OF ROMANIZING RECUSANTS, AND DISSEMBLING CATHOLICS. A COUNTERMAND of a counterfeit Embassage. OR, AN ANSWER TO the posthume Pamphlet of Ralph Buckland sometime a Popish Priest, secretly printed and published after his death about a year a go.  
I have not sent these Prophets saith the Lord, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they Prophesied.  jeremy. 23.21. 
AT LONDON. Printed by Thomas Purfoot. An. Dom. 1611.   

These things are performed in this Treatise.  

1 THe scope or drift of the Priest's Pamphlet is justified. (viz.) That dissembling Papists in England ought to unmask themselves.  
2 The Popish Doctrine inserted, is controwled by the Positive Doctrine of Truth.  
3 The profane blasphemies and unjust Criminations against the true professors called Protestants, are justly retorted upon the Popish Synagogue.  
4 Unsettled Consciences among the Papists, are exhorted to continue their obedience to the proceed of the English Protestant Church, that by god's grace in the end they may be settled in the Truth.    

TO THE MOST REVErend Father in God, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace, Primate and Metropolitan of all England; and of his majesties most Honourable privy Council; my very good Lord.  
Most Reverend Father:  
THE DEDIcation of every work framed against the Common Adversary of our Church and State, seemeth unto me of right, next under his Majesty, to belong unto your Grace, in regard both of your Place, and Person. Your Place being as that of Zadock, or Nathan, to King David: your Person worthy of all Honour. Whom God and the King have so greatly honoured with such high and eminent graces and endowments; as which, truly, none, save heretical and Profane Spirits of envy and malignity, can distaste; but which the syncerely-christian ought to prosecute with all Honourable approbation and loyalty. The consideration whereof, respectively joined with some other congruent motives, hath emboldened me, at this time, submisly to entreat your Grace's Patronage of this my first Onset, in this Kind, which I have given to the jesuitical Opposite. Wherefore in all humility presuming to commend the same to your Grace's protection, I pray God almighty to assist and bless your Grace, in all your weighty affairs, with his most holy Spirit, and happy success for ever.  
Your Graces in all most humble affection, and duty. TH. SANDERSON.   

To the Reader.  
CHristian Reader: In this Treatise, Truth and zeal of God's glory which were aimed at, I trust, will appear. But I should hardly have delivered store of reading, though I had been furnished therewith. For neither doth the quality of the Message controwled, require it: neither is it fitting for him in whose name it is answered, to make show of it. The Person answering is our blessed Saviour himself, whose word is a proof invincible. In whose name a popish Priest hath audaciously praesumed to deliver an Embassage which he never received. The Message itself is full of railing, lies, and blasphemies; but no learning at all. I cannot find that scarcely once he attempteth to prove any of those idolatrous and Popish opinions, which he every where scattereth. As he layeth down false principles of Popish doctrine without proofs: so it may be found in this Countermand, that they are crossed and checked with the Positive Truth, supported with some chief & fundamental arguments thereof. Of this I thought good to advertise thee, because this Answer intendeth only to discover the presumption of a false Ambassador, the impudent calumniations of a notable Railer, and the erroneous doctrines of a Romish Priest: to the end, to control the malapert sauciness of the Ambassador, to retort the injurious criminations of the Railer, to oppose the Truth of God to the Romish profession; that wisdom may be justified of all her children; and they that run well may run so still, until the light of God do shine full in their hearts: and until unremooveable grace be with all them that love the Lord jesus Christ in sincerity.   

The Preface.  
A Short Horse is soon curried; though a ragged Colt is not so suddenly broken. A petty pamphlet may be suddenly answered; though a profane pedantic Haeretick is not so readily put to silence. But it is no matter: Dogs will bark; and evil workers will ever be busy bodies? and the Concision will never be of the true circumcision. Si pro errore homines & damnabili dissensione, & convicta modis omnibus falsitate tanta praesumunt, etc. quantò magis aequum est, & oportet eos qui pacis & unitatis Christianae asserunt veritatem etc. satagere instanter atque impigrè, non solum pro eorum munimine quiiam catholici sunt, verum etiam pro eorum correctione qui nondum sunt? Nam sipertinacia insuperabiles vires habere conatur, quantas debet habere constantia, 
Aug. ad Festum ep. 197.  quae in eo bono quod perseverantèr & infatigabilitèr agit, & Deo placere se novit, & proculdubio non potest hominibus prudentibus displicere? It is therefore expedient, and it shall not be grievous, because it is a work of no great labour, as to answer words with words again; a fool according to his folly, &c: so to teach a young coltish Priest, by this Priest, to range about without an errand; and pretend an Embassage without a message. Whose ragged Rhetoric, & jmpudent boldness is the more jntolerable, because he taketh upon him the person of Christ, having been himself a Priest & limb of Antichrist: & having crept like a Locust out of the bottomless pit; he crowneth himself the king of kings and Lord of Lords as coming down from heaven. Is it any matter to halter the necks and even to break the hearts of such Colts? Who dare to entitle their own beastly and blasphemous neighings with the name of, An Embassage from the son of God, our Lord and saviour jesus Christ? But because this Ambassador is now departed the mortality of this life, as it seemeth to be insinuated in the preface, I leave him to the judgement of the Eternal judge: 
Augustinus.  whose judgements are sometimes manifest, sometimes secret, always just. Nevertheless as one of the Lords Prophets and servants of Christ, in the cause. and quarrel of my Master though the meanest and weakest of Tenthousand I have thought good to take in hand from a true and hearty zeal that I bear unto the Church of Christ, to examine this Embassage. And first he might have given leave to some sturdier steed to have rushed into the battle foremost, whether his meaning were in simple honesty to call back his friends from the Enemy's camp; or in sly subtlety to stir and raise up an open Rebellion: so to muster all the papists in this Kingdom: (Recusants and Schismatics (as himself divideth them) in one Army. I will not determine his meaning, because I know not his Conscience, I leave the purpose of his heart to him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But (as one saith) Quicquid id est, 
Virg. AEneid. 2. Prov. 12.5.  timeo. I fear whatsoever it be. For I am sure: Consilia impiorum sunt fraudulenta. The counsels of the ungodly are deceitful. 
Mat. 7.18.  An evil Tree cannot bring forth good fruit: and a bad man can hardly have a good meaning: (as the Lord said to the Pharisees): 
Mat. 12.34.  How can ye speak good things when ye yourselves are evil? We will not doubt but the jesuited Recusant is in his heart traitourously affected: and waiteth only for an opportunity to be a Rebel. When time and power should have offered themselves we make no question but Captain Buckland, Priest, would have buckled up himself and his harness to the battle; and so will all that are of his mind, to root out the memorial of English Protestants, though it be by faggot and fire, or famine, or Sword, or any other violent & forcible means. But thanks be to God, we hope, that long desired black and bloody day dawneth not yet, howsoever their many bravadoes and cracking threats may make perhaps some people's hearts, of the weaker sort amongst us, to startle now and then within them. A little puff of a quick wind will easily raise a small billow in every River, yet no danger of a storm at all. And therefore not troubling ourselves greatly with this petty captains purpose: though it were, as it may seem it was, in this Embassage, to strike up an Alarm to an open Rebellion of the Popish faction: but trusting in him that keepeth Israel neither slumbering nor sleeping: 
Psal 121.4.  we leave his jmagined device and drift unto himself and his associates, to discloze or Close up in their own bosoms at their own pleasure. Only this we advise his (so named by him) Schismatics: that because they are Papists, they would Correct their opinions, and because no Schismatics in joining with our Church, they would hold on their practice: It may in time by God's grace, and good means, reform their hypocrisy and dissimulation wherewith they are charged, whether justly or unjustly, themselves can tell best, by this Priest. If they have a good meaning and are coming onwards to the true Christian faith, they are in a right course to join with us in our service and Churches. If they stand resolute as yet in their superstitious devotion: Yet God may reveal the better part unto them. If they be obstinate both Heretics and Hypocrites, and corrupt our people with their leaven of Rome, and Creeping into corners seduce the hearts of the simple; either let them hearken unto their own priest; or else, utinam abscindantur qui perturbant nos. 
Galat. 5.12.  Would to God they were cut of that trouble us. And so I come to the Embassage. Wherein not to trouble ourselves at all with his method, being, as I conceive it, nothing else but a bundle of goodly arguments heaped together to persuade Schismatical dissembling papists to become open and obstinate Recusants: (That only conclusion being the drift of his whole message:) Let us follow him foot by foot; and as he numbereth them up in order, and so prawnceth forward in his running vain and Rhetorical trappings: so let us observe the fowl and dangerous bogs of filthy Romish way wherover he trippeth like a wild Irish: and, as it seems, would have our Protestants who may light upon his book, to run and fall, as being unacquainted with such paths and Passages. Wherefore our Chief purpose is only to discover those erroneous and Blasphemous Positions and Paradoxes which here and there he hath tumbled into his Treatise: whereinto whosoever shall follow him of the Protestant flock may plunge themselves as into popish and Impious bogs and gulfs before they be aware. The rest of his Rhetoric tending only to the persuasion of their Hypocritical Crew to unmask themselves and to appear in outward profession that which they are in inward resolution. We let Pass, as it were, as not offensive unto us: wishing, as well as he, that no one of them would dissemble with God and the world, but show themselves in their own colours that we might know by their pronunciation whether they be Gileadits or Ephraimits? 
judg. 22.5.6.  on our parts, or on our enemies. For if we shall find them hereafter to be only Temporizers, Cunning Machiavels', underminers, Vaultworkers, or the like because they are in opinion halting Israelites, halfe-baked Ephraimits, lukewarm Laodiceans, and the like: we shall hold it, I trust, a most just and necessary course to cut them of for notorious Hypocrites against God, & detected Traitors against their King and country. lastly, because this false Ambassador hath been so bold to deliver this Message in the name of Christ; we having greater reason in defence of the very truth, than he had of his Popish cause, to crave the assistance of our blessed Lord and Saviour: do most humbly entreat his heavenly Majesty to Countermand this Embassage as being forged in his name, & to control the follies, falsehoods, and blasphemies thereof, in his own words: Humbly craving pardon of his Highness, & Holiness, being most unworthy to speak from so great & absolute a Monarch, though we shall deliver the message with no semblable wisdom, integrity, and perfection as may beseem so divine a Majesty. Therefore thus we proceed.   

AN EPISTLE TO ALL Schismatics.  
TO you, oh you miserable, who straying from the paths of peace, run as confidently forwards in dark and slippery ways, as if ye traced the steps of truth and righteousness, neither wandered one jot from the high way to salvation.  

AN ANSWER TO the Epistle;  
OR rather to the Title: if it be so much. 
Vax faucibus haeret. Manum de tabula?  For me thinks his tongue cleaveth to the roof of his mouth. Hath he taken so soon and suddenly his hand from the work? what is the matter? doth grief throttle him, & his spirit burn within him? either doth his memory forsake him? or his heart smite him? Cannot Balaam utter his parable, because God will not give him leave to curse his people? what motion? what passion is this? what Lethargy? what Apoplexy possessed the brain of this Priest, that beginning a sentence, he was not able to bring it forth. Belike the Devil ought him a fowl shame, to trip him down on the threshold: & cut off both his head and his hands here; for both his wit and his fingers failed him in this entrance. Or was it not the Angel of the Lord of hosts that stood in Balaams' way to forbid him? nay, to rebuke and control his conscience in this wicked course and Treatise; and yet to suffer him to go on forward withal. Christian Reader, mark I pray you, if this be not very memorable, that this false Ambassador is made to speak, and not to speak: to begin, and not to make an end, like a cravin Cock that gins to crow, and stops upon a sudden.  
To you, oh you miserable, etc. What doth he say to them? Nay: that is abrupted, either by the failing of his memory, or by the feeling of his conscience: or by both. As he that came upon the Stage, when he had said (utinam ne in nemore) was able to go no farther: so this praunsing Priest directing an Epistle to all Schismatics, meaning, his Catholic minded that come to our Churches, beginning at first more like a frantic & furious Herald, than a sober & prudent Ambassador to rail at them, is choked as it whereof himself, as chase and choleric spirits use to be in their overhasty fumes, not able to deliver one perfect Period. But A Domino factum est istud, this was the Lords doing, that he became so speechless upon a sudden. 
●ob. 38.11.  He that said to the Sea, hitherto shalt thou come, and here shall it stay thy proud waves; gave a notable forewarning to this blasphemer, hitherto to range, & here to break off his proud words: if he had had the grace to take it. But as it is our jubred corruption to like best, and be most eager of the forbidden fruit: and as the Poet spoke of a stomachful jade, 
The more he was held in with Bridle and bit, 
Vidi ego nuper equum contra sua froena tenacem, o'er reluctanti fulminis tre modo. Ovid.   
The more headstrong & furious he strove against it.   
And as a strong Current the more it is stopped, the more it rageth till it run over the banks, like the swelling of jordan: so it is apparent that this naughty nature would not be warned, this unbridled Pegasus would not be tamed, this running Rhetorician would not be restrained; but his voluble tongue must needs cast out the wild fire of blasphemies against CHRIST and his truth: of slanders against the Gospel, and Professors thereof: and of revile against his own Catholic minded, as in the sequel we shall perceive.    

THE COUNTERMAND of the counterfeit EMBASSAGE.  

The false Ambassador.  
HEarken ye erring souls who will not enter the Ark ordained for the safety of my elect: 
The dangerous estate of schismatics.  yet hope, etc.  
Come forth before me and justify yourselves if ye can, etc.  
To all both Angels and Men, I appeal to Catholics and Heretics, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
HEARKEN YE FALSE Ambassadors and messengers of the Roman harlot. Ye run, but I send you not: ye speak, but I have not spoken unto you: your dissembling Catholics I do not justify, either in their opinions, or in their dissimulations. Their opinions are heretical, their dissimulation is damnable: yet their suiting and sorting with my Protestants in England is both justifiable in itself, and acceptable unto me. Their estate therefore is not herein dangerous: never trouble them with such account. But yours, who are Recusants, is. For in your own words to answer you. Ye are the erring souls who will not enter the Ark: nor refuse to leave Sodom: who forsake not the Tabernacles of Korah: who neglect to fly from Babylon: ye are the lost sheep who have worn out My mark, and enter an other fold: ye run with the thief, and partake with iniquity: ye broken branches ignorant of your own decay: ye rend my unseamed coat: ye tear my body: ye break the unity of my Church without scruple of Schism. Can you possibly have devised fit words wherein to describe your own Heretical and Schismatical qualities? Therefore stand up and plead for yourselves if you be able before me your judge, and Creator of all: your wickedness shall testify unto your own faces, and let all my Creatures testify against you for notorious Impostors; Men and Angels; Protestants and Romanists; Christians and Infidels; and your own Consciences, if ye have any.    

The false Ambassador.  
I Have tried you and found you faithless, etc. 
Schismatics no true servants of God.   
I have provided for you a plentiful harvest of glorious and eternal merits, I proffer the purchase of the kingdom of Heaven, but I perceive, etc. Oh seed of Samaria, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
YOu I have tried and found, indeed, a faithless and disloyal generation: ye have set at nought my wisdom and bounty, and contemned the treasures of my kingdom. Oh ye seed of Samaria, your idolatrous blindness and frowardness, as that of untamed Ephraim, I detest, abhor, and cannot digest. The purchase of the kingdom of Heaven by my glorious and aeternal merits, how so ever I seem to proffer unto all, yet I have provided for none but my true believers. As for them, who only for the fear of a Temporal loss, will not make public and open profession of the truth, how can I choose but hate their so dastardly dissimulation? Yet I am no Counsellor, as thou wouldst make me here, Oh thou false tongue, to any unresolved or unsettled souls, to turn Traitors to their King and Country, to the hazard of th●ir lives and goods.    

The false Ambassador.  

Ungratitude of Schismatics and their injurious dealing towards God.  IF any man withhold your right, an action is ready, he is served with process and exclaimed against for unconscionable dealing, etc.  
But where is your own duty? the honour of your Maker, the love of your Redeemer, the awe of your God? where are the fruits which my care have deserved? Long have I travailed in manuring your barren souls: I have sent my labourers, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
Turn your eyes and look upon yourselves ye Runagates, and ye shall see that ye are the men of unthankfulness here described. I will and do challenge you in your own words, that you withhold your own souls from me my right and interest by Purchase of redemption: that you are stubborn servants and disobedient Children: that I have sent my labourers unto you: who have travailed much with him: that I have by many occasions solicited you: 
Recusant Papists many ways solicited to ●ome to the truth of the Gospel prof●●●ted in England.  as by the great prosperity and long peace of this Land, by miraculous defence of the late Queen, and the present King thereof, and strange deliverances of all the states therein, both from foreign invasions, and domestical treasons, secret, and open practices: by increasing both the multitude and learning of my true Pastors according to my mind, as I promised of old unto my Church, 
jerem. 3.15  and many other unspeakable blessings beside: yet have you like barren souls brought forth no sweet and kindly fruits of truth and Godliness, but unprofitable and bitter weeds of Popery and Impiety. Stiff and intractable as ye are; wicked and perverse people: why do ye wrong my patience? and daily vex me to draw my people from me? yea those among yourselves that are coming towards me? why do ye yourselves thus forsake me, and deny me? despize and disobey me? oppugn and assault me?    

The false Ambassador.  

Schismatics deny, despise, and impugn God.  YE forsake me and deny me, and say with a bold countenance wherein have we forsaken and denied thee? Have ye not renounced my service? cast off my livery? departed from my family? Have not I ordained Sacraments for your special comfort? A Sacrifice, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
HEre you lay upon your friends a threefold accusation in my name: but I have not accused them of Denial, Contempt, and Resistance of God in yielding to the Profession of a Protestant. Your service is not my service, your Coat my livery, your Synagogue my family, your pitched field my Camp and Colours; or the Protestants pavilions mine adversaries Tents: ye are my Adversaries, and your Tents are the tents of ungodliness, your Camp and Colours are opposite unto mine. To enter your family, to wear your livery, to do service in your assemblies is to forsake and deny mine. But they do well that do the contrary. Again, I have Commanded all my professors to love me above all, to confess my Name, my faith, and Church, and to strive for the truth even unto blood. But your Religion is not the Truth, your Faith, and Church, are none of mine: so that they cannot despise and disobaye me that depart from you. For your 5. 
5. Sacraments thrust in by papists, which Christ never ordained, see Sect. 13.  Sacraments added unto my Baptism and holy Supper I never ordained as necessary to Salvation, or significant symbols of my death & Passion. Your infernal Sacrifice of the Mass, 
Herald 10.10. etc.  as not only an jdle and odious repetition of my precious death: But a most jmpious and blasphemous derogation from the All-sufficient and eternal merit thereof, I hate and abhor as an Antichristian Idol. They have done well that have withdrawn themselves from it, and entered into the Congregations of my faithful Protestants; despizing and refraining your tedious Multiplicity of Ceremonies, & altogether ridiculously both Superstitious and Profane observances: for herein they have honoured and obeyed me. lastly then; let other Romanized English be discomforted: let their courage fail: and the number decrease on your part: let the false-Catholicke cause be weakened: and the enemy thereof be fortified: they do well who are a means of this; and please me best of all that come from among you: so far it is that they oppugn and assault me.    

The false Ambassador.  

schismatics wilfully deceive themselves.  YOu flatter yourselves, notwithstanding all these injuries soothing your consciences, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
NAy: never persuade them unto that. For having builded upon a false foundation, how can you choose but infer a false and presumptuous conclusion? Your foundation was; that they are 
* Sect. 1.  erring Souls, departing from my Church: joining with Heretics: 
* Sect. 4.  denying, despizing, and oppugning me: which they will never grant you: which I will never yield you: yet thereof you would have them to be persuaded. And to that end forsooth would rouse up their Consciences, and sound the bottom of their hearts to search and see their dissimulation. That they are Romanists in heart and dissemble their faith; I cannot approve it: that they unite themselves unto the Protestants; I will not blame it: that they do so only in a colour to save their Lands and goods; I do not justify it: that they therefore must be concluded for deniers, despisers, & oppugners of me, 
The Popish Priest taketh upon him to judge his brethren, contrary to the commandment of Christ. Mat 7.1.  and my faith of truth, in conversing with the Protestants, and coming to their Service, and Churches; how should I jnferr it? yet you take upon you to prove it.    

The false Ambassador.  
Do ye not as Peter deny yourselves to be of my Company, etc. 
By Peter's denial is proved that Schismatics deny Christ.   
Not contented with eschewing the exercise of the Catholic faith, and participation with the faithful in profession of conscience, ye make no Scruple to frequent the rites of a false belief, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
NO sir: they do not. 
Doubtful Catholics may come to Protestant Churches to 〈◊〉 themselves, Recusant Papists persevere in erroneous Contumacy.  For ye Recusant Papists are none of my company, my followers, my inheritance, my ●ooke, the household of faith, my Children, and the like: (as you style yourselves.) To deny your company, your Religion, and false Catholic Church; is not to renounce me their God, Redeemer, and Saviour; and to deny my holy Name, and Majesty. Therefore let this whole comparison betwixt Peter's denial of me, and theirs (as ye suppose;) go for nought and canceled. Only I would have you remember; 
The Pope is only the presumed successor of Peter.  that your holy Father, the presumed Successor of this Apostle, and all his followers have learned well his Apostasy; but cannot find the way to return, repent, go out with him, & weep bitterly. My blessed 
* Mat. 16.17.  Apostle, had he not slipped from me in the high Priests Hall, 
* Mat. 26.58.  his continuance in the profession of my name had been true Christian constancy. But your perseverance in your erroneous, heretical, and jdolatrous course, can be no less than profane contumacy, and wicked desperation. Happy then are they who eschew the exercise of your Catholic faith, and participation in profession of Conscience with such misbelievers as ye are: Happy who frequent the Rites of my true friends the Protestants, and partake with them in the sacred profession of their Religion. Be it known unto you, 
Protestants only are true Catholics.  and to all men, They only are accepted of me for true Catholics, and remain firmly united to the Church my Spouse: and all the rest whatsoever they profess commit the Acts of heresy; Nay, are absolutely either misbelievers, or unbelievers: Heretics of Christendom, or Panim Infidels.    

The false Ambassador.  
DAre ye then say that Catholic Recusants are not my proper flock? etc. 
Schismatics are not of the Catholic Church.   

The Lord Christ.  
NAy: dare ye say they are? I say, they are the heard of Antichrist, 
Recusant Papists Foxes & Wolves.  the wily 
* Canti 2.15.  Foxes, & the wild Boars that destroy my vine: yea, the 
* Matt 7.15.  ravening Wolves that prey upon the souls of men. If your conceived Schismatics be not of their band, nor members, of their Church and brotherhood, it is the better for them. For no company is, or can be mine, which embraceth their erroneous and false Catholic Faith; which pursueth their traitorous, murderous, and unnatural course of life.    

The false Ambassador.  

The assured ground whereupon Recusants stand.  REcusants to stand upon an assured ground none can justly deny, or with reason call their salvation in question, who cleave steadfastly to their forefathers Faith, etc.  
First christened Ancestors, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
NO can indeed? Ah ye spirits of presumption: stand they upon the assured ground of my Apostles doctrine in my word? 
Popish foundations, traditions, and show of Antiquity.  No: they are weakly builded upon the sand of human traditions. Therefore I, even I, do call their salvation in question. They cleave not steadfastly, but stubbornly, to the superstitious Novelties of their late forefathers faith, who have departed from the rule of my Religion, whereinto their first christened Ancestors were converted by mine Apostles and their Coadjutors: And wherein all their godly Predecessors both virtuously lived, and happily died, before the patcheries of your Popery came in. They have a shadow and show of some late precedent generations: but the soundness of Antiquity from the purer times and truly Apostolical, who so ever sifteth their Modern faith shall find they have not, for all their great cracks and brags. 
Tertullian● de prescript. adversus haereses. See jude. Vers. 3.  And so Tertullian the ancient spoke well in that: Dominicum & verum, quod prius traditum: extraneum & falsum, quod posterius immissum. The truth of the Lord was first delivered to the Saints: but foreign falsehood crept in afterwards.    

The false Ambassador.  
THese are they which nourish the sparks of that fire which I came down to kindle on earth, etc. 
Recusants highly to be commended for their zeal.   

The Lord Christ.  
THey are not praise- worthy that praise themselves, 
2. Cor. 10.18.  but they whom I the Lord do praise. Now, I do not allow your proud vaunting of yourselves: I know your works, and your ways, that they are full of wickedness and hypocrisy. Are you the men that nourish the fire which I came down to cause to burn on Earth? 
Luc. 12.49.  No: no: ye know not of what spirit you are. 
Luc. 9.55.  For with the furious fire of a blind zeal which burneth in your breasts, have ye not invented & kindled a subterraneal & sulphureous fire to quench the light of Israel in this Realm? and all the goodly shining lamps thereof, to the everlasting memory of your perpetual all shame? Then, at that time, did you show how you do maintain and uphold that my Law: 
Exod. 20.13.  (Thou shalt do no murder.) How so ever you presume of the rest: when you intended & attempted the most barbarous, 
The Gunpowder treason.  tyrannical, unheardof, and Satanical destruction of King, Queen, Prince, and all the States, the beauty and honour of this Kingdom, in an hour. Oh ye sons of Balaam, and of Balack: ye bastard generation, and ye monsters of Moab! Let my people sing: Faux of Moab is destroyed and brought to silence in a night. Piercie, Catesby, and the rest of Moab are destroyed, 
jer. 48.10.  and brought to silence in an jnstant. And cursed shall he be that doth the work of the Lord negligently, or unfaithfully; and withholdeth his sword from the blood of all the brood of Moab; when her time and judgement shall be come. For, do you glorify my name that glory in such works? being sorry for nothing more, 
Papists sorry that the Gunpowder treason took no better effect. Luk. 5. ●2. joh. 2.25.  then that it hath not taken your wished and prayed for effect? Dissemble it no longer, for I know you hearts. Therefore shall you be dishonoured for ever: and the jndeleble blot of your noted infamy shall never be put out: you shall be known for a spotted and pestilent generation so long as the world endureth. Go to now ye stars in the night: ye green Bays in the winter: ye fresh fountains in the Deserts: No: no: ye know your titles in mine Apostle, 
Jude ve. 12.13  & in the Gospel well enough. Clouds without water, carried about with every wind, & whiff of vain jmaginations: Wells and pits dried in the deserts: barren figtrees, if ye be green in the midst of Summer; when the Winter cometh, corrupt trees, twice dead, and plucked up by the roots: wandering Stars, fallen out of the jnferior heaven: for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. For, to be short; ye walk in darkness and know not whither ye go: flatter not yourselves: your own sectaries do not believe, much less do they confess that ye do well: and your vowed enemies, my true and faithful servants and friends, the English Protestants, long ago have learned of me to repute and range you in the rank of those who stand assuredly in the state of condemnation.    

The false Ambassador.  

Schismatics have no part with Recusants, neither are of the same Church.  WIth these you may wish to consort in conscience. To partake in profession of faith. Ye may in bare terms avouch as much, but shall never with reason be able to make it good, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
IF they have no part with you how happy are they? If they consort in conscience, and partake in profession of a false belief with you, they have no part in me, no part in Heaven; but they most justly and abundantly deserve unto themselves the vengeance of eternal fire. 
●ome out from Recusants ye staggering Papists.  If they will come from among you wholly both in conversation, and in Religion, and follow me faithfully with my true professors, serving me, nor in the oldness of the Letter with a servile fear, 
Rom. 7.6.  but in the newness of the Spirit out of thankfulness in love, from a pure heart, a good conscience, 
1. Tim. 1 5.  and Faith unfeigned; coming out from the Babel of your Superstitions, Atheisines, and Apostasies: let them never care for your defective and infected merits. For the kingdom of Heaven belongeth unto me by a double right, Inheritance, and Purchase: In the one, 
Bernard  I was borne unto it; in the other, I have perfectly deserved it through obedience and sprinkling of my precious and meritorious blood: 
1. Pet. 1.2.  and I will give it them if they can apprehend it by a true and lively faith, 
Rom. 4.4. etc. Ephe. 2.8.9. 2. Cor. 7.1.  without regard of any other merit: provided always if they do their best without hypocrisy, to walk before me in righteousness and true holiness all the days of their life. 
Ephe. 4. ●4. Luk. 1.75.  But ye perverted Runagates, because ye are become perverse Recusants, and the shameless Apostates of my Church of England: return, I advise you, return into my fold: else I must say unto you as I spoke unto the Pharisees of old: how can ye escape the damnation of Hell. 
Mat. 23. ●●.     

The false Ambassador.  

Schismatics are not Catholics.  ANd are you indeed, ask the Recusant, and he rejecteth you; ask the Persecutor, and he embraceth you not; Ask the Saints and Angels, and they abhor you; I never yet took you for servant of mine, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
YOur meaning is: your miscalled Schismatics, are not Roman Catholics. What if that be granted? are they aught the worse? But let me hear the proof. Ask the Recusants; ask the persecutors, you mean the Protestants, ask the Saints and Angels: and you add of me: (I never yet took them for servants of mine). What opinion Recusants carry of them neither do they greatly, neither will I that they should at all, regard. The Protestants finding them in their pavilions, yet not acquainted with their secret purposes, have no reason but in charity to hope the best; that in time they will become good Christians: Yet in wisdom to suspect, that, being as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, neither fish nor flesh, Roman Catholics in opinion, in outward Acts of conversation Statists; they will prove no better in the end then Obnoxious, that I may not say, pernicious, unto the state. What talk you fondly of my Saints and Angels? as though you knew what the spirits and souls of just and perfect men in heaven, and those Celestial and Sempiternal Thrones, 
Ephes. 1 21.  Dominions, Principalities, and Powers do judge. If they abhor them, it is because they are falsehearted Catholics like yourselves, not because they conform themselves unto my Protestants. As for me: I will answer you as I did sometime the Pharisees: 
joh. 8.15.  (ye judge after the flesh: I judge no man: and if I judge, 
16.  this my judgement is true). This I say then: ye reconciled Romanists, ye have cast away my Cognizance, ye are not of my family, ye are my foes, ye are the Church Malignant, ye are little better than Infidels, your flock, your fold is another, and not mine; your pastures, your shepherds are none of mine: and if I return your own words upon yourselves, which you press upon your poor Schismatical souls, I am able to make it good. (Have no confidence in vain lying words, say not in your hearts we be catholics: ye are none: ye are become like black a Moors brats, & like Egyptian elves.) Sentence yourselves ye naughty servants: For I must tell you plain: the Protestants do wear my badge and livery, they are of my family, the true Church and fellowship of the faithful: how dare you call them persecutors, who have been so grievously and tyrannously persecuted by your Church; As that, in those bloody times of Queen Marie, 
See, Foxij Act. & Clanum.  within the space of 4. or 5. years about 400. Martyrs, even for that monstrous Article of Transubstantiation, have felt the fury of your fire, and sword? And I must lay it to your charge. On the other side; they never have done you any harm, but only have castigated by necessary justice, & the same tempered with exceeding great mildness and moderation, the audacious and horrible Treasons and Rebellions of your popish Sectaries: of whom not one, all the days and Reign of the late Queen, or of the present King, for his conscience and Religion only, hath been put to endure any Capital punishment. But contrary: yours have most tenderly & carefully been dealt withal; by writing, by preaching, by other good means and usage recalled, if not reclaimed, as wandering and straying sheep, into my pastures, flock, and fold; and unto my shepherds among the Protestants. Surely they are the Church which I have purchased with my own blood: They are my beautiful and beloved Spouse: 
Apoc. 14.4.  They are the Virgins undefiled with jdolatry: white and glorious are their garments; because they are the Robes of mine own jnnocency: and they are the Israel of God which I have delivered from your Egyptian bondage. Then, those that join in heart with them are true Catholics, though not Roman Catholics. Happy are they that are sincerely coming from among you unto them. And for the rest who only make a show of separation from you for fear of the world, having evil in their jmaginations; when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, I the Lord will judge both them and you, 
2. Cor. 5.10.  at the last day. In the mean time speak no more, I charge you, of the supposed punishments and calamities of the English Church: and the yoke wherunder your obstinate and wilful Catholics are said to groan; neither slander my Church of England any more with cruelty; lest I jncrease my justice upon you, and reward you double according to your deserts.    

The false Ambassador.  

Schismatics shall receive judgement with Heretics.  Out of my sight; whom to behold is my grief, the view of your deformity I cannot abide. As I did to Chore and his company, etc.  
And as in the day of Vengeance I will plague Heretics and Infidels, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
WHat do you railing upon my people in my name? yet the time is not come that I will say to them, or you, or any: 
Mat. 7.23.  (out of my sight:) the day of doom and judgement is the day of: Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity. In the mean time I jnvite in mercy all that will come unto me; while they are lyving here they may repent, and come: 
2. Cor. 7.3.  Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation: he that now refuseth it in this world, shall never find it in the next. Yet a little while, 
jam. 2.13.  and there shallbe judgement merciless to them that despise mercy. But the day and time of this mortality must first be past before I shut up all compassion from them: for I may call offenders, 
Matt. 20.6.  and give them grace to come to me, at whatsoever hour I will. True: 
Abac. 1.13.  I am a God of pure eyes and cannot behold iniquity. In which regard let no man trust to much upon my mercy: and let these take heed how they join presumption to infirmity, and grieve my holy spirit, 
Ephe. 4.30.  whereby I seal up all my chosen unto the day of redemption. And so I counsel you, and all men. Yea, remember you withal especially, that as I did to Chorah and his confederates, 
Num. 16.32.  and all that remained within the compass of their tabernacle; as I have done not only to Samaria and her Idols, 
Ezech. 16.  but to jerusalem and her abominations. 
2. Thes. 2.16.  As I will plague not only the known Heretic and Infidel, but the secret Hypocrite and dissembler also, who for fear or friendship of any man, departeth from me, and mine, with the like scourges of Scorpions as the rest, and the vengeance of eternal fire: so except ye also come out from the Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon of your Adulterous Romish Synagogue; because you love to be partners with her in her unrighteousness; you shall ere long assuredly be partakers with her of her Plagues: for her judgement is not far off. In the mean time, from henceforth I command you, call not the blind any longer out of the right way wherein they are about to walk: challenge not your poor unsettled Catholics any more, thus jdly and ridiculously as ye do, of Apostasy from my holy service, of impugnation of my Faith, of adhering to faction, of yielding to fury, of partaking in iniquity, of exhibiting reverence to an ungodly sect, and performing personal observance to an Adulterous Synagogue, for joining with my friends the Protestants of England: for, as all these your slanderous railings, and odious blasphemies, I utterly abhor: so be ye certified, that these are with me in far better estimation and account: yea, whatsoever ye backebyte and babble to the contrary: I say; they, they the Protestants, are my only faithful servants, and the lot of mine inheritance; and I am the lot of theirs.    

The false Ambassador.  
NO man can serve two Masters, 
Indifferency in Religion in effect Apostasy.  etc. You say you love my Temple, but you enter into Bethel and Galgala, etc. Have access to my Priests, frequent my Sacraments, cleanse yourselves, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
YOur General is true: 
Mat. 6.24.  No man can serve two contrary Masters; No subject two adversary Princes: but your application most unjust & ungodly. For, how can this be just which I will never justify? nay, which I must condemn for the greatest, and most intolerable blasphemy that can be uttered: not only that you compare my servants the Protestants to Idolaters & Devils, and their most holy and Christian services to Idolatrous and Heathenish sacrifices: but myself also their God and Saviour, to the Idols of Bethel, and Gilgal; and the mountain of Samaria; to jeroboams Calves; to Malcham, and Baal: nay, to Beelzebub himself. Oh desperate and hellish blasphemy: what are ye now jnferiour (ye Serpents, ye Vipers, ye wicked Generation; 
Mat. 23.33. ) unto those castaways of mine own Nation, who so reviled me in the days of my flesh while I lived with them? nay, how are ye not superior unto them in wickedness & most damnable presumption? for they spoke of me in the time of my humility, when I appeared unto them only as a man: but ye in this my day of Glory, now I am sitting at the right hand of my Father's Majesty; 
Ephes. 1.21.  far above all principalities and powers, and every name that is named in this world and in the next. Therefore ye are cursed with a curse: and look ye well unto it, that this be not the unpardonable sin, & Blasphemy against the holy Ghost, 
Marc. 3.29. Luc. 12.10. Heb. 6.4. etc.  so that it be unpossible for you to be renewed unto Repentance. As for those your Catholics at whom ye rail under the names of Schismatical Israelites, of Samaritans', of libertine Corinthians, of Laodiceans, of swearers by God and Malcham, and of wicked Ahab; if they love my Temple, (that is none of yours); because they are coming on unto it, and have joined with my servants in profession, then are they no dissemblers: But if they are still enamoured with your Temple, (which ye say is mine but falsely;) by myself (but not by your Embassage, ye shall not speak for me:) I advise them better minds. If they be my servants and my Children; let them love me with all their hearts sincerely; not in words and colour only: but in works & truth also; and serve me, as they do, among the Protestants in the faith of truth. That they cannot do; if they have access to your Priests; frequent your Sacraments; have in reverence your rites and Ceremonies, honour your service; prostrate themselves before your defiled Altar, adore at the hour of your direful sacrifice: All which you call mine, but I disclaim them all; as I do also your Confession and penance. For will you never learn, 
Popish priests none of Christ's ordination.  that your charactered sacrificing Priests never sprung from my divine ordination? neither can be numbered among any of those whom I, 
Ephe. 4.8.  when I ascended up to Heaven and led captivity Captive, gave as gifts to men: some Apostles, some etc. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministery, etc. Two Sacraments I have ordained in my Church to confirm and seal up the faith of my Chosen which they have in me. Baptism and my Holy Supper: as few as may be; & most significant of my death & passion, & price of my redemption. The other 5. (Confirmation, Confession & Penance, Matrimony, Extreme Unction, and holy Ordination) Let the most of them be sacred actions: but as symbolical signs, and seals of this great mystery of my Redemption; that is, properly as Sacraments, I never did appoint them. They are added so of human, 
1. Confirmation.  & of your own jnuention, and jnstitution. Confirmation after Baptism, as it was in use in the Primitive Church, and in the Apostolical times, is good & profitable. 
2. Confession and Penance.  Confession and penance are by you abused as a snare to entangle the reputation, and to slay the souls of my people. For ye enforce the same as a necessary Sacrament; ye call for a particular enumeration of sins, if it be possible; the Act, with all the circumstances thereof: 
Vincent. Bruno tract. de Paenit.  when, where, in what manner, and how often it hath been committed: not only wicked & ungodly, but even foolish, jdle, and unfruitful words: yea the very secret thoughts and intents of the heart must be remembered and laid open to the Priest. And ye appoint a most ridiculous Penance as a satisfaction for sin; 
3. Matrimony Heb. 13.4. Ephe. 5.32.  for which no man can satisfy but myself alone. Marriage is honourable in all: and it signifieth the mystical union betwixt me and my Church: yea, & to be solemnized in the open view of a congregation it is an ancient and most wholesome Custom, 
Gen. 29.21. judic. 14.10. Tertull. lib. de pudicitia penes noc occultae coniunctiones, etc. Conc. Carth. 4.  & Ecclesiastical Constitution; for the avoiding of Plagiaries, of Clandestine adulteries, fornications, jncests, and such like jmpieties. But I never required it to be held for a Sacrament of the Church; it being also lawful and commendable among the very Infidels, who are not within the Church. 
4. Extreme Unction.  Unction of the sick with oil was a Ceremony both 
* Marc. 6.13.  in, and immediately after the days of my habitation here on Earth, which I allowed to mine Apostles & Primitive Elders of the Church, because by the means of that and prayer I was pleased to give unto them a gift of healing for the recovery of the sick & weak. 
jam. 5.14.  But now since the gift hath been withdrawn, with many other of like quality, 
Marc. 16.17.18.  granted for tokens & evidences of believers on me in those days: therefore it shall be but human idleness, vanity, & presumption, to continue the Ceremony without a grace. Much more is it audacious, if not extreme, impiety to devise a new Ceremony, & a new name of Extreme Unction: and thereunto to forge a grace. As for any other smeering or anoyling used in your Synagogue, at Baptism, or other where, I disclaim, 
5. Orders.  and renounce it, as the scum, and filth of your own brains. Ordination of bishops, Priests, and Deacons, as it is in use amongst my English Protestants, is both ancient and Authentic; being, even from the prime and purer Churches, 
Socr. li. 1. c. 11 Sozom. lib 1. cap. 22.  reputed Apostolical: but by you it is Mudded and polluted with a sacrificing Priesthood; to the most shameful, and slanderous derogation, and impeachment of That mine everlasting Offering, 
Popish Ceremonies apish & ridiculous.  and Office after the order of Melchisedech. Your multiplicity, and absurdity of most apish, and toyish Ceremonies: as ducking, crossing, closing, & opening of hands, Host-elevating, loud-bawling, secret Mumbling, and the like: are fit for a Theatre, then for the Church. What reverence can ye require to such jrreverend, childish, and profane Administrations? To be short: your dishonourable service; your detestable Altar; your hypocriricall creeping, and casting down your bodies; your no less odious lifting up jmpure hearts and hands; your idolatrous adoration; your contumacious endeavour of blind zeal; your dreadful, nay direful, & abominable, sacrifice; 
The abomination of the popish Mass.  & therefore abominable because an offering not only of my passion, but of my body; a spiritual, & a Carnal; a bloody, and unbloody Sacrifice; indeed, a Sacrifice, and no Sacrifice: because not only a memory of me the Redeemer of my Chosen is solemnly celebrated, and lively represented; but a propitiation also for the living and the dead is pretended to be offered; directly crossing, and contrary to that one Oblation of myself once offered, not without blood: 
Heb. 10.14.  whereby for ever I have consecrated and perfected them that are sanctified: wherein by the Eternal spirit I offered up myself unto God, 
Heb. 9.12.13.14.  and found eternal redemption for them. All these are not the works of my Children, and servants; and therefore I command you once again, under the penalty of my great and Eternal curse, that ye cease any further to lead the blind out of the way, whom you have perverted too far already, and will not suffer them so much as to enter a deliberation to return unto the flocks of my Shepherds again.    

The false Ambassador.  

Schismatics justly repelled from the Sacraments.  HEre you strain courtesy, here flesh and blood reclaimeth the spirit taking the foil, and the old man triumphing. Some of you discharge themselves of their crimes by my Stewards over rigorous austerity, etc.  
How dare you proffer to approach to my Altar, where so great a Majesty is resident? etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
IS not this an overrigorous austerity and most apparent in you? First, to inhibit them the Churches of the Protestants; and after to exclude them from your own mysteries & Oratories also. You say nay. For first, you would have them to Confess themselves guilty for joining with the Protestants, and to purpose amendment of that fault, to receive your absolution, and to do penance, and so to be purged, and so be proved worthy to come unto your Altar. But I say unto you still, your Altar is not my Altar, my great Majesty is not there resident, but only the petty Majesty of your profane bread, neither is your penance, your pardon, your Confession, my ordination. Therefore they who refuse these things from you are guiltless before me: and (as ye say) in this one thing happy, that they are suspended and rejected of you. And I denounce a woe against you that Call good evil, and evil good; sweet sour, & sour sweet; 
Esay. 5.20.  put light for darkness, and darkness for light.    

The false Ambassador.  
WEll then, 
Schismatics are to be praesumed for Heretics, and why.  among my Catholics since you are not, where shall I find you? where, etc.  
The Caluinist taketh you for Proselytes, etc.  
The poor Catholic scandalised at your impiety, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
WHat? and will you still make me the Patron of your lies? surely, I do not hold them among my true Catholics, no more than I do yourselves: neither yet do I conclude; 
The Lord alloweth not dissembling Catholics.  that cleaving to the Protestants they cleave to sectaries: neither do I pronounce them Protestants: neither do I allow their reproof, either in private talk, or in private opinion, of the Protestant proceed: neither are those proceed departure from the faith: nor yet their Temples houses of Idolatry, as ye blaspheme: So that albeit by their presence with them, in appearance they honour, by obeying they allow, by example they further, by deeds they confirm, by dissembling they establish those proceed: albeit they go to those houses as one of them; they sit there as one of them, they behave themselves reverendly as one of them; yet in all this, or in any of these they cannot be defined either Schismatics or Heretics. In a word, howsoever they are reputed Proselyts of the Caluinist (as you term the true Christian): and howsoever your poor Catholics, poor indeed and void of true Catholic faith, 
Dissembling Catholics no Schismatics.  are scandalised of them; though they may be lost sheep (for the time) and dissemblers, yet are they no Schismatics; being not divided from the true Church; much less at the brinck of bottomless heresy in that respect.    

The false Ambassador.  

Those which go to the Conventicles of heretical rites are justly and properly called s hismaticks.  Abominable is Schism, and horrible is the name of Schismatic, etc.  
When my Church in her first prime, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
Schism is a separation from the faith of truth; and the true Communion of Saints. 
What is Schism.  And therefore all those Christians upon whatsoever intent & purpose of heart, whether for Fear of the Adversity and Crosses, or for love of the prosperity, ease, and sensuality of this present evil world, who do consort themselves (though but for a time) with the jewish, Turkish, or any other Heathenish profession, let them be censured for schismatical Revolters, till they return into the Church again. But hereupon how can you charge your cunning Catholics of schism, for associating in their actions with the Protestants? First you are to prove the one to be Heretics, their Assemblies also, and rites heretical; which you can never do: and then forewarn the other under the penalty of Schismatical reproach to adhaere unto them. Be it that some of them, (for all, I know, who know the hearts, do not) repute and take the Protestants for Heretics; for that is the point you press upon them; and yet like Ambidexters', Machiavels', and Temporizers, only for fear, or for love of the earth and earthly things, against their consciences, will make a show to be on their side: yet I say, never shall their own false opinions, no more than yours, conclude them to be Schismatics in joining with my Church: howsoever they may be convicted of themselves for notorious hypocrites and dissemblers; and so be unexcusable in my sight. For I cannot like it that they, or you, or any should dissemble with me, 
joshua 9.9.  or my people. The Gibeonites in that they sought the friendship of my servant josua and his host, did not offend me; in that they sought it by dissimulation, they did not please me: 
vers. 21.  Therefore for the one, I spared their lives; and for the other, I adjudged them to perpetual servitude. The remnant of those jews who dwell now among the Nations, who are baptised, and profess Christianity, therein are no offenders; but being true, as it is reported of many of them, that they still are judaical in opinion, and that the veil of Moses is laid over their hearts; in that I disclaim and detest them as forlorn misbelievers, and my sworn Enemies. So, let every one of yours, either be as they profess, unfeigned Christians; 
Perfect schismatics. Schisma facere ab unitate Christi, aut in Schismate esse profecto malum est, & magnum malum: nec omninò fieri potest ut Christus det Schismatico non fidem sed sacrilegum errorem, aut in Christo radicem Schismaticus fixerit, aut Schismatico Christus sit origo & caput. Aug. lib. 4. contra Crescon. Gramm.  or profess as they are, falsehearted and false opinionated Catholics: Schismatics they cannot be that profess the truth in the Church; They only are such who being runagates and heretics maintain falsehoods, with personal separation from the Church. Neither yet do I allow them for good and faithful Christians, who would be so reputed, and are not: for they only are such whose opinion and profession agree together in the truth; that is, who profess the truth in sincerity.    

The false Ambassador.  
I Know, 
Protestants cannot be of the Catholic church, neither in their faith can be salvation.  I know what it is that lieth at your heart, etc. Ye are not persuaded forsooth that the Protestants Religion is so abominable, etc. To take yourselves for a particular Church, is unpossible for a headless multitude, who have neither Temple, Altar, Priest, nor Sacrifice, neither distinct members, nor anyband of Union, aswell you may think of going at the latter day neither to Heaven nor to Hell, as to think in this life a Neutrality, etc.  
Will you divide my Church, etc.  
To say that Protestants may by their profession be saved, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
OH ye wretched and wicked Priests of Antichrist; I know well, I know, that my Church, my Spouse, my body mystical, my chaste Turtle, my City, my Kingdom, my Family, 
1 Cor. 11.19. Mat. 18.7.  the pillar of Truth, is but one. For albeit in my visible Church there must be Heresies, 
2. Tim. 2.20. Mat. 13 24. etc. Mat. 3.12.  and Scandals, for the trial of my chosen: for that in my house there are vessels of honour & dishonour: in my field there is Corn & tars: in my garner there is Wheat & Chaff: 
Mat. 13.47. Gen. 7.8.  in my Net there is good and bad Fish: in my Ark there are clean and unclean beasts: 
Phil. 3.2. Rom. 6.17.  and there will be always some of whom it may be said; Beware of Dogs. 
Mat. 7.15. Act. 20.29.  Mark them that make divisions among you, and avoid them. Beware of false Prophets. Grievous Wolves shall enter in among you. Yet as unto my chosen there is but one way, 
joh. 14.1.  One truth, one life: so they are all baptised by one spirit into one body. 
1. Cor. 12.13. Ephesi. 4.4. etc.  For there is one body and one spirit, even as they are called in one hope of their vocation; one Lord, one faith, one Baptizme, one God and father of all, which is above all, and through all, and in them all: One shepherd and one fold. My Dove is alone, 
joh. 10. Cantic. 6.  The company of my chosen is but one Communion of Saints, partly triumphant in Heaven, and partly militant on Earth: But must ye therefore be that one? Do ye take it for granted that I will not yield you? Nothing but begging of the Question? How dare ye say in my name that they are blind and impious who imagine holiness in the Protestants prayers, or salvation to be found in their Faith? For I, even I, pronounce unto you: their prayers are holy; 
A true saving faith.  and their faith is a saving faith; which ascribeth and acknowledgeth the sole and whole work and merit of redemption, and the purchase of Heaven unto me alone. And to say, that by any other profession a man may be saved, is indeed, to make an other God, and Summum bonum, besides me, and to make me none, or evil, or jnsufficient at the least, which in truth ye proud Papists do, 
Papists join their own merits with the Death of Christ in the purchase of salvation.  in vaunting the merits of your own defective and jnfected works, as coadjutors to the purchase of Eternal glory, with the obedience and sprinkling of my precious blood: as though I had not made a full and perfect satisfaction without your aid or help. But thus ye boldly and presumptuously diminish & dishonour me, and my all-sufficiently meritorious Sacrifice; and yet ye malapertly charge my true believers of that fault whereof yourselves are guilty. Shall I not punish you for this thing?    

The false Ambassador.  

The perfect opposition and contrariety of Catholics & Protestant's.  IF on the other side, you join Caluinists with Catholics in one Church, than set together the Wolf with the Lamb, etc.  
For as much as my dreadful Eucharist is irrefragably believed by the one to be my true body, etc. Of other main differences consider, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
THis general opposition betwixt you Papists, and my true professors the Protestants I do allow: provided always that ye are the Wolves, the Lions, the Goshawkes'; and they the Lambs, the Hearts, the Partridges; and that your Religion is the surmised, theirs the sure; yours unpossible, theirs infallible; yours newly reared by man's imaginations, cherished for policy, &c: Theirs founded by myself from the beginning, upon myself the Rock. What other Heretics do, or how they injuriously revile, upbraid as an Idol, tear, spit at, and tread under foot my dreadful Eucharist: What is that to these true Christians, whom opprobriously ye call Hugonots? Sure it is, they for their parts most constantly and devoutly believe my true body, (jmpute no jdle Manichean fantasy unto them) and the personal presence of my Deity in the Eucharist: (I know their faith; 
Popish adoration of bread. ) & me they adore with due veneration; though not the Element that representeth my true body: Neither do they commit such a mystical and spiritual kind of murder and mangling of my body asye do, who profess, 
Papists feed corporally, they say, upon Christ when they feed on him in the Sacrament. See Ferus in john cap. 6. The number of Popish Sacraments.  howsoever in terms ye disclaim it, not only a spiritual, but a corporal feeding thereupon: brutish Cannibals as ye are. As touching the other main differences between them and you in the particulars; Know ye; that I never ordained the number of 7. Sacraments, but only Baptism, and my holy Supper: your use of Images I scorn, and abhor, 
Images.  being directly contrary to the second Commandment of my moral Law: Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image etc. 
Act. & monum. Fox pag 130.  though your Pope Adrian commanded them to be taken for Laymen's Calendars: 
Invocation of Saints.  your Invocation of Saints is a derogation from my glory which I will not give to any other: 
Esay. 42.8.  I never commanded you by any precept; I never invited you by any godly example; I never encouraged you by any promise in my holy word; to any such devotion. Your forgiveness of sins by your Pope's indulgences, 
Indulgences.  and your selling of pardons is paltry trifling and profane merchandising in my holy Temple. 
Heavenly glory.  What heavenly glory do you dream of, that my faithful Protestants believe not much better than ye are able; 
Popish difference of infernal pains.  your difference of infernal pains I am not acquainted withal: I know none but eternal fire prepared for the devil and his adherents; your temporal purgatory flames are but poëticall fables; 
Purgatory a poëtical fable. justification.  your justification of the living by faith and works together, is partly coined in your own forge, and partly raked up out of the Pharisaical pride. 
Prayer for the dead.  Your praying for the dead is bootless, they having now their judgement passed on them: as the day of death hath left them, so the day of final judgement shall find them, either blessed or cursed for ever. No prayers now shall prevail, or hurt them any whit at all. 
Popish faith, hope, & charity.  Moreover your faith is a confused Confidence; nay rather an jmplicite and unknown assent, you know not unto what; full of distrust and diffidence: your hope builded thereupon must needs be hopeless, and void of sound and heavenly comfort: your Charity to me is very slender and lukewarm like theirs once of Laodicea: 
Apoc. 3.15.  for ye love yourselves as well as me; your own merits you join with mine, ungratefully diminishing my meritorious sacrifice and the price of my blood. Oh sinful Nation; supply ye my pure and perfect obedience with your own foul and filthy righteousness? Is this your love to me to pretend the purchase of heaven together with me? thus to be over-enamoured of yourselves? Fie, Fie; I cannot endure a Copartner with me in this great work of Redemption and salvation. Therefore your jmagined free-will to good: your merits of congruence, and of worthiness, where are they? your fastings and prayers, conceited, and practised, not only as means but as meritorious works of eternal life, I hate; and will surely punish as the fumes and foams of the pride of your old Adam. As for sinnc ye know not the power thereof that suppose any one to be venial in itself, being committed against so eternal and jnfinit a Majesty, as I am. And what have you to do with my counsel and decree of predestination? 
Predestination  Will you or can you infringe the infallible Certainty thereof that ye teach men to doubt of my love? why do ye not tell them rather, that though they cannot choose but doubt, by reason of their many, 
1. Cor. 15.58.  and mighty sins, which is human jnfirmitie; yet they ought to be steadfast and unmovable in their faith, being builded on me, 
Mal. 3.6. Pro. 19.21. Heb. 13.5.  who am God; and am not changed; whose Counsel is immutable; who will not fail neither yet forsake them that put their trust in me: yea though they believe not without great weakness, 
2. Tim 2.13.  yet I am God, faithful and true, and cannot deny myself. Finally, what mean you to add unto my canonical scriptures the Apocryphal writings of judith, Tobias, Maccabees, and others: which I never yet allowed to be put into the canon. Nay, to thrust in your own unwritten Traditions and Papal constitutions to make them of equal authority with the same: 
Nesanda secreta.  These your nefarious hidden doctrines I will have canceled and abolished: I cannot abide that ye should go a whoring after your own imaginations. Go and learn what that meaneth: In vain they worship me, 
Mat. 15.9.  reaching for doctrines men's precepts. And that: 
vers. 13.  Every plant which mine heavenly Father hath not planted, shallbe rooted up. Thus have you, in deed, almost in the whole sum of Religion tossed over every stone, reversed the whole frame of faith, and turned all upside down. And therefore take you heed, ye obstinate Recusants, lest your departure and division from my true Church be a more than sufficient warrant of your heavy judgement with Arrius, Nestorius, Eutyches, I add, with Manichees, Marcionits, Pelagians; and other old Heretics, in the bottomless pit. for that you have not in one point, but in many, varied from the christian faith.    

The false Ambassador.  

How abominable the Scriptures, Prayers, and Churches of Heretics are.  CAluinisme then being doctrine so diabolical, etc. Oh how illusion bewitcheth you, etc.  
Their profane bread, etc.  
Their Rites and Ceremonies, etc. As Fasts & Holy days, etc. Yea, their Churches and Temples, etc. Bethel was my house, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
surely, the Scriptures, prayers, and Churches of Heretics are not well pleasing unto me: They are abominable Papisme, therefore being the very doctrine of devils; your popish Scripture as being none of my word, 
Popish Scripture. The Latin vulgar edition authentic among the Papists, very erroneous.  but the word of the devil, so false and adulterated, so poisoned, and full of corruptions, as it is in your latin vulgar edition authorized by your Trent Council, oppugning undermining, and overthwarting my true faith, and Catholic Church I disclaim as a counterfeit copy, and renounce altogether, as no writ of mine. 
Popish prayers.  Your prayers also are no better in mine ears then the howling of Wolves that prey upon the souls of men; the lowing of Oxen, and the roaring of Bulls, screeching of Owls, and Night-ravens, yelling and bellowing Infernal blasphemies against my sacred Majesty, in unknown and unconceived, in loud bawling, in discording from my heart, both tongues and tunes. 
Popish Priests.  Your priests are perfect Chemarims, and Priests of Baal; officers of the very Antichrist; his heralds, and proctor's, his Apostles, and Angels of his Kingdom of darkness. 
Popish Communion.  Go ye and suck the adders Eggs, less poisonable out of doubt then your Communion bread and cup. 
Popish Ceremonies.  Your Ceremonies are not few, but most fantastical; offensive both in their number, and in their nature, apish, and plainly ridiculous jmitations partly of the Heathenish superstitions, and partly of those Rites which my heavenly Father sometimes ordained to his people Israel. Your fasts are fish delicates: wine, 
Popish fasts.  and other dainty fare; far more jncentive of filthy Lust in pampering of the body then any other food: and your abstinence sometimes a feasting, sometimes a most Pharisaical and Hypocritical souring of your faces, and other ostentation of will-worship in neglecting the body: 
Coloss. 2.22.23.  not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh (as mine Apostle paints it out in his Epistle to the Colossians.) Your holy days, so your Churches and your Temples, 
Churches dedicated among the Papists.  are dedicated not only to the holy trinity, and to other true and worthy saints & Martyrs, many of them, 
Dunstan.  but some to vile & jmpious Traitors, and Conjurers, and such like abominable sinners: besides to the exercise of your Idolatrous and superstitious devotious, which I cannot abide. Therefore they are not more holy, no more my houses, no more the places of my sanctuary, which you frequent: nay, all your meetings, synagogues, and assemblies I utterly abhor? what talk ye of Bethel? of Gerizim? of Sichem? of the Christian Churches? For ye go up to Bethaven; and stand upon mount ebal: and commit idolatry in the hill of Samaria. The Turkish Temples are Antichristian, 
The Pope.  and so are yours. Your High Priest of the Roman sea is now deemed fitly of my Christian Churches the very Apostatical judas of the world, 
Apoc. 17.5.  and the Ecclesiastical apocalyptical Beast: so is every one, that receiveth his mark and jmbraceth his doctrine, a Revolter from my faith of truth. Therefore all your prayers and service offered unto me I have in Execration.    

The false Ambassador.  
OH think not it can be to my worship which is so wicked. 
The Protestants public prayer how unlawful and detestable.  Remember that Altar is raised up against Altar etc.  
Against my venerable Altar there is erected a plain communion Table etc.  
And stolen away with them her ornaments and to cover the rags wherewith they are rigged, jet up and down clad in her robes, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
It is so: it must be so (ye Papists:) between your Altar, your Priests, your Sacraments, your service, your faith: and the Altar, the Preachers, the sacraments, the service, the faith of the protestants there is, and ever willbe an opposition: neither possibly can be any unity, concord, or conformity. 
The Papists Altar & Idol.  For your Altar of jmagined Sacrifice propitiatory who hath required at your hands? your abominable host which I never acknowledged to be my blessed Body I know and condemn for a detestable Idol. 
The Protestants Communion.  But their plain Communion Table, is both necessary, and seemly, to set my holy and heavenly bread upon; not a base and unprofitable piece of Bread, as ye blaspheme, but bread honoured, and consecrated by mine own ordinance, for an everlasting memorial of my death and Passion: To the end that all believing souls which feed thereon with a true and lively Faith, might be confirmed and nourished unto Eternal life. Dare ye call this an Idol, (ye wicked jmpes,) of a contemptible supper? ye are also the ministers of darkness, ye stamped Priests of Antichrist, they are mine only true & faithful Ambassadors who faithfully require & entreat my people in my name to be reconciled unto god. For theirs is the Reverend, worthy, sound, undoubted faith of truth: yours (to return your own words because they fit you well, as swords and arrows into your own hearts) a Bastard, Counterfeit, uncertain, and feigned miscreance. But finally what is this your blame in the service of my Saints, and public prayer, of the Protestants? what positive Corruption find you therein that you will have it abominable in my sight? Only you allege: (it is a form of prayer, a shadow of divine service wholly tending to the maintenance of heresy, not only etc. but directly substituted in defiance of me, & my mysteries, and of the faith Catholic, which is put into English to Insinuate that my Church erreth in not using the vulgar) A form of prayer it is indeed, 
The Protestants form of prayer.  and an excellent form; not a shadow, but a substantial form of divine service; wholly tending to the maintenance of the pure faith, and the overthrow of the popish Heresies, 
Rites and Ceremonies.  superstitions, & jdolatries. In regard whereof, Ancient and approved Rites, and whatsoever ceremonies are fitting and significant for edification, it neither disannulleth, nor suppresseth: not stumbling at every straw, to be scandalised with things indifferent, whatsoever other opposites say or write to the contrary: but it retaineth and ordaineth prudently and devoutly, Rites and Ceremonies of such nature and quality as these profane and dissolute times do much require. 
Vestments and ornaments.  As touching the ornaments or vestments used in their Church ye speak unlearnedly and spitefully to say they were stolen from your Church; and the protestants jet up and down in your Robes. They know, the stolen attire of the Strumpet of Babylon will ill become the virgin, the daughter of God. Therefore in defiance, not of me; but of you, and your mysteries, and your now Roman Catholic faith, 
The reformed service of the Protestants hath abolished Mass. Latin Liturgy. Invocation of Saints. Prayer for the dead. Consecration of Bells, Books Candles, etc. Elevation of host. Superstitious crossing, and profane Crosses.  They have well and wisely, and according to my will abolished your abominable Mass and Matins with the Mummeries thereof; your ridiculous liturgy, and service in a strange and unknown tongue, and therefore unedifying; your superstitious Invocation of Saints: your jrreligious prayer for the dead: your foolish and sottish consecration, or conjuration rather of Bells, Books, Candles, and such like trifles and toys; your thrice jmpious and odious elevation of a wafer-god; justly offensive to every good Christian eye: Your ten-times jdolatrous profanation of Crossing, and Crosses; (at the sight whereof (say you) the furies quake; Ah ye fools: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Homer. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  what furies mean you? those fictions of the poets? nay: be they rather the raging furies of your own distempered brains, and tormented Consciences; as they may well enough; ye have it in such an execrable use. 
Images.  And so have the pictures, and Images of saints, in your Temples, and houses, and high ways: for which cause, howsoever they may be to some, historical monuments, and memorial of those worthy personages, and lessons of instruction to the Ignorant, to jmitate their virtues: yet otherwise, 
quod legentibus Scriptura hoc Idiotis praestat P●ctura ●cruētibus. Greg. Rom. Epistolarun. lib. 9 cap. 9  seeing they can stir up nothing but a blind and buzzardly devotion; and those laymen's books (as your Gregory styles then) can be no better than a doctrine of vanity; though they be demolished, broken, and burnt up, As Idols; it is no matter: no more than that the sign of the Cross is utterly abolished and cast away as it is in use, 
Sign of the Cross not Popish hath a tolerable use. It is generally granted even by most learned displinaricis. in immortalian la●ac●o. Tertullian. Origen. Cyprian. See conference at Hampton Court an. 16●4. Pag. 69. Ta●ers. Mat. 5. Psal. 116. Prou. 6. ● Vestments, and vessels.  or abuse rather among you; howsoever they retain it, as they find it hath been used in the prime & purer Churches: yea at the sacred Font. Now also; away with your smoky tapers, & greasy candles, to give you light at noon day; they are not able to enlighten you in your spiritual Darkness. I Command: let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works etc. and to that purpose, let my word be a lantern unto your feet and a light unto yours paths my Commandment is a lantern, and Instruction a light. Let these other lights alone. Your Idle vestments, and gay clothes, your vessels also of your profanation, put of: leave of: and appear no more like heathenish, or jewish priests in my presence. And in a word: seeing this is all (as I perceive) that you can except against the service of the Protestants: namely: because they do not communicate with your popish paltry trash and Traditions, whereafter ye go a whoring as after your own jnuentions; let them alone to pray jncessantly for propagation of their reformed and pure profession (no Sect Iwis:) against the Turk and Pope together; who are both, my professed adversaries: 
2. Thess. 2.4.  the one reigning without, the other raging within my holy Temple. No: your Pope is not Peter's true and lawful Successiour, 
The Pope hath forsaken the doctrine of Christ. His personal succession could never yet be proved.  either by doctrinal, or personal Succession; much less the Rock of Faith. Finally; let their walls and pillars be still more and more witnesses of their jntegritie, and just departure from your, more than superstitious, apparently Idolatrous, abominations. And seeing their ministery is the more sacred unto me, the Less agreement and conformity it hath, and holdeth with your old, our rather new, upstart paltry and patchery; and their service I do and will acknowledge for mine own: let your poor Schismatical souls (as ye term them) join themselves to my holy Sanctuaries. And I would not only they, but all the rest unresolved, that are mine, would speedily make haste, & come out of your spiritual Sodom, Egypt, & Babylon; Leave your dissimulation, or fear, or whatsoveer hindereth; and become, not only in part, but altogether such, as are my faithful Protestants. I say, Trouble them not to call them back that are Entering into the old, and good way; but let my people go, that they may serve me. 
jerim. 6.16. Exod. 7.16.     

The false Ambassador.  
You can say that Priests did in many parishes follow the new course etc. 
Schismatics vainly build upon pernicious examples.   
And why rather leave ye not unto the example of the Bishops. etc.  
Who universally died in long and lingering imprisonment etc.  
Oh but great precedents move you and many wise fellows. etc.  
Where have these Pastors the key of knowledge, whence fetch these Doctors their profound Learning?  

The Lord Christ.  
BY this time you should have ended your pretended Message: but I see, false Ambassadors as ye are, what you cannot enforce by Arguments, ye will attempt to persuade by words. But have you never read? 
●. Cor. 2.4.  not in the persuasive words of man's wisdom but in plain evidence of the spirit and Power. If your Demy-Catholicks held an evil course, no reason they should build upon examples, either of parish Priests, or learned Bishops, or any great precedents, or any wise fellows, 
Nullum carn● exemplo nesas. Seneca.  or whatsoever Pastors Doctors, Counsellors, or holy men. For which of them confesseth not that no man's example is to be followed in sin? But if Priests, and great precedents, and wise fellows, Pastors, and Doctors; yea but puny students have gone before them in a right way; to follow them it can be no fault, but a praise rather. Therefore vainly and Idly do you make your comparison between the parish Priests, and other precedents, and puny students on the one side as Corruptest souls, Carcases, Carrions, & the like; and the Bishops whom you mean, great (as you say) for learning, 
Popish Bishops neither over learned: neither unkindly used by Q Elizab.  and superior function on the other. Especially seeing those bishops had no greater measure of learning, and sanctity, than their great places; nor so much neither as their weighty functions required. But as for that jmpudent and shameless lie which you are bold to utter in my name of their Imprisonment & death: I knowing the truth to stand otherwise; it is jntolerable and hateful in mine ears. For some of them were not jmprisonned at all; 
See Tortura Torti. pag. 146.  some committed to the custody of their honourable and loving friends: some after an easy jmprisonment for their stubbornness to the Prince and States exiled themselves: and only Bishop Bonner, that bloody persecutor of my Saints, died in the prison. 
A notable Popishly and slander.  So untrue it is that they died universally after long & lingering imprisonment. Though had it been so as you have declared; yet their stubborn standing out against the Truth had been no good precedent for those whom you blame, or any other, to refrain the company or Communion of my Saints the Protestants.    

The false Ambassador.  

Examples fit to be regarded by Schismatics for their instruction.  WHy rather fix ye not before your eyes so many etc.  
If things present please you not cast your regard upon age? past etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
Examples ye bring, I see, of three sorts ' The first of your own false Catholics:  
The second of Certain holy and good men, mentioned, some in the Apocryphal, & some in my Canonical scriptures: The third of the ancient Martyrs of the Church. To what end? forsooth, to persuade further your Schismatics, as ye call them, to withdraw themselves from the protestants service and prayers. But neither is this any message of mine unto them. For first, the examples of the first rank which you take and allege to be the Martyrs and Confessors of your own Church; you mistake, and misaply. You mistake, For they were and are Traitors to their King and Country, 
Traitors are Martyrs and Confessors, with Papists  disloyal & disobedient Subjects to his Just laws; & for their Treasonable practices, manifest, and obstinate breach of the Law; and not for the conscience of their superstition, have been, and are according to justice, yet with great mercy, both put to death, and imprisonned. Yet are they not many; much less multitudes, in comparison of those valiant Christians whom the persecuting Tyrants on your side have murdered, jmprisonned, and many ways afflicted, 
In the reign of Queen Mary Popish Tyranny.  in the space of four or five years Therefore these examples ought to have been spared in this place; as being misapplied. For would you have your Ambiguous, or Ambidexter priests, to follow them in open profession of their disloyal practices against their natural Prince and native Country? But the other of the second order: viz. Tobias, the Israelits, the seven Brethren, Eleazar, Maccabeus: also Peter, Paul, & Saint john; are indeed, in themselves the more remarkable, and worthiof all jmitarion: But yet of them, who are sure they maintain the truth of god, as those were, and did: not of your Pope-lings though ye be stout, much less when ye be stammering in your opinions. For what, say ye, what would Tobias? what would the Israelites? what the 7. Brethren? what would Eleazar? what Maccabeus? what would Peter? what Paul? or my beloved john have done in these times? would they not have joined with my professors the Protestant's? I say, yes; they would: and I am sure, You they would have despised, abhorred, rejected; and all your Babylonish jmpieties, and Profanations; no less than they did the heathen persecutors, Bludsuckers & jdolaters of their time; and then they did those named Heretics Simon Magus, Elymas, and Cerinthus, and all the like, with their heathenish jdolatries and detestable heresies. But here I have somewhat against you. Will you never cleanse your filthy tongues? never cease to revile, and rail at my faithful servants, and worthy Champions of my truth? 
Luther.  What? is Luther like to Simon Magus? no. But I must tell you: That man of sin who brags and vaunts himself to be an universal Bishop in Simon Peter's place, and is not; to be the Vicar general of the universal Church on earth, and by me was never appointed to that office, is a very subtle Simon, and a Magical enchanter of my people. For I never gave to my beloved Apostle Simon Peter himself any such place or power as this your Peter Pope by many crafty sleights and devilish practices hath advanced himself unto. Luther? founder and Grandfather of many falsehoods? No: No: but ordained of old, and borne, by my great providence and mercy, to be the discoverer of your falsehoods, and recoverer, & finder out of that holy truth which long had been lost in the ground, and dung of your Canonisticall and Sophistical divinity; and many other of your meet machiavellianly political and practical corruptions. Therefore you hate him the more deadly; and I love him the more dearly; and will love & honour him in my heavenly Kingdom eternally. Dare you say of john Caluin? 
Caluin.  (An Arch- Haeretick and corrupter of whole Provinces) whom though I know to have known the truth in part, and to have prophesied in part, 
1. Cor. 13.9.  as all my Servants do: yet I have well approved for a choice Teacher and Instructor of the truth, by his laborious writings & godly jnstitutions through all the parts of Christendom? I say therefore once more: touch not mine Anointed, & do my prophets no harm: 
Psal. 105.5.  make not the Ministers of my gospel the seducers of souls; 
1. Tim. 4.16.  for they shall save themselves and them that hear them. Else I will come against you shortly and not only consume you with the breath of my mouth, 
2. Thes. 2.8.  but utterly abolish you by the brightness of my coming. Then shall you see and know the third sort of your examples, mine Ancient true Martyrs, worthy indeed, of all jmitation for their constant labouring, and striving in defence of my gospel unto the death, to be none of your defiled and corrupted Church: yea you shall see them, I say, Crowned with jmmortall happiness and glory, but yourselves with a number of false Martyrs whom ye have thrust into your yearly Calendar, with all heretics and jdolaters, to be cast out into utter Darkness: 
Mat. ●4. 51.  there shallbe weeping and gnashing of teeth.    

The false Ambassador.  

Participatition in works of Heresy worse than in Acts of Idolatry.  IF now you be so simple as to think that Heresy is not worse than Idolatry that to forsake me etc. Greater sacrilege than the courtesy of Cap and Knee etc. Every jote of whose ritual Customs. etc.  
24. 
24. Heresy worse than jnfidelity & jdolatry.  Seeing every falsehood the more it hath of truth is the more apt to beguile etc.  
A plain fable is laughed at but not hated etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
whether Heresy be worse than Idolatry or no, I do not reason with you; neither is it to the purpose here. They are both Abominable in my sight: and damnable it is to communicate with either. But this is your perpetual error, to take the Protestants for Heretics: reform that, and this declaration is altogether jmpertinent. Let Heresy be worse than Infidelity and Idolatry; yet if the professed Protestants of England be not Heretics, and their service not heretical, you have no Reason by that reason to call those your adherents in some opinions from those their Congregations, where they may learn to reform them. but ye say: if ye be so simple as to think that to cast 2. or 3. grains of frankincense upon an heathen Altar or to lay etc. (that is) to offer, and do homage to the Idols of the heathen. (Bacchus, Ceres, jupiter, and the like:) to be greater sacrilege than the courtesy of Cap and knee and reverential presence at their thrice Idolatrous Communion; or then the service to maintenance thereof erected, Every jot of whose ritual Customs and public prayers was invented, Commanded, practised, and is still continued, only in detestation, defiance, extirpation, and denial of my faith Catholic: Then, oh then, how are ye deceived? First; why say you thrice Idolatrous Communion, and not rather thrice heretical in this place? being now about to Call your fellows from the Heresy of the Church of England: by presuming the same to be worse than Infidelity & idolatry? But this Crazines in your brain I forgive you; only I would have you show but one point of Idolatry in that Communion. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  There is no worship of bread, as in yours: no veneration, no adoration of a cross or Crucifix. They only kneel, and do reverence to me the honourable son of God, represented unto their faith, when they receive the bread and wine in remembrance of my death and passion. 
§. 20. pag. 36. lin. 11.  Again have ye so short and shitlie a memory as to forget what you lately charged the Protestant Church withal (viz.) That their ministery hath stolen away your Church's ornaments; and let up and down clad in her robes? that now you say (every lot of their ritual Customs, and public prayers was invented, Commanded, practised, and is still continued only in detestation, defiance, extirpation, and denial of your faith Catholic?) for mine you call it falsely.) for if every jot of their ritual customs and public prayers were invented only in denial of your faith; then have they stolen away none of your ornaments, nor let up and down in her robes etc.: And if they have stolen any, than every jot of their ritual Customs, was not invented as ye say. Thus jnconsequently and giddily to speak, is this to bring a message from Heaven in my name? Now Fie upon such folly. 
Idolatry and heresy are both alike abominable. It is Idle to argue which is the worse.  If I should examine your doughty Arguments, whereby ye would make jdolatry a less sin than heresy; then, oh then, how should you be confounded? for what a wordy Difference is this? that Heresy forsakes me; Idolatry never followed me: that denieth me; this not confesseth me: that abiureth me; this not knoweth me: that blasphemeth me; this not honoureth me? A Distinction without a difference. Who knoweth not but that jdolatry forsaketh, denieth, abiureth, and blasphemeth me Also? said I not of old unto 〈◊〉 of Israel, they have forsaken me the fountain of Living Water etc. 
jer. 2.13. ) that fell into jdolatry not only heresy: 
Do ye not confess pag. 50. that I spoke of all.  spoke I not of idolaters as well as of Haeretiks whosoever denieth me before men etc. Do not all Apostates from my truth,) whether into Heresy or jdolatry, both abjure me, and blaspheme me? Again, do not both sorts fall away, some of ignorance and simplicity, some of Malice and contumacy? & so both are beaten accordingly; sometimes with few, sometimes with many stripes? And what a word is this? that to offer unto Bacchus, and Ceres, and to move the bonnet before jupiter, is no greater sacrilege then reverendly to worship in my holy Temple? But ye bring a main reason. 
Sect. 24.  Every falsehood the more it hath of truth, is the more apt to beguile: the more apt to beguile the more pernicious to the Destruction of souls, and more abominable. Therefore Heresy, is worse than Idolatry. Now I will make another. Every falsehood the less it hath of truth: specially if it have none at all, the farther it is from me, (The way, the truth, 
Ioh 14.6.  and the life): the farther it is from me; the nearer to the destruction of souls; and so Idolatry is worse than Heresy. Thus: be it that heresy is in one respect; yet jdolatry is worse in another: so that the comparison between them must needs be altogether fruitless and frivolous in this place. Specially in respect of Protestants, who are no Heretics, and who are Charged by you throughout this whole false Message for Heretics, jnfidels, and jdolators. Your idle jllustrations, and Impertinent examples in this place, do they prove Heresy to be worse than jdolatry, as they are intended? Your first Illustration is: False prophets which cry (the Lord, the Lord;) when I the Lord have not spoken unto them, are worse tenfold than the prophets of Baal) no, they are both alike Abominable unto me. 
Luc. 19.14.  But out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou evil servant: For I the Lord have not spoken unto thee this Embassage, yet hast thou cried in my name. Your second: (Sooner shall the Publican be justified then the Hypocritical Pharisee) sure the one shallbe justified by his Faith and repentance; and the other Condemned for his pride and Hypocrisy. But what is that to this purpose? Your Third: (The Matron-like adultres is more vile and hateful before me the Lord, and men, than the open strumpet) Truth: the Matron is a more Cunning Hypocrite, but the strumpet the more impudent whore. They are both odious in my sight: but the strumpet is much more scandalous & offensive, howsoever hateful unto men. Now, if she be: the more intolerable shall it be for your Pope and Roman Church to answer unto me at the day of judgement for the maintenance of open Stews. Your Fourth: A plain Fable is laughed at, but not hated, because it is not made to deceive). 
Lib. Conformicatum. B. Franc.  yes the Fable of Saint Francis and the wolf of Eugubium: and how the Freer rubbed out of his shin a great spider which he had drunk in the chalice, without having any hurt: The fable of Saint Dennis that carried his own head in his hand two miles: The fable of your Lady of Hales how she cured many sicknesses; and raised 7. persons from the dead; & did more Miracles than I the Saviour myself, so justified by justus Lipsius in the uneven balance of his unjust & foolish judgement; 
justi Lipsijs Diva.  and many the like in your leaden Legend, that farthel: 
Legend.  of Fables, are both laughed at, hated, and made to deceive; and if they were not, yet are apt to deceit whether the Author will or no. To be short: 
Georg. Fabricius. approbat. Legend. Lipsijs.  it is a general tale in popery, that God gives power, not only to Saints, but to their images and Pictures to work wonders, both derided, hated, and invented to deceive. You add: (But a lie forged and obtruded for a truth is intolerable.) so it is. and therefore so is this your lying Message in my name, which here you deliver unto your catholics who hold conformity with the Protestants. Finally; what speak ye of the Christians in Greece and Africa against the Arrians? your Schismatics are far unlike the one, both in practice and in opinions: and ye yourselves too to much resemble the other. Your jdle nomination of Martyrs and Confessors serveth not your turn at this time. In a word; in that you remember, & commend again your Traitorous crew to the jmitation of your Conformitans; it is a token of a short memory, having done it so lately; and of much less Grace, in doing it still so lewdly.    

The false Ambassador.  

By what commandments of God going to the Heretics prayers is forbidden.  HOw Just cause have I then to exclaim against you (Oh disloyal wretches) how long will ye reject my authority and kick against my commandments etc.  
Or will you violently make me to mean before jews and Heathen but not before Heretics. etc. Have I not said I am a jealous God. etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
ANd what needeth this? seeing Protestants are no Heretics in my sight howsoever ye papists account them so, yea, as worse than heathens and Infidels. Therefore you manifestly wrong these your fellow Papists that go to their Churches to challenge them in my name, for the breach of that great and main commandment, the abridgement of the whole law: 
Deut. 6.5.  viz. That a man love me with all his heart, with all his strength, with all his soul.) or of that particular charge in the gospel (to be) leeve in heart & also profess belief before men- and also (he which denieth me before men shallbe denied of me in the presence of Angels. 
Mat. 10.32, 33.  
Luk. 12.9.  Moreover I meant it of heretics as well as of jews & heathens. What then? do they therefore of your Popish opinions who go to Protestant Churches deny me before Heretics? that is your own conclusion and not mine. In a word: I have said, 
Esay. 24.8.  (I will not give my glory to another. 
Deut. 7.5. ) I did severally forbid my people Israel to intermeddle in Heathenish rites: 
Exo. 23.31.32.  I did interdict them all society and conversation with Infidels: I did denounce by mine Apostles pen, 
Rom. 10.9.  That as in heart men are to believe to justification, so with mouth they are to confess to Salvation. But they give not my glory to another that go to Protestant Churches: ye do; that adore and worship images, Crosses, and crucifixes. The rites of Protestants are not heathenish, but few, and easy, and significant; yours of the Roman Synagogue, are borrowed both from jews, and Heathens; (as I have told you before); and a mighty multitude, both Idle and cumbersome, for number and for nature. Their Conversation that have society with English Protestants, js with faithful Christians: yours that are Roman Catholics, is with Antichrist and his adherents. Now than I command and Charge you all the sort of you, 
Christ jesus calleth not the wavering Roman catholics from the Protestant Churches & Companies.  to speak no more to your fellow Catholics after this fashion in my name. For I the Lord the omnipotent Creator have not thus called them from among the protestants. But I exhort and warn them rather, to follow their faith: because it is the faith of truth: that faith also to believe in heart, that they may be justified: and that Faith to Confess with mouth, that they may be saved. As for you, you proud flesh and blood, never cast up an jdle and presumptuous account of merit added unto merits; yours, or theirs, or any man's to mine: which will never, verily I say unto you, amount to any sum of Felicity: mine own being only, and altogether all-sufficient to that purpose.    

The false Ambassador.  

Schismatics violate the law of nature by going to the Protestant Churches.  And what if I had not in such express wise prescribed your duty doth not the light of reason, the Law of nature etc.  
Which faileth or falleth in one point of faith be fully guilty of Infidelity etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
NO it doth not teach your Catholics who are with Protestants any such thing: viz. to cleave firmly to their Popish faith and Religion; for that is stubbornly to persist in error, and to embrace in deed a strange and false faith, and irreligious proceed. But what one argument bring you to prove that the law of Nature herein is violated? Are you so jmpudent to allege Propositions in my name and bring no proof at all? or do you go about to prove it thus? (He which breaketh one Commandment is guilty of all, and a violater of Charity: ergo he which faileth or faulteth in one point of Faith is fully guilty of Infidelity: and so by consequent violateth the law of nature. The first assersion I grant is mine own in mine Apostle; 
jam. 2.10.  if you understand it aright. But this latter, thus inferred, is your paradox. For if (he which faileth or faulteth in one point of faith be fully guilty of jnfidelity, that is, must needs be charged and taken for a mere jnfidel: than not only all heretics and you Papists; who fail in many points of Faith; but even all true Christians, and good Catholics must be condemned so to: 
Cor. 13 9  seeing they all know but in part; and prophesy in part: and so must needs fail in one point of Faith at least, even that which is hidden from their knowledge whereto they cannot for that cause yield any manner of assent: no man consenting unto that which in his knowledge he doth not apprehend at all. And thus ye Condemn by this Paradox all the world; and namely, all Christendom; and your own Roman Church, for jnfidels: nay; fully guilty of jnfidelitie: and so there are no believers at all by your doctrine: There is no Church, no Faith, No Truth, no Gospel, no Christ, no God among men. Hear I must tell you also. Though in some sense he that is fully guilty of jnfidelitie, that is, that believeth no one point at all of god or godliness, as he ought; 
Tit. 1.15.  his very mind and Conscience is defiled: and so the light of reason, and the law of nature is violated in him: Yet those famous and Renowned Paragons, among the heathens. Trismegistus; Pythagoras; Socrates; etc. Cato, Aristides, Scipio, and many others of that rank, for their great and Admirable learning, profound politic wisdom, and worthy moral virtues, were nevertheless very great lights; and had the light of Natural reason shining in them gloriously, concerning many secular and civil affairs, and lived in many things agreeable to the law of Nature. How be it, concerning Spiritual and heavenly things, yea, the true knowledge of God they became vain in their Imaginations, 
Rom. 1.21.  and their foolish hearts where full of Darkness, and in that might they be said to be fully guilty of jnfidelity; because they knew not God the Father in me his only begotten Son jesus Christ. So that, 
john. 3.18. &. 26.8.9.10. &. 17.3.  some may be fully guilty of jnfidelitye; and yet not violate the law of Nature. Wherefore be not so rash hereafter, I advise you, to project your Paradoxes in my name: do not challenge them for partaking with heretics that go to protestants: neither say any more that your Church, your Faith, your Sacraments, are mine, as ye do. For I will not acknowledge them: ye do me injury.    

The false Ambassador.  

Heresy & persecution purposely permitted of God for trial of men's hearts.  I Foretold while I conversed on earth that heresies of necessity must be for the trial etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
True it is, I foretold of Heresies for the trial of my Saints. But are ye Romanists therefore the universal Church? No. ye know and allow my servant Austen answering the Donatists of his time: 
Augustine.  Africa non est orbis. Therefore I say also unto you: The Synagogue of Rome is not the universal Church. And do Protestants and their followers prefer their own Imaginations before it? I tell you, nay; but ye Papists do; and run a madding after your own jnuentions and Apostatical Traditions, closed and clasped up in the bosom of your Pope. 
Luc. 12.51.  What though I forewarned; that I came not to send peace but separation; (meaning) not that I do love, or bring division and strife among men; but that many, whose hearts myself have not reform, are, and willbe ever so bad and obstinate in their evil opinions and wicked ways, wilfully disobeying my Gospel, that they will gain say and oppose their own parents, Children, Princes, Subjects, Masters, Servants, wives, Husbands, Brethren, Kinsfolks, and Friends that profess my name; yea and will raise up bitter persecution against them. But I had no meaning to teach Children, or servants or Wives, or Brethren, or friends, disobedience and disloyalty against their Parents, their Masters, their Husbands, their Brethren, their friends; much less to foster treasons in a state, to raise up mutinies and rebellions, to arm natural subjects against their natural Princes, and to practise the overthrow of their Countries, for the pretended catholic cause. These are diabolical suggestions, and actions of Satan my sworn Enemy, wherewith ye Romanists are too too much acquainted.    

The false Ambassador.  
ARe ye Christians and think yourselves excused from the precept etc. 
Dissembling in religion is abominable.   
Revealed you are to your own shame and to my grief. etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
DIssimulation and double dealing I hate in every thing: and in acts of Religion I utterly abhor you need not prove it by the Prohibitions in the law; 
Deut. 22 10.11.  of wearing a garment of linsey woolsey, ploughing with an Ox & an Ass, sowing a field with divers kind of seeds; 
Prou. 10.9.  or by the parable of Solomon. He that walketh uprightly walketh safely, or boldly. But will ye then remember how I cannot but detest your popish equivocation, and mental reservation? which is nothing else but flat lying & hypocrisy. As for those of your popish opinions which conform themselves unto the Protestants, herein they must needs offend me, in that they believe with you, and profess with them: for I would have them not only profess as they do, but also change their Faith: as long as they believe the doctrine of your Antichristian Synagogue, me they cannot please. For as they are Christians and know full well that my Commandment, 
Deut. 13.1.  (not to hearken unto a deceiver,) belongeth unto all: so my will is further, that they should take knowledge, how that you Papists are the false-prophets of these times, who compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and to draw as many as you can unto that new, strange, and false doctrine of your romish faith; using all diligence and diabolical crafts you can, in imitation of the devil himself the great compasser of the earth, either to persuade, 
job. 1.7.  or else to enforce them to fall down and worship the whore, the beast, and the false prophet, 
Apoc. 19.20.  and him only to serve; I say, even that new, and strange abominable Idol, 
An●●e. Eudaemon etiam apolog. pro Hen. Garnet. pag. 137. & 138.  the Lord your God the Pope, of which Title and Blasphemy some of you are now ashamed. As touching the doctrine of the Protestants: show in what one point it is not ancient, and Apostolical that you call it new. They tell you, and have proved it oft unto you; 
Popish new doctrines  that your Canon & Idol of the Mass, your Carnal presence, and transubstantiation in the holy Supper: your interdiction of the Cup to the Laity: your adding of salt, and spittle, oil, and cream in the Ceremony of Baptism; and many other points of your belief, where never heard of in mine Apostles times, or in many years after. But ye exclaim and cry out upon them, new Doctrine; new Faith; new Gospel: yet are ye not able to say and prove it of any point thereof: This is new. How is it then that you are so malapert with my Gospel, and the truth of christianity which they profess, to begin the original thereof both foolishly and falsely, slanderously, 
Luther. Caluin.  and blasphemously from Mart. Luther, and john Caluin? Remowned and worthy Instruments of my glory they were in their time; and valiant oppugners and expugnators of your Antichristian haeraesies: But no first founders, or Authors, of my aeternal truth and gospel. Moreover, Caluins' Idol? who? or what is that I pray you? (The Pope's Idol is the Mass:) And which are the Calamities of this present time whereof ye prate. The hand of justice is to remiss and overslack upon you, as appeareth, in that you are so bold to speak, and write, and print your paltry Pamphlets, and seditious Libels at your pleasure. Wherefore never tell your supposed Schismatics, that, They are revealed to their own shame and to my grief:) neither Call upon them any more to confess your Faith by a conversation pleasing you: but learn yourselves at length, to profess Sincerely the true faith by a godly life; or I will make it shortly known to all the world to your own perpetual shame and horror, that ye are the men who have grieved and vexed me with your calumnious exclamations against my Saints, and jdolatrous abominations against myself.    

The false Ambassador.  
ADmit that neither reason nor rule of conscience suggested unto you: 
Schismatics contemn the authority of the Church.  nor that I expressly exacted of you such firm confession of faith: yet ought not the authority of my Church, etc.  
Nor to my Vicar on earth etc. The declaration of my general Council at Trent etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
WHat a do is here? will ye never give over railing, and slander? how long shall I suffer you? Oh ye disobedient and jmpudent Generation? I tell you again: your Church, your Priests, your Vicar, your Council at Trent, are none of mine: I renounce you all: your Church, for the Synagogue of Satan: your priests, for the ministers of Beliall: your Vicar, for a deceaver, an idolater, a grand false Prophet, as Balaam: your council at Trent, for a private Conventicle of Popish Prelates and Priests of your own faction. Foolishly then and ridiculously do you charge your Schismatics of contempt of my Church, my Spouses voice and admonition; Madly do you censure them for worse than Heathens and Infidels; and divelishly do you accurse them all. It is indeed as sacrilegious as Idolatry to obey your Church; to enter your heretical Conventicles; to give external consent to your detestable rites. But to frequent the service of the Protestant Churches, the Ecclesiastical assemblies of my true Saints, is so well pleasing unto me; that had these hearkened unto your Priests who called them therefrom, I should have held it grievous sacrilege by consent between them both; had they refrained, and refused the pardon of life upon so godly a condition; (viz:) to communicate with my Church of England: I should have found them guilty of their own blood; as now I do these Priests. I had a godly Bishop that gave them a godly rule, 
Augus. Dulcitio. ep. 61. Jdem. ad. Festum. ep 167.  if they had had the grace to have kept it. Causa non paenafacit Martyrem, the cause not the punishment maketh the Martyr: And myself have pronounced them blessed that suffer, But, 
Mat. 5.10. Addidit magnam differentiam quae vera Sacrilegio pietas Sec●rnatur. Aug. count ep. Permeniani. lib. 1. 1. Reg. 18.28. Santons. Hagies.  propter justitiam, in a righteous cause, or for righteousness sake. But tell me now: how far unlike herein were these your Papists to the Priests of Baal, that cut and lanced their bodies? and those fantastical Santons or Hagies, (as they call them) among the Turks and Moors, that disoculate, and wound, and even kill themselves in the madness of their Superstition? Also, I know, I know: your Pope (not my Vicar) is after a fashion so solicitous for souls that he spareth neither care nor cost; yet not to save them, but to destroy and murder them: so that he most aptly resembleth even Satan himself, the great compasser of the Earth: as his jesuitical vasals also do those their famous Praedecessors, the Pharisees; 
Mat. 23.15.  that compassed both Sea and Land to make one Proselyte, and having made him, transform him twofold more the child of Hell than they themselves are. What do I? or what should any of my servants respect, what your Tridentine assembly decreed against them? They were blinded Heretics themselves; and they had all and every one the mark of the beast in their foreheads. 
Prov. 26.2.  As for their Anathema: The curse that is causeless shall not come; for of my faithful Protestants I still pronounce: Blessed is he that blesseth them, and cursed be he that curseth them.    

The false Ambassador.  

Heretics how precisely to be shunned.  BEsides that principal precept of loving God above all, etc. If you will but a little look about you, ye shall find that I have yet left you another commandment, etc. Well then, whose spirit but mine inspired and established as a perpetual observation to the world's end, that Heretics, etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
WHat an jdle Expostulation is this? for it shall be granted unto you that Heretics should be utterly avoided, as such and such whom you have alleged and described truly out of the scriptures. But that the Protestants are the Heretics, and you the true Catholics shall not be granted. So that ye have impertinently abused the scriptures. Wherefore speak no more presumptuously, let not arrogancy proceed out of your mouth. Not they that come to Protestants, but rather ye, that hold and hang with Papists, participate with Infidels; have fellowship with Beliall, and the cup of Devils; are in darkness; join with Lucifer; come to the solemnity of Babylon; make a bargain with hell, and with accursed Death; and that not so much for fear of any worldly loss or cross; as for affection to your sin. Therefore I counsel you, repent and turn you, from your abominations: else I will come against you shortly, and give you your portion with the whore, the beast, the false-prophet, and the Dragon, whom you serve: in the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone: the same is the second death. 
Schismatics are infected with hae●esy and not with pure schism only.     

The false Ambassador.  
Shall they then which profess Heresy with Heretics be found clear etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
NOw the Schismatics are infected with Heresy: and of this you have challenged them long ago. But thus you seethe and boil your coleworts over, and again, thus for lack of matter you fill an Idle and ungodly message full of vain and wicked words, charging, and challenging, thundering and threatening, and drawing, as much as in you lieth, poor and distracted silly souls into desperation of my mercy for entering into the rightway. Thus did your father the Devil deal with my servant M. Luther when I began to call him first from your Pavilions. For he would needs persuade him that he should be damned in the Protestant profession, 
Luther de Missa privata  because he had been once a popish Priest, had said Mass, had turned the Eucharistical bread into my body, and done such other like feats of your superstition; and now was revolted from it. How absurdly and how jmpudently do you compare my true believers in England to the Canaanitish jnfidels? but that you have a Custom to abuse my word, and to misapply the scriptures. I will surely punish you for this thing. What fire, or flame, or Sea-surges, or pitch is this you prate of? do not I know, ye err, not knowing what you say? But let me see how learnedly and divinely you prove your supposed Schismatics to be Heretics. Your learning is to say, and not to prove. Your divinity was never founded on my word, but fashioned and framed in your own forge. For what are the Heresies wherewith they are infected? forsooth (every one almost (rarer is he then a white Crow who doth it not) either cancelleth fasting days by his own Authority, or dispenseth with meats prohibited as often as he list; or doubteth of some Article of Faith, if not of all. What? do they cancel fasting days? and which I pray you? I say, those only of your popish institution. And how? in that they fast not after your popish fashion. I wisse, a very great offence. I but of their own Authority they do it. No: They have the Authority of the Lawful Magistrate to bear them out. They dispense with meats prohibited as often as they list) By the law of my eternal Gospel there are no meats prohibited. For doth not my Apostle tell you? 
1. Tim. 4.4.5.  that every Creature of God is good, and nothing aught to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If then, (not as often as they list, that is your calumny:) but as often as necessity requireth, and as they may without public scandal or offence, they make no difference of meats; but use them all without scruple of Conscience put between this and that: Oh sure, it is a grievous crime. It is indeed, among your superstitious orders: but not among my holy Saints; who have learned, that this your prohibition of meats proceedeth from the spirit of Error; 
1. Tim. 4.1.  and is a doctrine of Devils. Are these your Heresies? to cancel Popish fasting days, & eat of meats prohibited by the Church of Rome? But I say: these are actions crossing the heretical doctrine of your Antichristian Canons: they are no heresies. Besides, to doubt of this or that Article of faith, yea, of all the Articles of your faith; call you this jnfection of Heresies? But I say: to dissent from the modern faith and doctrine of the Roman Church, and stoutly to maintain the contrary, is not Heresy in my sight: much less only to doubt of any, or of all the articles thereof. For first, as many of them as are different from the Protestant profession, they are the erroneous articles of a false Church, a synagogue and conventicle jnfected with many heresies. Again, if they were all granted to be true; yet seejng all Heresy is a confirmed and settled error: 
Haeresis error confirmatus. See Aug. cont. Crescon. Gram.  and whosoever doubteth is ever stammering as yet, unsettled, and unresolved, because he doubteth: therefore he that doubteth of whatsoever points, cannot be said fitly & properly, either to be well affected to the truth, or to be jnfected with heresy. why? because he standeth jndifferent, and jrresolute; though declining from the one; yet not as yet embracing, or indeed, jnfected with the other. Nevertheless, let it now be yielded unto you: that they who are not perfect Heretics; yet may be jnfected with heresies, or heretical opinions: tell me, what, and which they be, whereof you challenge these your Schismatics? You say: One improoueth Confession; another Purgatory; this man invocation of Saints, or use of Images; that man prayers for the dead; or the office in Latin; doubtless, a very grievous accusation; and miraculous points of Heresy. But will you never learn? that, your Auricular confession in a Corner: your Pagan purgatory in an unknown world: your praesumtuous jnvocation of Saints, under colour of humility: your Idolatrous use of images: your idle prayers for the dead at rest: your Latin office, and service in an unknown tongue: I, even I myself, have ever jmprooved, repooved, and condemned? So have I also them, that suppose Antichrist shall be one singular person, and not a succession of many; because they directly oppose my holy Revelation therein. Yet to suppose and believe as I have revealed it to my servant john, 
Apoc. 17.18. alibique.  you will needs jmpute it for an infection of heresy. Moreover, you are not content with me, the true and only head of the Church which is my body; 
Ephe 4.15.  and the presence of my grace and power, 
Mat. 28.20.  whereof I spoke when I said, Behold I am with you to the end of the world: But except there be acknowledged one visible, and ministerial Head; that your Pope (forsooth) may be the man: and tyrannize over the consciences of my people; the very Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God; 
2. Thes. 2.4.  and advancing himself above all that is called God: it must be heresy with you. But, come ye now, and reason with me of these points, if ye be able, if it be possible that ye can bring any other Arguments than have been brought, and answered already by my servants: or else because ye are not able, I jmpose you silence, and charge you henceforth to set abroach no more lies, and forgeries in my name. For if ye do; I will call you to account at my dreadful day of judgement when ye shall not escape. The Counsels of my primitive Church are of good and great authority in their kind; 
Your Gregor. was too bold so to compare them.  but not of the greatest; not any of them equal to my 4. Evangelists: your decrees Ecclesiastical of far less; as containing in them many Cannons both erroneous, ridiculous, and blasphemous. The gates of Hell cannot prevail against my Church; for I have grounded it upon a Rock, that is, myself. 
1. Cor. 10.4.  But your Church is not my Rock; as well appeareth: for the gates of hell have already prevailed against it; and it hath lost the spirit of truth, 
john. 14. ver. 16.26.  the promise of my Father; yea, the faithful City, 
Rom. 1.8.  whose faith was famous sometimes in all the world: is become an harlot, like Samaria, and jerusalem long ago: and she hath played the harlot with all her neighbour Princes, whom she could jntice. Therefore they do well, and follow the truth in righteousness, that call in question the authority of many Counsels and assemblies of men; that detract from your Ecclesiastical decrees and decretals: that, not only fear, but believe, and find; and report abroad; not, that I have not fulfilled my promise, 
Act. 2.1. etc.  for I have; and ha●e sent my spirit of truth the Comforter unto my chosen, which shall lead them into all truth: but, that the same my spirit hath been by you, your Praelats, and your false-teachers diversly abused, and despited; so that it hath been pressed, and as it were compelled to forsake you, and departed from you many years ago. Cease ye then to cast your filthy heresies upon my Saints: or to call them back into your stews; whom I have caused to come, and join, and dwell with them in my holy house. Else: thou Babylonish harlot; woe, woe, unto thee? Ah, how shall I punish thee in the end? how shall I be avenged of thee? seeing thou dost all these things of an jmpudent whorish woman.    

The false Ambassador.  
WHence all this? 
By what means Schismatics grow to be Heretics.  not because the longer ye live etc. By never talking with Priests, not conferring of matters touching the Spirit, by being laden etc. As in domestical Adders and in their familiarity, as in Cockatrice eyes etc.  
Flee Babylon, flee Chore, flee Sodom, flee from the adversary camp in tyme. etc.  

The Lord Christ.  
HEre again, as else where, and almost every where in this false Embassage, you dive into the Consciences of your brethren: and you can tell them, without me, yet very boldly in my name, that they begin to loath your religion, for checking of their humour. For you challenge them that fear of adversity; love of the world; never talking with your Priests; nor conferring of matters touching the spirit; and the load of secret sins; have jnduced them to departed from among you. Thus you rail upon them; exclaim; expostulate; advise; and command them in my name; restless as you are. You rail upon them as possessed of sensual, carnal, and worldly affections. lying open to the enemy, destitute of my grace and protection, made a prey to the roaring Lion, conversing among heretics, becoming like them in conditions, quickly delighting in their suitable doctrine. To which they can easily answer if they be wise, that thus have you deciphered your own selves, ye Runagates: who have forsaken a good and pleasant land, to converse among your Roman Heretics: and so are made like unto them in evil and ungodly conditions: disloyal to your Prince and country; having first conformed yourselves to their damnable doctrine. Therefore you are, as you say of them sensual, carnal, & worldly affectionated, lying open to the Enemy, destitute of the saviours grace and protection, and made a prey to the roaring Lyon. You exclaim: poison, poison lurketh in their company; meaning the Protestants, you should have meant yourselves, as in domestical Adders, and in their familiarity as in Cockatrices or Basilisks eyes. Thus do you plainly show that Adder's poison is in your lips; and under your tongue lurketh ungodliness and vanity. You expostulate: What though they be not conquered at the first? what though the Arguments of Protestants be but weak & foolish? yet that they may in time be persuaded & overcome by them. So they may indeed; for those Arguments, as weak and foolish as they are, yet you do find them Gordian knots, and like the Trumpets of the Priests of the Lord of Hosts, 
joshua. 6.20.  at the blast whereof the walls of jerico fell down: yea, like stones in davids bag; 
1. Sam. 17.49.  whereof some one, or other, when the measure of your wickedness is filled up, shall stick so fast in the forehead of your Pope, the great Goliath, that he shall fall groveling to the ground, and never be able to rise again. Then shall you find those Arguments, which now are but drops of Rain, to fall upon you as a storm; as hailstones, and Coals of fire. For sure it is, 
Esay. 55.10.  as my word is like the snow and rain which cometh down from heaven, and watereth the Earth, that it may bud and bring forth, seed unto the sour, and bread unto him that eateth; 
Heb. 6.7.8.  so the earth that drinketh in the rain which falleth oft upon it, & bringeth forth nothing but briars and thorns, is near unto Cursing, whose end is to be burned. Your unsavoury comparisons of the small worm, and contemptible ivy, are more agreeable unto yourselves; Such eating vermins are your jesuits, that neble at my goodly vine: such clasping ivy, sucking out the sap of this my noble Plant, and Tree; which in my Paradise of England mine own right hand hath Planted, hedged, and defenced. Therefore; as you counsel and command them in my name, so do I: with this only difference: that not the Protestants, but you and your Church are in mine account the Heretics; the Babylon; the Korahs' company; and the Sodom:) And I would have both them and you to know; that as I am the mighty God, and Saviour of the world: so that all my counsels are commands. Among yourselves, the sons of men, ye have a Rule; and men of wisdom have great regard unto it. Potentiores cum rogant, iubent. And can you then jmagine, that whatsoever I advise, must not carry with it the force of a Command? This than I say, and command unto your Schismatics; dissembling papists; falsehearted catholics, Hypocrites, weaklings, neuter, (term them what ye will; be they as they are, 
Phil. 3.1. ) to whom you have directed this Embassage. Beware of Dogs: beware of evil workers. beware of the Concision. Flee the fellowship of Roman Heretics; be not jnfected with the leaven of their Doctrine; go out of Babel; come out from among them; be ye separated, and touch no unclean thing: no Idols; no shrines, no relics, no wafer-gods: or the like: & I will receive you. If ye will not perish in the error of Balaam; and the gainsaying of Korah; if ye will come from Antichrist, and his Adherents, mine adversaries camp, and dwell among my Chosen, if ye will love me, embrace and learn my true religion, which they profess, 
2. Cor. 6.17.18.  I willbe a Father unto you, and ye shallbe my Sons and Daughters. I am the Lord Almighty.    

The Lord's Conclusion.  
Hitherto, ye wicked Imps of antichrist, I have vouchsafed to lay abroad your folly, and jmpiety in your own vain; and even in mine own words to control, and Countermand your false Embassage, and blasphemous Message; which you have divulged as from myself. To the end that all the world may know how greatly I detest, how deeply I abhor your whorish, and even devilish jmpudency; to abuse my person, and breath out blasphemies in my sacred name. Now, because I see you reel, and tumble back again into your former accusations, of obstinacy, and jngratitude to God; of jmpugning the Catholic Faith: 
§ ●3. 34.35.36 etc.  of grievously abusing God: and in all the rest of your declamation, only reason with them, how they can excuse themselves from this your jmputation of joining with my true professors; alleging many colours, pretences, and excuses (as ye suppose) of this their fact: whether they be guilty, or no; they are in this point wise, and able, and old enough, let them answer for themselves. If they answer you sincerely, that the love of truth hath drawn them hereunto, never blame them any more. For mine Apostle by my spirit hath commanded. 
1 Thes. 5.21. 1. joh. 4.1.  Try all, keep the good. Another; Try the Spirits, whether they be of God or no. Provided always that they be not ever learning, 
2. Tim. 3.7  and never come to the knowledge of the Truth. But if they do indeed, as you have laid the load upon their consciences, dissemble only, (tell a time shall serve to unmask themselves) with me their God & Lord: & with the world. Alas, alas, are they such fools to walk in Darkness in my sight? For the Darkness is no Darkness to me, 
Psal. 139.12.  the Darkness and light to me are both alike. But: let them answer for themselves, because ye do provoke them: and I willbe the Arbitrator between you both. For I will surely judge both them, and you, and all the world, 
Iu. ep. vers. 14 15.  at mine jllustrious Apparition in the Clouds: when I shall come with Thousands of my Saints; and I will give sentence against all men; and will take vengeance, and rebuke all the ungodly among them, of all their wicked deeds which they have ungodly committed; and of all their cruel speakings, which wicked sinners have spoken against me.   
FINIS.   


Jgnatius epist. 6. ad Philadel.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Brethren, be not deceived: if any man follow him that divideth himself from the truth he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And if any man withdraw not himself from a false teaching or a lying Preacher, he shall be condemned into Hell. For neither aught we to departed from the godly; neither to have conversation with the ungodly.