A Brief Confutation of a Popish Discourse, Introduction
A briefe Confutation, of a Popish Discourse: Lately set forth, and presumptuously dedicated to the Queenes most excel lent Maiestie: by Iohn Howlet, or some other Birde of the night, vnderunder that name.
Contayning certaine Reasons, why Papistes refuse to come to Church, which Reasons are here inserted and set downe at large, with their seuerall answeres.
By D. Fulke, Maister of Penbroke Hall, in Cambridge.
Seene and allowed.
¶ At London printed for George Byshop. 1581.
Abriefe con…tation of a Popish discourse.
THe Papistes by long experience beeing learned, howe litle is gained to their part, by writing such Treatises, in which they tooke vponupon them, either to iustifie their owne errours, or to condemne the truth of Gods Church, hauehave now of late taken an other course, and begun an other way of writing, which they hauehave thought more meete, both to couer the infirmitie of their cause, and to reteine such as they hauehave seduced in obstinacie of errour. For not abiding to proue, either that they are in the right, or wee in the wrong, they content them selues generally to inueigh, against Schisme and Heresie, & to shew foorth the daunger of both, in which argument while they conteine them selues, they yeeld many good and substantiall reasons, as is not hard for them to do, which take a good cause in hande. But when they come to couple this argument of Schisme or Heresie, either by affirmation vntounto vsus, or by denial vntounto them selues, (without which there can no conclusion be made, of the whole cause in controuersie) they bring nothing but a stale, vnlearned, and miserable beggerie, of the whole matter in question: namely that they are the Catholikes, & we the Schismatikes, they are the Church, and wee the Heresie. Such is the whole drift of Gregorie Martinus vaine Treatise of Schisme, such is the scope of Hides seditious Epistle Consolatorie vntounto Papistes, and the same is the policie of this blasphemous and traiterous discourse, cōteining the coulorable reasons made for the Papistes, that refuse to go to Church. The full and large aunswere vntounto which infamous Libell, presumed to be dedicated euen to her most excellent Maiestie, with the confutation of the same Epistle Dedicatorie, because it requireth larger time, and is to be expected from a man of singular learning and diligence, assoone as it may bee done conueniently, I hauehave thought good in the meane time, briefly to set forth vntounto the ignorant (for no man of meane knowledge can be deceiued by such petition of pri…ciples) the vanitie & vnsufficiencie of al these …ne reasons, that neither any one of them, nor they al together, can be any excuse, much lesse a defense, for these obstinate Recusantes, to withdraw their obedience from God & her Maiesties most godly lawes, decreed for going to Church.
The answere of a vertuous and learned man to a Gentleman in Englande, touching the late imprisonment of Catholikes there.
THE VEW of your late Letters (my deare and woorshipfull friende) brought vntounto mee so…e sorowe and muche comforte. The sorowe proceeded of the wofull and afflicted case of my poore countrie so pitifully set downe by your penne vntounto mine eye, wherein (as you write) so many great Gentlemen of woorship are imprisoned for their conscience and religion of late, so many good houses broken vp, so many ho…sholders dispersed and fled away, so many young GentlemenA pitifull discription of Engl…de at this day. and seruantes vnprouided, so many poore people destitute, so many wiues disioyned from their husbands, so many children beref… of their parentes, such flying, such running, suche shutting vp in prisons, suche pitiful abiding h…ger, thirst, and colde in prison, as you describe, doleful for vsus to heare heere, but more ruful for you to b…old there, and al this for different opinions in religion, a miserie not accustomed to fall in our fathers dayes, vponupon that noble realme.
But as these were causes of some sorowe, so was it no meane comfort vntounto me, to consider that in these wicked and loose times of ours, wherein there is no feeling or sence of vertue left, but al men enwrapped in the louelove of Gods professed enemie the worlde, folowing with al force, and ful …yle, the vanities and ambition of the same: that there shoulde bee founde in Englande so many Gentlemen both for their yeares, liuinges,A rare … of …. and other habilities, as fit to be as vaine as the rest, yet so precise in matters of religion, and so respectiue to their consciences, as that they wil preferre their soule before their bodie, and Gods cause before their owne ease, nay, that they wil rather venture both bodie and goods, life, landes, libertie, and al, then they wil doe any thing contrarie to their consciences, whereby they must bee iudged at the last day. This is suche a thing, as it must needes bring comfort to al men, and can iustly greeue none, except the common enemy the Deuil him selfe. For as for …raungers, they must …eedes be edefied therewith: as for Englishmen, they must needes be incouraged thereby. And as for the Princesse her selfe, shee cannot but bee comforted therein, assuring her selfe that if these men, doe sticke so firmely vntounto their consciences and fayth sworne vntounto God in their o… of Baptisme: then wil they as firmely for the same conscience, sticke vntounto her Maiestie, if occasion should serue, in keeping their secondary faith and allegeance, sworne vntounto her Highnesse as to the substitute of GOD. Their aduersaries also and persecutors, it can not in any reason mislike, for that the contrarie religion were to hauehave them as constant and faithful in that, if it were possible to win them to the same.
But notwithstanding, seeing you wryte that there is both great dislike, and displeasure also taken of it, as though their constancie were obstinacy, and their conscience meere wil: (which most of al greeueth (as you write) their obedient and wel meaning mindes) albeeit otherwise the pressure it selfe bee so hea… as the burthen thereof is sore and greeuous to beare: for these causes, and for the giuing of some more light to the whole matter, I wil (as you seeme to desire) most briefly touch three things in this letter, whereby I doubt not but that you shal account your selfe fully and sufficiently answered.
… The first point shalbe, what cause or reason the Catholikes hauehave toThe … of the vvhole Tr… tise. stande, as they doe, in the refusall of thinges offered them, and especially of going to the Church.
Secondly, what way or meanes they may vse to remedie or ease them selues of this affliction now layde vponupon them for their consciences.
Thirdly, if that way or meanes doe not preuayle, then howe they ought to beare and indure the same.