of the Land who are the eyes and eares of this politicke Body who well know Scita patrum leges iura fidemque deosque To you I may dedicate and appropriate these our labours whose places and paines serue to this purpose to serue the King and Countrey and to helpe to preserue the welfare of the King and Kingdome Your publike paines and priuate prayers speake to the World these words God saue the King You are sworne to this seruice and sweat in it neuer more Malefactors in this kind and as Paul tels Timothy In the last dayes shall come perillous times for men shall be Traytors heady high-minded c. You know the Nilus where these Crocodils are bred and fed vse all good diligence to catch them spread your nets not Vulpina retia Foxes nets but Regni retia The Lawes of the Land if you can take them you shall doe God and the King good seruices Spare none of this kind who dare lift vp their hand against the Lords Annointed for they are worthy to die Bonis nocet qui malis parcit He hurts the good which spares the bad yea in all your loyall and legall seruice let neither feare or fauour flattery or bribery blind your eyes or deafe your eares remembring that you exercise not the iudgement of man but of God and thinke vpon this verse in your Iudgement seate Hic locus odit amat punit conseruat honorat Nequitiam pacem crimina iura bonos Farre bee that leprosie from the Iudges of our Land which so corrupted them in Ciceros dayes that he could say His iudicijs quae nunc sunt pecuniosum hominem non posse damnari In these iudgements which are now a monied man cannot be condemned But bribery foules not your hands who to corrupting Simons say with Symon Peter Thy money perish with thee Neither let any of Agesilaus letters moue you who writ to a Iudge for his fauourite in this stile Si causa bona pro iustitia sin mala pro amicitia absolue If his cause be good dismisse him for Iustice sake if bad for friendship sake Let Iustice be vnpartially executed yet tempered with lawfull pitty thinke vpon that Christian caueat Duo sunt nomina peccator homo quod peccator corripe quod homo miserere These are two names an offender a man as an offender punish him as a man pitty him be not too seuere with Draco Ne superet medicina modum Least the medicine exceed the malady nor too remisse with lenity for that is a kind of cruelty Tam omnibus ignoscere crudelitas quam nulli saith Seneca To pardon all is cruelty as well as to pardon none But Sus mineruam You know best to keepe the meane and Medium tenuere beati So shall you performe laudable seruice to God King and Countrey if you execute Iustice punish disobedience which is the falling sicknesse of a corrupt Common-wealth Command all to giue * Caesar his due represse all his enemies by force of lawes and cut them off with the sword of Iustice that their exemplary punishments may terrifie all others from such attempts and bee like monitors and remembrancers to all people crying Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere diuos Virg. Let others harmes admonish thee and learn not to despise these supreame powers for which offence so many Traytors dies Seauenthly to the Common-wealth Last of all to you the inferior yet sound members of the supreame Head the natiue and nationall children of our common Mother whom I may fitly compare to the hands and legges of this politicke body to fight and stand strongly for the defence and welfare of our King and Kingdome To you I hope this little Booke will be welcome and therefore say to you as the Angell said to Iohn Take this little Booke and eate it and if you be good Subiects it will be sweet in your mouthes and not bitter in your bellies for you cannot be true Christians vnlesse you be true Caesarians there is no true Religion in that heart which entertaines a motion to rebellion it is a rotten member that will not be obedient to the regall Maiestie And consider with your selues the happy blessings you enioy by the mercifull prouidence of God in giuing to this Realme so godly and gracious a Soueraigne to reigne ouer you and it will make you cry forth with the Psalmist Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord and his blessing is vpon the people O Lord how fauourable hast thou beene vnto our Land in placing ouer vs so religious and renowned a King so absolute and compleate a Prince in wisdome learning and religion and it will stirre vp all thankefull hearts to say with the Psalmist Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee Sing prayses to God sing prayses sing prayses vnto our King for hee hath chosen our inheritance for vs euen the glory of Iacob whom he loued If we be not truly thankefull for so great benefits it may be truly verified of vs which was said of Canaan Bona terra sed gens mala A good Land but in it there be bad people O vnthankefull and vngratefull Britaines if euer you forget so great blessings Vae vobis propter ingratitudinem Woe be vnto you for your ingratitude Ingrata patria Vngratefull Countrey it is an infamous name odious to nature and Nations Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum inuitatio Giuing of God thankes for fauours receiued is a kind of supplication and inuitation to obtaine more The Anatomists tell vs that euery creature hath foure muscles about the eyes but a man fiue foure serue to turne about the eyes the fifth serues to lift vp the eye and looke vpward to Heauen Man should not with other brutish creatures looke altogether vpon the earth but lift vp his eyes hands and heart to Heauen to giue God due and true thankes for his daily and fatherly fauours and mercies bestowed vpon him The Oxe knowes his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib yea the Riuers are tributary to the Sea from whence some say they first come and againe returne All Creatures seeme in their kind to be gratefull debtors to their curteous Benefactors except the Swine whose mast makes him forget the tree from whence the Acornes fall or the Moon which being at the full by interposition of the earth darkens the Sunne from whence yet shee borrowes all her light It was Israels sinne vnthankefulnesse I pray God it be not Englands sicknesse vngratefulnesse to God Woe vnto vs if we scant God of our fruits who hath not scanted vs of his fauours Bring presents to the King of glory giue vnto the Lord glory due vnto his Name worship the Lord in his glorious sanctuary Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name giue the glory for thy louing mercy and for
Emperor who was a great Tyrant an Infidell and an enemy to Christianity who in the fift persecution after Nero troubled the Christian VVorld Saeuissima persecutione with most cruell persecution as some write yet teacheth that all Subiects should both Bene velle bene dicere bene facere wish well speake well and doe well for the Emperor the which three-fold Bene comprehends all loyall duties The first Ad Cor. 2. Ad Linguam 3. Ad opus as the Iesuite rightly teacheth in thought word and deed to be obedient So Iustin Martyr in the name of all Christians speakes to the Emperor Antoninus an infidell and a persecutor in these words Nos solum deum adoramus vobis in rebus alijs laeti inseruimus VVe worship onely God and in other matters are ioyfull to serue you So Saint Ambrose would not wish the people of Millan to disobey the Emperour Valentinian yet a fauourer and follower of the Arrian Heresie If the Emperor saith he abuse his imperial authority to tyrannize thereby here am I ready to suffer death we as humble suppliants flie to supplication if my Patrimony be your marke enter vpon it if my body I will meet my torments shall I bee dragged to prison or death I will take delight in both Oh Theologicall voice Oh Episcopall obedience These were the voices of the holy Fathers in the ancient times I but will some Popish Aduersary to the regall supremacy reply the times must be considered the people wanted power to resist No no that was not the matter when Iulian did dominere who was an Apostate and an Idolater as Austin yet his Souldiers who were for the most part Christians did obey him without resistance in all military matters and publike seruices yet they then had power to haue resisted him for most of Iulians Army did consist of Christians as their voices to Iouinian his Successor declare Omnes vna voce confessi sunt se esse Christianos as Ruffinus records it with a generall voice they all confessed themselues Christians So Constantius and Valens wicked Emperors and fauourers of the Arrian Heresie yet we doe not reade of any of the Orthodoxe Christianity that disobeyed them by rebellion or resistance Then Bellarmines doctrine was not in date Non est legitimum c It is not lawfull for Christians to tollerate an hereticall King his reasons I take to be as he writes because Reges coronas sceptra ab hominibus recipiunt adeorū placita tenent Kings doe receiue their Crownes and Scepters from men and hold them at their pleasures Strange stuffe for Kings receiue their Crownes from God as Ps 20. 3 and are enthroned by God By me Kings raigne Pro. 8. 15 They receiue their throne from God as Queene Sheba tels Salomon Diadema regis in manu dei Esay 62. 3 Sedebat Salomon in thron◠dei 1 Chro. 29. 23 Reges in solio collocat in perpetuum Iob 36. 7 the anointing is Gods With my holy oyle haue I annointed him Psa 89. 20. The Crowne the Scepter the Throne their annointing all from God stiled by God Vncti dei Gods Annointed Where is the Popes or Peoples claime what interest haue any except God in Kings Crownes who can remoue whom God appoints who can depriue whom God approues yet these absurd errors formenta romanae Cathedrae the corrupt leauen of Romes Pharises and Popes Parasites are moulded out by the mouthes of Cardinals that I may say with the Poet Iuuenal Adscelus atque nefas quodcunque est purpura ducit Sat. 13. The purple seruants or scarlet sinners of that purple woman are become as Trumpeters to the World to sound forth false alarums of disobedience to encourage peoples rebellion Tantum relligio potuit suadere malorum Quaepeperit scelerosa atque impia facta But to leaue these proud Cardinals enemies to Caesars who thinke their red Hat equall to a Regall Crowne who yet of late from a small beginning Origine parochi tantum sunt manipulus Curatorum or raysed specially by two Popes Innocentius the fourth and Paulus the second to such an height that now Capita inter sidera condunt They will write with Cardinal Wolsie Ego Rex I and the King and are too busie about Kings eyther to animate Traytors or alienate Subiects from obedience vnto Kings Let vs I say leaue them a while and listen to Salomon who was wiser then all of them My sonne saith he feare the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are seditious for their destruction shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both Let vs learne this lesson from our Sauiour to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars to giue loyall obedience for it is Caesars royall due So our Sauiour againe commands the multitude that they should obey the Scribes and Pharises who did sit in Moses chaire to obserue and doe what they did command In all things not repugnant to Gods Lawes we must and ought to obey Kings yet if they command contrary to Gods commands then wee must follow the Apostles rule and practise rather to obey God then man and to remember S. Austins counsell Si Deus aliud iubeat aliud Imperator quid iudicas maior potestas Deo da veniam ô Imperator tu carcerem ille gebennam minatur If God command one thing and the Emperor another thing what iudgest thou to be done Gods power is greater giue leaue ô Emperor thou dost threaten prison but God hell God that made these gods ought to be obeyed before them and duty bindes that God who is the King of Kings the maker and master of al Kings omnes Reges eius pedibus subiecti all Kings subiect subiects of that great King should be obeyed by them all and before them all Yet for all this we must not rebell against a King if he command contrary to Gods Lawes but imitate the three children obey in body and resist in spirit Regi qui potestatem habet super corpora nostra corporaliter subiaceamus siue sit Rex siue Tyrannus nihil enim hoc nobis nocet vt spiritualiter bene placeamus Deo spiritu saith Theophylact wee must prostrate our selues to the King who hath power ouer our bodies be he a King or a Tyrant for this nothing hinders vs spiritually to please the God of our soules Indeed it may happen that Potens the Ruler is not of God as the Lord complaines They haue set vp a King but not by me they haue made Princes and I knew them not As also the manner of getting Kingdomes is not alwaies of God as Aquinas vpon the 13. of the Romanes rightly determines it or as Aretius multa a Deo sunt quae tamen non confirmat sed quodammodo obiter ingrediuntur Deo tamen sic disponente at tamen non ordinat hoc est
relogo saith he Romanorum regum imperatorum gesta nusquam inuenio quenquam eorum ante hunc à Romane Pontifice excommunicatum vel regno priuatum I reade ouer and ouer the Acts of Kings and Emperors and I find no where any of them before this excommunicated of the Pope or depriued of their Kingdome but this Popes enterprise had a sutable successe for by the Councell of Brixia hee was deiected out of the Popedome for it and being in extreamity calles one of his best beloued Cardinals to him and confessed to God Saint Peter and the whole Church that he had greatly offended in his Pastorall charge Et suadente Diabolo contra humanum genus iram odium concitasse By the Diuels perswasion he had raised vp wrath and hatred vpon Mankind Well this Heldebrand whose Orator was the Diuell was the first that attempted to depose Emperors and since that Prince of the Ayre who beares rule in the childrē of disobedience hath moued Peters false friends and Kings foes to follow the hellish steppes of proud Heldebrand seeking to depose Kings to dispose of their Crownes and depriue them of their liues to excommunicate them to free subiects from their allegiances to excite Armes against them to make Martyres of King-killers euery way labouring to disparage their sacred Persons diminish their Regall rights encroch vpon their Prerogatiues altogether contemning Peters Precepts yet arrogating Peters Place Honour the King How dishonourably and contemptibly that Milo who bare the Pope on his shoulders Cardinall Bellarmine writes of Kings That they are rather slaues then Lords De Laicis c. 7. Not onely subiects to Popes to Bishops to Priests but to Deacons Depontifice lib. 1. c. 7. That Kings haue not their authority immediatly from God nor his law but onely from the law of Nations De cleric c. 28. That Churchmen are as farre aboue Kings as the soule aboue the body De Laicis c. 18. That Kings may be deposed by their people for diuers respects De pontific lib. 5. c. 8 That obedience due to Kings is onely for certaine respects of order and pollicy De clericis cap. 28 His workes are full of such foule and false assertions base bald and blockish Paradoxes repugnant to al Scripture right and reason that he may say with the Poet Hoc equidem studeo bullatis vt mihi nugis Pagina turgescat Many of his propositions so dishonourable and iniurious to Kings that to confute them Non opus est verbis sed fustibus Armes not Arts should beat and breake in peeces such pernicious Paradoxes But to leaue these Machiauelismes of the Conclaue dethroning Kings to enthrone Popes let vs learne of God with what honourable titles and high prerogatiues in the Booke of God they stand possessed There they are called Gods and Children of the most High The Lords Annointed The Angels of God The Light of Israel Sitting in Gods Throne The Higher Powers the Ministers of God The Kings of Nations that beare rule euery where with variety of such high and stately Titles great Prerogatiues commanding euery soule to be subiect to them that he who should goe about to empaire their honour must first infringe the Booke of God Vnworthy is that Creature to breathe the Ayre which denies honour to the breathing Image of God his annointed Soueraign or with vnreuerent action or elocution enterprise to debase their sacred Soueraignety such tongues are worthy with Diues to be tormented or with Progne to be cut out or with Nicanors to be diuided in crummes for Birds that will not honour with tongues and honour with hearts their annointed and appointed Kings the earthly pictures of the King of Kings And not to trauel so farre as forraine Climates to teach them to honour Kings let our speech bee bounded within the circumference of his Highnesse Countries People aboue all other Nations bound to honour and obey our gracious Soueraigne We blessed with a King of incomparable wisdome Rex natus ad Regna natus descended of blood royall A blessednes to a Kingdome when a King is the Son of Nobles and much more of noble vertues prudent in a peaceable gouernement compleate in the perfection of Learning eares may ouercome eyes to hear the wisdome of our Salomon and which is most of all and best of all to be extolled sincerely and soundly religious labouring to make his Kingdomes by aduancing Euangelium Christi Regnum Euangelij A trusty defender of the true Faith Tam Marti quā Mercurio both by Pen and Pike ready to defend Religion against superstition often hath he entred into Theologicall disputes and foyled Romes most illustrious Cardinals Yea his Maiesties dinners like Salomons Table making Auditors say with Salomon A diuine sentence shall be in the lips of the King or with wisdome her selfe Heare for I wil speak of excellent things and the opening of my lippes shall teach things that are right A Patron of the Church and a Promoter of the Gospell as Hortensius raised vp eloquence to Heauen that he might goe vp with her so our dread Soueraigne aduances the Gospel the Iacobs ladder to climbe to Heauen by it Macte virtute sicitur ad astra I am vnable and vnfit to make the Map of our Kings perfections De ipso ipsiloquuntur Antipodes not any Zone habitable wherein his glory hath not habitation and they say We must praise a King as we honour God Sentiendo copiosius quam loquendo and herein such plenty of praise is offered that Inopem me copia fecit Xenophon might see that in our vertuous King Iames which he wished in his King Cyrus O fortunatos Anglos bona si sua norint Oh happy wee if wee be thankefull for our happinesse Nihil his bonis accedere potest nisi vt perpetua sint Nothing can augment our earthly ioyes but to make these lasting and thanks be to God our Soueraigne hath I thinke already out-lasted the Regency of a dozen Popes Hominum breuis regum breuior pontificum vita brenissima saith Petrarcha Of all men the Popes haue shortest liues but God grant our Soueraigne Nestors dayes wishing for him as Martial did for Traian Lib. 10. Epig. 34. Dij tibi dent quicquid Princeps Auguste mereris Et rata perpetuò quae tribuêre velint Long may this glorious Candle of Israel last who as vpon this day was proclaimed with infinite ioy receiued with peaceable entry enthroned with glorious inuestiture and hath hitherto gouerned with admired wisdome comfort and content of all good Subiects so still to continue in all Princely prosperity and to hold the Scepter of great Britanny with a tripled addition of yeeres to come for the yeeres past wishing in desire though it cannot be indeed His egonecmetas rerum nec temporapono Imperium sine fine dedi Adde to his dayes of the dayes of Heauen that he and his posterity may here sit
Inquisition Nay Bellarmine doth confesse that the Papists would not suffer any among them Qui ostendunt vllo signo etiam externo se fauere Lutheranis Who doe declare by any signe externall that they fauour the Lutherans but they doe mittere illos mature in locum suum send such quickly to their last home Read but Lencaeus the Louayne professor in his booke Devnica religione or Pamelius in his book De diuersis religionibus non admittendis Who both with might and maine dispute against Tollerations It was a great commendation in the Emperour Constantino who would not suffer Idolatry in any part of his Dominions as Eusebius writes of him And it was commendable in Amphilochius a Bishop who reproued Theodosius the Emperor that he so long winked at Arrius and suffered him to spread his pestilent heresie ouer the body of the Church and it was commended in the Emperor who was not angry with the words of iust reproofe but forthwith banished Arrius gaue him some part of his iust deserts But heerein we neede not seeke out forraine histories wee haue examples at home who neuer would yeeld to tollerate corrupt religion Edward the sixth a Prince most famous and vertuous was sollicited by Carolus the Emperour and his owne Counsellors to permit the Lady Mary to haue Masse in her owne house his resolution negatiue saying he would spend his life and all that he had rather then to agree and grant to that hee knew certainely to be against the truth The late Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory could neuer be perswaded to tollerate Popish Religion who after innumerable dangers and manifold persecutions with vnspeakeable courage notwithstanding many difficulties at home of Princes abroad and of the Diuell euerwhere professed to maintaine the truth of the Gospell and to deface Idolatry and superstition which with singular constancy shee continued all the dayes of her life And now this our great gracious Soueraigne followes the steps of those religious Princes not all the World can change his constant resolution in Christian Religion his eares and hearts abhorre their charmes who are Petitioners in this kind for the granting of such a request might much disquiet the Christian Church State and Gospell God euer keepe and blesse the King in this his holy and spirituall perseuerance in the truth of the Gospell make his heart like Mount Sion neuer to be remoued A King so constant in profession of the Gospell and so learned and profound in all spirituall knowledge that he is able to confute and conuince with sound arguments the enemies of the Gospell and thereupon it was as I take it that Suarez the Iesuit said That Learning did disparage the royall dignity because the Champions of Rome see that they are not able to incounter with his Highnes matchlesse knowledge And surely if learning grace any man it must be more gracious in a Monarch a Man of Men. What made Salomon so famous and so renowned but specially his wisdome and knowledge Iulius Caesar Constantine and Charles the Great Iustinian Leo Palaeologus Cantacuzaenus the Alphonsi and many more Sigismund the Emperor commended for playing the Deacon at the Councell of Constance Henry the eight writing for the seauen Sacraments whose Booke subscribed with his owne hands the Popish Priests glory to haue it in their Vatican The Cardinall of Millan thinkes it the highest commendation he could giue the late King of Spaine In eius regia dignitate vt verbo complectar sacerdotalem animum licet aspicere In his regall dignity to comprize all in a word wee may see his sacerdotall heart Iuuenal Haec opera atque hae sunt generosi Principis artes And in the sacred studies of diuine Learning our dread Soueraigne may carry the Palme and weare the royall Crowne who hath deliuered to the World better Principles of Theologicall knowledge out of his Chaire of State then the Mitered Pope did euer é Cathedra for a King to descend to the Preacher is a worke of piety as Salomon did I the Preacher haue beene King in Ierusalem but for the Priest to climbe into the Kings throne is to play the Popes part the part of Antichrist Our royall Soueraigne hath made it his last delight to delight in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth hee meditate day and night In which spiritual labour hee hath so profited himselfe and others that hee hath taken Princely paines to publish the truth of Christ and to proclaime to the Potentates of the world the errors of Antichrist So that all people haue cause to pray God saue the King spiritually That a diuine sentence may be in the lips of the King and his mouth shall not transgresse in iudgement who like the good Emperour Constantine labours to decide matters of Religion by the true rule of Gods word for so Constantine commanded the Bishops to order all points by the Booke of God which Booke he placed for the same purpose in the middest of them And euen so speaks our dread Soueraign whatsoeuer I find agree with the Scriptures I will gladly imbrace what is otherwise I wil with their reuerēce reiect godly golden words The Lord euermore blesse his body and soule spiritually and enlarge the great Talent of his Princely wisdome giuing him as great a measure of knowledge as was giuen to Salomon yea such riches treasures and honours as none had before him or after him and as his Maiesty hath taken manifold paines to reduce the Popish Sectaries out of their spirituall blindnesse that they who will not bee wakened out of their slumbers of ignorance by the voice of so royall and religious a sheapheard may be compelled by the Sword of Magistracy to depart out of Babylon or out of his Dominion But herein it becomes not me to giue counsell rather fall to prayer that the Lord whose cause it is would take the cause into his owne hand and stirre vp the hearts and hands of all Christian Kings to compell all people who will not be moued by the word of Gods Ministery to come out of Babylon might be forced by the sword of Magistracy to depart from her least they receiue of her plagues Qui phreneticum ligat lethargicum excitat ambobus molestus ambos amat saith Austen He that bindeth a franticke man and awakes him that hath the lethargy loueth both though he be greeuous to both And as the same Father in another place Quod autem vobis videtur inuitos ad veritatem non esse cogendos c. Whereas you thinke that men are not to bee compelled to the truth against their wils ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God which maketh those willing though they be compelled against their wils Goe into the high wayes and compell them to come in saith our Sauiour Christ whereupon Saint Austen saith Qui compellitur quô
by the wicked were by the wisedome of our gratious God escaped and the wicked were snared in the worke of their owne hands A deliuery deseruing eternall Trophies of Triumphs to glorifie God with our prayers and praises with our lips and liues and neuer follow them of whom the Apostle who glorified not God neyther were they thankefull but may continually call vp our hearts to this duty and cry with the Psalmist Come and hearken all yee that feare God and I will tell you what hee hath done to my soule for he hath deliuered our soules from death and our feet from falling that we should walke before God in the land of the liuing Therefore praise our God yee people and make the voice of his praise bee heard and say with the children of Reuben Gad and Manasses God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord and turne this day away from the Lord c. And as the children of Israel after their returne from the captiuity in Babilon and hearing Ezra reade the Law the ioy of their soules Ezra praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen Amen lifting vp their hands and bowing themselues worshipping the Lord with their faces towards the ground and Nehemiah with Ezra and the Leuites tels the people This day is holy vnto the Lord your God so let our English Israel deliuered from the intended bondage of Babilon hearken to their Ezraes in the Pulpit made for the preaching of Gods Law wherof they should haue beene depriued and with their Priests praise the Lord our great and good God answering Amen Amen bowing themselues in all humility at the footestoole of Gods Maiesty annually celebrating the fift day of Nouember with praises of thankesgiuing and saying This day is holy vnto the Lord our God This day shall be vnto vs a remembrance and wee will keep it an holy feast vnto the Lord throughout our generations we will keep it holy by an ordinance for euer to remember this maruellous worke of Englands deliuerance from the plotted powder-destruction to praise Gods holy name and glory in his praise singing and saying cheerefully with our tongues and deuoutly with our hearts Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer audeuer and let all the people say Amen Amen To the ternall and eternall glorious Godhead Father Sonne and holy Ghost one and the same God in nature and number indiuisible inuisible inuincible our sole and soueraigne protector and preseruer God ouer all blessed for euer be all praise power faith feare glory and maiesty yeelded by vs by ours and by all his redeemed for all his mercies in generall and for this speciall deliuerance in particular humbly heartily holily for euer and euer Amen Glory be to God in the high Heauens and peace on earth Luke 2. 14. FINIS A SHORT DISSVVASIVE FROM POPERY To all Lay-Papists who desire to be true seruants to their Sauiour or good Subiects to their Soueraigne 1. Kings 18. 21. How long halt yee betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be he then goe after him Tert. de resurr carn Aufer haereticis quae cum Ethnieis sapiunt vt de Scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt Hugo de Claustro anim lib. 1. Superstitio dicitur verae religioni superaddita falsa religioÌ„ Melancthon Ex malo dogmate malis moribus dignoscuntur lupi By SAMVEL GAREY a Preacher of Gods Word and a perpetuall petitioner to God for your happy conuersion to Gods holy Truth LONDON Printed by Iohn Beale for Henry Fether stone and Iohn Parker 1618. To the Right VVorshipfull Sir Philip Kniâ—et Baronet and his worthy Lady The Spirit of Grace Truth and Wisedome be multiplied Right VVorshipfull I Am bold vpon experienced acquaintance with your generous qualities and gentle fauours towards me to send this vnworthy Treatise to your worthy viewe I know whose iudgement it must passe yet am fearelesse not in a grosse stupidity of mine owne weakenesse but in an hopefull presumption of your vsuall Gentlenesse a disposition euen naturalized in your courteous breasts whereof I acknowledge with gratefulnesse the acceptable fruites of your long and large loue towards me and for which I euer rest your thankefull friend and ingaged debtor in part of requitall whereof I haue presumed to offer to you this Handfull of my duty and hearty loue towards you and vnder your worthy name to send it to the world that they who are bettered by it may thanke you for it A short Disswasiue from Popery necessary for these Times wherein you may behold in part some points of the corrupt Doctrine of the Romish Church which is the common Mother of corruption superstition For that Church must needes be a Chappell of errors which enlarge the sacred Canon with Apochryphalls diminish the authority of the Scripture with Traditions ouerthrow the Originall with Translations peruert the Text with Glosses as the Romish Church doth Yea to maintaine her errors she conceales the light of Truth the Scripture from Lay people vnder the curtaine of the Latin language and euen in the Schooles among the learned she is put to poore shifts often forced to conclude arguments out of meere Allegories lame Similitudes fained miracles naked names of Fathers hired Testimonies of Schoolemen and other deboshed vassailes and proctors of the Romane Court who with all artificiall pollicy labour to adorne the Romane Harlot with painted trimmings whereby the vnwary young age of many more credulous then iudicious is deceiued and deluded The whole subiect of our former worke well perused and indifferently weighed doth giue good light looking vpon her corrupt precepts and cursed practises to discouer that smooky Kingdome of Antichrist but perchance you may say to me with Seneca Quidme torques lacer as in quaestâ—…bus Subtilius est contempsisse quam 〈◊〉 Why doe you trouble me with such questions it is more subtilty to contemne them then to confute them Worthy Sir it shall not be I hope labour lost if to your priuate contemplations you shall adioyne these short and sacred speculations specially penned for your seruice and published for the beâ—…e of all who are willing to open their eyes to walke in Truth I giue all but a small kind of taste in these points of Popish fragments if any mans appetite long for it I dare promise him heereafter more full dishes The Lord giue vnto you a Christian care in the profession of the Truth which with a sincere heart I haue preached vnto you and perfit your first Progresse in the grace of God to the holy Sanctification and happy Saluation of your bodies and soules for euer For which mercy and grace to be bestowed on you I shall euer vnfainedly pray to God and rest Your Worshipes poore Orator in Christ Samuel Garey A SHORT DISSVVAsiue to all Lay-papists who desire