telleth expressely Yee may bee compelled to perfourme that ye haue promised and holde that yee haue once receiued And bringeth good testimonies against you out of Augustine You I say that haue been baptized into the fayth of Christ not of Rome nor the Popish church and hardely any one of you founde within this Realme or among you English Romanistes that being of age now leaue this Realme that haue not in the time of the profession of the Gospel here gone to Church and done other actes of our religion at one time or other in blessed king Edwards dayes now or both Againe yee know that your D. Thomas his manner in his summe commonly is after he hath obiected agaynst the truth to set on the contra ry side that he taketh to be the truth in this question after he hath out of other men obiected That Infidelles are by no meanes to be compelled to the fayth he addeth as it were of his own But of the cōtrarie side is y t which is sayd in the. 14. of Luke Goe out into the wayes and hedges compell them to come in that my house may bee filled But men enter into the house of God that is into the holy church by fayth Therefore some saith he are to be com pelled to the fayth This haue I set downe that you may see what vātage you haue by sending vs to your S. Thomas and your other doctours for indeed sir to shew you might here haue spared wel enough in your margin Omnes doct I could further alleadge to the contrary your subtil Doctor Iohn Scot who had great followers He holdeth herein that it were godly and well done If Infidels were compelled of their Princes with threats feare to faith religiō Euen against your D. Thomas that you here set vs downe You knowe or may knowe howe common a thing it is in your religion not in this Article onely to finde the Scotists against the Thomists Doctor against Doctor c. But I had rather vnfoulde my selfe and the reader out of these contradictions and braules of your Popishe wryters then sticke therein Her Maiestie besides that she simply and vtterly taketh not vpon her by force and violence to compell to fayth as though shee coulde giue and imprint the same in mens heartes though shee set forth maynteine and binde all her subiectes to outwarde meanes and exercises of religion as I haue sayde thereby shewing what shee wisheth and driueth vnto which shee also vseth her self neither sitteth shee in the conscience of any which is proper to your Pope his lawes and your religion besides that her Maiestie is free herein I say Shee moreouer vseth her selfe in this case so godly so wisely so vprightly and so moderately towards you that deserue so ill as if any faulte may iustly bee founde it is in this that some of you are not straightlier lookt vnto and more roundlier proceeded withall But her Maiestie is wise ynough Zizebutus a prince is commended in one of the councelles and in your owne Decrees and counted very religious in compelling to Christianitie This is that in summe I woulde say vnto you for answere in this matter For as much as there is no societie of people so barbarous lyghtly that liue without some outwarde exercise of Religion and God hath beautified and commended Ciuill Magistrates in kingdomes Common wealthes and Cities vnder the tytle of Gods and hath ordayned them as his Ministers for our good that we may receiue prayse frō autortie in doyng well and in doing otherwise stande in feare as who beareth not the swoorde in vayne for hee is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Againe forasmuch as this Image of God is in nothing more seene namely in publike persons those of Autoritie then in procuring promoting aduancing dayly of Gods honour and seruice by their power and by giuing shewing good exāple to others for which cause principally they are aduanced as on a mountain placed in Royall chaire that therefore I say those Christian Kings Queens whō God hath called to this honor to be Foster Fathers and Nurses to his Churche and people doe well and very acceptable seruice to GOD and are highly highly to bee commended and heartily and continually to bee prayed for of all for that the aduersarie on the other side is mightie and suttle not onely for ranging them selues to Gods holy and true Religion taken out of the sacred Scriptures and the outward exercises of the same but for inducing also by the wisedome and power giuen them of GOD all people and personnes subiect to them vnto the like by making good and wholsome lawes by encouragement and by feare according as the qualitie and circumstance of place tyme and person require without all tyranny and vsurpation of the roome and place of the most high God of heauen ouer mens consciences on the one side and yet without all loosenesse on the other side in omitting such oportunitie and meanes as God offereth for the benefite of the holye people the Saintes of the moste High I speake of these and of suche as are by office called to publique and high charge among them in Churche cōmon wealth euen christian Kings Queens c. Of whō thus it is prophecied The kingdome and dominion and the greatnes of the kingdome vnder the whole heauen shall be giuen to the holy people of the most high whose kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and all powers shall serue and obey him This seemeth to bee spoken of Christ his kingdome and the time of the Gospel c. Nowe this consecrating of her selfe and her authoritie wholly to GOD and his seruice to the benefite of his Church is it and it alone which her Maiestie in this case of many yeeres hath stil doth to Gods glory her singular cōmendation put in executiō amōg vs her people growing I hope dayly from good to better And this is that also which no honest faithfull good man can iustly bee offended withall This haue I if not ouerthrowne in your opinion perhappes your bulwarkes yet sufficiently for this matter cleared the trueth I trust her Maiestie also and the state against your vniust quarrels and slanders 13 Nowe proceede I with your wordes Besides this say you as no wise Noble man after many Ages of quiet possession would suffer another to recouer his Barronie without shewinge of verie good euidence So wee in reason are not to bee blamed if wee 〈◊〉 helde the possession of the Catholike Churche in Englande for these thousand yeres by our aduer saries confession do stande with them yet and require some euidence before we consent to giue vp the same Hereto they haue shewed vs none but onely woordes and forgerie they entred into possession without tryall of the tytle they thrust vs out before sentence or proofe wee crye out of the
clause of a good conscience which hee putteth for hope saith Austin Learne you also saith M. Howlet to adde this worde good to conscience ioyne it with faith and keepe that bonde or knot that the Apostle maketh in this sentence And so if you can apply it to your selfe yee shall not onely haue great matter of reioycing but her Maiestie and the lawes also I doubt not to beare with your conscience and to tender the same as reason and equitie woulde and besides because the same shalbe found to agree with Gods word to be grounded thereon wee shalbee as readie to auowe and allow therof as we now are to 〈◊〉 the same for y t it is so directly contrary to the worde and therefore neither for you to flatter your selues in nor meete for the State to allowe or beare withall Wee doubt nothing but that the testimonie of a good vpright conscience is of great waight and force and to be respected and hearkened vnto So that we remember still 〈◊〉 a pure heart therewith and an vnfained faith which must euer haue the light of Gods worde goe before or accompanie the fame in the faithfull that vnder the colour of conscience other persuation or the rule of reason deceiue vs not The 〈◊〉 of all is I would haue you know conscience a right and distinguish wel betweene a good and a naughtie conscience by the Scriptures For the accord or agreement betweene your two sentences one and the first taken out of Aristotles Rhethorike that is onely good vnto euery man which eche mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good The other as is supposed out of diuinitie that wee shall be iudged at the last day according to the testimonie of our conscience Make them you agree as you can I cannot see the agreement betweene them Vnderstanding is one thing and the testimonie of our cōscience is another thing good to euery man nowe and 〈◊〉 at the last day bee two Finally the two sentences as in wordes so in substance and meaning seeme vtterly to disagree I woulde therefore whereas you say the scriptures and diuines agree vnto the Philosophers saying you woulde or coulde haue made the Philosophers saying agree with the scriptures rather whiche though yee shall trauell as yee doe by enticing speache of mans wisedome to performe Yet all is but in vaine the thing will neuer come about Let Philosophie goe therefore and the Philosopher in testing the fountaine rule of good 〈◊〉 vs Christians Let Gods word and law or the holy Scriptures bee our rule there in alone according to that there is one rule and measure for one thing let reason in 〈◊〉 with your S. Thomas if ye will be the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 actions let y t spirit of god be y t beginning of all good in vs that be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other Augustin a Diuine whome yee 〈◊〉 in this matter saith very well against your first sentence of Philosophie in this sentence of his Faith openeth the way to vnderstanding and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it And againe as is alleadged in your owne decrees All the life of the vnfaithfull is sinne neither can it bee good that is doone without God for where there lacketh the knowledge of the enternall vnchangeable truth there is false vertue euen in the best behauiour and manners And concerning the phrases maner of speaking of Philosophers and diuines howe different they ought to bee thus saith Austin Philosophers speake with wordes at will and in matters very harde to vnderstande feare not the offence of religious eares but we that are Christians and 〈◊〉 haue a lawe to speake after a certaine rule least libertie of speech or wordes breede wicked opinion of those things which are signified thereby And thus muche concerning your two sentences and the agreement thereof wherevpon all the rest that followeth here of this matter seemeth to be grounded Of your propositions thus taken from Philosophers Diuines yee say it followeth that whatsoeuer wee doe contrary to our iudgement and conscience is according to the apostle damnable because wee decerne it to be euill and yet doe it But that which the Apostle heere saith for all your whatsoeuer false glose must bee vnderstood in those things which are lawfull saith your owne D. Thomas in y t very next sentence verse before y t last vpon these wordes which are y t groūd of that that followeth Blessed is hee that condemneth not himselfe in that he alloweth That moderation shoulde yee haue kept but yee doe not for yee say bee the action in it selfe neuer so good and the man that doth it neuer so bad as seemeth for you name vs a Gentile or Heathen man and to confesse there is messias yet because it seemed naught in his iudgement and conscience therefore to him shall it be accounted a damnable sinne at the last day Heereby it appeareth yee holde that at the last day the testimonie of a 〈◊〉 iudgement and naughtie conscience euen of an Heathen shalbe admitted to cleere him from euill and to condemne him for doing good or that any man shalbe damned at the day for acknowledging there is a Messias against his wicked iudgement and conscience at least will there not bee other matters sufficient and I nowe thinke you to condemne such men for but that such cases and causes as these vnwonted and vnmentioned in the Scriptures shoulde after they bee by your heades deuised and moued then also be alleadged This is prophane and vaine babbling and brawling which breedeth questions rather then godlye edifiyng which is by faith which thing the holy Apostle S. Paule so carefully warneth his schollers Timothie and Titus in many places to take heede of to auoide they may beseeme your scholding disputes your subttle schooles and readinges they beseeme not her maiesties eares they agree not with the diuinitie schooles of the holy Ghoste Did your testimonies of Scriptures and Diuines you set vs downe teathe you this or whence had you it shall wee be iudged at the last day according to the testimonie of our conscience be it good bee it bad must wee bee iudged by that onely Shall it bee now good and then good and so alwayes good to the Gentile to denie the Messias because his vnderstanding iudgemēt and conscience telleth it him to bee good c. This is a maruellous and strange Paradoxe the foundation building thereon are muche alike Is there no difference nor oddes Before I further examine the matter you tell vs Let mee a litle consider howe you handle the holy Scripture with your foule handes or our euill fauoured clawes and how vntowardly you alleadge your testimonies still because wee decerne it to bee euill and yet doe it Yee quote vs for it Rom. 14. though yee name no verse yet your words seeme to sende vs to the last verse of the Chapter which hangeth on the wordes before are a reason
your selfe very gently dealt withal if you leese but your request and that you seeke for the lawe is that a lying petitioner or suiter shoulde bee frustrate of the thing hee had obteined and thereupon another sayeth That it is good right in plea of Court that hee that is founde to suggest a lye shoulde take no profite by that hee getteth that way you in thus dealing deserue no better Your matter is not onely false but a great slaunder her Maiestie and her lawes to afflict any for their consciences ' If it were any sure it were not you whē in your respect shee is so farre of that many insolences hauing bene cōmitted openly by your Catholikes to the disturbance of her quiet estate and the Church and common wealth haue yet beene pardoned let goe Except you may lawfully and at pleasure doe what you list without check or controlment ye are afflicted Alack their while But looke into the former gouernement when they of your side cōmanded The dealings of your sect haue of late bene so violent that her Maiestie to her great charges trouble we confesse hath bene enforced to looke narrowlier vnto you than hitherto as wel to represse rebels that came frō your holy father y t Pope as to cut thē shorter y t to confidētly openly goe stil about to kindle a new fire prouiding as much as conueniētly may be y t they shal do no harme to tendre moreouer her simple poore subiects y t are sought to be poisoned with the Romane Popish religion If there be any straightnes herein who hath procured inforced it Looke to that M. How on that side Of il vsages doings spring many times good lawes Ye talke of many a thousand but if with your Author you auowe none but such as wil not come to Church here nor take the othe of obediēce to her Maiestie condēning other euē of your own religiō some to hel some other wise ye may spare this exces siue speech of Manye a thousand it may be is likely yee haue infected some few which are to many with your late reconciliation ioined with subtil perswasiō which was the end of your cōming frō the Pope into Englād for which disturbance ye iustly suffer Rude simple ignorāt people womē especially are easily seduced in Parishes where there is litle or no preaching of the Gospel her Maiesties godlines wisedome and the States will of pitie I doubte not prouide they may be better instructed submitting themselues to God and her Maiestie quietly wil not only generally sende abroade such as shal breake vnto thē by doctrine and preaching the bread of life for their soules confortably to feede on like good Pastours dwel among thē to helpe them in neede to driue al Popish wolues the like away But like a tendre mother also she wil beare more with their imperfections than the Pope and you Catholikes doe that send thē quicke to hel And in deede heere with these the consciēce of such weakeones is the place time of bearing til they may be aduanced who for comming to church here simply vnfainedly seeking the comforte of their soules though possibly not so throughly yet fully perswaded in al points of religion for lacke of instruction as were to bee wished are so hardly handled by you false Catholikes A weake conscience in these keeping quiet may be tendred a time borne with by instruction further aduāced If after so long preaching of the Gospel among vs there be any such founde as in out quarters of her Maiesties dominions I feare there be to many With you fiery stubborne rebellious Catholikes pretend what you wil you are so grosse your matter so open plaine yea so violent vnreasonable as neither time place nor reason can beare with you except you repēt amende Remēber this Church state may answere you with that holy father cited allowed by your D. Thomas Who would not haue you nor any heretiques perish but the house of Dauid as he saith otherwise deserued not to haue peace except his sonne Absolon had perished or been slaine in the battaile that he moued against his father so the Catholike church that is not you that wil needs take y e name haue but y e bare name but y e true church of Christ if it gather y e rest by destroying some it healeth y e sorrow of a motherly hart by deliuering sauing so great mighty a people Of 〈◊〉 how farre your corrupt and obstinate dealing is frō it I speake in place Put case thē of y e worser sort for their naughty deserts some fewe haue been restrained of libertie or licētiousues rather some committed to bishops other church men or to good wise godly Gentlemēs custodie some also imprisoned as y e case requireth they fare wel cōmonly lie soft only the loose libertie of a fewe in respect hath been vpon great consideratiō I am assured restrained to foresee preuent euil dangerous attempts as good wisedome and a great blessing of God We haue tasted but too much of the bitter fruite that your late reconciltatiō to the Pope bringeth forth Remember I pray you as oft as ye hot Catholiks plaine of hard dealing in these dayes the cruell vsage of God his faithfull seruantes in times past and of late yeres and yet still in many places among you and ye shall see lesse cause to make such tragical a doe vpon a litle and gentle seueritte towardes a certaine here rather haled vpon them selues then offred as all the worlde may see If further some few traitors haue felt any sharpnes and smart of death their traiterous and seditious dealing by rebelling against our dread soueraigne and the state hath procured it some notorious traitours had neede to be made an example to terrifie and stay others attempts when they growe perilous to the good and setled state This is the great extremitie that you plaine some endure being iustly and orderly proceeded withall by lawe for their offences and that very mercifully too as say the worst yee can ye must needes confesse There is a milde seueritie as there is a cruell pitie One might recken how many things her Maiestie hath borne and for 〈◊〉 howe many matters shee hath put vp and pardoned both them and the persons This it might please you to consider of You say ye haue no other meanes to redresse and ease your miseries but only as confident children to come to the mercy clemency of her highnes your mother borne soueraigne Princes c. Faire words good I wold ye had in deed no other meanes would seeke vse no other But why run ye so fast to Rome then Why seeke ye helpe at stepfathers and stepmothers why procure and bring you in strangers and Italian souldiers why be ye not ruled by your
widdower the wife a widdowe the children fatherlesse and motherles your killing diuers in prison c. This was nothing it was worth neither the noting nor the quoting yee quote vs. M. Dimmocke in your margent and M. Couper But syr the Bishop of Lincolne whome yee name is aliue and able to answere your slander God bee thanked and hath already openly done the same to your shame M. Dymmock as I vnderstande beeing orderly called before her Matesties high Commissioners in causes Ecclesiastical whereof the B. of Lincolne is one was for his demerits restrained not committed to any prison or common iayle but wild to chuse him a house as hee did a friende of his in the Close at Lyncolne where he was during his restraint well ynough vsed his wife resorted to him and hee sundrie tymes to the Bishops table beeing there hee might per aduenture sometime be displeased at the Bishop his talke after dinner who carefully and painefully trauailed to winne him to Christe This was the harde vsage yee make so Tragicall adoe about I am ashamed to rippe vp your words of compelling such to dye in prison which coulde not stande or goe in their owne houses If not all the one halfe of the sentence is a Paradoxe or strange kinde of speach From Lincolne you leape or flye rather to London and talke of sending of virgines to Bridewel for their consciences yee quote vs only one as say you young Mistrisse Tomson by M. Elmer Yee hearde by report belyke of some thing wherof you make more as is your manner The thing as is reported is false and vntrue as the rest for neither was she sent to that place by the B. of London but by the Queenes Maiesties high Commissioners and the appointment of the whole benche neither was it for her conscience but for her flering mocking and such vnmaydenly vsage towards authoritie that shee was committed to Bridewel and that to the ende she might thereby the rather get by her handes and labour somewhat towardes her maintenance How euer it were we haue to thinke reuerētly of the proceedings of authoritie and to iudge she wel deserued the punishmēt layde vpon her that the Cōmissioners had reason good cause to take that course with her they did The cōmitting of her to Bridewel why shoulde it be thought so great an offence as H makes it seeing the place is ordeined not to make of honest women Harlots but of Harlots honest women by punishment and repentance Therefore the Cōmissioners seing the intollerable vnshamefastnesse the boulde 〈◊〉 countenance of the woman without blushing the immodest speeches and flowting laughters in the place of Maiestie and Justice suspected that chastitie could not bee there entier wher so ill so bould and impudent behauiour was in so open and so honourable a place Therefore they thought it good to commit her to that place where though not her chastitie yet her modestie and maydenly behauiour might bee recouered The time was when Howlets brood thought it no fault to racke Anne Askue a gentlewoman of a good house nor to burne the handes of maides before they burned their bodies nor to vse other most hellishe torments against the seruants of God but nowe forsooth the Papists being sufferers as they thinke and not dooers as they wishe can make of euery molehill a mountaine and of euery fillip a mortal and deadly wounde Are they not ashamed to cry out against carying to Bridewell where the offenders bee kept aliue lie and liue well and be made better if they haue any grace and not worse where they carried the saints of God to Smithfielde to fire and as they themselues were not ashamed to say from that fire to hell fire Such was their mercie If God 〈◊〉 accompt 〈◊〉 to be the most abhominable 〈◊〉 of the soule much fouler then the defiling of the bodie then what wrong had that idolatrous wench who had prostituted her selfe and her soule to the worse sorte of filthy fornication if shee were carried to the house of reformation where shee coulde take no euill example neyther of life nor beliefe If such as bee sent to Bridewell returned thereby defiled eyther in body or soule or both as those commonly bee whome Sathan sendeth on his errand to Rome then were it a fault indeede to thrust them to such a Prison I take this an honester imprisonment then your Canonicall intrusion into Monasteries was where what they sawe what they heard and learned the worlde is not ignorant I haue to craue pardon that vppon this raylers slanders I make so bolde as to speake in their defences whose credite with her Maiestie and the State is so good that it nothing needeth my pleading or others such as I am and that maketh mee not to stande long in their purgation but onely to note the aduersaries craftie and naughtie dealing If hee were heere to answere it the parties bee such and their cause as by trial before other Judges or in any Court in Englande it woulde 〈◊〉 him deere if they shoulde but pursue the cause You speake M. Howlet of racking tormenting c. for Religion all must bee cloaked vnder Religion forsooth you might bee ashamed if ye had any wryting to her Maiestie to touche her honour so neere and the highest authoritie in this lande to whome these punishments are reserued you wil neuer leaue your common rule An Epistle blusheth not Pro. 24. 21. My sonne saith the wise man feare the Lord and the King and medle not with thē that are seditious I will not as you doe make my selfe more busie than needeth about her 〈◊〉 affayres and her honourable Counsailes whereof I am not priuie no more are you though impudently yee rushe into euery thing that I may 〈◊〉 charge you with your owne phrase they bee thinges M. Howlet aboue our reaches they are to well handled to bee stayned by our reproches let vs deale wysely and let them alone or else learne to speake more reuerently of authoritie as becommeth vs. Yee knowe who and what presumptuous 〈◊〉 and false teachers they bee that standing in their owne conceipte despise gouernement and feare not to rayle on them that are in dignitie From publike and great personages and such as haue commission and authoritie from her Maiestie whose names yee might haue spared for your owne honesties sake you come lower yee care not where yee roote nor where yee byte First yee catche holde of one whome ye cal a strange brainesicke fellowe whome Newegate possessed a long tyme for his phantasticall opinions onely Papists then haue not suffered for their Religion wherein hee is so pregnant if men reporte truely all goes vppon reporte as he can deuise any newe religion vppon a weekes 〈◊〉 giuen him at any time Gentle stuffe This 〈◊〉 affirmeth in printe say you that all Papistes are Enemies to GOD and to your Royall Maiestie and this is aboue all other things most grieuous iniurious and intollerable
It had been better you had been hanged with them All of them at their death praied that the restitution of the Catholike fayth begun might be happily atchieued They reioyced by this tale in their owne miserie and wee in Gods blessing and the happinesse of our countrey deliuered and eased of such traitours So both sides were pleased and all was well Let Saunders himselfe nowe in Irelande doe the like and his complices and if it like him it shall not offende vs. But I thinke he they wil rather trust to a payre of heeles when they haue kindled the fire of rebellion if they see thinges prosper not as N. Morton and the Captaynes in that rebellion lefte the people when they had thrust them ouer the 〈◊〉 in rebelliō This is their manhood for all their great bragges A note of an euill conscience and an euill cause God sende vs better and more resolute Captaines in defence of Gods truth our Prince and Countrey He hath done it Thankes be to his Maiesties therefore I thinke the poore people of the North that were then seduced by N. Morton and induced by other that ran away and left them in the bryars when they had brought them into rebellion be sufficiently warned to take heede of suche mates a good while againe I pray God they be And he vouchsafe to giue all good subiectes grace to be warned thereby After he hath thus set vs downe a popishe Gospell and doctrine confirmed by like myracle or lying wonders c. Told vs also of a right confession of the Popish Catholike faith and religion indeede high Treason and rebellion and so was punished He reckeneth vp neere halfe a hundred by name of the most famous traitors rebels that were in the North popish confessors Martires must we needs repute thē as he doth c. I forbeare to enter any further in laying abroade the dirtie mire that this filthy varlet made a priest at Rome it selfe forsooth hath cast vs from him in his foresayde serpentine booke woorthylie Dedicated to Pope Pius 5. Hee may bee called Impius well ynough for his dealing towardes her Maiestie and this State about that verye tyme euen as his Successor since this very Pope lately also and still dealeth They can now a dayes treade in no other steppes M. Howlet commendeth the nuyete and modest proceedinges of the Catholique parte But hee that shall obserue the vnquiete and vnmodest wryting and proceeding but of this one Englishe Romane Catholike of his whiche is a chiefe Ryngleader among them shall easily in him learne by the stampe and marke to knowe an vncatholik or rather to vse M. Howlets phrase a Popish catholike and Sectarye euen As a Lyon is knowne by his Clawes so liuely sheweth hee hym selfe in his colours It seemeth they haue of late taken a newe course in wrytinge differing from the common sorte of their predecessors afore tyme for their writinges nowe a dayes besids the mingling of poyson and diuilishe doctrine of Poperie are farced full of sedition and treason as which seemeth to be their principall intent and purpose where vnto they driue in their traiterous bookes whiche they set abroade and bryng hither among vs. All lightly drawe in one line all agree in one and with the Pope and his wicked Bulles iumpe as the fitte foundation and meete matter to staie and feede all trecherye and Treason on Wee must needes haue recourse to some mens wrytings and bookes at least to shewe that they of M. Howlets secte and religion teach disobedience and rebellion against their Princes In some men likewise must we needs note demeanour behauiour else can we not perfourme that which hee so greatly heere prouoketh vs vnto Againe M. Howlet doth the like in charging aforehand the professors and profession of our Religion particularly and by name I trust therefore I shall bee borne with in taking the like course heere whereas otherwise I protest I had rather in silence haue passed ouer this matter then to haue entred so farre and in particulars The thing thogh abominable lothsom to all godly minds and to be 〈◊〉 and spit at of all faithfull subiectes in this Realme is yet too too notorious I omitte here Bristowes seditious motiues approued by Doctor Allen forsooth and such other Traiterous bookes all agreeing in one The answeres made vnto them by Godly and learned men may be seene of them that liste to vnderstande more hereof Let it suffice for doctrine by this taste out of their Popishe writers to haue shewed howe shamelesly M. Howlet heere entreth this common place of his Catholikes teaching obedience to their Princes and their quiet and modest proceedings and that to and before her Maiestie whom of all other Christian Princes at this day they most vilainouslye and spitefully deale with all setting downe in bookes thus expresly their doctrine and minde cleane contrarye to that they will here seeme to affirme Yet before I leaue this place of doctrine I wishe the reader among other the testimonies M. Howlet out of the old fathers quoteth here in the margin of his booke diligently to note and obserue Chrysostoms wordes in this very place that he sendeth vs vnto whereunto agree the wordes of Theophylact. a later writer of their side also vpō these words Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. Although thou be an Apostle saith Chrysost. although thou be an Euangelist although a Prophet or whatsoeuer thou be els for this subiectiō ouerthroweth not religion godlines c. Why thē should not your Pope himselfe be subiect to the Magistrate ciuill powre He is belike none of the children of the Catholike Church or els the Catholike Church teacheth not all her children without exception true obedience with the Cpistle c. Which you yet affirme by this fathers testimonie that you bring vs foorth We holde to this doctrine of Saint Paul Let euery soule c. And of Saint Peter also who calleth the king the Highest and it is well and truly thus explayned by Chrysostome without exempting any and in this point do you and wee disagree you see whome wee followe Now let vs come to see somewhat more of your Popishe demeanour towardes Princes The practise of Prelates and Popelinges and their whole studie and life at this day is almost nothing els but a putting in vre ofseditious doctrine and so hardly can the one be seuered from the other I will yet shortly touch two or three home matters of former times besides that I haue said leauing forraigne dealings abrod with Emperors kings of other countries c. What but naughtie demeanour of the Pope made King Williā in his time alleadge y t no Archebishop nor Bishop of his Reahne should haue respect to the Court of Rome or to the Pope what but that mooued the Emperour to reprooue King Henry the thirde for suffering his Countrie to bee so impudently impouerished by the
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
bolde to vnfolde and lay abrode your false accusations and slaunders and to aunswere the same Ye say that the Preachers would not obey the prohibition but stept vp into the Pulpit c. As though they ran before they were called First I answere that both the first and seconde Preacher whom yee charge were by publike authoritie licenced both were by the Magistrates and Assistants of y e town requested thither both their doctrines and vsages in that solemne and notable assembly are not on ly cleered from your vncharitable slaunders M. Howlet but very well reported of by those of honourable and worshipfull calling that were present and haue giuen testimonie thereof vnder their hands to bee seene of any that list It is supposed by some M. Howlet that if you be not a husband mans sonne of y t quarters Yee are some night bird whose hauntes may possibly be spied out they were best looke to it in whose barnes or out houses ye lodge if yee chaunce to be spied men loue an Owle so ill I will say no more you wote what befel one of your ancestors at Rome aforetime This being in those quarters is likely enough to be your grief to see or heare that this assembly was so assisted and things therein so well performed but you fret are angrie without cause it quites your Puritan neuer awhit it slaunders Stamford the assembly those that had dealing therin c. You take the report of the matter as you would haue vs beleeue at least at one mans handes a minister presente there I as you see oppose to this vaine report for the truth of y e matter many to one that those of calling honorable worshipful magistrates other in the town abrod besides diuers godly learned ministers Preachers whose hāds and markes I haue seene which carry great credite haue talked with diuers therin to the reproouing of that you so rashly affirme falsly slaunderously heere enforme her Maiestie of to the testifiyng of the contrary the iust cōmendation both of the exercise and the godly Preachers euery way who there present writing diligently tooke the notes are readie to auow the same vpō oth if need be to your discredit and shame The credit of these mē as those that had cause best to vnderstand of the whole matter will weigh downe the single credit of the single sowld Minister you talke of without any indifferent men to shew that the eight articles set down by you are not true but most falsly and maliciously deuised by your selfe or by some other enimie no better then your selfe and that the doctrine other vsage at that exercise was godly and comfortable In the meane while it is neither newe nor to be wondred at that Preachers professors of Gods truth be euill spoken of for well doing it is the reward our Maister had when hee was here it is y t he hath willed vs to looke for For the dealing in that godly exercise of preaching praying fasting ioyned with almes authoritie proceeding The Alderman Cōburgesses were peticioners therein both for allowance at the Bishop of Lincolns hand and also for assistance of preachers as their letters therein declare to their great commendation for their Godly forwardnesse in so good a matter being the chiefe of that corporation wherein they stayed and forbare till they had both allowaunce and direction also for the fourme and order of proceeding set them downe in wryting particularly as the saide Bishop of Lincolnes letters of the fifth of August in answere to the letters of the Town of Stamforde of the xxx of July before doe declare But hee and his letters will carrie no credite with you and yet in this matter being by you alleadged must and iustly doth and ought to doe Besides this they had the good and fauourable allowance of one not of the meanest of the Lordes of her maiesties honourable priuie Counsell to whom vnder her Maiestie y t Borough appertayneth as three of his honourable letters of the xxv of July to the Bishop of Linclone the Alderman and Burgesses of Stamforde and to one of the preachers that you here charge do v̄eare witnesse that I speake nothing of the publike order set downe by authoritie to moue vs all generally to repentance ioyned with fasting prayer and relieuing of the poore The Camets strange sights that were seene in the heauenes the Earthquakes heere beneath among vs the disturbances and disquietnes of neyghbours rounde about this Realme the monstruous and vnnaturall dealings of those of your side with her Maiestie and this peaceable State the great miseries of God his faithfull congregation and people almost euery where and the like miseries whereby God as it were shaketh his rodde ouer mens heades seemed sufficient occasions to her 〈◊〉 the graue wise and godly here to cal to these extraordinary exercises of fasting prayer c. the practise whereof also was seene in diuers places of this Realme and namely in the Diocesse of Lincolne to giue example and stirre vp the godly minde of them of Stamforde which example they very well folowed and perfourmed the like the fourteenth of September last highly to Gods glorye their due prayse the ioy and comfort of y e godly that were present such as heare of the same abroade This that had such approbation and proceeding with consent of all to whome the same vnder God and her Maiestie doth any way appertaine can not iustly be charged by you Turning therefore your standerous reporte for the doctrine in your eight propositions set down and for other behauiour home vnto you againe where it was first bredde as vtterly false and not to be founde eyther in preachers or people at the publique fast at Stamforde I haue set downe the trueth of the whole But what sir if all these circumstances had not bin precisely kept no contempt towardes superiour authoritie being the godlines and reuerence of the matter of it selfe would sufficiently haue excused and commended it in these dayes of the profession of the Gospell vnder so godly and vertuous a Prince and other Magistrates The more godly the exercise was the more it seemeth to offende you the more it misliketh you the better is it to bee esteemed of the godly raile reuile and fret till your heart ake yet shall this godly order of publique and extraordinarie fasting vppon occasion incident ioyned with preaching meditation prayers and charitable reliefe of the poore and miserable practised vsed in this Church recommended by her Maiestie and other of the State long agoe in the great plague here and since and yet still in these dayes as very necessary this I say is so farre of from disorderly or seditious dealing as it shall neuer be iustly founde fault with by you grounded sufficiently vpon Gods booke and better tenne thousande times if such cōparison may be than eyther your blasphemous
your pleasures without good warrant or ground and so may be reduced to cōformitie prescribed by superiours Your owne S. Thomas in his summe saith Q. 79. art 13. that conscience is no speciall facultie or power of the soule because it may bee laide away which the other cannot but bee that as it wil be A corrupt conscience such as yours is may and ought to bee laide away The reasons in your treatise as in place we finde deale little or nothing to proue the contrary to this I tell you or deale as you doe very hollowly being grounded altogether vpon supposition which not grounded on Gods truth in matters of Religion is a rotten post for conscience to leane vpon Trye your consciences in religion by right iudgemēt and good vnderstanding taken out of Gods booke runne not vpon false suppositions and we shalbe soone at an ende I still maruell M. Howlet how you can exempt your cōsciences from 〈◊〉 and so from her 〈◊〉 that before condemned these sentences as errours That the consciences of the faithfull are exempted from the power of all men that Chistians are fre and exempted from all Princes lawes as touching their consciences c. For you admit this exposition of the former sentence in saying that Caluin and Luther holde therein one doctrine whereof I haue spokē in his place The matter is that your Secondary faith and alleageance sworne vnto her Highnesse as to the sub stitute of God thus yee speake is at the Popes pleasure broken and nowe discharged of that faith by his warrant and the same bestowed vpon him and such as hee wyll appoint without good warrant from God or her Maiestie In the meane while we will take as graunted by you this Maxime or supposition That conscience dependeth of iudgement vnderstanding and not of affect will albeit in your case this wholy raignethin you therefore seemeth not be conscience But because pretended conscience is the grounde of these mens whole matter and the only shift of excuse that both M Howlet and his authour haue to cloke their disobedience withal let mee be bold with thee gentle Reader somewhat at large to vnfolde some parte of their Popish 〈◊〉 in this case of conscience which that I may the better doe I will first set downe some of both their wordes agreeing in this point together Then examining in generall the popish doctrine whereon they grounde themselues without all Scripture yea contrary to Scripture common reason and hon estie also as the same is deliuered vnto vs in their bookes by the principall 〈◊〉 of their religion I will shewe howe godlesly and howe hollowly they may be found to speake write and thinke in the whole enough in my opinion to bring their religion into vtter 〈◊〉 detestation and hatred for broching vs such abhominable abhominations Afterwarde God willing returning to M. Howlets wordes againe and comparing them with the doctrine of the Scripture will I so much as I shall thinke needefull answere the same particularly Thus writeth M. Howlet of this matter heere at large 12 Now because as the Philosopher saith that is onely good vnto euery man which ech mans vnderstanding tel leth him to be good vnto the which the Scripture and 〈◊〉 agree when they say that wee shall bee iudged at the last day according to the testimonie of our conscience 〈◊〉 followeth that what soeuer wee doe contrary to our iudgement and conscience is according to the Apostle damnable Because wee decerne it to bee euill and yet doe it So that howe good soeuer the action in it selfe were as for example if a Gentile shoulde for feare say or sweare that there were a Messias yet vnto the doer it should be a damnable sinne because it seemed naught in his iudgement and conscience and therefore to him it shall bee so accounted at the last day Which thing hath made all good men from time to time to stande very scrupulously in defence of their conscience and not to commit any thinge against the sentence and approbation of the same All Princes also Potentates of the woorlde haue abstained from the beginning for the very same consideration from enforcing men to Actes against their consciences especially in religion as the histories both before Christe and since doo declare And amongest the very Turkes at this day no man is compelled to doe any act of their religion except he renonuce first his owne And in the Indies and other farre partes of the worlde where infinite Infidels are vnder the gouernemente of Christian Princes it was neuer yet practised nor euer thought lawfull by the Catholike Churche that suche men shoulde bee inforced to any one acte of our religion And the reason is for that if the doing of such actes shoulde 〈◊〉 sinne vnto the doers because they doe them against their conscience then muste needes the inforcement of suche Actes be muche more greeuous and damnable sinne to the inforcers Mary notwithstanding this when a man hath receiued once the Christian Catholike religion and will by new deuises and singularitie corrupte the same by running out and makinge dissention in Christe his bodie as all Heretikes doe then for the conseruation of vnitie in the Church and sor restraint of this mans furye and pride the Churche hath alwayes from the beginning allowed that the Ciuill Magistrate shoulde recalle suche a fellowe by temporall punishment to the vnitie of the whole bodie againe as all the holy Fathers write to bee most necessarie especially suche as hadde most to doe with suche men as Cyprian Ierome Optatus Augustine Leo Gregorie and Bernarde And Saint Austin in diuers places recalleth backe againe his opinion whiche hee sometimes helde to the contrary So that wee keeping still our olde religion and hauing not gone out from the Protestantes but they from vs wee cannot bee enforced by any iustice to doe any acte of their religion HEnce yee gather y t because ye alleadge your conscience in this cause of yours Therfore neither may ye do there against vnder paine of damnatiō neither be enforced to doe otherwise then you doe vnder like paine to the enforcers and because yee sawe you shoulde be excepted vpon two wayes yee prouide answere for the same first If it bee alleadged against you as is by vs very truly alleadged that the thing yee are called vnto is godly honest and good and seemely to bee yeelded vnto and therefore no reason you shoulde in this case bee left to your pretended conscience to followe that whiche is euill but that you shoulde giue ouer and take a newe course Yee affirme howe good soeuer the action in it selfe bee whervnto yee are called yet the yeelding is damnable sinne to the doer because it seemeth naught in his iudgement and conscience and therefore to him it shall bee so accounted at the last day So he must bee left to his
shorter Be your selfe iudge herein M. Howlet If you tell vs your conscience in deed or let the world tel To whom you refer vs in comparing her maiestie our most dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and her peaceable and milde gouernment hauing beene so greatly disturbed and prouoked to the contrary and other princes and the former times that haue not been acquainted with the profession of the gospel And againe you say and truely that her maiesties noble mercifull disposition is knowne and renowmed through out the worlde The world you say doth know how that the great mercie and clemencie of her Maiestie hath staied oftentimes and restrained penalties from their execution and from the ouerthrowing of diuers men c. It doth so indeede and so doth it by experience of the sharpe executions done aforetime by your procurements and the ouerthrowe of diuers both men and families which feele the smarte at this day As you call your selues Catholikes and vs protestantes yea heretikes at pleasure so in like manner say you and say only your religion is the old so ours must be the newe religion wee are gone out from you and not you from vs. c. But leaue these enuiously deuised doubtfull and rackt tearmes of yours vs. c and haue recourse to the scriptures Let vs there and thence make our plea and then you shalbe founde to be that ye call vs we to be that you would so fain chalēg to your selues to beautifie your euil cause as it needeth Else let the word of God be iudge between vs and look who be found to haue swarued from the Prophets Apostles doctrine or 〈◊〉 haue gone and fallen from that and them let those be heretikes Spare not In the meane while in our iust defence let our denial suffice to answer the vniust 〈◊〉 and accusations bringing onely words without any proofe Concerning the comparison ye make of her 〈◊〉 this state with other princes and states not Christian onely but Turkes and Infidels your meaning and drifte therein may easily be espied It deserueth another answer than my words yet to clere herein both our soueraigne the state towardes the world I tolde you before that your case is not like to Turkes and Infidels Besides her maiestie and this state are not bounde to follow other Princes examples she being as free as they are in y e gouernmēt of her people whē doubt may be made First whether that be true you tell vs of Princes and their order of gouerning Infidels Haue you beene brought vp among the Turkes haue you trauailed into the Indies and farre partes of the worlde that you tell vs of to know this you report vs of the Infidelles c Know you of your selfe that this was neuer yet practised Or goe you by report onely I think you take it at other Next doubt may be made by Princes and states whether they you talke of vse those Infidels that be vnder their gouernement well and vprightly and whether euen in this point they doe well or no that being supposed which you affirme of them which thing they had neede and will vnderstand too before they 〈◊〉 bounde to follow their example in gouerning the people subiect vnto them This is reason and princes ouer other princes and states chalenge no such superioritie of prescribing in order of gouernment as you here too vnaduisedly doe Neyther are princes too curious to enquire examine and iudge how the rest order their subiectes in such cases but content themselues with ruling their own people in y e feare of God according to their owne dutie and Gods worde I adde yet further that whereas you alleadge It was neuer yet practised nor euer thought lawfull by the Catholike church that Infidelles should be enforced to any one act of our religion And running stil to your D. Thomas say vide D. Thomas c. I answer and say that Thomas his question is Whether Infidelles are to be compelled to fayth or to beleeue Which because it is aboue mans power to doe as beeing the gift of God or as he speaketh To receiue fayth pertaineth to the will and the will cannot be forced Therefore no mortall man may as seemeth take vpon him to force that which he cannot perfourme But your question is of perfourming any acte of Christian religion comming to Church the one that is faith is a heauenly inward gift and is in the hearte the other that is comming to church c. is an externall and outwarde acte and a profession of religion or an inducement and outward exercise and means to bring vs to fayth and to encrease and continue the same in vs. Now we say that the ciuill magistrate hath not onely authoritie frō God but is of dutie bound to maintain Gods honour and as a principall parte of his charge to see the cōmandements of the first Table of Gods lawe outwardly kept and perfourmed by al his subiectes without exception so much as he may punishing the trāsgressors also vnto which honour of God and first Table of his commandementes pertaine the actes and outward exercises of Gods true seruice and christian religion As then wee highlye praise G O D dayly for her maiestie in this behalfe and for the singuler care she hath ouer vs her poore subiectes to prouide vs of preaching and other meanes to bring vs to God and to furder vs in all godlines So doe wee tell you plainly that her Maiestie by authoritie may doth therein but her duetie enforce you to haunt Church Assēblies to heare the preaching of the Gospell c. Which bee the proper meanes to beginne encrease and continue faith and godlines in you and vs. Her part her care and charge it is to prouide and take heede nothing bee put vppon her people in Gods matters his seruice but y t which is warranted by his holy word which whilest her maiesty is occupied in you disturbe her Godly proceeding too much out of season time too vndutifully D. Thomas euē in his question of Infidelles sayth They are to be compelled yet of the faythfull if they haue power not to hinder Chtistes fayth or religion eyther by blasphemies and rayling or by naughtie persuasions or else by open persecution and violence c Marke well your D. Thomas his poyntes Now if Infidelles which were neuer Christened maye bee compelled in these thinges by your Thomas his iudgement much more maye you be restrained in your rages and violente and vnreasonable dealings punished for your disturbances and printing and spreading of seditious libels and bookes to the hinderance of the course of Christes Gospell amongest vs and the peruerting and poysoning of diuers especially such as are of the simpler sort and therfore easily seduced And this is not disagreeing from Thomas his wordes though you cannot abide to haue the same appli ed to you be it neuer so true in you This is your faulte D. Thomas
Germanes in the generall congregation Wee haue not thought it also to be amisse to cal to repētāce al those that are fallen into any heresies and are yet entangled therein with a large graunt of a safe conduct and promise of great and singular clemencie and Gentlenes so that they returne to hearte or repent and acknowledg the power of the holy Catholike church If you desire so greatly to be solemnely called home Construe of this condition then by your owne rule Yee talke of her Maiesties woorde and you say you will aske onely her Maiesties worde And yet to goe further by your leaue you being subiectes will see her Maiesties worde set down by Proclamatiō y t al y t world may be witnesses of it such trust you repose in her maiesties word or letters Pattents Her Maiesties becke might serue suche as you bee well enough in this case ye seeme too distrustfull to be plaine meaning and dealing men It is a harde case when her maiesties commandement cannot serue with those that will pretende to be subiects with whom the least signification of her highnes pleasure shoulde be enough and enough againe without prescribing an order for her maiesty to deale by in a mere ciuil case too as this is to cōmand her people to carry at home or to return home being abroad And yet more you must appoint your selues y t time to of cōming home before you will stir Foure score dayes iust no lesse wil serue you You are honorable men and long a making readie many things to take order in before you can set your selues into your voyage yet your best surest pillers that of englishmen ye haue to trust in be here in england among vs. If neede were and it were for your vantage three or four dayes would serue your turne to 〈◊〉 before her maiestie Her maiestie hath nothing else to doe you thinke but to attend and hearken after you and your sutes cunningly made for your aduantage Unlesse you caried better more duetifull mindes yee may tary where yee bee still Your roome is better then your companie When you haue afore hande prouided for the safetie of your persons more then reason and honestie can aske beeing subiectes Then you tell vs what danger you will put your selues into for the trial of Gods trueth c Babling and vaine folly as all the rest This is the matter eyther you would haue a furder ouverture to doe more hurte then you now doe or can doe while you craue disputation c. not for to haue your own doubtful consciences satisfied but to bring moe into perplexity w t you to more cōfirme such as bee too obstinate alreadie in errour or else it may be you are weary of being beyonde the Seas and would fain come home and after many attemptes you thinke at last you haue found out a way whereby you may bee honourably called home Ah craft But peace for shame no more of this Is all the labour peril and disaduantage on your partes as ye say on the other part nothing at all let her maiestie the state other here say for themselues and not you It is enough for you to speake for your owne side leaue the rest to bee waied by them whom it toucheth neerer then you you are but in a dreame The best and enowe of your side to take this matter in hād be here in england that there needeth no sending ouer sea for helpe to be had at englishmens handes thence You M. Howlet and your companions for the most parte haue your sires and dammes heere of whom you suckt your poperie From this you come to shewe If your offer be refused by vs that is with your so great labour perill and disaduantage wee shall shewe our selues too much distrustfull in our owne cause c. Of your perill and safetie wee haue seene before for your so great labour Take no more paines to leese your labor I pray you thē you need When there is any vse thereof it will bee called for profered seruice c. If ye finde disaduantage thanke your selues that make the match wee haue not to regarde that Yee make many offers we see and hide you in corners when you haue 〈◊〉 or like proper fellowes betake you to your heeles runne away that one cannot tell where to haue you nor where to seeke you sauing that some of you by Gods prouidence are sometime ouertaken ere yee bee aware and taken napping as they say You haue alwayes some let or some excuse or other why you keepe not touche when your matters goe not forwarde according to your expectation and mynde This is playne double dealing you cast vs the gloue of defiance I am not disposed to contende with you in bragging and vaunting yet let me warne you M. Howlet and the proudest of your fellowes that yee take heede if you be wise Little Dauids bagge hath a stone in it that flung at you before you come to hande strokes will make you grouel on the grounde if ye abide it were ye as stoute as euer was great Goliah Yee dare vs and would haue vs come ouer the Sea to make offer to you It is not in our handes neither conuenient to accept offers made by you at pleasure nor to go ouer Sea vnto you to make you offers Haue yee not enow beyonde the Seas to dispute withall Is all the worlde there one your side Ywis there be moe M. Howlet and y t singular men thē you well woulde there were and then while you liue you shalbe able to deale withall but to your shames Neuer crye hoo hoo at the matter like an Owle there will be no lacke of them I tell you whose faces yee dare not abide neither are yee able to stande in their handes let it without bragge bee spoken to Gods glory either you dissemble egregiously or yee knowe not the greate power and giftes of God in the learned professours of the Gospell beyonde the Seas but who is more bolde then blinde Bayard As though there were not heere to be talked dayly withall as profound learned English men of your side as any of you that hauing for the most part beene of late young men in Oxeforde and some in Cambridge haue since fled beyonde Sea Doth the very name and sight of Rome and those quarters make now a daies so great Clarks I weene not A cocke I'perceiue on his dounghill The not accepting of your proud bragges is no distrust in our cause but a great pride in you ioyned with a dastardly cowardlinesse who putting fire into y t house runaway as they say by the light plucking your neckes out of the collor most of all of obedience to her maiestie No dealing with you except you may haue your own offers your owne oddes and your owne lawes You say that our comming ouer vnto you is not to bee hoped and therefore you relie vpon disputatiō to be
Pope and Sea of Rome her Maiesties sworne enemie and the Realines you goe about with slaunder to seuer and make dissention betweene her Maiestie her Lawes and the Ministers thereof beetweene her and her faythfull people and subiectes Ye 〈◊〉 and reporte tales to impeche the credite of particular persons In summe ye take too much vpon you ye woulde be credited in euerie thing with her Maiestie as though your saying were some heauenly Oracle Wilfully funne not headlong into moe and greater afflictions and calamities then her Maiestie and lawes will laye vppon you and you shall haue little or no cause to complaine suche is her Maiesties plentifull wisedome and goodnes and the great moderation that is vsed in making of lawes in this realme Great and narrowe is the knot thankes bee to God and harde and faste tyed betweene her Maiestie and her good and faithfull subiectes as your Pope and you to your regret haue tryed in seeking manie waies to dissolue that bande and yet hitherto neuer coulde preuaile nor neuer I trust shall If her Maiestie bee borne your Soueraigne Princesse and Mother and you bee her naturall Subiects and Children As in deede shee is all true hearted Englishmens and wee all her Maiesties more bounde if more may bee in respect of the Gospell among vs then euer to any Princes or Kinges before If your case be common with ours why then doe you hot Catholikes growe more out of kinde then the rest ofher Maiesties naturall subiects do Why before you neede runne you so fast and so hastily to Rome and to the Pope and thence seeke to make head to disquiet this State and your brethren and countrey men at home This is not onely no part of a Loyall subiect towardes his Prince and Countrey but hardly the part of a true hearted Englishman so vnnaturall is the dealing The better her Maiesties noble disposition and vertues are knowen and renoumed throughout the world the moremonstrous a great deale is this your wicked dealing with so gracious a Soueraigne and most naturall godly and carefull a Prince You can haue no greater condemnation or testimonie against you then your diuelishe betaking of your selues to the Stepmother that you haue chosen leauing her that God had appointed you whither yee list to take it of conscience or pollicie Runne whither yee shall seeke 〈◊〉 and neare you are not like to finde such a mother againe abroade Your stepmothers affection that you haue chosen lift her vp to the skie if you can with your prayses is in no comparison like shee is too harde hearted and too bloodye wee knowe her well enough and but to well Leaue her therefore leaue her Come out from that Babylon c. And like naturall and obedient children returne home to your owne deare Mother and Countrey whome ye haue so vnkindely and so undutifully forsaken Put your selues againe with submission into her handes so it seemeth you will but when you can not otherwise chose and yet hardly then too your fault here in is such as I hardely finde wordes to expresse the indignitie thereof If all bee well considered you haue very great cause of recourse and submission to her Maiestie and from her to forrainers and other no cause at all Leaue it therefore in time leaue it and come home At least for your part M. Howlet doe so if you bee abroade and beyond Sea without her Maiesties leaue But come with a single heart and a good conscience that is a changed man Put your selfe in deede without all dissimulation to her Maiesties mercie and to vs you shall bee moste welcome If miserie presse you with the prodigal Sonne hearken to this aduise the rather Better to learne by affliction and in it then neuer If your State be other by your returne let it appeare with howe franke a heart and well meaning minde you come home which will bee when God shall first touch your heartes to returne vnfaignedly and in deede from Poperie and superstition to that most mercifull heauenly father or else neuer This is the best Counsell I can at this time giue you For her Maisties being abroade among her Subiects in many partes of her Realme It is thankes bee to God and long may it continue much and often to our great ioy Shee needeth not be tolde of the State of her subiectes by you or goe by here say onely and receiue the reporte thereof from beyonde Sea Besides reportes gather and goe much by mens affections This that you report of such hurly burley and disquietnesse to bee in this Realme is as true as other reportes that come to you of thinges done here and all a like you are too light of credite Your representation of the miseries is but wordes yee make more a doe then yee neede a great deale If her Maiesties most moderate lawes against Poperie and Treason if her milde proceeding in the iust defence of her selfe her royall estate and the Realmes presse you will you doe well Giue ouer that dealing then that hath procured all this and liue quietly at home as Gods true seruauntes in the profession of the Gospell of Christ Jesus and in duetifull obedience to our Soueraigne Pray for her Matestie and the State with vs as wee are willed that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie and all former quarrelles betweene you and vs in religion forgotten and forgiuen wee will liue in peace and charitie with you howe euer you thinke otherwise of vs. You make an If and doe well so to doe When you talke of her Maiesties disposition to delight in your calamities of others cruel appetite to desire blood which is as far frō her maiestie those of y t side as y e same is familiar vnto your popish religion It is happie howe euer yee thinke of other that yee cleare her Maiestie herein which testimonie from the enemie hath some force But howe euer ye brag of A readines to accept the offer of suffering death for your religion yet thanke God if yee be wise and her Maiestie that that offer hitherto hath not been made you nor them that ye be assured to bee so readie to accept thereof This I tell you for all your troubles are not delighted in heere much lesse bee they or your blood sought after These 〈◊〉 but your dreames You might well enough haue spared therefore that brag either of your selfe bing beyond sea or of your fellowes readines to suffer and to die in so euill a cause especially how euer you call it Catholike It is a question of 〈◊〉 man and of treason 〈◊〉 and rebellion not other that you call the Catholike cause Again you can at the most but warrant for your selfe Let other men alone hardely in this case And yet talking of suffering death you doe wisely in my opinion when yee ioyne those fewe that be here of your side in prison with your selfe and those that are fled
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
Councell No verily Let matter with matter saith he cause with cause Reason with reason pleade by the authorities of the scriptures not proper witnesses of euery bodie but common to both c. This am I the bolder with the Reader to set downe that we may see your skill and trust in citing the fathers If one should followe all he should make great volumes which I doubt whether for your pleasures it bee necessarie For the diuels talke with Christ how I pray you did our 〈◊〉 confute him was it not by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afore I sayde Augustine did the heretike Yes yes still and all by the scriptures so necessary and profitable 〈◊〉 are they say or thinke you what you will Though we finde not for that which followeth the wordes in Hierome where ye sende vs to seeke them yet because it may be the fault of the Printer I presse it not you shoulde haue prooued and shewed vs to be heretikes before ye should haue applied that to our seruice supposition is a bare proofe and serueth not The strange howling as of wolues and bellowing noyse of mad Bullockes that in your Synagogues you make by your piping and singing in a strange tongue in that you call your diuine seruice seemeth to bee liuely expressed by Hierome both in this sentence and elsewhere also when vppon these wordes of the Prophet Amos Take from me the confused noyse of thy Hymnes I will not heare the musicke of thy Organes that worde doeth Hierome set downe according to the Septuagints translation The Prayer sayth he of the Iewes and the Psalmes whiche they sing in their Synagogues and the heretikes curious and set hymne or prayer as one would say artificially done with descant and quauering is a trouble vnto the Lord that I may so speake it is the grunting of a hog and the braying of Asses c And in the new Testament vpon these wordes of the Apostle Singing and making melodie vnto the Lord Let them heare saith Hierome whose office it is to sing in the Church that God is to bee sung to not with voice but with heart and that their throate and iawes are not to be annointed and cleered with oyntmēts like players that measure and stagelike noise and songues maye by hearde in the Churche but in feare in deede in knowledge of the scriptures although there be some man as they are wonte to speake of an euell brest or voyce If hee haue good woorkes hee is a sweete singer with God Let the seruant of Christ so sing that not the voyce of the singer but the wordes that are read may delight and please c. Thus much out of Hierome whome ye cite vpon occasion of wolues howling and the bellowing noise of mad bullockes that the reader may see whether the same and the like agree better with your curious pricksong and descant in your latin seruice or with our moderate and plain singing of Dauid his Psalines in the mother tongue Hee that is desirous to see more how fitly your wanton and fleshly melodie or roring rather in your Popish Churches is represented by Hierom. Let him looke vpon Cornelius Agrippa Erasmus Polidore Virgil and such like who euen in our time so great plained of y t vnreasonable brutishe disorder in your popish Churches and namely heere in England for that is by expresse wordes noted of Erasmus Yee cite Augustin here twise together and still of the Donatist Heretikes it was the first place ye cited in the entrance of your discourse how litle to purpose we there examined wee tel you againe again we are neither donatists nor other heretikes that shoulde you haue bent your selfe first to haue prooued that these testimonies might haue seemed to haue beene 〈◊〉 applied as that vnprooued and so is like to remaine they iustly maye nowe bee applyed to you Betweene your two places here alleadged out of Augustine the same Augustine vpon the words of Dauid I cryed vnto the Lorde sayeth well and that to the Donatiste Crye you to the Lorde not to Donatus So say we to you popishe Heretikes Crye to the Lorde not to this Patrone and that which you haue made to your selues not to this canonized Saint of your Popes nor to that whereof some like ynough are farre from heauen and so from helping of you Take the lustie prelate of Englande Your S. Thomas Becket for example if ye will or some such like Saint of your making wee say as Augustine sayde in his dayes according to the perpetual doctrine of the sacred scriptures Crie vnto the Lorde not to any creature wee adde furder with him euen in this place Let no man be thy Lorde for the Lorde hee meaneth in steade of the true Lorde of heauen which vnder the Lorde woulde not bee thy fellowe seruaunt Whether it bee in heauen Let God in prayer be 〈◊〉 per se A as they say Or vppon earth to shut out your Lorde god the Pope and to bring him to bee but a fellowe seruaunt with other Let that God of heauen keep his prerogatiue or else bee you in exalting and setting vp that man of sinne Heretikes with the Donatistes Briefly to shut vp this place finde no fault with our seruice for that it hath the scriptures and put a difference between the Iewes Heretiks and the diuelishe peruerting and abusing the same and the right vse thereof with reuerence to our instruction and learning that through pacience and comfort we may haue hope which is an ende the Apostles setteth vs down the same to be written for Let it in all things be A lanterne to our feete and a light to our path as holy Dauid speaketh For which causes also the same is nowe published and made common vnto vs by her Maiestie and the State Marke the great benefite the Churche of God here hath reaped thereby and still doth and yee shall shewe your selfe besides your impietie to Gods worde very vncharitable and enuious to grudge vs the Scriptures or to reproche the same vnto vs. Nowe whether wee be Heretikes that sticke to the scriptures and to the sincere plaine and sure interpretation therof by themselues that one place may sufficiently expounde another that wee neede not run to men to haue the true sense but to let the holy 〈◊〉 euer expounde himselfe Or you that cannot nor will not bee content with this but call for this doctours exposition that doctours sense and so foorth rouing and running at randon if the worlde may not be iudge yet I pray you let your owne Cannon Lawe be iudge betweene vs Wee must take the sense and meaning of the Truth out of the scriptures themselues sayth Gratian out of Pope Clement And yet furder out of Hierome Whosoeuer otherwise vnderstandeth the scripture then the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost by whom it was written requireth Although he be not departed
goeth about to reckon your Popes decretall epistles in the number of Canonicall scriptures and to racke in Augustines authoritie to prooue that matter I thinke this geare and the like maye better and more iustly be accoūted of vs blasphemie against god thē our praiers to be kept frō the Pope and his infection of papistry But to conclude this point there is you say falshoode and blasphemie in our seruice and we sing and cause to be sung as though it were scripture and one of Dauids Psalmes a prayer made by man wherein wee haue seene howe you fayle and faulte greatly and yet can finde no vngodlinesse much lesse blasphemie in that prayer But were it sung as yee say what I pray you that are so precise and hard with vs were there therein done more than in your Popishe mattens How is your Te Deum made by man no scripture distinguished from Benedictus that is the holy Ghostes hymne and scripture You had neede then mend your owne seruice before you finde such fault with other Agayne whither will you leade and bring vs from this seruice that you seeme to finde fault with You had not neede bring vs to your Popish blasphemous seruice For then haue we made but an euill change You had neede to bring vs to a seruice voyde of all note of falshoode and blasphemy that charge ours so there with and are so squaymish and precise that you cannot abide our seruice It were too long vpon this occasion throughly to examine your Popish seruice yet let vs take a viewe in this matter that is in prayer and singing of Psalines and giue you for one example two Thomas Becket a naughtie proude Prelate is made a Saint and a Martyr by you hath his holy day and seruice Is not this among the rest a blasphemous praier with you By the bloode of Thomas which for thee he did spend make vs Christ to climbe whither Thomas did ascend If this geare be not blasphemous I knowe not what is For to leaue the making of a proude trayterous Prelate to his king a Saint to ordayne seruice c to Creatures in steede of the Creator To talke also of Thomas ascending to heauen what is it to desire Christ to bring vs to heauen by the blood of Thomas but by Idolatrie and blasphemie to staine Gods glory and to iniurie Christes merits and withall to delude and abuse Gods people Is not moreouer this verse sung by you in your Temples continually as it were out of one of Dauids Psalmes Viduam eius benedicens benedicam c I set downe the Latin because you sing it in Latin crauing herein pardon of the Reader and yet take it as I finde it corruptly and yet woorse translated in your English Primer printed here in former Popish daies that yee had beene as good haue left the ignorant people the Latin Primer alone and Beades still as to haue abused them with so corrupt an English translation Thus hath it the popish english Primer that I saw at the writing hereof distinguishing full ylfauouredlye the verses and disioyning the wordes that are to be ioyned together For the more plainenes I will set downe two verses This is my resting place for euermore Heere shall I dwell for I haue chosen it with blessing The widowe of it I shall blyke the poore people of it I shall fullfyll with breade False translation false printing false singing false saying All false and nothing but false agree well enough together and with a false religion The best in the worlde and therfore belike being admonished and called vppon for amendment you let it stande still such is your reforming and amending of thinges deforming and making them euer woorse and woorse The next fault you charge our seruice with is the lack of necessary thinges which it should haue in it Yee take example of a mans reciting of the Creede or Articles of the Beliefe If you leaue out one article as in effecte the Protestants say you doe the Article of descention into Hell all the whole Creede were naught thereby I aske you first what if I adde an Article more as you Papists doe whē you aske men how they beleeue in the Sacrament of the Alter c. Is not that as great a fault Next for answeare I report me to all the world whether we in effect or otherwise leaue out that Article Descended into hell in the Creede or teaching the people to recite it We bid or wishe them to leaue y t article out The creed or articles of y e beliefe are daily twise a day publikely recited in the Congregation by the Minister and the people in the mother tongue At morning and euening prayer Is not this article of descending into hell at both times expressed Looke vpon the booke come to Church and heare Wherfore you are a very slanderer heere in as you are euer But sir is all the Creede naught if that article be left out or any other How say you then to the creed of that famous general councel of Nice which leaueth out the Article of descending into hell that I say nothing of other partes of the Creede How say you to the like Creed in the first Councell at Constantinople How to Athanasius Creede that leaueth out these wordes Crucifyed Deade Buried c I trowe you will not condemne these formes of the Creed or Beliefe to prooue your saying true It were better you and your saying too should bee found false and faulty as you be heerein thē accuse so godly ancient forms of Beleife but to come neerer to you What say you to your owne seruice and the chiefest part thereof in your estimation If this be a fault prooue y e whole naught Thē is your masse naught your masse creed euē for this respect for you cannot finde Descended into hell in your Masse Creed nor died neyther nor yet the communion of Saintes And yet for all this is it among the rest of the best that is in your Masse It would be too long particularly to examine your propiciatorie sacrifice of the Masse which is a newe crucifiyng of Christ agayne as much as in you lyeth of which argument I speake a little after where you repeate and mention your Masse sacrifice againe and extoll it to the skie it is your precious Iewell your popish priesthood and priests finagogues or tēples aultars priests apparel vestments Sen sors Franckinsens c. which you here reckon vp and wee you say lacke in deede we doe so And we thanke God therefore sauing that we haue those which you cal temples wherin we 〈◊〉 for the exercises of our religion which are therfore called Churches with vs because Gods church and peo ple meete there the rest you bring no scriptures for which in steede of all that ye alleage is the foundation of our christian religion so called of Christ. Priests ye say and all were 〈◊〉 for
an euill conscience For with one offering hath hee made perfect for euer them 〈◊〉 are sanctified c. To Chrysostome and his hyperbolicall speeches you haue your answere elsewhere and to Pope Gregories testimonie seeing Masses bee thought to bee so cheape with you as the hearing of one is so well worth an hundred markes c. where you haue a good pennieworth blame not her Maiestie and the State it were pittie you shoulde haue your masses too good cheape that make suche price thereof I perceiue if they were dogge cheape they were 〈◊〉 worth howe say you to two hundred markes and a yeres imprisonment for hearing of a Masse It is too good cheape it is well worth more yee thinke You are in your hundreds and thousande liues you amplyfie in wordes iolily woulde you needes haue it death which in wordes and tearmes ye so talke of heere at pleasure Take heed make not to great account neither of saying nor hearing Masse for raysing the price Of naughtie behauiour I tell you growe good lawes Cast your number together by Arithmetike and tell vs plainely howe many liues the hearing of one Masse is well worth and howe many you can be content to affoorde in that case But bee wiser and better aduised that is it I wishe You abuse to grosly and childishly the holy scriptures For your Popish Bishops confirmation and your extreeme vnction or aneling whiche is the seconde losse yee thinke yee haue and therefore yee put grace in euery place heere These myraculous giftes in the Primitiue Church serue your Popishe Church neuer a whit to take away all your Popishe graces euen in the whole seuen sacraments Why adde you not to your gresie oyle your spittle c and your Ephata after Christes example to make deafe infants to heare and by touching their tongue to make them speak If it were as easie a matter to bestowe the heauenly and extraordinary giftes or as you heere speake the grace as it is easie to counterfaite the outwarde Ceremonie you woulde bee meruellous men But Apishe imitation is without good grace hee is very simple that in looking on the places yee alleadge only cannot make you answere When wee see the visible graces and giftes of the holy Ghoste come vppon them that your Bishops confirme as speaking tongues c. which are saide to haue beene giuen those the Apostles layde their handes on we will make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your comparison You tell vs of the grace of Priesthood But Saint Paule neither to Timothie who was an Euangelist and Preacher of the Gospell neither any where els speaketh of your Popish Priesthood as I tolde you before Priestes you say were ordayned for your Masse sacrifice and they cannot other wise bee called Priesces but in respect of y t sacrisice Now the Popishe Masse beareth too late a date besides the naughtines of it to haue beene in the Apostles time and ye prooue nothing An 〈◊〉 and double taking of the worde Masse helpeth but little no not taken out of mens 〈◊〉 nor of sacrifice neither The Apostle thus reasoneth that If Christ should haue offered himselfe often then must hee haue often suffered since the foundation of the world c. If the sacrifice of Christes body and blood to God his father be linked so narrowly with his suffering that is w t his death passion as it cannot bee without the same Then muste you leaue your dayly Sacrificing of him in the Masse whiche you 〈◊〉 commende so highly or els bee founde among them to crucifie againe to themselues the sonne of God make a mocke of him c If Christe be dayly offered Christe is put dayly to suffer But Christe is dayly offered by Popishe Priestes in the Masse say you ergo Christe is put dayly to suffer by you Otherwise thus If Christ be dayly or often offered then muste hee dayly or often suffer But he can not nor needeth not dayly or often suffer Ergo hee cannot nor needeth not dayly or often to bee offred Answere hereto directly shift not thinges off cauill not with your fonde distinction of bloody and vnbloody you professe your Masse sacrifice to be propitiatorie and all one with that Christ offred on the crosse nowe that I tell you was not vnbloody nor without shedding of blood This is the cause that seeing the doctrine of the holy Ghost on the one side and your bad shiftes on the other side maketh vs to abhorre your blasphemous Masse and to crye out against it that I touche not other many and many grosse abuses therin Thus much against your abhominable popish masse which you so much commende though you bring nothing for proofe thereof but bare wordes I see you woulde make vs beleeue that all your sacramentes giue grace therfore ye say the grace of priesthood also howe hap there be so many vngracious priestes and so many graceles priestes then if the order of priesthood giue grace or be a conduite of grace as you speake Belike they that take the order of priesthood leese grace that they that take not that order may finde haue the same Againe how make you this argument common for all those that come to our Churches shall they leese the grace of priesthood why many of them will tel you they neuer minde to be priestes and so shall leese nothing by that but that whiche a great many papistes among you shall leese as well as they which haunt your Churches and abstaine from ours which are called Laymen Againe sir how is priesthood a sacrament by it self I haue heard of your popish sacrament of orders of priesthood neuer The grace of Matrimonie all your wiuelesse priestes Nunnes c. shall leese they are very vnholy belike that so holy an order of God as Mariage can not beseeme them will they reiect the grace of God ye call it the grace of Matrimonie Mariage c. are conduites of grace ye say heere ye belie saint Paul sir and corrupt the text when you make Mariage a sacrament your common translation is no good president to make vs sacramentes Else must you make vs yet againe moe then seuen by him as the learned knowe and I thinke you be not ignoraunt Againe the Apostle sayth expresly there I speake concerning Christ and concerning his Church that is the mysterie hee speaketh of there I leaue to speake of the beastlines of Pope Siricius who wickedly applieth to honorable mariage that sentence of the Apostle They that are in the flesh can not please God to shewe howe contraryly you iudge and speake of Mariage You tell vs of seuen sacramentes siue moe then 〈◊〉 Christ instituted but is that all I wene if ye describe a sacrament to 〈◊〉 it to the number of seuen ye shall finde many moe yee will followe the common opinion of the Romishe Churche I trowe And 〈◊〉 not your glose tell vs euen in mariage that there are two sacraments so shall wee finde eight
euill day I counsayle you And yet I meane not so much in this world as in that to come God giue vs all his grace Amen Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for Toby Smyth dwelling in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Crane 1581. An appendix or addition for aunsweare to the Authors recapitulation in the ende of his Treatise BEfore you conclude vp this first parte of your discourse you gather for 〈◊〉 sake to the vnlearned foure conclusions takē out of y t you haue to fore said which being falsly supposed rather then duely proued might easily haue been heere omitted But it is to the vnlearned You may not bee gaine standed You wil haue no nay You wil not nowe dispute of the matter you say all must be supposed indeede the vnlearned vnstable are easeliest seduced and brought to wrest euen the Scriptures to their owne destruction as blessed Peter reporteth The godlier learned wise wil cal you know for sounde proofe of the matter you thinke to carrie all afore you vpon your owne credite it is no reason it may not be Going to Hereticall assemblies we graunt you is prohibited Christians by the lawe of nature of God and of his true Church not to be dispensed with by any mortall man but where when and how proue you that our Church assēblies be hereticall this would haue beene proued which you put off before you had beene so rash to haue without warrāt or ground pronounced it vnlawfull to haunt our Churche assemblies What it aduauntageth your side to suppose that which you cannot proue and lieth in controuersie betweene vs I wote not but easily may one perceiue that it sauoureth neyther of trueth nor of learning which you so confidently affirme Till you can conuince vs therefore of heresie our assemblies to be hereticall which while we may be hearde to make answere will neuer bee giue vs leaue to turne on your owne heades that which you charge vs with And forasmuch as our men haue prooued Papistes Heretikes and their Idolatrous assemblies heretical giue the Pastors and other godlie Learned leaue to admonish all the faithfull to abstayne therefrom as frō prohibited vnlawfull things where you especially haue nothing to doe or not to commād at least And seeing the case thus standeth nowe betweene these two religious that of the Protestantes and Papists In the meane while till you can more sufficiently then hitherto reproue our Church assemblies let vs craue at your hands to shewe that the whole act of going to Churche is as it is of you Papistes sayde to bee prohibited also Iure diuino naturali that is by the Lawe of GOD and nature For wee holde the contrary not by Supposition as you doe but by good warrant of God his woorde reason and experience to witte that to haunt Churche assemblies is a thing 〈◊〉 on GOD his Lawe Whether we respect the olde Testament or the newe and also on the Lawe of nature as not experience onelye taken from the Heathen and the example of them that haue amongest them any exercise of Religion but reason also sufficiently teache and not to haunt Churche meetinges on the other side or vttetly to abstayne therefrom is a contempt and vtter denying of all Religion If therfore you will needes busie your selfe where you haue no cause and little thanke of autoritye for your laboure shewe eyther your selfe more religious and fauourable in speaking for Churche meetinges or prooue more substantially then hitherto the faultes wherewith you charge the same heere amonge vs especially seeing all the worlde maye knowe and iudge that our meetinges in the excercise of Religion daylye are not onelye voyde of Idolatrye wherewith your meetinges are 〈◊〉 but tende also to the 〈◊〉 and comforte of our consciences vnto the good example of other in making publike confession of our sinnes and the Christian fayth in hearing GOD his holie woorde making publike prayers participating of the holye Sacraments c. which we take to be the principall endes and chiefest vses of Christian assemblies in steede of gasing crooching crossing pyping singing and other ceremoniall fashions in vse among you For the rest whether it bee impossible to bee so that your Pope shoulde offer too her Maiestye to confirme the Englishe seruice vppon condition to recouer his Supremacie heere in Englande whiche hee is farre from and GOD so keepe him still and whether his authoritie be aboue the Scriptures so as hee may dispense with thinges agaynst GOD his Lawe or no I leaue to the Authoures that first inuented such brabbles to occupie mens heades with all Onelye this in perusing of late I remember N. Saunders an Archepapiste among you English Romanists handeling this latter question of the Popes authoritie in dispensing against the woorde of God disputeth whether the Pope may not dispence agaynst the Apostle thus mynceth hee thinges and for his aduantage propoundeth this question and hee affirmeth as one put to his shiftes therein that the Pope may doe or suffer to bee doone sometime otherwise then the Apostle commaundeth and ordereth As for example where the Apostle commaundeth if any brother haue a wife that beleeueth not If she be content to dwell with him let him not forsake her The Pope may for some respect dispēce giue the man leaue to put a way such a wife cōtent desirous to dwell with her husband and further he may giue him leaue to marry an other contrary to the Apostles doctrine and cōmaundement With which he hath authoritie to dispense though the former wife haue committed no fault against her husband after their mariage And why not I pray you when hee hath done still doth and can doe greater thinges then this whereof I enter not now to entr eate vpon this occasion particularly nor to examine Saunders cauilles and meere shifts indeede and no better The Learned know this man of sinne well ynough and the excessiue authoritie he vsurpeth and chalengeth The vnlearned I thinke are sufficiently warned before Let all that are Godlie take heede of dealing with Pope or Papistes in mariage or otherwise In the seconde conclusion you bring no newe matter but turne vs ouer to the olde and therefore I also send the Reader to that I haue before particularly answeared In the thirde conclusion it greeueth you her Maiesties Subiectes bee and shoulde bee so obedient to her godlie commaundements and therefore where obedience for going to Churche is alleadged you call it a A vayne pretence As the holie Scriptures for the grounde of our G O D his seruice were a greate blocke lying in your way wherewith you were troubled before and therevppon trauelled to inuay agaynst the sacred Scriptures So now heere her Maiesties authoritie grounded on the Scriptures and ioyning therein with the Mynisters doctrine and exhortation to call her Subiectes to holie assemblies lyeth in your way agayne and combreth you greately