CHAPTER. I.

THey do greatly abuse themselues, which are perswaded to see the Church in so qui­et and calme estate, as to be without af­flictions, either with­in or without, or both together within and without; the contrarie experience whereof the histories of all ages doe suf­ficiently declare. For if we looke into [Page 2] her continuall course heretofore;It is Bellar­mines dotage to make out­ward prospe­ritie a marke of the Church. or consider what the spirit of God hath prophecied concerning the future state of the Church, wee shall finde that it hath beene from the creation of the world vntill this day, and shall be vnto the consummation therof, tossed to and fro with many cruell stormes, subiect to many afflictions and persecutions: for proofe and experience whereof, consider the estate of the Church vn­der Adam. Churches per­secutions. Was not righteous Abel a principall member thereof, vnnatural­ly murdered by the bloudie hand of his elder Brother?Genesis. Thus first arose the tem­pest against the boate and little barke of Iesus Christ; the same continued vn­der Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, vnder Moises, the Israelites tyranized by Pha­rao, Exodus. distressed in the wildernes, and di­uersly tempted before they could take possession of the land of promise. If euer the Church enioyed a pleasant and a faire time of weather,Iosua. it was vnder Io­sua and those which then ruled the peo­ple, being most triumphantly planted in Canaan together with the seruice of God:Iudges. afterwards vnder the Iudges vn­till [Page 3] Samuel, for one day of faire weather [...]n whole yeare of stormie and foule; then behould the arke of couenant taken captiue,1. Sam. 4.11. Silo ruinated and all brought into an vtter confusion: how­beit God pittying his Church, raised vp Samuel, by whose ministerie this storme ceassed,1. Sam. 7. and the schooles of the Pro­phets were reformed. But this Sunne was scarce vp, when horrible darknes was brought in by wicked Saule; the priests themselues being massacred, the sorcerers restored,1. Sam. 28.8. the people exposed to ignominy, being no better then a bo­die without an head;2. Sam. 2. vntill that Dauid houlding the scepter the welfare of the Church began to grow; as also vnder Salomon, 1. King 6.7 8. &c. who furnished the Lords house [...]oth within and without, with a most triumphant magnificencey, yet this happie state is ouerturned; ten tribes [...]gainst two,1. King. 12. the sinagoges ruined to [...]odge Iereboams calues in, the Leuits ex­pulsed, the poore prophets constrained [...]o be hidden in holes,1. King. 18.13. and there to be sustained with bread and water;1. King. 17.4. Helias himselfe being brought to that extre­mitie, that he was faine to be fed with [Page 4] a Rauen. Now as for the kingdome of Iuda, there the faithfull seruants of God had no worse enemies than the Kings and the Priests, namely vnder Achaz and Manasses. 2. King. 16. 2. King. 21. What grieuous affliction did the Church sustaine, when in the daies of Ieremie, the Chaldeans wasted Ierusalem,2. King. 25. spoiled the Temple, slew the Nobles before the princes face, put out his eyes, dishonorably led him away captiue to Babilon, leauing that popu­lous countrie admired for prosperitie, a barbarous wildernes and dreadfull example of miserie?

To come vnto the shipmaster him­selfe,Luke 2.17. what colde entertainment recei­ued he in this world, borne in a stable, from thence forced to flie into the de­serts of Egypt,Math. 2.14. Mark. 6.3. Iohn 1.4. brought vp and nouri­shed in a poore carpenters house, in a citie of so small reputation, that it is demaunded whether any good thing could come from the same?Luke 4.31. From thence forced to retire himselfe vnto the rocke of Capernaum,Luke 9 58. not hauing an house wherein to put his head;Luke 23. afterwards as a principall malefactour, crucified betwixt two theeues.

The Disciples were dealt withal much like to their Master,Acts. as is to bee seene partly in the Actes of the Apostles,Ecclesiasticall histories. and partly in the histories of those times, wherein Nero, Domitian, Dioclesian, and other tirants of the like disposition li­ued: But yet no time so bloudie, as since the child of perdition was borne, and hath vsurped tyranicall iurisdiction. For the Church could conuey it selfe into no corner of the wildernes, but this bloudhound hath found it out to pursue and persecute it: what bloud by him hath been shed, and what murders com­mitted in these latter dayes, France and Flanders, England and Scotland, can sufficiently recorde. And this is the way wherein the whole Church truly Apo­stolike being in this world,Corint. 6.5. Heb. 11.38. Apo. 12.14. as waifarers and wanderers hither and thither, must walke; the same being foretold vnto the last day.Churches pre­seruation. Yet behold the conquering lambe Christ Iesus standing on mount Sion, is more mightie to defend, then the prince of darkenes to destroy: the Lord of Hosts cannot forsake his taber­nacle;Psal. 84. and though the little barke of his Church be tossed to and fro amids [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 6] the seas of this troublesome world, yet he which holds the sterne is able to commaund both winde and sea: where­fore although from time to time it hath been hoysed to and fro with winde and waues, yet the Lord hath been conti­nually assistant to the same; so as it hath neuer been ouerwhelmed, neither can bee. For proofe whereof, see how the creator in the person of him who after was made our redeemer, and deliuerer, in person did runne after those two for­lorne children Adam and Eue, after they had fallen away from him through infidelitie; applying vnto that deadly wound so soone as it was made a reme­die of immortalitie, farre more excel­lent then that whereof they had depri­ued themselues and all their posteritie. Looke further and behold Abraham, Genesis. Isaac and Iacob, mightely preserued, notwithstanding the infinit and daun­gerous by-wayes wherein they walked,Exodus. for the space of foure hundred yeares amidst most prophane people, multi­plied vnto the number of sixe hundred thousand persons, beside women and children. Looke againe and behold the [Page 7] indauntable insolencie of proud Pharao vanquished by frogs, by flyes, by lice, at the shaking of the rod of one of the seruants of the Lord of Hosts. Behold afterward the Church pursued on drie land by an huge multitude of the Egyp­tians, swallowed vp of the red sea, which was as a wall on either side of the peo­ple of Israell. Behold what memorable and maruellous things did hee for his people in the wildernes, how hee sent bread from heauen, how with the stroke of a small rodde the most hard rocks cleaue to water, almost fortie yeeres long, this whole multitude. See and consider how it arriued at the riuer Ior­dane, passing the riuer on drie ground,Iosua. 3.6. making the high walles of Ierichoe to fall downe before it, battering downe, dashing in peeces, trampling vnder feete thirtie Kings beyond Iordan, how victoriously they were placed in the land of Canaan, how they beate down their enemies sometime with an oxe goade,Iudg. 3.31. Iudg. 7.20. Iudg. 15.15. 1. Sam. 5.4. as did Samgar the sonne of A­nath, sometimes with pitchers as Gede­on, sometime with the iawe bone of an asse as Sampson. God suffered the arke [Page 8] to be taken prisoner, but it was to th [...] ouerthrow of the Philistians Dagon: vn­der the raigne of King Saul the Church did abide many a cold blast; but he rai­sed vp his seruant Dauid a King & pro­phet to refresh the same, who left hi [...] successor King Salomon, a figure of the true Salomon King of peace and eternall sonne of Dauid.

Now to passe beyond Salomon, we [...] shall finde the Lord no lesse assistant t [...] his Church then before; yea euen vnt [...] the consummation of this world we [...] shall finde the nearer the time, an [...] tearme appointed of God approchet [...] for the execution of his promises, th [...] more ardent affection will he shew to his Church; who although many time [...] he scourgeth and afflicteth the same,Why the Church is afflicted. he dealeth but euen as the husbandma [...] doth with his corne, which the oftene [...] it is winnowed and sifted, so much the more purer it is. Neither doth he set hi [...] enemies on worke to ruinate and de­stroy his Church, but as it were to vn­thaw his people waxen stiffe, and be nummed through ouermuch ease, and to vnburden his Church of a grea [...] [Page 9] number of villanous prophane persons [...]ept into the same. For when the Chal­ [...]ans laid Iury waste, led the people captiue vnto Babilon, insomuch as the Church seemed vtterly rased; yet how captiue and prisonerlike soeuer they were, behould the Lord present with his Church, behould the royall edicts for the worshipping of the God of Da­niel, behould the tirant Nabuchadnezzar, not being content to be the chiefest a­mongst men, made the vilest amongst beastes; behould Babilon it selfe cap­tiue, Israell restored and reestablished with great priuiledges, and restitution of their holy vessels. And thus if wee proceed, we shall euidently see how the Lord hath bin present with his Church in the spirit of comfort, assistance and deliuerance; how hee hath beaten downe that great mount of the Ro­mane monarchie, and daylie bloweth to ruine the beast moulded vpon this patterne, and seated in the temple of God vpon the verie same seuen hilles. The declaration whereof one Chapter cannot afford, nay the life of one man after an other can hardly performe it. [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 10] But to let passe forren lands, and to speake of the great loue that the Lord hath shewed towards the Church and common wealth of England:Gods great mercies to England. I may truly say, happie are we, if we continue happie; and blessed are we aboue al [...] other people, if we be still blessed of the Lord; who, if insurrection hath been moued, hath suppressed it; if conspira­cie hath been intended, reueiled it; [...] treason hath been attempted, confoun­ded it; if war by forrain foes threatned, hath deliuered vs from it: wee dwel [...] still in saftie, though threatned by Spa­nish tiranny; we triumph in garlands o [...] oliues, though threatned to weare the wreaths of Cypres; we sing te deum with cheareful hearts, though forren cruelty haue threatned a mournfull miserere. O thē let vs neuer forget the good things that hee hath done for vs! the great kindnes that hee hath shewed to let his Church. Tell it to your children; and them tell it to their posteritie, from one generation to another, euen the good things that the Lord hath don for Eng­land vnder the regiment of a gratious princesse: yea tel it how by his annoyn­ted [Page 11] Debora he hath repelled the rage of [...]in, how by his Hester he hath hanged vp Haman, which sought to bring vs and our posteritie into perpetuall slauerie [...]; and how by Iael a woman he hath stri­ken a nayle into the head of Sisera, euen then when his mother and his wise la­dies had thought he had been deuiding the spoyle. Blessed be that people whose God is the eternall, blessed be the Lord God which hath thus blessed Egn­land, and greeted his chil­dren with so manifold consolations, Amen.

CHAPTER. 2.

THe enemies of the Churc [...] of God are of two sortes either open and known persecutours, of whome it this place I purpose not to entreate; these in holy scriptures ar [...] called by the names of Tigres, and Li­ons: or else they are couert and priui [...] enemies;Cantic. 2. Math. 7. Reuel. 20. and these are called Foxes Wolues in sheepes clothings, false ho [...] ned lambs. Of the first kind were th [...] Edomits, the Moabits, the Ammonits the Chaldeans, and Babilonians agains [...] Israel; the Iewes, Arabians, Saracines Turkes and Tartarians,No strange newes to finde Foxes in the Church. Numbers 16. against th [...] Christian Church. Of the second so [...] were in the time of Moses, Chore, D [...] than and Abiram, who, as it is written [Page 13] being in the midst of the vineyard, [...]ught to vndermine the same: such were the wicked priests and false pro­phets,Ezech. 22.28. which promised peace when there was no peace, smoothered the sinnes of the wicked dawbed with vn­tempered morter, conspiring against the law, prophaning the temple, main­tayning the iniquitie of the princes, op­posing themselues against the true pro­phets,2. King. 22. Ierem. 18. Math. 21.41. as did those miscreants Zedechiah against Micheas, and Hananias against Ieremie: such were the Scribes and Pha­risees, Essenians and Herodians, who stily ventured to entrap the Lord of the vineyard, who in the person of a re­deemer came to take order for the same. And afterwards, although the principall hunters of these Foxes tra­uailed painfully to dresse and trimme the vineyard, the branches whereof were spred from East to West, and had prouided it of labourers to husband it;Foxes most troublesome to the Church. notwithstanding, (as their histories doe witnes) they had alwayes more to doe i [...] the hunting of these Foxes, then a­gainst other open enemies whatsoeuer, [...]her within, or without the Church. [Page 14] If you looke into the infancie of the Church apostolike,Church apo­stolike anoy­ed with Foxes. Acts 15. such Foxes shal you finde, such namely which would match Iesus Christ and Moses together; such Foxes, false Apostles, and false brethren were at Corinth,1. Cor. 15. teaching that there was no resurrection at all, or else that it was alreadie past, as did Himeneus and Philetus; Coloss. 2. such were some at Colossa, which were of opinion that the traditi­ons of men were necessarie to be obser­ued, that the superstitious afflicting of the bodie, was a religious seruing of God, that difference should be betwix [...] meate and drinke and dayes, according to the Iewish custome;2. Tim. 2.17. such were in Asia and in Crete, which mingled the truth with vaine fables and genealogies, who thought how such as beleeued might liue licentiously, which imps of Sathan are by the epistle of Iude worthely con­futed.Iude verse 4. After these succeeded whole ar­mies of Foxes,Armies of Foxes. heretikes of al sorts, some assaulting the diuinitie of the sonne of God, as Cerinthus, Ebion, & Arrius; some his humanity, as Eunomius which taught that Christ had a body without a soule, and Apollinaris which taught that hee [Page 15] had a soule without sense. Others con­fessing both the one and the other, but diuiding Iesus into twaine, as Nestorius who taught that as Christ had two na­tures, so he had not one but two per­sons. Others making a monster of him, which should be neither God nor man, as did that dogge Seruetus, who said that Christ was but a figure of the sonne of God, and that his bodie was compoun­ded of three vncreated elements, and so confounded both natures. Others degrading him from his office: others mingling the pure word with a million of errors: what shuld I say vtterly false, yea altogether monstrous.

But aboue all other, there is an olde gray Foxe,The old gray Foxe. which vnder the colour of the Church of Rome, and because the grace of God did sometime shine foorth there, doth seeke continually to sup­plant the vineyard of the Lord, whose crueltie, and subtiltie the silly lambes of Iesus Christ haue tasted of from time to time. This olde biting dog-foxe hauing hatched vp his cubs, and taught them their lesson, that is, to transforme Chri­stian religion into policie, and policie [Page 16] into trecherie; then fall they from con­templation to practise, and are readie to trudge from one countrie to ano­ther, like vagrant rogues, to what place soeuer it shall please the olde Foxe to send them. And as amongst the Scythi­ans he was reputed the brauest gentle­man that spilt most bloud: so is he ca­nonized for the worthiest Catholicke, that can bring most soules to confusion. So that neuer were the fennes of Lerna so daungerous, neuer was that mon­ster Hidra so pernicious to the neere inhabitants, as are these Foxe-cubs to the safty of the church, that is to wit, popish schoolemasters, Iesuits in pro­fession, Ischariots in condition, semina­ries of falsehood, stragling extraua­gants, roguish pedlars of whorish mer­chandice;The drift of priests and Ie­suits. whose drift is nothing else, but to reconcile simple people to the obedience of the Pope, to powre into their harts pestilent opinions against her Maiestie, and the lawes of this Realme, to sound the secrets of inward intentions, to set discontented harts on fire with the flames of rebellion, to feede foolish humors with vaine hope [Page 17] of alteration: in the meane while, teach­ing rebelles to practise popular beha­uiour and to carry countenances frend­ly to conformitie (howsoeuer their eyes dazell with looking for that which comes not yet; nay, better their eyes were out of their heads, and their heads from their shoulders, then euer it shuld come:A posie sent from Rainard to his Foxe-cubs.) els to what ende serueth that posie sent from ould Rainard to his cursed cubs, da mihi cor tuum & sufficit. Giue me thy hart and it sufficeth. O cunning olde Foxe! thou knowest full well that the hart will carrie the hand when oportunitie serueth; and what thy Foxlike wilines did foresee, that experience hath taught this kingdome; namely that thy cubs as they repine at the princesse saftie: so are they and still will be, the first that will set foote in traiterous attempts.

God preserue the prince, her no­bles, and the true subiects from wofull experience: nay, God giue them wis­dome and courage to tie thy cubbes shorter; else I can tell, it is an infallible maxima, Note well a Maxima. that yong cubs in time will proue old Foxes, and old Foxes if time [Page 18] serue, will proue cruell Tygres.

But is it true, can the Foxe strip him­selfe out of the lambs skin, and play the Lion in his kinde? cā subiects hands ac­quaint themselues with tempering Ita­lian physicke, and English brests giu [...] harbor vnto Spanish hearts? Yea it i [...] too true; and if time should turne, w [...] should finde the Wolues would put of their sheepes coates, and play y^e Wolue in their right kind, and show their rauenous nature by their cruell deedes; a heretofore they did when reuerent ag [...] was not respected,Queene Ma­ries daies. when flourishing youth was cropt in the prime, whē womens weaknes was not spared: (but more then barbarous crueltie!) whe [...] the tender babe springing out of th [...] mothers wombe was cast into the fire What shuld I range into so large a field there yet liueth many one, whose father, mother, brother, sister, kinsman o [...] frend, was through antichristian crueltie abridged of the natural date of the [...] dayes. Such was the calamitie of forme [...] times, and such are the times that thes [...] Foxes gape after, to quench their thir [...] with the bloud of the lambs.

O fie vpon you vnnaturall monsters! that seeke the subuersion of your owne naturall prince, and countrie, which seeke your owne desolation, ruine and miserie. What meane you, vncircumci­sed Philistines, to labour to pull the house vpon your heads? what hath be­witched you, that you should trust a trothlesse Spaniard? I can iustly com­pare you to that mad musition that fell to tuning of his instrument when his house was on fire: or to the foole, that laugheth and maketh show of mirth, when he goeth to the stocks.The old Foxe his cogni­saunce. I know that some of you weare the mark of the beast, as a crosse, an agnus dei, or some character of the babilonish whore, whereby you hope you shall be mar­ked from Hugenotes, if that day should come that you looke for: so bould you are to trust a Spaniards courtesie. I can fitly apply the fable of the Lion vnto you, who being hurt by the Bull, com­maunded all horned beasts to auoide the forrest vpon paine of his displea­sure: amongst the rest the hare vnder­standing of this, made haste to be gone; whom the Foxe meeting by the way, [Page 20] asked whither she footed so fast: in sooth (quoth the hare) I neither truly can tell, nor greatly regarde, so I were gone. What is the matter (quoth the Foxe?) tush what a questiō is that (saith the hare:) as if thou were ignorant o [...] the late proclamation of the Lion, that no horned beast should remaine with­in the wood. What is that to thee (saith the Foxe?) for thou art no horned beast. Mary y^t is true, but what if the Lion saith that mine eares be hornes, who thē? E­uen so though you professe your selue [...] to be catholikes, though you haue the stampe of the beast, haue your crosses, your medalls, and such like badges; yet I will warrant you, if your purses be well lined, you shall either burne fo [...] heretikes, or pay well for the faggots: whether you can say shiboleth or siboleth, it makes no matter, they will beare you downe that you are Ephramites; and if the Spanyards say that your eares be hornes, no remedy you must to the pot as if you were protestants. Such are the Spanyards, such are their fruites, such is their treacherie, such is their tiranny aske them of the low countries, aske [Page 21] the Neapolitanes, aske the Indians,Spanyards courtesies are vnnaturall cruelties. and they can tell you of the execrable tirannies of the Spanyards, which as they surmount al credit, so I am not fur­nished with effectuall tearmes to dis­play them.An others cost giues a watch­word to a wise man. What these helhounds haue done in the low countries, it is better knowne then I am able to report: yea it is extant how they haue curtalled the prerogatiues, ingrated vpon the li­berties: what grieuous exactions they haue raised, what customes they haue imposed vpon all manuary trades, and mechanicall faculties, whereby gaine might grow to the inhabitants of Na­ples: in a little more then fortie yeares, what realmes they haue dispeopled in India, which now remaine as desolate wildernesses; what millions of men, wo­men and children they haue murdered; in so much as they haue waged amongst themselues who should most brauely broch his sword in the blowels of an Indian,Sauage Imma­nitie. or with one blow most lustely strike off his head, giuing eight hūdred Indian soules for one Moore, tearing in peeces men and women with mankind mastiues, broyling the Lord and nobi­litie [Page 22] on gridirons with a soft fire vnder­neath them, that howling & despairing in lingering torments, they might end their liues. Are not these warning peales sufficient to make you feare? d [...] you looke for greater curtesie at Spani­ards hands? Will you follow the Hiae­naes voice? or dare you swallow a Spa­nish baite? are you so foolish to look [...] for grapes on thornes? or so mad t [...] hope for mercie at the hands of merci­lesse tyrants? Learne learne to answe [...] thē, as the Foxe did the sicke old Lion when he intreated him to enter into hi [...] den.

But you are like affected to the Israe­lites, you would change both Moses an [...] Aaron, magistrate & minister, you are [...] bewitched that you would change you Samuel for Saul; nay more thē that, you Christ for Barrabas; which change yo [...] doe seeke for, although you pay you [...] heads to boote, if you should haue you [Page 23] desires. But I trust the Lord hath blessed England with wise and prouident coun­ [...]ll, who may learne by your former practises to beware of afterclaps. For papists proue traitours a­pace. And so it is hie time they were prouided for.

CHAPTER. 3.

THe couert enemies of th [...] Church, because they accord in condition, and a [...] like them in properties, ar [...] therefore called Foxes Now amongst many,The Foxe hath a foule smell. one propertie is that the Foxe hath a foule smell. Wherin the two-legged and foure-legge [...] Foxes agree as cubs of one kind: Men liues & religions are commonly alike neither can their conuersation haue [...] sweet smell, whose religion hath a loth some taste: Wherfore behold a posi [...] made first of popish doctrines; then o [...] their liues; by the smel wherof you ma [...] iudge of the soundnes of a Catholicke profession. Behold I say an hotch-potc [...] and miserable mingle-mangle, if yo [...] respect their religion, of al Sathans for­geries and diuellish heresies, as the [...] [Page 25] may serue the old Foxe his turne,A posie of popish do­ctrines gathe­red out of the desert of here­sies. pat­ched together like a beggars cloake made of a thousand shreds: Therefore with Carpocratian hereticks he is bold to set vp the Image of Christ and other Saints, with the Anthropomorphites, to paint God the Father like an old man with a gray beard; with the Pelagian heretickes, to maintaine freewill, powre to iustifie our selues, and to fulfill the commaundements; with the Messalians, to mumble his mattens, pater nosters, & seuen psalmes by number vpō a paire of beads; with the Tatians, Cataphrygi­ans, Montanists and Ebonists, to seeke sanctification in eating and not eating, in marrying and not marrying.Whereupon the Romish faith is foun­ded. To be short, in manie things, he is Heathenish, Turkish and Iewish: so that whosoeuer is hot starke blind may behold, where­upon the Romane Catholiks build their faith: not vpon the doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles, but partly vpon the scriptures sophisticated and quin­tessensed in a lymbecke, to serue for a correctiue in the poysoned drench of the whore; partly vpon such sayings of the ancient fathers as serue for their [Page 26] turne; partly vpon the scum of gen [...] ral councels; partly vpon the Caballa the Iewish Rabbins; partly vpō the Tu [...] kish Alcoran, and lastly on the pr [...] found diuinitie of Ouid and Aristot [...] In this manner skipping like mucke y [...] from one place to an other, they pick what may best serue for their purpo [...] euen as if a man would picke rotten o [...] of an apple, with this prouiso, that a R [...] mane Catholike hang as fast on the fo [...] dation, as a thiefe on y^e gallowes, to w [...] on his holy mother the Church of Rom [...] which can stumble no more then a ma [...] when both his eies are out. And this their inuincible Stratagema and P [...] nopila, their strong furniture and fig [...] ting weapons of warre, which they v [...] for the defence of their religion: whe [...] by it may euidently appeare, that th [...] bottomlesse pit is open, and the diu [...] is broke loose, and that the Pope is th [...] porter of hell gates. Beware then of t [...] poysoned cup of the whore,Can. 2. Math. 7. Reuel. 20. Phil. 3. 2. Cor. 11.13. Rom. 16. and th [...] wiles of such Foxes, Wolues in sheep [...] clothing, false horned lambes, maski [...] hypocrites, deceiptfull workeme [...] craftie companions, cosening knaue [...] [Page 27] [...] by dissembled zeale & palpable flat­ [...]rie creepe into mens houses, winde themselues into mens consciences, lead away the simple captiue: beware of these scorpions with stings in their titles, who when they looke most de­ [...]rely, pretend greatest mischiefe; [...]ound the sorest, when they speake the forrest; with smooth speeches captiuate mēs cōsciences, when they pretēd grea­test libertie. Let not your hearts be de­ceiued, there is no such vice as that which is hidden vnder the colour of vertue; no such arrant strumpet as she that seekes to shrowd her selfe vnder the shew of a graue matrone; no such Iudas kisse as with an Apostles face, nor fawning diuel as like an Angell of light; no such enemies against the Church, as those which vnder the name of it, seeke the supplanting of the same.

To leaue their religion, & to speake of their liues: can there be a sweet behauior where there is no sound faith? certes no,Corporall and spirituall whoredome companions collaterall. and therfore experience wil teach thee, that corporall and spirituall whordome [...] hand in hand: for who more hot in the seruice of Baal, then wicked Iesabel? [Page 28] yet was she but a painted harlot. It is needlesse to tell you some sweet parts plaid in the popedome, and to glance at the filthinesse of those chiefe chast fathers and maiden priestes, the smell whereof hath ascended to heauen, and annoied the Lord of hosts; yet to the end you may know the birds by their kinde, the colts by their dammes, and the young cubs, by the smell of the old Foxes: I will giue you a little taste of the vnsauorie manners of holy Foxes, (holie fathers say they) whereof some haue been famous and renowned he­retikes, some notorious blasphemers of God, some shamelesse scorners, some whore-hunters, adulterers, and sodo­miticall beastes, some wretched and ra­uenous helhounds, some coniurers and Necromancers,Anastasius. 2. The old Foxes haue foule smels. as histories doe de­clare. Anastasius the second consen­ted to the Nestorian heretikes, which denied the humanitie of Iesus Christ, and at last being stricken by the hand of God, did void his intrals, as did the heretik Arrius before him. Boniface the eight was in a generall councell holden in Paris,Boniface. 8. accused and found guiltie of [Page 29] three capital crimes, namely of heresie, murther, and symonie, and for these causes was dispossessed of the pope­dome: and afterwards cast into prison, desperately gnawing and deuouring his hands like to a dog ended his daies, for whom the diuels did wonderfully mourne and shed many a salt teare. For on the same day was heard in the prison where he died, called castrade S. Angelo, such horrible thunderclaps, and terri­ble stirres, as if all the Popes, Abbots, Prelats, Canons, Priests, Munkes, and Friers in hell had been singing his re­quiem. Pope Iohn the foureteenth, who with an Italian tricke pickt ouer the pearch Pope Alexander the fifth,Iohn. 14. and afterwards verie featly created himselfe Pope, was conuicted in the councell of Constance an apparant heretike, an vn godly knaue, an oppressor of the poore, a persecutor of the righteous, a stay to the wicked, a pillar to the barterers of be­nefices, a glasse to dishonestie, a vessell full of all vice, yea a verie diuell incar­nate: and therefore put beside the cu­shion, and deposed from his aposticall seat. What should I leaue Iohn the dog [Page 30] Foxe,Pope Ioane the bitch-foxe. and spake of Ioan the bitch-Foxe from whom Monks, Friers, pole-shorn [...] Priestes, and the Romish spiritualty ar [...] sprung. This Ioane was well content t [...] be gotten with child by one of he Cardinals, and was deliuered in th [...] middest of the streete, as she was de­uoutly treading in procession, by th [...] same token, that at this day there dot [...] remaine an Image of stone hewen ou [...] of the earth, as their histories do report and that the Popes in their processio [...] neuer doe passe that way, least that th [...] like might happen vnto them. Neuer­thelesse for the auoiding of such a foul [...] chaunce the holy Church did ordain [...] two chaires to be hewen out of Porphy stone, where they vsed to feele fro [...] vnder, vtrum habet testiculos. But tha [...] custome is now left, for it may well b [...] that they make the matter manifest b [...] the brood of their bastards. Iohn th [...] thirteenth,Iohn. 13. was in propertie muc [...] like to Pope Ioan, who as he was descen­ded of whores and knaues: so was h [...] no changeling, but did shew full we what stocke he came of, for he was s [...] vowed to incontinencie, that he main­tained [Page 31] an open stewes: the Emperour [...]to causing a councell to be gathered, [...]erin he was complained vpon, & ac­ [...]sed of many foule things, as that he [...]d committed whordome with two si­ [...]rs, that he had made Bishops of chil­ [...]en, that he had deflowred many vir­ [...]s, that of Saint Iohns pallace at Late­ [...]n, he had made an opē stewes, that he [...]d offered vp wine to the diuels, and [...]playing at dice, had called for aide [...]his graund Captaine the prince of [...]rkenes. But what can we expect at [...]ir hands, who are so neare linked and [...]d with that foule fiend? For is it not [...]orded in their histories, that many them were Necromancers, familiarly [...]uainted with the diuels? Search Car­ [...]al Benno in his bookes of the life and [...]ngs of Hildebrand, and he wil tel you [...]t many haue obtained the pope­ [...]ne through diuellish arts: as Sylue­ [...] the second, Iohn the eighteenth, Iohn nineteenth, Iohn the twentith, Benet eight, Benet the ninth, Gregorie the [...]enth, earst called Hildebrand; who [...]pered his triacle so well, that as [...]d as fiue or sixe Popes by the Italian [Page 32] dram were broght to their bane, to y^e en [...] he might haue a beatē path to their pla­ces. Now to speake of the same knacks i [...] the popish cleargie descended from th [...] stocke of such grandsires before mentioned, it would be too tedious; nay we may not imagine that those maide priestes which daily handle a breade god, can play legerdemaine, when the seeme to giue absolution.

But here the old Foxe will reply, th [...] all the flowres in Priapus, that Dryad and Naiades, and Satyrus, that is, all th [...] flowres in hils, and dales, and many greene forrest, haue not so sweet a sm [...] as a Catholikes conuersation. For th [...] old Foxe,Popish morti­fication liuely depainted. poore beast, abides the [...] brunt of the weather; his poore cu [...] haue such streight rules of liues as no [...] haue more, some of them not eating [...] ny flesh a great part of the yeare, so [...] of them eating no flesh at all, being leane as if they had lien seuen yea [...] diseased in their dens of Idolatrie; [...] thers going woolward; others doi [...] perpetuall pennance, and whippi [...] themselues a vie, who shall whip mo [...] others vtterly forswearing the maria [...] [Page 33] b [...]ed, and vowing virginitie. Thus warrant you the Foxe doth loue mor­ [...]fication as dearly as a dog doth a cud­ [...]ell.Austeritie of life no true marke of the Church. And what if your Austeritie of life [...]ere as you would make the world be­ [...]eue: yet come you not neare Baals [...]riestes, who cut & launced themselues, [...]hom notwithstanding the prophet [...]lias mocketh with full mouth; no nor [...]et neare the superstitious Mahome­ [...]nes of diuerse sortes.

But ye worlds deceiuers, ye painted [...]epulchers, ye meale-mouthed coun­ [...]rfeits, your priests indeed vow conti­ [...]ent liues: but O heauen! O earth! O [...]ousand millions of rapes, adulteries, [...]cestes, fornications committed vnder [...]is goodly vow of virginitie! You vow [...]ouerty, but it is to nestle your selues in [...]llaces, and there to pamper your [...]lues at other mens charges. You [...]atch in the night: but it is to sleepe in [...]e day. O what paines takes the olde [...]xe to ride on mens shoulders, and to [...] vp his feet to haue his pantofle kissed, tel ouer so many thousands of crowns [...] come tumbling in on euerie side! O [...]hat paines he takes to haue the spoile [Page 34] and bootie of so many millions of soules so miserably bewitched? O what a marke of mortification is it in the reue­rendissimies, to haue their tailes caried vp by their trainebearers, and to ride vp and down in their coaches with their concubines? Alas for pittie, those reli­gious men which merit both for them­selues, and for others, how ill be they lodged in their princely chambers? poore men alas, how are they famished, when the world is together by the eares who shall bestow most vpon them, and their hands so troubled with the gout, that all is fish that comes to net? O the small warmth they haue in their Iaco­bine chambers! how ill be they clothed in their cold cassockes! O what hunger abide our English popelings, and poore catholickes, in abstaining from a peece of restie bacon, to feede of dainties that are fetcht out of farre countries? how pale faced are they, in drinking the strongest wines they can come by? a [...] what great price do these Romanistes rate paradice at, when thus they doe worke to be seruiceable?

Here whilest we giue them the chal­lenge [Page 35] for seeking the kingdome of hea­uen in their drunken dotages, and stin­king cesterne of their owne traditions: they in the meane while most wickedly slaunder vs, that we disioyne amende­ment of life from remission of sinnes. And why so? because we settle the con­sciences of men on him, who hath paied so deare a price for them. But as touch­ing our doctrine compared with theirs, we will make him Iudge, who shall iudge vs all by his word. And as for our liues we acknowledge that we haue too great cause to humble our selues before the highest maiestie. But as for them, their Sodom & Gomor, their plaunches and swinesties of all impietie, their har­bours and lurking holes of idlenes, and all manner of dissolution, yeeldeth such a lothsome smell, as doth infect both heauen and earth.

The second propertie of the Foxe is wilinesse,The second propertie of the Foxe is wilines. and this is one of his vnsepa­rable accidents. To find out all his de­ceipts is almost as difficult as to sound Sathans depthes: and therefore, if in this I be too short, it is no meruel, for the Foxe is full of subtletie. Amongst many [Page 36] his properties of cunning compassing,The Foxe woo­rieth aloofe from his den. this is reckoned one, y^t he dare not woo­rie neare his den, least timely watch should take him tardie: In like sort these subtill seducers wander farre and wide, & cōpasse sea & land, whereby to make a Catholike after their own profession.

Secondly, Rainard raungeth in the night,The Foxe raungeth in the night. & keepes his den in the day: In like maner the two-legged Foxes dare not abide the day light, but seeke lur­king holes, & wander in by-waies, mar­ching on like maskers with shamelesse frontes in stead of visors, disguising thē selues, lest wonted attire should broach their wiles, & marre their mummings.

Thirdly, the craft of the Foxe appea­reth in this,The Foxe fa­steneth on the yong lambs. that he loueth to fasten and feede vpon the yoong ones, the poore lambes of little force to escape his cru­eltie: of like condition are the spiri­tuall Foxes, they fasten vpon such as are poore in knowledge, and weake in faith, that they may more easily per­uert and draw them to errour. For sur­uey bona fide the dealings of priestes, Iesuites, Seminaries, or other sedu­cers; see and consider whether they [Page 37] reade not in the steps of the old ser­pent:The dāgerous practises of Foxe-priestes and Iesuites. seeke they not to seduce poore simple women, that they may intise [...]heir husbands, as Eua did Adam? Ma­ [...]ame must be recusant, and Mounsire a monthly church-hant. The meane gen­ [...]lewoman or yeomans wife forsweares [...]he Church,Practise of pa­pistes. and faceth out the force of [...]ur lawes; the good man of the house [...]eepes into the Church for feare of a [...]ine, setting more by his dames pater no­ [...]ter in her closet, then any Christian ex­ercise in the congregation: as if our [...]awes were made to rule men, and not women, husbands, and not wiues. This shuffling would be suspected; for thus [...]ngender Foxe-cubs, who threaten fu­ [...]ure danger.

If simple men be recusants,Marke this. and re­ [...]ounce our felowship, many not great­ [...]y regard it; because either they want [...]uthoritie, or their purses be not well [...]ined: but be not deceiued, for such lit­ [...]le sparkes may serue the Popes turne, [...]y being kindled to a flame, and that is wilines is a ware of. The Iuie cree­ [...]ing along the ground, beginning at [...]he first to compasse the lowest part of [Page 38] the oke, at the last, by getting ground, ouerpeereth y^e highest branch, pierceth still the pith, sucketh the sap, to the ruine of the whole trunke: so these sub­till Foxes by insinuation, and sugred speeches seeke first to enter into the cō ­sciences of persons inferiour; hoping by daily addition, of newe addicted fooles to the fleshpots of Egypt, to for­tifie their faction: but indeed the marke that they leuell at, is to rase vp the foundation of our peace, and to ouer­peare the head of her royall person.

Fourthly, the subtiltie of the Foxe is herein discerned, because perswading men vnto vertue, and reuoking them from vice,The Foxe is a counseller for his owne ad­uantage. he doth it for his owne aduantage, and then especially seeketh the spoile of the Church. So that fitlie they may be resembled vnto theeues, trauelling by the hie way, and lighting into true meaning cōpanie, can talke of simple dealing, of sober liuing, of the re­ward of the vertuous, of the punishmēt of the vitious, to the intēt y^t vnsuspected they may take their bootyat vnawares; or to the craftie gamester, who suffereth the simple man to winne for a while, [Page 39] that afterward being greedy of play, he may lurch him as he listeth: Euen so these deceiptful workmen speake some good things, but they intermeddle euill things; they speak the truth but to scatter lies, & to root thē in mens harts, as Sinen in Virgil mingled falshood with truth, that he might more easily entrap y^e Tro­ians; they speake peace with their mouths, but haue conceiued mischief in their harts; they can say salue frater with Ioab, & aue Rabbi with Iudas, when their purpose is to stab with the one, and to betraie with the other. To conclude, they are deceiptfull merchants, which vtter euill wares, and set them out with lying words to make them saileable. Wherefore as Paul commaunded the diuel to silence, although he spoke truth, least that his vttering of truth might aduantage his lying, and gaine credit to his kingdome; and as Iesus Christ sharpely rebuked the diuel, saying vn­to him, we know who thou art, teach­ing vs not to giue eare vnto the diuell although he tell the troth: so let the ru­lers which regard the honour of the highest, labour earnestly to hinder the [Page 40] course of these seducing spirits which are scattered in our land, and to put the diuel to silence in them, that his people be not beguiled and drawne away to straunge worship.

The Foxe craftily dis­swades from religion and loialtie.Another of their wiles is in their man­ner of perswasion, first, against religion; & secondly, against loialty. Against re­ligiō by whispering into y^e eares of the seduced, Church agreement, councels cōsent, fathers harmony, teachers credit, vniuersality, antiquitie, vnity, apostoli­cal traditiōs, all which an alblasted Mo­ter hath trict trimly in colours, hauing put as it were an new coat vpon an old deformed bodie; as if, where the asse had put vpon him the Lions skin, the world could not discerne him by the length of his eares: but the name of God be magnified, he is discouered, and his new vernished leaden dagger stabd in the intrals of his holy mother. My purpose in this pamphlet is rather to dis­couer the wickednes of English Italio­nates, then to dispute against the wil­full obstinacie of any Catholike cham­pion: yet because this is the dust that Master Allablaster, with others more, [Page 41] cast in the eies of our countrimen to put them quite out; or at leastwise, to bleare them: I will briefely scatter it, and so proceed in my former course.

CHAPTER. 4.

DEare sonnes, before I take my leaue and last farewell, I cannot choose but reuiue the remembrance of my auncient loue, not that by recounting my abundant fauours which from time to time you haue ta­sted, I meane vpbrayd, but rather to recomfort my selfe, whose loue towards you, by nature or forwardnesse to fit you to further seruice, is so well recom­penced with diligence, to execute what I shall giue you in charge. You know sonnes, how I haue erected seminaries, and to what end, (which mine enemies doe call bad conuenticles, no better [Page 18] then cockatrices to hatch treason) in these I neuer thought any cost too dear,Not causeles­ly. whereby either to make your bodies fit for trauaile, or to helpe your natures inclination with fallacious art, for the accomplishment of our purpose. And now my sonnes, it is hie time that you fall from contemplation to practise, which is to transforme religious su­perstition, into policie;Popish prac­tike diuinitie. and policie in­to treason, wherein let none of you scorne your old fathers direction; for though your yonger yeares be riper in art, yet my experience may teach you in treasons to bee acted. English you are, and to England must I send you, whose Albion clifts seeme to me a farre off like rockes of pure Diamond, where some right dearely loue me your olde father,Too many. and from the depth of their en­tire affection, shall embrace you my deerest children.And more shal, the more thou art disco­uered. But the greatest part pursue me with deadly hate, tearming me no better then a bloudsucking Can­niball, a robber of Churches,Fit titles for thy Foxe-ship. a patrone of heresies, a father of falshood, the brocher of quarrells, the head master of mutinies, the seede-man of sedition, [Page 82] the infringer of liberties, the control­ler of Princes, the enemie of Christ, the monster and astonishment of nature, enchayning Christian soules in mise­rable thraldome, and more then Aegyp­tian seruitude.

But the time may come when all this may be repaid, the hope whereof is vn­to me, as it were a restoratiue, to reuiue my faint and languishing spirits, which hope doth depend chiefly vpon your cunning,Two reuiuing cordials for the old Foxe his heart. in compassing; and cunning consisteth in this which followeth: first, that you worke vpon such as are fit to be added to our catholike faction; and secondly in the manner of the perfor­mance. Those that are the likeliest to be fitted to this frame, that is, to lend an hand when oportunitie strikes alarme, (I speake not sonnes of those who al­readie are deuout catholikes, earnestly expect, and hartily pray for successe of our cause,Who are like­liest to be fra­med to popish practises.) either are male contents, whom enuy or inconstancy may make desirous of a change; or loose profes­sours, proculstants, who haue lent their loue to voluptuous delites or prodiga­lities, children, whom extreme want [Page 83] hath made desperatly minded; or wan­ton wanderers, whom long trauail hath depriued of naturall affection.

And thus began Mahomet to streng­then his state,The Lion and the Foxe iumpe in the manner of strengthening and enlarging their king­domes. by ioyning himselfe with the angrie souldiers of Heraclius, stir­ring vp their minds against the Empe­rour, and encouraging them in their defection: whereupon in processe of time it came to passe, that although many could not abide him for the base­nes of his birth,Mahomet his beginning. and odiousnes of his former life; yet growing from a thiefe to a seditious souldier, and from a se­ditious souldier, to be a captaine of a rebellious host; his Mahometicall force began to subdue mightie people. Now as you must strike with Mahomet whilest the Iron is hot, and worke those with diligence, whose inclination you finde pliable; so must your wisedome appeare in the manner of this worke, wherein I would haue you to pro­pound to your selues,The old Foxe sendeth his cubbes to schoole to the Lion. the deceitfulnes of that damned wretch before named: I would not for all this world it were knowne my sonnes, you followed so base a pattern of a cousening knaue, for [Page 84] an example of Imitation. This Maho­met not onely to gratifie his compani­ons, but also the more easilie to allure all nations, receiued all religions, the pertinacie of Arrius, the errour of Nestorius, The religion of Mahomet. the vaine inuention of the Thalmudists: therfore from the Iewes he receiued circumcision, from the christiās sundry washings as it were Baptisme, & with Sergius, denied Christ his diuinitie.

Secondly, to enlarge his kingdome, he made such lawes as were fit to win,The manner how Maho­met enlarged his kingdome. and allure the vilest, as to his Arabians, base wretches accustomed to liue vpon the spoile, he alloweth theft, and setteth a law of reuengment: Hurt him, which hurt you, he that killeth his enemie, or is killed by him, entreth into Paradise: he permits hauing of many wiues, di­uorcement for trifling causes, promi­seth Paradise to them that giue liberal­ly, and fight for his sake.

Thirdly, mistrusting his fall, with ma­ny bulwarkes hath he fenced his law,Three bul­warkes of laws mahometane. that no way be open to subuert it. First, by commaunding to kill them which speake against the Alcoran. Secondly, by forbidding men to conferre with a [Page 85] contrary sect: And thirdly, by prohibi­ting credit to bee giuen to any of a contrarie religion. Now sirs, why should not we preuaile as well as this deceiuer, whom for example I haue mentioned to you my children?Mahomet an example of imitation to the Pope. haue we not as wany motiues, as plausible Rhetoricians to perwade? for first as he; to allure all nations receiued all religi­ons, so I your old father, haue found out such a religion as is compounded of all sorts, that all might be pleased: and therefore our enemies haue called it the trusse and budget of heresies. Se­condly,Why mans corrupted na­ture doth so easely incline to poperie. our doctrines are as mightie to preuaile as euer were the lawes of Ma­homet. If their old men be couetous, their yong mē voluptuous, their nobles ambitious, and the common sort cere­monious,The Catho­lickes faith fit for a couetous heart. we haue such allurements as are able to winne them. To the ritch couetousnes with craft and crueltie, & the rest of her factours: we haue coy­ned a purgatorie the fire of our gaine.For the volup­tuous. For dissolute and idle to no-things. To feed the voluptuous, our religion admits simple fornication, and our pra­ctise hath erected a stewes. To draw on the riotous, the dissolute & idle do-no­things: [Page 86] we haue ordained many odde holy daies, halfe holy daies, at Rogati­on to carry banners, after Pentecost to go about with Corpus Christi play, to ring at All hallowes, &c.

For such as would not see their sinnes.To keepe men from the sight of their sinnes, we haue taught them to mince it, and that the first motions are no sins, vnlesse they goe with consent, that some are venial, & need but an asperges of holy water, or a bishops blessing. To win ambitious heads that faine would be aloft,For aspiring heads. you must teach that my power is to giue kingdomes to such as can conquer them, to free subiectes from loyaltie, and to giue immortalitie to such as can plucke the crowne from the princes head.

For wilfully ignorant.If the people will know nothing, to fit their humours, we teach that Igno­rance is the mother of deuotion, that Images are bookes for lay men, that knowledge of the scriptures makes he­retickes, & that it is sufficient for them, that their faith be foulded vp in our Ro­mish Church beliefe, without vnder­standing or knowing what it is.

Lastly, least simplicitie either in [Page 87] Church-seruice,Outward painted ser­uice of the popish Church meere pollicy to steale mens hearts. or administration of sacraments should breed contempt, we haue added many petite matters to make them more-commendable, and our followers more deuout: as in our Churches, gilded Images, altars, super-altars, candlestickes and such like: In our massings and Church seruice, gol­den garments, costly colours, straunge gestures. Trash, warbling, numbering of beads, &c. in our priestes, square caps, bald crownes, great hoods; in our orders, crossing, annointing, sha­uing, forswearing wedlocke, &c. In our baptisme, washing of hands, salting, spatling, exorcising, crossing. In recei­uing, to come with beards new shauē, & an imaginatiō of a body where none is.

And lastly,Foure bul­warkes of pa­pisme. least this our iugling should be espied, we haue made as strong fences for papisme, as euer did that wicked beast for Mahometisme: for first, we haue buried the scriptures, least, by that light, our darkenes should be discouered.

Secondly, Church-seruice we haue thrust vpon seely people in a straunge language: Sonnes you know well why [Page 88] for Simon Magus was neuer detected before Christ was preached in Samaria.

Thirdly, we haue forbidden our fol­lowers to conferre with the Hugenotes, for they are alwaies striking at vs with the scepter of the word, and still crie, to the law and the testimonie, &c.

Fourthly, we haue an argument drawne, à fasciculis, which we com­maund to be formed in a new moode and figure against such as speak against our traditions.Vaine hope, vncertaine promises. Absolon a courtlike poli­tike a patterne for popish priestes. And what can we doe more, yea what doth there else remain, but that you doe all diligence, feeding your fauorites with strong hope and large promises, standing at the court gates with Absolon, the liuely image of courtly politickes, seeming to pittie the peoples estate, when his ambitious hu­mour did greedily aspire after his fa­thers kingdome: Euen so you my sons, tell them that their religion is good, and their cause is good, & how I your father & theirs do pittie thē; and that if I had the disposition of the crown, plen­tie should follow the scepter, and peace should follow plentie; there should be no distrust of secret treason, nor feare [Page 89] of forraine inuasion. But aboue all, see that you nourish in them a strong per­swasion of Spanish loue, and an ear­nest desire of Indian gold, that euen as Philip made the Athenians beleeue, that he pretended enmitie against the Plo­tenses, and Olynthians, when he meant to ride vpon the backe of all Grecia: so must you make them beleeue, that the purpose of the Spaniard,Beleeue them that list. is onely to re­forme religion, and to passe no further. And thus there being a coniunction of English plots, with Spanish practise, how should we but preuaile, except sonnes, with my elder brother Baalam, we haue laboured to curse where the Lord neuer cursed, and detested where the Lord neuer detested: and I your olde father be constrained in the end, to roare with Iulian the Apostata, saying, vicisti Galilaee vicisti. I say no more vn­to you, but walke closely, and keepe your selues in tenebris: for your prede­cessors, I know not whether to ascribe it to angrie stars, the influence of the hea­uens, neglect of oportunitie, want of secrecie, by too great securitie haue had so sinister successe, that in stead of sup­planting [Page 90] a kingdome, they haue bro­ken their neckes at Tyburne, and in stead of reconciling sowles to our Ro­mish faction,Not so, but iust reward of treason. their heads haue been v­nited to an halter: This crueltie haue they sustained for my sake, whom ther­fore I haue crowned with martyrdom, as your elder brother Campion & the rest, the remembrance of whom (in whose endeuours I haue heretofore placed my hope, of effecting that where­unto I now imploy your selues) doth but increase my sor­row and griefe.

CHAPTER. 5.

FOr as much as the co­uert enemies against the Church, do most of all de­ceiue simple people, by shrowding their deformi­ties vnder the mantle of deuotion, I haue thought it pertinent to set downe these semblances following, betwixt the Pope & Mahomet, the which through­ly pondered of euerie Christian man, are sufficient to bring him to a full de­testation of the Romish religion.

This Mahomet was an Arabian souldi­our, and tooke wages of the Em­perour Heraclius, to serue him in his wars. In a mutinie he was chosen to be a commaunder of a rebellious host, so [Page 92] base a vassall was he, that the people of Mecha who worship him at this day, condemned him to death for his mur­ders and robberies.Mahomets cō ­fession of himselfe. Yea he confesseth himselfe what he was, namely an Ido­later, an adulterer, giuen to leacherie, subiect to women, in such manner as it is a shame to report. This is that pro­phet without prophesying,The first sem­blance in their manners. that lawma­ker without miracles, that irreligious former of religion, y^t man without God, which hath by his ignorance choked the truth, and by his violence inforced fal­shood. That many of y^e Popes haue bin as desperate and damnable varlets as euer was Mahomet,Some Popes as verie var­lets as euer was Mahomet. the legends written by their owne secretaries doe beare wit­nesse. Amongst whom, that monster Boniface the eight carieth the bell: of whom themselues giue testimonie, that he entered like a Foxe, ruled like a Li­on, and died like a dog. Whosoeuer li­steth to rake in the dounghil of Popes, shall finde some of them to be starke Atheistes, as Paul the third, some blas­phemers and sodomitical knaues as Iu­lius y^e third, some whoremasters as Iohn the 12. who abused his fathers concu­bines, [Page 93] some necromancers as Syluester, who was made Pope, auxilio diaboli, by the aide of the diuell. Yea so holy are these vnerring fathers, that one being demaunded, why in their suffrages they praied not for Cardinals and Bishops? that, saith he, is to be vnderstood, vbi o­ramus pro schismaticis & haereticis, where we pray for schismatickes and here­tikes.

The meanes whereby Mahomet de­ceiued the world, were as followeth. This new Captaine many could not a­bide; his manners were so monstrous: besides, he was vexed with the falling sicknes; therefore to redeeme himselfe from this contempt, pretended a diui­nitie in his doings, faining himselfe to conferre with God, and so to be rauish­ed out of himselfe: and that he was no more a prince elected through fauour of souldiers, but a messenger of the Al­mightie. Hauing laid this foundation politickely, he beginneth to make a mingle-mangle of all religions: For to allure the Iewes, he exalted Mo­ses, and retained circumcision; not to estraunge the Christians, he confes­sed [Page 94] Christ to be the spirit, word and power of God; to please the Nestori­ans, he said that Christ was not verie God, nor the sonne of God, but that he had indeed the soule of God.

The Foxe laieth a foundation for his absurdities and blasphemies,The second semblance in the ground plot of enlar­ging theit kingdomes. much like that of the Lion: for as Mahomet coo­sened the world, in making it beleeue that he entered communication with God, when he fell into his fit of the fal­ling sickenes: so the Pope whilest he maketh thousands beleeue that he is Gods vicar, as the other made his be­leeue that he was, and is Gods messen­ger, and that he cannot erre in giuing sentence, though he may slip as a pri­uate person, poisoneth the Church with pestilent opinions, and draweth whole cart-lodes of soules after him into hell fire. The groundworke once laid, that the Pope cannot erre: then like to Mahomet beginneth hee to make an hotch-potch of heresies, as to worship Christ and other saints, with the Car­pocratians; to worship the virgine Ma­rie, with the Collyridians; to paint God like an old man, with the Anthropo­morphits; [Page 95] to hold freewil, and a possibi­litie to fulfill the commandements, with the Pelagians; to restraine meats to daies and times, with the Montanistes, and Manichees; to condemne mariage with the Tatians and Cataphrygians; and in many pilgrimages, praier to the dead, Iustification by workes, to shew himselfe a right Mahometane.

The third semblance is in the likeli­hood of their blasphemies against Christ,The third semblance in broaching their blasph [...] ­mies. for Mahomet fearing I say, least that he should alienate the Christians, confes­sed Christ to be the spirit, word and power of God, but not verie God, nor the sonne of God, and himselfe to be the seruant of Christ: but yet so, that in the end he preferreth himselfe before him, and maketh himselfe the last re­fuge, for mankind to flie vnto.

The Pope denieth not the person of the great sonne of God, for then should he not be Antichrist; but yet if you marke well how he degradeth him of his dignities, you shall see that Christ is much alike beholden to them both, and that euerie one may vnderstand what his flatterers giue him, and what he [Page 96] chalengeth. Let vs heare what is writ­ten. Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope, and it pleased him well, Tues al­ter Deus in terris: Thou art an other god vpon earth. Againe, it is written of him, Dominus Deus noster Papa, Our Lord God the Pope. In the proheme of the Clementines fol. 3. Papa, id est, admi­rabilis, nec Deus nec homo, quasi neuter es in­ter vtrum (que). The Pope is so named, be­cause he is wonderfull, thou art neither God nor man, but as it were a neuter be­twixt both. Againe, Excepto peccato omnia potest quae Deus, except sin he can doe all that God can doe. He can make holy that which is vnholy, pardon sins, iustifie the wicked, dispense against the old and new Testament. Againe, Omnis potestas data est mihi in terra: All power is giuen to me in earth. Now I report me to all them, whose iudgement is not quite peruerted, whether Mahomet e­uer did or could speake more blasphe­mously against the honour of God or Iesus Christ, than these diuellish Do­ctors.

But we must remember here that as Mahomet hauing renounced the person [Page 97] of the sonne of God, yet calleth him­selfe his seruant: So the Pope claiming supreame iurisdiction in all causes, and throughout all countries, yet vaileth bonnet, and stoopeth his stile, calling himselfe seruum seruorum Dei. Of whose shamelesse hypocrisie or dissembled hu­militie, this Distich hath been framed worthie remembrance,

For Mahomet in his Alcoran comman­deth his followers to kill the infidell,The fourth semblance in the likelihood of their lawes. to auenge themselues, and to take no wrong; and telleth them that whosoe­uer killeth his enemie, shall haue the greater share in paradice: he permitteth the hauing of many wiues, & diuorce­ment for trifling causes: by which dam­nable waies he hath enlarged his king­dome by his successors, and partly by fraud, partly by force hath brought a [Page 98] great part of the world vnder his ty­rannicall subiection.

Now see whether the Foxe and the Lion agree not as wel as two heads vn­der one hood. For as Mahomet com­maunds to kill, and promiseth paradice to them that kil most; so the Pope giues authoritie and power to kill the true Christians, and promiseth immortalitie to them that murther their naturall princes.

Secondly, as Mahomet commaun­deth his to auenge themselues: so the Popes doctrine is not farre short of it, when he teacheth it to be the counsell of Christ not his commaundement, to loue our enemies.

Thirdly, as that damned wretch al­loweth the hauing of many wiues, and diuorcement for trifling causes: so the Pope although he admitte not Poly­gamie, yet simple fornication with him is no deadly sinne. He erecteth stewes and brothell houses: yea the sinne of Sodome hath been allowed by some of these maiden fathers,Ioan. Rauisius Textor in his booke called officina. and gel­ded bishops, as by Sixtus the fourth, who also gaue licence to all the gene­ration [Page 99] of the Cardinall of Saint Lucie, (who was his huntsman) to vse this so­domiticall filthines in the three hot monthes of the yeare, namely, Iune, Iuly, and August. What should I tell you, that Iohannes de Casa an Arch-pre­late, and grand-captaine, writ a booke in commendation of it?Of Catholike O shamelesse harlot to magnifie that in writing, the onely thought wherof, ought to wound the heart with horrour!

Thirdly, as Mahomet permitted di­uorcement for trifling causes: so is it a cleare case y^t the Pope in this point hath also contradicted the doctrine of Christ.

Lastly, as he promiseth paradice to the vilest creatures; so the Pope gran­teth his pardons de paenitētijs iniungendis, that is, to a man before he sinne; and what is this but with Mahomet to open heauen to the basest villaines in the world?

The which vntollerable beastlines of them, God hath raised vp diuers of their owne countrie to displaie.

Thus englished:

That is to say.

I will knit it vp with this pretie Pasquil.

The first semblance is in cloaking their falsehood,The first sem­blance in cun­ning cloaking of their knaue­ries. for Mahomet notwith­standing his impietie, and blasphemies, saith that his doctrine is answerable to [Page 102] the old and new testament; but yet so, that no man examine his lawes vp­on paine of death: as if one paying money, should charge the receiuer neuer to looke vpon it in the daylight; and I beseech you, who would not su­spect such paie? euen so dealeth the Pope, for they count it heresie for the vulgar people, to reade the scriptures in a knowne language: and as for them vnto whom they must refer themselues, they haue scarce seene the couerings of the bookes, for the greatest part of them. In deede there be some wallet brethren, who are still chattering, vn­till their chappes be made vp: but as for the scriptures, they either are buri­ed, or els yelled, howled, censed, a­dored, clouted, and patched vp in a strange language, and vpon some so­lemne feast day, sophisticated; proui­ded that their laytie, neither suspect, nor sifit them, but that they haue a good meaning, and refer themselues to their articles.

The sixt semblance is in the likeli­hood of their bulwarkes, for the fence of their kingdomes. Mahomet com­mands [Page 103] first,The sixt sem­blance in ma­king like fen­ces for their falsehoode. to kill them which speake against his Alcoran. Secondly, hee forbiddeth to confer with a contrarie sect. Thirdly, that no credit bee gi­uen to any of a contrarie religion. In like sort the Pope murders them that contradict his owne constitutions. Secondly, hee forbids his catholikes to confer with the protestants. Third­ly, hee hath buried the scriptures, least their light should discouer his darknes: and least the common peo­ple should espie his Iugling, he com­mands them not to meddle with the word of God. There needeth no more to make men grow suspi­cious of the popish religi­on, then these things well weighed.

CHAPTER. 6.

FOr the better auoyding of these enemies so pesti­lent and pernicious, it is furder to be considered, y^t sundry sortes of them are crept into the Church, to supplant and vndermine it: for some are heretikes, either denying the per­son of the great sonne of God, or de­grading him from his offices, and in­fecting his word with a million of er­rours, of whom hath been intreated before, and more shall be spoken here­after. Others are schismatikes, who without cause depart away from the communion of the Church: others are hypocrites, or counterfeit christians, re­formed in name, but more than de­formed indeede, who by their scanda­lous [Page 105] manners, and wicked examples, waste and destroy the vines, especially the yong ones. Which sort of Foxes are otherwise called scabd sheepe, and are compared to leauen which sowreth the whole lumpe, of which the Apostle giueth vs a rule, in the person of the incestuous sinner, that we should not companie together: If any that is cal­led a brother be a fornicatour,1 Cor. 5.11. Hereticall Foxes recu­sant papistes. or coue­tous, or an Idolater, or a railour, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one eate not.

Of Foxes infected with heresie, which do especially disturbe the church of England, there be two sorts; the one called recusants, because they haue for­saken our fellowship; the other church­haunts, who with false hearts frequent our assemblies, temporizing for feare of a fine, or furder penaltie. The first sort plead Baals cause with open mouth, despise the Lords temple in Ierusalem, post from Dan to Bethel to please Ie­roboam, hate our congregations, and count it damnable to tread in our as­semblies. If these Foxes were as sharp­ly punished, as they are easilie discoue­red, [Page 106] we shuld not haue so many Masses, neither so many goe to Masse; and yet Masse rated at so round a reckning. I need not stand to mark out these mala­part merchaunts, their practise betraies thē, they show outwardly how they are affected inwardly; old doting dames, and yoong minions, old foolish fathers, and yoong boyes, that cannot tell why they were borne, speake bouldlie for Poperie in defiance of the Gospel, refuse the Church, and checke the reprouer, make a mocke of the ministerie, and scorne true religion; and yet haue peace and prosperitie. If a prince be misused, death is thought too smal a punishment for the offender; if a man be so wicked as to procure an insurrection, or raise a rebellion, he must loose his head for it, and good reason: But whereas God hath soueraigne dominion ouer all, a worme of the earth shall set himselfe against him, deface his maiestie, rob him of his honour, blaspheme his bles­sed name, yet escapeth without seueri­tie of punishment, and that is no good religion. These are those wretched peo­ple that haue sould themselues to be [Page 107] vassals of iniquitie, and haue receiued the stamp of the beast in their fore­heads, that are readie to lie in waite for the Lords annoynted, and haue cursed Dauid to his face. These are the sonnes of those bloudie fathers, that haue mur­dered the prophets. These are the po­steritie of Amelech, vnworthie to liue amongst Israell, which haue serued Baal Hamon, and haue runne vnto the golden calues of Dan and Bethel. These are the relikes of Iebus, and the remnants of the Hittites, that haue bin pricks and thornes in the sides of righ­teous men, and will be kniues to our throats if that might come which their harts faint in waiting for: but the same God that hath hitherto preserued vs, detected their dissembled zeale, and sheathed their sworde in their owne intrals, shall still continew our most gratious protectour, vnlesse the ouer­flowing streames of our sinnes stop the course of his mercies, and eclipse the brightnes of his fauour, which hi­therto hath shined vpon vs.Church pa­pists.

There is an other sorte of Foxes in nature, not much different from the [Page 108] former, but yet not so easilie described, neither are they oftentimes reputed as they are.

A token sent from the old Foxe to his yoong cubs.It is not many yeares agoe, since there came a token from the old gray Foxe to the cubs of his kind; wherein was printed the fiue wounds of Christ, with this poesie, fili da mihi cor tuum, that is, sonne giue me thy hart: whereby it appeareth that either Rainard was so well disposed as to maintaine dissimu­lation, or els his brood were in a wrong boxe, for they tooke his embleme in no other meaning. Therefore haue they learned to temporize, and with double hearts to halt on both sides, hauing one for God, and another for Baal; one for the prince,Temporizing papists descri­bed. and an other for the Pope; one for the Masse, and another for the communion. The manner of these for the most part is to peepe into the Church once in a month, but preaching their queasie stomakes cannot away with, especiallie if Idolatrie and pa­pistrie be discouered. I cannot more fitly compare these, than to cunning watermen, who looke one way, when they take their iourney an other: or to [Page 109] Cacus that notorions robber, of whom it is recorded, that he was wont to drag beasts backward into his Caue by their tailes, to the intent that by contrary tracke of their feete, he might be freed from the suspition of felonie: euen so the popular demeanour of these hollow minded votaries, lookes one way, when their secret plots and practises tend an other; and when they come to the Church, they doe but drag backward with Cacus, hiding their hollow hearts vnder show of conformitie: yea how­soeuer these deepe dissemblers in out­ward appearance, show milde and gentle, promising all loyaltie to their prince, agreement to gouernment, and consent to religion; yet trust them not, for a Foxe will show himselfe a Foxe, when time serues his turne.

The poets wittily faine, that when Iupiter had made man,A poeticall fiction fitlie applied. being delited with such a cunning peece of worke­manship, he demaunded of Momus finde-fault, what he could spy, in so fine a feature and curious frame, out of square and worthie iust reproofe: Mo­mus commended the proportion, and [Page 110] comely disposition of the lineaments; but one thing (saith he) I like not well, that thou hast forgotten to place a window in his brest, through which we might behold whether his heart and his tongue did accord. If a window were framed in the brests of these dis­contented catholikes, that her maiestie and the state-guiding counsell, and all the true friends of this kingdome might know their secret intentions; or if their consciences were as deeply sounded, as they may be iustly doubted: then I know full well that many false hearts would be found lurking vnder painted hoodes, and cakes of foule cancred malice, vnder meale mouthed protestations; neither would it bee troublesome to finde out a two-legged Foxe; or if the coles of long festered choler were of that condition, as that being heaped together in their mali­cious minds, they could blister their tongues, or scald their lippes, we should neede no further search to finde out a Romaine catholike. Howbeit although they haue no windowes in their brestes, wherethrough wee may see into euery [Page 111] corner of their consciences, how they packe and shuffle now; and (as it is greatly to be feared) meane to cut also if Poperie should get the vpper hand; yea although they shrowd their wicked deuises with a vaile of obscuritie, and contriue their cruell crafts in tenebris: yet if that foresight and circumspection be had, which the subtiltie of such house­hould enemies requireth, I doubt not but it shal be easie to espie the Woolfe, though he wander in sheepes clothing, by the manner of his howling; and the Asse, though he iet in the Lions skinne, by the length of his eares.

Before I proceede further,A linsie wool­sie religion. I will here admonish that kinde of our gospellers that are of a linsie woolsie religion, common pedlars and patchers of Christ his coate, which had no seame in deede: Who because they are better affected to the state then the former, I would be loath to tearme them Foxes; and yet hauing no warrant for a particoloured profession, I may not honour them with the title of sound Christians: you shall know them by these colours. They hold it a matter of charitie to say God [Page 112] haue mercie on the soules of the dead: and show them their errour; then they reply, what shall we bid the deuill goe with them? Their aue maria sticks close betwixt their teeth, though their Pater Noster was forgot many yeeres agoe. They cannot be well perswaded of chil­dren dieng without Baptisme: therfore they cry out for headlong hast to y^e mi­nistratiō of this sacrament. They wil not beleeue that it is a sinfull and superstiti­ous thing, to sweare by the Saints, and euery other creature; and when they are tould that it is a robbing God of his honour, they fall a woundering at the verie first principles of religion. Thus the Serpent gets his ground by creep­ing, and where Sathan cannot get an ell, he will take an ynch; hoping by little ynches of superstition, in the end, to make vp an ell of Idolatrie: and thus by little and little, Poperie hath stolne into the Church. Those that are thus tainted, I exhort in the feare of God to reade the scriptures, and to heare his word, the knowledge whereof, is able to purge them from these filthie dregs of the Babilonish cup.

Hauing spoken of Foxes hereticall,Foxes schis­maticall. who most of all endaunger the saftie of the Church: it followeth that we en­treat of Foxes schismaticall, which of late yeares haue peeped out of their denne, to the disturbance of our peace. These are they whom in auncient time they called Catharists, as also the Do­natist Browinsts,Brownistes. wee commonly call them: imagining a perfect beautie of a Church in this world, and seuering themselues from all others, as if in their particular conuenticles this perfecti­on were to be found; in whom behold a two fould errour. First, in that from the Churches blemish, by indirect con­sequence, they conclude her nullitie.Two fold er­rour. This is a grosse absurditie. Secondly, in that these mote catchers see a mote in the eye of an other, and will not see the beame in their owne eyes; this is blind singularitie. For if they speake of manners, they should know that how corrupt so euer they are, either in the pastour, or in the sheepe, they may not inforce this outragious conclusion, that where such corruptions are found, there is a nullitie of the Church, so long [Page 114] I say as the life of the Church is, that is, so long as the truth is there taught.Christ his truth the life of the church. Math. 23.2. Of this the Lord himselfe is witnes, speak­ing to the Scribes and Pharises, so long as they sit in the chaire of Moses, that is to say, so long as they teach the doc­trine of Moses, doe you (saith he) that which they say, but doe not that which they doe: although there be no cause, but that a man may withdraw himselfe from such infectious companions: as Paul admonisheth,1. Cor. 5.11. Psal. 17.4. Psal. 1.1. as Dauid sheweth by his owne practise, and warneth vs to do the like.

Againe, if they speake of imperfecti­on of doctrine, many circumstances are to be considered before wee depriue any assemblie, great or small, of the name of a Church. In the Church of Corinth, not onely touching manners, the discipline of the Church was loosly obserued;1. Cor. 15.17. sinceritie of preaching, by an affected kinde of babbling was much prophaned: but also a pro and con houl­den, touching the resurrection of the flesh, an article of such weight, that withouten it the preaching of the word should be in vaine; and yet Co­rinth [Page 115] houlds the name of a Church. The Galathians were most of them turned aside by the false Apostles from free iustification, which is the principall ground-plat of the christian Church; and yet notwithstanding, Saint Paul giues them the name of a Church. The like is to be seene by that which the Apostle writeth to Timothie, 1. Tim. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Iude. also by the second of Saint Peter, and that of Saint Iude, that there were home­bred enemies, and false Disciples in the bosome of the Church; which for all this, neither lost the name, nor nature of true Churches. But the case is other­wise in a body rotten in the noblest parts, as the synagogs of the Iewes, which stubbornly resisted the preach­ing of the Apostle; from which for this cause he disioyned the Church of E­phesus: or as that sinfull assembly, that sits vpon the seuen hills,Acts. 19.9. From what Church we ought to se­parate our selues. and opposeth it selfe directly against the kingdome of Christ, whose name with a despe­rate impudencie, it boroweth; for which cause we haue it in iust execra­tion, following the doctrine of the A­postle. But I neede not to pursue these [Page 116] schismatikes, the name of almightie God bee magnified, this land is well washed from them. O Lord, show mer­cie still to this Church, and send vs al­so a stronge purging pill for Poperie and superstition: Then shall wee see Ierusalem in prosperitie, and the hearts of thy faithfull seruants shall be reple­nished with gladnesse.

Foxes called scabd sheepe.The last sort of Foxes are those which before I called scabd sheepe, Saint Paul prophecieth of these, that in the last dayes should come perillous times,2. Tim. 3.1.2.3 men should be louers of their owne selues, couetous, boasters, proud, cursed speakers, disobediēt to parēts, vnthank­full, vnholie, without naturall affecti­on, truce breakers, false accusers, intem­perate, fierce, despisers of them which are good, traitours, headie, hy minded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God, hauing a show of godlinesse, but haue denyed the power thereof: these are they which giue the Lord Ie­sus after a sorte the curtesie of Iudas. Math. 26. These are like to Simon the sorcerer, who walkt with Phillip like an Apostle,Act. 8. but wrought with money, like a wordling: [Page 117] like to Achabs wife, who went most demurely when the would speake with the Prophets.Why hypocrits are well like­ned to Foxes. And surely as in other respectes, so in this these pargetted professours of the gospell are rightly called Foxes: because as the Foxe his skin is more worth then his carcasse; so their skinnes, that is, their outward pro­fession, is more worth than their con­uersations. Truth it is, these after a sort haue cast off the Pope with his superstitiōs,The Idolatrie of gospelling hypocrites. but they haue not put vpon them Iesus Christ with his righteousnes. They haue renounced the Idols of wood and stone, but harbour Idols as dange­rous in their hearts, couetousnes, theft, crueltie, fornication, vncleannes, wan­tonnes and such like goddesses. There is a mightie generation of these kind of Foxes in this land, and these late yeares of scarcitie and dearth hath laid open the hearts of many of them,These deere years haue laid open ma­ny deceitfull hearts. who contrarie to their holy professions, and to the power of religion, haue taken their aduantage of the time, and made a pray of the poore without all mercie, not caring to passe away their birth­rights for Esaus soup, nor to sell para­dise [Page 118] for a licorous morsell. But what should I need to broach the hypocrisie of this people, since they themselues without common care of their holy cal­lings, to the great shame of themselues, haue cried at the market crosse? But ye Gourmandisers, Grubbers and grin­ders of the poore, ye craftie priers in­to the needie mans extremitie, to make your gaine of his paine, and your com­moditie of his miserie, you cunning contriuers for priuate profit, ye artifi­ciall forgers of dearth and famine, de­uourers of mens quicke and liue flesh; how long wil you presume to come into Gods house, as if you were of it? Ye false fingerers, sellers with false sleights, false measures & false weights, terrigenae fra­tres, adorers of your God Māmon, when wil you shake off the cloake of hypocri­sie? Ye tiplers & tauern hunters, ye epi­curean cōpanions, & beastly belli-gods, ye quarrel broachers, and action threat­ners; ye bellowes of hell fire, which liue by setting others on pleading, which beat your braines to lengthē the perch­ment as long as you can; how long shall the Lord suffer you to appeare in his [Page 119] house, in which there is nothing but peace and equitie? Ye leasemongers & rent-rackers, ye enclosers and make-beggars, neuer well at ease vntill yee haue taken possession of Naboth his vineyard; ye towne-batterers, ioyners of house to house, and land to land, vn­till there be no place for the poore, whē will you leaue to come to Sermons for a shew, and to make religion a cloake for such horrible impietie? You are ba­stard children, and not the true gene­ration of Iacob: Therfore presume not to say that you are the sonnes of Abra­ham: for if you thus walke, the diuell is your father. It is you that haue ope­ned the mouthes of our enemies, whose blind charitie layeth so hard to your lame faith: you haue caused the gospell to be ill spoken of, and the name of our God to be blasphemed; the Lord re­forme your hearts, and grant you grea­ter mercy. On the other side, you that by the grace of God are not guiltie of this great contempt, be diligent, ear­nest, true, and faithfull in your duties towards Almightie God, who in the day appointed, shall set you with his An­gels [Page 120] for euer to praise him, and shall cast the polluted and vncleane out of his Church. This great God, and righ­teous iudge saue vs from the temp­tations of Sathan, that we may cleaue vnto him in faith and truth. Amen.

CHAPTER. 7.

HAuing before declared the conditions and manners of these Foxes which destroy the vines: it followeth next in order that we speake something concerning the vnkenel­ling of these Romish Foxes, which of all other are most daungerous to the state, both of Church and Common­wealth. The which we shall performe the better if we still compare a Foxe with a Foxe. Now first of all it is well knowne to Foxe-hunters, that the Foxe holds the strongest couerts, that he fli­eth from the field as a beast which tru­steth not in the swiftnes of his legs,Properties of a Foxe when he is in chase. nor the strength of his bodie, that he whee­leth about the thickets, and though he find none other helpe but a bush, he wil flie to it for his safegard: so it is with this [Page 122] kind of cattell for being hunted, they runne abroad here and there, but espe­cially fly from the fields into the woods,Whither the two-legged Foxes flie be­ing hunted. enquiring where there is one that makes no conscience of his ministerie, that will be content for handfuls of barley, and morsels of bread, for tyth cockes, and tyth sheaues to cloake a Catholickes knauerie; enquiring also where there is an vntaught people, fit for all religions, and all princes raignes, and consequently apt to swallow a bait of poisoned perswasion; that is a couert for a Catholick, thither flock the Foxes, and feed without feare.

Againe, another propertie of the Foxe is,How the Foxes make their kenels. to make his denne in the ground that is hard to dig, as in galt, clay, or such like earth, the passage into his earth be­ing streight, and going very farre in before it come to his couch, hauing al­so many holes thorow which to vnearth himselfe: Euen so it is with this kind, they make their burrowes strong, they haue so many streight passages, so ma­ny muses, so many winding corners, so many turnings, so many interturnings, and starting holes, that it is a matter full [Page 123] of difficultie to find the couch of a Ca­tholicke,Hard to vnke­nell a Foxe-priest. especially of a Priest or Iesu­ite: In so much as I may iustly say of them, as Caesar said of the Scythians, dif­ficilius est inuenire, quam superare, It is harder to find them than to foile them. For experience hath taught vs, that when it hath beene a matter vndoub­ted that a Foxe priest hath beene readie to say masse, and therefore his denne hath beene compassed, the terriers haue winded him, and all his pretie trinkets haue been found prepared for so great a peece of worke: yet in the ende the Foxe would not be found. Perhaps he serues the hunters now and then, as the fish called the Cuttle serues the fisher­man, which when she is like to be taken casteth forth a slimie humor like vnto ynke, and so darkning the vpper part of the water, and dazeling the fisher­mans eies, marres his aime, and esca­peth the daunger. Which sithens it is so, the greater the care ought to be, that there be such godly wisedome and cun­ning in hunting them, such toiles, such nets as are fit for such seruice, that there be such ministers as are able to handle [Page 124] the sword of gods word with both, hāds, that is to say, be able to confirme the e­stablished,Great need of good Foxe-hunters. to reclaime y^e back-sliders, to confute the aduersarie, and if the will of God be, to transforme the Foxes in­to sheepe; such magistrates as haue a zeale to fence and hedge in the vine­yard of the Lord of hostes, from the subtill inuasions and vnderminings of these noysome vermine; such toyles as are able to hold both the great and lit­tle Foxes. For where blinde guides are placed in the watch towre, and the basest liues are in the highest roomes, there Foxes indaunger the flocke, and many times finde more fauour then stands with the preseruation of the sheepe, or safe continuing state of the best affected subiectes.

Pursiuants Parators.In this place fit occasion is offered to speake (neither may I passe it ouer with silence) of a couple of terriers appoin­ted for the hunting and vnkenelling of these Foxes, whose true and hot hun­ting of them, as it is rightly to be com­mended where it is to be found: so the contrary doth breed great corruption in the Church, and is much to be lamēted.

For the better redressing of these deformities which are too manifest, & bringing of these terriers into good hū ­ting: it would be carefullie respected of them that haue power to reforme it, that they buy not their places: for this is an approued truth, that they will sell deare in the retaile, which they bought in the grosse: that is, will sucke profit out of the vilest things, & cut mens gar­ments off by the skirts for desire of gain: & hereby haue rushed horrible incōueni­ences both into church & cōmonwealth.

Againe, the Foxe hath many wiles wherby to make these Foxe-hounds at a fault, or to hunt counter; & especially he hath a mixture made of cogworth broad way,Vox populi. & penimate together with a few ratle flowers called goold maries, or mary-goolds, which being steeped in a little diuels milke, & cast into their eies makes them starke blind, & stops their sents: & hence it commeth to passe that popery beareth such swindge, because papists can pay wel, & that adultery & fornication scape without punishment, because wantons haue money. I say no more, let this be a watch-word to them whom it especially concerneth

CHAPTER. 8.

IF the Christian Church be impugned by open ene­mies, as Iewes, Turkes, Tartarians, and such as haue opēly renounced the person of the great sonne of God, and are cut off as rotten members, men not greatly regard it: But when such as are bred and nourished in the bosome of the Church, seeke to vndermine and supplant it; those household conflicts & home-bred battailes are they which trouble many in these daies.Household conflictes trouble many weake Chri­stians. O say they, here is so much arguing and dispu­ting, such diuisions and diuersities of opinions, that a man knowes not which way to turne himselfe. To helpe such, as without any good cause are thus put [Page 127] to a gaze: They must first vnderstand that it is the will of God that his Church shall not be free from these inward of­fences; and secondarily, know the prin­cipall reasons why he will haue it so.

Although our God, as he is the God of order and not of confusion, com­mendeth and deliuereth vnto vs his discipline; yet notwithstanding he suf­fereth the hypocrites for a time to haue their being amongst the faithfull, vntill the full restoring and reforming of his kingdome in the last day.The Church shall not be free from of­fences. Math. 13. Which thing is taught by y^t of our Lord Iesus Christ, where he resembleth the kingdome of heauen to a net cast into the sea, and gathering all kind of fishes, &c. to a field, wherin whilest the good husband­man soweth his wheat, the enuious came and scattered his teares. The A­postles also haue foretold the same, that the Church of God shall be pestered with pestilent enemies, and y^t they shall come with an efficacy of errour. This know (saith saint Paul) that in the latter daies some shall depart from the faith,1. Tim. 4.1.2.3. and shall giue heed vnto spirits of error and doctrines of deuils, which speake [Page 128] lies through hypocrisie, and haue their consciences burned off with a hot yron, &c. But there were false prophets, saith Saint Peter, 2. Pet. 2.1.2.3. also among the people, euen as there shall bee false teachers among you: Which priuily shall bring in dam­nable heresies, euen denying the Lord, that hath bought them, and bring vpon themselues swift damnation.The mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time. 1. Iohn. 4.1.2. Thus the misterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles times, as appeareth in Col. 2. & Galath. 1. Therefore Saint Iohn ex­horteth not to beleeue euerie spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false Prophets are gone out in­to the world. And why should this trouble you so much? Doe you not see that the cockle & the corn growe both in one field, the lillie and the thorne both on one ground, the blossome and the blast both on one tree, the flowre and the weed both in one garden, the sheepe and the goates doe feed both in one pasture? know you not, that in one arke were beasts cleane and vncleane, and that the Apostle saith, that in one house be vessels of honour, and vessels of dishonour? then wonder not to see [Page 129] the good, and the bad mingled toge­ther; but consider the reasons, giue God the glorie, and take heed to thy faith.

There be two principall reasons, why the Lord suffereth these houshold ene­mies to be in the midst of his vineyard, the first is for the probation and trial of his seruants, whether they be vnfained­ly coupled vnto him, in the spirituall bond of faith and of loue.Deut. 13. If there arise amongst you (saith Moses) a Prophet, or &c. Thou shalt not harkē vnto y^e words of that Prophet, or vnto that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God proueth you, to know whether you loue y^e Lord your God with al your heart & with all your soule. And indeed it is necassarie that we be kept in continual exercise of faith and praier, of patience, and con­stancie: and therefore is it said, that the Lord would not cast out before his people of Israel any of the natiōs which Iosua left when he died, that through them he might proue Israell whether they would keepe his waies to walke therein or no? And to this effect Saint Paul saith,1. Cor. 11. that there must be heresies [Page 130] that they which are approued might be knowne.1. Corin. 11. Where also that of Augustine is worthie remembrance, let vs vse he­retikes (saith he) not to that end to ap­proue their errours, but that by defen­ding the Catholickes doctrine against their deceits, we may be more watchful and warie: because it is most truly writ­ten, there must be heresies, that y^e tried & approued may be manifested or dis­couered from the holow harts amongst you. Let vs vse this benefit of Gods pro­uidence: for heretikes are made of such as would erre or be naught, thogh they were in the Church: but being out, they profit vs exceedingly, not by teaching the truth which they know not, but by stirring vp the carnall in the Church, to seeke truth, and the spirituall to cleare the truth. Thus then it is apparant, that both the weaker and the stronger, the carnall and the spirituall may profit by heresies and schismes which the Lord suffereth in his Church; the one by lear­ning, the other by teaching: for they shall trie our faith, and our loue, whe­ther we be counterfeits, & dissemblers; whether we wil be suddainly wind-sha­ken; [Page 131] whether we will forsake the truth, and follow falsehood; or whether faith be grounded in our hearts or no? For like as in the time of Moses, God suffe­red great magitians to be in Aegypt, that he might make his owne power more euident in Moses: so he suffereth heretikes, as sorcerers or enchanters, to be in the Church, that the power of praier, of faith, of loue, of zeale, might be more apparant. A crab oftentimes carrieth the coat of an apple, and is not well knowne but by the taste; copper hath the colour of gold, & is not so well tried as by the touch: an hypocrite may lurcke vnder the shadow of a beleeuer, and is not throughly manifested vntill his faith be tried; but y^e beliefe of Gods children is like vnto the glaze-worme which glittereth most brightly in the darkest night, or like y^e lampe that giues most light in the darke. But some will say, alas we are no clearkes, and in these diuisions and disputings, here is euery one alledging scripture for himselfe, what shall we doe, or what course shall we take that are vnlearned? For y^e bet­ter helping of you in this hazard, first [Page 132] looke whether euerie one alledgeth scripture or no? for that goeth for scrip­ture many times, with the Catholicks, which is no more to be found in the booke of the Bible thē Paradise in hell. Secondly, know them to be false teach­ers, which for confirmation of doctrine of faith alledge any other testimonies, ouer and besides the scriptures: for mans writings are no further to be cre­dited, then they bring warrant from the word of God, which containeth the whole counsell of God touching our saluation. If they reply, that all is not written which the Apostles taught, an­swere them with that which is said by the Apostle, who requireth nothing be­sides the scriptures to make the man of God complete: then compare their vn­written traditions with Gods written truth, the light will straight discouer their darknes. Thirdly, if the interpre­tations be repugnant, so as one or more of them must needs be erronious; then conferre scripture with scripture, and expounde, scripture by scripture, as Christ teacheth; and lastly, referre the whole vnto the correspondency of the [Page 133] articles of faith, the briefe abridgments of christian religion: and then if thou bringest with thee a teachable minde, and a desire to learne in humilitie, thou shalt not erre, but finde Christ in his owne home, that is, in his word.

The second reason why the Lord suf­fereth his Church to be troubled with deceitfull companions, is his proporti­onable iustice against the vnbeleeuers: And that Saint Paul meaneth when he saith, that when men haue no minde to obey God and his truth,2. Thess. 2.10. hee sendeth them false prophets euen with an effi­cacie and speedines of errour. The be­guiling of Achab showeth this eui­dently. Who is it, saith God, that shall deceiue Achab? as if he should say, I see that he will needs be drawne vnto the bottome of hell; for the wretch was de­filed with his Idols, had peruerted Gods seruice, was full of all stubbornnes,2. King. 22.2. and malice against the prophets, would re­ceiue no admonition. Therefore God seeing him a man forlorne, sendeth a lying spirit to beguile him. But here marke one thing especially comforta­ble to Gods childrē, that when God had [Page 134] giuen Sathan commission to execute his vengeance vpō the vnbeleeuers, he not onely giueth him leaue to punish them with losse of goods, sicknes of bo­die, &c. but giues powre to leade them into errour, vtterly to deceiue them and to carrie them away with lies. This is apparant in the historie of the triall of Iob where Sathan his first commission is to touch his goods, and the second, to touch his body: but he may not meddle with his soule. Thus you see, it standeth both with the manifestation both of the mercie and iustice of God, to send deceitfull work­men into his Church.

CHAPTER. 9.

THere is a kinde of people, who faine would that Da­uid should alwaies sing of mercie, that as it may seeme by excessiue cle­mencie, our Soueraigne might nourish a serpent in her owne bosome. Where­fore, although this matter hath been handled heretofore of such learned and godly men, as tender the saftie of her Maiestie, and the flourishing state of her trustie and true harted subiects; yet since the argument fits this place so well, I haue thought good to lend my hand to my brethren, and to proue, that no perfect papists can be sound & faith­full subiects to their christian princes. And I say perfect papists, because that euerie one that is blemished or holdeth [Page 136] any one errour or article of doctrine that the Pope holdeth, as perhappes purgatorie, or prayer for the dead, is in that article a papist. Yet I count not euery one that thus is taynted, within the compasse of false heartednes to the realme, or vnder the title of traiterous papists: for manie, otherwise sound sub­iects, are not purged from all infecti­ons, wherwith the whorish Church hath poisoned them: wherfore the cōsequent reasons must be vnderstood of perfit papists, whose hearts since they be Ita­lianated, I thus frame my first reason to proue them rotten hearted subiects.

CHAPTER. 10.

THe thing that our Ca­tholickes chiefly doe aime at, is that her highnes, and her coun­sell may be deceiued, by erronius pretence of pollicie, and colour of clemencie, that they may lurke vnder the shadow, and be nourished as a Serpent in the bosome. It is therefore heedfully to be respected, that the Church of the diuell be not maintained with indulgence, & multiplied with foolish mercie; but that it be kept vnder with sharpnes of dis­cipline and correction, that it grow not to such rankenesse as to choake the true Church. Foolish mercy may marre all, and clemencie may be great crueltie, when it ouerfloweth to the hazard of Gods [Page 150] Children. Where seueritie saith, one goeth into loosnes, their edifying goeth into destruction, custom goeth into cor­ruptiō, law into contēpt, mercy is laugh­ed, and godlinesse goeth into hypocri­sie, execution of lawes against Gods e­nemies, and the enemies of this Church and Commonwealth, is the marke that is leuelled at: and why should it not be hit, since diuinitie and godly pollicie wil haue it so? Wherfore although this point hath been no doubt handled religiously and zealously of the learned both in preaching and in writing: yet since it fitteth this place so well, I purpose to speake of it briefely and distinctly, and proue that both diuinitie and Christian pollicie require that sharpe execution be vsed in punishing the enemies of the Church.

CHAPTER. 11.

THere be two principall hunters, which the Lord of the vineyard vseth for the taking of these Foxes, Ministers and Magistrates; the one by the word, the other by the sword: By the word in reprouing their false do­ctrine, by the true; and in seeking to transforme them into sheepe: by the sword, in cutting off the putrified mem­bers, least by their meanes the whole bodie be hazarded.

The first hunter is the Minister, whose mouth and ministerie the Lord hath al­waies [Page 177] vsed to declare his will,Ministers hunters of the spirituall Foxes. and ther­fore they are called his mouth; which for this cause in the holy scripture are diuersly named, men of God, seers, pro­phets, planters of the Lords vineyard, builders of his house, watchmen ouer his Citie, husbandmen, Pastours, Do­ctors, Ambassadours, friendes of the bridgrome dealers in the marriage be­tweene Iesus Christ and his Church, dis­pensers of the mysteries of God: whose charge is vnderstood generally by the words of watching, and feeding; some­time more distinctly, by attending vnto the word and praier;Act. 6.4. 2. Tim. 3.16. sometimes by the words of teaching, improuing, correc­ting, and instructing; sometimes by these words of watering and planting. Therefore the Apostle calleth not this charge a dignitie,1. Cor. 3.6 1. Tim. 3.1 but a worke or busi­nes. And here orderly to proceed, let me beseech you that are the chiefe fa­thers in our Church, preferred to your places for your wisedome, learning and grauities, ouerseers of the flock bought with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ;Act. 20. whose securitie in this busines hazar­deth the health of the Church: but cir­cumspection [Page 178] shall daunt the pride of these wicked ones that seeke to bring vs into Babilon. The wicked walke on euery side. The papists speake proudly and neuer more proudly; young ymps that neuer beheld papistrie in her bra­uest ruffe, but haue sucked poyson from their mothers brests, are not afraid to vomit blasphemies against the al­mightie: let such Foxes be hunted, helpe to reforme this, for Gods glorie; and seeke the recouerie of him that hath troad his foote awrie: let not carefull preaching be choaked through desire of ambitious aspiring, nor common care of the Church made sleepie through hungring after priuate profit: why should they sleep and take their ease, who ought to watch both for them­selues, and for others?

Againe, I will speake to you, learned brethren, that hauing taken charge of christian soules, properly are called hunters of the spirituall Wolues in sheepes cloathing, and deceitful Foxes; see that you oppose your selues against all theeues and robbers that seeke the spoyle of the Lords flocke; against all [Page 179] tyrants that oppresse them; al hypocrites in show godly but indeede prophane persons, that giue offence by their de­formities: So shall you shunne those shamefull reproches, which by Gods iust iudgment are fallen vpon many in these dayes; yea so shall you shunne the great curses denounced against them which doe the worke of the Lord neg­ligently; and when the prince of pa­stours shall appeare, you shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glorie.

And that you may the better per­forme this, beware of the loue of this world: it is like Aqua fortis, if once it catch the heart roote; it will eate out all goodnes, all care, all loue, all zeale, and indignation against sin. Hence grow­eth nonresidencie, swallowing downe of steeples as easie as the hungrie doth his crummes.Loue of the world choakes care of pain­full preach­ing. Hence instead of hunting the Foxe, there is hunting for promo­tion and preferment, hunting for the profits and pleasures of this present life, hunting for honour and for hundreds, scratching of consciences in beating of the bushes for many benefices, whee­ling about the thickets to spie the [Page 180] couch of a prebendary or a deanrie, &c. and therefore hath it come to passe that some which haue had salt in them, that is vnderstanding, knowledge, and zeale, haue lost it through the perswa­sion of him that said; All this will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and wor­ship me; there being now no more relish in them then there is tast in the white of an egge: And what shall we say then of them, that neuer had any salt at all in them, neuer any loue, any know­ledge, any zeale? surely they be vnpro­fitable seruants, worthie to be cast out of the temple of God as filth and dounge.

For what breedes greater contempt against God, or discredit to his Gospel; what more reuiues a catholikes hope to returne vnto Babilon; or encoura­geth the traitours to the accomplish­ment of their practises, then the blind­nes, ignorance and impietie of the mi­nisterie? how commeth it to passe that foolish people retain their old liking to their fathers old faith, & yong imps haue the like opinion powred into them; and consequently, as it may seeme, easie to [Page 181] be drawne from their dutifull loyaltie to the loue of a stranger; but because they haue wanted such as should right­ly enforme them? can the inestimable treasurie of a mightie prince be seene in the beggarlines of a base Embassa­dour? can the aduersarie of the Gospell be drawne from falsehood, and errour by him that knowes not (I had almost said beleeues not) the truth? can a pa­pist be reduced from his worshipping of idols by him, that is no better then an idoll himselfe? can the carnall go­speller, the wanton libertine, the pro­phane heart, the beastly Epicure be brought to continencie, modesty and sobriety, by such which rather binde them in the cordes of iniquitie? Lastly, if to know God, and according to that knowledge to serue him, be the ground-worke of all true obedience; how is it then possible, that they whose consci­ences were neuer seasoned with any religion, should yeelde either to God or their prince any dutifull subiection? Saint Paul saith that he had begotten the Church of the Galathians;Gal. 4.9 1. Cor. 4.15. and cal­led himselfe the father of the Corinthi­ans [Page 182] in regarde of the ministerie, be­cause hee had begotten them by the preaching of the Gospell. Such fathers such children, such as are the seedmen, such seede they doe sowe. Where olde wilie Foxes, such as whose loue to re­ligion may be iustly suspected, are ad­mitted into this great calling, there poperie is sowne in stead of the Gospel; and Foxes growe vp in steade of sound christians: where blinde guides are made ministers, such as haue no more knowledge then idolles of woode and stone, preachers as they call them, of idiots; there must needes bee poore knowledge of God, and suspected du­tifulnes to the prince. The great hurt and dishonour that these bring to the Church of God, no man can with ef­fectuall words display it; nor plentie of teares lament it, all sermons, exhorta­tions, reprehensions, doe rather ag­grauate their condemnations, then worke any reformation.

We reade that the Emperour Com­modus was so cunning in darting, that hauing gotten stones for the exercise of his hand, many citizens did assem­ble [Page 183] to see him throw, whose dexteritie was such that hee neuer cast at wilde beastes, and missed his marke, nor gaue any wound that was not deadly: It is to be wished that euery one that re­buketh sinne should leuell so straight as did this Emperour, that neuer threw but he hit, neuer hit but he wounded; so should the reader with the Romans neither see one monster twise galled, neither any sin recouer the first wound. If darters at deformities could wound as deadlie as they aime directly, this monstrous monster had been vanqui­shed long ere this day: but alas it li­ueth, ô yet it liueth, & liueth to nourish papisme, atheisme, and epicurisme.

If any maruaile at this, how such are aduanced to houlde the helme as are scarce worthie to sit in the sincke; hoy­sed into Moses chaire, that are more meet to sit at Gamaliels feete; called to feede with the dugge of the Gospell, before they themselues be well wea­ned; and sent to fight the Lords bat­tles before they haue one stone to sling against Golias (that is one scripture to resist the tempter withall:) let him vn­derstand [Page 184] that this is either, because the heartes of patrones are limed with the loue of this world, which makes them not care whom they present; or many Bishops haue such motes in their eyes, that they cannot well see whom they blesse.

I am loth to rake in this dounghill of buying & selling of benefices, y^e which is a sufficient testimonie (if there were no more) that men haue as much true loue to religion, as euer had Machia­uell. Fiue sorts of patrones of benefices. There are diuers sorts that giue spirituall promotions in this land, some are our great Catholickes, whose care to send good ministers into the Church, I durst sweare for them, is as great as the Foxe euer had to feede the lambes. And how can it stand with their blind religion to send good ministers into the true Christian Church? but rather to dishonour and deface it by sending in the basest, such as haue neither Vrim, nor Thummim, neither brighnesse of know­ledge, nor vprightnes of life. It is said that Ieroboam made Israel to sinne, that is, to contemne religion: and why? be­cause he made priestes of the basest of [Page 185] the people. Therfore the diuell knowes well, that if he can get priestes to be made of the refuse, he shal bring people to condemne preachers, and pro­phecying priests, and religion. Here let our Bishops be circumspect to sift nar­rowly when the patrone giues the Foxe for his cognisance.

There is a second sort of patrons open adorers of their god Mammon. Mammonistes patrones des­cribed. These are as good to Gods Church as the for­mer. Indeed I must confesse, that when they giue their spiritual promotions, all their care is to get a mā of gifts: O gifts, gifts, & nothing at all respected with these Merchants but gifts. My meaning as no mystery, Si nihil attuleris ibis Homere foras. If you haue no gifts, the passage is plain & you must pack. Can we find, saith Pharao, such a man as this? (meaning Ioseph, for his excellencie) in whom is the spirit of God,Gen. 41.38. thou shalt be ouer my house. And can we find such a man as this, saith a sacrilegious patrone? mea­ning a Sir Iohn lacke Latin, lacke lear­ning, lacke conscience, whose friendes can pay wel, or purse is wel lined, or wil so friendly part the stake. Pharao, cruell [Page 186] Pharao, heathnish Pharao in the gouern­mēt of his Kingdom preferred Ioseph for inward grace: but these christians (for so they vnworthily are called) in giuing spirituall promotions for the benefit of Christ his Church, regarde nothing else but outward gaine. For when the match is made, this patrone must haue the tyth corne, Gleabe land; and the house peraduenture, if it be fit for a gentle­man; with tith wooll and lambe, if it be from the pastures: And what shall the poore parson haue (as they call him?) forsooth a little od money, tith calues, tith geese and a few egges at Easter. And how then? graundmercie must the seelie sheepe say to the butcher, that hath cut his throat. I will say to these as Simon Peter said to Simon Magus, Acts 8. thou and thy guifts perish, which thou receiuedst to giue so vnworthily, to the great dishonour of the Church: and he and his guifts perish, which he gaue to make a way for himselfe to that place in the Church, whereunto by the iudg­ment of his owne heart there was ne­uer any abilitie or aptnes.

To show that honour onely ought [Page 187] euer to accompanie vertue, the hea­thens built a temple to honour, and ad­ioyned thereunto another built vnto vertue, that so, whosoeuer would go vp into the temple of honour, should passe through the temple of vertue: monstrous it is that christians in pro­fession should be worse then heathens in practise, they would enter into the temple of honour by vertue, wee by bribes. If you thinke this to be no sin, heare the Lord complayning by the prophet Malachie in plaine tearmes,Mal. 3.8. that the taking away the tithes and of­ferings from that end they were ap­poynted vnto, was a robbing and spoy­ling of him, yea euen such a spoyling, as he would visit with a great and grie­uous curse. It is no lesse now, so long as authoritie ratifieth the same to the maintenance of the ministerie, and therefore vndoubtedly will haue a sharpe reuenge.

Balthasar escaped not the reuenging hand of God when he fell to feasting and carrusing with his princes wiues,Daniel. 5. and concubines, in the vessells of gould taken from the temple, but euen then [Page 188] espies the fingers of an hand writing vpon the wall before his face, that his kingdome God had numbred and fini­shed, and weighed him in the balance and found him too light; and therefore diuided and giuen his kingdome away to the Meedes and Persians.Read your sentence rob Churches. And doe you which eate the corne of the barne and drinke the bloud of christian soules, that solace your selues with the spoyle of the Church, thinke to escape the sen­tence of the almightie? It is a sure thing (if you could spie it) that the Lord hath diuided, blowne vpon it, and scat­tered that which by such sinister means you haue gathered together; neither shall it prosper; but as it hath been got­ten ouer the deuills backe, so shall it be spent vnder his dammes belly: and as it came in vpon a post rowling and tumbling on euerie side; so the Lord shall open the cage and it shall away againe, hauing caught winges like an eagle. But if perhappes you escape the sentence writing a diuision here, you shall bee sure without repentance of the sentence of confusion else where.

Dauid standing in great distresse for [Page 189] water would not drinke of the water of Bethleem, because it was gotten with the daunger of some few mens tempo­rall liues:See your sinne soule murde­rers. but you drinke and eate that which is gotten with apparant hazard of life eternall of hundreds and thou­sands.

Can you for conscience reply? nay the power of hell is not able to denie it. The foule cariō rauē is your cognisance which flew out of Noahes Arke, and re­turned not againe; but was detained with the filthie stench of drowned car­casses: euen so do you which thus seeke the spoile of the Church, Dulcis odor lu­cri ex re qualibet, the sauour of gaine is sweet, if you can sucke it out of the vi­lest things, euerie baggage or garbage is good enough for you.

There is a third sort which hauing no sense nor feeling of this sinne,Benummed and sencelesse patrones. be­stow Church-liuings not as caring for the Church, or respecting the edifying of the flocke of Christ, but as they are moued by kindred, by fauour, by af­fection, by suits:Your practise proues you Atheistes. so they do bestow suf­ficient liuings vpon vnsufficient per­sons. I say, not caring whether the [Page 190] people sinke or swim, stand or fall, liue or die, be saued or damned. The Lord Iesus sets it downe as a note of the mi­nisters loue, that he feeds the flocke: In like sort is it the patrones loue to cause the flocke to be fed. Contrariwise it is want of loue in the minister, if he do not feed: and what is it in the patrone, if by his carelesnes this come to passe? It is a fault to giue the calling to him that is vnworthie, & no fault to giue the liuing vnto him? In the sixth of S. Markes gos­pell it is said of Christ, that going out & seeing a great multitude of people gathered together, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepheard: It is a necessary consequēce, that if Christs bowels earn to see his sheep depriued of a shepherd, that he will make your hearts ake that are the cause of this horrible sinne. I am ashamed to rehearse how the Church of god is abused by you, who in bestowing your Church-liuings giuing them not to ministers, as ministers; but as to your sons, or your seruants or your kinsmen, or to some other that by some by-desert hath gained your fauours: and yet be­hold [Page 191] you would faine seeme friends to religiō and pretend many good motiōs. But to be plaine with you, your motions are like vnto the grashoppers, y^t no soo­ner giues an hop vpward, but down he comes againe; your words may seeme heauenly, but your practise is earthly.

There is a fourth sort of patrons which professe religiō,These would haue you thinke they loue the Church, and so they do. & yet many of thē smut­ched with this blot. These go beyond the rest, in this that they would be glad the people should be fed with knowledge and vnderstanding: but as the mammo­nist before named, cares not whom he presentes, so he may reape the profit; if he cannot compasse it to make it plain­ly temporall: so this patronizer makes a pause (you must thinke) to find one sufficient to take the charge:These spin hy­pocrisie finely. but indeed that either an haruest may quite his cost he hath been at, by many suters; or else to get a good one as cheape as he can. It was once said, religio peperit diuitias, sed filia deuorauit matrem: that is, religion brought forth riches, but the daughter deuoured the mother. The times are al­tered, & religion mournes, because her best seruants want their wages. For they [Page 192] neuer gaue so fast as now they take a­way,Sublatis stu­diorum prae­mijs ipsa studiae pereunt, saith Cornelius Taci­tus. and substraction is become a great part of patrons study. The conclusiō like to follow such polling premisses, is the decay of learning, piety & religiō, & the bringing in of al Atheisme, error & Bar­barisme. For they which would study di­uinitie aboue all, when they see that the Church hath scarce the fauour of an or­dinarie ward, yea when they behold the contempt, the beggerlines, vexatiō and miserable want of the ministery, are glad to fall to phisicke, or law, or some other trade.Gen. 48 7 What shall I say of you? You are worse thē Pharao, for he had a care of his priests howsoeuer the world went with the rest. You are not so kind to ministers of the gospel as Iesabel that painted har­lot,1. King. 18.19. These shall rise in iudge­ment against you. Iud. 17. was to the prophets of y^e groues, for she fed foure hundred at her table: you are not half so religious, as Micha was su­perstitious, for he maintained his priests. You shew that you haue lesse loue to re­ligion then they papists haue to super­stition. The kite is your cognisance, who being greedy and rauenous, yet moun­teth aloft as though he would touch the gliding clouds; but yet when he flieth [Page 193] a matchlesse pitch, he hath his eies fixed below on the earth, spying and prying for a carrion carcasse: euen so you soare aloft in your contemplation, and in a certain counterfeit sanctimony seeme to be raised and carried aboue the clouds; yet so long as you can find in your harts to play the part-stake patrons to spoile the Church, & to seeke to enrich your selues by such robberies (they are no better) it is an infallible signe that you are worldlings and earthly minded, see­king your owne gaine and priuate pro­fit. For Gods loue let this be reformed, that we may know you by another cog­nisance. The last and best sort of patrons are such as account them worthie of double honour which rule well,The best sort of patrones. 1. Tim. 5.17. that hold the labourer worthie of his hire; that no man goeth to warfare on his owne charges;1. Cor, 1, from the 5, verse to the 15 that husbandmen should eate of the fruit of such vineyardes as they themselues planted; that sheppe­heards should eat of the milke of their owne flockes; that sowers of spirituall things, which are the greater, are well worthy to reape carnal things which are the lesser; that they which serue at the [Page 194] altar are worthie to liue by the altar. These for their cognisance may fitly giue some rare bird; I had almost said the blacke Swan: but it shall be the Eagle, for she mounteth on hie and falleth not on the ground, but to seeke her necessa­rie food, and being satisfied straightway soareth aloft: euē so the minds of these are occupied in heauen, all superfluous cares being cast apart, they indeed wish the prosperity of Ierusalem, & the hap­py florishing state of the Church. O Lord almightie encrease the number of these; and in thy mercy conuert, or in iustice confound such Church-robbers as sauor nothing but their own gain, as daily in­deuour to take away y^e reward of know­ledge & are the death of thousand thou­sands of souls: stir vp O Lord thy faithful seruant our dread soueraigne, that with Nehemiah she may thrust out all such E­liashibs as abuse the Church in this man­ner,Nehem. 13.14. and euerie Tobiah linked in affinity with them, that thy seruants may haue their own portions, and that thou maist not be mocked; so we thy workmanship and sheep of thy pasture, for so great a mercy, shal praise thee fer euer. Amen.

CHAPTER. 12.

THere be two sorts of men, which say that the charge of Religion belongeth not to the office of the magi­strate. First, they which vn­der pretence of their annointed clear­gie, and priuiledged priesthood can­not abide to haue their abuses refor­med. Secondly, they which eyther are infected with some heresie, or else are willing to dally with heretikes. The first sort doe onely require of the magi­strate to maintaine and defend their degrees. The second sort holdeth, that the magistrate ought onely to meddle with the maintenance of pub­like peace, and not to regard what others beleeue or not beleeue. But [Page 196] the true Church teacheth that the charge of publike religion doth not in part,Charge of re­ligion belon­geth to the Magistrate. but principally, and most of all belong vnto the magistrate, which thing the holy scripture approueth. Moses the first generall magistrate of the Israelites,God gaue the order of religi­on to Moses not to Aaron. who did not represent the person of a priest, which was put vnto Aaron, but of the superiour power like vnto the authoritie of a king, did giue the order of al religion vnto the people, & appointed vnto Aaron & the order of the priests what they should do, & what they should not do. Wherby it appeareth that the care of the order of religiō doth rather belong vnto y^e superior magistrat, then vnto the degree of priesthood.

I know they will say, that Moses did dispose all these things at Gods com­maundement. It is true: but I will be answered againe, why God gaue not the commaundement for order of reli­gion vnto Aaron, whom he had conse­crated to be a priest, rather then vnto Moses? So then this rather sheweth that the charge of the institution and gouer­nance belonges vnto the magistrate; but the institution, charge and ministra­tion, [Page 197] belongs vnto the priests. Againe, after the death of Moses, the charge of religion belonged not to Eleasar the Priest, but to Iehosua the magistrate, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, Iosua. 5 and not of Leui, by whose commaundement the children of Israell were the second time circumcised, y^e Ark of God carried by the priests, the altars builded, the people sanctified, and the rest of the lawes fulfilled, which Moses prescri­bed. Againe, Iehosua charged them to feare the Lord,Iosua. 8 and to serue him with an vpright and faithfull heart. Iehosua charged them to rid out of the way all straunge gods, Iehosua renewed the co­uenant betweene God and his people, and compiled the words of the coue­nant into the booke of Gods law.

True it is that the office of magistra­cie and priesthood both were ioyned together in the person of Samuel, 1. Sam. 1. but yet he being at that time the chiefe man in Israell, iudged and determined as a magistrate, taught and sacrificed as a priest.

Dauid a patterne for good magistrats,The ordering of religion by Dauid. and vnto whom Christian rulers ought [Page 198] to haue an eie for godlinesse,2. Sam. 6 had the au­thority of disposing & setting forth true religion,1. Chro. 16 1. Cho. 22.23.24.25 he recouered the Arke of God from contēpt receiued in y^e time of Iud­ges, & of Saul, & placed it more comely: he appointed Priests, Leuites, singers, and doore-keepers, to minister in the tabernacle of the lord. He aduised kings to looke vnto their duties:Psal. 2 And now ye kings vnderstād, be learned which iudge the land, serue the Lord in feare, &c.

Salomon did beare the highest charge in religion,Salomon, Asa and Iehosa­phat tooke charge of reli­gion. not onely in building the Lords Temple, but also in consecrating & hallowing of the same. What should I speak of Asa, who hauing the charge of religion did rid away the Idols out of all the land of Iuda & Beniamin, 2. Chro. 6 2. Chro. 15 2. Chro. 29.30.81 &c. And of Iehosophat, who tooke away the hil-altars and groues out of Iuda: Of Ezechias, who following the footsteps of his father Da­uid in the beginning of his raign the first yeare and first moneth, opened and re­furnished the gates of Gods house, commaunded the priestes to heare him, & to become holy, to cleanse the Lords house, and to rid all filthines out of his sanctuarie, appointed Leuits with cym­bals [Page 199] Psalters & harps, according to the ordinance of the king his father. The like is written of Iosias, who vsed the same power & authority in the like case. Now then since it is so cleare,Iohn. 12.18 Rom. 13.1 that kings & princes are y^e seruants of God establi­shed in authority, & girded by him with a bawdrier to y^e end, that not only hone­sty of life should be maintained, opposed to violence & dissolution; but y^t the true seruice of God should be aduanced con­trary to idolatry & superstitiō: Therfore they ought with all y^e power which God hath giuen thē, to vphold y^e holy ministery & worship of God, as wel in vpright­nes of discipline, as purity of doctrine; y^t both may be cōformable to the word of y^e Lord testified by Christ & his Apostles, without adding or clipping or altering: & consequently bridle as much as they can, & punish according to y^e exigence of the case, the perturbers of y^e peace of y^e Church. For religiō belongs not to the left, but to y^e right hād of a prince; neither is there any crown so curiously wrought or cunningly set with precious pearles, y^t can half so beautifie a princes person, as to seek to promote y^e glory of y^e lord, and [Page 200] to take these Foxes which seeke to vn­dermine his vineyard. The seruants of Benhadad king of Syria,1. King. 20 Traitors make mercy the groundworke of mischiefe. what wrong soeuer they had offered to Israel, yet fallen into the lapse, would reuiue and recomfort themselues with these words: Behold we haue heard say that the kings of Israell are mercifull kings, let vs therefore put sackcloth about our loins, and ropes about our neckes, and go to the king of Israell, it may be that he will saue our liues. Thus standing vpon what may be, and not what ought to be, what peraduenture he would, and not what they deserued, they make mercie the ground plot of mischiefe. But the king is reproued, and it is told him, thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people: No lesse are those run­nagate ruffians to be regarded with thē which welcome and intertaine them. For as the practise of the one is to steale away the hearts of subiects, so the mark that the other aime at, is to lend them their hands against their countrie, if time should serue their turne. The Al­mightie God preserue her Maiestie, and euermore increase all zeale in her for [Page 201] the punishment of his, & her enemies; that as Asa commaunded all such to be slaine as would not serue the God of Is­raell; as Darius deliuered Daniel, 1. King. 15 Daniel 6 Daniel. 4 2. King, 19 2. King, 23 and cast his enemies into the den of the Li­ons; as Nabuchadnezzar serued him, who by proclamation forbad any in his Do­minion to blaspheme the true and very God; as Ezechias and Iosias serued him by ouerthrowing the groues, and the places that were set vp contrarie to Gods commaundement: So she with Dauid, hating Gods enemies with a perfect hatred, may seeke to root them out more and more: and as alreadie she hath broken downe the lofts, that were builded to idolatrie, ouerthrowne, pol­luted, and defiled the altars, defaced the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the host of heauen; so she may cut vp the verie roots of iniquitie, and ex­pell the Cananites, that the Common­wealth of Israell be not troubled. O let not the glozing speech of any ambiti­ous parasite dazle her highnesse eies, nor boulster vp poperie by a false per­swasion to further clemencie; but let him be dishonoured in a day that is [Page 202] not truly zealous for the honour of his God: and let him die the death that wisheth not her Maiesties throne to stand steadie as the seat of Salomon; and you that feare the Lord, and loue his truth, say Amen. Furthermore as y^e fore­sight of her Highnes most honourable counsell hath appeared in shielding vs from forraine foes: so ought their chiefe circumspection to be seen in shielding vs from domesticall feare. Then shall we being free in our bow­els from sedition at home, be stron­ger to withstand forraine power a­broad.

It is not a safe thing to lay the bridle vpon the necke of such dangerous pra­ctitioners, by whom both prince, your selues, our liues, our countrie, our for­tunes may be hazarded in an instant: execution of discipline is a perfit mithri­date against al dangerous conspiracies, insurrections, seditions, rebellions, and all popish pollicies. Correct saith Ben­syra a wise man with a nod, and a foole with a club: there hath been mildnesse and lenitie shewed long enough; there hath been becking and nodding, and [Page 203] notting long enough; but the fro­ward will not receiue information: What remaineth then but an hammer, or an hatchet, or a club, execution I meane of Iustice, against these house­hold enemies? Your H. shall rightly propose to your selues the example of Moses, who for the like cause han­ged vp the princes of the people, tea­ching thereby all good rulers to make them examples in suffering, who haue been the ringleaders in offen­ding.

Here also to you the graue sages of this land may rightly a lesson be read: I meane the Iudges placed ouer Gods people to iudge soundly & substantially betwixt brethren and brethren; vnto whom God hath after a sort lent his name and his seat,The dutie of Iudges in hun­ting the Foxe. to teach you chiefly to regard and maintaine his owne ho­nour. If it be your duties to punish theeues, murtherers, and such like per­turbers of the peace of the Common­wealth, then much more the vnder­miners of the Lords vineyard, grosse Idolaters, hollow hearted votaries, disloy­al persons, whose liberties & prosperities [Page 204] in a Christian Church what can it elfe argue, but that iustice is turned into iugling? and true religion, either in­to heathenish prophanenes or Romish superstition? You may not forget that Iustice is pictured with a paire of bal­lances in one hand, and a sword in the other; to teach you that Iustice must re­turne to iudgement, whether in regar­ding the good, or punishing y^e euill. Im­probum hominē praestat non accusasse quàm absoluisse. It is better not to haue accu­sed, then after accusation to acquite the malefactour: but to dally with Church enemies, presageth future daunger, and in time may proue fatall to the state. Let Moses also be your president, who punished idolaters against God, as sharpely as traitours against himselfe. O Lord! that a traitour to the kingdome of Christ Iesus should find a friend in a Christian Commonwealth; but of Iud­ges, Magistrates, and gouernours, it were vntollerable. Shall a poore theefe packe to Tiburne for fiue shillings, and one that if it were in his hand would strangle or cut the throat of the Church, escape scot-free? Tully truly said Ma­gistratus [Page 205] indicat virum, authoritie decla­reth a man what he is, whether he loue equitie or briberie, iustice or crueltie,Authoritie tri­eth a man. religion or superstition. If a Lion his pawes, if a Wolfe his iawes will betraie him; if he loue the Church and religion he will draw the sword against her foes; if he be an ambodexter, he careth but a little for her friends. Here therfore I re­quire you, that as you serue God in feare, and loue his truth in heart; that so you would promote his glorie in zeale, and punish the offender according to the exigence of the case: for as it is an hor­rible sinne with Pilate to iudge Christ guiltlesse, and then to condemne him; with Festus to approue Pauls cause, and then to leaue him in prison: in like sort it is a wicked thing in words to sen­tence the enemies of Christ, and indeed to turne them loose to liue at their plea­sures like Foxes amidst the flocke, to try what hauocke they can make of all.

I may not pretermit in this place, the great care and conscience that ought to be in election of Magistrates in Cities, Burrowes, and Townes endewed with such priuiledges. Iethro points out the [Page 206] properties of them which should beare rule: Thou shalt choose out amongst all the people men of courage,Exod. 18 fea­ring God, and hating couetousnes, and them shalt thou make gouernours ouer the people. The Israelits desired God to graunt vnto Iosua, Iosua. 1 being newly made their gouernour, an heart to go in and out before them. A necessarie praier; for what an vgly thing were it to choose Verres a theefe to inueigh against rob­berie; Crassus a miser to make his plea against couetousnesse; Gracchus a trai­tour to giue sentence against trea­son; Nero a tyrant to declaime against crueltie, that is, to picke out such to punish sinne as are more worthie of pu­nishment themselues, like vnto the whore hunting Iudges of Samaria, mentioned by Ieremie? Ier. 5 And I would to God that such were not the election in many places where officers are cho­sen,Vntollerable abuses cōmit­ted in manie places. as if men would picke rottennes out of an apple, where election is made a matter of formalitie, where wealth not wisedome, riches not religion, suf­ficiencie to feast them, no abilitie to gouerne them, is the leuell of their [Page 207] choice. Hence grow such swarmes of Atheistes, Epicures, & Papists in ma­ny quarters of this land, as it is la­mentable to behold. For the reason why wicked men abound, is because wicked men beare rule.

Lastly,All good sub­iects must be Fox-hunters. euerie good Christian that desireth the free passage of the gos­pell of Iesus Christ, in respect where­of, all pompous glorie is no better then dounghill filthinesse; and eue­rie good subiect that desireth the prosperitie of her Royall person, and peace of this Realme, must shew forth the power both of religion, and loy­altie in this worke of setting the toyle wherewith to take these Foxes. And that you may do it with alacritie and cheerefulnesse, doe but consider how the diuell, the Pope and the Turke, haue giuen their consentes to sup­plant and vndermine, or else open­lie to assault and inuade this vine­yarde of the Lorde. Let there bee a sacrifice proclaimed to the Queene of Heauen, there will be no spare of cost or trauaile: Young men will [Page 208] cut woode, children will gather chippes, women will fetch water, olde men afforde wheat, one will knead dough, another heat the Ouen, and all to sacrifice (I say) to the Queen of heauen: Yea, there liueth many a­mongst vs, whose hearts are full of bitternesse, because they may not sing salue regina. These are they that vse wicked consultation in holy places, prophane our Temples by lewde con­ference, and make the house of prai­er a denne of theeues.Priuie markes of Romish Foxes. These are they that construe euerie accident to the aduantage of their owne purpose. These are they that by their whispe­ring tales woulde put men in feare, when there is no cause of feare; thin­king to make men affraid of scarre­crowes. But the name of God be praysed, who is vnto this land, euen a wall of Brasse, who as he hath gi­uen vs religion from heauen as a crowne; so hath it pleased him to strengthen this kingdome with loyal­tie as a strong defence: and yet more magnified be thy name O Lord our [Page 209] fortresse and deliuerer, who when disloyall persons haue been founde endeuouring to prostitute our beau­tie to a straunger, hast discouered the conspiracie, and brought deserued destruction vpon the deuisers; so Lord we beseech thee still to watch ouer vs. Amen.

CHAPTER. 13

THe gardiens and kee­pers of the spirituall vineyard (as hath been declared) ought to be in continual chase of these hurtfull beasts, and not to leaue them vntill either they be transformed into sheepe, or else driuen quite out,The word of God the first toile where­with to take Foxes. that the whole flocke be not hazarded. Now the first meanes to ef­fect this, is by pitching the haies and set­ting the toiles of the word of God, by the light whereof their darknes may be discouered; as also by the fire thereof, the chaffe of their lies and falshood may be consumed. Hereby you may see the necessitie of such a ministerie as is able [Page 211] to handle the sword of the word with both hands; as is able to beget his peo­ple in the faith, to confirme the esta­blished, to strengthen the weake, to reclaime the back-sliders, and to con­fute the aduersarie, that the enemie may no sooner peepe out his head, but the sworde of the spirit may be readie to cut it off.

Yee famous Vniuersities, eterni­zed in Honours booke for deepe lear­ning, and feruent loue to Religion; Almightie God make you still fruite­full, that from you both as sisters en­dowed with like priuiledges, crowned with like honour, may proceed Foxe-hunters into euerie corner and quar­ter of this land. Your children hi­therto haue receiued all chalenges of Romane Champions, and chased this noysome vermine that haue la­boured to poyson the synceritie of our faith. Worthie Whitakers Whitakers. of ne­uer dying fame, small cause hath Rome to vaunt her Bellarmine, or Louan to admire her Stapleton, (ours had he not been enchanted) by thee both wounded.

Profound Fulke,Fulke. whose truth and great trauaile the Church of God hath tried, many a Foxe hast thou had in chase, not able to abide thy hot pursuite. Who euer gaue the dare, and thou did­dest not receiue the challenge? Hum­frey Humfrey. of much reading, in thy time wast thou a chiefe hunter of the Romish Foxe. How oft from chaire of truth hast thou confuted their lying false­hoods? Reynolds, Reynolds. as thou hast Rainard the olde Foxe and his cubs in chase; so God, according to his good will, giue thee long life still to hunt and pursue them, that by the fire of Gods word, the chaffe of their lies may be cōsumed. I might take occasion in this place to vrge soundnes and synceritie, in setting this toyle of the word. For it is not de­crees of Popes, nor determinations of Councels, not Cicero his eloquence, nor Aristotle his philosophy,Gods word purely prea­ched, trans­formeth Fox­es into sheepe that can cōuert a sinner, or transforme a Foxe into a sheepe: but it is the law of God truly taught and opened, that reduceth men from their errours and deformities, and bringeth them into the perfit path of health and saluation: I say the preach­ing [Page 213] of the word, accompanied with the assistance of the spirit. For it is not in man, neither in whole nor in part, to draw men vnto God, to open their eies, to bore their eares, to illumine their minds, or open their hearts: No, no, to fit the ground to receiue the seed, to make it bud and blossome, and bring forth fruit, is the worke of the onely sonne of righteousnesse, who giueth re­pentance, and remission of sinnes vnto his Israel.

If the wicked and vngodly will needs be so wilfull,Good lawes a needfull toile whereby to take Foxes. as to refuse the ministerie of the word; then the Magistrates must pitch the toiles of Gods lawes, which are the verie life and soule of the Commonwealth, as Tully saith in his O­ration for Cluentius: Neither is any com­monwealth more able to vse her owne parts without the helpe of good lawes, then the bodie of a man can exercise the due operations without vnderstan­ding: And therefore is it said of Aristotle that the sunne is not more needfull to the world, then good and wholesome lawes are to the preseruation of the Commonwealth. For as the sunne by [Page 214] his heate, and influence doth nou­rish plantes, trees, and hearbes; com­fort also and giue strength vnto them, to exercise their seuerall properties: so good lawes nourish and main­taine the flourishing state of king­domes; as on the other side without these, there can be nothing else but disorder and vtter confusion. But yet it may not be forgotten,Execution the life of the law. that as good lawes are the liues of Com­monwealths: so execution is the life of the lawe; for lawes are better vn­made then vnkept: and our lawes seeme like to Spiders webbes, where-through the buzzing Bees, Hornets, or horse-flies doe breake; but the poore feeble flies hang fast. If this were not so, you should haue few­er Gentlemen theeues, fewer Gen­tlemen adulterers, fewer Gentlemen idolaters. And who knoweth not that although a Citie were defended with walles of Brasse; yet if there want men and munition, in time they will be beaten downe: euen so though lawes were neuer so wisely made; yet if they want such as shall vrge their [Page 215] obedience and defend them, they will soone prooue nothing worth. There­fore the saying of Solon is worthie re­membraunce, who being asked when the Commonwealth did most flou­rish, aunswered, when the people o­bey the Magistrate, and the Magi­strate obeyeth the lawe.

Againe, for the right proceeding in iudgement against hereticall persons,Two things to be reproued in an heretike: you must consider that there be two things worthie to bee reprooued in an hereticke-seducer; for a difference is to be made betwixt the seducer, the grand Captaine or Ringleader, and the poore seelie wretch seduced. Now in the seducer there is first his here­sie; and secondly, the scatteringe of his heresie, whereby he goeth about to infect and poyson others. These seed-men of superstition and hereti­call scatterers, must be better looked vnto, that the multitude may be sa­ued from seduction:Seducing heretikes. or else great dan­ger will growe not onely to Christ his Church by poisoning and peruer­ting the puritie of religion; but to the state of the land, by daily addi­tion [Page 216] of strength to the Romish facti­on. It is too well knowne how fast our Papists doe encrease in many parts of this land; and how daily one draweth another into the pit of perdition: sure­ly the fault is either in the minister or magistrate, or else in both. But this is a sure thing, that as Poperie getteth ground; so the Gospell looseth ground: and where superstitiō swimmeth, there religion sincketh. Lastly, whether they wish the life or the death of her Maie­sties person, by whose most gracious go­uernment true religion is continued, who are so hotly deuoted to superstiti­on; let the former reasons against all perfect papists determine.Seduced peo­ple. As for the seduced and poore deceiued wretches, all meanes are to be practised for their conuersions: but when as once it is pro­ued that they are not onely ignorant, but obstinately and wilfully ignorant, and that the more they be forborne, the lesse they are reformed; like vnto the vine that prospereth with no pruning, or the hearb that withereth with wate­ring: what can remaine else, but that where milde and temperate medicines [Page 217] can take no effect, there be vsed violent meanes, as sharpe corosiues: and why not cauterie & incision, least that grea­ter inconuenience grow either by ex­ample, which giueth encouragement, or by corruption which comes by their companie. Therefore the wholesome counsell of the Poet is to be hearkened vnto, where he saith:

For experience plainely teacheth, that the Cancer consumes the Rose, the Ca­terpiller eates the fruite, the sore eye infects the sound, that pitch defileth, that leauen sowreth, that scabde sheepe infecte the flocke. I will end this point, affirming thus much, that since all may in freedome doe well without feare: it were lamentable that any should haue libertie to doe wickedly with fa­uour.

I will speake a little of the miserable end of traitors, and so conclude:The miserable end of tray­tors. in rea­ding [Page 218] either the booke of God, or other histories, we shall hardly find that tray­tors haue closed vp their eyes with ho­nour. Sellam conspired against Zacha­rias the King of Israel, and slew him: but within one moneth after, he him­selfe was slaine of Manahem. 4. King: 15 Peka con­spired against Pekaiam, but after was slaine of Oseas. But what should I light a candle at noone day? We our selues are eye-witnesses, that very seldome traitors go down to the graue in peace. Ambitious Richard the vsurper, because he was notorious,Richard the Vsurper: shall here be remem­bred, who to make the way to his hau­tie desire of Soueraigntie, spared nei­ther age, affinitie, nor degree, vntill he had got the regall diademe: and then thought he himselfe so surely grounded, that he might bid defiance to heauen and earth: but see his end; he was slaine in the field, and being disarmed and stripped, was throwne ouerthwart an horse backe, with his face downeward, and daubed with dirt, brought from Bosworth to Leicester, and there in stead of a princely funerall, had for his Herauld infamie, shame for his shrou­ding [Page 219] sheete, and neuer dying obloquie for his sepulcher.

Sir Iames Tyrrel mounted aloft,Sir Iames Tyrrell. Myles Forrest Iesabel sen­tenceth Traitours. for murthering the young King, was him­selfe beheaded by Henry the seuenth: Miles Forrest a cursed catife, did rot a­way peece meale: Iesabel although an abominable wretch, yet truelie thought that a traiterous life could seldome end with an happie death. Had Zimri peace that slew his master? Which speech, al­though it were grounded vpon a false coniecture, because that burthen by Gods appointment was laide vpon the house of Achab, and Iehu particularlie deputed to that charge, whereas Zimri had no commission to goe so far: yet im­plieth it this much, that shee thought treason an odious crime, and that ven­geance must needes follow it at the heeles; and haue we not had most ma­nifest experience of it in this land, with­in these few yeares? How many Iesuites in profession, Iscariots in practise, haue visited Tyburne? How many Foxe-priests haue taken their farewell at the gallowes? And although Rome hath lately beautified them with the title of [Page 220] Martyrs, whom either male-contented­nes or malice, caused to be treacherous to their Prince: yet is it a thing euident, that rebellion not religion; treason not truth; hath brought them to the halter. The almighty God that gouerneth hea­uen & earth, stil dissipate their deuices, and confound their counsels, that all such as seeke by treason to supplant Englands state, by sedition to sell her honour, or by rebellion to scatter her peace, may still receiue such iust re­ward for their demerits, as here­tofore they haue done. Amen.