Heretikes and sectaries as you here report What fauour I praie you deserueth it at y t Queene of Englands hands if this bee true to haue filled her realme with 〈◊〉 and sectaries You plaine next of the good and wholsome lawes here made against poperie and of the execution thereof great cause I trowe if that were true ye falsly and sclanderously say more too Hereto you adioine for proofe certaine particular matters auowing the Loyaltie and obedience of you Catholikes towardes ciuill Princes and sharplie yea leawdlie by sclander charging other w t disobedience This is the some of that you write for the most part in eight of your next leaues A worthie matter to be treated of before her Maiestie when all is well waied But I must somewhat examine there is no remedie what you say a part and in order First you compare diuers religiōs together and shewe that poperie fareth hardely and the woorst Hardly sure can there be founde a worse religion and more contrarie to the sincere Gospell of Christ here professed or that so much troubleth the good and quiet estate of Christs Church in this lande and Realme and therefore needeth most looking too 3 THere are at this day in this your Maiesties Realme foure knowne religions and the professours thereof distinct both in name spirite and doctrine that is to say the Catholikes the Protestants the Puritanes and the housholders of loue Besides all other petie sects newly borne and yet groueling on the ground Of these foure sortes of men as the Catholikes are the first the auncientest the more in number and the most beneficiall to all the rest hauing begotten and bred vp the other and deliuered to them this Realme conserned by Catholike religion these thousand yeres and more so did they alwaies hope to receiue more fauour then the rest or at leastwise equall tolleration with other religions disalowed by the state But God knoweth it hath fallen out quite contrary For other religions haue been permitted to put out their heades to growe to aduaunce themselues in common speech to mount to pulpits with litle or no controulement But the Catholik religion hath been so beaten in with the terrour of lawes and the rigorous execution of the same as the very suspition thereof hath not escaped vnpunished FIrst let mee aske M. Howlet where you were when you wrote thus to her Maiestie you say in the beginning of these wordes in this your Maiesties Realme and in the latter ende againe this Realme Were you at Doway printing your book or occupied in Londō or els where in England about it the booke possible might be sēt to Doway or you bee printing it there another time shift it ouer I pray you Heere your wordes importe you were in Englande when you wrote this preface elsewhere in the same preface they import you were beyond Sea Alyar had neede haue a good memory sauing that you Catholiks can worke wonders and by coniuring make one and the same humane body to bee in many and diuers places at one time A man might make a doubt of this question but let y t passe When you would perticularly reckō vp y e seueral knowne religiōs not all approued nor allowed nay all disallowed condemned sauing that only one which is Iesus Christes but being onely in this Realme ye bring them into foure heads as for the petie sects that you are so priuie of as birds of your own hatching till they be fledge and come abroad that we may knowe them we can say little But your Popish religion M. Howlet were lesse vnhappie and both we the world should be lesse troubled with you nowe a daies if to speake but of religious men besides seculer priests among regulars it had but foure distinct religions and orders of beggerly fryers euery one stoutly standing against other in defence of his Patron and order of religion These be to to many and yet is the worlde troubled with a great many moe for besids the great swarines of these Locustes there be I wot not how many sectes or religions crept in so as the Popes them selues haue bin faine to restraine frō rashnes in instituting mo or newe religions for bringing in confusion And yet obserue gentle reader that the Pope hath authoritie to institute newe 〈◊〉 and none without his authoritie may doe the same obserue also that there be in Poperie old religions and newe religions c. It were 〈◊〉 long to speake of Canonists Schoolemen Thomists Scotistes and such other and the seuerall different opinions they holde but in the late dayes of Poperie here were there not sir as many religions and moe to besides your owne sectes Arrians Anabaptistes Libertines c. Though none in effect were persecuted but the poore Protestantes as ye call them These mens peculiar heresies in examinatiōs were commonly neuer touched peruse the recordes of these there was little or no accompt made in those dayes of ignorance and darkenes while men slept the enemy was busie in sowing his tares As you 〈◊〉 giue here names of sects to bring these times into hatred so all ambiguitie spitefulnes laid aside first take to your selues your religion some fitter name for true Catholiks we btterly denie you to be All are not Catholiks that take the name of Catholikes for so should the Arrians and other herettques in their time haue been Catholikes true Catholikes heretiques sectaries as antiquitie reporteth Under the name of Protestants ye comprehende all those y t forsaking the Pope Popish religion haue betaken thēselues to Christ and his holy Gospel grounding their religion vpō Gods word his heauenly truth comprised in the Canonical scriptures of the old newe Testament written by the Prophets Apostles and thereuppon are called in these tyntes Gospellers a fitter naine than that you call them by Protestants Of which religion and number wee acknowledge our selues to bee and thanke God for the same Cathari or Puritan heretiques I knowe none heere God bee thanked but I ghesse whome you meane Your Authour 〈◊〉 the whotter sorte of Protestants are called Puritans Nowe supposing their religion that you call the Protestants to bee the trueth of God as it is indeede and that you that will bee called Catholikes like not but condemne colde Catholikes as badde ones and require zeale and feruentnesse I pray you tel vs euen in your consciēce if Protestants bee to bee allowed whether sorte of 〈◊〉 are to be liked the whotter or the colder yet such still that ye abuse not your self as with their zeale carry ioine godly knowledge It is good to bee zealous in a good thing alwaies saith the holy Ghost And you wot what is said to them of Laodicea in the Reuelat. for that they were luke warme neither cold nor whot that they shoulde bee spued out We hope that if you whot Catholikes wil allow any Protestāts y e poore
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
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
shorter Be your selfe iudge herein M. Howlet If you tell vs your conscience in deed or let the world tel To whom you refer vs in comparing her maiestie our most dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and her peaceable and milde gouernment hauing beene so greatly disturbed and prouoked to the contrary and other princes and the former times that haue not been acquainted with the profession of the gospel And againe you say and truely that her maiesties noble mercifull disposition is knowne and renowmed through out the worlde The world you say doth know how that the great mercie and clemencie of her Maiestie hath staied oftentimes and restrained penalties from their execution and from the ouerthrowing of diuers men c. It doth so indeede and so doth it by experience of the sharpe executions done aforetime by your procurements and the ouerthrowe of diuers both men and families which feele the smarte at this day As you call your selues Catholikes and vs protestantes yea heretikes at pleasure so in like manner say you and say only your religion is the old so ours must be the newe religion wee are gone out from you and not you from vs. c. But leaue these enuiously deuised doubtfull and rackt tearmes of yours vs. c and haue recourse to the scriptures Let vs there and thence make our plea and then you shalbe founde to be that ye call vs we to be that you would so fain chalēg to your selues to beautifie your euil cause as it needeth Else let the word of God be iudge between vs and look who be found to haue swarued from the Prophets Apostles doctrine or 〈◊〉 haue gone and fallen from that and them let those be heretikes Spare not In the meane while in our iust defence let our denial suffice to answer the vniust 〈◊〉 and accusations bringing onely words without any proofe Concerning the comparison ye make of her 〈◊〉 this state with other princes and states not Christian onely but Turkes and Infidels your meaning and drifte therein may easily be espied It deserueth another answer than my words yet to clere herein both our soueraigne the state towardes the world I tolde you before that your case is not like to Turkes and Infidels Besides her maiestie and this state are not bounde to follow other Princes examples she being as free as they are in y e gouernmēt of her people whē doubt may be made First whether that be true you tell vs of Princes and their order of gouerning Infidels Haue you beene brought vp among the Turkes haue you trauailed into the Indies and farre partes of the worlde that you tell vs of to know this you report vs of the Infidelles c Know you of your selfe that this was neuer yet practised Or goe you by report onely I think you take it at other Next doubt may be made by Princes and states whether they you talke of vse those Infidels that be vnder their gouernement well and vprightly and whether euen in this point they doe well or no that being supposed which you affirme of them which thing they had neede and will vnderstand too before they 〈◊〉 bounde to follow their example in gouerning the people subiect vnto them This is reason and princes ouer other princes and states chalenge no such superioritie of prescribing in order of gouernment as you here too vnaduisedly doe Neyther are princes too curious to enquire examine and iudge how the rest order their subiectes in such cases but content themselues with ruling their own people in y e feare of God according to their owne dutie and Gods worde I adde yet further that whereas you alleadge It was neuer yet practised nor euer thought lawfull by the Catholike church that Infidelles should be enforced to any one act of our religion And running stil to your D. Thomas say vide D. Thomas c. I answer and say that Thomas his question is Whether Infidelles are to be compelled to fayth or to beleeue Which because it is aboue mans power to doe as beeing the gift of God or as he speaketh To receiue fayth pertaineth to the will and the will cannot be forced Therefore no mortall man may as seemeth take vpon him to force that which he cannot perfourme But your question is of perfourming any acte of Christian religion comming to Church the one that is faith is a heauenly inward gift and is in the hearte the other that is comming to church c. is an externall and outwarde acte and a profession of religion or an inducement and outward exercise and means to bring vs to fayth and to encrease and continue the same in vs. Now we say that the ciuill magistrate hath not onely authoritie frō God but is of dutie bound to maintain Gods honour and as a principall parte of his charge to see the cōmandements of the first Table of Gods lawe outwardly kept and perfourmed by al his subiectes without exception so much as he may punishing the trāsgressors also vnto which honour of God and first Table of his commandementes pertaine the actes and outward exercises of Gods true seruice and christian religion As then wee highlye praise G O D dayly for her maiestie in this behalfe and for the singuler care she hath ouer vs her poore subiectes to prouide vs of preaching and other meanes to bring vs to God and to furder vs in all godlines So doe wee tell you plainly that her Maiestie by authoritie may doth therein but her duetie enforce you to haunt Church Assēblies to heare the preaching of the Gospell c. Which bee the proper meanes to beginne encrease and continue faith and godlines in you and vs. Her part her care and charge it is to prouide and take heede nothing bee put vppon her people in Gods matters his seruice but y t which is warranted by his holy word which whilest her maiesty is occupied in you disturbe her Godly proceeding too much out of season time too vndutifully D. Thomas euē in his question of Infidelles sayth They are to be compelled yet of the faythfull if they haue power not to hinder Chtistes fayth or religion eyther by blasphemies and rayling or by naughtie persuasions or else by open persecution and violence c Marke well your D. Thomas his poyntes Now if Infidelles which were neuer Christened maye bee compelled in these thinges by your Thomas his iudgement much more maye you be restrained in your rages and violente and vnreasonable dealings punished for your disturbances and printing and spreading of seditious libels and bookes to the hinderance of the course of Christes Gospell amongest vs and the peruerting and poysoning of diuers especially such as are of the simpler sort and therfore easily seduced And this is not disagreeing from Thomas his wordes though you cannot abide to haue the same appli ed to you be it neuer so true in you This is your faulte D. Thomas
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
euill day I counsayle you And yet I meane not so much in this world as in that to come God giue vs all his grace Amen Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for Toby Smyth dwelling in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Crane 1581. An appendix or addition for aunsweare to the Authors recapitulation in the ende of his Treatise BEfore you conclude vp this first parte of your discourse you gather for 〈◊〉 sake to the vnlearned foure conclusions takē out of y t you haue to fore said which being falsly supposed rather then duely proued might easily haue been heere omitted But it is to the vnlearned You may not bee gaine standed You wil haue no nay You wil not nowe dispute of the matter you say all must be supposed indeede the vnlearned vnstable are easeliest seduced and brought to wrest euen the Scriptures to their owne destruction as blessed Peter reporteth The godlier learned wise wil cal you know for sounde proofe of the matter you thinke to carrie all afore you vpon your owne credite it is no reason it may not be Going to Hereticall assemblies we graunt you is prohibited Christians by the lawe of nature of God and of his true Church not to be dispensed with by any mortall man but where when and how proue you that our Church assēblies be hereticall this would haue beene proued which you put off before you had beene so rash to haue without warrāt or ground pronounced it vnlawfull to haunt our Churche assemblies What it aduauntageth your side to suppose that which you cannot proue and lieth in controuersie betweene vs I wote not but easily may one perceiue that it sauoureth neyther of trueth nor of learning which you so confidently affirme Till you can conuince vs therefore of heresie our assemblies to be hereticall which while we may be hearde to make answere will neuer bee giue vs leaue to turne on your owne heades that which you charge vs with And forasmuch as our men haue prooued Papistes Heretikes and their Idolatrous assemblies heretical giue the Pastors and other godlie Learned leaue to admonish all the faithfull to abstayne therefrom as frō prohibited vnlawfull things where you especially haue nothing to doe or not to commād at least And seeing the case thus standeth nowe betweene these two religious that of the Protestantes and Papists In the meane while till you can more sufficiently then hitherto reproue our Church assemblies let vs craue at your hands to shewe that the whole act of going to Churche is as it is of you Papistes sayde to bee prohibited also Iure diuino naturali that is by the Lawe of GOD and nature For wee holde the contrary not by Supposition as you doe but by good warrant of God his woorde reason and experience to witte that to haunt Churche assemblies is a thing 〈◊〉 on GOD his Lawe Whether we respect the olde Testament or the newe and also on the Lawe of nature as not experience onelye taken from the Heathen and the example of them that haue amongest them any exercise of Religion but reason also sufficiently teache and not to haunt Churche meetinges on the other side or vttetly to abstayne therefrom is a contempt and vtter denying of all Religion If therfore you will needes busie your selfe where you haue no cause and little thanke of autoritye for your laboure shewe eyther your selfe more religious and fauourable in speaking for Churche meetinges or prooue more substantially then hitherto the faultes wherewith you charge the same heere amonge vs especially seeing all the worlde maye knowe and iudge that our meetinges in the excercise of Religion daylye are not onelye voyde of Idolatrye wherewith your meetinges are 〈◊〉 but tende also to the 〈◊〉 and comforte of our consciences vnto the good example of other in making publike confession of our sinnes and the Christian fayth in hearing GOD his holie woorde making publike prayers participating of the holye Sacraments c. which we take to be the principall endes and chiefest vses of Christian assemblies in steede of gasing crooching crossing pyping singing and other ceremoniall fashions in vse among you For the rest whether it bee impossible to bee so that your Pope shoulde offer too her Maiestye to confirme the Englishe seruice vppon condition to recouer his Supremacie heere in Englande whiche hee is farre from and GOD so keepe him still and whether his authoritie be aboue the Scriptures so as hee may dispense with thinges agaynst GOD his Lawe or no I leaue to the Authoures that first inuented such brabbles to occupie mens heades with all Onelye this in perusing of late I remember N. Saunders an Archepapiste among you English Romanists handeling this latter question of the Popes authoritie in dispensing against the woorde of God disputeth whether the Pope may not dispence agaynst the Apostle thus mynceth hee thinges and for his aduantage propoundeth this question and hee affirmeth as one put to his shiftes therein that the Pope may doe or suffer to bee doone sometime otherwise then the Apostle commaundeth and ordereth As for example where the Apostle commaundeth if any brother haue a wife that beleeueth not If she be content to dwell with him let him not forsake her The Pope may for some respect dispēce giue the man leaue to put a way such a wife cōtent desirous to dwell with her husband and further he may giue him leaue to marry an other contrary to the Apostles doctrine and cōmaundement With which he hath authoritie to dispense though the former wife haue committed no fault against her husband after their mariage And why not I pray you when hee hath done still doth and can doe greater thinges then this whereof I enter not now to entr eate vpon this occasion particularly nor to examine Saunders cauilles and meere shifts indeede and no better The Learned know this man of sinne well ynough and the excessiue authoritie he vsurpeth and chalengeth The vnlearned I thinke are sufficiently warned before Let all that are Godlie take heede of dealing with Pope or Papistes in mariage or otherwise In the seconde conclusion you bring no newe matter but turne vs ouer to the olde and therefore I also send the Reader to that I haue before particularly answeared In the thirde conclusion it greeueth you her Maiesties Subiectes bee and shoulde bee so obedient to her godlie commaundements and therefore where obedience for going to Churche is alleadged you call it a A vayne pretence As the holie Scriptures for the grounde of our G O D his seruice were a greate blocke lying in your way wherewith you were troubled before and therevppon trauelled to inuay agaynst the sacred Scriptures So now heere her Maiesties authoritie grounded on the Scriptures and ioyning therein with the Mynisters doctrine and exhortation to call her Subiectes to holie assemblies lyeth in your way agayne and combreth you greately
and easily inough entreated too as God bee thanked and her Maiestie their handes be tied nowe when they were loose they had shrewde argumentes suche as I euen nowe spake of and yet God to his glory and their shame gaue them that matched with them euen then receiued their argumentes and soluted them remaining themselues still by Gods power inuincible Since that time their religion hath gained but litle by speaking and wryting and I hope shall euery day lesse then other so mightie is the 〈◊〉 of trueth and preuayleth I see not why wee here may not make as great accoumpt of Christes Religion professed in this Church as you doe of your friendes priuate opinion and thinke and say as well of it and without bragge tell you 〈◊〉 religion hath been from time to time The common receiued religion of vniuersal Christendome so can 〈◊〉 so soone be abandoned for you and your fellowes 〈◊〉 and disliking c. We who set no newe religion abroch nor confesse acknowledge any other then the only true religion of 〈◊〉 Christ grounded on the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and taken thence may better auow proue our religiō then you can your friendsopiniō which vpō brag without proofe you so confidētly boast of The matter your Authour treateth of seemeth to you great waightie and important to Godward to her Maiestie and to many a thousand of her Maiesties best subiects This is the other and second cause of your dedication of this peece of worke to her Maiestie heere want no wordes to amplifie that withall which wanteth matter to vphold it and is nothing but wordes You tell vs what seemeth you both of your freende and the matter you can doe little if in wordes you cannot commend them both if that will serue the turne you haue saide your minde and giuen them your good word your opinion is not rested vpon the coloures of your Rethoricke carry shew but moue not One must trie prooue and looke into the thing as into the man also that you praise First we wishe the matter were important to Gods cause to her Maiesties soule estate and Realme and to the estate of her graces faithful subiects Then were it in deede a thing meete to be presented to such a Prince as is our dread Soueraigne and to come into her royall presence But al is cleane contrary there is as much as you can perfourme in this discourse to hurt hinder gods cause her Maiesties soule estate Realme to poyson and infect and thereby to alienate the mindes of y e good subiects of this land from their dutifull obedience to God their lawful and most louing dread Soueraigne ours if you could do more hurt we should be sure of it but we 〈◊〉 God against you for our defence whom we humbly beseech either to turne you or to preuent ouerthrow all your wicked deuises For particular proofe of things we referre it to triall vpon reading that both partes write in a worde denie heere still that you say and but say in wordes In this second sectiō of your Epistle you increase y e troubles too much y e you imagine to bee heere therein too vndutifully also vse your self towards our Soueraigne her lawes councellers ministers After you haue once menxioned it only you leaue quite out without prosecuting gods cause her maiesties soule estate realme which were your principall cōmendations of y e matter before you folow set out like an Oratour for your cōmoditie the pretended afflictiōs of your self other your friends y e papists heere This matter you amplifie heere you are carried with full wind saile as they speak What Such afflictiō extremitie of many a thousād of her graces most louing faithful duetiful subiects as neuer was hearde of before in England that for their consciēces Thus you too oftē cal Popish 〈◊〉 treason You write of a great matter nowe if it were true There is no doubt but you your fellowes giue this foorth in speeche wryting where euer you become that dare so boldly auouch it in printe before her Maiestie I remēber besides other what your seditious Sanders in an Epiftle before his visible Monarchie of the Churche reporteth of the crueltie of this his countrey as though there were some mafsacre or the shedding of many martyrs blood heere in her Maiesties most milde gouernement as I remember also his too vile lewde slanderous report in y e same booke for y t her Maiesty hath bin forced to execute some vile traitors for their too iust deserts which I here only touch by the way because I treat thereof at large els where You wold make the world beleeue that all your stirres here haue not risē of nothing as though you had had great occasion ministred for your seditious rebellious attempts frō time to time I blame you not in respect of your selues your epistle that can not blush but I blame you for sclandering her Maiestie the state realme you woulde make many thinke y t we are not our selues or very fooles y t can not see nor vnderstande of that at home whiche you by here say being so farre off can tell vs vpon report but fame and reporte you must remember goyng farre gaineth in cariage and euil will was neuer giuen to say well you woulde enduce other and her Maiestie also to thinke there were yet some bloody and butcherly Bishops like ye wote whome yet in her Realme vnknowen vnto her highnesse vnlesse to the great reioycing of her subiects heartes she went often and often among them both farre neere and had better intelligence of the estate of her whole Realme and all her subiects than you can giue her better opinion and liking also of the Ministers of her Maiesties lawes than you woulde she had massacres and hot burning execution haue bene and are the weapons of your side know the Authours and make much of the executioners You should remembre me thinketh in what you deale and with whome our soueraigne is merciful milde pitifull where she is not to much prouoked as swelt your harts you cannot denye nay you graunt it though it bee to your owne shames y t so farre so much prouoke her gētle nature but shee is you must vnderstande with other qualities godly wise and vpright way what that and the royall estate and dignitie of her crowne and authoritie require at her hands your conceiued griefs and necessitie shoulde not make you roue so farre without the compasse of the trueth as impudētly to suggest so manifest false things such Hyperboles that is excessiue speeches are scarsely currant and yet your writing is full of them Righteous lippes are the delight of Kings and the King loueth him that speaketh right things saith the wise man Surely M. Howlet if you marke your vsage thorowe your whole Epistle this way you may thinke
your selfe very gently dealt withal if you leese but your request and that you seeke for the lawe is that a lying petitioner or suiter shoulde bee frustrate of the thing hee had obteined and thereupon another sayeth That it is good right in plea of Court that hee that is founde to suggest a lye shoulde take no profite by that hee getteth that way you in thus dealing deserue no better Your matter is not onely false but a great slaunder her Maiestie and her lawes to afflict any for their consciences ' If it were any sure it were not you whē in your respect shee is so farre of that many insolences hauing bene cōmitted openly by your Catholikes to the disturbance of her quiet estate and the Church and common wealth haue yet beene pardoned let goe Except you may lawfully and at pleasure doe what you list without check or controlment ye are afflicted Alack their while But looke into the former gouernement when they of your side cōmanded The dealings of your sect haue of late bene so violent that her Maiestie to her great charges trouble we confesse hath bene enforced to looke narrowlier vnto you than hitherto as wel to represse rebels that came frō your holy father y t Pope as to cut thē shorter y t to confidētly openly goe stil about to kindle a new fire prouiding as much as conueniētly may be y t they shal do no harme to tendre moreouer her simple poore subiects y t are sought to be poisoned with the Romane Popish religion If there be any straightnes herein who hath procured inforced it Looke to that M. How on that side Of il vsages doings spring many times good lawes Ye talke of many a thousand but if with your Author you auowe none but such as wil not come to Church here nor take the othe of obediēce to her Maiestie condēning other euē of your own religiō some to hel some other wise ye may spare this exces siue speech of Manye a thousand it may be is likely yee haue infected some few which are to many with your late reconciliation ioined with subtil perswasiō which was the end of your cōming frō the Pope into Englād for which disturbance ye iustly suffer Rude simple ignorāt people womē especially are easily seduced in Parishes where there is litle or no preaching of the Gospel her Maiesties godlines wisedome and the States will of pitie I doubte not prouide they may be better instructed submitting themselues to God and her Maiestie quietly wil not only generally sende abroade such as shal breake vnto thē by doctrine and preaching the bread of life for their soules confortably to feede on like good Pastours dwel among thē to helpe them in neede to driue al Popish wolues the like away But like a tendre mother also she wil beare more with their imperfections than the Pope and you Catholikes doe that send thē quicke to hel And in deede heere with these the consciēce of such weakeones is the place time of bearing til they may be aduanced who for comming to church here simply vnfainedly seeking the comforte of their soules though possibly not so throughly yet fully perswaded in al points of religion for lacke of instruction as were to bee wished are so hardly handled by you false Catholikes A weake conscience in these keeping quiet may be tendred a time borne with by instruction further aduāced If after so long preaching of the Gospel among vs there be any such founde as in out quarters of her Maiesties dominions I feare there be to many With you fiery stubborne rebellious Catholikes pretend what you wil you are so grosse your matter so open plaine yea so violent vnreasonable as neither time place nor reason can beare with you except you repēt amende Remēber this Church state may answere you with that holy father cited allowed by your D. Thomas Who would not haue you nor any heretiques perish but the house of Dauid as he saith otherwise deserued not to haue peace except his sonne Absolon had perished or been slaine in the battaile that he moued against his father so the Catholike church that is not you that wil needs take y e name haue but y e bare name but y e true church of Christ if it gather y e rest by destroying some it healeth y e sorrow of a motherly hart by deliuering sauing so great mighty a people Of 〈◊〉 how farre your corrupt and obstinate dealing is frō it I speake in place Put case thē of y e worser sort for their naughty deserts some fewe haue been restrained of libertie or licētiousues rather some committed to bishops other church men or to good wise godly Gentlemēs custodie some also imprisoned as y e case requireth they fare wel cōmonly lie soft only the loose libertie of a fewe in respect hath been vpon great consideratiō I am assured restrained to foresee preuent euil dangerous attempts as good wisedome and a great blessing of God We haue tasted but too much of the bitter fruite that your late reconciltatiō to the Pope bringeth forth Remember I pray you as oft as ye hot Catholiks plaine of hard dealing in these dayes the cruell vsage of God his faithfull seruantes in times past and of late yeres and yet still in many places among you and ye shall see lesse cause to make such tragical a doe vpon a litle and gentle seueritte towardes a certaine here rather haled vpon them selues then offred as all the worlde may see If further some few traitors haue felt any sharpnes and smart of death their traiterous and seditious dealing by rebelling against our dread soueraigne and the state hath procured it some notorious traitours had neede to be made an example to terrifie and stay others attempts when they growe perilous to the good and setled state This is the great extremitie that you plaine some endure being iustly and orderly proceeded withall by lawe for their offences and that very mercifully too as say the worst yee can ye must needes confesse There is a milde seueritie as there is a cruell pitie One might recken how many things her Maiestie hath borne and for 〈◊〉 howe many matters shee hath put vp and pardoned both them and the persons This it might please you to consider of You say ye haue no other meanes to redresse and ease your miseries but only as confident children to come to the mercy clemency of her highnes your mother borne soueraigne Princes c. Faire words good I wold ye had in deed no other meanes would seeke vse no other But why run ye so fast to Rome then Why seeke ye helpe at stepfathers and stepmothers why procure and bring you in strangers and Italian souldiers why be ye not ruled by your
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
pray to God yee may remoue it or come out of that diuelish conscience ye seeme nowe to pretende but this therewhilest we warne you of that yee take not the way by abstayning from holy Church assemblies where the proper meanes to winne you to God is to be had 7 BVt nowe these afflictions howe grieuous and heauie so euer they were yet were they hitherto more tollerable because they were not common nor fell not out vpon euery man and if there were any common crosse layde vpon them as there wanted not they bare it out with patience as their discredite in their countreyes who were borne to credite and countenaunce in the same distrustfull dealing with all of that religion notwithstanding their resolute redinesse to spende their liues in your Maiesties seruice and other the like afflictions which they shifted out with as they might But at this time present and for certaine monethes past the tempest hath beene so terrible vpon these kinde of men and their persecutions so vniuersall as the like was neuer felt nor feared before For besides the generall molestation and casting into geales both of men women and children of that religion throughout all partes of your Maiesties Realmes there are certayne perticulars reported here which make the matter more afflictiue As the disioyning of man and wife in sundrie prisons The compelling of such to die in prison whiche could not stande or goe in their owne houses The sending of Virgins to Bridewell for their consciences The racking and tormenting of diuers which was neuer heard of before in any countrey for religion And that which aboue all other things is most grieuous iniurious and intollerable is the giuing out publiquely that all Catholiques are enemies and traytours to your Royall Maiestie and this not onely to vtter in speach but also to let it passe in print to the vewe of the worlde and to the renting of Catholikes heartes which are priuie of their owne truth and duetifull affection towardes your highnesse estate and person This was written and put in print this Sommer past to a Noble man of your Maiesties priuie Counsell for the exciting of him to the persecution of all Catholikes by a strange braynesike fellowe whome Newegate possessed a long time for his phantastical opinions wherein he is so pregnant if men report truely as hee can deuise any newe religion vpon a weekes warning giuen him at any tyme. This fellowe affirmeth there that all Papistes as he termeth them are enemies to God and to your Royal Maiestie The which in his meaning toucheth so neere so manie thousande good subiectes in this Lande as I marueile that eyther his audacitie serued him to write it or M. Elmers officers woulde allowe to print it But it seemeth that Catholiques at this day are made according to the Philosophers prouerbe Praeda Mysorum That is laide open to euery mans iniurie a pray for euery one to bayte vpon and a common place for euery rayler to ruffle on and to rubbe his cankered tongue in their slaunder In all which great wrongs they haue no appeale but vnto God and to your Maiestie as Vicegerent in his place before whome they desire aboue all other things to cleare themselues from this greeuous obiected cryme of disloyaltie by protesting and calling the omnipotent knowledge of our great God and Sauiour to witnesse that they are deepely slaundered in this point and that they are as readie to spende their goodes landes liuings and life with all other worldly commodities whatsoeuer in the seruice of your Maiestie and their Countrey as their auncitours haue beene to your Noble progenitours before this and as duetifull subiects are bounde to doe vnto their Soueraigne Princesse and Queene only crauing pardon for not yeelding to such conformity in matters of religion as is demanded at their handes which they cannot do but by offence of their consciences indu ced by those reasons which more at large are declared in this Treatise following NOwe leauing the bragge you make of your resolute readinesse to spende your liues in her Maiesties seruice which as hitherto she hath not so God graunt shee neuer neede to proue your fidilitie and of your patience in your troubles dreamed of rather then founde proceede I M. Howlet to your newe persecutions and extremities as yee call them in deede to your shamelesse slaunders charging particular personnes before her highnesse whose chaste eares vnwonted to such impudencie you shold at least haue spared but yee make no accompt of that The other dealing beseemeth you well ynough whereupon making your entraunce vppon generalles still as true as the 〈◊〉 you talke of casting into Geales both of men women and children of your religion throughout all partes of her Maiesties Realmes Fye for shame are yee not ashamed tell trueth and expresse the cause wherfore or else peace Lying lippes are abhomination vnto the Lorde but they that deale truely are his delight Prou. 12. 22. Hee that dissembleth hatred with lying lippes and he that inuenteth slaunder is a foole c. Prouer. 10. 18. It is possible to bring some examples of imprisoning whipping and burning too of some children and infants of our mens in your kingdome besides women and men young and olde Let Bonner that dead is goe and other his mates Heere I remember what befell a woman in the Isle of Guernezey and her infant in the late dayes of persecution vnder Queene Marie howe both were cruelly burned the storie is to bee seene the people of the Countrey testifie of y t crueltie and the truth of the matter the deane and other that gaue the sentence aliue very lately and I thinke still and diuers of the executioners in her Maiesties dominions and out of prison too The profession of y e Gospel followeth not your Romaine Catholikes in thirsting after blood her Maiesties royall brest and her people and Realme except it bee a fewe that growe out of kinde are free from such barbarous and sauage crueltie Her Maiesties wil is it shoulde be so God be thanked therfore Leauing generals which yee plaine of but proue nothing yee come with like proofe that is none at al to particulars reported heere say you but by whome vpon what credit you say not of you and vpon your owne credit wholly At first clap you charge two not of the meanest bishops in this lande what dare not you doe to meaner personages but the best is you shewe what you are and what credit is to be giuen to you Your reports are lies and too shamelesse yeedeclare at pleasure in your Epistle of disioyning of man and wife in sundrie prisons c. What were your not disioynings in sundrie prisons but violent diuorcements of man and wife pronouncing the same without all warrant of God his worde to bee whoredome and worse then whoredome when it was Your hote burning if not both the maried couple yet one leauing the husband a
widdower the wife a widdowe the children fatherlesse and motherles your killing diuers in prison c. This was nothing it was worth neither the noting nor the quoting yee quote vs. M. Dimmocke in your margent and M. Couper But syr the Bishop of Lincolne whome yee name is aliue and able to answere your slander God bee thanked and hath already openly done the same to your shame M. Dymmock as I vnderstande beeing orderly called before her Matesties high Commissioners in causes Ecclesiastical whereof the B. of Lincolne is one was for his demerits restrained not committed to any prison or common iayle but wild to chuse him a house as hee did a friende of his in the Close at Lyncolne where he was during his restraint well ynough vsed his wife resorted to him and hee sundrie tymes to the Bishops table beeing there hee might per aduenture sometime be displeased at the Bishop his talke after dinner who carefully and painefully trauailed to winne him to Christe This was the harde vsage yee make so Tragicall adoe about I am ashamed to rippe vp your words of compelling such to dye in prison which coulde not stande or goe in their owne houses If not all the one halfe of the sentence is a Paradoxe or strange kinde of speach From Lincolne you leape or flye rather to London and talke of sending of virgines to Bridewel for their consciences yee quote vs only one as say you young Mistrisse Tomson by M. Elmer Yee hearde by report belyke of some thing wherof you make more as is your manner The thing as is reported is false and vntrue as the rest for neither was she sent to that place by the B. of London but by the Queenes Maiesties high Commissioners and the appointment of the whole benche neither was it for her conscience but for her flering mocking and such vnmaydenly vsage towards authoritie that shee was committed to Bridewel and that to the ende she might thereby the rather get by her handes and labour somewhat towardes her maintenance How euer it were we haue to thinke reuerētly of the proceedings of authoritie and to iudge she wel deserued the punishmēt layde vpon her that the Cōmissioners had reason good cause to take that course with her they did The cōmitting of her to Bridewel why shoulde it be thought so great an offence as H makes it seeing the place is ordeined not to make of honest women Harlots but of Harlots honest women by punishment and repentance Therefore the Cōmissioners seing the intollerable vnshamefastnesse the boulde 〈◊〉 countenance of the woman without blushing the immodest speeches and flowting laughters in the place of Maiestie and Justice suspected that chastitie could not bee there entier wher so ill so bould and impudent behauiour was in so open and so honourable a place Therefore they thought it good to commit her to that place where though not her chastitie yet her modestie and maydenly behauiour might bee recouered The time was when Howlets brood thought it no fault to racke Anne Askue a gentlewoman of a good house nor to burne the handes of maides before they burned their bodies nor to vse other most hellishe torments against the seruants of God but nowe forsooth the Papists being sufferers as they thinke and not dooers as they wishe can make of euery molehill a mountaine and of euery fillip a mortal and deadly wounde Are they not ashamed to cry out against carying to Bridewell where the offenders bee kept aliue lie and liue well and be made better if they haue any grace and not worse where they carried the saints of God to Smithfielde to fire and as they themselues were not ashamed to say from that fire to hell fire Such was their mercie If God 〈◊〉 accompt 〈◊〉 to be the most abhominable 〈◊〉 of the soule much fouler then the defiling of the bodie then what wrong had that idolatrous wench who had prostituted her selfe and her soule to the worse sorte of filthy fornication if shee were carried to the house of reformation where shee coulde take no euill example neyther of life nor beliefe If such as bee sent to Bridewell returned thereby defiled eyther in body or soule or both as those commonly bee whome Sathan sendeth on his errand to Rome then were it a fault indeede to thrust them to such a Prison I take this an honester imprisonment then your Canonicall intrusion into Monasteries was where what they sawe what they heard and learned the worlde is not ignorant I haue to craue pardon that vppon this raylers slanders I make so bolde as to speake in their defences whose credite with her Maiestie and the State is so good that it nothing needeth my pleading or others such as I am and that maketh mee not to stande long in their purgation but onely to note the aduersaries craftie and naughtie dealing If hee were heere to answere it the parties bee such and their cause as by trial before other Judges or in any Court in Englande it woulde 〈◊〉 him deere if they shoulde but pursue the cause You speake M. Howlet of racking tormenting c. for Religion all must bee cloaked vnder Religion forsooth you might bee ashamed if ye had any wryting to her Maiestie to touche her honour so neere and the highest authoritie in this lande to whome these punishments are reserued you wil neuer leaue your common rule An Epistle blusheth not Pro. 24. 21. My sonne saith the wise man feare the Lord and the King and medle not with thē that are seditious I will not as you doe make my selfe more busie than needeth about her 〈◊〉 affayres and her honourable Counsailes whereof I am not priuie no more are you though impudently yee rushe into euery thing that I may 〈◊〉 charge you with your owne phrase they bee thinges M. Howlet aboue our reaches they are to well handled to bee stayned by our reproches let vs deale wysely and let them alone or else learne to speake more reuerently of authoritie as becommeth vs. Yee knowe who and what presumptuous 〈◊〉 and false teachers they bee that standing in their owne conceipte despise gouernement and feare not to rayle on them that are in dignitie From publike and great personages and such as haue commission and authoritie from her Maiestie whose names yee might haue spared for your owne honesties sake you come lower yee care not where yee roote nor where yee byte First yee catche holde of one whome ye cal a strange brainesicke fellowe whome Newegate possessed a long tyme for his phantasticall opinions onely Papists then haue not suffered for their Religion wherein hee is so pregnant if men reporte truely all goes vppon reporte as he can deuise any newe religion vppon a weekes 〈◊〉 giuen him at any time Gentle stuffe This 〈◊〉 affirmeth in printe say you that all Papistes are Enemies to GOD and to your Royall Maiestie and this is aboue all other things most grieuous iniurious and intollerable
that the crime of Disloyaltie is obiected vnto you c. Heereuppon you puffe and fume or woulde seeme to bee angry yee amplifie the matter yee apeale yee protest yee bestirre you euery way heere is praeda Mysorum expounded and set out with dogge Rhetorike and much adoe The thing might haue been 〈◊〉 taken and vttered with more 〈◊〉 and modestie and your deedes if yee had any might better cleere you with wyse men than wordes will Your iudgement of the man in this passion and in your owne case will hardly bee esteemed This vpbrayding of imprisonment this charging with phantasticall opinions and shewing none and saying that the man with whome yee are 〈◊〉 can deuise any newe Religion at any time vppon 〈◊〉 weekes warning giuen him grounded but vppon this if men reporte truely This vncharitable and naughty dealing I say may sauour of immoderat choler and heate but of litle trueth or honest modestie you would scarsely be content to bee so vsed your selfe Though it bee no parte of the matter to stande in defence of particular men and their 〈◊〉 neither take I great delight in that course yet if that be the partie ye quote in your margine M. Howlet I answere not by reporte and heare say as you too lightly doe but vppon better knowledge that it is very vntrue a slaunder that you reporte of his deuising of any newe Religion vppon a weekes warning c. And that hee hath beene knowen neuer to haue altered his iudgement in Religion since hee first entred the profession thereof and at this day also thankes bee to God keepeth the true paterne of the wholesome doctrine of saluation and constantly trauaileth for the mainteynance of the Fayth against you and such other as fallen into Heresie impugne the same It maketh no great matter what you reporte of him or such other when almost yee can say well of no good man the worse hee heareth of you in this case the better wil hee bee liked among the godly Touching the matter I would your deedes M. Howlet and your fellowes did not plainely confirme and approoue that hee writeth if you bee so stifly addicted vnto Popishe heresie as yee seeme to professe and so obstinate in refusing by othe to acknowledge her Maiesties Soueraigntie giuen of GOD and by lawe propounded to her subiects heere Thinke not that it is this man his singular opinion in wryting and printing but the common opinion heere of the best that in the case you are ye be enemies to God her Royall Maiestie and the State that worse tearmes also may beseeme you your deserts wel ynough Bee not angrie therefore at this your to much stirring will but increase the opinion of you Haue you beene all this while in laying downe your griefes in disclosing your miseries and vnfolding at large nowe your pittifull afflicted case and such intollerable molestations as you cannot beare brought into such extremitie as neuer was hearde of in Englande before And is all come to this that the geuing out publikely in print of these woordes that al Papists are enemies to GOD and her Royall Maiestie is aboue all things the most grieuous iniurious and intollerable Is this the deepest wounde and the greatest hurte yee haue Is this such extremitie as was neuer hearde of in England before Alas seely mouse that appeareth after the mountaines great trauaile I woulde when your side commaunded wee had beene persecuted but by tongue and penne Is that bloody persecutiō forgotten nowe these 〈◊〉 man but wordes and in your owne estimation but the wordes and opinion of a straunge brainsicke fellowe holding phantastical opinions and vyle in the reputation of the worlde what neede you bee so much moued thereat Yee are of a noble courage file not your handes vppon euery one yee meete I see M. Howlet your choise and meaning heerein cunningly to seeke to treade vpon the hedge where it is lowest you are commonly in extremities either with the greatest or the least you can hardly keepe the golden measure and meane in any thing This renteth your Catholique hartes forsooth which are priuey of your owne trueth and duetifull affection towardes her highnesse estate and personne woulde to God that that is so priuey to your selues vnknowen to others her Maiestie at least to whome it appertaineth might bee made priuey to in deede by your submissions to her authoritie renouncing all foreigne power I woulde yee woulde haue made her Maiestie priuey before yee ran away made your selues slaues to that Beast of Rome I woulde before you had thus dealt with her Subiectes and Printed your booke without her leaue and against her minde you would haue made her Maiestie priuey of y e matter I would you would yet now at the lēgth returne home vpō her Maiesties commandement and intimation giuen vnto you of her pleasure and doe as some of your fellowes companie doe repent and stande to her Maiesties mercy Ye need not be ashamed nor afrayde you shal haue examples here before your eyes of honester men I feare than some of you will prooue except you doe the lyke This is good sooth and trueth and the duetifull and bounden affection of subiects this is good plaine English dealing man without Romish farded 〈◊〉 or deepe Italian fetches if yee bee so desirous to cleere your selues as yee pretende yeelde to this motion in time Otherwise your Rhetorique is but colde it perswadeth not all that you say or can say for your selues hath been is considered it is hardly worth the hearing Hee that prayseth him selfe is not allowed but hee whome the Lorde prayseth How if her Maiestie reply relie as you speake vpon her iust interest how if shee say ye plaine more than ye neede or haue cause for if this mans wordes be the worst is done vnto you that you make much adoe of a litle or nothing in comparison howe if her Maiestie tell you where the trueth of the matter is to bee tryed in deedes and good euidence words are in vaine and preuaile not howe if therefore shee 〈◊〉 you leaue flourishing that is a vaine praysing and vaunting your Loyaltie in glorious wordes set out with colors of petre Rhetorique 〈◊〉 you for her satisfaction and assurance goe to the matter and by taking the othe of submission testifie and approoue your obedience and shame your aduersaries that way Let another man praise thee saith the wise man and not thyne owne mouth a stranger and not thyne owne lippes Namely wee are bidden there Not to boaste our selues before the King You keepe no measure 〈◊〉 M. Howlet And in refusing conformitie to take the othe of obedience and to goe to Church vpon the reasons of the treatise folowing Ye maintaine a very corrupt conscience if it may beare the name of conscience which is so ill staied If words may be receiued your pay verely is good if deeds bee required your money is not currant That
is a great blocke in your waye that you can neuer prayse your duetifulnesse to her Maiestie but you must euer with all craue pardon for your vndutifulnesse in the greatest matters as you here doe for not leauing Pope and Poperie and conforming your selues to religion c. And yet yee doe the same cunningly and vnder couerte of conscience forsooth grounded on the reasons that are in the treatise which must stande in steade of al satisfaction to her Maiestie where-of in place God willing wee shall see I am sorie I am enforced to followe and examine your wordes I woulde there had been some grounded matter for I am afraide as I wearie my selfe so doe I some wise and discreete readers but I must craue pardon in respecte of other that are more simple and rude who it were pitte shoulde be by glosing seduced or deceiued 8 ANd that the Catholike religion in generall for I medle with no mans particular fact is vniustly touched by any sect of our time for teaching disobedience or rebellion against their princes it may appeare plainely by the different doctrine which eche part deliuereth vnto his followers First Iohn Wikliffe one of their progenitours teacheth That a Prince if he rule euil or fall into mortal sinne is no lōger Prince but that his subiectes may ryse against him punish him at their pleasures Secōdly Mar. Luther following the same steppes teacheth That Chistians are free and exempted from all Princes lawes Whereof followed immediatly that famous rebellion of the countrey men againste their Lordes in Germanye in the yeere 1525. and in the same two hundred thousande slaine in one day Thirdly Iohn 〈◊〉 not dissenting from the rest teacheth That princes lawes binde not subiectes to obedience in conscience but onely for externall and temporal respect Wherof enseweth that if by any occasion this externall feare for the which only the subiect obeyeth be taken away as when he were able to make his partie so strong as he feared not his Prince then he should not sinne in rebelling against him And in another place holding plainely the doctrine of Luther he sayth That the consciences of the faythfull are exempted from the power of all men by reason of the liberty geuen them by Christ. Lastly the writing against the regiment of women in Queene Maries time for that the gouernment then liked them not all men can remember Which errours all the Catholike Church vtterly condemneth teaching her children together with the Apostle true obedience to their Princes for Conscience sake euen as vnto God him selfe whose roome they doe possesse and to whom they are bounde vnder the paine of mortall sinne eternal damnation patiently to obey how hardly so euer they deale with them in their gouernment otherwise By the which your Maiestie may perceyue howe falsly the Catholike religion is charged by her enemies of the contrary crime 9 Besides this if your Highnesse wisedome shall but enter into a litle consideration of the demeanour of Catholikes and of other of newer religions towardes their Princes this day in Europe it shall easyly appeare whiche of them are of the quieter spirites and milder in obedience I will not make mention of greater matters but onely to quite this aforesaide Puritane which so falsely hath infamed vs I will set downe here certaine propositions gathered out of two sermons of two of his preachers by a minister present there in Stamforde at the generall fast this last Sommer Which fast being prohibited with the preachings at the same by the expresse letters of the Lorde Superintendent of Lincolne bearing date the 5. of September to the Alderman and Comburgeses of the said Towne the preachers would not obey but stepping vp into the pulpit vttered as followeth 1. In such actions as may further the publique fast flesh and blood must not be called to counsell to doe the Lordes commaundement but they must be vndertakē without such warrant 2. The religion that Ionas preached did not as ours now doth depend and hange vpon Actes of Parliament For we when we go about such actions as God is to be glorified in 〈◊〉 first inquire whether there be any acte of Parliament to warrant our doings or no. 3 It is the manner of her officers and Counsellers now 〈◊〉 dayes to reforme matters by acts of Parliament and by pollices and not by Ionas his preachings 4 Her Counsellers neuer inquire what newes at Poules sermō but what reports are abroad that if any disliking thing should come to the Kings 〈◊〉 they might stop it from thence 1. He is of no spirite that will not promote that whiche God commandeth though all Edictes be contrary for we must not obey fleshe and blood 2. They that are ruled by the Edictes of men will change their religion with the Prince and they are of no conscience though they be neuer so much grounded in diuinitie 3. What if nether the Queene Counsell nor Bishoppe haue been present at the Fast nor allowed thereof yet wee ought to vndertake it Put case it is not in the Queenes chappel what then 4. This fast hath been hindred by certaine prophane carnall wretches 10 Here loe your Maiestie may see with what temperate spirite these men doe proceed and what they would teach and doe if they shoulde be contraried in great matters seeing they boult out suche doctrine against their Magistrats for crossing their appetites in so small a matter as is a litle phantastical age of fasting sodainely come vpon them for a desire they haue to heare themselues speake ten or twelue houres together after their continuall railing against fasting for these twentie one yeeres past But this is their spirite to rushe into euery thing with inordinate violence and to like of nothing that order and obedience layeth down vnto them The which your Maiesties great wisedome considering together with the quiet and modest proceedings of the Catholike part shall I doubt not easily perceiue what daunger it were to permit muche to such kinde of spirites and to bereaue this your Realme of so important a stay as Catholikes are in euery of your countreys against the perilous innouations of these and the like men whose finall ende is as their doctrine declareth to haue no gouernour or ruler at all 11 And this may bee one great Motiue vnto your Maiestie in respect of the safetie quietnes of your whole 〈◊〉 to extende some more mercye and fauour to your trustie and afflicted subiectes the Catholikes Who as they were moste ready at the beginning according to their bounden dueties to place your highnesse in that Royall roome wherein nowe by the fauour of God you stande So are they and will bee alwayes in like sorte ready with the vttermost droppe of their blood to defende the same in all safetie peace and quietnesse vnto the ende In consideration of which goodwil and seruice they can not
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
be had in wordes and speeche Flying and flowing wordes are rife with Dratours Logicians there profession requireth it but how well soeuer you haue heretofore sped by words in dispute or persuasion ye are not yet come to that value that with Caesar yee may say veni vidi vici as though all were in your handes and your owne Yee talke of brief scholasticall arguments where may a man seeke them where shall we finde them Your authours reasons that you make so great account of shewe very litle skill in Logicke what euer the matter be and yet there seemeth to haue been the proper place where that cunning if there had been any shoulde haue bee shewed We wonder in what Schoole you or he learned to frame the maimed arguments y e weake and sclender reasons yee set vs downe which leaue out necessarie proofes of thinges in controuersie vnnecessarily 〈◊〉 in proouing things not in controuersie This argueth poore skill in the art of disputing Strengthen your weake arguments that are set downe in this discourse whereof yee make so great account Of his nine reasons make vs of all but one good sounde and substantiall briefe scholasticall argument to make vs see our owne weakenesse c. as you speake It is an easie matter to conuince them y e are your owne men alredie But reprooue our doctrine or prooue your owne to our shame and confusion once Let it be your labour M. Howlet to ease your frend if you wil that brag vs so greatly of disputation aud scholasticall arguments But sir leaue out I pray you Paralogismes leaue captious arguments that is 〈◊〉 not you 〈◊〉 Catholikes set vs downe counterfet principles agreeing with your name and matter and so reason 〈◊〉 supposittons quite false and 〈◊〉 grounded doe not when you make an argument occupie your selfe in prouyng that wee denie not and passing ouer without proofe that we denie which I admonishe you of afore hand because it is your Authours common maner in his vnreasonable Reasons set vs downe in his discourse howe Scholasticallie or like a Disputer if you knowe not Let Aristotles Elenchs tell you But I say mende these faules or bragge not of your Scholasticall arguments which are full of faultes 2 Your seconde way of conference is continuall speech wherein like a babling Orator you wil seeme so to excell thinking that you haue marueylous great vauntage of all the worlde besides that yee dare giue your aduersaries leaue to answer you eyther presently or vpon studie But sir yee had not neede to staie vpon your three places taken out of the firste booke of Aristotles Rhetorique wherwith as with floures ye decke this your Epistle dedicatorie to her Maiestie You may be better seene in Aristotles Rhetorique that is as seemes you make of it in cunning of pretie words and sentences to delight and perswad withall then in Gods booke that is in heauenly matters and thinges appertayning to conscience But if you will looke no further of looke at least on your foule talons and bee not proude of a Peacocks tayle A man woulde haue thought that your dainty or quaize stomacke shoulde not well digest long speeche that could so euill brooke the godly Sermons made at the publike fast at Stamforde the last Sommer that yee lothed the length of them onely vpon a hearsay insomuch that yee imagine the continuall speech to haue lasted tenne or twelue houres together Whereas the longest Sermon then made was as I vnderstande two houres and a halfe or somewhat aboue in an extraordinarie Exercise You say of them with a disliking and vntruly also that they haue a desire to heare themselues speake ten or twelue houres together These are your Rhetoricke termes I coulde vse an other worde as you deserue but I forbeare Here now like a Declaymer or an Orator you woulde haue a continuall speech to be allotted out tell howe many houres together you desire to heare your selues speake or howe long ye will declame that the certaine space may bee considered of them to whom it doth appertaine In the meane space Thus marking thinges with your chalke and cole as they say you allowe and condemne as pleaseth you sometimes as it were Chilo or as Menelaus in Homer The Lacedemonians short speeche seemeth to like you sometimes like the Ionians or Battus you loue to haue your tongue runne at randon pleasurably You are the Newe Orators c. that I spake of before 3 From Rhetorique and Logique you come at length to the holye exercise of religion For the last of your three wayes not of wryting but of talke still is preaching That vsual and ordinarie exercise is taken vp but of late as newly begunne among you by your newe religious Iesuites As I take it or else taken from the beggerly Fryers I praye you 〈◊〉 often and howe vsually doe seculare Priestes vse to preache beyonde the Seas that for beyng to bolde ouer you I aske you nothing of the matter yee preache of wherein you are too prophane As you measure other men so to measure your selues by your owne foote shall wee say that when you woulde dispute vse continuall speech or preache before her Maiestie c. It is for a desire you haue to heare your selues speake c A dumme masking Masse secretely saide as your Priestes occupation to blaspheme God in is a meeter exercise for you your fellowes If you bee 〈◊〉 shauen as it may be you be but some Schoolemaister But for preaching sir pulpittes serue not for Orators heere nowe a dayes neither bee her Maiesties eares acquainted to heare blasphemies out of pulpits nor yet inuectiues What we haue to hope or looke for from you if you may get into pulpits is not harde to ghesse Your Sorbonne or the like is a fitter place for scoulding 〈◊〉 Pulpits thankes be to God are appointed to better and more religious vses among vs which haue been and are too badly prophaned by those of your side But forwarde as boasters and braggers be not alwayes the greatest doers when it commeth to the pushe so 〈◊〉 Howlet you shewe your selfe a very cowardly Thraso that euen in the beginning after so great bragges and sute for combate before you performe any thing you take so great care for your person and safetie and for your fellowes also for you will needes condition with your dread and liege Soueraigne and gracious Prince and ours before you will appeare before her highnesse you will not come hither I perceiue vpon the gage of your heades if yee bee vanquished yee will not giue them for washing and yet our men were brought to your disputation as Prisoners and knewe before what should become of thē after What are all your faire flattering speches c. come to this now euē now you were most humbly on your knees asking at her Maiesties hāds disputatiō All I perceiue is but Crocodyles teares as the prouerbe is You brage before of your patient obedience in
many waies Examine the doctrine of those ye name and ye shall finde it was in the world before Luther was borne Then maye you not say they al sprung of that first sect of Lutherans and they of Luther So as if Luther had not beene heard there had not beene now in the world any of them c. Consult but with N. Sanders and tell vs from him whether Adamians and Adamites Trinitaries c. were not their doctrine professed in the worlde before Luther was borne how then sprung they all thence how know you their would not be at this day one in the world of them if Luther had not beene hearde M. Howlet sayth Wickliffe was one of the progenetours of some of these yee heere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was many and many dayes beefore Luther was borne How then is that true you heere affirme Heere is a large fielde to walke in but let vs passe ouer it If in England at this day her Maiestie and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 higher for their profession and religion then Luther I 〈◊〉 you will shut all them out of this heape of 〈◊〉 not charge them to haue had the beginning of Luther sprung thence otherwise you doe them wrong But 〈◊〉 doe so that is 〈◊〉 higher leaue therefore charging with these names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deuised and called 〈◊〉 by you You playe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heede of 〈◊〉 spirite that saide he woulde be a lying spirite in the mouth of the Prophets Ye take vpon you to tell not onely what had beene in the worlde nowe if Luther had not beene hearde a great while since But as though you were yet nearer and more 〈◊〉 of Gods councell ye wrap men in eternall damnation yet aliue and presume to tell what sentence shall bee giuen vpon these and these men at the day of iudgement Great and rash is your audacitie in this behalfe It is happie Sir you haue not euerlasting fier at commaundement to flashe and fling amongst vs at your pleasure nor a throne yet set you to giue sentence like a iudge in this case You will needes be a Prophet and you tell vs what you haue persuaded your selfe but we tell you againe many a man persuades himselfe in his dreame of many thinges 〈◊〉 when he awaketh he findeth to be false and vaine we y t stand by seeing you in a dreame iog you as hard as we can wee put you in remembrance what he saith Awake thou that sleepest stand vp 〈◊〉 the dead and Christ shal giue thee 〈◊〉 If that will not serue to doe you good then for the 〈◊〉 of others we say The Prophet that hath 〈◊〉 dreame let him tell a dreame and he that hath my word let him speake my worde faithfully what is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lorde But Syr if the talke of our side be so greatly to be auoyded and it be so dangerous for you your fellowes and such 〈◊〉 to giue our side the hearing whence commeth it ye so earnestly now seeme to sue to her Maiestie that you may heare vs talke and reason the matter with vs for otherwise we cannot Preache answere or vse 〈◊〉 a certaine space continuall speech whervnto M. Howlet in all your names prouoketh To conclude this part we may iustly say to you herein if none had giuen eare to the Serpentes talke in your Antichristian 〈◊〉 if the Church 〈◊〉 a virgin had not been presented to an other to be corrupted but kept pure to her one and owne husbande Christe as the holy Ghost by the Apostle witnesseth shee shoulde be as for whom alone she is prepared and 〈◊〉 if an other then Christes Gospell had not beene preached and receiued Popery had not now been in the worlde nor yet should the same be troubled with papists as it nowe is c. Let the Reader consider that whiche the Apostle writeth to the Corinthians And let them that haue any zeale to Christes Churche here shew and vse the same in cleering it from Popish corruptions and restoring it to the simplicitie that is in Christe In the next and second Reason you are muche in Scandale I wel wote not why ye so purposedly leaue here that english worde of offence but let that goe Here you exaggerate here you amplifie here you set out the sinne of scandale like an Oratour In a thing not doubtfull you spend vnnecessary florishes of proofes you paint and set out your iudgement to the ix degree And all of your scandale and scandalizing vsing the same in some textes where you finde it not such loue are ye in w t this new English worde scandale And thus you reason All scandale is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c A 〈◊〉 going to our 〈◊〉 is scandale 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 c. As in the former reason so here is it not hard to turne this in truth vpon you and your religion goe you vpon persuasion and supposition as much and as long as you will The thing is 〈◊〉 and well done by the sacred scriptures of those of our 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 it vnlawfull to goe to your abhominable Masse and Idolatrous and superstitious Latine Seruice I haue heere to answere your argument in explanation and proofe of your first proposition you are busily occupied and deuide scandale into three partes The first is by 〈◊〉 any to 〈◊〉 by doing or saying that which is naught The second by doing a thing in it selfe lawefull the thirde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the enimie The whole is doone neither scholastically 〈◊〉 nor plainely but let vs admit this your diuision and that you say of scandale in generall Let vs examine your Hypothesis or second or next proposition and the application of the whole particularly wherein I tell you you fault and faile And I say your second and middle proposition ACatholikes going to our church is scandale is false and you shall neuer be able to prooue it For this Reason there fore bend your self to doe that or els you doe nothing That you nowe say doth it not We graunt that for the first point to giue offence by euill doing or speaking in life or doctrine c is a heynous sinne ye might haue spared your trauel in that point we admit your examples one and other here because they beset vs in the Canonicall Scriptures and agreeable to that heauenly doctrine Your application is naught It wyll be very right well when you apply all to your side and corrupt religion You are like 〈◊〉 Priestes in the olde law like the Moabites you are Prophets like Balaam and very like to Ieroboam that ye cite out of the Scriptures in inducing to sinne to Idolatrie and superstition which is easily followed and craftily vnder couert of wordes by you broched couloured The example ye bryng out of 〈◊〉 no lesse perteineth to you Cyprians very wordes well considered will prooue it who in Christendome bring vp their youth in ignorance more then you Who persuade there the
proue this as he onely affirmeth the same and occupieth himselfe in prouing that requireth no proofe with vs wee shoulde haue more a doe with him He is occupied in shewing at large howe bad Schisme and Schismatiks heresie and heretiks bee how to bee detested and their company shunned what punishment they deserue and haue to looke for c. But that our religion and we are such and in this case there is hee for proofe in effect muet And yet except that be prooued not supposed onely the rest serueth to little purpose For the vnitie of Christes Church we haue diligently to obserue that as it is and ought to bee with euery of vs precious so to consider again that the same is grounded in the vnitie that we haue with our Sauiour Christ the father without whom there is no sound vnitie Further we haue to note that it is called the vnitie of the spirit for that it is begunne continued and kept by the spi rit of God in spirituall and heauenly matters And these two pointes be expressed in the very textes here cited by this Reasoner out of the Gospell and S. Paule for one 〈◊〉 forme of beliefe one forme of Seruice one forme of Sacramentes and the like that this man sayth shoulde bee in Christes Churche as it is very obscurely and shortly spoken so I see no such 〈◊〉 thereof So we may haue the substance and matter for formes we will not greatly striue If there be any matter of importance we like well the synceritie of Christian religion and Apostolike simplicitie bee alwaies kept The wayght force of Christian vnity lieth in deed in greater pointes than in outwarde formes wherof ye make mention out of S Paule and may see more in the Acts of the Apostles c. Concerning the testimonies of the Fathers we graunt with Irenaee that heretikes that bring strange fire to the Lordes Aulter that is as hee expoundeth strange doctrines shalbe burned as Nadab and Abiu They that rise vp against the truth and exhort other against the Church of God remaine in hell swallowed vp with y t opening of the earth as they about Chore Dathan and Abirom They that cut and seuer the vnitie of the Church haue the same punishment of God that Ieroboam had What is this against vs why may not the same bee applyed vnto you and your doctrines and dealinges with this Church Let the Gospel and Spirit of life be the Piller and strength of the Church Let it bee the foundation and Piller of our Fayth as the same Irenaee speaketh Doe not as Irenaee sayth heretikes doe and we finde you to doe who whē they are reproued by y t scriptures are turned into the accusation of the scriptures themselues as though they were not right nor were of authoritie both because they are diuersly vttered and also because the Truth cannot be found out by them of such as know not Tradition c and you will haue little vantage Augustine also in his book or Epistle of the vnitie of the Church against Petilians Epistle helpeth you and your case very little For the question was then where the Church was whether euery where or bounde to a certaine place person and sect or no As for example Aphrica Donatus and Donatistes then Rome Pope and Papistes nowe Augustine there tyeth the Churche to no Sea maketh Christe alone the heade thereof and the Churche Christes body dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth Againe Augustine alleadgeth and prooueth also out of the holy Scriptures as none can deny the same but hee that professeth himselfe to bee an enimie to the same Scriptures Let vs not heare saith hee I say thus thou sayest thus but let vs heare Thus saith the Lord. There be verily the bookes of the Lord to the authoritie whereof we both agree we both giue credite we both serue There let vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse our cause I will not haue the holy Church shewed by the doctrines of men but by heauenly Oracles on infallible truth of God Nowe adde your wordes that you heere alleadge out of Augustine yet so if it please you as ye take the beginning of the chapter afore you and so come orderly to your wordes here cited which are after the beginning of the chapter whole Christ sayth hee is the heade the body The head is the onely begotten sonne of God and the bodie his Church the Bridegroome and the Bride Two in one fleshe Whosoeuer dissent from the scriptures concerning the head himselfe thus doe you in making vs two spirituall heades of the Church Christ and the Pope though they be found in all places wherin there is a church to be pointed they are not in the Church And againe whoeuer agree to the holy scriptures concerning the head himselfe and communicate not with the vnitie of the Churche are not in the Church because they dissent from Christes owne testimonie of Christes body which is the Church c. These be Austens woords agreeing with that is afore that we learne to discerne and know the true Church of Christe aright by the scriptures and not otherwise And that wee learne to beginne with Christ the heade and so come downe to the Church his bodie and keepe no preposte rous order Now let the reader hardly reade and examine your wordes and iudge of the whole In y e eleuenth chapter of the same booke of the vnitie of the Churche doth Austen notably write hereof Touching Cyprian Chrisostome and the rest for the vnitie of the Church we willingly admitte that they say so as with Cyprian yee will saye concerning false peace and agreement That is no peace but warr neither is he ioyned to the Church that is separated from the Gospell And w t Chrisostome or who euer it were ioyned w t Chrisostomes works for them that will knowe whiche is the true Church of Christ There is now no way to know y e same but only by the scriptures c. The ignorāce wherof brought foorth heresie corrupt life and mingled and turned all vpside downe as Chrisostome sayth elsewhere As for vs we ioyn with those that are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ him selfe being the head corner stone c. We broch no newe doctrine no newe religion we make no separation But as we beleeue that there is a Holy catholike church and a communion of Saintes so as members and partes we ioyne our selues to the same dispersed ouer the whole worlde in vnitie of Christes true doctrine and in loue and peace with all reuerence The Antichristian Sinagogue of Rome as it reiecteth vs with Christ and his doctrine so againe doe we detest and goe out from it as from that Babylon whereof mētion is so oft and much made in the scriptures In summe whether we be heritikes or you Let Christ let the worde
corruptions and haue floung them out of the Text of Scriptures and restored the truth and the Text But your religion towards the Pope and Poperie hath taken away all religion towardes God and his worde As may bee seene in infinite places of the Bible obserued by the godly and learned aforetime and nowe a dayes and by diuers of your owne side and notably in the Newe Testament by Faber Valla Erasmus c. and by those that haue examined and answered your Trent Coūcell as Caluin Kemnitius other To whose writings I refer the Christiā Reader herein to turn all that heere is saide against vs and our translation vpon the Papistes and their corrupt translation of the holy scriptures which I would haue forborne to haue entred into except necessitie and this discoursers importunitie had pulde mee into this odious matter to shew the Papistes partiall and hollowe dealing heerein Nowe because this common Latine translation of the Bible hath gone and still doth with many vnder the name of Hierome his translation and hath gotten thereby credit for the man his great learning our aduersaries also as seemeth woulde faine haue it reputed for Hierom his Therfore shall it not be amisse out of many places to bring one out of Hierome in his Commentaries vpon the Scriptures which plainely condemneth and reprooueth these Gentlemens corrupt translation as not good and so none of Hieromehis A little leauen corrupteth the whole lumpe Thus the olde translation as they call it Hierome thus a little leauē leaueneth or sowreth the whole lump immediatly after in his Cōmentarie on those words It is ill in our Latine bookes saith hee a little leauen corrupteth the whole lumpe and the interpreter translated rather his owne meaning than the Apostle his wordes c. A shrewde checke of your translation by Hierome Why will yee not mende it If you say it bee Hieromes Why will yee not let him mende it But let vs proceede for y e place of the second booke of the Machabees which is the seconde faulte you find in our trāslatiō of y e Bible cōsidering y t it is neuer read in our publike church meetings you might haue spared y t frō being a fault in our seruice sauing y t wher you find none ye think good to deuise imagine faults to put the same vpon vs will we nill wee If ye had had any store ye might would no doubt haue made better fitter choyse to haue found faulte with the English translation read in our assemblies either your skill is not great or your store poore and slender or lastly our English Bibles too well translated to bee iustly controuled by you Your conclusion grounded vppon so weake and slender premises or proofes thereof must needes but ill fauouredly followe This I say and when I haue saide yet reporte mee too any learned indifferente Reader vppon conference with the Greeke to Judge that in these bookes of the Maccabees which are among the Apocrypha as they are called that is priuately and secretly read rather thē opēly approued receiued to be canonical scriptures as Hierom sayth Our english bibles keepe more 〈◊〉 and come neerer to the Greek text than your vulgar translation and more helpe vpon conference shall the Englishe Reader haue to vnderstande the sense of the Authour than at the other Although in deede the Greeke it selfe euen here be somewhat diffused and darke And therefore no maruaile the originall or fountaine being troubled if translations bee not the playnest Iosephus a Iewe hath in Hebrew written fiue bookes of the Iewishe Hystories from their captiuitie in Babylon vntyll Pilate their President In which bookes among other thinges are written the worthye Actes of the Maccabees And entreating this very place in that booke he maketh no mention of this prayer for the dead And this Ioseph Ben Gorion is thought to bee that Iason of Cyrenae out of whome this booke of the Maccabees was taken as an Abrigemēt So as I maruaile howe that shoulde orderly come into the Abrigement whiche is not founde in the bodie of the storie written at large And yet the Abridger doth but tel his opinion of Iudas and his facte wherein if he haue not said and done as he shoulde let him as he requesteth in the ende be pardoned especially seeing he leueth the truth of things in particular to the Authour Besides this it is noted to be noted to be contrary to the custome of the Iewes euen to this day to sacrifice or pray for the dead And what commaundement or warrant is there in God his Lame for the same Lastly to leaue other thinges the example of Razis in killing himselfe an ancient and famous man among the Iewes seemeth likewise to be commended in this storie by this abridger which is not iustifiable by the scriptures though Yee neede not therefore make so great a doe 〈◊〉 the one particular example of Iudas thus commended here to grounde a doctrine thereon for oblations and prayers for the dead nor checke our English translation in the 12. Chapter of the 2. booke of the Maccabees if you consider the matter well sauing that where you haue little or no proofe as the Canonicall Scriptures prooue not that article there you had neede make much of a little or but of the shewe of a thing onely Your deuised Purgatorie and Diriges and Masses haue made this doctrine of prayer for the dead so gainefull vnto you as you are nowe lothe to let it goe The godlie learned and my good brother D. Fulke a paineful and profitable minister in Christs church easeth mee heere by his trauaile As he doth in many other places that I may nowe the more haste to an ende that the Reader findeth not in one to his contentment that possible may he finde in the other I referre therefore to him in that may be here missing and walke somewhat the more confidently and at large after him and his answere hereto which is gone before because he is well knowen God haue the glorie to be so sufficient as he is Thus much concerning the Scripture read in our Assemblies c. So yee speake too lauishly and lewdly Let the reader by this iudge in the rest of your vpright honest and plaine dealing which if you write againe I wishe you to bee better aduised in if you haue respect to your honestie and good name You say and belie vs that throughout the Scripture where idoles are forbidden we translate it images And here in your margin yesay See the English Byble Dedicated to King Henry It is worth the noting that where this gentleman findeth such fault with the Byble Dedicated as he saith To King Henry y e 8. chargeth vs or side and men with that translation those of his owne side then approued the same and some of the greatest Clergie men were then 〈◊〉 and dealers therein He shall neuer bee able
beyond Sea and put them first in the forewarde and followe your selues aloofe and a farre of 〈◊〉 this condition that if y t number will not suffice where by seeing how they speede and will stand to their tackling as stāders by out of danger ye may after they be gon consult what is best for you whether to come home and take such parte as they which euen now ye are not very hastie to doe or to tarie there still vnlesse you may come in safetie for which ye meetely well prouide as we haue seene a little before I pray God make both you and vs al readie to beare the crosse and whatsoeuer afflictiō here for Christes sake his Gospell when it shall please him to call vs to that trial And let the catholike cause goe of which you so much talke all without booke For the other I meane the profession of Christes gospel our brethren in Queene maries dayes to keepe home and to goe no farther of being in the hands of those of your side haue to Gods glorie alreadie geuen ample and sufficient testimonie of the truth And yet I am in doubt that the bloode then shed would not satisfie your bloody church if you had the sword in your handes which God keepe you from if it please him Heere I finde now cited the third time the first booke of Aristotles Rhetorique to adorne this your Epistle withall and you note both in your text and margin the Law of Areopagus It had beene more wisedome for you M. Howler to haue set that rule or lawe before your eyes in the beginning At your entrie into your Epistle as you found it at the beginning of the first booke of Aristotles Rhetorique that ye might still haue beene put in remembrance to haue kept the same better than you nowe haue done or to left it quite out when you haue vsed all your skil to moue h̄er maiesties to the affections of pitie hatred and so foorth and haue tolde a greate deale more than troth You saye nowe out of place in the ende that you will keepe the Law of Areopagus The learned reader in perusing the verye first leafe of Aristotles Rhetorique and comparing it with this your manner of writing will by by see your vanitie what credit there is in your word how well you kepe the rules of your profession You haue taken an euill cause in hand Aristotle in his Rhetorique sayth you should perswade no such matter though you could It is an abuse of your arte supposition deceiued you Aristotle would haue you pithie or bring matter stuffe for proofe not be occupied in cunningly stirring vp affections with wordes which is the substance of your writing For that saith he an argument or reason is a Rhetoricall demonstration and the cheife in perswasion Concerning the Law of Areopagus at Athens in Greece There were certaine iudges of capital matters of great authority and fame called Areopagites of y e place where they sat in iudgmēt In this courte were there diuers good lawes and ciuil orders to keepe the court and iudgement therein from 〈◊〉 dealing and other corruptions as to such cases apertaineth some concerning the iudges themselues some concerning those that had to deale there Among which this was one that M. Howlet alleadgeth here out of Aristotles Rhetorique to wit that none that pleaded in that courte should speake any thing out of the matter or frō the purpose to stir vp the affection of the iudges and thereby to seduce them and to peruert iudgement This is commended of Aristotle in his Rhetorique as an order to bee followed of Orators and was practised in Athens as a good and wholesome lawe the cryer forwarning and forbidding him that was publiquely to speake to vse any preface or to stirre affecttiōs onely to propound his matter And I would M. Howlet as bee heere professeth had in time better regarded and obserued the fame than he doeth through his epistle dedicatotorie so shoulde we haue had lesse cause to haue plained of corrupt dealing and her maiestie and this church also haue been lesse troubled Aristotle finding faulte with Rhetoricians before his tune for treating in artificiall speech but of a little portion of that arte and that the lesser and woorse to stirre vp affections where in they were most occupied as M. Howlets practise is in this his Epistle to her maiestie omitting there whilest matter substance and sounde proofes whiche is eyther all or the principall writeth thus Argumentes or reasons to prooue withal pertaine onely to arte other thinges are accessarie but these Rhetoritians speake nothing of argumentes which is the body of proofe and perswasion but busie themselues most in thinges that are without the compasse of the matter for tantes or reproch pittie anger and perturbation of the minde bee not of the matter it selfe but pertaine to the iudge so as if it were in all iudgements as it is in some Cities nowe and in suche as haue good Lawes they shoulde haue nothing to speake For all men partly think that the Lawes ought so to prouide partely vse it and forbid anye to speake out or from the matter as it is also in Areopagus iudging rightly hereof For wee may not peruerte the iudge or carie him out of the way by drawing him into anger hatred or compassion For it were euen as if one should make the measure or rule that he were to vse crooked to deceiue withall Thus farre Aristotle enough for this matter that the reader may see what dealing we may look for at M. Howlets handes in other thinges when wee finde him so hollowe in his owne facultie and so yll to keepe the Lawe that hee professeth to keepe taken out of his maister Aristotle Hee that list to see more let him looke in the Authour him selfe who declaimeth at large against this abuse of Rhetorique The rest of your Hyperbolicall that is rauing and rouing speeches without all truth I omit and come to touche shortely your Epilogus or conclusion One saith that in Areopagus there was neither preface nor Epilogus but as in your preface at y e beginning likewise so here in the end you freely break the law of Areopagus that euen a little before ye so promised to keep so that your keeping is euery where a breaking as wee decree is we abrogate you know w t whō and by whose expositiō if not worse Your Epilogus or conclusion is mixed with wishes fawning false perswasion condemnation of other and cleering of your selfe and your fellowes Good M. Howlet let words and deedes goe once together doe not tel vs while yee serue in the rampe of Gods her Maiesties and the realmes enemie vnder the Pope of Rome of y e affectiō you beare to her 〈◊〉 She beleeueth you not neither can we beleeue you You haue brokē the after othe geuē to her maiestie before time haue taken a newe othe to
the Pope the banner being now displayed on both sides and the field pitched Ye are seene and found comming in the fight with weapon in hand from vnder y e enemies standerd to presse as hard as ye can against the religion her maiesty professeth the state What would yee haue her maiestie or the state that lead the contrarye Campe iudge of you ye carie a wrong cognisance and that bewrayeth you God in abundance of mercie long blesse her maiestie with all kind of blessings spiritual and temporall to Gods glory dayly more and more her maiesties honour the benifite of Gods church and the conuersion or confusion of al her enemies and specially to the confusion of that Antichrist of Rome that hath and still doeth so maliciously and spightfully seeke the subuersion of Gods holy Gospel and her maiesty and this state the professors therof God againe of his goodnes long continue with increase the sincere profession of Christs holy Gospel religion among vs vnder her maiestie and in all make vs thankfull for so great benefites Amen An answere to the booke that of a letter is made a Treatise or discourse by M. Howlet BEfore the Reasons of the Papists refusall to go to Church there is a Preface in this booke of theirs as there is a recapitulation and Epilogus with addition in the latter ende But the whole body of the worke is comprised in the ix Reasons Generally and in summe in the writers preface there are two pointes contained whereof the first is the sorrow comfort that the Authour conceiued of the Gentleman his freendes letters with the matter and cause thereof The other containeth the occasion ground and substance of the authours labour partly nowe perfourmed partly promised to followe hereafter In which part is made A diuision of Catholikes and a necessarie supposition as hee calleth it This is that he handeleth for the most part in the sixe first leaues After follow in order the reasons of refusal whereof wee shall see God willing in their place In the meane while for this part I say that the pitifull description of Englande at this day which he maketh the cause of his sorrowe is a counterfaited matter betweene these two Papistes deuised to giue better colour and shewe to the whole Tragedie They haue heere raised and still seeke to doe least this five kindled by them should seeme to bee vppon none or small occasion God be thanked for the greate peace and quiet that this Realme hath long vnder her Maiesties happy gouernment enioyed to the admiratiō of Forrayners and those abrode while great troubles haue risen round about vs elswhere And though it be hard to finde among many such rest in any former Princes dayes as wee haue in this peaceable gouernement vnder her Maiestie hytherto enioyed which God long continue and giue vs grace to see and consider the same accordingly yet if a certaine of these sturring vnnaturall Subiects abrod were not more busily headded then needeth a great deale both they and wee all might haue liued in some more rest heere at home to Gods glory our dread Soueraignes comfort and the benefite of the whole common wealth Thus haue wee all to thanke them and they themselues alone as the authours of all if by sturres there haue growne any disquietnesse and hurt either to them or to vs here And y t soner they leaue this course y e soner will there bee an end of troubles To mooue commiseration and pitie by Rhetoricall figure they guilefully imagine greater miseries than in truth bee founde heere among vs. Thankes bee to God and her Maiestie therfore they attaine not their with and desired purpose in this behalfe The rare matter of comfort that the discourser sporteth himselfe withall is the obstinacie of a fewe Papistes which shewe their vndutifulnesse first to God his holy Gospell and worde Next to her Maiestie and her good and wholesome lawes made against superstition and idolatry All which vndutifulnesse is couered vnder the cloke of conscience when in deede it is nothing lesse as in place wee shewe So as with some altering of this mans woordes we may say The Diuell or cōmon enimie laugheth thereat the example is very euill to those abrode that shall heare thereof and perillous to the state at home while other like thēselues may seeme to be incouraged in naughtie vsage the good and dutifull subiects are offended molested with this treacher ous dealing the Prince also and the state more troubled then otherwise needed in preuenting and repressing the seditions that are heereby attempted and mooued neither taking comfort in such Mates presently nor hoping any good at their hands in time to come vnlesse God giue thē better minds then they yet shew themselue to haue For howe can her Maiestie trust them that vngodly breaking God his testament and the othe made vnto his Maiestie in Baptisme as this man calleth it betake themselues not to Christe and Christian religion comprised in holy scriptures but to Rome and Romishe religion deuised by men that I say not by the Diuell of Hell himselfe and withall leauing their naturall borne Soueraigne and Prince followe the Pope and forraine power to her Graces great preiudice and the impayring so much as they may of her royall dignitie and title which also to the vttermost of their power they impugne and would bring into hazarde And as for those of contrary religion vnto them that is suche as here sticke to the Gospel and the sincere profession thereof how can they like of such as make no conscience to roue without the boundes of Gods booke in his matters choosing to themselues a religion at pleasure if will worship may rather be called religion then by the owne proper name of superstition so this whole parte might haue beene spared well enough if it had liked the authour Where the Authour makes the lawfull and iust punishments layde vpon certaine of late in England to be for different opinions in religion only as though they were otherwise quiet men and good Subiects besides the publike testimonies of the lawes and state here to the contrary what euer they say or pretend all the worlde that haue any eyes may see that they iustly suffer in respect of sedicious and rebellious attemptes and the busie sturres they make in disquieting at home and abrode this peaceable state And albeit it please the authour to cal it Constancie and faithfulnesse to God yet they that list to examine shall finde it an inconstant turning from y t dutifull obedience which they had once sworn to their soueraigne prince ioyned w t vnconscionable great vnfaithfulnes to God her Maiestie M. Howlet his fellow to make shew only to make shew talke of Nobilitie Noble men great worship and Worshipfull men many Gentlemē men of countenance and credite in their countries important stayes to her Maiestie and state heere c. They are all in amplifications in