ALthough I be by byrth a Spaniard, and cannot deny but that with my Nurses milke I haue sucked in the corruptions of popery; though my whole Infancy, child-hoode and youth, hath bene tainted with the dregges of such my education: yet no sooner was I come to yeeres of discretion, but I beganne to suspect the turning of bread and wine into the very substance of the Body and blood of our Sauiour, to be a meere fiction, much like (both in want of ground, & in wic­ked illusions) to the coyner thereof, the Antichrist of Rome.

The beginning of my suspition was, in that our Pro­fessor, Bartholmew Hernandez, a most learned man, in his publique Lectures at Ilerda in Catalonia, in the yeere of our Lord, 1596. did teach vs being his Audi­tors, to the number of aboue 200. that God, by his ordinary power, cannot put one and the same body in diuers places at the same instant of time. This, quoth he, implyeth contradiction, as at once suppo­sing, and not supposing a bodie. For by taking away. [Page]from any body, the proper passion of a body; namely the possessing one place, thence followeth necessarily the destruction and abolishment of the forme, nature and essence of the body it self: Forasmuch as the pro­perty of occupying one place, floweth of necessitie from the very forme and nature of a body, nor can by Gods ordinary power be separated there-from with­out destroying the subiect it selfe, on which it depen­deth. And that this confining to one place, is a true property, or proper passion of a body, it is euident, in that it suiteth with bodies vniuersally, only & alwaies, and is reciprocated with a body. But whether God by his absolute and extraordinary power (whereby hee doth what he can do, or atchiueth a work, then which he cannot performe a greater or more perfect) can do a work, which contradicteth it selfe, my said Master would neither auouch, nor deny. This quoth he, is to mee a bottomelesse Sea, whereinto I dare not launch with the smal cock-boat of my poore vnderstanding. Yet withall he constantly affirmed, that God neuer v­sed this his absolute power, but in one work only, and that was the Incarnating of his Sonne. Then which he said, that God cannot produce a more excellent and more perfect exploit: whereas in the production of this whol world, and of the inuisible, and visible crea­tures in the same, it is otherwise. For God, if it had pleased him, could haue created much more glorious Angels, men more excellent, and brighter or better heauens then these which he hath made.

Out of this Doctrine thus deliuered by our Master, there arose in my minde no small scruple, whence I forthwith, though then but young, reasoned with my [Page]self, inferring this same Transubstantiation, which pre­sumeth to put the bodyof our Lord in many millions of places at the same instant of time, not to be of God, much lesse performable by the sacrificing Priests. Ve­rily, thought I, it neuer came from Gods ordinary power, by which he doth nothing implying contra­diction; no, nor from his absolute and extraordinary, which (as my Master would haue it) was neuer vsed but in the worke of Christs Incarnation. And so I concluded, that Transubstantiation is no worke of Gods making.

To deliuer freely what afterward I thought, my coniecture is, that this my Master, intending here to expresse himselfe cautelously, did on purpose speake perplexedly. For swallowing this pebble stone of Transubstantiation, and being not able to concoct it, he checked his stomacke downe as much as he could to keepe it from a dangerous vomit: and in a word to tell his case, he was faine to windevp himselfe in the snare of doubtfull words, that he might escape the snare of the Spanish Inquisition. The truth is, this learned man, who knew well enough, white from blacke, should boldly haue affirmed, that Almighty God, neither by ordinary nor extraordinary power, can doe those things, that are contradictory to thēselues, & therefore cannot set one and the same body in diuers places at the same instant. And that, not by reason of any want of actiue power in God, who is omnipotent; but by defect of passiue power in the creature (if such fi­ctions may be called creatures) which cannot suffer their essentiall and concomitant properties be tome away from the maine stocke, without the destruction [Page]of the whole nature and essence of the subiect, which nathelesse is heere supposed to remaine entyre. For what can be more absurd, then if I shold say, I present vnto you a man, from whom I will notwithstanding take away the facultie of reason? which is as much as, behold here a man, no man: or, speaking of a Geome­tricall circle, I should instance in a circle, whose beams I would imagine to be vnequalled one to the other. I am deeply touched with sorow, for that hearing this voyce, whereby God cald me, I notwithstanding, did not cease to harden mine owne heart against it, for the space of 9. yeares after; stil keeping my wont of saying Masses, of hearing auricular confessions, and continu­ing a fierce maintainer of that erroneous Religion. When I first put on the Cowle (which I vndertooke in the order of Saint Hierome, the most renowned in Spaine) I was not full seuenteene yeares of age: in which regard I may be the more excused, if, for want of ripenesse in iudgement, I tooke not a fitter course for my soules health. Yet at that age was I set in good forwardnesse in the Latine and Greeke Languages, in Rhetorique, and Poetry, in Logique, and the whole course of Aristotles Philosophie; and moreouer, I had made also some entrance into the studie of Physicke. Beeing setled in the Monasterie, I diuerted my selfe wholly to Diuinity, and imployed me in the daily rea­ding of the Scriptures. Which that I might the more diligently attend, I was sent to the famouse and rich Colledge of Saint Laurence in the Escuriall, founded by King Philip the second: and in presence of King Philip the third, I sang that Masse, which was my first hansell.

[Page] I nor may, nor can conceale, that all that long time, whilest I was a Mass-monger, I found no ioy, no com­fort, no quiet in my minde, nor peace of conscience, by communicating in the Masse, & by that vnbloody sa­crifice, so called; howsoeuer I had vsed more then or­dinary diligence in fore-examining my selfe, as Saint Paul exhorteth vs, 1 Cor. 11.28 and in premising au­ricular Confessiō, as the Pope willeth vs. When there­fore by woful experience I found daily more & more, that I could not say with the blessed Apostle, our reioy­cing is this, the testimony of our Conscience, 2 Cor. 1.12. And when as I could not finde in the holy Scriptures, any mention or proofe of the Masse, of Transubstanti­ation, of the vnbloody sacrifice, or of Priests appointed to such a function, I set vp my rest concerning the Masse, to let it passe, and meddle no more with it.

The more was I encouraged to deny Transubstanti­ation, and to giue ouer the Massing Trade, not onely by my Masters fore-recited Doctrine, which I care­fully chewed vpon whilest I remained in the Monaste­ry, but also for that I had obserued, that he good man, would neuer be brought to say Masse himselfe, though he were Priested, and had beene by his most worthy friends thereto intreated. To whom he was wont to giue this wary answer, that he was neuer able to beare in minde, or to learne by heart, the many ceremonies of the Masse, whereupon, if he should vndertake that action, he doubted the sacrifice of the Masse, would be marred by the laughter of the by-standers beholding him. In this his slye answere, gestured not without a smile, me thinks I see one thing giuen out in word, and another locked vp within his brest. Without doubt [Page]he in this gaue way to the common weaknesse of those that put him to the question, being vnwilling that they should take any scandall at him. For, as for his priuate Iudgement, his Dictates, before mentioned, shew plainely that he had no small scruple sticking in his minde, which could not easily be pulled out; and that his suspition against Transubstantiation had taken ve­ry deep root in him: and therefore he could not finde in his heart to vndergo the atchieuement of the Masse: inasmuch as he being perswaded against it, or at least doubting of it, could not haue such intention of Mas­sing, as is required in the very act thereof.

Another motiue draue me further from the Romish Church; namely, that the Pope, being a Creature, da­reth to iudge the Law of his Creator, euen that Law, by which himself is to be iudged at the latter day. For insted of the first Commandement of the Decalogue, written by the finger of God, he hath substituted and obtruded another vnto the Spanish Nation.

To speake more plainly, the first Commandement of the tenne, written in Mount Sinai, is this, Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me. This Commandement the Spanyards haue not in their vulgar, the common people heare no newes of it. What then is the first Cōmandement which the people in Spain, are taught to repeat? Forsooth this, Amor a Dios sobre todas las cosas: To loue God aboue all things. I deny not this to be Gods commandement, yea the grand Comman­dement, being the pith and sum of the whole first Ta­ble. But if it be lawfull to put out any particular Com­mandement, and to place this instead thereof, why in like maner doe they not in the Spanish Catechisme blot [Page]out some one of the Commandements in the second Table, and put, in stead of it, Thou shalt loue thy neigh­bour as thy selfe; which is the summe of the second Table? These are, without question they are, two ge­nerall precepts, which in no wise exclude any of the ten particular Commandements. And verily no man can loue God aboue all, and his neighbor as himselfe, vnlesse he most exactly keepe all those ten Comman­dements. Yee are my friends if ye doe whatsoeuer I com­mand you, saith our Sauiour, Ioh. 15.14.

But as for the second Commandement, so ratified by our great and dreadfull God, partly by promises, and partly by threats, styling himselfe a iealous God, and therein forbidding the worshipping, seruing, or falling downe to grauen shapes, or likenesses of any thing in heauen, or in earth, or in the waters beneath the earth, and so condemning all Idolatry, and Icono­latry, that is, Image-worship; this Commandement, I say, is by the son of perdition cancelled, and concea­led, not onely from vs poore Spanyards, but also from the Italian, French, and al other Romanising Churches. Let him that hath beene thus bold to blot out Gods words, take heed lest his own name be blotted out of the Booke of life, according to the threat in the end of Saint Iohns Reuelation.

Think other men as they please, euery one according to the sway of his priuate apprehensions: for my part, if there were no other plague in the Church of Rome, but this, that the Pope hath presumed to change the first Commandement, & to nimme away the second, both of them beeing precepts twise written with the [Page]finger of God, and twise deliuered to Moses with many signes and miracles, I shall neuer hope well of those, that make the Pope their Idoll, vnlesse they shall by Gods grace repent,Acts 5.29. and learne, that it is better to obey God, then men.

Moreouer, another motiue to driue me from Papi­stry was; That, whereas our Lord and Sauiour sayd concerning the Chalice of the Eucharist,Mat. 26.27. Drinke ye all of this, the Pope (with no lesse sacriledge then the for­mer) saith, Ye shall not all drinke of it; but, you Kings and Priests, drinke ye onely of it: As for all the rest, they must be content to take the Communion in one kinde onely. I am often deeply touched with admira­tion, and adore with reuerence & humility, the infinit patience, & incomprehensible long suffering of God; who, in a sort ouercomming himselfe, can with-hold his reuenging hand, from sending down fire from heauen, or making the earth to open, for the punishing such abhominable & Luciferian pride of the Romane Antichrist: When as he hath of old stricken King Vz­zah with sodaine death, for only daring with his hand to touch and set vpright the Arke of the Couenant, when it tottered by reason of the vnruly motion of the Oxen that bare it: which Arke was a figure of this holy Sacrament.

Lastly, I cannot but acknowledge, that I was wont to be inflamed with no small indignation, as often as I thought vpon this Ring-leader of Hypocrites, who stiling himselfe The seruant of the seruants of God, doth notwithstanding beleeue, and teach. That the power and authority of Kings ouer their Subiects, is only of [Page]humane and positiue right: but, as for him selfe, h vp­on the words of our Sauiour, All power in heauen and in earth is giuen to me, (as if this had beene spoken of the Bishop of Rome) challengeth by diuine right, a po­wer of deposing Kings excommunicated by him; of dispensing with their Subiects in their Oath of Alle­geance; of appointing those Kings to bee slaine by whom he shall thinke good: so that all this while, this Destroyer will haue neither himselfe, nor any other, that commit such horrible and dismall parricides, to be accounted murtherers; but rather iudgeth, that the massacring of all the Kings of the earth is not so great a mischiefe, as that for the preuenting thereof, there should be suffred a disclosure of any one thing related in auricular confession; which so rigorous institution of Confession, is an inuention of his owne. Verily of­ten musing of these things.

Vpon these and other like motiues, I decreed & re­solued to depart out of Babylon, as soon as euer I could get any cleanly opportunity. Yet was there remaining one euill spirit vnconquered by me, which bare a ve­ry strong hand ouer me; and that was doating adora­tion of the Virgin Mary, a disease which had long bin my bosome-darling, and being bredde in my bones, would very hardly come out of my flesh. So deepe a deuoto of our Lady was I, so duly and daily did I pray vnto her, so reuerently was I woont to adore and a­dorne [Page]her Images (whereof I had no lesse then sixe or seuen to furnish my Chamber,) offering vnto them sometime Flowers, otherwhile the choisest fruites I could get; and withall, very frequently vsing those words in the Romane Breuiary, fraught with blasphe­mies: Haile Queene, the Mother of mercy, All haile our life, our ioy, our hope. And, O thou our Aduocate, turne vnto vs those thine eyes full of pitty. And those, Free vs from all danger thou blessed euer-virgin, thou happy gate of heauen, thou Queene of heauen, thou Mistresse of the whole world.

I was so deeply dyed heerewith, that I had much a­doe to quit my selfe of this habite, which I had gotten by so many and so feruent actions of this kinde: ney­ther should I euer haue shaken it off, vnlesse I had with many teares & prayers, for long time craued assistance at Gods hands: who being thus called vpon, did in his mercy heare me, and set me free from this spirit of er­ror, in this manner. The ouer-sight and care of the Library of our Monastery, beeing committed to my charge, so that no man could, but by my leaue, bor­row, or carry any booke out of the Librarie into his Camber. I was wont euery Saterday, to view ouer all the books, & to set euery of them in his order. Which when I did according to my custome, I found one time vnder a deske, amongst some cast bookes, a cer­taine Spanish booke bearing this Title.

[Page] At the first sight, I thought this book to haue beene made by a Papist, but assoone as I had read ouer the Epistle to the Reader, I was taken with more ioy then I was able to expresse. I iudged that I had found no small treasure, I kept it as a most precious pearle, I shewed it to no man, I read it all ouer. Among other things, I found there a certain history taken out of Tri­themius, in manner following.

In the yeere of our Lord, 1470. one Allen of the Frocke a Dominicall Friar, deuised and composed the Rosary of our Lady, which, neglecting the Gospel of our Lord and Sauiour, hee preached abroad; and so this Booke was published, wherein are related many my­racles of the Virgin Mary, wrought by vertue of this Rosary. A little after the beginning, the Authour tel­leth a Tale, that, Once vpon a time, the blessed Virgin Mary came into the Chamber or cell of this Friar Allen; and hauing made a ring of a locke of her owne haire, she, by deliuery of it, betroathed her selfe vnto him, kissed him, and offered to him her paps to be handled, and suck­ed by him, and finally conuersed with this sweete Fryar Allen as familiarly as the spouse is wont to doe with her mate.

Who hath the patience to read, or heare this? Out vpon such ribald blasphemies, and blasphemous ribal­dries! Verily I blush for shame, whilst I write out these things. But I yeelde from my heart all praise to Al­mighty GOD, for that presently vpon reading this homely Tale, the former deuotion which I bare to the Virgin Mary grew key-cold. The truth is, I presently beheld a certaine new light shining out of the Gospel [Page]of our Sauiour, whence I was fully instructed, that we haue onely one Aduocate with God the Father, namely, Iesus Christ: 1 Ioh. 2.1. but as for an Aduocatresse, we finde there no newes of any such. Euer since this, my life seemed irkesome vnto me, because I had no fit opportunity to make an escape, and to repaire to some place, where I might freely publish that Religion, which I had enter­tained into my heart. I was then surprized with a vio­lent disease of that sort which we Physitians, call acute per decidentiam. In the height, & consistence of which sicknesse, I vowed vnto God, that (if I recouered) I would forthwith adioyne my selfe vnto the true Chri­stians, which worship God in spirit and truth. Ioh. 4.23. As soone as I made this vow, I began to recouer, and for the soo­ner regaining of my health, I did get leaue to goe to the place where I was borne, and to remaine there for two months. Thither I went, there I remained, and re­couered my perfect health. This my appointed time being expired, my Father, brethren, and kinsfolk thin­king that I had returned to our Monastery, I conueied my selfe to a Port in the Mediterranean Sea, called Caulibre: there I tooke ship, & thence went too Rome, with intent to see whither Christian Religion do flou­rish more in that City, which is called the Head of the world, then in Spaine; as also that I might beholde the worlds wonders, which are at Rome, which if I had not seene, verily I shold haue euer longed to behold them. What shall I say? Scarse found I in Rome any thing, that did not giue me offence and scandall. What is there at Rome, that filleth all mens eyes and eares, but the Popes diuine power, the Popes Holinesse, the Popes [Page]Indulgency, Pardons and Iubilees? Nothing at Rome is trumpeted out with more ful mouth, then the most Holy Father, the Head of the Church, God vpon earth. But as for the seauen headed Beast, that is, (by the Angels interpretation) seuen-hilled City; and as for that Woman, Reuel. 17.9. with whom the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication, that is (by the same interpretation) that great City, Reuel. 17.28. which hath dominion ouer the Kings of the earth; of these and such like Pro­phesies, bent directly enough against the grand-children of Romalus, there is no newes now to be heard among the Romanes.

Walking there, & viewing the Churches, Lord, what ougly superstition doe I behold? As one waue crowdeth another, so doe their new Saints shoulder out the olde. A fresh yesterdaies Saint there is, that hath already gotten three new Chur­ches at Rome, new built and founded vnto him, and their wals from top to the floare garnished with pi­ctures and tablets, dedicated to him. Of this vpstart I would not speake, if the Romanes would at any time leaue speaking of him, and cease with so lowd throats to call vpon him; if all places did not ring a­gaine with his name: nay if this Saintling did not beat and banish out of the Churches not onely God and Christ (which perhaps seemeth a small matter to the Romanists) but also the Virgin Mary her selfe. Francis and Anthony, and all the rest of the Saints of the higher forme. Charles the Emperor, who of old was called Charles the Great, because he [Page]vanquished the Saracens, must now come downe, and be called Charles the little, in comparison of this new Charles Borrhomaeus who thus triumpheth, ha­uing put to flight, not his enemies, but his friends and fellow-Saints. And why may not we thus by way of reprehension mocke at the common moc­kery of the world? but now it is time for me to a­waken out of this extasie.

I remained in Rome about a Month, all which while still me thought I heard the voyce of Christ saying vnto me, Come forth, come forth out of Baby­lon. I come out on Gods name, and passe ouer to Mompelier, where God shewed me his aboundant mer­cie in the middest of his Church, and strengthened my heart with the grace of his holy spirit: So that eight yeares sithence I there put off my Monkish cowle, and abiuring the grosse errors of the Romish Church, I did publikly embrace the vndefiled faith of the true and Reformed Religion, not without the expresse ioy of (in a manner) all that City. And because I could not then speake the French tongue, I did by the aduice of all the Pastors there ap­ply my selfe not to the holy ministery (which my losse I yet with many sighes deplore) but vnto my olde intermitted study of Physicke. But behold, while I was thus sayling in the depths of Hyppocra­tes and Galen, a violent tempest ouertaketh me, and that was this.

My Father, a man spent with age, (being foure­score yeeres olde) and taking it very heauily that I [Page]had fled to the enemies of faith, and heretiques (so they dreamingly deeme of vs) sent to Monpelier one of my elder Brethren, together with a Cosen Germane of mine, Priest; both who for the space of eight daies did beleager mee, first with faire intrea­ties, and plentifull teares, then with Arguments drawne from Diuinity and Philosophy; thirdly by rewards and offers of worldly goods; lastly, by threats and terrible obiurgations, to beate mee off from my found intent, and holy resolution. I think it not amisse heere to relate their language.

Thou hast (said they) twelue Neeces now mari­ageable, which will neuer get husbands so long as thou remainest an hereticke; for those, who before were willing to marry them, now start backe, say­ing; God forbid that we should take to wife those that are a-kin to an Hereticke: Returne, returne to our religion, if not for conscience, (for we know that you are a lerned man, and haue not rashly; nor without shew of reason left vs,) yet for the honor of our stocke and blood, which thou hast branded with the foule spot of infamy, by forsaking the Ro­mane Church, & embracing a new religion, which with all the Professors thereof, (for they are but a few in number) the King of Spaine is resolued to a­bolish and ruinate. Returne therefore to the holy Mother Church, at least for the loue and reuerence you owe to our aged Father: who, euer sithence the time hee heard that you were become an here­ticke, lieth sicke and bed-ridde, pining away with griefe and sorrow.

[Page] Heereto I answered as became a Christian. But because they would giue mee no patient audience, nor affoord themselues any time to weigh my an­swer, I vsed a very honest slight to bring my bro­ther to the house of Falcarius a very worthy Mini­ster of Gods Word, who for the space of an whole houre did make a cleere demonstration of the false­hood of the Romish religion, and truth of the Re­formed, out of the Tenets of them both.

My brother making obiection of nouelty against the Reformed religion, and want of Calling and of Antiquity in Caluin and Beza, and other such like Pastors; M. Falcarius according to his admirable faculty, made answere: Sir, What Religion call you new? ours? you are farre wide. Our Religion is the most ancient; if the Gospell of our Sauiour, if the Epistles of Paul, and of other the Apostles (in a word) if the new Testament, if the Prophets, and the whole old Testament do teach the true religiō, needs must you confess that our religion is most an­cient; for we beleeue nothing, but that which wee reade in the old and new Testament, & that which is drawen thence by necessary consequence. Call your Religion, I pray you, call it new. For almost euery Pope, when hee commeth new into the Chaire, doth impose vpon you new precepts, and traditions, taken out of his vnwritten word, to bee beleeued and awefully obserued by you, vnder paine of mortall sinne: and what lawes one Pope layeth vpon you to be kept, as soone as hee is gone [Page]his way by disease, or by poyson, another doth cancell.Mat. 26. Paul. 1 Cor. 11. Is not the Communion vnder both kinds very ancient; being instituted by our Sauiour him­selfe? We with the primitiue Church, and with the most ancient Fathers, doe retaine the same, and acknowledge both kindes to be necessary to the essence of this Sacrament. Is not the worship of idols, and images a new thing? and forbidden ve­ry instantly in the second Commandement of the decalogue? We obey this diuine prohibition, but ye obey the Pope, commanding adoration of I­mages against the expresse Word of God. Is not the doctrine of Transubstantiation. a nouelty crept into the Romane Church, not aboue foure hundred yeeres agoe? This we constantly reiect, because it is repugnant to Gods word, implieth a thousand contradictions, and maketh those to be Idolaters, that are at Masse. Those words in the Scripture, This is my body, are to be vnderstood in the same sense and manner with those, That Rocke was Christ, 1 Cor. 10.4. that is to say, a Sacramentall pledge, whereby Christ was represented, and ex­hibited to them. Or as those words of the Patri­arch Ioseph expounding Pharaohs dreame, Gen. 41. v. 26. Those seauen faire kine, are seauen yeeres: Where the word Are, is by the consent of all the Doctors taken for signifie. The same Patriarch ex­pounding the dreame of Pharaohs Butler; Gen. 40.12. Those three branches, are three dayes; that is, doe signifie them, when as the Scripture saith, Ye are the body of [Page]Christ, and members in particular; are we therefore transubstantiated into the very body of Christ? are not these speeches spiritually to bee vnderstoode? hereto may be added, that the Hebrew tongue hath no verbe which signifieth to signifie, and therefore instead thereof, vseth the verbe substantiue, Sum. Therefore our Sauiour speaking vulgarly, could not say, this signifieth my body, but instead there­of said, This is my body. Which of the Fathers that florished the first fiue hundred yeeres after Christ, did euer beleeue that we are iustified by the works of the Law, and not by Faith, as the holie Ghost speaketh by the mouth of Saint Paul; Therefore be­ing iustified by faith, we haue peace with God? Which of the ancient Fathers haue constantly maintained any other Purgatorie, whereby our soules should be purged before they enter into Heauen, but the blood of our Lord and Sauiour, who, as Saint Paul speaketh, By himselfe purged our sinnes? Who, as Saint Iohn speaketh, Loued vs, and washed vs from our sinnes by his owne blood; And Paul againe, If the blood of Bulles and Goates, and the ashes of an Hei­ser, sprinkling the vncleane, sanctifieth to the purify­ing of the flesh; how much more shall the bloude of Christ, who through the eternall Spirit, offered him­selfe without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God? Who euer of the Ancients, for the first fiue hundred, nay sixe hundred yeares did beleeue, or teach, that the Bi­shop of Rome is the head of the vniuersall Church, [Page]hauing power to depriue Kings of their King­domes, to assoile Subiects from their sworne Alle­giance, and to dispense with Vowes lawfully made vnto God, to admit whom he please into the cata­logue of Saints, to impose lawes vpon the vniuer­sal Church; to pardon sinnes as a Iudge, to set free foules out of Purgatorie, to pronounce absolute, and supreame iudgement, without all possibility of appeale, in matters appertaining vnto Faith? so that he may auouch himselfe to bee out of all ha­zard of errour, and heereupon that he might law­fully bee called, by the high style of diuine Maie­stie, the Spouse of the Church, and a god vppon earth?

This, and much more to that purpose was elo­quently vrged, in the hearing of my saide Brother, by Maister Falcarius, cutting downe the tares of errours, by the sharpe sickle of his Arguments, whereby he drew teares from my Brothers eyes. And yet all this notwithstanding, when my Bro­ther did see mee so firmely setled in the Religion which I haue now vndertaken, that hee could no whit preuaile to draw me backe, about foure dayes after, he returned homeward full of sorrow, toge­ther with my Cosen, no lesse loaden with greefe; my selfe the while with dry eyes, and chearefull spirit, beholding them at their departure.

Two yeeres after this, I tooke the degree of Batchelar in Physicke, in the famous Vniuersity of Monpelier: and three yeeres after that, hauing em­ployed [Page]my time in studying and practising Phy­sicke, I was promoted Doctor in that faculty, in the flourishing Vniuersitie of Valence in Daulphinee, not in the ordinary cursory forme, but passing the rigor of examination, as appeareth by my Testi­moniall Letters.

Hauing taken this degree, I practised Physicke, neere vnto Monpelier, and in other parts of France, being rewarded by publique pension, and (where­of I boast not) with good measure of reputation: So that by the blessing of God (to whom onely be the honor) I atchieued many cures of diseases, hard to be iudged of, and almost vncurable.

Whilst I practised Physique, at Saint Giles, neere Nismes, Nismes. Arles. and Arles vpon publique pension, there did betide me that which I am willing to relate for Gods glory. There preached in that Citie a cer­taine Iudaite (I should prophane the most blessed name, if I should stile that sect by the name of Ie­suite) a man eloquent enough, but aboue measure clamorous and spitefull against those of the Refor­med religion: This man (by name Rampala) in his Sermon vpon All Saints day, expounding the an­swere made vpon that question of S. Iohn, Who are those that are clothed in white robes, Reuel. 7.8.9. & 13. and whence came they? These are they which came out of great tribulati­on, and washed their robes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe. Heere Sir Rampala layeth a­bout him in this manner: O my beloued soules, take heede lest ye be seduced; consider, I pray you, [Page]the answer of the Angel, he saith not,It was use the Angel, but one of the Elders. these are they which came out of faith onely, which is the Do­ctrine of the Hugonots (so they call the Reformed Christians in France) but which came out of great Tribulation. Let vs not therefore bee Infidels, like the Hugonots, among whom there is no Sacrament to be found, no repentance, no good workes; which last wordes, this valiant Actor thundred out with shamelesse confidence, and set them forth with the Theatricall Ornament, of clapping his handes one against the other.

After Sermon, three or foure Papists of my ac­quaintance, asked me how I liked this Rampala: wherto I answered, that hee might be an eloquent man, but surely he was vterly ignorant of our con­fession of faith: which is euident, in that he imputed to vs a Doctrine cleane contrary to that which we professe. Forsooth we haue neuer a Sacrament. What a lowde lye is this? we haue both the Sacra­ments which were instituted by our Sauiour, Bap­tisme, & the holy Supper: but as for the other fiue, which the Church of Rome calleth Sacraments vp­on her owne inuention, we deeme them no better then bastards. He said that we haue no repentance: This is very false. We beleeue the Gospell, enioy­ning repentance in those words,Luke 13, 3 Mat. 3.2. Vnlesse ye repent, ye shall perish; and againe, Repent, for the Kingdome of heauen is at hand. Our Ministers do daily inculcate vnto vs these words of the Gospell, Exhorting vn­to [Page]repentance, and requiring the same. He said that we make noaccount of goodworks. This is a meere slander.

We beleeue with Bernard, that good works are the way to the Kingdome of Heauen, but not the cause of our reigning in that Kingdome.Lib. 4. de Iusti. cap. 1. Wee ac­knowledge (& this your Master Bellarmine acknow­ledgeth by vs) that good workes are necessary vnto saluation, not that they are the efficient or merito­rious causes thereof, (for the free mercy of God, for the merits of Christs passion by faith in him, doth procure, and bring forth that saluation in vs;) but because they doe testifie the same, and are liue­ly euidences thereof. Nay moreouer, we beleeue that iustifying faith cannot by any meanes subsist without good workes, which if they be wanting in any man, we (with Saint Iames the Apostle) call his faith a dead faith.Iam. 2.20.27.

Rampala, when it was told him what I had said, became my enemy, & hated me. The Gouernor of that City, being an honest an learned Gentleman, (and though himselfe following the Popish parts, neither a persecuter, nor a contemner of those of the Reformed Religion) intreated me to come to his garden, and to bring with me some one of my own Religion, that there I might confesse with Rampala, either by opposing, or answering; I answered the said Gouernour, that I tooke kindely his offer, and would be ready to encounter Rampala there. Ac­cordingly [Page]I came, accompanyed with one whom I chose of the Reformed Religion, by name Master Marcot an Apothecary (a learned, honest and zea­lous man:) there we expected Rampala diuers times to meet vs in that field, but no Rampala appeared. It seemeth his stomacke serued him not to enter the lists, or to shew his face, in the presence of a Refor­med Spaniard. But what did his Worship? he im­ployed a certaine Popish Swash-buckler, who be­fore in the same City of Saint Giles, had slaine a man in the street. Him hee suborned to doe me some notable affront: and accordingly this knaue taking a very sleight occasion, gaue me a blow on the care in the open street. These are the conclu­ding arguments of the Iudaits; this their open­handed rhetorique: this their close fist of Logique. Nor must we thinke this strange in those who set forth cut throats for their Champions.

What should poore I doe in this case? I did poc­ket vp this wrong as patiently as I could; and when I had spent out my yeare there, I craued leaue to be gone, and that by the good aduice of a certaine friend, who wished me to quit that place, affirming vpon his knowledge that the Papists there did lay wait for me. Being to depart, our brethren of the Reformed Church there held me, and earnestly intreated mee to stay; but on the other side some tenne or fifteene Papists triumphed at my de­parture, as though it had beene a signe of their con­quest [Page]ouer me. So departed I according to our Sa­uiours precept,Mat. 10.23. If they persecute you in one Citie, flye into another, and was entertained in other Towns, where I receiued conuenient stipend, namely, in Bouuer, Bouuer. Kaylaz. and Kaylaz, neere vnto Nismes, whose inha­bitants were all protestants.

Whilest I remained here, I read ouer againe and againe, a certaine French Treatise written by M. Peter Moulin, called, The Buckler of Faith. In it, I found many things which did cleare vnto mee the Doctrine of saluation: vpon which passages I did dayly meditate, and oftentimes saide to my selfe thus: O yee my brethren Spanyards, whom God hath indued with such depth of wit; O would our Masters, the Inquisitors would suffer you to take this Buckler into your hands, to arme your selues with this shield against all the poisonous darts of the malignant enemy. O would to God I might with losse of my life, buy the happinesse to see you obey our Lord and Sauiour,Iohn 5.39. bidding vs search the Scriptures, rather then yeeld vnto the yoke of An­tichrist, the Lord of Lords, who commandeth you the contrary; and taking the Scriptures from you, giueth you, instead thereof, stocks and stones, to be adored and worshipped by you. O would to God that there might shine in your eyes, some glimpse of that light, which guideth vs wretched men out of the kingdome of darkenesse, into the glo­rious kingdome of the Sonne of God. Colos. 1.13. O that the same [Page]good God, who is light, and in whom there is no dark­nesse, 1 Iohn 1, 5. would say vnto you, that which he said in the beginning, and still saith to his elect,Gen. 1, 3. Let there bee Light. Then surely you should not any longer bee darknesse, but Light in the Lord: Ephos. 5.8. no longer wande­ring sheepe, falling downe before Idols, but retur­ned to the shepheard, and Byshop of our soules, 1 Pet. 2, 28 euen vnto Christ Iesus, who is ready to betroath them vnto himselfe by true faith, which worketh by cha­rity.Hos. 2, 25.

But there is one that hindreth you from enioy­ing this great benefit namely, he that will bee ac­counted another Christ, and omnipotent; and yet in the meane either stealeth from you, or chaun­geth Gods Commaundements, and will by no means suffer you to read and heare the holy Scrip­tures in your Mother tongue, least you should vn­derstand them, and by the light of them, discouer his tyranny.

Would to God that you that sit in darkenesse, Luk. 1, [...]9. & in the shadow of death, might bee enlightned by the Sun of righteousnesse arising vnto you, Mal 4, 2. that yee might go forth, and grow vp, as Calues of the stall, shaking off the Popes heauy yoak, which himselfe wil not touch so much as with his finger; & yeelding your neckes vnto the sweet yoake of Christ.

I would to God, the Office of Inquisition, or ra­ther Inquination, would suffer you to view engra­uen in this Buckler, a faire and pure Confession of [Page]Faith, most agreeable to the Scriptures. Then should you easily behold the falshood, and defor­mity of your Religion, which you would thereup­on loath no lesse then now you detest our Religion, being induced so to doe by your Preachers, who decipher it vnto you, as foule, false, and contemp­tible, as it is in it selfe faire, true, and amiable. Then should you see as cleare as the noone day, That the Reformed Christians or Protestants (whom ye call Heretiques, because they will not thrust their necks into the Popes tyrannous yoake) doe not, as you dreame, beleeue many things repugnant, not onely against the Word of God; but also against the light of reason. Your clamorous Friers in their sermons, ring in your eares, that we beleeue the blessed Vir­gin Marie, not to haue continued a Virgin after the birth of our Sauiour: That wee haue corrupted or dismembred the Scriptures: That there be no Sa­craments in our Churches; or at least, that we be­leeue, that the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Body and bloud of our Lord, are nothing else, but naked and barren signes: That we damne all good Workes: That we admit no penance. But, as for our persons, your people being misled, and incensed by the barking of your Friers, thinketh that we beare not the shape of men, but are Mon­sters with Dogges faces, or Hogges snowts: That we liue barbarously and wildely, in rude Cottages or Dennes. These and such like guls they put vpon [Page]you, which deserue rather our Laughter in con­tempt, then our labour in refutation.

As for that one point, concerning the raising a dishonourable opinion of the Virgin Marie, let them looke to it, who blush not when they reade that, which before wee haue touched concerning worthy sir Allen, so wooed & courted by the bles­sed Virgin.

Considering and weighing with my selfe, all these particulars, and conferring with certaine lear­ned and discreete Ministers of Gods Word, as also with other well affected Gentlemen, vpon their ad­uice, and intreatie, I was inflamed with a desire, to translate the aforsaid Buckler of faith, into the Spa­nish tongue. And being resolued no longer to re­sist the motion of Gods Spirit (which with sorrow I confesse my selfe to haue resisted for the space of a yeare) I set my hand to this taske; and hauing with foure moneths paines finished it, I dedicated the same vnto the most Excellent Charles, Prince of Wales; being thereunto led by the first Author, by whom, the saide Treatise in the Originall French, was dedicated vnto his Highnesse.

But when as a certaine honest man of Monpeli­er, by whom I had sent Letters into Spaine to my bretheren, vppon his returne thence, had with an Oath affirmed vnto mee, that hee heard my elder Brother speake these words: All we his sixe Brethe­ren desire nothing more ernestly in the world thē his death (speaking of me;) we would willingly giue a re­ward [Page]vnto any man, that would make an end of him. When I saw, that as long as I remained in France, I was in daily danger of my life, I betooke my selfe hither into England, as into the Hauen of safetie: with intent that my selfe, who had beene in Spain a bad Physitian of soules, in France by Gods bles­sing a good one of bodies; might in England becom a good Physitian in special to my selfe of body and soule, by securing them both vnder the Gouerne­ment of the most gracious King Iames, the most powerful defender of the sincere & vnpolluted faith; resoluing to yeeld all obedience vnto such a King, professing the Reformed Religion, and withdraw­ing my selfe from Papists (whose company is wont to breed infection) some-where within his Maie­sties Dominions, either to exercise my function of Ministery, or to practise Physicke, and by one, or both of these to maintaine my selfe in diet & cloa­thing, by my honest labor.

Neither thought I fit to come hither vnarmed; and therfore brought I with me this buckler, which I haue already preseted to that most noble Prince Charles the rising Morning-Starre of Great-Brit­taine: which my small present, his Highnesse, ac­cording to his wonted gentlenesse, did most graci­ously accept. And now haue I learned by experi­ence that to be true which al the world witnesseth, namely, that no eloquence can expresse that pietie towards God, and zeale for Gods house, which is [Page]found in the most mighty King of great Brittain, and the most excellent Prince, the liuely Image of his renowned Father, vpon both whom, Nature see­meth to haue powred out all her endowments and ornaments culled out from all others.

But now I betake my selfe to you, Fathers of this Church; most Reuerend Archbishops; Re­uerend Bishops; Worshipfull, and well-deser­uing Doctors and Pastors; to you I addresse my selfe, who are the salt of the earth, Mat. 5. the light of the World, a City set vpon an hill: to this Synode I flye, as to a City of refuge; not as a Man-slayer, but contrari­wise, my selfe hauing of late very hardly escaped slaughter.

Namely in the moneth of February lately past, being in London, and walking in Pauls, there mee­teth me, as by chance, one vnknowne to me, but certainely a slieknaue; who entering into confe­rence with me about matter of Physicke, intreateth mee that I would take the paines to visit a certaine woman which lay sicke of a sore disease, and forsa­ken of other Physitians, as vncureable. This hee diuers times vrged, soliciting me foure dayes toge­ther, and promising me a large reward. Poore I, in my simple credulity yeelded thereto; he leades me along the streetes for the space of an howre and an halfe: then at length we finde the house, and there­in the sick woman; where, after much questioning & conferring about her disease, I tarried supper vp­on [Page]on the intreaty of him that brought mee thither; who at Supper said Grace in Latine. Presently after eight of the clocke at night we depart thence. Then he, making as though he would (as hee had promi­sed) guide me backe to my chamber, leadeth mee cleane another way beyond the Citie wals, out of the broad streets, through by-lanes and narrow al­lies, into desert places, and into the fields. Some­time he stops his pace and standeth still, sometimes he listneth carefully, and when I aske him the cause thereof; I listen, saith he, to heare if any man come by, of whom I may aske the way to London, which verily I haue lost, and know not where I am. But verily he lyed; for his listning was for nothing else, but that he might haue me sure, to set vpon mee far enough from any to helpe me. I call God to wit­nesse, that, when I thus wandred with him in the darke, my mind did fore-boad some mischance vn­to me; whereupon I lifted mine eyes to heauen, and armed my selfe as well as I could, with repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Iesus Christ. Acts 20.21. Now then about ten of the clocke in the night, hauing gotten me into such a place as he desired, namely in the great fields called S. Iameses, he on a sudden flies vpon me with his naked dagger, and grieuously wounded me neere the left ventricle of the heart; from whence come those two principall vessels of life, the one called the veiny Artery, and the other Aorta: and presently running away, left me there [Page]halfe dead. This wound being giuen me in an ex­treame cold night, and being in depth as much as eight fingers breadth, yet not directly, but oblique­ly pearcing, was dangerous enough, especially when as I knew not where I was, nor whom to call on for helpe, being vtterly ignorant of the English tongue: and surely I had neuer seene the mor­nings light, had not a certaine good Samaritane that very night powred wine and oyle into my wound: that is, vnlesse the renowned Doctor Mayern his Ma­iesties most worthy principall Physition, being as much replenished with mercy and charity, as with knowledge and experience, had reached forth vn­to me his helping hand, and for three weekes space entertained me in his house, had speciall care of my recouery.

Though this wound be healed, yet the scarre thereof remaineth, and euer will so long as I liue; whereof I am so farre from being ashamed (it ha­uing been inflicted vpon me in hatred of the refor­med Religion) that I rather reioyce in it, & say with Saint Paul, Gal. 6. v. 17. I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus. Paphnutius, who was present at the Councell of Nice, hauing one of his eyes boared out, and his ham-strings cut, for his cōstant profession of Chri­stianity, was not thought to be deformed, but ra­ther more beautified by these markes: Afford vn­to me, I pray you reuerend Fathers, vnto me the meanest and basest Professor, yea and Confessor [Page]of the Christian reformed Religion, a place in this your Synod, not by way of locall presence, but by admission into your good opinion, and fatherly loue.

Paphnutius after he had receiued those prints and seales of Christian constancy, ceased not to pro­fesse, and confesse Christ the more feruently: verily I am so farre from being discouraged by this dangerous conflict from walking still in that path of pure Religion, which I haue set into, that this same Dagger is become a goade or spurre vnto me, whereby I am pricked on to runne more couragi­ously, and swiftly in the rest of that race, which I haue vndertaken. Now therefore, God thus put­ting me forward, it the more behooueth mee to whet my pen against the errors of papistry, and to doe my best for maintaining the honour of all re­formed Churches against the calumniations of the Spaniards, who are zealous, but not according to knowledge; and father vpon vs another manner of Confession of faith, cleane contrary to that which we professe.

Wherefore I intreate all you Pastors and Do­ctors of the reformed Churches, by the bowels of Gods mercies, to take especiall care and order, that the true Confession of your sincere Faith may be made knowne to foraigne people, who are misera­bly deceiued in this behalfe; namely, to that end there may be published some small Treatises trans­lated [Page]or written in the vulgar languages of the people of Spaine, Italie, France, and other Nations. I, for my part, and poore faculty, am ready and wil­ling to imploy herein my paines by day and night, euen to my last gaspe. This, this enterprise, I say, doth neerely concerne the glory of God, the sauing of soules, the maintaining of the honour of the most gracious King of great Brittaine, defender of the Faith, as also the shielding of your own reputa­tions from the slanders of the Papists. Whose reui­lings and forged calumniations against you, by no other meanes can be refuted, then by that course, which here is wished, and offered by