AN EPISTLE DEDICATED TO AN HONOURABLE PERSON. In the which, are discovered a dozen bad spirits, who from the beginning have much haunted, & grievously tormented the Protestant Congregation: so that every one may perceive, if he be not tooto partial, and overmuch carried away with affection, that such an Assembly cannot be the true Church of God. Imprinted, M. DC. XXII. thing else can ensue, but that in lieu of true faith they reap nothing else but some humane opinion, or some other fantastical illusion, which is as fare from divine faith, as truth from falsehood, and a black Devil from an Angel of light. But because no Sect can be supported without some certain means, in place of all those infallible grounds, which are in use amongst Catholics, and ever have been since the Apostles time, they have brought in the spirit of Railing, of Heresy, the spirit of Lying, and Contradiction, and every ones Private a For D. Luther saith: That there be as many sects and Religions among us, as there be men, There is no Ass in this time so sottish and blockish, but will have the dreams o his ownef head, and his opinion accepted for the instinct of the holy Ghost, and himself esteemed as a Prophet. Luther ep. ad An●werp. tom. 2 Germ. lenae. fol. ●01. The Centurists term all the followers of the Confession of Ausburg, Ecebolios, and likes them to the fish Poul-countrell, which changeth often his colour, and to the old Pagan God Vertumnus, who coul● turn● himself into all shapes, and tell us: That they now approve the true doctrine, and presently after condemn the same, now calling that heresy, which before they preached as an unconquered truth. Cent. 9 in pralat. Imagination and fancy; and by the use of these they bolster and vphould in some fashion this their new upstart Congregation: which to be so, you shall easily perceive in this my short Epistle. And to begin. Among all those monsters and bad spirits, with the which they have pestered the world, the spirit of Contradiction is most familiar among them, seeing they do so excel in it, as none indeed, if he but look into their writings, can tell whom to trust or believe. For if you will but run over these Motives which this Parson brings forth, in his Epistle, to move your Honour to join to his distracted b To Sir Edwin Sands, they (to wit the Protestants) are like scattered troops each drawing adverse way without any means to pacify their quarrels. In his Relation f. 8. To learned Duditius, the Protestant Divines do coin a monthly faith. Beza ep. theo. 1. To Melancthon, They know not whom to follow. Protest. Apol. pag. 509. To learned Mayor, The simple doubt whether any true Church of God be yet remaining. In orat. de consus dogma. N. E. epist. pag. 7. Congregation, you shall see nothing affirmed by him, which some of his famous brethren will not deny, and nothing denied by him as fals●, which another of his own coat more learned than he, will not affirm to be most true. Thus then hath our just God strooken them with the spirit of giddynes and disagreement, as while they endeavour to build up their heretical Tower of Babel, their own labours fall upon them, and crush them down to their utter ruin and destruction. But to the end, your Honour may understand we do them no wrong, we will make a short survey, and cast the eyes of our consideration, over some points of this Ministers ●arring Epistle, in which, this Parson first tells you, That Giantlike Catholics fight against Christ and the primitive Church, about Communion in one kind, as though it were unlawful to offer one kind to the people, or that Christ had given some Commandment, as concerning that point: whereas D. Luther c D. Luther. They sinne not against Christ, who use one kind, seeing Christ hath not commanded to use it, but hath left it to the will of every one, saying: As often as you do these, you shall do them in memory of me. De captivit. Bahyl. cap. de Euch. the Patriarch of all the Reformers, will tell you a quite contrary tale to that of this petty Ministers, to wit, that neither the giving of the Communion under one kind by the Priest to the people, is unlawful, nor that there was ever any commandment, enacted by Christ, for receiving it subutraque that is under both kinds. Again he tells You, that Transubstantiation now is a new invention, and was no matter N. E. ep. pag. 8. of faith before the Council of Lateran, which was 1215. years after Christ. But M. Fox his Reverend Father, will teach your Fox Act. mon. printed 1576. p. 1121. Honour, how this Parson lies lewdly, because according to him, above 100 years before this time denial of Transubstantiation began to be accounted Heresy. Moreover he tells you, that the adoring of the Sacrament, or Christ contained in it, is N. E. ep. pag. 8. Kemnit. in exam. Conc. Tri. par. 2. pag. 91. Idolatry. But Kemnitius one of the famous Protestants that ever were, will inform you of the contrary, That none doubteth to adore it, but he who with the sacramentaries denyeth Christ's body to be present. Likewise this Parson would have you believe, that it is not Christ's body which is really N. E. ep. pag. 3. in the B. Sacrament, but a nail to fasten true Christians to the Cross of Christ. But what ever Scripture told this Parson it was a nail? Christ saith This is my body, expressly, which is to be given for you, and this Parson saith, it is not Matth. 26. Christ's body, but a nail. Whom will you rather believe, Christ who is truth itself, and cannot deceive, or this minister who is a liar, as we have seen, and commonly doth nothing but deceive. Again, he would delude you with this N. E. in his epist. p. 3. his interrogation saying, Who doth deny the real presence? as though none denied it; which is such a gross untruth, as I think the Devil himself is not wont to suggest a grosser. For doth not Luther long since conclude against Beza epist. Theol. 1. pag. 7. Zuinglius, from whom Caluin, as Beza confesseth, doth not dissent, that the Devil by Zuinglius and his adherents, laboureth to sup up the egg, Luth. ser. de Euc han. fol. 335. and leave us the shell, that is, as he expoundeth himself, to take from the bread and wine the body and blood of Christ, so that nothing remain but plain Baker's bread. Neither would this Parson have you believe, that Christ can put his body in more N. E. ep. pag. 9 places together at once. For the which his Reverend Father D. Luther, & all the * M. Fox saith: Christ abiding in heaven is no let, but that he may be in the Sacrament if he list. Act mon. pag. 998. Crammer also saith: The Controversy in this matter is not what may be, but what is. Christ body may be as well in the bread, as in the door and stone. In his answer to Gardiner pag. 454. See M. Reynolds answer to M. Bruce his sermons p. 349. N. E. ep. pag 9 prime Protestants, will knock him over the thumbs, and tell him, that it is blasphemy to deny this to the omnipotent power of Christ. He would have you believe, that you ought to yield this respect to the Scriptures, as to profess, that they are a full and sufficient rule for precepts of Holiness, and necessary matters of faith. But his learned brother M. Hooker, will tell you another tale. Of things necessary (saith he) the very chiefest is to know what books, we are bound to esteem holy, which point is confessed impossibl●● for M. Hook. in his Eccl. policy. l. 1. sect. 14. the Scripture itself to teach: for if any book of Scripture did give testimony to all the rest, yet still that Scripture, which giveth testimony to the rest, would require another Scripture to give credit unto it; neither could we ever come to any pause whereon to rest, unless besides Scripture there were some thing which might assure us. And thus you may perceive this Parson rejecting Traditions, doth not believe the Scripture according to M. Hooker: which notwithstanding, this Parson tells us, is N. E. ep. pag. 12. the ground of his faith, which not believing as he ought, for any thing that we know, he may Kemnit. exam. par. 3. p. 200. D. Fulke saith: I confess that Ambrose, Augustin, and Hieron, held Invocation of Saints to be lawful. In his Rejoinder to Bristol pag. 5. Epist. pag● 13. Symonds on the Revelations pag. 57 be a jew, a Turk, or an Infidel, and so no fit man to bring your Honour to his faithless Congregation. He would have you believe, that one Peter Gnapheus, a pernicious Heretic, was the first that shuffled in, the Invocation of Saints into the prayers of the Eastern Churches. But Kemnitius, a greater Clerk than this Parson is, will convince him of this grossly, and tell him that the Invocation of Saints, was brought into the public assemblies of the Church by Basil, Nyssen, and Nazianzen, about the year 370. which was above a hundred years before Gnapheus was borne. This Parson would have your Honour believe, that Images are not to be worshipped, as though it were a new Invention. But his brother M. Symonds, will tell him, that it is not so new as he would have you believe: for according to him, S Leo decreed, that Reverence Damas'. l. 4. cap. 17. should be given to Images, which was about a 1200. years since: and Damascene will tell Niceph. l. 1●. hist. c. 27. you, that it is a Tradition of the Apostles: and Nicephorus, That the audacious spirit and impudent mouth of Xenaias, was the first that ever vomited out this saying, That the Images of Christ & of those whom Christ loveth, are not to be reverenced: and * M. Perkins saith, how Paulinus writeth, That the B. of Jerusalem a● Easter yearly set forth the Cross for the people to worship himself being the chief of the worshippers. In his problem p. 81. In the answer to his epistle. Luth. tones 5. Wite. in psal. 5. ●. 166. in Galat. c. 50 fol. 416. Sebast. Franc. Chron. part. 11●. f. 263, Theol, Heidelberg in Protocol. Frank●n. in prae●●t. ad Antha●. Theol. Mansfeld, in confess Mansfeld. lac. foe 120 M Bernard of Worsop against the Separatists. See dangerous positions for the Puritans against the Protestants. And M. Barow. and M. Smith against Bernard of Worsop, & all both Puritans & Protestant's others. All his Epistles runs in this vein of ●arring and warring against his learned brethren, greater Doctors than himself, stuffed up with no fewer black lies and ugly heresies, then irreconciliable jars and most manifest contradictions, of the which I have set down twenty about the B. Sacrament only; and no fewer might be laid open about the rest if it were thought expedient. But to show how this contradicting spirit, doth domineer in this Parson, I thought them sufficient; which is also enough to discover, the ugly spirit of schism and heresy, against whom God is not wont to fight by force or subtlety, but with the spirit of giddiness and disagreement: for so saith D. Luther; that the authors of schism are disagreeing among themselves; they bite and devour one another, till at last they perish. This the examples of all times do testify. After that Africa was Stanislaus Rescius in venture. Euang. ●ectarum. Fitzberb. of Policy and Religion part. 2. pag. 449. overthrown by the Manichees, then presently followed the Donastes, who disagreeing among themselves were divided into three sects etc. In our time the Sacramentaries first, and then after the Anabaptists divided themselves from us; neither of them are at unity among themselves: so always sect bringeth forth sect, and one condemneth another. And the very same argument, is yet further made manifest against the Anabaptists, by Sebastian Francus, & the Divines of Heidelberg, and also against the Sacramentaries by the Divines of Mansfeild, by the Puritans against the Protestants in England, and the Protestants against the Puritans, and the Brownistes against them both: so that Stanislaus Rescius, numbereth among them 170. distinct sects, and others far more: and this every one may the better believe, if he consider that it is very hard, to find any two of the learned sort of them of one opinion, teaching all principal matters of Religion. Hence it cometh to pass, that they are not afraid to censure and condemn one another of heresy. For if we believe * We seriously judge the Zwinglians and all sacramentaries to be heretics & aliens from the Church of God, So Luth. thes. 81. contra Lou. Ana●om. 7. in defence. verborum Coe●ae fol. 38, be saith: Touching the soul, and spiritual matters, we will avoid them as long as we live, we will reprove and condemn them for Idolaters, corrupters of God's word, blasphemers and deceavers; and of them as of enemies of the Gospel, we will sustain persecution & spoil of our goods, whatsoever they shall do unto us. The Zwinglians of Zuricke complain that Luther inveigheth against them, as against obstinate Heretics, and such as are guilty to themselves of all impiety, & the most vile & pestilent men that go on the ground. Confess. orthodoxa. Eccles. Tigur. in praefat. fol. 3. 4. Luther, and the Lutherans, Zuinglius, Caluin and the other sacramentaries are damned Heretics; and if we give credit to Zuinglius, Caluin, and his followers, both Luther & the Lutherans are guilty of the same crime. And no less will D. Covell aver of the Protestants and Puritans in D. Couell in iusta & temperata defence. pag. 07. art. 11. England. For least any think that our contentions (saith he) are of small matters, and that our difference is not great, we have both condemned one another of heresy, if not Infidelity; and of those points which quite overthrew the grounds of our Christian faith. And the fountain from whence all these so bitter jars and wars do proceed, is the want of some certain and infallible rule to direct them; for seeing all seem to accept of the bare word of Scripture, for the only ground of their faith, interpreted according to their own private spirit, and foolish imagination, which whether it be true or no, he cannot certainly tell, seeing that such a sentence, may admit diverse expositions; and yet because he thinketh, that he can defend that new interpretation invented by him, although not truly, yet at least with some colour, or show of truth, he presently by defending it obstinately, is made the author of a new Sect. Hence M Parkes speaking of our Protestant M. Parkes Apolog. supra epist. dedicat. writers, saith: Every man maketh Religion the handmaid of his affections: we may say now that there are as many faiths as wills, and so many doctrines as manners of men, whiles either we writ them as we list, or understand them as we please; in so much that many are brought to their wit's end, not knowing what to do. Men say they know whom to fly, but whom to follow they cannot tell. This age is the last and worst, wherein heresy and infidelity join and labour, to subvert and overthrew all grounds of Christian Religion. From this bad spirit of Giddiness and Heresy, ariseth another no less scandalous among the Reformers, called the Spirit of Railing, in the which they have such a talon as they spare none, whether he be Prince or Prelate, Catholic, Puritan or Protestant, or whosoever oppose themselves, against their new found ou● imaginations. With this spirit, Bishop Barlow taketh up Father Parsons (otherwise a religious See D. Barlow his answer to the book entitled, The judgement of a Catholic Englishman etc. concerning the we woath of Allegience. pag. 67. 63. man and a worthy Divine) telling us, That he was a black-mouthed Shemey, famous for nothing but for capital infamies, a bastard by birth, a libeler by custom, a factionist in Society, an expulsed Academian, rung out with bells as a carted strumpet with pans, for a graceless companion, a Diabolical Machiavellian, a stain of humanity, a corrupter of all honesty. Again, A Chameleon for his Profession, a backsliding Apostata, a perjured intruder, a dissolute libertine in act, in choice, in maintenance, a fugitive with discontented renegades, a viperous complotter against his Country, a firebrand of treasonable combustions by pen and advice, and which of all other is most remarkable, a jesuite by proxy, a Votary by substitution, a Paduan Mountebank, and Empirical Qua●saluer, a disdainful scorner of all reproof or counsel, and yet a scorned Vassal by all the Popes he had served, a dog to snarl etc. This cancer of youth, this spawn of vipers, this slave of Satan etc. A dead dog, being while he life's a rotten carcase, of a poisoned Cur, infected in his intralls, and infecting with his savour the air he breathes in, and the land wherein he had his first breath, a miching Cur, a carrionly Cur etc. as if he were the porter of Hades, Charon's mastiff, Pluto's Cerberus, he harrows Tartar, and (I tremble to write it) feigns with a wish, Queen Elizabeth's glorified soul in ghastly Ghost, to speak from Hell. So fare Bishop Barlow Prelat-like. Hence D. Luther against King Henry the Luth. in lib cont●● Regem Anglia. eight, raileth thus, calling him: An envious madd-foole, babbling with much spittle in his mouth, more furious than madness itself, more dotish than folly itself, endued with an impudent and whorish face, without any one vein of Princely blood in his body, a lying Sophist, a damnable rotten worm, a Basilisk and progeny of an Adder, a lying scurrile covered with the title of a King, a clownish wit, a dotish head, most wicked, foolish and impudent Henry. And saith further: He doth not only lie like a most vain scurrile, but passeth a most wicked knave; thou liest in thy throat foolish & sacrilegious King. Hence Erasmus (a Confessor with Erasmus contra non sobriam Lutheri ●pistolam. Fox, and of good judgement, & a well meaning man with D. Reynolds) telleth us, that Luther's Epistle, breatheth deadly hatred, is all full of impotent, if not furious reproaches and malicious lies. He malapertly raileth against Kings and Princes when he lists; extreme hatred, desire of command and firebrands of inciters drive him out of the way, he craketh naught but Devils, Satan's, Hobgoblins, Witches, Megeraes, and such more than Tragical speeches. His mind can be satiated with no railing, he is beside himself with hatred, he hath no sincerity, no Christian modesty. Neither are the Puritans so honny-mouthed, as they would make men believe; for now & then out of their abundance of this spirit, they bestow some few sprinklings upon them who for their titles otherwise ought to be styled their Reverend Fathers, and the chiefest Worthies of the Protestant Church. Thus then, as though they had dipped their pen in gall, they salute the English Bishops, telling us: They are right puissant, poisoned, persecuting Lib. 2. of dangerous positions cap. 11. and terrible Priests, Clergy Ministers of the Confocation house, the holy league of subscription; the crew of monsters and wretches, that mingle heaven and earth together, horned Masters of D. Whitguift in resp. ad defension: mapud Fitgsim. in his Britan. p. 〈◊〉. the Conspiration house, an Antichristian swinish rabble, enemies of the Gospel, most covetous wretches and popish Priests, the Convocation house of Devils, Beelzebub of Canterbury the chief of the Devils. But if they rage's thus against their Reverend Fathers, what mildness can we expect towards their dearly beloved brethren? Verily, the taunts and contumelies of ministers against ministers, (saith M. Ormerod) are , they M. Ormerod picture of a Puritan fol. 3. refuse to salute one another, wishing the plague of God to light upon them, saying, they are damned. And thus with whole Cart-loades of dirtifying words, curses, execrations and condemnations, they besmear and bedaube their opponents, as else where I have showed; which is a most manifest sign, that the furious, raging & railing Spirit, doth much predominate among them. But besides their Spirit of Contradiction, their Spirit of Heresy, & their Spirit of Railing, there oftentimes rusheth out another, no less deform and uggly than the former, which is the black Spirit of Belying their Adversaries, for seeing their Heresies cannot be maintained with the spirit of Verity and Truth, they are enforced to use the benefit of that Spirit, which O slander in Epitome. Cent. 16. pag. 796. See Bernard of Wors●p in his book of the Separatists Schism. p. Campanus in Colloq. latin. Luthsom. 2. c. de Aduer. fol 354. is the enemy of that most noble Virtue, to wit the foul Spirit of Lying, falsehood and Untruth; and indeed they so joy and exult in this black art of lying, as the Lutherans report, how the Caluinists hold for a received principle and rule, that it is lawful to lie for the glory of Christ: and those of the purer sort in England, tell us, that the Protestants preach lies in the name of the Lord. And Campanus lets us understand, that as certain as God is God, so certain it is that Luther was a Devilish liar. And that this Epistler hath reasonably well learned this lesson of lying, you may perceive partly out of that which hitherto we have said, & partly out of this that he would N. E. ep. pag. 3. have you believe, that in the article of Merits, the Protestants subscribe to the Orthodoxal judgement of S. Augustin, which is so false, as no less man then D. Luther himself calleth in scorn, Hierome, Ambrose, & Augustin, Merit mongers of the old Papacy. Again he would have you believe that I cite D james to give witness against Wickliff, Epist. pag. 5. that he was in some point an Anabaptist, & a Stoic: which is indeed a false lie, seeing I do not so much as name D. james in the whole book against Wickliff. This Parson would have you believe, that the Testimony of Protestants for the Papacy, Epist. pag. ●. separately considered, is a worm-eaten pillar, too weak for the supportance of that Religion. But Bishop D. Morton epist. dedicat. in his answer to the Protestant Apology. D. Whitale. contr. 292. c. 14. Morton will tell this Parson he lies, and inform your Honour, That the testimony of the Adversary is the greatest reason of satisfaction. And D. Whitaker, That it must needs be a strong argument, which is taken out of the confession of the Adversary. He would have you believe, that Watson his testimony is true, affirming that the jesuits do confess, that the ancient Fathers never touched ●pist. p. 〈◊〉 the thing of Transubstantiation, which for aught this Parson knoweth is a most gross untruth, seeing Watson publicly at his death, craved pardon of the jesuits for the wrong he had done them; and that he wronged them in this, is so manifest, as every one may see in Zuarcz & Bellarmine only, above 40. Fathers for the doctrine and belief of Transubstantiation. Again he would have you believe, that Epist. pag. 11. the Invocation of Saints is not the old way, but some new innovation: whereas D. Morton Morton Apol. par. 1. p. 217. 218. will inform your Honour, how the quite contrary is most true, affirming, that all Antiquity taught Invocation of Saints. This Parson would have you believe, that Priests radically do not believe Transubstantiation, because some being required after consecration, Epist. pag. 8. refused to say, God grant I may have no benefit by the blood of Christ, if it be not in the Chalice; for, this they might most lawfully refuse to do upon some other ground, although most firmly and constantly they all believed Transubstantiation. This Parson perchance would have you believe, that Catholic Priests are like his companions, who are wont to teach one thing and believe another. No, no, this belongs to our new Rabbins, as they confess themselves. For M. john Musa this Parson's brother-minister joannes Matthefius de vita Luth. concio. 12. fol. 147. saith: Mathesius told me, that one time he complained very grievously to Luther, that those things which he preached to others, he himself could not believe: the which Luther hearing, answered. Now blessed be God, that the same happeneth to others, that is wont to happen to me: For hitherto I thought that none had done this but myself. Was not this a Rogish trick, in these prime pillars and chief Reformers? How can any give them credit, if they juggle thus, in matters concerning either our chiefest good and salvation, or our eternal ruin and destruction? Besides all these wicked spirits, our Reformers have four or five more, with whom they are very familiar, to wit, the spirit of Pride, the spirit of Liberty, the spirit of Carnality, the spirit of Blasphemy, and lastly the Devil himself, who is as it were the Lord and Prince of all these. But to speak a word of every one. Out of the spirit of Pride, they swagger like Lucifer, and condemn, and contemn all Fathers, all Counsels, and Churches. For what have we to do with Fathers, with flesh and blood (saith D. Humphrey) or what is it to us, what D. Humphrey in prafat. ad Orig. Beza in his preface upon the new Testament dedicated to the Prince of Conde. ann. 1587. Luth. lib. contra Regem angliae fol. ●480. the false Synods of Bishops do decree? Seeing (saith Beza) that Satan was precedent in their assemblies and Coun●elis. But to be brief, out of D. Luther, who was the first Father, you may take a scantling how to judge of the rest. Henry (saith he) for his Massing sacrifice bringeth in the sayings of Fathers; here say I, that by this means my sentence is confirmed: for this it is which I said, That the thomistical Asses have nothing which they can allege, but a multitude of men, and the ancient use. But I, against the sayings of men Fathers, Angels, and Devils, put down the Gospel, which is the word of the eternal Majesty; here I insult over the sayings of men though never so holy; so that I care not though a thousand Augustine's and Cyprians should stand against me. And in another place having rejected Fathers, Counsels, schools and ages, he thus concludeth: Neither Luth. de seruo arbit apud Stephan. in defence. Apolog. let the multitude, magnitude, latitude, profoundity, miracles, sanctity of the Church of Saintes move thee a jot; all of them were damned if they thought as they writ. Out of the same Proud Spirit, although by their own confession, they are covered over Caluin. in antid. Concil. Trid-sess. 6. cap. 5. 10. 13. 15. & lib ●l Instit. c. z. Pareus in Prologom. ad Oscam Pros. D. Luth. tom. 1. in 1. Petr. c. n. from top to toe, with filth, uncleanness, & mere iniquity; yet never thelesse they boast and brag that they are all holy and sanctified from their mother's womb, all certain of predestinatiô, justification and salvation, All equal in honour and dignity to S. Paul, S. Peter, the Mother of God, and all the Saints in heaven; that they all have received the same treasure from God, and all that good is, as largely as they, that they are all Saints; and that he is accursed, who doth not call himself a Saint. In the mean time they thrust Christ jesus out of his eternal throne, telling Cart wrig. 2. Repl. p. 191. Caluin. in cap. 3. ad Galat. l. ●. instit. cap. 7. §. ●. Beza in c. 17. Matt. us, That he was seen to be a miserable man, truly a sinner, doubtful of his salvation, deserved nothing of God, but burst out into a voice of despair. Thus they triumph in their Lucifer-like pride, as I said, against Christ and his Saints, although the Scripture, which they would make the world believe is their entire rule of faith, hath no such blasphemous speeches against Christ, but the quite contrary, to wit, That he was the splendour of his Father, the figure of his substance, without spot, or blot of sin, the fountain of all grace and virtue, to whom was given a Name above all Names, power both in heaven and earth, to raise himself from death to life, to ascend into heaven, to sit at the right hand of his Father, and to crush all his enemies under his feet. I do not deny but Spangeberge, is somewhat Cyriacus Spangeb. contra Stepha. Agricol. fol. ●. a. more modest than others, seeing that although he prefer Luther before all the Saints of God, the Apostles, yea and our B. Lady that thrice renowned Queen of Heaven, yet he puts one before him, to wit S. Paul, saying: Christus habet primas, habeas tu Paule secundas: At loca post Paulum proxima Luther habet. First place to Christ, the next to Paul, Then Luther first of others all. Hear hence it is no wonder, that Conradus Risse tells us in plain terms: That God did take from ●itzherb. 2. part of policy and Religion. pag. 453. ●. 31. him (to wit Luther) the true spirit for his pride, and gave him instead thereof, an angry, proud, and lying spirit etc. Thus far of their spirit of pride. The spirit of Liberty is the broad way that leadeth to perdition, which indeed they have made so broad, as I do not see, how the Devil can well desire a borader. For first they reject the ten Commandments as impossible; the Ca●●●. lib. 2. instit. c. 7. §. 5. Laws of Moses, or the Ceremonial law, is abrogated, and Christ our Saviour made none; and humane laws do not bind in conscience, and therefore they infer, how they are freed from all. Hence (saith Caluin) Christian liberty Caluin. l. 3. instit. c. 19 §. ●. consisteth in three parts; first that the consciences of the faithful, while they with the confidence of their justification, do raise themselves above the law, do forget the whole justice thereof. And after. It is requisite, that mention of the law being taken away, they only embrace God's mercy. And §. 4. Our consciences are free from the yoke of the law. And §. 7. he rejecteth all humane laws, as well Ecclesiastical as civil, which are made about things of their own nature indifferent. The third part is (saith he) that we make no scruple of external things, which are of themselves indifferent, but that we indifferently use or omit them. Hence he inferreth that no man is obliged to humane laws, concerning fasting and holy days. This liberty of the Gospel is founded in two principles, the one is, that the Pope is Antichrist, for by this is taken away the Canon Law; the other, that we are not bound to obey Kings and Princes if they command any thing not contained in Scripture, and thereby are both Imperial, and Municipal, which we call the common Laws, abolished. Thus far of the Libertine spirit of john Caluin which he may be thought to have sucked from D. Luther, and his most learned scholars. Luth. de libertate Christiana. Idem ad c. 2. ad Galat For thus discourseth D. Martin. Only Faith, & the Word doth reign in the soul; whereby it is manifest that only faith sufficeth a Christian man for all things, and that he needeth no works for his justification: and if he needeth no works, he needeth no Law; if he need no law, he is free from the law; and it is true, that the law is not made for the just. Thus argueth Luther: & upon the same ground he affirmeth resolutely else where. Only Faith is necessary that we may be just, all other things are most free, neither commanded any more, nor prohibited. Luth in c. 7. ep. 1. ad Cor ● And again in another place. Thou art bound to God in nothing, but to believe and confess him, in all other things he maketh thee free, that thou mayest do according to thine own will, without any offence of conscience. This being the doctrine of Luther the Master, it is not to be wondered at, if some of his scholars, have drawn out these, & the like positions, all tending to the enlarging of the liberty of this fifth new invented Gospel. The law (say they) is not worthy to be called Confessio Māsf●ld in secta Antinomorum, the Word of God: if thou be a whore, or a fornicator, or an Adulterer, or any other sinner whatsoever, only believe and thou art in the way of salvation, even when thou stickest fast in the very midst of thy sin. The ten Commandments belong to the Court, but not to the Pulpit. Whosoever have any thing to do with Moses, do go the right way to the Devil etc. The saying of Peter, Make sure your vocation by good works, is unprofitable. Whensoever thou hast any cogitation, that any means is to be used, that men may be good, honest, and holy, & chaste, thou art already gone astray from the Gospel. Hereupon saith D. Luther: Let us take heed of sins, but especially of good works. And others tell us, How we ought to pray to God, that we may remain constant even unto the end, without all good works, seeing that good works are not necessary, but hurtful and pernicious to our salvation; And that Christians with good works belong to the Devil. To the which they adding that the best work they do, can be no better than a mortal sin; we infer, that they are bound, in conscience never to do any good work. And because their faith, according to D. Whitak. Fides aut est perpetua aut nulla. contra Camp. rat. 8. pag 143. Luth. in 2. part. Postillae printed Argent. Germ. an. 1537. fol. 140. Luth. tom. 1. ep. lat. n. folio 334. ad 1 hilippum. D. Whitaker, once had, can never be lost, they may give full scope, and lose their raines largely to all liberty and looseness of life. For as nothing doth justify but faith, so nothing (saith Luther) doth damn, but infidelity. And although the Apostle tell us; That Fornicators Adulterers and such like, shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven; Yet out of D. Martin, Sin cannot withdraw us from Christ, although we should commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. But truly if we may be as great Saints in glory as the Apostles, our B. Lady the thrice renowned Mother of God, or any other Saint in heaven how great soever, and yet have liberty to kill and murder a thousand times a day, contemn all laws both of God, and man, never fast, or do any work of penance; who will say, that this way to heaven is straight, and not rather so broad, as all the black spirits in hell, for the increase of sin, and amplifying of the Devil's Kingdom, can scarce invent a broader. But if we add that of M. Wotton, who tells us, That sin is remitted as soon as committed, Wotton in his answer to the popish art. p. 41. the faithful person having received the remission of all his sins past, present, and future together; we shall see such a flood gate opened to all kind of vice & villainy, that I think the very great Devil of hell would have been ashamed by himself, to have published either in print or in pulpit such a Libertine Position, if it had not been under the mask and vizard of a Minister called M. Wotton. Of the spirit of Carnality, I am very loath to speak any thing for fear of offending your chaste & modest ears; but seeing our Protestants are so familiar with this foul spirit, the matter is of great importance, to see them so drowned in this filth as they are, which is so opposite to the pure spirit of God, as one contrary can be to another. Therefore I would desire your patience although you hear somewhat contrary your own Noble Dispostion, seeing it cannot but redound to the great confusion of all our modern Novellists, and to the great good of others. And to begin. They allow and prove Luth. tom 9 de Ma●rimonio fol. ●18. that Fornication, Adultery, and Polygamy is lawful. Fornication is taught by D. Luther, in calling the maid, if the wife be stubborn, and should refuse. Adultery, according to the example of Assuerus, who married Hester and put away Vasthy; who likewise saith, that if the husband be impotent, the wife may either marry another or with his consent secretly lie with his brother, or some other man. And indeed these new Reformers have been so frantic and mad with this spirit, as to think it no less impossible for a man to live chaste then to fly over the mountain Caucasus. For thus speaks D. Luther: As Luth. in colloq. Germ. cap: de Matrimonio. no man can live (saith he) without meat or dr●nk. so no man can abstain from a woman etc. and the cause is, that we are conceived in a woman, and nourished there, and borne of a woman, fed, and bred of a woman, and thereupon it followeth that we cannot by any means be separated from women. And in the same book he goeth forward thus; Zuinglius tom. 1. fol. 115. Ochin. dial. l. 2. ●ial. 21. p. 200. 204. Luth. de Bigam. Epis. prop. ●2. Idem in Genes 1. 1● Martyr in 1. Cor: 7. S Hierome writeth many things of the tentations of the flesh; Ah, a small matter, A woman, in a man's house may remedy the disease; Eustochium might easily have helped or relieved Hierome in that case. Thus saith he. And could any shameless Ribald, speak more shamefully of God's Servants & holy Saints? Zuinglius & his fellow ministers of the Evangelicall doctrine confess, that they did burn with lustful desires of the flesh, & by means thereof were made insamous before the Congregations. Ochinus, Luther, Peter Martyr, and others playing the part of jews and Turks, allow plurality of wives. Beza was infamous for preferring Beza in sua Creof. pag. ●8. Bolsec. in vita Calu. Andebertus his boy, before Candida his strumpet, & Caluin for his Sodomy at Noyon was branded on the shoulder with a hot burning iron. And this carnal Minister is not ashamed to tell your Honour, that when I style Luther's doctrine licentious and beastly, for allowing in some case, Fornication, and Adultery, I make of a Mole hill, a Mountain. But to be brief, the ministers themselves are Zecanorius lib. de corruptis moribus. not contented with one wife, as confesseth Sylvester Zacanorius saying: O good God, what incredible things have I seen etc. And among many other enormities of Adulteries and Murders, he saith: One of them (he had killed his wife with poison to use other women) being demanded why he had committed so great a crime; he answered, that marriage in Lutheran ministers doth not extinguish wand'ring lusts; although they give such scope of divorce in this matter of marriage, as Libertine Luther saith, that a man may have ten or more wives fled from him, and yet all living. But now go tell these carnal & fleshly D. White in his way to the true Church. p. 395. Tyndall alleged by Fox Act. mon. pag. 1337● Libertines, that Fornication, Adultery, Incest, Polygamy are most grievous sins, and that all such shall be accursed and cast down into the eternal flames of hell fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; presently they will answer out of M. tindal (who was, as D. White writes, a man sent from God to call his people out of Babylon) that Christ hath ordained that there should be no sin but Infidelity, no justice but Faith. And so according to the doctrine (forsooth) of this man of God, Fornication, Adultery, Incest, Polygamy, Sodomy, Murder, and such like, are no sins at all, and therefore not to be feared. Out of Beza, That David by his murder and adultery, did not lose the Holy Beza in Respons. ad Act. colloq. Montisbelg. part. altera pag. 7●. Luth tom. ●. Witt. serm. de 4 Matrimon. fol. 119. Ghost. And out of D. Luther, That sin cannot withdraw them from Christ, although they should commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. And indeed the satisfying of these beastly lusts, in the prime Pillars and chief Protestant Reformers, may be thought to have been one of the principal ends, at which they aimed, when they ran first out of their Cloisters, and Monasteryes, cast off their religious habits, turned renegades from God, Apostates from their sacred and holy Orders, and of vowed Priests became sacrilegious married Ministers, from whom sprouted out this Parson's new trimmed up Congregation, of the which so much he braggeth. Of their spirit of Blasphemy I have spoken elsewhere, as of their tending to Atheism; and therefore, now only I would have your Honour to mark, that these two spirits, are not peculiar to some of the meanest among them, but to such as are esteemed great Rabbins and Apostles of this Congregation, especially if they be compared with this petty Minister, Parson Estwicke For learned Eckhard tells us, that Eckhard. in fasciculo Contro. c. 7. quest. 2. Caluin, Beza. Martyr, Boquinus, Renicherus, & others are become so impudent, as they are not afraid to write, that God is the first, the chief, the willing and decreeing, yea the provoking, creating, efficient and enforcing cause of sins. Out of which doctrine some Reformers prove, that all these Protestants turn God into the Devil. Moreover D. Luther not without blasphemy would have us believe, that christ suffered Luth. in confess. ma●ori de coe●a Domini & lib. de Concuiis part. 2. and died upon the Cross, according to his Divinity. For if I believe (saith he) that only the humane nature of Christ suffered for me, Christ is a base Saviour, not of any great price, or value, yea he himself needeth a Saviour. Hence Zuinglius exclaimeth, This can by Zuingl. tom. 2. in respon ad Luth. confess f. 458 469. 470. & in resp. ad Luth. l. de sacra. f. 411. 401. 337. Ibidem. p 401. no reason be explained or excused: for Luther clearly and manifestly confesseth, that he will not acknowledge Christ to be his Saviour, if only his humanity had suffered. He calleth him also Martion, and saith, he is guilty of most high blasphemy against the nature and essence of God. And elsewhere, against Luther he writeth thus: If thou contumeliously go on in this sentence, that the humanity of Christ jesus, is essentially and corporeally present wheresoever is his divinity, God willing we will bring thee to these straits, that either thou shalt be forced to deny the whole Scripture of the new Testament, or to acknowledge Marcions heresy. This I say in good faith, we promise we will do. Again, D. Bilson tells us, That the Protestants D. Bilson in his survey p. 467. Idem in praefat. p. 466. 474. & defence. pag. 126. 122. Bilson pag. 490 defen. pag. 134. Bills. pag. 496. 486. defence. pag. 131. 136. Bill. pag. 497. 503. defence. pag. 197. 138. Bills. p. 55. defence. pag. 141. Bills. pag 517. defence. pag. 142. Parks ep. dedicat. & pag. 1●9. & sect. 20. clear not Christ from sin. It was rife in the pulpits and usual in the Catechisms (saith he) that the death of Christ jesus on the Cross, and his blood shed for the remission of our sins, were the least cause and means of our Redemption. And rejecting further these Protestants doctrines thus he relateth them, Christ's will was contrary to God's will; Christ in his agony knew not Gods will; Christ was forsaken both in body and soul; Christ suffered hell torments; Christ suffered the pains of hell; Christ suffered the death of the soul; the death of the soul is such pains and sufferings of God's wrath, as always accompany them that are separated from the grace and love of God; God did forsake Christ. Thus you may see, how our most B. Saviour, Redeemer of mankind, & consequently as well all Christians, as all others, are damned with him by these blasphemous Protestants. Lastly M. Parkes tells us, That the person of Christ is prophanly spoken of; the Scripture is falsifyed to fasten blasphemy upon Christ, heaven & hell, the Divinity and Humanity, yea the very soul and salvation of Christ our Saviour himself is called in question. But to conclude, although it be an artiticle of our Creed, That Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and that he will render to every one according to his works; yet D. Luther most blasphemously vomiteth out this hellish Lu●h. tom 1 Germ. Wittem. fol. 273. §. 3. speech: When Christ comes to thy mind as a judge, which is to command thee to give up the reckonings of thy stewardship, or of thy life now at an end, be thou assured (saith Luther) that he is not Christ, but the Devil himself. To show that they are tormented with the spirit of Atheism, will be witness worthy Zanchius in his epistle before his confesson pag. 7. D. King. upon lonas §. ●2. pag. 442. D. Whitguift. in his defence ●ract. 3. c. ●. p. 278. Zanchius, who affirmeth, That among other monsters, Atheism hath been fetched out of hell, by the Ministers of Satan, in some of the reformed Churches. And Doctor King late Bishop of London, saith: So fare is it off, that we are become true Israelits with Nathanael or but almost Christians with Agrippa, that we are proved fully Atheists. To whom we may add D. Whitguife Bishop of Canterbury, who tells us in plain terms, That the Church of England is replenished with Atheists. And that they want not the Devil to teach & instruct them, & to be as it were a familiar friend with them, to make them acquainted Hosp. in hist. Sacrament. part. altera fol. ●●●. Courad. Riss. lib. Germ. contra joan. Hessi. de C●●a lib. ●. with all these former spirits, they will not deny themselves. For Hospinian saith, That Luther being taught by the Devil, that the Mass was wicked, and being overcome with Satan's arguments, did thereupon abandon the Mass. And another Protestant tells us, That Luther bought a familiar Devil of Carolostade for four shillings. And Luther himself blusheth not to speak thus: The Devil sleepeth nearer and oftener by me, Luth. in Collo. men● f. 271. 275. than my Katherine; and Satan favoureth me much more than he doth others. He also tells us, That the cause why the sacramentaries do not understand the Scripture, is, Luth. in colloq. de vero Deo pag 33. Luth in colloq. Prank. f. 18. S●hlussel. in prafat lib. de Theol. Ca●uinist. because they want the true opponent, to wit the Devil, who at length is wont to teach them very well: for when we have not such a Devil hanging about our necks (saith Luther) we are nothing but speculative Divines. But Conradus tells us, that for all this the Caluinists or sacramentaries do not want the Devil for their master and suggester: For it is certain (saith he) that the sacramentaries do destroy and overthrew the Testament of the son of God, with dreams suggested unto them by the black Devil. And again, D Luther saith: That we are held captive by the Devil, as by our Prince and God, so that we are forced to do what soever he will, and Luth. tom. 3. Germ. jen f. 247. Luth. in colloq. mensal. de oper: Dei p. 49. Vide concio. Luth. de Domin. loeta●e inter 27. concio. Wittem. & Argent. impress. 46 fol. ●8. suggesteth unto us. Hear you see how Luther makes no bones, to challenge the Devil for his God. And in another place: I know not whether I teach truth or no (saith he) for very often Satan doth assault me, and oppress me so violently, as altogether I forget Christ. I have the Diveill within me, and I know him in his skin, because he hath eaten more than a bush●l● of salt with me: he is wont to walk with me in the Dormitory; and especially I have two pleasant Devils who are Doctors of Divinity in this College, and observers of all my actions. Moreover he was so devout to the Devil, In colloq. ●nensal. Germ. fol. 281. 285. as he was wont to pray to him in this manner, saying: O holy Satan, pray for us, for we have never offended thee, O most clement Devil. Conradus also tells us, That the spirit of the Caluinists is the spirit of darkness, and that Satan doth speak by the Caluinists, as by his own instruments. And again, Conrade. l. 3. Ther. Calu. art. 8. Conrade. ibid. in proaem. Osiand. in Euchir. count. Calu. pag. 267. That it is more clear than the Sun shining at midday, that not the true God but the Devil himself, did suggest to Zuinglius the Sacramentary heresy in a dream. And Osiander likewise saith, Let any godly or friendly Reader think what deadly poison Satan doth power out into men, under the Caluinian doctrine, by which almost all Christianity is overthrown. And another famous Protestant called jezlerus, would have us know, That the Lutherans call the Zwinglians convinced Heretics, devilish, jezler. lib. de diutur. belli Euch. p. 93. of every side possessed, above, before, behind, within and without with Devils; to be numbered ●mong Anabaptists, Nestorians, Arrians, Turks; to be the wickedest men that live upon the earth; & ● to be damned for all eternity. And to conclude, another Protestant called joannes Schutz hath published in print; that Schutz. in ●o. cause. in praefat. the sect of the sacramentaries is a certain sink● into which many heresies flow; the last wrath o● Satan the which he stirring up in his rage, dot● exercise against Christ and his Church. Of this sect M. Zuinglius and Caluin were prime pillars whose deaths were answerable to their lives. For of Vldricke Zuinglius his state and death, to whom the Devil suggested the Sacramentary heresy, D. Luther having condemned him for a● Heretic, accounts him blessed that stands not in his way, and exhorteth every one to fly his books, no otherwise then the poison of the Devil of hell. He is a man (saith he) so unto ward, that he hath lost Christ wholly: and I confess (saith D. Martin) Tom. 2● 80 de Aduero, ingenuously, that I cannot place him now amongst Christians; he teacheth no article of faith truly, & is seven times worse than when he defended the Pope's faith and Religion. God is a just judge, & his judgements are right, who suffereth not the blasphemers & contemners of his word to go unpunished, but to perish miserably. And lastly, to the end he might bring others to his error, he went to war, and there was slain and died like a thief. And Franciscus Stancarus his censure of Caluin is this. Beware (saith he) Christian Reader, Stane. lib. 4. contra Caluin. N6 4. and chief all you Ministers: I say, beware of Caluins' books, and especially of the articles of the Trinity, Incarnation, and Mediator, of the Sacrament of Baptism, and Predestination; for they contain impious doctrines, Arian blasphemies, that it seemeth the spirit of Seruetus who was burnt, (according to the Platonists opinion) hath passed into john Caluin. And Sclusse●●urge a Superintendent, and one of the most famous men, that ever were among the Lutherans, saith: God that woul● not be mocked by men, hath showed his judgement i● Schlus. ● 2. art. 9 Theol. Cal●in. f. 72. this world against Caluin, visiting him by the scourge of his fury, and horribly punishing him before the day of his death: for he struck this Sacramentary Heretic in such sort, as he died desperate swearing and calling upon the Devil, to whom he gave up hi● wicked Ghost. But now, if this Protestant Assembly by the Protestants own confession, be a Congregation stuffed with the spirit of Heresy, of Lying, and Railing, against all kind of people, friends and foes, Peers, Prelates, and Princes; a Congregation swelling with Lucifer-like Pride in the highest degree, teaching the basest miscreant in it to perfer himself in matters of faith, before all Doctors, all Fathers, all general Counsels and all Churches, and in sanctity of life; although they be truly nothing else, but a mere mass and puddle of iniquity (as Caluin saith) to equal themselves to the greatest Saints that ever were, the Apostles, and the mother of God; a Congregation taught doubtless by the suggestion of Satan, to contemn all laws of whatsoever sort, both humane and divine; a Congregation infected with the spirit of all kind of liberty, lechery, and lewdness of life, and yet assecuring the followers of it, to be as sure and certain of their Predestination, justification & Salvation, as Christ himself; a Congregation loaden with horrible Blasphemies, and reproachful speeches, against Christ our Saviour, and the living God; replenished with Atheists, and fraught with Devils, & so many kinds of unclean spirits: If, I say, this Protestant Congregation be such an Assembly, as they themselves do acknowledge and confess; I wonder that this Parson was not ashamed to be so senseless, and without brains, as to invite your Honour to be a member thereof. FINIS.