Two Treatises Against the Papists, Title page – To the reader
TVVO TREATISES WRITTEN AGAINST THE PAPISTES, THE ONE BEING AN answere of the Christian Protestant to the proud challenge of a Popish Catholicke:
THE OTHER. A CONFVTATION OF THE POPISH CHVRCHES doctrine touching Purgatory & prayers for the dead: by William Fulke Doctor in diuinitie.
Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollie… dwelling in the Blacke friers. 1577.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER: WILLIAM FVLKE WISHETH GRACE AND PEACE from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ.
THE great bragges that vvere made by diuers Papistes of this treatise of Purgatory that it vvas vnansvverable, vvere so vntollerable, that certeine of my godly friendes vvere moued thereby, to sende the booke to me, desiring me to shape an aunsvvere vntounto it. But vvhen I had readde it ouer, and founde therein in deed much nevv rayling, yet nothing else but the olde fonde kinde of reasoning, I vvas altogether vnvvilling to deale vvith it, both because there hath bene so much already vvritten of that argument, and for that I thought, that our contrymen vvere novv, as vvel by reading of that vvhichwhich hath ben vvritten before, as also by continuall preaching against that absurde doctrine, sufficiently dissvvaded from that blaspemous heresie of Purgatory. But vvhē this excuse, or any other that I could bring, vvoulde not satisfie there ernest desier, vvho importunatly still vrged me to take the matter in hand, & that I had once againe perused the treatise, I began to thinke othervvise of the vvhole case, then I did before. I considered that many there vvere, vvhichwhich perhaps had not seene, and many also that vvoulde not reade, such bookes as hauehave bene vvritten in times past of this question, & that some also vvere so simple, that they could not discerne this nevv disguised defence of the Catholike churches doctrine, from the olde drousie dreame of popish Purgatory. VVherefore if any one of these, or any other that shall voutsalfe to reade this ansvvere, might therby either be confirmed in trueth, or reclaymed from error: I began to thinke it vvere sufficient cause for me to take the paines, and the paines so taken to be vvel bestovved. Againe vvhen I remembred the spightfull rayling, and the most disdainefull arrogance of Allen him selfe, together vvith the presumptuous boasting, and vaine confidence, that some of his friends hauehave in his vvriting: I cōfesse it kindled that smal zeale of godlines that is in me, both to meinteine the common hope of Christians, against the insolent assaultes of so malicious and proud an aduersary, and also to discouer the infirmitie & feeblenesse of that fortres, vvhichwhich these vvillfully blinde Papistes do vaunt to be inuincible. In vvhichwhich doinge I hauehave vsed great breuitie, not onelyonly by a naturall inclination, vvherby I louelove to be short, in any thing that I vvright: but also because my friendes vrged me, to dispatch it vvith so great expedition. And yet in this shortnesse, I trust I hauehave not omitted any thing, that hath any shadovv of reason or shevv of matter in it, but that I hauehave sufficiently discharged it: as the diligent and attentiue reader, I hope vvill confesse no lesse. Hovv be it neither my hast in finishing, nor my friendes diligence in soliciting, vvas so great, but the slacknesse and vntovvardnesse of some Printers vvas much more. For vvhere as it vvas ended & authorized almost tvvo yeares a goe, yet it hath stayed hetherto, vntill a godly and learned brother, vvho vvas once purposed to hauehave aunsvvered the same him selfe, and colde full vvell and substantially hauehave acquited him selfe there in, if other busines had not hindred him, moued of godly zeale, hath novv at the last vndertaken the printing thereof, and brought it to this passe as you see. I hearde of late also of a third man, vvhichwhich had learnedly begon the aunsvvering of this booke, hovv so euer he vvas letted from accomplishing the same. But hovv so euer Satan hath hether to hindred the setting abroade of this aunsvvere, yet God hath novv at the length brought it forth: I doubte not but to his glorie and the confusion of Satan in his membres the Papistes.
I hauehave thought good also to ioygne vntounto this vvorke, an other short treatise that hath lyen by me these eight or nine yeares, vvritten at the request of a godly and learned friende of mine, in aunsvvere to a proude challenge of the Papist against the Protestāt vvhichwhich though at the first & many yeares after, I determined not to publish, supposing the same challenge to hauehave ben priuate, or in fevv mens handes, yet novv of late, that I hauehave seen it in diuerse godly Gentlemens handes, to vvhome it hath bene deliuered by Papistes, be like to peruert them, and of vvhome also I hauehave bene desired to ansvvere it, & am further credibly informed, that the same is in printe, & esteemed of many ignorant Papistes to be so vnaunsvverable, that although it be protested by Gētlemen of great vvorshippe and credit, that they hauehave seene the aunsvvere thereof in vvriting, yet they vvill not beleue, that any man dare set his penne to the paper, once to attempt the matter. I hauehave thought beste to putte it in printe as it vvas vvritten at the first. Nothing doubting by Gods helpe, but I shalbe able to stande to that defence if the challenger vvill proceede to meinteine his challenge any longer. That I hauehave copled it vvith the aunsvvere vntounto M. Allens booke, is because I doe greatly suspect, that he vvas the authour thereof, for the similitude of the stiles and of the stomakes in both, at the least I trust I doe him no vvronge, to suppose him to be so stout a champion. And thus I committe the Christian reader to the direction of Gods spirite vvho voutsalfe to lead thee into all truth for Christes sake. Amen.