need to brag of your obedience towards your superiors But while you frame a good scholasticall argument to mainteine your Popish religion that teacheth and practiseth disobedience and rebellion against our common Soueraigne and Queene which will be a good while to I hauing spoken thus much in generall will further and more particularly therewhilest enter to speake of your doctrine and demeanour heerein Then will I so much as shall be necessarie answere to those particulars ye obiect here against vs our religion And yet here entring into a large fielde to rip vp your corrupt doctrine and rebellious demeanour towardes princes there is so much matter to treate of that in suche plentie it is harde to keepe measure to giue ouer and come out againe wherof notwithstanding I must haue special regarde and minde so to doe This haue I to desire you not to bee offended with all If I be any where founde in the matter to vse the same lawe towardes you that you doe towardes vs. For your doctrine therefore of obedience and demeanour also first I must admonishe without you were better that we may not call you that bee the children of the Pope and Popishe religion at this day to the Apostles doctrine and their rule and practise set vs downe in the scriptures at the beginning the things bee too vnequall and we may be no bolder with you then so farre as your Churche teacheth you and your supreme Pastors voyce that is the Pope calleth you herein and yet here fal some good words from you contrary to the rest of your doctrine set vs down in your bookes and your demeanour at this day towardes our soueraigne I heare what glorious shewe your words haue and I see you set vs downe in your margin Rom. 13. Which heauenly doctrine we receiue we teach we stedfast ly holde and practise The Scriptures are the foundation and grounde of our profession we can not we may not we will not refuse them our bookes as publique recordes testifie the same Euery soule must bring euery mothers child of yours to be subiect to our Soueraigne Queene as to the chiefe it is not spoken to lay men as your glose vpō the decretals expoundeth it* But I see you sende vs further in your margin to Saint Thomas and om Doct. that is all your doctors there is a Vide afore it that is a watche worde to looke vpon the matter As for Augustin Chrysostom Ambros. that come after your D. Tho. om Doct. They teache all one doctrine heerein with the Apostles and therefore trying that they say by that rule finding it conformable wee receiue it w t their iust cōmendation They are no Popishe teachers but better expoūders of the scriptures morefaithful sounde in this point the your late schole Doctors bicause M. How bidsvs looke I wish the reader that vnderstandeth Latin to looke and see their Popishe doctrine of the authoritie of a King or Emperour in the Decretalles hee shall see howe the Pope playeth legerdemain falsefieth the Scriptures and doeth worse if worse may bee shewing what spirite hee is ledde with If that chapter and the glose were in English it would lothe any Christian eares And again looke Dist. xcvi And yet many of that age are somewhat more indifferent teachers and dealers than you whot and bad Catholikes bee for the most parte nowe adayes that so grossely folowe the Pope and Poperie that by writings dooings ye stirre him vp and raise sedition against our natural Soueraigne Prince and yours and this State and Realme too vnnaturally vnduetifully and vnchristianly Iwis I haue looked syr as your Authour whome you followe willeth vpon the place of your S. Tho. wee are sent vnto In seeking I finde neuer a word of this matter of Magistrats and obedience there as which deuided into three Articles treateth of the vsing of Gods name in adiuring which belongeth to the thirde commaundement but you following your Authour in citing and quoting places who for his greate haste in wryting had not tyme to suruiew or reede any parte of his treatise ouer againe and is therefore according to his request to bee borne withall it may bee you were deceiued also with him But let that goe as a small matter Tell vs your selues to what place of D. Thom. you sende vs rather than to that you name In the meane while as you and your Authour say and set vs downe one and the selfe same thing So your D. Thom. by your leaue where in his summe he treateth of that argumēt disagreeth from you both which that the reader may some what perceiue thogh I lyke not to be so occupied I wil shortly set down both your words some parte of his also Thus your Authour whome you follow The Catholyke churche hath alwayes taught her children that how hardly soeuer their Prince should deale with them yet are they bounde to beare it patiently obay him for conscience sake as substitute of God placed in that roome for their punishement if he rule not wel which apertaineth not to the sub iect to iudge of Good wordes howe cōmeth it to passe that you Catholikes vse not your selues thus towards her Maiestie then how commeth it to passe that your fellowes in their bookes printed abroade teache otherwise stirre vp sedition here then Ye shewe your selues to bee another Baalams or Cayphas children whose mouths must serue the holy Ghost at this time to vtter y e trueth though the instrument meanes be very vnfit the whole serue your side to litle purpose who elsewhere teache practise the contrary Be not angrie at the comparison your owne side 〈◊〉 Popish Prelates to Baalam Cayphas But your D. Thom. to whom you send vs disputing whether mans law put necessitte on vs in the Court of conscience and hauing obiected to the contrarie as his manner is out of the tenth of Esay Wo be to them that make vniust lawes c. Hee answereth and saith that that place speaketh of a lawe that laieth an vniust burden vpon subiects whereunto the order of power graunted of God streacheth not it self Wherfore in such cases man is not bounde to obay the lawe if hee bee able to resist without Scandale that I may keepe his word and your treatises or greater detriment And againe wee must say that a man is bound so farre to obay secular princes as the order of Iustice requyreth And therefore if they haue not iust but vsurped principalitie or if they commande vniust things their subiects are not bounde to obay them except peraduenture by some accident for the auoyding of scandale or danger and can yee make that obedience for conscience sake Againe in another place agreeing with the Decrees and alledging the authoritie of Pope Gregory the seuenth hee wryteth as perillously for her Maiestie and this state and all one with that which y e wicked
message vttereth it with his owne wordes Wee crye out of the ryot c. Hee may issue from Pope Iohn the three and twentiethes spirit well inough as one of that broode for the agreement that is betweene both As for vs wee may not dislike nor maruel at this choyse of these fathers like Pope like spirite the rather for that wee reade that this foule and vnluckie birde I meane madge Howlet hath aforetime waited vpon the Pope and serued his vnholy holynesse euen in counsell as his familiar spirite whiche is as worshipfull an office I tell you as this carrier and letter bringer serueth in now howeuer the ill fauoured madge Howlet be wondred at among men or other birdes or be taken to be but an vnluckie messenger Let mee bee bolde with thee 〈◊〉 Reader for the satisfaction of some here vpon such resemblance and agreement betweene the parties and other circumstances to set downe the olde storie of the madge Howlet not taken out of newe writers of these dayes which yet haue faithfully and truely deliuered vs the same in wryting as to leaue other those reuerende and learned fathers Maister Iohn Bale in Latine and Maister Iohn Foxe in Englishe our owne Countrey men haue done Neuerthelesse though I agree with them and namely with Maister Foxes storie and allowe the same as fully agreeing heerein with the first Authour and truthe wrangle the aduersarie against those woorthie fathers worthye woorkes as much as he list yet haue I thought good to fetch this nowe out of a worthye Doctour and Archdeacon of our aduersaries owne Church called Nicholas de Clamengiis to whom maister Foxe honestly and truely sendeth vs and with whom also I sawe the booke This Nichol de Clamengiis liuing in the time whē the thing happened wrote the same His booke also was since printed publishd in a Popish time a popish place c. That I say nothing of Orthuinus Gratius cēsure thereon who being a popish priest yet in setting this forth amōg other things denieth not the truth heereof So as the aduersarie cannot easily cauil After this Archdeacon had declared the notoriousnesse of the matter and the good testimonie hee had thereof thus setteth he vs downe the storie aboue eight score yeeres since Balthasar Cossa sayth hee about foure yeeres since called a Councel at Rome c. Nowe at the entrie or before the first session of the 〈◊〉 when Masse for the holy Ghost as the manner is was done and the Councel nowe were set and Balthasar himselfe in a chayre prouided for him on high aboue the rest behold a foule vnluckie Owle which is alwayes a messenger of some corps or other misfortune as they say commeth out of his hole and flickering about with his shreeching noyse stayes himselfe vpon the midle beame of S. Martines temple where they sate in the Councell casting his brode eyes directly vppon Balthasar All there present fel in a wonderment that a night birde which shunneth the light came in the middes of the assembly at brode day light by which wonder and strange sight they did not without cause thinke some mischiefe to bee foreshewed Behold saide they one to another softly the spirit is come in the shape of an Owle And when the rest looking one on an other vpō Balthasar could scarsely forbear laugh ter Balthasar himself vpon whome alone this madge Howlet casting his eyes stedfastly looked did blushe for shame sweate for anger and fretted in his minde and at length not knowing how to helpe otherwise this his so great disgrace breaking vp the councell arose and went his way There followed after another session wherein againe after the same maner the madge Howlet though as I thinke not called failed not to bee present casting still his foule eyes vpon Balthasar which m. Howlet he seeing to be returned was not without iust cause more troubled and striken with shame than afore and not being able to abide the sight of the madge Howlet any longer he commanded him to be beaten away with libbets and clubbes and with crying noyse but M. Howlet neuer a whit disquieted either with their shreeching noyse or other disturbaunce woulde not flie away till with muche cudgeling at him being very sore beaten hee fell downe dead before them all These things saith our Authour learned I of a certaine faithfull and trustie friende who at that time came straight and directly from Rome of whiche I making doubt by reason of the strangenesse thereof my friende being very earnestly sworne Assured me hee told mee that was moste true and added further that all that were present were hereby brought into an vtter contempt disdaine and mocking of that councell and the whole companie by little and little falling away hee affirmed there was nothing at all there doone to any purpose Thus farre Clamengius cited very truely by maister Foxe For the Gentleman the authours worshipfull friende as hee speaketh if there be any suche and he not too farre gone I wish him to bee aduised and take heede what scholemaisters hee betake his conscience to be framed by the matter is of no small importance let him at leastwise without preiudicate opinion heare and reade both sides before hee iudge or thruste himselfe too farre ouer the shoes for our part what euer opinion the aduersaries bee of leauing the rest to hym that is aboue wee desire no more at his handes this is it wee haue from the beginning and many a day sought and requested If hee will heare this counsell hee shall first see that wee drawe him not from the Pope and Popishe religion to carry him to depende vppon any mortall man in the case of religion and conscience bee he neuer so high or mightie but only vppon the true and immortall God of heauen and his sacred mouth Next that wee propounde him not doctrines deuised by mans braine and after recōmended vnder title of the Church to intangle his cōscienee and without eyther grounde or good reason make him perplexed and doubtfull by subtill quidities and questions as these men doe but after we haue brought him to feede in the pleasant and sweete pasture and to drinke of the pure and liuely fountaine of Gods holy woorde which is the trueth hee shall see wee endeuour to vnwrap and vnfoulde his conscience from snares to quiet the same with the true peace of God teaching him to make conscience where God and his woorde woulde and no where els and to looke well to these two points in the case of conscience God may and doth make lawes to bynde conscience withall and onely God may deale therein and no mortall man muche lesse that man of sinne the Pope In summe the more precisely in these matters pertayning to his soules health he shall cleaue to God and his holye truth contayned in the Scriptures renouncing all sectes and partes of whomesoeuer aswell Pope as other the better shall he please I will not say
authoritie in causes of the Churche that without checke of our Soueraigne yea with her Maiesties good lyking wee doubte not we heere maintaine and defende the same by the scriptures and ouerthrowe your proude Prelates vsurpation thereby Yee shoulde therefore haue done that heere dealing with her 〈◊〉 at least which you and your Author going by supposition lightly neuer doe to wit haue shewed who this supreme Pastour is and haue proued the Pope to bee hee In the meane whyle as we graunt the supreme chiefe Pastor in Christ his Church supreme and chiefe authoritie in causes of the same so insteede of your Romame Pope wee ascribe that title and office to Jesus Christe alone by the warrant of GOD his ho-spirite and word which call him Archpastor or chiefe and Supreme Pastour and finde not that title imparted in the newe Testament to any in Churche Ministerie much lesse to the Pope of Rome If you nowe finde as good warrant for your Pope in God his booke lay it vs downe and wee wil yeelde But that neither haue you hitherto done neither yet shall yee be able to doe wrangle as long and as much as yee will your best daies are past For the rest wee reporte vs to any indifferent bodie whether it bee more to God his glorie and beseeming God his people the Churche to holde with the Scriptures that Iesus Christe alone the sonne of God is the Arche and chiefe Shepheard or without warrant of Scripture to giue the same to the Pope Nowe Syr and when the Lawes of this Realme giue to the Princes heere their Soueraigntie and require the subiects to acknowledge the same in this Church and Realme and the Kinges and Queenes from time to time challenge and accept the same neither doe the one professe to giue nor the other to take Gods place or Christes from them nor yet so much as to incroch vpō the Church ministerie in taking authoritie to Preache administer Sacraments and execute other Church Ministeries functions yea by meanes of your malicious interpretation the contrary is protested but according to dutie from God to maintaine and see those thinges doone by Pastours and suche as to whome those charges likewise from God do appertaine not admitting therewhilest which is your griefe the immunities that the Popes aforetime haue giuen Cleargie men in exempting them from the ciuil authoritie and iurisdiction What haue faithfull subiects heerein to repine at What haue they to plaine of Yeelde with vs vnto it and yee shall finde wee haue all great cause to praise God for her Maiestie and for ciuill authoritie wee denie then that any forraigne Prince and Potentate Ecclesiasticall or Ciuil if yee will is aboue her Maiestie and her people in these her dominions in any manner of causes or haue to deale here but vnder her by her leaue liking And to God his glory our cōforts haue we still w t all thākfulnes to obserue that her Maiestie doeth not sit in mens consciences nor professe to make lawes to binde the same as your supreme pastour doth but leaueth cōscience to God Christ his spirite and worde to be ruled and framed thereby without further pressing the same then the expresse woordè of God doth in so much that for her Maiesties owne respect in matters 〈◊〉 vnto her soule and conscience she yeeldeth her selfe obediently to heare receyue and obey as euery other christian the voice of God and Christ speaking vnto her in y e holy scriptures by true pastours and other ministers meere Church gouernours leauing to them there seuerall charges whole without diminishing any part therof as reason is Nowe sir if the Pope and Popelings namely her Maiesties natural borne subiects especially by their vnnatural styrres to the danger of her Royall person and the state of the Church and Realme haue caused any lawes to be made that be preiudiciall to their attempts let them thanke themselues and leaue their busie and perillous practises neyther pretend conscience where no good consciēce cā be nor thinke y t the Prince hath to giue ouer her Royal prerogatiues or to altar the state for their pleasure this is the very state of this matter If this can not call you home nor content you we say further that the supreme pastour yee haue made choise of for it is not hard to guesse at your meaning though your wordes be doubtfull is a woolfe or woorse then a wolfe To giue your Pope supreme authority in this Church besides that it is treason against her Maiestie and the state it is to commit the poore lambes to no better then the rauening wolues keeping Howe many good lambes hee and his whelpes deuoured here in a very fewe yeeres when he had last to doe with this sheepefolde the memory and smart is yet freshe and before 〈◊〉 eyes The more haue we to praise God for our dread soueraigne y e in tender care of God his sheepe and lambs and her maiesties shee hath eased our neckes and shoulders of that yoke and hell like bondage Besides this M. Howlet where you giue to the Pope as supreame Pastour supreame authoritie in causes of the Churche yee had neede to explayne this some what playner for your owne religions sake and those of your side as whether the Pope bee aboue the Counsell or the Counsell aboue the Pope Also what ye call Churche causes and whether yee denie his supremacie aboue Emperours Kinges and so foorth in other then Churche causes or yee subiecte him to them Whether as Peter his Successour yee giue him all Peter his Patrimonie and priueleges c. and so because as one Pope sayeth and your Cannon lawe approoueth Christ committed to blessed Peter no where in deede the right both of worldly and heauenly Empire will yee abridge that or no What should I speake of your Reliques yee may say of all as yee doe of one a seely paire of beades seely and single stuffe surely Why make yee such accompt of this seely ware that is but tromperie and trashe cast such baggage from you and there is an ende of all troubles for that Yee talke of the Catholike religion and of your owne religion saying my religion Lieth the Catholike religion and yours in these pointes in deede M. Howlet yee heere name will yee needes lie in perpetuall prison leese goods landes and life for the same After by eareshrift to your Ghostly father yee bee discharged of lawfull and duetifull obedience to our Soueraigne as vice gerent in God his place to whom yee owe obedience for conscience sake as to God him selfe whose roome she possesseth as the substitute and Angel of God thus speake ye some tymes to yeelde the same to a Priest and proude prelate to a forrainer and forerunner to Antichrist if not himselfe rather to the Pope of Rome that hath nothing to doe with Englishe subiectes after this inuerted and peruerted othe and bowe You call it your reconciliation Lieth your religion
this Treatile for them and take paynes to set downe Reasons for the due reforming of them being in better hope then of the former but if all thinges bee well considered there will bee found falshood in felowship and very hollow dealing You cut them off from you and yet you woulde fayne holde them in still what opinion you hot Catholikes haue of all besides your selues euen such of your owne side whom ye speake farest vnto let me be bolde shortly to giue here a taste Generally you count no better of all them that goe to Churche heere for what respect soeuer other then such as the Pope will allowe whereof you speake and we shall see more in your qualifications afterwardes then of Apostataes renouncers of the Catholike religion perfidious betrayers of Gods Catholike cause traytours to God no Christians Heathen men and Publicanes c. And yet good sir all these as badde as they bee are byrdes of one feather and one neste Schollers of your owne teaching and none of our religion yea they defie it as you suppose hollowe geare still and nothing but hollowe Catholikes All the Catholikes in Englande that goe to Church directly denie their religion yea the yeelding therein is a flatte and euident denying of God and of his fayth And yet they remaine be accounted Catholiks stil what a religion call you that wherein men may denie not onely their religion but God and his fayth too and yet be of the religion stil Your Catholikes you speake of be such yet bee they in your heape still that is Catholikes and of the Catholike Religion They bee out of the Church so without hope of Saluation Scismatikes excommunicate persons and yet Catholiks still and of no other religion A good religion sure and a commendable is that they holde who bee Atheists and godlesse men in your opinion if they be not which directly and slatly renounce God and his fayth and yet iudge all other religions false and erronious besides their owne opinion and will neuerthelesse communicate with the same for some worldly respect and condenme other that will not doe as they doe Nowe if Athiests c. bee Catholikes I can not tell what to make of you Catholikes you bee neyther fishe nor fleshe nor yet I weene good redde hering as they say the wrong and perillous perswaūon that these men are sayde here to bee in builded onely on their owne fantasie may beseeme a fantasticall religion not grounded on Gods woorde but on vnwrttten verities traditions doctrines of men custom multitude c. as popery is Litle reformatiō as hithetto may serue such a deformed religion for these two sortes of Catholikes as you call them wee thinke yee doe in the one as in the other that is but imagine and goe all by supposition it is your Clearklie dealing whereof you heare what I say The aduise that I can giue them is that they leaue not only that perillous perswasion of communicating with contrary Religions but also and principally their Popery and the opinion they haue of that religion which as the rest is builded onely on fantasie Nowe haue wee viewed your Catholikes that you haue set vs here downe agreeing all in Poperie though but ill fauouredly and among them selues also hardely if your reasons following proceede from such a Catholike minde as you haue described vs in these men surely they are hollowe and can carrie no great waight with them with such as liue here in her maiesties dominions I verily think they can litle or nothing at all preuaile if they haue especially any wisedome or feare of God before their eyes for them y t being in heart of your religion do cleane contrary thervnto I wot not howe easily they will be led by you but surely if they will depende vppon God and his woorde they neede neither feare your threates nor regarde your Reasons for any value or waight that is in the same But before I enter into the particular examination of your nine Reasons hauing respect to the rude and simple sort I wil make bolde to set downe a reason contrary vnto yours whereby I meane to shewe that all men here liuing if they bee not too farre gone are bounde to haunt Church assemblies and the exercises of Religion vsed among vs. And yet before I set downe my reason both for the iust defence and cleering of her Maiestie and the State heere against such quarelpikers as you be And also for y t better satisfiyng of all her Maiesties duetifull subiectes and people I say to gods glory y t her maiestie y t state haue not pretēded to renounce Poperie a hollowe and rotten religion grounded vpon whatsoeuer not vppon Gods holie worde surely contayned in the Canonicall Scriptures as at this day is cleare to all that haue eyes to see to establishe another Religion though not so badde as Poperie yet not auowable deuised eyther by her selfe or by any other men but professeth to set vp the onely true religion of Iesus Christ taken out of the Scriptures Her Maiestie and the State haue and doe declare to the worlde dayly that in steede of mens inuentions and glorious shewes or voluntary Religion and will woorship as the Apostle noteth Superstition Shee and they esteeme the worde of God alone to bee the foundation of true religion The Apologie of this Church of Englande The Articles of religion set foorth by publike authoritie and suche other writings doe sufficiently proue this godly purpose and meaning and euen of late in the proclamation for the recalling home of her Maiesties subiectes from beyonde the seas c. is the same by expresse words mencioned None though the Papistes and enemies woulde make the worlde beleeue so are here called to the King and Queenes religion but with her Maiestie all degrees and persons are called to Gods and Christes true religion onely which shee with her people professeth Actes of Parliament and Statutes are not set into Churches in steade of Masse bookes Grayles Legends Portuises Images c. But the Sacred Byble the booke of the High and Immortall God of Heauen faithfully translated into the mother tongue to be read expounded heard and vnderstood of all to the vnspeakable comfort her Maiesties Ciuill Ministers As counsellers Judges Justices and so forth are not the Churche Ministers but spiritual Pastors and Teachers which are and by faithfull preaching ought to shewe themselues to bee the faythfull Ministers of Christ Iesus the Prince of Pastours or Shepheard and Byshop of our Soules Her Maiestie hath not taken away the Popes Antichristian office and vsurped tytle here to set her selfe in his place nor to take on the other side Christes office in hande or to infeoffe her selfe of his titles who leaueth euen to Christs Ministers their proper functions and charges whole of preaching the worde administring the Sacraments publike prayer Church discipline how euer this wrangler and his fellowes would beare the worlde in hande
I content me with this sūmall and short declaration thereof When marriages are to be made and celebrated children to be baptized c where and how shall this and the like be honestly and orderly perfourmed and doone if wee refuse church assemblies here It were not hard to runne ouer all this authours nine reasons to turne thē all on the aduersaries owne head As to giue example for infection and the danger thereof which they cannot be free from that abstaine from comming to Church here lying open to the enimie of our saluation and so not in danger to be infected only but by the Diuels infection and poyson vtterly consumed and destroyed also for explanation and tryall whēreof marke the nature power and propertie of the Diuell with whome wee poore wretches haue to deale Marke on the other side the nature of preaching the Gospel namely marke that our Sauiour Christe speaking to Ierusalem expresseth it to bee How often would I haue gathered thy childrē together as the henne doeth her chicken vnder her wings and yee woulde not and consider what danger of the Puttock and Kyte the little chickin bee in not being vnder the Hennes winges vpon this clucking and calling Againe marke what danger the sheepe be in of the theefe and of the woolfe if either they runne astray out of the folde or bee not dayly fedde and lookt vnto by the vigilaunt Pastour and Minister of Gods holy worde c. And it will not be harde to finde out how necessarie it is for vs dayly and often to come to the Church to heare the preaching of the gospel to receiue the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper c. And how hurtfull the abstaining therefrom is vnto vs. Ywts if Poperie and Popith religion if ignorant sir Johns had but halfe as much to alleadge out of Gods boke the holy scriptures yea but a cloke and coulor for their mumpsimus 〈◊〉 seruice and abhominable masse and for their blasphemous sacrificing priesthood as we haue for our holy assemblies the preaching ministerie of the Gospell by faythfull Pastors in the Church at this day they would brag mightily and triumph But thankes be vnto God they haue not somuch as one cleere syllable ne yet hardly any pretence We beare what our Sauiour Christ saith blessed are they that heare the word of god keep it c Tel vs you if you can what he saith for hearing masse and Popish seruice The other Reasons of offence of note to distinguish and know our religion by of schisme participation c might bee dealt in and the like sayd thereof as in the first of perill of infectiō But heere I leaue y t to the Christian Readers consideration especially seeing this argument is at large entreated of by diuerse godly learned in their writings I pray God all we his people her Maiesties subiectes referring things to the right ende may better then hitherto vse to our saluation these comfortable meanes of Church assemblies that we may reape plentifull profit by hearing the worde preached c. and not sticke in outwarde ceremonies or doing of thinges for a fashion which is but too common in the worlde and the redresse hardly compassed howbeit let vs not flatter our selues God hath dealt mercifully with vs and her maiestie hath not onely cleered her selfe herein towards vs but greatly deserued at our handes also so as al the fault is and resteth in our selues alone and the matter will be but badly answered before God another day if we looke not to it in time I am not ignorant that the enemie wil cauil herevpon but meerely cauill indeede as is easie to bee seene in the rest without all good ground So as he can hardely deceiue any but such as offer themselues willingly to be deceiued But I respect as I sayd others besides the enemie If there be any found in this Church and reformation some defect As what church is pure from all spottes liuing in this world vpon the earth yet the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of Christes Sacraments concerning the substance being kept hole and the desire and meaning not being to nourishe and maintaine any vngodlines abuse c contrary to the Scriptures but according to thmeasure of faith and knowledge geuen of God as oportunitie may serue to reforme and redresse the same There is no cause or reason why we should leaue the communion with the church or leese the benefites offered vnto vs in the same by the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the Sacraments without neuerthelesse allowing in this our ioyning with the Church any abuses or deuises of men or their additions which through ignorance and imperfection that yet remaine euen in Gods churche too easily crepe in One of these extremities will the diuell our common enemie assay to bring vs vnto if he can And we haue great cause and neede to looke about vs and to take heede of his slightes on both sides And herein not to dissentble or to flatter with those of authoritie and publike charge as is her maiestie and those of the state here But to begin with them with al reuerence and dutifull consideration and their good accepcation I doubt not I am bolde vnder correction to say that for the training vp of vs their people in Gods true religion it is their partes in matters of Gods Kingdome and Christian Religion to looke narrowly and well to their proceeding and doing to trye and examine the same by the touch of Gods holy word as well on the parte of the churche Ministers and ministerie as the rest of Church gouernment that all to Gods glory may answer the paterne set downe in his written worde They pray I ani sure as wel as we dayly at our heauenly maisters commandements Hallowed beethy name Thy kingdome come Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen They haue not therfore to content themselues if the matter be wel marked with a beginning or halfe a reformation of that is amisse such as may please man but godly wisely and zealously to aduance by the worde of God and continually to set forwarde the worke begunne and not to leaue be weery geue ouer or rest in y t they haue once aduised or thought of till the whole by their Godly care and trauaile bee so purged and fined with the fire of Gods worde as is vnto his heauenly will correspondent and most agreeable At least if they cānot or do not y t same at the first at once they haue more and more daylie to contend to bring their woorke to that passe which thing is with great affection and hope longed and looked for at their hands and not only wished and desired but earnestly hartely prayed for also by al the godly Rome they are wont to say was not built in a day but howe much more iustly may y t be verified in y t spirituall building vp of G O D his
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
and gone out of the Churche yet may hee bee called an Heretike and it is among the workes of the fleshe chosen those things that are the worse c. Wee knowe the Queenes coyne by the stampe by the Image by the inscription if it carry not that marke wee may lawfully refuse it euen so in the matters and truth of God c. But it is time to proceede with you After you haue thus declamed agaynst the Scriptures in our seruice you goe about to recken vp all the faultes ye can imagine to bee therein which in a bedroll yee recken vs vp to be in all about sixe whereof you make two heads one the thinges that be in it the other the thinges it wanteth It is happie yee can spie no moe faultes in particular but sixe Surely your Latine seruice were lesse daungerous and hurtfull if a man coulde in the whole finde but halfe so many good thinges amongst an infinite number of faultes nay the whole must needes bee not in part altered but quite vndone reiected and newe begunne againe or els wil there bee no Gods his seruice among you at all For our seruice it may haue some faultes wee denie not As it commeth to passe in things that goe through mens hands wee accompt not our bookes of seruice a Byble wee make it not equall with G O D his Booke But this wee hold what imperfections so euer there may be therein yet all layed together will be no sufficient Reason for you or anye man els to abstaine from Churche assemblies here which is the ende of this your Reason and that it driueth vnto You say our seruice is so naught as it may not be haunted we denie it Let vs see howe you proue it first in particular you say it is deuised by our selues different frō your Romish Catholike seruice through Christendome so I take your words and meaning As this is no warrant for the goodnesse of our seruice so is it not hereby prooued to bee naught so that yee vnderstande the same to bee so deuised by vs as it haue a farder warrant then mans head and fancy as being grounded and directed by Gods holy word The summe the grounde the substance Gods the 〈◊〉 forme and manner or order done by godly men There is in deede no Lyturgie or outwarde forme of 〈◊〉 Prayer for euery congregation set downe and particularly described in God his worde it had been a matter endelesse and needelesse to haue prescribed euery particular thing beongling to seruerall Church assemblies The substaunce and generall direction is to bee had in the worde of God and thence to be taken and thereby in euery particular circumstance to be ordred for diuers and seuerall congregations dispersed in many Countreys The rest is the Application is to bee perfourmed by the Churches for their necessitie and vse accordingly and so may be lawful for 〈◊〉 Church to doe the like without your checke and controlement Yee hearde before of the diuers and sundrye orders and manners of Masses in your Romaine Church as yee call it in Italie France Englande and so forth And your S. Gregorie as is recorded by Bede willed Augustine the Monke to take that frō other Churches here and there for this Englishe Churchs seruice that shoulde bee most conuentent Is it not knowne to all the worlde that your Mattens Euensong Complyn Dirige Masse and so foorth was of diuers Byshops of Romes patching c. And a long time a doyng before it was in that order you nowe vse it Did not your Trent meeting of late agree and appoint your Church seruice shoulde bee reformed did not your Pope according to that decree euen of late yeres reforme your breuiary and Missall ywis sir wee giue no such scope of reformation in our Gospelling Churches but teach and holde that all shoulde be doen by and according to the rule of God his booke and holy Scriptures as in matters appertayning to his Maiestie with all godly reuerence and humblenesse of minde You say it is altogether different from your seruice so woulde wee haue it to bee for that Poperie is too bad a paterne to reforme Christes Churche by It is euen as vnfit to bee an example for a reformed Church to followe as a fylthy hogstie is to frame and build a Princes Palace by and more vnfitte too The freer our Churches and assemblies be from Popishe corruptions the more happie be they a great deale You knowe in that olde and vnhappie controuersie about keeping of Easter in the 〈◊〉 Church home the fathers 〈◊〉 it vnmeete to followe the wicked Iewes who had crucifted Christ in obseruing their Easter on the foureteenth day of the first moneth as Constantine then emperour wryteth And y e gospel I am sure no better but a great deale woorse agreeth w t poperie our christiā religiō w t your romish seruice 〈◊〉 we easily admit that it is false that our seruice differeth in nothing from yours but that it is now in English which was then in latin so were our English seruice too too bad We would haue you and all the worlde thinke otherwise of the matter and we wishe you take no occasion thereat to thinke so wee are content to ease you of the paine to compare or prooue that point You say the hotter sort of protestants called Puritanes condemne the seruice of the protestants here and refraine from it as much as Catholikes doe Though there be that wish a more full reformation of the whole Churche and religion yet knowe I none of the godly learned that say with you it is vnlawfull to come at Church assemblish heere nor themselues refraine frō them There may bee some fewe simple vnlearned folke that of hatred to your superstitious and intollerable bloodie dealings afore time wherewith by their wills they would haue no communion or fellowship that may make some scruple therin for that they of zeale defie y e remnants steps traces ceremonies and all affinitie and likelihood with Poperie but howe agree they with you and you with them euen as as dogge and cat as they say so little vauntage haue you by them Your mindes and purposes beeing so contrarie the one to the other I minde not to bee a Patrone of euery bodies cause yee haue heard what I said before of that matter whither I here referre you till I heare your answere Such godly moderation woulde I haue kept in this matter as I trust can and will offende none that are godly Wisedome may not quenche zeale zeale may not destroy wisedome godly zeale and godly wisdome may stande together and goe together and so must doe and in Gods matters the worde of God must direct and order both Let mee I pray you aske of you whether they of your side that wished and sought for reformation of your Popishe seruice at Trent meeting condemned the same refrained from resorting to your Popishe Churche and seruice
vs to himselfe or any for him let vs learne to knowe him and them Let vs marke our losse and take heede of the change though they that heare this Counsell shall bee accompted of the Papistes 〈◊〉 Schismatikes and I wot not what for leauing the Idole of Rome it maketh no matter the gaine and vantage is so passing great as it will easily satisfie and recompence all A great losse think say you to parte from the Churche of Rome an inestimable gaine say and thinke we more 〈◊〉 to win Jesus Christ which will not bee in stifely cleauing to the other Christ and Antichist light and darkenesse the temple of God Idoles haue no agreement The things that were vantage vnto Saint Paul the same counted hee losse for Christes sake But let vs see what the losses bee that by parting from Poperie men haue They are saieth this reasoner sixe in nomber whereof let vs see particularly the first losse is men leese the benefite of the sacrifice of the Masse a great matter and often repeated by you without sounde of the goodnesse thereof but with vs a happie losse sure beyng of all blasphemies and idolatries the most abhominable But sayth this discourser here our Sauiour Christ appointed his bodie to bee offered vp dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the commoditie of the whole worlde quicke and dead c. I heare you say so sir but I aske you where what our sauiour Christe appointed is faithfully recorded vnto vs by the foure Euangelists the faithfull witnesses of all that Christ 〈◊〉 did and taught neuer a worde of your Massing sacrifice there No yes I pray you Do this in remembrance of mee Do this that is sacrifice this for do is to sacrifice so doth the Heathen 〈◊〉 Uirgile vse the worde and so may we by the Poet expounde Christes meaning to bee gentle stuffe and a Clarkelye proofe to corrupt the sacred scriptures with prophane gloses If you haue any better proofe for your massing sacrifice out of the Euangelists whiche tell vs faithfully what was appointed by our Sauiour Christ let vs heare of it Else hearken to S. Paul who receiued of the Lorde that which he also deliuered vnto the Church and is a faithful and trustie expounder of the three Euangelistes Now he in his exposition of these wordes not onely ouerthroweth your counterfaite sacrifice but your newe deuised transubstantiation also who repeating this doe in remembrance of mee expoundeth the same of eating and drinking not of Sacrificing and saith for as often as yee shall 〈◊〉 this bread and drinke this cup yee shewe the Lordes death till hee come c. Marke these wordes well So that where yee say this was appointed by our Sauiour to offer vp his body dayly c. We say you say vntruly and are founde a false witnesse bearer but yee runne to the fathers finding nothing in the Euangelistes or Scriptures to make for you but as in time and place wee reuerence the fathers so agayne tell wee you that wee are not bounde to follow the errors of the fathers but what if the fathers call the Supper of the Lorde sometime a Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say or by a figure what if they say it is a Sacrifice because there is offered to God thankes giuing of which it taketh also the name and because the remembrance of that one Sacrifice of Christ once offered is therein celebrated by the Church according to S. Paules exposition as often as ye shal eate this 〈◊〉 and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till hee come c. What maketh this for your Massing propiciatorie sacrifice or the offering of Christes bodie for obtaining of grace auoiding of all euils for the remission of sinnes both of quicke and dead or dayly in the oblation of the Masse for the cōmoditie of y e whole world quick dead as you speake whiche commeth all to one Why may not we reconcile the fathers with the scriptures Giue vs leaue I pray you heerein y wis your owne Maister sayth that which is offered and consecrated of the Priest is called 〈◊〉 and oblation because it is a remembrance and representation of the true sacrifice and holy oblation made on the 〈◊〉 of the Crosse. And againe because in the Sacramēt there is a remēbrance of that which was once done c. In this sense denie wee not the Supper of the Lorde to bee called a sacrifice because praise and thanksgiuing are there offered vnto the Lorde and wee are not without this kinde of sacrifice in the celebration of the Lordes Supper as I saide before And if by haunting our Churche assemblies you had been aswel acquainted with our booke of common Praier as nowe blinded with malice ye are readie to cauill and slaunder yee might haue founde wee reiect not the worde of sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing in the action of the Lorde his Supper Nay that wee offer not only that but our selues also c. to bee a reasonable holy and liuely sacrifice vnto the Lorde according to the doctrine of the Apostle beside the sacrifice of almes c. That yee neede neyther say we haue no sacrifice because wee haue not your abhominable Idoll of the Masse nor that they depriue them selues of participation of the sacrifice of Christes body and blood that haunt our Churche assemblies Euery one of vs by the working of God his spirite in vs and by faith applyeth to 〈◊〉 Christe and his sacrifice with the fruit of his death and passion more effectually and more faithfully thā any mortal man besides can apply y e same vnto vs. We aduaunce 〈◊〉 our faith therein with the participation that is by the often vse and 〈◊〉 of this holy Sacrament with the worde preached withall Wee trust not your Popish application in his Masse who commonly sacrificeth for money as indeede all your religion is for gaine No penny no pater noster they say with you If the Churche of God shoulde receiue no commoditie of Christes sacrifice or of his death and passion till your priest applyed the same it woulde neuer bee Keepe this your application therefore with the commoditie thereof to your selues we wil hearkē to y e holy ghost a better scholemaister then you who by the Apostle thus speaketh amongst other thinges The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christe The bread whiche wee breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christe Seeing therefore brethren that by the blood of Iesus wee bee bold to enter into the holy place by the newe and liuing way whiche hee hath prepared for vs through the vayle whiche is his fleshe and seeing wee haue an High priest which is ouer the house of God Let vs draw neere with a true hearte in assurance of faith sprinckled in our heartes from
euer That which S. Paule and we with S. Paule ascribe vnto god and Christ that they may haue the glory in all that doeth this forgerer ascribe vnto man and vs corrupting both S. Paules yea the holy ghosts wordes the sence of the sacred scriptures also for where S. Paule liuely describing the office of the true Christ sheweth what benefite the church Gods people receiue from god by him thereby discerning and seuering him from all false Christes there this fellow as though there wanted other false Christs sets man or our selues in place to take gods and Christes office and roome vpon vs. Thus S. Paule And you which were in timee past strangers and enimies your minds being set in euil works hath hee reconciled in the bodie of his fleshe thorow death to present you holy vnblameable without fault in his sight Thus this gentle companion telles vs S. Paule saith y t Christ died for vs to the end We should exhibite our selues holie and vnspotted and irreprehensible in his sight And yet he further corrupteth the text with his Commentarie Let the Reader compare examine and iudge indifferently of the whole For the rest either it needeth no answere or is alreadie answeared before Wherefore I will here ende wishing vs onelie that at this day professe the Gospel and Christes true religion to apply to the confirming of vs in the trueth those testimonies and places which this man abusing the 〈◊〉 applyeth to Poperie and falshood Let his and his fellowes blynde zeale and feruentnesse in lyes awake vs that sleepe in securitie Let it serue to condemne our kay coldnesse in y e matters of God and our saluation which is I weene if not all yet as the common so the greatest fault of vs 〈◊〉 professours of the Gospel at this day We heare what he saith and saith truely If errour finde such zeale what zeale ought trueth to haue If they be stout in fancies and sticke so harde to their pretended consciēces how should we sticke and stande to conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on Gods holie worde without 〈◊〉 betweene two opinions If the Lorde be God followe him if Baal be 〈◊〉 then goe after him Let vs heare for shame and apply to our selues at least at this mans admonition and calling the 〈◊〉 of the Ephesians taken out of the beginning of the second Chapter of S. JOhn his reuelation let vs not be betweene both luke warme neither colde nor hot as the same S. Iohn telleth vs the Laodicians were Looke the place to the end of the Chapter Let vs be zealous therefore and amend c. For God is a ielous God Separate your selues layth the Lord touch no uncleane thing c. Lastly with our knowledge ioyning zeale let vs remēber apply to our selues in the trueth of God his holie religion that which he euen here in the end of his work truelie telleth vs that God accepteth no partition no limitatiō no mayme in our seruice But either al or none must be his Let vs follow herein the example of S. Basile Gods resolute 〈◊〉 that this man reciteth vs out of Theodoret and retayne and beare in mynde the most worthy and excellent saying also as he calleth it of Christes holy Martyr S. Cyprian rather that in steede of his Father wherewith he concludeth his booke I may conclude with holy Scriptures let vs high and 〈◊〉 one other well marke beare in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and execute God giue grace we may so doe as Gods cause and glory shall require amongest other that most worthy and excellent speech and counsell may I bee bold to say of the holy Ghost vttered by Iosue in the last Chapter of that booke reade and peruse it I heartily pray thee Gentle Reader for thine owne profite at the least from the xiiii verse of that Chapter onwarde to the ende make thy profite of all and so farewell hartely in Christ. I beseech thee in thy prayers remember to pray among y t rest for the aduancemēt cōtmuance of Gods holie Gospell in sinceritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs free frō all dregges of Poperie also for the prosperitie of the Queenes most excellent Maiestie our dread 〈◊〉 in all thinges and for the preseruation and blessing euery way of this whole Church and Land our deare Countrie and that thou in heart prayest procure indeede that is by all meanes endeuour in thy 〈◊〉 effectually to 〈◊〉 and to put the same in practise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory and his Churches benefite Amen P. W. 2. Thes. 2. Cor. 4. 4. 2. Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. 2. Thes. 2. 8. Iude. ver 22. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I. Hovvlet the madge Hovv let highly schritchith an maketh an yll fauoured noyse to the Nightinghale whose melodie pleasant note is knowen 〈◊〉 30. 68. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flac. 〈◊〉 De testibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baleus De illustr 〈◊〉 Britan. Actes 〈◊〉 Tome 1. 〈◊〉 705. 706 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fasciculo rerum expetendarum 〈◊〉 fugiendarum 〈◊〉 De Clamengiis in collatione 2. 〈◊〉 per scriptum super materia Concilii Generalis 〈◊〉 Scholasticum 〈◊〉 This was Pope Iohn the 23. Hee wrote this in the 〈◊〉 of the Councel of Constance about the yere of our Lord. 1414 Masse of the holy Ghost at the beginning of the Councel Esay 5. 20. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Ephes. 5. 13. 1. Thes. 5. 5. 1. Cor. 2. 4. Tertul. aduersus 〈◊〉 Two causes of dedication Persuade not before you teach as heretikes do 〈◊〉 Tertull. In the second xii section of his Epistle dedicatorie c. Or in the reasons of refusall 〈◊〉 5. 57. c. Cicero Fol. 41. pag. 2. Fol. 4. 5. The foundation of our religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fol. 20. page 1. Fol. 6. page 1. Fol. 28. page 1. Fol. 60. In this point whether it be lawfull for these Catholikes to goe to protestantes Churches or no Sect. 3. Fol. 39. pag. 2. a Looke the 〈◊〉 discourse Fol. 65. Prou. 13. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. Vabentinian con 〈◊〉 lib. 1. Tit 25. 〈◊〉 forensis est vt qui in precib mentitus fuerit non ills prosit quod 〈◊〉 Aug. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist. 50. D. Thom. 2. 2. 9. 10. act 8. Psal. 22 12. 13. 〈◊〉 13. 17. 〈◊〉 c. Magna 〈◊〉 illecebra 〈◊〉 spes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tim. 1. 5. 19. Sect. 9. Arist. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Howlets third section 〈◊〉 religions 〈◊〉 3. Sect. 16. 18. Domini Francis Augusti Carmel Aposalip 9. 3. Fol. 39. pag. 2 Galat. 4. 18. Apocal. 3. 16 2. 2. q. 188. Ar. 1. Matth. 13. 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 9. Mat. 23. 9. Renela 12. 9 〈◊〉 3. 15. Section 13. Ignatius 〈◊〉 Philadelphiens 〈◊〉 antiquitas Christus 〈◊〉 Fol. 16. pag. 〈◊〉 Section 〈◊〉 Straightnesse to Catholikes Fol. 16. page 2. Marke this supposition and applie it to our time The maner of dissēbling Schismatiks liuely expressed O dānable dissēbling this is done by many in
vs but first God and next to God satissie her Maiestie our dread soueraigne and his who pretendeth not by her selfe nor her lawes to make any of her subiectes to be of her Religion but vs altogether with her selfe of Gods true certayne and most holie Religion Shee sitteth in no mans conscience as doth the Pope ywis in doing this shortely to say he shall shewe himselfe to bee a faythfull and good seruaunt to GOD and her Maiestie bearing a duetifull minde lyke a true subiect to her godly lawes in euery respecte a profitable member also shall hee shewe him selfe to bee in Church and common wealth and most of all which hee hath to consider of his owne friende all which benefites hee quite spoyleth himselfe of in following the course these men sette hym in who as blynde guydes conducte him in the darkenes by bywayes of traditions forefathers custome multitude good intentes and meaning as they call them and all without the light of Gods holy woorde or any good warrant Nowe as there are two partes of this booke the Epistle dedicatorie to her Maiestie and the treatise or reasons where vnto accordingly I haue to answere so for the matter the drift wherto this booke tendeth the manner of handling the whole generally to speake it so bewrayeth it selfe as the indifferent Reader may and will I doubt not easily espie out the treacherie Poyson to infect deadly couered and as it were sugured that is with faire wordes glosed and recōmended is the whole matter for what haue wee els to iugde of reasons not grounded on any art of reason and of persuasion without all foundation The whole that so great account is made of was a letter from a friend to a friende shuffled vp in hast as the writer confesseth Why then did not the same rest in the friends handes or in the writers custodie among other common letters and papers vnlesse those of wisedome and authoritie heere vppon knowledge sight and perusing it had beene called for and as other things that passe abrode it 〈◊〉 beene orderly allowed of if it should haue been found meet Forsooth madge Howlet and his fellowes opinion must rule heerein to make a Treatise and discourse thereof and at length to publish the same in print wherby besides the rest they may shewe what great reasons they stay their consciences vppon as they speake to the condemning of others yea of their own side that thinke not and do not as they doe and what weightie motiues also they haue to moue her Maiestie withall and what inuincible Scholasticall argumentes wee must looke for at these terrible fellowes handes Of all which that I may heere briefly and in summe giue a note I say if their store behinde bee no better then this they nowe sende vs for all their great bragges wee may turne them ouer to Sophisters and laddes in the Schooles to answere them so little neede wee surely feare their hie woordes and threates Well what opinion and liking so euer maister Howlet and his fellows haue of this worke of theirs and what fruite they may looke for it to bring foorth among suche as are wedded to 〈◊〉 therby inclinable to moue sedition and rebellion in this state which appeareth to bee their meaning what euer they pretende we once in considering thereof see their purpose and drift not to bee good for in going about to confirme and encourage suche to goe on forwarde in their deuilishe and stubborne opinion which abstaine from publique Church assembles here wherein to Gods glorie are vsed the preaching of Christes Gospell the administration of his sacramentes godly prayers ct And againe to refuse the othe of alleageance to her Maiestie alluring other to the like they drawe men as much as in them is from the ordinarie meanes whereby God beginneth aduaunceth and continueth faith and Religion in his they dishonour his Maiestie in swaruing from the rule of his holy woorde they pine away and slaye their owne soules and theirs that hearken vnto them Besides this offence to God and priuate hurt to thē selues and others they induce them further to disobey in the highest degree their gracious Soueraigne and ours and to break her wholsome lawes made for the aduauncement of Christes syncere Religion and the suppressing of Idolatrie and superstition and for the maintenance of her Royal estate and most lawfull dignitie among her subiectes they offend moreouer all the godly minded weake ones also by their euil exāple and dealing That I speak nothing of vtter enemies to the truth which can learne no good hereby Finally they seeke to make a schisme and to maintaine heresie in this holy Congregation and seditiously disturbing the peace and quiet here they make a way to a newe rebellion if it bee possible for them infecting other with the same opinion and obstinacie whiche are not hitherto so hot and forward or peruerse and frowarde in this matter These and such like things are sought to bee iustified maintained and defended by coloured reason and false perswasion and all vnder pretence of conscience in this booke They must be tollerated in these doings her Maiestie and the state must be satisfied therewith otherwise they playne of the state and publique authoritie here they deuise and inuent sclanders they chalenge and threate they bragge and vaunt they whine and repine and what not They are loth to let goe their holde and to leese all their labour being come so farre as from Rome the poore helpe of Italian and Romane souldiers which our English Italianated Romanistes had by suite procured from the Pope traiterously by force of late to inuade her Maiesties dominions thorough Gods prouidence nowe failyng and deceiuing their expectation these spirituall doues of the Pope I meane the Iesuites byrdes once of the Popes Seminaries and other such sollicitors and procters of Poperie as comming like postes from beyonde the seas flie here vp and down among vs applying them selues to the time haue thought good to holde another course till they may be able to make such head againe as in her Maiesties raigne they did first in Englande and afterwarde of late in Irelande For least those of their companie that are left after the suppressing of the rebelles among vs shoulde be dismaide and discouraged setting a good face on the matter they comfort them with such wordes and motiues as they may in so bad a matter and least when they can not openly in person goe abroade their well willers and friendes whereof they bragge of moe here then I trust they shall finde shoulde want their ayde in aduauncing the proude prelate of Rome and his religion against the eternall God of heauen and her Maiestie our naturall and dread soueraigne and Prince here vpon they print and cast abroad this and such like libels full of holownes and vauntes contayning litle or no other matter as such doe easily and at first fight perceiue which vntaught by them are none of their disciples
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
I say in a masking Masse in a crucifixe Medall agnus Det and such other images yee call them lay mens bookes in a seely payre of beads so you speake your selfe and such other reliques then woulde I surely haue all men consider well the dayly exercises of our Religion which is Catechising and instructing of youth and the ruder sort in y e Articles of the beliefe the tenne cōmandements the Lord his prayer and other the principles of christian religion preaching and hearing preached God his holy woorde ministring and receiuing the Sacramentes of Baptisme and y e Lord his supper according to Christ his holy institution in the Gospel prayers to God for necessities and thankesgiuing for benefites with confession of sinnes and of our faith also and singing of Psalmes c. These are the vsuall and ordinarie exercises and the principal of our religion in our dayly meetings kept among Englishe men in the Englishe tongue Nowe let these be compared with your exercises that you set vs heere downe and with the other ceremonies of your Catholique Romane Churche and their Latine seruice at this day and then let iudgement hardly bee giuen whether of the two bee more to God his glorye the Churches that is God his peoples edification to heauenwarde and as God his religion best grounded on his holy worde as comformable thereto and so consequently to be receiued and imbraced with all thankfulnesse to God and our soueraigne I am perswaded M. Howlet that as in your motiues for alteration in so bad and corrupt a religion as yours is you moue very litle her Maiesties resolute and setled conscience on better groundes then yours for all your cunning and sugred speeches so this well weighed and rightly your friendes reasons and your glosing will gaine as litle to your side I can not followe particularly all your impudent 〈◊〉 slāders without vsing to much vnseemely tearms in geuing you that you deserue I will but touche so much as I shall thinke requisite the things that seeme needefull vnto me for the readers satisfaction and admonition I cannot let passe that ye say heere we were borne baptized bred vp c. in the Catholike Religion still ambiguitie of speeche but I guesse at your meaning you meane your selfe and your fellowes I suppose for we renounce and vtterly denie with thankes to God that wee or any of vs were baptised in Popishe or in any man his religion Wee were baptised In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost in the name of Christ and into Christian religion and therefore is Baptisme called Christening and Christendome not Popening and Popedome I will not calculate your age M. Howlet and yet it may bee you were borne and bred vp in the time of the Gospel and profession of this religion many of your side I am sure were yet shal not neede to be rebaptised as though yee had been baptised in heretical religion by your opinion You were baptised wee hope In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste for euery Popishe Priests forme in baptising wee haue not to answere looke you vnto it We finde in your owne decrees among other your corruptions of Gods holy orders his Institution recorded euen in the ministring of this sacrament of Baptisme in the Latine tongue that a Priest in Pope Zacharies time baptised a childe in too too barbarous vnto ward and vile a forme as is set downe in the margine Therefore not without cause bid I you looke to your Priestes and their doings afore time One may iudge there bee many holy things euill fauouredly 〈◊〉 vp among you I haue tolde you the order of Baptizing in our Churches for the circumstance of tyme when it is no great matter in this case looke to the substance Antichrist with all his corruptions and mischief coulde neuer ouerthrow the forme substance of Baptisme hithertoo not in the tyme of Poperie Let your Antichrist take his corruptions y t is his religiō Let vs thāke God for the substance of our Baptisme that wee neede not be Baptised againe reserued by God for vs and vnto vs in spight of Antichriste and the diuell in all ages To God greatly yea wholly To these wee are nothing beholding for the same and as litle or lesse for the corruptions they mingled therewith What ye meane when ye say we were borne in the Catholike religion is somewhat darke in a thing is diuersly taken consulte with your M. Aristot. we were borne and you too in iniquitie dead in trespasses and sinnes and are by nature the children of wrath aswell as others Thus speake the Scriptures If you meane as I thinke yee doe that wee were borne your selfe and all and Baptised in the tyme of Poperye wee graunt it But in or into Popishe religion wee denie it It is one thynge to bee Baptised in a Popishe tyme and another in Popishe religion keepe the woordes wherewith we were baptised In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost This is neyther Poperie nor Popishe religion Here vpon wee say your argument and your fellowes is taken from Sophistrie and is a Sophisticall and brabbling quarrell You may easily finde the fallacion Thus falleth the Bulwarke alone and of it selfe or is taken very easily that yee imagine impregnaable till it bee tryed or assaulted wee see and heare well inough what accompt yee make of this argument abroade to deceiue the simple Distinguishe whiche is not harde to bee done Betweene God and the Diuell Christe and Antichriste Poperie and True Religion Gods holy word and mens Inuentions Let eche one haue that is proper to him and it And this argument of being Baptised in the Catholike Romane religion as these men speake that is Popishe religion as wee truely speake will easily bee answered Her Maiesties clemencie that yee talke of and great mercie as it hangeth not on your commendation as needing the same so both it and the cares wherewith you disquiet her peaceable and quiet estate and perce her tender heart so much as in you lieth should make your hearts to bleed in your bellies rather then hers if they were not harder then flint neuer praise your loue to her Maiestie you are litle beholding to your neighbours that neede to praise your selues for no body els can Say not to excuse your peruerse wilfulnesse that ye are not able to remooue the cause because it is your conscience iudgment in religiō You haue framed your selues a conscience ye may as well remoue it Ye haue freewill 〈◊〉 yee say on both sides Yee could freely enough fall arise as freely I pray you by reforming your conscience and iudgement Lie not still in your owne myre and say yee bee perplexed because some of your doctours talke and teache perplixetie that men are sometime brought into whiche is but a foolishe opinion We will
respect of Christ and his spiritual kingdome euen so doeth Luther in some respect onely euen touching their soules things properly belonging to the heauenly kingdome and euerlasting life teache that Christians are free and exempted from all Princes Lawes and not simply euery way or for this life and ciuile gouernement The collection therfore that pickt out of your fingers ends you and your Pope Popishe wryters to whome you heere sende vs of your selues may and would faine gather as though Luthers doctrine were the cause of the famous rebellion that followed in Germanie or such lyke is not worth a halfe penie you may keepe it to your selues It is as if one shoulde reason immediatly after a storme foloweth fayre weather therfore the storme is cause of the faire weather c. here in very few lines besides forgery are at the least two grosse deceyts or fallacions as they cal them in the schooles And if yee thus gather whose doctrine was the cause of the like famous rebellion of the countriemen there aboue twētie yeeres before and so some nombre of yeeres ere Luther professed the Gospel Luthers doctrine was the cause of that rebellion euen as Christ A stumbling stock and a Rock to make men fall is cause of the destruction of the wicked he and his Gospel of the sword and diuision in the world Howe Luther misliked their sedicious proceeding Can it better appeare than by his godly and earnest wryting vnto them and against them euen at that very tyme Wherof see in the beginning of the fifth booke of Sleydans Commentaries at large But let me bee bolde leauing other heere and matching one with one to set downe your gloses woordes and the collection that is made therevppon in Commentarie vpon Commentarie which at length corrupteth the Text As you doe Luther and his woordes by your 〈◊〉 and false collection In the Gospell after S Matthewe where our Sauiour Christ speaking of paying tribute to Ciuile Magistrats saith to Peter Howe seemeth it to thee Peter the kings of the earth of whom doe they take tributs or custome of children or of strangers Then Peter saith vnto him of strangers then Jesus sayth vnto him then the children are free c. Your glose taking the same from another hath If in euery kingdome the sonnes of that king which is ouer the same kingdome bee free Then the sonnes of that king to whome all kingdomes are subiect ought to bee free in euery kingdome Hence is collected Because Christians bee Gods sonnes To whome all kingdomes bee subiect that therefore they are free frō paying tribute to any Ciuile power so seeme the woordes of the glose literally expoūded to importe Others expoūd the words of the glose of the childrens freedom concerning y t soule which abydeth free as euē your S. * Tho. speaketh and not concerning the body and bodily subiectiōn which is due to superiours Giue vs then like libertie and leaue or Luther himselfe to expounde howe and howe farre Christians are free and exempted from Princes lawes as you take your selues for to salue your glose you nor any shal haue iust cause to plaine of his doctrine D. Luthers words I am sure wil better beare a good and honest exposition for the soules and consciences of men than your gloses and sommes collection of your side vpon the same will doe for your Popishe clergies immunities he is no smal one of your sort to omit other at this time that in a third commentary gathereth thus vppon the words of the glose before mēcioned after he hath cited Thomas his exposition The glose might notwithstanding be othcrwise expounded saith hee in saying that by the sonnes of the eternal king or kingdom hee vnderstandeth not all Christians but those that rule in the kingdom as childrē or sonnes And these are bishops priests those y t forsaking al folow Christ which shal iudge the world for these in this world as the kings sonnes by their state must set foorth and cherish the kingdom of God ought also to be free from y t bondage or seruice of temporall Lords And this agreeth saith he with the doctrine of our Sauiour whilest hee insinuateth that Peter the Apostle is free adioyning least we offēd thē pay for thee And w t y e glose speaking of freedom in this life while he saith the childrē of the kingdō vnder which al kingdoms are ought to be free in euery earthly kingdom Here is much a doe for here is first the Glose vpon the text somewhat obscure then here is Thomas expoūding the glose to salue it hold it vpright y e rather bicause it is taken out of Augustin then heere is yet furder Cardinall Caietan commenting vppon Doctor Thomas who vpon the glose still for there is all the matter pleadeth for the immunitie of the Clergie and concludeth full ill fauouredly for by this Doctors exposition both Christ and the glose serue to exempt Bishoppes Priestes Fryers and y e rest of the Popish Clergie from paying tributes and from other bodily subiection to ciuill Magistrates according to the immunities giuen them by their Pope Nowe let the reader scanne matching this Popishe doctrine with Luthers whether teache more loosenes from obedience to ciuill Princes this doctrine of the Gospell thus deliuered by Luther or y e contrary deliuered by your Pope his chāpions This may serue for the clering opening of these words of Luther here set down y e right expositiō taking therof according to y e Authours meaning especially seeing they stand as words culd out of his bookes vpō y e report of y t Pope only Papists If any list to see more for D. Luthers clering let him looke vpon other which answere Popishe sclanders wherewith they goe about to charge this holy man of God and namely vpon that worthie and learned father M. Iewel against Harding euen in this matter of Magistrates and obedience Because M. Caluin is saide by M. Howlet to agree with the doctrine of M. Luther as in deede hee doth wherevpon hee might haue easily vnderstood the meaning of the sentence taken out of M. Luther If it had so pleased him and with his Pope haue left it out of the number of Luthers heresies as it pleased them to call his doctrine Therefore come I nowe to that diuine and learned father M. Caluin This I like for M. Caluin in you better than in that is before that ye sende vs to his owne workes the first place ye charge this godly man withall Though yee bastarde and corrupt the same by your glose ye take out of the 10. Chapter of the fourth booke of his Institution the 2. and last out of the 19. Chapter of the 3 booke of the same Institution But sir in neyther of both doeth hee make any large or further discourse of Princes and Subiectes If ye woulde haue knowen or described to other
his fellowes without 〈◊〉 of God but that say wee is false we vtterly denie it as that also is that such a conscience dependeth of iudgement and not of will when it is their owne meere wilfulnesse and a foolishe and false opinion and perswasion or else if they needes will refuse counsaile vnder hope to deceiue the Prince and State heere and by their Rhetoricall and cunning lying to bring them to their bende at last where they she we themselues very confident and bolde Let them sticke still in their supposed and condition all perplexitie that is in their filthie myre which is but a vayne opinion of their owne as their owne wryters alsosay So wee may bee free from suche naughtie vayne and diuelishe doctrine Let them call vnto them a heape of Heretikes Idolatours blasphemers fleshly men drunkardes villaines tagge and ragge yea the diuels of hell themselues to acknowledge and embrace this doctrine of theirs and to professe this religion Let them if they needes will ioyne heartes and handes together Let them carry with them multitude antiquitie consent their well meaning mindes as they call them aud what they wil besides Let vs crie Heare ô heauen heare ô earth and be astonished Heare ô Christians Princes and people high and lowe detest and abhorre this religion and suche Saintes and Maisters Let vs followe Christ Iesus the Prophetes and Apostles their doctrine and the profession of the Gospell I speake 〈◊〉 this while but of Popishe profession religion and doctrine I speake not of their life behauiour and conuersation as fruites of their doctrine There remaine in men infirmities but such profession and doctrine or teaching in religion and life I crie out vpon I defie this religion as moste abhominable abhomination before GOD and man and crying for vengeance from heauen And yet touche I but one parte and one braunche that these men pull mee into taking but their owne examples in the firste Table and in one cōmandement of the second Table only I assure thee 〈◊〉 reader that I lothe and forspring thy eares 〈◊〉 in this argumētto enter into some cases of consciēce so they entitle and crowne their beastly filthynes that these religious maydenly Fryers and saintes as they must bee called propounde and set vs downe in their bookes vnder questions and answears Thine eares woulde glowe if in this point thou shouldest heare some of the meditations and stuffe euen of a booke intituled the Angelicall Summe of the cases of conscience written by Fryer Angelus in deede and name as he is reported But away with this Popishe religion Fye on the Diuell his doctrine impes Our English Romanists haue at this day as they tell vs three readers among them in the cases of Conscience beyonde Sea But if that great Romishe Harlots brestes yeelde her children suche sustenance in steade of the syncere mylke of the woorde of God or as Saint Peters very wordes are reasonable mylke and without guyle for all their great braggs for all their baites to catche simple soules we wish all men as they tender their owne saluation to take heede of these Maisters their religion It is written gentle reader of Augustine that hee opened and set abroade the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Manichee Heretikes because the very opening thereof was ynough to 〈◊〉 and foyle them This I hope wil serue the reader both for his profite to this ende and for any iust defence vpon the occasion ministred here Yet some what more for the matter and our Soueraigne and this States iust defence in the execution of the holesome lawes here established for the abrog 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 superstition treason rebession c. and the good 〈◊〉 of Christes true religion godlinesse and honestie Against these quarell 〈◊〉 let me say in generall first to you Papists whilest that vnder pretence of conscience yee thus prouide for your selues in this per 〈◊〉 imagining that no iustice can inforce you to doe any acte of our Religion yee prouide in the meane while very selenderly and very euill for the common 〈◊〉 and for her Maiestie for if this doctrine whereon your 〈◊〉 examples are grounded bee generally true That not in the doer only but in the inforcer also nothing may bee attempted vnder paine of deadly sinne and damnation against any mans conscience though it be erroneous iudging that which is mortall sinne to bee good and necessary as infidelite heresie theft whooredome c. Why not murther also with the rest Howe then shall her Matestie and the State make and execute lawes to restraine lewdnesse If they say It is against their conscience not to doe the things by law forbidden them or to abstaine from the same as you doe they may not in iustice be inforced to doe against their conscience that is leaue robbing and other villanie they may not be hanged punished or so forth for the same Will you haue thē punished that vnder paine of deadly sinne and damnation are bounde not too doe otherwise then they doe or contrary thereunto at least A great burden lyeth vpon them and will cannot bee forced nor they may not be enforced to doe against their conscience though it be naught Againe sir necessity excuseth both a theefe a murderer by your Canon law and Doctrine and that more then for Whooredome because necessitie hath no law Againe in necessitie all things ought to bee common c. Thus seemeth her Maiestie and the State likewise to bee brought into perplexitie by these mens doctrine that either they must leaue of making and executing wholesome ciuill lawes or els be founde enforcers of some men to doe against their conscience Whereof as this is by them accounted wicked and damnable so the other must needs be to the State and common wealth at least very dangerous But this with them is no great matter where perplexitie is they must choose y e lesse euill they wel deserue these gentlemen and the religion of God and his people of Kinges Princes Ciuill Magistrates and common wealthes also There is talke of Libertines Anabaptists Householders of Loue and I wote not who els But Popery surely is a hotchpotche of all wickednesse the mother of all sectcs and heresies and the nurcerie of all mischiefe Thus doe they seeme to reason who so inforce men to doe against their erroneous conscience commit heerein horrible mortall sinne and are in a damnable case But Magistrates by making and executing penall lawes vpon traitours theeues murderers c. pretending conscience enforce mē to do against their erroneous cōsciēce therfore magistrates by making executing penall lawes vpon traitours theeues murderers c. pretending conscience commit horrible mortall sinne and are in a damnable case Thus as in teaching that hee falleth and faulteth horribly that doth against that which his vnderstanding reason or erroneous conscience as they speake telleth him to bee good though it bee mortall sinne M. Howlet and the Papistes
scriptures directing ruling your consciences thereby On the other side againe wyll you as honest dutifull Subiects renouncing all forraigne power of Prelate Prince or Potentate whatsoeuer betake your selues hence forwarde to bee gouerned by her Maiestie and the temporall lawes of this lande and such Statutes as for the good and peaceable guiding thereof be by her Maiestie the State made agreed vpon in the high court of 〈◊〉 according to the order of this Realme What say you to this condition I aske you because I am in doubt whether you will in the ende stand to the resolution and iudgement of her Maiestie the State herein Nor to any in deed but vnto your Pope your selues and yet had yee neede I tell you resolue be resolued in this point before you make sute to her maiestie so earnest sute to haue publike disputation as wherevpon your eternall saluation dependeth c. And to this point answere hardly in your next writing for in this Epistle DEDICATORIE your wordes hetherto seeme to imploy som cōtradictiō in this matter or els your sute seemeth yf not hollowly yet cunningly made to your vantage but preiudiciall and perillous to this quiet and peaceable state setled nowe aboue these xxii yeeres together in this kind of gouernement of reiecting the authoritie of the Pope of Rome and Popish religion and receiuing the profession of the Gospel and acknowledging her Maiesties Royall soueraigntie ouer all States and degrees All which is wel and sufficiently warranted and maintained by the expresse testimonie of Gods holy worde and the wholesome lawes of this Realme as hath beene and is still both for the one the other by proofe published to the viewe of all the worlde You M. Howlet and your late start vp Iesuites and other English Romanistes or Rhemistes to be plaine with you are too weake in the shoulders God haue the glory to take in hande by disputation or otherwise to vndermine or shake this Godly State or to prooue your owne cause good Yee are but princockes and babes for the most part in comparison of those of your side aforetime that stoode in the front of the battaile whose force yet God be thanked haue beene well tryed and met with all It is vnto you a harde 〈◊〉 of the decay and vtter ruine shortly to fall vpon your huge Antichristian kingdome as that was an after demonstration in the Poet Naeuius that Tullie mencioneth when newe Oratours foolish young men arise and take in hande the administration of the common wealth who were wont so to bragge of gray haires olde men c. Yea 〈◊〉 is that that hath alreadie beene a great part of the vndoing ofit on your behalfes Young men I speake not to reproch age nor to touche towardly youth may haue good heades fresh memorie quicke sight sharpe wit ioly art and prompt and readie tongues and wordes at will which thinges if they bee well applyed wherein is all haue their commendation as in young men But in heauenly matters Gods truth reuealed in his written worde his feare a setled vnderstanding and iudgement framed by Gods holy spirite ioyned with simplicitie and sinceritie in Christes religion and a reuerent humble minde to Godwarde directed alwayes by the sacred Scriptures in young or olde are a great deale more worth and yet by your vaunt you seeme to trust much to the other and thereupon are you so earnest for disputation Of your vaine Scholasticall disputations and arguments pro contra that can make quidlibet ex quolibet or as wee speake Make men beleeue that the Moone is made of greene cheese or that the Crowe is white by your sophistrie The Churche of God to the hurt thereof hath had too great experience afore time and the faithfull at this day see but too muche of this stuffe in your subtill Doctor Scotus your Angelicall Doctors Quodlibetal questions and in numbers of bookes of that stampe We haue beene faithfully warned by the holy ghost to take heed of admitting that kind of dealing a great while since namely in Saint Paules Epistles to Timothie And in deed by tryall we find dayly that by wrangling iangling and vaine disputiug the truth commonly goeth to wracke and is lost besides other inconueniences that arise thereby There be other meanes to try out the truth by then this This kinde of exercise vnlesse it bee very soberly kept and vsed with great moderation is very dangerous in matters of diuinitie And yet God be thanked for his gifts you may be and are euen in this exercise matcheable and to bee matched if neede were with your equals heere at home You that make these great bragges were but yesterday to talke of in Oxeford you haue left your fellowes and your betters too behind you in Oxeford Cābrige abrod also if you will giue other besides your selues leaue to iudge but let vs heare what you tell vs more of y e particulars for you offer also of your liberalitie two other wayes of dealing besides publike disputation These are your wordes 15 ANd as for the particulars wee shall easily agree with them For wee offer all these three wayes both iointly and seuerally that is either by trying out the truthe by briefe scholasticall arguments or by continuall speeche for a certaine space to be allotted out the other part presently or vpon studie to answere the same or finally by preaching before your Maiestie or where els your Maiestie shall appoint And for our safeties we aske nothing els but only your Maiesties worde set downe vnto vs in no ampler maner then the Councell of Trent made the safe conduct to our aduersaries which they notwithstanding refused to accept But I hope they shall see that wee will not refuse or mistrust your Maiesties worde if we may once see it set downe by proclamation or otherwise by letters pattents for our safetie but that within 80. dayes after by the grace of God wee shall appeare before your highnesse with what danger soeuer to our liues otherwise for the try all of Gods truth which we make no doubt but to be cleare on our side 16 If our aduersaries refuse this offer they shall shewe too muche distrust in their owne case for it is with great labour perill and disaduantage on our partes and on their sides nothing at all I woulde they durst make but halfe the like offer for their comming hyther on this side the Seas it shoulde bee most thankefully taken and they with great safetie and all gentle intreatie disputed withall aud made to see as I presume their owne weakenesse But seeing this is not to bee hoped for wee relye vpon the other beseeching your Maiestie most humbly instantly that our iust demaund may be graunted for the tryall of Gods truth most necessary for vs all too our eternall saluation YEE talke vnto vs of three wayes of conference both ioyntly and seuerally as yee speake but all must
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
Rome and Romane which be particular wordes restraining the word Catholike wee are content to call it with your fellowe M. Howlet in his EPISTLE DEDICATORIE the Christian Catholike Religion or the holy catholike and Apostolike Religion of the first Instrumentes and Planters thereof as wee see set vs downe in their writinges or such like speech for the knowledge distinction and triall of our religion we refuse not We are not wedded to one forme of words in that that may be diuersely expressed as in time and with time tearmes and speeches that for a time serue men varie but we woulde auoide cloudie ambiguitie in speech if this I haue now spoken of be the true religion ye receiue embrace and beeleeue we doe so with you and you with vs that is wee agree But vnderstand withall that hereby we ouerthrowe all Poperie and Popish religion as we doe Anabaptistrie and all other false religions whatsoeuer deuised and erected by men not warranted by Gods holy written worde call ye the same Romane Italian Germane French Spanish English Scottish or what else you will where and of whome soeuer it be professed all is one either it is that I haue here shortly described or els it is false and naught The true and Christian catholike religion is not tyed to any certaine place person or time but belongeth indifferently to all the Faithful in al ages and in all places eyther therfore tel vs whether you meane by the catho like Romane religion that Religion which the faithful people dwelling at Rome helde in the time of the Apostles To whom S. Paule the Apostle of vs Gentiles and so of the Romanes wrote the epistle extant and entituled to the Romanes as he did diuers other to particular churches of y e Gentiles as y t thē was hauing yet beleeuing Iewes among them Or if you take it other wise make y e religiō you meane first agree with that religion which those Romanes then helde and were instructed in which was all one with that of the Ephesians Phillipians Thessalonians and other Churches planted by the Apostles and with ours now or ours rather is one with theirs the which is expressed vnto vs in their writinges whereto we sticke and not to the places and people or persons that haue succeeded which all haue greatly swarued since frō y t they then were Or else if you like not to call your religion to this triall keepe your supposition to your selfe as false til you haue prooued the matter for we cannot to be plain w t you nor we may not receiue the Romane religion as it is at this day and hath beene now some hundreths of yeres for the Truth much lesse for y e only truth vnlesse we mind withal to quite abandō God his eternal Truth expressed vnto vs as his reuealed will that is in the canonicall Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament which is commonly called The holy byble as directly contrary to your Romane and Popish religion at this day as white is to black Truth to Falshood Christ to Antichrist God to the Diuell wherof let that booke be the iudge betweene vs. Looke whose religion that booke will iustifie looke whose it will condemne that doe we likewise iustifie or condemne by what name soeuer it be called what coulour or shewe soeuer bee set vppon it wee must bring it to that triall It is not the name of traditions It is not vnwritten verities It is not multitude c which be the props and pillers of your Romane church and religion that can call vs from the infallible written Truth of God howeuer therefore your glosed and false supposition maye satisfie your side or serue a glosed and false religion it cannot serue this church and state you may not looke to haue it by and by receiued of the Queenes most excellent maiestie of the honourable Lordes of her priuie counsaile and other the godly learned wise of englād You might think y t could not nor would not perswade so godly and honourable personages that is meeter for the ignorant sort and fooles you must lay a better foundatiō you must bring better euidence before your Reasons can conuince Suppositions shoulde be certaine principles and euident truthes not so manifest falshoode as this is to be receiued without proofe wee can not suppose at least we cannot knowe that is not I wishe therefore ye had trauailed in proouing this captious and false supposition that after your reasons might haue come the better to their effect end of cōuincing or we seen your feeble weakenes in your cause But that you were not able to perfourme you thought best to suppose and occupie your selfe in flourishing with shew of 〈◊〉 reasons groūded on false principles rather then forciblye to prooue or to reason soundly But Aristotle could haue tolde you that in Art of reasoning thus to doe is to make a Paralogisme or in plainer english to speake it is a kinde of iugling and of false and naughtie dealing Suppose not that the Romane religion as it is at this day is the onely old religion and all other newe The religion we professe is as truer so older than your newe Romane religion As Christ his Apostles and their writings are before those vpon whom and whose writings you would haue vs to depend It may bee in some kinde that your olde vesselles be not fit to receiue this newe 〈◊〉 If the vessels breake though the wine be spilt yet the vessels perish I counsaile you therefore to bring newe vessels and newe heartes that the newe wine beeing put into newe vessels both may be preserued rather then that you abhorre and reiect the newe wine because it agreeth not with your olde leaking vessels An olde ragged coate An olde rotten tree An old decayed house c. If you will needs sticke vpon old and newe are not the best and moste to bee commended you knowe Please not your selfe therefore so much in these tearmes But leaue them and goe to the matter Let Gods booke still I say be iudge betweene vs for the thinges you bring foorth and the thinges we bring and there an end Wee purpose and hope for religion to liue and dye with that booke For your Catholikes you say there are two sortes and yet if I can iudge ought yee make three first you tell vs of such as be so wicked and their case so damnable as yee minde not to intreate of them then you tell vs of another sort of Catholikes for whome this Treatise was made to reforme their persuasion builded as you say only vppon their owne fantasie Yee might as well haue vsed your owne phrase of Conscience if it had pleased you though indeede for abusing the good worde of conscience false persuasiō or fancy were euerie where fitter for you all in your profession Thirdly you make yet an other sort of catholikes besides these two and them you call the onely true Catholikes which
of our Religon and to better agree with Papistes and Poperie then with the Gospel of Christ. Puritans as it pleaseth you Papists to call some here are by you expounded in this Treatise to be the hotter sort of Protestants So that here be but two sortes of Protestants and this is the difference yee make Of Protestants some here are hotter and some are colder and yet neyther sinne against the holy Ghost Are these diuers in Religion Then I pray you make the like of you Catholikes as you will be called for some of you are hot some are colde some Puritan Catholikes of y t hotter and better sort as ye say Some other more conformable men as you here speake And so of colde Catholikes yee tell vs in another place of your booke Adde the contrary difference and ye shal find a sort of hot Catholikes too Or else if you wil make three sortes of Catholiks heere in Englande as you nowe expresse vs and so one sort more then you make of Protestants When you haue reconciled your selues in opinions Then will it bee time enough for you to talke of great diuision among vs here in Religion for some difference in opinion that is founde among vs which you count an insolluble argument of your side against vs and yet may easily you see bee turned on your owne heades Your three sortes of Catholikes that I say you here expresse thus doe I set downe taking the same from your owne woordes The Catholikes that are in this wryting iustified onely are suche as iudge all other Religions false erroneous and damnable besides their owne whiche they call the Catholike Roman religion This is one point common to al Catholiks true false one and other With all these iudge all perticipation with the religion here professed in deede worde or shewe by othe by sacramentes c. naught forbidden and vnlawfull Another or the seconde point not so common to all herevppon by no meanes will they admit or consent to communicate with the same This is the thirde and last point proper to true Catholiks as you call them M. Howlet the authour of this Treatise and such like bee of this first sort of Catholiks There are made another sort of Catholikes that are said to agree with these in the two first pointes disagreeing from them in the thirde onely And yet these that agree so well with them in opinion and dissent from them in doing onely and that as they speake for feare or some worldely respect the former Catholikes so abhorre and detest that they pronounce these yet aliue in God his prouidence dead and damned in hell They are priuie to their consciences they knowe who shal goe thither nay they sende at pleasure whome they liste they leaue these men without comforte or hope of pardon and esteeme them no Christians much lesse Catholikes so hee here pronounceth of them Of the thirde sorte I speake after in his place that agree with the first onely in one and the first of the three pointes disagreeing in the other two pointes These seconde Catholikes in the meane while aduise I thus Take heed to your selues all y t at this day liue in Englande and be in heart of the Romishe religion or haue to these your ghostly fathers by shrifte or other wise shewed your selues to bee such finding your selues in this seconde ranke of Catholikes prouide for your selues I counsell you it standeth you in hande once for you are shutte out of doores for euer from the communion of the Church of Rome in this life and are firebrandes appointed by Gods prouidence to hell in the worlde to come by definitiue sentence while yee yet liue here your Maister of whom you haue learned your religion and who best knoweth as seemeth your heartes and consciences and the nomber of you speaketh thus telling vs there bee very many such in Englande though we hardly beleeue him you must suppose whyle you holde you to that Religion that this is the Sentence of the Pope of Rome and so of the Catholique Churche and of GOD him selfe in heauen immutable and vnreuocable neuer to bee forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come This is true if God be not vntrue sayth this Catholike M. Alas poore men and women Consider in time into what extremitie and miserie yee are thrust by those whome yee holde of and whome ye haue taken all this while to be your good friendes I pittie your harde case I assure you It greeueth mee to heare tell of your eternall damnation in hell fire They talke of the case of perplexitie wherein men are sometime wrapped But here men are tumbled and wrapped in a harder case by this religion if harder may be for dispensation with them might serue where men be forced or by necessitie driuen to choose and doe euill as they can speake here is no hope of any they are alreadie paste all recouery in their determination GOD giue poore soules grace to consider this geare at the heart Leauing the maze of Poperie I will nowe endeuour to speake out of Gods booke some what better to your comfort good heartes that yee may see the difference betweene the Gospell aud Poperie our Religion and that bee it neuer so vnholie will needes bee called Catholique They vngodly and vncharitably 〈◊〉 you and driue you with maine force into dispaire for euer Salue it vp as they can we call you we comfort you we stretch out our armes to imbrace you God rather sending vs to preache the Gospell to cal sinners to repentance by vs as his instrumēts doth this for you but marke well howe to repentance I say and in y t Christ Iesu doth god and wee call you Be not deceiued in assuring you in Gods name as we are bounde of pardon for all the sinnes that ye haue euer heretofore committed frō the beginning We bring you no pardon frō Rome nor from the Pope of which you see your selues to be out of al hope by those your Ghostly fathers iudgement that were sent came hyther to reconcile true catholikes as they speake to the Pope you are none of them they tell you nowe the resolute truth with thē and their conscience If they speake otherwise hereafter neuer beleeue them that pretending conscience speake this without all conscience But wee tell you out of Gods word there is yet some hope and comfort for you so you will leaue that Popish religion and betake your selues to the profession of the Gospel of Christ turning from your sinnes and transgressions into the way of righteousnesse Hearken heare and beleeue vs we wil not speake vnto you our owne imaginations and fancies and call them our conscience and truth But we bring you the worde of the eternall God and his reuealed will and truth which is this that as he liueth he desireth not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way liue
reasoning in proouing matters wee had rather heare of good strong and sounde proofes by Syllogismes than by weake 〈◊〉 but let that also passe Let vs take such 〈◊〉 all argumentes as are offered vs. Prooue your similitude what it wil and as well as it can it prooueth not that you bring it in for Note your similitude your selfe and make the conclusion and you shall fee you prooue not that you propounded but reason from one thing to another or propound one thing and conclude another It is an vnlikely likelihood for the matter it is to be applied vnto if you would haue made it like to that it shoulde prooue or whiche you bring it for Thus seemeth me should you haue made it As a man perswading himselfe bodily foode to bee infectious to his bodie or dangerous may not vse the same So in doctrine perswading himselfe that it is heresie or false he may not heare and receiue the same or some such way And then haue I shewed the weakenes and folly of the argument before and giuen example thereof that I neede not repeate the 〈◊〉 I say good meate shall be wholesome for the bodie and necessary too perswade men themselues therein as they will And the sounde doctrine of the Gospell heere professed and preached shall be much more wholesome and necessarie for the soule to keep to your kinde of comparing persuade you your selues therin as you list The testimonies of scripture c. that ye alleadge make nothing to the contrary hereof 〈◊〉 fully against you and the venime and danger of Poperie and Popish doctrine and heresie The very 〈◊〉 of the text with a religious minde will 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 testimonie of your abusing the same and your 〈◊〉 and your followers heerein I maruaile not a little 〈◊〉 you grounding this your first reason vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same againe ouerthrowe perswasion For after you haue cited in one text by and by as it were by way of obiecting and answering without farther proceeding ye reason against perswasion If your men at least per swade themselues in that they thinke you will obtrude to your fellow and to vs too your perswasiō vnder the title of conscience not to be done against though it bee erroneous yee will not let other no not your fellowe rest in his persuasion Bide the law you make to other This is a very good touch to trie perswasiō and mens doings by the scriptures I would you would euer keepe that ground and trial in al y t matters in controuersie betweene you and vs That that which is done without warrant of scripture or is against scripture should be condemned reiected With this ouerthrowe we your perswasion here pretended with this ouerthrow we al your Reasons your whole religion and kingdōe of poperie mightily Popery y t is not grounded on holy scriptures nor followeth gods booke filleth mēs minds ful of vaine perswasions and their heades ful of ydle fancies which they that stay them selues vpon Gods holy word are free from their consciences clered As for example papists promise them selues many good thinges whereof they are in the end disapointed and so confounded for that they haue no warrant from God nor assurance of his worde Other limiting their hope keeping the same within the compasse of Gods worde and promise are not confounded but enioye the same and are blessed Blessed are they that put their trust in him Hope maketh not ashamed because it hath Gods promise going before Againe papistes and the vngod ly are afrayd where no feare is haue a faintnes and cowardlines in their heartes the sound of a leafe shaken chaseth them in 〈◊〉 they entangle and snare their constiences without neede whereas they that obserue 〈◊〉 and counsell that is heare Gods word stay vpon it and followe the 〈◊〉 as a light to guide them by c. are 〈◊〉 from such feare and liue in great and godly securitie Poperie it is alone and not Gods word that telleth them there is danger of infection in haunting our Church assemblies For your allegations and proofes out of the bookes that are Apocrypha which with you are as good and substantiall as Canonicall scriptures No distinction is to bee kept All is one with you I will not now charge you because the doctrine is true and agreeing to the Canonicall Scriptures and to be applied of our men to you and your religion as the rest yee heape together And yet yee must remember what Hierome in his prologues set before your owne translation of the Byble sayth of that booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and the like It were no hard matter to take the staffe here out of your handes and to beate your selfe withal As the diligent reader euen in this first reason may easilye perceiue So fitly doe these testimonies heere alleadged serue vs against you and can by no means bee forced against 〈◊〉 profession you may carry a persuasion to ground your reason vpon we shal haue y e truth y e matter to ground ours vpon Let me in passing take an example from you in answere for our dread Soueraigne and the States dealing here with you You tell vs of seucre lawes in the primitiue Churche made for prohibiting of corrupt and naughtie seruice sermons and reading of like bookes yee referre vs for proofe to the Emperours Martian and Iustinian and to the noble and zelous first Christian Emperour Constantine What doth her Maiestie other then followe those and like examples in forbidding your popish masse Your seditious bookes ful of poyson c. You say Constantine made it death for any man to read Arrius bookes and reason say you Are you angred that her maiestie dealeth not so with you and your bookes which are like If that bee the faulte it may be mended soone enough to your cost your Pope and Popishe heresie is no lesse dandgerous and hurtfull at this day then Arrius was then If you put her Maiestie in minde and call vpon such lawes to be made heere nowe 〈◊〉 like cause you maye quickely make a rodde for your selues the matter will hardely possible afterwarde bee 〈◊〉 with wordes or taken vp at your pleasures againe If you can do no more I counsel you yet to hold your peaces sit stil and be quiet For the rest where ye thunder out against 〈◊〉 Luther and iumble vp together the Professors of the Gospell in odious tearmes with other heretikes and sectaries of your broode as which your M. Howlet in the beginning of his Epistle Dedicatory to her Maiestie hath before confessed that yee neede not father the same heere on Lut her you doe but vtter your stomacke against Gods seruant in whom there were rare and excellent giftes of God and with whom and by whom his spirit mightily wrought for the aduancement of the Gospel in these later dayes shaking the very foundations of your Antichristiā kingdome It were not harde to shew here your errour
popish Latine seruice infallible good It is cōtrary to ours ours to y t an argumēt taken of the contrary will serue it seemeth your turne that is your seruice is therefore infallible good because it hath no Scriptures or is contrary to the scriptures as it is in deed shewed plainely and plainly if not to you yet to all those that haue any eyes to see eares to heare or heartes to consider thereof The whole Scripture sir is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teache to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee absolute and made perfect to all good workes Good is the Scripture nothing but good euery way and most perfectly good As bad as your seruice is yet for shame coulde your men not call it God his or diuine seruice without taking some patches of the Scriptures to commend the same withall If ours haue more scripture and in better order as in deede not dalying therewith at least let it not be blamed therefore finde some other faulte in it Let not the Scripture make our seruice like to wicked seruice for that respect and vs in it to be like Iewes Heretikes and the Diuell and his talke with Christ so ye speake vnlesse yee can make it for some like respect and in such sense as Christes comming to iudgement is to a theeues soden comming and at vnawares And then shall it not be preiudiciall to vs nor to our god his seruice nor auaile or help your cause But I am not carefull to expound your meaning that meane as seemeth very vnhappily I pray you set vs not to make Apologies or prayses of the Scriptures nowe You cite Augustine that it was alwayes the fashion of heretikes to haue scripture in their mouth and to cleaue only to scriptures and to refuse traditions as inuentions of men though we bee not bounde to Augustine yet wee aske you where Augustine hath it Yee say against Maximinus wee tell you as wee are inforced still to do that you say vntruly Augustine findeth no fault with y e Arrian Heretike there for citing or vsing y e testimonies of the scriptures but for abusing the same For hee himselfe entreth that combate with the Arrian Bishop and by scriptures confuteth Arrianisme Augustine graunteth that the Arrian Bishop vseth the true testimonies of God his Scripture which is more then we can graunt you Papistes now adayes which for your sluttish handeling false allegation of Scriptures shewe your selues worse then y e old Heretike who corrupted not nor peruerted the holy Scriptures but the faulte that Augustine chargeth him with is that he woulde prooue thereby saith he their false doctrine of Arrius concerning Christe his diuinitie which is not possible to doe God his true scriptures can not prooue any false doctrine The Art of Logicke woulde teache you so much as I tolde you before This is the abuse then that Augustine reprooueth and wee with him yea with God Christe and all the Godly that where Arrius doctrine was directly contrary to the scripture with sophistrie glosing and other shiftes hee woulde goe about to maintaine the same and hale in the scriptures by the haire as they say to seeme to prooue that which they condemne whome and his wrangling Augustine by scripture and by no other meanes confuteth Wee are no Arrians we are not nor will not bee Heretikes shewe that wee doe abuse the scriptures as to ouerthrowe Christs diuinitie thereby or to establishe diuelish doctrines deuised by our selues or taken from other men as you doe or els forbeare to liken vs and our God his seruice to wicked Iewes heretikes and Diuels What you are and your behauiour let your doinges tell whereof as occasion serueth euer and 〈◊〉 I giue the Reader a taste here in this reason is among the rest some sparkes of your modestie commended by your fellowe M. Howlet to the s kie in his Preface to her maiestie to discerne a Sectarie by his spirite and proceeding Because you cite Augustine heere against Maximinus an arrian Bishop and heretike and the first booke I wish y e learned Reader to looke on y e place to see your cunning or sleight rather Augustine pressing the heretike to declare his faith of the father the sonne and the holy ghost the Heretike ranne as to a starting hole to a councell of many Bishops saying hee beleeued as they beleeued this is your maner aright you knowe your diuinitie tale I am sure of the Collier and the great Clarke his scholler commended and set vs downe by your side as some heauenly Oracle Howe beleeuest thou Answere as the Church beleeueth and howe beleeueth the Church answere as I beleeue further woulde hee not goe but still repeate that and this was no table for that great doctour and Clarke to marke and carry away for his vse and to teache other But Austen heere checketh the heretike for that answere and biddeth him expresse his owne faith Howe hee beleeueth and not runne to the councell of Ariminum and name that The words are these Augustine saith to the heretike Tell me thy fayth of the father and the sonne and the holy Ghost Maximin the heretike answereth If you aske my fayth I holde that faith which at Arminium was not onely expounded but also by subscriptiō confirmed of three hundred thirtie Byshops Here was a counsel of a great many moe byshops then were at your Trent meeting Augustine sayth I sayd euen nowe and I repeate the same because thou wouldest not answere me Tell me thy fayth of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost c. And by and by after therfore I sayde thou wouldest not answer because whilest I required that thou shouldest tell me thy fayth of the father and the sonne and the holy Ghost which I yet now aske thou hast not tolde me thy fayth but hast named the Councell of Ariminum I would know thy fayth what thou beleeuest what thou thinkest of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost If thou wilt vouchsafe let me heare it of thine owne mouth Sende me not to those writings which eyther are not nowe heere present and ready or I am not bounde to their authoritie c. No Augustine what not to a Councell and that of so many Byshops No in deede neither to Councell nor multitude but to the scriptures onely And therefore against the same Maximin he sayth afterwardes neither ought I preiudicially to bring forth now the Councell of Nice whiche made for Augustine and was the first most famous generall Councell after the Apostles time Neyther oughtest thou to bring foorth the Councell of Ariminum whiche wee hearde euen now the heretike alleadged for him I am 〈◊〉 bounde to this councels authoritie sayth Austen nor thou to the authoritie of that Nicene Councell No Augustine Againe I say not bound to the Nicene
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
against your selfe ye tell vs much of men of fathers counselles fained Canons of the Apostles and the authoritie of the Catholike Church You say because Ministers be not ordained by such a Byshop and Priest as the Catholike Church hath put in that authoritie therefore they haue no autoritie in Church matters I finde two faults here with you one for clipping the king of heauen his lawfull coyne or leauing out a worde of importance in this text of the 5. to the Hebrews For ye should say that is called of God But it is your mauer ye can doe it well enough we haue nowe taken tryall thereof but too much and yee thinke ye may doe herein what ye list without coutrolement The other fault is that when you haue put God his name out of the text in whome the Apostle sayeth the authoritie is to call and appoint c. If yee did cite that text to proue that all Church Ministeries and ministers must haue God for their foundation and Authour and must be called of him wee woulde finde no fault But you place in God his steade your Catholike Church of Rome you meane I trowe This dealing wee cannot away with where God is shut out what haue we to doe with men or the Churches authoritie c. The sentence of S. Paule to Timothie speaketh nothing of the dignitte of the high Priest Ye neede not haue put in therefore this dignitie there neither speaketh 〈◊〉 one worde of your Popishe priesthood and Priestes but of those he called before Ancients or Elders in that Chapter where ye finde laying on of handes ye dreame of making Priests and giuing orders by and by But that ye like any pharse better than the Scriptures ye might haue also called Timothie with S. Paul an Euangelist c. as wel as by a name which y e scripture giueth him not 〈◊〉 is not nowe y e first time you call him thus The name I denie not is honest lawfull vsed in the scriptures But because it is diuersly taken sometime generally sometime particularly and in vse of speeche with vs sometime for such a one as is a Popish or false Bishop somtime for a true 〈◊〉 of Christe there needeth distinction 〈◊〉 plaine exposition for feare of mistaking the worde in a wrong sense And nothing is better in such abuse of the office and name and varietie doubtfulnesse of speech in my opinion then to followe the simplicitie of the Scriptures and to keepe the phrase and maner of speeche vsed of the holy 〈◊〉 in all sinceritie especially seeing properly to speake the office of an Euangelist and of a Bishop Bee distinct and two seuerall offices but let that goe The holy Churche functions instituted by our Sauiour Christe and in the Scriptures recommended vnto vs for to continue ordinarie Ministeries among vs as Preaching Pastours which are sometime called Bishops or Ouerseers somtime otherwise Teachers Elders Deacons doe we receiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uerence as becōmeth Your vnder orders w t your sacrificing Priesthood as deuised by men doe I not see howe our Churche is tyed vnto nor why it should be Our Ministers that preache the Gospell heere besides the inwarde assurance of God his sending after they be called haue their admission with imposition of handes and prayer and that publikely in the face of the Churche with the approbation 〈◊〉 being first examined 〈◊〉 their giftes serue thē for that office and testimonie being giuen for their honest life and behauiour This is more religiously doone and is more agreeable to the Apostles doctrine to Timothie admonition by you here alleadged then your Ceremonious doing is as their office is better groūded on God his booke then yours Court thē you lay men or call them so as much and as long as yee list The summe is you doe but goe about with slaunder to deceiue the simple The third particular faulte of our God his seruice is alleadged to bee this that wee haue diuers falle and blasphemous thinges therein saith this Papists blasphemous mouth so placed as they may seeme to be very scripture hee giueth example in the ende of a certaine Geneua Psalme as lyingly hee speaketh like himselfe You papists haue a poore spight at that 〈◊〉 Citie Geneua to cal that a Geneua Psalme whiche I thinke was neuer saide songe nor heard in Geneua And I am sure the Psalmes beeing printed in English meeter at Geneua and there songue when there was an Englishe congregation assembled there in time of our persecution this Canticle was not in the booke nor knowne of nor any but Dauid his Psalmes Besides this is not neither euer was any part of the seruice heere vsed But beeing since made by a godly man after the Psalmes by the Printer set in y e end of the booke w t the Authour his name according to his discretion wherein I wishe for mine owne part Printers tooke not themselues so much libertie especially in these matters and if that may appease or content and winne you to the professiō of Christ his Gospel to tell you mine opinion I would not care if both that and all other songues besides Dauid his Psalmes and Scriptures Were layde aside and 〈◊〉 out of our congregations Wee haue not to answere for euery particular man his fact Howebeit the thing is 〈◊〉 so much disliked of by you for that it is not Scripture for then would you dislike your owne seruice a great deale more but because your corrupt religion is therein touched and namely your God the Pope this is 〈◊〉 griefe but not iust Syr. Yee cannot like that we haue the scriptures in our Church assemblies yee cannot like that is not scriptures though it bee godly and not against the Scriptures in any part Sumine liking or disliking all must bee as liketh you Wee pray yee say to God to keepe vs from Pope Turke and Papistrie And why not Can we lightly pray to be kept from worser thinges than from these mischieuous breakenecks of mens soules Of Papistrie I haue said enough through this whole booke what in deed it is what mē shall find it to be if 〈◊〉 call it to good iust tryal And y e 〈◊〉 at this day seeth thāks be to God wel enough thereinto sauing a certaine that are and needes will be wilfully obstinate and blinde Concerning that your Pope is ioyned with the Turke the match we say is 〈◊〉 fit they may well drawe both in one yoke sauing that if there be any difference or oddes the Pope is y e worse because he doth not only persecute and slay with the sworde as the Turke but slaieth moe and more cunningly by persuasion of word not God his worde and Scripture 〈◊〉 graunt but his owne dreames glosed and vnder pretence as appeareth in you that are his Imps come from him for that purpose You are very readie to lay blasphemie to the charge of others we