A DECACORDON OF TEN QVODLIBETICALL QVESTIONS CONCERNING RELIGION AND STATE : Wherein the Authour framing himfelfe a Quilibet to euery Quodlibet , decides an hundred crosse Interrogatorie doubts , about the generall contentions betwixt the Seminarie Priests and Iesuits at this present .

Newly imprinted . 1602.

EXPERIENCE hath made the case cleare , in all sciences , arts , and professions , wherein humane capacitie doth shew the soules excellencie , in apprehension , discourse , and iudgement of things past , present , or to come , by inuention , morall coniecture , and wit of man : that these fiue Rules hold out as inexpugnable Principles , The Author in all these fiue Principles & certainties of things , of none denyed , doth clearely conuince the Iesuits faction and all their fautours of many grosse errours : which ignorant people deduct from their absurd rules , opposite to these in al things : as that their Generall with his companie of Prouincials , cannot erre : that they cannot faile in their doctrine , instructions , gouernment , and the like : that the foundation of their order is a state of most perfection of any other , &c. All which errours , with many other are impugned by these fiue grounds set downe , as in a Preface to the particular Quodlibets here following . affirmed of all , and denyed of none : to wit . First , that no ground in Diuinitie , no Axiome in Philosophie , no Maxime in the Law , no Paragraffe in positiue Discourse , no Paradoxe amongst Orators , no Proposition amongst Schoolemen , no Article of our faith amongst Apostles by sacred OEcumenicall Synode , defined , deposed , and decided to be thus and none otherwise beleeued , and taken vnder paine of damnation : but the same may be impugned by a seeming reasonable plea to the contrarie , with arguments of proofe in shew holden on a whole day by fine wits , in a schoole despicion : and the defendant so grauelled ( if of dull and slow conceit ) that he shall haue no reason to deny that to be true : ( as verbi gratia : that blacke is white : that a man is a mouse : that there is no God at all , &c. ) which to auerre to be false , he is and will be readie to spend his life , and shed his dearest bloud . Secondly , that bonum & malum , vertue and vice , religion and heresie , standing in opposition one against the other , yet haue this concordance by a necessarie sequele inserted into the subiect , wherein they are inherent by proper kind : as if you build vpon proofe of either by examples , the one shall ballance and beard out the other in authoritie to the vttermost . Thirdly , that there is no new thing vnder the Sunne , nor any inuention of wit inuented , but anothers wit can equall it by inuenting the same . Fourthly , that there is no certaintie of any thing here on earth , but that the fall and stand , the life and death , and the very Periods of times , Kingdomes , Princes , and all sorts of persons , hang vpon mutation , alteration and downefall , knowne to God alone . Fiftly , that Aristotles Principle , scil. Generatio vnius , est corruptio alterius , is so perfect a current of time , and plyable to all , not onely physicall or naturall , but also morall & politicall cadences and vp-rests , as no excellencie so rare but hath beene abased , no complexion so perfect , but hath bene corrupted , no Maiestie so regall , but hath bene subiected : no power so great , but hath come to nothing : no foundation so firme , strong , and sure , but hath bene shaken , yea and hitherto quite ouerthrowne ( vnlesse it were the impregnable rocke of the Church , which hangs vpon certitude of diuine pillars independent vpon humane chaunce and chaunge : ) and no commonwealth , corporation , societie , or state so prudent , politicall , and perspicuous in all things to make them famous , eternized , and their condition of life , gouernment , and order permanent , but haue had their sates by succeeding turns , with a no lesse fearefull eclipse of their former fame , then a notable diminution of their wonted glorie .

Thus came all the mightie Monarchs , Worthies , and Monarchies of the world ( as it were by a naturall succession of birth and bloud , deuoluted from the father to the sonne ) to haue their rise and fall one after another . He meaneth the continuance of that Monarchie , from Nimrod or Ninus , to the last of Nabuchodonosors son , vz. Balsazar , as the Romane Empire from Julius Caesar to this present , though vp and downe , as the Assyrians was . The Assyrians first swayed the scepter Royall of the worlds Monarchie , and longest of all other continued with the same : and who then so famous as their Nabuchodonosor , in whose presence the whole earth kept silence : but yet subiect to corruption . Who euer had a lost●●r fall , as to be turned out of the proper feature of a man , into the gastfull purport of a beast : and in the end his Kingdome taken from his house , name and line : no face of a commonwealth remaining vnder any Assyrian title at this day . Then rose vp the Persian Prince : and where caryed fame her sayles aloft , but vnder the canapeall beauer of a Darius his briefe , He alludeth to the Maiestie of King Darius in his briefe summon of all the worlds Peeres , then vnder his stately Monarchie , to come to his solemne feast . the renowned Monarch of the world in his dayes : and yet he also was cast off from the highest Pyramides of fortunes wheele . For although the now Persian Sophie haue recouered an Asiaticke imperiall state againe : yet by the folly of Darius , his house and line , the second Monarchie , whereof Daniel spoke , was translated from the Medes and Persians to the Greekes .

Then in speciall , the Macedonian Alexander , ( a second Worthy of the Gentiles ) was the glorie of former fame of his own , & wonder of future ages , as the onely admired at Heroes of the world in his dayes . But yet such is the painefull birth of Princes , and short , sorowfull , and toylesome life of Monarchs , in their generation and corruption of kingdomes and regall states , as Alexander after twelue yeares raigne yeelding to destinie in Babylon , there consumed to dust : his Monarchie was deuided into foure principall ( besides other inferior ) members or Empires . And then againe out of that Greekish corruption did rise a Latine generation of a Romane Monarchie : which in a tottering state by tract of time , is come vnto that passe , wherein we now do see it . One while the Romane Caesars , and Octauians caryed away the trophees and triumphes of the world , from all people and nations vnder heauen . After them the Albions or great Britons Constantine , merited the renowne to the famous English Isle : then the worthie French Charlemaine got the fame by Martiall prowes and iust deserts to his worthie selfe , people , and nation where he liued . After that againe , the Lumbards , and with them the Germaines ( where the imperiall triple Crowne of Caesar yet remaines vp and downe ) had the praise for many yeares together ,

And now hath the Portingals and Spaniards continued & kept the honours point for Martiall exploits these latter yeares : but who shall carie away the price in the cadences of the Spaniards God only knoweth .

Thus came the foure Patriarkes of Hierusalem , Antioch , Alexandria , and Constantinople , by succession of honor , wealth and fame in Gods Church , to rise and fall one after another : and now all decayed , dead and gone from their auncient state , renowne and dignitie in the Church of God here militant on earth . Thus came all Monasticall , Heremiticall , and religious orders of Saint Anthony , of Saint Basill , of Saint Augustine , of Saint Hierome , of Saint Benedict , of Saint Bernard , of Saint Dominicke , of Saint Frances , of Saint Clare , of Saint Briget , and sundrie other religious orders of men and women , to haue their generation and corruption , by the freedome left of God in humane actions and mans choise , to be good or bad , vertuous or vicious , and to rise and fall by succession , one after another , by merited fame and iust desert , of their life , manners and graces , giuen and employed by them to Gods glorie . In few , thus came the spirituall Knighthoods of the Templers , the Knights of Saint Iohns , the Knights of Rhodes , and now of Malto ; by a lineall succession of fame , renowne and worthinesse to haue panigericall histories set foorth of their prayses . And the like is of later orders and societies of Carmelists , Carthusians , Capouchians , Theatines , Iesuits , Bonhommes , &c. all which set vpon the worlds Theater , represent a mournfull tragedie of mans miserie : how like to flowers , they haue now one and then another order , companie or societie , burgened , blossomed , bloomed and flourished : and yet subiect to the fates of free-will in all humane wights : their deriuatiues are strayed abroad , haue left and are gone from the obedience , deuotion , pietie , pouertie , chastitie , charitie , humilitie , patience , and religious zeale , which was in the primitiues and founders of their Orders .

What shal we say more , the whole body mysticall of Christ , consisting of the three estates , Ecclesiasticall , Temporall , and Monasticall , do auerre the Peripateticall Prince his principle to be true in all things ( depending vpon chance and chaunge ) concerning the conuersion of countries , people and nations to the Catholike faith . For was not the generation or beginning of the Mosaicall law a plaine corruption , fall , and decay of the law of nature : all the Gentiles ( presently vpon the Orient rise , bright shine , and flourish of the Israelites Church , and their Hebrew Monarchie ) being giuen ouer into infidelitie and Idolatrie , contrarie to the law of nature , vnder which the faithfull had liued aboue two thousand yeares , without distinction of Iew or Gentile , vntill this Mosaicall law began . And when for the Iewes sinnes and offences , the period of their Monarchie , and end of their synagogues and temples , honour and religion came , did not then the primitiues of the East Church amongst the Christians carry away the auriflambe of all religious zeale ? After that , when the heauie cadens of the East Church came , did not also then the Sonne of iustice , tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo , spread abrode the bright beames of his spouses glorie in a transparant light , throughout these our West Ocean cloudes of heathenish darknesse , and giue to these Northren Isles the prerogatiue regall of Prime-birth to his inheritance if the Britons , and afterwards the English Saxons could haue kept it .

When by succeding turnes the most part of Asia and Affricke was corrupted and fallen away , and all Europe conuerted to the sacred Apostolicall Romane faith : when Monasteries began in this North Christian world to be built , and great multitudes of Monkes , Friers , Canons regulars , Nunnes , and other sacred Saints and holy persons to consort themselues together : when Emperors , Kings , Queenes , Princes , Lords and Ladies of all degrees , fled from their regall Palaces to priuat Cels , and left the triumphes of their conquests , the trophees of their loues , and pompes and pleasures of their Courts , to who so would possesse them : when here an Anchoresse , there an Hermit , and in euery wood , wild and desert , some sacred virgine , valed , inuested , interred & dead to the world , was to be found : when all fertile soyles , all places of pleasure , profite and content , all earthly wealths , and reuenues of most woorth , were turned into Abbey and Church lands , liuings and liuelyhoods : when holy emulation was , who might giue most , all gaue of the best , and made this flourishing Isle our Ladies dower : when Kings and Queenes , Priests and Prelates , Lords and Ladies , Monkes and Friers , sacred Virgins and chast Matrons , and all sorts of persons knew their duties , first to God , to his Church , & to her Priests : then to their Prince , to the Commonwealth , and to her Peeres : and lastly each one to another , how , when , and where to commaund or obey : when all things sorted to so sweet a sympatheall harmonie in English hearts , as England by a prerogatiue royall of grace diuine , merited to be called Anglia chara Deo gens : when flying fame of their rare Angelicall conuersation had fronted the coasts of furthest countries , and occupied with great admiration of mind the mouthes of most men in the world : when England , Fraunce and Flaunders , Italy , Bohemia and Germany , Spaine , Portugal and Hungary , Sicilie , Naples and Cyprus , Denmarke , Poland and Sweden , Scotland , Ireland and Norway , did striue for a supremacie to carry away the garland of vertue , deuotion and religion on all sides . Then inimicus homo , enuying at mans felicitie , to conforme ( by permission diuine ) Gods concurrence with secondarie causes , to the Philosophers prescript of generation and corruption : in tract of time , corrupting all these Northren and Westerne parts of the world , with contention , ambition , Turcisme , heresie and Pharisaisme ; a new generation of Catholike truth and religion begins to labour , and bring foorth their children amongst the Indians , Antipodies , and new found world , before vnknowne vnto these Northren and Westerne parts : discouered first by Portingals and Friers , and after proceeded in by Spaniards and Iesuits . And now listen what followed .

Amongst many other cadences and fals , the heauiest of all the rest hath bene iudged by many to haue bene our English calamities , begun at first by the ambitious aspires of Cardinall Wolsey , who affecting the highest Soueraigntie in causes Ecclesiasticall on earth , made a great breach by his contrarie plotting , betwixt King Henry the eight of famous memorie , and the Sea Apostolicke . And afterward , when vnder her Maiestie , Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne now regnant , sundrie persons of rare indowments , graces and abilities , had retired themselues to places of studie and seruice of their Lord God beyond the seas , where they liued in diuerse Seminaries and Colledges , leading there a right Monasticall and religious life , in a most perfect state of religious profession , calling and order , ( as both all other religious Orders , and Ecclesiasticall persons that conuersed with them , or knew their manner of life , and whereunto their whole studie tended , did acknowledge somtimes in teares ) proceeding after their returne hither , in simplicitate cordis , with all humilitie , patience , and charitie , abstracted from all gaule , guile , or state affaires : as men most willing to communicate Gods blessings and graces to others , fructifying maruellously in our countrie by them , and accepting as coadiutors with them in this their haruest on Gods behalfe , all and euery religious person of any Order , that would hazard themselues as they did , had our language , and should come with like Apostolicall commission and authoritie wherewith they came : none otherwise then as Saint Augustine our Apostle first entred this land . Of all the rest of religious Orders , that vndertooke with the Seminaries this speciall conflict , the fathers of the societie of Iesus were the most in number : who presently forgetting the Apostolicall worke of Seminarie Priests alreadie taken in hand , began foortwith to take a new preposterous and neuer heard of Apostolicall course for conuersion of countries : to wit , by tampering , temporizing and statizing like martiall men , or common souldiers in the field of warre , in all temporall , mundane , and stratagemicall affaires .

The Seminaries innocently iudging the best of their bad meanings ( as charitie , they thought , did bind them ) were willing at the first to colour , hide , and conceale all : making the Iesuites cause , attempts , intents , practises , and proceedings , their owne in euery thing , and yeelding to them the preheminence , fame , honour and renowne in euery action acted by them : vntill at last they were intangled by penall lawes iustly made against them equally , as against the Iesuits : ( whose plots and practises , they seemed at first to defend , or at least to winke at ) and withall perceiued that the Ies. religious pietie , being turned into meere secular , or rather temporall and laicall pollicie , did occasionate in them an aspire to soueraigntie : and that taking an elle vpon an inch giuen them , did tempt them with an ambitious hope of domineering ouer them , and thereby ouer the whole Cleargie and state Ecclesiasticall : hand then the said Priests for their owne indempnitie , were driuen to prouide and looke to themselues . Et hinc illae lachrymae of all the euils that since haue ensued , aswell respecting the persecutions inflicted vpon vs all , for their owne peculiar and priuate practises , as also in regard of the hartburnings and contentions , that since haue bene and are at this present betwixt them and the Seminarie Priests : which heauie accident , and of all other most straunge manner of proceeding in the Iesuits , hath caused many to bath their sighes in bloud , and me to theame my speech in teares , to thinke , how that their insolencie hath past so farre beyond the bounds of charity , iustice and all humanity , as I must be forced to open to all the world , what grosse errors they do maintaine , how maruellously the people are blinded , and seduced by them : and how dangerous a race they runne to their owne and all others destruction , that will be currents of that fatall course begun by them , with contempt of Priesthood and all Ecclesiasticall order , with contempt of sacred Maiestie , and all magisteriall gouernment , and with most turbulent , seditious , and trecherous innouations , supplantations , defamations , and slaunders of all , that rubbe not on their loftie banke , rebellions and conspiracies against both Pope and Prince , Church , Commonwealth , and all estates therein .

And because that ( as I haue shewed ) there is nothing permanent or certaine here on earth , saue onely the power of Priesthood , for administring of the Sacraments , ( that sentence propheticall standing irrepealable for euer , tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech ) and that irremoueable ground of truth , graunted only and wholly to the same priestly power , to remaine without all possibilitie of errour in Saint Peters chaire to the worlds end : all other foundations , assurances , priuiledges and prerogatiues fayling , saue this alone : no Monarch in the world being sure of his estate , no religious Order being certaine of their stand , nor person of most perfection being freed from chance and change , from better to worse , and to haue a hideous downefall this night before to morrow : hereupon ( as in our case in hand we haue experience ) there rising many thousands of absurdities , whispered into gadding heads , and itching eares by so many intricate politicall plots and deuises , as for to set them downe in a positiue discourse , Rhetoricall stile , or historicall method , were but oleum & operam perdere : the ignorant multitude ( to whom the matter most belongs for their better instruction , especially whom the Iesuits vse most , as women gospellers , trumpetters of their prayses ) being not possibly able to conceiue , much lesse to carry away so many particular points , as are in question betwixt vs and the Iesuits : and as which ( if either they acknowledge an obedience to Gods Church , to the Popes Holinesse , and to all or anie Priest , or a due loyaltie to their Prince and Soueraigne , or a dutifull respect to the common wealth of their natiue land , or any loue or affection to their flesh , bloud , kindred , friends , and generally to all noble , generous , and humane English hearts : or lastly , any care of their owne soules , good name and fame before God and man : ) they must heare of , conceiue of , haue beaten into their heads and hearts , and carry about with them for their better information , resolution & conceit of things like Catholiks indeed , where euer they go or happen into company , prurientes auribus , & à veritate auditum auertentes : which is a common case amongst silly women , more deuout then discreet , as alwayes in extreames , either Saints or Diuels . I haue therefore thought vpon the easiest , readiest , briefest , plainest and exactest of any other course or methode , that ( I thinke ) could possibly be found out , aswell to satisfie all parties , that desire to be resolued of all or any point in question amongst vs : or that will not wilfully and malitiously ( as God forbid any Catholike or well minded Schismaticke should ) be caried away with popular applause into manifest errours : as also to deliuer the truth and state of the matter by such interrogatorie questions , Articles or Quodlibets , as shall both touch to the quicke , whatsoeuer is offered , proposed , or comes to be examined , qustioned withall , or reasoned vpon amongst the learned or ignorant on any side : and yet withall allay the passions of the contrarie affected Reader , and abate the heate of the haughtie heart in all or any that find themselues touched or grieued therewith . So as by this kind of Methode , they shall haue neither cause iustly to complaine of iniurie or wrong done or offered vnto them : neither any euasion or means to escape from detecting and making known , what is in their very harts , who are wronged , and who are not , what euery one is bound for his own securitie , to speake , write , beleeue and practise in these things , and how farre he may go therin . For if that by way of a Quodlibet or Thesis proposed , a man may without blasphemie , sinne , scandall , or any offence in the world , aske whether God or the Diuell be to be honoured : whether our Sauiour Christ could sinne or no : whether our blessed Lady were an adultresse or common woman or not , &c. and withall to bring arguments sillogisticall , enthimematicall and inductiue , or exemplarie pro & contra for auerring , and impugning of the same : then to put foorth a question , whether a Seminarie Priest or a Iesuite ought sooner to be credited , esteemed of , and followed : whether a Iesuite be a good or a bad man : whether their doctrine be erronious , trecherous and seditious or not : whether it be lawfull to call a knaue a knaue , an hereticke an hereticke , a traitor a traitor , a bastard a bastard , &c. or not : and how , when , where and vpon what occasions such questions , doubts , and interrogatories may and ought to be proposed , and answer made pro & contra agreeing to humane conceit , morall capacitie , and iust censure of and in such cases , cannot iustly incurre any reprehension or blame . Besides , this kind of proceeding shall ( as I haue said ) both driue the true conceipt of matters the better into peoples hearts , heads and eares : and yet not exasperate any by galling words ( which positiue discourses in accusations do ordinarily occasionate , and cannot be auoyded ) further then the ripping vp of truth in things necessarie to be knowne , must needs stirre and moue the guiltie , constrained by this meanes to hold vp his hand at barre , and to haue his wounds launced , searched and discouered to the very naked heart in open sight .

This then being the summe of what I intend to write and here propose , to no other end , as I take my sweet Sauiour and all his holy Angels and Saints to witnesse , then to deliuer the ignorant out of errour : to giue to the tersacred Apostolicall Romane Church , faith and Religion their due , and to make known what loyaltie , what seruice , what deare affection ought to be in euery subiect ( euen by authoritie of all lawes of God or man ) in defence of their Prince , countrie and state where they liue : I will hold the indifferent , dispassionate , and diligent Reader , with no longer discourse of a Preamble : but leauing all to his best conceipts , and desiring no euill opinion , sinister construction or hard censure to passe of my well meant indeuors , I commit his sharpe wits , or her swift thoughts to the speedie encounter of this Bucke of the first head in the quest at euery Quodlibeticall relay , set in the pursuit of their game .