Pope as it was Himself also to plaine of that matter by his Embassadour in the Councell at Lions to represse the Popes Legate in this land 〈◊〉 were the Popes exactions here then What demeanour of Pope and popelinges was that towardes King Henrie the second before to take his Crowne from his head and so villanously to vse him in maintenance and defence of a villanous traitours cause as is reported I doe but occasion the Reader to consider of the hurly burlies of this false Catholike Churche and religion What was that demeanour to excommunicate King John to discharge his subiects of the oth of allegeance to stirre vp warre against him and at lengthto bereaue the King both of kingdome and life after hee had giuen his wicked definitiue sentence that hee shoulde bee deposed from his estate and had enioyned the execution thereof to y t French King for remissiō of his sinnes tohaue for his rewarde the kingdome of Englande he and his successours for euer Hee called this king Iohn his Vassall or tenant for y t after the Pope by his Legate 〈◊〉 phus had taken the Kinges Crowne into his hande once the good King coulde no other wise after inioy it but that hee must acknowledge that hee and his heires must receiue the same from the Pope This dealing of Pope Innocentius against King John may not bee thought strange for that in a solemne Councell helde vnder him at Rome we finde it decreed that if a Temporall Lorde being admonished by the Church doeneglect to purge his lande from heresie wee knowe what they called heresie then he shoulde bee excommunicated by the Metropolitane and the other Bishops of his Prouince and if he refused to make satisfaction within a yeere it shoulde bee signified to the Pope that hee from thence foorth shoulde pronounce his Subiectes to be free from keeping or yeelding fidelitie to such a temporall Lorde should expose his land to be inuaded by Catholik es To come nearer home and to speake of that most mightie Prince of famous memorie King Henrie the eight within mans remembrance what demeanour and proceeding was vsed in cursing excommunicating and suche like styrre keeping to disturbe that victorious King of Englande and the State of the whole Realme For our liege Ladie and dread Soueraigne most high and noble Queene Elizabeth what and howe many thinges haue beene attempted and howe many wayes also and yet still are the thing is freshe and common the rebellions so late in memorie the dayly practises and attemptes by Gods Prouidence so reuealed and met withal as I think yee can haue no face to stande in the deniall though your Epistle blushe not Shortly to say What Englishman soeuer borne in this Realme shall denie the superioritie or refuse to submit him selfe vpon the grounde of his faith giuen to the Pope of his Popish or Romane religion vnder the power authoritie and ciuill gouernement of our dread Soueraigne and Iawfull Queene Elizabeth as Gods Lieuetenant or chiefe minister be he Apostle Euangelist Prophet or whosoeuer and howsoeuer els yee list to call him in resisting the order and ordinance of G O D hee is to bee reputed of all men Gods enimie and no good Christian but a very naughtie man in so doing c. But suche are your English Romane or hot Catholikes as her Maiestie and the State chargeth you and all the worlde seeth and you your selues dissemble not in allowing your Popes Bulles and other writinges therevppon grounded agreeable thereto and in your ouuert and open dealinges whereof may easily bee gathered what maner of men yee are to be reputed towards God and the world although I hope well in God that there bee not many such heere in England Yf because you bee disputers yee aske Scholasticall argumentes and yet if one argue with you out of the scriptures you make little account thereof thinking the bare Scriptures so can yee speake too sclender stuffe to conuince you withall Therefore grounding vpon your owne doctrine which is of more waight with you and vppon the lawe of this Realme which decideth cases of Treason here I purpose God before to prooue some what further this way Albeit I must suppose that you bee not ignoraunt of the pointes of your owne doctrine and that true hearted Englishmen knowe the Soueraigntie of our Prince and Queene and so their duties towardes her Maiestie taught them first in Gods worde and afterwarde expressed heere further by the lawes of this Realme in Acts of Parliament c Yet hauing layed the one and the other as the foundation of the arguments that I minde to make you Let mee so much as shalbee necessarie heereunto note in summe the the wordes of your doctrine and our lawe and then from both see if I can frame some fewe Scholasticall arguments that yee may thereby perceiue that it is not hard for him that list y t way to exercise himselfe to bring many substantial argumēts against you in this case of doctrin demeanour of disobedience and Treason towards superiours Thus is it written in your popish decrees and thence taken and repeated by your D. Thomas in his summe where he treateth of subiects discharge frō the gouernemēt of their princes and from their othe and fidelitie towardes them Wee holding the statutes of our holy predecessours by Apostolique authoritie doe absolue them from their bonde which are bound by fidelitie or othe to them that be excommunicated and by all meanes forbid that they keepe not fidelitie to them till suche time as they come to satisfaction Now adde to this your Popes late traiterous Bulles in her Maiestics case and this Realmes wher with you are but too wel acquainted forget not your owne profession and doing at this day And so let the perpetuall doctrine of your supreme pastour and his supreme authoritie acknowledged receiued and in practise followed by you bee for one parte the grounde and proofe of the Arguments that I shall propounde vnto you Or if you 〈◊〉 furder let N. Saunders a principall piller of your Popish English Synagogue beyonde Sea speake particularly for all Of whose speache in this case I haue giuen you a taste before out of his visible Monarchie On the other part let those that bee presently of that state heere to go no furder of speake on the other side and reporte vs whether you hot Catholikes bee traitours c or no Fume not fret not at my wordes nor at any other priuate mans but examine y e matter your owne cōscience herein And because yee talke of the renting of your Catholike hearts at these wordes and the like which being double may with murmuring and grudging possible bee vexed to litle purpose and sone rent a sunder Therefore for your good this way here Gods counsaile rather by the holy Prophet Rent your heartes and not your clothes and turne to the Lorde your
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