WHen your mother shew­ed mée your Letters of the xvii. of March [...] last past: I did call to minde that which I had tolde her, more then thrée months before you departed from her. Which was, that I sawe in you such signes of Arrogancie, that I thought you to bee a méete stocke to graffe a Papist vpon. In reading of those your Letters, I percei­ued that I was not deceiued in that my coniecture. This spirite of Arrogancie beginneth to shewe it selfe, euen in the beginning of those your Letters: for you disdaine to vse those duetifull spéeches, that naturall children ought to vse, when they wryte to their natu­rall Parents. You séeme to be perswaded, that you abase your selfe enough (yea & ouermuch) to write thus to such Parents as they be.

Welbeloued Father and mother, after my harty commendati­ons which I haue vnto you, these are to certify you, that I haue re­ceiued your Letter, dated the xviii. of August.

If you had written to the meanest amongst them that haue béen your playfellowes, you must either haue passed y^e bounds of ciuill honestie, or els haue vsed as reuerent spéeches as these be. But did your Arrogant spirit suffer you to stay héere? no. For your Parents are so vile in your sight, and in comparison of your selfe, that you must needes write thus.

Were your Prayers any thing worth, I woulde thanke you: for [Page] that you pray vnto God to blesse me, and to endue me with the grace of his holy spirit, as also to lighten my hart, to the ende that I may vnderstand the troth. Were (as I saide before) your prayers any thing worth, I would thanke you hartily for these your wish­inges: but alas, they being such as they seeme to bee, scarsly can I keepe my selfe from teares.

If Lucifer himselfe (who is noted to be the father of pryde) shold haue writtē to his damme, could he haue vsed words of greater Arrogancie? You haue forgotten (I thinke) that commandement of God, which you did once knowe, & did acknowledge before a great congregation of Christians in my Church at Crepiegate. Honour thy father & thy mother &c. You remember not the saying of Syrache, in his 3. Chap. Qu [...] timet dominum, honorat parentes: et quasi dominis seruiet hijs qui se genuerunt. He that feareth the Lord, dooth honour his Parents, and doth seruice to them that begat him, euen as though they were his Lordes. And againe, Quam malae famae est, qui derelinquet Patrem: & est maledictus a Deo, qui exasperat matr [...]. How euill a report hath he, that forsaketh his Father? And he that vexeth his mother, is accursed of God. Yea and in the same Chap­ter he saith, euen immediatlie after those wordes that I haue cited before, In opere, et sermone, et omni patientia honora patrem tuum &c. Honour thy father in déede and in spéeche, and in all patience, that blessing from God may come vpon thée &c. The Fathers blessing doth establish the houses of the Children, but the mothers cursse doth roote out the foundations thereof. Yea, and Salomon saith in the 15. of his Prouerbs Stultus irridet disciplin [...]m patr [...]s sui. &c. The folish man doth deride the discipline of his father &c. And againe: Stultus homo despicit matrem suam. The foolishe man despiseth his mother. These sayings written in the Scriptures, were farre out of your minde, both when you harkened to these Counsellers that first ad­uised you, to leaue your father and mother in such sorte as you haue doone, and euer since (as may be gathered by that which you haue written in your Letters directed to them) but I coniecture, that you wyll staie your selfe vpon the words of our Sauiour Christ, written by the Euangelist Math. 19. Qui re [...]querit domum, vel fratres, aut sorores, aut Patrem, aut matrem▪ aut vxorem, aut f [...]lios. aut agros prop­ter nomen m [...]um: centuplum accip [...], & v [...]am aeternam possidebit. Who so shall forsake house, or brethren or sisters, or father, or mother, or [Page 2] wife, or childe, or fréends for my name sake, shall receiue an hun­dreth folde and possesse life euerlasting. But will you knowe what Chrysostome writeth vpon this place? Qui perdit animam suam propter me, inueniet eam: non vt nosmetipsos interimamus, ne (que) vt ani­mam nostram violenter a corpore disiungamus: sed vt religionis pietatem, caeteris omnibus anteferamus. It a de vxore quo (que), ac fratribus intelligen­dum est. Who so looseth his owne life for me, shall finde it: not that we should kill our selues, neither that we should violentlie seperate our owne soule from our bodie, but that we should preferre the god­lines of Religion before all the rest. Euen so must we vnderstande that which is spoken of the wife and brethren. Now, if those words of our Sauiour, written by S. Mathew doo not enforce you to kyll your selfe, why shoulde they cause you to leaue your father and your mother, in such sort as you haue doone, the staffe of whose age you should haue béene, if you had béene carefull to doo as once you confes­sed in my Church, that by Gods law you are bound to doo. That is, to loue, honour, and succour your father and mother, to obey them and serue them, to feare and reuerence them, not onely in word and déede, but in your hart and minde also. To followe their precepts and examples of life, & patientlie to take correction at their handes, and to make continuall and hartie praiers to God for them. To re­lieue and nourish them, in case they should fal into pouerty or decay. And in all points by shewing your selfe an obedient and good child, to mooue them to be louing and good to you. All this you confessed in my Church before many witnesses, which shall in the day of iudgment be a testimonie against you, to condemne you of wilfull Apo­stacie, and a witnes to discharge your father and mother, (and all o­thers that haue had the education of you) of all maner negligence, in enstructing you in the knowledge of your duety, both towards God, and towards man. So that if you perish, your blood shalbe vpon your owne head alone. You procéede in your answere, and thus you say.

You write furthermore vnto me, that you haue made great en­quirie after me. I know it well. I was in feare great enough by rea­son of that enquirie, as long as I was in Englande, although (that God be thanked) I haue, though hardly, escaped your handes.

In these wordes you make knowne to as many as shall reade this your answer, both the dutiful care that your good parents [Page] had to preserue you (their wicked sonne) from destruction bothe of body and soule: and also your owne wilfull determination, to caste your selfe headlong into that Gulfe of perdition, that you are nowe fallen into. Yea, and that you are of that number that Esay y^e Pro­phet bewayleth, when he writeth thus in the 5. chap, V aequidicitis malum bonum, & bonum malum: ponentes tenebras lucem, & lucem te­nebras, ponentes amarum in dulce, & dulce in amarum. Alas for them that call euill good, and good euill. Affirming darknes to be light, and light to be darknesse, turning sower into swéete, and swéete into sower. The bright shining light of the knowledge of y^e truth, which dooth nowe shine in England, you call the darknes of ignorance and errour: and the hellike darknes of Poperie, wherein you doo nowe wander, groping after the way of Saluation, you call light, shew­ing your selfe to be one of them that are noted by our English Pro­uerbe. They that be in hell, doo perswade themselues, that there is none other heauen. Moreouer you say thus.

You heard that I was at Rhemes: it is verie certaine, I was there, the reason also wherefore I writt not vnto you, was partly the scar­sitie of messengers, and partlie other thinges, which here I can not well rehearse. Againe, I could not write vnto you conueniently, be­cause I doubted whether you were aliue or dead.

The report of your béeing at Rhemes, you say was true, which argueth y^t it was rather y^e lacke of good wyl in you, to comfort your sorrowfull parents by your duetifull Letters, then the lacke of messengers that stayed your penne. What the other lets were, which héere you can not well rehearse: I hope you will tell vs at some other time more conuenient, and when it shall not bee so daun­gerous for you, as nowe it is. And béeing by these Letters (that you confesse you haue receiued) certifyed that your Parents are ly­uing, that doubt that you spake of can no longer bee any let at all. Procéeding in your answere, you say thus.

You write againe vnto mee, that all my freendes are in good health, to tell you the troth, I knowe not any one freende amongst you.

Bona verba queso. Good sir, be good to Watkin. What not any one fréende amongst vs all? There are many yet liuing, y^t haue [Page 3] béene your fréends I am sure of it. As your father, your mother, my selfe, my wife (your Godmother) Master Moncaster, sometime your Schoolemaster, Master Fielde, Master Doctor Fulke, master Paule Swallow, and many moe that were your Mecaenates in Cambridge: and howe happeneth it, that all these be nowe blotted out of your Cataloge of fréends? By all likelihoode, all the benefites y^t haue béene bestowed vpon you, haue béene written in duste and not in Marble. Your Grandmother, that being your mothers mydwyfe, lapped you in the first swadling clow [...]s that euer you bepyssed, and did vnto you all the offyce of a mydwyfe: was she not your fréende? your mother that yet liueth, and during the time of your infancie, gaue you sucke of her owne breste, and fedde you with foode meete for you, when sometimes she spared it out of her owne bodie, was she not then your fréende? when she continued your Nursse, and did vnto you all that is to be doone by a Nursse, and when by your wra­ling and crying you had gotten a Rupture in the nether part of your belly, she sought and procured meanes to ease and remedy the same▪ by trusses and otherwise, was she not then your fréende? I coulde put you in minde of much more fréendship shewed vnto you, by vs a boue named, and by many moe, but all is buried in obliuion so déepe that it is not possible that the same canbe digged vp againe, in such sort that you can be moued to acknowledge the same. Your newe Fréendes are so setled in your conceyte, that all the olde are blotted out of memorie for euer. You regarde not the Counsell of Syrach who wryteth thus, Cap. 9. Ne derelinquas amicum antiquum, nouus [...] ­nim non erit similis illi. Forsake not an olde fréend, for the newe wyll not be like him &c. Well, you procéede in your answere, and thus you say.

As for my brother Aaron, I beseeche our Lord & sauior Iesus Christ by the merits of his bitter death and passion, to haue mercy vpon his soule, as also vpon yours, and to saue you all at the day of iudgement.

I doo like well of this your charitable wishe: and doo wishe the like saluation to you, and to all the rest of your newe fréends. But now you doo vse a spéech by the figure Apostrophe. And thus you write in the margine of your Letters.

Brother Aaron, leaue the Religion wherein you were at my departure from you: and if that you can by anie meanes come on this side the seas, come to Paris in Fraunce, and aske after the Mi­nimes Fryers at Nigeon, so shall you finde me. If that you come to me, leaue your naughty Religion, & care for no more. And coun­sell also my father and mother, to do as you do (or as I hope wyll doo.)

This gostlie counsel that you giue to your brother Aaron, and doo wish that he should giue y^e same to your father and mother, will not (I hope) be followed in haste. That Religion that you call naughtie, and will your Brother Aaron to leaue: shall (I hope) be prooued in this my discourse, the right Religion of Christe, and your Romaine Religion, méere Antichristian. Now to put your mother out of doubt, that you are her sonne Sammuell in déede, you wryte thus.

And forasmuch as you haue written to me, that you will not giue credite to word of mouth, or to written Letters, except that I write your name (being my mother) and the place of my birth, let these suffice to set your hart at rest. I was borne (as you haue tolde me) in Essex, brought vp and nourished (in heresye) in London, or in the suburbs. Your name is Catharine Maipeston▪ by reason of mariage, you are called Catherine Debnam. I had a brother named Nathanaell (as you told me) and he is dead being an infant. Moses and Tobias are also dead, with both my sisters Abigael, & Christian, (vpon whose soules Christ Iesus haue mercy.) Aaron was a liue whē I departed from you, vnto whom, as also vnto you my mother & to my father John Debnam, I beseeche Christ giue life euerlasting. Thus much for the answere of that Letter which you sent me, writ­ten (as I thinke) by Master Kings man the Scriuener.

The carefull hart of your mother, desired certaine knowledge of the case of her fugitiue son: supposing it had not béene possi­ble for a nie natural son, being a liue, in anie part of y^e known world, to hide himselfe so long from so louing a mother as she hath béene to you: and therefore she wished to be certified in such sorte, as nowe she is by these your Letters. But sir, the consideration of duety to­wards your mother, should haue mooued you to haue vsed more due­tifull [Page 4] spéeches then you haue doone in this parte of your aunswere. Set your hart at rest, sauoureth of contempt of that personne that you write vnto (whom God commandeth you to honour) and of an obstinate purpose and determination, neuer to haue anie such re­gard vnto her, as christian children ought to haue vnto their Pa­rents, so long as they shall be in this transitorie life. It séemeth to me that you haue forgotten all that you learned in the Schoole of Christ, and haue learned a newe lesson in the Pharisaicall Schoole at Rhemes: that is (as it maie be thought) to shake of all curtesye, both in spéeche and behauiour towards Parents, and currishly to answere Corban. Mark. 7. You were borne in Essex: but will you know by what occasion? Your father and mother dwelt then in the suburbs of London: but the house that they then had, was not furni­shed with things néedefull for a woman in the trauell of childe, and therefore your Grandmother being a Mydwife, tooke your mother home to her house at Waltam in Essex. And y^t as I suppose by Gods prouidence, that the babe that then was borne, might rightly be ter­med an Essex Calfe, and that our English Prouerbiall spéeche might rightlie be applied vnto him (As wyse as Waltams Calfe that ranne nine miles to sucke a Bull▪) You heard tell of the Popes Bull that Felton fyxed to the Bishop of Londons gates, and like a Waltams Calfe you ranne to Rhemes, and (by your owne confessi­on) would haue runne to Rome, if you had not béene letted, by I knowe not what meane, but by Gods prouidence I am assured, that your follie might the more easilie bee made knowne vnto vs out of Fraunce, and that you may in shorter space, and with lesse daunger returne to England againe when God shall open your eyes, and let you sée, howe vnwiselie and like a Waltams Calfe you haue dealt. You were brought vp and nourished you say, in Heresie, in London, or in the Suburbs thereof. As touching this heresie, that you say you were brought vp and nourished in: I say with S. Paule Acts. 24. Confiteor autem hoc tibi, quod secundum sectam quam dicunt haere­sim, sic deseruio patrio Deo meo: credens omnibus quae in l [...]ge & Prophe­tis scripta su [...]t▪ spem habens in Deum, quam et by ipsi expectant, resur [...] rectionem futuram, iustorum & iniquorum. In hoc & ipse studeo, sine of­fendiculo, conscientiam habere ad Deum, & ad homines semper. I confesse this vnto you, that according to that s [...]ct which men call heresie, I do humbly serue the God of my fathers: beléeuing all that is written in [Page] the Law and the Prophets: hauing hope in God, which hope euen they themselues doo looke for, that a resurrection shalbe, bothe of the iust and of the wicked. And héerein I my selfe doo endeuoure, to haue alwaies a conscience, both towards God, and towards men. This is that heresie that you were brought vp and nourished in, in Lon­don, and in the Suburbs therof. But I pray you (good master Fry­er Iohn) was S. Paule an Hereticke? Are your father and mother Heretickes? Was Robert Smith, that first taught you to knowe Letters (and is nowe gone to God) an Heretike? Am I an Heretike that first taught you to knowe the Rules of Grammer, and taught you and fedde you at mine owne charges, more then seauen yéeres first and last? Are all our Rulers, and wee of the English nation Heretikes, and our whole kingdome hereticall, because we refuse to fall downe with you, and worship the purple whore of Rome, that rideth vpon the Rose coloured beaste? When God shall make your gréene witt ryper, and your fléeting iudgment déeper, I hope you iuyll recant that rash saying of yours. I was brought vp and nouri­shed in heresie. Your mothers Surre name before mariage, you mistake, for she was not daughter to Maipeston but to Myllis, and is now by marriage called Catherine Debnam. Your brethren and sisters, were as you haue written: and are all departed thys lyfe, sauing onely Aaron. And as many as know you, haue iust cause to wysh, that as you were the first borne, so you had béene the first bu­ried. But God hath otherwise appointed it? we doo therefore refer all to his will, béeing well assured that the ende shall be to his glory, although (we feare) to your euerlasting confusion. But what meane you to craue mercy for the soules of your brethren and sisters depar­ted? doo you thinke that God tooke them out of this miserable life so spéedilie, that he might cast them into your holy father the Popes scalding house, which you call Purgatorie? Did you neuer reade the wordes written in the 3. Chap. of Wisedome, I ustorum animae in man [...] Dei su [...]t: et non tanget illos tormentùm mortis. The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. Againe in the fourth Chap. I ustus autem si morte praeoc­cupatus fuerit: in refrigerio erit. If the iust person shall be preuented by death, he shalbe in a place of refreshing. And againe in the same Chap▪ Raptus est, ne malicia mutaret intellectūm eius: aut ne fictio de­ciperet animamillius. He was taken away violently, leaste mallice [Page 5] should change his vnderstanding, or least counterfeited holines shold deceiue his soule. If you will consider well, those sayings of y^t wyse man, you shall haue cause to thinke, that your brethren and sisters departed, are not in such case now, that they should stand in néede of greater mercy, then Christ Jesus hath already shewed vnto them. But more of this: when I shall come to speake of these wordes of yours. You say that we are fooles to pray for the deade. Your Bro­ther Aaron (you say) was liuing at that time when you did so vn­duetifullie depart from your mother (but he is nowe dead) to whom as to your Father and mother, you béeséeche Christ to giue life euer­lasting. A good and charitable petition. I wysh the same to you, and to all others whatsoeuer: knowing that none can haue euerlasting life, otherwise then by Gods frée gyft, thorowe Jesus Christ our Lord. But your selfe and men of your sorte, may not acknowledge anie such free gyft, for that you doo (by your often and long prayers, your holines and austerity of life, and your continuall fastinges, and often scourging of your selues with your holie whyppes) deserue this life euerlasting, both for your selues and for others. So that you are become sauiours of your selues, & of as many as doo (or will) beléeue as you doo, & teache others to beléeue. And thus you conclude your answer to the Letter which your mother sent you, written (as you think) by Master Kings man, the Scriuner. As touching y^e wri­ter of that Letter, your coniecture is right. You procéede and say.

I am now to certify you, of my state, welfare, & abyding, & how I am likely to liue. First of al therfore, I beseech Iesus Christ giue you the grace of his holie spirit, vnto the intēt, that this which I write, may be to his honor, to your cōuersiō, & your souls health.

Wee shall nowe bee certified of your estate, wel­fare &c. You beséeche Jesus Christe to giue the grace of his holye spirit to your mother &c. I hope she hath already receiued so large a measure of that holy spirite, y^t whatsoeuer you haue, or shall write, shall not be able to remooue her from that foundation whereon shée is builded: which is the Rocke Christ, & that notwithstanding anie assaults that you can make, she shall remaine still setled vppon that Rocke, to her soules health. And that your writings and mine toge­ther, shalbe to the honor of Christ Jesus, either in your returning a­gaine from your Apostacie, or els in your vtter confusion.

Nowe you enter into your discourse concerning your departing, [Page] your trauell and dangers, that you endured and escaped, before you were brought to this blessed rest wherein you nowe remaine: the manner and holines of the life that you leade there, and haue vowed and so purpose to leade, so long as GOD shall giue you life vppon earth. Last of all, you vse an earnest, and (as you think) a pithie O­ration, to mooue your mother to be at destance with that Religion that she nowe holdeth, and with all the teachers thereof: As Crow­ley, and the rest: to burne her Bookes of Sermons, to vse the Eng­lish Bible no more, to goe no more to the Sermons of Protestants, but to praie to our blessed Ladie, and to hang her faith vpon her son Samuels sléeue. And thus your discourse beginneth.

My departure from you, was vpon the Monday (as I remember) after Lowe Sundaie, in the after noone. That night I was lodged, not farre from London. Two or three nights after that, I went by night a mile from London. The Saterday before that I departed from you, I went to shrift, (as wee call it in Eng­lande) or in other words, I was at confession, in a place, where I confessed my sins to a Priest, who gaue me absolution & penaunce. The Mondaie after that, I departed from you, vnder pretence of the Hebrewe Lesson, which the mischieuous Hereticke Barber taught me: The Fridaie after that, I went by night a mile from London, where I remained in great feare, the space of two or three weekes. There I heard the first masse that euer I hearde.

Concerning the time of your departing from your mo­ther, your going to shrift the Saterdaie before, your lodging so nighe London for the space of two or thrée nights after your departing, your going by night a mile of from London, your tarrying there for the space of thrée wéekes in great feare, and hearing the first masse that euer you hearde the Fridaie after you were gon from your mo­ther, I must passe ouer, as matter more to be mused at, then to bee entreated of in this my discourse. But this séemeth something straunge to me, that your ghostlie father would absolue you before he had giuen you penance. By like he was some vnskilfull penitan­cer, or els you being yet but a Nouice in Popery, haue vsed the Fy­gure Hysteron Proteron in making the report. I perceiue that I my selfe, was at your age a much more skilfull Papist then you bée, and was much more able to defende Popery then you are, or are like to bee. In poprie Contrition and confession goe before satisfaction, [Page 6] and both must be voluntarie, full and vnfained, and then the ghostly father, & the ghostly childe must agrée vpon penance. For no Popishe ghostly father, will or may enioyne his ghostlie childe▪ any other or greater penance, then himself will acknowledge y^t he is centented to take and to do. And this séemeth to me yet more strange, that hauing confessed your sinnes, and receiued absolution and penance, & béeing reconsiled on the Saterdaie, you could be partaker of our Commu­nion, on the next daie, in companie of your mother▪ whose prayers (as you haue said before) are nothing worth, because shée is not of that societie that you were by that ghostlie father receiued into.

Haue Papistes nowe such a priuiledge, that they may simul [...]re & dissimulare: counterfait and dissemble at their pleasure? Christ hath said thus. Whosoeuer shall denie me before men. I will deny him before my heauenlie father, and before all his holie Angelles. You haue not therefore taken vp your Crosse to followe Christ (as you séeme to be perswaded that you haue doone) but you haue dissembled with Christ and Christians, that you might with lesse daunger of bodie [...]ippe from them, and followe Antichrist. If I might talke with you mouth to mouth, I would desire to know of you, what manner of sinnes they were that you confessed to that Prieste your ghostlie Father. I suppose they were not the stubburnesses & points of disobedience that you from time to time haue vsed in all your be­hauiour towards your father and mother, and all other your Gouer­nors and betters. Neither can I thinke, that they were the subtill sleights that you haue vsed, in deceiuing your father and mother, me, and your Godmother my wife, & others your Tutors, freends, and fellowes, or the false lyes that you haue made, and s [...]outlie faced out, when due proofe of that which you had doone coulde not be made. You know what I meane. If you were present. I woulde be more plaine and plentifull in spéeches, then in writing I doo thinke if méete to bée. To be briefe. I can not thinke that you confessed the transgression of anie one of the Commanndements of God. But that you had béene at the Sermons of the protestant Preachers, and had heard them, and taken the notes of them, and had framed your selfe in some points to follow them, although in very déede but ve­rie little. Yea, and that you had not holden & defended to the vtter most of your power, the Romish Catholike Religion, but had wil­linglie heard and read, and sometimes your selfe vttered, vnreue­rent [Page] spéeches both by word and by writing, to the derogation of that high dignitie of your most holie Father the Popes holines, Gods Vicar vpon earth, and the vniuersall head of the vniuersall Catho­lique Church of Christ. Yea and in derogation of that holye Order that you your selfe doo now professe. If I had béene with you when you made that confession of your sinnes. I coulde haue put you in mind of that English Enterlude that you wrote, whē you last dwelt in my house, wherein you appointed my little kinsman to play one parte in the habite of a Fryer, with this spéeche. Deus hic, Deus hic, and God be héere, is not this an holie spéech for a Fryer▪ You con­fessed I thinke, that you neuer tooke ashes on Ashewensday, nor beare Palme on Palme Sondaie, nor crept to the crosse on good Fridaie, nor fasted on the Ember daies, nor on anie saints vigill, nor yet on anie Friday in the whole yéere. But I feare mee you did forget that blasphemy that in your forenamed Enterlude, in that part that you appointed for your fellowe John Goughe, in these wordes, to be spoken in the person of the mother of Christ, in the derogation of the Popes dooings, in that he tooke vppon him to alter the Calender of the yéere. The words are these.

If you did in your shrift forget these wordes of blasphemy, brea­thed out against your holie father, the Popes holines: your confes­sion that you then made was vnperfecte, and so all that then was doone, not woorth a drye Walnut. Yea and although you did not forget to confesse it, yet if the Priest your ghostlie Father, that gaue [Page 7] you absolution, had not a more large Commission, then commonlie your holie father vseth to giue to such single soled sir Johns as they be, which in these daies come from Rome, he hadde no power to ab­solue you for so horrible a sinne, committed against your holie Fa­thers owne personne, his triple crowne and dignitie. No remedie you must to Rome, for that absolution that you haue already recei­ued, is not worth the leanest [...]owse, that euer crawled in the cowle of a Francisean Fryer. But to let these things passe, till you and I shall méete together againe, I would gladly knowe wherein you can note Barber to be so mischieuous an hereticke. Is it because hée taught you a Lesson of the Hebrewe tongue? or was it because hee did it gratis, and tooke no reward of your father for his paines taken therein. Surely his meaning was good to you wardes, and that re­ward that you render vnto him nowe, saueureth of too too great in­gratitude. A vice that all honest men doo abhorre. But let this passe also, till Master Barber & you may come to talke together. I doubt not but you shall then [...]de him more fréendlie to you, then by those words written by you, you haue deserued. I meruaile howe you could stay your laughter, when you sa [...]e the iestures and behaui­ours that the priest vsed in the first masse that euer you heard. Dyd you not laugh in your slaeue, to sée an olde foole, or a young boy (for I knowe not of what age the Priest that said the masse was) play with a white round cake, as a young Catte vseth to play with a Mouse that is more then halfe dead? Dyd you not smyle wythin your selfe to sée him in his Plaiers garments, and to vse his turnes and halfe turnes, his winckings, his staringes, his liftinges and his layings downe, and in the ende the eating vp, and his slouenly sup­ping vp of all himselfe, and blessing such as were present with the emptie Cup? Or if he did vouchsafe to make you Communicants with him: did you not marke howe hée gaue you Wine, ouer which he had vsed no words of coniuration (or as they doo terme it) conse­cration, as he had doone ouer the other Wine which hée had lifted o­uer his head, and supped vp himselfe? If none of all these thinges could cause you to laugh or simyle▪ then vndoubtedlie you had loste that accident which the Logicians call Proprium hominis, An acci­dent proper to man, to be apt to laugh or smyle▪ But let vs sée now what you did on May day, next after your departing from your mother.

From thence I departed vpon May day, earely in the morning on hor [...]backe toward Sussex. I was in Sussex and Hamp­shire three monthes. Good Gentlemen gaue mee, when I departed from London, fortie or fyftie shillings to come ouer Seas. The dan­ger was so great, and the examinations at the Sea shore so straight, that I knewe not what to dog. Againe, other letts I had, that I could not take shipping, vntill the ende of lulie welnere. All this whyle (I thanke God) I wanted nothing: neither apparrell, meate nor drinke, nor money. Vpon S. Iames euen, I tooke shipping at myd­night, with a Gentleman, a good Catholicke, or as you would terme him, a Papist, I being a Papist with him. So we two Papistes tooke shipping at Arundell Hauen in Sussex, to goe to Rome. We were in great hazard of our liues vpon the Seas, from Sunday night, vn­till wednesday afternoone. At what time wee arriued bothe in Fraunce, at Diepe in Normandie. From Diepe wee came to Roane in Normand [...]e, where I stayed a fortnight. After that I came to Pa­ris, (the cheefest Cittie in Fraunce) from thence to Rhemes, where I stayed a tweluemonth and aboue. So I trauelled in Fraunce, be­fore I came to an abyding place, welnere fourescore leagues: that is to say, eightscore miles almost. Being at Rhemes, I went, (or at the least I should haue gone) euerie day to the morning masse. Af­ter which masse, our custome was to breake our faste, and after that to goe studie. I was in the English Colledge at Rhemes, where wee were welnere two hundred English men. I liued there passing well, as concerning meate, drinke, and other necessities▪

By this discourse of your peregrination, it appea­reth, that Antichrist hath his fréendes amongst English men, bothe in, and about London, and also abroade in other partes of y^e Realme, and in Fraunce also. Good Gentlemen you say, (you shoulde haue sayd, villanous Traytors) gaue you money to come ouer the Seas. Other, (whether Gentlemen or Yeomen, you say not) sette you on horsebacke on May day, earely in the morning, and so like mē that bare more good wyll to Autichrist of Italie, then to Christ. and hys annointed Deputy in England: conueighed you into Sussex, and Hampshyre, where men of like fidelity towards God, & our Prince and Countrey, ministred vnto you all thinges necessary, so that the young Romish traytor, and fugitiue sonne, that like a most rebel­lious Childe, had robbed his father and mother, of that helpe and cō ­fort, [Page 8] that both by the Lawe of God and of nature, all Parents should haue at the hands of their sonnes and daughters, is amongst them so maintained, that for the space almost of thrée monthes, hee lacketh neither meate, drinke, nor money. After all this, a Gentleman, a good Catholicke, a Papist (you say) with your selfe, a Papist also▪ (a payre of Italian Pygions) tooke shypping on S. James euen at midnight &c. If the Quéenes Maiesties Officers in Arundell, had borne so good wyll to her maiestie and Countrey as by oath and ale­giance they should haue doone, your good Catholike Gentleman and you should haue béene brought backe againe to London, and not haue béene in such hazarde of your liues at the Sea, as you say you were, from Sunday night, till wednesday after noone. But God wyll be reuenged vpon such brybing Officers, as can looke thorow their fin­gers, and suffer such good Catholicke Gentlemen as you and your guyde were, to passe without examination, contrarie to their oathe and alegiance to their Prince and Countrey. Well, you escaped that hazarde of your liues, and arriued bothe in Fraunce, at Diepe, &c: Your trauell was great, from Diepe to Roane, from Roane to Paris, from Paris to Rhemes, where you stayed twelue month and more &c. Sée how much wiser you be then Waltams Calfe, that ranne nine miles after a Bull to sucke him. You say, that you ran welnere fourscore leagues, that is almost eightscore myles. And what other cause had you, then such as may rightlie bee sayde to bee the desire to sucke a Bull? At Rhemes (you say) you were excéeding well, and lacked no necessities (you should haue sayde, necessaries) being accompanied with two hundreth Englishmen▪ welnie. There you did goe (or at the least should haue gone) to the morning masse euerie day. Héere you giue me some occasion to call to minde that saying, Coelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt. They that runne ouer the Sea, doo not change their minde but the ayre. You haue alwayes loued your cowche so well, that you coulde not be the first that shoulde arise in the morning. And when you were in Cambridge, it was noted to be a great faulte in you, that you would oftentimes pretende sicknes, and the griefe of your Rupture, so that you could not aryse to the morning exercise, but to dinner you coulde come. So I must thinke, that though you did in Rhemes, sléepe out your morrow masse, yet you would not be found slacke at breakfast, or (at the least) at dinner▪ And this might bee some cause [Page] that you were not so well liked of in the Colledge at Rhemes, for such as were studious there, must sée that your running witt coulde not setle if selfe to any graue studie. And therefore it was your best way to depart thence, and to hide your selfe in a Fryers Cowle. I remember a spéeche that Table players doo vse, when such a chaunce riseth on the dice that they can not play to any aduauntage, the par­tie, that did caste the chaunce vseth to saye, it is naught. The other that playeth with him vseth to answere thus, Then make a Fryer of it. This spéeche was commenly vsed in Englande, when the Orders of Fryers were in as high estimation in Englande, as they are newe in Fraunce. It did spring vp of that custome y^t was then common amongst English men. as it is newe in Fraunce and other Countreyes where the Orders of Friers be. An idle Lubber that wyll not endure any honest labour, wyll make shift to créepe in­to the habite of a Fryer, wherein he may loyter, and be fedde by the laboure of other men, and by the sweat of other mens faces. Of this more shalbe sayd, when I haue occasion to write of your maner of entring into the profession of your S. Franncis Order. You pro­céede in your discourse, and thus you say:

When I had for the space of sixteene of seuenteene monthes dwelt in Rhemes, I longed verie much to goe to Rome in Italie, to the English Colledge that our holy father, the Popes holi­nes, maintained there, for the conuersion of our miserable Coun­trey. To Rome also I had gone, if God of his wonderfull grace and mercie, had not otherwise and in better sort prepared for me. In the meane season, I went to visite Churches, to heare masses, to kysse Saints Reliques, to pray to God for you and for our Countrey in Fry [...]ies, and Monasteries. I liked very well the Gray Fryers, the Augustine Fryars, the Blacke Fryers, otherwise called Carmelites, the white Fryers, and other sorts of Religion, as also the Charter­house Monkes, the Blacke Monkes and others. Whilst that I dyd thus take pleasure in visiting Fryeties & Abbies, Nunneries & such other deuout places: it pleased God to touch my hard hart, and to mollifie it with the teares of deuotion. To be briefe, I toke in mind to leaue studie, and to forsake the life of a Scholler, which I ledde at the English Colledge, and to make my selfe a Fryer or a Monke, as others did. I sought therefore by all meanes possible▪ of mine owne free will, no man constrayning me, to leaue the worlde or worldlye [Page 9] thinges, and be a Religious man. I knewe not whether it were best for me to be a Charterhouse Monke, or a Minime Fryer. Which Fririe of Minimes, is an extreme straight kind of life, as afterward you shall heare.

Your sickle witte appeareth still more and more. You were verie well (you say) in the Colledge at Rhemes: yet after seauentéene monthes aboade there, you longed verie much to goe to Rome in Italie, by like y^e exercise of learning in Rhemes, was grea­ter then your idle head could away with, and therefore you longed so greatlie to goe to Rome, in hope to finde a more idle life there. To goe from place to place, from Frierie to Frierie, from the Nunnes to the Munckes, to heare masse, and to kisse the Reliques of Saintes, was a iollye idle life. But I pray you, are you assured that the Reliques that you kissed were the Reliques of Saintes? When the Reliques that were in Churches in Englande, came in­to the hands of them that could and would consider them with in­different eyes▪ I my selfe sawe one bone, that had a Label of parch­ment fastened to it, wherein was written. ▪ Os sancti Bartholomei, A bone of S. Bartholomew. But when this bone was wel view­ed, it was found to be the shoulder bone of a young Pig, the broade and thinne part thereof beeing pared of with a knife, as did moste plainely appeare. In the Abbay of Hayles, a Relique was kept, which was said to be the blood of Christ, but when the Pyx (wher­in it was kept) was opened, it was found to be a matter like very fine sande, or a liquid Gumme of a sanguine coloure. I my selfe (be­ing then but young) did sée and reade the History of the bringing of that supposed blood thether, which Historie was written in a Ta­ble fast by the entring into that Chappell where the Relique was kept. The history was so doubtfull, that euen then I beganne to doubt of the trueth thereof. For in the History it was not plainelie affirmed to be a portion of the bloode that ishued out of the bodye of Christ, but either a portion of that blood, or els of blood that ishue­ed out of a crucifix that was found in the house of a Jewe in Jeru­salem, and set-vp on the Mount of Caluerie in derision, into y^e side whereof, blinde Longius, was caused to thrust his Speare, where­by great plenty of bloode did ishue, and was reserued by such as were present. &c. The Nayles that fastened our Sauiour to the Crosse, were in number but thrée, and they came all to the handes [Page] of Constantine the Emperour, by his mother Helena. He caused one of them to be wrought into the byt of his brydle, that hée should vse in the warres, another in the Coone of his Helmet, to fasten his plume of Feathers in, and the third he caried alwayes about him, and being in daunger in a storme on the Adrian Sea, he cast it in to the Sea to stay the rage thereof. This is written by Romaine Catholikes, wherefore you must not denie it to be true. Now con­sider with your selfe, whether you haue béene borne in hande that you haue kissed any of those nayles or not. I coulde say something of our Ladies milke, her gloues, her smocke, her heayre, &c. Of the breade that was left at Christes last supper, of the I se that was frozen in that night wherein he was borne &c. Well, why [...]st you were thus occupyed, your hard hart was mollified with the teares of deuotion. You should haue sayd, of superstition, & desire to leade a loyterers life. You determined to leaue y^e life of a Scholer (which in verie déede you could neuer delight in) because you might not be idle in that kinde of life, and sought by all meanes possible to ob­taine the habite of Religion, and at the last you obtained a Mini­mes habite.

I came (you say) from Rhemes to Paris, to aske the habite of a Religious man, from thence I returned (say you) to Rhemes. Whether after that I came, I was receiued with other two Englishmē into the Frierie, in which we stayed for the space of a moneth. After which terme, one of vs was receiued, the other two, whereof I was one, being sent to the English Colledge, there to stay till some other occasion might fall out. Three weekes bee­ing passed, I was sent to a Cittie in Loraine, called Verdun, eyght and forty miles distant from Rhemes. Since which my departure from the English Colledge. I sawe no more Rhemes. Beeing at Verdun, the Prouinciall of Lyons, (or as he may be called, after the termes of Religion, which in Catholicke time were vsed in England) the chiefe Pryor of Lyons, tooke me with him and paid my charges, from the foresayde Cittie of Verdun to Lyons in Fraunce, which are a hundred leagues, that is to say, two hundred miles. Being there arriued, after a fortnights ende▪ I was weeded with a Fryers weede. Then my sofe linnen shy [...]ts, were turned in­to rough wollen shyrts, my blacke Scholerlike garments, into a browne gowne, with large fleeues as the Gray Fryers haue. My [Page 10] hatte was turned into a Fryers hood. So I being chaunged in gar­ments, began also to change my life. I liued so at Lyons the space of twelue month a Nouice, to see if I could abide the hardnesse of life that was there necessarie to be ab [...]dden. At the twelue month ende, I liked well of all thinges, and the Fryers lyked well of me. So I made my profession, the sixt day of Ianuary, in the yeere of our Lord. 1586. two yeeres and a halfe after I departed frō you▪ I made as I say my profession, that is to say, I made a solemne vow or promise vnto God, to hue all the dayes of my life in this world a Fryer. And furthermore, I vowed chastitie, nere to haue wyfe, pou [...]tie, to be poore, to haue nothing, not so much as the gar­ments on my backe for mine owne. And also obedience, to be obedient to the Pryor, and to my superiors. The Order whereof I am, is called the Order of S. Frauncis of Paula. It was neuer yet in Englande, but we hope it shall shortly be. We are called Minimes, in french, bone homes, that is in English, good men, although we be not worthy of the name, (for no man is good, except God) yet by reason of our hardnes of life, and of the vertuous behauiour of our brethren we are so called.

Sée howe intollerable trauell this Waltams Calfe endureth, in following after that Bull whom he desireth so greatly to sucke. He posteth from Rhemes to Paris, and to Rhemes againe, from thence to Verdun in Loraine, from thence to Lyons in France and there he was inuested or wéeded as he termeth it, with a Fry­ers wéede, which he calleth the habite of a Religious man. Thys man hath forgotten that Christian men are Religious men, and that there is no Religion comparable to the Christian Religion. He doth not consider, that the rest which are called Religious are but superstitious, and not Religious in déede. In that superstici­ous wéede he continueth twelue monthes: and then he made hys profession▪ He hath forgotten that profession that his Godfathers and his Godmother made in his name in y^e Church of Wal [...]ā, and hée himselfe confirmed in the Parish Church of S. Gyles at Cre­plegate of London. He vowed then to liue a Christian, but nowe he hath vowed to liue a Fryer, that is to say, an hypecrite. He hath vowed he sayth, wyueles chastity, but let Fryer John Frauncis, beware of buggery. O Fryer John, remember the words of the A­postle, Qui non continēt, [...]ba [...]t, Let them that conteyneth not, ma­rie, [Page] Et melius est nubere quàm vri. It is better to marye then to burne. 1. Co. 7. Consider the meaning of the Apostles wordes to the Ephesians 5. Nolite communicare operibus infructuosis tenebrarū, magis autem redarguite. Quae enim in occulto fiunt ab ipsis, turpe est & dicere. Haue nothing to doo with the vnprofitable works of darknes but rather rebuke them. For it is a filthy thing, euen to speake of those things or actions, that are wrought of thē in secret. Craue of God his holy spirite to direct you in y^e right vnderstanding of these wordes, according to the councell of the Apostle S. Iames, Chap. 1. If any of you doo lacke wisedome, let him aske it of God, which gi­ueth to all men indifferently &c. Yea, and consider the wordes of the Apostle Paule to the Romanes. Chap. 1. Mutauerunt gloriam incorruptibilis Dei, in similitudinem corruptibilis hominis, & volucrum & quadrupedum & serpentium. Propter quod tradidit illos Deus in desideria cordis eorum, in immunditiam, vt contumelijs afficerent cor­pora sua in semetipsis: qui commutauerunt veritatem Dei in mendaci­um, et coluerunt et seruierunt creaturae, potius quàm creatori, qui est be­nedictus in secula. Amen. They haue turned the glorye of the incor­ruptible God. in to the similitude of a corruptible man, and of fly­ing fowles, and of fourefooted beastes, and of créeping serpents. Wherefore God gaue them ouer vnto their owne harts desire, into vncleannesse, that they might defile their owne bodies, euen in thē ­selues: which had chaunged the truth of God into a lye, and had worshipped and serued the creature, more then the creator, which is blessed for euer, Amen. Consider (I say) these words of the A­postle Paule, with the rest that follow. Propterea tradidit illos De­us, in passiones ignominiae. Nam faeminae eorum, immutauerunt natura­lem vsum, in eum vsum quiest contra naturam. Similiter autem & mas­culi, relicto naturali vsu faeminae, exarserunt in desiderijs suis in inuicem, masculi in masculos, turpitudinem operantes, & mercedem (quam opor­tuit) erroris sui, in semetipsis recipientes &c. Wherefore, God gaue them ouer to shamefull lustes. For theyr women chaunged theyr naturall vse into that which is contrary to nature. In like manner the men also, leauing the naturall vse of the woman, burned in their lustes or filthy desires, one towards an other, men with men wrought filthines, receiuing in themselues the rewarde of theyr error, which (in Gods iustice) was due vnto them. Consider (Sa­muell) I pray thee, euen in the tender bowels of Christ Jesus, in [Page 11] whom I doo yet loue thée, and do hope (by the helpe of his spirite) to winne thée to him againe. Consider I say, these wordes of the A­postle. And vndoubtedlie thou shalt sée, that, that Romish Churche, which calleth herselfe Catholike, is héerein plainly painted out. Haue they not chaunged, and doo they not still chaunge, the glory of the incorruptible God, into the similitude of a corruptible manne. When they haue set forth, and doo still set forth, the maiesty of God to the viewe of mans eye, by the Image of an olde man, made of Tymber, stone, or other matter, or wrought by y^e cunning of Pain­ters or Embrotherers? Doth not Esay the Prophet deride these dooings, both in the forty and in the foure & forty Chapters of hys booke? And doth not the Prophet Dauid deride thē in y^e Psalme; 115. after the Hebrews account, but after your account 113. The auncient interpreters of the Scriptures, doo with one consent con­demne the making and hauing of the Image of the diuine maiesty. And yet that Romish Catholike Church, dare still make it, haue it in their Churches, and fall downe before it. Hath not God in Exo. 20. Expresly forbidden the making and worshipping of all manner of Images? And howe dare any man make, or worshipp them, or say that, that Church is Christes Church, that doth both make thē, worship them, and persecute those Christians that refuse to doo as they doo? Waie well the words of the Apostle, when he sayth. That for this cause, (that is, for turning his glorye into the similitude of a corruptible man) God hath giuen them ouer to theyr owne harts desire [...] &c. Theyr women haue turned the naturall vse into y^t which is contrary to nature: and the men hauing left the naturall vse of the woman (as you say you haue vowed to doo) haue burned in de­sire one towards an other, and men haue wrought filthines wyth men.

When GOD opened the hart of King Henry the eyght, and gaue him some sight of the truth, he caused the Monkes, the Fry­ers, and the Nunnes that then were in his Realme to bee exami­ned, and by due and politike examination, they were found to haue doone, euen as S. Paule writeth héere. And when God shall open the eyes of that Noble Prince that nowe raigneth in Fraunce, or the eyes of some Noble Prince that héereafter shall haue the go­uernment of that noble Realme of Fraunce, wherein you nowe liue, vndoubtedly, your secrete filthines will bee founde out, and [Page] your hypocrits visoures will be plucked of your faces, & you coates of counterfeited holines, will be plucked of your backs, and you wyl be turned abroade into the worlde (as our Hypocrites were in the daies of our King Henrie) that you may learne to laboure, and hy your owne laboure to eate your owne breade, and not to be fedde a­nie longer by the labours of other men. Thus much I haue thought méete to write, concerning the first part of your vowe, which is, to liue in wyneles chastity.

The second part of your vowe, is pouertie. To be poore, to haue nothing, not so much as the Garments on your back for your own. This part of your vowe, was altogether néedeles. For since you were borne, you neuer gaue your selfe to any such exercise, that you might be able thereby to haue anie thing of your owne. But you haue béene fedde and clothed, and in all points sustayned, by the la­bours of your poore father and mother, and other that haue hoped to see a better proofe of you then nowe is seene, and therefore exten­ded their fréendlie liberalitie to you. But now you say you haue not one fréend in all Englande, or at the least way, amongst vs that bare all the burden of your education▪ and bringing vppe, euen vnto that time, wherein you did verie vnduetifully giue vs the slip, not once bidding vs farewell. They therefore that haue nowe caught you, doo not knowe what a Jewell they shall haue of you, for it is like enough, that after they shall haue bestowed enough & too much vpon you, you will render vnto them such thankes as you haue rendred vnto vs. It shalbe good for them therefore in time to looke vp­pon, and to folow that Rule that S. Paule wyshed the Thessalo­nians to follow. 2. Thes. 3. Si quis non vult operari, nec manducet. If any man will not worke, let him not eate. But you will aunswere me and say: We doo laboure, for we rise euerie night at midnight, and we sing Mattins before the blessed Sacrament of the Alter, we arise againe at sixe of the clocke in the morning, and we sing two or thrée high masses euerie day. &c. But let me tell you what I haue hearde reported concerning Frauncis, of whom the Gray Friers doo holde. That Frauncis was (as the report goeth) a good man, and gaue himselfe to sore laboure, in repayring of high waies that were decayed in the Countrey where he dwelt. And on a time as he was at his laboure, a companie of tall fellowes that had beene théeues, and were condemned to be hanged, were by the Officers [Page 12] brought that way towards the Gallowse to bee executed. When Frauncis sawe them, he was moued with pittie, and besought the Officers to staie the execution whilst hee might goe to the King, (who lay then not farre off) and begge their pardon, and so it was doone. When Frauncis had obtained pardon for these men, hee clo­thed them in such apparell as the Gray Fryers doo nowe weare, and girded those Garments to them, with the halters wherewyth they should haue béene hanged. The Garment is very commodi­ous, for it is long and large, and may be tucked vp short, & let down to the foote, as occasion shall serue, and require for the commodity of the wearer of it. It hath a hoode that may hang on the backe, and not be any let in labour, and when néede is, it may couer and defend the head and face from the iniuries of the wether. These men being thus apparailed, fell to their laboure lustily, & in short space, brought their masters worke to such forwardnes, that hee thought méete to trauaile into some other part of the Countrey, to sée where other decayed high wayes were, that he might kéepe his newe men and himselfe in worke still. But to be briefe, he was from them so long, that they hauing finished the worke that he left them in, had gotten them a house in the next Towne, and had perswaded the people thereof, that by rysing at midnight, and making of continuall prayers vnto God for that people that shoulde séede and maintayne them without laboure, they should be much more beneficiall to the Common weale, then they could be by any sore laboure of their bo­dies in emending the high wayes that should be decaied. But when Frauncis came, and found them thus occupied, hee vtterly misliked with them, and sayd vnto them. Théeues I found you, and theeues I leaue you. And so departing from them, he would haue no more to doo with them. If this be not true, then blame them that haue made this report of Frauncis, whom the Gray Fryers take for their Patron. If it be true, then you may sée what beginning the Order of the Gray Friers had, and howe acceptable that rysing at midnight and singing of Mattens and masses was to that Fraun­cis, of whose holines the Gray Fryers doo make so great bragges. And so by good consequence, what account good and wise men shold make of the great paines that you and your Brethren doo take, in your rysing and singing both by day and by night. Whether thys Frauncis were your Frauncis of Paula or not, I leaue to be dis­cussed [Page] by your selfe, with the helpe of the chiefe Pryor, or Prouin­tiall of your Order, at your best leasure. Thus much for the second part of your vowe.

The third part of your vowe, or (as you doo terme it) your third vowe was obedience, to be obedient to the Pryor, and to your superiors. If you had considered well of that triple vowe that was made for you in Baptisme, and your selfe confirmed, when you an­swered me in my Church at Creplegate in London, I thinke you would haue thought this newe triple vowe, altogether vnnecessa­rie: except you meant to reuoke your first triple vowe made to GOD, and in stéede thereof to make a newe triple vow to man. For what haue you vowed héere (in substance) that was not vowed before in your first triple vowe? Except this onely, that you vowe nowe to liue without a wise, so long as you shall liue: which is not in your power to performe, neither haue you the example of anie Patriarke, Prophet or Apostle that made this vowe, or taught a­nie other to make it, nor yet any promise of assistance at Gods hand in the performance of it▪ You promised in the first vow [...]d keep your bodie in temperance, sobernes and chastitie. You promised to re­nounce the world, which is to be in the world, not as of y^e world, as hauing all things, and vsing all, and yet possessing nothing, not as a Lord of things héere on earth, but as a steward that looketh conti­nually to be called to his account. You promised also obedience to your Prince, and to all in authority vnder your Prince &c. but that vowe you haue vtterly renounced, and are now shrewded vnder the shield of Antichrist, and holde by an immunitie, wherby you are exempted from the power of all Princes, and doo owe obedience to none, but to that great Antichrist and your graund Pryor, and such superiors as be of that sort. The Lord open the eyes of your vnder standing, that you may sée whose serui [...]e you haue forsaken, and to whom you haue made your selfe a slaue, and what wylbe the ende, if you repent not. Well, you procéede and you say:

Our life is as foloweth. We neuer eate fleshe, nor egges, nor butter nor cheese, nor milke, nor any thing els that commeth of flesh, except in great sicknes. So that being in good health we eate Fysh, Oyle, and fruites, when they be giuen vs. We eate not to fill our belly, but to sustaine nature. VVe [...] also speake not one to another at dinner and supper, except there be great necessi­tie. [Page 13] We fast, eating but once a day, from the day of all Saintes, to Christmas day, except Sondayes. The like from Shrouesunday to Easter day. Likewise euery Friday in the yeere, and wednesday, except the Wednesdaies betweene Christmas and Shrouetide, and betweene Easter and Whitsontide. All other wednesdayes we fast▪ We touch no money. We rise euery night Winter and Somer, hote & colde at midnight, to sing Mattins, before the blessed Sacrament of the Alter, the precious body and blood of our Lorde and Sa­uior Iesus Christ, which is there kept ouer the high Alter. VVe sing two or three high Masses euery day.

And héere you haue set downe in the margine of your Letters, a note to be (as it were) a caueat for your mother and Fa­ther, and all other that may séeme to mislike with your Religion, and thus you say.

You thinke that we be foles, because that we light wax candles at day light, and because of other our Ceremonies. You thinke that we be fooles, & our Religion folly. But heare what you may reade in the booke of VVisedome, Chap. 5. where it is written, that the damned in the latter day, bewayling their foolishnes, shall speake these words. These be they, whom in times past wee haue had in derysion, and in the similitude of mockery. We being fooles esteemed their [...]ife to be madnes, and their ende without honour. But now, how are they numbred amongst the sons of God? and a­mongst the Saints their Lot is fallen. VVe haue erred from the way of truth, & the light of iustice hath not shined vpon vs, & so forth. Take heede I pray you, that you be not one of them, that shall so bewayle themselues in the day of [...]udgment.

Thus farre goeth your merginall note.

To this note of yours, I say thus. There is good cause to moue you to thinke, that we doo think that you are fooles: for you can not but know, that we doo know, that there is no wisedome in thē that doo so waste the good creatures of God, as you doo, that waxe which you doo burne in the day light, when there is no vse of that artifici­all light, because the naturall light, dooth then serue the turne of e­uery creature that néedeth▪ y^e vse of light. And that madnes of yours is so much the greater, for that you set those lightes before stocks and stones, that are fashioned like men and women, and haue the forme of eyes, but not y^e sence of sight. Yea and the Prophet D [...]i [...] [Page] in the Psalme. 115. Doth account you no wiser then those stocks and stones be, when he sayth thus. They that make them, are like vn­to them, and so are all they that repose trust in them. You say, that your other Ceremonies doo cause vs to thinke that you are fooles, and your Religion folly. In truth you coniecture right. For wee know that no wise man in the world, would vse such Ceremonies as you doo, nor professe such a Religion, wherin there is (in maner) nothing but méere madnes: As I hope I shall make manifest to al wisemen, in my discourse vpon the seuerall points thereof.

But first, wée must lende you our eares a while, tyll you haue tolde vs what we may reade in the Booke of Wisedome. Chapter. 5 Where it is written, that the damned in the latter day, be wayling their foolishnes, shal speake these words. &c. as aboue. First of all, I must say vnto you, that wee did knowe, and did vnderstande the meaning of those words of wisedom, before you were Frier John, yea, and before you were Samuell Debnam. If you had asked c [...]unsell of Nicholaus Lycanus, (which was a Fryer Minor) h [...] would haue tolde you another meaning of the wisemans words, th [...]n that which you doo gather. He writeth thus. Siabi [...]t iust [...]in magna con­stant [...]: quia perfecti [...]um Christo indicabunt. A duersos [...]os qui se an­gustiauerunt, inferendo eis noeumentum in personis. [...]t qui a [...]stulerunt lab [...]res corum, eis nocendo in rebus possessis. The rightecus shall stand in great constancie: for the perfect men shall sit in indgment with Christ, against such as haue distressed them, in dooing them hurte in their persons. And such as haue taken from them theyr labours, in hurting them in those things that they possessed. If these words of the wise man must be applied to you, so that you shoulde bée the Just men that shouid stande foorth with so great constancie, then must you also be the damned that in the latter day shall bewayle their owne foolishnes, for that none doth dis [...]resse you in your owne persons but your selfe. You are they that doo punish your selues, by going and lying woolward, by abstaining from flesh, by rysing at midnight, and by whypping and scourging of your s [...]lues: and who dooth or can hurt you in those things that you possesse, [...]ith you haue vo [...]ed, neuer to possesse any thing, no not so much as the gar­ments that belong to your owne bodies. And who can take from you, anie fruits of your labours, séeing that you neuer laboure, and therefore can not reape any fruites of any laboure that is doone by [Page 14] you, but are fedde, and haue professed that you wyll and must still, be fedde by the labours of other? But wyll you know what Saint Austen writeth, against the second Epistle of Gaudentius, that was Bishop of the Donatistes? In the 27. Chapter of that booke, Tom. 7. S. Augustine writeth thus. Agnoscite scelus vestrum, & nol [...]te vo­bis vsurpare no men alienum. Scriptura dixit. Tunc stabunt [...]usti in magna constantia aduersus eos q [...]i se angustiauerunt, & qui abstulerunt labores eorum. Non dixit, stabunt om [...]es qui [...]ala passi sunt: sed stabunt [...]i [...] ­sti. Sicut dominus cum dixisset: Beati qui persecut [...]nem patiuntur, [...]is [...] addidisset prop [...]er iustitiam, non solos significaret, qui pro s [...]a in domino patientia coronantur: sed etiam illos qui i [...]stis legibus puni [...]ntur. Qua­propter, siad vos put at is haec iustonum verba quae scripta sunt pertin [...] ­re: prius an iusti sit [...]s [...]stendite. Acknowledge (sath S. Auste [...]) your owne wickednes, and doo not vsurpe a name that belongeth not to you. The Scripture hath sayd: Then the iust shall stand in greate c [...]nstancie, against them that haue distressed them, and haue taken away their labours. It hath not sayd, as many as haue suffered e­uill shall stand: but the iust shall stand. Euen as when the Lorde had sayd: Blessed are they that suffer persecution, except hee hadde added for righteousnes, he should haue meant, not thē alone which are crowned for their suffering in the Lord, but them also that are punished by iust lawes. Wherefore, if you doo thinke, that these words that are written, doo appertaine vnto you: shewe first whe­ther you be righteous, or no. And in y^e same place it foloweth thus. In déede you haue amongst you righteousnesses y^t you brag of, great matters, as y^e deuiding of Christ, the cutting off, of the Sacraments of Christ, y^t for saking of the peace of Christ, war against y^e mēbers of Christ, accusations against the spouse of Christe, & the denying of the promises of Christ▪ These are your righteousnesses, for which forsooth, you shall stand in great constancie. Thus farre Augustine.

Nowe, if I may be so bolde with you, let me sée whether these latter words of S. Austen may not be rightly applied vnto you Minime Fryers, and such other Religious personnes. Doo you not deuide Christ, when you ascribe your saluation, part [...]y to faith in him, and partly to your owne workes, and to the merits of Saints? and when, in the Office of mediation, you ioyne with him his bles­sed mother, and such other as liued holily in this transitory life? Do you not cutt off the Sacraments of Christ? and after a sort you a­brogate [Page] them, when you minister Baptisme to belles, Churches, and Churchyardes, and shyppes, which you call the hallowing of these thinges, and when in your con [...]urations, you christen Cattes and such other creatures to deceiue the deuill withall, when you haue promised to giue him a christened creature? And when you teache that in the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, there remaineth no substance of bread and wyne, and so you make it no Sacrament. For (as you once learned, and did openly confesse in my Church) euery Sacrament must consist of two parts, that is, both of earthly and of heauenly matter, and not of the one matter onely? And when you giue it that newe name, calling it the Sa­crament of the Altare, and when you doo reserue it, hanging it o­uer your Altar, carrying it abroade to shew it to the people, teach­ing them to fail downe and worship it, and so make an Idoll of it? Yea when in your masse you make a sacrifice of it, for y^e sins both of the liuing & of the dead? yea and in stormes & tempestious wether, you make it a bugge to feare the deuill withall. And whē you teache that the peace of mens consciences, must not bee stayed vppon the fayth in Christ onely: but vppon the worthines of the workes that are wrought by men, doo ye not forsake the peace of Christe? Yea when you holde, some of Frauncis (as you & the Gray Fry­ers doo) some of Austine, as the Augustine Fryers doo, some of Dominicke, as the Dominicane Fryers doo: some of Marye, as the Carmelite or whyte Fryers doo: and some of Jesus, as the newe founde Jesuites doo. And to bee briefe, all the ra­ble of your Religious: doo ye not all forsake that peace that GOD hath giuen in his peace maker Christ, and séeke it in them whose Religions you professe, whose rules you followe, and whose names you beare? Dyd not S. Paule blame the Corinthians, for that they forsaking this peace of Christ, would hold one of Cephas, another of Apollo, another of Paule, another of Christ? Were you bapti­sed in the name of Paule? sayth he. Was Paule Cru [...]ified for you? I feare me you be rebaptised: For what meaneth the chaunging of your name? In your first baptisme, you were called Samuell, and by your Fathers progeny Debnam, and by your profession a Chri­stian. But now you must be called Iohn Frauncis. And what meaneth this, but that the name of Frauncis, hath blotted out both the name of Debnam, and the name Christian also.

[Page 15]If serche shalbe made in the Register that is kept in the Parrish Church of Waltam, it wyll be sound there, that one Samuell Debnam was baptised there: and not Iohn Frauncis. So that Samuell Debnam is the Christian, and Iohn Frauncis is the Fryer. Iudge you whether of these is likely to be founde in Gods Register, which is called the booke of life. If Christ bee that life, then they are written in the booke of life that be Christians, If Frauncis be not that life, then are not they written in the booke of life which be Franciscans, and so of all other your Popish Religi­ous. Be not deceiued therefore Samuell. The Corinthians whom Paule rebuked, did vndoubtedly thinke as you doo. That is, that holding of Cephas, Apollo, and Paule: they did not forsake y^e peace of Christ. For so (I am assured) you thinke, that hauing professed the Religion of Frauncis, you haue not forsaken the Religi­on of Christ. And yet Paule doth charge them as men, that in their dooinges gaue occasion to him to conceiue this opinion of them, that they were become Cephasians, Apollianistes, and Paulists, and not Christians. Take héede Samuell, our aduersary the deuyll is subtyll, and doth oftentimes shewe himselfe in the likenes of an Angell of light. You haue (I thinke) read the sixt Chapter of Saint Iohns Reuelations. And you either haue or may reade, the godlie and learned interpretations, that godly learned men haue made, concerning the foure horses therein mentioned. The firste being white, doth prefigure the time that was begunne, when this Re­uelation was shewed to Iohn, and did continue all his dayes, and hath continued euer since, and shall continue euen to the ende: al­though not so generallie, and so apparantlie as at the first. Thys white horse is gone forth, and is not returned again, but goeth forth still whether soeuer his rider will direct him. And his ryder dooth with his arrowes strike the harts of such as he wyll conquere and make subiecte vnto him. And thus hee goeth foorth still conquering, that he might ouercome and conquere. The seconde horse beeing redde, doth signifie the time of bloodie persecution (which was also begunne, when this Reuelation was shewed to the seruaunt of Ie­sus Christ, blessed S. Iohn. And his ryder had power giuen him to take pea [...]e from the earth▪ and he had a great sword giuen him also. Whereby were signified the tenne bloodie persecutions that folow­ed immediatly after the white horse was gone foorth and had con­quered [Page] many. And those bloody perfecutions were executed by that great sword the Romane Monarchie. The third horse was black▪ whereby was signified the time of ignorance, that beganne againe after the persecution was staied, (but not ended, for it continueth to this day, and so shall it continue euen to the ende.) The rider that rydde on this horse, had a Ballance in his hand, wherwith he way­ed Gods Lawes, and mens inuentions, and déemed them to bee of like waight: and héereof sprong all those horrible heresies, that euer since haue, and doo still trouble the Church, and especially that Pe­lagian heresie, that your sort doo still maintaine, and the making of mens inuentions equall with Gods lawe, yea rather proferring them before Gods lawes: but wine and Oyle that rider might not hurt. That is, he had no power to corrupt the text, either of the old or newe Testament. The fourth horse was pale, and signified the time that followed immediatly after this time of déepe ignoraunce, and doth continue to this day, wherein great swa [...]mes of pale Hy­pocrites (euē such as you haue professed to bee & to continue to your liues ende) haue béene and are▪ still bredde. The ryder of this horse is death, and hell followeth after him. Take héede therefore, your way is not the way of life, but of death. They that will follow such blinde guydes, shall fall into the pyt with them. You are they that shall say in the last day: We haue [...]r [...]ed from the trueth, and the light of righteousnes hath not shined vpon vs, neither hath y^e sunne of vnderstanding risen vp vnto vs. We haue weried our selues in the way of iniquity and destruction, and wee haue walked in harde wayes, but the way of the Lord we haue not knowne. For you bee they that haue distressed such as God hath (by the mediation of hys Sonne) discharged of sinne, and so iustified them in his sight, you haue tolde them, that except they shall punish themselues as you doo your selues▪ they can not be saued. You haue taken from such their labours, when by your perswasions, they haue bestowed that which they haue gotten by their labours vppon you, to maintaine you in idlen [...]s, hoping to be saued by your holines, which is no­thing but méere hip [...]crisie. And thus much concerning your forsa­king of the peace of Christ.

You make warre against the members of Christe, you accuse the spouse of Christ, and you denie the promises of Christ, as Saint Austen hath sayd to the Donatistes, You proclaime open warre a­gainst [Page 16] all such as dare say y^t they haue receiued the spirit of Christe, and that they are by that spirit certified that GOD in mercy hath made them his owne children by adoption, and so consequently mē ­bers of his sonne Christ. You accuse as Heretickes, all such as dare say that Christ Iesus hath washed them so in the fountaine of hys owne hart blood, that nowe they be in him and through him, a glori­ous spouse vnto him, not hauing spotte or wrinkle or any deformi­ty of s [...]me. The promises of Christ you denie, in that you say, that not euery one that beléeueth and is baptised shall be saued, no not though they make their beléefe knowne vnto men by their obedi­ence to Christ, in folowing the Rule that he hath prescribed, and endeuouring to doo as their heauenly Father hath commaunded. But he that wyll be saued, must liue in obedience to your holy fa­ther, the Popes holines. Thus much for y^e applying of those words vnto you, and other Popish Religious, that Saint Austen wrote against the Donatistes.

Nowe to the Rule of your Religion, which is, (as you say) ne­uer to eate flesh &c. In his first Epistle to the Corinthians, and the 8. Chapter, S. Pauls writeth thus. Esca autem, nos non commenda [...] Deo. Meate doth not make vs more acceptable to God. Neither are we the better if we eate, nor the worse if we eate not. And a­gaine, in the sixt of the same Epistle. Esca ventri▪ & venter escis. Hunc & has destruet Dens. Meats is appointed for the belly, and the belly for the meate, but God wyll destroy both the one and the other. By these places and diuers other, it appeareth that Christians haue li­berty to vse all Gods good creatures, and that they are not the bet­ter or more acceptable in Gods sight. When they doo vse them, nor lesse acceptable when they refuse the vse of them, except the refusall doo procéede of an opinion of some holines or vnholines in the vse or refusall of them. If you féede not to fill your bellyes, but to sustaine nature, with thankes to God for his creatures, you doo well. But you are i [...]greater danger to excéede in eating, when you féede vpon delicate fishes and fruites, then if you did féede vpon such kindes of flesh, as the common sorte of people are accustomed to féede on. It is the moderate vse of Gods creatures, and our thanks giuen to him for them, that doo make our eating or abstayning, acceptable vnto him. Your eating but once in a day, from the day of All saintes, to Christmas day, and from Shro [...] sunday to Easter (which you call [Page] fasting) is nothing. For you may eate as much at one meale, as might suffice you at two or thrée. The like is to be thought of all your wednesdayes fastings, for they are but a diuersity in eating or féeding. Your refrayning the touching of money, may be thought to be a toy to mocke an Ape with all. And your rysing at mydnight, may be opposite to your sléeping at noone. You say, that you doo at midnight sing your Mattins before the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, the precious bodie and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Christ which is there kept ouer the high Altar. What pleasure you doo, or can doo to that Sacramēt, by singing your Mattins before it, I can not vnderstand: for I think it can not heare any one word that you doo either sing or say, and so it can not be delighted with the hermo­nie of your musicke. I put you in minde of these thinges, because your greatest Clerkes haue written, that Christ is not in that bles­sed Sacrament of yours, with his dementions and liniaments of bodie, neither with his Organs of sences: but meruailously, & with out the distinction of parts. I thinke therefore, that in the cold we­ther, it were more wisedome for you to kéepe your selues warme in your beddes, that when you be waking, you may sing and make melodie in your harts to God: then to rise out of your bedds, and sit quyuering and quaking in your wyde and cold Quyer, to pleasure him with musicke, that hath not one eare to heare your harmonie. For vndoubtedly, you can not but wysh that you had doone, before you haue well begunne. And what thankes can you looke for at the handes of that Sacrament that you sing your Mattins before? And in the hotte or warme wether, I thinke it shoulde be more profita­ble for you, to be in your studies (if you haue any) at a conuenient houre, endeuouring to learne the meaning of y^e Prophete in those Psalmes that you vse to sing in your Mattins (for the most parte) without vnderstanding. Well, you sing two or thrée high masses e­uery day. I thinke you mistake your termes. For in such Churches as yours, there is but one high masse, whether it be sayde or songe, the other (though they be songe) are not called high masses, for they are not that masse that is appointed for that day, but of our Lady, of S. George, of S. Dionice, S. Frauncis, or some other. But what masses soeuer you sing or say, the moe the worsse, and the fewer the better. For the best is but Idolatry, der [...]gation to the glorye of Christes passion, and seducing of Christians▪ and a méere mockerye [Page 17] of Christes holy institution.

You procéede now in the declaration of the straightnes of your Order: and thus you say.

Wee lye in our clothes in bedde, without sheetes, and yet we keepe our selues cleane. We goe to bedde at 8▪ a clock, and rise at halfe an hower past a leuen. We returne to our bedd at halfe an houre past 2, or most commonlie at three, and rise againe at sixe. When we haue doone (or when any one of vs hath doone a misse) he that hath offended must doo penaunce. Our penaunces are to fast bread and water, to sit and dine vpon the earth, to kisse our bretherens (the Fryers) feete, to whyp our selues the space of halfe a quarter of an houre, more or lesse, according as the cheefe father thinketh good. we dare not speak one to another in the night time, except necessity cōstraine vs. We dare not strike one another, in iest or in earnest. Our whips are made, some of whyp corde the length of mine arme, with long knots cūningly wrought. Other of our whyps are made of yron chaines, such as women are wont to hang their keyes vpon. Other haue their whips with siluer pins, to the intent that the backe canker not. My whyp is made of whyp­corde. I had another made of the foresaid chaines, which I haue vsed manie times. I haue (be it spoken to the honor of God) whipt my selfe often times: I think forty times & aboue. In which whipping, as I feele often times extreame paine, so also I haue heauen­ly cōsolations, in so much that it is an easie thing with me now, to giue my self 400. stripes at once before that I leaue. (God knoweth I lye not) when we whip our selues, either for deuotion sake, in re­membraunce of the bitter passion of our Sauiour, or els when wee whyp our selues for penaunce, we doo put of our garments to the reynes of our backe, and turne our hood aside, so that our backe, armes and shoulders are naked, being so naked, with a discipline (as we call it) or a whip in our hande, one of the Fryers beginneth the 50. Psalme of Dauid, saying: Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. And all the while that he sayeth the Psalme, the other whippeth himselfe. In the meane season, whilst that one doth say the foresaid psalme. I haue giuen my selfe for de­uotion sake (because that Christ was whipped for me) foure hun­dred stripes. Euery Friday, from our Ladies day in Lent, to May day, I whip my selfe for your sake. And I pray for you, vnto the intēt that it may please God to turn your harts, & saue your souls.

Procéeding in the declaration of the straightnes of your life▪ you say that you lie in your clothes in bed without shéetes▪ and yet you kéepe your selues cleane. It may be so, for you haue leasure enough to knacke your créepers, when they begin to molest you, and Sta [...]sacre, is a soueraine thing to destroy that cattell that is accustomed to bréede in the beddes and bosomes of such lasye Lub­bers, as doo accustome themselues to lye in their clothes. If it bée a point of holines to lye in bedde without shéetes, then are the com­mon sort of people in diuers parts in England as holy as you, for they neuer lie in any, & yet they putt of their clothes when they goe to bedde. And I my selfe hauing béene in some of those parts of the Realme, haue taken such lodging as the Country vseth, but I haue not lyen in my clothes as you say that you doo. I doo know by that little experience that I haue had therein, that after a man is acu­stomed for some space to lie in blankets, he will chose rather to con­tinue that kind of lodging then to change it. But let this matter passe, for a Louse bredde in blankets, is not more holye then that Louse that is bredd in shéetes. And this Epitheten lousie, hath bene thought méete for a Fryer euer since I could remember. You say that you got to bedde at eight of the clocke. &c. I know diuers Arti­ficers in London (and I think such may be found in Paris also) that labouring sore all the day long, doo not sléepe before eleuen of the clocke, and yet ryse againe at foure or fyue at the furdest, so y^t they sléepe not aboue 6▪ howres in one night, where as by your own confession, you doo commonlie sléepe 7▪ houres, and doo no labour at all, but loyter all the day long. The Religion therefore of those labou­ring Artificers, is (in that point) straighter then yours. When you doo (or when anie of you dooth) a misse: hee that hath offended must doo penaunce. If this be true, thē must you all doo penaunce euerie day. For as the Psalmist saith. 19. Delicta quis intelligit? Who can be able to tell how oft he offendeth? And Salomon saith, Prouerb. 24. Septies cadet iustus (And as your sort doo reade his words) Sep­ties in die cadet iustus. The righteous person shall fall seauen times in a day. But I am sure, your meaning is not of such offences as Salomon speaketh of. That is, of déedes that are doone, words that are spoken, and thoughts that are conceiued contrary to Gods com­maundements: but your meaning is, of offences cōmitted against the Rules of your Religion. As when you lust or long after anie [Page 18] kind of fleshe, when you be slacke in arysing to sing your Mattins before your blessed Sacrament of the Altar, when being drowsye, you singe not lustilie, when you passe by anie of your Idoles, and doo not dowke lowe enough to them, when you lowte not lowe e­nough to your Prior, and other your auncients in Religion, when you thinke not so reuerently of euery point of your Religion as you haue béene taught to doo, when you behaue not your selfe so de­uoutlie in singing your Mattins and high masses as you should doo, when you speake to anie of your fellowe Fryers, either at dinner or at supper, or in the night, and when you thinke well of, or wishe well, to anie of those Heretickes, that haue had the bringing vpp of you, and haue béene too carefull for you. I coniecture that these bee the misdéedes that you must doo penaunce for. As for the breaking of Gods commaundements, that is no offence amongst Minime Fryers. Well, you say that your penaunces are to fast breade and water. &c. By this I coniecture that your common drinke is wine. Manie honest men that laboure sore, haue water for their common drink. I haue heard of an Abbot in England, that inioined his horse such penaunce, because he felt him too lustie & sturring vnder hym. Syrra (said the Abbot to his horsekéeper) sée that you giue not thys horse any thing for the space of these tenne dayes, but onely breade and water. Was not this great pennance for the poore horse to en­dure thinke you? The quality and quantity of your bread may bee such, that it shall rather be a pleasure then a punishment to bee put to that pennaunce. But graunt that your breade which you eate when you be put to penanuce, be such as King Achab commaunded to be giuen to Michaeas the Prophet. 3. Reg. 22. The bread of tri­bulation, and the water of sorrow: Yet what a satisfaction is this, for so haynous an offence, as the transgression of the leaste of Gods commandements. Adam was inioyned much greater penaunce thē this, and much longer time then for the space of one day. For it was sayd to him by God himself. In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade, all the daies of thy life, till thou shalt be turned a­gaine into the earth. &c. And yet all this penaunce could not satisfy for that one sinne that he committed, when he tasted of the forbid­fruite. Yea although all his posterity euen vnto this day, had doone, and we & our posteritie should doo, such penaunce as you speake of, continually, euen to the end of the world: yet all this long penaunce [Page] could not reuerse this sentence, pronounced by God himselfe. Morte morier [...]s. Thou shalt die the death. Onely the death of him, in whom there neuer was any sinne, is sufficient to satisfy for all sinne. Your dyning vpon the earth with bread and water: the kyssing of your brethren the Friers féete, the whipping of your selues for the space of halfe a quarter of an howre, more or lesse, at the discretion of the chéefe father, may be some outward signe of inward sorrow concei­ued for some offence committed, and some argument of detestation thereof inwardly in the heart▪ But an Hipocrite may doo as much as all this, and yet delight in his wickednes still. Reade the 58. Chapter of Esaies prophesies. Nunquid tale est [...]eiunium quod elegi? per diem affligere hominem animam suam? &c. Is this the fast that I haue chosen (saith the Lord, by the Prophet) for a man to afflicte his owne soule for the space of a day? to bowe downe the heade like a Bulrush? to lye in sackcloth? wylt thou call this a fast and a day acceptable to the lorde? &c.

But when the chéefe father himselfe shall offende, who shall moderate his whippings. I hope you wyl resolue me in that doubt at your next comming into England. &c. You dare not speake one to another in the night. &c. Your whips are made of whipcorde. &c. Your silence is not to be misliked if it be voide of superstition. That your whyps are made, some of one matter, and some of another, is not much materiall. But the lacke of such a hand to vse the whips as our Bedles in Bridewell haue, is the cause that you laye on so manie hundreds at one time, and féele such heauenly consolation, af­ter you haue laid so many hundred lashes vpon your owne backes. If you long to be well whipped for your sinnes, or in the remem­brance of the bitter passion of our Sauiour, make a steppe ouer the Seas into England, and come to our Bridewell, you shall finde a good fellowe there, that will giue you foure lashes with his whypp that shall be more worth then any foure hundreth of those lashes that euer you gaue your selfe, with any one of those whippes that you haue vsed. Well, I will descant no longer vpon your apyshe whypping. Whippe your selfe still euery Fryday from our Ladye day in Lent, till May day, for your [...]elfe if you lyst, but not for vs. Christ Iesus was once whypped for vs, and crucified and deade vp­on the Crosse for vs, and as the Prophete Esay sayth. Chapter. 53. Disciplina pacis nostrae, cecidit super illum. The correction that might [Page 19] purchase our peace is fallen vppon him. And by his woundes and stripes we are made whole. Wee néede no such mediators as the Minime Fryers are. And except you doo in your prayers begge a better thinge for vs, then turning of our hearts from the loue and beléefe of the Gospell of Christ, to the loue and beléefe of Antichri­stian popery, I pray you make your prayers for those fréends that you haue on that side the seas, for you haue sayd before, y^t amongst vs you haue not one fréende.

This is (say you) the life that I leade, and that I am likely to leade: in fasting and praying, in penaunce and payne, and great trauell. This life I haue chosen to serue God in, no man ly­uing compelling me: of my owne free wyll I tooke it vppon me. Many there were that did what they could to hinder me, vsing ma­nie meanes to put it out of my head, yet haue I gone forward. Per­aduenture you will aske me the cause, why I haue taken vpon mee this life. I aunswere you, for my sinnes and for yours. VVhy was our blessed Sauiour borne in a stable of horses, without pompe & vanitie? VVhy was he circumcised & his bloode drawn? why did he trauell from place to place, from Cittie to Cittie, from Village to Village, preaching, praying, fasting, healing the sicke, & wor­king miracles? VVhy did he sweate his precious bloode, when hee prayed in the Mountaine of Olyues? VVhy was hee betrayed by the traytor Iudas, bound with chaynes, mocked and scorned, spyt vppon and whypped, stroken vppon the face, crowned wyth thornes, & hanged vpon the Crosse by those merciles Iewes? what was the cause why holy Saint Iohn Baptist, eate nothing but locu­stes and wyld honny, being apparaled in hayre? All these paynes both of our Sauiour Christ and of his forerunner, were they not for our sinnes? Coulde not our blessed Sauiour with his word re­deeme our soules that were damned to hell fyre, by the disobedi­ence of our first father Adam, as well as he created them by hys worde? Our sinnes then were the cause of the passion of our Saui­our, for if we had not sinned, he had neuer died. Consider thys I pray you, if another suffer for my sinnes, shall not I my selfe suf­fer?

The life that you leade, and are likely to leade, is hy­pocriticall, damnable and deuillish▪ Hypocriticall, because it consi­steth all together in outward shewes of holines, whereas when it [Page] is layd open, there is none other thing to be founde in it, then such as is to be founde in the graues of dead men, as our Sauiour sawe to be in y^e liues of the Phariseis. Math. 23. Damnable it is. For that it is Antichristian. And deuillish: for that it sauoureth nothing of that heauenlie wisedome that is from aboue, comming down from the father of lights, but it is earthlie, and beastly, and diabolicall, as blessed Iames hath writtē Epistle Chap. 3. This life you haue chosen fréelie, and of your owne accorde, and could by no meanes be stayed from it: that therein you might serue (not God, but) Gods sworne enemie, the Antichrist of Rome. You imagine that wee wyll aske you wherefore you haue made this choise: you answere, for your owne sinnes and ours. Oh thou child of the deuill, full of all guyle and disceite: darest thou shoulder Christ, and thrust thy selfe into the office of mediation, which belongeth onelie to Christe? canst thou (wretched Frier) satisfie to God, bothe for thine owne sinnes and for ours? This blasphemie of thine hath enforced mee, to vse thée in spéeches as S. Paule vsed the Sorcerer Elymas at Paphus. Acts. 13. But to make your matter good: You aske why Christe our Sauior would be borne, circumcised &c. As though all those acti­ons of his, had béene but examples for vs to follow. Some of these actions of his, were in some sort examples for vs to followe: but if we shall take vpon vs (as you doo) to folow them all, or any of them, with purpose to redéeme thereby, either our owne sinnes, or y^e sins of other, either in the whole or in parte: we shal bee but Apyshe, as you be, and blasphemous in that wee take vppon vs that which be­longeth to that one onelie mediatour betwixte God and man, euen the man Iesus Christ.

Take héede least that fall vpon thée (Fryer Iohn Francis) which fell vpon Elymas, reade Acts. 13. And yet furder to adde more autho­ritie to your owne dooing. You aske of vs, why holy S. Iohn Bap­tist did eate nothing but Locustes and wyld honnye. &c. And your conclusion is▪ that all this was for our sinnes, euen as the suffe­rings of our Sauiour Christ were. Thus you make many media­tours, where God hath made but one. 1. Tim. 2. But héere you vse a strange point of Logicke, concluding very strangely: vpon an As strange an Assertion. Could not our blessed Sauiour (say you) as well by his word redéeme our damned soules, as he did by his worde create them? Which manner of spéech dooth import as much [Page 20] as if you should say, no man can or dare open his mouth to deny it, for it is a truth confessed of all men. But what doo you inferre vp­pon this? Therefore our sinnes were the cause of the passion of our Sauiour. If you should make this argument in the Schooles in Lu­tecia: the Sorbonis [...]s would hysse you out of their Schooles. The Diuines also would tell you, that the premisses are not yet graun­ted, although your graund Pryor, and your holy father the Popes holines, would soothe you in it. The Diuines doo (by a generall consent) say, that because the burden of sinne, and the damnation due vnto it, is so great and horrible in the sight of GOD, that the wrath of God for sinne, could not otherwise be appeased, nor his iu­stice satisfyed, then by the cruell and bloodie death of that man that neuer had sinned, neither was by any meanes spotted or defyled with sinne, and therefore had not any way deserued to die. And heerevpon they conclude, that of necessitie, the onely begotten sonne of God, in whome there coulde be no sinne, must take mans nature of the substaunce of a blessed virgine, prepared before of GOD for that purpose, that the nature of man taken of her substaunce, might not haue in it any part of mans sinne, and that, that sonne of God, béeing both God and man, might die in his mans nature, that blood­die death that mans sinne had deserued, and so Gods wrath myght be appeased, and his iustice satisfyed, which could neuer haue béene brought to passe by any other meane. Héereof wee may conclude, that in some sort our sinnes were the cause of the death of our Sauiour Christ. This lesson you had once learned, and did repeate it openlie in my Church at Creplegate of London, in the presence and hearing of a great multitude of Christians, which conceiued no small hope, that you béeing borne of such Christian Parents (as you were) and brought vp vnder such masters, as had so instructed you in Christian Religion, that beeing but of tender yeeres, you were so perfect in the principles of that our Religion, woulde haue prooued an excellent Minister in the house of God, to the great ioye of such as had béene at charge in your education, and to the furthe­ring of Christes glory in the Realme of Englande, your natiue Countrey. But sée howe [...]athan hath bewitched you. You are nowe become apyssing potte in the Chamber of Antichrist. Thys com­meth of thy pryde, Samuell, GOD gaue thée good gyfts, that thou shouldest haue vsed them to his glory, but thou hast pryded thy selfe [Page] in them, and hast euery way abused them, and art fallen into the handes of God (which is a thing most horrible Heb. 10.) The Lord for his mercie sake open the eyes of thyne vnderstanding, that thou maist sée the greatnes of thine owne misery, and acknowledge the great fault of thine Apostacie, and craue helpe at the hande of our heauenlie Father, whose mercy is as great as him selfe, and is al­waies ready to receiue euery Prodigall sonne that returneth home againe vnto him, and séeketh after euery sheepe that is gon astray. Returne therefore Samuell, returne to our heauenly Father. Be no longer called by that hypocriticall name of Fryer Iohn Fraun­cis. Thy name Samuell, which was giuen to thée in thy Baptis­me, is not yet blotted out of our heauenly Fathers Register: ney­ther shall be before the day of thy departing out of this life. Return in time, séeke God whilst he may be founde, call vppon him whylst he is at hande, and hath his cares open to heare all such as call vpon him faithfully. Make not so light a matter of sinne, as to thinke that Iohn Baptistes féeding vpon Locusts and wylde honney, &c. could be any helpe to take away anie part of the damnation due to our sinnes. Be ashamed of that fonde perswasion that mooued you to say thus. Consider this (I pray you) If another suffer for my sinnes: shall not I my selfe suffer? You séeme to be perswaded, that of necessity we must suffer for our owne sinnes, because Christ hath suffered for them alreadie. Whereas (in verie déede) the contrarye is most true. Because Christe hath already suffered for our sinnes, therefore we néede not to suffer for them. For his suffering for our sinnes is sufficient, and is a full satisfaction for the sins of y^e whole worlde. And there remaineth nothing to be doone by vs, but onelye by faith to take the benefite of that his suffering, and to shewe our selues thankfull to him, for that it hath pleased him to suffer for vs, and by his suffering to restore vs to the fauour of the heauenly ma­iesty againe. Which thankes we render when wee mortifye our fleshlie affections, and make our bodies [...] Sacrifice to God, lyuing holie and acceptable. For this is our reasonable seruing of God, as wryteth S. Paule. Rom. 12. This is that sounde doctrine, that in your yonger dayes was taught you, & you learned, & did once openly confesse in my Church at Cr [...]plegate. Doo you therefore (I pray you) consider better of this matter: and be perswaded, that for as much as another (which is Christ the sonne of the lyuing GOD) [Page 21] hath suffered for your sins▪ you are by his suffering redéemed from your sinnes, and from euer lasting damnation, due to your sinnes, and by his resurrection iustified, and made righteous in the sight of the heauenly Maiesty, and discharged of your sinnes past for euer. Rom. 4. And when you shall by the frailty of your flesh fal and commit sinne: follow the counsell of Christes déere Disciple Iohn, that wrote the history of the Gospell, and those thrée Epistles that are called Canonicall. In the second Chapter of the first of those thrée Epistles, he writeth thus. My little babes, I writ thus vnto you▪ that you should not sinne: but if anie man doo sinne, we haue an Aduocate with God the Father, euen Christe Iesus the righteous, he is the obtainer of mercy for our sinnes. The words of Iohn in the Latine are these Ipse est propitiatio. I thinke I can not translate them better for the vnderstanding of the meaning by the Englishe Reader, then as I haue, that is: He is the obtayner of mercy for our sinnes. We néede not therfore to séeke for a ghostly father, that may heare our confession, and giue vs penaunce and absolution. Christ hath alreadie suffered penaunce for our sinnes, and hath ab­solued vs. We néede not to runne to Rome for pardon. For GOD hath alreadie pardoned all our sinnes past and repented, because we beléeue that promise of pardon, that he hath made in the death and blood shedding of his onelie begotten sonne, our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. And when we sinne by frailtie, wee haue an open way in vnto the mercie seate of God, by and through our Sauiour Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. Iohn. 14.

You procéede, and thus you say.

We reade in the fift of Leuiticus: how our Lorde commaunded the children of Israell to doo penaunce, when they had committed any offence. Iudg. 21. Vniuersus Israel valde doluit, egitque poenitentiam, super hoc quod fiebat. All the Children of Is­raell were very sorry, and they did penaunce for that which they hadde doone. Holie Iob, in the 24. Chapter of his booke, sayeth: Dedit e [...]s Deus locum poenitentiae. God of his wonderfull mercy gaue man place to do penaunce. Dissimulas (saith Salomon) peccata hominum, propter poenitentiam. Thou (O Lord) doost dis [...]e [...]ble the sinnes and iniquities of mē, vnto the intent, that they may doo penaunce, Eccl. 2. Si poenitentiā nō egeri [...]us, incidemus in manus domini. If we doo not penaunce, we shal fal into the hands of our Lord. And what is this to fal into the hands of our Lord? Hor [...]endis est (saith S. Paule [Page] Cap. 10. ad Hebreos) incidere &c. It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of our liuing God. Yet had I rather fall into his handes, then into the pawes of our aduersary the deuill. Conuertisti me (saith the Prophet Ieremie. 31. et egi poenitentiam. Thou hast conuerted me (O Lord) and I haue doone penaunce. But goe further, and you shall heare our Sauiour himselfe, by his owne mouth, calling vs to penaunce, in the 13. Chapter of S. L [...]ke, saying: Sinon feceri­tis poenitentiam: omnes simul peribitis. If you will not doo penaunce, you shall perrish all together. O what a dolefull sentence? you shall perish altogether. Let vs therefore cry with the Prophet Ie­remie 31. chapter of his prophesies. Conuerte me & conuertar: post­quam enim conuertisti me, egi poenitentiam. Et postquam ostendists mihi, percussi femur meum. Conue [...]t and turne me (O Lord) and I shalbe conuerted. For after thou haddest conuerted me, I did penaunce. And when thou hadst shewed me my sinnes, I strake my thygh. Let this therefore suffice to shewe you, that in vaine I haue not ta­ken vpon me this kinde of life, the which I haue therefore speci­fied, at large vnto you: because you desired so earnestlie, to knowe howe I am likelie to lyue.

Héere you haue heaped together a nūber of Scriptures, to a farre other ende, then they were at the first written. That is to prooue that you were moued by those Scriptures, to make choyse of that Religion wherein you liue, and that otherwise you coulde not escape the heauy wrathe of GOD, and so consequently, that who soeuer will escape Gods wrath must doo as you doo. And first you say, we reade in the 5. Chapter of Leuiticus &c. In this place of Leuiticus▪ there is not one word that may rightly be applyed to your purpose, as shall (I hope) plainelie appeare, euen to your selfe, if you can with indifferent iudgment reade that which heere followeth.

And first I must admonish you of one point of penishe superstiti­on, that sheweth it selfe in all that be of your sorte, as often as you haue occasion to translate into English, this Latine word Dominus. For supersticiously (as I take it) you ad vnto it the English of the Latine Pronowne Noster. Yea, though there be in the circūstance of the text, nothing to be founde that might giue you any occasion so to doo. As in this place of Leuiticus, you haue no occasion at al to say: Our Lord God commaunded the Children of Israell. &c. For [Page 22] the commaundements that are written in that Chapter, are gyuen by Moses, by whom the Lord God of Israell did speake to the chil­dren of Israell. And Moses speaking to them in the name of that Lorde that bidde him speake vnto them, dooth not vse any spéeche that may bee rightly translated into English, Our Lord. For thus he saith in the place that you cite. Anima quae iurauerit, & protulerit labijs suis, vt vel male faceret, vel bene: et id ipsum iuramento & sermone firmauerit, oblita (que) postea intellexerit delictum suum: agat poenitentis am propeccato, & offerat. &c. A soule that hath sworne, and hath vt­tered with his lippes, that he will doo either euill or well, and hath confirmed the same by an oath and by spéeche, and hauing forgotten the same, shall afterwarde vnderstande his falt: let him repent for his sinne, and offer a shée Lambe, or a shée Goale of the flockes, and the Priest shall pray for that forgetfulnes or ignoraunce, and for that mans sinne. &c. What is héere written that might mooue you to say, that our Lord commaunded the children of Israell to doo pe­naunce when they had committed any offence? I must admonishe you also of your fault, in translating continually penaunce, in stéede of repentaunce. For as (commonly) when the Latine word Do­minus is vsed in the Scriptures, it dooth signifie that mighty Lorde which is Lorde of all, & is not to be restrained by anie Pronowne, from that Generall signification, as to say, my Lord, our Lorde, or their Lord, because he is not onely, mine, ours, or theirs, but the Lord of all: Euen so the worde Poenitentia is not to be drawne to an outward shewe of repentaunce onely, which may be called pe­naunce, and may be as well in Hypocrites, as in such as be peni­tent in déede. The Grecians (as you knowe, I thinke) doo name it by a name, that by interpretation doth signifie, Post factum sapere. To bée late wise, as in English we vse to terme it, [...], is, whē a man remembreth himselfe better then he did when hee tooke in hand an action, wherewith he beginneth to mislike after the déede is doone. As in your present case, it may be, and I hope it wyll shortlie come to passe, that you returning to your former minde, wyll mislike with your disobedient manner of departing from your naturall Parents, and with your disloyall leauing of your natiue Countrey, and so repent that you haue bound your selfe by a vowe to liue a Minime Fryer all the dayes of your life, which is to be vnprofitable, bothe to your Parents and Countrey, directly contrarye [Page] to the Lawes both of God and of nature. If it shall please GOD to worke this [...] in you, you must, (if you will doo well) return to that first vowe which was made for you when you were bapti­sed, and leaue the latter vow, repenting that euer you were so mad as to make it, béeing (as it is) so contrary to that vowe which you first made in your Baptisme, and professed afterwardes before so manie witnesses. Follow not the example of Herod & ether, which making vowes did wickedly, but more wickedly in the persor­ming of those vowes. Math. 14. Judg. 11. Acts. 23. Wée knowe what your maisters of Rhemes, either haue taught, or can teache you tou­ching this matter. If you be determined, and will not hearken to better aduice, we can but wyshe you well, and sorrowe to sée your wilfull follye.

But to returne to the place of Leuiticus the fift Chapter, which you alledge: if you will looke into the Hebrew text, you shall finde no such worde as you séeme to take holde vppon. The worde that is vsed there, can not signifie to doo penaunce: but doth signifie, that he may confesse that wherin he hath sinned, or offended. This place therefore, serueth nothing for your purpose. The next place that you alledge, is out of the 21. of the Judges. Ʋniuersus Israel valde doluit, & poenitentiam egit, super hoc quod fiebat, say you, but that translation, that is best allowed by men of your sort, hath it thus. Super interfectione vnius tribus ex Israel. Howe can you then trans­late it thus into English. All the people of Israel were very sorry, and they did penaunce for that which they had doone? But if you will looke into the Hebrewe text, you shall find that you should haue sayd thus. The people sorowed for the Beniamits, because the Lord had made a breache in the tribes or kindreds of Israell. The thyrd place is out of Job. Chap. 24. Dedit ei Deus locum poenitentiae. God of his wonderfull mercy, gaue man place to doo penaunce. You vse a Pariphrasis in this translation, to make the place more forcible for your purpose. But thus you should haue translated it. God gaue him place of repentaunce. But if the Hebrewe text be of any credite with you, you wyll say thus. Dabit ei fidutiam, & immitetur, & oculi eius super vias eorum. Which may be thus Englished, out of this Hebrewe like Latine. Though God doo giue him boldnes, and he doth trust therein, yet his eyes be vpon their wayes. Howe is it possible to picke any matter out of this text, whereby your whyp­ping [Page 23] penaunce may be vnderpropped? But this text doth rather minister matter against you. For it sayth, that although you bee bolde, and doo trust to you hypocriticall penaunce, yet God doth stil beholde your wayes. Your hypocrisie that deceiueth men, can not deceiue him. The fourth place that you alledge is (as you say) out of Salomons Sapientiae. 11. But if you wil giue credit to S. Hierom, that booke is Pseudepigraphus. That is (if you vnderstand not that worde) it hath a wrong tytle, in that it is called the Wisedome of Salomon. Thus writeth S. Hierome, In praefatione in libros Salo­monis. Nonnulli scriptorum veterum, huncesse Iudaei Philonis affirmant. Some of the auncient wryters doo affryme, that this is the worke of Philo the Jewe. Yea and he saith that the very stile thereof doth sauour of the Greeke eloquence. I note this, because you Romaine Catholickes, doo make all the Bookes that are founde in the Byble of like authoritie.

But nowe to the words of the place alledged. Dissimulas pecca­ta hominum, propter poenitentiam. Thou (O Lord) dost dissemble the sinnes and iniquities of men, vnto the intent that they may doo pe­naunce. In the Gréeke it is, [...], that is, ad poenitentiam. To repentance. The circumstaunce of the text giueth, that God béeing mercifull to all creatures, doth not alwayes make it knowne to men that he knoweth the sins of men, for he doth not punish them in haste, but he giueth them time & space to remember themselues better, and to repent, before he take in hande to punish them. Thys repentance is an harty sorowe for the sinne past, and a full purpose and earnest endeuoure to walke in a new way in the time to come. And as for penaunce to be doone for satisfaction, is altogether vn­necessarie, for Christ Jesus hath discharged that matter already. But if he had not, the penaunce that we could suffer could not help vs. Your fyft place is taken out of Ecclesiasticus. 2, Chapter. If the Gréeke text were not out of credite with you Rhemists, & Romish Catholickes, it might suffice foraunswere to this place, to say shew it in the Gréeke, and then we wyll say, you haue sayde somewhat. But Si poenitentiam non egerimus, is▪ not founde in the Gréeke, ney­ther doth the circumstance of the place require, nor yet well suffer it. For thus hath Sirach written there: Qui timent Dominum, cu­stodiunt mandata illius: et patientiam habcbunt vsque ad inspectionem illius, dicentes. (Si poenitentiam non egerimus) I ncidemus in manus Do­mini, [Page] & non in manus hominum. Secundum enim magnitudinem ipsius, sic & misericordia illius cum ipso est. They that feare the Lorde, doo kéepe his commaundements, and will haue patience till they may beholde him, saying: We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the handes of men. For according to the greatnes of him­selfe, so is his mercie with him. Héere I haue left out, (if we wyll not, or if we shall not repent) and yet is the sentence of Syrach per­fect and the sence good. And in the Gréeke it is thus. They that feare the Lord, will séeke to be accepted of him. And they that loue him, will be filled with the Lawe. They that feare the Lord, wyll prepare their harts, and will humble theyr soules in his sight. Wée wyll fall into the handes of God, and not into the handes of men. For as is the greatnes of himselfe, so is his mercy also.

A man might aske héere, what néede there is of this sentence, Si poenitentiam non egerimus: If we repent not, or as you wyll haue it, if wée doo not penaunce. But let it be euen as you haue it in your common translation, and procéede as you doo, saying: And what is this? To fall into the handes of our Lord. You answere Horrandū ­est (saith S. Paule. 10. ad Hebraeos incidere. &c. It is an horrible thing to fall into the hands of our liuing God. Yet had I rather falt into his handes, then into the pawes of our aduersary the deuill. I thinke your Romaine Catholickes will not like well wyth you, for that you ioyne the Epitheton (liuing) with God, although you doo quallifye it by adding the Pronowne Noster, or Our. But let them deale with you for that. I would fayne knowe of you, howe you can fall into the handes of the lyuing God, in such sort as S. Paule meaneth of in these wordes to the Hebrewes: and yet es­cape the pawes of the deuill. S. Paule speaketh there of such as doo reproche the spirite of Grace, as your selfe haue doone in these wry­tings. And are (I feare me) fallen into the hands of the liuing God, who in iustice hath deliuered you into y^e pawes of the deuill, whom he maketh his Executioner: and at his good pleasure, he can, and (when you shall [...] that is, repent) vndoubtedly he wyll, rydde you out of those pawes of the deuill againe. Your sixt place is taken out of Ieremie. 31. Conuertisti me, & egi poenitentiam. Thou hast con­ [...]erted me (O Lord) and I haue doone penaunce. It is some gréefe to me to consider the great blindnes that you are fallen into. The Prophet Ieremie doth (in these wordes that you cite, and in those words that goe immediatly before, and that doo follow immediatly [Page 24] after) prophesie, or she we before hand, that in time then to come, the people of the kingdome of the tenne trybes or kindreds of Isra­ell, (whom he calleth Ephraim, because their first king Iereboam was an Ephramite) should be conuerted and turned, from theyr Idolatrous, heathinish, and false Religion, to embrace the true Religion of God, from which they were fallen in the dayes of the wicked Kinges, that had raigned in that kingdome of Israell or E­phraim, and were for that Apostacie, conquered by the Assyrians, and the remnant of them carryed into strange landes, farre off. Of thys conuerting or turning of the posterity of this people, the Pro­phet Ieremie dooth write after this manner. Audiens audiui Ephraim trans [...]igrantem (or as it is in the Hebrewe) plangentem. Casti­gastime Domine, et eruditus sum (or as it is in the Hebrew) castigatus sum, quasi iteuencus indomitus. Conuerte me & conuertar: quiatu Do­minus Deus meus. Postquam enim conuertistime, egi poenitentiaem: & postquam ostendistimihi, per cussi femur meum. Confusus sum, & erubui quoniam sustinui opprobrium adolescentiae meae. &c. I haue in verye déede (sayth the Lorde) heard Ephraim, flytting out of his Country (or as the Hebrewe hath it) making great or pittifull lamentation. saying after this manner) O Lord, thou hast corrected mee, and I am thereby instructed (or as the Hebrewe hath it) I am chastened like an vntamed Bullocke. Doo thou turne me, and then I shall bée turned, for thou art the Lord my God. And after thou haddest tur­ned me: I repented And after thou diddest she we vnto me (that is after thou diddest let me sée the filthines of myne owne life) I dyd strike my thigh. I was confounded, I was ashamed, for I did beare the reproche of mine owne youth. Is not Ephraim a sonne that I estéeme much off? Is he not a Ladde in whom I am delighted? For since I haue spoken of him: I will still remēber him. And therfore, the bowels of my compassion are mooued towardes him, and in pit­tie I wyll haue compassion vpon him, sayth the Lord. The due con­sideration of these wordes might haue moued you, to doo the contra­ry, of that which you say, you were by them mooued to doo.

Ephraim had forsaken the right Religion of GOD, and hee had embraced the Religion of Baall▪ which was a wrong Religion, he had forsaken the precepts, and commaundements of God, and em­braced the precents and commaundements of men. He had refused to hearken to the voyces of the true Prophets of God: and had gy­uen eare to the Prophets of Baal, which were false Prophets. Hée [Page] had left of to walke in those right and high wayes, that the Lorde had taught his own people to walk in, & he had chosē thē to walk in by waies, such as y^e Lord forbad his people to walk in. And haue not you doone y^e like? You were baptised in the right faith of Christ Je­sus, which your Godfathers & your Godmother confessed, at y^e time of your baptising, and desired (for you) that you might be baptised in that Fayth, which they did then confesse: And you were bapti­sed in that fayth, and were named Samuel. But nowe, you are called John Frauncis (as your selfe haue written) and therefore, I feare you haue renounced your first Baptisme, and haue béene re­baptized in the Romysh Catholike fayth: professing and promising to beléeue and to doo, all that, that Antichristian Church teacheth and commaundeth. You were brought vp in the knowledge of your duety towards God, and your duety towards man: but nowe you call that knowledge heresie, and such as haue béene your instructors therein heretikes. You haue, and doo styll refuse to heare the voyce of the Preachers of the Gospell of Christ, which are the true Pro­phets of this time: and your eares are open to the voyces of the preachers of popysh ceremonies, fayned and false miracles, and all manner deuises of men, which are the false prophets of this time. You haue left the way of truth, wherein God requireth his owne people to walke, seruing him in spirite and truth, that is, in true holines & righteousnes: and you haue chosen to walke in by waies, euen such as the Lord hath forbidden his people to walk in. Name­ly the hearing of masses, and therein, gyuing diuine honour to cre­atures, that is, to bread and wine therein vsed, and holden vp and shewed, that they may be worshipped by such as be present. In kys­sing the Reliques of Saints, in the supersticious refrayning of the vse of Gods good creatures, wherein God hath giuen liberty to all men, that will reuerently vse them, and be thankfull to him for them. In making inuocations and prayers to Angels, & to deade men, such as be called Saints, not knowing whether they can hear you, or whether they can helpe you or no. In praying for the deade, not knowing whether they doo stand in néede of your praiers or no. Yea not knowing whether your prayers, may profite them or no. In honouring God and hys Saints by Images, directly contrary to hys expresse commaundement: Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a­ny grauen Image. &c. In vowing, & performing the vow of wyue­lesse [Page 25] chastitie, and yet with this causion. Si non castè, tamen cautè. If not chastlie, yet warily. In performing the vowe of wilfull pouer­tie: and yet enioy all thinges necessary in great plenty. In taking vpon you y^e yoke of obedience to such as God hath not commandèd you to obey: but shaking of that yoke of obedience, that God hath layd vpon all mens neckes. Namely, to naturall Parents, Prin­ces and al maner of Gouerners. In dooing penaunce (as you terme it) by fasting bread and water, by dyuing vpon the earth, by whyp­ping your selfe, with a discipline of whypcords, or chaynes of wy­ar, or with pynnes of siluer, taking vpon you by these meanes to redéeme your owne sinnes, and the sinnes of others also. And so consequently, entruding your selfe into the Office of Christ, which is to be the onelie mediatour betwixt God and man, and the onely propitiator to obtaine mercy for the sinnes of the world. If you had considered these words of Ieremie, aright and as you shoulde haue doone, applying them to your selfe (as I hope nowe you wyll doo) then you would haue cryed with Ephraim (as I hope you will nowe crye) Turne me, and I shalbe turned, for thou art the Lord my God. And when the Lord shall turne you, as I hope he will at the last turne you, so that you shall from the bottome of your harte repent, that euer you left the highe way of righteousnes, to walke in these by wayes of wickednes: you will not (as you terme it) do penaunce, in whypping your selfe with your discipline (as you call your whip wherwith you haue giuē your self so many hundred las­shes) but you will submit your selfe vnder the mightie, and merci­full hand of our heauenlie father, to be chastined at his hande, ac­cording to his good pleasure, that by his fatherly corrections, you may be brought to sée the greatnes of your owne folly, wherein you haue walked. And so with Ephraim, strike your selfe on the thigh, and say: I am confounded and ashamed. I haue borne the re­buke of my youth. And then vndoubtedly the Lord wil say of you, as he did of Ephraim. Is not Samuel a sonne that I make greate account of? Is he not a ladde in whom I am delighted? Sith I haue spoken of him, I wyll still remember him. And therefore the bowels of my mercy are bent towardes him. In pitty and com­passyon I wyll haue mercie vpon him. Which God graunt for his mercy sake. Amen.

If you wyll not receiue this charitable admonition, and re­ceiue [Page] againe and loue that trueth, from which you haue for a time béene turned away, and haue loued lyes more then the truth, yea and haue indéede hated the trueth and loued lyes: I feare me that the threatning of the Apostle. 2. Thes. 2. wyll be fulfilled in you. I­deo mittet illis Dens. &c. God will therefore sende vpon them the strength of error, that they may giue credite to lyes, that all they may be condemned that haue not beléeued the trueth, but haue had pleasure in iniquity. Thys is y^e horrible falling into the handes of the lyuing God that the Apostle speaketh of. Heb. 10. From which the Lord for his mercy sake deliuer both you and me. Amen.

You procéede in your purpose, and thus you say. But goe furder, and you shall heare our Sauiour himselfe, by his owne mouth, cal­ling vs to penaunce, in the 13. Chapter of S. Luke, saying: Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: omnes simul peribitis. If you wyll not doo pe­naunce, you shall perrish altogether. And héere you vse an exclama­tion. O what a dolefull sentence: you shall perish altogether. Let vs therefore cry with the Prophet Ieremie. &c. as before. But sée howe you are deceiued, by giuing credite to such notes as you haue receiued at the hands of your Rhemists, and Romish Catholickes. I can not thinke that your selfe reading the wordes in Luke, the 13. Chapter, would haue set downe simul for similiter: as in thys your wryting you doo, and doo descant vpon it, noting the horrible­nes of the sentence, and so consequently, the necessity of dooing pe­naunce, to as many as be not willing to perish together. The wor­des that the Euangelist writeth, were spoken by our Sauior him­selfe. The occasion was, a report made vnto him, of the crueltye that Pilate vsed towards certaine of the Galileans. Doo you think (sayth our Sauiour) that these Galileans were greater sinners, then the rest of the Galileans were: I tell you no. But except you haue repentance, you shal all in like maner perish. And heere one other thing wherein your notes haue deceiued you. The text hath thus. Sed nisi poenitentiam habueritis. But except you haue repen­taunce. And you following your notes (as I suppose, for I can hardlie be perswaded, that séeing the text, you would so mangle it) doo set it downe thus. Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: If you doo not pe­naunce, you shall perish altogether. I would wyshe you therefore, to take good héede henceforth, how you trust the iudgment of thys Romish Catholike Church, that maketh no conscience thus to [Page 26] mangle the wordes of Christ himselfe, reported by his holy Euan­gelistes. But hetherto, you shewe your selfe to be perswaded, that you haue not without iust cause taken vpon you the life of a Mini­me Fryer. But howe well you haue prooued this, by those Scrip­tures that you haue (for that purpose) alledged: I think your selfe doo nowe sée, and are ashamed that euer you tooke this enterprise in hande.

Thus much for aunswere to that long discourse that you haue made, concerning your departing from your parents, and the ma­ner thereof. Your long and laboursome trauell in Fraunce, before you could créepe into the habite (or wéede as you terme it) of a Mi­nime Fryer, and howe you behaued your selfe in all that weary­some trauaile. And last of all, howe happy a man you thinke your selfe to be, for that you are now wéeded (as you▪ terme it) with that wéede, and haue so played the part of a Nouice▪ that lyking, and be­ing well liked of the Fryers of that Order, you are nowe a profes­sed Fryer, and haue changed your name, and are no more called Samuell Debnam, but Fryer John Frauncis, and therefore like­lie so to liue during your naturall life.

But nowe we haue another Crowe to pull. You haue made a meruailous inuectiue against our Religion, with an earnest and pithy exhortation to your Parents, to forsake both our Religion and vs also. And last of all, a very Christian instruction (as you séeme to be perswaded) but indéede a very Antichristian direction, howe they may and ought to behaue themselues, in this case wher­in they doo nowe liue, and are likely to continue. And thus you enter into this excellent péece of worke.

Nowe, as concerning your Religion (whose foun­dation is the deuill of hell, hys Ministers beeing, Tyndall, Fryth, Luther, Caluine, Beze, Zuinglius, Phillip Melanthon, Bucer Phagius, Oecolampaduts, and Berengarius, with others his Mini­sters, in England & els where. As Crovvley, Barber, Doue, Chark, Novvell, Mollins, Trippe, and the rest, whose harts God turne, or cutt short theyr liues, to more speedy conuersion of our poore Countrey. These are they of whom the holy Apostle Saint Iohn speaketh of in his first Epistle Chap. 2. Ex nobis prodierunt, sednon erant ex nobis: nam si fuissent ex nobis permansissent vtique nobiscum. That is to say, they came from vs, but they were not of our com­pany [Page] or society. For if so be that they had beene of our company, they had certainly stayed with vs. It is euident that they came from vs, as not liking our kind of life. Some came from vs by rea­son of pryde, othersome, by reason of deuillish suggestions. A­gaine, others because theyr heades were full of fantasies, as the heade or Master Fielde is, Who (yf the report that goeth of hym be true) is able to forge, euery halfe houre, a newe Religion. Lu­ther was an Augustine Fryer: who after that he had left his Or­der, beganne heresie. Caluin was a Cannon Reguler, and Berenga­rius was an Archdeacon. Whose liues and deathes, as also the lyues and deathes of the other Captaine Protestantes, if you knew thorowly, you would (as I hope) not onely wonder at their wi­lines, but also leaue their folly. But mine intention, is not at this present to write theyr behauiours, which (God wylling) shall be published in another page. Mine intention is onely, by the grace of God, to withdrawe and turne your hartes, from the beleefe of those damnable heresies which you holde, which I beseeche God that I may performe for his names sake.

I would gladly stay my penne, from blotting my paper with bitter or opprobrious wordes, but (alas) I can not, for the fire of zeale towards Gods glory, is so kindled in myne harte, that I can not hold in, such spéeches as this blasphemer deserueth. The spéeches shall (I hope) be such, and so vttered: that euen the blasphemer himselfe shalbe enforced to confesse, that the wryter séeketh nothing lesse, then the priuate reuenge of y^e priuate wrong that is doone vnto himselfe. The open wronge that is doone to Christ, and to his blessed name and Religion, is it that mooueth me to say (to this boy Fryer) as the Apostle Paule sayd to Elymas the Sorcerer. Acts. 13. O thou child of the deuill, full of all guyle and disceitfulnes: thou enemy of all righteousnes, doost thou not cease to peruert the right waies of the Lorde? Take héede (thou blasphemer) of that which followeth in that text. Darest thou say, that the deuil of hel, is the foundation of Christes Religion? Thou callest it our Religion, because we professe it: and we acknow­ledg that in that meaning, it is ours indéede, & we are not ashamed of it. But in thy meaning, we deny it to be ours, for wee are not the Authors of it. It is a reuerent feare and loue towards the ma­iestie of God, which the holy spirit of Christ hath wrought in our [Page 27] harts: whereby we are mooued to séeke to knowe his wyll, and to serue him according to his wyll. The foundation of this Religion, is the Law of God, and the Gospell of Christ. For the Lawe dooth worke in vs feare, and the Gospell worketh loue. By the lawe, we are seruants, but by the Gospell we are children, that is, adop­tiue sonnes and daughters, of God himselfe, and inheritors of hys kingdome, and heyres annexed with Jesus Christ, his onely begot­ten Sonne. This Law did God himselfe wryte, first in the hart of the first man, in his first creation, and after in Tables of stone, and deliuered the same to Moses, as his especiall and chosen Minister, that by his ministration, it might bee made knowne to his people, the posteritie of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. And the same Law, is by the finger of God written in our harts in our regeneration or newe byrth, wherein we are borne from aboue, by water, and by the holy Ghost: hauing receiued the spirite of Christ, which crieth in our harts to the heauenly maiesty, Abba Pater, Father, father. The Gospell also, was first preached to the first man, and to the first woman, when God himselfe said thus to the Serpent. I wyll p [...]enmitie betwixt thée and the woman, betwixt thy séede and her séede, her séede shall breake thy heade. This Gospell was a gladde tydings to the first mā and his wife, and they both beléeued it, and by that beléefe, were they discharged of the sinne which they hadde committed, in tasting of the forbidden fruite, which S. Paul calleth Justifying. And continuing in this beléefe, they had this promised séede. Christ, their continuall Aduocate as we haue, so that, so oft as they did by f [...]ailty sinne, they did (as we doo) by faith repare vnto him, and he was the propitiation for their sinnes, as he is for ours, when we repare vnto him by fayth. Christ Jesus therefore, is cal­led, and is indéede. Agnus occi [...]us ab origine mundi: That Lambe that hath béene slayne, euen from the beginning of the world. Apo. 13. This Gospell was continually preached, both before the Lawe written in Tables of stone, and also vnder that Law, by Sacrifice, as by shaddowes and figures. Heb. 10▪ as also by the ministry of the Prophets. But when Christ Jesus, which is this promised séede came: he preached this Gospell in his owne person first most plainlie, amongst them that were his owne peculier people. And afterward he preached it amongst the nations of the world, by the ministry of his Apostles or messengers. And thus the knowledge [Page] heere of came to al Nations of the world. Amongst whom the Gre­cians thought good to call this Gospell (which in our olde Englishe was named Gods speale, that is to say, Gods word) by the name Euaggelion, which name doth by interpretation signify, Gladde ty­dings. This Gospell or Glad tydings (so called because it dooth as­sure vs of frée pardon, and full forgiuenes of all our sinnes by the onely mediation of our onely Mediator, Christ Jesus) is that Gos­pell that Christ Jesus doth styll preache amongst vs by the mini­stry of them, whom you call Heretickes. Howe dare you now say that the foundation of our Religion is the deuill of hell? Is the de­uill of hell, the Lawe and the Gospell? But (for your recreation, as it may séeme) it hath pleased you to vse the figure Parenthesis, and therein to set downe a long Register of the names of such as you call the deuils ministers, to whom you wysh, either conuersi­on, or els spéedy dispatch out of thys life. This petition may wée (with greater and more Christian loue, both towards you and our Countrey) craue at Gods hand for you, and for all your societye. You sette downe our names very disorderly, euen as they came to your troubled memory, or as some man had gathered them, and deliuered them to you in some torne péece of paper. It may be, that neither you, nor anie that hath giuen you instructions, did at any time knowe many of them whom you name, nor reade any thing written by them. And yet (like a bolde blinde Bayarde) you pro­mise to write and publish their behauiours in another Page. You may (perhaps) doo if: but with as small commendation; and as great shame, as others haue doone before you. It is written to our comfort, that if such as you, did call the good man of the house Bel­zebub: howe much more will such call them of the housholde so? It is one good signe that we be of the housholde of Christe, when we be for Christes cause, called as Christ himselfe was, and by such as called him so. Math▪ 10. The Pharesies, (your Auncestors in hipocrisy) shamed not to say vnto him, euen to his face. Do not we say well, in that we say thus. Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a deuill. Iohn. 8. And shall we thinke much that you backbite vs, and in your slaunderous Lybels charge vs, with crimes, which you are not able to prooue, more then the Pharesies could prooue that Christ was a Samaritane, and had a deuill. For mine owne part (syr boy Fryer) make what report you dare, (better experi­ence [Page 28] you haue not had of any, for you haue béene in my house, and at my charges, a long seauen yéeres) but take héede that your pen scribble no lye, in the report that you shall make of mee: for if you doo, I wyll (if GOD gyue life and hability) so paynt you wyth my pensell, as you neuer painted your naked backe wyth your hi­pocrites discipline or whyp.

You apply vnto vs the saying of the holy Apostle S. Iohn, the first Epistle. Chapter. 2. Ex nobis prodierunt. &c. If you be (as you say you are) a Papist of the society of Papists: then you apply that saying rightly to vs so farre forth, as that you say that wee came forth from you, and were not of you. But if that society of which you meane, be the Catholicke Church, whereof y^e Church of Rome that was in S. Iohns time was a principall member: then that saying of S. Iohn can not be rightly applyed vnto vs, but to you. For not we, but you, are gone out from them, & were not of them. And we are gone out from you, and were not of you, for you are Antichristians, and we are Christians, as those Romaine were in the dayes of S. Iohn. But wyll you sée what S. Iohn saith in the same Epistle. Cap. 4. Hée doth there teache you howe to knowe Antichrist, and so consequently Antichristians. Omnis spiritus qui soluit Iesum, ex Deo non est, & hic est Antichristus, de quo audistis quoniam venit, & iam nunc in mundo est. Euery spirite that loseth or dissolueth Jesus, or the Sauiour, (for so dooth the name Jesus signify) is not of God, and the same is Antechrist, of whom you haue heard that he commeth, and he is euen nowe in the worlde. Who be they that may be sayd to lose or dissolue Jesus, (which is the Sauiour) but they which doo as you doo. That is, asscribe one part of your saluation to Jesus Christ, and another to your owne workes and merites? If you can find any better interpretation of this place, let vs at your leasure sée it. If not, leaue your dissoluing of Jesus, and ioyne with vs in ascribing your whole saluation to the mediation of Jesus Christ as we doo. But perhaps, you wyll héere [...]lée from your olde allowed translation, and for an aduantage take holde of the Gréeke text, which is thus. Euery spirite that de­nyeth, or doth not confesse, that Jesus is come in the flesh, is not of God, &c. But what can that helpe your cause? Jesus Christe came in the flesh, that he might treade the wine presse of Gods wrath, a­lone, and not to haue any one to helpe him. Esay. 63. Hee came in [Page] the flesh, that he might be wounded for our iniquities, broken for our great and wicked sinnes, that the correction wherby we might be reconciled myght fall vpon him, that we might bée made whole by the brwsing of his stripes. Esay. 53. Agayne, S. Paule. 1. Tim: 1. Thys is a true saying, and méete to be receiued of all men, that Christ Jesus came into this world to saue sinners. And in Math. 1. Hée shall saue his people from their sinnes. And in S. Iohns Gos­pell. 1. Beholde him that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde. By all these places it is plaine, that whosoeuer ascribeth any parte of our saluation, to any other then to Christ Jesus alone, denyeth him to bée come in the flesh, and is of that Antichrist that S. Iohn speaketh of. 1. Epistle. 4. You are therefore Antichristians, and we are for good cause come from you, because we were not Antichri­stians, and therefore not of you. We are returned to that Romish Catholicke Church that was in Johns time, from whom you came out, because you were not of them And we doo now beléeue, as they beléeued then. They beléeued then, that there is but one God that hath made all creatures, and him they glorifyed in the vse of hys creatures, and they gaue thankes to hym alone for those creatures, and studyed to serue him onely, in spyrite, and and with spiritual seruice, fléeing from the example of the Heathen Nations, that presumed to counterfayte his maiestie by Images. Rom. 1. And so doo wée. They beléeued and confessed that all men are sinners, and that man can not iustify himselfe before God, be­cause no man can so kéepe the Lawe but that his own conscience shall condemne him as a transgressor: & therefore, they dyd cleaue to the mercy of God, and so doo we. They beléeued that they were iustified (that is, discharged of their sinnes) fréely by fayth, wyth­out the déedes of the Law: and yet they thought themselues bound to doo all that God had and should make them able to doo in obser­uing and fulfilling the Law: and so doo we. Rom. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. They beléeued that God making choyse of them, had in mercy made them his owne children by adoption, inheritours of his kingdome, and heyres annexed with his onely begotten sonne Christ Jesus, and héere of they were assured by the spirit of Christ, which was gyuen to them, and cried in their harts Abba Pater, Father, Father: and so doo we. They beléeued, that this election and choyse was made, in the fore knowledge and purpose of GOD, before them [Page 29] selues were, and so consequently, before they eyther had or coulde doo, good or euill: and so doo we. Rom. 9. They beléeued, that as they were by frée mercy of God. adopted, predestinated, called, iu­stified, and acquitted of their sinnes, and in Gods predestination glorifyed, and made like to the Image of his onely begotten sonne Christ Jesus. Rom. 8. So their duety was to be carefull to leade a righteous life before men, and not be bolde to commit sinne, (be­cause God had in mercy discharged them of sin) but to liue in awe, and a reuerent childlike feare of his iustice, as they that would shewe themselues continually thankfull for his mercy, in making their owne bodies a Sacrifice to God, lyuing holy and acceptable vnto God, as theyr reasonable seruing of God. Rom. 10. 11. 12. And euen so doo wée. They beléeued that theyr duety was to submytte themselues, to all such as God had sette ouer them in authoritye, and to obey them, not onelie for feare of punishment, but for con­science sake also, knowing that whosoeuer resisteth power, resist­eth the ordinaunce of GOD, and doth purchase to himselfe dam­nation. And they beléeued that their duety was to giue euery man his owne, and to vse louing behauiour towards all men, knowing that loue is the fulfilling of the Lawe. And that béeing baptised they had put vpon themselues Christ, and ought to walke and con­tinue their liues in honesty, not making prouision for the fleshe, to satisfy the lustes thereof. Rom. 13. and euen so doo we. They belée­ued, that although God had gyuen them liberty in the vse of al his creatures: yet their duety was to haue a continuall regarde to the infirmitie of their brethren [...] and not to vse any of those creatures to the offence of any of them. Rom. 14. 15. and euen so doo we. They beléeued, that they, together with all other Christians els where, in any part of the worlde, were fellowe members of one bodye in Christ, and vnder Christ alone, acknowledging no vniuersal heade of that body but onely Christ Jesus alone. Rom. 12. And euen so doo we.

Thus you may sée, that we are not departed from the Catho­licke Romaine Church, which was in the time of S. Iohn, but from you, that departed from them, more then 1000. yéeres before this day. You put many of Gods creatures in the place of God, in reposing trust in them, in calling vpon them and crauing helpe at theyr handes, in rendring thankes vnto them, in honouring them, [Page] in and by their Images, in seruing thē, and in consecrating daies, Temples and Altars to their honour. You presume vppon your owne power, as they that are able, either to fulfill the Law, or els hauing broken the Lawe, to satisfie to God for your sinne in brea­king the Lawe, and to that end you fast from flesh, you goe and lye woolwarde, you rise at midnight, you sing mattins and masses, you whyp your selues with your disciplines or whyps, not follow­ing therein any commaundement of God, or example of good man. For where hath God commaunded men to refrayne the necessary and honest vse of his good creatures? And where hath he commanded men to be their owne formentors? What one man or woman can you name, amongst the Patriarks, the Prophets, or Apostles, that formented themselues, as you doo torment your selues, if your owne report be true? In the Lawe we reade, that if a man had deserued to be chastised with strypes, and were condemned by the Judge to be chastised: yet the number of stripes might not in anie case excéede the number of fortie. Deut. 25. Chap. But you say that euery Frydaie, from our Ladie day in Lent, to May day, you doo whyp your selfe for your Parents sake, & doo gyue your selfe 400. stripes at euerie time (as I thinke) for you say it is an easye thing with you nowe, so to doo. Well, whyp on still, till you shal heare me say: whoe. And if you shall not haue whipping chéere enough at Nigeon in Fraunce, steppe ouer the water into Englande, and at your request, I wyll helpe you to some of our whypping chéere in Bridewel, where one lashe that our whypping Bedles doo giue, is worth a whole hundred of yours in Nigeon.

But to returne to our purpose. You say that we came from you, not lyking your kinde of life. It is very true, and so long as you leade such a kinde of life as you doo, which is hypocriticall, wee minde neuer to returne to you againe. But where you doo charge vs with pryde, deuillish suggestions, and heades full of fantasies, I must vse an English prouerbiall spéeche, and say: Take your selfe by the nose, and saie foole I haue caught thée. The harts of those men that you speake of, and are departed this life, were well knowne vnto God, & so are ours that doo yet remaine in this vale of misery. We shall be all iudged one day, by him that will iudge iustlie. And what art thou that iudgest another mans seruaunt? But héere (by the way) I must tell you of your ingratitude to­wards [Page 30] M. Fyelde, whose purse, penne and hand, haue béene hel­ping to you, so that if you had regarded either christian duety or charitie, yea or ciuile honestie, you would not haue so harkened to a false report, that you would haue noted him before all others, for coyning of so manie newe Religions, where he neuer coyned any. Staie your stile therefore (I aduise you, yet once againe) and pe­ster not that page that you threaten to publish, with lyes, eyther learned by report, or cast in your owne moulde. For if you doo: But hauing ended your long Parenthesis, you goe on with your matter, and saie thus: My intent is onelie. &c. A pestilent intenti­on. To withdrawe & turne the harts of your father & mother from the beléefe of the Gospell of Christ: (the word of saluation that is graffed into vs, and is sufficient to saue our soules) which you most blasphemouslie call damnable heresie. And for habilitie to bring this intended mischeefe to passe: thou (moste vile wretch) darest open thy most blasphemous mouth, to craue helpe at hys hande, that in iustice, may (yea must) and I doubt not, shortlye wyll, confounde thée and all such as thou art.

But nowe you goe lustily about your busines, and you gyue so fierce an assault, euen at the first, that you séeme to be perswaded, that you are in possession of the Forte, before you come in place where you may plant your batterie: yea and before you haue, or doo know how to come by, anie such péeces of Ordinaunce, as may be able to batter the walles and make them saltable. You say thus (to your Parents, I trow, for your Letters are directed to them.)

You say, that we are fooles to pray for the deade you denie good workes to be meritorious of our saluation, affyr­ming that by faith onely we are iustified. And which is most hor­rible, detestable, and abhominable. You vnshamefastly, and most irreuerently, deny the reall presence, of the moste precious bodye and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, to be in the bles­sed Sacrament of the Altare. You say that there be but two Sacra­ments. An heresye condemned long a goe. Many other opinions, not onelie foolish, but also execrable, and damnable you holde, which leade you the right way to eternall damnation in hell fire.

Héere is a meruailous péece of Ordinaunce. Who could hope that a poore Showmaker and his wife, altogether vn­lettered and vnlearned, and therefore naked and vnarmed, and [Page] vnprepared to withstand so puissaunt an assaltant, as Frier John Frauncis is: should not at the first summons, come foorth, euen with Halters about their necks, and offer the keyes of their Forte to this valiant Captaine, and submit themselues to his mercy. Yea where shall we finde one amongst the learned on the Protestants parte, that dare encounter with this monstrous Golias, that hath so boldly defied the whole Armie of Israell? But least Frier John should thinke that I write Ironice, I wil staie my stile for a space, that I may sée how this couragious Captaine wyll enforce hys so sharpe an assault.

For the first, (sayth he) that is to say prayers for the dead: because you admit not the words which the holy Doc­ters of the Catholike Church haue spoken: I wyll turne you to the Byble it selfe. Which if you dare either plainly deny, or inter­prete falsely: you are nowe no longer heretickes, but playne Infi­dels. Looke therefore I beseeche you, in the 12. Chapter of the se­conde booke of Machabees, towards the ende of the Chapter, you shall there finde, howe a Captayne of the Iewish Armie, named Iudas, made a collection of money to be offered at Ierusalem, for the sinnes of those Souldiours, which for a good and iust quar­rell, were slayne in battaile. Furdermore, if you wyll take the paynes to reade the latter words of the same Chapter, you shall finde the conclusion of the same Chapter to be this. Sancta ergo, et salubris est cogitatio, pro defunctis exorare, vt a peccatis soluantur. It is (sayth he) therefore, a holy, and a wholsome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be released from their sinnes. Tell me not nowe (I pray you) a tale of a tubbe, with a quote in the margnet, saying: That the foresayd place of holy Scripture, was not written by the holy Ghost. For if so be that you be come to that point, as to belye the holy. Scripture, well may it be sayde of you, which is written by holye Esay, in his booke of prophe­cies. Chap. 6. Aure audietis, et non intelligetis. You shal heare with your eares, but you shall not vnderstande. Seeing you shall see, & shall not perceiue, for your harts are hardened. Wyth your eares you haue heard vnwillingly, and you haue bent downewardes your eye sight, least you shoulde peraduenture see with your eyes, heare wyth your eares, and vnderstand with your harts, and so be­ing conuerted, God should heale you.

In vewing the Forte of our fayth, you séeme to haue determined to batter foure of the especiall Bulworkes thereof. Namely, the denyall of Prayers for the dead. The denial of works to be meritorious of saluation. The denyall of the reall presence of the body and blood of Christ in the blessed Sacrament of the Al­tar. And the denying that there be any moe Sacramēts then two. To batter these Bulworkes, you will not bring any Ordinaunce taken out of the Storchouse of the holie Fathers, but you wyll vse that great forcible Ordinaunce, that is to be had in the Storehouse of the holye Bible: and therewith you wil batter and beate down the strongest parts of our Forte of Faith. Against the first Bul­worke, you plant a péece of Ordinaunce taken out of the 12. Chap. of the seconde booke of Machabees. Against the seconde Bulworke, 2. péeces of Ordinaunce, one taken out of the Epistle of S. Iames, and the other out of the 25. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospell. A­gainst the third, you doo plant foure péeces of Ordinaunce, one ta­ken out of the 26. Chap. of S. Mathew, one other taken out of the 14. Chapter of S. Marke, the third out of the 22. of S. Luke. and the fourth you take out of the sixt Chap. of S. Iohns Gospell. But against the fourth Bulworke. you bring no Ordinaunce at all, nei­ther out of the Storehouse of the Bible, nor out of the Storehouse of the holie Doctors of the Catholicke Church. Onely you say, that it is an heresie condemned long ago.

But let vs sée, of what force these péeces of Ordinaunce be. The first séemeth a farre off, to be a double Cannon of great force. But at hand, it is founde to be but a sillie Base, embossed and made great, by cunning clowting together of Paste made of paper, in the forme of a double Cannon, with the colour of Brasse cunning­ly layde vpon it. Who would not thinke that this were a Cannon of great force, when he shall heare the Captaine himselfe say. I will turne you to the Bible it selfe? which if you dare either deny. &c. you shalbe no longer Heretickes, but plaine Infidels. Looke I beséeche you. &c. A Captaine of the Jewish Armie made a collecti­on &c. Yea, and the latter wordes of the Chapter, are these. Sancta ergo & salubris est cogitatio. &c. And tell me not nowe (I pray you) a tale of a tubbe. &c. Yea and last of all, well may it be saide of you, Aure audietis & non intelligetis &c. But let vs drawe néerer to this terrible péece of Ordinaunce, that we may sée of what force it [Page] is. First, because Fryer John dooth charge vs, that we admitt not the words which the holy Doctors of the Catholicke Church haue spoken: I require him to reade that which S. Ierome hath writ­ten, in his preface vpon the bookes of Salomon, immediatly after those wordes that I put you in minde of when I answered to that sentence that you alledged out of the booke of Wisedome, Chap. 11. S. Ierome writeth thus. Sicut ergo Judeth, & Tobiae, & Macha­beorum libros, legit quidem Ecclesia, sed eos inter canonicas scripturas non recipit, sic & baec duo volumina legat, ad edificationem plebis: non ad authoritatem ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam. Euen as the Church dooth (indéede) reade the bookes of Iudith and Tobias, and of the Machabees, but dooth not receiue them amongst y^e Ca­nonicall Scriptures, euen so she may reade these two bookes (mea­ning the booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus) to the edifying of the people, but not for the confirming of Ecclesiasticall doctrine. Loe (Master Frier John) one of the holie Doctors of the Catho­licke Church, hath tolde you, that this Scripture was not written by the holie Ghost, and yet I trowe you will not say that he hath tolde you a tale of a tubbe, nor that he hath belyed the holy Ghost, or that the saying of the holie Esay, may be well applied vnto him. But if your selfe would vouchsafe to reade the last lynes of this se­conde Booke of Machabees, I thinke you woulde not thinke this booke to be of such authority as hetherto, you haue in these writings séemed to thinke. For in the wordes written in those lynes, the author or writer of this booke, dooth shewe himself to be in doubt whether he haue doone so well as himselfe wished to doo: and in case he haue not doone so well, he craueth pardon of his Readers, and vseth a similitude to perswade him to pardon him. Which is a thing all together vnséemely to be doone by the holie Ghoste. Yea I suppose your selfe woulde account it blasphemie, in him that wold say, that the holy Ghost may doubt whether ought that he doth bée well doone or not. And if you will take the paines to reade the latter part of the 14. Chapter of this booke, you shall finde there a great commendation giuen to one Razias, for that he murthered himselfe, which commendation could not come from y^e holy Ghost. For such murder is not onelie contrarie to the expresse commaun­dement of GOD, but it is contrarie to nature also. Yea, and I doo yet thinke, that though you doo thinke, that you doo deserue much [Page 32] at Gods hande by whypping your selfe with your discipline (as your selfe doo report) yet you are not perswaded that you shoulde deserue more, if either by whipping your selfe or otherwise, you shoulde kill your selfe.

Moreouer, if your selfe be not of that number that Esay the Prophet speaketh of in the sixt Chapter of his booke (cited by your selfe) then there is hope that you will not sticke to reade, & weigh the circumstaunces of the place in the 12. of this second booke of the Machabees, that you doo so much vrge vs with. In the text that go­eth immediatlie before that, which you doo beséeche vs to looke vp­on: the Historian hath saide, that after the Armie of Gorsias was by the mighty power of God put to flight, Iudas (hauing gathered his Army together) came to the Cittie Odolla. And when the sea­uenth day was come, and they were purified according to the cu­stome, they did in the same place spende the time of the Sabaothe. And the next day following, Iudas came with his company to take vp the dead bodies of them that were slaine, and to bury thē with their fathers, in the buriall places that belonged to them. And they founde vnder the garments of them that were flayne, certain of the gifts that had béene offered to the Idolles that were at Iam­nia, from which the Lawe commaunded the Iewes to abstaine. It was therefore made manifest to all men, that this was the cause wherefore they were slayne. The whole company did therefore commende the iust iudgment of the Lord, which had made mani­fest the déedes that had béene hidde and kept in secrete. And so they gaue themselues to prayer, and besought God that the fault which was committed might be blotted out of memory. But the moste valiant man Iudas, exhorted the people to kéepe themselues wyth­out sinne, hauing euen before their eyes, those things that had hap­pened for the sinnes of those that were slayne. And hauing ended his Collation, he sent to Jerusalem, xii. thousande drachmas of sil­uer, that sacrifice might be offered for the sinnes of them that were deade.

Thus farre goeth the report of that which was doone by Iudas that Captaine of the Jewish Armie that you speake of. I haue ta­ken this text out of the translation that is allowed by the decrée of the Tridentine Councell, which translation, you may not disalow of, for if you doo: you shalbe amongst them that the fathers of that [Page] Counsell haue Anathematized. Take héede therefore, that you haue not offended already, in that you haue said, that the Captain made a Collection, where your text sayth, facta collatione. I know that our translators that haue translated into the English, haue sayd as you haue doone. Hauing made a collection of monye, sent it to Jerusalem. &c. In the Gréeke, the sence is vncertaine, and hardlie can there any perfect sence be gathered in this place. And this one thing I must note, that where this vulgare translation hath twelue thousande Drachmas, the Gréeke hath but two thousande Drachmas, which together with the rest of the circumstaunces of the text, doo cause me to thinke, that Iudas néeded not to make any collection of mony to be sent to Jerusalem. For the summe bée­ing no greater, he might very well spare it out of his owne trea­sure (as it may be supposed.) Hauing therefore ended that Colla­tion or concion which he made to his whole company of Souldiers that then were about him, (wherein he exhorted them, to consider of that which had happened, and to take warning thereby, to bee carefull to kéepe themselues from sinne, least the like shoulde fall vpon them also) he sent that summe of mony to Jerusalem, that Sacrifice might be offered there for the sinnes of them that were deade. Slayne (as you say) for a good and a iust quarrell, but the Historie saith, that the iust iudgment of the Lorde was executed vppon them, for that they had stolen and hidde vnder theyr Gar­ments, thinges that hadde béene offered to those Idolles that were at Iamnia, which was by the Lawe forbidden to be doone. But what? would you haue vs to think (as it may séeme you doo think) that Iudas Machabeus (béeing a man so precise in obseruing y^e law of God, as in this History it appeareth that he was) would cause any newe kinde of Sacrifice to bée deuised, or that he would cause any of those Sacrifices that Moses had by Gods direction commanded to be offered, to be vsed for any other purpose, then for those purposes that God himselfe had ordeyned them for? If you wyll reade the whole Leuiticall Lawe throughout, you shall not finde that euer God did commaunde any sacrifice to be offered for sinne other then that which is called a sinne offering: and was to be offe­red for penitent sinners, in such sort as the Law prescribeth, which was, in the presence of the penitent sinner himselfe, laying hys hand vpon the heade of the sacrificed beast, thereby signifying that [Page 33] it was he that had deserued that death, which the innocent beast [...] was then and there to suffer. The Sacrifice therefore which Iudas would haue to be offered at Jerusalem, must néedes be of that kind which was called a peace offering, and was to be vsed for the pa­cifying of Gods wrath, which should at anytime, by any occ [...]n be bent, either against the whole people, or against any one s [...] of the people for any offence committed amongst them. Iuda [...] there­fore considering that GOD might in Justice (as oftentimes he had doone) visite the sinne of the Fathers vpon the children, euen to the third and fourth generation, in them that in committing wylling and wilfull sinne, had shewed themselues to be haters of his Maiestie: feared least this iust iudgment shoulde be executed vpon such as remained yet aliue, and were of the posterity of them that were already slayne, for the wickednes that they had commit­ted. The wryter of the Historie therefore hath doone great wrong to Iudas, in that which he addeth to the ende of this hystory, bea­ring his Readers in hand, that Iudas meant to redéeme by Sacri­fice, the [...]inne that the slayne had committed, and to teache, that to pray for the dead that they may be released of their sinnes, is a holy and an holesome cogitation. You must therefore prooue by other scriptures, more authentiall then this Scripture is, that you are wise in that you pray for the dead: otherwise we must say, as you say we doo say, that you are fooles in déede. And persisting in that opinion that you holde▪ concerning the making of prayers for the dead, you will proue your selues to be wilfull fooles.

Thus you may (if you will) sée of howe small force that péece of Ordinance is, that you haue brought out of the Storehouse of the Bible, pla [...]ting it against that Bulwork of the Forte of our faith, wherein we stande at defence, denying that it is either necessary, lawfull, or méete for Christians, to make any prayers to God, for the soules of them that are departed this life. And heerein we fol­lowe the example of the Patriakes, Prophets, Christ Jesus, hys Apostles, and the continuall vsage of Gods people, both before the Lawe written, vnder the Law, and vnder Christ, euen vnto thys day. If you, or any of your masters, haue ought to say, out of your generall Counselles, out of your Schoole Doctors▪ out of the cor­ruption of Doctors (otherwise godly) or out of vsages that haue sprong vp in the time of déepe ignorance: let it be set foorth at your [Page] leasure: and you shall haue aunswere (by the helpe of GOD) as other your predicessors in Popery haue had. We doo not denie but you may say much, but by the rule of the auncient Fathers, what soeuer shalbe affirmed, and not approued by the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures, may as easily be denyed, as it is affyr­med. Yea, S. Austen woulde haue no credite, furder then he should prooue by the holy Scriptures, all that he should affirme.

The seconde Bulworke, wherein we stande at defence, is, that we deny good workes to be meritorious to saluation: affyrming that by faith onely we are iustified. Against this, you bring two battery péeces out of the Storehouse of the Byble. One of them is the Epistle of the holye Apostle S. Iames. And the other is, the wordes of our Sauiour Jesus Christe, written by the Euangelist S. Mathew▪ Chapter. 25. Both these bee double Cannons of great force. But hauing planted them against our Forte, and hauing gy­uen fire to them with purpose to shake downe our walles, they re­coyle in such sorte, that your selfe are in greater danger to be hurt by the shooting of them off, then we (against whom yee haue bent them) are. For what haue you in the Epistle of S. Iames▪ that you doo thinke may annoy vs, or shake any part of our Forte? I suppose that you cannot finde any words in that Epistle, that are more forcible then these are. Quid proderit fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere: operra autem non habeat? nunquid poterit fides salua­re eum? What shall it auayle (my brethren) if a man shoulde say that he hath fayth, and yet hath no workes? doo ye think that faith can saue him? And againe. Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa. Euen so faith also, if it haue not workes, it is dead in it selfe. And againe. Abraham pater noster, nōne ex operibus iu­stificatus est: offerens filium suum Isaac super altare? Abraham our Father, was he not iustified by workes, when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altare? And againe. Ʋidetis, quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo: et non ex fide tantum. You sée, that man is made righteous by workes, and not by faith onely. Iames. Chap. 2. I am sure that these be the places that you your selfe would picke out of S. Iames Epistle, as sentences that in your iudgement doo make most against that which we beléeue and confesse, which is. That workes be not meritorious to saluation. Nowe let vs consider of these sentences, that we may sée whether they be likely to make a­gainst [Page 34] vs, or against you. For the first, we say (as S. Iames doth) that if a man shall say that he hath faith, & yet hath no déedes, that saying shall profite him nothing at all. For although hee doo say that he hath fayth, yet he hath i [...] not indéede. For faith can no more be without good works, then a good trée can be without good fruite. The good trée is neuer without good [...]ruites, either Act [...] or Poten­tià. that is, either in acte or in power. Euen so faith, is neuer with­out good workes, but hath them in power euen when shee séemeth to be most barren and vnfruitfull, and when occasion serueth, shee bringeth them foorth, that all men may sée them, and be assured that she is the same faith that S. Paul wrote of to the Galathi­ans. Fides qu [...] per dilexionem operatur. Fayth that worketh by loue.

To the seconde sentence, we say as S. Iames doth also. That is, that fayth which hath no workes, is deade in it selfe. Men of your sorte, can sometimes take holde vpon distinctions, when they hope to haue any aduantage thereby against vs, but in the vnder­standing of the meaning of S. Iames in this place, they can not see any distinction of fayth at all. No not though the text doo giue them neuer so great occasion to vse a distinction. Your Schoolemen can tell you, that Fides is Triplex. Fayth is of thrée sortes. Historica, Ciuili [...], and Ecclesiastica. The Ecclesiasticall Faith is that wherby we are assured of the goodnes of our Godtowards vs, whereby we are made his children by Adoption inheritours of his kingdome, and heyres annexed with the onely begotten sonne of God, Jesu [...] Christ our Lord. And wherby we are assured of the continuance of his fatherly goodnes towards vs, in the performance of all his pro­mises made vnto vs. Yea, and by this faith we receiue good gifts from him, in such quality, number and measure, as he knoweth to be méetest for vs, so that therby we are made able to perseuer and co [...]tinue, in séeking to set sorth his glory, and in some measure to set it forth in déede▪ euen to the ende of this our transitorie life.

Moreouer, by this faith, we doo certainly know these thing [...]s, to the knowledge whereof, mans reason could neuer bee able to at­taine or reache: as the mistery of the creation of all creatures, the mistery of the incarnation of our Sauiour Christ, the mistery of our redemption by him, the mistery of our R [...]surr [...]ction. [...]c. This fayth is it, that S. I [...]mes sayth, wrought together wyth Ab [...]al ams [Page] workes, and brought forth in him obedience to God, when he com­maunded him to offe [...] [...]p his sonne Isaac vpon the Altare.: so that nowe he was made righteous before men, as he was before righteous before God in that he beléeued, and was assured of the perfor­mance of that promise that God had made vnto him. Thys fayth is alwayes linked with loue, and worketh by loue, as S. Paule wryteth in the fifte Chapter to the Galathians: and is therefore all in all (as S. Paule wryteth there) and without it, nothing can auayle vs. When we therefore doo say that wee are iustified by Faith onely, our meaning is, that onely Faith is the meane, wherby we doo apprehend the righteousnes of Christ, which is by the frée gyft of GOD bestowed vpon such as be faythfull, according to that which S. Paule wryteth 1. Cor. 1. Exipso autem vos estis in Christo Iesu [...] qui factus est nobis sapientia a Deo, & Iustitia, & sanctificatio, & redemptio. And by him are you in Christ Jesus, whom God hath made, our wisedome, our righteousnes, our sanctification and redemption. Hauing this righteousnes, which is in Christe, we are in him righteous before God. But lacking this righte­ousnes (which without this Faith, we can not haue) neyther Ci­uill nor Historicall fayth can helpe vs. For by them, we can be but righteous before men. The Ciuill fayth can bring forth none o­ther righteousnes then that which is Ciuill, and so make vs such as the Philosophers were, and no better. And by the Historicall fayth, we can not be better then are the deuils, in whom that faith bringeth forth, an horrible feare of iudgment, which must néedes be ioyned wyth hatred. So that they which haue none other fayth but that, must néedes hate God, as the deuill doth. We doo there­fore conclude with S. Iames, that man is iustified by workes, and not by fayth onely. By workes was Abraham iustified before men, when his fayth had brought forth her fruite, which was obedience to the commaundement (Take thy sonne Isaac. &c.) which obedi­ence sprang out of that Fayth that S. Paul wrote of, Rom. 4. Qui contra spem, in spem credidit, which beléeued in hope, euen contrarye to hope. Thus was Abraham made righteous before men (as S. Paul hath written) and was declared▪ and made knowne to men by hys obedience, which was the good fruite that his good Fayth brought forth. If you lyst to appose your selfe against S. Paule you may, and in the ende haue the foyle. S. Iames doth not, but [Page 35] meaneth to mooue Christians, not to make an account of any other fayth, then that which worketh by loue. We will hold with Saint Iames, and not oppose our selues against S. Paul with you. Wée doo sée that these two Apostles, being ledde by one spirit of Christ, agrée in one. Although Paule doo say: Arbitramur enim, iustificari hominem per fidem, sine operibus legis. We suppose that man is iusti­fied by Fayth, without the déedes of the Law. Rom 3. And the o­ther sayth. Ʋidetis, quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo, & non ex fide tantum. You sée that man is iustified by works, and not by faith onely. Iames. 2. Wée doo rather choose to be anathematized of your holy father, the Popes holines, and of all those fathers that were gathered together in the Tridentine Councell, then of father Paul, (whose holines doth surmount the holines of your holy father, the Popes holines.) Father Paul hath written thus in his Epistle to the Galathians. Chap. 1. Licet nos, aut Angelus de coelo euangelizet vobis praeterquam quod euangelizauimus vobis: Anathemasit. Al­though I my selfe, or an Angel from heauen, should preache vnto you anie other Gospell, then that which I haue preached vnto you: holde him accursed. The Gospell that S. Paul had preached to the Galathians and others, was (and is) the Gladtydings of frée iusti­fication or discharge of all their sinnes, onely by the mediation of our onely Mediator, our Lord & Sauior Jesus Christ. Take héede (Fryer John) that you be not within the reache of this Anathematization, if you be, 4000. whyskes with your whip, wil not brushe it away from your naked and scuruie shoulders. I terme them scuruy, because I suppose, that whipping your selfe so often and so sore (as in your Letters you haue reported) the skynne of your shoulders and backe can not be without skabbes.

Well, let vs nowe consider your other péece of Ordinaunce, which is a part of the xxv. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospel. First you haue sayd thus.

As concerning your opinion, that by fayth onelye we are iustified: I referre you to the Epistle of the holye Apostle S. Iames, as also to those words of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, writ­ten in the Gospell after S. Mathew, Cap. xxv. Where it is writ­ten, that our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ, in the latter day giuing the finall and euerlasting sentence (as well vnto the saued as vnto the damned) shall vtter these wordes. Venite benedicti patris mei [Page] &c. That is to say. Come ye blessed of my father, and possesse the kingdome prepared for you, from the beginning of the worlde. Nowe, hauing spoken these wordes, he sheweth the cause of thys ioyfull sentence. For (sayth he) when I was hungry, you fed mee, when I was a thyrst, you gaue me to drinke, when I was naked ye clothed me: but what are these things if they be not good works? Therefore, and by this place of Scripture, good workes are meri­torious to our Saluation. Reade likewise (I pray you) the second Chapter of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Remaines, a little way of from the beginning. You shall there finde, howe God will reward all men according to their workes. The same also, if you wyll search, you shall find, in the xvi. Chap. of S. Mathew, and in ma­ny other places of the Scripture. I doo not conclude by these partes of the Newe testament, that by good workes onely wee are saued, but mine intention is to proue, that neither by faith with­out good workes, nor by good workes without fayth, we are iu­stified or saued.

As I haue explaned vnto you, the meaning of the A­postle Iames in that which he wrote touching the iustifying of men by workes, in such sort (I hope) that your selfe doo sée that you are much deceiued in your iudgment, touching the meaning of the A­postle: So I hope I shall explane the meaning of our Sauiour Christ, in the wordes which you cite out of the xxv. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospell. And first, because you haue said before, that we admitte not the words of y^e holy Doctors of the Catholicke church. I wyll let you sée certaine words that one of them hath written, e­uen vpon these very wordes y^t you haue cited out of the xxv. Chap. of S. Mathewe. Iohannes Chrysostomus, Homelia 80. in Mat. John Chrysostome in his 80. Homelie vpon S. Mathewes Gospell, hath written thus. His igitur rationibus, & isti non iniur [...]a puniuntur: & illi etiamsi mille talia fecerint, per gratiam tamen coronantur. Gratiaenam (que) omnino illa benignitas est: vt pro rebus minimis, & vilissimis, coe­leste regnum, & tantus honor tribuatur. That is to say. For these cau­ses therefore, both the one sort, are without iniury punished, and although the other sort haue doone a thousand such workes, yet it is by frée mercy that they are crowned. For that bountifulnesse whereby the kingdome of heauen, and so great an honor is gyuen, for the smallest and most vils thinges, is altogether of frée mercy. [Page 36] Thus hath Chrysostome wrytten, as the conclusion of all that hée hath written before in commendation of those that feede the hun­gry, giue drinke to the thirsty, clothe the naked. &c. and in discom­mendation of them that leaue those workes vndoone. The one sort (sayth he) that is (they which leaue those works vndoone) are iust­lie punished: And the other are crowned, and yet not for the worthines of the workes, although they worke them neuer so of­ten: but that bountifull liberality, (wherby the kingdome of hea­uen, and that great honour of being crowned in that kingdome, are gyuen, for so small and vile matters as our workes are) commeth altogether of Gods frée mercy, and not of any worthines, that ey­ther is or can be in vs, or in any workes that we can worke. This Chrysostome is (not onely in this part of his wrytings, but in all his workes) a very earnest mayntainer of the merites of good workes, and yet sée howe he co [...]udeth. In this conclusion▪ he ioy­neth with vs, and we ioyne with him.

We holde, that good workes, such as GOD hath commaun­ded, and prepared for vs to walke in, are acceptable in the sight of God, and that God doth and wyll reward them both in this lyfe, and also in the life to come. And we craue of GOD that we may kéepe still in minde the wordes of the Apostle. Heb. 13. To doo good and to distribute, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Yea, we craue of God, that we doo neuer forget the saying of the Apostle Paule to Timothe. 1. Chap. 4. Exerce teipsum ad pie­tatem, nam corporalis exercitatio, ad modicum vtilis est: p [...]etas autem ad omnia vtilis est. Promissionem habens vitae quae nunc est, & futurae. Exercise thy selfe to godlines (saith S. Paul) for bodily exercise, is profitable but to a small matter, but godlines is profitable to all thinges. Hauing a promise of the life that nowe is, and of the lyfe that shall be. Thys we holde, this we teache, and this we are wil­ling to practise. And for a further explanation of the meaning of Chrysostomes conclusion aboue mentioned: marke (I pray you) what he wryteth in his 53. Homelie, to the people of Antioche. Omnia quae f [...]cimus, agimus debitum implentes: proper hoc & ipse di­cebat. Cum omnia feceritis dicite, quia inutiles serui sumus: quae enim debebamus facere, fecimus. I gitur, siue charitatem exhibuerimus, siue dederimus pecun [...]asegenis, debitum implemus: non tantum quoniam a beneficijs ipse cepit, verum & quoniam ipsius bona distribuimus, si cuncta [Page] erog [...]mus. All that we doo (sayth Chrysostome) we doo, as satisfy­ing or paying our debt: wherefore he himselfe also (that is Christ) did say. When you shall haue doone all, say thus, We are vnpro­fitable seruaunts, for we haue doone those thinges that we ought to doo. Therefore, whether we shall shewe charity, or whether wée shall giue money to the néedy, we doo discharge our debt, not onely because he did first beginne to bestowe benefites vpon vs, but also because we doo but distribute his goods, although we bestow al that we haue. No man can write more plainly or pithily, for confirma­tion of that which we holde concerning the meriting by workes, then thys Chrysostome hath doone in these two places. Thus you may sée, if you be wylling to sée, that the holy Doctors of the Ca­tholicke Church, are not so contrary to vs in iudgment, as you haue perswaded your selfe that they be: but when their works bée thorowly reade, and the scope an purpose of their wrytings, tho­rowly weyghed and considered▪ they are found to be of a iudgment contrary to yours, and be of one iudgment with vs. You alledge these wordes of our Sauiour Christ, as a declaration of the cause of our saluation. For you say, hauing spoken these words, Venite benedicti patris m [...]i. &c. Come ye blessed of my Father &c. He sheweth the cause of this ioyfull sentence &c. If you had sayde, he shew­eth a cause your spéeche might haue béene suffered. For our féeding of the hungry, giuing of drinke to the thyrsty, clothing of the na­ked, our harbouring of the harbourlesse. &c. are a cause of thys ioy­full sentence. For they are Causa sine qua non. A cause wythout which this ioyfull sentence shall not be pronounced. To them one­lie that haue doone these déedes, it shalbe sayd. Come ye blessed of my father &c. But sith you say he sheweth the cause, your meaning must be, that these workes are the efficient cause of this ioyful sen­tence. Which meaning is contrary to the definition or description of an efficient cause: which is▪ A quo primo fit motus. That is, The thing that maketh the first moouing. That is to say, the thing that doth principally or chéefely worke y^e making of another thing. And the efficient cause in giuing of this ioyfull sentence, is by S. Chrysostome affirmed to be the frée mercy of God. For in hys 80. Homely vpon Mathew (whereof I haue made mention) he sayth: Per gratiam tamen coronantur: Gratiae namque omnino illa benignitas est. Although they in whose fauour this ioyfull sentence shalbe gy­uen, [Page 37] haue doone a thousande such workes, yet they shalbe crowned through frée mercie: for that bountifull liberality, is altogether of frée mercy. When you haue said he sheweth the cause, you say, that he sayth thus. For when I was hungry, you fedde me, when I was thirsty ye gaue me to drink, whē I was naked, you clothed me: but what are these thinges, if they be not good workes? Ther­fore, and by thys place of Scripture, good workes are meritorious to our saluation. If you coulde prooue, or if we would yéelde vnto you, that these good workes were the efficient cause of the giuing of this ioyfull sentence (which neither is confessed by vs, nor can be prooued by you,) then might your conclusion be allowed of, in the Schooles amongst Schollers. But séeing that all men which haue knowledge to discerne one cause from another, must néedes confesse, that these workes be but Causa sine qua non▪ A cause with­out which that ioyfull sentence shall not be giuen: your argument is as good as this argument is▪ Baculus stat in angulo. Ergo Deus non est in coelo. The staffe standeth in the corner: Therfore God is not in Heauen.

From this place of S. Mathewes Gospell, you sende vs to the seconde Chapter of S. Paule to the Romaines, a little way of from the beginning of that Chapter, where you say we shall finde, howe GOD wyll rewarde all men according to their workes. And you say furder, that if we will searche, we shall finde the same most e­uidently, in the xvi. of S. Mathewes Gospell, and in many other places of holie Scripture. You might very well haue spared this laboure. For we knewe before you were borne, that, both in those places that you name, and in many other places of holy scriptures, it appeareth euidently, that God will giue vnto all men (or as you terme it, rewarde all men) according to their works. But what can you conclude vpon this? Shall we therefore say that workes are the efficient cause of our saluation? your selfe doo deny it. For you say thus. I doo not conclude by these parts of the New Testa­ment, that by good workes onely we are saued: but mine intenti­on is to prooue, that neither by faith without good workes, nor by good workes without faith, we are iustified or saued. Héere you haue flatly denied, that which you haue before, as flatly affyrmed. For before you haue sayd, that our Sauiour Christ sheweth the cause of the ioyfull sentence, which he shall giue when he shal say: [Page] Come ye blessed of my Father. &c. Wherein you affirme (as before I haue prooued) that the good workes that our Sauiour maketh rehearsall of, are the efficient cause of gyuing that sentence, and so by good consequence of our iustification or saluation. And nowe you say that you conclude not so, but that good workes and faith to­gether, are the efficient cause of our iustification or saluation. For so men of your sorte doo meane, by that manner of spéeche, that you doo vse héere, when you say, by workes or by fayth.

But we haue another meaning of that spéeche, as I will (by Gods helpe) let you vnderstand. When S. Paul sayth thus. Rom. 3. Arbitramur enim iustificars hominem per fidem, sine operibus legis. We suppose that man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the Lawe. His meaning is, that faith is the instrument y^t God vseth in making vs righteous. Gods frée mercy is the efficient cause, and our faith is the instrumentall cause of our iustification. So that God dooth make vs righteous, by that fayth that himselfe hath wrought in vs by the word of his Gospell, which is, Virtus Dei in salutem omni credenti. Rom. 1. The power of God, to saluati­tion, to euery one that beléeueth.

Thus we may sée that the word of the Gospell, is the instrument that God vseth in making vs faithfull, and faith is the instrument whereby he maketh vs righteous. Fdes ex auditu: auditus autem per verbum Christi. Rom. 10. Fayth commeth by hearing, and hea­ring commeth by the worde of Christ (or as the Gréeke hath it, of God.) So that the worde that is preached, and the Preacher that preacheth, are Gods outward instruments, which he vseth in working fayth in the hartes of the hearers. And in this meaning S. Paul writeth thus to Timothe. 1. Tim. 4. Attende tibi & doctrinae insta in illis. Hoc enim faciens: et teipsum salum facies, et eos qui te au­diunt. Take héede to thy selfe, and vnto doctrine: be instant or ear­nest therein: for in dooing this thing, thou shalt saue thy selfe, and them that heare thée. Héere we sée that Timothe being careful in looking to hys owne lyfe, and to the soundnes of his doctrine, and being earnestly bent to teache both by good example of life, and by sownde doctrine, is by S. Paule sayd to be, the sauiour of himselfe and of them that heare him. And yet it is manifest, that he was neither the sauiour of himselfe, nor of any other, but an instrument that God vsed in working saluation, both in himselfe and in other. Because that by his carefull diligence in looking to his owne lyfe [Page 38] and sowndnes of doctrine, and by his earnestnes in preaching the same, fayth was begunne, and increased in his hearers, and conti­nued and confirmed in himselfe. Which fayth, both in him & in his hearers, layd holde vpon, and heldfast y^e mercifull promise of God, made in the mediation of the onely Mediator betwixt GOD and man, euen the man Christ Iesus our Lorde. 1. Tim. 1. And so bothe Timothe, hys hearers, and all the rest, that haue béene, are, or shal­bée by Gods good meanes made faithful, are by Gods frée mercy sa­ued: according to the saying of the Apostle to the Ephesians. Cha. 2. Gratia enim estis saluati per fidem: et hoc non ex vobis. Dei enim do­num est: non ex operibus, vt nequis glorietur. Ipsius enim sumus fac­tura, creati in Christo Iesu ad opera bona, quae preparauit Deus, vt in illis ambulemus. By Grace are you saued, through fayth, and that not of your selues, for it is Gods gyft: not of workes least any man shoulde boaste. For we are hys workmanshyppe, created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes, which God hath prepared, that we shoulde walke in them. And to the Rom. 9. Chapter. The Apo­stle sayth thus. Non volentis ne (que) currentis: sed miserentis est dei. It standeth neyther in mans willing, nor in mans running, but in the mercy of God. It séemeth to me a strange thing, that any man (pro­fessing the Religion of Christ) dare conclude (as you doo) so direct­ly contrary to the expresse wordes of the Apostle Paule. You say in your conclusion, we are iustified or saued, by fayth & good works together. S. Paule sayth. Wée suppose that man is iustified by fayth without the déedes of the Lawe. Nowe, if you can teil vs of any déedes, y^t are of more force to make vs righteous before God, then the déedes that God hath commaunded in his Law: then haue you sayd somewhat, although but a little. For those déedes must bée déedes commaunded of men, whereof the Prophet Esay writeth thus. Chap. 29. Theyr feare towards me was taught by the pre­cepts of men: therefore, beholde, I wyll take in hand to worke a strange worke, that shall be a miracle, and an astonishment to this people: For wysemen shall loose their wisedome, and vnderstan­ding shalbe hydde from the prudent. I would wysh you to weighe well these wordes of the Prophet Esay, and to consider whether they be not already verified in you, and in men of your sorte. Con­sider also what our sauiour Christ addeth to these wordes. Mat. 15. In vayne doo they worship me, teaching the doctrines and com­maundements of men. Whereby we are admonished, that it is [Page] but lost labour, for a man to goe about to be made righteous before God, by such workes, as men doo or can deuise and commaund. S. Paule to the Ephe. 2. sayth: That through fayth wee are saued by frée mercie, and that not of our selues. For it is the gyft of GOD, and commeth not of workes, least any man might haue any occasi­on to boast: and how dare any man conclude (as you doo) that faith and works coupled together, may make vs righteous before God. I doo therfore conclude, according to y^e true meaning of the wordes of our sauiour Christ, the Prophet Esay, and the Apostle Paul, that neither the workes that God hath commaunded, nor the workes that men haue deuised, or can deuise and commaund, yea or y^e faith that God hath, dooth or shall worke in the harts of men, either bée, or can be, the efficient cause of mans righteousnes or saluation. But the frée mercy of God onely, is the alone efficient cause, that hath wrought, doth and shall worke, saluation in the faithful one­lie▪ and in none other. In whom he himselfe worketh faith, that by that fayth they may laie hold vpon, & holde fast that saluation, that in frée mercy, he doth, and will fréely bestowe vpon them▪ And sur­der I conclude, that though the workes that GOD hath prepared for the faithfull to walke in, neither be, nor can be, the efficient cause of saluation, yet they are Causa sine qua non: that is, a cause that must be founde in them, to whom it shalbe sayde. Come yee blessed of my Father &c. so that they that shall heare that ioyfull sentence, must hunger and thirst after righteousnes of life, all the dayes of their life. And vse that faith that GOD hath wrought in them, in laying holde vpon, and holding fast, that righteousnes that God hath in frée mercy bestowed fréely vpon them, hauing a conti­nuall care to shewe themselues thankfull to him for the same, by walking in those good workes that hee hath prepared for them to walke in.

Nowe for the meaning of those places that you direct vs vnto, namely, the 2. to the Romans, the 16. of S. Mathew, and many o­ther, wherin we may by search find, how God will reward al men according to their works: I say thus. I could by y^e knowledg that God hath giuen me, answere you sufficiently. Yet because my wordes be of small credite with you, I wyll aunswere you by the wordes of a holy father of the Catholicke Church, whose wordes (I hope) you will admit, and giue credite to them (although▪ as I [Page 39] coniecture, you be not much acquainted with them) S. Augustine writeth thus. Quod est ergo meritum hominis ante gratiam, quo meri­to accipiat gratiam: cum omne meritum nostrū, non in nobis faciat ni­si gratia. Et cum Deus coronat merita nostra, nihil aliud coronet, quam munera sua? What is the merite of man before, whereby he may receiue grace: séeing that nothing but grace dooth worke in vs all our merite? And when God doth crowne our merits, he crowneth none other thing but his owne gifts? Thus writeth S. Augustine Tom. 2. Epistola. 105. And againe in his 7. Tom. in the 7. Chap▪ter of his booke De gratia & libero arbitrio, he wryteth thus. Si ergo Dei dona sunt bona merita tua: non Deus coronat merita tua, tanquā merita tua, sed tanquam dona sua. That is, If therefore thy good merites be the gyfts of God, then dooth not God crowne thy me­rites as thy merites, but as his owne gifts. And agayne in hys eyght Tome. vpon the Psalme, 98. Exaltate dominum Deum nostrū. Verè exaltate, Benè exaltate. Laudemus & exaltemus, qui fecit ip­sam iustitiam quam habemus, ipse in nobis fecit. Quis enim in nobis fecit ipsam iustitiam: nisi qui nos iustificauit? De Christo autem dictum est: qui iustificat impium. Nos ergo impij, ille iustificator: quando et ipsam iustitiam ipse in nobis fecit, qua illi placeamus, vt ad dextram nos ponat, et non ad sinistram, vt dicat ad dextram positis, venite bene­dicti patris mei, percipite regnum quod vobis paratum est, ab initio mundi, non autem ponat ad sinistram inter eos quibus dicturus est. Ite in ignem aeternum, qui paratus est diabolo & angelis eius. Qui in nobis co­ronaturus est, non merita nostra, sed dona sua: quantum debet exal­tari? That is to say: Gyue great prayse to the Lord our GOD. Gyue him great praises indéede. Praise him aright. Let vs lawde and prayse him, which hath made that righteousnes that we haue. He hath wrought it in vs. For who hath wrought in vs that righ­teousnes, but he that hath iustified vs? And it is sayde of Christ, that he iustifieth the vngodly▪ We therefore are the vngodly, and he is the iustifier: séeing that he hath wrought in vs that righte­ousnes, whereby we might please him, so that he might place vs at his right hand and not at his left hand, that he might say vnto vs being placed at his right hand: Come ye blessed of my father, receiue the Kingdome that was prepared for you, from the begin­ning of the worlde.

[Page]Not that he might sette vs at his left hand, amongst thē to whom he shall say: Goe into fire euerlasting, which was prepared for the deuill and hys angels. Howe greatly ought he to be praysed, that shall crowne in vs, not our merites, but his owne gyfts? Againe, the same Austen, writeth thus in the same Tome, vpon y^e Psalme 102. Qui in nobis victi sumus, in illo vicimus. Ergo coronatte, quia do­na sua coronat, non merita tua. We that in our selues are ouercome, haue in him gotten the victory. He crowneth thée therfore, because he crowneth not thy merites, but his owne gifts. But to put you out of all doubt, concerning y^e meaning of al those places y^t you send vs to, sée what saint Austen writeth in his forenamed Epistle. 105. Stipendium, inquit peccati, mors. Rectè stipendium, quia debetur, quia digne retribuitur, quia merito redditur. Deindè, ne iustitia de human [...] se extolleret bono merito, sicut humanum meritum malum non dubita­tur esse peccatum, non a contrario retulit dicens: stipendium iustitiae vita aeterna, sed gratià, inquit, Dei vita aeterna. Et haec ne praeter me­diatorem aliqua alia via quaereretur, adiecit, in Christo Iesu Domino nostro. Tanquam diceret, Audito quòd stipendium peccati sit mors, quid te disponis extollere? O humana, non iustitia, sed nomine iustitiae planè superbia, quid te disponis extollere, & contrariam morti vitam ae­ternam tanquam debitum stipendium flagitare? Cui debetur vita aeter­na, vera iustitia est. Si autem vera iustitia est, ex te non est. De sur­sum est, descendens a Patre luminum, et haberes eam (si tamen habes eam) profectò accepisti. Quid enim habes quod non accepisti? Qua­propter, O homo, si accepturus es vitam aeternam: iustitiae quidem sti­pendum est: sed tibi gratia est, cui gratia est & ipsa iustitia. Tibi enim tanquam debita redderetur: si ex te tibi esset iustitia, cui debetur. That is to say: Death (sayth he) is the hyre that is due for sinne▪ It is rightly called a stipend or wages, because it is due, because it is worthily payde, because it is payd as a thinge deserued. Moreo­uer, that righteousnes might not extoll it selfe for the good deser­uing of man: he hath not shewed, that as no man doubteth sinne to be the euill desert of man, so on the contrary he sayth not, that life euerlasting is the hyre or wages of righteousnes, but he saith, life euerlasting is y^e frée mercy of God. And (least some other way beside y^e Mediator should be sought for) he addeth these wordes. In Christ Iesus our Lorde. As though he should say, why doost thou prepare to extoll thy selfe, when thou hearest that death is the re­ward [Page 40] or wages due to sinne? Oh thou humane (not iustice or righteousnes, but in very déede, pryde, vnder the name of Iustice) why doost thou prepare to extoll thy selfe, and to require or clayme, as a stypende due vnto thée, that euerlasting life, which is contrary to death? That righteousnes whervnto life euerlasting is due, is that which is the true and right iustice. And if it bee the right iustice, then it commeth not of thée It is from aboue, and commeth down from the Father of lights, that thou mightest haue it. And yet if thou hast it, vndoubtedly thou hast receiued it. For what hast thou that y^u hast not receiued? Wherefore (O y^u man) if thou shalt re­ceiue eternall life, it is in déede the wages or hyre of Iustice, but vnto thée it is frée mercy, vnto whom, euen iustice, or righteousnes it selfe, is frée mercy. And if thou haddest of thy selfe, righteousnes, wherevnto it is due, then shoulde it be giuen to thée, euen as bée­ing due vnto thée.

If I were not perswaded that these words of saint Austen are sufficiēt to perswade any reasonable mā, that life euerlasting, nei­ther is nor can be deserued (eyther in whole or in parte) by anye workes that haue béene, or can be wrought by man: I coulde (and would cite many moe sayings of thys holy Father, as effectuall as these, and tending as fully to this purpose, and some like sentences out of the wrytings of other holy fathers also. But I am assured, that although it be a thing impossible to perswade some of your sorte, yet these, and such sentences of this holy father, shall stoppe the mouthes of you all, when you shall come in presence of such as doo know them, and be able to vrge them, against that filthy doc­trine of humayne merites, that is so stoutly maintained by you.

But nowe to conclude thys matter, let me mooue one questi­on to you, which you may aunswere at your leasure. If all were true that you haue written, touching the cause of that ioyfull sen­tence that our Sauiour shall giue in the last day. Come yee bles­sed &c. For when I was hungry you fedde mee, when I was a thirst you gaue me to drinke, when I was naked you clothed me. &c. I pray you what shall be sayde then to you that are Minime Fryers, and all others that are altogether vnable eyther to féede or clothe others, or themselues? shall not the contrarye sentence (trowe you) be gyuen agaynst such? Goe ye cursed into euerla­sting fire, prepared for the deuill and his angels. For I was hun­gry▪ [Page] and you fedde me not. I was thirsty, and you gaue mee no drinke. I was naked and you clothed mee not. &c. Beléeue me (Fryer John) if those wordes that you cite out of the 25. of saynt Mathewe, should meane, as by your writing you séeme to vnder­stand thē: the case of you, & of al such, as doo either by vow or other­wise, make thēselues vnable to doo those good workes y^t you speake of, shalbe very hard. Your voluntary vowe wil not then excuse you. In the 7. Chap. of S. Mathew, our sauiour Christ sayth. Discedite a me omnes qui operamini iniquitatem. Depart from me all ye y^t worke iniquity: and doo not you worke iniquity. When you (hauing receiued from God good gifts, by the vse whereof you might be a­ble to féede and clothe your selfe, and to helpe to féede and cloth o­thers) haue bounde your selfe by a vowe, to leade such a kynde of life, that of necessity, you must either be fedde and clad by others, or els perish by the lacke of thinges necessary? Doo not you worke iniquity, when you doo not onely robbe your naturall Parents, your Prince and Countrey, of that helpe that both by the Lawe of nature, and by the Lawes of God and of your Country, all these ought to haue at your hands: but also of that reléefe, helpe and ser­uice, which all these might and ought to haue out of the labours of others, but are (by your hypocriticall meanes) drawne from them that you may be thereby maintained in idlenes? I knowe, that such as haue not such gifts▪ or be by any meanes naturall, or casu­all (as we may terme it) made vnable, both to helpe other & them­selues, must be sustayned by the labour of others: and shall not be reiected, as they that doo not féede and clothe Christ in his mem­bers, but yet so that they haue mercifull hartes, and doo pitty the case of the néedy, when they shall sée them in misery. But this is not your case. Take héede to your selfe in time (Fryer John) for I feare there is no place in heauen for purgatory Fryers.

And thus much for that great double Cannon, that you haue brought out of the 25. of saynt Mathewes Gospell, with the reste that you haue tolde vs of, and we haue viewed and séene. The re­coyle of them hath hurte you much more then the shott hath anoy­eo vs. Nowe let vs sée, what great Ordinaunce you haue bent a­gaynst that Bulworke of ours, wherein we stande and denie the reall presence of Christ, in the blessed Sacrament of the Altare. Thus you say.

Nowe, as touching that which you de [...]y, concer­ning the reall presence, in the blessed Sacrament of the Altare: Looke I pray you in the xxvi. of S. Mathewe, where these wor­des are written. Caenantibus autem eis, accepit Iesus panem et benedix­it, ac fregit, deditque discipulis suis, & ai [...]. Accipite▪ & commedite. Hoc est corpus meum &c. That is to say, why lest the rest were at Sup­per: Iesus tooke breade, blessed it, and brake it, and gaue it to his Disciples and saide. Take and eate, this is my body. The same al­together we reade in the 14. Chapter of the Gospell of S. Marke, sauing onely that he sayth: Sumite hoc est corpus meum, where as the foresayd Euangelist sayth Accipite & commedite. Agayne, in the 22. Chapter of S. Luke, we reade the same, in wordes as it s [...]e­meth more plaine, then the before written words are. For hee sayth, Accepto pane, gratias egit, et fregit, [...]t dedit illis diceus. Hoc est corpus meum, quod pro vobis datur: Similiter & calicem postquam cae­nauit dicens. Hic est calix nouum Testamentum in sanguine meo, qui pro uobis fundetur. The English of these Latine wordes is thys. Ie­sus Christ hauing taken bread, gaue thankes and brake it, & gaue it to his disciples saying. This is my body. In like manner also, the chalice, after that he had s [...]pped, saying: This chalice is the newe Testament in my blood, which shalbe shedde for you. Or as Saint Marke in his Gospell sayth: Accepto calice. &c. That is to say, Hauing taken the chalice, he gaue it to his disciples saying. Thys is my bloud of the Newe testament, which shalbe shed for many. Thus you see, howe that all the three Euangelists agree in thys poynt: howe that our blessed Sauiour, gaue to his disciples in hys last supper, his most precious body and bloude. I haue not shew­ed this vnto you by the savings of holie doctors, but by the wor­des of our Sauiour himselfe, vnto the intent that you may beleue me. We reade in the 6. Chapter of the Gospell after S. Iohn, how that our Sauiour endeuouring to bring the hard harted Iewes vn­to the knowledge of his diuinitie, spake these wordes. I am the bread of life, which came downe from heauen. If any body eate of this breade, he shall liue for euer: and the bread which I wil giue, is my flesh for the life of this worlde. Againe in the same Chap­ter. If you eate not the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke hys bloude, ye shall not haue life in you. Verely, verely, I say vnto you, he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud, shall haue [Page] lyfe euerlasting: and I wyll rayse him vp from death in the latter day. You say the contrary nowe, you make God a lyer, you say that he gaue them not his body, but onely breade, which is fully contrary to the foresayd texts of Scripture.

These foure double Cannons, that this valiant Captayne (Frier John) hath planted against y^e Forte of our faith, are of excéeding great force, but he hath so ouercharged them, that when he shall put fire to them, they must of necessitie recoyle with such force, that the Captaine with all his company, are like to bée in verie great daunger. For off, they will not goe against our Forte: and breake they can not. Yea, we are in good hope, that we shall haue such ayde at the hands of S. Austen and his compa­nie, that this great Ordinaunce shalbe turned against the whole Armie of the Romish Catholickes, and shotte of so freshlye, that they shall hardlie escape the losse of the Romane honour for euer. And first let vs sée what may be doone with the first of these Can­nons, called Caenātibus autem eis. &c. Whylst that the rest were at supper. &c. S. Austen in that booke that he wrote agaynst Adi­mantus, and in the 12. Chapter of that booke, wryteth thus. Non e­nim dominus dubitauit dicere, [...] est corpus meum: cum signum daret corporis s [...]i. The Lord (sayth S. Austen) did not doubt to say, this is my bodie: when he gaue the signe of his body. If there were no more but this one place of S. Austen: it might suffice for the tur­ning about of these foure péeces of Ordinaunce, and the making of them ready to be shot off against Frier John and his fellowes. For the force of them all consisteth in this one assertion. When our Sauiour Christ tooke breade, and gaue thankes (or blessed) and brake it, and gaue it to his Disciples, saying: Take, eate, this is my bodie. He did deliuer vnto those Disciples his owne body. And when he did after supper take the Cuppe (or Chalice) saying, thys Chalice is the Newe testament in my bloud. &c. He did deliuer hys owne blo [...]d. Which thing S Austen denieth, when he saith. The Lorde doubted not to saie, this is my bodie, when he deliuered the signe of his body. For the signe, and the thing signified are Dispa­rata, thinges seperated the one from the other. The thing there­fore that is the signe of another thing, can not (by anie meanes) be that thing whereof it is a signe. As the Ju [...]e or other matter, that is hanged out to be a signe of Wyne to be solde, can in no case be [Page 42] saide to be that Wine that is to be solde, but a signe thereof onely. Yea though wine indéede, were setforth to be a signe of wyne to be solde: or breade indéede were set forth to be a signe of bread to bee solde: yet that wine and that breade could not rightly be sayd, to be the same wyne or bread, that is to be solde, whereof that wyne or breade so set forth is but a signe. And yet, neither S. Austen nor we, doo denie, but that the name of the thing signified by a Sacra­ment, may be giuen to the Sacrament, because Sacraments haue a certaine similitude of those thinges whereof they be sacraments. S. Austen writing to Bonifacius▪ Epistola. 23. saith thus. Si enim Sacramenta, quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sacramen­ta sunt, non haberent: omnino sacramenta non essent. Ex hac autem si­militudine▪ plerumque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina accipiunt. Sicut ergo secundū quendā modū, sacramentū corporis Christi, corpus Christi est, et sacramētū sanguinis Christi, sanguis Christ [...] est [...]ita sacramentū fi­dei fides est &c. If sacraments had not a certaine similitude of those thinges whereof they be Sacraments: they were indéede no Sa­craments. And of the same similitude, they doo, for the most parte take also the names of those thinges, whereof they be sacraments. Therefore, as after a certaine manner, the sacrament of the body of Christ is the body of Christ, and the Sacrament of the bloude of Christ, is the bloud of Christ: euen so, the sacrament of fayth is fayth &c. Thus you may sée, and as I thinke, you doo sée, that these words, This is my body, doo not proue any other presence of Christ in the Sacrament, then that which may be called sacramentall, mysticall, heauenly, and spirituall. And to make this matter more plaine vnto you: I wyll let you sée certaine places of Scripture, where the like spéeche is vsed, and in the like meaning. Ezechiell the Prophet, is commaunded to shaue of the hayre of his heade and beard, to deuide it into thrée equall partes &c. As it is written in the fi [...]t Chapter of his booke of Prophecies: and then to say. Thus sayth the Lord God. This is Jerusalē ▪ &c. By the circumstaunce of this text, it is manifest, that the meaning of that sentence (This is Jerusalem) was not, that the dooing of those thinges that there were doone, was the Ci [...]ty Jerusalem really, but that the misera­ble estate of that Cittie was signified thereby. In the 12. Chapter of Exodus, concerning the eating of y^e Pasouer it is written thus. After this manner ye shall eate it. Ye shall gyrde vp your loynes, [Page] and y [...] shall haue yo [...]r shooes vppon your [...]éete, holding sta [...]es in your handes, and you shall make hast in eating of it, for it is Phase [...]d est transi [...]us domini. That is, the Lordes Pas [...]er, or passing by of the Lord. These wordes are not the words of Moses, but of God himselfe, spoken by Moses at the commaundement of God. Neuer did any man (as I thinke) conceiue any such opinion of these wor­des, as you and your sort doo shewe your selues to haue conceiued, of those wordes that our Sauiour Christ spake at his last supper, which you woulde haue to be of such force, that whensoeuer they shalbe breathed out (by anie of your Priestes) ouer breade and wyne (Cum intentione conficiendi, as you haue it in the cautiles of your masse: that is with purpose or intent, to make the bodye of Christ) then of necessity the substance, both of the breade and of the wyne, must be turned into the substaunce of the body and bloud of Christ. And whosoeuer shall deny this: must néedes be accoun­ted as one that maketh God a Lyer. Agayne, in the 15. Chapter of S. Iohns Gospell, Ego sum vitis vera & Pater me [...]s agricoia est. I am the true or right vyne, and my father is the husband man, or vine tyllar. And in the same Chapter. Ego sum vitis, vo [...] palmit [...]s. I am the vine and you are the bra [...]nches. And in the tenth Chapter of the same Gospell. Ego sum ostium, I am the doore, Ego sum Pastor bonus I am the good shéephearde And in the 14. Chapter. Ego sum via▪ I am the way. In all these spéeches, you are contented to ad­mit a figure, and to confesse that the spéeches are figuratiue. But in Hoc est corpus meum, Thys is my bodie, you may not abide to heare of any figure at all. And why? Because the admitting of a figure there, wold marre all your market. All your Cloysters of Monks, Chanons, Fryars, Nunnes, Colliges of Cannons and massing Priestes, Chauntries, Obbets, Anniuersaries, Trentalles, Monthes mindes, and masses of Requiem are builded vpon thys foundation. Hoc est corpus meum. This is my bodie, in pla [...]ne speech without any manner of figure. But if you once admit a figure in that spéeche, downe goe all these goodly buildings, and Frier John Fraunces and his fellowes, must learne to eate their bread in the sweate of theyr owne faces, as other poore men doo▪ You must stick to it therefore, and tell these [...]ereticke Protestants, that in deny­ing the Reall presence in the blessed sacrament of the Altare, they make God a lyer. We denie not, but doo confesse, that the breade [Page 43] and the wyne in the Sacrament of the body and bloude of Christe, are the body and bloud of Christ, euen as the Pascall Lambe was the passing by of the Lorde, as the Rocke in the Wyldernes was Christ, (Petraerat Christus▪ The Rocke was Christ, saith Saint Paule. 1. Cor. 10) and as the seauen starres (spoken of in the firste of the Reuelations of S. Iohn) are the seauen Angels of the sea­uen Congregations. And as y^e seauen golden candlesticks are y^e sea­uen Congregations. Yea we say with saynt Paul. 1. Cor. 10. Calix benedixionis cui benedicimus: nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est? Panis quem frangimus: nonne participatiò corporis Domini est? The Cuppe (or as you call it, the Chalice) that we blesse: is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we breake is it not the partaking of the bodye of the Lord? Quoniam vnus pa­nis, & vnum corpus multi sumus. Omnes quidem de vno pane, & de vno calice participamus. For we being many, are but one loafe of breade, and one body. And we doo all take part of one loafe of bread and of one cuppe. If you therefore would deny, that the Sacra­mentall cuppe is the Communion of the blood of Christ, or that the sacramentall breade is the partaking of the bodie of the Lorde: we would say that you doo lie, and doo make the Apostle Paule a ly­ar, and so consequently▪ God himselfe, for the spéeche that Paule vseth, is not his, but Gods that spake in him. We doo beléeue, that the body and bloud of Christ, are giuen, taken, eaten, and drunken of the faithfull in the Lords supper, after a heauenlie and spiritual manner: but yet verily and indéede. Yea, and that faith is y^e meane whereby the bodie and bloud of Christ are receiued in the Supper. All this we beléeue and confesse: and your selfe (Frier John) had once learned this, and did confesse it in my Church without Cre­plegate of London, before many witnesses. You doo vs open wrong therefore, in that you say that we make God a lyer, and say that he gaue not his body to his disciples, but bread onely, which is fully contrarie to the foresaid texts of Scripture. And as touching the sentences that you cite out of the sixt Chapter of S. Iohn, we ac­knowledge Christ to be that bread that came downe from heauen. And that whosoeuer shall eate of that bread shall liue for euer. And he that eate [...]h not the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinketh not hys bloud, shall not haue life in himselfe. But he that eate [...] the flesh of Christ and drinketh his bloude, shall haue life euerlasting, and Christ will rayse him vppe in the latter day. But héere you [Page] must gyue vs leaue to sale as S. Austen dooth, and we must re­quest you to thinke no worse of vs then you doo of him, so long as we shall shewe our selues to be of one minde with him For hee is a Catholick docter, and I thinke you doo take him so to be. If we therefore, shall shewe our selues to be of one minde with him: I hope you will take vs for Catholickes also. First I must tell you, that in the place that you cite, the words be thus. Ego sum panis vi­ [...]s, and not panis v [...]tae. That is the liuing bread, and not, the bread of life. I note this, because the meaning of our Sa [...]our Christe was (as you haue said) to bring the Jewes to the knowledge of his diuinity, by considering that the Manna which fell from hea­uen (and was accounted to be the bread of life) was not that liuing bread, that liueth and hath life of it selfe, and is the fountaine of life to al liuing creatures: y^t they might be occasioned to sée, that the Manna was to the Fathers, as our Sacrament is to vs, a visible [...]gne, representing vnto thē this liuing bread, as [...]ur Sacrament dooth represent the same vnto vs. Concerning this matter, saynt Austen wryteth thus, in his 26. treatise vpon the Gospell of saint Iohn. Patres vestri Manna manducauerūt, & mortui sunt: nō quia ma­lū erat Māna sed quiamale māducauerūt. Hic est panis qui de coelo des­cēdit. Hunc panē significauit manna. Hunc panē significauit altare Dei. Sacramēta illa fuerūt, in signis diuersa sunt, sed in re que significatur paria sunt. Apostolū audi. Nolo enim vos inquit, ignorare fratres, quia patres nostr [...] omnes sub nube fuerūt, & omnes mare trāsierūt, & omnes per Mosen baptizati sunt, in nube, & in mari: & omnes eandē escā spiritu▪ alem manducauerunt. Spiritualem vti (que) eandē, nam corporalem alterā: quia illi Manna, nos aliud spiritualem vero [...]quam nos. Sed patres nostri▪ non patres illorum, quibus nos similes sumus, non quibus illi similes fue­runt. Et adiungit. Et omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt. Ali­ud illi, aliud nos, sed specie visibiliquidem, tamen hoc idem significante virtu [...]e spirituali. Quomo [...]o enim eundem potū? Bibebant inquit, de spiritu [...]li sequēte p [...]tra, petra autem erat Christus. Indepanis, inde potus. Petra Christus in signo: verus Christus, in verbo & in carne. That is to say. Your Fathers did eate Manna and are deade: not because Manna was an euill thing, but because they did not eate it aright. This is the bread that came downe from heauen. Man­na did signifie this breade. The Lordes Altare did signifie thys breade. Those thinges were Sacraments: in signes they be dy­uers, [Page 44] but in the thing that is signified they are alike. Gyue care to the Apostle. For he sayth, Brethren, I would not haue you igno­rant, that all our Fathers were vnder the Clowde, and that they did all passe thorow the Sea, and that they were all baptized by Moses, in the clowde, and in the Sea, and that they did all eate one and the same spirituall meate. The same spirituall meate indéede, for the corporall was another, for they did eate Manna, and we an other thing: but the spirituall was the same that we doo eate. But these were our Fathers, not theirs. They to whom we are like, not they to whom they were like. And hée addeth to this. And they did all drinke of one spirituall drinke, but in the visible kind, they did drinke one thing and we another, and yet signifying the self [...] same thing in spirituall vertue. But howe was it the same drink? They dranke (sayth he) of y^e spirituall Rocke that followed them, and that Rocke was Christ. Hence was the bread, and hence was the drinke. In a signe, the Rocke is Christ, but Christ indéede, is in the word and in the flesh.

Can any man wryte or speake more plainly on our side in this matter, then S. Austen hath doone in these wordes that I haue héere [...]ited? Doth he not plainly affirme, that the Manna was to the faithfull Fathers in the wilder [...]es, euen the selfe same thyng that the sacramentall breade in the Lordes supper is to vs nowe? And that the Rocke in the Wildernes, was vnto them, the same thing that the cuppe in the Lords supper is vnto vs nowe? And what? wyll you haue vs to grant you a reall presence of Christes bodie and bloode in the Manna and in the Rocke? And howe can you then require vs to grant it, in the sacramentall bread & wine? S. Austen sayth, that they and we differ not in the thing signified, although we differ in the signes. Theyr signes were Manna and the Rocke, or water that ishewed out of the Rocke, and our signes are the Breade and the Cuppe, or the wyne vsed in the Lords sup­per. But the spirituall meate and drinke, that both they and wee doo eate and drinke, is the very body and bloud of Christ, that inno­cent Lambe that hath béene slaine for the sinnes of the world, euen from the beginning of the world. And to giue vs occasion to consi­der, that not euery one that receiueth the Sacrament, dooth also receiue the body and bloud of Christ. S. Austen sayth thus. O [...]r Fathers, not their Fathers. They to whom we are like, not they [Page] to whom they were like. That is to say, the faythfull▪ not the vn­faithfull, did then, and doo nowe eate the body, and drinke y^e bloode of Christ our Sauiour.

But wyll you see more out of S. Austen, in the same 26. trea­tice vpon Iohn. Qui ma [...]ucat carnem meam, & bibit meum sangui­nem: in me manet et eg [...] in illo. Hoc est ergo man [...]ncare illam escam, & illum bibere potum: in Christo ma [...]re, & illum manentem in se ha­bere. Ac [...]er hoc, qu [...] non manet in Christo & in quo nō manet Chri­stus: proculdubio, nec manducat spiritualiter carnem eius, nec bibit e­tus sanguinem, licet carnaliter, & visib [...]liter premat dent [...]bus sacra­mentum corporis & sanguinis Christi: sed magis tantae rei sacramentū, ad iuditium sibi manducat & bibit. He that eateth my flesh and drin­keth my bloode, dwelleth in me and I in him. To eate that meate (therefore) and to drinke that drinke, is this. For a man to dwell in Christ, and to haue Christ dwelling in him. And héereby it ap­peareth, that who so dwelleth not in Christ, neither hath Christe dwelling in him, the same (no doubt) doth neither [...]ate his fleshe (spiritually) nor drinke his bloude, although he doo, fleshly and vi­sibly, presse with his téeth, the Sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ: but rather he dooth eate and drinke the Sacrament of so excellent a thing, to be a condemnation vnto him self.

Thus you may sée (Master Fryer John) how rashly you haue written, in that you haue sayd thus. If any bodye eate of this breade (meaning I am sure of that Sacrament that is kept ouer your high altar) he shall liue for euer. And the bread that I wyll giue is my fleshe, for the life of this worlde. You say, If any body eate of this breade &c. S. Austen sayth. No body but such as dwell in Christ, and haue Christ dwelling in them, eyther doo or can eate the flesh of Christ, but doo by the receiuing of the Sacrament of so excellent a thing, eate and drinke to their owne condemnation. Nowe, I leaue you, to try this matter with S. Austen. If you can entreate him to recant: so it is. If not, your best way is, to recant your selfe. And yet one other sentence of S. Austen in the same treatice vpon Iohn. Nonne buccella dominica, venenum fuit Iudae? & tamen accepit, & cum accepit, inimicus in eum intrauit: non quia ma­lum accepit, sed quia bonum, male malus accepit ▪ Was not the Lords soppe, a poysonne to Iudas? and yet he receiued it, and when hee receiued it, the enimie entred into him: not because he receiued [Page 45] an euill thing, but because he being euill, did receiue a good thing, after an euill sorte. Much more might be saide to this effect: but I leaue you as I sayd before.

As touching the other sentence that you cite out of this sixt of S. Iohn, which is thus. If you doo not eate the fl [...]sh of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloode, you shall not haue life in you. I would wyshe you to looke on that which S. Augustine wryteth, in the 16. Chapter of his thyrd booke, De doctrina christiana. Nisi manduca­ [...]eritis, inquit, carnem fi [...]ij hominis, & sanguinem biberitis non habe­bitis vitam in vobis. Fac [...]nus vel [...]agitium videtur iubere▪ F [...]gura est ergo, praecipiens passioni dominicae esse communicandum, & suau [...]ter a [...] ­que vtiliter recondendum in memoria: quod pro nobis caro eius cruci­fixa & vulnera [...]a sit. Except (saith he) you shall eate the fleshe of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, you shall not haue life in you. He séemeth to commaund an heynous or horrible facte. It is therefore a figure, commaunding that we should be partakers of the Lordes passion or suffering, and that we should swéetely, and profitably, laie vp in memory, that his flesh was crucified & woun­ded for vs. Immediatly before these wordes, S. Augustine hath written thus, Si praeceptiua locutio est, aut flagitium aut facinus ve­tans, [...]ut vtilitatem, aut benefi [...]entiam iubens: non est figurata. Si au­tem flag tium aut facinus videtur iuber [...]: aut vtilitatem aut beneficen­tiam vetare figurata est. If the spéeche be a commaundement, that forbiddeth an heynous or horrible fact, or that commaundeth pro­fitablenes or beneficence, then the spéeche is not figuratiue. But if it be a spéeche that séemeth to commaunde an heynous or horrible fact: or to forbidde profitablenes or beneficence, then it is a figura­tiue spéeche.

By this Rule, all these places that you haue alledged out of the 26. of s. Mathew. The 14. of s. Mark The 22. of s. Luke, & the 6. of S. Iohn, are siguratiue spéeches For vnderstanding them after the Letter, as you doo: they séeme to commaund an heynous and horri­ble fact▪ that is. To eate the fleshe, and to drinke the bloude of a man. But taking them for figuratiue spéeches (as we doo, and as they are indéede) they doo commaunde a very profitable thing, that is, (as S. Austen hath saide) to be partakers of the pass [...]on or su [...] ­fering of the Lord, and swéetly, and profitably to lay vp in memory that his fleshe was crucified and wounded for vs. If you haue not [Page] vowed, neuer to reade ought, that either is or can be written by a­nie of vs that are Protestants: or if you will with a duetifull re­uerence, reade the workes of thys auncient and learned Catholick Father saint Austen, I doubt not but that you wil eare long time be past, doo as the Prophet Ieremie writeth of Ephra [...]m, in the [...]1. Chapter of his prophesi [...]s (which place you haue cited for ano­ther purpose) that is, strike your selfe vpon your thigh and say. I am confounded, I am ashamed, that euer I went out of England, following the counsell of a blinde ghostlie father. When that blind bu [...]arde had abused my tender yéeres, and had put into my heade, that I had béene brought vppe in heresie: I might haue imparted this with my gray headed instructors, which had béene able to in­struct me, as nowe one of them hath doone. If our merciful father shall s [...]e that in you, that he did then sée in Ephraim: vndoubtedlie this wyll come to passe, to the great ioy of them that yet loue you in the Lorde, to your endlesse saluation, and to the consusion of that Antichristian swarme, amongst whom you doo nowe lyue. Amen.

But to gyue you yet a further occasion to consider better of your reall presence, I wyll let you sée somewhat more, out of this aun­cient Fathers writing [...]s, and out of the wrytings of some others, more auncient, and some not so auncient. First, S. Austen wry­ting vpon the 98. Psalme, sayth thus: Spiritualiter intelligite quod locutus sum. Non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis, et bibitu­ri illum sanguinem, quem fusuri sunt qui me crucifigent. Sacramentum aliquod vobis commendaui: spiritualiter intellectum viuificabit vos. Understande spiritually, that which I haue spoken. You shall not eate that bodie which you doo sée: neither shal ye drink that bloud, which shall be shedde by them that shall crucifie me. I haue com­mended vnto you a certaine Sacrament, which being spirituallye vnderstanded, will quicken you.

Basilus Magnus (somewhat more auncient then Austen) dooth shewe himselfe to be of this minde. That whatsoeuer may be real­lie present, in moe places at once then one, is no creature, but is God in nature. To prooue the holy Ghost to be God, he wryteth thus: De spiritu sancto. Cap. 22. Angelus qui asti [...]it Cornelio, non e­rat in eodē tempore etiam apud Phillippū. Ne (que) qui ab altari Zachariā alloquebatur: eodem tempore, etiam in coelo, propriam sedem ac statio­nem [Page 46] implebat. At verò spiritus, simul in Abacuc & in Daniele in Babilonia operari creditus est. Et in Cataractae cum Hieremia esse dic­tus est. Et cum Ezechiele in Chobar. The Angell that stoode before Cornelius, was not at the same time with Phillip also. Neither did he, that from the Altare spake vnto Zacharie, at the same time occupie his owne place and order in heauen. But we beléeue, that the holy Ghost did at one time, worke in Abacuc and in Daniell, béeing in Babilon. And it is sayde that he was with Ieremie in the dungion, and with Ezechiell in Chobar. Basill thought this suffici­ent to prooue the holy Ghost to be God. And shall not we thinke then, that you affyrming, the body of Christ to be really present in the sacrament, doo affyrme it to be God, because it is present in so many places at once, and so deny i [...] to be a creature? But sée what another Father (more auncient then Basill) dooth saye to thys matter.

Origen wryting vpon the 25. Chapter of S. Mathewe, sayth thus: Secundum hanc diuinitatis suae naturam, non peregrinatur, sed peregrinatur secundum dispensationem corporis quod suscepit. As tou­ching this his diuine nature, he is not gone into a strange Coun­trey, but concerning the disposition of that bodie which he hath ta­ken vpon him, he is gone into a strange Countrey.

S. Austen, wryting to Dardanus. Epistola. 57. sayth thus. Cauendum est enim, ne ita diuinitatem astruamus hominis, vt verita­tem corporis auferamus. For we must take héede that we doo not so set vp the diuinitie of the manhoode, that we take away the truth of the bodie. These wordes of saint Austen are plaine enough, and yet to make them more plaine, he addeth. Vna persona Deus & ho­mo est, et vtrū (que) est, vnus Christus Iesus. Ʋbi (que) per id quod Deus est, in coelo autem, per id quod homo. One person, is both God and man, and bothe these is one Christ Jesus. In all places in that he is GOD, but in that he is man, he is in heauen.

In his 30. treatice vpon saynt Iohns Gospell, S. Augustine wryteth thus, Corpus domini in quo resurrexit, in vno loco esse opor­tet: veritas eius vbi (que) diffusa est. The Lordes bodye wherein he a­rose, must be in one place: but hys trueth is spread abroad in eue­ry place.

S. Ambros also▪ wryting vppon saynt Lukes Gospell, hath these wordes, Lib. 10. capit▪ 24. Quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae su­per [Page] terram. Ergo non supra terram, nec in terra, nec secundum carnem te quaerere debemus, si volumus inuenire. Sauoure those thinges that are aboue, and not those things that are on earth. If we therefore, wyil finde him, we must not séeke him vpon the earth, nor in the earth, nor after the manner of flesh.

Cyrill also, who being in the dayes of saynt Ambros Bishoppe of Alexandria, wryteth vpon the Gospell of saynt Iohn, and sayeth thus: Lib. 6. capit. 14. Et si Christus corporis sui praesentiam hinc sub duxit, mai state tamen diuinitatis semper adest, sicut ipse, a discipulis abiturus policetur. Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, vs (que) ad con­summationem soeculi. Although Christ haue conueighed hence the presence of his body: yet is he alwayes present by the maiestie of his diuinity, euen as when hee was departing from hys Disciples he promised. Beholde I am with you euery day, euen to the ende of the worlde.

S. Gregorie also, in his 21. Homelie, writeth thus. Christus nō est hic, per praesentiam carnis: qui tamen nusquam deest, per praesentiam maiestatis. Christ (sayth he) is not héere, by the presence of hys flesh: which notwithstanding, is absent from no place, by the pre­sence of hys maiestie.

Fulgentius also, in his seconde booke, Ad transimundum regem writeth thus. Christus vnus, idem (que) homo localis ex homine, qui est de­us immensus ex patre. [...]nus idem (que) secundum humanam substantiam, absens coelo, cum esset in terra, & derelinquens terram cum ascendisset in coelum. Christ is but one, and the same is placible, man of man, which is of hys Father GOD, that can not be measured. One and the same as touching his humane substaunce, was absent from heauen when he was on earth, and leauing the earth when he as­cended into heauen. The last of these wryters hetherto cited, ly­ued within 500. yéeres after Christes ascention.

Consider, I pray you, the places that I haue héere set downe in wryting, taken out of the most auncient, learned, and godly wri­tinges that these Fathers haue left behinde them. And be no lon­ger ledde by such as first seduced you, and doo stil beare you in hand that all the auncient Fathers did beléeue and teach such a reall pre­sence of Christ Iesus to be in the Sacrament of the Altare, as they haue taught you to beléeue: and that al we that doo deny that there is any such reall presence of Christ in that Sacrament, doo make [Page 47] God a lyar, and doo holde an heresie, most horrible, detestable, and abhominable. Where as in very déede, we doo beléeue and teache, the true, auncient, Catholicke, and Apostolicke fayth, concerning the true vse of the Sacrament of the body and bloude of our Saui­our Christ. And that which they doo holde and teache, is schismati­call, deuillish, and damnable. Come out from amongst them, hear­ken no more to them, they are false Prophets, destruction hangeth ouer their heads, and hell gapeth for them. They robbe Christe of his glory. They rob Christians of their greatest comfort. They suppresse and holde vnder true Religion. They sette vp and main­taine Idolatry and superstition. And to speake all in one worde: they vpholde Antichrist and his whole kingdome.

But to returne to our purpose. You say that we say, that there be but two Sacraments, an heresie condemned long agoe. But you tell vs not when, where, nor by whom. Therefore as we haue sayd, so we doo say, and so we wyll say (by Gods helpe) til you can prooue the contrary: that Christ hath ordeined but two sacramēts to be vsed by Christians. Your saying, that it is an heresie condemned long agoe, is but a flashe of false fire giuen to a péece of Ordi­naunce vncharged, and therefore can not hurt the Bulwork wher­in we stande, and doo denie that Christ hath ordeined any moe sa­craments then two, namely: Baptisme and the supper of y^e Lord. In his thyrd booke of Christian doctrine, and in the 9. Chap. there of, S. Austen wryteth thus concerning this matter. Hoc verò tem­pore posteaquam resurrectione domini nostri Iesu Christi, manifestissi­mum iudicium nostrae libertatis illuxit, nec eorum quidem signorum quae iam intelligimus, operatione graui onerati sumus: sed quaedam pauca pro multis, cadem (que) factu facillima, et intellectu angustissima, & obser­natione castissima, ipse dominus & apostolica tradidit disciplina: sicuti est Baptismi sacramentum, & celebratio corporis & sanguinis domini. Quae vnusquis (que) cum percipit, quo referantur imbutus agnoscit, vt ea non carnali seruitate, sed spirituali potius libertate veneretur. Vt enim litteram sequi, et signa pro rebus quae ijs significantur accipere, seruilis infirmitatis est: ita inutiliter signa interpretari, male vagantie erro­ris est. But in these dayes, sith by the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ, a most manifest signe (or shewe) of our liberty hath appeared: wee are not loaden with the heauye working of those signes that we doo already vnderstande. But in stéede of many, the [Page] Lorde and the Apostolicke discipline hath giuen vnto vs, a certain small number, and the same very easie to be doone, and most excel­lent in signification, and most pure in obseruation: as is the Sa­crament of Baptisme, and the celebration of the body and bloud of the Lorde, which euery man that is instructed, doth when hee re­ceiueth them, knowe to what ende they are referred, that he may reuerence them, not in a carnall seruitude, but rather in a spiritu­all liberty. For, euen as, to followe the Letter, and to take the signes, for those thinges that be signified by them, is a poynt of ser­uile infirmity, euen so to enterpret y^e signes vnprofitably, is a point of error that wandreth euill fauouredly, or wickedly.

In these wordes of S. Austen, we haue occasion to note two thinges especially. One is, that hee did not knowe of moe Sacra­ments then two, instituted by our Sauiour Christ, and commaun­ded by him and his Apostles to be vsed in his Church. The other is, that it is a poynt of fleshly seruitude, and not of Christian li­berty, for a man to follow the letter, or litterall sence, in those spée­ches in the Scriptures, that doo concerne those two Sacraments, in such sorte that he wyll take the signes that are spoken of, for the thinges signified by them. A man may meruell, that any of your sorte, that knoweth these words of S. Austen: can allowe him for a Catholicke, and yet condemne vs, as Heretickes in thys poynt, wherein we doo both affyrme and denie, euen as he hath doone ma­nye hundrethes of yéeres before vs.

But let vs sée yet, one other place of S. Austen. In an Epistle that he wrote to one Ianuarius, which is in number 118. S. Austen wryteth thus. Primò ita (que), tenere te volo, quod est huius disputationis caput, Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, sicut ipse in Euangelio lo­quitur, lent iugo suo nos subdidisse, & sarcinae leui. Ʋnde sacramentis numero paucissimis, obseruatione facillimis, significatione praestantissi­mis, societatem noui populi colligauit: sicuti est baptismus, trinitatis no­mine consecratus, communio corporis & sanguinis ipsius, & si quid aliud in canonicis scripturis commendatur, exceptis ijs quae seruitutem populi veteris, pro congruentia cordis illorum, & prophetici temporis onerabāt, quae et in quin (que) libris Mosis leguntur. Fyrst of all therefore, my wyll is, that you shoulde vnderstande, what the chéefe poynt of thys disputation is. That is, that our Lorde Iesus Christ, hath (as himselfe speaketh in the Gospell) made vs subiecte to his owne [Page 48] easie yoke, and light burden. Whereby he hath syed together the society of the newe people, with Sacraments that are fewest in number, easiest in obseruing, and most excellent in signification, as is Baptisme, consecrated in the name of the Trinity, and y^e com­munion of his body and bloud, and if there by any other sacrament that is in the Canonicall Scriptures commended, except those sa­craments, which did encrease the weight of bondage of the olde people, as was méete for theyr hartes, and for the propheticall time, and which are reade in the fiue Bookes of Moses.

In these wordes of S. Austen, we haue occasion to note, that his meaning was to certifie Ianuarius (to whom he wrote this E­pistle) of that thing which our Lord Iesus Christ taught, in that which standeth written in the eleuenth of saynt Mathewes Gos­pell: concerning the easines of the yoke, and the lightnes of the burden, that Christ Iesus hath layde vpon Christians. And for the explaning of hys meaning: he sayth that our Sacraments are very fewe in number, very easie to be obserued, and most excellent in signification. And hee nameth onely Baptisme and the supper of the Lorde, which he calleth (as we commonly doo) the commu­nion of the body and bloode of our Sauiour Christ. And furder, hee referreth him to the Canonicall scriptures, as aduising him to re­ceiue no moe Sacraments, then he shall finde to be commended in them. And least he might take occasion by those words, to thinke that Christians ought to be circumcised, and to obserue the sacrifi­ces and ceremonies of Moses Lawe: he excepteth all such Sacra­ments, as were layde vpon the people of the olde Lawe, by any thing that is wrytten in any of the fiue bookes of Moses. So that, by these wordes of thys learned Father saynt Austen, it appea­reth (as by the other afore rehearsed) that he was not perswaded, that Christ Iesus our Lord, hath layde vpon vs Christians, that heauye burden of seauen Sacraments, which your holy father the Pope, layeth vpon you, and vpon all hys Antichristian flocke. Confirmation, Order, Repentance, or (as you call it) Penaunce, Matrimonie, and the Visitation of the sicke (which you call Extreme vnction) we vse, as good, profitable, and necessary vsages in the Church of Christ, but not as Sacraments: because it appeareth not in any Canonicall scripture, that Christ our sauiour hath instituted them, and commaunded them to be vsed as sacraments. [Page] Neyther doo they agree with that definition or description of a sa­crament, which is commonly allowed of amongst the learned▪ and is thus. A Sacrament is an outwarde and visible signe, repre­senting an inwarde, inuisible spirituall grace, ordeyned by Chryste himselfe, to testify Gods good wyll and bountifulnes towards vs, through the same Christ our sauiour, by which Gods promises, touching forgiuenes of sinnes, & eternall saluation, giuen through Christ, are (as it were) sealed, and the trueth of them, is more certainly confirmed in our hartes. To thys definition or description onely Baptisme, and the Lords supper doo agrée: therefore they onely, are properly to be called sacraments. Otherwyse, a signe of a holy thing may be called a sacrament. But in that large signifi­cation of the worde sacrament, there be not onely seauen sacra­ments, but seauenty times seauen sacraments. And in that mea­ning we deny not, but that there may be in euery one of these o­ther fiue, which you call sacraments, moe sacraments then one or two. But I can not meruell enough at this one thinge, that men of your sorte, can estéeme so highly of Matrimonie, as to make it a sacrament of such excellencie, and yet bynde all your holiest Ca­tholickes by a solemne vowe, neuer to vse it, or to take any bene­fite by it. Yea, I meruell that you can account matrimony so ho­ly a thing as a sacrament, and yet maryed persons so vnholy, that if any of them shall come into any of your most holy Cloysters, the walles and floores thereof must be washed, as thinges polluted, by the presence of those marryed persons. Howesoeuer therefore, by whom soeuer, or wheresoeuer, that which wee holde concerning two sacraments onely, hath béene condemned for heresie: we doo styll holde it, and minde styll to holde it for right Religion, tyll Fryer Iohn, and hys fraternitie, can and shall by the Cannonicall scriptures prooue it heresye, and saynt Augustine an Hereticke.

Nowe you enter into your exhortatorie Oration, which you make to your Father and Mother especially: But it may bee thought that your meaning is, that thys exhortation shoulde bee made generall. For your Father and Mother, must haue help in the reading and waying of those matters that are cōterned in thys exhortation. I wyll therefore doo you thys pleasure (if I can) for olde acquaintance. You shall haue this excellent Oration of yours published in print, with all the rest that you haue (in these your [Page 49] Letters) written to your father and mother, that all your fréendes on thys side the Seas (if any such be) & all your vndoubted fréends of the English Nation, as well in Fraunce as in Italie, or els where in any part of the knowne worlde, may know the depth of that diuinitie that dropped out of your penne, when you wrote those Letters in Nigeon. But I will be so bolde with you (mine olde Scholler) as to publish thys mine aunswere together with these your Letters, with this admonition. Reade all: or reade nothing. Hoping that you and your complices, wyll doo as much vpon my admonition, as I haue doone vpon yours: which is thus. Reade it thorowe, or begin it not. Thys admonition you haue set downe in the margin of your Letters seauentéene times. Per­swading your selfe (by all likelihoode) that we dare not reade any thing written by a Papist: more then many of your sorte dare reade any thing that is written by a Protestant. But you must vnderstande, that we are not vnder such vowes as you are. Wée are encouraged by the Apostle Paule, to trie all thinges, and com­maunded by him to holde fast that which is good. Omnia probate, quod bonum est tenete. Try all thinges: holdfast that which is good. 1. Thes. 5. Yea, we are of that sorte that our Sauiour Christ spake of Marci vltimo. In the last Chapter of saint Markes Gospell. Si mortiferum quid biberint, non eis nocebit. If they shall drinke any deadly poyson, it shall not hurt them. Wee haue receiued before hande, a Treacle, which is of such vertue, that none of your popysh poysons can hurt vs. We doo therefore, (and by Gods helpe wee wyll) reade all your bookes, if we may haue them. Yea, we wyll so reade them, and answere them, that you shall haue cause to wish that you had neuer written them. Wee doo not vse to condemne mens wrytinges before we haue reade them, wayed and conside­red them, and founde them such as are méete to be condemned. If you had doone so, you woulde neuer haue condemned for hereticks, so many as in these your Letters you haue condemned by name: and yet it may be thought, that you neuer reade any one lyne, written by some of them. I hope you will doo as much for mee as I haue doone for you, that is, reade these my wrytings, way and con­sider them, and confute them if you can, and let that which you shall doo, be made publique to the worlde. But to returne to our purpose, your Oration beginneth thus.

Looke to your selues (I pray you) beleeue our ho­ly mother, the Catholicke Church. Rowle your selues vp & down in her blessed lappe. Leaue your Sermons heretical: goe no more vnto them. Ryse not so earlie in the morning as you were wont to doo, to damne your selfe body and soule. Goe no more (I say) to those Sermons of Crowley, Barber, Fielde and the rest. Burne your bookes of Sermons, with all other your bokes in which are heresies. Be not ashamed of the name of a Papist. Goe to cōfession, confesse your sinnes to a Priest. Leaue this worlde that is so dis­ceitfull and stick vnto God. &c.

Héere is an heape of Patheticall spéeches, powred out (as it were) of a Vessell full of feruent zeale towardes your poore parents and all others, that be in such miserable case, as you séeme to suppose that they are in. You wyshe them to looke to them selues, as though you sawe them in present perrill and danger of destruction. There be seauen thinges that you require them to doo, whereby they may escape that great daunger which hangeth ouer their heads.

The first is, to beléeue your holie mother the Catholick Church, and to rowle themselues vp and downe in her blessed lapp. If that Catholick Church (that beléeueth, confesseth, & professeth, that fayth and Religion that Christ Iesus taught in his owne person, & com­maunded to be taught Catholicklie, throughout the whole world, by his Apostles and messengers) be that holie mother of yours that you speake of: then will your Father and Mother, and all other that you wyshe shoulde be moued by your spéeches, gladly doo that which you wishe them to doo. Yea they doo it alreadie, & haue doone it euer since God gaue them knowledge of that mother. And they doo still begge of God, that they may continue rowling vppe and downe in her blessed lap, all the dayes that they shall continue in this transitory life. Yea, and they doo constantly beléeue all that she hath taught, or dooth teache: and they doo dailie craue of God, that they may be made able to beléeue, and boldly confesse all that she shall teache, so long as they shalbe liuing on this earth. If thys be your meaning, they doo most hartily thank you for your fréendly and christian admonition. But it séemeth to me, that the holie mo­ther that you speake of, is another, whom men of your sort call the Romish Catholicke Church. Your father and mother, (Iohn and Catherine Debnam) and as manie as be of one mind with them: [Page 50] doo vtterlie refuse that mother, because she vseth to teache manye moe false lyes, then true lessons. They dare not rowle themselues vp and downe in her lap, because she is not y^e chaste spouse of Christ Iesus, but that arrant whore of Babilon, that murdereth the chyl­dren & saints of God Our mother hath told vs, that our father hath commanded vs, to beléeue in one God onely, which beeing thrée in person, is but one in substance, essence & power: but your mother teacheth you to beléeue in manie Gods. For she teacheth you to cal vpon Angels and saints, and what is that other, then to teache you to beléeue in them? For, s. paule writeth thus in his Epistle to the Romans. Cha. 10. Quomodo inuocabunt, in quē non crediderunt? How shall they cal vpon him, in whom they haue not beleued? Our mo­ther hath told vs, that our father hath forbidden vs, to make to our selues anie grauen Images, or the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue, or in the earth benethe. &c. But your mother teach­eth you, to make the Images of men & of Angelles, yea and of God himselfe (whom neuer man could sée) and to set them vppe in your Churches, to burne Incence vnto them, to set light before them, to offer gifts vnto them, to fal downe before them, and to make pray­ers before them, all which is directly contrary to our heauenly fa­thers commaundement. Our mother hath tolde vs, that our father hath forbidden vs to take his name in vaine, and that he hath com­maunded vs to sweare by him onely, and not by anie other: But your mother teacheth you to sweare by your idolatrous masse, by your saints, and by the Images of your saints, and to profane the blessed name of God, in making your superstitious vowes, and in all your exorcismes, & coniurations. Our mother hath told vs that our fathers will is, that we should spende the Saboth day holilie, and not to profane it in anie condition. But your mother telleth you, that you may daunce, dallie and sporte and plaie, bayt Bulles and Beares, and giue your selues to all other pastimes on the Sa­bothe daie, so that you dispatche your Idolatrous seruice in your Churches, either before or after, but you must in any case take heede, that you giue not your self to any good exercise in that day. Our mother telleth vs, that our fathers pleasure is, that we shold shew due obedience, to such as are in any respect our fathers or mothers, and y^t we ought to honor them, and be of duetiful behauiour towards them, yea, and (if néede shal so require) to ayde succor and reléeue them, in such measure as GOD shall make vs able. [Page] But your mother teacheth you to say Corban, as the Pharesyes taught theyr Schollers, when our Sauiour Christ was amongst them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Page] Abraham neuer knewe vs, Israell is ignoraunt of our case, but thou art our Father, thou art our deliuerer. Esay. 63.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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