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
yet furder cōcerning naughtie men andtheir pretended naughtie consciences as they speake not to be flattered or borne w t in dealing naughtily the doctrine and practise of our Sauiour Christ is notable for vs to followe as is expressed in the Euangelistes For our Sauiour Christ themaccuseth and taketh vp the Scribes and Pharisees very short who woulde seeme to make conscience of the traditions of the Elders defendeth or excuseth his disciples in breaking thereof and regardeth not the offence taken at his doctrine and doing therein by the Pharisees reade the place and marke the whole Nowe for the Conscience of the faithfull we holde with the holy Ghost that it is purged by the blood of Christe from dead workes to serue the liuing God and the hearts are purified by fayth c. And that phrase of the holy Apostle myconscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost and the like woulde diligently bee obserued of Christians not to seuer in them selues the testimonie of conscience from that heauenly testimonte of Gods spirite as in deede not a conscience but a good conscience is required of vs by God Herevppon say I to these men and to their like and to all such euill consciences of Infidelles and other as they bryng vs in that wherevpon so euer they gounde their pretended Consciences and what course soeuer they bee entred into for religion and spiritual exercises in gods seruice that as this doctrine of the scriptures is sound true and safe so theirs is hollowe vntrue and the thing is not godly nor good Great is the iudgement of God amonge them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therefore to send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes that all they might be damned which beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Ye did run wel saith s. Paul to the Galat. who did let you that you did not obey the truth It is not the persuasion of him that calleth you A little leauen doth leauen the whole lumpe I haue trust in you through the Lord that you wilbe none otherwise minded but hee that troubleth you shall beare his condemnation whosoeuer he be c. I woulde to God the very first wordes of this Apostolike sentence might bee verified in all that call themselues Romane Catholikes and continued still in vs and that with the Apostle in the last sentence wee might trust well of them as wee are assured the midle part may too truly bee applyed vnto M. howlets persuasion such like Where they holde both M. Howlet and his Authour this generall doctrine howe good soeuer the action in it selfe be or how true soeuer y t thing y t is affirmed be as for example in case of religion c that which is done affirmed by a Iew an Infidell or such like yet if it be otherwise thought of in his sight or if it be agaiust his vnderstanding iudgement and conscience as they speake the doer affirmer inforcer thereto shalbe damned for committing a deadly haynous and greeuous sinne ` This as it is deducted seemeth to me a strang Paradoxe in diuinitie groūded gentle Reader possible on some mans diuelish wisdome reason but surely vpon a very false and dangerous Catholike principle of Popery sauouring altogether of y e stinking puddle of that diuelish religion yea of the Diuell of Hel himselfe the father and authour of that religion which thus I represent vnto thee out of the writings of the greatest doctours of that side And yet sauing that they haue opened this filthie caue or styrred the 〈◊〉 for the diuelishe wickednesse filthinesse thereof would I haue spared thy Christian eares but that necessitie and the indignitie of the matter to vtter their shame and villanie wherwith they staine both heauen earth enforceth seeing the matter is thus farre brought to speake thereof There be two cases of conscience or conclusions of their Popishe writers the one of an erroneous or naughtie conscience and the bond thereof the other of perplexitie wherinto men as into a straight are driuen by this doctrine and religiō whilest of necessitie they must do euill cannot choose whereupon M. Howlet and his Authour grounde their Paradoxe or strange opinion of which the one dependeth on the other And both vpon that sentence of Gratian in his golden decree All that is done against conscience buildeth to hell fire which being well expounded might stande though but by the Popish doctrine for som to abstain from euill be it neuer so villanous to doe good be it neuer so precious is or may be against conscience in them or against their erroneous lying conscience this position is theirs and vtterly false Therefore for some say they to abstaine from euill bee it neuer so villanous to doe good be it neuer so precious buildeth to hel fire Againe the lawe of nature may bee dispensed with if two euils so presse as of necessitie y t one must bee chosen for such cases their perplexitie maketh c. Popery can intangle and snare mens consciences it can trouble disquiet yea prouide a slaughter house for them relieue and quiet them it cannot Though it be not so hard to enter this perplexed Labyrinth or Maze as to get out of it againe when one is once entred so deepe are the quiddities I tel you and the questions greatly doubtful the examples also many and straunge that in this case are brought to holde men occupied with all yet get out or helpe other therein as I may by Gods goodnesse I will enter by the Angelicall doctour D. Thomas whose doctrine and Commentaries haue the allowance of the highest and greatest of that side as a truth falling from heauen confirmed also by heauenly visions as approued aboue Upon the Epistle to the Romanes and the fourteenth Chapter whiche place M. Howlet and his fellowe woulde seeme to grounde vppon and to whose writinges herein wee are sent the willinglier doe I propounde him thus writteth D. Thomas vnder questions propounding after his manner his subtile doctrine by obiecting answering and resoluing It may be doubted sayth hee whether if a man haue an erronious or naughtie conscience that he beleeue that y t which is mortall sinne is necessarie to saluation whether such a conscience binde him So as if he doe against the same he commit damnable sinne He resolueth not onely vpon the Epistle to the Romanes but also in his Summe or common Places and elswhere that an erroneous or lying conscience in thinges of themselues simply euill bindeth a man so that hee that doth against it highly displeaseth God or as they speake sinneth mortally or deadly or to vse our mens wordes it is to the doer and enforcer a damnable sinne or horrible mortall sinne the one and the other shalbe damned therefore Herevpon riseth y t second doubt or question of perplexitie in this case whereinto
men are brought of sinning damnably euery way in following their erronious conscience or in doing against the same and by implication at length the Magistrates and ciuill Authoritie Kinges and Princes themselues are wrapped in like perplexitie and damnation for dealing with such by enforcement to doe against their wicked and diuelishe conscience These are the perplexed questions and resolutions in the case of conscience whereinto these prophane questionists and schoolemen tumble such mens consciences as beleeue and followe them without euer being hable well to help them out againe They make of the sacred scriptures A tennis ball to tosse and to play withal they greatly disgrace obscure the same in troubling the pure fountaines therof And hauing entangled troubled snared mens consciēces w t their quidities by abusinge gods gifts they highly please and pleasure the Deuill and highlye displease and dishonour Gods maiestie leauing a testimony and example to all posteritie of Gods heauy iudgement against all such as with vnwashen handes as they speake that is vnreuerently handle the holy word of the eternall God But let vs prosecute their question answer whether an erronious conscience in thinges simply and of themselues euill doe binde a man so as if hee doo against the same he commit damnable sinne be it in commaundinge to doo euill or forbidding to doo good all is one D. Thomas his answer you heare is alwayes one and like him selfe affirmatiue and yea The reaso why is rendered in his summe because will followe the direction of reason and vnderstanding or conscience as hee speaketh for hee maketh conscience the prescriptiō of reason be it right or wrong which reasō whē it doth erre propoūdeth to the will good for bad and bad for good or telleth vnder a shewe that that which is good is naught and that whiche is naught is good so will accepteth alloweth followeth the same and thereafter is the wyl good or bad for the goodnes badnes of the wil dependeth on the obiect y t is on y t which is propounded vnto it of reasō whereupō he concludeth that wee must say that euery wyll is simplye or vtterly euil alwayes which disagreeth from reason be reason right bee it wronge be that it propundeth true bee it false And all this is grounded forsooth by D. Thomas vppon Aristole who sayeth that simply to speake hee is incontinent that foloweth not right reason but accedentally or after a maner he that followeth not false reason Here is false and lying reason vnder title of good truth prescribing euill and falshod and contrarilye vnder title of euill falshod forbidding good and truth Heere is wyl following false reasō accordingly in accepting or refusing that y t is thus offered Heere is lastly man hymselfe bounde vnder payne of damnation neyther to wyll nor to doo against y t which is by this false reasō or conscience thus prescribed What vsually nowe followeth but execution or action doing therafter we may here iustlier cry out I trow with the holy Ghost and Gods worde than M. Howlet and his Catholikes doe of his pretended Riot woe bee vnto you that say euil is good and good is euill Woe be to that conscience wo be vnto that man that thus is guided yea that is boūd vnder paineof damnatiō not to do against the euill that false reason propoundeth him vnder the shew of good but to reiect that good that it propoūdeth him vnder the shewe of euill Or which is all one not to leaue in this case that which is euill not to accept that which is good Such blind leaders of the blinde must needes at the length fall both into the ditche But for better explanation of this whole matter let vs see some of their examples giuen vs in this case of an erronious or lying conscience that bindeth There wante not I warrant you in these mens examples taken from mens doings according to this erronious conscience against both the Tables of Gods commaundements the first and the seconde M. Howlet and his fellowe gaue vs two examples against the first Table of a Iewe and an Infidel in denying the Trinitie the Messias or Sauiour of the world Looke vppon their wordes afore set downe and there may you finde the same Adde to them another example set down in their Popishe decrees in the margin in great letters 〈◊〉 is called the marrowe of the glose The Iewes had sinned mortally or deadly if they had not crucified Christ whiche riseth vppon this question whether the Iewes were bound in conscience to crucifie Christ yea or no a deepe and worthy question among these men And because D. Thomas is so great a man in their bookes to make euen with them ioyne to this one example more of him agaynst the first Table in his Summe in the place before alleaged If to beleeue in Christ bee propounded to a man as an euill thing by false reason the man that will beleeue in Christ doth naughtily or the will accepting to beleeue in Christ is naught because the thing is euill in the apprehension of Reason albeit simply and in deed it be good clarkely resolued and like an Angelicall Doctour Nowe if you will haue a Corollarium or a conclusion for a Surplusage in this first Table Take the questions that vpon this errour of fayth and conscience in matters of the first Table are mooued and determined in other subtill schoole wryters as namely this is one in y e Maister of the Sentences and repeated in the golden decree and allowed If the diuell transfiguring him selfe into an Angell of light be beleeued to bee good when he faigneth him selfe to bee good it is no dangerous errour and if the diuell shoulde then demaunde of some simple body whether hee woulde bee partaker of his blessednes and hee shoulde answere that hee woulde passe into the diuels fellowship whether shoulde hee being thus deceiued be saide to haue consented into the fellowshippe of diuelish damnation and not rather into the fellowship of eternall brightnesse It is true that this man sinneth not sayth the glose wherevpon going yet further it is demaunded by Fryer Holcot whether one worshipping the diuill transfigured into the shape of Christe being deceiued by inuinsible errour or ignorance as hee speaketh bee excused from Idolatrie Answering hee sayth I sayde that not onely hee is excused from sinne but he meriteth as much as hee should merite if he shoulde worshippe Christe if he did that lay in him to discerne whether hee were Christe or no proofe and reason why one among the rest is beecause the prescription of Conscience when it is erroneous byndeth as muche as when it is true But Iohn vnder whose name this case is put hath the prescriptiō of conscience though erronious that that which appeareth vnto him is to bee worshipped as God ergo if hee worship not he sinneth mortally In summe Iohns worshipping of the deuill
as God in this case as not sinning in following his erronious csōcience sinning if he do not according to the same is besides reasō warrāted of this man by y e M. of y e Sentences by Austin the common glose In the next article is demaunded agayne by M Holcot whether any man may merit by a false faith In this article hee answereth and saieth shortly that one may merite by a false faith in many cases It is a common case among the people he putteth many cases to proue his saying and that some taken out of the Scripture very clarkly you must suppose amonge other hee sayeth Put case that some olde wife heare her prelare a great matter I tell you preache some hereticall article whereof shee is not bounde to haue any faithe perticularlye I expresse his worde as well and as playnely as I can yet she for the obedience she beareth and good wyll to beleeue whatsoeuer the Church beleeueth agreeth willinglye to that he sayeth which is heresie thinking that the Church beleeveth it the case being thus wee must say sayth this Robert Holcot that this olde woman in beleeuing heresie doth merite or doo a meritorious woorke as they speake in Schooles because she beleeueth an errour which by no meanes can be imputed vnto her that that is to be beleeued which is condemned and therefore by implication she beleeueth the contrarie because she beleeueth that this is the true faith Nothing is true but that which the Churche beleeueth to be true And therefore because the implicate faith is true although the explicate be not true whereunto she is not bounde but she is deceiued by simplycitie therefore is there no daunger to her of error Not much vnlyke to this hath Peter Lumbarde the M. of y e Sentences a question answer which also is repeated with approbation by Gratian whiche possible gaue occasion to Holcot to moue and decide his If an heretique saith the M. shoulde vnder the name of Austin or Ambrose c. offer himselfe to some Catholique and call him to the following of his faith if he should agree into whose fayth shoulde he be sayd to haue consented Not into the Sect of her etikes but into the sounde vprightnes of the Catholike fayth which the heretike lyingly sayd he had Much more I trowe if a Catholike prelate propound heresie Here is heresie propounded by a Catholike teacher and by an heretike here is the same hearde receiued beleeued and consented vnto without danger heere is the partie excused naye defended to doe well and to merite or to doe a meritorious woorke What can be sayde more in commendation of the best woorkes that men can doe the best woorkes that men doe come in deed short of this degree In this diffuse and intricate disputatiō of Erroneous cōscience in matters of Fayth religiō and doings of men in the first table of Gods commandements mooued and resolued by questions and answers hast thou in these men a viewe gentle reader of some of the deepe misteries of the popish religion which what sounde matter of godly edification they containe I referre to thy godly 〈◊〉 and iudgement furder to examine and 〈◊〉 to examples in the Second Table wherein their veastly 〈◊〉 in this case of erronious cōscience is yet better and more easily seene in cloking excusing 〈◊〉 sinne Let vs take but the seuenth commandement onely Thou shalt not commit adulterie To note howe the breach thereof vnder y e pretence of error and conscience is 〈◊〉 which example is common and commeth often with these virginlike Friers Thus saith your Maister if a mā leauing in his coūtrey his wife going into a far countrey matrie another afterwarde repenting would leaue her affirming that he had another which is aliue and the Church suffer him not being ignorant of that he affirmeth Heere is demaunded whether in this seconde knot there bee marriage Surely it may bee said that it is not marriage and that the woman is excused of crime by ignorance but that the man hath committed adulterie It is wel thus much is cōfessed marke that wel But that since the time that being willing not able to returne to his first wife hee is compelled by the Discipline of the Churche to retaine and keepe this seconde woman hee beginneth to be excused mark this stuffe by obedience feare for this that he if this second woman require it lye with her of whome hee neuer ought to demaund the same And so haue wee to iudge of other like cases thus farre the Maister Heere where the parties conscience mooueth him to leaue sinne and euill and to doe well must he sinne and doe against his conscience beeing good ye see why how the authoritie of the Church the Popish discipline is great I tel you in perplexitie he may be dispensed withall If his conscience bee naught he may not do against it vnder paine of damnation Againe heere is whoredome confessed and yet marke howe the partie that committeth it is excused Thus is the mans conscience in perplexitie for the sinne of whoredome clarkly releeued in excusing his continuance therein But the Maister is some where holden some where not of all whiche though in this case wherein I shewe what hee holdeth it make no great matter if some followe as hugo or who yee will some followe not yet 〈◊〉 will they 〈◊〉 swere for him in another place wherein hee is holden and followed That a man lying with his wiues 〈◊〉 by ignorance is excused if shee come to his bed at vnawares it is called the ignorance of the person for hee tooke her for his wife and lay with her with an husbandly affection as with his wife It is made Jacobs case with Lea forsooth c. But with what conscience shall hee bee excused herein with the very same I trow that the maister the Councell and the Cannon law pronounceth him to bee excused y t 〈◊〉 with a naughtie and erroneous conscience as they speake For I am sure by a right conscience hee neuer shall bee excused before God from committing incest The Similes that they goe about to prooue this matter by there are euen like stuffe and the same wee haue hearde before The glose and the marrowe set downe more If a married wife bee lyen withall ignorantly there is no whooredome committed And againe whooredome is not committed without guile c And yet a little before If a womans husbande bee dead and shee beleeue hee be aliue if shee marry shee is giltie of whoordome though she haue not committed whooredome sayth the glose suche I tell you is the force of an erroneous and lying conscience vpon this excuse of Whoredome and the dentall y t it is any is grounded on that which Gratian elswhere telleth vs That if a blinde man beleeuing hee lyeth with his wife defile another woman hee is
not guiltie of whooredome because blindnesse is like ignorance but if casting a Darte or shutting hee hap in play c. to kyll any man he is guiltie saith hee of murther This is good Diuinitie among our Englishe Romane Catholikes at this day as besides those that nowe write may bee seene in M. Harding a Proctor euen for the Stewes and a mainteiner and enlarger of that filthie common saying If ye liue not chastly doe it charily which hee ralleth good counsell and pertaining to layefolke aswel as to Clarkes Oh gentle companion But to keepe mee to the Angelicall Doctour Fryer Thomas our mens great Authour Thus in this matter of an erroneous conscience not disagreeing from the rest writeth he in his summe If reason or conscience erre in this that a man thinke some woman comming vnto him in his bed is his wife and shee demaundyng it he will ye with her his will is excused and is not will because this errour proceedeth of a circumstaunce which excuseth and causeth the thing to be inuoluntary In these examples may a man liuely beholde as in a 〈◊〉 the foundation and grounde of M. How lets doctrine and his fellowes in this matter of conscience whiche is euen by their doctrine profession and religion to thrust forwarde their Catholikes or Schollers and followers for want of helpe that way belike headlong into hell fire I am weerie and ashamed of these beastes villanies I will therefore conclude and ende this diuelishe doctrine for this point where I began it with D. Thomas vpon that text of Scripture that these men vse to proue this matter by euen the + to the Romanes that we may see their faithfull and holy expositions the abusing of the text it selfe I examine in his place For the Question and resolution of an erronious conscience binding let the reader remember what I haue before set downe out of D. Thomas His examples 〈◊〉 bee If a man thinke he sinne mortally except hee steale or commit fornication whether he may do against that hee thinketh or against this his erroneous conscience as he nameth it without mortally sinning or no Hee obiecteth after his maner first the Lawe of GOD which forbidding fornication and 〈◊〉 bindeth strenglyer then conscience next hee 〈◊〉 perplexitie in sinning euery way in committing fornication against Gods lawe and in not committing fornication against his conscience But hee resolueth generally euen like him 〈◊〉 as yee 〈◊〉 before and for fornication particularly 〈◊〉 If a man beleeue that not to commit fornication is mortall sinne or to absteine from that vice whilest hee choseth not to commit fornication or to abstaine from it hee choseth they bee his woordes to sinne mortally or deadly and so doth he finne mortally And hereto maketh that 〈◊〉 hee which the Apostle here speaketh 〈◊〉 lying spirite No we 〈◊〉 that which is obiected to the contrarye 〈◊〉 out of the lawe of God hee 〈◊〉 vp the matter and cuttes it of very shortly thus that hindereth not that is first obiected of the lawe of God because there is one and the same bonde of a conscience euen erronious and of the lawe of God for conscience doth not appoint any thing to bee done or auoyded but that it beleeueth the same is the lawe of God for the lawe is not applied to our doinges but by meanes of our conscience And yet gentle D. Thomas as litle account as yee make of the lawe of God the authoritie thereof and bonde ouer mens consciences here equalling the bonde of a noughtie and lying conscience therewith if it bee the commandement of your Church of Prelate it bindeth though conscience be to the contrarie Besides if a Prelate commaunde any thing that your Subiectes conscience telleth him to be contrary to the lawe of God It is answered according to Bonauenture that he is bound to lay away his conscience c. and obey yea if hee haue probable and discreet though not manifest and euident beleefe for obedience let him doe that which is commanded him because he is bound in suche a doubt so to doe and is excused for obedience sake but let him by no meanes doe it of his owne will because he may not for that he should sinne mortally c. As for perplexitie of sinning euery way whereinto we are brought by this doctrine which as they teache is while men bee in the bryers sometime betweene two mortall sinnes sometime betweene two veniall sometime betweene a mortall and a veniall sinne thus they speake D. Thomas saith that also is no hinderance to this doctrine for it is no matter though one be perplexed by some suppositiō though no man be simply perplexed that is vpon condition vnlesse he put away that erronious conscience or he is perplexed while that cōscience remaineth But here is playne contradiction and falling out betweene these doctors as there is not sounde agreement in that they write of an erronious or lying conscience binding for the case being thus supposed that they may not doe against their conscience though it be Erroneous and euill vpon paine of damnation Then commeth in M. Howlet who 〈◊〉 with his authour sometime sayth of him selfe and other such Catholiks here y t eyther they must renounce God by doing that which in iudgement and conscieuce they condemne be their consciēce right or wrong it is no matter all is one or els sustaine such intollerable molestations as they cānot beare A hard strait especially seeing as he saith elsewhere Conscience dependeth of iudgement and not of wil and so cannot be framed and reduced to conformimitie c. Heere is a diuers aud doubtfull speech of conscience and a greate extremitie that men be nowe brought into as seemeth by this doctriue what shall they doe shall they to burst out or come foorth of this maze choose the lesse euill as they are willed in their canon by Gregory which is contrary to that wee may not do euill that good may come thereof or shall they change their pretended consciences y t surely is the best so are they willed to doe enen by some of their owne writers As for that bonde of erroneous conscience that they pretende it is none at all nor of conscience simply other wise then with God and vnder him Augustin sayth well as D. Thomas can alleadge that the commandement of the inferiour power bindeth not yf it be contrary to the commandement of the superiour power as if 〈◊〉 vnder gouernour of a Prouince c. bid that which his Emperour or head gouernour forbid why did hee not answere that obiection so where the Lawe of God and conscience commaunde contraries For I pray you in all reason is not God and our bonde of duette to him expressed in his worde written aboue our conscience and all dutie to man if comparison be made namely the same being confessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erroneous and lying But M. Howlet saith that can not be in him
open a windowe by their doctrine to the Libertines and them that are leade by inspiration and pretende the motion of the spirite altogether to cloke their filthie sinne wickednes vnder if they yet y t say they may not resift the motiōs of y e spirit haue not a better or not so bad a pretence but more religious then they that say they may not vnder paine of damnation doe against reason bee it right be 〈◊〉 wrong which is Philosophical and seemeth to be prophane So againe by their doctrine of inforcement and their threat of damnation against the enforcers of naughtie men to do against their naughtie conscience they vnder mine the lawfull authoritie of Ciuil Magistrates and their wholesome lawes made and executed against sinne and wickednesse and agree too well with the Anabaptistes and suche other as allowe not of Magistrates but as we highly thanke God for her Maiestie and this Gospelling state of whome wee receiue this double benefite first of heauenly doctrine and religion whereby mens consciences out of Gods worde are rightly instructed and informed and these vices and transgressions reprooued and they enforced to haunt publike assemblies heare their dutie there shewed them that either are ignorant or wilfull Next of publike honestie and peace maintained among vs by lawes and the 〈◊〉 of the same pretende they conscience or whatsoeuer condignely restrained and by seueritie punished So againe doe I tell them in a worde that Christes religion taken out of Gods booke if they haue grace to enter the profession thereof will ease all this matter and voide and cleere that which they defusedly and darkely and dangerously teache of an erroneous conscience and the bonde thereof and of perplexitie for in Gods booke they shall 〈◊〉 no such stuffe But the matter being well duly examined their persuasion will bee founde by that booke to bee nothing lesse then conscience and there wee are commaunded to doe that onely that is good and forbidden to doe that is euill wee may not doe euill no not that good may come thereof Or if that like them best let it beare the name of adiuelishe conscience and so to bee refourmed or otherwise to abide the smart which such wickednesse iustly deserueth 〈◊〉 out especially to the hurt of Churche and common wealth Grounde therefore gentle M. Howlet your conscience hence foorth vpon Christe the true rocke and his heauenly doctrine and let Poperie goe Or els bee content to reforme the same by that rule wheresoeuer you haue grounded it afore time Heare if not mee in this case yet some of your owne side to induce you heereto Bee not too much addicted to your D. Thomas and your owne conceite stay not obstinately on the text of your Canon Lawe Be content to heare the glose if he mend the text say better Though there be of your side that say An erroneous conscience bindeth as strongly as a good conscience and that in the worst degree it bindeth a man to doe according vnto it So as if hee doe contrary to it hee sinneth so as his conscience abiding such the man is perplexed till he put it away and an other way his erroneous conscience bindeth him so as if hee doe not accor ding vnto it hee sinneth If hee doe according vnto it he sinneth not which is Iohns case of worshipping the Diuell Yet is there againe some euen of your side that say 〈◊〉 Where a mans cōscience biddeth him that is contrary to the lawe of God it bindeth him not to doe it but bindeth him to lay away his conscience which if M. Howlet and his authours and other our Romane Catholikes at this day woulde haue consulted withall or hearkened vnto they woulde I suppose not haue made so euill a choyse as they doe but haue written otherwise then they vsually nowe doe following heerein the worser sort of their Doctours The wordes of their owne glose in Commentarie vpon the text of their Canon not bearing the vntruth therof in the matter of perplexitie correcteth y e same so forcible is Gods truth in some euen in most popish daies the wordes of your glose contrary to the text are these But wee must say no man can bee perplexed betweene two euils because thence it woulde followe that some man of necessitie shoulde bee bounde to doe euill but the Canon saith that God would neuer render distruction except a man were founde willingly to haue sinned as 23. q. 4. Nabuchodonosor ver vasis irae Moreouer if of necessitie wee were bounde to doe any thing the lawe that forbiddeth it shoulde bee impossible where as notwithstanding euery lawe ought to bee possible as before distinct 4. erit Perplexitie therefore as touching the thing it selfe is nothing but as touching the minde and foolishe opinion of some man there is some perplexitie Wherefore the Iewes were not perplexed vnlesse in mind and therefore shoulde haue asked counsaile of the wiser and better learned as of the Apostles or holy scriptures c. Nowe returne I. M. Howlet to the particular examination of your woordes which that I bee not driuen to repeate I desire the reader to peruse a part as I haue before set y e same down You make your entrāce into this great religious matter of consciēce by a prophane sentence takē out af Aristotles Rhetorique but howe euer this maye serue Philosophicall and your Schoole diuinitie wherewith the 〈◊〉 of Christes Gospell hath of some time beene too much bastarded yet thankes be to God hee hath opened our eyes to see and discerne betweene mans wisedome and the heauenly trueth so as being forewarned by the holy Ghost to beware least any man spoyle vs through Philosophie and vaine deceite according to the tradition of men according to the rudimentes of the worlde and not according to Christe c We meane to take as good heede of your vayne speculations as God shall giue grace that is only good to euery man say you out of your Philosopher which ech mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good vnto which the Scriptures diuines 〈◊〉 Howe then are the counselles and wayes of the Lorde and those of men so opposed in the scriptures the one approued and allowed the other reiected Howe is it so muche and so often cryed out vppon in the Scriptures and men seuerely forbidden to followe their own wayes or to doe that which seemeth good in their owne eyes but that alwayes and alonely which is agreeable vnto the Lord vpon whose direction if we bee his we wholly depende There is hardly any thing more dangerous and hurtfull for men to follow then that which is here made the fountaine of all good vnto thē Did not God to draw frō following y e direction of mans vnderstanding in this life giue his people holy lawes and commandementes to distinguishe betweene good and euill and continually to direct them by that they myght serue him in holinesse and righteousnes in his presence
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
A Checke or reproofe of M. Howlets vntimely shreeching in her Maiesties eares with an answeare to the reasons alleadged in a discourse therunto annexed why Catholikes as they are called refuse to goe to church Wherein among other things the Papists traiterous and treacherous doctrine and demeanour towardes our Soueraigne and the State is somewhat at large vpon occasion vnfolded their diuelish pretended conscience also examined and the foundation thereof vndermined And lastly shevved that it is the duety of all true Christians and subiectes to haunt publike Church assemblies 2. Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost c. I Imprinted in London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for Toby Smyth 1581. The Preface to the Reader IT is no maruell though that Antichrist the Pope of Rome seeing his kingdome of darknesse decay apace in these dayes and fearing the vtter ouerthrowe of it for euer being rowzed bestirre himselfe as hee doth He is in high place hath of some yeres growen too mightie in this world by his owne ambitious pride and the grace hee hath founde in the eies of great princes and their people God so iustly punishing mens ingratitude towardes his maiestie This lawlesse man therefore of whom I speake will no doubt leaue no meanes vnattempted so long as hee may to vpholde this his pompe and estate whiche thing will not in these daies be perfourmed without much ado especially when he cannot bee content to keepe himselfe within boundes that is as a Romane at home in his owne Citie and Countrie where hee dwelleth or as a Churche man in Church matters but will needes roue ouer the worlde sitting in Gods seate and hauing an Oare in euery mans boate as they say yea and ruffle euen among Monarques and great Princes and that in and for their kingdomes giuing the same taking placing displacing disposing c. at his will and pleasure But playing thus his parte like himselfe that is so impudently and Godlesly in the sight nowe of all the worlde bewraying himselfe to bee in deede that man of sinne that is prophesied of Gods spirit on the other side detecting and reuealing dayly vnto vs by the cleare light of the Gospell the treacherie and sleightes of this sonne of perdition some possible may maruell howe hee shoulde finde fauour grace and good liking with any that beare but a shewe of godlinesse and honestie sauing that wee are sufficiently admonished afore hande that the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them that belesue not that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe Iesus which is the image of God should not shine vnto them And againe because they that perishe haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God will sende them stronge delusion to 〈◊〉 lyes that al may bee damned which haue not beleeued the truth c. A necessary caueat to stay vs in these troublesome dayes on Gods truth immoueable and a iudgement of God with feare and trembling to be reuerensed of all So then such thinges as wee see come to passe at this day and set abrod for the vpholding of that beast the Pope of Rome and his rotten religion ought so little to seeme strange vnto the faithfull that being assured the Lorde will destroy that lawlesse man with the spirite of his mouth take him away by the appearing of his cōming We should take cōfort incouragemēt therby manfully rather oppose our selues against him his ministers euery one in our calling then bee any whit weakened by such accidents putting differēce as we are taught haue compassion of some and saue other with feare plucking them out of the fire and hate euen the garment spotted by the fleshe The moe stumbling blockes wee see Satan and his suppostes to cast before men the more diligent and paineful ought we againe to be in setting our hands shoulders to the worke for the remoouing thereof out of mens way if God at any time will giue suche as are intangled in the snares of the Diuell repentance to knowe the truth leauing euer in good hope the successe to God and his blessing The consideration heereof in confidence of Gods mercifull 〈◊〉 mooued mee though among his seruants of a thousande the vnfittest whyle other bee otherwise occupied to take in hande vppon request of diuers godly and well disposed to answere a certaine seditious booke of late imprinted and set out to the viewe of the worlde by I. Howlet the title whereof is A briefe discourse containing certaine reasons why Catholikes so hee calleth the earnest and hot Papistes heere in Englande reconciled of late yeeres vnto the Pope refuse to goe to Churche written by a learned vertuous man as hee saieth to a friend of his in Englande Whome hee nameth not neither the one nor the other Why not to her Maiestie as these men vse to suppose and wee must beleeue what they say The whole for the woorthinesse thereof forsooth with a long Epistle Dedicatorie is offered by I. H. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie and printed as is pretended at Doway By Iohn Lyon with priuiledge Though wee knowe it was printed not at Doway but in Englande without priuiledge or good leaue yet wee may not say so nor doubte of the other such suppositions bee these Catholiques principles wee may not cal them in question nor iudge of them they be aboue our reache For the Authours name of these reasons because they list not to vtter the same I am not curious whether the same proceed from him that wrote the Dedicatory Epistle to her Maiestie or no it is not greatly material sauing if they did not M. Howlet seemeth to doe his fellowe some iniurie in taking out of his handes that which hee promiseth in his booke in the second place to performe and nowe omitteth to wit to shewe the way and meanes that Catholiques as he calleth thē haue to remedie or ease themselues of this affliction now laide vpon them for their consciences with reasons and motiues to induce her Maiesty the rather to tollerate them in their religiō in respect of God her selfe and her whole Realme This peece of dealing with her Maiestie shoulde haue come after the treatise sauing that M. Howlet either doubting of the performance or seeking that glorie as one loth to tarie so long or for some other respect gleaning as appeareth from his friend setteth the same out afore hande and putteth it in the forefronte For I. Howlets person who hath the chief dealing in publishing deliuering this whole matter vnto vs as one supposed to be a good faythfull and stout proctour for the Popish Church and a fit instrument to bring vs such an vnto warde and like a shrich Owle sodenly and vntimely to make a great noyse in her Maiesties eares or as hee in his fellowes names and vnluckie
vs but first God and next to God satissie her Maiestie our dread soueraigne and his who pretendeth not by her selfe nor her lawes to make any of her subiectes to be of her Religion but vs altogether with her selfe of Gods true certayne and most holie Religion Shee sitteth in no mans conscience as doth the Pope ywis in doing this shortely to say he shall shewe himselfe to bee a faythfull and good seruaunt to GOD and her Maiestie bearing a duetifull minde lyke a true subiect to her godly lawes in euery respecte a profitable member also shall hee shewe him selfe to bee in Church and common wealth and most of all which hee hath to consider of his owne friende all which benefites hee quite spoyleth himselfe of in following the course these men sette hym in who as blynde guydes conducte him in the darkenes by bywayes of traditions forefathers custome multitude good intentes and meaning as they call them and all without the light of Gods holy woorde or any good warrant Nowe as there are two partes of this booke the Epistle dedicatorie to her Maiestie and the treatise or reasons where vnto accordingly I haue to answere so for the matter the drift wherto this booke tendeth the manner of handling the whole generally to speake it so bewrayeth it selfe as the indifferent Reader may and will I doubt not easily espie out the treacherie Poyson to infect deadly couered and as it were sugured that is with faire wordes glosed and recōmended is the whole matter for what haue wee els to iugde of reasons not grounded on any art of reason and of persuasion without all foundation The whole that so great account is made of was a letter from a friend to a friende shuffled vp in hast as the writer confesseth Why then did not the same rest in the friends handes or in the writers custodie among other common letters and papers vnlesse those of wisedome and authoritie heere vppon knowledge sight and perusing it had beene called for and as other things that passe abrode it 〈◊〉 beene orderly allowed of if it should haue been found meet Forsooth madge Howlet and his fellowes opinion must rule heerein to make a Treatise and discourse thereof and at length to publish the same in print wherby besides the rest they may shewe what great reasons they stay their consciences vppon as they speake to the condemning of others yea of their own side that thinke not and do not as they doe and what weightie motiues also they haue to moue her Maiestie withall and what inuincible Scholasticall argumentes wee must looke for at these terrible fellowes handes Of all which that I may heere briefly and in summe giue a note I say if their store behinde bee no better then this they nowe sende vs for all their great bragges wee may turne them ouer to Sophisters and laddes in the Schooles to answere them so little neede wee surely feare their hie woordes and threates Well what opinion and liking so euer maister Howlet and his fellows haue of this worke of theirs and what fruite they may looke for it to bring foorth among suche as are wedded to 〈◊〉 therby inclinable to moue sedition and rebellion in this state which appeareth to bee their meaning what euer they pretende we once in considering thereof see their purpose and drift not to bee good for in going about to confirme and encourage suche to goe on forwarde in their deuilishe and stubborne opinion which abstaine from publique Church assembles here wherein to Gods glorie are vsed the preaching of Christes Gospell the administration of his sacramentes godly prayers ct And againe to refuse the othe of alleageance to her Maiestie alluring other to the like they drawe men as much as in them is from the ordinarie meanes whereby God beginneth aduaunceth and continueth faith and Religion in his they dishonour his Maiestie in swaruing from the rule of his holy woorde they pine away and slaye their owne soules and theirs that hearken vnto them Besides this offence to God and priuate hurt to thē selues and others they induce them further to disobey in the highest degree their gracious Soueraigne and ours and to break her wholsome lawes made for the aduauncement of Christes syncere Religion and the suppressing of Idolatrie and superstition and for the maintenance of her Royal estate and most lawfull dignitie among her subiectes they offend moreouer all the godly minded weake ones also by their euil exāple and dealing That I speak nothing of vtter enemies to the truth which can learne no good hereby Finally they seeke to make a schisme and to maintaine heresie in this holy Congregation and seditiously disturbing the peace and quiet here they make a way to a newe rebellion if it bee possible for them infecting other with the same opinion and obstinacie whiche are not hitherto so hot and forward or peruerse and frowarde in this matter These and such like things are sought to bee iustified maintained and defended by coloured reason and false perswasion and all vnder pretence of conscience in this booke They must be tollerated in these doings her Maiestie and the state must be satisfied therewith otherwise they playne of the state and publique authoritie here they deuise and inuent sclanders they chalenge and threate they bragge and vaunt they whine and repine and what not They are loth to let goe their holde and to leese all their labour being come so farre as from Rome the poore helpe of Italian and Romane souldiers which our English Italianated Romanistes had by suite procured from the Pope traiterously by force of late to inuade her Maiesties dominions thorough Gods prouidence nowe failyng and deceiuing their expectation these spirituall doues of the Pope I meane the Iesuites byrdes once of the Popes Seminaries and other such sollicitors and procters of Poperie as comming like postes from beyonde the seas flie here vp and down among vs applying them selues to the time haue thought good to holde another course till they may be able to make such head againe as in her Maiesties raigne they did first in Englande and afterwarde of late in Irelande For least those of their companie that are left after the suppressing of the rebelles among vs shoulde be dismaide and discouraged setting a good face on the matter they comfort them with such wordes and motiues as they may in so bad a matter and least when they can not openly in person goe abroade their well willers and friendes whereof they bragge of moe here then I trust they shall finde shoulde want their ayde in aduauncing the proude prelate of Rome and his religion against the eternall God of heauen and her Maiestie our naturall and dread soueraigne and Prince here vpon they print and cast abroad this and such like libels full of holownes and vauntes contayning litle or no other matter as such doe easily and at first fight perceiue which vntaught by them are none of their disciples
but through Gods goodnesse vnder her Maiesties happie gouernement haue been now many yeeres trayned vp in the schoole of the holy ghost where if wee haue grace wee haue learned ynough to confirme and stablishe our mindes in the trueth of God and to repell and ouerthrowe all deuises of men Now because they haue by their euill desertes iustly brought themselues farre into hatred least they shoulde seeme common enemies all their cunning of Rhetorique and persuasion muste be applied for the auoyding of this blot hence commeth the dedication of this treatise to her Maiestie and the allegation of conscience But if they can blushe mee thinketh surely they should haue beene ashamed for all their collours to haue offered suche stuffe to her highnesse Princes woulde be reuerenced and their presence eares forborne and spared especially such a Prince as her Maiestie our Queene and Soueraigne is who is after a rare and singuler manner discreete wise and learned whereby shee is able thorowly to discerne and iudge of things shee is godly also and from her infancie a fauourer pro fessor and setter foorth of the Gospel of Christ in her dominions A religion as contrarie to Poperie as God is to the Deuil Bee al former attempts and practises against her Maiestie the state by Pope and Popelings forgotten nowe Or will the bare name of Conscience couer and blot out al Or else bee their stomacks at length come do 〈◊〉 when they haue gone as farre as they can with violence of sworde and such mischieuous dealing to prooue if they can gaine any thing by woorde and fayre speeche in a coloured supplication May there not bee thought lyke poyson to bee offred therein as hath beene founde in former vsage This parlè with her Maiestie if it had gone before violent attempts and shamelesse and villainous writings against her Maiestie might haue caried some shewe or lesse fuspition which nowe is quite otherwise Where is also submission and confession of former misdemeanor to moue pitie Neuer a worde of this nay the whole must be iustified and her Maiestie as I haue saide must take these reasons for al satisfaction though shee haue neuer so great occasion offered her to plaine of vnnatural and naughty vsage of subiects and their trayterous dealing But howe euer things appeare to M. Howlet who is of the night and of darknesse yet may he not in this cleere light of the Gospel to her Maiestie and others speake good of euil and euil of good put darkenesse for light light for darknesse sowre for sweete sweete for sowre and thinke so to preuaile Wee must not beleeue euery spirite but wee must try the spirites whether they bee of GOD It is the light that maketh all thinges manifest And wee bee the children of light the children of the day c. Great iniurie therfore doth M. H. so vntimely out of seasō to shreche in her highnes eares as though her Maiestie were a meete patrone for their naughty causes which common sense and reason if hee coulde harken thereto would tel how vnfit she is for or rather how greatly shee is sought heerein to bee abused by this lewde dealing Howe the breache is made vp againe among the Papists herewith or howe this salue and plaster serueth to cure them I wote not but after their reasons and persuasions haue lōg flown among their companions to dedicate the same at seconde and thirde hand to her Maiestie and that with such an impudent Epistle in so base and meane a subiect as M. Howlet is is vtterly intollerable her Maiestie can iudge wel ynough betweene entising speeches of mans wisedome and the plaine euidence of the Spirit whereof the Apostle speaketh These mens motiues reasons and persuasions being but a fardel of vntruthes neede not to be brought into hir highnesse presence nor be opened to her maiestie That I write in answere hereof is for the simpler sort that they may not bee abused by colourable deceit and onely pretence of conscience to whome I attempter my selfe so much as I may It hath beene an old policie of heretiques to perswade before they teache whereas trueth perswadeth by teaching and teacheth not by perswading as one of the auncient fathers reporteth Howe they teache that they are led in this cause by conscience and how lewdly and diuelishly they and their Popishe Authours whome they followe heerein write of Conscience abusing themselues and their readers but most of al God and his heauenly doctrine because this point is the grounde of the whole discourse and I vnfolde the same at large to auoide too tedious prolixitie I heere leaue it and desire the Christian reader euen for Gods sake but to reade and ponder wel this matter and I greatly meruaile if hee afterwarde abhorre not Popery for euer An answere to M. Howlets Epistle Dedicatorie 1 MY moste exellent and soueraigne dread Ladie and Princes two causes induced me to direct vnto your royall person most gracious Maiestie this present treatise after I had read considered the same The one for that it seemed to mee both conceaued and penned with such modedestie and humilite of spirite togeather with all dutifull respect to your Highnesse to your honourable Lordes of the Counsell and the whole estate of your noble Realme contrary to the spirite and proceedings of all sectaries as none might iustly be offended therewith but only in respect of the writers zeale and opinion in religion which notwithstanding hauing bene from time to time the common receyued religion of vniuersall Christendome can not bee so soone abandoned by the disfauour of any one countrie nor lacke men to speake or write in defence of the same as long as there is either head or hande remayning loose in the worlde 2 The other cause was for that it seemed to mee to containe matter of great and weyghtie consideration and much important not only to the cause of God but also to your Maiesties soule estate and realme and vnto the state of many a thousande of your graces most louing faithfull and dutifull subiectes who being now afflicted for their consciences and brought to such extremitie as neuer was harde of in Englande before haue no other meanes to redresse and ease their miseries but onely as confident children to runne vnto the mercye and clemencie of your Highnesse their Mother and borne soueraigne Princesse before whom as before the substitute and Angell of God they lay downe their griefes disclose their miseries and vnfoulde their pitifull afflicted sase brought into such distresse at this time as either they must renounce God by doing that which in iudgement and conscience they doe condemne or els susteine such intollerable molestations as they cannot beare Which your Maiestie by that which followeth more at large may please to vnderstand IN the two first sections pages of your Epistle M. Howlet are two causes alleadged for the dedication of the whole treatise to
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
God for hee is gracious and mercifull flowe to anger and of great kindnesse Nowe these are the wordes of the Acte of Parliament that is not yet dissolued in the last Session holden at Westminster from the xvi day of January last past vntill the xviii of Marche following I leaue the former Statutes and lawes Be it declared and enacted by the authoritie of this present Parliament that all persons whatsoeuer which haue or shall haue or shall pretend to haue power or shall by any waies or meanes put in practise to absolue persuade or withdrawe any of the Queenes Maiesties subiectes or any within her Highnesse Realmes and dominions from their naturall obedience to her Maiestie or to withdraw them for that intent from the religion now by her highnesse authoritie established within her Highnesse Dominions to the Romish religion or to mooue them or any of them to promise any obedience to any pretended autoritie of the Sea of Rome or of any other prince State or Potentate to bee had or vsed within her Dominions or shall doe any oucrt Act to that intent or purpose and euery of them shalbe to all intents adiudged to bee traitours being thereof lawefully conuicted shall haue iudgement suffer forfaite as in case of high treason And if any person shall after the ende of this Session of Parliament by any meanes bee willingly absolued or withdrawne as aforesaid or willingly be reconciled or shall promise any obedience to any such pretended authoritie Prince State and Potentate as is aforesaide that then euery such person their procurers and counsellers there unto being thereof lawfully conuicted shall bee taken tryed and iudged and shall suffer forfaire as in cases of high treason Heereupon may one hardly and heauily as me thinketh reason against you is this case of treason And if I may bee so bold as to deale with so great Clarkes thus after my rude maner make I my blunt arguments Whosoeuer at this day by profession hold y t our dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth is an excommunicate person and the present state hereticall or schismaticall and so to be abhord are reputed traitours and so ought too be taken But all English Romanistes that call themselues Catholikes are such that is at this day by profession hold that our dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth is an excommunicate person and the present state hereticall or schismaticall and so to be abhord Ergo. All English Romanists that cal themselues Catholikes are reputed traitours so ought to be taken No religion that approoueth the Popes authoritie doctrine practise in excommunicating and depriuing of Kings Queenes c of their estate whom he calleth heretikes is vniustly touched by vs English men to teache disobedience and rebellion against their Princes But all Catholike Romane religion approoueth the Popes authoritie doctrine and practise in excommunicating and depriuing of Kings Queenes c. of their estate whom he calleth heretikes Ergo No Catholike Romane religion is vniustly touched by vs English men to teach disobedience and rebellion against their Princes Al persons that by writing or otherwise persuade any within her Maiesties Realmes and Dominions from the religiō now by her Highnes authoritie established to the Romish religion thereby withdrawing them from their obedience to her Maiestie to yeeld the same to the Sea of Rome are by the law heere reputed traitours But you M. Howlet your authour N. Mortone N. Saunders Allen Bristowe with other like doe so that is by writing or otherwise persuade within her Maiesties Realmes and Dominions from the religion nowe by her highnes authoritie established to the Romishe religion thereby withdrawing them from their obedience to her Maiestie to yeeld the same to the Sea of Rome Ergo M Howlet your authour N. Saunders Allen Bristow with other like are by the lawe heere reputed traitours No religion that condemneth Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne of heresie so foorth to the great preiudice of her royall estate and person and so the common hurt of vs all is vniustly touched for disobedience or rebelliō against her maiestie But your pretended Catholike religion condemneth Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne of heresie so forth to the great preiudice of her royall estate and person so the common hurt of vs all Ergo Your pretended Catholike religion is not vniustly touched for disobedience and rebellion against her Maiestie If these arguments in zeale defence of our soueraigne and the state presse you or be thought sharpe to touche the quicke thanke your selfe that by entring your commō places odious cōparisons forcibly drawe the same from vs. Once the Syllogismes or arguments be scholasticall y t is good perfect enough in the perfectest moodes perfectest figure You heare now the opinion y t is of you heere not of one man or spightfully vttered but commonly too well grounded for you to deale with either repent craue pardon come home and liue like dutifull Subiects y t such violent arguments proceede no further which with all my heart I wish you to doe or els if you like that best prouide answere to solute such like arguments which will be very harde for you to doe I will say no more heerein but a parls Dilemma or streight are your Romane Catholikes brought into if you bee argued against in the pointes of doctrine and demeanour for obedience to our dread Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth out of your owne Popish schole doctrine and practise of old at this present and out of the lawes of this Realme nowe in force and withall bee put to make a direct answere thereunto Presse vs no further in the matter if you bee wise rather take heede that by your doctrine and demeanour towardes her Maiestie and the State yee bee not brought within the compasse of the lawe and there an ende But that cannot bee vnlesse you alter the course you haue of late taken and still doe or the whole state for your pleasures only bee altered I wishe and desire for your owne sake M. Howlet though I know you not that you bee not of the opinion and vsage of suche Catholikes as I haue set downe that yee take heede thereof or leaue the same in some time that yee may bee 〈◊〉 taken in the number of good dutifull subiects you your author w t others So as y t which I haue spokē vpō supposition onely of your agreement with the rest of your fellowes at Rome Rhemes c. and namely N. Saunders may not bee vnderstanded of your owne persons but of those and suche Catholikes onely as seditiously from beyonde Sea write and accordingly practise against her Maiestie and the State heere further woulde I not haue my woordes stretched to touche any particular person vnlesse his owne Conscience tell him hee agree with them or her Maiestie the State and his owne doinges finde him culpable This may serue to checke the great and waightie Motiues that you heere
precessions your running to Churche to toll a bell your casting of coniured water c. to fray away spirites or than your Popishe fast consisting in superstitious choise of meates and dayes ioyned with hypocrisie opinion of merite c. It is happie ye can finde out fasting at the length in the Gospelling Churchs among those that ye call Protestantes you might haue done it sooner if it had pleased you You were wont to say wee quite ouerthrowe all fasting and prayer because we went about to correcte and take awaye the abuses that Poperie had brought into both euen as wee see our Maister Christe in his tyme to haue done the lyke And heere you say there hath beene continuall rayling against fastyng for these xxi yeeres paste Untrueth still It hath beene but against your superstition and abuse whiche wee take not I tell you still to bee Gospell wee haue commended and recommended alwaies in place true fasting wee haue practised and vsed the same according to the pure vse deliuered vs in the Scriptures and of late more vppon occasions then aforetime and more generally with doctrine adioyned from whiche doing your corruptions wherwith you had filled y e Church a long time helde vs but we hope well it shall dayly more and more be purged and such dust swept away out of Gods house heere and both this and other godly orders also grow from good to better among the faithfull people of this English Church with the furtherance good liking and delight of her Maiestie our Soueraigne we doubt not in beholding her people and subiectes to profite dayly in all godlines howe euer you 〈◊〉 and repine thereat Here ye call this godly exercise a litle fantasticall rage of fasting c. You raue and rage too But whereunto shall wee liken this generation but with our sauiour Christ to little children sitting in the marketts c. For as Iohn came neither eating nor drinking they sayde he had a diuell and the sonne of man came eating and drinking and they say de Beholde a glutton and drinker of wine a friende vnto Publicanes and Sinners Euen so doe our Pharisaicall Papistes deale and say nowe No way can please and content them neyther vsing the libertie of Gods good creatures sanctified by the worde of God and prayer as y e Apostle speaketh neyther yet absteyning therefrom But wee answere with our good Maister and Sauiour wisedome is iustified of all her children Ye talke at pleasure of speaking ten or twelue houres together with all a lye a Although the corruptions that your Popishe and Pharisaicall leauen hath many yeres infected fasting withall sticking fast require sometimes to purge the same before it can be well and profitably taken in hande And againe the right vse and ende thereof and of prayer humilitie fayth repentance newenesse of life liberalitie also to the poore c. to be treated of aske time that this Christian exercise of fasting may be Christianly kept among the ruder sort especially yet M. Howlet neyther bee so many houres prescribed the preacher to talke neither knowe or heard I it euer any where so vsed For time sir herein we vse it and leaue it as an indifferent thing to take more or lesse according as occasion and necessitie of matter require and in this and like circumstances say as our 〈◊〉 Christ saide of the Sabbath in his time the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Let time serue vs and wee in time and therewith serue God Both the Sermons at Stamford forenoone afternoone too mounted not much aboue halfe the time of the least of your two numbers but I will leaue this matter and the quiting of your Puritane because I vnderstande yee heare thereof another way After this you tell her Maiestie of a weightie motiue so you set it downe in your margin The effect you note a litle before when you make Catholikes so important a stay in euery of her Maiesties countreys As though the safetie and quietnesse of the whole realme rested on you Catholikes that refuse to come to Churche heere to renounce the Pope and betake your selues as true Englishe men to God and her Maiesties gouernment c. Of which number you take your selfe M Howlet to bee one Though you for your part shoulde seeme to bee better acquainted with the barne and the rude husbandmans cotage in the countrey where your neste may also be founde then with any good Towne or Citie muche lesse with a Princes Pallace whereby you shoulde bee meete to stay vp her Maiesty and this common wealth with your shoulders But are you or your fellowe Catholikes the safetie of this whole Realme God forbidde man yet these are those that are here so commended these are those y e whole suite is for that it woulde please her Maiestie to graunt that whiche it seemeth they will haue whether shee will or no Obstinating themselues and cloking all vnder vnconscionable conscience before they make her highnesse priute of their suite and dealing A woorthie maner of suing to abase bring her Maiestie to their bende that they may altogether 〈◊〉 the roste heere Because your framed consciences be some what too weake reasons to mooue her Maiestie withall alone You bryng foorth your waightie motiue where althoughe at the first yee speake of mercie and fauour yet so soone as yee seeme to haue giuen some sope of milke by by ye throw y e whole down againe w t your heele For ye haue no sooner spoken of mercie and fauour but straightway with a commemoration as it were an vpbrayding c. yee fall a clayming the thing ye would haue in recompence of your seruice I greatly marueile not to see you deale thus with her Maiestie here vpon earth as though yee deserued that can chalenge merites at Gods handes in heauen but say and thinke what yee will for that Grace and merites can not stande together Her Maiestie of her selfe belike can not conceiue nor see what you and your felowes haue deserued and deserue at her highnes handes Yee are litle beholding to your neighbours that need thus to praise say and speake for your selues If you haue done nothing but your bounden dueties nor in deede halfe that neither as better subiectes and more duetifull doe vnfainedly acknowledge from the heart and needes must in respecte of her Maiestie and the manifolde and great benefites that wee all dayly receiue from and by her Maiesties meanes whome God long preserue among vs why then claime you recompence for your seruice What is it I pray you you haue done First forsooth you you know what catholiks you meane were most readie at the beginning to place her Highnes in her Royall Throne I leaue to speake of her Maiesties disfauour procured by you hot Catholikes in Queene Maries dayes of the straightnesse and harde vsage that her Maiestie founde among your Jaylors her highnesse keepers then Wee to our
his fellowes without 〈◊〉 of God but that say wee is false we vtterly denie it as that also is that such a conscience dependeth of iudgement and not of will when it is their owne meere wilfulnesse and a foolishe and false opinion and perswasion or else if they needes will refuse counsaile vnder hope to deceiue the Prince and State heere and by their Rhetoricall and cunning lying to bring them to their bende at last where they she we themselues very confident and bolde Let them sticke still in their supposed and condition all perplexitie that is in their filthie myre which is but a vayne opinion of their owne as their owne wryters alsosay So wee may bee free from suche naughtie vayne and diuelishe doctrine Let them call vnto them a heape of Heretikes Idolatours blasphemers fleshly men drunkardes villaines tagge and ragge yea the diuels of hell themselues to acknowledge and embrace this doctrine of theirs and to professe this religion Let them if they needes will ioyne heartes and handes together Let them carry with them multitude antiquitie consent their well meaning mindes as they call them aud what they wil besides Let vs crie Heare ô heauen heare ô earth and be astonished Heare ô Christians Princes and people high and lowe detest and abhorre this religion and suche Saintes and Maisters Let vs followe Christ Iesus the Prophetes and Apostles their doctrine and the profession of the Gospell I speake 〈◊〉 this while but of Popishe profession religion and doctrine I speake not of their life behauiour and conuersation as fruites of their doctrine There remaine in men infirmities but such profession and doctrine or teaching in religion and life I crie out vpon I defie this religion as moste abhominable abhomination before GOD and man and crying for vengeance from heauen And yet touche I but one parte and one braunche that these men pull mee into taking but their owne examples in the firste Table and in one cōmandement of the second Table only I assure thee 〈◊〉 reader that I lothe and forspring thy eares 〈◊〉 in this argumētto enter into some cases of consciēce so they entitle and crowne their beastly filthynes that these religious maydenly Fryers and saintes as they must bee called propounde and set vs downe in their bookes vnder questions and answears Thine eares woulde glowe if in this point thou shouldest heare some of the meditations and stuffe euen of a booke intituled the Angelicall Summe of the cases of conscience written by Fryer Angelus in deede and name as he is reported But away with this Popishe religion Fye on the Diuell his doctrine impes Our English Romanists haue at this day as they tell vs three readers among them in the cases of Conscience beyonde Sea But if that great Romishe Harlots brestes yeelde her children suche sustenance in steade of the syncere mylke of the woorde of God or as Saint Peters very wordes are reasonable mylke and without guyle for all their great braggs for all their baites to catche simple soules we wish all men as they tender their owne saluation to take heede of these Maisters their religion It is written gentle reader of Augustine that hee opened and set abroade the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Manichee Heretikes because the very opening thereof was ynough to 〈◊〉 and foyle them This I hope wil serue the reader both for his profite to this ende and for any iust defence vpon the occasion ministred here Yet some what more for the matter and our Soueraigne and this States iust defence in the execution of the holesome lawes here established for the abrog 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 superstition treason rebession c. and the good 〈◊〉 of Christes true religion godlinesse and honestie Against these quarell 〈◊〉 let me say in generall first to you Papists whilest that vnder pretence of conscience yee thus prouide for your selues in this per 〈◊〉 imagining that no iustice can inforce you to doe any acte of our Religion yee prouide in the meane while very selenderly and very euill for the common 〈◊〉 and for her Maiestie for if this doctrine whereon your 〈◊〉 examples are grounded bee generally true That not in the doer only but in the inforcer also nothing may bee attempted vnder paine of deadly sinne and damnation against any mans conscience though it be erroneous iudging that which is mortall sinne to bee good and necessary as infidelite heresie theft whooredome c. Why not murther also with the rest Howe then shall her Matestie and the State make and execute lawes to restraine lewdnesse If they say It is against their conscience not to doe the things by law forbidden them or to abstaine from the same as you doe they may not in iustice be inforced to doe against their conscience that is leaue robbing and other villanie they may not be hanged punished or so forth for the same Will you haue thē punished that vnder paine of deadly sinne and damnation are bounde not too doe otherwise then they doe or contrary thereunto at least A great burden lyeth vpon them and will cannot bee forced nor they may not be enforced to doe against their conscience though it be naught Againe sir necessity excuseth both a theefe a murderer by your Canon law and Doctrine and that more then for Whooredome because necessitie hath no law Againe in necessitie all things ought to bee common c. Thus seemeth her Maiestie and the State likewise to bee brought into perplexitie by these mens doctrine that either they must leaue of making and executing wholesome ciuill lawes or els be founde enforcers of some men to doe against their conscience Whereof as this is by them accounted wicked and damnable so the other must needs be to the State and common wealth at least very dangerous But this with them is no great matter where perplexitie is they must choose y e lesse euill they wel deserue these gentlemen and the religion of God and his people of Kinges Princes Ciuill Magistrates and common wealthes also There is talke of Libertines Anabaptists Householders of Loue and I wote not who els But Popery surely is a hotchpotche of all wickednesse the mother of all sectcs and heresies and the nurcerie of all mischiefe Thus doe they seeme to reason who so inforce men to doe against their erroneous conscience commit heerein horrible mortall sinne and are in a damnable case But Magistrates by making and executing penall lawes vpon traitours theeues murderers c. pretending conscience enforce mē to do against their erroneous cōsciēce therfore magistrates by making executing penall lawes vpon traitours theeues murderers c. pretending conscience commit horrible mortall sinne and are in a damnable case Thus as in teaching that hee falleth and faulteth horribly that doth against that which his vnderstanding reason or erroneous conscience as they speake telleth him to bee good though it bee mortall sinne M. Howlet and the Papistes
doctrine and demeamour where is that now here you demaunde a safe conduct before you will come into your Princes power and presence A token of an euill conscience What haue you done man that you are so afraide of her Maiestie that you dare not come home into your natiue Countrey to your naturall Prince and Mother as yee pretende in speech without good warrant for your safetie This is a strange and vnwonted kinde of dealing of good and honest subiectes with their Soueraignes and Princes Her Maiestie is vpright shee will doe you no wrong shee is compassionable and mercifull also you confesse it why doe you not put your selfe into her gracious 〈◊〉 handes Is this a louing and dutifull childes dealing with his naturall Mother Is this your Catholike obedience in deede towards our Queene and Prince when shee commandeth you to come home who when you list your selues can not by any prohibition bee keept hence Here here M. Howlet commeth in fitly the tryall of conscience you talked of afore Here commeth in the place of scripture for you to cōsider of y t I take you cited out of S. Iohn before Yf our hearte condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things Here in summe commeth in the doctrine of Obedience to Princes for conscience sake as to God himselfe c. That you before said your Mother the Catholike Church together with the Apostle teacheth her children If you bee a naturall child and not a bastarde shewe your selfe nowe and heare when you are called For a childe honoureth Father and Mother where is this honour reuerence loue duetie c. All is to seeke you minde not to come before her Maiestie but vpon sure grounde once You can prouide for one I perceiue to keepe your selfe out of gunne shot you will bee a right Thraso and set your selfe behinde rather then bee in the front or forewarde when there is any danger to your person you will abide no brunt by your will you loue to talke of the matter but it shall bee a loofe and with condition What I say Be not too cowardely and too fearefull doe somewhat like to that yee talke Some deale answere your hie wordes else all the worlde will crye shame on you that so instantly craue disputation as a Suter for it and then will not vouchsafe to come to it but vppon further warraunt from your Prince Her Maiestie hath pardoned as great faultes as you haue committed Bee sorie in deede for former offence and put your selfe at least into her mercifull handes to whom you so smoothely write I pray God I spend not woordes vpon you in vain I am in doubt it is no parte of your meaning openly to come home except you may haue proclamation or letters patēts or some such stay for your safetie This is y e testimony terrour of an euil conscience you must for your safety haue her maiesties safe conduct in as ample manner as it was offered to those of our side by the councel of Trent A high point wherein there is great reason and wisdome sure that the Pope and Popish Bishops beeing strangers and our mortall enemies who not themselues only breake all faith and promise but teach and persuade princes and all other to doe the like with those of contrary religion whō they call heretikes that these men I say should haue as great credit with englishmen in her maiesties dominions as her selfe who is our naturall and most honorable louing Princesse and Queene shal haue with her english subiects wher at can you blush M. Howlet y t dare thus impudently write to our dread soueraigne Me thinketh it should haue made penne ynck paper and al to haue blushed if there had been any blushing in them we refused to accept that offer frō the Pope his councell of Trent Great reason M. Howlet answered why a good while since But you will not refuse her maiesties warrant for your saftie I am ashamed though you be not of your ouergrosse cōparison Is the case alike you say you would haue her maiesties onely worde set downe vnto you in no ampler maner then the Councell of Trent made the safe conduct to your aduersaries Those that you call your aduersaries to whome your Popes bull or safe conduct as you call it was directed by name or with whom it had principally to deale were protestant or Gospelling Kinges Princes states or publike persons commonly if any of that profession rather then priuate and obscure persons such as you and we are who without leaue of superiours coulde not go thither namely out of England It is sayde your Popes safe conducte was that the libertie of comming to that councell pertained but to them onely of our men that would repent and return to the boosome of your churche whereof hee that in english list to see more let him reade the Defence of the Apologie wil you now accept her maiesties offer in like maner on this churches behalfe ye say you desire it in no ampler maner than the counsel of Trent made the safe conduct to your aduersaries Whether it were the councels safe conduct the Popes Legates or the Pope of Romes himself who summoned the councell or which of the 3. Popes it was vnder whom that councell was Al is one Hee was and needes must be the iudge in the Councell who is the aduersarie parte and hath himselfe to answeare and yet the Lawe is that he that is cheefe in iurisdiction ought not to geue iudgement to or for himselfe Lastly sir vppon whose safe conduct soeuer our side had come to Trent Councell they had beene required either to haue yelded when they had come and conformed themselues or to haue been excom municated accursed and condemned for their labour Tell vs whether you list to come hether on like condition Thus writeth Harding your owne man of going to the Councel of Trent In deede sayth he had ye gon thither your heresies had beene confuted your selues required to yeeld and to conforme you to the Catholik church or else you had beene Anathematized accursed condemned For that was the foundation and condition of the safe conduct which was neuer willingly graunted as seemeth but extorted by the Germanes importunitie the fathers of 〈◊〉 Councell hoping as they pretended their recouerie and returne to their Catholike religion wherein they were deceiued And this safe conduct was first graunted not by the Councell vnder Pope Paule the third but vnder Iulius the third his successour after many sessions and yeeres passed too as seemeth and repeated by the Councel vnder Pius the fourth many yeeres after againe Now that the foundation and purport and meaning of this safe conduct that M. Howlet here mencioneth may appeare and be the better knowne to the Reader I set downe these words following as they were propounded in the first session vnder Pius the fourth immediatly before the safe conduct graunted to the
Oracle according to Christs answere so you beeleeue geuen Fryer Thomas by the mouth of the Image of the crucifixe Thou hast written well of me Thomas Furdermore if one woulde enter into more particular examination of that you say it were not harde to improoue this your subtile exposition and by as good ground to ascribe to the father authority to the sonn natiuitie or with the scripture power grace which you appropriate to the father and the holy Ghost And to the holy Ghost communitie of the father the son vnitie societie charitie or else power which you ascribe here to the father as it may be to both the father and the holy Ghost c. This were not hard for him to do y t were disposed to dally w t the Scriptures and truth of God as you do drawing y t same into diuers vncertain expositiōs too irreligeously Gregory hath not one word of sin against the holy Ghost in place ye quote I graunt you he speaketh of insirmitie ignorance and purpose but euery sinne done aduisedly or of purpose is not sinne against the holy Ghost I pray you sir if these your catholikes did commit a sinne and that a greeuous sinne in haunting Protestants churches which I trust they doe with better and more religious minds than you iudge or hereafter at least will Iudge nothing beefore the time vntill the Lorde come c. and so sinne not at all But serue God faythfully But I say put the case there be some such naughtie men then God amende them But why I pray you may they not be iudged to do y t they do of humane frailtie as did Peter seeing you say they doe it for feare fauour or some worldly cause This is but hard freedome harde election and hardly to be called meere will and malice if al these termes be admitted to define sinne against the holy Ghost Augustines modestie noted by Thomas would haue beseemed you This is a deepe question let the light of exposition thereof be sought for of the Lorde I tel you beloued there is not possible a greater nor a harder questiō in al the holy Scriptures Thus far Augustine Whose description both Petrus Lombardus and Thomas auowe and like better then I doe youres There seeme ywis moe thinges required in the description of it than you heere expresse In your heat you shake vp these your catholikes God make them wise and you shall gaine little eyther by them or by that kinde of handling It is better going to the Popes hell or by his pretended sending thither than by his that is able to destroy both body and soule in hell fire Wherefore let vs feare him that is the eternall God which alone hath power to saue and to destroy I speake not all this while to defend any man in doing against conscience any thing or if these men haue so shaken off al reniorce of conscience that they are lulled a sleepe in securitie I with them to awake to learne a better religion which is ioyned with conscience I answere the aduersaries vniust charge and threat and hope the best of such as communicate with Christes church and religion here professed or shewe them whereto they haue at least to trust I woulde haue none flatter themselues in euill which these men cariyng such a conscience as he here speaketh of or suche a minde and not altering the same doe and are in a dangerous case for nourishing such a serpent in their bosome as is poperie and yet dissemble with all the worlde in pretending to be of another religion The mans talke here hauing been possible abrode a shriuing of many or taken it frō them that haue so done and so knowing their consciences better then we that liue among them and are dayly conuersant with them for that we sift not their consciences may make one doubte there bee manye hollowe harted Catholikes among vs or worldlinges rather and Atheistes for in deed such are vtterly without God haue no cōscience at al. I wishe them therefore to looke about thē men may be damned many a one is damned for other sins thē the sin against the holy Ghost how euer they sinne that greeuously I dare not say they sinne against the holy Ghost for al this or may not ' be good mē in time to cōe Thus make I mine argumēt against y e aduersarie Nothing supposed to be done of feare fauour or other passiō can be iustly called sin against the holy Ghost The Catholikes cōmunicating w t our churches is a thing supposed to be done of feare fauour or other passion euen by this man and other of that syde Therefore the Catholikes communicating with our Churches can not bee iustly called sinne against the holy Ghost Thus far of those that you accompt the worst and to to badde Catholikes I pray God we may find them good Christians And yet if they haue learned any euill they haue learned it of your religion and in your schoole I haue beene herein the longer bicause the whole booke seemeth to be written against this kinde of men God open their eyes they may see knowe and discerne their friendes from their foes bee carefull and watchfull amending at least in time to come that which is amisse The third sort of catholikes or the seconde as you tearm them quite leauing out such as your selfe are agree but in one of the three points I spake of before dissent in two they iudge all religions beside theyr owne say you false erronious damnable this haue they cōmon with other Romane catholikes but they thinke it lawfull for some worldly respect as for sauing their offices dignities liberties credits or the like to shewe themselues conformable men in going to church and other church proceedinges here c. thinking also other too scrupulous that stand in refusal of y e same This make you y e proper difference of these from other catholikes Nowe as they agree with the rest in the first point so in going to church taking othe communicating c. they disagree from hot Catholikes and agree therein with those I haue at large discoursed of euen now te The more I perceiue they acquaint them selues with the Gospell of Christ here professed and receiued the more dutifull they shewe them selues to her Matestie the worse bee they liked of you but the matter is not great Albeit these agree no better with you hot Catholikes but dissent in mo pointes then the other that went afore yet ye thought it pollicie belike hauing so scourged and taken vp those somewhat here to spare these men least you should do your religion too much hurt if you should fal too farre out with all besides your selues In places elsewhere you take them vp very sharply thogh but here thinking good to forbe are least you should want another mayne branche of your tree yee haue thought good to make
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