This lying fryer hath most slaunderously Feverdentius refuted . charged the protestants , with the ciuill warres and troubles of France , with defiling of the temples , shedding of blood , laying wast the countrie : whereas it is most notoriously knowne , that the Papists were the onely causes of all these mischeifes . Did not Miniers that cruell tyrant , when he had taken the towne of Cabrieis by trecherie , Fox p. 932 ex histor. Gallica . enter into the Church , and cause men , women , and children , that were fled thither for succour , to be cruelly slaine ? Did not the Duke of Guise at Vassiacum doe the like , causing his souldiers to enter ex Insti . Go●●ler . the Church , and with a great slaughter put them all to the sword ?

Againe , is it not notoriously knowne , that in that treacherous massacre in France , An. 1572. there were in Paris , Lyons , Orleance , Rhoane , and other cities , within one moneth , aboue thirtie thousand Protestants slaine , in so much that the channels in the streetes ranne with blood ? howe then are they not past all shame to obiect these things , and lay them to the charge of the Protestants ? And what other cause is there of the treacherous practises of some french papists against their nowe most worthie king , both afore time , and now of late , ( but that God in his mercie hath preuented Feverdentius ●●futed . their mischeifes ) but , for that his maiestie pitying the desolation and spoile of so famous a kingdome , hath in his wisdome appeased the ciuill warres and troubles there , to the great reioycing of all that loue their countrie . Who then were the first authors of those domesticall tumults , but they who secretly worke to haue them renewed , and the honourable edict of pacification to be dissolued ? Wherefore , I may say here , to this lying fryer , as S. Augustine Non invenirem quo modo te refellerem , nisi vt , aut iocantem riderem , aut insanientem dolerem : sed quia te iocari non credo , vides quid restac . l. 2. c. 38. said to Petilian the Donatist : If thou shouldest say vnto me , that I am Petilian , howe could I tell to refute thee , but either to deride thy scoffing , or bewaile thy madnesse ? but because I thinke you iest not , you know what followes . See this shamelesse fryer in charging the protestants with the persecution in France , hath coyned as impudent a lie , as if he should face me downe that write this , to be lying Feuerdentius ; which if he should doe , he might be truely iudged to be out of his wits : and so , I thinke he was possessed with a spirit of frenzie and madnesse , when he set his mouth and penne to vtter this slaunder .

Nowe concerning the affaires of the state in England , this franticke Franciscan hath couched many lies and vntrueths togither . Feverdentius refuted . 1. that Catholikes are drawn and forced to come to Church . 2. that they Protrahunt ad conciones . are put to death , for refusing to come to Church ; for simple recusancie is fined onely with a pecuniarie monethly mulct , they are not otherwise violently drawne to the exercises of religion , much lesse suffer death for it . 3. that the bodie of any are cast out to beasts and dogs , is a great vntrueth . But , it is most true that once a popish bishop in Hungarie , did cause a Ex tomo 2. convival . ●erm . Iohan . Gast . godly minister , hanged round with hares , geese , hennes , to be torne in peeces , and woorried of dogs . 4. As vntrue it is that inaudira supplicia ▪ &c. that punishments neuer heard of are inflicted vpon Catholiks . For it hath beene the auncient and most deserued punishment for traitours , by the law of this land , to be hanged , drawne , and quartered . 5. That any pope-catholiks are put to death , for keeping the auncient religion of their Fathers , is a great blasphemie of our state , as now shall be shewed for the satisfaction of all .

The Romanists suffer not death for religion , but for rebellion , not for their profession , but for their practising against the state , not for poperie but for treacherie , it may diuersly appeare . 1. Because there Feuerdentius refuted . are so many thousand knowne papists in the land , and yet fewe of them but such as are seditious and treacherous , are capitally punished . 2. Hereticks that doe swarue from the faith , are by the lawe adiudged to the fire : but , no papists haue yet felt that heate , as protestants did , who were consumed with the flames of fire , aboue 300. in lesse then fiue yeares space . 3. None of these traiterous papists that haue suffered for their demerits , were indited , arraigned , examined , or condemned for any article of faith , as it may appeare in the seuerall proceedings against them . 4. There is no law in England , to put any papist to death for his conscience : and without lawe our state punisheth none .

It will be obiected , that the act which maketh the comming in of the Iesuits and Seminarie priests , treason , doth for their profession condemne them . I answere : that this is altogither vntrue : 1. because that this act was but lately made in comparison of the whole time of Her Maiesties raigne hitherto , about Anno regni 27. when it was found by experience , that the end of their comming ouer into England , was to peruert the obedience of the subiect , and to contriue most vnnaturall For religion in England . conspiracies against our most gratious Soueraigne . Then was it high time to restraine them by law . 2. If it be obiected that though some of them haue conspired against the prince , yet all of them doe not so : I answer , that they beeing birds all of a feather , and receiuing their direction from the Romish chaire of pestilence , are all to be feared , though perhaps not all alike imploied , yet they are all dangerous , beeing deuoted to execute the Popes will , who is a professed enemy to our state . 3. Their very purpose to alienate the subiects from due obedience , and to reconcile them to a forraine potentate , is , and hath alwaies bin adiudged by the lawes of this land , a treasonable act : as to be adhęrent or ayding to the kings enemies , such as the pope is , was made treason , An. Edwardi . 3. 25. c. 2. But , it cannot be denied that all Iesuits and Seminaries are adhaerent and aiding to the Popes proceeding , who is the cheife aduersarie to our state . 4. All lawes 〈◊〉 ciuill and canon haue condemned all practises and conspiracies against the state . Arcadius made this lawe , that a conspiracy against the counsellers of the prince ( much more against the prince himselfe ) though it take not effect , is to be punished with For religion in England . the sword : which lawe is rehearsed in the b b par. 2. c. 6. q. 1. can . 22. decrees . c c par. 2. c. 11. q. 1. can. 31. Fabian decreed , that he which did lie in waite against the Bishop , should be committed to prison . By the councel of d d Tolet. 12. c. 1. Toletane , he is anathematized which did seeke any occasion to hurt the prince . He is by the e e Constant. concil . sest. 15. Canons adiudged an heretick that did seeke priuily to take away the life , though of a tyrant . This point then , I trust is sufficiently cleared , that not the protestants , but the papists are the cruell persecutors of these daies , and the spillers of the blood of the Saints , so that by their barbarous crueltie , and vnsatiable bloodthirstinesse , it is no hard matter to iudge of their religion , what it is , and of themselues , by what spirit they are ledde .

Nowe I proceede to the second cognisance and Antichristian badge , which is treacherie : for , where by open violence , they cannot make a way , they doe attempt by wicked conspiracie to effect their cruel desires : wherein they followe the counsell and sentence of Lysander , whose saying this was , Ubi Leonina pellis non sufficit , assuenda Vulpina : That where a Lyons skinne Plutar. will not serue , a Foxes skinne must eeke it out . To passe ouer the olde treacherous practises of Popes and popelings against The treacheri● . kings and Emperours ; q q Caxton . l. 7. as how king Iohn was poysoned by a monke of Swinstead ; Gregorie the seauenth hired a russian to murther b b Penno . card . Henrie the fourth . Many treasons and practises attempted by Gregory the ninth against the Emperour Fredericke the second . Henrie the sixt Emperour poysoned in receiuing the sacrament Fox . p. 30● . by one fryer Bernard procured by Clemens Avent in annal. lib. 7. the fift . To let passe these and many other such wicked conspiracies contriued in times past , I will descend to the memorable accidents of these daies .

Was not the death of the prince of Auringe procured by the treacherie of papists ? and the late king of France , Henrie the third , by a dominican fryer most treacherously murthered ? But no country hath had greater experience of popish seditious practises , then this nation of ours , nor yet any people bound more to thank God , for the deliuerance of their prince from so many dangers , as we are . What shal I speake of Mortons conspiracie who was Pope Pius the fifths agent to raise the rebellion of the North ? of Saunders attempts in Ireland , of Parry suborned by Gregorie the thirteenth , of Arden , Soomerfield , Lopeze , Babington , Yorke , Williams , Their treachery . Stanly , Squire ? all which , with others , set a worke by that beast of Rome with his accomplices , haue conspired the death of our Soueraigne prince , as is extant in our Chronicles . Yet God in his mercie hath preserued his annointed , and beene a wal of fire vnto her against al her enemies , & I trust shall still be her protection , to be a comfort to his Church for his owne glorious name sake .

Are these then the Catholiks of these daies , and is this that holy father of Rome , out of whose head such monstrous & hydeous practises are forged ? and call ye this ( ye papists ) the holy Catholike Romane faith , that bringeth foorth such vngodly fruits ? Euen old heathenish Rome would haue beene ashamed of such dealings . They might haue remembred , howe C. Fabricius , when Pyrrhus phisition sent him word by a letter , that he would , if he thought good , poyson the said Pyrrhus that noble captaine discouered the treason to Pyrrhus , who caused his phisitian to be hanged . This Fabricius had before refused great summes of gold sent him from Pyrrhus , of whome Sen●ca thus writeth , Eiusdem animi fuit , auro non vinci , veneno non Epist. 120. vincere : He shewed the same minde , both not Their treacherie . to be ouercome with gold , nor yet to ouercome with poison . So vnlike our Romanists now , are to these ancient Romanes . Fabricius would not accept of the physitians offered seruice to poison his master : the popelings corrupted Lopeze physitian to the Queenes houshold , with great summes to poyson her Maiestie . He reuealed a conspiracie against an enemie : the other doe not onely conceale , but contriue conspiracies against the prince . And he did this to a violent & professed aduersarie , that with all hostilitie had inuaded the confines of Rome , and made a great slaughter of the Romanes before ; but , they haue offered this hard measure to a peaceable prince , that till shee was most iustly prouoked by their wrongs , offended none , but onely defended her selfe and her people . And , as this new generation of pretended Catholikes and Christian Romanists , hath degenerated from the auncient Romes , yet beeing idolatrous heathen ; so herein they doe farre exceede the barbarous Mahumetans the Turkes . For it is a rare thing amongst them to heare of insurrections , mutins , or rebellions , much lesse of any confederacie of coniuration against the h●● of the prince .