her Maiestie taken from the Authours person and the matter cunningly to get thereby good will to prepare and stirre vp attention which together with the amplifications of your pretended extremities and the like necessitie of complaint you are brought vnto your exaggerations on the one side and extenuations on the other with such ornaments and floures to mooue pitie if they were true and in a good and iust cause might for their pretie handeling delight haue some vse sauing they bee somewhat too open As schoole furniture to moue with they may be kept for the exercise of youth or to sporte and refreshe mens mindes withall This floorishing greatly beseemeth not the profession and persons of Diuines In a word to say euery thing considered there is no cause why you should haue troubled her Maiestie with such paltrie whereof let the Christian Reader after examination iudge The Authours dutifull respect euery way and M. Howlets too to her Highnesse her honourable Lordes of the Councell and the whole state of her noble Realme might without vaunt haue been left to haue been iudged by her Maiesties wisedome and theirs and to haue had cōmendation by other whē it should haue been found better then it is These men seeke by all meanes wayes they can to disioyne her Maiestie from her lawes and the Ministers thereof from her loyall subiects to they go about to withdrawe with themselues other her subiects from obedience to God and her Maiestie and when this dealing is by order of lawe but somewhat crossed then is outcrie and complaint of tyrannie and crueltie greater then euer hath beene hearde of in England before or is in any prince in Christendome or than is vsed among the Turkes at this day This comparison is not M. Howlet ashamed to make and therein agreeth with his authour This is great dutifulnesse sure Like is the modestie and humilitie of both your spirites sauing that if there be any difference M. Howlets in a diuers kinde of writing sheweth it selfe to bee more shamelesse as through the whole too much appeareth dealing especially with the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Hee may not thinke the Oratours rule that an Epistle biusheth not wil serue his turne heere it is out of place to excuse thereby impudent vntruthes and slaunders In perusing this writing let the Christian Reader still iudge whether M. Howlet bee not a sectarie if this be a note of a sectaries spirits proceeding as he here tels vs what modestie and humblenesse of spirite may this bee called in the Authour of this treatise who is so highly in this respect commended heere by M. Howlet When not contented through his whole discourse to compare and liken the profession and professours of the Gospell to the Heretikes both olde and newe hee chargeth Gods seruice heere nowe vsed with falshood and blasphemie also and pronoūceth vs to bee condemned yet aliue but no maruell when hee chargeth some Catholikes at this day in England of his owne Religion to sinne euen now against the holy Ghoste and damneth the same in Hell being yet quicke on the earth c. I giue the Reader but a tast of this Luciferian spirite till wee may come further into the examination of things M. Howlet excuseth this with zeale and the writers opinion in religion a hot too immoderate a zeale destitute of knowledge It may well be called his discoursers opinion in religiō which carrieth w t it neither religion nor conscience Such zeale might haue regarded better and spared the Princes eares and might haue been forborne in our Soueraignes presence What want of duetifull respect soeuer it carry towarde other You take your selfe by the nose while you think to charge vs to bee sectaries for the vntemperate spirite of sectaries resteth in none more than in the hot sect of your puritane Jesuits and such as you are who taking vnto you mens names and orders to be called Religious men by declare your selues to be sectaries in Christes Churche whereas wee for our Religion holde of God Christ and the holy Scriptures which al agree and goe one way We deuide not Christ neither are wee Franciscans Augustines Iacopines no Scotistes Thomistes c. Nor yet Lutheranes Caluinistes c. which names you odiously put vppon vs and wee condemne and refuse the same These be names of sects I leaue the further consideration heereof to the discreete reader and proceede It is to great a bragge made of M. Howlet when in praysing his writers priuate opinion in religion hee saith It hath bene from time to time the common receaued religion of vniuersal Christendome This should haue been prooued or let alone more modestie of speeche euen heere woulde haue better beseemed til trial might haue beene taken thereof but he telleth vs but what seemeth to himself in praysing his fellowe Wee say it is a great vntrueth if he and his discourse bee of one opinion in religion and as easily as it is spoken so easily may it bee reiected though as one of the principles of their Catholique Religion they would haue all men suppose it But wee can suppose no suche grosse absurdities in this cleere light of the Gospell nor admit the same Besides there bee a great many Catholiques as they call them at this day in Christendome that bee not of that opinion in Religion that this discourse setteth vs downe in his lettre and treatise as they that lift to reade may vnderstand yea euen those for whome this treatise was made dissent from the Authours opinion in Religion as hee himselfe confesseth so as this writers zeale and opinion 〈◊〉 hardly be counted The common receiued religion of vniuetsall Christendome There bee also as this man speaketh good Catholiques and bad Catholiques true Catholiques and false Catholiques colde Catholiques and hot Catholiques And if among protestantes M. Howlet can make these termes hot and colde c. to seuer religion as for his vauntage hee doth in the next section of his epistle let his Authours description and confession be iudge of the men and their profession there mentioned called Protestantes and Puritanes which his authour sayth are the hotter sort of protestants then let them giue vs leaue also to say their hot and cold Catholikes c. be of diuers religions and by their own rule let vs call that colder sort or the false and the worser by the common name of Catholikes y e hotter sort of Catholikes let vs cal Puri tanes because they are precise in y e religiō shew thēselues vnspotted seruants and irreprehensible as this discourser spaketh M. Howlet talketh of speaking and writing in defēce of their religiō how māfully it shall be done as long as there is either head or hād remaining loosein the worlde but let thē leaue fire faggot and their blooddy lawes and they shall be written and talked with well ynough I doubte not yea
Puritās will finde grace with you We once make but one religiō of those y t you cal protestāts Puritās meaning yet such stil that yee abuse not your self I say others as ioine godly knowledge with their zeale except we may do y e like with you whot cold Catholikes as ye cal them wee are troubled with so many sorts of you false Catholikes already that wee are lothe to make any more except yee needes will your selues Housholders of loue as better agreeing with your religiō thā with Christs Gospel we cast to your heape as we doe al other false religions which we condēne acknowledge no other than that I haue 〈◊〉 described you Summe The true religiō or the religion of Christ heere professed is but one your religion is not only one but many distinct religions saith euen your Angelical Doctor Talke no more therefore of foure religions in this Realme when but one is auowed heere there bee moe then foure or fiue either diuers religions and distinct in name 〈◊〉 c. not in a Realine but in one Citie Towne with you this is your glorie I trust you wil not charge y t religiō I haue shortly described to be a sect nor the professors therof to be Sectaries I am sure 〈◊〉 ye can not considering that neither it nor they holde of men nor of names by them deuised or by you put vppon them That hath been hitherto proper to you them of your religion If you impugne this Religion Take what name you will yee shal shewe your selues to bee neither true Christians nor good subiects Take heede vnto it it lyeth vppon you And let not that moue you because in the day and cleere light of the Gospel when you M. Howlet are gone Heresies appeare and bee espted that for the most parte were sowen in your tyme before in the night that is in the tyme of Ignorance and darkenesse It is the nature and propertie of the light to disclose and shewe things that otherwise lie hidde It is a blessing of God Againe you knowe where G O D hath a Churche the Deuill will haue a Chappell harde by And tares in the night are sowen in the same field euen among the good seede Heresies also must be euen among you saith the Scripture c. You say Of these foure sorts of men the Catholikes are the first the auncientest the more in number the most beneficiall to al the rest whome you accompt Heretiques Sectaries hauing begottē bred vp the other and deliuered to them this Realme conserued by Catholike religion these thousand yeres and more c. Here haue I to aske you who then be the fathers to all those supposed Sectaries and men of diuers religions that you say are at this day in this Realme Who but you Catholikes y t haue begotten them Whose children be they of whose bringing vp that are accompted to be of so diuers naughty religions whose but yours y t will be Catholikes who haue begotten and bred them vp Howe come these yee accompt Sectaries here and by this Realme howe you Catholikes deliuered it them if al the sortes of men yee recken vp were such Sectaries and naughty men in deede as yee accompt them to be they might wel bee accompted your broode but first syr wee must desire you to take out of your heape those that you cal Protestants and Puritans They wil call no man their father I tell you vpon earth as they be taught by their onely Maister Christe for there is but one father which is in heauen for the rest the more we looke vpon thē the better wee knowe them by the face and confesse them to bee the Ghostly children of you false Catholikes they bee so like you you bee the first yee say and the auncientest But the great Dragon syr that old Serpent called the Deuil and Satan as the holie Ghost speaketh is elder and before you againe You bee the more in number The serpents seede is greatly multiplyed but the womās seede I doubte not shal matche you wel ynough not shee that is the woman herself as your 〈◊〉 translation to commonly corrupt lewdly translateth the wordes and so ouerthrowes the true sense Of the battaile victorie and this whole matter reade the Reuelation of S. Iohn namely the 12. and 13. Chap. c. In Catholikes and Sectaries wee see the Ghostly fathers and their children Goe no higher to Grandsire and great Grandsire stay your wisedome I aduise you for opening your Pedegrue to much Onely as you Catholikes haue begotten bred vp Sectaries so I pray you at this time tell vs of whome ye begate them That is let vs learne who was their mother nurse whose breasts they suckt and vnder whome so vntoward impes were brought vp To saue your honesties and to make all alike father mother children Babylon or Rome in one word I thinke will serue all if not helpe me and teach me better I speake as your Doctours teach mee Howe beneficiall you Catholikes are to Protestantes or Gospellers amongest others your hot burning charitie where they stande to your curtesie sheweth and the bloodie daies here in Christes Martyres c. did sufficientlie expresse The more beneficiall you are to all the rest that are Sectaries the worse yee deserue of this Churche You plaine in another place of lawlesse proceeding and crie out of Riot heere you say you deliuered the Realme to them that 〈◊〉 it They tooke it not then by violence nor against your willes they did you no wrong Howe this Realme hath been conserued by Catholike religion 〈◊〉 thousand yeeres and more that should you haue shewed made plaine your wordes carry an ambiguitie Poperie once and your religion as it is professed and exercised at this day is not wee tell you so olde Againe Christians as wee professe our selues to bee holding of Christe and builte vpon the Prophets and Apostles c. Fetch the antiquitie of their religion not from a thousand yeeres agoe as you pretende to doe but from a very long tune before your 1000. yeeres and so may iustlier then yours hee called the olde religion This Realme hath from time to time been conserued by Gods mercifull and fatherly prouidence and blessing by wise and vertuous Princes and their good and wholesome lawes not by your blinde superstition rather then religion Gods Churche and true Christians sometime moe sometime fewer not in this Realme but throughout the whole worlde haue receiued and conserued Christes religion heere now professed and by mee more shortly described these fifteene hundred yeeres and more that I may goe somewhat aboue your thousande yeeres euen since the Ascension of the Lorde Iesus though after a diuers manner sometime and most commonly shrouded vnder the crosse sometime otherwise according to the dispensation and wisdome of the immortal God It is wisedome safetie for you not to goe
aboue a thousand yeres but to descende for since that time Antichrist and his corruptions haue growen apace in the Churche shewed themselues and preuailed much God so punishing mens ingratitude But if yee ascende from a thousande yeeres if ye list to the beginning of the world and let Gods booke bee iudge wee shut out Aristotle your Philosophers and prophane men in this case you will finde 〈◊〉 vantage not in Auncientnesse though without trueth that were no great matter yet you will stil be found to come after behind giue vs leaue to say as he in old time said christ is my ātiquity Thus if you 〈◊〉 of y e old true religion thus must ye think thus must ye do Thus for trial we wish you to do ioining gods booke euer with antiquitie And so Let that that is first be true let that that is afterward brought in be false As one speaketh Gods holy word is afore al is aboue al 〈◊〉 than al that yee alledge or can do for proufe of your religion carying any good shew with it this is y e touchstone y t we woulde haue our religiō your religiō al religiōs in the world tried by It is a lowd lie a vile slander to reporte crie in her Maiesties eares y t such 〈◊〉 fauour is here shewed on y e one side as that other religiōs thā Christs haue been 〈◊〉 to put out their heads to grow to aduance themselues in cómon speech to moūt to pulpits without controulmét such extremitie on the other side that the verie suspicion of your religion hath not escaped vnpunished by terror of Lawes rigorous execution therof For one part those of your side and godles men among vs by raising slanders haue done what they can from time to time as you do to bring diuers godly men into discredite haue but to much preuailed with some though God hath alwaies giuen 〈◊〉 to the truth cleered innocencie What y t smart of some the whilest hath beene you dissemble euery body knoweth best where their shoe pincheth them I write not An Apologie nowe nor take not vpon mee to enter into euerie mans particular cause to maintaine or defend y t same much lesse to diffame accuse our Lawes and the executiō therof by her Maiesties Ministers I owe more reuerence to the state than so to do I only shew the vanitie of your reporte you can for your vantage finde out tel her Maiestie in this epistle of one whom Newgate possessed long time for his fantastical opinions as you 〈◊〉 speake wherfore soeuer the matter were in deed you vtter your choler nay your malice spight you cannot finde out one of your owne side so brainesicke that euen nowe writing an Apology on your behalfs taketh vpon him by expresse tearmes to confute her Maiesties late proclamations c. You cānot finde one so brainesicke that euen now being obstinately giuen to poperie 〈◊〉 one of his owne fellowes in his heate or rage rather Againe syr may you not remember if it please you of executiō done by fire vpō some in London abroade not long since for heresie which were no Papists nor of your Catholike religion as you define deuide things Was this litle or no controlement Litle surely or none in your opinion so long as it is not vpon your selues But what tragedies make you vs of fleabitings vpon any of your side which yet deserue worst both of church and cōmon wealth Ye thinke to winne by exclamatiō outcry Neuer was there any of your side yet that in her Maiesties daies and happy raigne euer suffred death or was executed for this religiō nor any other that I know for but these few I haue named yet this is y t string ye heere so much harpe on this is your argument that your religiō hath found lesse fauor tolleratiō thā any other newer sect or religiō whatsoeuer yea that the tempest hath been so terrible your persecution so vniuersal as the like was neuer felt nor heard of in England before c 4 THe lawe made by Protestants prohibiting the practise of other religions besides their owne allotteth out the same punishment to all them that doe any way vary from the publike communion booke or otherwise say seruice then is appointed there as it doth to the Catholikes for hearing or saying of a masse And although the worlde knoweth that the order set downe in that booke bee commonly broken by euery Minister at his pleasure and obserued almost no where yet small punishment hath euer insued thereof But for hearing of a Masse were it neuer so secrete or vttered by neuer so weake meanes what imprisoning what arraigning what condemning hath there beene The examples are lamentable and many fresh in memory and in diuers families will be to all posteritie miserable 5 To this nowe ifwee adde the extreeme penalties layde vpon the practise of certaine particulars in the Chatholike religion as imprisonment perpetuall losse of goods and landes and life also for refusall of an othe against my religion death for reconciling my selfe to God by my ghostly father death for giuing the supreame pastor supreame authoritie in causes of the Church death for bringing in a Crucifix in remembrance of the crucified death for bringing in a seely payre of beades a medall or an Agnus Dei in deuotion of the Lambe that tooke away my sinnes whiche penalties haue not beene layd vpon the practise of other religions your Maiestie shall easily finde to bee true so much as I haue saide which is that the Catholike religion where in wee were borne baptized and breede vp our forefathers liued died most holyly in the same hath founde lesse fauour and tolleration then any other newer sect or religion what soeuer 6 And albeit the worlde doth know howe that the great mercie and clemencie of your Maiestie hath stayed oftentimes and restrained these penalties from their execution from the ouerthrowing of diuers men whom otherwise they might and woulde haue oppressed yet notwithstanding as I haue said there want not very pitifull exāples abroad which woulde moue greatly and make to bleede that Princely and compassionable heart of your highnesse if their miseries in particular were knowen to the same especially it being in such subiectes as loued and doe loue most tenderly your Maiestie for such a cause as lieth not in them to remoue that is for their conscience and iudgement in religion ANd because to verifie your infamous lie and sclander in this behalfe you adioyne hereafter particular examples of two learned Bishoppes that are principall dealers in the high Commission for Ecclesiasticall causes vnder her Maiestie thoughe they need not my cleering to her Maiestie and the state that put them in trust yet to open your impudent vanitie and to satisfie such as be not to muche affectionate to your side for the
pretended consicence in very bad thinges Heereto yee bring so had yee neede yet all will not serue the examples of all Princes and Potentates of the worlde before Christe and since and of the very Turkes themselues and other Infidels To shewe that her Maiestie and the State deale more cruelly by Lawe heere with you then any other State bee they neuer so barbarous doe with their people and that this will bee damnable vnto them You are in great and high matters you had neede remember your selfe and you neede to haue beene beter acquainted with Kinges and Princes Estates their affaires then may be thought you be or els haue let this far fet stuff alone This geare beseemeth you your spirit wel M. Howlet and that to with her Maiestie her selfe doth it not Next if any testimonies and examples of practise bee alleadged against you of temporall punishment you turne them all ouer in saying such proceeding was against Heretikes onely which make dissention in Christ his bodie And although you prooue not the Papists to be out of that number but that they may iustly bee counted Heretikes as they bee in deede and therefore by your owne doctrine of the Princes and States that iustly so take them to be recalled and inforced by temporall punishment or restrained at the least yet to helpe your selfe as you may as though popery were the true and right Christian religion ye suppose that you haue no whit swarued from the truth but that we whom yee call Protestants haue gone from you set vp a newe religion as though we what shoulde I say wee her Maiestie the state professed or called you to any other than to Iesus Christe onely true and most auncient religion comprised and expressed in the holy scriptures or from that The end of all 〈◊〉 y t you must still doe as ye now do in abstayning from the Churche assemblies c. And by no iustice be inforced to the contrary For that if your 〈◊〉 conscience be persuaded herein ye may not doe against that though it be euill Nowe thus writeth M. Howlets authour heereof in the latter ende of the nienth reason of his treatise Neither sufficeth it to say Those suppositions are false that there are not such thinges committed against God at the Protestantes Churches and seruices for howsoeuer that bee whereof I dispute not nowe yet I being in my hearte of another religion must needs thinke not onely them but also all other religions what soeuer to commit same as I knowe they also thinke of mine 〈◊〉 how good and holy soeuer they were yea if they were angels yet shoulde I be condemned for going amongst them for that in my sight iudgement conscience by which only I must bee iudged they must needes seeme enimies to God being of the contrary religion By this it may appeare howe greeuously they sinne dayly in England and cause other to sinne with them whiche compell men by terrour to doe actes of religion against their consciences As to take othes receiue Sacraments goe to Churches the like which being done as I haue saide with repugnant consciences is horrible mortall sinne as hath byn alreadie prooued and consequently damnable both to the doers and inforcers ther of And again in the same ix reason speaking of the consciences of Infidels and Heretikes amongest many thinges hee thus writeth generally of all sortes of men If there bee no man either so foolish or impious in the world but must needes think that one only religion amongest Christians is true and all other false And if euery man which hath any religion and is resolued therin must needs presuppose this onely truth to bee in his own religion then it followeth necessarily that hee must likewise persuade him selfe that all other religions besides his owne are false and erronious and consequently all assemblies Conuenticles and publike Actes of the same to bee wicked damnable dishonourable to God contumelious to Christe and therefore to his conscience which thinketh so detestable And in another place before his reasons agreeing yet more fully plaine ly with M. How let Surely as I am now minded I woulde not for tenne thousand worldes compel a Iew to sweare that there were a blessed Trinitie For albeit the thinge bee neuer so true yet shoulde hee bee damned for swearing against his conscience and for compelling him to commit so haynous and greeuous a sinne c. I may heere charge these men that they speake of conscience very doubtfully and diuersly yea wickedly and dangerously in that they make no better distinction betweene truth and falshood good and bad a right and a wrong conscience or erronious as these men speake the resolution of God in men for their doinges and mens false persuasions reasons and resolution to common lower mens fansies and imaginations Conscience as the very worde importeth is a knowlege in vs with an addition or to speake plainer if I can it is an inward sense or feeling of god his iudgement cōcurring w t our knowledge Whereof ariseth this the testimonie of conscience or our conscience bearing vs witnesse c. Of which cōscience what force it hath to take away all excuse from men before God the Apostle disputeth Rom 2. If yee like not this I say yee shall finde that some of your owne writers take conscience doublie or two wayes sometime for that part or power of the minde that is alwayes contrary to vice and euill or alwayes accompaning that parte and then it is euer right Sometime is conscience taken for an applying of our knowledge to some action and so is it not a qualitie but an action And thus is it not alwayes good or right say they But for the purpose and matter wee haue in hand and for our instruction and guiding Besides that the very woorde and the Etymologie or discription thereof teacheth vs that conscience differeth from opinion immagination fancie vaine conceipt c. As beeing a more high and heauenly gift especiall when it is directed by God his holy worde and Spirite Wee haue further to marke the generall doctrine of the holy Ghoste set vs downe in the scriptures in vsing to our benefit or abusing to our hurt euen Gods good creatures and the note hee giueth of the force of conscience therin vnto the pure al things are pure but vnto them that are defiled vnbeleeuing is nothing pure But euen their mindes and consciences are defiled saith the Apostle and in particular he saith further That in the latter times some shall departe from the fayth and shall giue heede vnto spirites of errours and doctrines of diuelles which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hot iron or be past feeling as hee saith elswhere And in an other place yet some hauing put away good conscience as concerning fayth haue made Shipwracke And
ryot and complaine of the wrong and desire still that the matter may come to lawfull pleading And euen nowe os late since our new persecution beganne wee haue made vnto them diuers offers with great oddes not pretending thereby any recouery of our losses for that wee suppose to bee vnpossible but onely for the iustifiyng of our cause whereupon the honour of God dependeth and wherein wee knowe wee can not bee vanquished THus you amplifie iolilie w t similitude example your long possession as ye say of the Catholicke Church here in England our ryot also and violent intrusion vniust as you pretende which you call Law lesse proceeding You will by processe seeme to call vs afresh into the kings Bench when wee appeare your action will beare no lawefull plea against vs you accuse vs hotly M. Howlet but as good an Attorney or proctor and solicitor or man of lawe and counsellor as you are taken to bee in the Popes cause you shewe and proue nothing against vs in Gods or the Princes court we thanke God Ye suppose altogether for you say by our aduersaries confession that is for one part But wee say you say as yee are wont that is vntruly for your Church and religion as they bee at this day are not of a thousande yeeres antiquitie Some part of your corruptions may be so old we denie it not some part againe are of later time And heresies we tell you out of Tertullian doth not Newnesse so much argue as Truth whatsoeuer sauoureth against the truth that shall bee heresie euen olde Custome saith hee Againe your Iesuites a newe order of Religion instituted about fortie yeeres agoe or such such a thing seeme amōg vs at this day to be your greatest pillers and staies in this your new and strange proceeding and wee here can scarcely yet well tell what their religion is nor where it is grounded so lately though suddēly come they among vs but vpon an obscure fellowe your Pope Paul the thirde you tel vs is their foundation And in deed your Popish religion is such a confused Chaos and heape or a hotche potche that wee can not tell certainly what to make of it nor where to fetche a proper and full summe of the Popishe doctrine at this day and a confession of your fayth For leauing the Scriptures to bee the rule of your fayth and coyning vs still so many newe Articles vnder the name of vnwritten verities traditions the Churche c. Which the first and auncient Apostolique Church was ignoraunt of and referring vs for all to your Popes brest To bee playne we can finde no footing You take a similitude from a wise noble man and quiet possession of his Baronie many ages Bee as wise as yee may bee yet a similitude and example of a meaner and a more base and vile person than a Noble man of a Barne M. Howlet rather than a Baronie might fitlier serue to compare so corrupt a Church and rotten religion withall as is Poperie and the Popish Church But wee muste take suche as you offer vs. Your Prelates of the Cleargie that rule the Church are Lordes euen ouer Gods heritage they are Barons they must needes haue a Baronie No maruell therefore though in respect of thē and their vsing of the Churche yee liken it to a Baronie of a Noble man that hath many ages helde the same in quiet possession Or if you speake of the whole Catholike Churche in respect of the vnholy holinesse of the Pope of Romes fatherhood the matter is brought to a higher degree then a Noble man he is called our Lord God the Pope For quiet possession in deede I graunt yee helde that yee had in possession very quietly made as sure as you coulde not to bee vnquieted in your Palaces But a stronger thanks be to god came vpon you your god Prince to I meane the Pope Satan ouercame you took away your armour wherein you trusted c. For the vnfitnesse of your similitude I tell you first that if you liken your selues to a Noble man you must then liken the true Church to anothers and not to the Noble mans owne Baronie for that wee holde agreeable to the Scriptures that the Churche so likened can bee called no mans but Gods or Christs Baronie onely In title of lande Sir c. where prescription of time beareth great sway many ages of quiet possession be a great stay to Noble mens Baronies or others holdes especially where euidence and writinges by sundrie casualities may bee missing In religion that I may giue a further taste of your vnlikelie likelyhood and vnproper example the case is nothing like For authoritie of religion is not to bee esteemed by time saith one That which is true is not too late And y t good father again saith y e heathē say That that is first cannot be false As though antiquitie old custome may preiudice the truth But M. Howlet in going no higher for the age of your religion thē a 1000. yeeres and talking to vs of quiet possessiō of many ages since that time wee answere you first that our religion was aboue 500. yeere olde before yours came into the worlde or your Pope were hatcht supposing you kept quiet possession as you pretende nowe a 1000. yeeres For wee fetche ours from Christe and his Apostles who had lawfull possession of the Baronie yee talke of aboue halfe a 1000. yeeres before you came to possession thereof And if you will marke well those halfe thousande yeres before were the beter and more free from forgerie and corruption and therefore woulde bee more regarded But nowe I pray you tell vs how you entred into possessiō of y e Catholike Churche a thousande yeeres agoe For by inheritance once we denie that it came vnto you or by discent If there may be any lawfull conueighance thought of the best 〈◊〉 I see yee can with any probabilitie alleadge for the possession that your Cleargie euer had of this Baronie meaning thereby the true Church of Christe was that they helde the same but as Tenaunts and that tenants at will too standing vpon their good behauiour to continue or to bee cast out The Noble man himselfe the only Lorde and Baron that I may so speake of this Baronie is aliue his Baronie only may the true Church bee called If you meane that in this similitude neither yours nor any mortall mans besides Howeuer therefore you haue holden the Catholike Churche that way you haue beene but too long vniust possessors and so lost you nothing that was your owne when vppon misbehauiour you were by Gods lawfull Minister our dreead Soueraigne therein thrust out of possession of this true Church here as you were once before within mans remembrance about xl yeeres since So then this Baronie the Church heere is now the second time to Gods glory and our inestimable benefite lawefully taken from you
a course in one parte that you quite leaue out the two other I wot not well howe it will agree with the Rhetorike Schooles about you nor what libertie you Orators nowe a dayes take to your selues and therefore I will leaue it sauing that mee thinkes your friende M. Howlet who is most like to bee the Poste or Messenger ye talke of might haue forborne the printing of an vnperfect worke or haue beene better aduised then to haue Dedicated the same at least to such a Personage as is her Maiestie But we might stay well enough for the other two partes this point to confirme or obstinate and poyson rather her Maicsties subiectes was so necessarie that it was to bee hastened This was the Resolution of your wise heades Yee are a Societie I must suppose all is done by consent Besides I see M. Howlet in his Epistle Dedicatorie to her Maiestie hath entred into the seconde parte of his fellowes Diuision as the same is reported vnto vs in the excuse that is made in the latter ende of the booke for though he haue omitted to treat of Instant and feruent Prayer to Almightie God very necessarie for all Christians and namely for him and his felowes that they may doe better then they doe he taketh vpō him bolde recourse vnto the Queenes Maiestie for tolleration in their corrupte religion and he is busie with his Authours Motiues c. which is the seconde promised parte It had beene better he had been more occupied in that hee hath left out of this seconde part of the Diuision and to haue exhorted his Catholiks to obediēce to her maiesty our most dread soueraine This had beene a very necessarie point in deede for such of his secte as are here giuen to sedition and rebellion among vs. Once while it is sayde that the Authour meaneth to this pointe to exhorte many mischiefes by that ūde there while are among vs wrought God amende them or cut them more short I will not charge M. Howlet heere with iniurie doyng in preuenting his fellowe because it is likely all is done by compact agreement among them It may seeme as thinges fall out that all this excuse of omitting the two latter partes is but a flourishe and the promise but a meere pretence If health and leasure shall permit he promiseth to finishe the rest but I am hardely perswaded that his health and leasure will in these dayes serue him to perfourme so good an office being so directly contrarie to the profession of their Popish religion seeing especially it hath lost so good a place as to haue gone first or to haue been the foundation of the Supplication to her Maiestie A great oportunitie and occasion lost But least I seeme to dispayre of them I pray God this peece of true obedience to her Maiestie may bee thought of and wrote of by these hot Catholikes But y t it may bee done with better conscience more stedfastnes then hee that in Latin wrote of true obediēce in her maiesties fathers dayes the most famous renoumed prince of blessed memory K. Henrye the eight or he y t set the preface before it who both of thē when time afterwarde serued shamelessy reuoked that they had done and returning to their vomite most cruelly persecuted Gods people their brethrē for in y t matter y t they had before professed them selues and published to the worlde they shewed themselues without all conscience time seruers onely c. If to seeke to disturbe and molest by Rebellion their Lords and Princes be the custome of Heretikes and Sectaries of our time then with vs are the Papistes such here who followe that trade with her Maiestie and this State right If Subiectes bee bounde patiently to beare and to obey howe hardely so euer their Princes shall deale with them vnder payne of deadly sinne and damnation as these men in fayre wordes will seeme to professe howe cōmes it then to passe they take vp the sword against their our noble Queene Elizabeth Again if English men owe true obedience to her Maiestie for consciēce sake euen as to God himself why do not papistes render it then If it appertaine not to subiectes to iudge whether their Princes rule well or not as they say why iudge they the whole matter so violently against her Maiestie Why do other iustifie the same by wryting yea why procure they their Popes most traiterous bulles to be published and sent ouer hither why come they not home and liue like quiet Subiectes words are winde all is but words wind Let thē declame as lōg as loudlie as they will hardly wil they be euer able to wash away this blot Now come I to the authours necessarie supposition as he calleth it and the two sortes of Catholikes that hee nameth where he deuideth badly still for he telleth vs There are to sortes of Catholikes in England And when he hath done maketh vs three before he come to his Reasons One sorte for the iustifiyng of whom he wrote his Treatise Another sorte for the reforming of whom hee wrote the same And the third sort of very bad Catholikes whom he accounteth damned men in this life So where he telleth vs there are here two sorts of Catholikes we finde three as we find but one parte of his treatise where he promised three this is scholasticall and Orator like with these men Let vs heare what he sayth But first of all is to be noted that my reasons to the end they may conuince are to be supposed to proceede from a catholike minde that is from a man which in his conscience is throughly petsuaded that onely the catholike Romane religion is trueth and that all other newe doctrines and religions are false religions as all newe Gods are false Gods c. First your supposition is ambiguous doubtfull and captious by reason you do not plainely and particularly enough expresse in the first part what the Catholike Romane religion is which you say is onely trueth when you oppose all other doctrines and religions which you say are false to the Romane religion you call them newe So as some man might thinke ye talked in the first parte of y e true christian religion groūded vpon the doctrine of the prophets and Apostles and comprised in the canonicall Scriptures of Gods holy Byble which indeede is the onely Truth and the old religion And this is the very same her maiestie and we her subiects heere professe in the church of england and is elsewhere professed by those that are termed Gospellers Protestants c whom you yet account and call heretikes and their religion A newe doctrine and religion Wee call this our religion not in captious and doubtefull terme the Catholike Romane religion or which we might with as muche right as you do the Catholike English religion but simply and plainly of the Authours Gods and Christs true religion Or if you wil insteede of
Rome and Romane which be particular wordes restraining the word Catholike wee are content to call it with your fellowe M. Howlet in his EPISTLE DEDICATORIE the Christian Catholike Religion or the holy catholike and Apostolike Religion of the first Instrumentes and Planters thereof as wee see set vs downe in their writinges or such like speech for the knowledge distinction and triall of our religion we refuse not We are not wedded to one forme of words in that that may be diuersely expressed as in time and with time tearmes and speeches that for a time serue men varie but we woulde auoide cloudie ambiguitie in speech if this I haue now spoken of be the true religion ye receiue embrace and beeleeue we doe so with you and you with vs that is wee agree But vnderstand withall that hereby we ouerthrowe all Poperie and Popish religion as we doe Anabaptistrie and all other false religions whatsoeuer deuised and erected by men not warranted by Gods holy written worde call ye the same Romane Italian Germane French Spanish English Scottish or what else you will where and of whome soeuer it be professed all is one either it is that I haue here shortly described or els it is false and naught The true and Christian catholike religion is not tyed to any certaine place person or time but belongeth indifferently to all the Faithful in al ages and in all places eyther therfore tel vs whether you meane by the catho like Romane religion that Religion which the faithful people dwelling at Rome helde in the time of the Apostles To whom S. Paule the Apostle of vs Gentiles and so of the Romanes wrote the epistle extant and entituled to the Romanes as he did diuers other to particular churches of y e Gentiles as y t thē was hauing yet beleeuing Iewes among them Or if you take it other wise make y e religiō you meane first agree with that religion which those Romanes then helde and were instructed in which was all one with that of the Ephesians Phillipians Thessalonians and other Churches planted by the Apostles and with ours now or ours rather is one with theirs the which is expressed vnto vs in their writinges whereto we sticke and not to the places and people or persons that haue succeeded which all haue greatly swarued since frō y t they then were Or else if you like not to call your religion to this triall keepe your supposition to your selfe as false til you haue prooued the matter for we cannot to be plain w t you nor we may not receiue the Romane religion as it is at this day and hath beene now some hundreths of yeres for the Truth much lesse for y e only truth vnlesse we mind withal to quite abandō God his eternal Truth expressed vnto vs as his reuealed will that is in the canonicall Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament which is commonly called The holy byble as directly contrary to your Romane and Popish religion at this day as white is to black Truth to Falshood Christ to Antichrist God to the Diuell wherof let that booke be the iudge betweene vs. Looke whose religion that booke will iustifie looke whose it will condemne that doe we likewise iustifie or condemne by what name soeuer it be called what coulour or shewe soeuer bee set vppon it wee must bring it to that triall It is not the name of traditions It is not vnwritten verities It is not multitude c which be the props and pillers of your Romane church and religion that can call vs from the infallible written Truth of God howeuer therefore your glosed and false supposition maye satisfie your side or serue a glosed and false religion it cannot serue this church and state you may not looke to haue it by and by receiued of the Queenes most excellent maiestie of the honourable Lordes of her priuie counsaile and other the godly learned wise of englād You might think y t could not nor would not perswade so godly and honourable personages that is meeter for the ignorant sort and fooles you must lay a better foundatiō you must bring better euidence before your Reasons can conuince Suppositions shoulde be certaine principles and euident truthes not so manifest falshoode as this is to be receiued without proofe wee can not suppose at least we cannot knowe that is not I wishe therefore ye had trauailed in proouing this captious and false supposition that after your reasons might haue come the better to their effect end of cōuincing or we seen your feeble weakenes in your cause But that you were not able to perfourme you thought best to suppose and occupie your selfe in flourishing with shew of 〈◊〉 reasons groūded on false principles rather then forciblye to prooue or to reason soundly But Aristotle could haue tolde you that in Art of reasoning thus to doe is to make a Paralogisme or in plainer english to speake it is a kinde of iugling and of false and naughtie dealing Suppose not that the Romane religion as it is at this day is the onely old religion and all other newe The religion we professe is as truer so older than your newe Romane religion As Christ his Apostles and their writings are before those vpon whom and whose writings you would haue vs to depend It may bee in some kinde that your olde vesselles be not fit to receiue this newe 〈◊〉 If the vessels breake though the wine be spilt yet the vessels perish I counsaile you therefore to bring newe vessels and newe heartes that the newe wine beeing put into newe vessels both may be preserued rather then that you abhorre and reiect the newe wine because it agreeth not with your olde leaking vessels An olde ragged coate An olde rotten tree An old decayed house c. If you will needs sticke vpon old and newe are not the best and moste to bee commended you knowe Please not your selfe therefore so much in these tearmes But leaue them and goe to the matter Let Gods booke still I say be iudge betweene vs for the thinges you bring foorth and the thinges we bring and there an end Wee purpose and hope for religion to liue and dye with that booke For your Catholikes you say there are two sortes and yet if I can iudge ought yee make three first you tell vs of such as be so wicked and their case so damnable as yee minde not to intreate of them then you tell vs of another sort of Catholikes for whome this Treatise was made to reforme their persuasion builded as you say only vppon their owne fantasie Yee might as well haue vsed your owne phrase of Conscience if it had pleased you though indeede for abusing the good worde of conscience false persuasiō or fancy were euerie where fitter for you all in your profession Thirdly you make yet an other sort of catholikes besides these two and them you call the onely true Catholikes which
of our Religon and to better agree with Papistes and Poperie then with the Gospel of Christ. Puritans as it pleaseth you Papists to call some here are by you expounded in this Treatise to be the hotter sort of Protestants So that here be but two sortes of Protestants and this is the difference yee make Of Protestants some here are hotter and some are colder and yet neyther sinne against the holy Ghost Are these diuers in Religion Then I pray you make the like of you Catholikes as you will be called for some of you are hot some are colde some Puritan Catholikes of y t hotter and better sort as ye say Some other more conformable men as you here speake And so of colde Catholikes yee tell vs in another place of your booke Adde the contrary difference and ye shal find a sort of hot Catholikes too Or else if you wil make three sortes of Catholiks heere in Englande as you nowe expresse vs and so one sort more then you make of Protestants When you haue reconciled your selues in opinions Then will it bee time enough for you to talke of great diuision among vs here in Religion for some difference in opinion that is founde among vs which you count an insolluble argument of your side against vs and yet may easily you see bee turned on your owne heades Your three sortes of Catholikes that I say you here expresse thus doe I set downe taking the same from your owne woordes The Catholikes that are in this wryting iustified onely are suche as iudge all other Religions false erroneous and damnable besides their owne whiche they call the Catholike Roman religion This is one point common to al Catholiks true false one and other With all these iudge all perticipation with the religion here professed in deede worde or shewe by othe by sacramentes c. naught forbidden and vnlawfull Another or the seconde point not so common to all herevppon by no meanes will they admit or consent to communicate with the same This is the thirde and last point proper to true Catholiks as you call them M. Howlet the authour of this Treatise and such like bee of this first sort of Catholiks There are made another sort of Catholikes that are said to agree with these in the two first pointes disagreeing from them in the thirde onely And yet these that agree so well with them in opinion and dissent from them in doing onely and that as they speake for feare or some worldely respect the former Catholikes so abhorre and detest that they pronounce these yet aliue in God his prouidence dead and damned in hell They are priuie to their consciences they knowe who shal goe thither nay they sende at pleasure whome they liste they leaue these men without comforte or hope of pardon and esteeme them no Christians much lesse Catholikes so hee here pronounceth of them Of the thirde sorte I speake after in his place that agree with the first onely in one and the first of the three pointes disagreeing in the other two pointes These seconde Catholikes in the meane while aduise I thus Take heed to your selues all y t at this day liue in Englande and be in heart of the Romishe religion or haue to these your ghostly fathers by shrifte or other wise shewed your selues to bee such finding your selues in this seconde ranke of Catholikes prouide for your selues I counsell you it standeth you in hande once for you are shutte out of doores for euer from the communion of the Church of Rome in this life and are firebrandes appointed by Gods prouidence to hell in the worlde to come by definitiue sentence while yee yet liue here your Maister of whom you haue learned your religion and who best knoweth as seemeth your heartes and consciences and the nomber of you speaketh thus telling vs there bee very many such in Englande though we hardly beleeue him you must suppose whyle you holde you to that Religion that this is the Sentence of the Pope of Rome and so of the Catholique Churche and of GOD him selfe in heauen immutable and vnreuocable neuer to bee forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come This is true if God be not vntrue sayth this Catholike M. Alas poore men and women Consider in time into what extremitie and miserie yee are thrust by those whome yee holde of and whome ye haue taken all this while to be your good friendes I pittie your harde case I assure you It greeueth mee to heare tell of your eternall damnation in hell fire They talke of the case of perplexitie wherein men are sometime wrapped But here men are tumbled and wrapped in a harder case by this religion if harder may be for dispensation with them might serue where men be forced or by necessitie driuen to choose and doe euill as they can speake here is no hope of any they are alreadie paste all recouery in their determination GOD giue poore soules grace to consider this geare at the heart Leauing the maze of Poperie I will nowe endeuour to speake out of Gods booke some what better to your comfort good heartes that yee may see the difference betweene the Gospell aud Poperie our Religion and that bee it neuer so vnholie will needes bee called Catholique They vngodly and vncharitably 〈◊〉 you and driue you with maine force into dispaire for euer Salue it vp as they can we call you we comfort you we stretch out our armes to imbrace you God rather sending vs to preache the Gospell to cal sinners to repentance by vs as his instrumēts doth this for you but marke well howe to repentance I say and in y t Christ Iesu doth god and wee call you Be not deceiued in assuring you in Gods name as we are bounde of pardon for all the sinnes that ye haue euer heretofore committed frō the beginning We bring you no pardon frō Rome nor from the Pope of which you see your selues to be out of al hope by those your Ghostly fathers iudgement that were sent came hyther to reconcile true catholikes as they speake to the Pope you are none of them they tell you nowe the resolute truth with thē and their conscience If they speake otherwise hereafter neuer beleeue them that pretending conscience speake this without all conscience But wee tell you out of Gods word there is yet some hope and comfort for you so you will leaue that Popish religion and betake your selues to the profession of the Gospel of Christ turning from your sinnes and transgressions into the way of righteousnesse Hearken heare and beleeue vs we wil not speake vnto you our owne imaginations and fancies and call them our conscience and truth But we bring you the worde of the eternall God and his reuealed will and truth which is this that as he liueth he desireth not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way liue
this Treatile for them and take paynes to set downe Reasons for the due reforming of them being in better hope then of the former but if all thinges bee well considered there will bee found falshood in felowship and very hollow dealing You cut them off from you and yet you woulde fayne holde them in still what opinion you hot Catholikes haue of all besides your selues euen such of your owne side whom ye speake farest vnto let me be bolde shortly to giue here a taste Generally you count no better of all them that goe to Churche heere for what respect soeuer other then such as the Pope will allowe whereof you speake and we shall see more in your qualifications afterwardes then of Apostataes renouncers of the Catholike religion perfidious betrayers of Gods Catholike cause traytours to God no Christians Heathen men and Publicanes c. And yet good sir all these as badde as they bee are byrdes of one feather and one neste Schollers of your owne teaching and none of our religion yea they defie it as you suppose hollowe geare still and nothing but hollowe Catholikes All the Catholikes in Englande that goe to Church directly denie their religion yea the yeelding therein is a flatte and euident denying of God and of his fayth And yet they remaine be accounted Catholiks stil what a religion call you that wherein men may denie not onely their religion but God and his fayth too and yet be of the religion stil Your Catholikes you speake of be such yet bee they in your heape still that is Catholikes and of the Catholike Religion They bee out of the Church so without hope of Saluation Scismatikes excommunicate persons and yet Catholiks still and of no other religion A good religion sure and a commendable is that they holde who bee Atheists and godlesse men in your opinion if they be not which directly and slatly renounce God and his fayth and yet iudge all other religions false and erronious besides their owne opinion and will neuerthelesse communicate with the same for some worldly respect and condenme other that will not doe as they doe Nowe if Athiests c. bee Catholikes I can not tell what to make of you Catholikes you bee neyther fishe nor fleshe nor yet I weene good redde hering as they say the wrong and perillous perswaūon that these men are sayde here to bee in builded onely on their owne fantasie may beseeme a fantasticall religion not grounded on Gods woorde but on vnwrttten verities traditions doctrines of men custom multitude c. as popery is Litle reformatiō as hithetto may serue such a deformed religion for these two sortes of Catholikes as you call them wee thinke yee doe in the one as in the other that is but imagine and goe all by supposition it is your Clearklie dealing whereof you heare what I say The aduise that I can giue them is that they leaue not only that perillous perswasion of communicating with contrary Religions but also and principally their Popery and the opinion they haue of that religion which as the rest is builded onely on fantasie Nowe haue wee viewed your Catholikes that you haue set vs here downe agreeing all in Poperie though but ill fauouredly and among them selues also hardely if your reasons following proceede from such a Catholike minde as you haue described vs in these men surely they are hollowe and can carrie no great waight with them with such as liue here in her maiesties dominions I verily think they can litle or nothing at all preuaile if they haue especially any wisedome or feare of God before their eyes for them y t being in heart of your religion do cleane contrary thervnto I wot not howe easily they will be led by you but surely if they will depende vppon God and his woorde they neede neither feare your threates nor regarde your Reasons for any value or waight that is in the same But before I enter into the particular examination of your nine Reasons hauing respect to the rude and simple sort I wil make bolde to set downe a reason contrary vnto yours whereby I meane to shewe that all men here liuing if they bee not too farre gone are bounde to haunt Church assemblies and the exercises of Religion vsed among vs. And yet before I set downe my reason both for the iust defence and cleering of her Maiestie and the State heere against such quarelpikers as you be And also for y t better satisfiyng of all her Maiesties duetifull subiectes and people I say to gods glory y t her maiestie y t state haue not pretēded to renounce Poperie a hollowe and rotten religion grounded vpon whatsoeuer not vppon Gods holie worde surely contayned in the Canonicall Scriptures as at this day is cleare to all that haue eyes to see to establishe another Religion though not so badde as Poperie yet not auowable deuised eyther by her selfe or by any other men but professeth to set vp the onely true religion of Iesus Christ taken out of the Scriptures Her Maiestie and the State haue and doe declare to the worlde dayly that in steede of mens inuentions and glorious shewes or voluntary Religion and will woorship as the Apostle noteth Superstition Shee and they esteeme the worde of God alone to bee the foundation of true religion The Apologie of this Church of Englande The Articles of religion set foorth by publike authoritie and suche other writings doe sufficiently proue this godly purpose and meaning and euen of late in the proclamation for the recalling home of her Maiesties subiectes from beyonde the seas c. is the same by expresse words mencioned None though the Papistes and enemies woulde make the worlde beleeue so are here called to the King and Queenes religion but with her Maiestie all degrees and persons are called to Gods and Christes true religion onely which shee with her people professeth Actes of Parliament and Statutes are not set into Churches in steade of Masse bookes Grayles Legends Portuises Images c. But the Sacred Byble the booke of the High and Immortall God of Heauen faithfully translated into the mother tongue to be read expounded heard and vnderstood of all to the vnspeakable comfort her Maiesties Ciuill Ministers As counsellers Judges Justices and so forth are not the Churche Ministers but spiritual Pastors and Teachers which are and by faithfull preaching ought to shewe themselues to bee the faythfull Ministers of Christ Iesus the Prince of Pastours or Shepheard and Byshop of our Soules Her Maiestie hath not taken away the Popes Antichristian office and vsurped tytle here to set her selfe in his place nor to take on the other side Christes office in hande or to infeoffe her selfe of his titles who leaueth euen to Christs Ministers their proper functions and charges whole of preaching the worde administring the Sacraments publike prayer Church discipline how euer this wrangler and his fellowes would beare the worlde in hande
else must he heare from vs that whiche the Galatians 〈◊〉 themselues amisse sometimes 〈◊〉 from S. Paule This perswasion is not of him that calleth you c. Or to shewe the vanitie of the reason in an example of his owne alleadged here Let vs propounde that If dame Eue saith hee had not presumed to heare the serpent talke shee had not beene beguiled But if shee say I delighting in the tree forbidden to satisfie her eye and desire had not perswaded her selfe that the Serpentes talke had beene the trueth and so perswading her husbande also to leaue the truth of Gods worde to beleeue fansie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lie brought him to obey her voice as shee did the Serpents they had not eaten of the fruite for bidden and so had not wrapped themselues and vs in miserie Then the neerer cause and Reason whereby both Adam and Eue were beguiled and the more proper that we neede not run farre off was the false perswasion they had and admitted vpon the Serpents talke against Gods expressed woorde and commandement whiche to make like your reason thus I 〈◊〉 Dame Eue perswading her selfe the tree was good for meate and to be desired to get knowledge and her husbande by her meanes the like might not venture to lacke lease so great a good benefite or might not venture 〈◊〉 do the contrary which shee he perswaded themselues was euill to them Adde you the rest if ye like to make this a good Reason for I answer you that it is very like to yours and all one in effect which is grounded likewise vpon 〈◊〉 and that a false vaine and dangerous 〈◊〉 contrary to the truth the scriptures phrase 〈◊〉 this case is good I am perswaded through the Lord c. In religion let vs learne to speake religiously with this religious Apostle c. Remember I pray you that I am the answerer and if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee can proue no better then thus I suppose ye knowe the order of the Schooles you may be 〈◊〉 answered for all the great bragges bee made of your dexteritie and skill in briefe scholasticall arguments Because you are such a Reasoner to conuince and so great bragges is made of this Treatise besides you say your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire 〈◊〉 is onely to giue some 〈◊〉 to them in Englande especially to her Maiestie the right honourable her counsel the learned and wise in Englande c. I aske of you ouer and aboue that I haue sayde to M. Howlet your fellow when you will make this a good syllogisme or Reason you know what I meane to conuince or to satisfie any y t is of a contrary iudgemēt vnto you I say not her highnes her graue and honorable wise coūsellers which are not so easily led as you in your muses and studdes imagin but any meane learned man of a contrary religion vnlesse one will suppose and imagine your propositions to be principles as your 〈◊〉 doth so doubte of nothing ye say or let your proofe bee an asking of the principle which is Sophistrie and no good Logique Let your compagnions and fellowes tell you what they will or let this argument and reason serue those that are already perswaded in your false religion and so neede no Reasons to conuince them Summe bragge or crowe like a Cocke vpon your owne dunghill as much as ye will I that 〈◊〉 but a simple rude man not many a day of any Uniuersitie and so not comparable with the learned and freshe Uniuersitie disputers will yet boldely heere make you this offer that keeping your propositions if you make not an Elench or fallacion of this I may say the like in the rest that is a starke naughtie Reason or a badde Syllogisiue consisting onely of particulars or of foure termes as they speake c. Briefely if you make in good mode and figure to prooue and conuince by not faultie in matter or fourme or in both let me be the answerer and I will yeelde you the whole cause You heare a playne mans offer Buckle your selfe to it take the vantage but it wil make you sweat ere you come to the end or can perfourme it you must seeke a newe midle terme as they speake in Schooles and newe propositions to confirme and proue your 〈◊〉 or else 〈◊〉 with your owne fellowes onely and stay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supposition but howe euer they easily yeelde to false propositions and 〈◊〉 wee can not suppose falshod to bee Truth and 〈◊〉 falshod And sure then can not 〈◊〉 proceede in reasoning against vs to conclude that you woulde haue false propositions wee can not nor will not admit True will not serue your turne you knowe the Logique rule Truth can not proue falshod wee can defende easily enough against all Sophistrie in the worlde that the Crowe is blacke and not white And thankes bee vnto God for his vnspeakeable gyft as it is harde for you to proue Poperie to be the truth and Popishe religion to bee the true Catholique religion So is it on the other side easie for vs to mayntayne and cleare the truth and the profession of the Gospel against all your cauilling Reasons So as one might 〈◊〉 at your impudencie and with what faces you dare presume to make your great bragges and chalenges in these learned dayes But you are knowne well enough you dare doe what you 〈◊〉 to doe and pretend one thing and meane another I am the bolder at the entrance here to mention this that the reader may knowe what he shall 〈◊〉 if hee list to enter into examination of your 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 we see the foundation of your first Reason howe darkely it is layed vpon a false perswasion whereof if the reader list to heare farder what I say he must haue 〈◊〉 to that I haue written ther of against M. Howlet before and you all touching erronious conscience and the bonde thereof Though the foundation of this Reason thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may bee seene that it can not 〈◊〉 yet let 〈◊〉 heare what this Reasoner sayth therof further Hauing 〈◊〉 himselfe our doctrine to bee false and consequently venemous to the hearer and so may not venture his soule to be infected He rendreth a reason to conuince and proue I trowe For saith hee as it is damnable for a man to kil himselfe and consequently deadly 〈◊〉 without iust cause to put his body in 〈◊〉 danger of death so is it much more offensiue to God to put my soule ten thousande times of more value then my body in danger to the deadly stroke of false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Note this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth wel to set his marginal note to expresse his meaning we might else by his much more haue iudged it to haue beene a comparison and so taken from another place in Logique whereby thinges greater lesse or equall bee compared together But let that goe for the forme and kinde of
dealing both of the state and them let vs heare what your Authour and friende in this Treatise ye present to her Maiestie saieth hereof When a Catholike doth come before the Commissioners there is nothing asked of him but when hee was at Church and if he will promise to goe to Church commonly they accompt him a sufficient conformable man that is to haue yeelded sufficiently vnto them Here is rigorous execution Is there not I pray you here is great extremitie cause hatefully and contemptuously to quote in your margēt M. Couper M Elmer Ah M. Howlet what shoulde I say God giue you his grace and make you an honest man Againe sediciously and deuilishly comparing the high Priests and Magistrats of Iurie with this state and likening their proceeding to a sweete charme Thus he writeth in text and margent What if the high Priestes and Magistrates shoulde haue saide vnto them well we are content that you liue with your conscience so you kepe it to your selues and trouble not the state so that you will for obedience sake some time come to our Synagogues shewing your selues comformable men to our proceedings Nay what if they shold haue said some of you also for outward shew keeping alwaies your cōsciēces to your selues must flee this odious name of Christians seeme to cōmunicate now thē with vs in our sacrifices ceremonies we are cōtēt also that som of you shalbe our officers iustices of peace coūsellers the like so that you will somtimes for orders sake punish some of those indiscret fellows of your religiō which can not be contēted to keep their cōsciences to thēselues so you wil also giue some prety sharpe charge in your circuites sessiōs assēblies alwais keping your cōsciēces to your selues if some of you also wil somtimes step vp into the pulpet and speake three or foure earnest words against this religion it shalbe very gratful vnto vs especially if you wil affirme it with an othe which wee haue deuised for y e same purpose this doing we assure you that you shall liue quietly to your own cōsciēces we shal accoūt you for good subiects If I say y e Magistrats of Iury at that time shold haue giuē to the apostls other christiās this sweet charme do you think that they cold haue abidē to heare it al out whose hearts did rise swel at two words only that they spoke for the intreating of them to holde their peace Heere is good gentle stuffe But sweet charmes terrible tempests such persecution as neuer was felt nor hearde tell of in Englād before Her royall Maiestie her vpright laws against popery other such false religiōs her graue wise godly Counsellors y e ministers of her Maiesties Iaws with other of the state here neither feare nor regarde your false accusations nor your impudent slanders they can not reach to come nere thē they pitie rather your wāt of discrettō modestie y t I say no more You can not accuse or charge her 〈◊〉 Iaws or y e ministers therof but you touch her honour too nere who giueth her royall assent to all lawes here made her Maiesties Iawes counsellors ministers w t better accord draw all in one line one way then you seeme to allow or like of That her maiestie in y t sight of all y e world as you confesse hath shewed you so great mercy clemency that doeth but encrease your debt dutie and aggrauate your fault y e more who so vnkindly vnnaturally recompence her highnesse great goodnes by withdrawing your selues from y e alleagians obedience which you owe to God her Maiestie which shee requireth also at your handes duty bindeth you to perfourme you pay couer all w t faire flattering wordes dissimulation nothing else commeth from you to her Maiestie It hath bin of her Maiesties godly inclination and good nature not of your deserts y t 〈◊〉 hath so oftē pardoned so long forborne you She hath not nor doth not ouerthrow nor alter her good laws prouided against poperie and treason If you be not too too obstinate miserable let former clemency moue you to amende els take things as they fall out her Maiesties laws the penalties thereof stand not for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abuse not your self other M. Howlet To sean pollitique lawes y e execution therof is not our profession yours I meane as I take it mine Their godly wisedomes y t make execute y t lawes ye now plaine of are aboue our reach you take too much vpō you being a priuate man not of counsel of making these lawes so vndutifully to checke cōtroule y e same you might like a good obedient subiect take heede of incurring the penalty consider by y e execution therof y t the end was to represse popery massing c. If you will not heare my counsell you might heare your owne fellowe in his discourse or your selfe in y e latter ende of the discourse which for y e most part thereof is twise set down for failing That the catholike Church hath alwaies taught her childrē that how hardly so euer their prince shold deale with them yet are they boūd to beare it patiently to obey him for consciēce sake as substitute of God placed in that roome for their punishmēt if they rule not wel w e 〈◊〉 not to the subiect to iudge of You loue to tel what y e catholik church 〈◊〉 therby shew y t y e Popish church is not y t true catholike church you come not frō the Pope of Rome hither w t this lesson you haue another cōmission There was little space of time betweene the ariual of the Italian Romish souldiers in Ireland and the flight hither of such spirituall birdes 〈◊〉 the Pope as you are your chalenges and bookes were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this treatise as fast as mightbe afterward published iwis you might if it so pleasd you aforde as much reuerēce in truth to her 〈◊〉 the ciuill state vnder God in gouerning y e cōmon welth outwardly as you doe in the false Hier archie to your Popish 〈◊〉 c. with commanding authoritie laying vpon 〈◊〉 obedience with necessitie Your malapert importunitie hath drawen and 〈◊〉 mee of duty zeale to speake thus farre for clearing defence of her maiesties wholsome iawes the execution thereof by her ministers rather then y t any need required the same except it be in respect of y e simpler sort And yet M. Howlet let me be bold to tell you that euen in this place where you so inueighe agaynst the terreur of lawes against your religion yee iustifie greatly the moderation and equitie of her Maiesties lawes and cannot denie but there hath been to great mildenesse vsed towards you in respect of the naughtines of your religion thus you say
Pope as it was Himself also to plaine of that matter by his Embassadour in the Councell at Lions to represse the Popes Legate in this land 〈◊〉 were the Popes exactions here then What demeanour of Pope and popelinges was that towardes King Henrie the second before to take his Crowne from his head and so villanously to vse him in maintenance and defence of a villanous traitours cause as is reported I doe but occasion the Reader to consider of the hurly burlies of this false Catholike Churche and religion What was that demeanour to excommunicate King John to discharge his subiects of the oth of allegeance to stirre vp warre against him and at lengthto bereaue the King both of kingdome and life after hee had giuen his wicked definitiue sentence that hee shoulde bee deposed from his estate and had enioyned the execution thereof to y t French King for remissiō of his sinnes tohaue for his rewarde the kingdome of Englande he and his successours for euer Hee called this king Iohn his Vassall or tenant for y t after the Pope by his Legate 〈◊〉 phus had taken the Kinges Crowne into his hande once the good King coulde no other wise after inioy it but that hee must acknowledge that hee and his heires must receiue the same from the Pope This dealing of Pope Innocentius against King John may not bee thought strange for that in a solemne Councell helde vnder him at Rome we finde it decreed that if a Temporall Lorde being admonished by the Church doeneglect to purge his lande from heresie wee knowe what they called heresie then he shoulde bee excommunicated by the Metropolitane and the other Bishops of his Prouince and if he refused to make satisfaction within a yeere it shoulde bee signified to the Pope that hee from thence foorth shoulde pronounce his Subiectes to be free from keeping or yeelding fidelitie to such a temporall Lorde should expose his land to be inuaded by Catholik es To come nearer home and to speake of that most mightie Prince of famous memorie King Henrie the eight within mans remembrance what demeanour and proceeding was vsed in cursing excommunicating and suche like styrre keeping to disturbe that victorious King of Englande and the State of the whole Realme For our liege Ladie and dread Soueraigne most high and noble Queene Elizabeth what and howe many thinges haue beene attempted and howe many wayes also and yet still are the thing is freshe and common the rebellions so late in memorie the dayly practises and attemptes by Gods Prouidence so reuealed and met withal as I think yee can haue no face to stande in the deniall though your Epistle blushe not Shortly to say What Englishman soeuer borne in this Realme shall denie the superioritie or refuse to submit him selfe vpon the grounde of his faith giuen to the Pope of his Popish or Romane religion vnder the power authoritie and ciuill gouernement of our dread Soueraigne and Iawfull Queene Elizabeth as Gods Lieuetenant or chiefe minister be he Apostle Euangelist Prophet or whosoeuer and howsoeuer els yee list to call him in resisting the order and ordinance of G O D hee is to bee reputed of all men Gods enimie and no good Christian but a very naughtie man in so doing c. But suche are your English Romane or hot Catholikes as her Maiestie and the State chargeth you and all the worlde seeth and you your selues dissemble not in allowing your Popes Bulles and other writinges therevppon grounded agreeable thereto and in your ouuert and open dealinges whereof may easily bee gathered what maner of men yee are to be reputed towards God and the world although I hope well in God that there bee not many such heere in England Yf because you bee disputers yee aske Scholasticall argumentes and yet if one argue with you out of the scriptures you make little account thereof thinking the bare Scriptures so can yee speake too sclender stuffe to conuince you withall Therefore grounding vpon your owne doctrine which is of more waight with you and vppon the lawe of this Realme which decideth cases of Treason here I purpose God before to prooue some what further this way Albeit I must suppose that you bee not ignoraunt of the pointes of your owne doctrine and that true hearted Englishmen knowe the Soueraigntie of our Prince and Queene and so their duties towardes her Maiestie taught them first in Gods worde and afterwarde expressed heere further by the lawes of this Realme in Acts of Parliament c Yet hauing layed the one and the other as the foundation of the arguments that I minde to make you Let mee so much as shalbee necessarie heereunto note in summe the the wordes of your doctrine and our lawe and then from both see if I can frame some fewe Scholasticall arguments that yee may thereby perceiue that it is not hard for him that list y t way to exercise himselfe to bring many substantial argumēts against you in this case of doctrin demeanour of disobedience and Treason towards superiours Thus is it written in your popish decrees and thence taken and repeated by your D. Thomas in his summe where he treateth of subiects discharge frō the gouernemēt of their princes and from their othe and fidelitie towardes them Wee holding the statutes of our holy predecessours by Apostolique authoritie doe absolue them from their bonde which are bound by fidelitie or othe to them that be excommunicated and by all meanes forbid that they keepe not fidelitie to them till suche time as they come to satisfaction Now adde to this your Popes late traiterous Bulles in her Maiestics case and this Realmes wher with you are but too wel acquainted forget not your owne profession and doing at this day And so let the perpetuall doctrine of your supreme pastour and his supreme authoritie acknowledged receiued and in practise followed by you bee for one parte the grounde and proofe of the Arguments that I shall propounde vnto you Or if you 〈◊〉 furder let N. Saunders a principall piller of your Popish English Synagogue beyonde Sea speake particularly for all Of whose speache in this case I haue giuen you a taste before out of his visible Monarchie On the other part let those that bee presently of that state heere to go no furder of speake on the other side and reporte vs whether you hot Catholikes bee traitours c or no Fume not fret not at my wordes nor at any other priuate mans but examine y e matter your owne cōscience herein And because yee talke of the renting of your Catholike hearts at these wordes and the like which being double may with murmuring and grudging possible bee vexed to litle purpose and sone rent a sunder Therefore for your good this way here Gods counsaile rather by the holy Prophet Rent your heartes and not your clothes and turne to the Lorde your
many pointes We are not we may not nor no reason why wee should be y e mainteiners of any mēs errours This article as it is set vs downe here by you is That I may say what seemeth to me not only false but also seditious so is it reputed amōg vs y t which ye father vpō M. Wickliffe here agreeth better with the Pope and your Popishe religion then with the Gospell of Christ and our religion Doth not your Pope and Popishe religion disable and seeke to dispossesse any lawfull prince onely supposed by those of your side to fall into the mortall sinne of heresie and arme his subiectes against him Your selues also must define both mortall sinne and heresie too full euill fauouredly ywis as al men may easily see Did not Wickliffe in his life time write that the Clergie moued by the Fryers went about that matter here in Englnade hath not the Pope your father claymed the ryght of disposing all ciuill and earthly Kingdomes hath he not called the King of England to omit other his vassall as though he held his kingdome but as his tennant and at his pleasure I haue shewed you before where you shall finde our doctrine and profession of Magistrates more sounde holy and reuerent then yours els woulde I be ashamed of it But you will say you sende vs to the places where we shall finde that this was Wickliffes doctrine howe say wee to that I say you doe it full ilfauouredly you quote vs in deed three places whereof two are pretended to bee taken from the lying spirites and wrytings of Gods aduersarie and Wickliffes The third vntruly as farre as I can see out of his owne workes whiche are very hardly come by nowe a dayes and yet as I coulde recouered I 〈◊〉 Trialogue And I haue read read againe the thirde Chapter of the fourth booke of Wickliffes Trialogue where you sende vs to seeke that yee impose vpon Wickliffe whereof I praye you entreateth hee there for sooth this is the argumēt To shew in this speech of Christ This is my body What is signified by this woorde This. wherein establishing the truth he mightely ouerthroweth your Popish corrupt doctrine of this Sacrament Now for M. Wycklyff to teache in that place the article you set vs downe were nothing to the purpose And this I say if any such worde as ye reporte be in this place ye send vs vnto let me leese my credite for euer if not let y e Christiā reader take heede for euer howe hee trust your lying spirite in quoting things Howe can you reporte trueth of vs when your religion forbiddeth to reade our wrytings vnlesse it bee to reprooue them yee knowe your owne tearmes best Yee take al one from anothers reporte and beeing our sworne enemies howe is it to bee thought you will reporte truely of vs and of our opinions and wrytings but the fault may possibly bee in the Printer or you taking this from your Authours second promised parte vnperformed yet might bee deceyued as indeed you or hee set vs downe in another place this article to bee in the 36. chapter of the 4. booke of Wycklyffs Trialogue Thus your Authour and you leade about the reader vncertainly not knowing where to seeke y t you alledge There is as much to be had of this article in the 36. chapter of that booke as in the place before alleaged which is nothing at all The matter hee handleth in this 36. chapter is how Fryers so greatly poysoned kingdomes wherein they dwelt as in those dayes they did So wee send you still to seeke vs a newe place for this article in Wycklyff Marke your wordes Cogge not foyst not Tell vs where the wordes as you set them downe be to be had Tell vs not what begging and lying fryers may haue deuised or your enuyous Papisticall wryters of this mans doctrine you set vs the article downe as though it were his owne woordes I am not ignorant that in Wycklyffs life time not much an vnlike slaunder as the latter part of your article containeth was raysed against the profession of the Gospel by the wicked fryers that then liued Nowe come I to the two other places you send vs vnto in your marginall quotation I meruaile you bee not ashamed to sende vs for the report of Wickliffes doctrine to his so deadly enimies one of the testimonies is fetched but from a yesterdayes byrde to speake of who was vnborne many yeeres after Wickliffe was dead I meane that obstinate enimie to Christes Gospell brawling and rayling Cocleus who is saide to haue died 1552. well toward 200. yeeres after Wickliffs daies whose bookes long before y t time being condemned to be burnt were then hardly to bee gotten neither sought after but to that end nor regarded by those of your side but let that enimies testimonie of Wickliffs doctrine goe as not worth the examining The Councell of Constance remaineth as the thirde testimony herein It seemeth yee make great account of that for you set it in the first place you will say peraduenture it is a publike testimonie is grounded vpon moe testimonies also I reade Wickliffes articles set downe by diuers and confuted by some of your side yet doe I not finde by the former reporters no not Popes and Papistes that liued about that time this article as you set it vs downe and in this Coūcel of Constance you 〈◊〉 not this article you charge him with heere so are you a false reporter of the Councell too Which I say not to 〈◊〉 their spight and hatred that were there assembled against poore Wickliffe and suche other Wickliffes bookes 〈◊〉 then before that time were condemned to bee burnt so 〈◊〉 no man might reade keepe haue or vse any of them but to their reproof hee also was before the assembly of that 〈◊〉 many yeeres dead and was by the vnholy fathers 〈◊〉 assembled appointed to bee taken vp againe and his bones to bee burnt so feruent and hot was their Popish charitie or rage rather according to their custome in these later tymes Nowe when Wycklyff was dead and his bookes thus consumed by fire no mastrie for them that had al the world at will and commandement to make men beleeue Wycklyff wrote that which they his mortal enemies listed to charge him with but let thē beleue it that list we are not bound to their report And yet syr though that conncel set Wycklyffs articles downe to malicioussy we finde not this article in y t Sessiō of y t coūcel y e you set vs downe If you referre vs to y e 15. article there set downe against Wycklyff you take away for your vaūtage you spightfully adde as good as halfe in this article you set vs downe other enemies to y e Gospel to Wycklyff afore tyme haue delt lesse shamelesly in setting downe this article then you doe so doeth at this day Saunders your owne
large entreate of Christian libertie the consciences of the faithfull as he doth in the other place of maister Caluin cited by you before and by this your misdealing doe wee see how necessary it was often and much to beate in that point In summe we say spirituall libertie in Christe and Politike subiection to Magistrates and Supertours may and doe very well agree and both are taught vs in the Scriptures and haue their place of practise From slaundering of these men that are dead commeth M. Howlet to those that are aliue Whose names hee quoteth downe in his margin mentioning a writing made in the dayes of Queene Marie which he doth but touche and I thinke needelesse to stay thereon considering the thinge being aforetime obtected by M. Harding hath been fully answered vnto by y e reuerend father of blessed memory Maister Iewell late Bishop of Sarisburie as is that of maister Luther before I perceiue that M. Howlet goeth all by report and heare say and seeketh to winne grace by 〈◊〉 other And where wisemen are wont diligently to respect circumstances in all doings he such is his humor throughout his Epistle careth neither what when nor in whom he reprooue so he may finde somwhat to carpe at in any professours of the Gospell I woulde M. Howlet for his owne sake were but so faithfull a seruant of God and her Maiestie and did but halfe so vprightly walke in his calling in zelously aduauncing the Gospell of Christe and dutifully obeying our Soueraigne as the men he nameth to their great commendation in singular modestie and vpright conscience at this day trauell to doe with no small fruite to the Churche and people of God among vs howe euer he obiect old matters to so worthy fathers M. howlets conclusion of this part of charging master Wickliffe mastar Luther master Caluin and the rest is that the Catholike Churche vtterly condemneth all these errours and teacheth her children otherwise and the contrary Nowe I aske M. Howlet if he exempt not the consciences of y t faithfull from Princes lawes and the power of all men with master Luther master Caluin how it commeth to passe that he and his felowes exempt themselues from her Maiesties obedience vnder pretence only of conscience as euen in the leafe before this we haue in hand in the name of y t 〈◊〉 he craueth pardon at her Maiesties hands for not yeelding to such conformitie in matters of religion as is demaunded at their hands which they cannot doe but by offence of their cōsciences c. And the end of all in him his authour is y t her Maiestie must take their disobedience refusall of conformitie for a ful satisfaction because they alleadge conscience Nowe if this among other bee an errour condemned by the Catholike Churche that the consciences of y t faithfull be exempted from the power of all men c. Why doe you being Catholikes as yee say follow it Why doe you make that your pretence Why doe you dwell therein If Princes lawes binde subiects to obedience in conscience so as they may not be exempted for their consciences but y t they must obey them as God himselfe whose roome they possesse and that vnder paine of mortall sinne and eternall damnation how hardly soeuer their Princes deale with thē in their gouernment c. Why learne you not that lesson Why reforme you not your consciences by Gods word that God and her Maiestie may haue due obedience of her Subiects which shee requireth and no more without complaining murmuring this bitter accusing ye tel her Maiestie of errors your selues run into thē headlong Ye wil by no meanes with Luther haue Christians free exempted from Princes lawes no not in their conseiences and yet by meanes of conscience you will exempt your selues what shoulde I say like not that in your selues yee condemne in other The difference gentle Reader betweene vs and them is as thou mayest perceiue that wee exempt mens consciences from all mortall men to giue them to God aboue alone to be guided by his holy worde no other wise which in deede her maiestie alloweth well of slaunder these fellowes what they can herein for her title of supreme gouernour ouer her subiects They without any warrant of Gods worde exempt not conscience but pretended or that they call conscience from dutifulnes to God and their lawfull Prince and Soueraigne in God to giue it to the Pope induced therto because they see her Maiestie to leaue mens consciences free vntouched hauing a tender care great respect therof Where conscience is in deed though it be but weake according to the doctrine of y t Scriptures Gospell where shee learned this not frō popery Pope to whose supreme authoritie grounded vpon suppositiōs false principles these coūterfeited Catholiks haue by reconcilement and oth betaken thēselues according to their rottē religion so defrauding God her Maiestie of their due abusing their Soueraigne authoritie themselues greatly After this commeth M. Howlet to note our demeanour heere passing other as hee saith hee setteth vs downe at large a matter doone the last Sommer at Stamforde and dwelling therin he reprooueth both the doctrine of certaine Preachers there and their demeanour also whereof he maketh no small a doe seditious pretendeth he was the doctrine there taught seditious was the vsage and yet I trowe nothing like to that of theirs in the North in Irelande nor that which I haue described before It is happy God made not him the Prince of this lande nor any of the State otherwise I perceiue the poore men had beene trounced he giueth sentence as though the matter were his owne when nothing was there doone against him and as for her Maiestie and the State they call not for his help in the gouernment heere But I see M. Howlet is still like himselfe that is past shame els woulde he haue blushed to haue spoken so vntruly of a matter so lately doone and so publikely in the face of all the worlde but let vs see what hee saith first he entreth into this matter to quitte as hee speaketh the Puritan that hath so infamed the Catholiks Therefore he thinketh good to diffame him againe Hee hath slaundered you M. Howlet with a matter in trouth as wee haue seene And you cannot forget an iniurie if it were one yee must needes bee quite with the Puritan Alas poore Puritan but it is happie your handes bee bound that yee can doe him no more harme haue you not powred out your spight enough against him before to be quitte with him You play as the Dogge doth that when a stone is flung at him runneth after the stone and for reuenge catcheth the same in his mouth When yee can finde no more matter in the man to raile vpon you immagine he sendeth out Preachers yee call them at Stamforde his Preachers Preachers at this day the more is the pitie
yet furder cōcerning naughtie men andtheir pretended naughtie consciences as they speake not to be flattered or borne w t in dealing naughtily the doctrine and practise of our Sauiour Christ is notable for vs to followe as is expressed in the Euangelistes For our Sauiour Christ themaccuseth and taketh vp the Scribes and Pharisees very short who woulde seeme to make conscience of the traditions of the Elders defendeth or excuseth his disciples in breaking thereof and regardeth not the offence taken at his doctrine and doing therein by the Pharisees reade the place and marke the whole Nowe for the Conscience of the faithfull we holde with the holy Ghost that it is purged by the blood of Christe from dead workes to serue the liuing God and the hearts are purified by fayth c. And that phrase of the holy Apostle myconscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost and the like woulde diligently bee obserued of Christians not to seuer in them selues the testimonie of conscience from that heauenly testimonte of Gods spirite as in deede not a conscience but a good conscience is required of vs by God Herevppon say I to these men and to their like and to all such euill consciences of Infidelles and other as they bryng vs in that wherevpon so euer they gounde their pretended Consciences and what course soeuer they bee entred into for religion and spiritual exercises in gods seruice that as this doctrine of the scriptures is sound true and safe so theirs is hollowe vntrue and the thing is not godly nor good Great is the iudgement of God amonge them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therefore to send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes that all they might be damned which beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Ye did run wel saith s. Paul to the Galat. who did let you that you did not obey the truth It is not the persuasion of him that calleth you A little leauen doth leauen the whole lumpe I haue trust in you through the Lord that you wilbe none otherwise minded but hee that troubleth you shall beare his condemnation whosoeuer he be c. I woulde to God the very first wordes of this Apostolike sentence might bee verified in all that call themselues Romane Catholikes and continued still in vs and that with the Apostle in the last sentence wee might trust well of them as wee are assured the midle part may too truly bee applyed vnto M. howlets persuasion such like Where they holde both M. Howlet and his Authour this generall doctrine howe good soeuer the action in it selfe be or how true soeuer y t thing y t is affirmed be as for example in case of religion c that which is done affirmed by a Iew an Infidell or such like yet if it be otherwise thought of in his sight or if it be agaiust his vnderstanding iudgement and conscience as they speake the doer affirmer inforcer thereto shalbe damned for committing a deadly haynous and greeuous sinne ` This as it is deducted seemeth to me a strang Paradoxe in diuinitie groūded gentle Reader possible on some mans diuelish wisdome reason but surely vpon a very false and dangerous Catholike principle of Popery sauouring altogether of y e stinking puddle of that diuelish religion yea of the Diuell of Hel himselfe the father and authour of that religion which thus I represent vnto thee out of the writings of the greatest doctours of that side And yet sauing that they haue opened this filthie caue or styrred the 〈◊〉 for the diuelishe wickednesse filthinesse thereof would I haue spared thy Christian eares but that necessitie and the indignitie of the matter to vtter their shame and villanie wherwith they staine both heauen earth enforceth seeing the matter is thus farre brought to speake thereof There be two cases of conscience or conclusions of their Popishe writers the one of an erroneous or naughtie conscience and the bond thereof the other of perplexitie wherinto men as into a straight are driuen by this doctrine and religiō whilest of necessitie they must do euill cannot choose whereupon M. Howlet and his Authour grounde their Paradoxe or strange opinion of which the one dependeth on the other And both vpon that sentence of Gratian in his golden decree All that is done against conscience buildeth to hell fire which being well expounded might stande though but by the Popish doctrine for som to abstain from euill be it neuer so villanous to doe good be it neuer so precious is or may be against conscience in them or against their erroneous lying conscience this position is theirs and vtterly false Therefore for some say they to abstaine from euill bee it neuer so villanous to doe good be it neuer so precious buildeth to hel fire Againe the lawe of nature may bee dispensed with if two euils so presse as of necessitie y t one must bee chosen for such cases their perplexitie maketh c. Popery can intangle and snare mens consciences it can trouble disquiet yea prouide a slaughter house for them relieue and quiet them it cannot Though it be not so hard to enter this perplexed Labyrinth or Maze as to get out of it againe when one is once entred so deepe are the quiddities I tel you and the questions greatly doubtful the examples also many and straunge that in this case are brought to holde men occupied with all yet get out or helpe other therein as I may by Gods goodnesse I will enter by the Angelicall doctour D. Thomas whose doctrine and Commentaries haue the allowance of the highest and greatest of that side as a truth falling from heauen confirmed also by heauenly visions as approued aboue Upon the Epistle to the Romanes and the fourteenth Chapter whiche place M. Howlet and his fellowe woulde seeme to grounde vppon and to whose writinges herein wee are sent the willinglier doe I propounde him thus writteth D. Thomas vnder questions propounding after his manner his subtile doctrine by obiecting answering and resoluing It may be doubted sayth hee whether if a man haue an erronious or naughtie conscience that he beleeue that y t which is mortall sinne is necessarie to saluation whether such a conscience binde him So as if he doe against the same he commit damnable sinne He resolueth not onely vpon the Epistle to the Romanes but also in his Summe or common Places and elswhere that an erroneous or lying conscience in thinges of themselues simply euill bindeth a man so that hee that doth against it highly displeaseth God or as they speake sinneth mortally or deadly or to vse our mens wordes it is to the doer and enforcer a damnable sinne or horrible mortall sinne the one and the other shalbe damned therefore Herevpon riseth y t second doubt or question of perplexitie in this case whereinto
c. For Idols Idolaters you haue this word in y e very last booke and last chapter of the new Testament ver 15. Reuelatiō 2. Idols twise verse 14. 20. Let this serue to note your vntrue slander To woorship or religiously serue besides God we make the same an Idoll The outwarde representation also thereof or Image is in scriptures called an Idol Hee nameth an expresse place here where we shall find Images for Idols in the very last wordes of the fifth chapter of Saint Iohn his fyrst Epistle First that is but one place and one example which is a very bad proofe to shewe that wee translate Images for Idols throughout the scripture next thus it is read in our Church assemblies at this present what euer this lying quareller dreame euen in the Byble translated vnder her maiesties gouernement and printed with priuilege by her highnes Printer Richarde Iugge 1568. and. 1572. and set into Churches and there dayly read and expounded Babes keepe your selues from Idols Then are you not 〈◊〉 onely but a shamelesse lyer and a slanderer and abuser of the people So is it likewise translated in the english Bible printed at Geneua 1560. in the beginning of her maiesties happy raigne and dedicated vnto her highnes So is it translated in that worthie Theodore Beza his newe Testament dedicated also to our Soueraigne c. But how is it translated in your authenticall translation I pray you that must alone bee approoued and receiued without checke and all other in comparison therof reiected There is that faulte ye charge vs with if that be a faulte as in 〈◊〉 I iudge it to be none or not so greate Idole beeing the Greeke and Image the Latin and English word Then if any English Bybles haue left the word Idols and vsed the word Images in this place of S. Iohn yet is no more done thē you permit your selues and therfore yee need not call it manifest and wilfull corruption c. Except it be to discredite that you account your owne translation If that bee your griefe to see or heare the word Images in I. Iohn the. 5. 21. forbidden though it be not greatly materiall the circumstance considered yet to satisfie and please you if that will serue that word Image is remooued and the Greeke worde Idole kept in diuers of our english translations why mend you not your own common latin translation not here onely wherewith we charge you not but in infinite other places wherein the same is verye corrupt Where you would cleere your church of Idols and Idolatrie by his childish distinction betweene Idols and Images It is so wel answered as I neede adde nothing to that the Godly learned haue here of sayd Ye know it is Hierome his manner on the Prophets to applie to the times and persons vnder Christ that which is spoken of Idols and Idolatrie vnder the Prophets to shewe their are among Christians Idols Idolatours that wee neede not cast the same from vs to the Heathen as though Christendome were free frō Idols and Idolatours Which I would it were if it pleased God but wil neuer be so long as you maintain Images in churches the worship therof which is cleere plaine Idolatry In yours all other religions mans vaine fancie braine idle head is the source fountaine and first-shop to conceiue and 〈◊〉 Idols and Idolatry in afterward the hand is made an instrumēt to fashiō frame an outward forme or picture of that Lye which is there first conceiued c. Call the same a God an Idole an Image a Picture or what you will In grossenes in cunning there may be some diuersitie in effect al is flat Idolatry whatsoeuer we choose Let al y t world iudge who be shamlesse corruptors and wylfull to drawe yea to peruert the scripture to their owne purpose in this point that I talke of to goe 〈◊〉 further now They that heere translate Images as your vulgare translation 〈◊〉 and some other doe But not as I haue shewed the english Byble printed in her maiesties raigne and read at this day in our Churches as yee vniustly slander Or you Papists that for the retaining and maintaining of your Idolatry or Images and Image worship among the people haue quite rased out the second commandement of the ten agaynst Images and Idolatry or if you will haue it gentlier spoken haue left it out of those latin and english primers and bookes wherein the ten commandementes were expressed to be learned of the common people here in times past I know your shift for such forgerie but 〈◊〉 me thinketh haue let the wordes stand and follow in order as God pronounced and propounded the same to his people in the scriptures ten wordes are not many you might haue kept your shift for a better purpose if it so had pleased you For the matter as the scripture telleth vs that such stuffe teacheth lyes is contrary to the doctrine of the same scripture So Lactantius sayth vndoubtedly there is no religion where an Image is Images are voyde of religion c. And the Heathen and heretike charged the Christians in the primitiue Church with this that they had no Images as though Christians had beene too blame for being without Images who if they had had Images coulde not haue beene so charged or might haue answered at the least otherwise than they doe And as one of your owne men writeth out of Hierom almost all the ancient fathers condemned the woorshipping of Images for feare of Idolatry than the which no wickednes can be greater c. Famous is the story of Epiphanius translated into Latin by Hierom who cut in peeces the paynted vaile wherein the image of Christ or some saint was hanging at the dore of the Temple for that it was against the authoritie of the scriptures that a mans image should hang in the Church and against our religion sayth hee And more famous yet is the publike edict of sundry the olde christian Emperours in forbidding Images and the worship thereof not thinking it to pertaine to religion that the Image of any should be worshipped no not of Christ whose Image by name they forbad as in their decree is to be seene c. You see the hanging of Christes Image in the Church or any Saintes the worshipping also of such Images is condēned and forbidden Now would I know of you in what commandement the same is forbidden vnlesse it be in that which forbiddeth Idolatry Idols Plead against those of your side against these anciēt fathers y e emperours c. If ye needs wil Say what ye wil ye shal neuer be able to cleere your Images set vp in Temples from being Idols nor your woorshipping thereof from idolatry which you must doe better than hitherto before you can make vs beleeue the contrary or otherwise of them then the scriptures and antiquitie teach and report
goeth about to reckon your Popes decretall epistles in the number of Canonicall scriptures and to racke in Augustines authoritie to prooue that matter I thinke this geare and the like maye better and more iustly be accoūted of vs blasphemie against god thē our praiers to be kept frō the Pope and his infection of papistry But to conclude this point there is you say falshoode and blasphemie in our seruice and we sing and cause to be sung as though it were scripture and one of Dauids Psalmes a prayer made by man wherein wee haue seene howe you fayle and faulte greatly and yet can finde no vngodlinesse much lesse blasphemie in that prayer But were it sung as yee say what I pray you that are so precise and hard with vs were there therein done more than in your Popishe mattens How is your Te Deum made by man no scripture distinguished from Benedictus that is the holy Ghostes hymne and scripture You had neede then mend your owne seruice before you finde such fault with other Agayne whither will you leade and bring vs from this seruice that you seeme to finde fault with You had not neede bring vs to your Popish blasphemous seruice For then haue we made but an euill change You had neede to bring vs to a seruice voyde of all note of falshoode and blasphemy that charge ours so there with and are so squaymish and precise that you cannot abide our seruice It were too long vpon this occasion throughly to examine your Popish seruice yet let vs take a viewe in this matter that is in prayer and singing of Psalines and giue you for one example two Thomas Becket a naughtie proude Prelate is made a Saint and a Martyr by you hath his holy day and seruice Is not this among the rest a blasphemous praier with you By the bloode of Thomas which for thee he did spend make vs Christ to climbe whither Thomas did ascend If this geare be not blasphemous I knowe not what is For to leaue the making of a proude trayterous Prelate to his king a Saint to ordayne seruice c to Creatures in steede of the Creator To talke also of Thomas ascending to heauen what is it to desire Christ to bring vs to heauen by the blood of Thomas but by Idolatrie and blasphemie to staine Gods glory and to iniurie Christes merits and withall to delude and abuse Gods people Is not moreouer this verse sung by you in your Temples continually as it were out of one of Dauids Psalmes Viduam eius benedicens benedicam c I set downe the Latin because you sing it in Latin crauing herein pardon of the Reader and yet take it as I finde it corruptly and yet woorse translated in your English Primer printed here in former Popish daies that yee had beene as good haue left the ignorant people the Latin Primer alone and Beades still as to haue abused them with so corrupt an English translation Thus hath it the popish english Primer that I saw at the writing hereof distinguishing full ylfauouredlye the verses and disioyning the wordes that are to be ioyned together For the more plainenes I will set downe two verses This is my resting place for euermore Heere shall I dwell for I haue chosen it with blessing The widowe of it I shall blyke the poore people of it I shall fullfyll with breade False translation false printing false singing false saying All false and nothing but false agree well enough together and with a false religion The best in the worlde and therfore belike being admonished and called vppon for amendment you let it stande still such is your reforming and amending of thinges deforming and making them euer woorse and woorse The next fault you charge our seruice with is the lack of necessary thinges which it should haue in it Yee take example of a mans reciting of the Creede or Articles of the Beliefe If you leaue out one article as in effecte the Protestants say you doe the Article of descention into Hell all the whole Creede were naught thereby I aske you first what if I adde an Article more as you Papists doe whē you aske men how they beleeue in the Sacrament of the Alter c. Is not that as great a fault Next for answeare I report me to all the world whether we in effect or otherwise leaue out that Article Descended into hell in the Creede or teaching the people to recite it We bid or wishe them to leaue y t article out The creed or articles of y e beliefe are daily twise a day publikely recited in the Congregation by the Minister and the people in the mother tongue At morning and euening prayer Is not this article of descending into hell at both times expressed Looke vpon the booke come to Church and heare Wherfore you are a very slanderer heere in as you are euer But sir is all the Creede naught if that article be left out or any other How say you then to the creed of that famous general councel of Nice which leaueth out the Article of descending into hell that I say nothing of other partes of the Creede How say you to the like Creed in the first Councell at Constantinople How to Athanasius Creede that leaueth out these wordes Crucifyed Deade Buried c I trowe you will not condemne these formes of the Creed or Beliefe to prooue your saying true It were better you and your saying too should bee found false and faulty as you be heerein thē accuse so godly ancient forms of Beleife but to come neerer to you What say you to your owne seruice and the chiefest part thereof in your estimation If this be a fault prooue y e whole naught Thē is your masse naught your masse creed euē for this respect for you cannot finde Descended into hell in your Masse Creed nor died neyther nor yet the communion of Saintes And yet for all this is it among the rest of the best that is in your Masse It would be too long particularly to examine your propiciatorie sacrifice of the Masse which is a newe crucifiyng of Christ agayne as much as in you lyeth of which argument I speake a little after where you repeate and mention your Masse sacrifice againe and extoll it to the skie it is your precious Iewell your popish priesthood and priests finagogues or tēples aultars priests apparel vestments Sen sors Franckinsens c. which you here reckon vp and wee you say lacke in deede we doe so And we thanke God therefore sauing that we haue those which you cal temples wherin we 〈◊〉 for the exercises of our religion which are therfore called Churches with vs because Gods church and peo ple meete there the rest you bring no scriptures for which in steede of all that ye alleage is the foundation of our christian religion so called of Christ. Priests ye say and all were 〈◊〉 for
that cause that is for your abominable masse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take it your popish priestes and all and away with the same out of Christes church to the Diuell if yee will 〈◊〉 it first came amōg vs. Your doctors c. haue 〈◊〉 are so answered as I neede not stand therein vpon this occasion If yee take that or any other matter in hande yee cannot goe vnanswered God be thanked for his giftes I list not now to repeate that is and hath beene so often well and truely tolde you heerein The like to this I tell you of your popish and apish ceremonies Wee liue not in a ceremoniall time nor in a ceremoniall Churche to heape vp the number of them nowe Wee are content you be the fathers and fosterers of your superstitious and vnnecessary ceremonies of your seuen sacraments yea seuen hundred if you wil for your priest in his pontificalibus and massing apparell is compounded I trow of nothing if we will beleeue you but of misteries and so of sacraments all your religion is ceremoniall and mysticall but all of your owne deuising Wee as those that are called to worship God in spirite and truth that is after a more spirituall and heauenly maner inwardly in a seruice more agreeable to Gods nature then that which is shadowed by Ceremonies content our selues heerein with Gods wisedome desire to keepe sobrietie and following the rule of the Scriptures referre all heerin to order comelinesse and edification especially But not such as is fleshly and agreeable to fleshly men minds but suche as is correspondent and agreeable with the crucifides kingdome and the preaching of the Crosse. Our sacraments we confesse are not ashamed in this time of y t Gospell vnder Christ to cōfesse thē being in number most fewe in obseruation most easie and yet in signification most heauenly When you can prooue that ye heere only say that wee either haue not most fewe that is two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lordes Supper according to our Sauiour Christes holy institution or are bounde to haue moe you shall heare what wee haue further to answere and say vnto you If y t which haue beene alreadie saide content you not as it may doe any reasonable men that wilfully 〈◊〉 not themselues Our Communion can bee no Sacrament you say yet you cannot bee ignorant that the word and matter are taken out of the Scripture much lesse then can your priuate Sacrifice and Action that is secrete coniuring sole receauing c. bee a Sacrament Houseling and being houseled once a yeere which is a halfe receiuing of I wote not what not of a Sacramente sure where you haue left no Element is suche a prophanation and contempt of Christes Sacrament as hardly can there bee a greater Let not vs then among 〈◊〉 the Communion of the body and blood of Christe is celebrated monethly or quarterly at least of euery one bee called contemners of Christes Sacramentes and charged with Sacriledge and you Papistes bee let goe scotfree who in steede of ofte receiuing content your selues with gasing crouching kneeling c. The like I tell you of prayer for the dead of our prayers c. in the mother tongue You are alwayes so like your selfe as yee can hardely deceiue any that once knowe you or will knowe you THE eight Reason is grounded vpon the losse of the benefite of the Romish Catholik religion If they goe to Churche heere which is made a great matter a waightie Before wee enter into that is particularly saide heereof let vs examine this generall grounde Heere is no more alleadged for the Papistes refraining from our assemblies then may bee alleadged by the Iewe the Turke or any Heathen by the Arrian Anabaptist or any Heretike who in communicating with an other religion leeseth the benefite of his owne And therefore as we may answere the one so may wee doe the other that is that it is no losse at al to forgoe that which is not beneficiall to any but hurtfull to all yea as some losse is a gaine so is it a great gaine not only to forgoe so Diuelishe and poysonfull a religion but with all to gaine the truth by the profession of the Gospell How beneficiall soeuer a man haue esteemed and founde a 〈◊〉 and lying aforetime to bee yet hath he loste nothing thereby that leaueth that custome and vseth himselfe to the telling of the truth yea hee hath gayned greatly by that change To haue mens eyes opened by the ministerie and preaching of the Gospell that they may turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ c is no losse but an incomparable gayne And this is your very case to the worlde warde more gaine and benefite many wayes by your voluntarie religion then by the sincere profession of the holy Gospell of Christe Iesus I graunt to the soule and Godwarde no profite but vnspeakeable hurt gotten by the profession of Poperie Where vpon I counsel all to leaue those filthy puddles of Poperie and to drinke of this pure fountayne of the water of life that is to leaue that god the Pope his lawe and traditions his idolatrous Religion and superstitions and to betake them selues to the true God of heauen to Iesus Christ his holy Scriptures and worde to be guided by contayned in the Byble and booke of God That which this discourser calleth a losse that let them count an inestimable benefite And what euer these men slander vs withall yet wee protest it before the eternall God that our meaning is not to drawe any from Poperie to any Religion deuised by men howe wise or mightie soeuer they bee but to the true Religion of Iesus Christ set vs downe in Gods booke Let them betake themselues to that let them professe the gospel of christ Iesus they shal go long enough vnblamed for their profession by vs let them answere their profession and liue according thereunto as is set downe in the same booke of GOD they shall please vs marueilously wel it is all wee require at their hands wee wil wishe peace vnto them and to the Israel of God Though then wee wishe men to depart frō that whoorishe Babylon of Rome though wee 〈◊〉 them saue them selues from this frowarde generation c. Yet wishe wee them well to marke whether we cal them we leaue them not at randon we call them not to followe our Religion framed at our pleasure much lesse call wee them to Atheisme but we call them from that vsurper and woolfe to Christ Jesus the Prince of Pastours our onely high Priest and the Byshop of our soules Reade the 1. Peter 2. if but onely the last verse of the Chapter and see whither and to whome S. Peter himselfe called men euen the Church Let his successour as he falsely pretendeth doe the like at least if he call
It wil make you sweate and your shoulders ake too before you will be able to remoue these two blockes If you possible stumble at them and breake your shinnes thanke your selfe of your hurt who are more busie with them then you neede be Obedience yea and protestation of obedience to her Maiestie and her wholesome lawes in this behalfe aggrawateth the sinne rather then diminisheth it you say although I thinke there bee none that hath so little regarde to his Soules health as to goe to Church ouelie for obedience sake and not of a religious minde also He that thinketh it is naught to speake against the Pope at Paules Crosse which is your example though you call it rayling thinketh therein amisse and therefore being commanded if occasion serue therto shall do well to obey and doe it redressing his former foolish thinking which too absurdly still you make conscience when it is indeede but a fancie and a dreame tel vs it is Pilats case as much as lōg as you wil we wil 〈◊〉 bid you prooue it Your pope is not Christ fir nor the clearing or condemning of him the like doing to Pilats with Christ there is great oddes in the case Of pretended conscience c. I think I haue said enough and of the foolish and wicked band of a naughtie and erroneous conscience whereof you talke Prooue stil I bid you or hold your peace that haunting our churches is naught though you suppose it that is imagin and dreame so We that by experience finde and knowe the contrary can not graunt it you Obedience to her maiestie and protestation thereof in haunting holie church assemblies here authorised by law maketh the sinne greater Disobedience to her maiestie her godly lawes herein disloyalty rebelliō treason c. not onely diminish the subiectes faulte towardes their prince but is a vertue with you it is a confession of your popish catholike faith Obediēce to your pope to a prelate in a naughtie thing to your church euē against cōscience excuseth I haue giuē exāples a tast before this is your religiō cōscience After this fighting as you do stil w t your own shadow you make an obiection of your owne and answere it at pleasure And because you like not to single the matter it is your own word you huddle you shuffle double iūbling vp thinges full euell fauouredly together For reckoning how manie thinges are conteined in going to Church you bring us forth some that we acknowledge but diuers and very manie of your owne deuising which we iustlie reiect and 〈◊〉 as our answere before doth sufficiently declare Single things therfore I pray you seuer distinguish betweene good and bad one and the other better then you here doe or else keepe your annexes as you call them to sporte your selfe withall defend your obstinacie by word by writinges by imprisonment or as you will make al the world know your sturres and gaze vpon you to please your selues therein as much as lyketh you yet shall it be obstinacie stil say and doe what you can the more the matter commeth into trial the lesse credit and vauntage hath it of your side The conscience of the Catholike that thinketh he doth naught in haunting our Church assemblies is diuelish and dangerous as we haue seene the explanation of the church as you call it that is of the popish route and antichristian stuagogue is like to y t imagined conscience you labour hard to bring the church assemblies here into discredit You tel vs of the holding vp of a finger onely How vnlawfull it were in this case you adde such is your modestie a similitude of lifting vp but of a straw to the diuell in token of obedience which you say is as much as if one did word by word deny his creed But I weene not there is a differēce in the greatnes betweene sinne and sinne all sinnes are not equall Afterward of courtesie and grace you make vs foure qualificatiōs as you term thē which may make going to church lawful by the iudgement of your diuines meere particular knowne temporall busines How gingerly and nicely you walke in the matter These conditions added to going to church make it al one you say as not to go to church at al. You so prophane it as it is no better in your opinion then 〈◊〉 of the market or some like worldly busines which exercise is good enough for those of your religiō if you leaue but such a going to church as is al one with not going at al then may I shortly answer you as good neuer a whit as neuer the better In that which followeth in this third conclusion of Naaman the Sirian you so handle the matter as I know not whether you make his fact sinne or no if he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what needed he to seeke pardon at God his hande purchasing the same frō the prophet to be obtained by his praier If he sinned what tolleration could the prophet giue him therin For our case there is no difficultie therefore I omit it without further discussion your expositiō of y e whole In the fourth and last conclusion that you gather supposing lalfhood still you shewe your self very precise against our God his seruice for you say a man may not yeeld in any one little point therein which you would further ground vpon an other conclusion also If all be not lawfull then no part of it is lawful which groūd of yours how you can proue better then y t rest if you be put therto I wote not but I think hardly enough Neuerthelesse I now put you not vnto that labour you haue enough to doe alreadie and more then will euer be well done or cleared we must admit supposition for any thing you haue yet sayd I see not why our exercises in 〈◊〉 may not be thought lawful cōmēdable godly also For the general doctrine you here deliuer vs that God accepteth no particion no mayme in our seruice but eyther al or none must be his that we must walke with an vpright heart before him in roundnes of conscience without limitation dissimulatiō or haulting sticking precisely 〈◊〉 his holy law and commandements it is most true and as a heauenlye trueth so wee receiue it But the whole is verye badlye applied to your popish diuels seruice The textes of scripture that you cite talke of the sinceritie of God his seruice of his law and of his commandements c. Holde you there keepe to his holy word and we shall agree but you doe not you will not you may not you can not your false suppositiō deceiueth you there is a way saith the wife man that seemeth right to a man but the yssues therof are the wayes of death O y t the word of y t Lord in religion in life in gods matters in ours euery where euery way might be a lātern to our feet to be cōtinually caried
altogether refuse to cōforme themselues to the exercises of religion heere and to take the othe of alleageance to her Maiestie their Soueraigne and ours vnder God c. Now Sir I take it that these are three sorts of Catholikes Neuerthelesse make them for your pleasure but two sortes in other order thus One sort of false Catholikes as in deede yee all and euery mothers childe of you Rome byrdes be none other Let the second sort be true Catholikes but not in your sense that is hot papists Then againe of your false Catholikes make two sortes one no Christians and therefore much lesse Catholikes as you speak though you say they be Catholikes in another place The other sort of false Catholikes that remaine for whom you pretende that your treatise was made yee call them elswhere colde Catholikes Schismatike Catholikes heathen men Publicanes c. and suche as yee abhorre for their onely going to the Protestants Churches For your selues y t are hot Catholikes take your place among the false Catholiks where you like best a place among true Catholikes can you neither finde your selues nor 〈◊〉 afoord you except ye alter your profession Heere is much adoe about Catholikes a great stirre some true som false som hot some cold some schismatique some Heathen and Publicanes some imbraced some abhord c. and yet all Catholikes Wee poore Protestantes may be glad we are out of your handes when you play such Pageants among your own mē taking a generall view of your Catholikes here amongest vs in Englande and deuiding and seuering the same with your Catholik and diuine iudgement at first chop ye send the most of them quicke to Hell without all hope of recouery At next hacke yee cut of a many branches if not the very stocke and body and leaue but a branche and that a weake branche of that tree in this soyle God be praysed therefore Only they true Catholikes y t do not nor will not come to church heere amongest vs nor acknowledge the Queenes Supremacie c. Are all other catholikes heere led with fancie Are they schismatikes or damned in hell Speake out alowde and be plaine So yee say I am in some respect glad ye so say of your catholikes here amongst vs not y t I wishe thē dānatiō which ye threat or yet their hurt any way but y e I hope wel it wil make some of them better aduised Doe one sort of your catholikes heere sinne against the holy Ghost Are they to bee accounted damned in this life no Christians c. A harde iudgement against those of your owne religion a pitifull case sure but not with you who iudge them to blaspheme against y e holy Ghost y t willingly breake your holy Canons presume to speake against thē or willingly agree to them that so will doe And in deede to say the truth of them if there be any such as you here describe they are very naughtie men in deepely dissembling with God their soueraigne the Church but yet not so bad as ye make thē no dāned persons without all hope of recouerie whiles they liue not sinners against the holy ghost for all this if thinking on their miserable case they will vnfeignedly returne not to you and your religion which leaue them no hope but to God by heartie repentance for deeply dissembling with him and the worlde You reiect them quite acknowledge them to be no true catholikes but schismatikes excommunicate persons c. This haue they gotten by liking and professing all this while your Popish religion when you once shew your selues to fall out with them a poore recompence at your handes You haue amongst you the keyes of heauen hell and Purgatorie ye can when yee list sende all men whether you list quicke and dead but yee sende men too fast to hell to be charitable especially those of your own sect and profession Neuerthelesse if God haue giuen them eares to heare we say first to you for some excuse or defence of such as being aforetime of your sect and religion howeuer you knew them in those dayes yet we take them to bee changed men now to haue learned foorth another and better lesson in Christes schoole and as charitie woulde wee iudge the best of them and generally to speake wee thinke they allowe of Christes religion here professed In summe that their saying professing and doing agree till they manifestly shew the contrary You sir that can see farre in a milstone are priuie to mens cōsciences it is y e seate where Antichriste challengeth to sit You tell vs here what men iudge in their consciences we cannot go so farre we leaue that to God themselues You y t know well by experience belike your catholike religion to be full of hypocrisie and dissimulation to yeelde Hypocrites iudge according to your spirite and the fruites of your religion but wee tell you we iudge them to 〈◊〉 been in a new and better schole els wee wishe them at least to betake themselues to better maisters then to such as iudging so hardely deale thus cruelly with them If they haue by confession tolde you their conscience in eare shrift yet are you 〈◊〉 to vtter the same Next if that will not serue for that you presume to knowe those of your side better then wee doe we bid them remaining in opinion such as you tell vs looke for that in deede in the end vnlesse they repent and that heartily which you here threaten them euen hell fire with hypocrites A iust recompence for suche religion and doyng but not in respect that they haunt our Church assemblies thogh but for not rightly 〈◊〉 the same to Gods glory their owne comfort and edifiyng and the benefite of other for not changing their fansie and foolish opinion which you call Catholike religion conscience for continuing in this cleare light of the Gospel obstinate in their ignorance and superstitions for their wilfull refusing of Gods mercifull calling c. which calling of God if vpon this aduise they yeelde vnto accordingly we assure them by the warrant of Gods worde of Gods mercie and fauour in Christ. In the meane while we obserue here that amongst you that will needes bee called Catholikes there bee by your owne confession diuers Sectes that ye neede not so hotly condemne vs your aduersaries and our Religion because there be Sectes among vs and diuers opinions whereof your selues and your Religion is no cleerer nay it is not harde to finde more diuersitie of opinions among you by your owne confessions then among those that professe the Gospel euen here M. Howlet wryting in his Epistle to her Maiestie of the diuers knowne religions in Englande at this day reduceth them to foure heades with their professours to wit Catholiks Protestants Puritans Houshoulders of Loue c. By Catholikes hee meaneth such as are of your side Housholders of Loue are well known neyther to belong to the profession