.%
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 Bibliotbcca Curiosa. 
 
 THE 
 
 APOLOGIE 
 
 OF 
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 EDMUND GOLDSMID, F.R.H.S. 
 F S.A. (Scot.) 
 
 PRIVATELY PRINTED, EDINBURGH. 
 
 1834. 
 
 "f « 9 -If
 
 
 ^W 
 
 ^■^■i 
 
 THE APOLOGIE 
 
 OF 
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 

 
 This Edition is limited to seventy-five Large 
 Paper copies, and two hundred and seventy-five 
 Small Paper copies, issued only to Subscribers.
 
 Bibliotbeca Ciiriosa. 
 
 THE 
 
 APOLOGIE 
 
 OF 
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 
 
 KDIIKr) MY 
 
 EDMUND GOLDSMID, F.R.H.S.. 
 
 F S.A, (Scot.) 
 
 PRIVATELY PRINTED, EDINBUR(;H. 
 
 1884.
 
 "R Y 
 
 B77 
 
 C^ 
 
 THE 
 
 APOLOGIE 
 
 OF GEORGE BRISSET, 
 
 LORD OF GRATENCE. 
 
 Written vpon confideration of the 
 
 inhumane murther 
 
 of the late French king, and fent to Mon- 
 iieurTauraine, aCounfellor in the Court 
 
 of Parliament of Brittaine in France, Lord 
 
 high Steivardofthe counceU oi'Na.nts; where 
 
 the faid Noble man, with many others of 
 
 account, wereconuerted from the Church 
 
 of Rome, and become true Chriftian 
 
 Catholicks, to the great ioy ot 
 
 all good Cnriftians. 
 
 Tranflated out of French into Englidi. 
 
 Printed for VFilliam Barley and/ohnBaily. 
 1610. 
 
 » Jill 11 s 1 

 
 1 3 5
 
 
 The Translator to the 
 Reader. 
 
 His short discourse includes in it much 
 substance, and hi yet h open the principal 
 errors, by %iihich the traytcrons Papists 
 haue so long gotierned the conimon- 
 ivealih of France : shelving how their reasons are 
 badly grounded, ill applyed, and worse deriued for 
 their purpose. Therefore I loish euery man 
 zuould haue so much care of his soules health, as to 
 imitate this neiv cornier t in the searching of Gods 
 word: and doubtlesse, then many would receiue true 
 comfort, and discei-ne light from darknesse, and bee 
 no more misse-led with that vncharitable rule of 
 Popery, viz. 1 hat it is not laivftillfor artificers, 
 and trades-men, and those that bee ignorant people, 
 to search into the Bo'^ke of God. By which meanes 
 these Papists hane faire aduanlage to muffle their 
 scholers in any error, ivere it ucuer so gj'osse : 
 where hauing their faith tied to another mans 
 report, they must needs stand in danger of dam- 
 nation. And that many more should not be 
 seduced into the like opinion, here is [by an 

 
 PREFACE. 
 
 inspiration from God) an Apohgie made by a 
 French gentleman, trained vp all Ids timefrotn his 
 infancie in Poperie, no7u reduced to the true 
 knowledge of God, reitealed in his holy word, by 
 searching out his saluation in the diligent irading 
 and ??ieditation thereof.
 
 AN APOLOGIE 0¥ 
 
 GEORGE BRISSET, 
 Lord of Gratence. 
 
 Mien I had throughly considered (right 
 noble Sir) how that Rome continually 
 striues to build vp the glory of her 
 kingdome with the bloud of Princes, 
 and to make by the same, a legend ful of sainted 
 murtherers, I grew more desirous of my souls 
 health then before. And that the changing of my 
 religion, may make in you no ill impression of me, 
 but that you would still hold me in the same 
 estimation : I haue here set downe in writing, the 
 motiues and reasons which haue induced me so to 
 do : intreating you to beleeue that I haue not 
 bin led vnto it, by any humane or worldly con- 
 sideration. For I haue shut mine eies to many 
 faire promises and aduantages, which were 
 offered me by the church ofRome : and haue lost
 
 lo THE APOLOGIE OF 
 
 the loue of many persons, which notwithstanding 
 I will not ceasse to honor and loue ; but prin- 
 cipally your selfe, whose vertue and discretion I 
 haue alwaies highly esteemed. Which doth not 
 onely giue me hope, that you will the better last 
 my allegations, which I haue here briefly set 
 downe : but also that many thousands hereby may 
 returne out of the mists of Popery, into the light of 
 truth : in the which God be theirs & my guide. 
 And as my soule therein hath gained content, so 
 I wish all mis-led beleeuers in that bewitching 
 religion of Popery, be summoned, & call their 
 intellectual senses together, and examine their 
 consciences, whether saluaiion consisteth vpon 
 the similitude of visible things (wherein I haue 
 bene in former times nusled :) or the contempla- 
 tiue cogitatios of inward thoughts (wherunto I am 
 now reduced) be the better. Therfore as an 
 induction to this my Christian Apologie, I wish 
 all true Catholickes to become true alleagiants to 
 their Princes, and not to let the blind Bayard of 
 Babylon, with the vaine glory of his outward 
 ceremonies, bewitch you. And so with honest 
 truth to the world, & feruent faith in Christ lesus, 
 I begin. 
 
 The lime I was (right honourable, worshipfull, 
 and well beloued friends) one of the number of 
 the most zealous to the Romane religion, I had 
 notwithstanding this perswasion with my selfe ; 
 that religion is not subiect to men, how great and
 
 GEORGE BR IS SET. n 
 
 learned soeuer they be, but that they tliemselues 
 are subiect to religion : also that religion is the 
 rule of saluation giuen of God to men, and to 
 which euery man ought to bee subiect ; and that 
 it is not lawfull for any one to exempt himselfe, 
 or to change or diminish any thing therein. And 
 thereupon demanding of some Church-men which 
 I had best conceipt of, if this rule was giuen of 
 God, they answered me, that it was in the sacred 
 booke of God, called the Bible ; and that there is 
 no other booke besides which may be named the 
 word of God. Following therfore this counsell, 
 after I had prayed to almighty God to giue me 
 grace to profite therein, I painfully endeuoured 
 my selfe to reade that booke ; and hauing 
 chearefully read ouer all the Gospell, I was 
 wonderfully astonished to find nothing therein, 
 concerning the most part of those things, which 
 had bene taught me. And that it is not in the 
 Bible commanded at all to inuocate the Saints, 
 nor to render any seruice to images, nor to 
 sacrifice lesus Christ, nor to pray to God without 
 vnderstanding what we say ; and that it speakes 
 nothing of Purgatory, nor of Lent, nor of Masses, 
 nor of Merits, nor of Monkes, nor of religious 
 Orders, nor of the precedencie of the Church of 
 Rome : nor in briefe of any of all those things, 
 almost which were taught me in the time igno- 
 rance blinded me ; which things I then thought 
 had bene expresly commanded in that Booke of
 
 12 THE A PO LOG IE OF 
 
 the word of God. Furthermore I found (in tlie 
 same) diuers passages which did seeme to me to 
 be flat contrary to these tilings. Hereupon 
 repairing my selfe to some of the same Church- 
 men, they answered me, and said that it was not 
 lawfull for me to reade the holy Scripture, nor to 
 search after things which surpassed my capacity, 
 but to be directed by them : also that the Catho- 
 like Romane Cliuich had so ordained, to whom 
 the holy Scriptures belongeth, saying : that she is 
 the pillar and ground of truth, I. 7>'///. 3. vers. 15. 
 Who heareth not the Church, let him be vnto thee 
 as a heathen man, or a publicane, Matth. 18. 
 And that lesus said to Saint Peter, I haue prayed 
 that thy faith may not faile thee. Whereby it 
 appeareth that the Church of Rome founded vpon 
 Saint Peter, cannot erre in the points of faith, as 
 they of the Romane sect afifirme. 
 
 Whereupon aduisedly pondering these things 
 in my minde, I said : I beleeue that lesus Christ 
 dyed for me, and that the promises contained in 
 the booke of the word of God, doe appertainevnto 
 me as well as to Clergie-men : wherefore then 
 should I not presume to see t hese things which apper- 
 taine vnto me ? Contrariwise, if I had books of 
 loue, or of tales and failles, they should not be 
 taken from me j but now these men would be- 
 reaue me of the booke which they themselues say 
 is the booke of Gods word. Adde to this ; if it 
 be for none to reade but the learned, neuer any
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. J3 
 
 man should prepare Iiimselfe to reade it, seeing 
 hee cannot l)e learned before he haue read it. I 
 had thought one had read the Scriptures to become 
 wise in piety ; behold these men would, that one 
 should become wise before he had read it : where- 
 fore tlien do they alledge passages out of the holy 
 Scriptures, seeing they will not permit me to search 
 whether their allegations bee true or not ? My 
 minde was therefore to see those places which they 
 did alledge vnto me for the authority of the Church 
 of Rome. 
 
 Now for the first, where the Church is called the 
 pillar and ground of truth, I tinc.e it there, no waye 
 spoken of the Romane Church, no more then of 
 the Grecian or Syrian Church : there being also 
 no appearance that the diuine veritie should be 
 grounded vpon men, but much more conuenient 
 that men should ground themselues vpon the word 
 of God. And therefore Saint Paulhy these words 
 only vnderstood that the church is established by 
 God in earth, to sustaine and defend the truth 
 against infidels, and the enimies of truth ; and that 
 these words do represent vnto the Church, her 
 duty whereunto she is bound, and not at all her 
 authority. So the Church of Syria planted by 
 Christ and his Apostles, was the pillar and ground 
 of truth against the lewes and Pagans ; but this 
 did not exempt it from errour. The like may 
 happen to the Church of Rome. As for the second 
 place, which saith : He that hearth not the Church,
 
 14 THE A PO LOG IE OF 
 
 let him be vnto thee as an heathen man or a publi- 
 cane : by reading the whole place, I finde easily 
 that these ivords cannot serue to shew, that the 
 Church of Rome which they call Catholicke, that 
 is to say, vniuersall, should be iudge of the differ- 
 ences of religion. First, because there is not any 
 mention at all in that place of the Church of 
 Rome. Secondly, because the doubts of religion 
 are not there spoken of, but the quarrels and 
 differences betvveene two brethren ; where also it 
 followeth, that he speaketh not of the Catholicke 
 or vniuersall Church : for to end the priuate quar- 
 rels betweene two brethren, we must not expect 
 the iudgment of the vniuersal Church. Therfore 
 by the Church in this place, he meant the Pastors 
 orgouernours of some particular Church, labouring 
 to appease the differences betwixt particular per- 
 sons, and that according to the rule of Gods 
 word. He that will not then reforme and submit 
 himselfe vnto them, is put into the rancke of 
 Pagans. 
 
 Now to the third text, the consequence thereof 
 seemes very harsh vnto me, Petei; I haue prayed 
 that thy faith may not faile : therefore the Church 
 of Rome cannot erre. For the reading through 
 this whole place of Scripture, doth euidently shew, 
 that lesus Christ doth not speake to the Church, 
 nor of the Church ; but that he speaketh to the 
 person of Saint Peter, preparing hira to the temp- 
 tation into which he forsaw, that hee should
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 15 
 
 shortly fall, and renounce his Sauiour, lesus 
 Christ therfore promiscth him by those words, that 
 his faith should not finally faile in this his tempta- 
 tion, but that God would raise it againe from that 
 fall ; where if by Saint Peter he had meant the 
 Church of Rome, is it possible he should not ex- 
 pound himselfe neither there, nor in any other 
 place? Besides, if our faith rest it selfe vpon 
 these presuppositions, which is to say, that Saint 
 Piter hath bene head of the vniuersall Church, 
 and that hee hath made the Bishop of Rome his 
 successor, not onely in the Bishopricke of Rome, 
 but also in the charge of head of the Church ; and 
 that this charge hath succeeded euer since Christ, 
 without varying in doctrine, and without inter- 
 ruption of succession : how is it that the people 
 can bee assured thereof, seeing that for to know 
 it, it is necessary to haue read ouer many histories, 
 both ancient & moderne authors, written in latine, 
 which they vnderstand not ? In all this therefore 
 am I not satisfied. 
 
 I must also confesse here, that hauing bene 
 taught that the Church of Rome holds, that the 
 consecration, and the transubstantiation is not 
 effected in the Masse, if the Priest haue not inten- 
 tion to consecrate, I haue bene seazed with feare 
 of being an idolater, knowing well, that very often 
 the Priest hath his intention elsewhere ; or belee- 
 ueth not himselfe the very thing he doth ; for he 
 may be a scoffer, or a prophane person. Some
 
 i6 THE A PO LOG IE OF 
 
 there Ik, that in such a case adore that which the 
 Priest lifts vp ; worship bread, and call it their 
 God, and their Creator. This perplexity is befallen 
 me through the reading of the Gospell, where I 
 haue found the institution of the Sacrament litle 
 agreeing with that which the Priest doth in the 
 Masse. I. For there I find that all those that 
 were present, did communicate ; but here ordi- 
 narily the Priest onely eateth. 2, Also euery one 
 there receiues both kinds: and Saint Paul i. 
 Corinth, ii. speaking to the people, commandeth 
 them to proue themselues, and then to drinke of 
 that cup : but at this day the cup is vtterly taken 
 away from the people. 3. lesus Christ did not 
 there lift vp the hoast, as doth the Priest. 4. the 
 Apostles did not adore the hoast, as the people 
 do at this day. ^ In all the whole institution of 
 this sacrament, there is no mention made of sacri- 
 fice, nor any command to sacrifice lesus Christ for 
 the liuing and the dead. 6. Christ spake in a 
 language which those that were present vnderstood. 
 7. The Gospell saith, that lesus Christ tooke 
 bread and brake it. The Church of Rome on the 
 contrary, saith, that the Priest doth not breake 
 bread, but the Audience. 8. The Gospell saith, 
 that which lesus Christ gaue, was his body, (it 
 saith also that he gaue bread.) The Church of 
 Rome on the contrary, holdeth, that the bread is 
 not the body of Christ, but that it ceaseth to be 
 bread, and is conuerted, and transubstantiated into
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 
 
 *7 
 
 the body of our Sauiour ; which is as much as to 
 corrupt the words of lesus Christ. 9. I fiiide also 
 in Saint Matthctv. 26. vers. 29. and in Saint 
 Marke 14. and in Luke 22. that lesus did drinke 
 of the fruite of the vine, that is to say, wine, with 
 his disciples ; it was therfore wine then when he 
 dranke it. 10. I haue also found in the Apostle 
 Saint Pa7{l in seuerall places, as in the i. to the 
 Cor. 10. vers. 16. and chap. 11. & so forward, that 
 we breake and eate bread ; also he saith in these 
 words ; This is the body of Christ, and the bread 
 which we breake is the communion of the body of 
 Christ. But the Church of Rome denies all this, 
 and saith, that this is not bread at all, and that 
 we do not at all breake bread, but the figure of 
 bread : how is it then that these appearances of 
 bread should bee the communion of the body of 
 Christ? II. Finally, I see that the Gospell, ac- 
 cording to Saint Ltike the 22. chapter, and the 
 Apostle Saint Paul in the eleuenth chapter of the 
 first to the Corinthians, verse 25. do prescribe 
 vnto vs, how these words, This is my body, ought 
 to be vnderstood. For when it came to be spoken 
 of the cuppe, in stead of that which is in Saint 
 Matthru), this is my hloiui^ they tearme it thus : 
 This Cuppe is the nnve Ttstainent in my bloud. 
 The bread therefore is the body of our Sauiour in 
 the same fashion, that that which is the cuppe is 
 the new testament. Now it is not in substance, 
 but sacramenlally, as nur Sauiour lesus Christ also 
 
 15
 
 i8 THE AI'OLOGIE OF 
 
 callcth it a commemoration or remembrance. I 
 adde to this, that if the cuppe be the new testa- 
 ment, in the bloud of our Sauiour, as saith Saint 
 Luke ; it is not then the bloud of our Lord : 
 For the bloud of our Lord, is not in the bloud 
 of our Lord. Moreouer I confesse, that, in 
 the depth of my ignorance, it despighted me 
 much to heare some of the reformed religion 
 reproach vs, in that our Priests made God, and 
 after sold him for a little money in their priuate 
 Masses ; and I haue heard some Doctours of the 
 Romane Church hold, and maintaine, that the 
 blessed body of our Sauiour lesus Christ might bee 
 carryed away by a mouse ; which were able to 
 make any mans heart tremble, that loued the 
 honour of our Sauiour lesus Christ, the sonne of 
 the euerliuing God. Likewise to disperse the 
 bloud of our Sauiour into so many places, and to 
 inclose his whole entire body into an aume of 
 bread, is not conformable and agreeing to the 
 Gospel!, which attributeth to him a body like vnto 
 ours, to the end he should be our brother. Now 
 those that alledge his body glorified, doe not con- 
 sider at all that when hee instituted the vSacrament, 
 his body wasyetvnglorified; and which is more, the 
 glorification hath nothing changed his humane nature 
 but hath onely taken away fi-om it all infirmities. 
 
 I haue also learned in the Church of Rome, that 
 the sacrifice of the crosse, that is to say, the death 
 of our Sauiour lesus Christ, is our sole meanes of
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 19 
 
 redemption ; notwithstanding the Priests say, that 
 the Masse is the same sacrifice of the Crosse, and 
 that they sacrifice lesus Christ really and effec- 
 tually for our redemption : which to mee seemeth 
 very disagreeable. For the one tels mee, the 
 death of lesus Christ is the onely price of our re- 
 demption ; and now they giue vs the sacrifice of 
 the Masse for the same effect, which is not the 
 death of lesus Christ. And it cannot be said, that 
 the Masse is the continuation of the sacrifice of the 
 crosse ; for it should bee then the continuation of 
 the death of lesus Christ : and so Christ should 
 dye continually. 
 
 Purgatory also is another peece of popery, 
 which hath turned me from the Romish Church, 
 since I haue found it to be grounded vpon this 
 Maxime, that lesus Christ by his death and 
 sufferance hath satisfied for the finnes commtted 
 before baptisme, but hath not satisfied for the sins 
 committed after baptisme. For I haue said with 
 my selfe, this is the most important poynt of all 
 Christian religion : for it declareth vnto vs what it 
 is that Christ hath done for vs. It is necessary 
 therefore that this poynt aboue all others, should 
 bee expresly and truly grounded vpon the word of 
 God : yet notwithstanding, I could neuer finde 
 any thing in the word of God, that could shew 
 me one sillablefor it. Then hath not lesus Christ 
 paid sufficiently to deliuer vs from Purgatory : 
 and if hee hath paide sufficiently, wherefore doth
 
 40 THE APOLOGIE OF 
 
 not God accept of that paine, for so much as it is 
 worth? And seeing hee doth still intercede for 
 vs in heauen, wherefore do not soules come fortli 
 from Purgatorie rather at his intercession in 
 heauen, than tlirough the indulgences of the 
 Pope ? 
 
 Also the Church of Rome holdeth, that all the 
 faithful! which shall bee aliue at the last day of 
 iudgement, shall not goe at all into Purgatorie. 
 Could not God then as well free vs without 
 wronging his diuine iustice ? Nothing indeede 
 that is defiled, shall enter into Paradice. But 
 Saint lohn in his first Epistle, and first chapter, 
 saith. Thai the hloiui of lesus Christ cleanseth vs 
 Jrom all sinne. Likewise, according to the 
 opinion of the Romish Church, in Purgatory 
 sinnes are not cleansed, but are onely there 
 punished ; and torments are no puigation to make 
 cleane the spots and pollutions of soules and their 
 sinnes, but inflicting penalties : but lesus Christ 
 hee doth cleanse vs from all sinne, and makes vs 
 cleare without spotte or filth. And needes must 
 it indeed bee, that it belongeth to God himselfe 
 to prescribe the meanes to worke our redemptions, 
 and not for vs to inuent the way at our owne 
 pleasure. And the meanes for vs to applie Gods 
 grace and mercie, is not to displaye his iudgement 
 in tormenting vs in fire. And to the same effect 
 the holy Scriptures doe shewe vs diuers examples 
 of some persons receiued into paradice, and that
 
 CEOKCE BRISSET. 21 
 
 haue entered into peace and glory immediatly 
 after their death, as the Theefe vpon the crosse. 
 I.uke 23. ver. 24. But wee finde not one example 
 of any body which hath bene sent into Pmgatorie. 
 It hath bene also no small matter, to finde out the 
 errours of this Purgatorie, when I haue seene by 
 experience that this fire burned for gaine and 
 auarice. It is not knowne that euer particular 
 Masses were sung, hut for such persons as payed 
 well for them ; the poore must be contented with 
 the generall and common prayers of the Church, 
 of which the rich liivcwise hath his share ; but 
 neuer was it seene (at any time) that the begging 
 Friers would goe to the buriall of a poore person ; 
 and yet notwithstanding, his soule cost lesus Christ 
 as deare, and is no lesse precious in the sight of 
 God, then the soule of an Emperour. The letters 
 of indulgence and dispensation that the Pope 
 granteth, are but for persons of ranke and qualitie 
 to him. 
 
 This also hatli greatly moued me, that is, that 
 they teach in the Church of Rome, that a man 
 cannot bee assured of his saluation. 
 
 Whereupon I said to my selfe, shall I remain e 
 in such a religion, in the which after I haue laid 
 a foundation of merits and satisfactions, and also 
 bought the same pardons of others, in the end of 
 all I know not whether I be tlie child of God, or 
 a limbe of the Diuell ? What kinde of religion is 
 this that teacheth such doulilfulnes? Where, on
 
 22 THE APOLOGIE OF 
 
 the contrary, by the whole volume of the Scripture, 
 God exhorteth vs to put our trust in him, & to fly 
 vnto him with full assurance of faith ; and he telleth 
 vs, that we may haue boldnesse by accesse vnto 
 him in assurance of faith through lesus Christ. 
 Consider with me also (beloued) that the com- 
 mandments of the Romish Church are much more 
 reuerenced then the commandments of God. 
 There they teach, that the Church of Rome giues 
 authoritie to the holy Scripture, that is, as much 
 as the ordinances of men authorise the command- 
 ments of God. To eate flesh vpon good friday, 
 they say, is a farre more greater sinne, then to 
 commit murther or adulterie, and yet it was the 
 friday vpon the which our Sauiour Christ did 
 ordinarily eate the Paschal lambe. To blaspheme 
 the name of God in this age of the world, is 
 (amongst them) accounted for a light matter ; but 
 to speake euill of the Pope, especially in Italy or 
 Spaine, is a burning matter, and vnpardojiable. 
 At Rome the lewes hold a religion, which 
 teacheth, that Christ is an impostor or iuggler ; 
 but to say that there is no Purgatory at all, is a 
 crime worthy of the Inquisition. Now euery 
 Bishop in our country of France can giue absolu- 
 tion in crimes and offences committed against 
 Gods lawes ; but none can absolue sinnes com- 
 mitted against the Pope, or his lawes. 
 
 This triple-headed Potentate doth teach many 
 things contrary to the law and the Gospell. First,
 
 GEORGE BR IS SET. S3 
 
 God saith in the 20. chapter of Exodus : Thou 
 shalt not make to thy selfe the Hkenesse of any thin^ 
 which is in heauen, or earth • Thou shalt not bow 
 downe to th m, ^'c. But in the Romish Church 
 they paint the holy Trinitie, they kneele downe 
 before tlie images of Saints. Secondly, God saith 
 in his law, sixe dais shalt thou labour. The Pope 
 saith, Thou shalt not worke sixe daies, but thou 
 shalt keepe such holy dayes as he enioyneth thee 
 in the weeke davps to obserue. Thirdly, God 
 saith by his Apostle, I. Tim. 3. vers. 2. A Bishop 
 must be the husband of one wife, halting his 
 children vnder obedience with all reuerence. But 
 the Church of Rome commandeth, that a Bishop 
 should haue neither wife nor children. Fourthly, 
 God commandeth by his Apostle, i. Cor. 10. 
 If any of them "which bcUeue not, call you to a 
 Jeast, whatsocuer is set before yoti, cate, asking tto 
 question for conscience sake. The Church of Rome 
 contrariwise saith, when you shall be inuited to the 
 houses of heretickes, eate not of all that which 
 shall be set before you in the Lent time, or vpon 
 fridaies. Fifthly, God saith by his Apostle, 
 I. Cor. 14. It luere better in the Church to speake 
 feio luords with vnderstanding, thn ten thousand 
 in a strange tongue. The Church of Rome on the 
 contrary, say all their Seruice in a language that 
 is not vnderstood. And so in many other points. 
 If any one alledge vnto me the multitude of 
 professors, I say that Christ Matth. 7. 13. would
 
 24 THE A PO LOG IE OF 
 
 haue vs enter by the narrow gate, and saith, that 
 the broade way wherein the multitude doe walke, 
 is the way to destruction : Therefore if in the 
 reading of the word of God, I meete with any 
 difficulties, I resolue with my selfe neither to be 
 iudge nor interpreter : and that M'hich remaines 
 cleare and plaine, is sufficient to instruct and saue 
 me. And truly since I conformed my selfe, to the 
 true religion of our Sauiour lesus Christ, I haue 
 learned now to beleeue no longer by the faith of 
 another. Nor truly is any man saued by atturney ; 
 which makes me earnestly to exhort all Romish 
 professors to doe as I haue done for their owne 
 saluations : and to thinke seuerally vpon these 
 things, that their soules may be deliuered out of 
 captiuity ; that we may together glorifie God 
 vpon earth, being desirous to bee glorified by him 
 in heauen. 
 
 And now to you, you Romish Catholickes, as 
 you tearme your selues, you that haue nusled me 
 long in ignorance ; now that the true light hath 
 opened mine eies, I will as plainly lay open, and 
 set abroad your superstitious practises, which now 
 to my soules sorrow, I liaue bene witnesse of. 
 First, ye neuer came in with your miters, robes, 
 and rings, by the doore, as did the poore Apostles ; 
 but by the window, like robbers, theeues and 
 murtherers, with Simon Magus, and such like. 
 Neuer was your proud power of our heauenly 
 fathers planting, and therefore at the last it must
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 25 
 
 vp by the rootes ; yee must in the end be 
 destroyed without hands : inuisibly shall ye be 
 striken, as was the great tyrant Atiliochus : with 
 the mighty breath of Gods mouth, which is his 
 inuincible word, shall your false kingdonie be 
 consumed. This reckon I to be sufficient to 
 declare you both to God and man, most spightfuU 
 traitours vnto those that will not bee wilfully 
 blinde. And to proue you spirituall theeues, is 
 the purpose of my writing : for proofe whereof I 
 neede not to seeke further then into your owne 
 open acts. How long haue ye kept the eternall 
 testament of Christ vnder your filthy feete from 
 the peoples reading ; which is the liuely foode of 
 their soules ? yea how many innocent Christian 
 creatures haue yee most cruelly murthered to 
 cause them to abhorre it ? I haue knowne you 
 burne a worshipful! gentlewoman for having but 
 one chapter of S. MattJiews Gospell written in 
 her house ; and another man for hauing S. Johns 
 Gospell : beside many other cruelties by you 
 committed. Some haue you burned for not 
 allowing your pilgrimages ; some for not beleeuing 
 your pardons ; some for not fasting the friday, for 
 not obseruing your Lent ; some for your Purga- 
 tory, some for your images ; some for not 
 praying to dead Saints of your owne making ; 
 some for not creeping to the crosse ; some 
 for not going on procession ; and some for 
 holy-water : and for other vaine trifles of your
 
 26 THE APOLOGIE OF 
 
 owne inuenting. Too long were it to recite all 
 your acts of mischiefe, which yee haue alvvaies 
 practised to deface Gods word. Neuer were ye 
 yet content that the seede of saluation should fruc- 
 tifie among the people, but euermore ye haue 
 stroue to stop the sweete blast thereof, thereby to 
 do the diuell your father a pleasure. Yee are 
 those wild swine, leawd shepheards and Foxes, 
 which haue rooted vp the Lords vineyard : there- 
 fore how terrible will your sentences be against you 
 at the latter day, where in feare yee shall confesse 
 openly all your damnable foolishnesse, and that ye 
 haue bene wilfully ignorant of the truth, and haue 
 tired your selues in the waies of wickednesse and 
 destruction ? 
 
 Before your owne faces I will more plainly set 
 downe your abhominations, and good workes as 
 you call them. You are, I say, bewi'chers of our 
 French Parliaments, wherein yee haue depriued 
 altogether the common people of the Bibles 
 reading ; onely you admit it to three degrees of 
 men, to Gentlemen, Merchants and Priests : all 
 artificers, and men of the common sort, clearly 
 excluded; as though God were partiall, not willing 
 his lawes and sweete promises sh luld be knownc 
 to poore men, vnto their soules saluation. 
 
 These be the good workes that (you say) will 
 iustifie you before your God the Pope. These are 
 deeds of supererogation, wherwith you scoure your 
 fiery Purgatory. These are the merits of your
 
 GEORGE BRISSET. 27 
 
 satisfactions, whereby you get heauen when God is 
 not at home. Oh shamelesse murtherers ! If he 
 be called a mankiller that killeth the body, much 
 rather he that killeth soule and body. All the 
 world in a manner derideth your proceedings, and 
 laugheth to scorne your vnprudent practises. 
 Christ neuer contemned the poore, but blessed 
 them aboue all sorts of people. Not onely opened 
 he his Gospell to the poore in his owne person, 
 bat also appoynted the poorest sort of men to de- 
 clare it after his departure, enduing them most 
 largely with his Spirit from aboue. He chose the 
 weake to confound the strong, and the poore to 
 deface the proud. Neuer sent he such glorious 
 and Lordly Prelates to sit in Consistories, Councels, 
 and Sessions, to the destruction of such as beleeue 
 faithfully in Christ : therefore it is ea.sie to perceiue 
 whose seruants you be. You euermore call vpon 
 earthly gouernours, as did Simo7t Magtis your pre- 
 decessour vpon the Emperour N'ero, to martyr the 
 Gospell-preachers. Christ neuer willed any to be 
 brought to his faith by compulsion, neither vsed the 
 Apostles to enforce any man thereunto : But you 
 like tyrants, more cruell then the Turke, constraine 
 people to your false faith by diuers kinds of tor- 
 ments. The true faith which commeth by the 
 Gospell preached, bringeth forth the workes of 
 the Gospell, which are the fruits of loue and glad- 
 nes, peace, patience, gentlenesse, long suffer- 
 ing, meekncsse, chastity, temperance, and such
 
 28 THE A PO LOG IE OF 
 
 like. But your pood works, as you terme them, 
 be the going for pardons, the seeking of images, 
 the praying to dead Saints, the taking of holy 
 water, the hearing of Masse without vnderstanding, 
 the v.'earing of beads, the offering of candies, the 
 idle spending of your holidaies, the comming to 
 confession, the creeping to the crosse, the fasting 
 of Saints eues, the praying for all Christian soules, 
 the building of ISIonasteries, and chanteries. the 
 charming of Churches and chalices, with a thou- 
 sand superstitions more for your profit and aduan- 
 tage. These, I say, and such like, are your good 
 workes, which beget nothing, as Saint Paul saith, 
 buthaughtinesse, vaine glory, couetousnesse, pride, 
 hatred, malice, manslaughter, gluttony, drunken- 
 nesse, sloath, idolatrj', sedition, witchcraft, forni- 
 cation, letchery, and such like sins of the flesh. 
 
 And now to conclude with this my soules prayer: 
 Oh eternall Father, for thy infinite mercies sake, 
 graciously grant that our soueraigne Lord and king, 
 Lewis the 13. may be so inspired with the true 
 vnderstanding of thy word, that hee would clearely 
 cast out of his priuy Counsell house, these locusts 
 of yEgypt, and daily vpholders of Sodome and 
 Gomora, the popes cruell cattell ; to the vniuersall 
 health of his people : for neuer shall he haue of 
 them but deceiptfuU counsellers, and hollow 
 hearted gentlemen. Finally (O Lord) take from 
 the their inordinate pompe, and riches, and more 
 godly bestow it, to the aide and maintenance of
 
 GEORGE BRfSSUT. 29 
 
 the commonwealth. As for an example, it hath 
 
 in times past bene clone in England, our neighbour 
 
 kingdome ; where all Monasteries, Nunneries, 
 
 Conaents and Friers houses, were conuerted into 
 
 schooles of Christian learning, hospitals for sicke 
 
 persons, and conuenient dwelling places for poore 
 
 and aged people : reserving the'rest of their lands 
 
 and goods, to the maintenance of their citties and 
 
 townes. Which godly deede is now commended 
 
 through all Christendome ; and there (O happy 
 
 country) is Christ truly harboured, nourished, 
 
 couered, fed, and visited in his diseased members : 
 
 all which will be recompenced at the latter 
 
 day. God grant that France, 
 
 and all other nations may 
 
 do the like. Amen. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS, LONDON AND CHILWOKTH. 
 
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