peter or Peters successour binde vpon earth bee also bounde in heauen whensoeuer Peters successor of right and equitie commaunde any king eyther to leaue his Royall dignitie which hee so affected vniustly holdeth or to stoppe and hinder another king by all the meanes hee can which hindereth a faythful people from eternal life least hee perishe in doing wickedly that king is also bounde in heauen that is before God and his Angels to obay the chief Pontifical bishops decree except hee will haue his sinnes holden not forgiuen before God c. Heere is in general tearmes your Catholike doctrine truly set downe by Saūders who sent I trowe frō y e Pope tooke a long iourney into Ireland where of late it is 〈◊〉 hee was and still is to stirre vppe lyke a Capitaine and incourage the Trayterous hearts that he might meete with and to see this doctrine of Pope holines reuerently obayed and put in practise so farre as hee might against this state for the which purpose serued also your late flocking hether in sholes from beyonde Sea much about the same tyme and your more publishing of sedicious libelles than a good while before As lykewyse in the yeere 1569. Nicholas Morton an Englishe rennegate Priest the Popes Penitentiary at Rome was sent sayth Saunders by the Pope into England where hee deserued ywis to 〈◊〉 crackt a rope to stirre vp the Nobilitie against our Soueraigne to doe such other most vile offices c. Whose counsaile they that folowed in the North felt the iust rewarde smarte of rebels for their rebellion as the Romishe Irlanders did in folowing Saunders and his fellowes coūsailes of late Here the Popish obedience your Catholike Religion teacheth practiseth commeth in fitly and hath his proper place Now that this Popish merchants opiniō meaning towards her Maiestie this state in particular may be y e better knowē out of his general doctrine before deliuered Let vs heare yet furder himself in this one place only no more speake therof When the Apostolique sea sawe that Elizabeth was fallen from the Churche and that the whole Realme of England was therby become Schismatical it sent once or twise Legates into England to recal that nation backe againe to their duetie but there was not so much as a way open for those Legates to enter into the Island so farre were they of from obtayning any thing which being thus after ten yeeres amendement looked for and now almost despaired of Pius the 5. the chief bishop turning to that only medicine which could bee applyed to so great a disease In the yeere of our Lorde 1569. hee sent into England the reuerende priest Nicholas Morton an Englishe man a Doctor of Diuinitie one of his Penitentiary priests solemnely by Apostolique authoritie to declare to certaine noble and Catholike mē that Elizabeth which then gouerned was an Heretique and for that cause was by the very lawe fallen from al superioritie and power which shee then vsed ouer Catholikes and that she might lawfully be taken of them as an heathen Publican that they were not hēceforth bound to obay her lawes or commandements By which solemne declaration many noble men were brought so farre that they prouided not onely for themselues but tooke vpon thē also to deliuer their brethrē frō the tyrānie of heretikes May not we here iustlier charge M Howlets Catholike Religion his Pope his Bul. N. Morton Saunders their doctrine with teaching practising rebellion than he doth Luther and his doctrine Your floures of Rhetorique M. Howlet will hardly washe this geere away reade marke and iudge of the whole vprightly Now they hoped saith Saunders that al Catholikes woulde w t all their force haue assisted so godly a purpose But althogh the matter fel out otherwise than they looked for either because all Catholikes did not yet well knowe that Elizabeth was by publike Lawe declared to bee an heretike or else because God had decreed more sharply to punish so great a defection of that kingdome yet not withstanding those noble mens counsels or enterprises were to be commended which wanted not their sure and happy successe for although they coulde not bring al their brethrens soules out of the pit of Schisme yet both they thēselues did notably confesse the Catholike religiō many of them did giue their liues for their brethren But very fewe noble men by your leaue those taken rather through Gods prouidence by force than willingly yeelding themselues which is the highest degree of loue to doe as traytors the rest rid thēselues frō the bondage both of heresie sin into that libertie wherewith Christ hath freed vs y t they are become Satans sins slaues al the dayes of their life In old time S. Bernard had exhorted the Christians to goe to Ierusalem and yet was not the East Churche deliuered by that voyage but they rather which went about to deliuer their brethren from the yoke of the Saracenes died themselues a glorious death Nowe after he hath rehearsed at large a Munkishe myracle out of Godfry a Munke to shewe that that voyage to Hierusalem was approued of God Antichristes newe Gospel must and needeth to be confirmed by new myracles Thus he speaketh of the rebelles in the 〈◊〉 against her Maiestie and the State Who nowe but hee that is ignorant of Gods counselles whereof belike this good fellowe is very priuie dare say that that confession of faith proceeded not from God which certaine Noble men of Englande made in armes He meaneth the late Earles of Westmerland Northumberlande and their adherentes Surely that must needes bee counted a myracle saith hee that being almost fiue hundred of them which tooke armes for the fayth so reporteth hee of the Northren traytours which taken by the heretikes and put to death so calleth he the State and her Maiesties ministers of iustice there None of them was foūd which either forsooke the Catholike faith or accused the Authors of that warre of any fault They were very innocent and blamelesse sure vnder pretence of their popishe faith and religion to take the sword in hand against their dread soueraigne and ours they must be so supposed though this be iu deede most lewde in the highest degree And this man either was among them and verie priuie to euery one of their deathes or els which is most likely hee tooke thē report at their friendes mouthes and his at seconde or thirde hande at least But many of them being a litle before reconciled to the vnitie of the Church were well apayed and greatly reioysed in themselues that they shoulde depart this life before they shoulde with newe wickednesse defile the peace hee meaneth their reconcilement to the Romishe Church newely receiued and they wished not to liue any longer in that kingdome which nowe a good while had ceassed to liue in Christe
a course in one parte that you quite leaue out the two other I wot not well howe it will agree with the Rhetorike Schooles about you nor what libertie you Orators nowe a dayes take to your selues and therefore I will leaue it sauing that mee thinkes your friende M. Howlet who is most like to bee the Poste or Messenger ye talke of might haue forborne the printing of an vnperfect worke or haue beene better aduised then to haue Dedicated the same at least to such a Personage as is her Maiestie But we might stay well enough for the other two partes this point to confirme or obstinate and poyson rather her Maicsties subiectes was so necessarie that it was to bee hastened This was the Resolution of your wise heades Yee are a Societie I must suppose all is done by consent Besides I see M. Howlet in his Epistle Dedicatorie to her Maiestie hath entred into the seconde parte of his fellowes Diuision as the same is reported vnto vs in the excuse that is made in the latter ende of the booke for though he haue omitted to treat of Instant and feruent Prayer to Almightie God very necessarie for all Christians and namely for him and his felowes that they may doe better then they doe he taketh vpō him bolde recourse vnto the Queenes Maiestie for tolleration in their corrupte religion and he is busie with his Authours Motiues c. which is the seconde promised parte It had beene better he had been more occupied in that hee hath left out of this seconde part of the Diuision and to haue exhorted his Catholiks to obediēce to her maiesty our most dread soueraine This had beene a very necessarie point in deede for such of his secte as are here giuen to sedition and rebellion among vs. Once while it is sayde that the Authour meaneth to this pointe to exhorte many mischiefes by that ūde there while are among vs wrought God amende them or cut them more short I will not charge M. Howlet heere with iniurie doyng in preuenting his fellowe because it is likely all is done by compact agreement among them It may seeme as thinges fall out that all this excuse of omitting the two latter partes is but a flourishe and the promise but a meere pretence If health and leasure shall permit he promiseth to finishe the rest but I am hardely perswaded that his health and leasure will in these dayes serue him to perfourme so good an office being so directly contrarie to the profession of their Popish religion seeing especially it hath lost so good a place as to haue gone first or to haue been the foundation of the Supplication to her Maiestie A great oportunitie and occasion lost But least I seeme to dispayre of them I pray God this peece of true obedience to her Maiestie may bee thought of and wrote of by these hot Catholikes But y t it may bee done with better conscience more stedfastnes then hee that in Latin wrote of true obediēce in her maiesties fathers dayes the most famous renoumed prince of blessed memory K. Henrye the eight or he y t set the preface before it who both of thē when time afterwarde serued shamelessy reuoked that they had done and returning to their vomite most cruelly persecuted Gods people their brethrē for in y t matter y t they had before professed them selues and published to the worlde they shewed themselues without all conscience time seruers onely c. If to seeke to disturbe and molest by Rebellion their Lords and Princes be the custome of Heretikes and Sectaries of our time then with vs are the Papistes such here who followe that trade with her Maiestie and this State right If Subiectes bee bounde patiently to beare and to obey howe hardely so euer their Princes shall deale with them vnder payne of deadly sinne and damnation as these men in fayre wordes will seeme to professe howe cōmes it then to passe they take vp the sword against their our noble Queene Elizabeth Again if English men owe true obedience to her Maiestie for consciēce sake euen as to God himself why do not papistes render it then If it appertaine not to subiectes to iudge whether their Princes rule well or not as they say why iudge they the whole matter so violently against her Maiestie Why do other iustifie the same by wryting yea why procure they their Popes most traiterous bulles to be published and sent ouer hither why come they not home and liue like quiet Subiectes words are winde all is but words wind Let thē declame as lōg as loudlie as they will hardly wil they be euer able to wash away this blot Now come I to the authours necessarie supposition as he calleth it and the two sortes of Catholikes that hee nameth where he deuideth badly still for he telleth vs There are to sortes of Catholikes in England And when he hath done maketh vs three before he come to his Reasons One sorte for the iustifiyng of whom he wrote his Treatise Another sorte for the reforming of whom hee wrote the same And the third sort of very bad Catholikes whom he accounteth damned men in this life So where he telleth vs there are here two sorts of Catholikes we finde three as we find but one parte of his treatise where he promised three this is scholasticall and Orator like with these men Let vs heare what he sayth But first of all is to be noted that my reasons to the end they may conuince are to be supposed to proceede from a catholike minde that is from a man which in his conscience is throughly petsuaded that onely the catholike Romane religion is trueth and that all other newe doctrines and religions are false religions as all newe Gods are false Gods c. First your supposition is ambiguous doubtfull and captious by reason you do not plainely and particularly enough expresse in the first part what the Catholike Romane religion is which you say is onely trueth when you oppose all other doctrines and religions which you say are false to the Romane religion you call them newe So as some man might thinke ye talked in the first parte of y e true christian religion groūded vpon the doctrine of the prophets and Apostles and comprised in the canonicall Scriptures of Gods holy Byble which indeede is the onely Truth and the old religion And this is the very same her maiestie and we her subiects heere professe in the church of england and is elsewhere professed by those that are termed Gospellers Protestants c whom you yet account and call heretikes and their religion A newe doctrine and religion Wee call this our religion not in captious and doubtefull terme the Catholike Romane religion or which we might with as muche right as you do the Catholike English religion but simply and plainly of the Authours Gods and Christs true religion Or if you wil insteede of
the holy Ghost his set vs downe by that chosen vessell the blessed Apostle who prayeth Christians to walke worthy their calling whereunto they are called with all humblenes of minde meeknes with long suffering supporting one another in loue endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the Spirite in the bonde of peace There is one bodie and one spirit c. looke the place To discerne and distinguishe therefore thinges aright here needeth the Spirite of the Lorde the spirite of wisedome vnderstanding the spirite of counsaile and strength the spirite of knowledge and of the feare of the Lorde that may make vs prudent in the feare of the Lord c. whereof the Prophet sayth It shoulde rest vpon Christ who receyued the fame for the behoofe of his Churche and vs to be guided by Wee haue receiued sayth Saint Paule not the spirite of the worlde but the spirite which is of God that we may know the things which are giuē vs of God And the Anoynting which yee receiued of him dwelleth in you saith Saint Iohn and Yee neede not that any man teach you but as the same anoynting teacheth you of all things it is true and is not lying and as it taught you yee shall abide in him Agayne our Sauiour Christ It is written in the Prophetes And they shal be all taught of God A good and sure Schoolemaister is this Spirit of truth to lead vs into all trueth to bring into our remembrance whatsoeuer Christ hath tolde vs and to redresse and direct our wayes according to God his holy woorde which is the truth God only vouchsafe to 〈◊〉 our eares and to touche our heartes continually to heare beleeue and obey this truth Thus much in respect of some certaine for their better satisfiyng if it may be This matter beside the scriptures which may and ought to suffise hath 〈◊〉 and is diducted at large by some writers both olde and new as they are called where the same for them that list may be seen namely Augustine in his writings aforetime against the Donatists and such like wadeth herein very godly and wisely in my opinion and such godly men in our time also as write against Anabaptistes and y e like that are infected herein that I neede not to adde there vnto And besides I doe but here touch the same by the way as a caueat to preuent or cut of cauill and quarrelling if it may be hauing rather to occupie meselfe in answering the 〈◊〉 sarie at this time as one that what reason or answere soeuer other may be thought to haue and to make he surely his fellow Romanists haue very litle or none as who may be thought to haue beene in the orders of this Churche sufficiently if not too muche respected and borne with nowe aboue these twentie yeeres whiche may serue with all the worlde to our 〈◊〉 and the States 〈◊〉 here towardes these men And that a through and full reformation of the Church need not be forborne in respect of them I woulde this great and necessarie matter might as easily be obtayned which our sinnes onely let as it is not harde to answere what euer those fellowes can nowe alleadge for them selues Unto the examination therefore of this mans particular Reasons for refusall of comming to Church I nowe turne my selfe THE first Reason why I being a Catholike in minde may not goe to the Churches or seruice of the contrary Religion is because I perswading my selfe their doctrine to be false doctrine and consequently venemous vnto the hearer I may not venture my soule to bee infected with the same So that the firste proposition or grounde of this first reason to make it in forme of argument is this No man that perswadeth himselfe the doctrine nowe professed and taught in the Church of Englande is false and venemous to the hearer may venture his soule to be infected therewith But euery Romane Catholike is a man that perswadeth him selfe the doctrine nowe professed and taught in the Church of England is false doctrine and venemous to the hearer Therefore no Romane Catholike may venture his soule to be infected therewith First Sir such Catholikes as are of contrary opinion vnto you herein for whose sake you wrote this discourse must you suppose will denie one of your two propositions finde shifts to auoyde all your proofes which will not bee harde to bee done for those of your religion But let them shift with you as they and you can agree I am no patrone of theirs I will speake and answere to the matter Therefore to this first Argument or Reason I answere that it is vayne and naught because it is grounded vpon opinion fancie and ones perswading of him selfe and doing after his perswasion and not vpon the matter and truth Nowe these two matters be diuers and doe differ much I perswade my selfe that such a thing is thus or so And such a thing in deed is thus or so The reason why because one may be and to often is deceiued in perswading himself of things otherwise then they be But the truth is alwaies one and 〈◊〉 not according to our perswasion neither 〈◊〉 thereon What if one perswade himselfe y t he is a Prince or haue a bag of money is he so or hath he it euer the more or euer the sooner for that neuer a whit sure Or if one perswade himself there is a snake in his bed shall he not sleepe neere it or if your fellow perswade himself you go about to deceiue him shall hee not trust you Surely our doing or not doing of thinges euen appertayning to this lyfe to haue the same well done must not depende vpon our own perswasion which is very changeable and vncertayne but our perswasion to doe any thing must depende rather vpon the trueth and goodnesse of the matter that wee minde to doe Otherwise one perswading him selfe that euery man hee shall meete will kil him may not venture to goe abroad about his 〈◊〉 nor come in the companie of any man perswading himselfe that what euer hee eate or drinke poysoneth him hee may not venture to eate nor drinke for being 〈◊〉 And so within a while die like a foole and be guiltie of his owne death because hee will not lay away his owne 〈◊〉 perswasion In religion and matters of 〈◊〉 is this argument much more 〈◊〉 vaine as y t which hath 〈◊〉 and doeth from Gods truth and is the mother and nurse of all superstition and 〈◊〉 So as if this disputer or reasoner will needes grounde this argument or reason vpon his perswasion yet must he giue seaue to 〈◊〉 the grounde of his perswasion whether it bee good or bad true or false And not say as he doth elsewhére that he will not dispute thereof but howe euer that bee the perswasion may not be done against be it true be it false First rather let him prooue the goodnes truth therof
A Checke or reproofe of M. Howlets vntimely shreeching in her Maiesties eares with an answeare to the reasons alleadged in a discourse therunto annexed why Catholikes as they are called refuse to goe to church Wherein among other things the Papists traiterous and treacherous doctrine and demeanour towardes our Soueraigne and the State is somewhat at large vpon occasion vnfolded their diuelish pretended conscience also examined and the foundation thereof vndermined And lastly shevved that it is the duety of all true Christians and subiectes to haunt publike Church assemblies 2. Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost c. I Imprinted in London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for Toby Smyth 1581. The Preface to the Reader IT is no maruell though that Antichrist the Pope of Rome seeing his kingdome of darknesse decay apace in these dayes and fearing the vtter ouerthrowe of it for euer being rowzed bestirre himselfe as hee doth He is in high place hath of some yeres growen too mightie in this world by his owne ambitious pride and the grace hee hath founde in the eies of great princes and their people God so iustly punishing mens ingratitude towardes his maiestie This lawlesse man therefore of whom I speake will no doubt leaue no meanes vnattempted so long as hee may to vpholde this his pompe and estate whiche thing will not in these daies be perfourmed without much ado especially when he cannot bee content to keepe himselfe within boundes that is as a Romane at home in his owne Citie and Countrie where hee dwelleth or as a Churche man in Church matters but will needes roue ouer the worlde sitting in Gods seate and hauing an Oare in euery mans boate as they say yea and ruffle euen among Monarques and great Princes and that in and for their kingdomes giuing the same taking placing displacing disposing c. at his will and pleasure But playing thus his parte like himselfe that is so impudently and Godlesly in the sight nowe of all the worlde bewraying himselfe to bee in deede that man of sinne that is prophesied of Gods spirit on the other side detecting and reuealing dayly vnto vs by the cleare light of the Gospell the treacherie and sleightes of this sonne of perdition some possible may maruell howe hee shoulde finde fauour grace and good liking with any that beare but a shewe of godlinesse and honestie sauing that wee are sufficiently admonished afore hande that the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them that belesue not that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe Iesus which is the image of God should not shine vnto them And againe because they that perishe haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God will sende them stronge delusion to 〈◊〉 lyes that al may bee damned which haue not beleeued the truth c. A necessary caueat to stay vs in these troublesome dayes on Gods truth immoueable and a iudgement of God with feare and trembling to be reuerensed of all So then such thinges as wee see come to passe at this day and set abrod for the vpholding of that beast the Pope of Rome and his rotten religion ought so little to seeme strange vnto the faithfull that being assured the Lorde will destroy that lawlesse man with the spirite of his mouth take him away by the appearing of his cōming We should take cōfort incouragemēt therby manfully rather oppose our selues against him his ministers euery one in our calling then bee any whit weakened by such accidents putting differēce as we are taught haue compassion of some and saue other with feare plucking them out of the fire and hate euen the garment spotted by the fleshe The moe stumbling blockes wee see Satan and his suppostes to cast before men the more diligent and paineful ought we againe to be in setting our hands shoulders to the worke for the remoouing thereof out of mens way if God at any time will giue suche as are intangled in the snares of the Diuell repentance to knowe the truth leauing euer in good hope the successe to God and his blessing The consideration heereof in confidence of Gods mercifull 〈◊〉 mooued mee though among his seruants of a thousande the vnfittest whyle other bee otherwise occupied to take in hande vppon request of diuers godly and well disposed to answere a certaine seditious booke of late imprinted and set out to the viewe of the worlde by I. Howlet the title whereof is A briefe discourse containing certaine reasons why Catholikes so hee calleth the earnest and hot Papistes heere in Englande reconciled of late yeeres vnto the Pope refuse to goe to Churche written by a learned vertuous man as hee saieth to a friend of his in Englande Whome hee nameth not neither the one nor the other Why not to her Maiestie as these men vse to suppose and wee must beleeue what they say The whole for the woorthinesse thereof forsooth with a long Epistle Dedicatorie is offered by I. H. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie and printed as is pretended at Doway By Iohn Lyon with priuiledge Though wee knowe it was printed not at Doway but in Englande without priuiledge or good leaue yet wee may not say so nor doubte of the other such suppositions bee these Catholiques principles wee may not cal them in question nor iudge of them they be aboue our reache For the Authours name of these reasons because they list not to vtter the same I am not curious whether the same proceed from him that wrote the Dedicatory Epistle to her Maiestie or no it is not greatly material sauing if they did not M. Howlet seemeth to doe his fellowe some iniurie in taking out of his handes that which hee promiseth in his booke in the second place to performe and nowe omitteth to wit to shewe the way and meanes that Catholiques as he calleth thē haue to remedie or ease themselues of this affliction now laide vpon them for their consciences with reasons and motiues to induce her Maiesty the rather to tollerate them in their religiō in respect of God her selfe and her whole Realme This peece of dealing with her Maiestie shoulde haue come after the treatise sauing that M. Howlet either doubting of the performance or seeking that glorie as one loth to tarie so long or for some other respect gleaning as appeareth from his friend setteth the same out afore hande and putteth it in the forefronte For I. Howlets person who hath the chief dealing in publishing deliuering this whole matter vnto vs as one supposed to be a good faythfull and stout proctour for the Popish Church and a fit instrument to bring vs such an vnto warde and like a shrich Owle sodenly and vntimely to make a great noyse in her Maiesties eares or as hee in his fellowes names and vnluckie
Heretikes and sectaries as you here report What fauour I praie you deserueth it at y t Queene of Englands hands if this bee true to haue filled her realme with 〈◊〉 and sectaries You plaine next of the good and wholsome lawes here made against poperie and of the execution thereof great cause I trowe if that were true ye falsly and sclanderously say more too Hereto you adioine for proofe certaine particular matters auowing the Loyaltie and obedience of you Catholikes towardes ciuill Princes and sharplie yea leawdlie by sclander charging other w t disobedience This is the some of that you write for the most part in eight of your next leaues A worthie matter to be treated of before her Maiestie when all is well waied But I must somewhat examine there is no remedie what you say a part and in order First you compare diuers religiōs together and shewe that poperie fareth hardely and the woorst Hardly sure can there be founde a worse religion and more contrarie to the sincere Gospell of Christ here professed or that so much troubleth the good and quiet estate of Christs Church in this lande and Realme and therefore needeth most looking too 3 THere are at this day in this your Maiesties Realme foure knowne religions and the professours thereof distinct both in name spirite and doctrine that is to say the Catholikes the Protestants the Puritanes and the housholders of loue Besides all other petie sects newly borne and yet groueling on the ground Of these foure sortes of men as the Catholikes are the first the auncientest the more in number and the most beneficiall to all the rest hauing begotten and bred vp the other and deliuered to them this Realme conserned by Catholike religion these thousand yeres and more so did they alwaies hope to receiue more fauour then the rest or at leastwise equall tolleration with other religions disalowed by the state But God knoweth it hath fallen out quite contrary For other religions haue been permitted to put out their heades to growe to aduaunce themselues in common speech to mount to pulpits with litle or no controulement But the Catholik religion hath been so beaten in with the terrour of lawes and the rigorous execution of the same as the very suspition thereof hath not escaped vnpunished FIrst let mee aske M. Howlet where you were when you wrote thus to her Maiestie you say in the beginning of these wordes in this your Maiesties Realme and in the latter ende againe this Realme Were you at Doway printing your book or occupied in Londō or els where in England about it the booke possible might be sēt to Doway or you bee printing it there another time shift it ouer I pray you Heere your wordes importe you were in Englande when you wrote this preface elsewhere in the same preface they import you were beyond Sea Alyar had neede haue a good memory sauing that you Catholiks can worke wonders and by coniuring make one and the same humane body to bee in many and diuers places at one time A man might make a doubt of this question but let y t passe When you would perticularly reckō vp y e seueral knowne religiōs not all approued nor allowed nay all disallowed condemned sauing that only one which is Iesus Christes but being onely in this Realme ye bring them into foure heads as for the petie sects that you are so priuie of as birds of your own hatching till they be fledge and come abroad that we may knowe them we can say little But your Popish religion M. Howlet were lesse vnhappie and both we the world should be lesse troubled with you nowe a daies if to speake but of religious men besides seculer priests among regulars it had but foure distinct religions and orders of beggerly fryers euery one stoutly standing against other in defence of his Patron and order of religion These be to to many and yet is the worlde troubled with a great many moe for besids the great swarines of these Locustes there be I wot not how many sectes or religions crept in so as the Popes them selues haue bin faine to restraine frō rashnes in instituting mo or newe religions for bringing in confusion And yet obserue gentle reader that the Pope hath authoritie to institute newe 〈◊〉 and none without his authoritie may doe the same obserue also that there be in Poperie old religions and newe religions c. It were 〈◊〉 long to speake of Canonists Schoolemen Thomists Scotistes and such other and the seuerall different opinions they holde but in the late dayes of Poperie here were there not sir as many religions and moe to besides your owne sectes Arrians Anabaptistes Libertines c. Though none in effect were persecuted but the poore Protestantes as ye call them These mens peculiar heresies in examinatiōs were commonly neuer touched peruse the recordes of these there was little or no accompt made in those dayes of ignorance and darkenes while men slept the enemy was busie in sowing his tares As you 〈◊〉 giue here names of sects to bring these times into hatred so all ambiguitie spitefulnes laid aside first take to your selues your religion some fitter name for true Catholiks we btterly denie you to be All are not Catholiks that take the name of Catholikes for so should the Arrians and other herettques in their time haue been Catholikes true Catholikes heretiques sectaries as antiquitie reporteth Under the name of Protestants ye comprehende all those y t forsaking the Pope Popish religion haue betaken thēselues to Christ and his holy Gospel grounding their religion vpō Gods word his heauenly truth comprised in the Canonical scriptures of the old newe Testament written by the Prophets Apostles and thereuppon are called in these tyntes Gospellers a fitter naine than that you call them by Protestants Of which religion and number wee acknowledge our selues to bee and thanke God for the same Cathari or Puritan heretiques I knowe none heere God bee thanked but I ghesse whome you meane Your Authour 〈◊〉 the whotter sorte of Protestants are called Puritans Nowe supposing their religion that you call the Protestants to bee the trueth of God as it is indeede and that you that will bee called Catholikes like not but condemne colde Catholikes as badde ones and require zeale and feruentnesse I pray you tel vs euen in your consciēce if Protestants bee to bee allowed whether sorte of 〈◊〉 are to be liked the whotter or the colder yet such still that ye abuse not your self as with their zeale carry ioine godly knowledge It is good to bee zealous in a good thing alwaies saith the holy Ghost And you wot what is said to them of Laodicea in the Reuelat. for that they were luke warme neither cold nor whot that they shoulde bee spued out We hope that if you whot Catholikes wil allow any Protestāts y e poore
dealing both of the state and them let vs heare what your Authour and friende in this Treatise ye present to her Maiestie saieth hereof When a Catholike doth come before the Commissioners there is nothing asked of him but when hee was at Church and if he will promise to goe to Church commonly they accompt him a sufficient conformable man that is to haue yeelded sufficiently vnto them Here is rigorous execution Is there not I pray you here is great extremitie cause hatefully and contemptuously to quote in your margēt M. Couper M Elmer Ah M. Howlet what shoulde I say God giue you his grace and make you an honest man Againe sediciously and deuilishly comparing the high Priests and Magistrats of Iurie with this state and likening their proceeding to a sweete charme Thus he writeth in text and margent What if the high Priestes and Magistrates shoulde haue saide vnto them well we are content that you liue with your conscience so you kepe it to your selues and trouble not the state so that you will for obedience sake some time come to our Synagogues shewing your selues comformable men to our proceedings Nay what if they shold haue said some of you also for outward shew keeping alwaies your cōsciēces to your selues must flee this odious name of Christians seeme to cōmunicate now thē with vs in our sacrifices ceremonies we are cōtēt also that som of you shalbe our officers iustices of peace coūsellers the like so that you will somtimes for orders sake punish some of those indiscret fellows of your religiō which can not be contēted to keep their cōsciences to thēselues so you wil also giue some prety sharpe charge in your circuites sessiōs assēblies alwais keping your cōsciēces to your selues if some of you also wil somtimes step vp into the pulpet and speake three or foure earnest words against this religion it shalbe very gratful vnto vs especially if you wil affirme it with an othe which wee haue deuised for y e same purpose this doing we assure you that you shall liue quietly to your own cōsciēces we shal accoūt you for good subiects If I say y e Magistrats of Iury at that time shold haue giuē to the apostls other christiās this sweet charme do you think that they cold haue abidē to heare it al out whose hearts did rise swel at two words only that they spoke for the intreating of them to holde their peace Heere is good gentle stuffe But sweet charmes terrible tempests such persecution as neuer was felt nor hearde tell of in Englād before Her royall Maiestie her vpright laws against popery other such false religiōs her graue wise godly Counsellors y e ministers of her Maiesties Iaws with other of the state here neither feare nor regarde your false accusations nor your impudent slanders they can not reach to come nere thē they pitie rather your wāt of discrettō modestie y t I say no more You can not accuse or charge her 〈◊〉 Iaws or y e ministers therof but you touch her honour too nere who giueth her royall assent to all lawes here made her Maiesties Iawes counsellors ministers w t better accord draw all in one line one way then you seeme to allow or like of That her maiestie in y t sight of all y e world as you confesse hath shewed you so great mercy clemency that doeth but encrease your debt dutie and aggrauate your fault y e more who so vnkindly vnnaturally recompence her highnesse great goodnes by withdrawing your selues from y e alleagians obedience which you owe to God her Maiestie which shee requireth also at your handes duty bindeth you to perfourme you pay couer all w t faire flattering wordes dissimulation nothing else commeth from you to her Maiestie It hath bin of her Maiesties godly inclination and good nature not of your deserts y t 〈◊〉 hath so oftē pardoned so long forborne you She hath not nor doth not ouerthrow nor alter her good laws prouided against poperie and treason If you be not too too obstinate miserable let former clemency moue you to amende els take things as they fall out her Maiesties laws the penalties thereof stand not for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abuse not your self other M. Howlet To sean pollitique lawes y e execution therof is not our profession yours I meane as I take it mine Their godly wisedomes y t make execute y t lawes ye now plaine of are aboue our reach you take too much vpō you being a priuate man not of counsel of making these lawes so vndutifully to checke cōtroule y e same you might like a good obedient subiect take heede of incurring the penalty consider by y e execution therof y t the end was to represse popery massing c. If you will not heare my counsell you might heare your owne fellowe in his discourse or your selfe in y e latter ende of the discourse which for y e most part thereof is twise set down for failing That the catholike Church hath alwaies taught her childrē that how hardly so euer their prince shold deale with them yet are they boūd to beare it patiently to obey him for consciēce sake as substitute of God placed in that roome for their punishmēt if they rule not wel w e 〈◊〉 not to the subiect to iudge of You loue to tel what y e catholik church 〈◊〉 therby shew y t y e Popish church is not y t true catholike church you come not frō the Pope of Rome hither w t this lesson you haue another cōmission There was little space of time betweene the ariual of the Italian Romish souldiers in Ireland and the flight hither of such spirituall birdes 〈◊〉 the Pope as you are your chalenges and bookes were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this treatise as fast as mightbe afterward published iwis you might if it so pleasd you aforde as much reuerēce in truth to her 〈◊〉 the ciuill state vnder God in gouerning y e cōmon welth outwardly as you doe in the false Hier archie to your Popish 〈◊〉 c. with commanding authoritie laying vpon 〈◊〉 obedience with necessitie Your malapert importunitie hath drawen and 〈◊〉 mee of duty zeale to speake thus farre for clearing defence of her maiesties wholsome iawes the execution thereof by her ministers rather then y t any need required the same except it be in respect of y e simpler sort And yet M. Howlet let me be bold to tell you that euen in this place where you so inueighe agaynst the terreur of lawes against your religion yee iustifie greatly the moderation and equitie of her Maiesties lawes and cannot denie but there hath been to great mildenesse vsed towards you in respect of the naughtines of your religion thus you say
Pope in his wicked Bulls hath at this day most wickedlie published and set abroade contayning a most diuelish Doctrine of Disobedience and a lyke practise what euer you nowe tel in faire wordes to flatter withall in opinion you agree with these woordes of D. Thom. and apply all to and against our noble Queene and this State as your practises too much prooue The wise man saieth Hee that hateth wil counterfaict with his lippes but in his heart he layeth vppe deceite Though hee speake fauourably beleeue him not for there are seuen abhominations in his heart Hatred may bee couered by deceit but the malice thereof shalbee discouered in the Congregation And that this that I tell you of is true among you hot Catholikes as you wil be called I wil at this tyme wade no farther in your S. Thomases summe nor in your Popes Decrees and other wryters of your side in former times But let me be bold as you doe obiect vnto vs the doctrine of one or two of our men so for all to set you downe y e words at least of one of your cōpaniōs or great pillers doctors rather of your present Popishe church that is fled from his Countrey Prince vs here to Rome and abroade there thence like a Popish Priest by practises wrytings seeking to stirre vp among other seditious rebellions and treasons against her Maiestie and this State which partly by wryting partly by posting betweene is according to Commission and trust performed by him so farre as hee may to the vttermost Saunders trauaile more laborious and 〈◊〉 then sounde Godly or wise in his huge peece of woorke of the visible Monarchy of the Church is against the present state of this Churche and Realme of Englande there needeth no other applier of the whole then himselfe I suppose all you hot Romaine Catholikes agree and bee all of one minde in this behalfe in the name of you all he speaketh for the rest especially seing their voices being asked they disagree not any I know for but 〈◊〉 y e same rather in their wryting In Saunders Epistle therefore To the most vnreuerend Cardinals Iohn Moron and twoo other before his visible Monarchie not only Iyingly and slaunderously chargeth he the godly lawes of this Realme with impietie tyrannie and that this I 〈◊〉 almost alone at this day in all Christendome plentifully yeeldeth foorth Martyrs so hee calleth the Traytours that haue been and a litle before the wryting heere of were executed heere for their trayterous attempts and other English Romaine Catholikes whereof in 〈◊〉 beaderoll hee reckeneth vs vp a rable But furthermore also 〈◊〉 stirreth vp the saide Cardinals as though it were very earnestly from hence sued for vnto them to trauaile by such meanes as they can to deliuer the people heere hee meaneth such as himselfe is from this so great and cruel tyrannie so hee calleth the most moderate and peaceable gouernement of her Maiestie whereunto also after congratulation and commendation for his former late dealing with this Realme her Maiestie and the State hee exciteth the vnholinesse of the Pope in his Epistle Dedicatory to him cōforting himself feeding other and namely his Pope with vaine hope this was about ten yeeres since that very shortly after the runnegate Catholikes and their fellowes shoulde bee restored to their Religion and places heere againe hee dreamed of a drie sommer Wee may easily gather howe and whence all the stirres here since arise and growe and what the drifte of al is If this bee not seditious doctrine and demeneanor rebellious and trayterous what is I pray you God lōg blesse and keepe her Maiestie among vs. Proceeding furder in his visible Monarchie thus mryteth he amōg other things It belongeth vetily to the Bishoppes especially both to pronounce the king himselfe an Heretike or an Apostata and also to declare that his subiects are afterward free from geuing him any obedience and that they ought to doe their endeuour that another bee out of hande put in his place Nowe if the subiects doe not looke to their office in this behalfe it longeth to the Pastors to prouide by any meanes they can that he that sitteth in the chaire of Pestilence raigne not in the Church of God this is the true obedience your Catholike Churche teacheth her children to yeelde to their Princes for conscience sake Is not saith Saunders the matter so c do not the Pastors watche for the soules as wel of kings as of those which obay kings It is their duetie therefore to omit nothing that they shall knowe to bee expedient for the soules health who seeth not that it is cleane contrarie to the soules health that hee should bee suffered to raigne ouer the Faithfull which is himself vnfaythful c Shal he then be worthie the name of a man that shal affirme that a wicked king ought not to be compelled to cleere and put himselfe out of his publique charge If at al surely hee must bee put out for Heresie How shal that controuersie be iudged without the resolution of the Doctors of the church c. Now Pastors Teachers of the churche can bee no Iudges of a king except the king be in that thing lesse and inferior vnto thē For neither hath an equal power ouer an equal nor an inferior ouer his superior We affirme therfore iustly that al Christian kings in matters appertayning to Fayth are so subiect to Bishops Priests that obstinately continuing in offending against Christian religion after one or two admonitions for the same cause they may ought by the sentence of the Bishops to be put from other tēporal gouernement which they haue ouer Christiās And yet againe after in the same chapter out of a great many I take but a fewe sentences Since therfore the wisedome of God hath not left his churche which is a Citie very well built defensed without a medicine for such a disease ne yet can any other medicine helpe than that may take away so euil a king from among the people and giue his kingdome to a better man Wee must beleeue that such power at least was graūted to the supreme pastour of the church hee commeth nowe from meaner Bishops to the Pope of Rome whome hee meaneth by that tytle in these words Feede my sheepe whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shalbe bounde also in Heauen To foule and shamelesse 〈◊〉 of the holy woorde of God That the supreme Pastour may not onely excommunicate a wicked king but also free and set his subiectes at libertie frō all obedience vnto him For if so bee whatsoeuer Peter or Peters successour vppon earth loose bee also loosed in heauen then truely when rightly and orderly hee setteth faythful subiects at libertie from the obedience of a wicked king vppon earth the same subiects also are freed in heauen from the obedience of the same king Againe if whatsoeuer
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
ryot and complaine of the wrong and desire still that the matter may come to lawfull pleading And euen nowe os late since our new persecution beganne wee haue made vnto them diuers offers with great oddes not pretending thereby any recouery of our losses for that wee suppose to bee vnpossible but onely for the iustifiyng of our cause whereupon the honour of God dependeth and wherein wee knowe wee can not bee vanquished THus you amplifie iolilie w t similitude example your long possession as ye say of the Catholicke Church here in England our ryot also and violent intrusion vniust as you pretende which you call Law lesse proceeding You will by processe seeme to call vs afresh into the kings Bench when wee appeare your action will beare no lawefull plea against vs you accuse vs hotly M. Howlet but as good an Attorney or proctor and solicitor or man of lawe and counsellor as you are taken to bee in the Popes cause you shewe and proue nothing against vs in Gods or the Princes court we thanke God Ye suppose altogether for you say by our aduersaries confession that is for one part But wee say you say as yee are wont that is vntruly for your Church and religion as they bee at this day are not of a thousande yeeres antiquitie Some part of your corruptions may be so old we denie it not some part againe are of later time And heresies we tell you out of Tertullian doth not Newnesse so much argue as Truth whatsoeuer sauoureth against the truth that shall bee heresie euen olde Custome saith hee Againe your Iesuites a newe order of Religion instituted about fortie yeeres agoe or such such a thing seeme amōg vs at this day to be your greatest pillers and staies in this your new and strange proceeding and wee here can scarcely yet well tell what their religion is nor where it is grounded so lately though suddēly come they among vs but vpon an obscure fellowe your Pope Paul the thirde you tel vs is their foundation And in deed your Popish religion is such a confused Chaos and heape or a hotche potche that wee can not tell certainly what to make of it nor where to fetche a proper and full summe of the Popishe doctrine at this day and a confession of your fayth For leauing the Scriptures to bee the rule of your fayth and coyning vs still so many newe Articles vnder the name of vnwritten verities traditions the Churche c. Which the first and auncient Apostolique Church was ignoraunt of and referring vs for all to your Popes brest To bee playne we can finde no footing You take a similitude from a wise noble man and quiet possession of his Baronie many ages Bee as wise as yee may bee yet a similitude and example of a meaner and a more base and vile person than a Noble man of a Barne M. Howlet rather than a Baronie might fitlier serue to compare so corrupt a Church and rotten religion withall as is Poperie and the Popish Church But wee muste take suche as you offer vs. Your Prelates of the Cleargie that rule the Church are Lordes euen ouer Gods heritage they are Barons they must needes haue a Baronie No maruell therefore though in respect of thē and their vsing of the Churche yee liken it to a Baronie of a Noble man that hath many ages helde the same in quiet possession Or if you speake of the whole Catholike Churche in respect of the vnholy holinesse of the Pope of Romes fatherhood the matter is brought to a higher degree then a Noble man he is called our Lord God the Pope For quiet possession in deede I graunt yee helde that yee had in possession very quietly made as sure as you coulde not to bee vnquieted in your Palaces But a stronger thanks be to god came vpon you your god Prince to I meane the Pope Satan ouercame you took away your armour wherein you trusted c. For the vnfitnesse of your similitude I tell you first that if you liken your selues to a Noble man you must then liken the true Church to anothers and not to the Noble mans owne Baronie for that wee holde agreeable to the Scriptures that the Churche so likened can bee called no mans but Gods or Christs Baronie onely In title of lande Sir c. where prescription of time beareth great sway many ages of quiet possession be a great stay to Noble mens Baronies or others holdes especially where euidence and writinges by sundrie casualities may bee missing In religion that I may giue a further taste of your vnlikelie likelyhood and vnproper example the case is nothing like For authoritie of religion is not to bee esteemed by time saith one That which is true is not too late And y t good father again saith y e heathē say That that is first cannot be false As though antiquitie old custome may preiudice the truth But M. Howlet in going no higher for the age of your religion thē a 1000. yeeres and talking to vs of quiet possessiō of many ages since that time wee answere you first that our religion was aboue 500. yeere olde before yours came into the worlde or your Pope were hatcht supposing you kept quiet possession as you pretende nowe a 1000. yeeres For wee fetche ours from Christe and his Apostles who had lawfull possession of the Baronie yee talke of aboue halfe a 1000. yeeres before you came to possession thereof And if you will marke well those halfe thousande yeres before were the beter and more free from forgerie and corruption and therefore woulde bee more regarded But nowe I pray you tell vs how you entred into possessiō of y e Catholike Churche a thousande yeeres agoe For by inheritance once we denie that it came vnto you or by discent If there may be any lawfull conueighance thought of the best 〈◊〉 I see yee can with any probabilitie alleadge for the possession that your Cleargie euer had of this Baronie meaning thereby the true Church of Christe was that they helde the same but as Tenaunts and that tenants at will too standing vpon their good behauiour to continue or to bee cast out The Noble man himselfe the only Lorde and Baron that I may so speake of this Baronie is aliue his Baronie only may the true Church bee called If you meane that in this similitude neither yours nor any mortall mans besides Howeuer therefore you haue holden the Catholike Churche that way you haue beene but too long vniust possessors and so lost you nothing that was your owne when vppon misbehauiour you were by Gods lawfull Minister our dreead Soueraigne therein thrust out of possession of this true Church here as you were once before within mans remembrance about xl yeeres since So then this Baronie the Church heere is now the second time to Gods glory and our inestimable benefite lawefully taken from you
and you being dispossessed thereof it is restored or returned home to Jesus Christe the onely true owner Noble man heire and 〈◊〉 if yee will of this Baronie The same through the iust iudgement of God vpō you for your too too intollerable vsage is taken from you and by his infinite wisedome let out to other 〈◊〉 who vppon their good behauiour also and no otherwise holde the same of him who is bound heerein to no mens persons place Sea c. You are the first I confesse the more to your reproche that infeaffed the Pope and his Cleargie into the titles and right that are proper to God and Jesus Christe in his spiritual kingdom Citie House Uineyard or Baronie if you like y t best Yea you haue proceeded thus farre that the Pope hauing taken possession seemeth to challenge the bestowing of this Baronie on whom it pleaseth him to holde of himselfe in capite Is it not muche that you write that the Pope and Christe make one Consistorie so as sinne except the Pope may as it were doe all things y t god can do he and he alone hath fulnesse of power he can dispence aboue the lawe who beareth the person not of a pure man but of the true God vpon earth so that what is doone by the authoritie of the Pope is said to bee doone by the authoritie of God c. I leaue heere to put you in remembrance of Shilo the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde Ierusalem c. in the olde Testament May it please you to remember the parable of the wicked husbandmen in the Gospell to whome the Vineyarde was let out and what Christ pronounced against them to their hurt for taking the inheritance into their owne handes keeping possession therof as it had been theirs without yelding fruite to the owner To be plaine this is feareful for both you and vs to remember they to whome Christe spake being builders refused the head corner stone What came there of y t What gayned they by it Put case your priuileges titles were as good as theirs and yee had the highest offices in Christes Church in deede Hee by his eternall prouidence taking from you this Vineyarde or baronie and letting it foorth to other Husbandmen doth you heerin no iniurie Againe M. Howlet because you talke of a Noble man and his baronie remember well what befell those Citizens that after the Noble man was gone into a far countrie yet to come againe sent an Embassage after him saying We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. But he againe said at his returne which surely wilbe Those mine enimies whiche woulde not that I shoulde reigne ouer them bring hyther and slay them before mee These wordes are so plaine as it booteth you not for the auoyding thereof and your excuse to alleadge that you say not so Hee speaketh of the will and deed Againe you knowe what the Psalme saith The foole hath said in his hearte there is no GOD. No cauil will serue al excuse and pretence is put to silence before this Noble man of whom I talke This way may you more 〈◊〉 and with better religion and conscience yea and more profite also apply your Simile I pray God geue both you and vs grace by these examples to be warned and in time to take heede to our selues But leauing the generall account thereof to God and to Christes returne thereto further then y t you are as wee all bound to render accoūt here to gods substitute as ye call the Prince and ciuill Magistrate if yee or wee be in the meane while called Let vs stande vpon this point now that you say you haue helde the possession of the Catholike Churche in England for this thousand yeeres c. In calculating y e time I perceiue partly what you meane you hold from Pope Gregorie the great a Romane Monke who sent hether Austen a Monke also called of some the Apostle of England as also Gregorie is of some applying this Apostolike sentence to him If hee bee not an Apostle to other yet is hee to vs English men c. According to this computation M. Harding some where writteth Thus the faith hath continued in this lande among the English people from the fourteenth yere of the raigne of Mauritius the Emperour almost these thousand yeres Here is the foundation of your thousand yeeres possession of the English Catholike Church ye talk of Now what titles soeuer be ascribed to these Monkes in what price soeuer they bee with the Papistes wee denie them to haue beene the first planters of the true Christian faith in this lande and vtterly vnworthie to be therefore called the Apostles of England Of one and the greater it is saide hee was the last of the good and the first of the bad Popes The others entrance was with such pride and disdaine and his vsage such as made the Bishops of this lande not to doubt onely whether to receiue him but vpon tryall to refuse him as no man of God Superstitions might heere bee much aduaunced by this Pope and his Archbishop and so might they be fit pillers for the Popish Churche to stay vppon But Christes true and sincere religion gayned nothing by that Briefly if by the Catholike Church which you say you helde possession of so long and many yeeres here as of your Baronie you meane Christes true Churche and spouse because the same is his Baronie and not yours for your iniurious sacriledge you are 〈◊〉 thrust out of possession If you meane y t Churche to be like a Baronie so many yeeres heere possessed of you that wee call at this day the Popishe Churche then as we haue taken no possession thereof so because there is no good and sufficient warrant in our heauenly kings recordes for the erecting of any such Baronie as holdeth of the Pope of Rome in capite as this your Baronie doth And this Baronic besides hath been found greatly preiudiciall hurtfull not only in spirituall matters tò our heauēly king his spiritualkingdom but in ciuill pollicie also to our dread Soueraignes the Noble Kings Queenes of this land good great cause both for y t one respect the other hath there been is of the dissoluing of this Popish Baronie in this Realme There can no such Tenure bee iustly borne in this lande that holdeth of the Pope in Capite There is of your side M. Howlet that writeth you holde in capite of the Pope Whereupon you are iustly retected hence this is none of his kingdome If you will needes haue suche a Baronie so holding in Capite you must auoyde hence and goe dwell in his kingdome and Dominions And so you doe and as seemeth are agreed and at a point for the Pope hath nowe of late erected Nurceries to bring vp his Englishe fugitiue wardes in you call them Seminaries In that courte haue you your Officers accordingly and
your rules and orders to bee guided by you haue made a very euill change if yee can consider it well heereuppon possible being wearie you woulde faine come home againe into this lande But you woulde not chaunge the Tenure of the Pope in Capite whiche you must doe or els the other is not graunted you aduise better of the matter You playne of our intrusion vpon you without euidence Our euidence is better then euer you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shewe or well to auoyde wee and all the worlde see your euidence is litle worth as which is grounded on man and mayntayned with violence and force or with entising speech of mans wisedome where that fayleth as nowe here thankes bee to God therefore Our euidence are The Scriptures and the written worde of God say you as long as you will It is the Heretikes euidence Wee are assured that in Gods matters it is the best euidence that can be shewed and the euidence of the Spirite or of the holy Ghost who is the Authour of the Scriptures We followe not deceiuable fables cunningly and colourably set out but a most sure worde of the Prophetes whereunto wee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in our heartes c. As blessed Peter speaketh you neede not therefore crye out of Ryot This worde Ryot you thinke serueth your allusion pretily But you neede not shritch and crye out so lowde especially in her Maiesties eares quieter dealing might serue Yee complayne of the wronge which is none you call for tryall of the tytle After you haue let fall your Action and your matter is come to A Non Sute you tell of lawfull pleading and paint out your margin with Lawelesse proceeding which is all and wholly of your side All these be but your Rhetoricall floures Your Similitude and example for all this flourishe and a doe proueth litle or nothing The Plea hath been lawfully entred euen heere a great while since your tytle hath been not onely seene and perused but well weighed and tryed and after all your wrytings seene and what euer else you can say for your selues euen tyll you were wearie and gaue ouer the other part also being indifferently heard their proofes alleadged seene and weighed Definitiue sentence ' hath vpon great deliberation been giuen against you of God by his woorde and the same ratified by the highest authoritie and in the highest Court vpon Earth in this lande and there Inrould 〈◊〉 Possession here quietly deliuered and taken whiche thankes be to God and her Maiestie wee likewise peaceably holde at this day so that you may leaue your tragicall crying out of the matter Disputation when it was offered and required was of your part refused what woulde you more It seemeth they remaine the same men still els woulde they bee hearde of In another place of your Epistle Dedicatorie before commending your selues and seeking to get grace at the States handes you say you deliuered vs this Realme that is no violent taking whether onely wordes and forgerie bee of our side or yours let the worde of God be iudge and so many as can and list to iudge thereby betweene vs both And thus much of your Similitude or example taken from A Noble man and his Baronie your long possession of the Catholike Church and your tytle and right pretended thereto You bragge after this of diuers offers of late since your newe persecution as it pleaseth you to wryte made vnto vs with great ods Yee charge vs that wee are entred into possession without tryall of the tytle that wee haue thrust you out before sentence or proofe and yet both as I say haue past You crye out of the ryot you complaine of the wronge ye desire that the matter may come to lawful pleading c. And yet here agayne you say yee pretende not thereby any recouery of your losses for that you suppose to bee vnpossible Wherefore make you suche sturre and busie adoe then why cry you out so loude in her Maiesties eares why playne you I take it that the losse of your Baronie your Catholike Church in Englande as you cal it that ye so many yeres quietly possessed is your greatest losse y t which greeueth you most maketh you to houle scriche If you suppose it bee vnpossible to recouer it If you pretende not any recouerie of your losses make then lesse a doe about that which yee take to bee in so desperate a case but it is harde trusting of you for the conceipt yee haue of the recouery of your losses maketh you so importune and forwarde say and pretende what ye wil you pretende the iustifying of your cause But if you recouer not your Baronie and other your losses before you be able to iustifie your cause it will bee a great while to that day And wee shall bee sure to holde a long terme Because your side founde the State and people very desirous of alteration of religion at her Maiesties first enteraunce to the crown that swaied mightily against you in so much as vpon disputation conference of those of both religions by the marueylous prouidence of almighty God and her Maiesties godly affection singular wisedome and dexteritie to whome ouer and aboue the rest wee are in this case passingly beholding your religion 〈◊〉 out of the doores was sent packing and the true religion of Christe restored You thinke that after long profession nowe of the Gospell heere they will likewise lothe the heauenly Manna and waxe wearie thereof and bee desirous to goe backe agayne to the fleshe potts of Egypt c that I may so speake It is possible that in your trotting vp and down heere vppon your Popes messages yee may haue founde some bent but too muche that way and thereby coniecturing yee set downe in your bookes of accomptes thousands But ye may and I trust well in GOD shall be deceiued in your expectation and reckening as yee hitherto haue been And because Allen one of your mates in his Apologie euen nowe sent ouer still calling for Disputation seemeth to grounde much vppon this Philosophicall hope or ghesse rather that is takē from worldly wisedome and experience onely I will giue this short answere to you both herein Though you may finde the common people but to moueable and inconstant commonly to speake Yet is not the case then and now alike for first sir As truth and falshood be contrary so be the operations of them both in men farre different and mightie and effectuall is the force of the Holy Ghost in his heauenly truth and in their hearts in whom he stirreth vp a loue and liking thereof so that mans nature it selfe is quite altered thereby rather then any lothsomnesse or wearines is gathered Againe sir the greatest stay of your religion here was thē taken away by the change of the prince Her Maiestie y t thē first
Germanes in the generall congregation Wee haue not thought it also to be amisse to cal to repētāce al those that are fallen into any heresies and are yet entangled therein with a large graunt of a safe conduct and promise of great and singular clemencie and Gentlenes so that they returne to hearte or repent and acknowledg the power of the holy Catholike church If you desire so greatly to be solemnely called home Construe of this condition then by your owne rule Yee talke of her Maiesties woorde and you say you will aske onely her Maiesties worde And yet to goe further by your leaue you being subiectes will see her Maiesties worde set down by Proclamatiō y t al y t world may be witnesses of it such trust you repose in her maiesties word or letters Pattents Her Maiesties becke might serue suche as you bee well enough in this case ye seeme too distrustfull to be plaine meaning and dealing men It is a harde case when her maiesties commandement cannot serue with those that will pretende to be subiects with whom the least signification of her highnes pleasure shoulde be enough and enough againe without prescribing an order for her maiesty to deale by in a mere ciuil case too as this is to cōmand her people to carry at home or to return home being abroad And yet more you must appoint your selues y t time to of cōming home before you will stir Foure score dayes iust no lesse wil serue you You are honorable men and long a making readie many things to take order in before you can set your selues into your voyage yet your best surest pillers that of englishmen ye haue to trust in be here in england among vs. If neede were and it were for your vantage three or four dayes would serue your turne to 〈◊〉 before her maiestie Her maiestie hath nothing else to doe you thinke but to attend and hearken after you and your sutes cunningly made for your aduantage Unlesse you caried better more duetifull mindes yee may tary where yee bee still Your roome is better then your companie When you haue afore hande prouided for the safetie of your persons more then reason and honestie can aske beeing subiectes Then you tell vs what danger you will put your selues into for the trial of Gods trueth c Babling and vaine folly as all the rest This is the matter eyther you would haue a furder ouverture to doe more hurte then you now doe or can doe while you craue disputation c. not for to haue your own doubtful consciences satisfied but to bring moe into perplexity w t you to more cōfirme such as bee too obstinate alreadie in errour or else it may be you are weary of being beyonde the Seas and would fain come home and after many attemptes you thinke at last you haue found out a way whereby you may bee honourably called home Ah craft But peace for shame no more of this Is all the labour peril and disaduantage on your partes as ye say on the other part nothing at all let her maiestie the state other here say for themselues and not you It is enough for you to speake for your owne side leaue the rest to bee waied by them whom it toucheth neerer then you you are but in a dreame The best and enowe of your side to take this matter in hād be here in england that there needeth no sending ouer sea for helpe to be had at englishmens handes thence You M. Howlet and your companions for the most parte haue your sires and dammes heere of whom you suckt your poperie From this you come to shewe If your offer be refused by vs that is with your so great labour perill and disaduantage wee shall shewe our selues too much distrustfull in our owne cause c. Of your perill and safetie wee haue seene before for your so great labour Take no more paines to leese your labor I pray you thē you need When there is any vse thereof it will bee called for profered seruice c. If ye finde disaduantage thanke your selues that make the match wee haue not to regarde that Yee make many offers we see and hide you in corners when you haue 〈◊〉 or like proper fellowes betake you to your heeles runne away that one cannot tell where to haue you nor where to seeke you sauing that some of you by Gods prouidence are sometime ouertaken ere yee bee aware and taken napping as they say You haue alwayes some let or some excuse or other why you keepe not touche when your matters goe not forwarde according to your expectation and mynde This is playne double dealing you cast vs the gloue of defiance I am not disposed to contende with you in bragging and vaunting yet let me warne you M. Howlet and the proudest of your fellowes that yee take heede if you be wise Little Dauids bagge hath a stone in it that flung at you before you come to hande strokes will make you grouel on the grounde if ye abide it were ye as stoute as euer was great Goliah Yee dare vs and would haue vs come ouer the Sea to make offer to you It is not in our handes neither conuenient to accept offers made by you at pleasure nor to go ouer Sea vnto you to make you offers Haue yee not enow beyonde the Seas to dispute withall Is all the worlde there one your side Ywis there be moe M. Howlet and y t singular men thē you well woulde there were and then while you liue you shalbe able to deale withall but to your shames Neuer crye hoo hoo at the matter like an Owle there will be no lacke of them I tell you whose faces yee dare not abide neither are yee able to stande in their handes let it without bragge bee spoken to Gods glory either you dissemble egregiously or yee knowe not the greate power and giftes of God in the learned professours of the Gospell beyonde the Seas but who is more bolde then blinde Bayard As though there were not heere to be talked dayly withall as profound learned English men of your side as any of you that hauing for the most part beene of late young men in Oxeforde and some in Cambridge haue since fled beyonde Sea Doth the very name and sight of Rome and those quarters make now a daies so great Clarks I weene not A cocke I'perceiue on his dounghill The not accepting of your proud bragges is no distrust in our cause but a great pride in you ioyned with a dastardly cowardlinesse who putting fire into y t house runaway as they say by the light plucking your neckes out of the collor most of all of obedience to her maiestie No dealing with you except you may haue your own offers your owne oddes and your owne lawes You say that our comming ouer vnto you is not to bee hoped and therefore you relie vpon disputatiō to be
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
this Treatile for them and take paynes to set downe Reasons for the due reforming of them being in better hope then of the former but if all thinges bee well considered there will bee found falshood in felowship and very hollow dealing You cut them off from you and yet you woulde fayne holde them in still what opinion you hot Catholikes haue of all besides your selues euen such of your owne side whom ye speake farest vnto let me be bolde shortly to giue here a taste Generally you count no better of all them that goe to Churche heere for what respect soeuer other then such as the Pope will allowe whereof you speake and we shall see more in your qualifications afterwardes then of Apostataes renouncers of the Catholike religion perfidious betrayers of Gods Catholike cause traytours to God no Christians Heathen men and Publicanes c. And yet good sir all these as badde as they bee are byrdes of one feather and one neste Schollers of your owne teaching and none of our religion yea they defie it as you suppose hollowe geare still and nothing but hollowe Catholikes All the Catholikes in Englande that goe to Church directly denie their religion yea the yeelding therein is a flatte and euident denying of God and of his fayth And yet they remaine be accounted Catholiks stil what a religion call you that wherein men may denie not onely their religion but God and his fayth too and yet be of the religion stil Your Catholikes you speake of be such yet bee they in your heape still that is Catholikes and of the Catholike Religion They bee out of the Church so without hope of Saluation Scismatikes excommunicate persons and yet Catholiks still and of no other religion A good religion sure and a commendable is that they holde who bee Atheists and godlesse men in your opinion if they be not which directly and slatly renounce God and his fayth and yet iudge all other religions false and erronious besides their owne opinion and will neuerthelesse communicate with the same for some worldly respect and condenme other that will not doe as they doe Nowe if Athiests c. bee Catholikes I can not tell what to make of you Catholikes you bee neyther fishe nor fleshe nor yet I weene good redde hering as they say the wrong and perillous perswaūon that these men are sayde here to bee in builded onely on their owne fantasie may beseeme a fantasticall religion not grounded on Gods woorde but on vnwrttten verities traditions doctrines of men custom multitude c. as popery is Litle reformatiō as hithetto may serue such a deformed religion for these two sortes of Catholikes as you call them wee thinke yee doe in the one as in the other that is but imagine and goe all by supposition it is your Clearklie dealing whereof you heare what I say The aduise that I can giue them is that they leaue not only that perillous perswasion of communicating with contrary Religions but also and principally their Popery and the opinion they haue of that religion which as the rest is builded onely on fantasie Nowe haue wee viewed your Catholikes that you haue set vs here downe agreeing all in Poperie though but ill fauouredly and among them selues also hardely if your reasons following proceede from such a Catholike minde as you haue described vs in these men surely they are hollowe and can carrie no great waight with them with such as liue here in her maiesties dominions I verily think they can litle or nothing at all preuaile if they haue especially any wisedome or feare of God before their eyes for them y t being in heart of your religion do cleane contrary thervnto I wot not howe easily they will be led by you but surely if they will depende vppon God and his woorde they neede neither feare your threates nor regarde your Reasons for any value or waight that is in the same But before I enter into the particular examination of your nine Reasons hauing respect to the rude and simple sort I wil make bolde to set downe a reason contrary vnto yours whereby I meane to shewe that all men here liuing if they bee not too farre gone are bounde to haunt Church assemblies and the exercises of Religion vsed among vs. And yet before I set downe my reason both for the iust defence and cleering of her Maiestie and the State heere against such quarelpikers as you be And also for y t better satisfiyng of all her Maiesties duetifull subiectes and people I say to gods glory y t her maiestie y t state haue not pretēded to renounce Poperie a hollowe and rotten religion grounded vpon whatsoeuer not vppon Gods holie worde surely contayned in the Canonicall Scriptures as at this day is cleare to all that haue eyes to see to establishe another Religion though not so badde as Poperie yet not auowable deuised eyther by her selfe or by any other men but professeth to set vp the onely true religion of Iesus Christ taken out of the Scriptures Her Maiestie and the State haue and doe declare to the worlde dayly that in steede of mens inuentions and glorious shewes or voluntary Religion and will woorship as the Apostle noteth Superstition Shee and they esteeme the worde of God alone to bee the foundation of true religion The Apologie of this Church of Englande The Articles of religion set foorth by publike authoritie and suche other writings doe sufficiently proue this godly purpose and meaning and euen of late in the proclamation for the recalling home of her Maiesties subiectes from beyonde the seas c. is the same by expresse words mencioned None though the Papistes and enemies woulde make the worlde beleeue so are here called to the King and Queenes religion but with her Maiestie all degrees and persons are called to Gods and Christes true religion onely which shee with her people professeth Actes of Parliament and Statutes are not set into Churches in steade of Masse bookes Grayles Legends Portuises Images c. But the Sacred Byble the booke of the High and Immortall God of Heauen faithfully translated into the mother tongue to be read expounded heard and vnderstood of all to the vnspeakable comfort her Maiesties Ciuill Ministers As counsellers Judges Justices and so forth are not the Churche Ministers but spiritual Pastors and Teachers which are and by faithfull preaching ought to shewe themselues to bee the faythfull Ministers of Christ Iesus the Prince of Pastours or Shepheard and Byshop of our Soules Her Maiestie hath not taken away the Popes Antichristian office and vsurped tytle here to set her selfe in his place nor to take on the other side Christes office in hande or to infeoffe her selfe of his titles who leaueth euen to Christs Ministers their proper functions and charges whole of preaching the worde administring the Sacraments publike prayer Church discipline how euer this wrangler and his fellowes would beare the worlde in hande
all Church Ministerie and functions are heere exercised by meere lay men and yet in the meane while her Maiestie accounteth iustly it to be her office and duetie and to appertaine to a kingly authoritie according to the high dignitie of her royall throne and princely estate calling to moderate by al meanes to assist according to Gods holy worde and to see the same faithfully executed by euery particular in their degree which who so 〈◊〉 or deny her Maiestie prouoke Gods heauie wrath and displeasure and she we them selues vnwoorthy to liue much lesse to enioy so great blessinges vnder so gracious a Soueraigne She taketh only y t which is by Gods word due to Princes and Ciuill Magistrates shee will suffer no one besides her selfe to be the chiefe Gouernour in her dominions vnder God Christ and the worde call yee him Prince or Prelate shee requireth her subiectes first and principally to be Gods faithfull seruauntes in duely and reuerently keeping the exercises of true Christian religion euery one in their calling expressed in the two Cables of Gods holy commaundementes which by her authoritie giuen of God shee mainteyueth and like a godly Prynce purposeth still so to doe Next vnfaynedlye to acknowledge the Soueraigntie giuen to her Maiestie from God for all outwarde and Ciuill pollicie in her dominions This iustly may shee chalenge and more she requireth not and who is there that iustly can refuse or denie her Maiesty this Out of Gods booke rere religion confirme faith edifie conscience growe and profite dayly in godly knowledge and practise thereof In summe walke in single vprightnesse of heart with God and man and where this is the more seene there are the parties the better liked and commended by her Maiestie the State y t both God may bee the truelyer serued her Maiestie obeyed and others by good example in life and conuersation edified This is that I say briefly that the profession of religion here at this day in her Matestie the State and her people is no newe profession nor any other but such as is common with the Patriarches Prophetes Apostles and all Gods faythful people that haue liued in any age and is warranted by Gods holy worde written Nowe if in bending and contendyng hereto her Maiestie the State and people euery one in their place haue not thorowly and fully attayned to their purpose in reformation and practise hitherto yet is not the profession and purpose to be blamed yea their will and affection is much to be commended and they to be encouraged and stirred vp to growe dayly from good to better in these cold naughty daies while other seeing in so waightie and necessarie a matter many and great abuses sit still and either maintaine or winke thereat Prayer in this great worke is of all and aboue all to be adioyned and such helpe of Godly knowledge wisedome counsell and other giftes as God bestoweth on any woulde bee brought forth to the aduauncement of this heauenly worke euery one keeping his boundes and calling The foule and filthie dung hill of Poperie and superstition is not so soone voy ded our sinnes are the onely or the greatest impediment and let of the full finishing of this worke if there bee any thing wanting it is our heartie repentance and vnfayned turning to GOD with thankfull heartes expressed in wordes and deedes for the graces 〈◊〉 vpon vs. In the meane while where the profession I haue spokē of is and the worke taken in hande and entred as wee see here among vs I say there are none but very obstinate and wilfull men that will refuse to come to the publike Churche assemblies to heare the worde of God preached the Sacraments of Christe and publike prayers c. comfortablie administred which that I may in other wordes somewhat formally for our aduersaries pleasure expresse thus now I frame my reason None supposed to haue Gods feare before their eies to haue care of their owne saluation to haue respect to her Maiestie and their dutie towardes so vertuous and gracious a Soueraigne her godly wholsome lawes Againe to haue due and charitable consideration of the Church of God and their Christian brethrē and common honesty among men No such I say can or ought to refuse to come to church exercises vsed here amōg vs at this day But all persons of what state or condition soeuer they be liuing in Englande are supposed to be such that is to haue Gods feare before their eies to haue care of their owne saluation to haue respect to her Maiestie and their dutie towardes so vertuous and gracious a Soueraigne and her godly and wholesome lawes Againe to haue due and charitable consideration of the churche of God and their christian brethren and common honestie among men Wherefore no persons of what state and condition soeuer they ve liuing in Englande can or ought to refuse to come to Churche exercises vsed here amongst vs at this day The conclusion or the sequell of this argument and reason being so well grounded the aduersaries cannot nor will not I thinke denie me if they will let them turne mee to the proofe of the goodnesse thereof or of the fourme of any argument I haue made them The grounde of the first part of mine argument and the reason is because amongst other godly thinges as publike prayers prouision for the poore c. Here is professed and set foorth principally in Church assemblies the Ministerie or Preaching of Gods holy worde Gospel professed the obedient hearing and receyuing thereof with the administration of Christes Sacraments according to the rule of Gods booke which be notes exercises of Gods true and faithfull congregation whereunto euery true christian ought to associate and ioyne himselfe The seconde or middle part of my reason there is none I take it would be thought so wicked as to make question or doubt of Though the 〈◊〉 and flender dealing of our aduersarie in particularly seeking to find out faultes in our church exercise in his seuenth reason bee a sufficient cleering therof to him and his worde with those y t list aduisedly and with indifferency to weigh y e same when they see he 〈◊〉 chargeth it and 〈◊〉 it vntouched for ought he 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 we shall see God willing when 〈◊〉 come thither yet because I haue not to regarde the aduersarie only but some other also and among the rest suche especially as are sunple rude somwhat ignorant Therefore will I bee bold a little to wade here in the proofe of the particular partes of that peece of mine argument wherein may seeme any 〈◊〉 or to shew the head of the fountaine spring whēce the whole is deriued Marke well the argument namely the first part of it for some furder better proofe whereof I note this that followeth None that are supposed to haue Gods feare before their eyes will refuse to come to Churche heere Why so For
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
such commoditie reaped as is there to bee had it be answered among the rest bee the ende of the commaundement of the exaction and of the going to church what haue you to say there against Yf the Cōmissioners deale not onely equally but very mildely and courteously without too farre racking mens consciences and hoping that in exercises of religion and matters apperteining to God men will not play the hypocrites but haue farder respect then to make it an eye seruice outwardly to satisfie and please the worlde and knowing that comming to church they shall heare and finde better matter of instruction and so learne their dutie towardes G O D and their Prince they moue suche as by you are peruerted to come to churche what cause haue you or they to make such Tragicall adoe vpon this vpright and fauourable proceeding To playne of the seueritie and suche cruell extremitie of this State as neuer was hearde of in England before c. This confession of your owne mouth greatly condemneth you As you finde your owne religion to be but hypocrisie so imagine you of the religion here professed but amisse For her Maiestie and the lawes seeke not to make men hypocrites they delight in no such their meaning is to haue men religious to God warde and thereto tende their commaundements in this behalfe c. If you make going to churche heere to bee a renouncing of Popery and of your pretended catholike religion as you say it is we graunte and we wish as many as goe to church to leaue halting on both sides or dissembling to cast away that corrupt religion and all superstition out of their heartes to take a newe and better course and to testifie by that meanes and all other as they may their religious and honest minds to Godwarde the worlde which is so farre of that wee thinke too bee hurtfull vnto them as wee iudge it a singular benefits if they can consider thereof accordingly Where on the contrary part we iudge their not going to church or their going with another minde then wee haue expressed not only to bee to themselues dangerously hurtful and to others but impious also and wicked before God The other and seconde proofe yee take from those of your owne side that are heere indurance which being many in number and of long time suffering imprisonment for this onely thing as yee say doe make abstaining from church to bee a proper and peculiar signe of a true Catholike For what doth make a thing to be a proper and peculiar signe but the iudgement and opinion of men Heereto you adioyne your example of the Tauerne bushe to be the signe of wine wee answere the similitude is vnapt and vnlikely that is taken from signes and tokens of ciuill thinges appertaining to the vse of this life which are in mens power and will to dispose and order at their pleasure where it is otherwise in cases of Gods true religion for therein men haue not that libertie but must take the holy signes thereof from the holy God But you adde also your former example brought with you out of Italie of a Iewes yellowe Bonnet and ye fetche vs a thirde out of Turkie for to knowe a Turke and his profession by his yellowe Torbant which and all the like are vnseemely and vnfitt to match in this case with the true religion of Iesus Christ. Let then the worlde or men in ciuill and outwarde matters of this life make their representations and signes as they will let the like serue if yee will among the Iewes the Turkes In fidels Papistes Whose religion is pleasurable a will worship and consisting for the most part in ceremonies and deuises inuented by men Let them deuise and haue their proper and peculiar signes markes cognisances and badges to bee knowne by let vs abstaine from the same Let vs content our selues with those that we haue receiued from the Authour of our Religion Let vs religiously frequent and vse the same When our Sauiour Christ asketh whence the Baptisme of Iohn was whether from heauen or from men He noteth fitly the diuerse fountaines and beginning of signes in religiō The example of wearing a garlande in the Primitiue Church wherewith out of Tertulian yee amplifie the matter perteyneth as litle to the purpose as the rest For it was heathenishly wickedly made by the heathen a signe to distinguish them by and to represent their heathenish religion to the dammage of Christians and true Christian religion marke that wee speake still of publike religious signes not of other in outwarde ciuill thinges and for mens particular vses wherein men haue more libertie then in Gods religion and seruice prophane or ciuill matters wee here deale not with That such thinges haue beene and are from time to time done by the diuell and wicked men in wicked religion is not harde to be founde and that true Christians haue to abstaine from such markes and proper signes of superstitious and naughtie religion as for example frō your Popish ceremonies at this day may well and fitly bee prooued hereby and farder can ye not stretche it vnlesse ye coulde proue the haunting of holye Churche assemblies here first and principally to proceede from men or from the diuell Which you shall neuer be able to doe God himselfe being the Authour and the same being sufficiently grounded in his holie worde Make you and your compagnions of going to Churche here what you will and of abstayning there from We make thereof as God and his worde doe and no more If for your contempt of God her Maiestie and her wholsome lawes made for the abolishing of superstition and idolatrie ye suffer any thing Thanke your selues that so oppose your selues Blame 〈◊〉 God her Maiestie nor the State here therefore If for this onely thing your men suffer that they goe not to Church then suffer they not belike for defence of the Popes supremacie nor other pointes of Poperie if they doe then is it not for abstayning from Church onely which in deede is but a late taken vp scrupulositie among the moste of you yet let all marke and obserue that ye here affirme and giue vs that the onely thing Papistes suffer for here in Englande is for not going to Churche or abstaining therefrom A worthy cause to stande with the Prince and State in if all be well weighed The vanitie of the three next Reasons of Schisme participation and dissimulation do I nothing doubt but that euery Christian can easily espie and answere the same That therefore which hath been sayde before being well weighed I shall neede the lesse to tarrie thereupon If this discourser coulde as easily proue it to be Schisme to haunt our Churches vs to be Heretikes and those hollowe hearted that hauing afore time in the dayes of ignoraunce been of their Popish religion nowe haunt our Churches which wee yet hope well they doe of synceritie of heart If I say hee coulde as easily
Councell No verily Let matter with matter saith he cause with cause Reason with reason pleade by the authorities of the scriptures not proper witnesses of euery bodie but common to both c. This am I the bolder with the Reader to set downe that we may see your skill and trust in citing the fathers If one should followe all he should make great volumes which I doubt whether for your pleasures it bee necessarie For the diuels talke with Christ how I pray you did our 〈◊〉 confute him was it not by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afore I sayde Augustine did the heretike Yes yes still and all by the scriptures so necessary and profitable 〈◊〉 are they say or thinke you what you will Though we finde not for that which followeth the wordes in Hierome where ye sende vs to seeke them yet because it may be the fault of the Printer I presse it not you shoulde haue prooued and shewed vs to be heretikes before ye should haue applied that to our seruice supposition is a bare proofe and serueth not The strange howling as of wolues and bellowing noyse of mad Bullockes that in your Synagogues you make by your piping and singing in a strange tongue in that you call your diuine seruice seemeth to bee liuely expressed by Hierome both in this sentence and elsewhere also when vppon these wordes of the Prophet Amos Take from me the confused noyse of thy Hymnes I will not heare the musicke of thy Organes that worde doeth Hierome set downe according to the Septuagints translation The Prayer sayth he of the Iewes and the Psalmes whiche they sing in their Synagogues and the heretikes curious and set hymne or prayer as one would say artificially done with descant and quauering is a trouble vnto the Lord that I may so speake it is the grunting of a hog and the braying of Asses c And in the new Testament vpon these wordes of the Apostle Singing and making melodie vnto the Lord Let them heare saith Hierome whose office it is to sing in the Church that God is to bee sung to not with voice but with heart and that their throate and iawes are not to be annointed and cleered with oyntmēts like players that measure and stagelike noise and songues maye by hearde in the Churche but in feare in deede in knowledge of the scriptures although there be some man as they are wonte to speake of an euell brest or voyce If hee haue good woorkes hee is a sweete singer with God Let the seruant of Christ so sing that not the voyce of the singer but the wordes that are read may delight and please c. Thus much out of Hierome whome ye cite vpon occasion of wolues howling and the bellowing noise of mad bullockes that the reader may see whether the same and the like agree better with your curious pricksong and descant in your latin seruice or with our moderate and plain singing of Dauid his Psalines in the mother tongue Hee that is desirous to see more how fitly your wanton and fleshly melodie or roring rather in your Popish Churches is represented by Hierom. Let him looke vpon Cornelius Agrippa Erasmus Polidore Virgil and such like who euen in our time so great plained of y t vnreasonable brutishe disorder in your popish Churches and namely heere in England for that is by expresse wordes noted of Erasmus Yee cite Augustin here twise together and still of the Donatist Heretikes it was the first place ye cited in the entrance of your discourse how litle to purpose we there examined wee tel you againe again we are neither donatists nor other heretikes that shoulde you haue bent your selfe first to haue prooued that these testimonies might haue seemed to haue beene 〈◊〉 applied as that vnprooued and so is like to remaine they iustly maye nowe bee applyed to you Betweene your two places here alleadged out of Augustine the same Augustine vpon the words of Dauid I cryed vnto the Lorde sayeth well and that to the Donatiste Crye you to the Lorde not to Donatus So say we to you popishe Heretikes Crye to the Lorde not to this Patrone and that which you haue made to your selues not to this canonized Saint of your Popes nor to that whereof some like ynough are farre from heauen and so from helping of you Take the lustie prelate of Englande Your S. Thomas Becket for example if ye will or some such like Saint of your making wee say as Augustine sayde in his dayes according to the perpetual doctrine of the sacred scriptures Crie vnto the Lorde not to any creature wee adde furder with him euen in this place Let no man be thy Lorde for the Lorde hee meaneth in steade of the true Lorde of heauen which vnder the Lorde woulde not bee thy fellowe seruaunt Whether it bee in heauen Let God in prayer be 〈◊〉 per se A as they say Or vppon earth to shut out your Lorde god the Pope and to bring him to bee but a fellowe seruaunt with other Let that God of heauen keep his prerogatiue or else bee you in exalting and setting vp that man of sinne Heretikes with the Donatistes Briefly to shut vp this place finde no fault with our seruice for that it hath the scriptures and put a difference between the Iewes Heretiks and the diuelishe peruerting and abusing the same and the right vse thereof with reuerence to our instruction and learning that through pacience and comfort we may haue hope which is an ende the Apostles setteth vs down the same to be written for Let it in all things be A lanterne to our feete and a light to our path as holy Dauid speaketh For which causes also the same is nowe published and made common vnto vs by her Maiestie and the State Marke the great benefite the Churche of God here hath reaped thereby and still doth and yee shall shewe your selfe besides your impietie to Gods worde very vncharitable and enuious to grudge vs the Scriptures or to reproche the same vnto vs. Nowe whether wee be Heretikes that sticke to the scriptures and to the sincere plaine and sure interpretation therof by themselues that one place may sufficiently expounde another that wee neede not run to men to haue the true sense but to let the holy 〈◊〉 euer expounde himselfe Or you that cannot nor will not bee content with this but call for this doctours exposition that doctours sense and so foorth rouing and running at randon if the worlde may not be iudge yet I pray you let your owne Cannon Lawe be iudge betweene vs Wee must take the sense and meaning of the Truth out of the scriptures themselues sayth Gratian out of Pope Clement And yet furder out of Hierome Whosoeuer otherwise vnderstandeth the scripture then the sense and meaning of the holy Ghost by whom it was written requireth Although he be not departed
and gone out of the Churche yet may hee bee called an Heretike and it is among the workes of the fleshe chosen those things that are the worse c. Wee knowe the Queenes coyne by the stampe by the Image by the inscription if it carry not that marke wee may lawfully refuse it euen so in the matters and truth of God c. But it is time to proceede with you After you haue thus declamed agaynst the Scriptures in our seruice you goe about to recken vp all the faultes ye can imagine to bee therein which in a bedroll yee recken vs vp to be in all about sixe whereof you make two heads one the thinges that be in it the other the thinges it wanteth It is happie yee can spie no moe faultes in particular but sixe Surely your Latine seruice were lesse daungerous and hurtfull if a man coulde in the whole finde but halfe so many good thinges amongst an infinite number of faultes nay the whole must needes bee not in part altered but quite vndone reiected and newe begunne againe or els wil there bee no Gods his seruice among you at all For our seruice it may haue some faultes wee denie not As it commeth to passe in things that goe through mens hands wee accompt not our bookes of seruice a Byble wee make it not equall with G O D his Booke But this wee hold what imperfections so euer there may be therein yet all layed together will be no sufficient Reason for you or anye man els to abstaine from Churche assemblies here which is the ende of this your Reason and that it driueth vnto You say our seruice is so naught as it may not be haunted we denie it Let vs see howe you proue it first in particular you say it is deuised by our selues different frō your Romish Catholike seruice through Christendome so I take your words and meaning As this is no warrant for the goodnesse of our seruice so is it not hereby prooued to bee naught so that yee vnderstande the same to bee so deuised by vs as it haue a farder warrant then mans head and fancy as being grounded and directed by Gods holy word The summe the grounde the substance Gods the 〈◊〉 forme and manner or order done by godly men There is in deede no Lyturgie or outwarde forme of 〈◊〉 Prayer for euery congregation set downe and particularly described in God his worde it had been a matter endelesse and needelesse to haue prescribed euery particular thing beongling to seruerall Church assemblies The substaunce and generall direction is to bee had in the worde of God and thence to be taken and thereby in euery particular circumstance to be ordred for diuers and seuerall congregations dispersed in many Countreys The rest is the Application is to bee perfourmed by the Churches for their necessitie and vse accordingly and so may be lawful for 〈◊〉 Church to doe the like without your checke and controlement Yee hearde before of the diuers and sundrye orders and manners of Masses in your Romaine Church as yee call it in Italie France Englande and so forth And your S. Gregorie as is recorded by Bede willed Augustine the Monke to take that frō other Churches here and there for this Englishe Churchs seruice that shoulde bee most conuentent Is it not knowne to all the worlde that your Mattens Euensong Complyn Dirige Masse and so foorth was of diuers Byshops of Romes patching c. And a long time a doyng before it was in that order you nowe vse it Did not your Trent meeting of late agree and appoint your Church seruice shoulde bee reformed did not your Pope according to that decree euen of late yeres reforme your breuiary and Missall ywis sir wee giue no such scope of reformation in our Gospelling Churches but teach and holde that all shoulde be doen by and according to the rule of God his booke and holy Scriptures as in matters appertayning to his Maiestie with all godly reuerence and humblenesse of minde You say it is altogether different from your seruice so woulde wee haue it to bee for that Poperie is too bad a paterne to reforme Christes Churche by It is euen as vnfit to bee an example for a reformed Church to followe as a fylthy hogstie is to frame and build a Princes Palace by and more vnfitte too The freer our Churches and assemblies be from Popishe corruptions the more happie be they a great deale You knowe in that olde and vnhappie controuersie about keeping of Easter in the 〈◊〉 Church home the fathers 〈◊〉 it vnmeete to followe the wicked Iewes who had crucifted Christ in obseruing their Easter on the foureteenth day of the first moneth as Constantine then emperour wryteth And y e gospel I am sure no better but a great deale woorse agreeth w t poperie our christiā religiō w t your romish seruice 〈◊〉 we easily admit that it is false that our seruice differeth in nothing from yours but that it is now in English which was then in latin so were our English seruice too too bad We would haue you and all the worlde thinke otherwise of the matter and we wishe you take no occasion thereat to thinke so wee are content to ease you of the paine to compare or prooue that point You say the hotter sort of protestants called Puritanes condemne the seruice of the protestants here and refraine from it as much as Catholikes doe Though there be that wish a more full reformation of the whole Churche and religion yet knowe I none of the godly learned that say with you it is vnlawfull to come at Church assemblish heere nor themselues refraine frō them There may bee some fewe simple vnlearned folke that of hatred to your superstitious and intollerable bloodie dealings afore time wherewith by their wills they would haue no communion or fellowship that may make some scruple therin for that they of zeale defie y e remnants steps traces ceremonies and all affinitie and likelihood with Poperie but howe agree they with you and you with them euen as as dogge and cat as they say so little vauntage haue you by them Your mindes and purposes beeing so contrarie the one to the other I minde not to bee a Patrone of euery bodies cause yee haue heard what I said before of that matter whither I here referre you till I heare your answere Such godly moderation woulde I haue kept in this matter as I trust can and will offende none that are godly Wisedome may not quenche zeale zeale may not destroy wisedome godly zeale and godly wisdome may stande together and goe together and so must doe and in Gods matters the worde of God must direct and order both Let mee I pray you aske of you whether they of your side that wished and sought for reformation of your Popishe seruice at Trent meeting condemned the same refrained from resorting to your Popishe Churche and seruice
englād Liuing to a mās own cōsciēce by leauing him selfe 〈◊〉 conscience Popish Vbi 〈◊〉 ibi mā dandi 〈◊〉 caeteros manet 〈◊〉 di nece 〈◊〉 In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The hearing of Masse how well worth a hūdred Markes Erranti 〈◊〉 medicina 〈◊〉 Cic. Aristotel Salus 〈◊〉 sita est in 〈◊〉 * In nomine Patria Filia spiritua sancta De Consecrat Dist. 4. 〈◊〉 Baptizote Psal. 51. Ephe. 2. Looke better to your abrenun cio say yee Credo say ye 〈◊〉 lo say 〈◊〉 General cros ses of Catholikes Particular extremities As M. Dimmocke was by M. Couper As young Maistrisse Tomson was by M. Elmer Iohn Field in his epistle dedicatorie of Phillip of Morneis booke to the Earle of Leycester Arist. li. l. Rhetor. 2. Pet. 2. 10. Iude. vers 8. 1. Cor. 10. 18 Prouer 23. 2 Prouer. 25. 6 The Catholique fayth teacheth obedience more then other religions Con. Const. Sess. 8. Cocleus Lib. 1. 3. Hist. Huss Wicklif li. 4. trial cal 3. In Bulla Le on 10. in asser art ibi damnat Cocleus in vita Luth. Sur. in hist. huius anni Lib. 4. inst cap. 10. Lib. 3. insti cap. 19. Goodman Gilbye Rom. 13. Vide om Doct. 2. 2. quest 90. de Leg 22 Aug. in ps 70. Crysost Ambro. in cap. 13. ad Rom. The first precher The seconde preacher A waightie motiue Prou. 30. verse 21. 22. ☞ Extra decretal de censibus cap. 2 omnis anima Extra de Maioritat obedient Tit. 1. tit 33 ca. 6. solite Vide D. 〈◊〉 q. 2. 2. a. q. 90. om doct ibid. 〈◊〉 Balaam 〈◊〉 significātur 2. 9. 7. Nos Vide M. Hardings 〈◊〉 to M. Iuel Art 4. Diuis 22. De Anna Caiapba Vide Hot. lib. 2. contra 〈◊〉 Hard. confulat Apolo par 6 cap. 6. 〈◊〉 3. 1. 2. Q 96 Art 4. in fine 2. 2. Q. 104. 〈◊〉 6. 2. 2. Q 12. Art 2. Vide causa 15. Q 6. cap Nos sanctorum in cap. 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 26. 24. 25. 26. N. Saunders opion and dealing He calleth Moron the protector of England hee was the Popes Legate chiefe President of the 〈◊〉 Councel of Trent N. Sander in Epist Ad Cardin. Moron Lib. 7. De visib Monarch Eccles. Fol. 732. ante a fol. 688. ad fol. 712 ' c. Sand. in Epist dedicat praefixa lib. De visib 〈◊〉 Pope 〈◊〉 5. De visib 〈◊〉 Eccl. lib. 2. cap. 4. fol. 98. 79. Ibid. fol. 83. I thinke hee would say that the king proceed not in dooing wickedly De visib 〈◊〉 Lib. 7. fol. 730. 732. c. What had the pope to do with this Realme More busie than he had thankes for his labour What Legats talke you of and who stopt them A 〈◊〉 medicine of the Pope of Rome to depriue princes of their king domes to discharge subiects of obedience Lyke Pope Lyke 〈◊〉 More pompe solemnitie in the Pope then good diuinity or honestie The ground and cause of the insurrectiō in the north truely described Godly treason with great reason Iure publico For omnia 〈◊〉 bee in scrinio pectoris Papae Wel bould Tur pin wel guest Heere is a right true confessiō of a Romain catholike or Popish fayth Treason a confession of Catholike religion Grosse abuse of Gods holy scriptures A Fable of a 〈◊〉 myracle Still a Popish traiterous cōfession of a Popish faith A popish myracle to confirme Popish religiō it needes it greatly They are 〈◊〉 gone you may begin Placebo and 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 for their 〈◊〉 Somma Summarum 1 A new popish Antichristian Gospel Looke Math. 24. 24. 2. Thes. 2. 9. 10. c. 2 Lieng miracles wonders to confirme the same 3 A strāge trayterous confessiō of a Popish catholike faith 4 A bead roll of Popish confessors Martyrs al traitors and rebels Rom. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An. 1094. 1240. 1215. Thomas 〈◊〉 1211. Hee that list to see heereof more particularly besides the Actes Monum ētes and our English Chronicles and stories let him looke on the Apologie of the Church of Eng land the 6. part and last chapter and M. Iewels defence thereof Concil lateran sub Inno. 3. cap. 3 de 〈◊〉 The places are quoted before in your decrees D. Thomas caus 15. q. 〈◊〉 cap. Iuratos vt supra decretal 〈◊〉 de hereticis ad abolendam Vide 〈◊〉 extra in ca. cum non ab homine Felin de rescript cap. Rodolpbus Demaioritate obedientia vnam sanctam glos ibidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. Anno. xxiii Reginae 〈◊〉 An act to retain the Queenes Maiesties subiects in their due obedience Cap. I. As the Apology of the Church of England Articles set forth by 〈◊〉 authoritie Homilies c. Wickliffe in his Trialogue Fol. 68. pag. 2. 〈◊〉 8. Sessione 11. Ioan. 23. Gregori 12. Benedict 13 Martin 5. Remember the story of the 〈◊〉 Howlet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 7. De Concil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 539. 538. Tom. 4. Conciliorum Bulla Apostolica Leonis 〈◊〉 aduersus 〈◊〉 Primae lutberi baereses Galat. 3. 28. Ab eo quod 〈◊〉 est secundum Quid ad id quod est simpli citer A non causart 〈◊〉 c. called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 17. 25. 26. 2. 2. q. 104. * Seruitus qua bomo bomini subiicitur ad corpus pertinet now ad animam 〈◊〉 libera manet paulo ante ex 〈◊〉 in 3. de beneficiis Errat 〈◊〉 quis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in totū bominē descēdere pars enim melior excepta est Corpora obnoxia sunt ascripta Dominis Mens quidem est sui iuris ideo in his quoe pertinent ad interiorem motü voluntatis homo non tenetur homi ni obedire sed solum Deo c. Thom. A Vio Caietan Cardin. in summa D. Thom. 2. 2. Q. 104. super art 6. Defence of the Apology 4. part chap. 5. Diuis 1. c Esai 33. 22. Iam. 4. 12. Math. 22. 2. Mat. 10. 28. Luk. 12. 4. 5. 1. Cor. 7. 23. Gal. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 28. Colo. 3. 11. In the wordes is there that which in the schooles is called A fallation of the Accent 2. 2. Q. 104. Art 5. 6. c. Rom. 13. 5. Rom. 13. 1. c. Still a fallaciō from that which Aristotle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to that which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Cap. 19. sect 14. c. Defence of the Apologie I part Cap. 4. Diuis 1 c. The Alderman of Stamford the Comburgesses and the Recorder of the towne ministers and other of the countrey such as I haue 〈◊〉 Math. 6. Mat. 11. 16. 17. 18. 19. Luke 7. 35. Mark 2. 27. Iohn Story in the first Parlament of Queene Elizabeth This is reported euen by N. Saunders in Sto ries life devisibili Monarchia eccles Iere. 13. 23. Lewes 11. Pulcbrū est 〈◊〉 deludere Hyantes It is a pretie sporte to mocke the gaping Chaugh Ari st lib. 1. Rhe.