles of this Troy and now discouered is the cause accordyng vnto the old prophecy of the chaunge & wrecke daily befalling to the prosperity of Rome. Ye conclude so the faith vvas planted so it must be restored. The fayth was not here planted by runnyng vpon the pykes, neyther was it the Pope that fyrst preferred christian religion into thys Land, and now the word of God being purely taught here and receyued, Rome is not to restore hyther the ragges of your Idolatry now of a longe tyme rooted out.

The aunswere.

YOu doe well to consider of the worst as well as yee cōforted your self with the best. Euen now you would runne vpon the Pikes, there was no staying of you, you sayd: it cannot be vvithstoode, it must bee restored. Are yee quailed since, doe yee beginne to reken your myles? and are you nowe affraide of rigor? as you confesse your selfe, haue you no more to say? then yeelde your selfe, become a good subiect, and pray vnto God that your Eyes may be opened, yt yee may see the cleare light of his word, that yee may see and tast hovv svveete the Lord is, Psalme. 33. that you may knowe howe to esteeme of Sion, and to preferre her liberty before the captiuity of Babylon. O hovve good and ioyfull a thing it is brethren to dvvell together in vnity. Psalme. 13 • . Let vs ioyntly embrace this vnity, that we may be receaued into one folde, whereof Christ Iesus is the head. God graunt it.