with victorie the ambitious with honor the couetous with monie c. scripture diuines to agree with this hellike doctrine God forbidde Wee haue better Schoole maisters then so thankes bee to God Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lyghts c. euen to this father of glory must we pray for this gyft of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eyes of our vnderstanding may bee lightened that wee may knowe what the hope is of his calling c. It is a seconde grace and gyfte that I may so speake aboue and beyonde nature and the lyght thereof or eche mans vnderstandyng Your Saint Thomas if you woulde haue consulted but with him would haue tolde you as muche Searche the Scriptures Are yee not therefore deceyued because ye knowe not the Scriptures c. sayth our Sauiour Christ heare him As all poyntes of Diuinitie and Religion woulde bee grounded on Gods booke and the Scriptures not vpon the Philosophers and Rhetorique so especially when there is question of conscience or of doing or not doing thereafter in matters of religion shoulde wee haue recourse vnto that heauenlye 〈◊〉 but yee say The Scripture and Diuines agree to this sentence of the Philosopher when they say That we shall bee iudged at the last day according to the testimonie our of conscience Make this sentence playner and expound it not by the first least both fall out to be very false very pernitious the better of the two make of it what you can is very perplexed darke and doubtfull at least as you set it downe and followe it This may be propounded in lecture among you by him that is your publike reader in the cases of conscience but wee haue seene to muche of your Schoole diuinitie and diuelishe doctrine in conscience to haunte your Romishe lectures or receiue that is therein taught and professed Our senses are better acquainted with the phrases of the Scriptures If this latter sentence be all one with the other and first cited out of Aristotle thē might you haue spared your Philosophers Rhetoricall sentence and rested vpon this whiche yee pretende to take out of the Scripture and Diuines The heauenly Scripture hath no neede of mans wisedome to bee vnderstood sayth one but 〈◊〉 y t reuelation of y t spirit but first I tel you I find not y t words ye set vs downe in those Scriptures whiche yee quote vs in the margin yee tell vs of beeing iudged at the last day according to the testimonie of our conscience yee sende vs to 2. Cor. 1. and to 1. Iohn 3. The Apostle in the place ye poynt vs speaketh more particularly of the testimony of a good conscience onely and of his owne that hee had in this worlde his wordes bee these Our reioycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenes not by fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the worlde c. Marke here that Saint Paul had his conuersation in the worlde not directed by his owne vnderstanding As your Philosophical sentence pretendeth not by fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God in simplicitie and godly purenes The testimonie of suche a conscience is a goodly matter and to bee reioyced in in deede let it bee if you will a 〈◊〉 feast c. And this is the oddes here betweene a heathen and a Christian life yet doth not the Apostle in this place saye generally that wee shall bee iudged at the last day according to the testimonie of our conscience neither yet of him selfe sayth hee so muche speaking of the testimonie of his own conscience Though I deuy not but y t faithful being receiued 〈◊〉 by gods mercy ingraffed into Christ by faith shall haue matter of 〈◊〉 in a good conscience in wel doing euen at the last day But you carry it further The Apostle in another place speaking of his fidelitie in his Ministerie and of a better conscience still then you seeme hereto note sheweth yet a higher Iudge rather and more sharper of sight who will iudge him more thoroughly then according to his owne vnderstanding and conscience Nay as one that durste not iustifie him selfe though his conscience charged him with nothing in his function hee reiecteth that iudgement from himselfe and from all men also as vnfitte and vnsufficient vnto the Lorde himselfe who at his comming will lighten thinges that are hidde in darkenesse and make the counsailes of the hearts manifest The other place yee cite to shewe wee shall bee iudged at the last day according to our conscience is out of Saint Iohns Epistle where thus it is written I must ghesse because yee neyther set downe the wordes nor the verse For thereby that is by louing in deede and truth wee knowe that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our heartes For if our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things Beloued if our heart condemne vs not then haue wee boldnesse towarde GOD. Here the Apostle speaketh of that boldnesse and enterance with confidence that the faithfull here haue towardes God by Christ Iesus and by fayth in him of the benefite thereof whiche as by a certaine marke is expressed by true and vnfaygned loue and of the lacke of this full perswasion againe what a losse it is here is nothing spoken of our being iudged at the last day according to our conscience And this is all I finde of this matter in the places of Scripture here alleadged For the Diuines that ye talke of because yee quote vs Augustin alone for all sende vs to two places 〈◊〉 him and the matter is not great what is there saide I referre it to the learned Readers iudgment that is disposed to examine the places You report heere bring in Austin for proofe that wee shall bee iudged at the last day according to the testimonie of our conscience Where Austin speaketh not of the iudgement of the last day in neither of both the Chapters Consult therefore with them from whome ye tooke these places that they may appoint you fitter for the purpose or you better followe the simplicitie and sinceritie of the sacred Scriptures If yee say Austin name conscience or speake a worde thereof in both the Chapters I graunt you 〈◊〉 you must remember with all that euery thing may not be gathered of euery worde The two places much agree the first yee recite hath relatiō to the latter hee saith not that whiche you speake heere Againe speaking very briefly as for a conclusion of his first booke of Christian doctrine Of this sentence of S. Paul The end of the commaundement is loue out of a pure hearte and of a good conscience and of faith vnfained hee sheweth wherefore the Apostle put in that
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
pretended consicence in very bad thinges Heereto yee bring so had yee neede yet all will not serue the examples of all Princes and Potentates of the worlde before Christe and since and of the very Turkes themselues and other Infidels To shewe that her Maiestie and the State deale more cruelly by Lawe heere with you then any other State bee they neuer so barbarous doe with their people and that this will bee damnable vnto them You are in great and high matters you had neede remember your selfe and you neede to haue beene beter acquainted with Kinges and Princes Estates their affaires then may be thought you be or els haue let this far fet stuff alone This geare beseemeth you your spirit wel M. Howlet and that to with her Maiestie her selfe doth it not Next if any testimonies and examples of practise bee alleadged against you of temporall punishment you turne them all ouer in saying such proceeding was against Heretikes onely which make dissention in Christ his bodie And although you prooue not the Papists to be out of that number but that they may iustly bee counted Heretikes as they bee in deede and therefore by your owne doctrine of the Princes and States that iustly so take them to be recalled and inforced by temporall punishment or restrained at the least yet to helpe your selfe as you may as though popery were the true and right Christian religion ye suppose that you haue no whit swarued from the truth but that we whom yee call Protestants haue gone from you set vp a newe religion as though we what shoulde I say wee her Maiestie the state professed or called you to any other than to Iesus Christe onely true and most auncient religion comprised and expressed in the holy scriptures or from that The end of all 〈◊〉 y t you must still doe as ye now do in abstayning from the Churche assemblies c. And by no iustice be inforced to the contrary For that if your 〈◊〉 conscience be persuaded herein ye may not doe against that though it be euill Nowe thus writeth M. Howlets authour heereof in the latter ende of the nienth reason of his treatise Neither sufficeth it to say Those suppositions are false that there are not such thinges committed against God at the Protestantes Churches and seruices for howsoeuer that bee whereof I dispute not nowe yet I being in my hearte of another religion must needs thinke not onely them but also all other religions what soeuer to commit same as I knowe they also thinke of mine 〈◊〉 how good and holy soeuer they were yea if they were angels yet shoulde I be condemned for going amongst them for that in my sight iudgement conscience by which only I must bee iudged they must needes seeme enimies to God being of the contrary religion By this it may appeare howe greeuously they sinne dayly in England and cause other to sinne with them whiche compell men by terrour to doe actes of religion against their consciences As to take othes receiue Sacraments goe to Churches the like which being done as I haue saide with repugnant consciences is horrible mortall sinne as hath byn alreadie prooued and consequently damnable both to the doers and inforcers ther of And again in the same ix reason speaking of the consciences of Infidels and Heretikes amongest many thinges hee thus writeth generally of all sortes of men If there bee no man either so foolish or impious in the world but must needes think that one only religion amongest Christians is true and all other false And if euery man which hath any religion and is resolued therin must needs presuppose this onely truth to bee in his own religion then it followeth necessarily that hee must likewise persuade him selfe that all other religions besides his owne are false and erronious and consequently all assemblies Conuenticles and publike Actes of the same to bee wicked damnable dishonourable to God contumelious to Christe and therefore to his conscience which thinketh so detestable And in another place before his reasons agreeing yet more fully plaine ly with M. How let Surely as I am now minded I woulde not for tenne thousand worldes compel a Iew to sweare that there were a blessed Trinitie For albeit the thinge bee neuer so true yet shoulde hee bee damned for swearing against his conscience and for compelling him to commit so haynous and greeuous a sinne c. I may heere charge these men that they speake of conscience very doubtfully and diuersly yea wickedly and dangerously in that they make no better distinction betweene truth and falshood good and bad a right and a wrong conscience or erronious as these men speake the resolution of God in men for their doinges and mens false persuasions reasons and resolution to common lower mens fansies and imaginations Conscience as the very worde importeth is a knowlege in vs with an addition or to speake plainer if I can it is an inward sense or feeling of god his iudgement cōcurring w t our knowledge Whereof ariseth this the testimonie of conscience or our conscience bearing vs witnesse c. Of which cōscience what force it hath to take away all excuse from men before God the Apostle disputeth Rom 2. If yee like not this I say yee shall finde that some of your owne writers take conscience doublie or two wayes sometime for that part or power of the minde that is alwayes contrary to vice and euill or alwayes accompaning that parte and then it is euer right Sometime is conscience taken for an applying of our knowledge to some action and so is it not a qualitie but an action And thus is it not alwayes good or right say they But for the purpose and matter wee haue in hand and for our instruction and guiding Besides that the very woorde and the Etymologie or discription thereof teacheth vs that conscience differeth from opinion immagination fancie vaine conceipt c. As beeing a more high and heauenly gift especiall when it is directed by God his holy worde and Spirite Wee haue further to marke the generall doctrine of the holy Ghoste set vs downe in the scriptures in vsing to our benefit or abusing to our hurt euen Gods good creatures and the note hee giueth of the force of conscience therin vnto the pure al things are pure but vnto them that are defiled vnbeleeuing is nothing pure But euen their mindes and consciences are defiled saith the Apostle and in particular he saith further That in the latter times some shall departe from the fayth and shall giue heede vnto spirites of errours and doctrines of diuelles which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hot iron or be past feeling as hee saith elswhere And in an other place yet some hauing put away good conscience as concerning fayth haue made Shipwracke And
natural Mothers borne soueraigne Princes wisedome bearing and abiding her gentle correction with a rod for your demerites and insolencies Is not this to take the rod out of her hand nay the 〈◊〉 and authoritie quite from her to ease your selues if ye can To be playne if the Popes vnholinesse be your father If you be his children Seeke your mother where ye can finde her her Maiestie is none of your Mother yee are not her natural subiects and children If ye bee her Maiesties children subiects renounce with her that vnholly father y t most diuelishly seeketh her Maiesties ouerthrow y e destructiō of this noble realme and all the faithfull subiectes therein Commit your selues vnto God her Maiesties holy gouernment Sticke not to sweare obediēce to your mother against Pope Turke and all forraine power whatsoeuer If you sticke at this wil needs cleaue to this Antichrist your father following the Pope and his becke her Maiestie is so farre off from being your mother or accounting you her naturall subiectes and children that Shee and the State here denounce you with him her their woorst enemies ye wot what they he in plaine English and hath she not good cause if his doings yours be considered yours euery body of the meanest sort heare knoweth his though first done in a corner yet hath been published to all the world I thinke you will call it worse then a bill of diuorcement frō mother Church here I meane your Popes excommunicatiō great curse with such like stuffe may not her Maiestie iustly cōplaine w t that heauēly Prophet gods holy anointed king Dauid and in resepect of your Popes bellowing Bulles say Many yong Buls haue compassed me mighty Bulles of Bashan haue closed me about They gape vpon mee with their mouthes as a ramping and roaring Lion c. Your greatest hope is in this father in his deuilishe bulles and in your blooddy stepmother the Popish Church and Sea of Rome who are liuely described by S. Iohn in his Reuelatiō God we dout not shall disapoint you of your hope as heretofore and her Maiestie by her lawful authoritie shall I trust frō time to time be able to represse all vnlawfull seditious rebellious attēpts God of his goodnes indue her Royal minde and more more with goodly wisedome and courage accordingly and long preserue her Maiestie against her enemies y e shee may be an old mother in Israel Practises of prelates other popelings haue long enough been knowē they are no changelings such consciences they haue The subiects yee speake of must either renoūce God yee say or susteine intollerable molestations A harde Dilemma or straight that you are brought into But you know M. Howlet the solution of y t argument by finding out a meane betweene those two extremities Wherefore mende your iudgement and that you pretend and call conscience as right religion woulde and all is holpen rather you renounce God and being obstinate will buie it with troubles then by any godly meanes be remooued from that Diuelishe persuasion All her Matesties trauell hath been and is with mildnesse and gentlenesse to bring her Subects to God by such meanes as hee hath appointed in his worde To this ende labour the Preachers To this end tend her Maiesties wholesome lawes whereof yee so plaine as seconde meanes and helpes which haue beene a great while executed with great fauour towarde those of your side And yet this is the thankes yee giue as they had beene most extreemely laide vpon you which is false It is possible her Maiestie seeth her lenitie abused as in deede hope to escape punishment is a traine and baite alluring to doe amisse And being too much prouoked she is inforced to change her course and in a maner her nature and against violent and disorderly dealings to oppose iust violence and punishment by the sworde wherwith God hath armed her royall Maiestie You talke of conscience as though yee indured for it You doe her Maiestie and the honourable estate great wrong it is false yee say Tell vs where and howe you grounde your conscience that try all may bee taken whether it bee conscience in deede or but a pretence and words All haue not conscience that say so your conscience is not well and rightly grounded if you haue any heerein There is yee know a good conscience and a bad Ignorance the mother of your superstitious deuotion 〈◊〉 and obstinacie are the greatest enimies that conscience hath and quite ouerthrow y e same A good conscience is that keepeth vs in God with him which must be alwaies directed by God his holy worde The Apostle ioyneth Faith and a good conscience together which he saith Some haue put away and as concerning faith haue made ship wracke Wordes make not a good conscience there bee more circumstances required in it then so Is not this conscience you speake of it that set them a worke in the North against her Maiestie when it was Is it not it that doth the like in Irelande haled in by those of the Popes Seminaries Iesuites and such like Summa Summarum Is not this the Popes conscience expressed in his bull that hee sent hither to discharge English subiectes of their bounden duetie towardes our liege Lady most dread soueraigne Noble Queene Elizabeth our most lawfull naturall and godly Prince whom God God I saie long preserue from such helllike consciences Uerily this is the conscience you must all bee ruled by when it pleaseth your vnholie father Naughtie fruites of a noghtie conscience Your conscience M. Howlet and your fellowes too was better 〈◊〉 you liuid here as duetiful subiects to her Maiestie before your reconciliation to the Pope You haue made an euill change for the worse if you can consider it well After this preamble M. Howlet you begin to disclose and laie downe at large to her Maiestie your griefes and grieuous afflictions in particular whereof the first is that the Catholike religion as ye terme it that is whiche wee here call the Popish religion hath great wrong in that it and the professors thereof are no more fauoured What fauour woulde you haue ye clayme that of dutie that yee neuer deserued it woulde goe harde with you Catholikes if you had that you deserue but you are before hande so as if there were a great deale more seueritie vsed then nowe is towarde those of your side yet were it hardly quit with you as beneficiall as you wold seeme to be to Gospellers amōg other afore time But God forbid the Church of God should followe you in crueltie and sucking of blood You loue to reuenge to quite as you speake else where It is the diuinity you haue learned out of your Philosophers and out of Aristotles Rhetorique Againe your other proceedings by your owne confession here procure rather disfauour thē fauour in being so beneficiall to them that you accompt
the Law made by Protestants prohibiting the practise of other religions besides their owne allotteth out the same punishment to al thē that do any way varie from the publike Communion booke or otherwise say seruice than is appointed there as it doeth to the Catholikes for hearing or saying of a Masse What haue you to plaine of in y t fauourablenes of this law towards you Is this straightnesse to Catholikes what more equitie and bearing with woulde you in these times haue an Immunitie to be exempted from all lawes and penalties I blame you not yee so fast and so many waies indanger your selues by breache of lawes that yee neede this remedie greatly but yee deserue it ill the penaltie and the execution of the lawe is that yee plaine of and yet is no more done than lawe if alwaies so much It grieueth you that other fare not as hardly as you The comparison is odious the cause is not equall your minde also is enuious your opinion and affection parciall An enuyous man they say pyneth away at another mans welfare Is your eye euil because her Maiestie is good Murmure not you haue no wrong They that are iustly punished when other of grace and fauour are spared cannot plaine of Iniustice as though they had wrong It is a priuiledge that God in his matters and Princes States and other ciuile Magistrates haue in iniuries done vnto them by iustice to exact and execute penalties where they bee due and by mercie sometime to pardō and release offences done against their Persons vpon great consideration to some certaine without doing any iniustice Iustice mercy may goe stand together and both of them are seuered from extremitie and parcialitie You might spare well ynough many of your exoruations and 〈◊〉 figures you neede not make such exclamation as you doe You thinke that saying and hearing of Masse is too hardly handled by our lawes heere You weigh not the matter aright nor indifferently First what is the Masse Next what meane you to buy such Deuilishe tromperie so deere Your Masse for both saying and hearing is iustly abrogated heere as a thing that in respect of the sacrifice thereof containeth blasphemie against God is iniurious to Christs death and Passion is an Idoll erected directly contrarie to the institution of the Supper of the Lorde and a meere profanation thereof farced and stuft full of grosse superstitions to poison mens soules with so farre from edifying that it destroieth that I speake nothing of the Apishe toyes therein containing great mysteries with you fitter indeede for a stage then for the holie house of GOD. You heare briefly and in summe our opinion of your Masse If you can say better for it out of Gods booke let vs heare that and yee shall God willing heare of vs againe In the meane while for breuitie because you do but touche it in passing I surcease also from doing that nowe which is so often and well done already and rest thervpon and to answere you I denie your suppositiōs till you bring vs some proofe which you doe not heere If ye cannot liue without saying and hearing this abhominable Masse plaine no longer of the miseries that yee willingly runne headlong into the punishement is very moderate and gentle nothing so harde as your desert is in this behalfe It is your honour as seemeth you trauell to recouer your Helena a rare perle a precious iewell mych good dite you with it draffe is good inough for Swine Refuse neither heate nor colde Runne I pray you thorowe fire and water to come to it if yee needes will but yee were better bee admonished and aduised At least all the godly wise will if it bee but for so hainously dishonouring God and deadly wounding their owne soules Thus writeth your Authour in his booke the hearing of Masse is not onely woorth the ventering of a hundred Markes or sixe moneths imprisonment but also of an hundred thousand liues if a man coulde loose euery one for that cause sixe tymes and an hundred tymes miserable is that man which for any worldely respect doeth depriue himselfe of so great a benefite as the participation of this sacrifice is The lyke to this I say of the practise of the other particulars that ye mention and the penalties layed thereon yet is it not harde to spye out your cloaking and colouring of thinges in speeche It is vnnaturall vnreasonable vnconscionable vnduetifull It is against the lawe of GOD and man and namely of this our Countrey that an Englishe man shoulde refuse the othe of allegeance and obedience to our most naturall and dread Soueraigne and vnder pretence of Religion giue it to that proude Prelate of Rome If you haue any thing to say to the contrary bring it foorth our answere you heare our grounds and proofes are so pregnant as if yee considered them wel they might shame or winne you but your religion possible hindreth you from reading the bookes on that side as your Authours opinion is least indeede that good shoulde come therof and therefore it auaileth litle to wryte for you What mischiefs haue beene wrought by your deuised eareshrifte What is nowe sought thereby in your reconciliation what the foundation and vse thereof hath afore time been What a 〈◊〉 and slaughter house to mens consciences Is to well knowen at this day to thinke it may bee set out with colours to commende it the worlde waxeth too wise to bee abused with such grosse absurdities yee talke of a reconciling to God I 〈◊〉 to say in trueth to whome Yet in your reconcilement by your Ghostly father your confiteor must go before his Misereatur In reconcilemēt of your selues to her Maiestie and the State take at leastwyse if yee will followe no better the worldly wise mans counsaile if your stomackes bee come downe confesse and submit your selues to mercie Yee talke much of death as though yee suffered paine of death heere for your religion yee repyne are grieued and offended that other haue not beene put to death for practise of their religion and yet doe I not knowe any of your side that hath suffered the same as I sayde for his Religion in all her Maiesties most happy raigne vnlesse there haue beene founde besides seditious and trayterous dealing in the partie against her Maiesties Royall dignitie and personne and the State of this 〈◊〉 which by wholesome lawes it behoueth her Maiestie to conserue as lyke a good mother of her Countreys shee hath hithertoo done and still doth Yee say among other thinges it is death heere for geuing the supreme Pastour supreme authoritie in causes of the Churche Speake plainely wee say it is for geuing away to the Pope GOD his and Christ his right and tytle and for denying vnder them her Maiesties souerainety in her dominions Wee say yee say vntruelie as the woordes lye It is so farre of from beeing death to giue to the supreme Pastor supreme
authoritie in causes of the Churche that without checke of our Soueraigne yea with her Maiesties good lyking wee doubte not we heere maintaine and defende the same by the scriptures and ouerthrowe your proude Prelates vsurpation thereby Yee shoulde therefore haue done that heere dealing with her 〈◊〉 at least which you and your Author going by supposition lightly neuer doe to wit haue shewed who this supreme Pastour is and haue proued the Pope to bee hee In the meane whyle as we graunt the supreme chiefe Pastor in Christ his Church supreme and chiefe authoritie in causes of the same so insteede of your Romame Pope wee ascribe that title and office to Jesus Christe alone by the warrant of GOD his ho-spirite and word which call him Archpastor or chiefe and Supreme Pastour and finde not that title imparted in the newe Testament to any in Churche Ministerie much lesse to the Pope of Rome If you nowe finde as good warrant for your Pope in God his booke lay it vs downe and wee wil yeelde But that neither haue you hitherto done neither yet shall yee be able to doe wrangle as long and as much as yee will your best daies are past For the rest wee reporte vs to any indifferent bodie whether it bee more to God his glorie and beseeming God his people the Churche to holde with the Scriptures that Iesus Christe alone the sonne of God is the Arche and chiefe Shepheard or without warrant of Scripture to giue the same to the Pope Nowe Syr and when the Lawes of this Realme giue to the Princes heere their Soueraigntie and require the subiects to acknowledge the same in this Church and Realme and the Kinges and Queenes from time to time challenge and accept the same neither doe the one professe to giue nor the other to take Gods place or Christes from them nor yet so much as to incroch vpō the Church ministerie in taking authoritie to Preache administer Sacraments and execute other Church Ministeries functions yea by meanes of your malicious interpretation the contrary is protested but according to dutie from God to maintaine and see those thinges doone by Pastours and suche as to whome those charges likewise from God do appertaine not admitting therewhilest which is your griefe the immunities that the Popes aforetime haue giuen Cleargie men in exempting them from the ciuil authoritie and iurisdiction What haue faithfull subiects heerein to repine at What haue they to plaine of Yeelde with vs vnto it and yee shall finde wee haue all great cause to praise God for her Maiestie and for ciuill authoritie wee denie then that any forraigne Prince and Potentate Ecclesiasticall or Ciuil if yee will is aboue her Maiestie and her people in these her dominions in any manner of causes or haue to deale here but vnder her by her leaue liking And to God his glory our cōforts haue we still w t all thākfulnes to obserue that her Maiestie doeth not sit in mens consciences nor professe to make lawes to binde the same as your supreme pastour doth but leaueth cōscience to God Christ his spirite and worde to be ruled and framed thereby without further pressing the same then the expresse woordè of God doth in so much that for her Maiesties owne respect in matters 〈◊〉 vnto her soule and conscience she yeeldeth her selfe obediently to heare receyue and obey as euery other christian the voice of God and Christ speaking vnto her in y e holy scriptures by true pastours and other ministers meere Church gouernours leauing to them there seuerall charges whole without diminishing any part therof as reason is Nowe sir if the Pope and Popelings namely her Maiesties natural borne subiects especially by their vnnatural styrres to the danger of her Royall person and the state of the Church and Realme haue caused any lawes to be made that be preiudiciall to their attempts let them thanke themselues and leaue their busie and perillous practises neyther pretend conscience where no good consciēce cā be nor thinke y t the Prince hath to giue ouer her Royal prerogatiues or to altar the state for their pleasure this is the very state of this matter If this can not call you home nor content you we say further that the supreme pastour yee haue made choise of for it is not hard to guesse at your meaning though your wordes be doubtfull is a woolfe or woorse then a wolfe To giue your Pope supreme authority in this Church besides that it is treason against her Maiestie and the state it is to commit the poore lambes to no better then the rauening wolues keeping Howe many good lambes hee and his whelpes deuoured here in a very fewe yeeres when he had last to doe with this sheepefolde the memory and smart is yet freshe and before 〈◊〉 eyes The more haue we to praise God for our dread soueraigne y e in tender care of God his sheepe and lambs and her maiesties shee hath eased our neckes and shoulders of that yoke and hell like bondage Besides this M. Howlet where you giue to the Pope as supreame Pastour supreame authoritie in causes of the Churche yee had neede to explayne this some what playner for your owne religions sake and those of your side as whether the Pope bee aboue the Counsell or the Counsell aboue the Pope Also what ye call Churche causes and whether yee denie his supremacie aboue Emperours Kinges and so foorth in other then Churche causes or yee subiecte him to them Whether as Peter his Successour yee giue him all Peter his Patrimonie and priueleges c. and so because as one Pope sayeth and your Cannon lawe approoueth Christ committed to blessed Peter no where in deede the right both of worldly and heauenly Empire will yee abridge that or no What should I speake of your Reliques yee may say of all as yee doe of one a seely paire of beades seely and single stuffe surely Why make yee such accompt of this seely ware that is but tromperie and trashe cast such baggage from you and there is an ende of all troubles for that Yee talke of the Catholike religion and of your owne religion saying my religion Lieth the Catholike religion and yours in these pointes in deede M. Howlet yee heere name will yee needes lie in perpetuall prison leese goods landes and life for the same After by eareshrift to your Ghostly father yee bee discharged of lawfull and duetifull obedience to our Soueraigne as vice gerent in God his place to whom yee owe obedience for conscience sake as to God him selfe whose roome she possesseth as the substitute and Angel of God thus speake ye some tymes to yeelde the same to a Priest and proude prelate to a forrainer and forerunner to Antichrist if not himselfe rather to the Pope of Rome that hath nothing to doe with Englishe subiectes after this inuerted and peruerted othe and bowe You call it your reconciliation Lieth your religion
respect of Christ and his spiritual kingdome euen so doeth Luther in some respect onely euen touching their soules things properly belonging to the heauenly kingdome and euerlasting life teache that Christians are free and exempted from all Princes Lawes and not simply euery way or for this life and ciuile gouernement The collection therfore that pickt out of your fingers ends you and your Pope Popishe wryters to whome you heere sende vs of your selues may and would faine gather as though Luthers doctrine were the cause of the famous rebellion that followed in Germanie or such lyke is not worth a halfe penie you may keepe it to your selues It is as if one shoulde reason immediatly after a storme foloweth fayre weather therfore the storme is cause of the faire weather c. here in very few lines besides forgery are at the least two grosse deceyts or fallacions as they cal them in the schooles And if yee thus gather whose doctrine was the cause of the like famous rebellion of the countriemen there aboue twētie yeeres before and so some nombre of yeeres ere Luther professed the Gospel Luthers doctrine was the cause of that rebellion euen as Christ A stumbling stock and a Rock to make men fall is cause of the destruction of the wicked he and his Gospel of the sword and diuision in the world Howe Luther misliked their sedicious proceeding Can it better appeare than by his godly and earnest wryting vnto them and against them euen at that very tyme Wherof see in the beginning of the fifth booke of Sleydans Commentaries at large But let me bee bolde leauing other heere and matching one with one to set downe your gloses woordes and the collection that is made therevppon in Commentarie vpon Commentarie which at length corrupteth the Text As you doe Luther and his woordes by your 〈◊〉 and false collection In the Gospell after S Matthewe where our Sauiour Christ speaking of paying tribute to Ciuile Magistrats saith to Peter Howe seemeth it to thee Peter the kings of the earth of whom doe they take tributs or custome of children or of strangers Then Peter saith vnto him of strangers then Jesus sayth vnto him then the children are free c. Your glose taking the same from another hath If in euery kingdome the sonnes of that king which is ouer the same kingdome bee free Then the sonnes of that king to whome all kingdomes are subiect ought to bee free in euery kingdome Hence is collected Because Christians bee Gods sonnes To whome all kingdomes bee subiect that therefore they are free frō paying tribute to any Ciuile power so seeme the woordes of the glose literally expoūded to importe Others expoūd the words of the glose of the childrens freedom concerning y t soule which abydeth free as euē your S. * Tho. speaketh and not concerning the body and bodily subiectiōn which is due to superiours Giue vs then like libertie and leaue or Luther himselfe to expounde howe and howe farre Christians are free and exempted from Princes lawes as you take your selues for to salue your glose you nor any shal haue iust cause to plaine of his doctrine D. Luthers words I am sure wil better beare a good and honest exposition for the soules and consciences of men than your gloses and sommes collection of your side vpon the same will doe for your Popishe clergies immunities he is no smal one of your sort to omit other at this time that in a third commentary gathereth thus vppon the words of the glose before mēcioned after he hath cited Thomas his exposition The glose might notwithstanding be othcrwise expounded saith hee in saying that by the sonnes of the eternal king or kingdom hee vnderstandeth not all Christians but those that rule in the kingdom as childrē or sonnes And these are bishops priests those y t forsaking al folow Christ which shal iudge the world for these in this world as the kings sonnes by their state must set foorth and cherish the kingdom of God ought also to be free from y t bondage or seruice of temporall Lords And this agreeth saith he with the doctrine of our Sauiour whilest hee insinuateth that Peter the Apostle is free adioyning least we offēd thē pay for thee And w t y e glose speaking of freedom in this life while he saith the childrē of the kingdō vnder which al kingdoms are ought to be free in euery earthly kingdom Here is much a doe for here is first the Glose vpon the text somewhat obscure then here is Thomas expoūding the glose to salue it hold it vpright y e rather bicause it is taken out of Augustin then heere is yet furder Cardinall Caietan commenting vppon Doctor Thomas who vpon the glose still for there is all the matter pleadeth for the immunitie of the Clergie and concludeth full ill fauouredly for by this Doctors exposition both Christ and the glose serue to exempt Bishoppes Priestes Fryers and y e rest of the Popish Clergie from paying tributes and from other bodily subiection to ciuill Magistrates according to the immunities giuen them by their Pope Nowe let the reader scanne matching this Popishe doctrine with Luthers whether teache more loosenes from obedience to ciuill Princes this doctrine of the Gospell thus deliuered by Luther or y e contrary deliuered by your Pope his chāpions This may serue for the clering opening of these words of Luther here set down y e right expositiō taking therof according to y e Authours meaning especially seeing they stand as words culd out of his bookes vpō y e report of y t Pope only Papists If any list to see more for D. Luthers clering let him looke vpon other which answere Popishe sclanders wherewith they goe about to charge this holy man of God and namely vpon that worthie and learned father M. Iewel against Harding euen in this matter of Magistrates and obedience Because M. Caluin is saide by M. Howlet to agree with the doctrine of M. Luther as in deede hee doth wherevpon hee might haue easily vnderstood the meaning of the sentence taken out of M. Luther If it had so pleased him and with his Pope haue left it out of the number of Luthers heresies as it pleased them to call his doctrine Therefore come I nowe to that diuine and learned father M. Caluin This I like for M. Caluin in you better than in that is before that ye sende vs to his owne workes the first place ye charge this godly man withall Though yee bastarde and corrupt the same by your glose ye take out of the 10. Chapter of the fourth booke of his Institution the 2. and last out of the 19. Chapter of the 3 booke of the same Institution But sir in neyther of both doeth hee make any large or further discourse of Princes and Subiectes If ye woulde haue knowen or described to other
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
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
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
in his sight or before him all the dayes of their life that is so and in such order as hee in his holy worde appoynteth and auoweth If any bee in Christe he is a newe creature Saith the Apostle c. How far differeth this holy doctrine of God as meeter and better for Christians to receiue from that prophane sentence of M. Howlet that is onely good to euery man which eche mans vnderstanding telleth him to bee good c. Is it euen so in deede fie of that diuinitie the holy Ghostes diuinitie you see is cleane contrarie It is yet further written There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God all are gone out of the way c. And againe I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and wil cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Hath not God made the wisdome of the world foolishnesse c. The wisedome of the flesh is enimitic agianst God death c. O Lorde I knowe saith the Prophet that the way of man is not in him selfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steppes And therefore the heauenly wise man sayth further also All the wayes of a man are cleane or right in his owne eyes But the Lorde pondereth the Spirites And this made the heauenly Prophet and king though hee were very wise yet leauing his owne vnderstanding to haue recourse herein to GOD by prayer Thy handes haue made mee and fashioned me giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements the steppes of a man are ruled by the Lorde howe can a man then vnderstande his owne way sayth Salomon And the reason is rendred elsewhere All the imaginations or deuices of the thoughts of mans heart sayth God in Moses are onely euill continually And againe The Lorde knoweth the thoughtes of man that they are vanitie And the Apostle yet further The Lorde knoweth that the thoughtes of the wise bee vaine The hearte is deceitfull and euill aboue all thinges who can knowe it c. Better a great deale and more consonant to the doctrine of the scriptures than you spake that olde father of the Greeke Church when comparing mans vnderstanding w t diuinity diuine matters he said There can be nothing worse than to goe about to discerne measure Gods matters with mans reason for so falleth euery one from the foundation of faith and is caried farre wandering about with errour and is forsaken of the light c. You see it is blasphemie sayth he in another place to go about to discusse diuine matters with reasō so hath mans reasō compared to Gods matters nothing common or agreable If we shal finally consider sayth he in y t former places that Marciō Manes Valētinus other that brought in wicked heresies pernicious doctrins into the church measured diuine thinges with humane reason looke vpon your owne fathers M. Howlet and take them by the hand We shall finde that so at length they became ashamed of the misterie of the holy incarnation c. Whose heresies also elsewhere he fathereth for their beginning vpon the Gentiles Philosophers Augustine also a latin doctor retracting that which he had aforetime too philosophically written hereof against the Academikes saith thus as touching mans nature there is nothing better in him then vnderstanding and reason but he that will liue a blessed life must not liue according to that for so liueth he after the manner of a man where he should liue agreablie to God to attaine to happines to come whereunto the vnderstanding or minde may not be contented with it selfe but must be subiect to God c Amongst many other let this here suffice to shewe generally how well mans reason or vnderstanding agreeth with God good diuinitie and religion For your Philosophers sentence taken out of Aristotles Rhetorique which you make so great account of in diuinitie Let vs examine it yet a little more First M. Howlet which hath beene and is your common fault you cite not your sentence truly out of the Philosopher if ye read it not there your self be better aduised another time if you knew the matter willingly peruerted it your fault is the greater Leaue therefore both these faultes or else giue vs leaue to reprooue both in you Looke vpon your place in Aristotle consider his purpose which is to shewe whence a man may take his proofes in consultation referring the same to profit which is his drift and this profite he calleth good Then let the reader hardly examine and confer Aristotles wordes with M. Howlets Thus finde I Aristotle in this matter amongst diuers other things that profit and help in doing matters wherof me consult some simplie and acknowledged amongst all some in parte for certaine respect allowed of some men al which he calleth good as w t him good is diuided into honest profitable and pleasant thinges Whatsoeuer thinges sayth hee vnderstanding would deliuer to euery one whatsoeuer things the vnderstanding of in or about euery thing deliuereth that is to euery mā or to euery thing good he doth notsay that onely is good which reckoneth vp a great sort of markes to knowe good by Besides neither doth he say eche mans vnderstanding and so include corrupt mens vnderstanding how bad soeuer it be as in religion you doe heere Heathen men Turkes Infidels and your selues Papistes c. In ciuil things vnderstanding needeth to be ciuill you knowe Aristotle in the matter of vertue and good speaketh oftē and much of right and good reason and yee heare of a sounde minde in a sound body among the very heathen Neither yet doth he confound a mans vnderstanding with the testimony of Conscience Furthermore Aristotle can distinguishe this word good as ye know not into honest pleasant and profitable thinges onely but into thinges good indeede and apparantly good simply and generally and of it selfe good and sometime particularly and good to vs c these thinges and such other circumstances are necessary to bee knowne to vnderstand rightly euen in philosophie the sentence ye fetch out of Aristotles Rhetorique Agayne wee must knowe hee speaketh of good in his rhetorique as it is the subiect or matter of an Oratour And what is that to speake of good as it belongeth to diuinitie and a Diuine or to a Christian who for his actions or doinges must fetch from God and his will and approbation that that is good and trie it by the Touch of his worde and Lawe which is our only rule to know good and bad by not our owne vnderstanding It were not to be maruelled at then though Aristotle as a philosopher and wise heathen man making vnderstanding and reason as it were a Queene or Prince in this little world man to sit in his minde for doing ciuill thinges to rule prescribe command order and make lawee
to the inferiour partes as the will and affections shoulde speake thus and more too in morall philosophie And yet ywis this Prince is many times but ill fauouredly sighted and worse followed and obeyed the truth and experience also telleth vs farther y t mens mindes are corrupted their vnderstanding blinded and become so weake and dull in heauenly thinges in deede to speake no more that too 〈◊〉 nowe can they or will they tell what is good and godly one that is pooreblinde hath but an euill eye to direct and guid a mans body aright A blinde eye guideth yet woorse or nothing at all and yet this is of it selfe mans reason and vnderstanding to leade him in good godly thinges I thinke your selfe wil graunt me for the most parte vnlesse the eyes of our vnderstanding be lightened by Gods holy spirit and framed frō aboue The light of the body is the eye sayth our Sauiour Christ if thē thine eye be single thy whole body shalbe lyght But if thine eye be euil thē thy body is dark Wherfore if the light which is in thee be darkenes how great is that darkenes If therefore thy whole body shal be light hauing no part darke saith he in S. Luke then shall all be light euen as when a candel doeth light thee with the brightnes Your D. Thomas halfe a Philosopher halfe a Diuine could yet decide the matter thus out of the Psalme Many say who shall shew vs good thinges the light of thy countenance Lorde is marked vpon vs as though he should say the light of reason that is in vs can so farre shewe vs good thinges and rule our will as it is the light of thy countenance that is taken from thy countenance the naturall man is not capable of the thinges of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know thē because they are spiritually descerned sayth the Apostle And againe the thinges whiche eye hath not seene neither eare hath hearde neither came into mans heart which God hath prepared for them that loue him but God hath reuealed thē vnto vs by his spirit c. Doe not the contrary opinions that be in mens mindes not of the common sort only where as the common saying is verified So many men so many mindes but euen in the wisest and grauest Philosophers themselues declare the defect that is in mans vnderstanding to guide him by What Philosopher euer knew himselfe aright not knowing the corruption of mans nature Did not one of the greatest of them professe that hee knewe this onely that he knewe nothing was not the name of wisedome and wise men refused among the wisest of them And they content to be called but philosophers that is louers of wisedome onely Did not the Academikes confesse and professe the vncertaintie and weakenes of mans mind and vnderstanding What vnderstanding of man euer conceiued the mistery of Christes incarnation that the word was made flesh or that one should be borne of a virgin such other misteries of our religion In deede they were no Mysteries if mans vnderstanding coulde reache and attaine vnto them Fleshe and bloode hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father whiche is in heauen sayth our Sauiour Christ vnto Peter confessing him Is that onely good to euery man which ech mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good then farewell in effect all goodnesse in Christes religion Did not the imagination and opinion that there are many Gods greater and lesser c proceede from this puddle of mans vnderstanding whiles he would thereby measure the nature of God Whence grew al the superstitions y t euer were in the world but frō y t vanitie of mens minds their vnderstāding reason Well sayth the Apostle that men became vaine in their reasonings their folish heart was darkned whē they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles c. Is that onely good vnto euery man which ech mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good How if mans vnderstanding and the worde of God disagree as they doe too too often shall that onely be good for him that his vnderstanding telleth him to be good In the Infidels iudgement and conscience it seemeth good to saye there is no Messias it must be good for him by your doctrine to holde that and to yeeld 〈◊〉 doe thereafter is not wicked The doctrine of the Libertines and such as hold and teache that hand ouer head men should follow the motions of the spirit lesse absurde then yours heerein you saye that is onely good to euery man which each mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good they say the spirite mooueth me to this or that therefore I must doe it goodly wordes of youres in Aristotles philosophie and so foorth theirs in diuinitie with better shewe then youres which yet you would make vs beleeue that scriptures and diuines agree But leauing the rule of the scriptures Gods law both are very dangerous and euil to rule men by How far are ye of from that pernitious doctrine that euery one shalbe saued by his owne religion vnlesse possible you will haue all men saued without any religion if that onely be good to euery man which eche mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good The Idolaters vnderstanding telleth him that idolatry is good the blasphemers that blasphemie c. here is a confusiō of good in deed The wiseman sayth that the way of a foole is right in his owne eyes is that and that onely good to him neither of both surely for hee addeth But he that heareth counsaile is wise What is to say euill is good and good euill If this be not to say that is onely good vnto euery man which ech mans vnderstanding telleth him to be good But let me giue you an example out of the same booke of your Maister Aristotle that you here alleadge because that possible may more preuaile with you speaking of many honest and commendable thinges in praysing as he doeth in your place alleadged of many good and profitable in counsailing hee teacheth that to bee reuenged of ones enemies rather then to be reconciled is commendable rendreth the reason for sayth hee to render euil for euil or to requite is a iust thing euery iust thing is cōmendable The Doctrine I ween learned out of this your Maister Aristotle the Philosopher made you to inuent lyes of the faft at Stamforde to quite as you say the Puritan and to write many such like thinges as wee reade in this your Epistle dedicatorie To be euen with one is a iust and a commendable thinge but howe euer this quite the 〈◊〉 it is quite contrary to the Scriptures and heauenly doctrine of Christ and his Apostles Your Maister Aristotle also in the same place you cite sayth those things are good profitable which euery mā is most affected and dilighted withall as the Warriour
rendered Yee cite the wordes falsely corrupt the sense Which that it may the better be perceiued I will set downe both your wordes and also the Apostles Thus you Whatsoeuer we doe contrary to our iudgement and conscience is according to the Apostle damnable because we decerne it to bee 〈◊〉 and yet doe it The Apostle thus He that doubteth if hee eate is condemned because he 〈◊〉 not of faith And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The Apostle speaketh particularly and of a certaine matter whiche restraineth his note of vniuersalitie You generally without any restraint or obseruation of the circumstance of the text and matter treated of hee of a faythfull man and of fayth You giue vs an example of a Heathen man and talke at randome of our owne iudgement and conscience he speaketh of eating which is an outwarde action and of it selfe as they speake indifferent You in a far otherkind of things of their own nature good or euill We acknowledge in sum the holy Apostles words and sense we find not yours in the text ye sende vs too And it is an ill commentary that corrupteth the text The Apostle saith because not of faith Nowe because you haue set downe in steade thereof iudgement and conscience you foyst also into the text the woorde decerne Because wee decerne it to bee euill and yet doe it If you say you followe the Author of this your discourse with whom yet in citing this texte yee altogether agree not though yee both corrupt the same foully As of him I speake in his place so let me here tell you what opinion soeuer greater then reason you haue of your Maister wee are not bounde I tell you to followe neither him nor you in corrupting of the holy Scriptures yee both put in the worde decerne of your owne and yee put our iudgement conscience or knowledge for fayth which it seemeth ye take out of your Schoole mens Commentaries But I woulde you woulde not change the wordes of holy scripture into your Scholasticall wryters expositions and termes and set vs the same down for scripture stil Yf your parenthesis here according to the Apostle were thus according to our D. Thomas or Schoole Doctors c. or according to our notes taken at the Lecture in cases of conscience then might it paraduenture stande right but the Apostle and your D. Thomas or Schoole doctors c. not being one you take to muche vpon you and wee can giue you no such licentious libertie to vse the ones name for the other I see 〈◊〉 you driue It is a principle with you that Byrdes of one feather must flie and holde together Errour agreeth very well commonly with errour and falshood Your common translation of the Byble like as your Scholemen must bee kept and followed inuiolably not to be checkt nor corrected by the 〈◊〉 or Greeke text vnder paine of the Popes great curse hence belike you and your fellowe woulde seeme to take your woorde decerne But sir there is falshood in fellowshippe though your eyes M Howlet coulde not possibly discerne neyther by day nor by night euery letter sillable and therfore might easily be deceiued in taking one word for another y t were somewhat like yet y e Autor of your treatise mee thinketh might haue lookt better to y e matter if it had bin but for deceiuing of you herein many other y t follow him Where both of you haue it decerne euen your common translation if ye looke well on it hath discerne Now Gramarians y t shew y t etymology of words wil tel you y t discerne decerne be two wordes different in signification discerne is to put difference beetweene thinges decerne is a higher woorde of iudgement and authoritie whereof wee call A decree c. And your Pope decernimus statuimus c. They that leaue both your woorde of decerning or iudging deuised by your selues and discerning which the worde of your vulgar latine Translation in this last verse of the 14. chapter to the Romanes and translate it by the woorde of doubting as both in Latine and Englishe is done haue both better and 〈◊〉 rendred it and expressed by a fit woorde the meaning of the holy Ghost also Cauell not here at nor barke not at our translation for leauiug heere your vulgar and common translation he leaueth himselfe in another place and translateth this very worde as our men doe heere But dogges will barke euen at the Moone You must bee content to 〈◊〉 your owne lawe and to giue vs leaue to deale with you truly in that wherein you vntruely take to your selues libertie against vs you so prie into our translations and translating of the Scriptures that the least fault must be espied yea where there is none fault must bee imagined and deuised and we roundly taken vp and compared to a boy in a Grammer Schoole that shoulde bee brecht so yee speake and further and worse to whereof in his place Leaue your decerning iudging and discerning leaue for shame your corrupting of the holy Scriptures in woorde and sense leaue your caueling and carping at our translations of the Byble vse in all a better and more vpright conscience then hitherto For the matter of an action good in it selfe and the example yee bring vs in deuised of a Gentile that shoulde for feare say or sweare that there were a Messias it is altogether impertinent and besids the Apostles purpose who as I sayde treateth not in that place of things simply good or euyll or of bearing with a thing euill in it selfe and of the owne nature muche lesse with impietie or superstition he speaketh but of outwarde thinges hee speaketh not of Gentiles or Infidels nor yet of obstinate Christians that walke stubburnely vtterly condemning the profession of the Gospell but of a brother a faithfull man and one that hath receiued and embraced the profession of the Gospell and is weake through ignorance of some one point partaining to Christian libertie in the outwarde vse of Gods creatures wherin he is not yet thorowly instructed of bearing with such a one by those whom God hath called to more plentifull knowledge of his heauenly truth speaketh hee Againe the maner and the end of bearing must be considered which is not to nourish errour or to obstinate harden the weake in their opinion and doing but rather to drawe them by all meanes we may from errour and to aduance them more and more in the knowledge of the truth The Apostle calleth it beefore in this chapter edification when he biddeth vs followe the thinges which concerne peace and wherwith one may edifie another or as he speaketh in y e beginning of y e next chap. Let euery mā please his neighbour in that which is good to edificatiō Lastly the matters y e Apostle here speaketh of particularly would bee cōsidered which are not al outward things but such as God himselfe was
authour of in his Lawe As distinction of meates and dayes which while the Iewes being wonne to the Gospel did in those dayes retaine though they did it ignorantly not knowing the libertie of the Gospel yet till they might be fully perswaded therin by fayth which is grounded on doctrine and the word they were vounde to keepe by the commandement of God himselfe These circumstances considered it will not be harde to spy out M. Howlets and his fellowes ill dealing in this place to haue the true sense meaning which if it be not wrapped and obscured with subtill quidities taken out of schoole questions will playnely enough fall out of it felfe thus that the faythfull for his particular regarde being in doubt or lacking the ful persuasion of Faith whiche is giuen by measure and hath his time of growing and encreasing can not without danger nor shoulde not attempt to doe that wherin he is not by the word of God and faith yet throughly resolued when he may without danger of offending abstaine from the outwarde action not stiffely standing nor flatering himself in his opinion but moderating his doing by the gifte and measure of faith which he hath readie vpon further instruction and knowledge to growe forwarde and to profite A thing verily in his kinde much to be commended and greatly to be borne with is this respect of conscience not to rushe into the doing of euery thing without all sense or remorce of conscience not to attempt things or presume to doe the same except the minde be thorowly persuaded that God is therewith pleased which it cannot bee but by faith and faith is grounded on the woorde of God Christ shall not breake a brused reade nor quenche the smoking flaxe saith the holy Ghost I would we all considered this point better then we commonly doe both in our selues and in those with whom wee dayly and vsually liue But what maketh all this doctrine of the Apostle eyther for Gentiles and Dogs that neuer were in the church or for papistes and other obstinate and wilful heretikes that breake out of Christes true church doe flatter themselues in there follyes vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure saith the Apostle but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled c. What maketh it against her Maiestie and her vpright and equall lawes to stay the execution thereof against superstitious sedicious persons bursting foorth into violent actes and attempts against her Maiesties royall person and the state and her most peaceable and quiet gouernement to followe that man of sinne the Pope of Rome it maketh greatly Against you M. Howlet and your felowes that abuse so great lenitie much to the cleering of her Maiestie and the state in meeting with your obstinacy maketh it greatly M. How let telles vs here of an Insidell that should say there were a Messias c. And his fellow in his discourse of a Iewe too sweare that there were a blessed Trinitie against their cōsciences What a sinne it were to the doer and to the inforcer But this is none of their case nor her Maiestie or her lawes in dealing with thē They haue had now aboue these twentie yeeres the preaching of the Gospel And I trust if not they that too vnchristianly and vnnaturallye of late haue withdrawne themselues from God prince to betake themselues to the Pope yet those that liue vnder her Maiesties gouernment and in her dominions shall more and more which God also graunt haue the same dayly to informe and direct their consciences aright in all godlinesse and honestie Such is her highnes godly and tender care ouer vs al. She like our good Prince forceth nones consciences but very mildely proceedeth by order and lawe as she needes must to restraine the fury and pride onely of such as make dissention in Christ his bodie corrupt his sincere religion and growe perillousto her royall estate and the realmes If this touch you M. Howlet or your fellow hot catholikes thanke your selues you teach here that it is lawful to restraine by temporal punishment such felowes and her Maiestie taketh it so to Not as allowed by the church which is your popish opinion but as geuen of God and warranted by his word For heerein also I tell you we differ from you that you make the ciuill magistrates authoritie to hang of the churches allowance as you here insinuate so to bring princes vnder the popes check Wee goe higher and say that the autoritie is immediately geuen them of God and from him ouer euery soule within their gouernment and so dependeth on the ordinance of the eternal God and his woord We say your church challengeth too muche and haleth things too fast to it Magistrates waxe euery day more godly wise than other and will not be easily abused as afore time Yee speake of recalling home by temporall punishment such as you accoūt heretikes to y e vnity of Christ his body agayn Your doctrine herein your violent practise scarcely agree when you get the temporall swoorde on your side Is that to recall them home By fire and fagot to con sume them to asshes which is your manner These are two diuers endes ye know learned vnlearned young olde men women no sort and degree spared If her maiestie and her lawes repute you papistes for heretikes as iustly yee may be reputed what haue ye to say for your selues A bare deniall onelye retaining still poperie and heresie in opinion and broching the same still among vs will hardly serue your turne if you be put to it Be more equall milde towardes other vnlesse yee looke to haue the same measure measured to you that yee meat to others and that with a great deale more vprightnes and better conscience But I am in doubt your Catholike Church will neuer leaue the trickes of a Stepmother or a strumpet rather Ye know y e story of y e two womens pleading before king Salomō for a childe eyther alleadging her selfe to be the mother but whē the liuing child should haue beene killed and deuided at the Kinges commandement the true mothers heart was mooued with compassion and could by no meanes yeelde or abide to haue the childe killed but the other that pretended onely and was not indeede the mother was very forwarde to haue it killed and deuided I will saye no more but I woulde you hot Catholikes and your popish church had but halfe that compassion and tendernes of hearte and respect to mens liues that the profession and the professors of the Gospell haue But it is not in you there is a contrary nature and a contrary dealing in the wolfe and in the shepherd the sheep Your handes haue been too lōg imbrued in the. blood of Gods saintes it is the proper marke of your bloodte Antichristian church It is that ye glorie in God amend you if it be his blessed will or else cut you
telleth expressely Yee may bee compelled to perfourme that ye haue promised and holde that yee haue once receiued And bringeth good testimonies against you out of Augustine You I say that haue been baptized into the fayth of Christ not of Rome nor the Popish church and hardely any one of you founde within this Realme or among you English Romanistes that being of age now leaue this Realme that haue not in the time of the profession of the Gospel here gone to Church and done other actes of our religion at one time or other in blessed king Edwards dayes now or both Againe yee know that your D. Thomas his manner in his summe commonly is after he hath obiected agaynst the truth to set on the contra ry side that he taketh to be the truth in this question after he hath out of other men obiected That Infidelles are by no meanes to be compelled to the fayth he addeth as it were of his own But of the cōtrarie side is y t which is sayd in the. 14. of Luke Goe out into the wayes and hedges compell them to come in that my house may bee filled But men enter into the house of God that is into the holy church by fayth Therefore some saith he are to be com pelled to the fayth This haue I set downe that you may see what vātage you haue by sending vs to your S. Thomas and your other doctours for indeed sir to shew you might here haue spared wel enough in your margin Omnes doct I could further alleadge to the contrary your subtil Doctor Iohn Scot who had great followers He holdeth herein that it were godly and well done If Infidels were compelled of their Princes with threats feare to faith religiō Euen against your D. Thomas that you here set vs downe You knowe or may knowe howe common a thing it is in your religion not in this Article onely to finde the Scotists against the Thomists Doctor against Doctor c. But I had rather vnfoulde my selfe and the reader out of these contradictions and braules of your Popishe wryters then sticke therein Her Maiestie besides that she simply and vtterly taketh not vpon her by force and violence to compell to fayth as though shee coulde giue and imprint the same in mens heartes though shee set forth maynteine and binde all her subiectes to outwarde meanes and exercises of religion as I haue sayde thereby shewing what shee wisheth and driueth vnto which shee also vseth her self neither sitteth shee in the conscience of any which is proper to your Pope his lawes and your religion besides that her Maiestie is free herein I say Shee moreouer vseth her selfe in this case so godly so wisely so vprightly and so moderately towards you that deserue so ill as if any faulte may iustly bee founde it is in this that some of you are not straightlier lookt vnto and more roundlier proceeded withall But her Maiestie is wise ynough Zizebutus a prince is commended in one of the councelles and in your owne Decrees and counted very religious in compelling to Christianitie This is that in summe I woulde say vnto you for answere in this matter For as much as there is no societie of people so barbarous lyghtly that liue without some outwarde exercise of Religion and God hath beautified and commended Ciuill Magistrates in kingdomes Common wealthes and Cities vnder the tytle of Gods and hath ordayned them as his Ministers for our good that we may receiue prayse frō autortie in doyng well and in doing otherwise stande in feare as who beareth not the swoorde in vayne for hee is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Againe forasmuch as this Image of God is in nothing more seene namely in publike persons those of Autoritie then in procuring promoting aduancing dayly of Gods honour and seruice by their power and by giuing shewing good exāple to others for which cause principally they are aduanced as on a mountain placed in Royall chaire that therefore I say those Christian Kings Queens whō God hath called to this honor to be Foster Fathers and Nurses to his Churche and people doe well and very acceptable seruice to GOD and are highly highly to bee commended and heartily and continually to bee prayed for of all for that the aduersarie on the other side is mightie and suttle not onely for ranging them selues to Gods holy and true Religion taken out of the sacred Scriptures and the outward exercises of the same but for inducing also by the wisedome and power giuen them of GOD all people and personnes subiect to them vnto the like by making good and wholsome lawes by encouragement and by feare according as the qualitie and circumstance of place tyme and person require without all tyranny and vsurpation of the roome and place of the most high God of heauen ouer mens consciences on the one side and yet without all loosenesse on the other side in omitting such oportunitie and meanes as God offereth for the benefite of the holye people the Saintes of the moste High I speake of these and of suche as are by office called to publique and high charge among them in Churche cōmon wealth euen christian Kings Queens c. Of whō thus it is prophecied The kingdome and dominion and the greatnes of the kingdome vnder the whole heauen shall be giuen to the holy people of the most high whose kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and all powers shall serue and obey him This seemeth to bee spoken of Christ his kingdome and the time of the Gospel c. Nowe this consecrating of her selfe and her authoritie wholly to GOD and his seruice to the benefite of his Church is it and it alone which her Maiestie in this case of many yeeres hath stil doth to Gods glory her singular cōmendation put in executiō amōg vs her people growing I hope dayly from good to better And this is that also which no honest faithfull good man can iustly bee offended withall This haue I if not ouerthrowne in your opinion perhappes your bulwarkes yet sufficiently for this matter cleared the trueth I trust her Maiestie also and the state against your vniust quarrels and slanders 13 Nowe proceede I with your wordes Besides this say you as no wise Noble man after many Ages of quiet possession would suffer another to recouer his Barronie without shewinge of verie good euidence So wee in reason are not to bee blamed if wee 〈◊〉 helde the possession of the Catholike Churche in Englande for these thousand yeres by our aduer saries confession do stande with them yet and require some euidence before we consent to giue vp the same Hereto they haue shewed vs none but onely woordes and forgerie they entred into possession without tryall of the tytle they thrust vs out before sentence or proofe wee crye out of the
graunted Which you very instantly seeme to demaund but with your after parle conditional indenting with her maiestie yee seeme againe to flie touche that I say nothing heere of the vntimely asking of disputation at her maiesties handes after you haue a litle before twise doone the same When wee see greater cause than hytherto or any good to be gotten by going ouer Sea then may that voyage bee thought of or soone enough taken in hande of vs English Subiectes at her Maiesties appointment When yee haue ouerthrowne those of our side in the low Countries Germanie Fraunce c. that they shoulde neede helpe in the cause of the Gospell whiche will neuer bee while you liue Then were soone enough to make your bragges and to call vs to combate In the meane while what shoulde I say but whether you lie or relye it is all but vpon wordes and talke shifting of thinges by cunning This you haue Rethoricke enough to inforce But alack where truth and matter faile there are wordes and Rethorick little worth You that can handle an ill cause so handsomly would I wishe to try what you can doe in a good but that in deede needeth not so much a doe speaking well one may soone persuade wise men saith one which opinion M. Howlet it might haue beseemed you to haue had of her maiestie at least 17 AND nowe to leaue all these thinges to the holy prouidence of God and to the high wisedome of your most excellent Maiestie to consider of wee are humbly to craue at this time and most instantly to request that your Highnesse will not take in euill part this our bolde recourse vnto your Royall person in these our afflictions and passing great calamites You are borne our Soueraigne Princes and mother and wee your naturall Subiectes and children whether then shoulde children runne in their afflictions but vnto the loue and tender care of their deare mother especially shee beeing such a mother as her power is sufficient to releeue them in all pointes her goodwill testified by infinite benefites and her noble and mercifull disposition knowne and renouned through out the worlde 18 If your Maiestie were abrod in many partes of your Realme to vnderstande the miseries heare the cryes see the lifting vp of hands to heauen for the present afflictions which this persecution hath brought I knowe your Maiestie would bee much mooued as all men are heere by the only reporte of the same I coulde touche certaine particulars of importance to that effect But I will keepe the lawe of Areopagus I will say nothing to mooue my Iudge whose wisedome I well know and whose goodnesse I nothing at all mistrust 19 If your highnesse were of that disposition from which you are most farre of as to take pleasure in our afflictions delite and comfort in our calamities wee coulde bee content for to beare this and ten times more in so good a cause as wee suffer for And if there bee any other of such cruel appetite whom your Maiestie shoulde thinke good to be satisfied with blood there want no Catholikes both there and here which would most willingly offer themselues to purchase 〈◊〉 vnto the rest Diuers are in bondes there most ready I am sure to accept such an offer and if that number wyll not suffice let the worde bee but spoken and many more shall most ioyfully present themselues from hence hauing reserued our selues to none other ende if God woulde make vs worthie of that and that by our deathes wee might giue testimonie to the Catholike cause and redeeme the pitifull vexation of so many thousand afflicted people at this day in England 20 IESVS Christe in abundance of mercie blesse your Maiestie to whome as hee knoweth I wishe as much good as to mine owne soule persuading my selfe that all good Catholikes in Englande doe the same And they which goe about to insinuate the Contrary are in mine opinion but appointed instruments by the common enimie to dispoyle your Maiesty of your strongest piller and best right hande as soone after their purpose had it woulde appeare and shall be more manifest before the last tribunal seat where we al shalbe presented shortly without difference of persons and where the cogitations of all heartes shalbe reuealed and examined and in iustice of iudgement rightfully rewarded Nowe matters are craftily clowded up and false visards put on vpon euery action Then all shall appeare in sinceritie and truth and nothing auayle but only the testimonie of a good conscience The which Catholikes by suffering doe seeke to retaine and which God of his infinite goodnesse inspire your Maiestie graciously without enforcement to permit vnto them still Your Maiesties most humble and obedient Subiect I. Howlet After all this a doe you will seeme at length to craue pardon at her Maiesties handes or rather because you will seeme to be in no fault but to excuse your presumption you request that her Highnes will not take in euill part this your bolde attempt Clarkely spoken and like an Drator where vpon you alleadge reason that hath induced you hereto taken partly from the bonde and knot whereby her Maiestie and her subiectes are narrowly linked together partely from necessitie and extreame miseries that yee pretende you are brought into This is the 〈◊〉 of your long boasting withall howe readie you and other of your side are to spende your bloodes in defence of your religion and Church This is in summe the effect of the three next Sections and that which remayneth for a Conclusion of your Dedicatorie Epistle your ouer rashe boldenes in thus dealing with her Maiestie needeth greatly of crauing pardon Howeuer you craftily cloude it vp and put a false vizarde thereon that I may turne to you your owne phrase not so much for hauing recourse to her highnesse in your pretended miseries which either are not so great or else easily releeued if ye so will your selues but in respect of your double dealing rather in pretending one thing and doyng the cleane contrarye not contayning your selfe within the bounds ye talke of You might with good leaue of her Maiestie haue propounded your case and haue had recourse vnto her Highnesse if her Maiestie had been ignoraunt thereof as I thinke none in the land knoweth it now better such is her wisdome and godly and great care ower her Subiectes wherein you doe her highnesse the more wrong in supposing shee liueth here among her Subiectes as a stranger without vnderstanding and pitiyug the harde case of any of her Maiesties naturall honest and dutifull subiectes bearing or forbearing your vntrue perswasion It may please her maiesty to pardon that folly but to feed her highnes eares w t bare words without deeds nay your deedes being cleane contrary and very naught how should her Maiestie take this in good part for you are a Proctor for your selfe and other that you call Catholikes that haue giuen your faith to the
Pope and Sea of Rome her Maiesties sworne enemie and the Realines you goe about with slaunder to seuer and make dissention betweene her Maiestie her Lawes and the Ministers thereof beetweene her and her faythfull people and subiectes Ye 〈◊〉 and reporte tales to impeche the credite of particular persons In summe ye take too much vpon you ye woulde be credited in euerie thing with her Maiestie as though your saying were some heauenly Oracle Wilfully funne not headlong into moe and greater afflictions and calamities then her Maiestie and lawes will laye vppon you and you shall haue little or no cause to complaine suche is her Maiesties plentifull wisedome and goodnes and the great moderation that is vsed in making of lawes in this realme Great and narrowe is the knot thankes bee to God and harde and faste tyed betweene her Maiestie and her good and faithfull subiectes as your Pope and you to your regret haue tryed in seeking manie waies to dissolue that bande and yet hitherto neuer coulde preuaile nor neuer I trust shall If her Maiestie bee borne your Soueraigne Princesse and Mother and you bee her naturall Subiects and Children As in deede shee is all true hearted Englishmens and wee all her Maiesties more bounde if more may bee in respect of the Gospell among vs then euer to any Princes or Kinges before If your case be common with ours why then doe you hot Catholikes growe more out of kinde then the rest ofher Maiesties naturall subiects do Why before you neede runne you so fast and so hastily to Rome and to the Pope and thence seeke to make head to disquiet this State and your brethren and countrey men at home This is not onely no part of a Loyall subiect towardes his Prince and Countrey but hardly the part of a true hearted Englishman so vnnaturall is the dealing The better her Maiesties noble disposition and vertues are knowen and renoumed throughout the world the moremonstrous a great deale is this your wicked dealing with so gracious a Soueraigne and most naturall godly and carefull a Prince You can haue no greater condemnation or testimonie against you then your diuelishe betaking of your selues to the Stepmother that you haue chosen leauing her that God had appointed you whither yee list to take it of conscience or pollicie Runne whither yee shall seeke 〈◊〉 and neare you are not like to finde such a mother againe abroade Your stepmothers affection that you haue chosen lift her vp to the skie if you can with your prayses is in no comparison like shee is too harde hearted and too bloodye wee knowe her well enough and but to well Leaue her therefore leaue her Come out from that Babylon c. And like naturall and obedient children returne home to your owne deare Mother and Countrey whome ye haue so vnkindely and so undutifully forsaken Put your selues againe with submission into her handes so it seemeth you will but when you can not otherwise chose and yet hardly then too your fault here in is such as I hardely finde wordes to expresse the indignitie thereof If all bee well considered you haue very great cause of recourse and submission to her Maiestie and from her to forrainers and other no cause at all Leaue it therefore in time leaue it and come home At least for your part M. Howlet doe so if you bee abroade and beyond Sea without her Maiesties leaue But come with a single heart and a good conscience that is a changed man Put your selfe in deede without all dissimulation to her Maiesties mercie and to vs you shall bee moste welcome If miserie presse you with the prodigal Sonne hearken to this aduise the rather Better to learne by affliction and in it then neuer If your State be other by your returne let it appeare with howe franke a heart and well meaning minde you come home which will bee when God shall first touch your heartes to returne vnfaignedly and in deede from Poperie and superstition to that most mercifull heauenly father or else neuer This is the best Counsell I can at this time giue you For her Maisties being abroade among her Subiects in many partes of her Realme It is thankes bee to God and long may it continue much and often to our great ioy Shee needeth not be tolde of the State of her subiectes by you or goe by here say onely and receiue the reporte thereof from beyonde Sea Besides reportes gather and goe much by mens affections This that you report of such hurly burley and disquietnesse to bee in this Realme is as true as other reportes that come to you of thinges done here and all a like you are too light of credite Your representation of the miseries is but wordes yee make more a doe then yee neede a great deale If her Maiesties most moderate lawes against Poperie and Treason if her milde proceeding in the iust defence of her selfe her royall estate and the Realmes presse you will you doe well Giue ouer that dealing then that hath procured all this and liue quietly at home as Gods true seruauntes in the profession of the Gospell of Christ Jesus and in duetifull obedience to our Soueraigne Pray for her Matestie and the State with vs as wee are willed that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie and all former quarrelles betweene you and vs in religion forgotten and forgiuen wee will liue in peace and charitie with you howe euer you thinke otherwise of vs. You make an If and doe well so to doe When you talke of her Maiesties disposition to delight in your calamities of others cruel appetite to desire blood which is as far frō her maiestie those of y t side as y e same is familiar vnto your popish religion It is happie howe euer yee thinke of other that yee cleare her Maiestie herein which testimonie from the enemie hath some force But howe euer ye brag of A readines to accept the offer of suffering death for your religion yet thanke God if yee be wise and her Maiestie that that offer hitherto hath not been made you nor them that ye be assured to bee so readie to accept thereof This I tell you for all your troubles are not delighted in heere much lesse bee they or your blood sought after These 〈◊〉 but your dreames You might well enough haue spared therefore that brag either of your selfe bing beyond sea or of your fellowes readines to suffer and to die in so euill a cause especially how euer you call it Catholike It is a question of 〈◊〉 man and of treason 〈◊〉 and rebellion not other that you call the Catholike cause Again you can at the most but warrant for your selfe Let other men alone hardely in this case And yet talking of suffering death you doe wisely in my opinion when yee ioyne those fewe that be here of your side in prison with your selfe and those that are fled
the Pope the banner being now displayed on both sides and the field pitched Ye are seene and found comming in the fight with weapon in hand from vnder y e enemies standerd to presse as hard as ye can against the religion her maiesty professeth the state What would yee haue her maiestie or the state that lead the contrarye Campe iudge of you ye carie a wrong cognisance and that bewrayeth you God in abundance of mercie long blesse her maiestie with all kind of blessings spiritual and temporall to Gods glory dayly more and more her maiesties honour the benifite of Gods church and the conuersion or confusion of al her enemies and specially to the confusion of that Antichrist of Rome that hath and still doeth so maliciously and spightfully seeke the subuersion of Gods holy Gospel and her maiesty and this state the professors therof God againe of his goodnes long continue with increase the sincere profession of Christs holy Gospel religion among vs vnder her maiestie and in all make vs thankfull for so great benefites Amen An answere to the booke that of a letter is made a Treatise or discourse by M. Howlet BEfore the Reasons of the Papists refusall to go to Church there is a Preface in this booke of theirs as there is a recapitulation and Epilogus with addition in the latter ende But the whole body of the worke is comprised in the ix Reasons Generally and in summe in the writers preface there are two pointes contained whereof the first is the sorrow comfort that the Authour conceiued of the Gentleman his freendes letters with the matter and cause thereof The other containeth the occasion ground and substance of the authours labour partly nowe perfourmed partly promised to followe hereafter In which part is made A diuision of Catholikes and a necessarie supposition as hee calleth it This is that he handeleth for the most part in the sixe first leaues After follow in order the reasons of refusal whereof wee shall see God willing in their place In the meane while for this part I say that the pitifull description of Englande at this day which he maketh the cause of his sorrowe is a counterfaited matter betweene these two Papistes deuised to giue better colour and shewe to the whole Tragedie They haue heere raised and still seeke to doe least this five kindled by them should seeme to bee vppon none or small occasion God be thanked for the greate peace and quiet that this Realme hath long vnder her Maiesties happy gouernment enioyed to the admiratiō of Forrayners and those abrode while great troubles haue risen round about vs elswhere And though it be hard to finde among many such rest in any former Princes dayes as wee haue in this peaceable gouernement vnder her Maiestie hytherto enioyed which God long continue and giue vs grace to see and consider the same accordingly yet if a certaine of these sturring vnnaturall Subiects abrod were not more busily headded then needeth a great deale both they and wee all might haue liued in some more rest heere at home to Gods glory our dread Soueraignes comfort and the benefite of the whole common wealth Thus haue wee all to thanke them and they themselues alone as the authours of all if by sturres there haue growne any disquietnesse and hurt either to them or to vs here And y t soner they leaue this course y e soner will there bee an end of troubles To mooue commiseration and pitie by Rhetoricall figure they guilefully imagine greater miseries than in truth bee founde heere among vs. Thankes bee to God and her Maiestie therfore they attaine not their with and desired purpose in this behalfe The rare matter of comfort that the discourser sporteth himselfe withall is the obstinacie of a fewe Papistes which shewe their vndutifulnesse first to God his holy Gospell and worde Next to her Maiestie and her good and wholesome lawes made against superstition and idolatry All which vndutifulnesse is couered vnder the cloke of conscience when in deede it is nothing lesse as in place wee shewe So as with some altering of this mans woordes we may say The Diuell or cōmon enimie laugheth thereat the example is very euill to those abrode that shall heare thereof and perillous to the state at home while other like thēselues may seeme to be incouraged in naughtie vsage the good and dutifull subiects are offended molested with this treacher ous dealing the Prince also and the state more troubled then otherwise needed in preuenting and repressing the seditions that are heereby attempted and mooued neither taking comfort in such Mates presently nor hoping any good at their hands in time to come vnlesse God giue thē better minds then they yet shew themselue to haue For howe can her Maiestie trust them that vngodly breaking God his testament and the othe made vnto his Maiestie in Baptisme as this man calleth it betake themselues not to Christe and Christian religion comprised in holy scriptures but to Rome and Romishe religion deuised by men that I say not by the Diuell of Hell himselfe and withall leauing their naturall borne Soueraigne and Prince followe the Pope and forraine power to her Graces great preiudice and the impayring so much as they may of her royall dignitie and title which also to the vttermost of their power they impugne and would bring into hazarde And as for those of contrary religion vnto them that is suche as here sticke to the Gospel and the sincere profession thereof how can they like of such as make no conscience to roue without the boundes of Gods booke in his matters choosing to themselues a religion at pleasure if will worship may rather be called religion then by the owne proper name of superstition so this whole parte might haue beene spared well enough if it had liked the authour Where the Authour makes the lawfull and iust punishments layde vpon certaine of late in England to be for different opinions in religion only as though they were otherwise quiet men and good Subiects besides the publike testimonies of the lawes and state here to the contrary what euer they say or pretend all the worlde that haue any eyes may see that they iustly suffer in respect of sedicious and rebellious attemptes and the busie sturres they make in disquieting at home and abrode this peaceable state And albeit it please the authour to cal it Constancie and faithfulnesse to God yet they that list to examine shall finde it an inconstant turning from y t dutifull obedience which they had once sworn to their soueraigne prince ioyned w t vnconscionable great vnfaithfulnes to God her Maiestie M. Howlet his fellow to make shew only to make shew talke of Nobilitie Noble men great worship and Worshipfull men many Gentlemē men of countenance and credite in their countries important stayes to her Maiestie and state heere c. They are all in amplifications in
Rome and Romane which be particular wordes restraining the word Catholike wee are content to call it with your fellowe M. Howlet in his EPISTLE DEDICATORIE the Christian Catholike Religion or the holy catholike and Apostolike Religion of the first Instrumentes and Planters thereof as wee see set vs downe in their writinges or such like speech for the knowledge distinction and triall of our religion we refuse not We are not wedded to one forme of words in that that may be diuersely expressed as in time and with time tearmes and speeches that for a time serue men varie but we woulde auoide cloudie ambiguitie in speech if this I haue now spoken of be the true religion ye receiue embrace and beeleeue we doe so with you and you with vs that is wee agree But vnderstand withall that hereby we ouerthrowe all Poperie and Popish religion as we doe Anabaptistrie and all other false religions whatsoeuer deuised and erected by men not warranted by Gods holy written worde call ye the same Romane Italian Germane French Spanish English Scottish or what else you will where and of whome soeuer it be professed all is one either it is that I haue here shortly described or els it is false and naught The true and Christian catholike religion is not tyed to any certaine place person or time but belongeth indifferently to all the Faithful in al ages and in all places eyther therfore tel vs whether you meane by the catho like Romane religion that Religion which the faithful people dwelling at Rome helde in the time of the Apostles To whom S. Paule the Apostle of vs Gentiles and so of the Romanes wrote the epistle extant and entituled to the Romanes as he did diuers other to particular churches of y e Gentiles as y t thē was hauing yet beleeuing Iewes among them Or if you take it other wise make y e religiō you meane first agree with that religion which those Romanes then helde and were instructed in which was all one with that of the Ephesians Phillipians Thessalonians and other Churches planted by the Apostles and with ours now or ours rather is one with theirs the which is expressed vnto vs in their writinges whereto we sticke and not to the places and people or persons that haue succeeded which all haue greatly swarued since frō y t they then were Or else if you like not to call your religion to this triall keepe your supposition to your selfe as false til you haue prooued the matter for we cannot to be plain w t you nor we may not receiue the Romane religion as it is at this day and hath beene now some hundreths of yeres for the Truth much lesse for y e only truth vnlesse we mind withal to quite abandō God his eternal Truth expressed vnto vs as his reuealed will that is in the canonicall Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament which is commonly called The holy byble as directly contrary to your Romane and Popish religion at this day as white is to black Truth to Falshood Christ to Antichrist God to the Diuell wherof let that booke be the iudge betweene vs. Looke whose religion that booke will iustifie looke whose it will condemne that doe we likewise iustifie or condemne by what name soeuer it be called what coulour or shewe soeuer bee set vppon it wee must bring it to that triall It is not the name of traditions It is not vnwritten verities It is not multitude c which be the props and pillers of your Romane church and religion that can call vs from the infallible written Truth of God howeuer therefore your glosed and false supposition maye satisfie your side or serue a glosed and false religion it cannot serue this church and state you may not looke to haue it by and by receiued of the Queenes most excellent maiestie of the honourable Lordes of her priuie counsaile and other the godly learned wise of englād You might think y t could not nor would not perswade so godly and honourable personages that is meeter for the ignorant sort and fooles you must lay a better foundatiō you must bring better euidence before your Reasons can conuince Suppositions shoulde be certaine principles and euident truthes not so manifest falshoode as this is to be receiued without proofe wee can not suppose at least we cannot knowe that is not I wishe therefore ye had trauailed in proouing this captious and false supposition that after your reasons might haue come the better to their effect end of cōuincing or we seen your feeble weakenes in your cause But that you were not able to perfourme you thought best to suppose and occupie your selfe in flourishing with shew of 〈◊〉 reasons groūded on false principles rather then forciblye to prooue or to reason soundly But Aristotle could haue tolde you that in Art of reasoning thus to doe is to make a Paralogisme or in plainer english to speake it is a kinde of iugling and of false and naughtie dealing Suppose not that the Romane religion as it is at this day is the onely old religion and all other newe The religion we professe is as truer so older than your newe Romane religion As Christ his Apostles and their writings are before those vpon whom and whose writings you would haue vs to depend It may bee in some kinde that your olde vesselles be not fit to receiue this newe 〈◊〉 If the vessels breake though the wine be spilt yet the vessels perish I counsaile you therefore to bring newe vessels and newe heartes that the newe wine beeing put into newe vessels both may be preserued rather then that you abhorre and reiect the newe wine because it agreeth not with your olde leaking vessels An olde ragged coate An olde rotten tree An old decayed house c. If you will needs sticke vpon old and newe are not the best and moste to bee commended you knowe Please not your selfe therefore so much in these tearmes But leaue them and goe to the matter Let Gods booke still I say be iudge betweene vs for the thinges you bring foorth and the thinges we bring and there an end Wee purpose and hope for religion to liue and dye with that booke For your Catholikes you say there are two sortes and yet if I can iudge ought yee make three first you tell vs of such as be so wicked and their case so damnable as yee minde not to intreate of them then you tell vs of another sort of Catholikes for whome this Treatise was made to reforme their persuasion builded as you say only vppon their owne fantasie Yee might as well haue vsed your owne phrase of Conscience if it had pleased you though indeede for abusing the good worde of conscience false persuasiō or fancy were euerie where fitter for you all in your profession Thirdly you make yet an other sort of catholikes besides these two and them you call the onely true Catholikes which
Turne you turne you from your euill waies Oh mark this word well For why will you die O yee house of Israell Though your sinnes wereas crimsin they shalbe made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shalbe as wooll This is a true saying by all meanes worthie to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners So God loued the worlde that hee hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perish but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his sonne into the worlde that hee should condemne the world but that the worlde through him might be saued Hee that beleeueth in him c. reade forwarde to the 22. verse These and such like be the very first wordes that are spoken and they shall dayly heare to their comfort that resort to our Churches But still marke the condition of leauing our owne defections from God of repentance and turning from our owne wicked wayes c. Turne therefore from Popery and hearken to this doctrine and tell vs truely and in deed whether religion is more true and more comfortable vnto you This which is Christes and therefore ours we wish and will no other Or the Popes deliuered in this treatise that condemneth you as you heare And yet if all bee well marked for all this comfortable doctrine of y e gospel that is of God his mercy grace vnto sinners that by the way I may answere y t Popish cauill Preach we not carnall libertie wee set not open any windowe to sinne we make not men slouthfull and negligent in godly life and good workes c. as the Papists sclaunder this doctrine In opening this plentifull fountaine of God his grace to troubled and weake consciences we stop not vpp nor let not the brookes riuers course that issue thence of godlinesse and good life nay wee further aduance the same greatly I woulde the Papistes and Poperie did the like but that will they neuer doe we are faine to be occupied in scowring clensing where they haue troubled with their filthie mudde that our doctrine and religiō may herein the better be knowne This foundation doe we lay therof This order with the holy Apostle in summe doe wee keepe The grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we shoulde denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present worlde looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who gaue himself for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zelous of good workes So then the cleere manifestation of God his healthfull grace or the preaching of the Gospell of the grace of God which is the worde of life is so farre of from ouerthrowing godly life and good workes that it is the fountaine thereof it establysheth and setleth the same and like a good Schoole maister is occupied in faithfully teaching all 〈◊〉 towardes God and man God make vs good and meete schollers This we beleeue and this we professe this we dayly professe this we dayly propounde and teache in receiuing and following this course we are not deceiued we erre not nay we are sure we goe the right way we please God and subscribe to the docrine of the holy Ghoste rayle the aduersarie as much as he list against our doctrine and profession But I cannot let this Censurer passe thus that not onely cruelly handeleth his companions but her Maiestie the State the Lawes and Magistrates here If this saith he bee true as it is if God bee not vntrue where warranted tell vs bare affirmation suffiseth not then in what a miserable case standeth many a man in England at this day which take othes receiue Sacraments goe to Churche and commit many a like act directly against their owne consciences and against their owne knowledge you shoulde say against fantasticall opinion c. Nay what a case doe they stande in which know such thinges to 〈◊〉 directly against othēr mens consciences and yet do cōpel them to doe it As to receiue against their will to sweare agaist their will and the like c. First we tell you Sir for the Scriptures yee cited before for this purpose that yee corrupt the same and that which yee say is false and ill applyed Next wee say in iust defence of her Maiestie our dread Soueraigne and the State that yee 〈◊〉 them for there is no such enforcement by your owne confessiō but that it might be borne the going to church is simplie a willing free actiō in those of your religiō y t doe it here you say they receiue against their wil swere against their wil y e like Fol. 21. You say cōtrary y t it is not against their wil but a willing fre actiō absolutely simply speak thus stil ye answer for her maiestie the state condemn that you here say so you cōclude of it Wher things done by outward violence compulsion are simplie inuoluntary actions And yet if it were otherwise her maiestie the state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cause all the packe of of you false Catholikes as much as in them lyeth to 〈◊〉 by the doctrine of the Gospell instructed and to be priuately also conferred withall for the remoouing of you from your foolish that I say not deuilish opinions They knowe what euer you brag of conscience that if you will not hearken and geue ouer to the Gospell and word of God it is but wilfull obstinacie and peeuish standing in your conceiued opinions It is senselesnes and not consciēce They know see that your proceedinges and busie stirres needes some sharper seueritie than hither vnto seeing you haue so greatly abused her maiesties former lenitie and clemencie According to dutie therefore to God in their calling doe they proceede Lastly they haue for their warrant the example of godly Emperours Kings and States both before Christ since set down in histories their lawes This am I forced often to tell you and your fellowes that so much and often maliciously repeate this intollerable and wicked 〈◊〉 For the other point of your allegation of Scriptures finde vs the wordes in the fourteenth chapter to the Romanes you set vs downe which ye shall neuer be able to doe looke euen vpon your owne translation Or else confesse when you are taken with the manner that you are a corrupter of the Scripture Is a mans corrupte or erroneous conscience or knowledge and fayth all one think you such knowledge if ye so will call it is one thing c onscience is another and faith differing from both a third thing Errour and falshod in knowledge bastard and corrupt the same be enemies to faith no friends to conscience
Humble iumble such is your religious handling of the scriptures I pray you howeuer you talke of y e sense meaning shuffle vs not out the holy Ghostes wordes phrase A man when the Apostle speaketh onely of the faythfull is too general Decerne or iudge it to be vnlawfull is put into the text by your self as is not according to his cōsciēce or knowledge The next words adioyning are also a text of your own coining In y e last of the three sentēces here cited out of the fourteenth to the Romanes where finde you in doing contrary to that he best alloweth And all these corruptions be in that one place that you would cite out of S. Paule to the Romanes It is the first text yee alleadge yee geue vs but a taste therein of the forgerie we haue to looke for at your hands if we haue not good regard to you your doinges It is not for vs now adaies to receiue things from you namely the scriptures at your handes vpon your bare credit and reporte S. James his place also somewhat halteth by your citation but let this passe M. Howlet and you iumping so close together in corrupting this text of S. Paule I neede adde no more then that I haue alreadie sayd thereof but referre the reader to my answere made to him in his place whereof if you and hee haue any shape me a good defence you wil leese nothing for quoting thrise for failing the fourteenth to the Romans in your margin Matthewe Marke and Luke for one sentence of the Gospell Iohn the 15. prooueth not that you cite it for Gregorie out of whom you tooke it citeth it fitlier a great deale Actes 9. occupieth also a roome and toucheth not this sinne against the holy Ghost vnlesse the whole had beene better vnderstoode applied howeuer you would needs set vs downe those holy writers to fill vp your margin yet might you haue spared well enough your doctors your D. Thomas is twise heere called forth Gregory the Pope is adioyned to him the place alleadged out of Augustine is sufficiently answeared by the Godly and learned brother D. Fulke It is very vnfitly applied to the multitude and common sorte suche as doe things for feare c. That Augustine sheweth is properly to be applied to captaines and ringleaders but without all proofe more vnfitly yet to such as ioyne with truth and godlines though erring in conscience is that applied which pertaineth to the leaders into error schisme 〈◊〉 but the supposition must helpe although it be no reason S. Pauls doctrine speaking of meats or things in thēselues indifferēt lawful your doctrine talking of cōmunicating with the churches wherein the Gospel of Christ is preached or abstaining from the same which is simply good or euill agree as wel as light and darknes truth falshood Ye say truly that S. Paul layeth no lesse punishmēt vpon the sinne against a mans owne conscience than iudgement damnation no more doth he vpon any sinne Be it done according to the doers conscience as you single thinges or against it for that doctrine is generall The wages of sinne is death By one offence giltines vpon all to condemnation And againe iudgement of one offence vnto condemnation c. But hee dealeth more fauourably with the parties and their persons than you doe who leaue them without all hope of pardon in this world or in the worlde to come charging them to haue sinned against the holy Ghost c. S. Paule in the 14. to the Romanes chargeth not those so farre vnlesse he be racked but that by repentance they may be renued again The matter ye talke of is but an act cōmitted against a foolish cōceite or diuellish opiniō which hardly can be called conscience vnlesse yee prooue it better than hitherto God open their eyes and geue them that be entangled therein grace to leaue it I answere you I defende not their sin wickednes what euer it be neither must ye think we equal al sinnes or make no degrees therein we acknowledge some be greater worse and more hainous sinnes then other but this is not vnpardonable nor sinne against the holy Ghost that we say For your description of sinne against the holye Ghost out of D. Thomas to be against an appropriate good thing as your schooles like to speake As we are not bound to beleeue them nor you in your subtilties So in the application ye make there of vpon your owne Catholikes and to sinne committed against conscience hardly agree you with D. Thomas who maketh that sinne to be committed of certain malice onely Againe I meruaile how you that are so addict to old doctors could to follow this opinion of others leaue the expositiō of the auncient doctors herein Athanasius Hilarie Ambrose Hierom Chrisostome and Augustine whose sentences of the sinne against the holy Ghost D. Thomas reckoneth vp in his summe And if this 〈◊〉 y t yee follow be admitted the sixe kinds of sinne against the holy Ghost that D. Thomas after the M. setteth down you had neede to looke well to your selfe that you bee not 〈◊〉 charged therewith rather then set so fiercely vpon other Besides this where your D. Thomas in his golden chaine vpon the words of Christ expressely treateth of the sin against the holy Ghost And after his maner reckoneth vp the approued doctors opinions he mentioneth not that exposition that you heere set vs downe And seemeth directly to charge you in this your application therof to be a Nouatian heretike who saide that the faithfull after their fal can not rise by repentance nor attaine to the forgiuenes of their sinnes principally they which being in persecution marke this did denie the truth And this is the woorst that I am sure euen you can will or doe charge your owne Catholikes with now who you say are to be accounted ac cording to S. Paule that is vntrue damned men in this life Or that they sinne against the holy Ghost whiche to say is to playe the Nouatian heretike Moreouer D. Thomas thus reporteth there not from himselfe alone I cannot see how euen the departing from christianitie or the catholike church is sinne against the holy Ghost and reason thereof is there rendred Againe it cannot be iudged of in this life for we must dispaire of none as long as the patience of God bringeth to repentance for what if those whome vou note in any kinde of error and condemne them as most desperate men before they end this life repent and finde true life in the worlde to come with manie other thinges which out of Augustine he there reciteth whom hee also most commonly followeth These thinges be contrary to your singular opinion against your false Catholikes And yet I suppose you will admit this if not for their sake out of whom it is alleged yet for that ye take that which D. Thomas wrote as a heauenly
of hypocrisie and hypocrites whom that religion maketh such ye might haue spared to talke of this kinde of men here They that knowe him not you say as in deede no man doth furder then hee vttereth and sheweth him selfe must needes presume him to goe of conscience and as a fauourer of that Religion and so be brought to like the better of that religion and the worse of the Catholike by his example You say true This is and if not needes must bee all christian and honest mens opinion of him yea ours vnlesse he must be taken to bee the diuels childe and of his religion And then knowe you him inwardely to be a Catholike a true Christian or of Christes religion and that we follow we denie him to be ridde him from vs and take him to your heape for his religion if he bee suchy a one You say Anibrose did accuse Valentinian the Emperour for giuing a publike Scandale to the worlde because he did but permit certaine altars to the Gentiles saying that men woulde thinke that he priuily fauoured them Ye giue a good lesson to warne Princes that bee professours of the Gospell to take heede they permit Papistes to haue no altars to sacrifice vpon in their dominions for giuing the like offence And for you Romane Catholikes that sue for tolleration for the free exercise of your Romane religion may her Maiestie answere you by your own rule and Reason We thanke you sir for giuing vs still so good weapons to beate your selues withall This is your very case Nowe let the Reader applye and make his profite of the rest The thirde reason is this When and where going and not going to Churche is made a signe 〈◊〉 betwixt a Catholike and a 〈◊〉 then and there is it not lawefull for a Catholike to goe to the Protestants Churches But so is it heere nowe wherefore it is not lawefull c. The first part of this reason he explaneth by diuision of the wayes whereby the professour of any religion may be 〈◊〉 which he maketh there by wordes workes and signe hee setteth out the whole by example of the Iewe in Italie familiarly knowne by our English Romanistes among whom the Iewe liueth in free profession of his religion and therefore had neede to be distinguished from christians by some markes But among vs heere in Englande where there is no such faction and diuersitie of religion by order of lawe vnder our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth tollerated but all bounde to professe the true christian religion to Gods glory and her Maiesties singular commendation neither is there neither needeth there in this policie any such distinction deuised by mē to seuer betwene religion and religion that is betweene truth and falshood Protestants and Papistes we content our selues with the notes and markes to knowe the professours of christian religion in Englande which are set vs downe in the holy worde of God which also depende not on mens cpinions nor are at their pleasure variable but are stayed vpon a 〈◊〉 better groūd And therfore we returne thcse voluntarie marks signes to note religiō the professors therof by to you to Rome to Italie where volūtary religiō or superstitiō raigne gaine is thought to be godlines We thank God and her Maiestie for our freedom frō the same and that we may liue at home in England in good conscience and sincere professiō of Christes religion without needing to runne into Italy where there is suche danger to denie the christian faith as yee tell vs of Looke you English Italianates to that and other the like dangers that ye haue willingly cast your selues headlong into And thus much concerning your first deuise in this reason 〈◊〉 that where telling vs of a Iewe yee affirme that to keep the Saterday holy day is a work proper to Iudaisme And againe that 〈◊〉 a christian yeelde therein to vse the same he sinneth greeuously and in effect denieth his faith Due might demaunde whether you English Romanistes and such other Catholikes in Italie do 〈◊〉 beare to keepe holy euen any of your late Pope canonized Saints dayes falling on the Saterday for feare of conformitie with the Iewes in that behalfe I weene not Thē in an externall signe as a yeallow cap wearing on the head which is a matter of lesse importance bee not too harde wherein though I thinke not the whole waight of our religion to consist yet speak I not on the other side as though I liked conformitie of the professours of Christes religion to antichriste and his ministers in any tokens and marks of their religion whatsoeuer I speake heere nothing of your grosse prophane exāple of a Tauern bush in liken ng the same to holy signes of religiō which too prophanely in my iudgement yee byd the Reader marke hee may also marke that as yee make going to Churche to seuer vs from you and to distinguish our religion from yours which is knowne by not going to Churche or by abstaining from Church so the haunting of Churche assemblies argueth some religion to bee in our men and that they carry religious mindes and abstaining from Churche assemblies which ye make a proper and peculiar signe of a true catholike argueth as much religion as is in a Horse For the proofe of the seconde part of your reason that the going to Churche in Englande is an apparant signe of a schismatike and the not going of a catholike It is manifestly to be proved yee say but it is not so easily doone as saide for vnlesse we will presume going to the Protestants churches to be hereticall as you doe and say a Catholike must so doe which is starke false your proofe will not goe forwarde All is still grounded on your false supposition and on the double and doubtfull taking of the termes of catholike and schismatike Al is but hollow and double dealing and belongeth for those wordes to the fallation of equiuocation that yee may finde moe slights then one in your reasoning Must the Protestant be a schismatik and a Papist a catholike because you presume and thinke so presume and thinke otherwise and as the truth is or at least notwithstanding your presumption giue vs leaue to thinke and say the contrary as the truth enforceth vs. But let vs see howe by presumption you prooue going to Church to be a peculiar signe distinctiue betwixt religion and religion First yee prooue it by the commanndement and exaction thereof You take vpon you to make a Cōmentarie to expounde the proceedings heere You make your self priuie of her Maiesties meaning and the Sates you 〈◊〉 imagine no other ende that men are commaunded to come to churche but to shewe themselues conformable to the religion heere professed You might knowe Sir there be and may bee diuers ends of one thing Considering that God hath instituted church assemblies to the good and benefite of his people if to the end his Maiestie may be obeyed accordingly and
oftē I wil leaue these three reasons of Schisme Participation with heresie and 〈◊〉 after I haue noted a worde or two there of more till these men can alleadge some sounde proofe that wee are that which they bee that is Schismatikes and Heretikes For Dissimulation as we loue plaine dealing and Christs Religion and the truth is ioyned with a godly simplicitie so hope we well that thase that come to Church aslemblies here doe the same with a single and vpright heart wee sitte not in their heartes and consciences we knowe not what is in them Which thing if they doe not they haue learned their dissimulation in Poperie and not in Christes schoole nor of y e profession of his Gospel Though I send not them quicke to hell with this discourser as I haue said yet surely are they to be reputed very bad folke so as hardly can there bee worse commonly among men especially in cases of religion let them examine themselues by the holy scriptures learne their duetie thence and repent in time else will they bee founde neyther true seruantes of God nor duetifull subiectes to her Maiestie in the ende nor yet good common wealth men God giue grace to consider hereof to shame the diuell wee eyther iudge them not or iudge the best and charitably of them I maruell not a litle at these words of yours in the latter ende of your Reason of Dissimulation many a thousand now in England being as throughly perswaded in heart of the trueth of the Catholike religion as the Apostles and other Christians at that time that is in the time of the Apostles were of theirs are cōtent not withstanding to heare digest admit and execute all or most parte of these thinges recited contrary to the sayde religion Here yee liken together the Apostles and olde Christians and many of your Catholikes nowe in Englande the Apostles and Christians religion then and your catholike religion nowe and you shewe these mens vsage to be vnlikely and diuerse in sticking to these two religions By the way heere I note that your Catholike religion and the Apostles and christians then bee two religions and diuerse else yee speake verye 〈◊〉 But let that goe howe can you or any in englande be as throughly perswaded in heart of your Catholike religion nowe which is false and not only net grounded on Gods worde but contrary thervnto as the Apostles and Christians in the primitiue Churche were of theirs which had God and the Scriptures for their grounde and warraunt Though a house buylded on the sande may haue a faire shewe yet in strength for want of a good foundation it can neuer be so strong as that which is buylt on a Rocke He that heareth Christes woordes and doeth the same is like a wise builder on a Rocke I wis he that heareth your Masse Mattens c. is farre off from that 〈◊〉 in blindenesse may be easily gathered thereby and a senselessenes whereof commeth no good but muche hurt As the contrary commeth by hearing Sermons and preaching of the Gospell Constancie and a good conscience is rather lost then retayned much lesse gayned or encreased by your blynd and superstitious religion You run to your olde starting hole of perswading your selues bee it ryght bee it wrong But to haue a true a sounde and a good setled perswasion for religion and matters of conscience it must be stayed in heauen it must be warranted by Gods holie worde and Scriptures whiche you for your religion are distitute of els can it not be I will 〈◊〉 say so thorough as the Apostles c. But in truth not good nor to bee trusted vnto Your seuenth reason is that our Gods seruice is naught and dishonorable to God and therefore must be abstained from Surely you say somewhat nowe if you coulde prooue that yee say this is the first the last and all the reasons that are worth the examining the foundation and grounde of all the rest Let vs see therefore how you goe about to prooue this point forsooth at the first entrie ye leaue of your proofe and fall a confuting of our reason before you prooue the matter One may perceiue it is easier with you in wordes to finde fault then in deede to mende it or iustly to shewe where and wherein the fault lyeth that other might mende the same The Scriptures lye in your way like a shrewd blocke yee thinke good therefore first to assay to remooue that and then to proceede in your purpose after Handeled Dratour like with your figure accordingly but florished at in deede rather then any thing els doone That wee haue the Bible and the Scriptures so familiar and so strong on our side that offendeth you that angreth you that hindreth your purpose greatly But we thanke God therfore highly Burne the Bibles and burne them againe fume and fret rage and doe what you can yet bidding battaile to God he will be founde stronger then you and yee shall not pruaile Alas poore scripture is that it so offendeth you it is the swoorde of the spirite It bringeth vs many yea infinite other necessary and vnspeakeable commodities we cannot forgoe it sir wee are vtterly vndoone if it be takē away from vs. I pray you giue vs leaue to haue it and to vse it Can you not prooue our church assemblies naught but you must impugne and disgrace the scriptures Must you needes beginn and make entrance there Happy for vs vnhappie for you A happie turne for vs that wee and our cause nor our God his seruice cannot be foiled but with the scriptures an vnhappie matche for you but euen to mislike with Gods booke What woulde you haue vs to commend our God his seruice with better then the Scriptures Wee that are Christians like that better then traditions and inuentions of men which you here talke of very cunningly quoting vs Augustine in the Margin as though hee in those places condemned Scriptures to contmende traditions which is neither so nor so as wee shall see after by examination thereof Take you therefore these traditions and leaue vs the scriptures so we may feede 〈◊〉 pure fine wheate eate your Cods huskes chaffe and what you will Ye are nowe in the matter in controuersie betwene vs we confesse It hath been the question betwene Papists and Protestants that is betweene you and vs full these threescore yeeres now together who shalbe y t iudge to decide y e matters in cōtrouersie betweene vs we say the holy Scriptures and woorde of God wee appeale to that you say no not the Scriptures by any meanes It is the Heretikes booke let the writinges on both partes be perused for proofe and try all heereof but let vs goe forwarde w t this reasoner If our seruice being full of scripture as yee say it bee no good argument that the same is therefore infallible good I pray you let vs know the good argumēt y e wil proue your
to the churches satisfaction or the parties according to the degree of the fault be it publike be it priuate Moreouer where one feeleth his conscience burdened or intangled with sinne and the remorce thereof and is not able to helpe or rid himselfe out of the snares of the Diuell there doe wee aduise him to choose for his comfort and help some godly learned and discreet man minister or other to breake his minde to to aske councel and to learne that may be for the benefite of his soule and conscience Thus whilest confession proceedeth from a religious and willing minde prepared by doctrine and exhortation in steede of your deuised downefall and breake necke to mens soules is it made by vs a soueraigne medicine and plaister to cure woundes withal and sicke soules For the often receiuing of the holy communinion this is no losse in our Churches whereunto menare dayly exhorted to come often and may receiue it in most places monethly or as often as the parish will and that in both kindes according to Christes institution comfortably where in the popish Churches to be houzeld once a yeere and then to receiue but a dry host without the consecrated cuppe as they call it too diuelishly was enough wordes are but winde you giue vs nothing but wordes either for your selfe or against vs and yet am I driuen to answer euen bare wordes How much a doe we haue to bring our countrie people to an often receiuing of this most comfortable sacrament vy reason of your popish custome of rare and seldome receiuing that they haue beene so long acquainted withall and thereby infected And what people they here be that moste refraine 〈◊〉 the communion not of superstition but of an opinion 〈◊〉 the seldome receiuing as they were wont afore time in popery may suffise none that knoweth but meanely the state of this Church can be ignorant In your talke of good workes leaue out merit and meritorious that ye bable of without all ground after a popish manner and let Gods order be kept and good workes ranged within the compasse of Gods law and commandements and esteemed by his iudgement and not by our fansie Let will worship and superstitiously deuised good workes goe and that being marked which I haue before written there will be no difficultie The Communion of Saintes as I shewed before your masse seruice Creede leaueth out how euer you vrge it heere and yet would I not haue obiected this as anye faulte but that you beginne deale so hardly with vs about the article of Descending into hell without cause and will needes make so haynous a matter of this doing Still I did you applye this to your selues and your religion 〈◊〉 keepe your owne law But sir this communion of Saintes is not to be had in your Church where the Pope is heade frō whō al the members of that body must take influence as you call it The true communion of Saintes is among the members of Christes mysticall bodye whereof hee alone is the heade from whom all must take spirituall 〈◊〉 being by God his spirit engrafted into him and coupled vnto him by fayth or which is all one hauing him by the same spirit dwell in our hearts by fayth On this and in this is the true Communion of Saintes grounded whereof for answere to you there is enough sayde before The summe is the communion with the Pope cutteth of the communiō with Christ so ioyning vs to Antichrist as head destroyeth also the Communion of Saintes VVEE are come to the nienth and last Reason which is taken from the example of Infidels heretikes meete mates for you and a fit paterne in religion for those of your side to follow a good sure foundation for your erroneous consciences meete as a poore helpe to bee kept for the last place but if your cause were good you would make better choise The Diuell is the father of such and their religion naughtie consciences and doings wherein the more 〈◊〉 they be the woorse they be for want of a good foundation and a good guide Obstinacie and peeuishnes in steede of Godlines may bee learned at these schoolemaisters and their doings falshood errour and lyes may bee 〈◊〉 from them truth and goodnes not at all or very ylfauouredly but where there is any sparke left in them it may be better fetched from a clearer fountaine So we may be free then frō learning a rule of conscience from such 〈◊〉 Let them serue you and your erroneous consciences if you wil learne no better Suppositions 〈◊〉 rayling at the profession of Christes religion here and nothing but such stuffe amplified by comparison similitude and example not woorth the answering I haue so much answered of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I neede not stand therein now It 〈◊〉 to be your best Anchre and last refuge when your matters cannot be maintained with a good conscience and therefor both M. Howlet and you pleade it so hard in the beginning in the middest and here in the end for a conclusion of the whole treatise Good intents in poperie or your well meaning mindes as you can call them when ye list to speake thereof haue a great force The matter though it bee had though it be hurtfull to other is mended nay is made good by that intent or well meaning minde of yours Thus may heresie be good Idolatry good theft good whordome good treason good rebellion good and what not good and godly at leaste by his Dispensation all maye bee made good that hath so infinite power and 〈◊〉 as your GOD the Pope hath Ca mee Ca thee say they Excuse you the Popes whoredomes as 〈◊〉 whoredome c. As the 〈◊〉 be fore willeth and ye shall not leese all by his blessing absolution or dispensation c. Yee shal gaine somewhat he is no Churle he will playe the good fellow where he taketh His doctrine and canon law giueth greate scope hee can enlarge the same for his Darlinges But it cannot be so taken of her Maiestie our dreade 〈◊〉 here it will not serue to excuse that is amisse for that which is supposed and vaunted by you to be so forcible and strong as to persuade any to draw all is found what shoulde I say by her Maiesties and the States great wisedome Nay by any that list with indifferencie to examine it to be as weake as water Wherefore be aduised Leaue this hollow hollownes of poperie Embrace Christes true religion prescribed and described in Gods book cast away vice embrace vertue Be faithfull and true hearted to our dread Soueraigne and the state 〈◊〉 your selues and other Paply and profit in all godlines liuing together with vs in godly peace and vuitie to your owne ioye and ours Let God in all be praised and yee are welcome home otherwise as wee had as leeue haue your roome as your companie so for a watch worde and fare well take heede to your selues and prouide for an