Friar john Francis of Nigeon in France.  
A Replication to that lewd answer, which Friar john Francis (of the Minims Order in Nigeon nigh unto Paris in France) hath made to a Letter, that his Mother caused to be written, and sent to him out of England, in August. 1585. Whereunto is annexed an answer, to that which the same Friar hath written to his father and mother: in defence, and to the praise of that Religion, which he doth now profess: and to the dispraise and defacing of that Religion, which is now professed in England. Whereof the Friar himself was a Scholar and professor, until the year 1583. which was the 18. year of his age. (⸪)  
Written by Robert Crowley. Anno. 1586.  
AT LONDON. Printed by John Charlewoode, dwelling in Barbican, at the sign of the half Eagle and the Key.   

To all such Gentlemen, as being English borne, have Romish hearts, and do favour the Romish Catholic Religion: and especially, such amongst them as do inhabit in the Counties of Sussex and Hampshyre, and about London.  
wishing well to the Common weal of my nature Country, and to the Church of Christ in this our English nation. I have in my younger days taken some pains, & have been at some charges (and yet am) in the education of some such young Scholars, as have seemed to be likely to prove profitable members, in this Church, or Common weal of England. Amongst whom, one Samuel Debnam was one. His Father and Mother are yet living, and do by their honest labour sustain their own bodies, and according to their ability, they do help to relieve the impotent and needy. This Samuel was their eldest and first borne Son, and their hope was that he should have been the staff of their age. And because the mother was my servant in the time of her virginity, my wife became Godmother to that young babe, and (as the custom of the Church is) undertook for him at the Fountain of Regeneration: which moved both her and me to have (together with his natural Parents) an especial care for his good education. He prospered in learning, and was like in time, to have proved a profitable member of the English Common weal. Yea some gifts that he had received from God, seemed to be somewhat rare in one of his years: and that did puzzle him up and make him proud. I did then begin to fear, that which is now come to pass. For (as sirach hath written Chap. 10,) Initium superbiae hominis, apostatare a Deo: quoniam ab eo qui fecit illum, recessit cor eius. The beginning of man's pride, is to fall away from GOD: for his heart is departed from him that hath made him. This pride was it that caused him to hearken to such amongst you, as first enticed him to forsake his Parents, and other friends, in so undutiful manner as he did, on Monday▪ which was the eight day of Apryll. 1583. In answering Letters that his Mother caused to be written to him the 28. day of August, 1585. He writeth that he was lodged not far from London, the same night that he stepped away from his Father and her: and shortly after, he was (as he saith) conveyed by night, a mile of from London, where he stayed three weeks. And on May day in the Morning, early, he was set on horseback, and conveyed into Suffer, and so into Hampshyre, where he had maintenance till the Even of S. James the Apostle. etc. At his departing from London, good Gentlemen (as he termeth them) gave him money, to the value of forty or fifty shillings, to bring him over the Seas. By these things it appeareth manifestly, how unfréendly you popish Gentlemen are, to the Crown and Common weal of England. Can you work any greater displeasure, to the Crown & Common weal of England: then to rob them both of the young fry, that is likely to be the continuance of this, and the beginning of the next generation? This youth, being about the age of eighteen years, was meet to be employed to that kind of life, wherein he might have been most like to do best service to God, his Prince and his native Country. But see what you have done▪ you have caused him to be reconciled to the Romish Catholic Church▪ which is to be a sworn enemy, to the Crown and Common weal of this his, and your native Country. You have rob our Prince of her Subject, and service that she might and ought to have had of him, as of one borne with in her dominions. You have rob a poor father and mother of their son and only child: the staff of their age, their greatest treasure in this world, their only hope of posterity, and of that gift of God, which by natural Order hath been most pleasant and delectable to them, and should have been most profitable, you have rob me, and the rest that have taken pains, and have bestowed of our goods upon him▪ in the nourishing and bringing of him up, to that estate wherein you found him: and in making him able to do some service in the Common weal of our Country: you have (I say) rob us of all this, & of that hope which we had to see him a profitable member of the Church of Christ in England. you have rob him of that benefit, which a natural English man, may▪ and ought to enjoy within the English dominions. yea, & as much as in you may be: you have rob him of that inheritance, which Christ Jesus hath bought for him, for you have persuaded him, that not Christ Jesus, but the Romish Antichrist, is the way that leadeth into that inheritance. you have taught him to leave the study of the scriptures, and not to look upon. or to give credit unto those writings, that men of sound judgement have left behind them, concerning the true interpretation of the scriptures, but to believe all that the Romish Catholic Church believeth▪ holdeth, and teacheth: although he do neither know what the belief of that Church is, neither how it may be warrented or defended by the scriptures, when it is known yea, although it do surpass and excel man's understanding: yet it must be believed, only because the Romish Catholic Church doth believe it. Seynt Peter was of an other mind, when he wrote thus: Dominum Christum sanctificate in cordibus vestris, parati semper ad satisfactionem omni poscenti vos rationem, de ea quae in vobis est spe. Sanctisy the Lord Christ in your hearts being always prepared, to satisfy every one that shall ask you a reason of that hope that is in you. 1. Pet. 3.  
Our saviour Christ said, Scrutamini Scripturas, Search the scriptures, john. 5. yea, and talking with two of his Disciples in the way toward Emaus He proved the necessity of his death and resurrection, by the scriptures. Luk. 24. The Jews which dwelled in B●rrhaea, searched the scriptures daily, to see if that were true that the Apostles preached. Acts. 17. But you have taught, this proselyte of yours, to believe all that the romish Catholic Church teacheth: although the same be directly contrary to the scriptures. As to make and worship Images, to call upon Angels and saints, to repose trust in the worthiness of his own works, to make himself a Mediator in suffering for the sins of his Parents and Country men, to have an opinion of holiness, in refraining the use of God's good creatures, which are all holy, and to be received with thanks to God for the use of them, to kiss and worship the Relics of saints, to believe the real presence of Christ's body in the Sacrament of the Altar, to make that Sacrament a sacrifice propi●iatorie for the sins of the quick and the dead. etc. To conclude, if the Romish Catholic Church do teach it, he must believe it, although both reason and scripture do deny it. Into this miserable blindness▪ you have (by your allurements and persuasions) brought many youths, that might, and were like to have done, good service to God and their Prince, in their native Country. you have caused them to shake of, all dutiful obedience to God, to their Country, to their Prince, to their parents, and to all that have been their fosterers and bringers up, in learning, and in religious exercises. you have plunged them into the puddle of all popish superstition, and counterfeited religion. you have stolen them from our Captain Christ, and made them soldiers to fight against Christ, under the banner of that Antichrist of Rome. Thus your proselyte hath reported, in the discourse of his peregrination: that he was in Rheims in France, 17. months together in company with two hundredth English men (almost) & lacked nothing: which argueth, that some good portion of your patrimony, is spent in the maintenance of such English youths, as you have conveyed thither, and to other places beyond the Seas.  
I will charge you no further. Take heed to yourselves in time. Consider that there is a God, that seeth your doings, and knoweth your intents. He will not suffer such doings unpunished for ever. If you think that the religion that is now allowed of in this Realm, by law, be not Catholic, seek your resolution at the hands of such as are learned in the tongues, in the liberal arts, in the writings of ancient fathers, and in the scriptures, and are your Countrymen, & occupied in the service of God, & this our common country. Such are able, and will be ready to confer with you, and by their knowledge in the scriptures, Doctors, arts and tongues, to satisfy you: and undoubtedly, if you will humbly crave it of God, ye shall be satisfied. Remember your duty towards GOD, your duty towards your prince, your duty towards your Country and Countrymen.  
Repent purpose and endeavour to amend that which you have done amiss. Help to bring home again such as by your means have been occasioned to stray from Christ's fold in this our native soil. As you have been means to draw them from Christ: so use what means you can, to bring them back again to Christ's fold in England. If they shall perish in that schism, whereinto you have brought them (as undoubtedly they shall, if they shall end in it,) their blout shallbe required at your hands. When your Seminary men tell you, that we are the Sci●smaticks, and they the Catholics, believe them not, except they prove it, by Scriptures and probable reasons. If we do prove, both by the Scriptures and by probable reasons, that the Church of England is Catholic, and the Romish Church schismatical: why should not you believe us? Because they do know, that if you shall read our writings, you must needs yield to the truth, which you shall see substantially proved by us: they put you in fear of cursing or excommunication, if you shall read any thing that is written by any of us, or if you shall give attentive heed to any Sermons made by us, which argueth that themselves do know, that the truth is on our sides. You are Gentlemen, and by natural and civil order, you are Free men: suffer not yourselves to be led and commanded (as blind and bond men) by these dol●ysh hypocrites, which teach you to submit yourselves to the decrees, precepts, and doctrines of men (which have but a vain show of wisdom) and not to regard the wisdom of God, contained and taught in the holy Scriptures  2. Your calling and estate in the Common weal of this Realm is worshipful▪ and your duty is to be aiding to your Prince, in the execution of the Laws made for the preservation of the state, and defence of the liberty of this English nation: and will you be the ring leaders in the violating of those good Laws, in subverting the state, and in turning the liberty into thraldom and bondage? God forbid. Our good God in his good time, used our noble King Henry the eight (as his mean) by whom he delivered this noble and free kingdom, from the babylonical bondage of Rome: and will you bring yourselves and the whole English nation, into the like bondage again? The same our merciful GOD, hath by the same Noble Prince, and by his Son Edward and Elizabeth his daughter, restored to this English nation, the bright shining light of the Gospel, and will you bring upon yourselves and upon us, and upon all our posterity, the palpable Egyptian darkness of Ignorance, the mother, nurse, and continual fosterer of all error and wiched life? God forbid. You are English men, God give you English hearts, that may never yield to be governed by foreign power. You be christian men: God give you christian hearts, that may never yield to profess Antichristian Religion. Suffer not yourself to be blinded by their colours of antiquity, universality, and uniformity. For when their antiquity is compared with ours, it is found to be but of yesterdays hatching: where ours is proved to have had continuance from the time of the first man. Their universality was never so large as the Roman Monarchy: but ours, hath always been, and still is, and ever shallbe, as large as the whole world. Their uniformity, is divided, themselves do scarcely know into how many several sects, whereof not any two can be found that do agree in all points: but we being but one body and one spirit▪ are called in one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one Baptism: One God and father of all, which is above all, throughout all things, and in us all. ●phe. 4. I pray you vouchsafe to read with indifferent judgement, that which I have written in my Replication and answer, to that which Friar John Fra●ncis of Nigeon in France, hath written to his Father and Mother. And as he hath admonished in the margin of his letter, no less than seventeen tunes, Read it through, or begin it not: even so have I set at the head of every page, Read all: or read nothing. I have set down the friars words even as he wrote them, and as I have them to show, in that Letter which he wrote with his own hand, not altering or leaving out, or adding (to my knowledge) one word, syllable or letter. If any amongst the learned Romish Catholics, shall vouchsafe to read that which I have written: and shall think himself able to disprove that which I have done: let the same deal with me as I have dealt with Friar John, and I hope I shallbe able so to reprove his disproof so, that he shall (in the end) wish he had let my writings pass without disproof. For Friar John hath so quickened mine aged spirits, that I seem to myself, able to try this matter by writing, even with the stoutest Champion that the Pope hath. And if Friar John, or any of his Fraternity, (yea if it be the Pope Sixtus quintuses himself, which as I hear, was a Franciscane Friar) shallbe able to prove by Scriptures and probable reasons, that the Romish Religion (which now is professed in Rome) is Catholic, and that the Religion now professed in England is schismatical: then will I creep into a Minims weed in Nigeon, and whip myself with a discipline, as Friar John doth now whip himself there. Otherwise, if any shall enterprise to disprove my writings, and shall not do it substantially, to my disproof indeed: I will do what I shall be able to do, in helping him to some whipping cheer in our Bridewell, if ever he may be caught in England. Far you well, from my house without Creplegate of London, the sixth of August. Anno Domini. 1586.  
Your well-willer, Robert Crowley, Clarke.   

❧ Read all: or Read nothing.  Crowley. 
WHen your mother showed me your Letters of the xvii. of March● last passed: I did call to mind that which I had told her, more than three months before you departed from her. Which was, that I saw in you such signs of Arrogancy, that I thought you to be a meet stock to graff a Papist upon. In reading of those your Letters, I perceived that I was not deceived in that my conjecture. This spirit of Arrogancy beginneth to show itself, even in the beginning of those your Letters: for you disdain to use those dutiful speeches, that natural children ought to use, when they write to their natural Parents. You seem to be persuaded, that you abase yourself enough (yea & overmuch) to write thus to such Parents as they be.  The Friar. 
Well-beloved Father and mother, after my hearty commendations which I have unto you, these are to certify you, that I have received your Letter, dated the xviii. of August.  Crowley. 
If you had written to the meanest amongst them that have been your playfellows, you must either have passed the bounds of civil honesty, or else have used as reverent speeches as these be. But did your Arrogant spirit suffer you to stay here? no. For your Parents are so vile in your sight, and in comparison of yourself, that you must needs write thus.  The Friar. 
Were your Prayers any thing worth, I would thank you: for that you pray unto God to bless me, and to endue me with the grace of his holy spirit, as also to lighten my heart, to the end that I may understand the troth. Were (as I said before) your prayers any thing worth, I would thank you heartily for these your wishings: but alas, they being such as they seem to be, scarcely can I keep myself from tears.  Crowley. 
If Lucifer himself (who is noted to be the father of pride) should have written to his dam, could he have used words of greater Arrogancy? You have forgotten (I think) that commandment of God, which you did once know, & did acknowledge before a great congregation of Christians in my Church at Crepiegate. Honour thy father & thy mother etc. You remember not the saying of Syrache, in his 3. Chap. Qu● timet dominum, honorat parents: et quasi dominis seruiet hijs qui se genuerunt. He that feareth the Lord, doth honour his Parents, and doth service to them that begat him, even as though they were his Lords. And again, Quam malae famae est, qui derelinquet Patrem: & est maledictus a Deo, qui exasperate matr●. How evil a report hath he, that forsaketh his Father? And he that vexeth his mother, is accursed of God. Yea and in the same Chapter he saith, even immediately after those words that I have cited before, In opere, et sermone, et omni patientia honora patrem tuum etc. Honour thy father in deed and in speech, and in all patience, that blessing from God may come upon thee etc. The Father's blessing doth establish the houses of the Children, but the mother's curse doth root out the foundations thereof. Yea, and Solomon saith in the 15. of his Proverbs Stultus irridet disciplin●m patr●s sui. etc. The foolish man doth deride the discipline of his father etc. And again: Stultus homo despicit matrem suam. The foolish man despiseth his mother. These sayings written in the Scriptures, were far out of your mind, both when you hearkened to these Counsellors that first advised you, to leave your father and mother in such sort as you have done, and ever since (as may be gathered by that which you have written in your Letters directed to them) but I conjecture, that you will stay yourself upon the words of our Saviour Christ, written by the Evangelist Math. 19 Qui re●querit domum, vel fratres, aut sorores, aut Patrem, aut matrem▪ aut uxorem, aut f●lios. aut agros propter nomen m●um: centuplum accip 〈…〉, & v●●am aeternam possidebit. Who so shall forsake house, or brethren or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or child, or friends for my name sake, shall receive an hundredth fold and possess life everlasting. But will you know what chrysostom writeth upon this place? Qui perdit animam suam propter me, inveniet eam: non ut nosmetipsos interimamus, neque ut animam nostram violenter a corpore disiungamus: sed ut religionis pietatem, caeteris omnibus anteferamus. It a de uxore quoque, ac fratribus intelligendum est. Who so looseth his own life for me, shall find it: not that we should kill ourselves, neither that we should violently separate our own soul from our body, but that we should prefer the godliness of Religion before all the rest. Even so must we understand that which is spoken of the wife and brethren. Now, if those words of our Saviour, written by S. Matthew do not enforce you to kill yourself, why should they cause you to leave your father and your mother, in such sort as you have done, the staff of whose age you should have been, if you had been careful to do as once you confessed in my Church, that by God's law you are bound to do. That is, to love, honour, and secure your father and mother, to obey them and serve them, to fear and reverence them, not only in word and deed, but in your heart and mind also. To follow their precepts and examples of life, & patiently to take correction at their hands, and to make continual and hearty prayers to God for them. To relieve and nourish them, in case they should fall into poverty or decay. And in all points by showing yourself an obedient and good child, to move them to be loving and good to you. All this you confessed in my Church before many witnesses, which shall in the day of judgement be a testimony against you, to condemn you of wilful Apostasy, and a witness to discharge your father and mother, (and all others that have had the education of you) of all manner negligence, in instructing you in the knowledge of your duty, both towards God, and towards man. So that if you perish, your blood shallbe upon your own head alone. You proceed in your answer, and thus you say.  The Friar. 
You writ furthermore unto me, that you have made great inquiry after me. I know it well. I was in fear great enough by reason of that inquiry, as long as I was in England, although (that God be thanked) I have, though hardly, escaped your hands.  Crowley. 
In these words you make known to as many as shall read this your answer, both the dutiful care that your good parents had to preserve you (their wicked son) from destruction both of body and soul: and also your own wilful determination, to cast yourself headlong into that Gulf of perdition, that you are now fallen into. Yea, and that you are of that number that Esay the Prophet bewaileth, when he writeth thus in the 5. chap, V aequidicitis malum bonum, & bonum malum: ponentes tenebras lucem, & lucem tenebras, ponentes amarum in dulce, & dulce in amarum. Alas for them that call evil good, and good evil. Affirming darkness to be light, and light to be darkness, turning sour into sweet, and sweet into sower. The bright shining light of the knowledge of the truth, which doth now shine in England, you call the darkness of ignorance and error: and the hell-like darkness of Popery, wherein you do now wander, groping after the way of Salvation, you call light, showing yourself to be one of them that are noted by our English Proverb. They that be in hell, do persuade themselves, that there is none other heaven. Moreover you say thus.  The Friar. 
You heard that I was at Rheims: it is very certain, I was there, the reason also wherefore I writ not unto you, was partly the scarcity of messengers, and partly other things, which here I can not well rehearse. Again, I could not write unto you conveniently, because I doubted whether you were alive or dead.  Crowley. 
The report of your being at Rheims, you say was true, which argueth that it was rather the lack of good will in you, to comfort your sorrowful parents by your dutiful Letters, than the lack of messengers that stayed your pen. What the other lets were, which here you can not well rehearse: I hope you will tell us at some other time more convenient, and when it shall not be so dangerous for you, as now it is. And being by these Letters (that you confess you have received) certified that your Parents are living, that doubt that you spoke of can no longer be any let at all. Proceeding in your answer, you say thus.  The Friar. 
You writ again unto me, that all my friends are in good health, to tell you the troth, I know not any one friend amongst you.  Crowley. 
Bona verba queso. Good sir, be good to Watkin. What not any one friend amongst us all? There are many yet living, that have been your friends I am sure of it. As your father, your mother, myself, my wife (your Godmother) Master Moncaster, sometime your Schoolmaster, Master Field, Master Doctor Fulke, master Paul Swallow, and many more that were your Mecaenates in Cambridge: and how happeneth it, that all these be now blotted out of your catalogue of friends? By all likelihood, all the benefits that have been bestowed upon you, have been written in dust and not in Marble. Your Grandmother, that being your mother's midwife, lapped you in the first swaddling clow●s that ever you bepyssed, and did unto you all the office of a midwife: was she not your friend? your mother that yet liveth, and during the time of your infancy, gave you suck of her own breast, and fed you with food meet for you, when sometimes she spared it out of her own body, was she not then your friend? when she continued your Nurse, and did unto you all that is to be done by a Nurse, and when by your wraling and crying you had gotten a Rupture in the neither part of your belly, she sought and procured means to ease and remedy the same▪ by trusses and otherwise, was she not then your friend? I could put you in mind of much more friendship showed unto you, by us a 'bove named, and by many more, but all is buried in oblivion so deep that it is not possible that the same canbe digged up again, in such sort that you can be moved to acknowledge the same. Your new Friends are so settled in your conceit, that all the old are blotted out of memory for ever. You regard not the Counsel of Syrach who writeth thus, Cap. 9 Ne derelinquas amicum antiquum, novus ●nim non erit similis illi. Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like him etc. Well, you proceed in your answer, and thus you say.  The Friar. 
As for my brother Aaron, I beseech our Lord & saviour jesus Christ by the merits of his bitter death and passion, to have mercy upon his soul, as also upon yours, and to save you all at the day of judgement.  Crowley. 
I do like well of this your charitable wish: and do wish the like salvation to you, and to all the rest of your new friends. But now you do use a speech by the figure Apostrophe. And thus you writ in the margin of your Letters.  The Friar. 
Brother Aaron, leave the Religion wherein you were at my departure from you: and if that you can by any means come on this side the seas, come to Paris in France, and ask after the Minims Friars at Nigeon, so shall you find me. If that you come to me, leave your naughty Religion, & care for no more. And counsel also my father and mother, to do as you do (or as I hope will do.)  Crowley. 
This ghostly counsel that you give to your brother Aaron, and do wish that he should give the same to your father and mother, will not (I hope) be followed in haste. That Religion that you call naughty, and will your Brother Aaron to leave: shall (I hope) be proved in this my discourse, the right Religion of Christ, and your Roman Religion, mere Antichristian. Now to put your mother out of doubt, that you are her son Sammuell in deed, you write thus.  The Friar. 
And forasmuch as you have written to me, that you will not give credit to word of mouth, or to written Letters, except that I writ your name (being my mother) and the place of my birth, let these suffice to set your heart at rest. I was borne (as you have told me) in Essex, brought up and nourished (in heresy) in London, or in the suburbs. Your name is Catharine Maipeston▪ by reason of marriage, you are called Catherine Debnam. I had a brother named nathanael (as you told me) and he is dead being an infant. Moses and Tobias are also dead, with both my sisters Abigael, & Christian, (upon whose souls Christ jesus have mercy.) Aaron was a live when I departed from you, unto whom, as also unto you my mother & to my father John Debnam, I beseech Christ give life everlasting. Thus much for the answer of that Letter which you sent me, written (as I think) by Master King's man the Scrivener.  Crowley. 
The careful heart of your mother, desired certain knowledge of the case of her fugitive son: supposing it had not been possible for a nigh natural son, being a live, in any part of the known world, to hide himself so long from so loving a mother as she hath been to you: and therefore she wished to be certified in such sort, as now she is by these your Letters. But sir, the consideration of duty towards your mother, should have moved you to have used more dutiful speeches than you have done in this part of your answer. Set your heart at rest, savoureth of contempt of that person that you writ unto (whom God commandeth you to honour) and of an obstinate purpose and determination, never to have any such regard unto her, as christian children ought to have unto their Parents, so long as they shall be in this transitory life. It seemeth to me that you have forgotten all that you learned in the School of Christ, and have learned a new lesson in the Pharisaical School at Rheims: that is (as it may be thought) to shake of all courtesy, both in speech and behaviour towards Parents, and currishly to answer Corban. Mark. 7. You were borne in Essex: but will you know by what occasion? Your father and mother dwelled then in the suburbs of London: but the house that they then had, was not furnished with things needful for a woman in the travel of child, and therefore your Grandmother being a midwife, took your mother home to her house at Waltam in Essex. And that as I suppose by God's providence, that the babe that then was borne, might rightly be termed an Essex Calf, and that our English Proverbial speech might rightly be applied unto him (As wise as Waltams Calf that ran nine miles to suck a Bull▪) You heard tell of the Pope's Bull that Felton fixed to the Bishop of London's gates, and like a Waltams Calf you ran to Rheims, and (by your own confession) would have run to Rome, if you had not been letted, by I know not what mean, but by God's providence I am assured, that your folly might the more easily be made known unto us out of France, and that you may in shorter space, and with less danger return to England again when God shall open your eyes, and let you see, how unwisely and like a Waltams Calf you have dealt. You were brought up and nourished you say, in Heresy, in London, or in the Suburbs thereof. As touching this heresy, that you say you were brought up and nourished in: I say with S. Paul Acts. 24. Confiteor autem hoc tibi, quod secundum sectam quam dicunt haeresim, sic deseruio patrio Deo meo: credens omnibus quae in l●ge & Prophetis scripta su●t▪ spem habens in Deum, quam et by ipsi expectant, resur● rectionem futuram, justorum & iniquorum. In hoc & ipse studeo, sine offendiculo, conscientiam habere ad Deum, & ad homines semper. I confess this unto you, that according to that s●ct which men call heresy, I do humbly serve the God of my fathers: believing all that is written in the Law and the Prophets: having hope in God, which hope even they themselves do look for, that a resurrection shallbe, both of the just and of the wicked. And herein I myself do endeavour, to have always a conscience, both towards God, and towards men. This is that heresy that you were brought up and nourished in, in London, and in the Suburbs thereof. But I pray you (good master Friar john) was S. Paul an Heretic? Are your father and mother Heretics? Was Robert Smith, that first taught you to know Letters (and is now gone to God) an Heretic? Am I an Heretic that first taught you to know the Rules of Grammar, and taught you and fed you at mine own charges, more than seven years first and last? Are all our Rulers, and we of the English nation Heretics, and our whole kingdom heretical, because we refuse to fall down with you, and worship the purple whore of Rome, that rideth upon the Rose coloured beast? When God shall make your green wit riper, and your fléeting judgement deeper, I hope you evil recant that rash saying of yours. I was brought up and nourished in heresy. Your mother's Orator before marriage, you mistake, for she was not daughter to Maipeston but to Myllis, and is now by marriage called Catherine Debnam. Your brethren and sisters, were as you have written: and are all departed this life, saving only Aaron. And as many as know you, have just cause to wish, that as you were the first borne, so you had been the first buried. But God hath otherwise appointed it? we do therefore refer all to his will, being well assured that the end shall be to his glory, although (we fear) to your everlasting confusion. But what mean you to crave mercy for the souls of your brethren and sisters departed? do you think that God took them out of this miserable life so speedily, that he might cast them into your holy father the Pope's scalding house, which you call Purgatory? Did you never read the words written in the 3. Chap. of Wisdom, I ustorum animae in man● Dei su●t: et non tanget illos tormentùm mortis. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. Again in the fourth Chap. I ustus autem si morte praeoccupatus fuerit: in refrigerio erit. If the just person shall be prevented by death, he shallbe in a place of refreshing. And again in the same Chap▪ Raptus est, ne malicia mutaret intellectūm eius: aut ne fictio deciperet animamillius. He was taken away violently, least malice should change his understanding, or least counterfeited holiness should deceive his soul. If you will consider well, those sayings of that wise man, you shall have cause to think, that your brethren and sisters departed, are not in such case now, that they should stand in need of greater mercy, than Christ Jesus hath already showed unto them. But more of this: when I shall come to speak of these words of yours. You say that we are fools to pray for the dead. Your Brother Aaron (you say) was living at that time when you did so undutifully departed from your mother (but he is now dead) to whom as to your Father and mother, you beseech Christ to give life everlasting. A good and charitable petition. I wish the same to you, and to all others whatsoever: knowing that none can have everlasting life, otherwise then by God's free gift, thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. But yourself and men of your sort, may not acknowledge any such free gift, for that you do (by your often and long prayers, your holiness and austerity of life, and your continual fastings, and often scourging of yourselves with your holy whips) deserve this life everlasting, both for yourselves and for others. So that you are become saviours of yourselves, & of as many as do (or will) believe as you do, & teach others to believe. And thus you conclude your answer to the Letter which your mother sent you, written (as you think) by Master King's man, the Scriuner. As touching the writer of that Letter, your conjecture is right. You proceed and say.  Friar. 
I am now to certify you, of my state, welfare, & abiding, & how I am likely to live. First of all therefore, I beseech jesus Christ give you the grace of his holy spirit, unto the intent, that this which I writ, may be to his honour, to your conversion, & your souls health.  Crowley. 
We shall now be certified of your estate, welfare etc. You beseech Jesus Christ to give the grace of his holy spirit to your mother etc. I hope she hath already received so large a measure of that holy spirit, that whatsoever you have, or shall write, shall not be able to remove her from that foundation whereon she is builded: which is the Rock Christ, & that notwithstanding any assaults that you can make, she shall remain still settled upon that Rock, to her soul's health. And that your writings and mine together, shallbe to the honour of Christ Jesus, either in your returning again from your Apostasy, or else in your utter confusion.  
Now you enter into your discourse concerning your departing, your travel and dangers, that you endured and escaped, before you were brought to this blessed rest wherein you now remain: the manner and holiness of the life that you lead there, and have vowed and so purpose to lead, so long as GOD shall give you life upon earth. Last of all, you use an earnest, and (as you think) a pithy Oration, to move your mother to be at distance with that Religion that she now holdeth, and with all the teachers thereof: As Crowley, and the rest: to burn her Books of Sermons, to use the English Bible no more, to go no more to the Sermons of Protestants, but to pray to our blessed Lady, and to hang her faith upon her son samuel's sleeve. And thus your discourse beginneth.  The Friar. 
My departure from you, was upon the Monday (as I remember) after Low Sunday, in the after noon. That night I was lodged, not far from London. Two or three nights after that, I went by night a mile from London. The Saturday before that I departed from you, I went to shrift, (as we call it in England) or in other words, I was at confession, in a place, where I confessed my sins to a Priest, who gave me absolution & penance. The Monday after that, I departed from you, under pretence of the Hebrew Lesson, which the mischievous Heretic Barber taught me: The friday after that, I went by night a mile from London, where I remained in great fear, the space of two or three weeks. There I heard the first mass that ever I heard.  Crowley. 
Concerning the time of your departing from your mother, your going to shrift the saterday before, your lodging so nigh London for the space of two or three nights after your departing, your going by night a mile of from London, your tarrying there for the space of three weeks in great fear, and hearing the first mass that ever you heard the friday after you were gone from your mother, I must pass over, as matter more to be mused at, then to be entreated of in this my discourse. But this seemeth something strange to me, that your ghostly father would absolve you before he had given you penance. By like he was some unskilful penitancer, or else you being yet but a Novice in Popery, have used the figure Hysteron Proteron in making the report. I perceive that I myself, was at your age a much more skilful Papist than you be, and was much more able to defend Popery than you are, or are like to be. In poprie Contrition and confession go before satisfaction, and both must be voluntary, full and unfeigned, and then the ghostly father, & the ghostly child must agree upon penance. For no Popish ghostly father, will or may enjoin his ghostly child▪ any other or greater penance, than himself will acknowledge that he is centented to take and to do. And this seemeth to me yet more strange, that having confessed your sins, and received absolution and penance, & being reconciled on the saterday, you could be partaker of our Communion, on the next day, in company of your mother▪ whose prayers (as you have said before) are nothing worth, because she is not of that society that you were by that ghostly father received into.  
Have Papists now such a privilege, that they may simul●re & dissimulare: counterfeit and dissemble at their pleasure? Christ hath said thus. Whosoever shall deny me before men. I will deny him before my heavenly father, and before all his holy Angels. You have not therefore taken up your Cross to follow Christ (as you seem to be persuaded that you have done) but you have dissembled with Christ and Christians, that you might with less danger of body ●●ippe from them, and follow Antichrist. If I might talk with you mouth to mouth, I would desire to know of you, what manner of sins they were that you confessed to that Priest your ghostly Father. I suppose they were not the stubburnesses & points of disobedience that you from time to time have used in all your behaviour towards your father and mother, and all other your Governors and betters. Neither can I think, that they were the subtle sleights that you have used, in deceiving your father and mother, me, and your Godmother my wife, & others your Tutors, friends, and fellows, or the false lies that you have made, and stoutly faced out, when due proof of that which you had done could not be made. You know what I mean. If you were present. I would be more plain and plentiful in speeches, then in writing I do think if meet to be. To be brief. I can not think that you confessed the transgression of any one of the Commanndements of God. But that you had been at the Sermons of the protestant Preachers, and had heard them, and taken the notes of them, and had framed yourself in some points to follow them, although in very deed but very little. Yea, and that you had not holden & defended to the utter most of your power, the Romish Catholic Religion, but had willingly heard and read, and sometimes yourself uttered, unreverent speeches both by word and by writing, to the derogation of that high dignity of your most holy Father the Pope's holiness, God's Vicar upon earth, and the universal head of the universal Catholic Church of Christ. Yea and in derogation of that holy Order that you yourself do now profess. If I had been with you when you made that confession of your sins. I could have put you in mind of that English Interlude that you wrote, when you last dwelled in my house, wherein you appointed my little kinsman to play one part in the habit of a Friar, with this speech. Deus hic, Deus hic, and God be here, is not this an holy speech for a Friar▪ You confessed I think, that you never took ashes on Ashewensday, nor bear Palm on Palm sunday, nor crept to the cross on good friday, nor fasted on the Ember days, nor on any saints vigil, nor yet on any Friday in the whole year. But I fear me you did forget that blasphemy that in your forenamed Interlude, in that part that you appointed for your fellow John Goughe, in these words, to be spoken in the person of the mother of Christ, in the derogation of the Pope's doings, in that he took upon him to alter the Calendar of the year. The words are these.  

What meaneth this foolish man to prate?  
Now surely I marvel much.  
What doth him cause this wise to chat,  
As though there were none such?  
As he himself throughout the world,  
Upon him so doth take:  
As though that he the heavens and earth,  
And eke the sea did make.  
He changeth my birth day,  
And will my child bed rule at his will:  
Which he shall never bring to pass,  
Whilst world remaineth still.   
If you did in your shrift forget these words of blasphemy, breathed out against your holy father, the Pope's holiness: your confession that you then made was unperfect, and so all that then was done, not worth a dry Walnut. Yea and although you did not forget to confess it, yet if the Priest your ghostly Father, that gave you absolution, had not a more large Commission, then commonly your holy father useth to give to such single sole sir john's as they be, which in these days come from Rome, he had no power to absolve you for so horrible a sin, committed against your holy Fathers own person, his triple crown and dignity. No remedy you must to Rome, for that absolution that you have already received, is not worth the leanest ●owse, that ever crawled in the cowl of a Francisean Friar. But to let these things pass, till you and I shall meet together again, I would gladly know wherein you can note Barber to be so mischievous an heretic. Is it because he taught you a Lesson of the Hebrew tongue? or was it because he did it gratis, and took no reward of your father for his pains taken therein. Surely his meaning was good to you wards, and that reward that you render unto him now, saveureth of too too great ingratitude. A vice that all honest men do abhor. But let this pass also, till Master Barber & you may come to talk together. I doubt not but you shall then 〈…〉 de him more friendly to you, then by those words written by you, you have deserved. I marvel how you could stay your laughter, when you sa●e the gestures and behaviours that the priest used in the first mass that ever you heard. Did you not laugh in your slaeve, to see an old fool, or a young boy (for I know not of what age the Priest that said the mass was) play with a white round cake, as a young Cat useth to play with a Mouse that is more than half dead? Did you not smile within yourself to see him in his players garments, and to use his turns and half turns, his winckings, his staringes, his liftings and his layings down, and in the end the eating up, and his slovenly supping up of all himself, and blessing such as were present with the empty Cup? Or if he did vouchsafe to make you Communicants with him: did you not mark how he gave you Wine, over which he had used no words of conjuration (or as they do term it) consecration, as he had done over the other Wine which he had lifted over his head, and supped up himself? If none of all these things could cause you to laugh or simyle▪ than undoubtedly you had lost that accident which the Logicians call Proprium hominis, An accident proper to man, to be apt to laugh or smile▪ But let us see now what you did on May day, next after your departing from your mother.  The Fryaer. 
From thence I departed upon May day, early in the morning on hor●backe toward Sussex. I was in Sussex and Hampshire three months. Good Gentlemen gave me, when I departed from London, forty or fifty shillings to come over Seas. The danger was so great, and the examinations at the Sea shore so strait, that I knew not what to dog. Again, other lets I had, that I could not take shipping, until the end of lulie well near. All this while (I thank God) I wanted nothing: neither apparel, meat nor drink, nor money. Upon S. james even, I took shipping at midnight, with a Gentleman, a good Catholic, or as you would term him, a Papist, I being a Papist with him. So we two Papists took shipping at Arundel Haven in Sussex, to go to Rome. We were in great hazard of our lives upon the Seas, from Sunday night, until wednesday afternoon. At what time we arrived both in France, at deep in Normandy. From deep we came to Roan in Normand●e, where I stayed a fortnight. After that I came to Paris, (the chiefest City in France) from thence to Rheims, where I stayed a twelvemonth and above. So I traveled in France, before I came to an abiding place, well near fourscore leagues: that is to say, eightscore miles almost. Being at Rheims, I went, (or at the least I should have gone) every day to the morning mass. After which mass, our custom was to break our fast, and after that to go study. I was in the English College at Rheims, where we were well near two hundred English men. I lived there passing well, as concerning meat, drink, and other necessities▪  Crowley. 
By this discourse of your peregrination, it appeareth, that Antichrist hath his friends amongst English men, both in, and about London, and also abroad in other parts of the Realm, and in France also. Good Gentlemen you say, (you should have said, villainous Traitors) gave you money to come over the Seas. Other, (whether Gentlemen or Yeomen, you say not) set you on horseback on May day, early in the morning, and so like men that bore more good will to Autichrist of Italy, then to Christ. and his anointed Deputy in England: conveyed you into Sussex, and Hampshyre, where men of like fidelity towards God, & our Prince and Country, ministered unto you all things necessary, so that the young Romish traitor, and fugitive son, that like a most rebellious Child, had rob his father and mother, of that help and comfort, that both by the Law of God and of nature, all Parents should have at the hands of their sons and daughters, is amongst them so maintained, that for the space almost of three months, he lacketh neither meat, drink, nor money. After all this, a Gentleman, a good Catholic, a Papist (you say) with yourself, a Papist also▪ (a pair of Italian pigeons) took shipping on S. James even at midnight etc. If the queens majesties Officers in Arundel, had borne so good will to her majesty and Country as by oath and allegiance they should have done, your good Catholic Gentleman and you should have been brought back again to London, and not have been in such hazard of your lives at the Sea, as you say you were, from Sunday night, till wednesday after noon. But God will be revenged upon such bribing Officers, as can look thorough their fingers, and suffer such good Catholic Gentlemen as you and your guide were, to pass without examination, contrary to their oath and allegiance to their Prince and Country. Well, you escaped that hazard of your lives, and arrived both in France, at deep, &c: Your travel was great, from deep to Roan, from Roan to Paris, from Paris to Rheims, where you stayed twelve month and more etc. See how much wiser you be then Waltams Calf, that ran nine miles after a Bull to suck him. You say, that you ran well near fourscore leagues, that is almost eightscore miles. And what other cause had you, than such as may rightly be said to be the desire to suck a Bull? At Rheims (you say) you were exceeding well, and lacked no necessities (you should have said, necessaries) being accompanied with two hundredth Englishmen▪ wellnigh. There you did go (or at the least should have gone) to the morning mass every day. Here you give me some occasion to call to mind that saying, Coelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt. They that run over the Sea, do not change their mind but the air. You have always loved your couch so well, that you could not be the first that should arise in the morning. And when you were in Cambridge, it was noted to be a great fault in you, that you would oftentimes pretend sickness, and the grief of your Rupture, so that you could not arise to the morning exercise, but to dinner you could come. So I must think, that though you did in Rheims, sleep out your morrow mass, yet you would not be found slack at breakfast, or (at the least) at dinner▪ And this might be some cause that you were not so well liked of in the College at Rheims, for such as were studious there, must see that your running wit could not settle if self to any grave study. And therefore it was your best way to departed thence, and to hide yourself in a Friars cowl. I remember a speech that Table players do use, when such a chance riseth on the dice that they can not play to any advantage, the party, that did cast the chance useth to say, it is nought. The other that playeth with him useth to answer thus, Then make a Friar of it. This speech was commonly used in England, when the Orders of Friars were in as high estimation in England, as they are new in France. It did spring up of that custom that was then common amongst English men. as it is new in France and other Countries where the Orders of Friars be. An idle Lubber that will not endure any honest labour, will make shift to creep into the habit of a Friar, wherein he may loiter, and be fed by the labour of other men, and by the sweat of other men's faces. Of this more shallbe said, when I have occasion to write of your manner of entering into the profession of your S. Franncis Order. You proceed in your discourse, and thus you say:  The Friar. 
When I had for the space of sixteen of seventeen months dwelled in Rheims, I longed very much to go to Rome in Italy, to the English College that our holy father, the Pope's holiness, maintained there, for the conversion of our miserable Country. To Rome also I had gone, if God of his wonderful grace and mercy, had not otherwise and in better sort prepared for me. In the mean season, I went to visit Churches, to hear masses, to kiss Saints Relics, to pray to God for you and for our Country in Fry●ies, and Monasteries. I liked very well the Grey Friars, the Augustine Friars, the Black Friars, otherwise called Carmelites, the white Friars, and other sorts of Religion, as also the Charterhouse Monks, the Black Monks and others. Whilst that I did thus take pleasure in visiting Fryeties & Abbeys, Nunneries & such other devout places: it pleased God to touch my hard heart, and to mollify it with the tears of devotion. To be brief, I took in mind to leave study, and to forsake the life of a Scholar, which I led at the English College, and to make myself a Friar or a Monk, as others did. I sought therefore by all means possible▪ of mine own free will, no man constraining me, to leave the world or worldly things, and be a Religious man. I knew not whether it were best for me to be a Charterhouse Monk, or a Minime Friar. Which Fririe of Minims, is an extreme strait kind of life, as afterward you shall hear.  Crowley. 
Your sickle wit appeareth still more and more. You were very well (you say) in the College at Rheims: yet after seventeen months abode there, you longed very much to go to Rome in Italy, by like the exercise of learning in Rheims, was greater than your idle head could away with, and therefore you longed so greatly to go to Rome, in hope to find a more idle life there. To go from place to place, from Friary to Friary, from the Nuns to the Munckes, to hear mass, and to kiss the Relics of Saints, was a jolly idle life. But I pray you, are you assured that the Relics that you kissed were the Relics of saints? When the Relics that were in Churches in England, came into the hands of them that could and would consider them with indifferent eyes▪ I myself saw one bone, that had a Label of parchment fastened to it, wherein was written.▪ Os sancti Bartholomei, A bone of S. Bartholomew. But when this bone was well viewed, it was found to be the shoulder bone of a young Pig, the broad and thin part thereof being pared of with a knife, as did most plainly appear. In the Abbay of Hails, a Relic was kept, which was said to be the blood of Christ, but when the Pyx (wherein it was kept) was opened, it was found to be a matter like very fine sand, or a liquid Gum of a sanguine colour. I myself (being then but young) did see and read the History of the bringing of that supposed blood thither, which History was written in a Table fast by the entering into that Chapel where the Relic was kept. The history was so doubtful, that even then I began to doubt of the truth thereof. For in the History it was not plainly affirmed to be a portion of the blood that issued out of the body of Christ, but either a portion of that blood, or else of blood that ishueed out of a crucifix that was found in the house of a jew in Jerusalem, and setup on the Mount of calvary in derision, into the side whereof, blind Longius, was caused to thrust his Spear, whereby great plenty of blood did issue, and was reserved by such as were present. etc. The Nails that fastened our Saviour to the Cross, were in number but three, and they came all to the hands of Constantine the Emperor, by his mother Helena. He caused one of them to be wrought into the bit of his bridle, that he should use in the wars, another in the Coone of his Helmet, to fasten his plume of Feathers in, and the third he carried always about him, and being in danger in a storm on the Adrian Sea, he cast it in to the Sea to stay the rage thereof. This is written by Roman Catholics, wherefore you must not deny it to be true. Now consider with yourself, whether you have been borne in hand that you have kissed any of those nails or not. I could say something of our Lady's milk, her gloves, her smock, her hair, etc. Of the bread that was left at Christ's last supper, of the I see that was frozen in that night wherein he was borne etc. Well, whilst you were thus occupied, your hard heart was mollified with the tears of devotion. You should have said, of superstition, & desire to lead a loiterers life. You determined to leave the life of a Scholar (which in very deed you could never delight in) because you might not be idle in that kind of life, and sought by all means possible to obtain the habit of Religion, and at the last you obtained a Minims habit.  The Friar. 
I came (you say) from Rheims to Paris, to ask the habit of a Religious man, from thence I returned (say you) to Rheims. Whether after that I came, I was received with other two Englishmen into the Friary, in which we stayed for the space of a month. After which term, one of us was received, the other two, whereof I was one, being sent to the English College, there to stay till some other occasion might fall out. Three weeks being passed, I was sent to a City in Lorraine, called Verdun, eight and forty miles distant from Rheims. Since which my departure from the English College. I saw no more Rheims. Being at Verdun, the Provincial of Lions, (or as he may be called, after the terms of Religion, which in Catholic time were used in England) the chief Prior of Lions, took me with him and paid my charges, from the foresaid City of Verdun to Lions in France, which are a hundred leagues, that is to say, two hundred miles. Being there arrived, after a fortnight's end▪ I was weeded with a friars weed. Then my soft linen shy●ts, were turned into rough woollen shirts, my black Scholarlike garments, into a brown gown, with large fleeves as the Grey Friars have. My hat was turned into a friars hood. So I being changed in garments, began also to change my life. I lived so at Lions the space of twelve month a Novice, to see if I could abide the hardness of life that was there necessary to be ab●dden. At the twelve month end, I liked well of all things, and the Friars liked well of me. So I made my profession, the sixth day of january, in the year of our Lord. 1586. two years and a half after I departed from you▪ I made as I say my profession, that is to say, I made a solemn vow or promise unto God, to hue all the days of my life in this world a Friar. And furthermore, I vowed chastity, near to have wife, poverty, to be poor, to have nothing, not so much as the garments on my back for mine own. And also obedience, to be obedient to the Prior, and to my superiors. The Order whereof I am, is called the Order of S. Francis of Paula. It was never yet in England, but we hope it shall shortly be. We are called minims, in french, bone homes, that is in English, good men, although we be not worthy of the name, (for no man is good, except God) yet by reason of our hardness of life, and of the virtuous behaviour of our brethren we are so called.  Crowley. 
See how intolerable travel this Waltams Calf endureth, in following after that Bull whom he desireth so greatly to suck. He posteth from Rheims to Paris, and to Rheims again, from thence to Verdun in Lorraine, from thence to Lions in France and there he was invested or weeded as he termeth it, with a friars weed, which he calleth the habit of a Religious man. This man hath forgotten that Christian men are Religious men, and that there is no Religion comparable to the Christian Religion. He doth not consider, that the rest which are called Religious are but superstitious, and not Religious in deed. In that superstitious weed he continueth twelve months: and then he made his profession▪ He hath forgotten that profession that his Godfathers and his Godmother made in his name in the Church of Wal●am, and he himself confirmed in the Parish Church of S. Gyles at Creplegate of London. He vowed then to live a Christian, but now he hath vowed to live a Friar, that is to say, an hypecrite. He hath vowed he saith, wifeless chastity, but let Friar John Francis, beware of buggery. O Friar John, remember the words of the Apostle, Qui non continent, ●●ba●t, Let them that containeth not, marry, Et melius est nubere quàm uri. It is better to mary then to burn. 1. Co. 7. Consider the meaning of the Apostles words to the Ephesians 5. Nolite communicare operibus infructuosis tenebrarum, magis autem redarguite. Quae enim in occulto fiunt ab ipsis, turpe est & dicere. Have nothing to do with the unprofitable works of darkness but rather rebuke them. For it is a filthy thing, even to speak of those things or actions, that are wrought of them in secret. Crave of God his holy spirit to direct you in the right understanding of these words, according to the council of the Apostle S. james, Chap. 1. If any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, which giveth to all men indifferently etc. Yea, and consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans. Chap. 1. Mutaverunt gloriam incorruptibilis Dei, in similitudinem corruptibilis hominis, & volucrum & quadrupedum & serpentium. Propter quod tradidit illos Deus in desideria cordis eorum, in immunditiam, ut contumelijs afficerent corpora sua in semetipsis: qui commutaverunt veritatem Dei in mendacium, et coluerunt et seruierunt creaturae, potius quàm creatori, qui est benedictus in secula. Amen. They have turned the glory of the incorruptible God. in to the similitude of a corruptible man, and of flying fowls, and of fourfooted beasts, and of creeping serpents. Wherefore God gave them over unto their own heart's desire, into uncleanness, that they might defile their own bodies, even in themselves: which had changed the truth of God into a lie, and had worshipped and served the creature, more than the creator, which is blessed for ever, Amen. Consider (I say) these words of the Apostle Paul, with the rest that follow. Propterea tradidit illos Deus, in passiones ignominiae. Nam faeminae eorum, immutaverunt naturalem usum, in eum usum quiest contra naturam. Similiter autem & masculi, relicto naturali usu faeminae, exarserunt in desiderijs suis in invicem, masculi in masculos, turpitudinem operantes, & mercedem (quam oportuit) erroris sui, in semetipsis recipientes etc. Wherefore, God gave them over to shameful lusts. For their women changed their natural use into that which is contrary to nature. In like manner the men also, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts or filthy desires, one towards an other, men with men wrought filthiness, receiving in themselves the reward of their error, which (in God's justice) was due unto them. Consider (Samuel) I pray thee, even in the tender bowels of Christ Jesus, in whom I do yet love thee, and do hope (by the help of his spirit) to win thee to him again. Consider I say, these words of the Apostle. And undoubtedly thou shalt see, that, that Romish Church, which calleth herself Catholic, is herein plainly painted out. Have they not changed, and do they not still change, the glory of the incorruptible God, into the similitude of a corruptible man. When they have set forth, and do still set forth, the majesty of God to the view of man's eye, by the Image of an old man, made of Timber, stone, or other matter, or wrought by the cunning of Painters or Embrotherers? Doth not Esay the Prophet deride these doings, both in the forty and in the four & forty Chapters of his book? And doth not the Prophet David deride them in the Psalm; 115. after the Hebrews account, but after your account 113. The ancient interpreters of the Scriptures, do with one consent condemn the making and having of the Image of the divine majesty. And yet that Romish Catholic Church, dare still make it, have it in their Churches, and fall down before it. Hath not God in Exo. 20. Expressly forbidden the making and worshipping of all manner of Images? And how dare any man make, or worship them, or say that, that Church is Christ's Church, that doth both make them, worship them, and persecute those Christians that refuse to do as they do? Way well the words of the Apostle, when he saith. That for this cause, (that is, for turning his glory into the similitude of a corruptible man) God hath given them over to their own heart's desire● etc. Their women have turned the natural use into that which is contrary to nature: and the men having left the natural use of the woman (as you say you have vowed to do) have burned in desire one towards an other, and men have wrought filthiness with men.  
When GOD opened the heart of King Henry the eight, and gave him some sight of the truth, he caused the Monks, the Friars, and the Nuns that then were in his Realm to be examined, and by due and politic examination, they were found to have done, even as S. Paul writeth here. And when God shall open the eyes of that Noble Prince that now reigneth in France, or the eyes of some Noble Prince that hereafter shall have the government of that noble Realm of France, wherein you now live, undoubtedly, your secret filthiness will be found out, and your hypocrites visoures will be plucked of your faces, & you coats of counterfeited holiness, will be plucked of your backs, and you will be turned abroad into the world (as our Hypocrites were in the days of our King Henry) that you may learn to labour, and by your own labour to eat your own bread, and not to be fed any longer by the labours of other men. Thus much I have thought meet to write, concerning the first part of your vow, which is, to live in wyneles chastity.  
The second part of your vow, is poverty. To be poor, to have nothing, not so much as the Garments on your back for your own. This part of your vow, was altogether needless. For since you were borne, you never gave yourself to any such exercise, that you might be able thereby to have any thing of your own. But you have been fed and clothed, and in all points sustained, by the labours of your poor father and mother, and other that have hoped to see a better proof of you then now is seen, and therefore extended their friendly liberality to you. But now you say you have not one friend in all England, or at the least way, amongst us that bore all the burden of your education▪ and bringing up, even unto that time, wherein you did very undutifully give us the slip, not once bidding us farewell. They therefore that have now caught you, do not know what a Jewel they shall have of you, for it is like enough, that after they shall have bestowed enough & too much upon you, you will render unto them such thanks as you have rendered unto us. It shallbe good for them therefore in time to look upon, and to follow that Rule that S. Paul wished the Thessalonians to follow. 2. Thes. 3. Si quis non vult operari, nec manducet. If any man will not work, let him not eat. But you will answer me and say: We do labour, for we rise every night at midnight, and we sing Matins before the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, we arise again at six of the clock in the morning, and we sing two or three high masses every day. etc. But let me tell you what I have heard reported concerning Francis, of whom the Grey Friars do hold. That Francis was (as the report goeth) a good man, and gave himself to sore labour, in repairing of high ways that were decayed in the Country where he dwelled. And on a time as he was at his labour, a company of tall fellows that had been thieves, and were condemned to be hanged, were by the Officers brought that way towards the Gallowse to be executed. When Francis saw them, he was moved with pity, and besought the Officers to stay the execution whilst he might go to the King, (who lay then not far off) and beg their pardon, and so it was done. When Francis had obtained pardon for these men, he clothed them in such apparel as the Grey Friars do now wear, and girded those Garments to them, with the halters wherewith they should have been hanged. The Garment is very commodious, for it is long and large, and may be tucked up short, & let down to the foot, as occasion shall serve, and require for the commodity of the wearer of it. It hath a hood that may hang on the back, and not be any let in labour, and when need is, it may cover and defend the head and face from the injuries of the wether. These men being thus appareled, fell to their labour lustily, & in short space, brought their master's work to such forwardness, that he thought meet to travail into some other part of the Country, to see where other decayed high ways were, that he might keep his new men and himself in work still. But to be brief, he was from them so long, that they having finished the work that he left them in, had gotten them a house in the next Town, and had persuaded the people thereof, that by rising at midnight, and making of continual prayers unto God for that people that should seed and maintain them without labour, they should be much more beneficial to the Common weal, than they could be by any sore labour of their bodies in emending the high ways that should be decayed. But when Francis came, and found them thus occupied, he utterly misliked with them, and said unto them. thieves I found you, and thieves I leave you. And so departing from them, he would have no more to do with them. If this be not true, then blame them that have made this report of Francis, whom the Grey Friars take for their Patron. If it be true, than you may see what beginning the Order of the Grey Friars had, and how acceptable that rising at midnight and singing of Matins and masses was to that Francis, of whose holiness the Grey Friars do make so great brags. And so by good consequence, what account good and wise men should make of the great pains that you and your Brethren do take, in your rising and singing both by day and by night. Whether this Francis were your Francis of Paula or not, I leave to be discussed by yourself, with the help of the chief Prior, or Provintiall of your Order, at your best leisure. Thus much for the second part of your vow.  
The third part of your vow, or (as you do term it) your third vow was obedience, to be obedient to the Prior, and to your superiors. If you had considered well of that triple vow that was made for you in Baptism, and yourself confirmed, when you answered me in my Church at Creplegate in London, I think you would have thought this new triple vow, altogether unnecessary: except you meant to revoke your first triple vow made to GOD, and in steed thereof to make a new triple vow to man. For what have you vowed here (in substance) that was not vowed before in your first triple vow? Except this only, that you vow now to live without a wise, so long as you shall live: which is not in your power to perform, neither have you the example of any Patriarch, Prophet or Apostle that made this vow, or taught any other to make it, nor yet any promise of assistance at God's hand in the performance of it▪ You promised in the first vowed keep your body in temperance, soberness and chastity. You promised to renounce the world, which is to be in the world, not as of the world, as having all things, and using all, and yet possessing nothing, not as a Lord of things here on earth, but as a steward that looketh continually to be called to his account. You promised also obedience to your Prince, and to all in authority under your Prince etc. but that vow you have utterly renounced, and are now shrewded under the shield of Antichrist, and hold by an immunity, whereby you are exempted from the power of all Princes, and do owe obedience to none, but to that great Antichrist and your grand Prior, and such superiors as be of that sort. The Lord open the eyes of your under standing, that you may see whose service you have forsaken, and to whom you have made yourself a slave, and what will be the end, if you repent not. Well, you proceed and you say:  The Friar. 
Our life is as followeth. We never eat flesh, nor eggs, nor butter nor cheese, nor milk, nor any thing else that cometh of flesh, except in great sickness. So that being in good health we eat Fish, Oil, and fruits, when they be given us. We eat not to fill our belly, but to sustain nature. We● also speak not one to another at dinner and supper, except there be great necessity. We fast, eating but once a day, from the day of all Saints, to Christmas day, except Sundays. The like from Shrovesunday to Easter day. Likewise every Friday in the year, and wednesday, except the Wednesdays between Christmas and Shrovetide, and between Easter and Whitsuntide. All other wednesdays we fast▪ We touch no money. We rise every night Winter and Summer, hot & cold at midnight, to sing Matins, before the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, the precious body and blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, which is there kept over the high Altar. We sing two or three high Masses every day.  Crowley. 
And here you have set down in the margin of your Letters, a note to be (as it were) a caveat for your mother and Father, and all other that may seem to mislike with your Religion, and thus you say.  Friar. 
You think that we be fools, because that we light wax candles at day light, and because of other our Ceremonies. You think that we be fools, & our Religion folly. But hear what you may read in the book of Wisdom, Chap. 5. where it is written, that the damned in the latter day, bewailing their foolishness, shall speak these words. These be they, whom in times past we have had in derision, and in the similitude of mockery. We being fools esteemed their ●ife to be madness, and their end without honour. But now, how are they numbered amongst the sons of God? and amongst the Saints their Lot is fallen. We have erred from the way of truth, & the light of justice hath not shined upon us, & so forth. Take heed I pray you, that you be not one of them, that shall so bewail themselves in the day of judgement.  Crowley. 
Thus far goeth your merginall note.  
To this note of yours, I say thus. There is good cause to move you to think, that we do think that you are fools: for you can not but know, that we do know, that there is no wisdom in them that do so waste the good creatures of God, as you do, that wax which you do burn in the day light, when there is no use of that artificial light, because the natural light, doth then serve the turn of every creature that needeth▪ the use of light. And that madness of yours is so much the greater, for that you set those lights before stocks and stones, that are fashioned like men and women, and have the form of eyes, but not the sense of sight. Yea and the Prophet D●●i● in the Psalm. 115. Doth account you no wiser than those stocks and stones be, when he saith thus. They that make them, are like unto them, and so are all they that repose trust in them. You say, that your other Ceremonies do cause us to think that you are fools, and your Religion folly. In truth you conjecture right. For we know that no wise man in the world, would use such Ceremonies as you do, nor profess such a Religion, wherein there is (in manner) nothing but mere madness: As I hope I shall make manifest to all wisemen, in my discourse upon the several points thereof.  
But first, we must lend you our ears a while, till you have told us what we may read in the Book of Wisdom. Chapter. 5 Where it is written, that the damned in the latter day, be wailing their foolishness, shall speak these words. etc. as above. First of all, I must say unto you, that we did know, and did understand the meaning of those words of wisdom, before you were Friar John, yea, and before you were Samuel Debnam. If you had asked counsel of Nicholaus Lycanus, (which was a Friar Minor) h●● would have told you another meaning of the wiseman's words, th●n that which you do gather. He writeth thus. Siabi●t iust●in magna constant●●: quia perfecti ●um Christo indicabunt. A duersoes ●os qui se angustiaverunt, inferendo eis noeumentum in personis. ●t qui a●stulerunt lab●res corum, eye nocendo in rebus possessis. The rightecus shall stand in great constancy: for the perfect men shall sit in indgment with Christ, against such as have distressed them, in doing them hurt in their persons. And such as have taken from them their labours, in hurting them in those things that they possessed. If these words of the wise man must be applied to you, so that you should be the Just men that shoved stand forth with so great constancy, then must you also be the damned that in the latter day shall bewail their own foolishness, for that none doth dis●resse you in your own persons but yourself. You are they that do punish yourselves, by going and lying woolward, by abstaining from flesh, by rising at midnight, and by whipping and scourging of your s●lues: and who doth or can hurt you in those things that you possess, ●ith you have vo●●ed, never to possess any thing, no not so much as the garments that belong to your own bodies. And who can take from you, any fruits of your labours, seeing that you never labour, and therefore can not reap any fruits of any labour that is done by you, but are fed, and have professed that you will and must still, be fed by the labours of other? But will you know what Saint Austen writeth, against the second Epistle of Gaudentius, that was Bishop of the Donatists? In the 27. Chapter of that book, Tom. 7. S. Augustine writeth thus. Agnoscite scelus vestrum, & nol●te vobis usurpare no men alienum. Scriptura dixit. Tunc stabunt ●usti in magna constantia adversus eos q●i se angustiaverunt, & qui abstulerunt labores eorum. Non dixit, stabunt om●es qui ●ala passi sunt: sed stabunt●i●sti. Sicut dominus cum dixisset: Beati qui persecut●●nem patiuntur, ●is● addidisset prop●er justitiam, non solos significaret, qui pro s●a in domino patientia coronantur: sed etiam illos qui i●stis legibus puni●ntur. Quapropter, siad vos put at is haec iustonum verba quae scripta sunt pertin●re: prius an justi sit●s ●stendite. Acknowledge (saith S. Auste●) your own wickedness, and do not usurp a name that belongeth not to you. The Scripture hath said: Then the just shall stand in great constancy, against them that have distressed them, and have taken away their labours. It hath not said, as many as have suffered evil shall stand: but the just shall stand. Even as when the Lord had said: Blessed are they that suffer persecution, except he had added for righteousness, he should have meant, not them alone which are crowned for their suffering in the Lord, but them also that are punished by just laws. Wherefore, if you do think, that these words that are written, do appertain unto you: show first whether you be righteous, or no. And in the same place it followeth thus. In deed you have amongst you righteousnesses that you brag of, great matters, as the dividing of Christ, the cutting off, of the Sacraments of Christ, that forsaking of the peace of Christ, war against the members of Christ, accusations against the spouse of Christ, & the denying of the promises of Christ▪ These are your righteousnesses, for which forsooth, you shall stand in great constancy. Thus far Augustine.  
Now, if I may be so bold with you, let me see whether these latter words of S. Austen may not be rightly applied unto you Minime Friars, and such other Religious persons. Do you not divide Christ, when you ascribe your salvation, part●y to faith in him, and partly to your own works, and to the merits of Saints? and when, in the Office of mediation, you join with him his blessed mother, and such other as lived holily in this transitory life? Do you not cut off the Sacraments of Christ? and after a sort you abrogate them, when you minister Baptism to bells, Churches, and Churchyards, and ships, which you call the hallowing of these things, and when in your conjurations, you christian Cats and such other creatures to deceive the devil withal, when you have promised to give him a christened creature? And when you teach that in the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, there remaineth no substance of bread and wine, and so you make it no Sacrament. For (as you once learned, and did openly confess in my Church) every Sacrament must consist of two parts, that is, both of earthly and of heavenly matter, and not of the one matter only? And when you give it that new name, calling it the Sacrament of the Altar, and when you do reserve it, hanging it over your Altar, carrying it abroad to show it to the people, teaching them to fail down and worship it, and so make an Idol of it? Yea when in your mass you make a sacrifice of it, for the sins both of the living & of the dead? yea and in storms & tempestuous wether, you make it a bug to fear the devil withal. And when you teach that the peace of men's consciences, must not be stayed upon the faith in Christ only: but upon the worthiness of the works that are wrought by men, do ye not forsake the peace of Christ? Yea when you hold, some of Francis (as you & the Grey Friars do) some of Austin, as the Augustine Friars do, some of Dominicke, as the Dominicane Friars do: some of mary, as the Carmelite or white Friars do: and some of Jesus, as the new found Jesuits do. And to be brief, all the rabble of your Religious: do ye not all forsake that peace that GOD hath given in his peace maker Christ, and seek it in them whose Religions you profess, whose rules you follow, and whose names you bear? Did not S. Paul blame the Corinthians, for that they forsaking this peace of Christ, would hold one of Cephas, another of Apollo, another of Paul, another of Christ? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? saith he. Was Paul Cru●ified for you? I fear me you be rebaptized: For what meaneth the changing of your name? In your first baptism, you were called Samuel, and by your Father's progeny Debnam, and by your profession a Christian. But now you must be called john Francis. And what meaneth this, but that the name of Francis, hath blotted out both the name of Debnam, and the name Christian also.  
If search shallbe made in the Register that is kept in the Parish Church of Waltam, it will be sound there, that one Samuel Debnam was baptized there: and not john Francis. So that Samuel Debnam is the Christian, and john Francis is the Friar. judge you whether of these is likely to be found in God's Register, which is called the book of life. If Christ be that life, than they are written in the book of life that be Christians, If Francis be not that life, then are not they written in the book of life which be Franciscans, and so of all other your Popish Religious. Be not deceived therefore Samuel. The Corinthians whom Paul rebuked, did undoubtedly think as you do. That is, that holding of Cephas, Apollo, and Paul: they did not forsake the peace of Christ. For so (I am assured) you think, that having professed the Religion of Francis, you have not forsaken the Religion of Christ. And yet Paul doth charge them as men, that in their doings gave occasion to him to conceive this opinion of them, that they were become Cephasians, Apollianistes, and Paulists, and not Christians. Take heed Samuel, our adversary the devil is subtle, and doth oftentimes show himself in the likeness of an Angel of light. You have (I think) read the sixth Chapter of Saint john's Revelations. And you either have or may read, the godly and learned interpretations, that godly learned men have made, concerning the four horses therein mentioned. The first being white, doth prefigure the time that was begun, when this Revelation was showed to john, and did continue all his days, and hath continued ever since, and shall continue even to the end: although not so generally, and so apparently as at the first. This white horse is gone forth, and is not returned again, but goeth forth still whether soever his rider will direct him. And his rider doth with his arrows strike the hearts of such as he will conquer and make subject unto him. And thus he goeth forth still conquering, that he might overcome and conquer. The second horse being red, doth signify the time of bloody persecution (which was also begun, when this Revelation was showed to the servant of jesus Christ, blessed S. john. And his rider had power given him to take pea●e from the earth▪ and he had a great sword given him also. Whereby were signified the ten bloody persecutions that followed immediately after the white horse was gone forth and had conquered many. And those bloody perfecutions were executed by that great sword the Roman Monarchy. The third horse was black▪ whereby was signified the time of ignorance, that began again after the persecution was stayed, (but not ended, for it continueth to this day, and so shall it continue even to the end.) The rider that rid on this horse, had a Balance in his hand, wherewith he weighed Gods Laws, and men's inventions, and deemed them to be of like weight: and hereof sprung all those horrible heresies, that ever since have, and do still trouble the Church, and especially that Pelagian heresy, that your sort do still maintain, and the making of men's inventions equal with God's law, yea rather proferring them before God's laws: but wine and Oil that rider might not hurt. That is, he had no power to corrupt the text, either of the old or new Testament. The fourth horse was pale, and signified the time that followed immediately after this time of deep ignorance, and doth continue to this day, wherein great swarms of pale Hypocrites (even such as you have professed to be & to continue to your lives end) have been and are▪ still bred. The rider of this horse is death, and hell followeth after him. Take heed therefore, your way is not the way of life, but of death. They that will follow such blind guides, shall fall into the pit with them. You are they that shall say in the last day: We have ●r●ed from the truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined upon us, neither hath the sun of understanding risen up unto us. We have wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and we have walked in hard ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known. For you be they that have distressed such as God hath (by the mediation of his Son) discharged of sin, and so justified them in his sight, you have told them, that except they shall punish themselves as you do yourselves▪ they can not be saved. You have taken from such their labours, when by your persuasions, they have bestowed that which they have gotten by their labours upon you, to maintain you in idleness, hoping to be saved by your holiness, which is nothing but mere hypocrisy. And thus much concerning your forsaking of the peace of Christ.  
You make war against the members of Christ, you accuse the spouse of Christ, and you deny the promises of Christ, as Saint Austen hath said to the Donatists, You proclaim open war against all such as dare say that they have received the spirit of Christ, and that they are by that spirit certified that GOD in mercy hath made them his own children by adoption, and so consequently members of his son Christ. You accuse as Heretics, all such as dare say that Christ jesus hath washed them so in the fountain of his own heart blood, that now they be in him and through him, a glorious spouse unto him, not having spot or wrinkle or any deformity of s●me. The promises of Christ you deny, in that you say, that not every one that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, no not though they make their belief known unto men by their obedience to Christ, in following the Rule that he hath prescribed, and endeavouring to do as their heavenly Father hath commanded. But he that will be saved, must live in obedience to your holy father, the Pope's holiness. Thus much for the applying of those words unto you, and other Popish Religious, that Saint Austen wrote against the Donatists.  
Now to the Rule of your Religion, which is, (as you say) never to eat flesh etc. In his first Epistle to the Corinthians, and the 8. Chapter, S. Paul's writeth thus. Esca autem, nos non commenda● Deo. Meat doth not make us more acceptable to God. Neither are we the better if we eat, nor the worse if we eat not. And again, in the sixth of the same Epistle. Esca ventri▪ & venture escis. Hunc & has destruet Dens. Meats is appointed for the belly, and the belly for the meat, but God will destroy both the one and the other. By these places and divers other, it appeareth that Christians have liberty to use all Gods good creatures, and that they are not the better or more acceptable in God's sight. When they do use them, nor less acceptable when they refuse the use of them, except the refusal do proceed of an opinion of some holiness or unholiness in the use or refusal of them. If you feed not to fill your bellies, but to sustain nature, with thanks to God for his creatures, you do well. But you are i●●greater danger to exceed in eating, when you feed upon delicate fishes and fruits, then if you did feed upon such kinds of flesh, as the common sort of people are accustomed to feed on. It is the moderate use of God's creatures, and our thanks given to him for them, that do make our eating or abstaining, acceptable unto him. Your eating but once in a day, from the day of All saints, to Christmas day, and from Shro●● sunday to Easter (which you call fasting) is nothing. For you may eat as much at one meal, as might suffice you at two or three. The like is to be thought of all your wednesdays fastings, for they are but a diversity in eating or feeding. Your refraining the touching of money, may be thought to be a toy to mock an Ape with all. And your rising at midnight, may be opposite to your sleeping at noon. You say, that you do at midnight sing your Matins before the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, the precious body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Christ which is there kept over the high Altar. What pleasure you do, or can do to that Sacrament, by singing your Matins before it, I can not understand: for I think it can not hear any one word that you do either sing or say, and so it can not be delighted with the harmony of your music. I put you in mind of these things, because your greatest Clerks have written, that Christ is not in that blessed Sacrament of yours, with his dimensions and lineaments of body, neither with his Organs of senses: but marvelously, & with out the distinction of parts. I think therefore, that in the cold wether, it were more wisdom for you to keep yourselves warm in your beds, that when you be waking, you may sing and make melody in your hearts to God: then to rise out of your beds, and sit quivering and quaking in your wide and cold Choir, to pleasure him with music, that hath not one ear to hear your harmony. For undoubtedly, you can not but wish that you had done, before you have well begun. And what thanks can you look for at the hands of that Sacrament that you sing your Matins before? And in the hot or warm wether, I think it should be more profitable for you, to be in your studies (if you have any) at a convenient hour, endeavouring to learn the meaning of the Prophet in those Psalms that you use to sing in your Matins (for the most part) without understanding. Well, you sing two or three high masses every day. I think you mistake your terms. For in such Churches as yours, there is but one high mass, whether it be said or song, the other (though they be song) are not called high masses, for they are not that mass that is appointed for that day, but of our Lady, of S. George, of S. Dionice, S. Francis, or some other. But what masses soever you sing or say, the more the worse, and the fewer the better. For the best is but Idolatry, derogation to the glory of Christ's passion, and seducing of Christians▪ and a mere mockery of Christ's holy institution.  
You proceed now in the declaration of the straightness of your Order: and thus you say.  The Friar. 
We lie in our clothes in bed, without sheets, and yet we keep ourselves clean. We go to bed at 8▪ a clock, and rise at half an hour past a leaven. We return to our bed at half an hour past 2, or most commonly at three, and rise again at six. When we have done (or when any one of us hath done a miss) he that hath offended must do penance. Our penances are to fast bread and water, to sit and dine upon the earth, to kiss our brothers (the Friars) feet, to whip ourselves the space of half a quarter of an hour, more or less, according as the chief father thinketh good. we dare not speak one to another in the night time, except necessity constrain us. We dare not strike one another, in jest or in earnest. Our whips are made, some of whip cord the length of mine arm, with long knots cunningly wrought. Other of our whips are made of iron chains, such as women are wont to hang their keys upon. Other have their whips with silver pins, to the intent that the back canker not. My whip is made of whypcorde. I had another made of the foresaid chains, which I have used many times. I have (be it spoken to the honour of God) whipped myself often times: I think forty times & above. In which whipping, as I feel often times extreme pain, so also I have heavenly consolations, in so much that it is an easy thing with me now, to give myself 400. stripes at once before that I leave. (God knoweth I lie not) when we whip ourselves, either for devotion sake, in remembrance of the bitter passion of our Saviour, or else when we whip ourselves for penance, we do put of our garments to the reins of our back, and turn our hood aside, so that our back, arms and shoulders are naked, being so naked, with a discipline (as we call it) or a whip in our hand, one of the Friars beginneth the 50. Psalm of David, saying: Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. And all the while that he sayeth the Psalm, the other whippeth himself. In the mean season, whilst that one doth say the foresaid psalm. I have given myself for devotion sake (because that Christ was whipped for me) four hundred stripes. Every Friday, from our Lady's day in Lent, to May day, I whip myself for your sake. And I pray for you, unto the intent that it may please God to turn your hearts, & save your souls.  Crowley. 
Proceeding in the declaration of the straightness of your life▪ you say that you lie in your clothes in bed without sheeets▪ and yet you keep yourselves clean. It may be so, for you have leisure enough to knack your créepers, when they begin to molest you, and Sta●●sacre, is a sovereign thing to destroy that cattle that is accustomed to breed in the beds and bosoms of such lazy Lubbers, as do accustom themselves to lie in their clothes. If it be a point of holiness to lie in bed without sheeets, then are the common sort of people in divers parts in England as holy as you, for they never lie in any, & yet they put of their clothes when they go to bed. And I myself having been in some of those parts of the Realm, have taken such lodging as the Country useth, but I have not lain in my clothes as you say that you do. I do know by that little experience that I have had therein, that after a man is accustomed for some space to lie in blankets, he will choose rather to continue that kind of lodging then to change it. But let this matter pass, for a Louse bred in blankets, is not more holy than that Louse that is bred in sheeets. And this Epitheten lousy, hath been thought meet for a Friar ever since I could remember. You say that you got to bed at eight of the clock. etc. I know divers Artificers in London (and I think such may be found in Paris also) that labouring sore all the day long, do not sleep before eleven of the clock, and yet rise again at four or five at the furthest, so that they sleep not above 6▪ hours in one night, where as by your own confession, you do commonly sleep 7▪ hours, and do no labour at all, but loiter all the day long. The Religion therefore of those labouring Artificers, is (in that point) straighter than yours. When you do (or when any of you doth) a miss: he that hath offended must do penance. If this be true, them must you all do penance every day. For as the Psalmist saith. 19 Delicta quis intelligit? Who can be able to tell how oft he offendeth? And Solomon saith, Proverb. 24. Septies cadet justus (And as your sort do read his words) Septies in die cadet justus. The righteous person shall fall seven times in a day. But I am sure, your meaning is not of such offences as Solomon speaketh of. That is, of deeds that are done, words that are spoken, and thoughts that are conceived contrary to God's commandments: but your meaning is, of offences committed against the Rules of your Religion. As when you lust or long after any kind of flesh, when you be slack in arising to sing your Matins before your blessed Sacrament of the Altar, when being drowsy, you sing not lustily, when you pass by any of your Idols, and do not dowke low enough to them, when you lout not low enough to your Prior, and other your ancients in Religion, when you think not so reverently of every point of your Religion as you have been taught to do, when you behave not yourself so devoutly in singing your Matins and high masses as you should do, when you speak to any of your fellow Friars, either at dinner or at supper, or in the night, and when you think well of, or wish well, to any of those Heretics, that have had the bringing up of you, and have been too careful for you. I conjecture that these be the misdeeds that you must do penance for. As for the breaking of God's commandments, that is no offence amongst Minime Friars. Well, you say that your penances are to fast bread and water. etc. By this I conjecture that your common drink is wine. Many honest men that labour sore, have water for their common drink. I have heard of an Abbot in England, that enjoined his horse such penance, because he felt him too lusty & stirring under him. Sirrah (said the Abbot to his horsekéeper) see that you give not this horse any thing for the space of these ten days, but only bread and water. Was not this great penance for the poor horse to endure think you? The quality and quantity of your bread may be such, that it shall rather be a pleasure then a punishment to be put to that penance. But grant that your bread which you eat when you be put to penanuce, be such as King Achab commanded to be given to Michaeas the Prophet. 3. Reg. 22. The bread of tribulation, and the water of sorrow: Yet what a satisfaction is this, for so heinous an offence, as the transgression of the least of God's commandments. Adam was enjoined much greater penance than this, and much longer time then for the space of one day. For it was said to him by God himself. In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread, all the days of thy life, till thou shalt be turned again into the earth. etc. And yet all this penance could not satisfy for that one sin that he committed, when he tasted of the forbidfruite. Yea although all his posterity even unto this day, had done, and we & our posterity should do, such penance as you speak of, continually, even to the end of the world: yet all this long penance could not reverse this sentence, pronounced by God himself. Morte morier●s. Thou shalt die the death. Only the death of him, in whom there never was any sin, is sufficient to satisfy for all sin. Your dining upon the earth with bread and water: the kissing of your brethren the friars feet, the whipping of yourselves for the space of half a quarter of an hour, more or less, at the discretion of the chief father, may be some outward sign of inward sorrow conceived for some offence committed, and some argument of detestation thereof inwardly in the heart▪ But an Hypocrite may do as much as all this, and yet delight in his wickedness still. Read the 58. Chapter of Esaies' prophecies. Nunquid tale est ●eiunium quod elegi? per diem affligere hominem animam suam? etc. Is this the fast that I have chosen (saith the Lord, by the Prophet) for a man to afflict his own soul for the space of a day? to bow down the head like a Bulrush? to lie in sackcloth? wilt thou call this a fast and a day acceptable to the lord? etc.  
But when the chief father himself shall offend, who shall moderate his whippings. I hope you will resolve me in that doubt at your next coming into England. etc. You dare not speak one to another in the night. etc. Your whips are made of whipcord. etc. Your silence is not to be misliked if it be void of superstition. That your whips are made, some of one matter, and some of another, is not much material. But the lack of such a hand to use the whips as our Beadles in Bridewell have, is the cause that you lay on so many hundreds at one time, and feel such heavenly consolation, after you have laid so many hundred lashes upon your own backs. If you long to be well whipped for your sins, or in the remembrance of the bitter passion of our Saviour, make a step over the Seas into England, and come to our Bridewell, you shall find a good fellow there, that will give you four lashes with his whypp that shall be more worth than any four hundredth of those lashes that ever you gave yourself, with any one of those whips that you have used. Well, I will descant no longer upon your apyshe whipping. Whip yourself still every Friday from our Lady day in Lent, till May day, for your ●elfe if you list, but not for us. Christ jesus was once whipped for us, and crucified and dead upon the Cross for us, and as the Prophet Esay saith. Chapter. 53. Disciplina pacis nostrae, cecidit super illum. The correction that might purchase our peace is fallen upon him. And by his wounds and stripes we are made whole. We need no such mediators as the Minime Friars are. And except you do in your prayers beg a better thing for us, then turning of our hearts from the love and belief of the Gospel of Christ, to the love and belief of Antichristian popery, I pray you make your prayers for those friends that you have on that side the seas, for you have said before, that amongst us you have not one friend.  The Friar. 
This is (say you) the life that I lead, and that I am likely to lead: in fasting and praying, in penance and pain, and great travel. This life I have chosen to serve God in, no man living compelling me: of my own free will I took it upon me. Many there were that did what they could to hinder me, using many means to put it out of my head, yet have I gone forward. Peradventure you will ask me the cause, why I have taken upon me this life. I answer you, for my sins and for yours. Why was our blessed Saviour borne in a stable of horses, without pomp & vanity? Why was he circumcised & his blood drawn? why did he travel from place to place, from City to City, from Village to Village, preaching, praying, fasting, healing the sick, & working miracles? Why did he sweat his precious blood, when he prayed in the Mountain of olives? Why was he betrayed by the traitor judas, bound with chains, mocked and scorned, spit upon and whipped, strooken upon the face, crowned with thorns, & hanged upon the Cross by those merciless jews? what was the cause why holy Saint john Baptist, eat nothing but locusts and wild honey, being apparaled in hair? All these pains both of our Saviour Christ and of his forerunner, were they not for our sins? Could not our blessed Saviour with his word redeem our souls that were damned to hell fire, by the disobedience of our first father Adam, as well as he created them by his word? Our sins then were the cause of the passion of our Saviour, for if we had not sinned, he had never died. Consider this I pray you, if another suffer for my sins, shall not I myself suffer?  Crowley. 
The life that you lead, and are likely to lead, is hypocritical, damnable and devilish▪ Hypocritical, because it consisteth all together in outward shows of holiness, whereas when it is laid open, there is none other thing to be found in it, than such as is to be found in the graves of dead men, as our Saviour saw to be in the lives of the Phariseis. Math. 23. Damnable it is. For that it is Antichristian. And devilish: for that it savoureth nothing of that heavenly wisdom that is from above, coming down from the father of lights, but it is earthly, and beastly, and diabolical, as blessed james hath written Epistle Chap. 3. This life you have chosen freely, and of your own accord, and could by no means be stayed from it: that therein you might serve (not God, but) Gods sworn enemy, the Antichrist of Rome. You imagine that we will ask you wherefore you have made this choice: you answer, for your own sins and ours. Oh thou child of the devil, full of all guile and deceit: darest thou shoulder Christ, and thrust thyself into the office of mediation, which belongeth only to Christ? canst thou (wretched Friar) satisfy to God, both for thine own sins and for ours? This blasphemy of thine hath enforced me, to use thee in speeches as S. Paul used the Sorcerer Elymas at Paphus. Acts. 13. But to make your matter good: You ask why Christ our Saviour would be borne, circumcised etc. As though all those actions of his, had been but examples for us to follow. Some of these actions of his, were in some sort examples for us to follow: but if we shall take upon us (as you do) to follow them all, or any of them, with purpose to redeem thereby, either our own sins, or the sins of other, either in the whole or in part: we shall be but apish, as you be, and blasphemous in that we take upon us that which belongeth to that one only mediator betwixt God and man, even the man jesus Christ.  
Take heed lest that fall upon thee (Friar john Francis) which fell upon Elymas, read Acts. 13. And yet further to add more authority to your own doing. You ask of us, why holy S. john Baptist did eat nothing but Locusts and wild honey. etc. And your conclusion is▪ that all this was for our sins, even as the sufferings of our Saviour Christ were. Thus you make many mediators, where God hath made but one. 1. Tim. 2. But here you use a strange point of Logic, concluding very strangely: upon an As strange an Assertion. Can not our blessed Saviour (say you) as well by his word redeem our damned souls, as he did by his word create them? Which manner of speech doth import as much as if you should say, no man can or dare open his mouth to deny it, for it is a truth confessed of all men. But what do you infer upon this? Therefore our sins were the cause of the passion of our Saviour. If you should make this argument in the Schools in Lutecia: the Sorbonis●s would hiss you out of their Schools. The Divines also would tell you, that the premises are not yet granted, although your grand Prior, and your holy father the Pope's holiness, would sooth you in it. The Divines do (by a general consent) say, that because the burden of sin, and the damnation due unto it, is so great and horrible in the sight of GOD, that the wrath of God for sin, could not otherwise be appeased, nor his justice satisfied, then by the cruel and bloody death of that man that never had sinned, neither was by any means spotted or defiled with sin, and therefore had not any way deserved to die. And hereupon they conclude, that of necessity, the only begotten son of God, in whom there could be no sin, must take man's nature of the substance of a blessed virgin, prepared before of GOD for that purpose, that the nature of man taken of her substance, might not have in it any part of man's sin, and that, that son of God, being both God and man, might die in his man's nature, that bloody death that man's sin had deserved, and so God's wrath might be appeased, and his justice satisfied, which could never have been brought to pass by any other mean. Hereof we may conclude, that in some sort our sins were the cause of the death of our Saviour Christ. This lesson you had once learned, and did repeat it openly in my Church at Creplegate of London, in the presence and hearing of a great multitude of Christians, which conceived no small hope, that you being borne of such Christian Parents (as you were) and brought up under such masters, as had so instructed you in Christian Religion, that being but of tender years, you were so perfect in the principles of that our Religion, would have proved an excellent Minister in the house of God, to the great joy of such as had been at charge in your education, and to the furthering of Christ's glory in the Realm of England, your native Country. But see how ●athan hath bewitched you. You are now become a pyssing pot in the Chamber of Antichrist. This cometh of thy pride, Samuel, GOD gave thee good gifts, that thou shouldest have used them to his glory, but thou hast prided thyself in them, and hast every way abused them, and art fallen into the hands of God (which is a thing most horrible Heb. 10.) The Lord for his mercy sake open the eyes of thine understanding, that thou mayst see the greatness of thine own misery, and acknowledge the great fault of thine Apostasy, and crave help at the hand of our heavenly Father, whose mercy is as great as himself, and is always ready to receive every Prodigal son that returneth home again unto him, and seeketh after every sheep that is gone astray. Return therefore Samuel, return to our heavenly Father. Be no longer called by that hypocritical name of Friar john Francis. Thy name Samuel, which was given to thee in thy Baptism, is not yet blotted out of our heavenly Father's Register: neither shall be before the day of thy departing out of this life. Return in time, seek God whilst he may be found, call upon him whilst he is at hand, and hath his cares open to hear all such as call upon him faithfully. Make not so light a matter of sin, as to think that john Baptistes' feeding upon Locusts and wild honey, etc. could be any help to take away any part of the damnation due to our sins. Be ashamed of that fond persuasion that moved you to say thus. Consider this (I pray you) If another suffer for my sins: shall not I myself suffer? You seem to be persuaded, that of necessity we must suffer for our own sins, because Christ hath suffered for them already. Whereas (in very deed) the contrary is most true. Because Christ hath already suffered for our sins, therefore we need not to suffer for them. For his suffering for our sins is sufficient, and is a full satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. And there remaineth nothing to be done by us, but only by faith to take the benefit of that his suffering, and to show ourselves thankful to him, for that it hath pleased him to suffer for us, and by his suffering to restore us to the favour of the heavenly majesty again. Which thanks we render when we mortify our fleshly affections, and make our bodies ● Sacrifice to God, living holy and acceptable. For this is our reasonable serving of God, as writeth S. Paul. Rom. 12. This is that sound doctrine, that in your younger days was taught you, & you learned, & did once openly confess in my Church at Cr●plegate. Do you therefore (I pray you) consider better of this matter: and be persuaded, that for as much as another (which is Christ the son of the living GOD) hath suffered for your sins▪ you are by his suffering redeemed from your sins, and from ever lasting damnation, due to your sins, and by his resurrection justified, and made righteous in the sight of the heavenly Majesty, and discharged of your sins passed for ever. Rom. 4. And when you shall by the frailty of your flesh fall and commit sin: follow the counsel of Christ's dear Disciple john, that wrote the history of the Gospel, and those three Epistles that are called Canonical. In the second Chapter of the first of those three Epistles, he writeth thus. My little babes, I writ thus unto you▪ that you should not sin: but if any man do sin, we have an Advocate with God the Father, even Christ jesus the righteous, he is the obtainer of mercy for our sins. The words of john in the Latin are these Ipse est propitiatio. I think I can not translate them better for the understanding of the meaning by the English Reader, then as I have, that is: He is the obtayner of mercy for our sins. We need not therefore to seek for a ghostly father, that may hear our confession, and give us penance and absolution. Christ hath already suffered penance for our sins, and hath absolved us. We need not to run to Rome for pardon. For GOD hath already pardoned all our sins past and repent, because we believe that promise of pardon, that he hath made in the death and blood shedding of his only begotten son, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. And when we sin by frailty, we have an open way in unto the mercy seat of God, by and through our Saviour Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. john. 14.  
You proceed, and thus you say.  The Friar. 
We read in the fift of Leviticus: how our Lord commanded the children of Israel to do penance, when they had committed any offence. judg. 21. Vniversus Israel valde doluit, egitque poenitentiam, super hoc quod fiebat. All the Children of Israel were very sorry, and they did penance for that which they had done. Holy job, in the 24. Chapter of his book, sayeth: Dedit e●s Deus locum poenitentiae. God of his wonderful mercy gave man place to do penance. Dissimulas (saith Solomon) peccata hominum, propter poenitentiam. Thou (O Lord) dost dissemble the sins and iniquities of men, unto the intent, that they may do penance, Eccl. 2. Si poenitentiam non egeri●us, incidemus in manus domini. If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of our Lord. And what is this to fall into the hands of our Lord? Hor●endis est (saith S. Paul Cap. 10. ad Hebreos) incidere etc. It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of our living God. Yet had I rather fall into his hands, then into the paws of our adversary the devil. Conuertisti me (saith the Prophet jeremy. 31. et egi poenitentiam. Thou hast converted me (O Lord) and I have done penance. But go further, and you shall hear our Saviour himself, by his own mouth, calling us to penance, in the 13. Chapter of S. L●ke, saying: Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: omnes simul peribitis. If you will not do penance, you shall perish all together. O what a doleful sentence? you shall perish altogether. Let us therefore cry with the Prophet jeremy 31. chapter of his prophecies. Convert me & convertar: postquam enim convertisti me, egi poenitentiam. Et postquam ostendists mihi, percussi femur meum. Conue●t and turn me (O Lord) and I shallbe converted. For after thou hadst converted me, I did penance. And when thou hadst showed me my sins, I struck my thigh. Let this therefore suffice to show you, that in vain I have not taken upon me this kind of life, the which I have therefore specified, at large unto you: because you desired so earnestly, to know how I am likely to live.  Crowley. 
Here you have heaped together a number of Scriptures, to a far other end, than they were at the first written. That is to prove that you were moved by those Scriptures, to make choice of that Religion wherein you live, and that otherwise you could not escape the heavy wrath of GOD, and so consequently, that who soever will escape God's wrath must do as you do. And first you say, we read in the 5. Chapter of Leviticus etc. In this place of Leviticus▪ there is not one word that may rightly be applied to your purpose, as shall (I hope) plainly appear, even to yourself, if you can with indifferent judgement read that which here followeth.  
And first I must admonish you of one point of penishe superstition, that showeth itself in all that be of your sort, as often as you have occasion to translate into English, this Latin word Dominus. For superstitiously (as I take it) you add unto it the English of the Latin pronoun Noster. Yea, though there be in the circumstance of the text, nothing to be found that might give you any occasion so to do. As in this place of Leviticus, you have no occasion at all to say: Our Lord God commanded the Children of Israel. etc. For the commandments that are written in that Chapter, are given by Moses, by whom the Lord God of Israel did speak to the children of Israel. And Moses speaking to them in the name of that Lord that bid him speak unto them, doth not use any speech that may be rightly translated into English, Our Lord. For thus he saith in the place that you cite. Anima quae iuraverit, & protulerit labijs suis, ut vel male faceret, vel bene: et id ipsum juramento & sermone firmauerit, oblitaque postea intellexerit delictum suum: agate poenitentis am propeccato, & offerat. etc. A soul that hath sworn, and hath uttered with his lips, that he will do either evil or well, and hath confirmed the same by an oath and by speech, and having forgotten the same, shall afterward understand his fault: let him repent for his sin, and offer a she Lamb, or a she Goal of the flocks, and the Priest shall pray for that forgetfulness or ignorance, and for that man's sin. etc. What is here written that might move you to say, that our Lord commanded the children of Israel to do penance when they had committed any offence? I must admonish you also of your fault, in translating continually penance, in steed of repentance. For as (commonly) when the Latin word Dominus is used in the Scriptures, it doth signify that mighty Lord which is Lord of all, & is not to be restrained by any pronoun, from that General signification, as to say, my Lord, our Lord, or their Lord, because he is not only, mine, ours, or theirs, but the Lord of all: Even so the word Poenitentia is not to be drawn to an outward show of repentance only, which may be called penance, and may be as well in Hypocrites, as in such as be penitent in deed. The Grecians (as you know, I think) do name it by a name, that by interpretation doth signify, Post factum sapere. To be late wise, as in English we use to term it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is, when a man remembreth himself better than he did when he took in hand an action, wherewith he beginneth to mislike after the deed is done. As in your present case, it may be, and I hope it will shortly come to pass, that you returning to your former mind, will mislike with your disobedient manner of departing from your natural Parents, and with your disloyal leaving of your native Country, and so repent that you have bound yourself by a vow to live a Minime Friar all the days of your life, which is to be unprofitable, both to your Parents and Country, directly contrary to the Laws both of God and of nature. If it shall please GOD to work this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you, you must, (if you will do well) return to that first vow which was made for you when you were baptized, and leave the latter vow, repenting that ever you were so mad as to make it, being (as it is) so contrary to that vow which you first made in your Baptism, and professed afterwards before so many witnesses. Fellow not the example of Herod & either, which making vows did wickedly, but more wickedly in the performing of those vows. Math. 14. Judg. 11. Acts. 23. We know what your masters of Rheims, either have taught, or can teach you touching this matter. If you be determined, and will not hearken to better advice, we can but wish you well, and sorrow to see your wilful folly.  
But to return to the place of Leviticus the fift Chapter, which you allege: if you will look into the Hebrew text, you shall find no such word as you seem to take hold upon. The word that is used there, can not signify to do penance: but doth signify, that he may confess that wherein he hath sinned, or offended. This place therefore, serveth nothing for your purpose. The next place that you allege, is out of the 21. of the Judges. Vniversus Israel valde doluit, & poenitentiam egit, super hoc quod fiebat, say you, but that translation, that is best allowed by men of your sort, hath it thus. Super interfectione unius tribus ex Israel. How can you then translate it thus into English. All the people of Israel were very sorry, and they did penance for that which they had done? But if you will look into the Hebrew text, you shall find that you should have said thus. The people sorrowed for the Beniamits, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes or kindreds of Israel. The third place is out of Job. Chap. 24. Dedit ei Deus locum poenitentiae. God of his wonderful mercy, gave man place to do penance. You use a Pariphrasis in this translation, to make the place more forcible for your purpose. But thus you should have translated it. God gave him place of repentance. But if the Hebrew text be of any credit with you, you will say thus. Dabit ei fidutiam, & immitetur, & oculi eius super vias eorum. Which may be thus Englished, out of this Hebrew like Latin. Though God do give him boldness, and he doth trust therein, yet his eyes be upon their ways. How is it possible to pick any matter out of this text, whereby your whipping penance may be underpropped? But this text doth rather minister matter against you. For it saith, that although you be bold, and do trust to you hypocritical penance, yet God doth still behold your ways. Your hypocrisy that deceiveth men, can not deceive him. The fourth place that you allege is (as you say) out of salomon's Sapientiae. 11. But if you will give credit to S. Hierom, that book is Pseudepigraphus. That is (if you understand not that word) it hath a wrong title, in that it is called the Wisdom of Solomon. Thus writeth S. Jerome, In praefatione in libros Salomonis. Nonnulli scriptorum veterum, huncesse judaei Philonis affirmant. Some of the ancient writers do affirm, that this is the work of Philo the jew. Yea and he saith that the very style thereof doth savour of the Greek eloquence. I note this, because you Roman Catholics, do make all the Books that are found in the Bible of like authority.  
But now to the words of the place alleged. Dissimulas peccata hominum, propter poenitentiam. Thou (O Lord) dost dissemble the sins and iniquities of men, unto the intent that they may do penance. In the Greek it is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, ad poenitentiam. To repentance. The circumstance of the text giveth, that God being merciful to all creatures, doth not always make it known to men that he knoweth the sins of men, for he doth not punish them in haste, but he giveth them time & space to remember themselves better, and to repent, before he take in hand to punish them. This repentance is an hearty sorrow for the sin past, and a full purpose and earnest endeavour to walk in a new way in the time to come. And as for penance to be done for satisfaction, is altogether unnecessary, for Christ Jesus hath discharged that matter already. But if he had not, the penance that we could suffer could not help us. Your fift place is taken out of Ecclesiasticus. 2, Chapter. If the Greek text were not out of credit with you Rhemists, & Romish Catholics, it might suffice foraunswere to this place, to say show it in the Greek, and then we will say, you have said somewhat. But Si poenitentiam non egerimus, is▪ not found in the Greek, neither doth the circumstance of the place require, nor yet well suffer it. For thus hath Sirach written there: Qui timent Dominum, custodiunt mandata illius: et patientiam habcbunt usque ad inspectionem illius, dicentes. (Si poenitentiam non egerimus) I ncidemus in manus Domini, & none in manus hominum. Secundum enim magnitudinem ipsius, sic & misericordia illius cum ipso est. They that fear the Lord, do keep his commandments, and will have patience till they may behold him, saying: We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men. For according to the greatness of himself, so is his mercy with him. Here I have left out, (if we will not, or if we shall not repent) and yet is the sentence of sirach perfect and the sense good. And in the Greek it is thus. They that fear the Lord, will seek to be accepted of him. And they that love him, will be filled with the Law. They that fear the Lord, will prepare their hearts, and will humble their souls in his sight. We will fall into the hands of God, and not into the hands of men. For as is the greatness of himself, so is his mercy also.  
A man might ask here, what need there is of this sentence, Si poenitentiam non egerimus: If we repent not, or as you will have it, if we do not penance. But let it be even as you have it in your common translation, and proceed as you do, saying: And what is this? To fall into the hands of our Lord. You answer Horrandunest (saith S. Paul. 10. ad Hebraeos incidere. etc. It is an horrible thing to fall into the hands of our living God. Yet had I rather fault into his hands, then into the paws of our adversary the devil. I think your Roman Catholics will not like well with you, for that you join the Epitheton (living) with God, although you do quallifye it by adding the pronoun Noster, or Our. But let them deal with you for that. I would fain know of you, how you can fall into the hands of the living God, in such sort as S. Paul meaneth of in these words to the Hebrews: and yet escape the paws of the devil. S. Paul speaketh there of such as do reproach the spirit of Grace, as yourself have done in these writings. And are (I fear me) fallen into the hands of the living God, who in justice hath delivered you into the paws of the devil, whom he maketh his Executioner: and at his good pleasure, he can, and (when you shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is, repent) undoubtedly he will, rid you out of those paws of the devil again. Your sixth place is taken out of jeremy. 31. Conuertisti me, & egi poenitentiam. Thou hast con●erted me (O Lord) and I have done penance. It is some grief to me to consider the great blindness that you are fallen into. The Prophet jeremy doth (in these words that you cite, and in those words that go immediately before, and that do follow immediately after) prophesy, or she we before hand, that in time then to come, the people of the kingdom of the ten tribes or kindreds of Israel, (whom he calleth Ephraim, because their first king jereboam was an Ephramite) should be converted and turned, from their Idolatrous, heathinish, and false Religion, to embrace the true Religion of God, from which they were fallen in the days of the wicked Kings, that had reigned in that kingdom of Israel or Ephraim, and were for that Apostasy, conquered by the Assyrians, and the remnant of them carried into strange lands, far off. Of this converting or turning of the posterity of this people, the Prophet jeremy doth write after this manner. Audience audivi Ephraim trans●igrantem (or as it is in the Hebrew) plangentem. Castigastime Domine, et eruditus sum (or as it is in the Hebrew) castigatus sum, quasi itevencus indomitus. Convert me & convertar: quiatu Dominus Deus meus. Postquam enim conuertistime, egi poenitentiaem: & postquam ostendistimihi, per cussi femur meum. Confusus sum, & erubui quoniam sustinui opprobrium adolescentiae meae. etc. I have in very deed (saith the Lord) heard Ephraim, flitting out of his Country (or as the Hebrew hath it) making great or pitiful lamentation. saying after this manner) O Lord, thou hast corrected me, and I am thereby instructed (or as the Hebrew hath it) I am chastened like an untamed Bullock. Do thou turn me, and then I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. And after thou hadst turned me: I repented And after thou didst she we unto me (that is after thou didst let me see the filthiness of mine own life) I did strike my thigh. I was confounded, I was ashamed, for I did bear the reproach of mine own youth. Is not Ephraim a son that I esteem much off? Is he not a Lad in whom I am delighted? For since I have spoken of him: I will still remember him. And therefore, the bowels of my compassion are moved towards him, and in pity I will have compassion upon him, saith the Lord. The due consideration of these words might have moved you, to do the contrary, of that which you say, you were by them moved to do.  
Ephraim had forsaken the right Religion of GOD, and he had embraced the Religion of Baal▪ which was a wrong Religion, he had forsaken the precepts, and commandments of God, and embraced the precents and commandments of men. He had refused to hearken to the voices of the true Prophets of God: and had given ear to the Prophets of Baal, which were false Prophets. He had left of to walk in those right and high ways, that the Lord had taught his own people to walk in, & he had choose them to walk in by ways, such as the Lord forbade his people to walk in. And have not you done the like? You were baptized in the right faith of Christ Jesus, which your Godfathers & your Godmother confessed, at the time of your baptizing, and desired (for you) that you might be baptized in that Faith, which they did then confess: And you were baptized in that faith, and were named Samuel. But now, you are called John Francis (as yourself have written) and therefore, I fear you have renounced your first Baptism, and have been rebaptized in the Romish Catholic faith: professing and promising to believe and to do, all that, that Antichristian Church teacheth and commandeth. You were brought up in the knowledge of your duty towards God, and your duty towards man: but now you call that knowledge heresy, and such as have been your instructors therein heretics. You have, and do still refuse to hear the voice of the Preachers of the Gospel of Christ, which are the true Prophets of this time: and your ears are open to the voices of the preachers of popish ceremonies, feigned and false miracles, and all manner devices of men, which are the false prophets of this time. You have left the way of truth, wherein God requireth his own people to walk, serving him in spirit and truth, that is, in true holiness & righteousness: and you have chosen to walk in by ways, even such as the Lord hath forbidden his people to walk in. Namely the hearing of masses, and therein, giving divine honour to creatures, that is, to bread and wine therein used, and holden up and showed, that they may be worshipped by such as be present. In kissing the Relics of Saints, in the superstitious refraining of the use of God's good creatures, wherein God hath given liberty to all men, that will reverently use them, and be thankful to him for them. In making invocations and prayers to Angels, & to dead men, such as be called Saints, not knowing whether they can hear you, or whether they can help you or no. In praying for the dead, not knowing whether they do stand in need of your prayers or no. Yea not knowing whether your prayers, may profit them or no. In honouring God and his Saints by Images, directly contrary to his express commandment: Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image. etc. In vowing, & performing the vow of wifeless chastity, and yet with this causion. Si non castè, tamen cautè. If not chastely, yet warily. In performing the vow of wilful poverty: and yet enjoy all things necessary in great plenty. In taking upon you the yoke of obedience to such as God hath not commandèd you to obey: but shaking of that yoke of obedience, that God hath laid upon all men's necks. Namely, to natural Parents, Princes and all manner of Governors. In doing penance (as you term it) by fasting bread and water, by diving upon the earth, by whipping yourself, with a discipline of whypcords, or chains of wire, or with pins of silver, taking upon you by these means to redeem your own sins, and the sins of others also. And so consequently, entruding yourself into the Office of Christ, which is to be the only mediator betwixt God and man, and the only propitiator to obtain mercy for the sins of the world. If you had considered these words of jeremy, aright and as you should have done, applying them to yourself (as I hope now you will do) than you would have cried with Ephraim (as I hope you will now cry) Turn me, and I shallbe turned, for thou art the Lord my God. And when the Lord shall turn you, as I hope he will at the last turn you, so that you shall from the bottom of your heart repent, that ever you left the high way of righteousness, to walk in these by ways of wickedness: you will not (as you term it) do penance, in whipping yourself with your discipline (as you call your whip wherewith you have given yourself so many hundred lashes) but you will submit yourself under the mighty, and merciful hand of our heavenly father, to be chastined at his hand, according to his good pleasure, that by his fatherly corrections, you may be brought to see the greatness of your own folly, wherein you have walked. And so with Ephraim, strike yourself on the thigh, and say: I am confounded and ashamed. I have borne the rebuke of my youth. And then undoubtedly the Lord will say of you, as he did of Ephraim. Is not Samuel a son that I make great account of? Is he not a lad in whom I am delighted? Sith I have spoken of him, I will still remember him. And therefore the bowels of my mercy are bend towards him. In pity and compassion I will have mercy upon him. Which God grant for his mercy sake. Amen.  
If you will not receive this charitable admonition, and receive again and love that truth, from which you have for a time been turned away, and have loved lies more than the truth, yea and have indeed hated the truth and loved lies: I fear me that the threatening of the Apostle. 2. Thes. 2. will be fulfilled in you. Ideo mittet illis Dens. etc. God will therefore send upon them the strength of error, that they may give credit to lies, that all they may be condemned that have not believed the truth, but have had pleasure in iniquity. This is the horrible falling into the hands of the living God that the Apostle speaketh of. Heb. 10. From which the Lord for his mercy sake deliver both you and me. Amen.  
You proceed in your purpose, and thus you say. But go further, and you shall hear our Saviour himself, by his own mouth, calling us to penance, in the 13. Chapter of S. Luke, saying: Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: omnes simul peribitis. If you will not do penance, you shall perish altogether. And here you use an exclamation. O what a doleful sentence: you shall perish altogether. Let us therefore cry with the Prophet jeremy. etc. as before. But see how you are deceived, by giving credit to such notes as you have received at the hands of your Rhemists, and Romish Catholics. I can not think that yourself reading the words in Luke, the 13. Chapter, would have set down simul for similiter: as in this your writing you do, and do descant upon it, noting the horribleness of the sentence, and so consequently, the necessity of doing penance, to as many as be not willing to perish together. The words that the Evangelist writeth, were spoken by our Saviour himself. The occasion was, a report made unto him, of the cruelty that Pilate used towards certain of the Galileans. Do you think (saith our Saviour) that these Galileans were greater sinners, than the rest of the Galileans were: I tell you no. But except you have repentance, you shall all in like manner perish. And here one other thing wherein your notes have deceived you. The text hath thus. Sed nisi poenitentiam habueritis. But except you have repentance. And you following your notes (as I suppose, for I can hardly be persuaded, that seeing the text, you would so mangle it) do set it down thus. Sinon feceritis poenitentiam: If you do not penance, you shall perish altogether. I would wish you therefore, to take good heed henceforth, how you trust the judgement of this Romish Catholic Church, that maketh no conscience thus to mangle the words of Christ himself, reported by his holy Evangelists. But hitherto, you show yourself to be persuaded, that you have not without just cause taken upon you the life of a Minime Friar. But how well you have proved this, by those Scriptures that you have (for that purpose) alleged: I think yourself do now see, and are ashamed that ever you took this enterprise in hand.  
Thus much for answer to that long discourse that you have made, concerning your departing from your parents, and the manner thereof. Your long and laboursome travel in France, before you could creep into the habit (or weed as you term it) of a Minime Friar, and how you behaved yourself in all that wearisome travail. And last of all, how happy a man you think yourself to be, for that you are now weeded (as you▪ term it) with that weed, and have so played the part of a Novice▪ that liking, and being well liked of the Friars of that Order, you are now a professed Friar, and have changed your name, and are no more called Samuel Debnam, but Friar John Francis, and therefore likely so to live during your natural life.  
But now we have another Crow to pull. You have made a marvelous invective against our Religion, with an earnest and pithy exhortation to your Parents, to forsake both our Religion and us also. And last of all, a very Christian instruction (as you seem to be persuaded) but indeed a very Antichristian direction, how they may and aught to behave themselves, in this case wherein they do now live, and are likely to continue. And thus you enter into this excellent piece of work.  The Friar. 
Now, as concerning your Religion (whose foundation is the devil of hell, his Ministers being, Tyndall, Fryth, Luther, calvin, Beze, Zuinglius, Philip Melanthon, Bucer Phagius, Oecolampaduts, and Berengarius, with others his Ministers, in England & else where. As Crowley, Barber, Dove, Chark, Nowell, molins, Trippe, and the rest, whose hearts God turn, or cut short their lives, to more speedy conversion of our poor Country. These are they of whom the holy Apostle Saint john speaketh of in his first Epistle Chap. 2. Ex nobis prodierunt, sednon erant ex nobis: nam si fuissent ex nobis permansissent utique nobiscum. That is to say, they came from us, but they were not of our company or society. For if so be that they had been of our company, they had certainly stayed with us. It is evident that they came from us, as not liking our kind of life. Some came from us by reason of pride, othersome, by reason of devilish suggestions. Again, others because their heads were full of fantasies, as the head or Master Field is, Who (if the report that goeth of him be true) is able to forge, every half hour, a new Religion. Luther was an Augustine Friar: who after that he had left his Order, began heresy. Calvin was a Cannon regular, and Berengarius was an Archdeacon. Whose lives and deaths, as also the lives and deaths of the other Captain Protestants, if you knew thoroughly, you would (as I hope) not only wonder at their wiliness, but also leave their folly. But mine intention, is not at this present to write their behaviours, which (God willing) shall be published in another page. Mine intention is only, by the grace of God, to withdraw and turn your hearts, from the belief of those damnable heresies which you hold, which I beseech God that I may perform for his name's sake.  Crowley. 
I would gladly stay my pen, from blotting my paper with bitter or opprobrious words, but (alas) I can not, for the fire of zeal towards God's glory, is so kindled in mine heart, that I can not hold in, such speeches as this blasphemer deserveth. The speeches shall (I hope) be such, and so uttered: that even the blasphemer himself shallbe enforced to confess, that the writer seeketh nothing less, than the private revenge of the private wrong that is done unto himself. The open wrong that is done to Christ, and to his blessed name and Religion, is it that moveth me to say (to this boy Friar) as the Apostle Paul said to Elymas the Sorcerer. Acts. 13. O thou child of the devil, full of all guile and deceitfulness: thou enemy of all righteousness, dost thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Take heed (thou blasphemer) of that which followeth in that text. Darest thou say, that the devil of hell, is the foundation of Christ's Religion? Thou callest it our Religion, because we profess it: and we acknowledge that in that meaning, it is ours indeed, & we are not ashamed of it. But in thy meaning, we deny it to be ours, for we are not the Authors of it. It is a reverent fear and love towards the majesty of God, which the holy spirit of Christ hath wrought in our hearts: whereby we are moved to seek to know his will, and to serve him according to his will. The foundation of this Religion, is the Law of God, and the Gospel of Christ. For the Law doth work in us fear, and the Gospel worketh love. By the law, we are servants, but by the Gospel we are children, that is, adoptive sons and daughters, of God himself, and inheritors of his kingdom, and heirs annexed with Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son. This Law did God himself write, first in the heart of the first man, in his first creation, and after in Tables of stone, and delivered the same to Moses, as his especial and chosen Minister, that by his ministration, it might be made known to his people, the posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob. And the same Law, is by the finger of God written in our hearts in our regeneration or new birth, wherein we are borne from above, by water, and by the holy Ghost: having received the spirit of Christ, which crieth in our hearts to the heavenly majesty, Abba Pater, Father, father. The Gospel also, was first preached to the first man, and to the first woman, when God himself said thus to the Serpent. I will p●●enmitie betwixt thee and the woman, betwixt thy seed and her seed, her seed shall break thy head. This Gospel was a glad tidings to the first man and his wife, and they both believed it, and by that belief, were they discharged of the sin which they had committed, in tasting of the forbidden fruit, which S. Paul calleth Justifying. And continuing in this belief, they had this promised seed. Christ, their continual Advocate as we have, so that, so oft as they did by frailty sin, they did (as we do) by faith repair unto him, and he was the propitiation for their sins, as he is for ours, when we repair unto him by faith. Christ Jesus therefore, is called, and is indeed. Agnus occi●us ab origine mundi: That Lamb that hath been slain, even from the beginning of the world. Apo. 13. This Gospel was continually preached, both before the Law written in Tables of stone, and also under that Law, by Sacrifice, as by shadows and figures. Heb. 10▪ as also by the ministry of the Prophets. But when Christ Jesus, which is this promised seed came: he preached this Gospel in his own person first most plainly, amongst them that were his own peculiar people. And afterward he preached it amongst the nations of the world, by the ministry of his Apostles or messengers. And thus the knowledge here of came to all Nations of the world. Amongst whom the Grecians thought good to call this Gospel (which in our old English was named God's speale, that is to say, God's word) by the name Euaggelion, which name doth by interpretation signify, Glad tidings. This Gospel or Glad tidings (so called because it doth assure us of free pardon, and full forgiveness of all our sins by the only mediation of our only Mediator, Christ Jesus) is that Gospel that Christ Jesus doth still preach amongst us by the ministry of them, whom you call Heretics. How dare you now say that the foundation of our Religion is the devil of hell? Is the devil of hell, the Law and the Gospel? But (for your recreation, as it may seem) it hath pleased you to use the figure Parenthesis, and therein to set down a long Register of the names of such as you call the devils ministers, to whom you wish, either conversion, or else speedy dispatch out of this life. This petition may we (with greater and more Christian love, both towards you and our Country) crave at God's hand for you, and for all your society. You set down our names very disorderly, even as they came to your troubled memory, or as some man had gathered them, and delivered them to you in some torn piece of paper. It may be, that neither you, nor any that hath given you instructions, did at any time know many of them whom you name, nor read any thing written by them. And yet (like a bold blind baiard) you promise to write and publish their behaviours in another Page. You may (perhaps) do if: but with as small commendation; and as great shame, as others have done before you. It is written to our comfort, that if such as you, did call the good man of the house Belzebub: how much more will such call them of the household so? It is one good sign that we be of the household of Christ, when we be for Christ's cause, called as Christ himself was, and by such as called him so. Math▪ 10. The Pharisees, (your Ancestors in hypocrisy) shamed not to say unto him, even to his face. Do not we say well, in that we say thus. Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil. john. 8. And shall we think much that you backbite us, and in your slanderous libels charge us, with crimes, which you are not able to prove, more than the Pharisees could prove that Christ was a Samaritane, and had a devil. For mine own part (sir boy Friar) make what report you dare, (better experience you have not had of any, for you have been in my house, and at my charges, a long seven years) but take heed that your pen scribble no lie, in the report that you shall make of me: for if you do, I will (if GOD give life and ability) so paint you with my pencil, as you never painted your naked back with your hypocrites discipline or whip.  
You apply unto us the saying of the holy Apostle S. john, the first Epistle. Chapter. 2. Ex nobis prodierunt. etc. If you be (as you say you are) a Papist of the society of Papists: than you apply that saying rightly to us so far forth, as that you say that we came forth from you, and were not of you. But if that society of which you mean, be the Catholic Church, whereof the Church of Rome that was in S. john's time was a principal member: then that saying of S. john can not be rightly applied unto us, but to you. For not we, but you, are gone out from them, & were not of them. And we are gone out from you, and were not of you, for you are Antichristians, and we are Christians, as those Roman were in the days of S. john. But will you see what S. john saith in the same Epistle. Cap. 4. He doth there teach you how to know Antichrist, and so consequently Antichristians. Omnis spiritus qui soluit jesum, ex Deo non est, & hic est Antichristus, de quo audistis quoniam venit, & iam nunc in mundo est. Every spirit that loseth or dissolveth Jesus, or the Saviour, (for so doth the name Jesus signify) is not of God, and the same is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh, and he is even now in the world. Who be they that may be said to lose or dissolve Jesus, (which is the Saviour) but they which do as you do. That is, ascribe one part of your salvation to Jesus Christ, and another to your own works and merits? If you can find any better interpretation of this place, let us at your leisure see it. If not, leave your dissolving of Jesus, and join with us in ascribing your whole salvation to the mediation of Jesus Christ as we do. But perhaps, you will here ●lee from your old allowed translation, and for an advantage take hold of the Greek text, which is thus. Every spirit that denieth, or doth not confess, that Jesus is come in the flesh, is not of God, etc. But what can that help your cause? Jesus Christ came in the flesh, that he might tread the wine press of God's wrath, alone, and not to have any one to help him. Esay. 63. He came in the flesh, that he might be wounded for our iniquities, broken for our great and wicked sins, that the correction whereby we might be reconciled might fall upon him, that we might be made whole by the brwsing of his stripes. Esay. 53. Again, S. Paul. 1. Tim: 1. This is a true saying, and meet to be received of all men, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. And in Math. 1. He shall save his people from their sins. And in S. john's Gospel. 1. Behold him that taketh away the sins of the world. By all these places it is plain, that whosoever ascribeth any part of our salvation, to any other then to Christ Jesus alone, denieth him to be come in the flesh, and is of that Antichrist that S. john speaketh of. 1. Epistle. 4. You are therefore Antichristians, and we are for good cause come from you, because we were not Antichristians, and therefore not of you. We are returned to that Romish Catholic Church that was in John's time, from whom you came out, because you were not of them And we do now believe, as they believed then. They believed then, that there is but one God that hath made all creatures, and him they glorified in the use of his creatures, and they gave thanks to him alone for those creatures, and studied to serve him only, in spirit, and and with spiritual service, fleeing from the example of the Heathen Nations, that presumed to counterfeit his majesty by Images. Rom. 1. And so do we. They believed and confessed that all men are sinners, and that man can not justify himself before God, because no man can so keep the Law but that his own conscience shall condemn him as a transgressor: & therefore, they did cleave to the mercy of God, and so do we. They believed that they were justified (that is, discharged of their sins) freely by faith, without the deeds of the Law: and yet they thought themselves bound to do all that God had and should make them able to do in observing and fulfilling the Law: and so do we. Rom. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. They believed that God making choice of them, had in mercy made them his own children by adoption, inheritors of his kingdom, and heirs annexed with his only begotten son Christ Jesus, and here of they were assured by the spirit of Christ, which was given to them, and cried in their hearts Abba Pater, Father, Father: and so do we. They believed, that this election and choice was made, in the fore knowledge and purpose of GOD, before them selves were, and so consequently, before they either had or could do, good or evil: and so do we. Rom. 9 They believed, that as they were by free mercy of God. adopted, predestinated, called, justified, and acquitted of their sins, and in God's predestination glorified, and made like to the Image of his only begotten son Christ Jesus. Rom. 8. So their duty was to be careful to lead a righteous life before men, and not be bold to commit sin, (because God had in mercy discharged them of sin) but to live in awe, and a reverent childlike fear of his justice, as they that would show themselves continually thankful for his mercy, in making their own bodies a Sacrifice to God, living holy and acceptable unto God, as their reasonable serving of God. Rom. 10. 11. 12. And even so do we. They believed that their duty was to submit themselves, to all such as God had set over them in authority, and to obey them, not only for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake also, knowing that whosoever resisteth power, resisteth the ordinance of GOD, and doth purchase to himself damnation. And they believed that their duty was to give every man his own, and to use loving behaviour towards all men, knowing that love is the fulfilling of the Law. And that being baptized they had put upon themselves Christ, and aught to walk and continue their lives in honesty, not making provision for the flesh, to satisfy the lusts thereof. Rom. 13. and even so do we. They believed, that although God had given them liberty in the use of all his creatures: yet their duty was to have a continual regard to the infirmity of their brethren's and not to use any of those creatures to the offence of any of them. Rom. 14. 15. and even so do we. They believed, that they, together with all other Christians else where, in any part of the world, were fellow members of one body in Christ, and under Christ alone, acknowledging no universal head of that body but only Christ Jesus alone. Rom. 12. And even so do we.  
Thus you may see, that we are not departed from the Catholic Roman Church, which was in the time of S. john, but from you, that departed from them, more than 1000 years before this day. You put many of God's creatures in the place of God, in reposing trust in them, in calling upon them and craving help at their hands, in rendering thanks unto them, in honouring them, in and by their Images, in serving them, and in consecrating days, Temples and Altars to their honour. You presume upon your own power, as they that are able, either to fulfil the Law, or else having broken the Law, to satisfy to God for your sin in breaking the Law, and to that end you fast from flesh, you go and lie woolwarde, you rise at midnight, you sing matins and masses, you whip yourselves with your disciplines or whips, not following therein any commandment of God, or example of good man. For where hath God commanded men to refrain the necessary and honest use of his good creatures? And where hath he commanded men to be their own formentors? What one man or woman can you name, amongst the patriarchs, the Prophets, or Apostles, that tormented themselves, as you do torment yourselves, if your own report be true? In the Law we read, that if a man had deserved to be chastised with stripes, and were condemned by the Judge to be chastised: yet the number of stripes might not in any case exceed the number of forty. Deut. 25. Chap. But you say that every Frydaie, from our Lady day in Lent, to May day, you do whip yourself for your Parent's sake, & do give yourself 400. stripes at every time (as I think) for you say it is an easy thing with you now, so to do. Well, whip on still, till you shall hear me say: who. And if you shall not have whipping cheer enough at Nigeon in France, step over the water into England, and at your request, I will help you to some of our whipping cheer in Bridewell, where one lash that our whipping Beadles do give, is worth a whole hundred of yours in Nigeon.  
But to return to our purpose. You say that we came from you, not liking your kind of life. It is very true, and so long as you lead such a kind of life as you do, which is hypocritical, we mind never to return to you again. But where you do charge us with pride, devilish suggestions, and heads full of fantasies, I must use an English proverbial speech, and say: Take yourself by the nose, and say fool I have caught thee. The hearts of those men that you speak of, and are departed this life, were well known unto God, & so are ours that do yet remain in this vale of misery. We shall be all judged one day, by him that will judge justly. And what art thou that judgest another man's servant? But here (by the way) I must tell you of your ingratitude towards M. field, whose purse, pen and hand, have been helping to you, so that if you had regarded either christian duty or charity, yea or civil honesty, you would not have so hearkened to a false report, that you would have noted him before all others, for coining of so many new Religions, where he never coined any. Stay your style therefore (I advise you, yet once again) and pester not that page that you threaten to publish, with lies, either learned by report, or cast in your own mould. For if you do: But having ended your long Parenthesis, you go on with your matter, and say thus: My intent is only. etc. A pestilent intention. To withdraw & turn the hearts of your father & mother from the belief of the Gospel of Christ: (the word of salvation that is graffed into us, and is sufficient to save our souls) which you most blasphemously call damnable heresy. And for ability to bring this intended mischief to pass: thou (most vile wretch) darest open thy most blasphemous mouth, to crave help at his hand, that in justice, may (yea must) and I doubt not, shortly will, confound thee and all such as thou art.  
But now you go lustily about your business, and you give so fierce an assault, even at the first, that you seem to be persuaded, that you are in possession of the Fort, before you come in place where you may plant your battery: yea and before you have, or do know how to come by, any such pieces of Ordinance, as may be able to batter the walls and make them unsaltable. You say thus (to your Parents, I trow, for your Letters are directed to them.)  The Friar. 
You say, that we are fools to pray for the dead you deny good works to be meritorious of our salvation, affirming that by faith only we are justified. And which is most horrible, detestable, and abominable. You unshamefastly, and most irreverently, deny the real presence, of the most precious body and blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, to be in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar. You say that there be but two Sacraments. An heresy condemned long a go. Many other opinions, not only foolish, but also execrable, and damnable you hold, which lead you the right way to eternal damnation in hell fire.  Crowley. 
Here is a marvelous piece of Ordinance. Who could hope that a poor Showmaker and his wife, altogether unlettered and unlearned, and therefore naked and unarmed, and unprepared to withstand so puissant an assaltant, as Friar John Francis is: should not at the first summons, come forth, even with Halters about their necks, and offer the keys of their Fort to this valiant Captain, and submit themselves to his mercy. Yea where shall we find one amongst the learned on the Protestants part, that dare encounter with this monstrous Golias, that hath so boldly defied the whole Army of Israel? But least Friar John should think that I writ Ironice, I will stay my style for a space, that I may see how this courageous Captain will enforce his so sharp an assault.  The Friar. 
For the first, (saith he) that is to say prayers for the dead: because you admit not the words which the holy Doctors of the Catholic Church have spoken: I will turn you to the Bible itself. Which if you dare either plainly deny, or interpret falsely: you are now no longer heretics, but plain Infidels. Look therefore I beseech you, in the 12. Chapter of the second book of Maccabees, towards the end of the Chapter, you shall there find, how a Captain of the jewish Army, named judas, made a collection of money to be offered at jerusalem, for the sins of those Soldiers, which for a good and just quarrel, were slain in battle. Furthermore, if you will take the pains to read the latter words of the same Chapter, you shall find the conclusion of the same Chapter to be this. Sancta ergo, et salubris est cogitatio, pro defunctis exorare, ut a peccatis soluantur. It is (saith he) therefore, a holy, and a wholesome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be released from their sins. Tell me not now (I pray you) a tale of a tub, with a quote in the margnet, saying: That the foresaid place of holy Scripture, was not written by the holy Ghost. For if so be that you be come to that point, as to belie the holy. Scripture, well may it be said of you, which is written by holy Esay, in his book of prophecies. Chap. 6. Aure audietis, et non intelligetis. You shall hear with your ears, but you shall not understand. Seeing you shall see, & shall not perceive, for your hearts are hardened. With your ears you have heard unwillingly, and you have bend downwards your eye sight, lest you should peradventure see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and understand with your hearts, and so being converted, God should heal you.  Crowley. 
In viewing the Fort of our faith, you seem to have determined to batter four of the especial bulwark thereof. Namely, the denial of Prayers for the dead. The denial of works to be meritorious of salvation. The denial of the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar. And the denying that there be any more Sacraments than two. To batter these bulwark, you will not bring any Ordinance taken out of the Storchouse of the holy Fathers, but you will use that great forcible Ordinance, that is to be had in the Storehouse of the holy Bible: and therewith you will batter and beat down the strongest parts of our Fort of Faith. Against the first bulwark, you plant a piece of Ordinance taken out of the 12. Chap. of the second book of Maccabees. Against the second bulwark, 2. pieces of Ordinance, one taken out of the Epistle of S. james, and the other out of the 25. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospel. Against the third, you do plant four pieces of Ordinance, one taken out of the 26. Chap. of S. Matthew, one other taken out of the 14. Chapter of S. Mark, the third out of the 22. of S. Luke. and the fourth you take out of the sixth Chap. of S. john's Gospel. But against the fourth bulwark. you bring no Ordinance at all, neither out of the Storehouse of the Bible, nor out of the Storehouse of the holy Doctors of the Catholic Church. Only you say, that it is an heresy condemned long ago.  
But let us see, of what force these pieces of Ordinance be. The first seemeth a far off, to be a double Cannon of great force. But at hand, it is found to be but a silly Base, embossed and made great, by cunning clouting together of Paste made of paper, in the form of a double Cannon, with the colour of Brass cunningly laid upon it. Who would not think that this were a Cannon of great force, when he shall hear the Captain himself say. I will turn you to the Bible itself? which if you dare either deny. etc. you shallbe no longer Heretics, but plain Infidels. Look I beseech you. etc. A Captain of the Jewish Army made a collection etc. Yea, and the latter words of the Chapter, are these. Sancta ergo & salubris est cogitatio. etc. And tell me not now (I pray you) a tale of a tub. etc. Yea and last of all, well may it be said of you, Aure audietis & non intelligetis etc. But let us draw nearer to this terrible piece of Ordinance, that we may see of what force it is. First, because Friar John doth charge us, that we admit not the words which the holy Doctors of the Catholic Church have spoken: I require him to read that which S. Jerome hath written, in his preface upon the books of Solomon, immediately after those words that I put you in mind of when I answered to that sentence that you alleged out of the book of Wisdom, Chap. 11. S. Jerome writeth thus. Sicut ergo Judeth, & Tobiae, & Machabeorum libros, legit quidem Ecclesia, sed eos inter canonicas scripturas non recipit, sic & baec duo volumina legate, ad edificationem plebis: non ad authoritatem ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam. Even as the Church doth (indeed) read the books of judith and Tobias, and of the Maccabees, but doth not receive them amongst the Canonical Scriptures, even so she may read these two books (meaning the book of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus) to the edifying of the people, but not for the confirming of Ecclesiastical doctrine. Lo (Master Friar John) one of the holy Doctors of the Catholic Church, hath told you, that this Scripture was not written by the holy Ghost, and yet I trow you will not say that he hath told you a tale of a tub, nor that he hath belied the holy Ghost, or that the saying of the holy Esay, may be well applied unto him. But if yourself would vouchsafe to read the last lines of this second Book of Maccabees, I think you would not think this book to be of such authority as hitherto, you have in these writings seemed to think. For in the words written in those lines, the author or writer of this book, doth show himself to be in doubt whether he have done so well as himself wished to do: and in case he have not done so well, he craveth pardon of his Readers, and useth a similitude to persuade him to pardon him. Which is a thing all together unseemly to be done by the holy Ghost. Yea I suppose yourself would account it blasphemy, in him that would say, that the holy Ghost may doubt whether ought that he doth be well done or not. And if you will take the pains to read the latter part of the 14. Chapter of this book, you shall find there a great commendation given to one Razias, for that he murdered himself, which commendation could not come from the holy Ghost. For such murder is not only contrary to the express commandment of GOD, but it is contrary to nature also. Yea, and I do yet think, that though you do think, that you do deserve much at God's hand by whipping yourself with your discipline (as yourself do report) yet you are not persuaded that you should deserve more, if either by whipping yourself or otherwise, you should kill yourself.  
Moreover, if yourself be not of that number that Esay the Prophet speaketh of in the sixth Chapter of his book (cited by yourself) then there is hope that you will not stick to read, & weigh the circumstances of the place in the 12. of this second book of the Maccabees, that you do so much urge us with. In the text that goeth immediately before that, which you do beseech us to look upon: the Historian hath said, that after the Army of Gorsias was by the mighty power of God put to flight, judas (having gathered his Army together) came to the City Odolla. And when the seventh day was come, and they were purified according to the custom, they did in the same place spend the time of the Sabaothe. And the next day following, judas came with his company to take up the dead bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their fathers, in the burial places that belonged to them. And they found under the garments of them that were slain, certain of the gifts that had been offered to the Idols that were at jamnia, from which the Law commanded the jews to abstain. It was therefore made manifest to all men, that this was the cause wherefore they were slain. The whole company did therefore commend the just judgement of the Lord, which had made manifest the deeds that had been hid and kept in secret. And so they gave themselves to prayer, and besought God that the fault which was committed might be blotted out of memory. But the most valiant man judas, exhorted the people to keep themselves without sin, having even before their eyes, those things that had happened for the sins of those that were slain. And having ended his Collation, he sent to Jerusalem, xii. thousand drachmas of silver, that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of them that were dead.  
Thus far goeth the report of that which was done by judas that Captain of the Jewish Army that you speak of. I have taken this text out of the translation that is allowed by the decree of the Tridentine Council, which translation, you may not disallow of, for if you do: you shallbe amongst them that the fathers of that Counsel have Anathematized. Take heed therefore, that you have not offended already, in that you have said, that the Captain made a Collection, where your text saith, facta collatione. I know that our translators that have translated into the English, have said as you have done. Having made a collection of money, sent it to Jerusalem. etc. In the Greek, the sense is uncertain, and hardly can there any perfect sense be gathered in this place. And this one thing I must note, that where this vulgar translation hath twelve thousand Drachmas, the Greek hath but two thousand Drachmas, which together with the rest of the circumstances of the text, do cause me to think, that judas needed not to make any collection of money to be sent to Jerusalem. For the sum being no greater, he might very well spare it out of his own treasure (as it may be supposed.) Having therefore ended that Collation or contion which he made to his whole company of Soldiers that then were about him, (wherein he exhorted them, to consider of that which had happened, and to take warning thereby, to be careful to keep themselves from sin, lest the like should fall upon them also) he sent that sum of money to Jerusalem, that Sacrifice might be offered there for the sins of them that were dead. Slain (as you say) for a good and a just quarrel, but the History saith, that the just judgement of the Lord was executed upon them, for that they had stolen and hid under their Garments, things that had been offered to those Idols that were at jamnia, which was by the Law forbidden to be done. But what? would you have us to think (as it may seem you do think) that judas Machabeus (being a man so precise in observing the law of God, as in this History it appeareth that he was) would cause any new kind of Sacrifice to be devised, or that he would cause any of those Sacrifices that Moses had by God's direction commanded to be offered, to be used for any other purpose, then for those purposes that God himself had ordained them for? If you will read the whole levitical Law throughout, you shall not find that ever God did command any sacrifice to be offered for sin other then that which is called a sin offering: and was to be offered for penitent sinners, in such sort as the Law prescribeth, which was, in the presence of the penitent sinner himself, laying his hand upon the head of the sacrificed beast, thereby signifying that it was he that had deserved that death, which the innocent beast's was then and there to suffer. The Sacrifice therefore which judas would have to be offered at Jerusalem, must needs be of that kind which was called a peace offering, and was to be used for the pacifying of God's wrath, which should at anytime, by any occ●●●●n be bend, either against the whole people, or against any one s●●● of the people for any offence committed amongst them. Iuda● therefore considering that GOD might in Justice (as oftentimes he had done) visit the sin of the Fathers upon the children, even to the third and fourth generation, in them that in committing willing and wilful sin, had showed themselves to be haters of his Majesty: feared lest this just judgement should be executed upon such as remained yet alive, and were of the posterity of them that were already slain, for the wickedness that they had committed. The writer of the History therefore hath done great wrong to judas, in that which he addeth to the end of this history, bearing his Readers in hand, that judas meant to redeem by Sacrifice, the ●inne that the slain had committed, and to teach, that to pray for the dead that they may be released of their sins, is a holy and an wholesome cogitation. You must therefore prove by other scriptures, more authential than this Scripture is, that you are wise in that you pray for the dead: otherwise we must say, as you say we do say, that you are fools in deed. And persisting in that opinion that you hold▪ concerning the making of prayers for the dead, you will prove yourselves to be wilful fools.  
Thus you may (if you will) see of how small force that piece of Ordinance is, that you have brought out of the Storehouse of the Bible, pla●ting it against that Bulwark of the Fort of our faith, wherein we stand at defence, denying that it is either necessary, lawful, or meet for Christians, to make any prayers to God, for the souls of them that are departed this life. And herein we follow the example of the Patriakes, Prophets, Christ Jesus, his Apostles, and the continual usage of God's people, both before the Law written, under the Law, and under Christ, even unto this day. If you, or any of your masters, have aught to say, out of your general Counsels, out of your School Doctors▪ out of the corruption of Doctors (otherwise godly) or out of usages that have sprung up in the time of deep ignorance: let it be set forth at your leisure: and you shall have answer (by the help of GOD) as other your predecessors in Popery have had. We do not deny but you may say much, but by the rule of the ancient Fathers, what soever shallbe affirmed, and not approved by the authority of the Canonical Scriptures, may as easily be denied, as it is affirmed. Yea, S. Austen would have no credit, further than he should prove by the holy Scriptures, all that he should affirm.  
The second bulwark, wherein we stand at defence, is, that we deny good works to be meritorious to salvation: affirming that by faith only we are justified. Against this, you bring two battery pieces out of the Storehouse of the Bible. One of them is the Epistle of the holy Apostle S. james. And the other is, the words of our Saviour Jesus Christ, written by the Evangelist S. Matthew▪ Chapter. 25. Both these be double Cannons of great force. But having planted them against our Fort, and having given fire to them with purpose to shake down our walls, they recoil in such sort, that yourself are in greater danger to be hurt by the shooting of them off, than we (against whom ye have bend them) are. For what have you in the Epistle of S. james▪ that you do think may annoy us, or shake any part of our Fort? I suppose that you cannot find any words in that Epistle, that are more forcible than these are. Quid proderit fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere: operra autem non habeat? nunquid poterit fides saluare eum? What shall it avail (my brethren) if a man should say that he hath faith, and yet hath no works? do ye think that faith can save him? And again. Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa. Even so faith also, if it have not works, it is dead in itself. And again. Abraham pater noster, nun ex operibus justificatus est: offerens filium suum Isaac super altar? Abraham our Father, was he not justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the Altar? And again. Videtis, quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo: et non ex fide tantum. You see, that man is made righteous by works, and not by faith only. james. Chap. 2. I am sure that these be the places that you yourself would pick out of S. james Epistle, as sentences that in your judgement do make most against that which we believe and confess, which is. That works be not meritorious to salvation. Now let us consider of these sentences, that we may see whether they be likely to make against us, or against you. For the first, we say (as S. james doth) that if a man shall say that he hath faith, & yet hath no deeds, that saying shall profit him nothing at all. For although he do say that he hath faith, yet he hath i● not indeed. For faith can no more be without good works, than a good tree can be without good fruit. The good tree is never without good ●ruites, either Act●● or Potentià. that is, either in act or in power. Even so faith, is never without good works, but hath them in power even when she seemeth to be most barren and unfruitful, and when occasion serveth, she bringeth them forth, that all men may see them, and be assured that she is the same faith that S. Paul wrote of to the Galathians. Fides qu● per dilexionem operatur. Faith that worketh by love.  
To the second sentence, we say as S. james doth also. That is, that faith which hath no works, is dead in itself. Men of your sort, can sometimes take hold upon distinctions, when they hope to have any advantage thereby against us, but in the understanding of the meaning of S. james in this place, they can not see any distinction of faith at all. No not though the text do give them never so great occasion to use a distinction. Your Schoolmen can tell you, that Fides is Triplex. Faith is of three sorts. Historica, Ciuili●, and Ecclesiastica. The Ecclesiastical Faith is that whereby we are assured of the goodness of our Godtowards us, whereby we are made his children by Adoption inheritors of his kingdom, and heirs annexed with the only begotten son of God, Jesu● Christ our Lord. And whereby we are assured of the continuance of his fatherly goodness towards us, in the performance of all his promises made unto us. Yea, and by this faith we receive good gifts from him, in such quality, number and measure, as he knoweth to be meetest for us, so that thereby we are made able to persever and continued, in seeking to set forth his glory, and in some measure to set it forth in deed▪ even to the end of this our transitory life.  
Moreover, by this faith, we do certainly know these things, to the knowledge whereof, man's reason could never be able to attain or reach: as the mystery of the creation of all creatures, the mystery of the incarnation of our Saviour Christ, the mystery of our redemption by him, the mystery of our Resurrection. ●c. This faith is it, that S. I●mes saith, wrought together with Ab●al am's works, and brought forth in him obedience to God, when he commanded him to offe●●p his son Isaac upon the Altar.: so that now he was made righteous before men, as he was before righteous before God in that he believed, and was assured of the performance of that promise that God had made unto him. This faith is always linked with love, and worketh by love, as S. Paul writeth in the fift Chapter to the Galathians: and is therefore all in all (as S. Paul writeth there) and without it, nothing can avail us. When we therefore do say that we are justified by Faith only, our meaning is, that only Faith is the mean, whereby we do apprehend the righteousness of Christ, which is by the free gift of GOD bestowed upon such as be faithful, according to that which S. Paul writeth 1. Cor. 1. Exipso autem vos estis in Christo Iesu● qui factus est nobis sapientia a Deo, & justitia, & sanctificatio, & redemptio. And by him are you in Christ Jesus, whom God hath made, our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification and redemption. Having this righteousness, which is in Christ, we are in him righteous before God. But lacking this righteousness (which without this Faith, we can not have) neither Civil nor Historical faith can help us. For by them, we can be but righteous before men. The Civil faith can bring forth none other righteousness then that which is Civil, and so make us such as the Philosophers were, and no better. And by the Historical faith, we can not be better then are the devils, in whom that faith bringeth forth, an horrible fear of judgement, which must needs be joined with hatred. So that they which have none other faith but that, must needs hate God, as the devil doth. We do therefore conclude with S. james, that man is justified by works, and not by faith only. By works was Abraham justified before men, when his faith had brought forth her fruit, which was obedience to the commandment (Take thy son Isaac. etc.) which obedience sprang out of that Faith that S. Paul wrote of, Rom. 4. Qui contra spem, in spem credidit, which believed in hope, even contrary to hope. Thus was Abraham made righteous before men (as S. Paul hath written) and was declared▪ and made known to men by his obedience, which was the good fruit that his good Faith brought forth. If you list to appose yourself against S. Paul you may, and in the end have the foil. S. james doth not, but meaneth to move Christians, not to make an account of any other faith, then that which worketh by love. We will hold with Saint james, and not oppose ourselves against S. Paul with you. We do see that these two Apostles, being led by one spirit of Christ, agree in one. Although Paul do say: Arbitramur enim, justificari hominem per fidem, sine operibus legis. We suppose that man is justified by Faith, without the deeds of the Law. Rom 3. And the other saith. Videtis, quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo, & non ex fide tantum. You see that man is justified by works, and not by faith only. james. 2. We do rather choose to be anathematized of your holy father, the Pope's holiness, and of all those fathers that were gathered together in the Tridentine Council, then of father Paul, (whose holiness doth surmount the holiness of your holy father, the Pope's holiness.) Father Paul hath written thus in his Epistle to the Galathians. Chap. 1. Licet nos, aut Angelus de coelo evangelizet vobis praeterquam quod evangelizavimus vobis: Anathemasit. Although I myself, or an Angel from heaven, should preach unto you any other Gospel, then that which I have preached unto you: hold him accursed. The Gospel that S. Paul had preached to the Galathians and others, was (and is) the Gladtydings of free justification or discharge of all their sins, only by the mediation of our only Mediator, our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. Take heed (Friar John) that you be not within the reach of this Anathematization, if you be, 4000 whyskes with your whip, will not brush it away from your naked and scurvy shoulders. I term them scurvy, because I suppose, that whipping yourself so often and so sore (as in your Letters you have reported) the skin of your shoulders and back can not be without scabs.  
Well, let us now consider your other piece of Ordinance, which is a part of the xxv. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospel. First you have said thus.  The Friar. 
As concerning your opinion, that by faith only we are justified: I refer you to the Epistle of the holy Apostle S. james, as also to those words of our Saviour jesus Christ, written in the Gospel after S. Matthew, Cap. xxv. Where it is written, that our blessed Saviour jesus Christ, in the latter day giving the final and everlasting sentence (as well unto the saved as unto the damned) shall utter these words. Venite benedicti patris mei etc. That is to say. Come ye blessed of my father, and possess the kingdom prepared for you, from the beginning of the world. Now, having spoken these words, he showeth the cause of this joyful sentence. For (saith he) when I was hungry, you fed me, when I was a thirst, you gave me to drink, when I was naked ye clothed me: but what are these things if they be not good works? Therefore, and by this place of Scripture, good works are meritorious to our Salvation. Read likewise (I pray you) the second Chapter of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Remains, a little way of from the beginning. You shall there find, how God will reward all men according to their works. The same also, if you will search, you shall find, in the xvi. Chap. of S. Matthew, and in many other places of the Scripture. I do not conclude by these parts of the New testament, that by good works only we are saved, but mine intention is to prove, that neither by faith without good works, nor by good works without faith, we are justified or saved.  Crowley. 
As I have explained unto you, the meaning of the Apostle james in that which he wrote touching the justifying of men by works, in such sort (I hope) that yourself do see that you are much deceived in your judgement, touching the meaning of the Apostle: So I hope I shall explain the meaning of our Saviour Christ, in the words which you cite out of the xxv. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospel. And first, because you have said before, that we admit not the words of the holy Doctors of the Catholic church. I will let you see certain words that one of them hath written, even upon these very words that you have cited out of the xxv. Chap. of S. matthew. johannes Chrysostomus, Homelia 80. in Mat. John chrysostom in his 80. Homely upon S. Mathewes Gospel, hath written thus. His igitur rationibus, & isti non iniur●a puniuntur: & illi etiamsi mill talia fecerint, per gratiam tamen coronantur. Gratiaenamque omnino illa benignitas est: ut pro rebus minimis, & vilissimis, coeleste regnum, & tantus honor tribuatur. That is to say. For these causes therefore, both the one sort, are without injury punished, and although the other sort have done a thousand such works, yet it is by free mercy that they are crowned. For that bountifulness whereby the kingdom of heaven, and so great an honour is given, for the smallest and most vils things, is altogether of free mercy. Thus hath chrysostom written, as the conclusion of all that he hath written before in commendation of those that feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked. etc. and in discommendation of them that leave those works undone. The one sort (saith he) that is (they which leave those works undone) are justly punished: And the other are crowned, and yet not for the worthiness of the works, although they work them never so often: but that bountiful liberality, (whereby the kingdom of heaven, and that great honour of being crowned in that kingdom, are given, for so small and vile matters as our works are) cometh altogether of God's free mercy, and not of any worthiness, that either is or can be in us, or in any works that we can work. This chrysostom is (not only in this part of his writings, but in all his works) a very earnest maintainer of the merits of good works, and yet see how he co 〈…〉 udeth. In this conclusion▪ he joineth with us, and we join with him.  
We hold, that good works, such as GOD hath commanded, and prepared for us to walk in, are acceptable in the sight of God, and that God doth and will reward them both in this life, and also in the life to come. And we crave of GOD that we may keep still in mind the words of the Apostle. Heb. 13. To do good and to distribute, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Yea, we crave of God, that we do never forget the saying of the Apostle Paul to Timothe. 1. Chap. 4. Exerce teipsum ad pietatem, nam corporalis exercitatio, ad modicum utilis est: p●etas autem ad omnia utilis est. Promissionem habens vitae quae nunc est, & futurae. Exercise thyself to godliness (saith S. Paul) for bodily exercise, is profitable but to a small matter, but godliness is profitable to all things. Having a promise of the life that now is, and of the life that shall be. This we hold, this we teach, and this we are willing to practise. And for a further explanation of the meaning of Chrysostom's conclusion above mentioned: mark (I pray you) what he writeth in his 53. Homely, to the people of Antioch. Omnia quae f●cimus, agimus debitum implentes: proper hoc & ipse dicebat. Cum omnia feceritis dicite, quia inutiles servi sumus: quae enim debebamus facere, fecimus. I gitur, sive charitatem exhibuerimus, sive dederimus pecun●asegenis, debitum implemus: non tantum quoniam a beneficijs ipse cepit, verum & quoniam ipsius bona distribuimus, si cuncta erog●mus. All that we do (saith chrysostom) we do, as satisfying or paying our debt: wherefore he himself also (that is Christ) did say. When you shall have done all, say thus, We are unprofitable servants, for we have done those things that we ought to do. Therefore, whether we shall show charity, or whether we shall give money to the needy, we do discharge our debt, not only because he did first begin to bestow benefits upon us, but also because we do but distribute his goods, although we bestow all that we have. No man can write more plainly or pithily, for confirmation of that which we hold concerning the meriting by works, than this chrysostom hath done in these two places. Thus you may see, if you be willing to see, that the holy Doctors of the Catholic Church, are not so contrary to us in judgement, as you have persuaded yourself that they be: but when their works be thoroughly read, and the scope an purpose of their writings, thoroughly weighed and considered▪ they are found to be of a judgement contrary to yours, and be of one judgement with us. You allege these words of our Saviour Christ, as a declaration of the cause of our salvation. For you say, having spoken these words, Venite benedicti patris m●i. etc. Come ye blessed of my Father etc. He showeth the cause of this joyful sentence etc. If you had said, he showeth a cause your speech might have been suffered. For our feeding of the hungry, giving of drink to the thirsty, clothing of the naked, our harbouring of the harbourless. etc. are a cause of this joyful sentence. For they are Causa sine qua non. A cause without which this joyful sentence shall not be pronounced. To them only that have done these deeds, it shallbe said. Come ye blessed of my father etc. But sith you say he showeth the cause, your meaning must be, that these works are the efficient cause of this joyful sentence. Which meaning is contrary to the definition or description of an efficient cause: which is▪ A quo primo fit motus. That is, The thing that maketh the first moving. That is to say, the thing that doth principally or chiefly work the making of another thing. And the efficient cause in giving of this joyful sentence, is by S. chrysostom affirmed to be the free mercy of God. For in his 80. Homely upon Matthew (whereof I have made mention) he saith: Per gratiam tamen coronantur: Gratiae namque omnino illa benignitas est. Although they in whose favour this joyful sentence shallbe given, have done a thousand such works, yet they shallbe crowned through free mercy: for that bountiful liberality, is altogether of free mercy. When you have said he showeth the cause, you say, that he saith thus. For when I was hungry, you fed me, when I was thirsty ye gave me to drink, when I was naked, you clothed me: but what are these things, if they be not good works? Therefore, and by this place of Scripture, good works are meritorious to our salvation. If you could prove, or if we would yield unto you, that these good works were the efficient cause of the giving of this joyful sentence (which neither is confessed by us, nor can be proved by you,) then might your conclusion be allowed of, in the Schools amongst Scholars. But seeing that all men which have knowledge to discern one cause from another, must needs confess, that these works be but Causa sine qua non▪ A cause without which that joyful sentence shall not be given: your argument is as good as this argument is▪ Baculus stat in angulo. Ergo Deus non est in coelo. The staff standeth in the corner: Therefore God is not in Heaven.  
From this place of S. Mathewes Gospel, you send us to the second Chapter of S. Paul to the Romans, a little way of from the beginning of that Chapter, where you say we shall find, how GOD will reward all men according to their works. And you say further, that if we will search, we shall find the same most evidently, in the xvi. of S. Mathewes Gospel, and in many other places of holy Scripture. You might very well have spared this labour. For we knew before you were borne, that, both in those places that you name, and in many other places of holy scriptures, it appeareth evidently, that God will give unto all men (or as you term it, reward all men) according to their works. But what can you conclude upon this? Shall we therefore say that works are the efficient cause of our salvation? yourself do deny it. For you say thus. I do not conclude by these parts of the New Testament, that by good works only we are saved: but mine intention is to prove, that neither by faith without good works, nor by good works without faith, we are justified or saved. Here you have flatly denied, that which you have before, as flatly affirmed. For before you have said, that our Saviour Christ showeth the cause of the joyful sentence, which he shall give when he shall say: Come ye blessed of my Father. etc. Wherein you affirm (as before I have proved) that the good works that our Saviour maketh rehearsal of, are the efficient cause of giving that sentence, and so by good consequence of our justification or salvation. And now you say that you conclude not so, but that good works and faith together, are the efficient cause of our justification or salvation. For so men of your sort do mean, by that manner of speech, that you do use here, when you say, by works or by faith.  
But we have another meaning of that speech, as I will (by God's help) let you understand. When S. Paul saith thus. Rom. 3. Arbitramur enim iustificars hominem per fidem, sine operibus legis. We suppose that man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law. His meaning is, that faith is the instrument that God useth in making us righteous. God's free mercy is the efficient cause, and our faith is the instrumental cause of our justification. So that God doth make us righteous, by that faith that himself hath wrought in us by the word of his Gospel, which is, Virtus Dei in salutem omni credenti. Rom. 1. The power of God, to salvation, to every one that believeth.  
Thus we may see that the word of the Gospel, is the instrument that God useth in making us faithful, and faith is the instrument whereby he maketh us righteous. Fdes ex auditu: auditus autem per verbum Christi. Rom. 10. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing cometh by the word of Christ (or as the Greek hath it, of God.) So that the word that is preached, and the Preacher that preacheth, are Gods outward instruments, which he useth in working faith in the hearts of the hearers. And in this meaning S. Paul writeth thus to Timothe. 1. Tim. 4. Attend tibi & doctrinae insta in illis. Hoc enim faciens: et teipsum salum facies, et eos qui te audiunt. Take heed to thyself, and unto doctrine: be instant or earnest therein: for in doing this thing, thou shalt save thyself, and them that hear thee. Here we see that Timothe being careful in looking to his own life, and to the soundness of his doctrine, and being earnestly bend to teach both by good example of life, and by sound doctrine, is by S. Paul said to be, the saviour of himself and of them that hear him. And yet it is manifest, that he was neither the saviour of himself, nor of any other, but an instrument that God used in working salvation, both in himself and in other. Because that by his careful diligence in looking to his own life and soundness of doctrine, and by his earnestness in preaching the same, faith was begun, and increased in his hearers, and continued and confirmed in himself. Which faith, both in him & in his hearers, laid hold upon, and heldfast the merciful promise of God, made in the mediation of the only Mediator betwixt GOD and man, even the man Christ jesus our Lord. 1. Tim. 1. And so both Timothe, his hearers, and all the rest, that have been, are, or shallbe by God's good means made faithful, are by God's free mercy saved: according to the saying of the Apostle to the Ephesians. Cham 2. Gratia enim estis saluati per fidem: et hoc non ex vobis. Dei enim donum est: non ex operibus, ut nequis glorietur. Ipsius enim sumus factura, creati in Christo jesu ad opera bona, quae preparavit Deus, ut in illis ambulemus. By Grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is God's gift: not of works lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanshyppe, created in Christ jesus unto good works, which God hath prepared, that we should walk in them. And to the Rom. 9 Chapter. The Apostle saith thus. Non volentis neque currentis: sed miserentis est dei. It standeth neither in man's willing, nor in man's running, but in the mercy of God. It seemeth to me a strange thing, that any man (professing the Religion of Christ) dare conclude (as you do) so directly contrary to the express words of the Apostle Paul. You say in your conclusion, we are justified or saved, by faith & good works together. S. Paul saith. We suppose that man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law. Now, if you can teil us of any deeds, that are of more force to make us righteous before God, than the deeds that God hath commanded in his Law: then have you said somewhat, although but a little. For those deeds must be deeds commanded of men, whereof the Prophet Esay writeth thus. Chap. 29. Their fear towards me was taught by the precepts of men: therefore, behold, I will take in hand to work a strange work, that shall be a miracle, and an astonishment to this people: For wisemen shall lose their wisdom, and understanding shallbe hid from the prudent. I would wish you to weigh well these words of the Prophet Esay, and to consider whether they be not already verified in you, and in men of your sort. Consider also what our saviour Christ addeth to these words. Mat. 15. In vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men. Whereby we are admonished, that it is but lost labour, for a man to go about to be made righteous before God, by such works, as men do or can devise and command. S. Paul to the Ephe. 2. saith: That through faith we are saved by free mercy, and that not of ourselves. For it is the gift of GOD, and cometh not of works, lest any man might have any occasion to boast: and how dare any man conclude (as you do) that faith and works coupled together, may make us righteous before God. I do therefore conclude, according to the true meaning of the words of our saviour Christ, the Prophet Esay, and the Apostle Paul, that neither the works that God hath commanded, nor the works that men have devised, or can devise and command, yea or the faith that God hath, doth or shall work in the hearts of men, either be, or can be, the efficient cause of man's righteousness or salvation. But the free mercy of God only, is the alone efficient cause, that hath wrought, doth and shall work, salvation in the faithful only▪ and in none other. In whom he himself worketh faith, that by that faith they may lay hold upon, & hold fast that salvation, that in free mercy, he doth, and will freely bestow upon them▪ And surder I conclude, that though the works that GOD hath prepared for the faithful to walk in, neither be, nor can be, the efficient cause of salvation, yet they are Causa sine qua non: that is, a cause that must be found in them, to whom it shallbe said. Come ye blessed of my Father etc. so that they that shall hear that joyful sentence, must hunger and thirst after righteousness of life, all the days of their life. And use that faith that GOD hath wrought in them, in laying hold upon, and holding fast, that righteousness that God hath in free mercy bestowed freely upon them, having a continual care to show themselves thankful to him for the same, by walking in those good works that he hath prepared for them to walk in.  
Now for the meaning of those places that you direct us unto, namely, the 2. to the Romans, the 16. of S. Matthew, and many other, wherein we may by search find, how God will reward all men according to their works: I say thus. I could by the knowledge that God hath given me, answer you sufficiently. Yet because my words be of small credit with you, I will answer you by the words of a holy father of the Catholic Church, whose words (I hope) you will admit, and give credit to them (although▪ as I conjecture, you be not much acquainted with them) S. Augustine writeth thus. Quod est ergo meritum hominis ante gratiam, quo merito accipiat gratiam: cum omne meritum nostrum, non in nobis faciat nisi gratia. Et cum Deus coronat merita nostra, nihil aliud coronet, quam munera sua? What is the merit of man before, whereby he may receive grace: seeing that nothing but grace doth work in us all our merit? And when God doth crown our merits, he crowneth none other thing but his own gifts? Thus writeth S. Augustine Tom. 2. Epistola. 105. And again in his 7. Tom. in the 7. Chap▪ter of his book De gratia & libero arbitrio, he writeth thus. Si ergo Dei dona sunt bona merita tua: non Deus coronat merita tua, tanquam merita tua, sed tanquam dona sua. That is, If therefore thy good merits be the gifts of God, then doth not God crown thy merits as thy merits, but as his own gifts. And again in his eight Tome. upon the Psalm, 98. Exaltate dominum Deum nostrum. Verè exaltate, Benè exaltate. Laudemus & exaltemus, qui fecit ipsam justitiam quam habemus, ipse in nobis fecit. Quis enim in nobis fecit ipsam justitiam: nisi qui nos iustificavit? De Christo autem dictum est: qui justificat impium. Nos ergo impij, ille iustificator: quando et ipsam justitiam ipse in nobis fecit, qua illi placeamus, ut ad dextram nos ponat, et non ad sinistram, ut dicat ad dextram positis, venite benedicti patris mei, percipite regnum quod vobis paratum est, ab initio mundi, non autem ponat ad sinistram inter eos quibus dicturus est. Ite in ignem aeternum, qui paratus est diabolo & angelis eius. Qui in nobis coronaturus est, non merita nostra, sed dona sua: quantum debet exaltari? That is to say: give great praise to the Lord our God. give him great praises indeed. Praise him aright. Let us laud and praise him, which hath made that righteousness that we have. He hath wrought it in us. For who hath wrought in us that righteousness, but he that hath justified us? And it is said of Christ, that he justifieth the ungodly▪ We therefore are the ungodly, and he is the justifier: seeing that he hath wrought in us that righteousness, whereby we might please him, so that he might place us at his right hand and not at his left hand, that he might say unto us being placed at his right hand: Come ye blessed of my father, receive the Kingdom that was prepared for you, from the beginning of the world.  
Not that he might set us at his left hand, amongst them to whom he shall say: Go into fire everlasting, which was prepared for the devil and his angels. How greatly ought he to be praised, that shall crown in us, not our merits, but his own gifts? Again, the same Austen, writeth thus in the same Tome, upon the Psalm 102. Qui in nobis victi sumus, in illo vicimus. Ergo coronatte, quia dona sua coronat, non merita tua. We that in ourselves are overcome, have in him gotten the victory. He crowneth thee therefore, because he crowneth not thy merits, but his own gifts. But to put you out of all doubt, concerning the meaning of all those places that you send us to, see what saint Austen writeth in his forenamed Epistle. 105. Stipendium, inquit peccati, mors. Rectè stipendium, quia debetur, quia dign retribuitur, quia merito redditur. Deindè, ne justitia de human● se extolleret bono merito, sicut humanum meritum malum non dubitatur esse peccatum, non a contrario retulit dicens: stipendium justitiae vita aeterna, sed gratià, inquit, Dei vita aeterna. Et haec ne praeter mediatorem aliqua alia via quaereretur, adiecit, in Christo jesu Domino nostro. Tanquam diceret, Audito quòd stipendium peccati sit mors, quid te disponis extollere? O humana, non justitia, sed nomine justitiae planè superbia, quid te disponis extollere, & contrariam morti vitam aeternam tanquam debitum stipendium flagitare? Cui debetur vita aeterna, vera justitia est. Si autem vera justitia est, ex te non est. De sursum est, descendens a Patre luminum, et haberes eam (si tamen habes eam) profectò accepisti. Quid enim habes quod non accepisti? Quapropter, O homo, si accepturus es vitam aeternam: justitiae quidem stipendum est: sed tibi gratia est, cui gratia est & ipsa justitia. Tibi enim tanquam debita redderetur: si ex te tibi esset justitia, cui debetur. That is to say: Death (saith he) is the hire that is due for sin▪ It is rightly called a stipend or wages, because it is due, because it is worthily paid, because it is paid as a thing deserved. Moreover, that righteousness might not extol itself for the good deserving of man: he hath not showed, that as no man doubteth sin to be the evil desert of man, so on the contrary he saith not, that life everlasting is the hire or wages of righteousness, but he saith, life everlasting is the free mercy of God. And (lest some other way beside the Mediator should be sought for) he addeth these words. In Christ jesus our Lord. As though he should say, why dost thou prepare to extol thyself, when thou hearest that death is the reward or wages due to sin? Oh thou human (not justice or righteousness, but in very deed, pride, under the name of justice) why dost thou prepare to extol thyself, and to require or claim, as a stypende due unto thee, that everlasting life, which is contrary to death? That righteousness whereunto life everlasting is due, is that which is the true and right justice. And if it be the right justice, than it cometh not of thee It is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, that thou mightest have it. And yet if thou hast it, undoubtedly thou hast received it. For what hast thou that thou hast not received? Wherefore (O thou man) if thou shalt receive eternal life, it is in deed the wages or hire of justice, but unto thee it is free mercy, unto whom, even justice, or righteousness itself, is free mercy. And if thou hadst of thyself, righteousness, whereunto it is due, then should it be given to thee, even as being due unto thee.  
If I were not persuaded that these words of saint Austen are sufficient to persuade any reasonable man, that life everlasting, neither is nor can be deserved (either in whole or in part) by any works that have been, or can be wrought by man: I could (and would cite many more sayings of this holy Father, as effectual as these, and tending as fully to this purpose, and some like sentences out of the writings of other holy fathers also. But I am assured, that although it be a thing impossible to persuade some of your sort, yet these, and such sentences of this holy father, shall stop the mouths of you all, when you shall come in presence of such as do know them, and be able to urge them, against that filthy doctrine of human merits, that is so stoutly maintained by you.  
But now to conclude this matter, let me move one question to you, which you may answer at your leisure. If all were true that you have written, touching the cause of that joyful sentence that our Saviour shall give in the last day. Come ye blessed etc. For when I was hungry you fed me, when I was a thirst you gave me to drink, when I was naked you clothed me. etc. I pray you what shall be said then to you that are Minime Friars, and all others that are altogether unable either to feed or cloth others, or themselves? shall not the contrary sentence (trow you) be given against such? Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry▪ and you fed me not. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. I was naked and you clothed me not. etc. Believe me (Friar John) if those words that you cite out of the 25. of saint matthew, should mean, as by your writing you seem to understand then: the case of you, & of all such, as do either by vow or otherwise, make themselves unable to do those good works that you speak of, shallbe very hard. Your voluntary vow will not then excuse you. In the 7. Chap. of S. Matthew, our saviour Christ saith. Discedite a me omnes qui operamini iniquitatem. Depart from me all ye that work iniquity: and do not you work iniquity. When you (having received from God good gifts, by the use whereof you might be able to feed and cloth yourself, and to help to feed and clothe others) have bound yourself by a vow, to lead such a kind of life, that of necessity, you must either be fed and clad by others, or else perish by the lack of things necessary? Do not you work iniquity, when you do not only rob your natural Parents, your Prince and Country, of that help that both by the Law of nature, and by the Laws of God and of your Country, all these aught to have at your hands: but also of that relief, help and service, which all these might and ought to have out of the labours of others, but are (by your hypocritical means) drawn from them that you may be thereby maintained in idleness? I know, that such as have not such gifts▪ or be by any means natural, or casual (as we may term it) made unable, both to help other & themselves, must be sustained by the labour of others: and shall not be rejected, as they that do not feed and cloth Christ in his members, but yet so that they have merciful hearts, and do pity the case of the needy, when they shall see them in misery. But this is not your case. Take heed to yourself in time (Friar John) for I fear there is no place in heaven for purgatory Friars.  
And thus much for that great double Cannon, that you have brought out of the 25. of saint Mathewes Gospel, with the rest that you have told us of, and we have viewed and seen. The recoil of them hath hurt you much more than the shot hath anoyeo us. Now let us see, what great Ordinance you have bend against that bulwark of ours, wherein we stand and deny the real presence of Christ, in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Thus you say.  The Friar. 
Now, as touching that which you de●y, concerning the real presence, in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar: Look I pray you in the xxvi. of S. matthew, where these words are written. Caenantibus autem eyes, accepit jesus panem et benedixit, ac fregit, deditque discipulis suis, & ai●. Accipite▪ & commedite. Hoc est corpus meum etc. That is to say, why lest the rest were at Supper: jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to his Disciples and said. Take and eat, this is my body. The same altogether we read in the 14. Chapter of the Gospel of S. Mark, saving only that he saith: Sumite hoc est corpus meum, where as the foresaid Evangelist saith Accipite & commedite. Again, in the 22. Chapter of S. Luke, we read the same, in words as it seemeth more plain, than the before written words are. For he saith, Accepto pane, gratias egit, et fregit, ●t dedit illis diceus. Hoc est corpus meum, quod pro vobis datur: Similiter & calicem postquam caenavit dicens. Hic est calix nowm Testamentum in sanguine meo, qui pro vobis fundetur. The English of these Latin words is this. jesus Christ having taken bread, gave thanks and broke it, & gave it to his disciples saying. This is my body. In like manner also, the chalice, after that he had s●pped, saying: This chalice is the new Testament in my blood, which shallbe shed for you. Or as Saint Mark in his Gospel saith: Accepto chalice. etc. That is to say, Having taken the chalice, he gave it to his disciples saying. This is my blood of the New testament, which shallbe shed for many. Thus you see, how that all the three Evangelists agree in this point: how that our blessed Saviour, gave to his disciples in his last supper, his most precious body and blood. I have not showed this unto you by the save of holy doctors, but by the words of our Saviour himself, unto the intent that you may believe me. We read in the 6. Chapter of the Gospel after S. john, how that our Saviour endeavouring to bring the hard hearted jews unto the knowledge of his divinity, spoke these words. I am the bread of life, which came down from heaven. If any body eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread which I will give, is my flesh for the life of this world. Again in the same Chapter. If you eat not the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye shall not have life in you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, shall have life everlasting: and I will raise him up from death in the latter day. You say the contrary now, you make God a liar, you say that he gave them not his body, but only bread, which is fully contrary to the foresaid texts of Scripture.  Crowley. 
These four double Cannons, that this valiant Captain (Friar John) hath planted against the Forte of our faith, are of exceeding great force, but he hath so overcharged them, that when he shall put fire to them, they must of necessity recoil with such force, that the Captain with all his company, are like to be in very great danger. For off, they will not go against our Fort: and break they can not. Yea, we are in good hope, that we shall have such aid at the hands of S. Austen and his company, that this great Ordinance shallbe turned against the whole Army of the Romish Catholics, and shot of so freshly, that they shall hardly escape the loss of the Roman honour for ever. And first let us see what may be done with the first of these Cannons, called Caenantibus autem eyes. etc. Whilst that the rest were at supper. etc. S. Austen in that book that he wrote against Adimantus, and in the 12. Chapter of that book, writeth thus. Non enim dominus dubitavit dicere, ●●● est corpus meum: cum signum daret corporis s●i. The Lord (saith S. Austen) did not doubt to say, this is my body: when he gave the sign of his body. If there were no more but this one place of S. Austen: it might suffice for the turning about of these four pieces of Ordinance, and the making of them ready to be shot off against Friar John and his fellows. For the force of them all consisteth in this one assertion. When our Saviour Christ took bread, and gave thanks (or blessed) and broke it, and gave it to his Disciples, saying: Take, eat, this is my body. He did deliver unto those Disciples his own body. And when he did after supper take the Cup (or Chalice) saying, this Chalice is the New testament in my blood. etc. He did deliver his own blo●d. Which thing S Austen denieth, when he saith. The Lord doubted not to say, this is my body, when he delivered the sign of his body. For the sign, and the thing signified are Disparata, things separated the one from the other. The thing therefore that is the sign of another thing, can not (by any means) be that thing whereof it is a sign. As the Ju●e or other matter, that is hanged out to be a sign of Wine to be sold, can in no case be said to be that Wine that is to be sold, but a sign thereof only. Yea though wine indeed, were setforth to be a sign of wine to be sold: or bread indeed were set forth to be a sign of bread to be sold: yet that wine and that bread could not rightly be said, to be the same wine or bread, that is to be sold, whereof that wine or bread so set forth is but a sign. And yet, neither S. Austen nor we, do deny, but that the name of the thing signified by a Sacrament, may be given to the Sacrament, because Sacraments have a certain similitude of those things whereof they be sacraments. S. Austen writing to Bonifacius▪ Epistola. 23. saith thus. Si enim Sacramenta, quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sacramenta sunt, non haberent: omnino sacramenta non essent. Ex hac autem similitudine▪ plerumque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina accipiunt. Sicut ergo secundum quendam modum, sacramentum corporis Christi, corpus Christi est, et sacramentum sanguinis Christi, sanguis Christ● est●ita sacramentum fidei fides est etc. If sacraments had not a certain similitude of those things whereof they be Sacraments: they were indeed no Sacraments. And of the same similitude, they do, for the most part take also the names of those things, whereof they be sacraments. Therefore, as after a certain manner, the sacrament of the body of Christ is the body of Christ, and the Sacrament of the blood of Christ, is the blood of Christ: even so, the sacrament of faith is faith etc. Thus you may see, and as I think, you do see, that these words, This is my body, do not prove any other presence of Christ in the Sacrament, then that which may be called sacramental, mystical, heavenly, and spiritual. And to make this matter more plain unto you: I will let you see certain places of Scripture, where the like speech is used, and in the like meaning. ezechiel the Prophet, is commanded to shave of the hair of his head and beard, to divide it into three equal parts etc. As it is written in the fi●t Chapter of his book of Prophecies: and then to say. Thus saith the Lord God. This is Jerusalem▪ etc. By the circumstance of this text, it is manifest, that the meaning of that sentence (This is Jerusalem) was not, that the doing of those things that there were done, was the Ci●ty Jerusalem really, but that the miserable estate of that City was signified thereby. In the 12. Chapter of Exodus, concerning the eating of the Pasover it is written thus. After this manner ye shall eat it. Ye shall gird up your loins, and y● shall have your shoes upon your ●éete, holding sta●es in your hands, and you shall make haste in eating of it, for it is Phase ●d est transi●us domini. That is, the Lords Pas●●er, or passing by of the Lord. These words are not the words of Moses, but of God himself, spoken by Moses at the commandment of God. Never did any man (as I think) conceive any such opinion of these words, as you and your sort do show yourselves to have conceived, of those words that our Saviour Christ spoke at his last supper, which you would have to be of such force, that whensoever they shallbe breathed out (by any of your Priests) over bread and wine (Cum intentione conficiendi, as you have it in the cautiles of your mass: that is with purpose or intent, to make the body of Christ) then of necessity the substance, both of the bread and of the wine, must be turned into the substance of the body and blood of Christ. And whosoever shall deny this: must needs be accounted as one that maketh God a Liar. Again, in the 15. Chapter of S. john's Gospel, Ego sum vitis vera & Pater me●s agricoia est. I am the true or right vine, and my father is the husband man, or vine tyllar. And in the same Chapter. Ego sum vitis, vo● palmit●s. I am the vine and you are the branches. And in the tenth Chapter of the same Gospel. Ego sum ostium, I am the door, Ego sum Pastor bonus I am the good shepherd And in the 14. Chapter. Ego sum via▪ I am the way. In all these speeches, you are contented to admit a figure, and to confess that the speeches are figurative. But in Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body, you may not abide to hear of any figure at all. And why? Because the admitting of a figure there, would mar all your market. All your Cloisters of Monks, Canons, Friars, Nuns, Colliges of Cannons and massing Priests, chantries, Obbets, anniversaries, Trentals, Months minds, and masses of Requiem are builded upon this foundation. Hoc est corpus meum. This is my body, in pla●ne speech without any manner of figure. But if you once admit a figure in that speech, down go all these goodly buildings, and Friar John Frances and his fellows, must learn to eat their bread in the sweat of their own faces, as other poor men do▪ You must stick to it therefore, and tell these heretic Protestants, that in denying the Real presence in the blessed sacrament of the Altar, they make God a liar. We deny not, but do confess, that the bread and the wine in the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, are the body and blood of Christ, even as the paschal Lamb was the passing by of the Lord, as the Rock in the wilderness was Christ, (Petraerat Christus▪ The Rock was Christ, saith Saint Paul. 1. Cor. 10) and as the seven stars (spoken of in the first of the Revelations of S. john) are the seven Angels of the seven Congregations. And as the seven golden candlesticks are the seven Congregations. Yea we say with saint Paul. 1. Cor. 10. Calix benedixionis cui benedicimus: nun communicatio sanguinis Christi est? Panis quem frangimus: nun participatiò corporis Domini est? The Cup (or as you call it, the Chalice) that we bless: is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? Quoniam unus panis, & unum corpus multi sumus. Omnes quidem de uno pane, & de uno calice participamus. For we being many, are but one loaf of bread, and one body. And we do all take part of one loaf of bread and of one cup. If you therefore would deny, that the Sacramental cup is the Communion of the blood of Christ, or that the sacramental bread is the partaking of the body of the Lord: we would say that you do lie, and do make the Apostle Paul a liar, and so consequently▪ God himself, for the speech that Paul useth, is not his, but Gods that spoke in him. We do believe, that the body and blood of Christ, are given, taken, eaten, and drunken of the faithful in the Lord's supper, after a heavenly and spiritual manner: but yet verily and indeed. Yea, and that faith is the mean whereby the body and blood of Christ are received in the Supper. All this we believe and confess: and yourself (Friar John) had once learned this, and did confess it in my Church without Creplegate of London, before many witnesses. You do us open wrong therefore, in that you say that we make God a liar, and say that he gave not his body to his disciples, but bread only, which is fully contrary to the foresaid texts of Scripture. And as touching the sentences that you cite out of the sixth Chapter of S. john, we acknowledge Christ to be that bread that came down from heaven. And that whosoever shall eat of that bread shall live for ever. And he that eateth not the flesh of the son of man, and drinketh not his blood, shall not have life in himself. But he that eate●● the flesh of Christ and drinketh his blood, shall have life everlasting, and Christ will raise him up in the latter day. But here you must give us leave to sale as S. Austen doth, and we must request you to think no worse of us than you do of him, so long as we shall show ourselves to be of one mind with him For he is a Catholic doctor, and I think you do take him so to be. If we therefore, shall show ourselves to be of one mind with him: I hope you will take us for Catholics also. First I must tell you, that in the place that you cite, the words be thus. Ego sum panis vi●●s, and not panis v●tae. That is the living bread, and not, the bread of life. I note this, because the meaning of our Sa●●our Christ was (as you have said) to bring the Jews to the knowledge of his divinity, by considering that the Manna which fell from heaven (and was accounted to be the bread of life) was not that living bread, that liveth and hath life of itself, and is the fountain of life to all living creatures: that they might be occasioned to see, that the Manna was to the Fathers, as our Sacrament is to us, a visible ●●gne, representing unto them this living bread, as ●ur Sacrament doth represent the same unto us. Concerning this matter, saint Austen writeth thus, in his 26. treatise upon the Gospel of saint john. Patres vestri Manna manducaverunt, & mortui sunt: non quia malum erat Manna sed quiamale manducaverunt. Hic est panis qui de coelo descendit. Hunc panem significavit manna. Hunc panem significavit altare Dei. Sacramenta illa fuerunt, in signis diversa sunt, sed in re que significatur paria sunt. Apostolun audi. Nolo enim vos inquit, ignorare fratres, quia patres nostr● omnes sub nube fuerunt, & omnes mare transierunt, & omnes per Mosen baptizati sunt, in nube, & in mari: & omnes eandem escam spiritu▪ alem manducaverunt. Spiritualem utique eanden, nam corporalem alteram: quia illi Manna, nos aliud spiritualem vero●quam nos. Sed patres nostri▪ non patres illorum, quibus nos similes sumus, non quibus illi similes fuerunt. Et adiungit. Et omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt. Aliud illi, aliud nos, sed specie visibiliquidem, tamen hoc idem significant virtu●e spirituali. Quomo●o enim eundem potum? Bibebant inquit, de spiritu●li sequent p●tra, petra autem erat Christus. Indepanis, inde potus. Petra Christus in signo: verus Christus, in verbo & in carne. That is to say. Your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead: not because Manna was an evil thing, but because they did not eat it aright. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Manna did signify this bread. The lords Altar did signify this bread. Those things were Sacraments: in signs they be divers, but in the thing that is signified they are alike. give care to the Apostle. For he saith, Brethren, I would not have you ignorant, that all our Fathers were under the Cloud, and that they did all pass thorough the Sea, and that they were all baptised by Moses, in the cloud, and in the Sea, and that they did all eat one and the same spiritual meat. The same spiritual meat indeed, for the corporal was another, for they did eat Manna, and we an other thing: but the spiritual was the same that we do eat. But these were our Fathers, not theirs. They to whom we are like, not they to whom they were like. And he addeth to this. And they did all drink of one spiritual drink, but in the visible kind, they did drink one thing and we another, and yet signifying the self same thing in spiritual virtue. But how was it the same drink? They drank (saith he) of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. Hence was the bread, and hence was the drink. In a sign, the Rock is Christ, but Christ indeed, is in the word and in the flesh.  
Can any man write or speak more plainly on our side in this matter, then S. Austen hath done in these words that I have here ●ited? Doth he not plainly affirm, that the Manna was to the faithful Fathers in the wilderness, even the self same thing that the sacramental bread in the lords supper is to us now? And that the Rock in the Wilderness, was unto them, the same thing that the cup in the Lord's supper is unto us now? And what? will you have us to grant you a real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Manna and in the Rock? And how can you then require us to grant it, in the sacramental bread & wine? S. Austen saith, that they and we differ not in the thing signified, although we differ in the signs. Their signs were Manna and the Rock, or water that ishewed out of the Rock, and our signs are the Bread and the Cup, or the wine used in the Lord's supper. But the spiritual meat and drink, that both they and we do eat and drink, is the very body and blood of Christ, that innocent Lamb that hath been slain for the sins of the world, even from the beginning of the world. And to give us occasion to consider, that not every one that receiveth the Sacrament, doth also receive the body and blood of Christ. S. Austen saith thus. O●r Fathers, not their Fathers. They to whom we are like, not they to whom they were like. That is to say, the faithful▪ not the unfaithful, did then, and do now eat the body, and drink the blood of Christ our Saviour.  
But will you see more out of S. Austen, in the same 26. treatise upon john. Qui ma●●ucat carnem meam, & bibit meum sanguinem: in me manet et eg● in illo. Hoc est ergo man●ncare illam escam, & illum bibere potum: in Christo ma●●re, & illum manentem in se habere. Ac ●er hoc, qu● non manet in Christo & in quo non manet Christus: proculdubio, nec manducat spiritualiter carnem eius, nec bibit etus sanguinem, licet carnaliter, & visib●liter premat dent●bus sacramentum corporis & sanguinis Christi: sed magis tantae rei sacramentum, ad iuditium sibi manducat & bibit. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. To eat that meat (therefore) and to drink that drink, is this. For a man to dwell in Christ, and to have Christ dwelling in him. And hereby it appeareth, that who so dwelleth not in Christ, neither hath Christ dwelling in him, the same (no doubt) doth neither ●ate his flesh (spiritually) nor drink his blood, although he do, fleshly and visibly, press with his teeth, the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ: but rather he doth eat and drink the Sacrament of so excellent a thing, to be a condemnation unto himself.  
Thus you may see (Master Friar John) how rashly you have written, in that you have said thus. If any body eat of this bread (meaning I am sure of that Sacrament that is kept over your high altar) he shall live for ever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of this world. You say, If any body eat of this bread etc. S. Austen saith. No body but such as dwell in Christ, and have Christ dwelling in them, either do or can eat the flesh of Christ, but do by the receiving of the Sacrament of so excellent a thing, eat and drink to their own condemnation. Now, I leave you, to try this matter with S. Austen. If you can entreat him to recant: so it is. If not, your best way is, to recant yourself. And yet one other sentence of S. Austen in the same treatise upon john. Nun buccella dominica, venenum fuit judae? & tamen accepit, & cum accepit, inimicus in eum intravit: non quia malum accepit, sed quia bonum, male malus accepit▪ Was not the Lord's sop, a poison to judas? and yet he received it, and when he received it, the enemy entered into him: not because he received an evil thing, but because he being evil, did receive a good thing, after an evil sort. Much more might be said to this effect: but I leave you as I said before.  
As touching the other sentence that you cite out of this sixth of S. john, which is thus. If you do not eat the fl●sh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. I would wish you to look on that which S. Augustine writeth, in the 16. Chapter of his third book, De doctrina christiana. Nisi manduca●eritis, inquit, carnem fi●ij hominis, & sanguinem biberitis non habebitis vitam in vobis. Fac●nus vel ●●agitium videtur jubere▪ F●gura est ergo, praecipiens passioni dominicae esse communicandum, & suau●ter a●que utiliter recondendum in memoria: quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & vulnera●a sit. Except (saith he) you shall eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He seemeth to command an heinous or horrible fact. It is therefore a figure, commanding that we should be partakers of the lords passion or suffering, and that we should sweetly, and profitably, lay up in memory, that his flesh was crucified & wounded for us. Immediately before these words, S. Augustine hath written thus, Si praeceptiva locutio est, aut flagitium aut facinus vetans, ●ut utilitatem, aut benefi●entiam iubens: non est figurata. Si autem flag tium aut facinus videtur iuber●: aut utilitatem aut beneficentiam vetare figurata est. If the speech be a commandment, that forbiddeth an heinous or horrible fact, or that commandeth profitableness or beneficence, than the speech is not figurative. But if it be a speech that seemeth to command an heinous or horrible fact: or to forbid profitableness or beneficence, than it is a figurative speech.  
By this Rule, all these places that you have alleged out of the 26. of s. Matthew. The 14. of s. Mark The 22. of s. Luke, & the 6. of S. john, are figurative speeches For understanding them after the Letter, as you do: they seem to command an heinous and horrible fact▪ that is. To eat the flesh, and to drink the blood of a man. But taking them for figurative speeches (as we do, and as they are indeed) they do command a very profitable thing, that is, (as S. Austen hath said) to be partakers of the passion or suffering of the Lord, and sweetly, and profitably to lay up in memory that his flesh was crucified and wounded for us. If you have not vowed, never to read aught, that either is or can be written by any of us that are Protestants: or if you will with a dutiful reverence, read the works of this ancient and learned Catholic Father saint Austen, I doubt not but that you will ear long time be passed, do as the Prophet jeremy writeth of Ephra●m, in the ●1. Chapter of his prophecies (which place you have cited for another purpose) that is, strike yourself upon your thigh and say. I am confounded, I am ashamed, that ever I went out of England, following the counsel of a blind ghostly father. When that blind bu●●arde had abused my tender years, and had put into my head, that I had been brought up in heresy: I might have imparted this with my grey headed instructors, which had been able to instruct me, as now one of them hath done. If our merciful father shall s●e that in you, that he did then see in Ephraim: undoubtedly this will come to pass, to the great joy of them that yet love you in the Lord, to your endless salvation, and to the confusion of that Antichristian swarm, amongst whom you do now live. Amen.  
But to give you yet a further occasion to consider better of your real presence, I will let you see somewhat more, out of this ancient Father's writings, and out of the writings of some others, more ancient, and some not so ancient. First, S. Austen writing upon the 98. Psalm, saith thus: Spiritualiter intelligite quod locutus sum. Non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis, et bibituri illum sanguinem, quem fusuri sunt qui me crucifigent. Sacramentum aliquod vobis commendavi: spiritualiter intellectum vivificabit vos. understand spiritually, that which I have spoken. You shall not eat that body which you do see: neither shall ye drink that blood, which shall be shed by them that shall crucify me. I have commended unto you a certain Sacrament, which being spiritually understanded, will quicken you.  
Basilus Magnus (somewhat more ancient than Austen) doth show himself to be of this mind. That whatsoever may be really present, in more places at once than one, is no creature, but is God in nature. To prove the holy Ghost to be God, he writeth thus: De spiritu sancto. Cap. 22. Angelus qui asti●it Cornelio, non erat in eodem tempore etiam apud Phillippun. Neque qui ab altari Zachariam alloquebatur: eodem tempore, etiam in coelo, propriam sedem ac stationem implebat. At verò spiritus, simul in Abacuc & in Daniel in Babilonia operari creditus est. Et in Cataractae cum Hieremia esse dictus est. Et cum Ezechiele in Chobar. The Angel that stood before Cornelius, was not at the same time with Philip also. Neither did he, that from the Altar spoke unto Zacharie, at the same time occupy his own place and order in heaven. But we believe, that the holy Ghost did at one time, work in Abacuc and in Daniel, being in Babylon. And it is said that he was with jeremy in the dungeon, and with ezechiel in Chobar. basil thought this sufficient to prove the holy Ghost to be God. And shall not we think then, that you affirming, the body of Christ to be really present in the sacrament, do affirm it to be God, because it is present in so many places at once, and so deny i● to be a creature? But see what another Father (more ancient than basil) doth say to this matter.  
Origen writing upon the 25. Chapter of S. matthew, saith thus: Secundum hanc divinitatis suae naturam, non peregrinatur, sed peregrinatur secundum dispensationem corporis quod suscepit. As touching this his divine nature, he is not gone into a strange Country, but concerning the disposition of that body which he hath taken upon him, he is gone into a strange Country.  
S. Austen, writing to Dardanus. Epistola. 57 saith thus. Cavendum est enim, ne ita divinitatem astruamus hominis, ut veritatem corporis auferamus. For we must take heed that we do not so set up the divinity of the manhood, that we take away the truth of the body. These words of saint Austen are plain enough, and yet to make them more plain, he addeth. una persona Deus & homo est, et utrumque est, unus Christus jesus. ubique per id quod Deus est, in coelo autem, per id quod homo. One person, is both God and man, and both these is one Christ Jesus. In all places in that he is GOD, but in that he is man, he is in heaven.  
In his 30. treatise upon saint john's Gospel, S. Augustine writeth thus, Corpus domini in quo resurrexit, in uno loco esse oportet: veritas eius ubique diffusa est. The lords body wherein he arose, must be in one place: but his truth is spread abroad in every place.  
S. Ambros also▪ writing upon saint Luke's Gospel, hath these words, Lib. 10. capit▪ 24. Quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae super terram. Ergo non supra terram, nec in terra, nec secundum carnem te quaerere debemus, si volumus invenire. savour those things that are above, and not those things that are on earth. If we therefore, wyil find him, we must not seek him upon the earth, nor in the earth, nor after the manner of flesh.  
cyril also, who being in the days of saint Ambros Bishop of Alexandria, writeth upon the Gospel of saint john, and sayeth thus: Lib. 6. capit. 14. Et si Christus corporis sui praesentiam hinc sub duxit, may state tamen divinitatis semper adest, sicut ipse, a discipulis abiturus policetur. Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, usque ad consummationem soeculi. Although Christ have conveyed hence the presence of his body: yet is he always present by the majesty of his divinity, even as when he was departing from his Disciples he promised. Behold I am with you every day, even to the end of the world.  
S. Gregory also, in his 21. Homely, writeth thus. Christus non est hic, per praesentiam carnis: qui tamen nusquam deest, per praesentiam maiestatis. Christ (saith he) is not here, by the presence of his flesh: which notwithstanding, is absent from no place, by the presence of his majesty.  
Fulgentius also, in his second book, Ad transimundum regem writeth thus. Christus unus, idemque homo localis ex homine, qui est deus immensus ex patre. ●nus idemque secundum humanam substantiam, absens coelo, cum esset in terra, & derelinquens terram cum ascendisset in coelum. Christ is but one, and the same is placible, man of man, which is of his Father GOD, that can not be measured. One and the same as touching his human substance, was absent from heaven when he was on earth, and leaving the earth when he ascended into heaven. The last of these writers hitherto cited, lived within 500 years after Christ's ascension.  
Consider, I pray you, the places that I have here set down in writing, taken out of the most ancient, learned, and godly writings that these Fathers have left behind them. And be no longer led by such as first seduced you, and do still bear you in hand that all the ancient Fathers did believe and teach such a real presence of Christ jesus to be in the Sacrament of the Altar, as they have taught you to believe: and that all we that do deny that there is any such real presence of Christ in that Sacrament, do make God a liar, and do hold an heresy, most horrible, detestable, and abominable. Where as in very deed, we do believe and teach, the true, ancient, Catholic, and Apostolic faith, concerning the true use of the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ. And that which they do hold and teach, is schismatical, devilish, and damnable. Come out from amongst them, hearken no more to them, they are false Prophets, destruction hangeth over their heads, and hell gapeth for them. They rob Christ of his glory. They rob Christians of their greatest comfort. They suppress and hold under true Religion. They set up and maintain Idolatry and superstition. And to speak all in one word: they uphold Antichrist and his whole kingdom.  
But to return to our purpose. You say that we say, that there be but two Sacraments, an heresy condemned long ago. But you tell us not when, where, nor by whom. Therefore as we have said, so we do say, and so we will say (by God's help) till you can prove the contrary: that Christ hath ordained but two sacraments to be used by Christians. Your saying, that it is an heresy condemned long ago, is but a flash of false fire given to a piece of Ordinance uncharged, and therefore can not hurt the Bulwark wherein we stand, and do deny that Christ hath ordained any more sacraments than two, namely: Baptism and the supper of the Lord. In his third book of Christian doctrine, and in the 9 Chap. there of, S. Austen writeth thus concerning this matter. Hoc verò tempore posteaquam resurrectione domini nostri jesu Christi, manifestissimum judicium nostrae libertatis illuxit, nec eorum quidem signorum quae iam intelligimus, operatione gravi onerati sumus: sed quaedam pauca pro multis, cademque factu facillima, et intellectu angustissima, & obsernatione castissima, ipse dominus & apostolica tradidit disciplina: sicuti est Baptismi sacramentum, & celebratio corporis & sanguinis domini. Quae unusquisque cum percipit, quo referantur imbutus agnoscit, ut ea non carnali seruitate, sed spirituali potius libertate veneretur. Vt enim litteram sequi, et signa pro rebus quae ijs significantur accipere, seruilis infirmitatis est: ita inutiliter signa interpretari, male vagantie erroris est. But in these days, sith by the resurrection of our Lord jesus Christ, a most manifest sign (or show) of our liberty hath appeared: we are not loaden with the heavy working of those signs that we do already understand. But in steed of many, the Lord and the Apostolic discipline hath given unto us, a certain small number, and the same very easy to be done, and most excellent in signification, and most pure in observation: as is the Sacrament of Baptism, and the celebration of the body and blood of the Lord, which every man that is instructed, doth when he receiveth them, know to what end they are referred, that he may reverence them, not in a carnal servitude, but rather in a spiritual liberty. For, even as, to follow the Letter, and to take the signs, for those things that be signified by them, is a point of servile infirmity, even so to interpret the signs unprofitably, is a point of error that wandereth evil favouredly, or wickedly.  
In these words of S. Austen, we have occasion to note two things especially. One is, that he did not know of more Sacraments than two, instituted by our Saviour Christ, and commanded by him and his Apostles to be used in his Church. The other is, that it is a point of fleshly servitude, and not of Christian liberty, for a man to follow the letter, or literal sense, in those speeches in the Scriptures, that do concern those two Sacraments, in such sort that he will take the signs that are spoken of, for the things signified by them. A man may marvel, that any of your sort, that knoweth these words of S. Austen: can allow him for a Catholic, and yet condemn us, as Heretics in this point, wherein we do both affirm and deny, even as he hath done many hundrethes of years before us.  
But let us see yet, one other place of S. Austen. In an Epistle that he wrote to one januarius, which is in number 118. S. Austen writeth thus. Primò itaque, tenere te volo, quod est huius disputationis caput, Dominum nostrum jesum Christum, sicut ipse in evangelio loquitur, lent iugo suo nos subdidisse, & sarcinae levi. unde sacramentis numero paucissimis, observatione facillimis, significatione praestantissimis, societatem novi populi colligavit: sicuti est baptismus, trinitatis nomine consecratus, communio corporis & sanguinis ipsius, & si quid aliud in canonicis scripturis commendatur, exceptis ijs quae servitutem populi veteris, pro congruentia cordis illorum, & prophetici temporis onerabant, quae et in quinque libris Mosis leguntur. first of all therefore, my will is, that you should understand, what the chief point of this disputation is. That is, that our Lord jesus Christ, hath (as himself speaketh in the Gospel) made us subject to his own easy yoke, and light burden. Whereby he hath syed together the society of the new people, with Sacraments that are fewest in number, easiest in observing, and most excellent in signification, as is Baptism, consecrated in the name of the Trinity, and the communion of his body and blood, and if there by any other sacrament that is in the Canonical Scriptures commended, except those sacraments, which did increase the weight of bondage of the old people, as was meet for their hearts, and for the prophetical time, and which are read in the five Books of Moses.  
In these words of S. Austen, we have occasion to note, that his meaning was to certify januarius (to whom he wrote this Epistle) of that thing which our Lord jesus Christ taught, in that which standeth written in the eleventh of saint Mathewes Gospel: concerning the easiness of the yoke, and the lightness of the burden, that Christ jesus hath laid upon Christians. And for the explaining of his meaning: he saith that our Sacraments are very few in number, very easy to be observed, and most excellent in signification. And he nameth only Baptism and the supper of the Lord, which he calleth (as we commonly do) the communion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ. And further, he referreth him to the Canonical scriptures, as advising him to receive no more Sacraments, than he shall find to be commended in them. And lest he might take occasion by those words, to think that Christians ought to be circumcised, and to observe the sacrifices and ceremonies of Moses Law: he excepteth all such Sacraments, as were laid upon the people of the old Law, by any thing that is written in any of the five books of Moses. So that, by these words of this learned Father saint Austen, it appeareth (as by the other afore rehearsed) that he was not persuaded, that Christ jesus our Lord, hath laid upon us Christians, that heavy burden of seven Sacraments, which your holy father the Pope, layeth upon you, and upon all his Antichristian flock. Confirmation, Order, Repentance, or (as you call it) Penance, Matrimony, and the Visitation of the sick (which you call Extreme unction) we use, as good, profitable, and necessary usages in the Church of Christ, but not as Sacraments: because it appeareth not in any Canonical scripture, that Christ our saviour hath instituted them, and commanded them to be used as sacraments. Neither do they agree with that definition or description of a sacrament, which is commonly allowed of amongst the learned▪ and is thus. A Sacrament is an outward and visible sign, representing an inward, invisible spiritual grace, ordained by christ himself, to testify Gods good will and bountifulness towards us, through the same Christ our saviour, by which Gods promises, touching forgiveness of sins, & eternal salvation, given through Christ, are (as it were) sealed, and the truth of them, is more certainly confirmed in our hearts. To this definition or description only Baptism, and the Lords supper do agree: therefore they only, are properly to be called sacraments. Otherwise, a sign of a holy thing may be called a sacrament. But in that large signification of the word sacrament, there be not only seven sacraments, but scutcheon times seven sacraments. And in that meaning we deny not, but that there may be in every one of these other five, which you call sacraments, more sacraments than one or two. But I can not marvel enough at this one thing, that men of your sort, can esteem so highly of Matrimony, as to make it a sacrament of such excellency, and yet bind all your holiest Catholics by a solemn vow, never to use it, or to take any benefit by it. Yea, I marvel that you can account matrimony so holy a thing as a sacrament, and yet married persons so unholy, that if any of them shall come into any of your most holy Cloisters, the walls and floors thereof must be washed, as things polluted, by the presence of those married persons. howsoever therefore, by whom soever, or wheresoever, that which we hold concerning two sacraments only, hath been condemned for heresy: we do still hold it, and mind still to hold it for right Religion, till Friar john, and his fraternity, can and shall by the canonical scriptures prove it heresy, and saint Augustine an Heretic.  
Now you enter into your exhortatory Oration, which you make to your Father and Mother especially: But it may be thought that your meaning is, that this exhortation should be made general. For your Father and Mother, must have help in the reading and weighing of those matters that are conterned in this exhortation. I will therefore do you this pleasure (if I can) for old acquaintance. You shall have this excellent Oration of yours published in print, with all the rest that you have (in these your Letters) written to your father and mother, that all your friends on this side the Seas (if any such be) & all your undoubted friends of the English Nation, as well in France as in Italy, or else where in any part of the known world, may know the depth of that divinity that dropped out of your pen, when you wrote those Letters in Nigeon. But I will be so bold with you (mine old Scholar) as to publish this mine answer together with these your Letters, with this admonition. Read all: or read nothing. Hoping that you and your complices, will do as much upon my admonition, as I have done upon yours: which is thus. Read it thorough, or begin it not. This admonition you have set down in the margin of your Letters seventeen times. Persuading yourself (by all likelihood) that we dare not read any thing written by a Papist: more than many of your sort dare read any thing that is written by a Protestant. But you must understand, that we are not under such vows as you are. We are encouraged by the Apostle Paul, to try all things, and commanded by him to hold fast that which is good. Omnia probate, quod bonum est tenete. Try all things: holdfast that which is good. 1. Thes. 5. Yea, we are of that sort that our Saviour Christ spoke of Marci ultimo. In the last Chapter of saint Marks Gospel. Si mortiferum quid biberint, non eis nocebit. If they shall drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them. We have received before hand, a Treacle, which is of such virtue, that none of your popish poisons can hurt us. We do therefore, (and by God's help we will) read all your books, if we may have them. Yea, we will so read them, and answer them, that you shall have cause to wish that you had never written them. We do not use to condemn men's writings before we have read them, weighed and considered them, and found them such as are meet to be condemned. If you had done so, you would never have condemned for heretics, so many as in these your Letters you have condemned by name: and yet it may be thought, that you never read any one line, written by some of them. I hope you will do as much for me as I have done for you, that is, read these my writings, way and consider them, and confute them if you can, and let that which you shall do, be made public to the world. But to return to our purpose, your Oration beginneth thus.  The Friar. 
Look to yourselves (I pray you) believe our holy mother, the Catholic Church. Roll yourselves up & down in her blessed lap. Leave your Sermons heretical: go no more unto them. Rise not so early in the morning as you were wont to do, to damn yourself body and soul. Go no more (I say) to those Sermons of Crowley, Barber, Field and the rest. Burn your books of Sermons, with all other your books in which are heresies. Be not ashamed of the name of a Papist. Go to confession, confess your sins to a Priest. Leave this world that is so deceitful and stick unto God. etc.  Crowley. 
Here is an heap of Pathetical speeches, powered out (as it were) of a Vessel full of fervent zeal towards your poor parents and all others, that be in such miserable case, as you seem to suppose that they are in. You wish them to look to themselves, as though you saw them in present peril and danger of destruction. There be seven things that you require them to do, whereby they may escape that great danger which hangeth over their heads.  
The first is, to believe your holy mother the Catholic Church, and to roll themselves up and down in her blessed lap. If that Catholic Church (that believeth, confesseth, & professeth, that faith and Religion that Christ jesus taught in his own person, & commanded to be taught Catholicklie, throughout the whole world, by his Apostles and messengers) be that holy mother of yours that you speak of: then will your Father and Mother, and all other that you wish should be moved by your speeches, gladly do that which you wish them to do. Yea they do it already, & have done it ever since God gave them knowledge of that mother. And they do still beg of God, that they may continue rolling up and down in her blessed lap, all the days that they shall continue in this transitory life. Yea, and they do constantly believe all that she hath taught, or doth teach: and they do daily crave of God, that they may be made able to believe, and boldly confess all that she shall teach, so long as they shallbe living on this earth. If this be your meaning, they do most heartily thank you for your friendly and christian admonition. But it seemeth to me, that the holy mother that you speak of, is another, whom men of your sort call the Romish Catholic Church. Your father and mother, (john and Catherine Debnam) and as many as be of one mind with them: do utterly refuse that mother, because she useth to teach many more false lies, then true lessons. They dare not roll themselves up and down in her lap, because she is not the chaste spouse of Christ jesus, but that arrant whore of Babylon, that murdereth the children & saints of God Our mother hath told us, that our father hath commanded us, to believe in one God only, which being three in person, is but one in substance, essence & power: but your mother teacheth you to believe in many Gods. For she teacheth you to call upon Angels and saints, and what is that other, then to teach you to believe in them? For, s. paul writeth thus in his Epistle to the Romans. Cham 10. Quomodo invocabunt, in quem non crediderunt? How shall they call upon him, in whom they have not believed? Our mother hath told us, that our father hath forbidden us, to make to ourselves any graven Images, or the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath. etc. But your mother teacheth you, to make the Images of men & of Angels, yea and of God himself (whom never man could see) and to set them up in your Churches, to burn Incense unto them, to set light before them, to offer gifts unto them, to fall down before them, and to make prayers before them, all which is directly contrary to our heavenly father's commandment. Our mother hath told us, that our father hath forbidden us to take his name in vain, and that he hath commanded us to swear by him only, and not by any other: But your mother teacheth you to swear by your idolatrous mass, by your saints, and by the Images of your saints, and to profane the blessed name of God, in making your superstitious vows, and in all your exorcisms, & conjurations. Our mother hath told us that our father's will is, that we should spend the Saboth day holily, and not to profane it in any condition. But your mother telleth you, that you may dance, dally and sport and play, bait Bulls and Bears, and give yourselves to all other pastimes on the Sabothe day, so that you dispatch your Idolatrous service in your Churches, either before or after, but you must in any case take heed, that you give not yourself to any good exercise in that day. Our mother telleth us, that our father's pleasure is, that we should show due obedience, to such as are in any respect our fathers or mothers, and that we ought to honour them, and be of dutiful behaviour towards them, yea, and (if need shall so require) to aid succour and relieve them, in such measure as GOD shall make us able. But your mother teacheth you to say Corban, as the pharisees taught their Scholars, when our Saviour Christ was amongst them.  
Let your old Father and Mother, (john and Catherine Debnam) starve in England, by reason that being aged and impotent, they can not by labour procure things needful, as in youth they did, and fed both themselves and you, with the rest of their children: Their son Samuel must (if he will hearken to his new mother of Rome) live still in France, being fed and sustained by the labour of others, and write to his Father and Mother (be their case never so hard) that he must fast and pray, and whip himself for their sins, and observe the Rule of a bonehome all the days of his life, and not come over into England, and lay his lazy limbs to any honest labour, whereby he may eat his own bread, and help to feed the feeble bodies of his decayed Father and Mother, or do any honest service in the Common weal of his Country. Yea that mother of his telleth him, that he is exempted from all secular power, and so sequestered from the world, that he may not employ himself, or suffer himself to be employed, in doing any good therein.  
Our Mother hath told us▪ that we may not shed any man's blood, for who so shall do so, shall have his blood shed by man. But your mother telleth you, that if you can shed the blood even of Princes that be Protestants, you shall thereby purchase forgiveness of all your sins, and be canonised for a saint, and have your name written in the Pope's Calendar, yea and you shall be called upon in the Litany, amongst such as the Pope alloweth of for saints: Sancte Samuele johannes Francisce, or a pro nobis. O holy Samuel john Francis: pray for us. Our mother hath told us, that our father's will is, that we should keep our bodies undefiled by adultery or fornication, and that he will destroy them that shall defile his Temple (which is the body of every Christian) either by fornication or adultery, and therefore he would have all men and women that have not chaste minds in chaste bodies, to match themselves in chaste marriage. But your mother hath taught you to vow a wifeless life, net knowing whether God will make you able to perform that vow or not. So that although you shall burn in concupiscence never so much, yet marry you may not, to keep your body undefiled, for you have forsworn that remedy, which is the only remedy that God hath appointed. Our mother hath told us, that our father hath forbid us to steal, or to take any thing that doth not by some just title belong to us, either by force or by fraud: But your mother teacheth you to rob God of his glory, yea, and to challenge and claim to yourself, that which belongeth only to him, as the appointing of a mediator, and the means of mediation, for the obtaining of pardon, and forgiveness of sins: which you assign to Angels and saints, and to massing Priests, and to yourselves, and to all other merit mongers. Persuading the poor and simple people that will hearken unto you, that by your austerity of life, your going and lying woolwarde, your rising at midnight, your singing, your saying, your fasting, your praying, and by your whipping and scourging, their sins shallbe forgiven, because they feed and maintain you in idleness by their fore labours, and thus you rob and spoil them of the fruit of their labours, under pretence of long prayers, and such other hypocritical works, as the Pharisees did, Matthew. 23. But our mother hath told us, and we believe it, that our father hath made his only begotten son Christ jesus, our only Mediatory: yea, and the only mediator betwixt him and all mankind. 1. Tim. 2.  
Our mother hath told us, that our father hath forbidden us to bear false witness against any man: But your mother teacheth you to belie all such as she calleth Protestants, and to say of all such, (as you have in these your Letters written) that they are the devils ministers, and that their life is such, that if it were known to the simple Christians, they would not only wonder at their wiliness, but also forsake their folly. Whereas that which you call their folly, is heavenly wisdom, and that which you call wiliness in them, is simple and true dealing.  
Our mother hath told us, that our heavenly father would not that we should lust after any thing, that belongeth to our neighbour: But your mother hath taught you to lust after the kingdom of England (which belongeth not to you that be fugitives and Rebels) & to have your Order of Francis of Paula to be settled there. Yea, it seemeth that you are more than half assured that it shallbe so: For you write that you hope, that it shall shortly be in England. I fear me therefore, that fugitive, or Rebel, is too good a name for you, sith you seem to be rank Traitors indeed. Well, I would wish you to harken no longer to your Romish mother, lest she bring you at the last to preach at our Tyburn. A meet place for such to preach in, as being English borne, have Romish hearts. We dare not roll ourselves up and down in the lap of such a mother. We will not forsake that mother, that hitherto hath taught us, and doth still teach us, to fear, honour, and love our heavenly Father, and to frame our lives according to his will. In her lap we will roll ourselves up and down, as hitherto we have done, and crave at God's hands that we may do so still, and increase in love toward our heavenly father, and towards her. Her words we do believe, and her words we do hope we shall believe, so long as we shall live here: for they are the words of truth, and words that teach nothing but the will of our heavenly Father, which is the God of truth.  
The Sermons which you call heretical: your father & mother neither may nor will leave. For they are the plentiful paps of that loving mother, in whose lap they do roll themselves. And out of those paps they and all others that do roll themselves, together with them, in that mother's lap, do suck that milk that S. Peter writeth of. 1. Pet. 2. which nourisheth to salvation. They will not therefore leave those dugs, but will hang still upon them. Your mother of Rome hath not so sweet, so pleasant, nor so healthsome milk in her withered dugs. Her milk is poison to the children of God: wherefore our mother's children will none of it, neither will they leave of going to those Sermons, where they may suck so much good and healthful Milk as may suffice them.  
You advise your mother not to rise so early in the morning, as she hath been accustomed to do, to damn herself body and soul. Go no more (you say) to those Sermons of Crowly, Barber, Field, and the rest. So that, to rise in the morning to hear the Gospel of Christ preached, is in the judgement of men of your sort, to damn both body and soul. But if your mother's dwelling were in Paris, as it is in London, and she would rise at midnight, and go to Nigeon, to hear Friar John and his fellows singing their matins before their blessed sacrament of the Altar: than she should be accounted the holiest Matron in all Paris. Yea her ghostly Father would assure her, that the place which the blessed Virgin Marie doth now possess in the kingdom of heaven, were mean enough (yea too mean) for her. But especially, if she did not use to come empty handed, but bring with her, either a bottle of the best Wine, or a bag of the best Nuts, or a good quantity of the best Figs or Raisins, or Almonds, or any other fruits, as the times of the year should yield: for Minime Friars may eat all manner of fruits, when they be given unto them, as Friar John himself hath written.  
But do ye not see (Sir Friar John) how this part of your exhortation, rebowndeth upon yourself. Rise not at midnight to damn yourself body and soul. Go not, I say, to sing your Matins before your blessed Sacrament of the Altar, which neither doth nor can hear you. Take no such daily pains as you do, in singing your high masses, which can not profit you, but shall condemn you to hell fire (if you repent not) for all that you do therein is Idolatry, and false worshipping of God. Yea, it is the setting up of an Idol in the place of God, and the giving of God's honour to an Idol. Return again therefore into England, and accompany your aged mother to the places, where she and you together, may hear the doctrine of salvation preached by Crowley, Barber, Field, and other. In which exercise, your mother attained to the knowledge of Christ, even in the days of her virginity▪ when as yet Friar John was not Samuel Debnam. She is not builded upon sand or gravel: but upon the firm Rock Christ Iesu●, and therefore, it is not the vain blast of your Friarlike eloquence that can remove her.  
You wish her to burn her books of Sermons, and other books that have heresy in them. If she have any such books (as I think she hath not) I would wish her to do as you bid her, but if her books be no worse than I do think them to be, I hope she will make greater account of them, than you will her to make. Your mass books, your Gradalles, your Legends, your Manualles, your Portises, your Processioners, and your Hymnalles, your Pontificals, and your decretals, with the rest of your popish Vtensiles: are meeter matter to be sacrificed in fire to Vulcan, then are those books of your mothers, which you will her to burn. You say further to her▪ Be not ashamed of the name of a Papist Go to confession, confess your sins to a priest: this is as much as to Be not ashamed of the name of a Traitor. For every one that (being an English man, or woman) is a right Papist, such a one as you brag that yourself are: the same is a rank Traitor to the Prince and state of the Realm of England. You have therefore a traitors heart towards your Prince and Country, that can wish your mother not to be ashamed of the name of a Papist. Your mother hath learned of jesus Syracke, not to be so lavish of speech, as to open her secret sins, either to friend or to foe. If the Priest that you would have to confess her sins to, be neither her friend nor her foe: then perhaps she may be persuaded to tell him somewhat. Syracke. 19  
But will you see, what opininion S. Austen hath conceived of these ghostly fathers that you speak of. Quid mihi ergo est cum hominibus, ut audiant confessiones meas: quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos? Curiosum genus▪ ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam. Quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim: qui nolunt a te audire qui sint? Et unde sciunt, cum a meipso de meipso audiunt: an verum dicam? quandoquidem nemo scit hominum, quid agatur in homine, nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est? Augustinus confessionum, libri. 10. cap. 3. What have I to do with men that they should hear my confessions: as though they should heal all my langors? A kind of men curious to know the life of another man, but slack to amend their own. Why do they seek to hear what manner of man I am: which are not willing to hear thee declare what manner of men themselves be. And when they do hear me make report of myself, how do they know whether I do say true or not? For no man doth know what is done in man, but the spirit of man which is in him. Austen, in the 10. book of his confessions, the 3. Chapter.  
I hope you will not blame your mother, though she follow not your counsel, sith both S. Austen and jesus Syracke have advised her to do the contrary. She doth confess her sins to God every day, because she is assured, that he doth know when she speaketh truth. And that he is able to pardon and to forgive her sins, and that being unfeignedly penitent for her sins, he doth and will pardon, forgive and forget her sins, according to the saying of the Prophet Ezechiel. Chap. 18, At what time soever a sinner shall repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance.  
Your mother, and all we Protestants, are and willbe ready to do as saint james teacheth in his 5. Epistle, where he saith thus: Confess your sins one to another. When we have trespassed one against another, we acknowledge our faults one to another. We ask forgiveness one of another. We satisfy & make a mends one to another, if our ability will stretch so far: if not▪ we know that God will require no more of us, than he will make us able to do. And as touching faults that are committed against us, we forgive them, as Christ hath commanded and taught us. Yea, though our brother shall trespass against us seven times in a day, and shall say seven times in a day, it repenteth me: we forgive, because we know that otherwise our heavenly father will not forgive us. And when the horror of our sin, is so great before our eyes, that we can not otherwise be satisfied, and assured of forgiveness at God's hand, but by such comfort, as some that we think to be of more knowledge, and of better life than we know ourselves to be of, can minister unto us: then we make choice of some such one as can certify us indeed, by the merciful promises of God contained in the holy Scriptures▪ made to penisent sinners, and not by popish penance enjoined, and popish absolution pronounced, by virtue of any power given by that most holy Father of yours, the Romish Antichrist. We are not so mad as you were, when you having tasted of the sweet milk that our Mother, the true Catholic and Apostolic Church did minister unto us, by her paps that she offered to us, at the Spittle in Easter week, 1583. would on the Saturday following (as yourself do write) run into a corner, like a Waltams Calf, seeking to be satisfied with the milk of a Bull. Giving credit to a false forsworn Traitor, that (without all manner of proof) told you, that all the healthful milk that you had sucked before, was poison, and that if you would find milk that might feed you to everlasting life, you must run to Rheims, or to Rome, for there it is to be had, and not else where. But I hope you will remember yourself better, and return to your first faith, from which you are for a while fallen, that rising again you may confirm others, & stay them from the like horrible fall.  
You wish your mother to leave this world that is so deceitful, and to stick unto God. So she did before you were borne, and doth still, & so purposeth to continue all the days of her life: though she mind not to shake of the yoke of duty towards her husband, (your father) and profess herself a Nun, as you have professed yourself a Friar, and have shaken of the yoke of dutiful obedience to her and to your aged Father, and to the Common weal of your Country, that hath nourished you up, whereunto you do by natural order, own a third part of that service that GOD hath made you able to do. Your mother knew, before she did know you, that this world is deceitful, and therefore, she never did repose any trust in it. She hath learned to live in the world, and not to be of the world, neither to serve the world, but to serve him that made her and the world, giving his creatures to her and others his children in the world, for whose cause he hath made all his creatures that are in this world. And she hath learned to be thankful to God, for the use of his creatures in the world, and not to be in love with this world, or with any thing in it, but to have her affection still fixed upon that other world, where she is assured that she shall for ever dwell with him, that hath made both this and that world. She is not so mad as to think that there is none other way to heaven, but thorough Rome gates. She knoweth that Christ jesus is the way, the truth, and the life: and not the Pope, nor your Francis, nor any other father of your new found Religions.  
Although you say that your Religions are ancient, and ours new, yet she knoweth that yours are new, and ours is ancient. And although you charge us with many Religions, yet she knoweth that our Religion is but one, and yours is manifold. You have written, that your Order is called the Order of S. Francis of Paula: what that Francis was, or in what time he lived, I can not find in any History. Sabellicus, and other Historians have noted, that about 400. years past, there lived in Italy, one Franciscus Asisias, a man of singular virtue (as they report) and that this man began a new Order of Friars, whom he named Minors. And after that, he instituted an other Order, whom▪ he called Pauperes, or poor Friars. There sprung from him a third Order also, which were called Poenitentes, or repenting Friars. By all likelihood, your Order is of that sort of Friars. But let it be of which you lust to make it, it can not be of such antiquity, that you may compare with us. We hold not of any of them that you name Captain Protestants. We are not Caluinists, we are not Zwynglians, we are not Lutherans, Wickliffians, nor Hussians: yea, we hold neither of Apollo, of Peter, nor of Paul: but we hold of Christ only, and are and will be called Christians. You are and willbe called minims, Franciscans, Dominickes, Minorites, Carmelites, Benedictines, Augustine's, Barnardines, and I know not what. And by a common name, you will be called Papists.  
Your popish Religion began, when the Popes did first take upon them the high dignity of universal Bishops, and heads of the universal Church of Christ, which was about 610. years after the Ascension of our Saviour Christ, not full 1000 years before this day. At which time, Bonifacins the third of that name, was ordained the high and universal Bishop. But our Religion began in Adam, and continued in the posterity of seethe, even till the incarnation of Christ, and was by him made Catholic, to be universally received of all Nations. And that Religion only do we hold and profess. And in this Religion were you baptised amongst us. And this Religion did you once profess, before many witnesses. I would therefore wish you to leave your new Religion, and profess your old Religion again, repenting unfeignedly your Apostasy, and craving forgiveness at our heavenly father's hands, who is always more ready to grant us pardon, than we can be to crave it. So shall you show yourself to do, as you wish your mother to do: that is, you shall leave the world, and worldly devices, and cleave unto God alone, as your mother and all unfeigned Protestants do. You proceed, and say thus.  The Friar. 
Believe me if you will: I know as well as you, the heresies of calvin and Luther, and could peraduentnre, have defended them, better than you can. And therefore, knowing their opinions, and seeing that they were most false and damnable, contrary to all wholesome doctrine, and to the Scripture itself: I was by reason of this constrained to leave them, and to make myself a Papist. For trust me if you will, when ye shall yield your souls to God, your bodies returning to the earth, you will then tell me another tale. You would then if you could, bewail your sins, but you shall not be able etc.  Crowley. 
If we will believe you, we may. But for my part I can hardly believe, that either you did then, or do now, know the doctrines that Luther and Caluine taught, which you call heresies, so well as your Father and mother both did then and do now know them. But be it that you did: yet without peradventure, you were never able to defend them half so well, as they both could and can. For if you had been of such ability to defend our Religion, as your Father and mother were then, and be now also, undoubtedly, you could never have been so soon vanquished as you were, by so weak adversaries, as by all likelihood you had. But it seemeth that you had no outward adversary at all, but the spirit of Arrogancy only that lurked within you, and moved you to presume upon yourself, and to take upon you to judge of the doctrine of others, before you had any knowledge of doctrine yourself. But we must believe you (if we lust) when you say that you did know their opinions, & did see that they were most false, and abominable, and contrary to all wholesome doctrine, and to the Scripture itself: and by reason of this, you were constrained to leave them, and to make yourself a Papist. A marvelous matter (more to be mused at then to be believed) that so young a man as Samuel Debnam was, in Anno. 1583. (at which time he was not Friar John Francis) should have in that little corpse of his, all wholesome learning, and such a knowledge of Scriptures, that he was able to affirm for truth, that the opinions that calvin and Luther held, are contrary both to all wholesome doctrine, and to the Scripture itself. And yet I dare affirm for truth, that this profound Clerk, did never (before that time, wherein he saith he was enforced to make himself a papist) read any one work thorough, that either calvin or Luther have written. Yea, and as I think, I may be bold to affirm, that this prosounde Divine, had at that time, as little knowledge of that doctrine which he calleth sound: as any young Grammarian, either hath or can have of the deepest mysteries of Divinity. For I know, that before that time he never gave himself to any grave study. neither did he give himself to any manner of orderly reading. But his whole time (in manner) was spent in toying and trifling, and for the most part in idleness, and vain playing. And in the Scriptures, he could have none other knowledge, than such as he might attain unto, either by hearing in the Churches (where he never used to hearken attentively) or else by reading in my house, at the times of mine ordinary dinners and suppers, unto which exercise I did employ him, as I did other young boys, that I kept in my house, as I kept him. And yet see how he taketh upon him, to condemn for most false, damnable, and contrary to all wholesome doctrine, yea and to the Scripture itself, the opinions that those two excellent men (John calvin and Martin Luther) held and taught, and have left behind them in writing to the view of all posterity. Arroganting to himself, the full and perfect knowledge, as well of the Scriptures, as of all human Doctrines, both good and bad. Yea▪ (by those speeches that he useth) he would seem to have read and weighed, both the one and the other, and to have conferred the one with the other, as one very desirous to have found them agreeable, the one to the other. But the falsehood of that which he then favoured, was so great and damnable, and the contrariety to all wholesome doctrine, and to the Scripture itself, so manifest: that although ●ore against his will, he was constrained to leave the doctrine and profession of a Protestant, and to make himself a papist. Yea, by the words that he addeth, he seemeth to be persuaded, that except he had done so, he must of necessity, have perished everlastingly▪ For thus he saith.  
Trust me (if you will) when ye shall yield your souls to God etc. You will tell me another tale: you would then if you could etc. But you shall not be able. Would not a man (that readeth these words) think that this young Friar, hath as much knowledge as is possible for a man to have? And yet when he is opened, and thoroughly searched, there is not one crumb of knowledge found in him. Undoubtedly, it was but a vision in sleep, that deceived him. He dreamt that he knew the opinions, that he writeth of: and that he compared them with all wholesome doctrine, and with the Scripture, and found them, as he reporteth. But when he shall awake out of his dream (for as yet, he lieth sno●ing and snorting, in his deep sleep of wilful ignorance) than he shallbe that case that the poor beggar was in, which awaking out of his sleep, sought after money, but found not one cross of Coin about him, notwithstanding, that in his sleep he dreamt that he had more bags of Gold than he was able to bear. He uttered certain speeches amongst his companions, whilst he was in my house, before he took his journey into France, which words do savour of such a Dream. What will you say (saith this dreamer) when you shall see me preach at Paul's Cross? And again. I will see Rome before I be a year elder. These speeches agree with that desire that he had to creep into the weed of a Minime Friar. No man could dissuade him from it. By all likelihood he had heard that divers Friars of S. Francis Order, have been made Popes of Rome. As Sabellicus the Hystorian noteth, that before his time, five Franciscane Friars had been made Popes. Enneadis▪ 9 Libro. 6. And I know the courage of Friar john Francis to be such: that though his person be but little, yet his head would hold up the triple Crown. And although there have been many bloody beasts that have worn that crown, yet I think that amongst them all, there hath not been one more bloody, than this little vermin would be, if he might once change his Minims hood for a triple Crown. But to return to our matter. He proceedeth with his exhortation to his Father and mother, and thus he saith.  The Friar. 
I have heard my mother say, that in the old time, the people were more devout than now they be. Now, if so be that, you be now governed by God, and the Papists in old time were governed by the devil, you must needs confess, that the devil is better able to make men devout than God is, for because that by your own confession, the Papists were more devout in the old time, than the Protestants are now.  Crowley. 
This is a point of deep Divinity, and of as cunning Sophistry. Friar john's Mother did once say so, therefore of necessity it must needs be so. But it may be, that Friars of your Orders have a Privilege, whereby they may frame arguments, that shall conclude neither in Mode nor in Figure: and yet no man may deny, either the argument or any part thereof. I have heard it reported, that once there was a Pope, that would seem to be a better Latinist than he was indeed, and therefore he would now and then be talking a little Latin, though he did oftentimes reach Priscian a blow. But on a time, there was one present, that hearing him make default in not observing the Rules of Grammar in his speech: thought good with due reverence to admonish him, saying: It may please your holiness to pardon my boldness▪ As I take it, your holiness hath broken Priscian's head. The Pope answered, and said: As I have spoken so shall it be, in despite of Priscian, and all the Grammarians in the world. Now, if that holy Father, or any other amongst your holy fathers of Rome, have granted you as large a liberty in framing Arguments, as that holy Father himself used in speaking Latin, than you may maintain your argument for good amongst Papists, but amongst Protestants it will never be allowed for good. The meaning of your mother's words, is as much as if she should say thus. The people were more addicted to Religion, in the old time than they be now, but the Religion that then was in ure, is a corrupted and unpure Religion, and the Religion that now is in use is more sincere and pure. The people therefore are more addicted to embrace a corrupted Religion, then that which is more pure. This argument hath some sense in it. And this saying is according to that saying of our Saviour Christ. john. 3. Light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness more than light. Now, if you should enforce these words against the Apostle, and others that were the Scholars of Christ, you should do them great wrong, for they were not of that sort of men, that loved darkness more than light, for they were chosen out of the world, and had their minds renewed, and as they were renewed, they loved light and hated darkness, that is, ignorance and wickedness of life, which is the fruit of ignorance and darkness. Even so, you do open wrong to the Protestants, in that you enforce your mother's speech against them, concluding that of necessity they must confess, that either they be governed by the devil: or else that the devil is better able to work devotion in men, the God himself is. This conclusion followeth not upon the Premises. For although men generally, have not so great devotion to the true Religion that is now in use, as generally they had to that Religion, that was in use in the time of ignorance: yet such as be now unfeigned Christians, even such as men of your sort do use to call Protestants, have now as great devotion to the right Religion, as ever the Papysts had to their vain superstition, or as you (Master Friar John) have now to that solery that you have now professed in Nigeon.  
The right Protestant, is the right Christian, and hath received the spirit of Christ (as all that belong to Christ have done. Rom. 8.) and is governed and led by that spirit, which spirit worketh in him▪ a fervent devotion to serve God, in spirit & in truth, that is in true holiness and righteousness. The right papist, is the right Antichristian, and hath received the spirit of Antichrist, and is governed and leddy by that spirit, because he hath given over himself to be led by that spirit, forsaking the spirit of truth. 2. Thes. 2. I conclude therefore, that your conclusion that you infer upon those words that you have heard your mother speak, concerning the devotion of the people in the old time, is a fond fryarlike conclusion, and toucheth not us any thing at all. We know that our God is in heaven, and that he can do what he will do, and hath done what he would do, both in heaven, in earth, and in hell, and in all deep places. As for the devil, we know him to be but a slave to our God. And that of himself, he hath no power at all. For all power belongeth to God. Psal. 62 And we know that devotion, is a good gift, and therefore cometh from GOD, who is the giver of all good gifts, and that no good gift doth, or can come from the devil. That therefore, which you call devotion, and is wrought in you Papists by the spirit of Antichrist (which is the devil) is no devotion indeed, but a mere superstition, and a superstitious zeal to false Religion. And thus much for answer to that matter. You proceed and you say thus▪  The Friar. 
Consider this, look to your soul's health, remember the saying of our blessed Lord and Saviour. Whosoever loveth Father or mother, Brother or sister, son or daughter, lands or goods, yea or his own soul more than me, he is not worthy to be my disciple. Think not therefore, that it is so much to burn your books, seeing God will not have us to love our own souls more than him.  Crowley. 
We ha●e considered that which you have willed us to consider, as in the words that go immediately before, you may see. Such care for our soul's health, as becometh Christians, we have had, have still, and we do not doubt but we shall have, so long as we shall live in this transitory estate. The saying of our blessed Lord and Saviour, we forget not, We love not Father, mother, son, daughter, lands, goods, no nor our own souls more than we love him. Yea we love none of these otherwise then in him, and for his cause. And yet do we not think ourselves worthy to be his Scholars. But his holy spirit which he hath given us, doth inwardly in our hearts assure us, that in mercy he hath accepted of us, & made us not only his Scholars, but also his sons and daughters by adoption, inheritors of his own kingdom, and heirs annexed with his only begotten son, Christ jesus. And therefore, we do not in our dangers flee from him (as you Papists do, seeking help in creatures) but we flee to him, as obedient children to a loving Father, and we cry Abbapater, Father, Father, But let us see what followeth in your exhortation.  The Friar. 
Believe me, I pray you, I am your son. Believe not them that flatter you before your face, and behind your back laugh you to scorn. If your heart be turned (as I beseech God it may be) if you can not find a Priest to hear your confession, & to reconcile you, and make you a member of the holy Church, at the least wise burn your books heretical, use not the English Bible, go no more to the Protestants Sermons, buy a pair of Beads, and pray to our blessed Lady to help you, and wish in your heart that you had a Priest to confess you, and wish so as often as you can, but specially when you fall sick, or that you are like to die. Purpose steadfastly, if you could conveniently, to confess your sins, and to go to shrift? etc.  Crowley. 
When you would persuade your Mother to burn her Books, you put her in mind of this saying of our Saviour Christ: Whosoever loveth father or mother. etc. But now, when you labour to draw her from Christ to Antichrist, she must believe you, for you are her son. A pretty point of rhetoric, and very rhethoricallie applied. If your behaviour had been such towards your mother, that she might have had thereby some cause to think, that you bear a childlike affection towards her: or if you had in these your Letters, sought by humble and dutiful speeches, to win again that favour, which by undutiful behaviour you have lost: than it might have stand with some reason, that you require her to give credit to you (her natural son) rather then to any other, such as you speak of. But sith you neither have nor can purge yourself of that deep dissimulation that you used, at and before you slipped away from her, neither of that undutiful behaviour that hath been in you towards her, in all the time of your absence, and is still: I can not think that you were well advised, when you would use that way to persuade. For what mother can believe any word that is spoken or written by that son, that would hypocritically accompany her to the Sermons at Easter, and with his pen take notes of them: and yet on the saterday following, would go secretly to a romish ghostly Father, and be by him reconciled to the Romish Catholic Church, promising to be an enemy, yea a mortal enemy all the rest of his life days, to the doctrine which he had so lately heard, and in outward show seemed to have allowed of? yea and what credit can you hope to have at her hands, in whose company, you received (I fear me to your own condemnation) the holy Supper of the Lord, the next day after you had been reconciled to that Antichristian Church of Rome? And how can you hope, that your mother will believe you, that making haste to be gone from her, on the Monday in the after noon, pretended to go to hear that Hebrew Lecture, that the mischievous Heretic Ba●ber (as it pleaseth you to term him) did read unto you? And do you think that you (lying so nigh London the two first nights, after your departing from your mother, and three weeks after that, within one mile of London, and hearing what search was made for you, by your careful parents and other friends, would not show yourself to that sorrowful mother, but suffer her to continue still in that remediless care, not only during the space of three months, which was the time that you continued in England, before you could pass over the Seas: but also, even to the end almost of three years, continuing in France, would never make your place and case known to your mother, or any of your friends in England) can have any such credit with this mother of yours, as in these words of yours you seem to make account of? If your Mother will hearken to you, she may give no credit to them that flatter her to her face, but laugh her to scorn behind her back. And I pray you, can there be any that hath or could deal so with her more than you have done? Can any man think that you did not laugh in your sleeve, when you heard that your father and mother made such inquiry and search after you, and yet could not meet with you? and could any flatter your mother to her face, more than you did all that Easter time before you departed? There is no cause therefore, why she should either give less credit to any, then to you, or distrust any more than you. If her heart be turned from Christ to Antichrist (as you do crave of God it may be) than she must seek for a priest, to hear her confession & reconcile her, and make her a member of the holy Church, but though she can find no such priest, yet she must (if she will follow your advice) burn her heretical books, & use the English Bible no more, and refrain going to the Protestant's Sermons. To pleasure your mother in this case, you might have done very well, to have written to her, where and how she might ●inde one of these reconciling priests, and by what token she might know a right reconciling priest, from a cozening knave, least hoping to be made a member of the holy Church, she might be admitted into the society and fellowship of cozening mates, that have no authority from your Antichrist of Rome, and so should she be in worse case than now she is, or that you do now suppose her to be. For having forsaken God (as you do advice her to do) she should not be received of Antichrist, and so should she be as a masterless hound, that smelleth to every man's garment, and never findeth any that will accept of his service. And where as you wish her in any case to burn her heretical books, you might have done well to direct her to places & persons, where, and by whose means she might come by such books that you do allow for Catholic. etc. But in that which followeth, it appeareth what your meaning is. For she may neither use the Bible in English, nor hear the Protestants preach, neither do you direct her which way she may take, to come where she may hear Catholic preachers. Your meaning therefore must needs be, to bring her into the dark dungeon of ignorance, which men of your sort do use to call the mother of devotion & obedience. And this your meaning is opened in these words following. Buy a pair of Beads. etc. What man or woman, that hath any manner glimmering of Christian knowledge, can like of that manner of praying that they do use, which pray upon Beads? First, they persuade themselves that they pray to our Lady. And so do you exhort your mother to do, for you say. Buy a pair of beads, and pray our blessed Lady to help you. But can you persuade yourself, that you pray to our blessed Lady, when you say. Our Father which art in heaven. etc. And hail Mary full of grace. etc. And I believe in GOD the Father. & c? There is not one petition in the lords prayer, that may any way be thought to be a petition made to that blessed Virgin: except you can imagine that she is that Father which seeth in secret, to whom our Saviour Christ commanded his Scholars to pray, when he taught them how they should pray, saying: When you pray you shall say. Our Father, which art in Heaven. etc. And in that salutation which the Angel Gabriel used to the blessed Virgin, there is not one word of petition or prayer, made either to her or to any other. And as for the creed, it is a confession of belief, wherein are contained the special Articles of the Christian faith: but there is not one word therein that can be, by any means wrested, to serve for petition or prayer. Now, the order of your praying upon Beads is thus.  
first you say one Pater noster. Then, the ave Maria ten times, and then one Pater noster, and again, the ave Maria ten times: and so forth, till you have rehearsed the Pater noster five times, and the ave Maria fifty times. And then you rehearse Credo in Deum Patrem, once. And this is the order of your praying upon Beads. And when you have gone over your Beads three times, in this order: than you have said our Lady's Psalter (as you do term it) I marvel that you did not advise your Mother to forget the Lords Prayer and the Creed, that she hath learned in the English tongue, and learn the Pater noster, the ave Maria, and the Credo in Deum, in the Latin tongue. For our English Prayers can not agree with your Italian Beads. Neither is it possible, for that person to be devout, in that kind of devotion, that is not so ignorant, that he understandeth not one word of the prayers that he useth. I marvel therefore, that you which do understand the Latin tongue, can be so blinded, that you can allow of that manner of praying. I fear me, that you have so provoked God to wrath, by your wilful Apostasy, that in justice he hath so blinded your understanding, that you take darkness for light, and ignorance for knowledge: the devil for God, and GOD for the devil. And then is your case most miserable, as saith the Prophet Esay. V aequi dicitis bonum malum & malum bonum. etc. Esay. 5. Woe is unto you, or alas for you, that do say that good is evil, and that evil is good. If this be your case, I do not hope, that this which I now do, or that can be done by any other, can help any thing at all to draw you out of your dark dungeon of ignorance. But hoping better of you, and that though my labour could not profit you, yet some other may be profited thereby. I have thought good to make this matter as plain as I can, that the manifest truth, may (if it be possible) prevail with you, and bring you back again to your former happy estate, wherein you were once, and seemed to be settled therein. If that can not be, yet I hope this labour of mine may be a mean to stay some such as you were from running headlong after you into that pit of destruction that you are fallen into.  
You teach your mother to crave help at the hands of the blessed virgin, that was never able to help herself. She herself saith, That her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour: and would you that your mother should now put that blessed virgin (whom God hath saved) in the place of that God that saved her, by craving that help at her hands, which can not be had at the hands of any, but of God himself? Your mother had learned (before she bore you) that it is God that draweth the Infants out of their mother's womb, and that it is he that sustaineth them whilst they hang upon their mother's dugs. Psalm. 22. And when she traveled of Child, she called upon him, and not upon the blessed virgin. And whence came this calling upon the blessed Virgin in that case, but from the custom of the Heathen women, which being persuaded that the Moon hath a natural dominion in moist matters, called upon her under the name of juno lucina. And when Christians began to decline from that perfection of Christian knowledge that had been taught by the Apostles, and their immediate successors: Christian women thought they should not do amiss, to put the blessed mother of our Saviour Christ, in the place of this juno, and so they fell to calling upon her, in their peril in the travail of childbirth. And will you bring your mother back again to this superstition?  
If you will give any credit to saint Augustine, he will tell you, that the blessed Virgin doth neither require nor allow of any such honour to be given unto her. In his Book entitled of true Religion, and in the last Chapter thereof, he writeth thus. Non sit ●obis Religio cultus hominum mortuorum: quia si pie vixerunt, non sic habentur, ut tales quaerant honores, sed illum a nobis coli volunt, ●uo illuminante, laetantur meriti sui nos esse consortes. Honorandi ergo ●unt propter immitationem: non adorandi propter Religionem. Let us not have a Religion (saith S. Austen) of the worshipping of dead men and dead women: For if they lived godly, they be not of that mind, that they would seek to have such honour at our hands, but their desire is, that we should worship him, by whose illumining they rejoice that we are companions with them, of his merit.  
They must therefore be honoured, by imitation: not worshipped for Religion. If you would read that Book of S. August●ne, I think you would forethink that ever you went about to persuade your mother to make prayers to any creature. Although ●he blessed virgin, be amongst creatures most excellent, yet is she not Deified. She remaineth still a creature. She is still a woman, meet to be honoured by imitation as S. Austen saith, but not to be worshipped for Religion. The honour that we may give to her, or to any other holy saint of God, is to follow that good example of life, that they have left behind them. Who so will honour her a right, must call to mind, her great humility, her most steadfast and constant faith, and her integrity of life in all conditions, and endeavour to follow her therein. But to make prayers to her, and to crave help at her hands, as you exhort your mother to do: is to put her in the place of God, by giving God's honour to her, and so making an Idol of her. If it be not lawful to believe in her, then is it not lawful to pray to her. For the Apostle saith: Quomodo invocabunt in quem non crediderunt. How shall they call upon him, in whom they have not believed? Rom. 10. The Prophet David, in the Psalm 50. speaking in the person of GOD, sayeth: Call upon me in the day of thy trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. The same Prophet saith, Psalm, 145 The Lord is hard at hand, with every one that calleth upon him: with every one that calleth upon him faithfully. In another Psalm, the same Prophet saith thus, speaking in the person of God. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.  
By opening the mouth, is there meant, the craving at God's hands by prayer, which the people of GOD are there commanded to use. Psalm. 81. Assuring themselves to receive at his hands as much as they do or can ask.  
If you would mark well the Psalms that you use to sing in your midnight Matins, you should find in them many such encouragements to call upon GOD, but not one word to encourage you, to call upon any creature, be the same never so excellent or holy. Yea, if you shall read the whole Scriptures thorough, from the first word in Genesis, to the last in the Revelations of john, you shall not find one word, that (being rightly understanded) may give you any manner of encouragement, to make Prayers to any creature, or discourage you to make prayers to God. Yea, you shall not find any one example in any holy man, that hath fled from GOD, to seek help at the hands of creatures at any time.  
But you shall find that jeremy the Prophet complaineth against them that have done so. jeremy▪ 2. His words be these. Obstupescite caeli super hoc, & portaeeius desolamini vehementer, dicit Dominus. Duo enim mala fecit populus meus. Me dereliquerunt, fone tem aquae vi●ae, & foderunt sibi cisternas, cisternas discipatas, quae continere non valent aquas. O ye Heavens (saith the Lord) be astonished at this thing, & ye Gates thereof be ye greatly abashed. For my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, which am the Fountain of living water, and they have digged Ceasternes for themselves, Ceasternes that can not hold Water. Hear the Prophet leremie disproveth the people of juda for two evils. And he doth it in the person of God himself.  
One of those evils is, the forsaking of him, the Fountain of living water, as you teach your mother to do, when you will her to burn her Books, and to leave the use of the English Bible. The other evil is, the digging of Ceasterns, that can not hold any water. This evil you feache your mother to commit, when you will her to buy a pair of Beads, and to pray our blessed Lady to help her. Although that blessed virgin be a most excellent creature, yet she is but a creature, and therefore but a broken Ceasterne in comparison of GOD, which is the Fountain of living Water.  
They therefore that seek help at her hand, do but dig a broken Cistern, for she could never help herself, as before I have most plainly proved, much less can she help them that flee from God, and seek help at her hand. The sentences of Scripture that I have before cited, do most manifestly prove, that there is no cause that may give us occasion to flee from God, to seek help at the hands of any other.  
He is almighty, able to help in every need. He is merciful, and ready to help in all distresses. He is faithful, and hath promised to help such as call upon him faithfully. He knoweth our case, and needeth not any Memoransor to put him in mind of our case. He hath a provident and fatherly care for us, so that he letteth no occasion slip, but taketh every occasion to do us good. And would you wish your mother, to forsake this so mighty, so merciful, so faithful, and so provident a father, and to give herself to the service of his daughter, in whom none of these things be, otherwise then by participation from this father, in whom the fullness of all these things remaineth? God forbidden. Remember yourself better (Samuel) and make haste home again. Tarry no longer in that Dungeon of darkness in Nigeon. Take again that fruition of the light of the Gospel, that once you did enjoy in England. Shake of those chains of ignorance, wherein sathan hath so bywrapped you: and embrace again with us, the freedom of knowledge, which the almighty GOD hath so plentifully bestowed upon England. But let us consider, that which is next in your exhortation.  
Your mother must wish in her heart, that she had a Priest to confess her: and she must do this, as often as she can, but especially, when she shall fall sick, and shall be like to die. And she must purpose steadfastly, to confess her sins and to go to shrift, if she could conveniently. Of such Priests, as you would have your mother to wish for, I have before written sufficiently. I have written also enough concerning that confession of sins that God requireth at the hands of Christians. Your mother knew before you were borne, and knoweth still, what sins she ought to confess, and to whom she ought to make her confession. She mindeth not to wish after, to seek for, or to acquaint herself with any such Ghostly Father, as you mean● of, although she might, with out all bodily danger do it. She knoweth them to be Traitors, to GOD, to our Prince and Country, and to all such simple Christians as do hearken to them. Her steadfast purpose therefore is, to confess her sins to God every day, both in sickness and in health.  
She doth continually crave at God's hand, the grace of continual and unfeigned repentance. Of full and free pardon of all h●● sins (by the mediation of Christ jesus) she craveth a full and perfect assurance, With all popish Priests, pepish shrift, and with all manner of popery, she is, and still will be at defiance. But you proceed with your exhortation, and thus you say.  The Friar. 
Believe without doubting, all that the holy Catholic Roman, and Apostolic Church doth belceve: although that they surpass and excel man's understanding. To be brief, say every day these words. O sweet jesus, I do steadfastly believe, all that my Son Sa●●uell believeth. And in that faith, in which he is, I will live and die. Be merciful unto me, a most wretched sinner, for thy name's sake. Holy Marie mother of GOD pray for me, thine unworthy handmaid, now, and in the hour of my death. Say this prayer only every day. And if you can go to shrift, confess your sins, and receive the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ▪  Crowley. 
Your mother hath just cause to mus● what you mean by this part of your exhortation, wherein you will her to believe all the the holy Catholic, Roman, and Apostolic Church doth believe. For there is no such Church as that in any part of the world. There is indeed a Roman Church, but that Church is neither holy, Catholic, nor Apostolic. Holy she is not, because she renounceth that holiness that is freely given in Christ, and cleaveth to an holiness, that she imagineth to be in her own works, wherein no holiness at all, either is or can be before God. The case of this Roman Church, is as evil, or worse than the case of the Church of the Jews was, when they being ignorant of the righteousness of God, sought to establish their own righteousness, and so neither were, nor could be subject to the righteousness of God. Rom. 10 Even so these Romans, which you call the Roman Church, being ignorant of that holiness that is freely given in Christ, and is therefore the holiness of GOD, and not of men, do seek to set up and advance their own holiness (which is no holiness indeed) and so are not, neither can be subject to that holiness that God giveth in Christ: and so by good consequence▪ there is in them no holiness at all. Catholic that Roman Church is not: for that she holdeth not that faith, which Christ in his own person taught in Jerusalem, and in other parts of the land of jewrie, and at the time of his Ascension into heaven, commanded his Apostles to teach catholicly, that is, all the world over, according to the signification of the word Catholicè. That is catholicly, or universally. In his own person our Saviour Christ did preach this faith, as appeareth in the first Chapter of S. Mark. Postquam autem tradi●us est Johannes. etc. After that john was imprisoned, jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of GOD, and saying. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draweth nigh. Repent, and believe the Gospel. To believe the Gospel, is that faith which is called Catholic. And whosoever believeth the Gospel, is a Catholic. And on the contrary, he that believeth not the Gospel, is no Catholic. To believe the Gospel, is to believe God's word. For in our old English speech, God's word was called God's speale: and now (corruptly) we do call it Gospel. This Gospel (or Gods speale) is that promise that GOD made first to Adam, the first man: when he promised that the woman's seed should break the Serpent's head. Gen. 3. This promise was renewed to Abraham, when GOD said to him: In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. Gen. 22. And this Gospel, is by the Grecians called Euangelion, which word doth (by interpretation) signify a glad tidings. This Glad tidings did our Saviour declare, first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, both in his own person, and by the ministery of his Apostles. And at the time of his ascending into heaven: he gave commandment to those Apostles, to declare the same catholicly, (that is to say, generally) all the world over. For thus he said unto them then. Euntes in mundnm universum, praedicate evangelium omni creaturae. Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Understanding by creatures, all Nations and sorts of men. By this means, this Gospel or Glad tidings (which at the first was made known but to few, in comparison of all) was made known to the whole world, and was therefore called Catholic. And when in the primitive time of the preaching of this Gospel, certain fantastical heads began to teach doctrines contrary to this Catholic doctrine, and to draw disciples after them: then the Fathers that held & taught this doctrine, called themselves Catholics, and those other schismatics, and Heretics.  
The first Romish Christians, were right Catholics, as appeareth by that Epistle that the Apostle Paul wrote to them, and so the Christians of that City continued many years after saint Paul's time, as appeareth in the Histories of the Church. But for the space of a thousand years last passed (almost) that Church, that hath been, and is in Rome, hath been, and is still, schismatical: and therefore the name Catholic is no meet name for that romish Church. They deny the free justification by faith, which S. Paul taught the first Romish Chrystians', and they belee●ed his doctrine. They glory in their own wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption: presuming to redeem their own sins, and the sins of others also: by their fastings, their prayers, their whippings, and other works that they have devised, whereby they think (and persuade as many as they can to think) that satisfaction may be made to God, for sin committed in breaking the commandments of God: whereas by the Catholic faith we are taught, that as there is but one God, so there is but one mediator betwixt God and man, which is the man Christ jesus▪ ●. Tim. 2. And this Mediator had none other mean whereby he might work our reconciliation, but only the shedding his of own heart blood for us. That death which our sins had deserved, was (and of necessity must be) suffered by him that purchased our peace with God.  
I conclude therefore, that the Romish Church, taking upon it (in some sort) the O●●yce of the Mediator: is not Catholic, but Antichristian. And therefore your mother being a Catholic Christian indeed, may not hearken to her son Samuel, when he willeth her to believe all that the holy Catholic, Roman, and Apostolic Church doth believe. etc.  
And whereas you name the Roman Church Apostolic, you do great wrong to that Church which is Apostolic indeed, and so do ye to the Apostles themselves. For you father upon them all your hypocrisies and superstitions, all your counterfeit & false Religions, all your Idolatrous abominations, and all your inordinate and great power and usurpations: from which the Apostolic Church, both is, and ever hath been, as far scuered, as in distance of place, heaven and earth are separated. The Apostles, and the Apostolic Church neither doth at this day, neither any time heretofore, hath received, or maintained wittingly and willingly, any manner of hypocrisies or superstitions. It neither doth nor hath embraced willingly and wittingly, any counterfeit or false Religions. It never hath nor doth embrace, uphold or main ta'en▪ any Idolatrous abomination. It never hath, doth, or will delight itself in any inordinate power or usurpation. The Apostles themselves, did (according to the example of our Saviour Christ) willingly submit themselves to Princes, and all other Noble estates, as to such as by God's ordinance, have the supreme authority, over the bodies and goods of all men, of all sorts and professions, that live within those Countries that of right do belong to their domini●ns. Rom. 13. ●. Pet. 2. The Apostolic Church, never took upon her, to depose Kings, or to dispose of kingdoms at any time heretofore, neither presently doth, nor in time to come will.  
The Apostolic Church hath always, doth still, and for ever will, embrace, uphold, maintain, teach and preach, that doctrine, which by the appointment of Christ jesus (to whom all power in heaven and earth doth belong) the Apostles themselves, did whilst they lived upon earth, embrace, uphold, maintain, teach and preach, without any manner of adding to, taking from, or altering or changing, in any manner of respect, so far forth as Christ jesus, (whose spouse she is) pleaseth by his holy spirit to direct her, and to make her able to do. The Apostolic Church, doth not, neither hath nor will, command or counsel men or women, to believe all that she believeth: before she hath let them understand what she believeth, and so instructed them, that they may be able to render a reason of that hope that is in them, neither doth she will them to believe any thing that doth surpass man's understanding, till she have made them understand, what moveth her to believe those things. But your Roman Church, which you call Apostolic, doth, and for these 1000 years last passed (almost) hath done, and still pretendeth to do, the contrary to all these things. I conclude therefore, that she is not Apostolic, but Apostatate: and therefore all things that she believeth, are to be suspected, and not to be received, till they shallbe thoroughly tried, and found to be Apostolic. But now you will grow to a conclusion, and thus you say.  The Friar. 
To be brief. Say every day these words. O sweet jesus. etc.  Crowley. 
In your conclusion, wherein you are brief: you give me occasion, to be longer then willingly I would. You prescribe your mother an order of protestation and prayer, which she must use every day, if she hope to be accepted amongst the Romish Catholics.  
It beginneth very well, for thus she must say: O sweet jesus. But in the next words, you teach her to flee from jesus, and to be at defiance with him. For she must say thus: I do steadfastly believe all that my son Samuel believeth. Which is as much as if she should say thus. Farewell sweet jesus: I will no longer depend upon thee. For my sweet son Samuel, hath commanded me to depend upon him. I may no longer believe as thou hast taught me: but I must, and will believe all that my son Samuel believeth. Thou haste taught me to believe, that whosoever believeth and is baptized, shallbe saved. Mar. 16. But my son Samuel saith, that except I confess my sins to a Priest, and be by him absolved, and reconciled to the Romish Catholic Church, I shall be damned both body and soul, and I am sure he would not say it, except he did believe it. O sweet jesus, thou haste called me, and haste said unto me amongst other, Come unto me all ye that labour, and be heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you: and learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls: for my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light. Matthew. 11.  
But my son Samuel believeth, that every man and woman must suffer for their own sins: and therefore he goeth and lieth woolwarde, he refraineth the eating of flesh, and of all white meats, he riseth every night at midnight, he doth scourge himself naked often times: yea, he giveth himself 400. stripes at one time. Yea, fearing to fall into the hands of the living God (which is horrible) he hath for saken the world (as he saith) and the life of a Scholar, and hath made himself a Minime Friar, choosing rather that way to fall into the hands of GOD, than (living as his Father and I do) to fall into the paws of the devil. His ghostly father hath told him, (and he doth believe it) that though thou dost call him, and offer to take the heavy burden of sin from him: yet it is necessary that he do penance in his own person, & by that penance he do redeem his own soul. And although thou hast bidden him bow down his neck under thy yoke, & take thy burden upon his back, assuring him that thy yoke is easy, and thy burden light, and that in thus doing he shall find rest to his soul: yet if he will find that rest indeed, he must of necessity take the yoke and burden of S. Francis upon his neck and shoulders, and do penance all the days of his life, according to the rule of S. Francis Order.  
O sweet jesus, bear with me, I must believe all this, for my son Samuel doth believe it, and hath willed me to say every day, that I do believe all that he doth believe. O sweet jesus thou hast said, Let such as hath ears to hear, hearken. Math. 13. And thy holy Apostle james hath said: Be swift to hear. jam. 1. And thine Apostle Paul saith, that faith cometh by hearing. Rom. 10: But my son Samuel, willeth me to leave my early rising, and go no more to the Lectures and Sermons of Crowly, Barber, and Field, or of any other Protestants, for he saith that they are the devils Ministers, and that the devil of ●ell is the foundation of that Religion, that they do teach. And I must believe that this is true, if I will believe all that my son Samuel doth believe.  
But my conscience telleth me (O sweet jesus) that thou art that Rock on which Crowley, Barber, field, and the rest that be the Protestant Preachers do build: and I think that I do plainly see, that they do not build upon thee, either straw or stubble, but Gold, Silver, and such other matter, that can not be consumed by the force of the fire of God's spirit, which in his good time will try, all that men have builded upon thee, which art that foundation that all the builders which will build the Temple of GOD, must needs build upon, because there is none other foundation to build upon. 1. Cor. 3.  
O sweet jesus, thou haste commanded me to search the Scriptures. job. 5. And thy holy Evangelist saint Luke reporteth, that in Berroaea, such as received the doctrine of the Gospel gladly, did search the Scriptures daily. Acts. 17. But my son Samuel forbiddeth me the use of the Bible in English. And he knoweth that I understand none other language. His meaning therefore must needs be, to forbid that which thou hath commanded. O sweet jesus, suffer me not to be seduced by my son samuel's flattering and hypocritical speeches. He teacheth me, to beseech thee to be merciful to me, a most wretched sinner, for thy name sake. A better lesson than this, no man can teach.  
O sweet Lord jesus, do thou imprint this lesson in my heart, that I do never forget it. And work thou in my heart by thy holy spirit, that I may have a ready good will, daily to use it. But alas, he believeth that thy blessed Mother Mary, is able to help such as call upon her, and therefore, he teacheth me to pray unto her to help me: But thou hast taught me a lesson contrary to that. When you pray, you shall say: O our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. etc.  
O sweet jesus, let me never forget that form of prayer. give me grace (I beseech thee) to use it night and day, to crave continually, at the hands of thy heavenly Father, which through thee is become my heavenly Father, all those things that in that form of Prayer thou hast taught me to crave. Let me not so hearken to my Son Samuel, as that following his counsel, I should do contrary to thy commandments. Blessed Lord jesus, I do know that thy blessed mother, is a most blessed creature. But thou, with thy Father and the holy Ghost, art her Creator and mine, and the Creator of all creatures. We must say of her, as the prophet Esay said of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob▪  
Abraham never knew us, Israel is ignorant of our case, but thou art our Father, thou art our deliverer. Esay. 63.  
Thinkest thou (oh thou blind Friar john) that thy mother that bore thee, is so blinded with affection towards thee, that she will turn her back upon Christ jesus to follow thee? Thou teachest her to use daily a form of prayer, which in the first words is sweeter than honey, to the taste of a faithful Christian, but in all the words that follow, it is full of most pestilent and deadly poison. She will none of it therefore. She will pray to the heavenly Father, in such sort as Christ jesus the son of God hath taught her, and not to creatures as thou dost exhort her. Though she could, yet she will not go to shrift, to make confessyen of her sins to a Priest. She knoweth who it is, against whom she hath sinned. To him alone she will confess all her secret sins. At his hands only she will ask forgiveness of her sins, because she knoweth that he only is able to forgive them. And when she shall sin against men, she will confess those sins to those men against whom she shall commit them. She will do all that she shall be able to do, in making satisfaction to them. She will crave forgiveness at their hands, and beseech them to pray to GOD for her, that she may obtain forgiveness at his hands also.  
The blessed body and blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, she will receive, as often as she may: but not after so bloody a manner as you imagine that you do. She hath learned to receive an outward Sacrament into her mouth and stomach, and by faith, to receive spiritually into her soul, the thing that is signified by that outward Sacrament. She knoweth, that if she dwell in Christ, and have Christ dwelling in her: she doth at the lords Table, receive, eat, and drink, the lords body and blood, in the Sacrament exhibited to her, and to the rest of the faithful. But if she should intrude herself into the company of Christians, not dwelling in Christ, neither having Christ dwelling in her: she knoweth that though she should receive the Sacramental bread, and drink the Sacramental wine never so often, yet she should neither eat the body nor drink the blood of Christ, but the Sacrament of so excellent a thing, to her own condemnation. August, in sermone de Sacramentis fidelium.  
Feria. 2. Paschae. This is the judgement of saint Augustine in his Sermon that he made of the Sacraments of the faithful, the second day of Easter.  
And (Friar john) I must advise you to call to remembrance that dealing of yours, when you presumed to be partaker of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, in company with your mother, the morrow after you had been at shrift, and were (as yourself have in these your Letters confessed) reconciled to the Romish Catholic Church. If Christ did then dwell in you: undoubtedly, both Christ and Antichrist may dwell together, which is known to be a thing impossible. You were reconciled to Antichrist, therefore he dwelled in you, and not Christ. You presumed with judas, to eat the lords bread, against the Lord, as judas did, when he had before bound himself by promise (for money) to deliver the Lord into the hands of the high Priests and Elders of the people.  
Even so had you compacted with your new friends, and made promise to forsake the Protestants Religion (as you term it) and to embrace the Romish Catholic Religion, during the whole time of your transitory life. And how durst you then thrust yourself into our Communion the next day after you had made this promise to your ghostly father, that had been the mean and instrument of your reconciliation: and so dissemble both with your new and your old friends, as a Neuter, or jacke on both sides? But it may be that your ghostly Father had some large Commission from the holy father of Rome, to disspence in such cases: For such do account our Sacrament, to be but a piece of bread, and a cup of wine, and that therefore, there is no danger in the receiving of it in such manner as you did then receive it. But that dispensation can not help you: for it was Panis Domini, the Lords bread, as well to you, as that other was to judas. And you received it Contra Dominum. against the Lord, as judas did, even to your own condemnation, because you made no difference of the lords body. To your mother (and to other, the faithful that did at that time receive that Sacrament) it was Panis Dominus. The bread which is the Lord, and it did nourish them to everlasting life, although it were to you a condemnation.  
But hasting to an end of your exhortation, and so of the whole matter, you thought meet to impart to your mother in these your Letters: you say thus, as followeth.  The Friar. 
If you be persecuted, rejoice with S. Paul in your persecutions: remembering that sentence which our Lord hath spoken, saying: Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, let him take up his Cross and follow me. Saint Paul saith, that the Passions and tribulations of this world, are not worthy of that glory, which GOD will give us. Thus I commend you to God. From our Friary at Nigeon, a mile from Paris, the seventeen day of March. 1586. Your son, careful for your soul's health: Friar john Francis. And then you writ thus in the margin. I have changed my name. I am no more called Samuel Debnam: but Friar john Francis. If you send any Letter to me, write on the back of it. A frere Jehan Francoys Minime a Nigeon aupres de Paris, ces Lettres soyent donnees.  Crowley. 
To comfort your Mother against persecution, you put her in mind of the words of our Saviour Christ, in the ninth Chapter of Luke. And of the words of S. Paul in the 8. to the Romans. I hope she will remember these sentences, when you shall come into England (as you say your hope is shortly to do) and shall there set up that Order of Bone homes, which you have professed, and be an Inquisitor there: that she may stand constantly to the profession of that ancient, Catholic, and Apostolic faith, which she hath by hearing learned, and by the assistance of God's spirit professed and practised, before, and ever since she bore you: a babe of whom she hoped to have had such joy as natural Parents do naturally hope to have in their natural Children. But now that you are degenerated, and become an Apostata, forsaking that right Religion, wherein you were baptised and Catechised: she hath just cause to wish, that she had never nourished you with the milk of her breasts (if the Lords will had been so) but rather that her womb had been your grave. It is true as you say, that whosoever will come after Christ, must take up their Cross and follow him. It is true also, that the passions and tribulations of this world, are not worthy of that glory which GOD will give unto us. But sir, if your mother should hearken to you, and by going to shrift and hearing of masses, and professing of Popery, pull such a Cross upon herself, as they do bear, which willingly and wittingly do put themselves into the danger of the just Laws of our Country: she should bear a heavy Cross indeed, but not after Christ. For not Christ, but Antichrist calleth men and women, from their due allegiance to Princes, and dispenseth with them for their lawful oaths of faithful obedience, which they have taken to be true to their princes. The passions & tribulations that your Seminary men, and such as follow them do suffer, are not persecutions, but just executions, even such as GOD commanded to be executed upon false Prophets and idolaters. Deu. 13.  
If you may have your wished hope, I doubt not but you will put both your Father and mother, and all others that have been your fosterers, to their trial: for yeeare become an hungry whelp of that bloody▪ Butchers cur, that ruleth in Rome, and thirsteth after the blood of the English Nation. But that God, that hath the hearts of all Princes in his hand, will (I hope) work so in the heart of that Noble Prince that now reigneth, in that noble Realm of France, or in the heart of some of his surcessors, that all the Romish rabble, shall by them be roused out of their dens, as in the days of our noble King Henry the eight, they that then were in England were roused. And then that hope of yours will be at an end.  
But sir, what mean you by this, that you say that God will give us that glory, whereof the passions and tribulations that we suffer here are not worthy. How standeth this, with that which you have written before, by occasion of the words of our Saviour, in the xxv. of S. matthew, where you say that the feeding of the hungry, etc. are the cause of that joyful sentence. Come ye blessed of my Father. etc. For there you say, that this glory is due to those and such like works, and now you affirm that it is God's gift. God will give it, say you. Mendacem memorem esse oportet. A liar must not be forgetful. You lied before, but now you affirm the truth.  
For that glory which you speak of, is indeed the free gift of GOD, through jesus Christ our LORD: and can not be deserved either by our working, or by our suffering. And that was the meaning of the Apostle. Our works, though they be never so many, neu●r so good, never so orderly done: yet can they not be worthy of that glory. Our passions and tribulations, although they be never so great, never so undeserved, yet they can not be worthy of that glory, which GOD hath prepared for them that love him.  
And thus you commend your Parents to GOD, in as courteous manner as you saluted them at the first. That is, even as though they had been some of your companions and not your Parents. Such is the Arrogancy of Friar john Francis. But yet he is the son of those (overmeane) Parents, and careful for their soul's health. It were well, if you had a care for your own soul's health, which you can not have, so long as you have no care to do any duty, either to your natural Parents, or to your native Country, or to any others, to whom you do owe duty, both by the Law of GOD and of nature.  
You have renounced that obedience that GOD hath commanded all natural Children and Subjects to show towards their natural Parents and Princes: and you have chosen a new obedience, and vowed to observe that. Your Prior and your Subpriors in the Minims Religion must be obeyed. The holy Father the Pope, must have his commandments observed. You may not do that which GOD commandeth to be done, except the same be commanded by your holy Father the Pope, the Prior, and your Subpriors. If the Pope's holiness, your father prior, and your Subpriors command any thing: that you may, and must do, and you may not move any question at all, whether God have not commanded the contrary. Yea though you know that GOD hath forbidden the doing of it: yet you must needs do it, for you have vowed obedience. etc. You know that GOD hath forbidden the worshipping of Images, and all use of Imagery in the exercise of Religion. Exo. 20. And yet you must needs have them and worship them, because they to whom you have vowed obedience▪ do command it. Christ hath said, Patrem nolite vocare vobis super terram: unus est enim Pater vester qui in coelis est. Call no man your Father upon earth, for one is your Father which is in heaven. Mat. 23. But you must have a most holy father, which is the Pope's holiness. And he must be called Papa. That is Pater p●trum. Father of Fathers. If your eyes be not altogether blinded, your ears stopped, your understanding doubled, and your heart hardened: you can not but see, perceive and understand into what miserable case you have brought yourself. Repent therefore betime, receive again your first name, leave Friar john Francis in Nigeon. Let Samuel Debnan come over into England again. john and Catherine will embrace their Prodigal and lost son. All their and your friends will rejoice together with them, when they shall see Samuel Debnam (that was lost) found and brought home again. Your fall hath caused great grief, your rising again shall cause greater joy. The meanest servant in your Father's house, is in better case, than the happiest amongst your superiors in Nigeon. You think yourself to be in the way of salvation, but in very deed, the end of your way is destruction. Come unto Christ that calleth. Math. 11. Open unto Christ that knocketh. Apoc. 3. Forsake the whore of Babylon. Defy antichrist, and his whole Religion. From London, the sixth of August. 1586.  
(⸪)  
Your instructor, every way, careful for your soul health. Robert Crowley,   

❧ Faults escaped.  

FOlio. 3. B. line. 13. Read to be the right Religion.  
Fol. 6. A. line. ●1. Read Papists.  
Fol. 7. B. line. 16. Read after.  
Fol. 22. A. line 4. Read, did bid. B. line 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Fol. 23. A. line. 19 Read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Fol. 23. B. line. 33. Read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Fol. 24. B. line. 2. read. and had chosen to walk in.  
Fol. 32. A. line. 11. read. Gorgias.  
Fol. 34. A line 12. read. dilectionem.  
Fol. 52. B. line. 9 read. have her to confess.  
Fol. 55. A. line. 11. read. Arrogating.