gular creatures Christiā.MarginaliaA Catholicke questiō. Here then riseth a question, who was our Ladyes confessour, or ghostly father? But that is decreed and confessed with full consent of all the Catholiques to be S. Iohn. Whosoeuer denieth or doubteth of this, is straite wayes ipso facto an hereticke.MarginaliaAn other Catholicke question. This then so determined, ariseth an other question or doubt, that seyng our Lady was without all original sinne, and also actuall or mortall: what neede then had she of any Confessour? or what should she confesse vnto him? For if she had confessed any sinne, when she had none: then had she made her selfe a lyar, & so had sinned in deede. Here therfore gentle Reader, in this perplexitie, these our illuminate Doctours stand in neede of thyne ayde, to helpe at a pinch.MarginaliaSolution.
Albert. super Euangelium Mißus est. Magnus Albertus the great diuine, denyeth not, but that she in deede, although most pure, yet was confessed to her ghostly father, to keepe the obseruances of the lawe, appointed for such as had that neede, which she had not. And therfore (sayth he) necessary it was that she should confesse with mouth.MarginaliaAn other questiō with the solution. But then here is to be asked, what did she say in her confession, when she had nothing to confesse? To this Albertus aunswereth agayne, and telleth vs playnely what she sayd in her confessiō, which was this:MarginaliaAlbert ibidū, cap. 74. that she had receaued that great grace, not ex condigno, that is, not of any dignitie of her owne, but yet notwithstandyng of congruitie. And this was it (sayth Albert) that she sayd in her confession. Albert. cap. 74, super Euang. Missus est. &c.

MarginaliaS. Thomas par. 3. quest. 37. art. 5. Moreouer, to helpe this case out of al doubt, commeth in famous Thomas of Watryng, and thus looseth the knot, much after like effect, saying: that as Christ, although he did owe nothyng to the law, yet notwithstandyng receaued he Circumcision, to geue to other example of humilitie and obedience: In like maner would our Lady shew her selfe obedient to the obseruaunce of the law, albeit there was no cause, why she had any neede therof. And thus hast thou (gentle Reader) this doubtfull questiō moued, and soluted to the intent I woulde reueale to thee some part of the deepe diuinitie of our Catholique Maisters, that haue ruled and gouerned the Church in these their late Popish dayes.

MarginaliaFlauia the daughter of a Consul, banished for the testimony of Christ.
Ex Euseb. Lib. 3. cap. 19. Besides these and many other innumerable godly Martyrs, which suffered for the like testimony of the Lord Iesus, under the foresayd Emperour Domitian, was Flauia the daughter of Flauius Clemens, one of the Romane Consuls, which Flauia with many other was banished out of Rome into the Isle Pontia, for the testimony of the Lorde Iesus, by the Emperour. Domitianus. Euseb. Lib. 3.

MarginaliaThe Emperour maketh inquirie for all that were of Dauids stocke.
Dauids stocke feared of the Emperours. This Domitianus feared the comming of Christ, as Herode did: and therefore commaunded them to be killed which were of the stocke of Dauid in Iewry.MarginaliaTwo nephewes of Iude the Lordes brother preserued. There were remainyng aliue at that tyme certaine of the Lordes kindred, whiche were the nephewes of Iude, that was called the Lordes brother after the flesh. These when the Lieutenaūt of Iewry had brought vp to Domitiā to be slaine: the Emperour demaūded of them, whether they were of the stocke of Dauid: which when they had graūted, he asked agayne, what possessions, and what substaunce they had. They aūswered, that they both had no more betwene them in all, but. xxxix. acres of grounde, and how they gat their liuing, & sustained their families with the hard labours of their hādes: shewing forth their handes vnto the Emperour, being hard and roughworne with labours, to witnesse that to be true which they had spoken. Then the Emperour inquiryng of them concerning the kingdome of Christ, what maner of kyngdome it was, how and when it should appeare:MarginaliaThe kyngdome of Christ not of this world. they aunswered that his kingdome was no worldly nor terrene thyng, but an heauenly and Aungelicall kyngdome, and that it should appeare in the cōsummation and end of the world, what tyme he commyng in glory, should iudge the quicke and the dead, and render to euery one accordyng to hys deseruynges. Domitian the Emperour hearyng this (as the saying is) did not cōdemne them, but despising them as vile persons, let them go, and also stayde the persecutiō then moued against the Christiās. They beyng thus discharged and dismissed afterward had the gouernement of Churches, beyng taken for Martyrs, and as of the Lordes stocke, and so continued in good peace till the tyme of Traianus. Hæc Egesip. & Euseb. Lib. 3. cap. 20

MarginaliaThe causes why the Emperours and Senate of Rome did so rage agaynst the Christians.
The kyngdome of Christ feared of the Romaines. By this story here recited may appeare, what were the causes why the Emperours of the Romaine Monarchie did so persecute the Christians: which causes were chiefly these: feare, and hatred. I. feare, for that the Emperours and Senate of blind ignorance, not knowyng the maner of Christes kingdome, feared and misdoubted least the same would subuert their Emperie. Like as the Pope thinketh now that this Gospel will ouerthrow his kyngdome of maiestie. And therfore sought they all meanes possible, how by death and all kindes of tormentes vtterly to extinguish the name and memorie of the Christians. And therupon semeth to spryng the old law of the Romaine Senate:MarginaliaLex antiqua Romana contra Christianos.
Ex Euseb. Lib. 2. cap. 21. Non debere dimitti Christianos qui semel ad tribunal venissent, nisi propositum mutent. Id est. That the Christians should not be let go, which were once brought to the iudgement seate, except they chaunged their purpose, &c. Euseb. Lib. 5. cap. 21.

MarginaliaThe kyngdome of Christ hated of Romayne Princes. 2. Hatred, partly for that this world of his owne naturall condition hath euer hated and maliced, the people of God, from the first begynnyng of the world. Partly agayne for that the Christians being of a contrary nature and Religiō, seruyng onely the true liuyng God, despised their false Gods, spake agaynst their Idolatrous worshippyngs, and many tymes stopped the power of Sathan, workyng in their Idoles. And therefore Sathā the prince of this world, stirred vp the Romaine Princes, & blynd idolaters to beare the more hatred and spite agaynst them.

MarginaliaFalse accusatiōs and sclaunders against the Christians.
Ex Apologia Iustini Marty. Vpon these causes and such like, rose vp these malicious slaunders, false surmises, infamous lyes, and slaunderous accusations, of the Heathen idolatrous agaynst the Christian seruauntes of God, which incited the Princes of this world the more to persecute them: for what crimes so euer malice could inuent, or rash suspicion could minister, that was imputed to the Christians, as þ^t they were a people incestuous, that in the night, in their concourses, putting out their candels, they ranne together in all filthy maner, that they killed their owne children, that they vsed to eate mans fleshe: that they were seditious and rebellious, that they woulde not sweare by the fortune & prosperitie of Cæsar: that they woulde not adour the image of Cæsar in the market place, that they were pernitious to the Emperie of Rome. Briefly whatsoeuer mishappened to the Citie or Prouinces of Rome, either famine, pestilence, earthquake, warres, wonders, vnseasonablenes of wether, or what other euils soeuer happened, it was imputed to the Christians, as Iustinus recordeth.MarginaliaPublius Tarquinius.
Mamertinus. persecutors. Ouer and beside all these a great occasion that styrred vp the Emperours agaynst the Christians came by one Publius Tarquinius the chief Prelate of the idolatrous sacrifices, and Mamertinus the chiefe gouernour of the Citie, in the tyme of Traianus who partly with money, partly with sinister & pestilent coūsaile, partly with infamous accusations (as witnesseth Nauclerus) incēsed the mynde of the Emperour so much agaynst Gods people.

Also amōg these other causes aboue sayd, crepte in some peece of couetousnes with all (as in all other things it doth) in that the wicked promoters and accusers for lucre sake, to haue the possessions of the Christians, were the more ready to accuse them, to haue the spoyle of their goodes.

Thus hast thou (Christian reader) first the causes declared of these persecutions. 2. The cruell law of their condemnation.MarginaliaEx Iust. Mart. in 2. Apolog.
The forme of inquisition agaynst the Christians in the old tyme. 3. Now heare more what was the forme of inquisition: which was (as is witnessed in the second Apologie of Iustinus to this effecte: that they should sweare to declare the truth, whether they were in very deede Christiās or not: And if they confessed then by the law the sentence of death proceeded. Iust. Apol. 2.

MarginaliaThe crueltie of tyrauntes in killyng of Christen men. Neither yet were these tyrauntes and organes of Sathan thus contented with death onely, to bereaue the life frō the body. The kindes of death were diuerse, and no lesse horrible then diuerse. Whatsoeuer the cruelnes of mans inuention could deuise, for the punishment of mans body, was practised agaynst the Christians (as partly I haue mentioned before, and more appeareth by the Epistle sent from the brethren of Fraūce, hereafter followyng.) Crafty traynes, outcryes of enemyes, imprisonmētes, stripes & scourgyngs, drawynges, tearyngs, stonynges, plates of yron layde to thē burnyng hoate, deepe doungeons, rackes, stranglyng in prisons, the teeth of wilde beastes, gridyrons, gybbetes & gallowes, tossing vpō the hornes of Bulles: Moreouer when they were thus killed, their bodyes layd in heapes, and dogs there left to keepe them, that no man might come to bury them: neither would any prayer obtayne them to be interred and buryed. Ex Episttola fratrum Viennensium ac Lugdunensium, &c. MarginaliaEx Epist. fratrum Viennensium & Lugdunensium ad fratres per Asiam & Phrigiam scripta. And yet notwithstandyng for all these continuall persecutions, and horrible punishmētes, the Church of the Christiās dayly increased, deepely rooted in the doctrine of the Apostles, and of men Apostolicall, and watered plenteously with the bloud Saintes, as sayethMarginaliaEx Nicephoro. Lib. 3. cap. 22. Nicephorus. Lib. 3.

MarginaliaEx Iustino Martyre in Dialogo cum Trypheo.
The Churche increseth by persecution. Wherof let vs heare the worthy testimony of Iustinus Martyr in his Dialogue with Tripheus: And that none (saith he) can terrifie or remoue vs which beleue in Iesus, by this it dayly appeareth: for when we are slayne, crucified, cast to wilde beastes, into the fire, or geuen to other tormentes, yet we go not from our confession: but contrary the more cruelty and slaughter is wrought agaynst vs, the moe they be that come to pietie and fayth by the name of Iesus: