Dialogue Wherein a Romish Rhyme is Confuted, Title page – Dramatis personae
EUBULUS, OR A DIALOGVE,
Where-in a rugged Romish Ryme, (inscrybed, Catholicke Questions, to the Protestant) is confuted, and the Questions there-of answered.
BY P. A.
Answere a Foole to his foolishnesse, lest hee bee wyse in his owne conceit.
Proverbs, 26. 5.
ABERDENE, PRINTED BY EDWARD RABAN, Dwelling vponupon the Market-place, At the Towns Arms, 1627.
WITH PRIVILEDGE.
TO THE MOST HONOVRABLE, VERTVOVS, and Christian Ladie, ANNA, LADIE GORDON, &c.
OF this DIALOGVE, (MADAME) written, now, thirteene Yeares a-goe, no more was, at that tyme, intended, but a few Manuscripts, for satisfying some Godlie Myndes, and obviating the insolencie of some ignorant, and ydle Humours; foolishlie glorying of nothing: Yet, even so, was it bolde, then, to betake it selfe to the shadow of Your most Honourable NAME, though it never had yet the Cowrage, to present it selfe, to a Kisse of Your Hands: and, perhaps, had lyen buried in this its Shamefastnesse, for ever, if, vponupon the renewed impudent Importunitie, of the same sort of Men, at the instant desyre of some well-affected Christians, it did not now come out, to a more publicke view of the World.
In which case, if it should eyther neglect, or disclayme, so Noble (an Ones acclaymed) Patrocinie; al-be-it there-by could bee no imparement to Your Honour, (to whose great worth manie such Dedications can adde no lustre:) yet, were it some Disgrace, to the Treatise it selfe, and, discredite, al-so, to the Author thereof; who yet liveth no lesse affected, than ever, to serue Your Ladiship in the LORD.
Receiue, then, that which is Your owne; as a poore, but an vpright Token, how farre the Author, and all of his Calling, account them-selues obliedged, to giuegive Your Honour, all Heartening, and Encowragement, for cleaving, so constantlie, (agaynst manyfolde assaultes and temptations) to that Trueth, which, heerein, is defended.
The GOD of all Trueth, still more and more, stablish, strengthen, and confirme You there-in: blesse Your most Honourable Lord, and You, with all Happinesse, heere; and, bring You both, in ende, to Eternall Blessednesse, with HIM-SELFE, in the Heavens.
YOVR LADISHIPS Humble Servant, P. A.
TO THE READER.
IT may, perhaps, (Christian Reader) appeare strange to thee, and little beseeming my Place and Age, that I deigne, so ridiculous a Ryme, with so large an Answere, yea, with anie Answere at all. But, so it fell out, that, now, aboue thirteene years a-goe, the perverse Sedulitie, of seducing Priests, and the foolish Insolencie, of ignoran… Souls, seduced by them, and vaynlie glorying of this their Ballad, which numbers of them had continuallie in their mouthes, who never had eyther read, or gotten by heart, anie one Psalme of David, did worke, in a certayne verie honourable, and worthie Noble Man, such holie Indignation agaynst the one, and pittifull Compassion of the other, as made him seriouslie solicite me, to make some Answere there-to. Which to doe, I was induced by his Intreatie, though much agaynst myne owne Disposition. Who, as I louelove, and commend the accurate Inquisition, and clearing of Trueth, by calme, and Christian Conference, and sober, and sedulous Indagation: So, from myne Heart, I ever abborred all litigious Contestation, in what-so-ever Argument; but, most of all, in matters of Religion, And yet, such is the miserable mishap of our tyme, or rather, of mad Humours in our-time, that nothing is so bitterly, and with so great Heat, Passion, and damnable spyte, debated, as are poyntes of Divinitie. And, this intemperie, hath so farre, in common, taken all myndes, as that all Christianitie, is now turned in odious, and humourous Disputation: and all, both Men and Women, will be, for-sooth, of a partie; all-be-it most part of them so ignorant, as they know neyther what they holde, or what they impugne: no more vnderstāding what they speake of, than doe Pyo…s, or Parockets, those wordes which they are taught to prattle. And, withall, so carrying in all their other Conversation, as it is both shame, & sinne, that they should be so and acious, as to take anie such. Argument in their mouthes, who hate to be reformed; and, in all their wayes make not Conscience of anie Sinne. Yet, they are incessantlie holde, to mooue Questions of Religion: who, beeing posed agayne, can not answere to the simple questions of the Childrens Catechisme. Thus, be at of Disputation, hath not onlie cooled, but even, all-most, extinguished all Devotion: and, not only breedeth Stryfe; but even, all-where, breaketh out to more vngodlinesse. You shall hardlie fall now in anie fellowship, where you shall not heare some one, or other, question of Religion, egarlie, prophanelie, & miserablie torne, and tossed, amōgst such and acious, and impure mouthes, as neyther inwardly in their Souls, … …ny sense, or outwardlie in their carriage, anie practise of true Religion. Will you talke with these Questioners, of true Pietie, of Fayth, of Regeneration, of Christian lyfe, of Mortification, & subduing our affections, of Christian patience, of the worke of GOD'S Spirit in our Soules, for those effectes, of the joyes of the holie Ghost; or, finallie, of anie case of Conscience: they shall stand as dumbe, as Fishes: you shal be to them a Barbarian, & a… strange, as one speaking Aethiopian, to an Yrish. With whom, though I▪ hauehave no delight to deale in this sort, yet the mouthers of perverse men, must bee stopped: Baal's Priests must bee checked, with holie scorne; and Fools must be some-tymes answered to their follie, lest they should appeare wyse in their owne conceits. Now, as for these Reasons, I (having my service then assigned me in those Quarters, where this Folli… brake foorth) was at that tyme stirred to wryte this Treatise, and, even then, to giuegive out some one, or two, Manuscripts there-of; where-by to calme, some-what, those insolent Insulters; and, to confirme godlie, though weake, Mynds: and, it having, accordinglie, in some measure, wrought that effect then: I, there-vponupon, did cast it by hand, as, in myne owne Estimation, no more vsefull, or to be regarded. But, whyle now agayne, our Adversaries, of late, (through too great indulgence, and connivence granted them) hauehave risen to greater insolencie than before, and, impudentlie, repone to vsus, not onlie the same Matter, but, al-so, in the same manner, shameleslie, and senseleslie, still blazing, al-where abroad, this their Proper Ballad, a… if never anie thing had beene sayd there-vntounto: divers well affected Brethren, (knowing that I had a Copie there-of by me) dealt instantlie with me, that this Treatise might be put to the PRESSE. For whose satisfaction, I hauehave given way to the Printing of it: wishing, heartilie, it may both please thee, and be profitable vntounto thee, and all honest Hearts, seeking, in singlenesse, for Confirmation, and stablishment in Trueth: and praying GOD, that all of vsus may seriouslie studie, not so much to Ydle, and vnprofitable Wranglings, as both to learne ourselues, and to teach others, that Doctrine, which is according to godlinesse▪ Fare-well.
THYNE, IN CHRIST, P. A.
TO PHILADELPHUS.
LOE, PHILADELPHVS, hovv Thy louelove hath led mee,
To penning of this PAMPHLET, for Thy pleasure:
Where-of, vvith Reason, vvell I could hauehave fred mee,
If this I durst, vvith Thy Contentment measure.
It may seeme strange, that of my little leasure,
I anie part vvaste on such Wares, so vaynlie:
Where-in, all-bee-it vveake Women place a Treasure;
Yet hath their Poët playde the Foole so playnlie,
As, if my Motiues bee not vvell esteemed,
For ansvvering, I shall a Foole bee deemeed.
Thyne Owne, EUBULUS.
The Interlocutors.
PROTESTANTES.
PHILADELPHVS,
EUBULUS,
THERIOMACHVS,
PAPISTES.
PHILOMATHES,
ERIPHILVS,