The Pope Confuted, Title page – Errata
THE POPE CONFVTED. The holy and Apostolique Church confuting the Pope. The first Action.
Translated out of Latine into English, by Iames Bell.
PSAL. 27. Dominus illuminatio mea, & salus mea: quem timebo?
Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson, for Richard Sergier. 1580.
The Translator to the Reader.
THe Authour who cō piled this litle booke, contented with the testimonie of a good conscience, hath by an honest veyle made the concealement of his name excusable with all such as bee indued with like mildnesse of spirit. And it becommeth his modesty very wel whosoeuer he be. Whose example I purposed once to hauehave imitated, and had in deed deliuered my simple labours herein without notice of name likewise, had I not by good cha…nce, wh…les I was yet trauailing in my translation, chaunced vponupon an enemie of the truth (whereof there be to many lurking in corners if it might please God otherwise) a friend of the Pope: who vponupon conference vponupon some matters confuted in this t…eatie, charged me with my falling from them, I meane from their common errours in this behalfe: adding withal that it was not thought credible amongst many of the like stragglers, that I had slipped the coller, and become, as he tearmed me, an Apostata. Whom after I had assured of my calling with some circumstances of the maner of mine escape out of that La…erane Laberinth, not without some earn…st praiers for his like reclaime, though to no purpose: I began to bethinke my self that I could do no better than to manifest my name in this place, yeelding most heartie and humble thanks to the Lord that I happened vpō so good an occasion to wipe away my blemish. In deed I wandered long in the selfe same mizmaze, nooseled therin by the gray headed of that schoole, whose countenance caried mee from my Christ to the Swinstie of Sorbone, which had swalowed me vp, if the Lord had not preuented me with his merciemercy betimes. I was, I say, as they are, I am now as I am (Christ Iesus be thanked) a conuert I confesse. The Lord graunt I may stand fast to the glorie of his name, and the good example of others, whose like conuersion I do hartily wish in the Lord. And so desiring thy good praiers to Iesus Christ (gentle Reader) to assist me with his grace, that I may perseuer in this his gracious calling to the ende I wil no longer abuse thy pacience: The Lord Iesus gouerne and guide thee in the true obedience of his glorious Gospel, to the glorie of his name. Amen.
Thy louing fellow seruant in the Lord Iames Bell.
¶ The Athour to the freendly Reader.
WHEREas this little treatise offereth it selfe to the viewe without the Authors name, herein whosoeuer he be that compiled it, whether hee bee Dutch, French, or English desireth to hold him excused. Hee thought it more conuenient to produce the holy vniuersall and Apostolique Churche it selfe speaking in her owne person, name, and voyce: that so she might debate her owne cause being publique & not priuat against her aduersary the Pope with greater grauitie and maiestie. For as the Lorde hath not geuen equabilitie of estate to all persons alike, & as one and the selfe same maner of speache accordeth not with all sortes of men: So was it not seemely to depende the generall greeuaunce of all nations, & the vniuersall complaint of all people vponupon the mouth of any one priuate person: as neither woulde one maner of pleading in so weightie a matter become any one priuate Aduocate. With another maner of coūtenāce speaketh Cicero as a Consul and Iudge, then when as a priuate Orator hee pleadeth at the common barre. Certes our lot hath beene so vnluckie to light vppon these dayes nowe, all matters being so on all parts enuenimed with poyson, and so on all sides waxen cankred and incurable, that neither indeuoure nor petition, praier, nor wholsome admonition of any priuate person were able in any respect to auaile. For this Romane rufler maketh not so slender an accompt of his Peacockes plummes, as to vouchsafe any priuate counsale or correction. This hydeous Hydre requireth too be matched with mightier countenances and powers of greater estate: whether the Lord Christ himself wyl vouchsafe to destroy this monster with the breath of his mouth frō out of heauē: or whether the excellent maiestie of mightie Potentates and Monarches of the earth, vniting all theyr Councelles in one wyl not disdaine of their authorities royal to become publique Vmpieres here, & yeeld their princely assistāce to the suppressing of this insolēt outrage. Wherfore if ought in this treatie may seeme (gentle Reader) to hauehave byn vttered with ouermuch bitternesse of speach: Imagine in thy minde of this discourse, as though it proceeded not from any one particular member of the Churche alone, but from the whole Church it selfe, or from Peter or Paul, or else frō the whole parliament of the Apostles proclaiming their generall consentes, voyces, and mutuall agreements by their authoritie Apostolique: who, as did in times past with incredible trauaile and industrie plant and enlarge the boundes of Christs Church, so if they were liuing now, and beheld with their eyes the merueilous misdemeanors and disorders of the Churche, without all peraduenture they woulde thunder out far more bitter and sharper stormes of reproouing speaches against this horrible aduersarie of Christe. The Lorde Iesu blesse thee, Christian Reader.
Faultes escaped in the printing.
Fol. 5. a. for least. reade last. fol. 6. a. so not, for not so. fol. 8. b for insolencie, reade influence. fol. 11. a. for soueraigne, reade soueraigntie. fol. 14. a for vvhereas, reade vvhenas fol 21. a for death, reade the death fol. 21. b for be prooued, reade ye prooued. fol… 22. a f…r your mightie mai…stie, reade the mightie maiestie. fol. eodem b for neither king… reade vvhether king. fol. 28. b for heare therefore, reade heere …herefore. fol. 24. b for vvill iustifie, reade vvill I iustifie. fol. 37 a for light of the vvo…rde, reade light of the vvorld fol. 42. for VVith, reade VVhichWhich fol. 59 b for byhange, reade Byhanger. fol. 60 reade causes linked vvi…h, fol. 62. a for of the supercelest, reade but of the supercelestiall. fol. eodem a reade to the great. fol. 95. a for elsevvhere in, reade elsevvhere then. fol. 65. b for hope revvarde, reade hope of …evvarde. fol. 69. a for righteously, reade righteous by, fol. 71. b. for in any our, reade in any one thing fol, 75. b. for our selfe same, reade one selfe same. fol… 76, a for eare, reade …a…e. Fol. 83. b. for this maner, reade his maner.