his iudgement in that matter ye should haue repaired and sent vs to y e place where at large of purpose he ētreateth thereof which he doth in the twentie or last chapter of the fourth booke of his Institution expressely handlyng there the heauenly authoritie of Magistrates and the duetie of good and obedient subiectes whiche Chapter is written wholly of Politique gouermnent Wherein M. Howlet prooue him if you can to haue written vngodly seditiously or vntruely No as hee writeth very godly and with great authoritie of scriptures and reason so doth he very reuerently and modestly also if any other writer old or new as they say doe so after another manner and sort then eyther you here doe to her Maiestie for all your flattering floures or then your sort haue of late or now doe of Princes and 〈◊〉 els where I woulde wishe the godly and christian reader to bee well acquainted with this M. Caluins writings and I doubt not to affirme to bee true here that was else where saide Let him thinke he hath greatly 〈◊〉 in matters of religion who is brought into a loue and liking of Caluins writings And yet I make neither him my God nor his writings my Byble for all this reuerent thinking and speaking of him and his writings Euen in this matter of Magistrates I praye thee gentle reader looke but into that last Chapter and thou shalt see it shal be hard for thee to read else where 〈◊〉 or profoūder iudgement of a diuine for the excellent dignitie of ciuill Princes and Magistrates or for subiectes and priuate mens obedience to thy satisfaction and contentmēt and to be able with all to confute whateuer M. Howlet or his side can cauill against this seruaunt of GOD or Christes religion here 〈◊〉 I will not nowe stande in diducting this matter but note thus much by the way and nowe come M. Howlet to answere your glenings and pyckings out of his writings In the 10. Chapter of the 4. booke of his Institution he treateth of the authoritie of the Churche in making lawes and of the Popes and popishe Prelates tyrannie ouer mens consciences in that behalfe and namely handling this question whether it be lawfull for the Church by her lawes to binde mens consciences he freely inueigheth against your popish Churches licentiousnes in that behalf without any whit preiudicing politique order onely reseruing mens soules and consciences free to bee spiritually guided by God Christ and his holy woorde in the matters appertayning to the soules health and saluation Nowe M. Howlet if this doctrine mislike you that mens soules and consciences should be aboue the cōpasse of mens authoritie and lawes then condemne our 〈◊〉 Christ the Prophetes and Apostles with M. Caluin who make one spirituall Judge King Lorde and Lawgiuer ouer mens soules that is able to saue and destroy willing vs so to giue to Ceasar those thinges that are Caesars that we giue to God the thinges that are Gods to feare him that hath authoritie to cast into hell and to destroy both soule and body there Whereas men what power soeuer they haue ouer the body afterwarde can doe nothing more nor are not able to kill the soule Againe Yee are bought with a price be not the seruantes of men Stande in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled agayne with the yoke of bondage In the kingdome of God there is neyther Iewe nor Grecian circumcision nor vncircumcision bonde nor free male nor female but ye are all one in Christ he is all in all thinges And yet in place may this distinction bee made and must also be as I noted before Your faulte herein is that yee distinguishe not aright betweene the ciuill and outwarde Courte and the Spirituall Courte of conscience as they speake and Maister Caluin here noteth and else where also howe euer your Fafather and Church haue taken vpon them to deale with mens consctences which is Gods seat to sit and rule there wherein they shewe what they bee yet neither our 〈◊〉 nor other ciuill Princes vsurpe so much ouer Gods right that is proper to Antechrist and your faction Concerning the first Article your corruption and false collection therein are so shamelesse that they may be easily espied I wishe the reader to haue but recourse to the place ye quote to finde out your trecherie or false allegatiō in peruerting the authours woordes and sense to be able to answere the same Excellently well doth M. Caluin in that place defining and treating of conscience reconcile these two pointes togethcr First that mens consciences for their spirituall gouernment are aboue mens reaches reserued only to God which also in time of ignorance as y e said M. Caluin sayth was seene and obserued by your Popish writers though practise were to the contrary as may name ly be seene in your Saint Thomas Next that we must bee subiect to our ciuill Magistrates and that for conscience sake according to the doctrine of the Apostle not so much respecting the thinges commaunded or forbidden by them which of them selues touche not conscience as the generall ende and commandement of the eternall God that hath appointed this order and willed vs by his commandement to be subiect to autoritie And this is it the Apostle tendeth to in his epistle to the Romanes so as leauing your caueling in wordes and syllables if you coulde and woulde distinguishe betwene the ciuill Courte and the court of conscience and betweene generall and particular as M. Caluin speaketh All scrupule auoyded this matter might bee eased and better matter gathered from this godly wryter then you too 〈◊〉 pretende to bee there The booke being both in Englishe and in Latine let the reder iudge of the whole you M. Howlet and your fellowes shall neuer be able to stayne M. Caluin and his doctrine nor cleare your selues from malice c. while you liue if you deale plainely Set vs downe the booke Chapter Section and Caluins wordes for we haue no cause other wise to trust you as you doe your fellowes The second place or article that yee take out of Caluin is so plaine true as I maruell what yee meant to charge him therewith for speaking of Christian libertie hee saith That the consciences of the faithfull are exempted from the power of all men by reason of the libertie giuen thē by Christ so as they are not to be intangled in the snares of constitutions in those things wherein the Lord would haue them free But adde I pray you as hee doth there That as the matter is very worthie and meete to bee knowne so needeth it a large and plaine declaration by reason of the adoe that partly seditious persons partly quarell pickers make as though all obedience of men which is not meant were thereby also taken away and ouerthrowne To preuent this inconuenience doth maister Caluin there a
Oracle according to Christs answere so you beeleeue geuen Fryer Thomas by the mouth of the Image of the crucifixe Thou hast written well of me Thomas Furdermore if one woulde enter into more particular examination of that you say it were not harde to improoue this your subtile exposition and by as good ground to ascribe to the father authority to the sonn natiuitie or with the scripture power grace which you appropriate to the father and the holy Ghost And to the holy Ghost communitie of the father the son vnitie societie charitie or else power which you ascribe here to the father as it may be to both the father and the holy Ghost c. This were not hard for him to do y t were disposed to dally w t the Scriptures and truth of God as you do drawing y t same into diuers vncertain expositiōs too irreligeously Gregory hath not one word of sin against the holy Ghost in place ye quote I graunt you he speaketh of insirmitie ignorance and purpose but euery sinne done aduisedly or of purpose is not sinne against the holy Ghost I pray you sir if these your catholikes did commit a sinne and that a greeuous sinne in haunting Protestants churches which I trust they doe with better and more religious minds than you iudge or hereafter at least will Iudge nothing beefore the time vntill the Lorde come c. and so sinne not at all But serue God faythfully But I say put the case there be some such naughtie men then God amende them But why I pray you may they not be iudged to do y t they do of humane frailtie as did Peter seeing you say they doe it for feare fauour or some worldly cause This is but hard freedome harde election and hardly to be called meere will and malice if al these termes be admitted to define sinne against the holy Ghost Augustines modestie noted by Thomas would haue beseemed you This is a deepe question let the light of exposition thereof be sought for of the Lorde I tel you beloued there is not possible a greater nor a harder questiō in al the holy Scriptures Thus far Augustine Whose description both Petrus Lombardus and Thomas auowe and like better then I doe youres There seeme ywis moe thinges required in the description of it than you heere expresse In your heat you shake vp these your catholikes God make them wise and you shall gaine little eyther by them or by that kinde of handling It is better going to the Popes hell or by his pretended sending thither than by his that is able to destroy both body and soule in hell fire Wherefore let vs feare him that is the eternall God which alone hath power to saue and to destroy I speake not all this while to defend any man in doing against conscience any thing or if these men haue so shaken off al reniorce of conscience that they are lulled a sleepe in securitie I with them to awake to learne a better religion which is ioyned with conscience I answere the aduersaries vniust charge and threat and hope the best of such as communicate with Christes church and religion here professed or shewe them whereto they haue at least to trust I woulde haue none flatter themselues in euill which these men cariyng such a conscience as he here speaketh of or suche a minde and not altering the same doe and are in a dangerous case for nourishing such a serpent in their bosome as is poperie and yet dissemble with all the worlde in pretending to be of another religion The mans talke here hauing been possible abrode a shriuing of many or taken it frō them that haue so done and so knowing their consciences better then we that liue among them and are dayly conuersant with them for that we sift not their consciences may make one doubte there bee manye hollowe harted Catholikes among vs or worldlinges rather and Atheistes for in deed such are vtterly without God haue no cōscience at al. I wishe them therefore to looke about thē men may be damned many a one is damned for other sins thē the sin against the holy Ghost how euer they sinne that greeuously I dare not say they sinne against the holy Ghost for al this or may not ' be good mē in time to cōe Thus make I mine argumēt against y e aduersarie Nothing supposed to be done of feare fauour or other passiō can be iustly called sin against the holy Ghost The Catholikes cōmunicating w t our churches is a thing supposed to be done of feare fauour or other passion euen by this man and other of that syde Therefore the Catholikes communicating with our Churches can not bee iustly called sinne against the holy Ghost Thus far of those that you accompt the worst and to to badde Catholikes I pray God we may find them good Christians And yet if they haue learned any euill they haue learned it of your religion and in your schoole I haue beene herein the longer bicause the whole booke seemeth to be written against this kinde of men God open their eyes they may see knowe and discerne their friendes from their foes bee carefull and watchfull amending at least in time to come that which is amisse The third sort of catholikes or the seconde as you tearm them quite leauing out such as your selfe are agree but in one of the three points I spake of before dissent in two they iudge all religions beside theyr owne say you false erronious damnable this haue they cōmon with other Romane catholikes but they thinke it lawfull for some worldly respect as for sauing their offices dignities liberties credits or the like to shewe themselues conformable men in going to church and other church proceedinges here c. thinking also other too scrupulous that stand in refusal of y e same This make you y e proper difference of these from other catholikes Nowe as they agree with the rest in the first point so in going to church taking othe communicating c. they disagree from hot Catholikes and agree therein with those I haue at large discoursed of euen now te The more I perceiue they acquaint them selues with the Gospell of Christ here professed and receiued the more dutifull they shewe them selues to her Matestie the worse bee they liked of you but the matter is not great Albeit these agree no better with you hot Catholikes but dissent in mo pointes then the other that went afore yet ye thought it pollicie belike hauing so scourged and taken vp those somewhat here to spare these men least you should do your religion too much hurt if you should fal too farre out with all besides your selues In places elsewhere you take them vp very sharply thogh but here thinking good to forbe are least you should want another mayne branche of your tree yee haue thought good to make
the Law made by Protestants prohibiting the practise of other religions besides their owne allotteth out the same punishment to al thē that do any way varie from the publike Communion booke or otherwise say seruice than is appointed there as it doeth to the Catholikes for hearing or saying of a Masse What haue you to plaine of in y t fauourablenes of this law towards you Is this straightnesse to Catholikes what more equitie and bearing with woulde you in these times haue an Immunitie to be exempted from all lawes and penalties I blame you not yee so fast and so many waies indanger your selues by breache of lawes that yee neede this remedie greatly but yee deserue it ill the penaltie and the execution of the lawe is that yee plaine of and yet is no more done than lawe if alwaies so much It grieueth you that other fare not as hardly as you The comparison is odious the cause is not equall your minde also is enuious your opinion and affection parciall An enuyous man they say pyneth away at another mans welfare Is your eye euil because her Maiestie is good Murmure not you haue no wrong They that are iustly punished when other of grace and fauour are spared cannot plaine of Iniustice as though they had wrong It is a priuiledge that God in his matters and Princes States and other ciuile Magistrates haue in iniuries done vnto them by iustice to exact and execute penalties where they bee due and by mercie sometime to pardō and release offences done against their Persons vpon great consideration to some certaine without doing any iniustice Iustice mercy may goe stand together and both of them are seuered from extremitie and parcialitie You might spare well ynough many of your exoruations and 〈◊〉 figures you neede not make such exclamation as you doe You thinke that saying and hearing of Masse is too hardly handled by our lawes heere You weigh not the matter aright nor indifferently First what is the Masse Next what meane you to buy such Deuilishe tromperie so deere Your Masse for both saying and hearing is iustly abrogated heere as a thing that in respect of the sacrifice thereof containeth blasphemie against God is iniurious to Christs death and Passion is an Idoll erected directly contrarie to the institution of the Supper of the Lorde and a meere profanation thereof farced and stuft full of grosse superstitions to poison mens soules with so farre from edifying that it destroieth that I speake nothing of the Apishe toyes therein containing great mysteries with you fitter indeede for a stage then for the holie house of GOD. You heare briefly and in summe our opinion of your Masse If you can say better for it out of Gods booke let vs heare that and yee shall God willing heare of vs againe In the meane while for breuitie because you do but touche it in passing I surcease also from doing that nowe which is so often and well done already and rest thervpon and to answere you I denie your suppositiōs till you bring vs some proofe which you doe not heere If ye cannot liue without saying and hearing this abhominable Masse plaine no longer of the miseries that yee willingly runne headlong into the punishement is very moderate and gentle nothing so harde as your desert is in this behalfe It is your honour as seemeth you trauell to recouer your Helena a rare perle a precious iewell mych good dite you with it draffe is good inough for Swine Refuse neither heate nor colde Runne I pray you thorowe fire and water to come to it if yee needes will but yee were better bee admonished and aduised At least all the godly wise will if it bee but for so hainously dishonouring God and deadly wounding their owne soules Thus writeth your Authour in his booke the hearing of Masse is not onely woorth the ventering of a hundred Markes or sixe moneths imprisonment but also of an hundred thousand liues if a man coulde loose euery one for that cause sixe tymes and an hundred tymes miserable is that man which for any worldely respect doeth depriue himselfe of so great a benefite as the participation of this sacrifice is The lyke to this I say of the practise of the other particulars that ye mention and the penalties layed thereon yet is it not harde to spye out your cloaking and colouring of thinges in speeche It is vnnaturall vnreasonable vnconscionable vnduetifull It is against the lawe of GOD and man and namely of this our Countrey that an Englishe man shoulde refuse the othe of allegeance and obedience to our most naturall and dread Soueraigne and vnder pretence of Religion giue it to that proude Prelate of Rome If you haue any thing to say to the contrary bring it foorth our answere you heare our grounds and proofes are so pregnant as if yee considered them wel they might shame or winne you but your religion possible hindreth you from reading the bookes on that side as your Authours opinion is least indeede that good shoulde come therof and therefore it auaileth litle to wryte for you What mischiefs haue beene wrought by your deuised eareshrifte What is nowe sought thereby in your reconciliation what the foundation and vse thereof hath afore time been What a 〈◊〉 and slaughter house to mens consciences Is to well knowen at this day to thinke it may bee set out with colours to commende it the worlde waxeth too wise to bee abused with such grosse absurdities yee talke of a reconciling to God I 〈◊〉 to say in trueth to whome Yet in your reconcilement by your Ghostly father your confiteor must go before his Misereatur In reconcilemēt of your selues to her Maiestie and the State take at leastwyse if yee will followe no better the worldly wise mans counsaile if your stomackes bee come downe confesse and submit your selues to mercie Yee talke much of death as though yee suffered paine of death heere for your religion yee repyne are grieued and offended that other haue not beene put to death for practise of their religion and yet doe I not knowe any of your side that hath suffered the same as I sayde for his Religion in all her Maiesties most happy raigne vnlesse there haue beene founde besides seditious and trayterous dealing in the partie against her Maiesties Royall dignitie and personne and the State of this 〈◊〉 which by wholesome lawes it behoueth her Maiestie to conserue as lyke a good mother of her Countreys shee hath hithertoo done and still doth Yee say among other thinges it is death heere for geuing the supreme Pastour supreme authoritie in causes of the Churche Speake plainely wee say it is for geuing away to the Pope GOD his and Christ his right and tytle and for denying vnder them her Maiesties souerainety in her dominions Wee say yee say vntruelie as the woordes lye It is so farre of from beeing death to giue to the supreme Pastor supreme