Antidote Against Popery, Title page – Dedication
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST POPERY: Confected out of Scriptures, Fathers, Councels, and Hiſtories.
WHEREIN DIALOGVE-wiſe are ſhewed, the points, grounds, and antiquitie of the Proteſtant Religion; and the firſt ſpringing vp of the points of Popery: together with the Antichriſtianiſme thereof.
Being alone ſufficient to inable any Proteſtant of meane capacitie, to vnderſtand and yeeld a reaſon of his Religion, and to incounter with and foyle the Aduerſary.
By Iohn Mayer, B. D. and Paſtor of the Church of little Wratting in Suffolke.
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for Iohn Griſmand: and are to be ſold at his Shop in Pauls Alley, at the ſigne of the Gunne. 1625.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY JAMES, BY THE grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.
Dread Soueraigne:
AFter that I had compiled this enſ…ing Dialogue, I thought your Maieſtie the moſt fit Maecenas for it; both in reſpect of the matter and manner. The matter is a Diſpute about Religion, both Proteſtant and Popiſh; the manner is by vſurping certaine names occurring in the Acts of the holy Apoſtles, and accommodating them ſo, as may beſt befit theſe times: amongſt which, the chiefe is Sergius Paulus, before whom Paul and Elymas enter the liſts, with an ayme chiefely at the ouercomming of this honourable perſon. The iſſue is, according to Pauls deſire, the ſetling of Sergius Paulus in the truth; ſo that with him there was no more place now for Elymas. Your Maieſtie hath beene much conuerſant in diſputations, and now at length, I vvill not ſay being ſetled (for it appeareth ſufficiently, that there hath euer been a ſetledneſſe and reſolution in your Royall breſt) but not thinking good to lend an eare any longer to the friuolous arguments of ſuch as hauehave ſought your auerſion from the Truth, your MAIESTIE hath prouided, that they ſhall hauehave no more copĭe of diſputing within your whole iuriſdiction. The Worke, I confeſſe, is too ſleighty to bee preſented before ſo large an vnderſtanding, and the Author too meane to preſume to ſo high a patronage:Epiſtle Dedicatory vponupon the Lords Prayer. But foraſmuch as your Maieſtie hath acknowledged it to hauehave beene your owne courſe to dedicate your royall writings to fit perſons, with whom each Tract might beſt ſuite; my hope is, that my boldneſſe ſhall hauehave pardon, if in following ſo worthy an example, I hauehave aſpired to this dedication. It hath bred much ſollicitude in your Maieſtie (as your late directions touching preachers and preaching doe teſtifie) to conſider the dayly increaſe of Popiſh ſuperſtition euen within your Maieſties Dominions. And wee your faithfull ſubiects cannot but hauehave a ſympathy herein; for which cauſe wee highly applauding that direction of inſtructing in the Principles of Religion, doe apply our ſelues diligently to this Catecheticall kinde of teaching, if haply the mobile vulgus might thus bee faſter grounded. And for mine owne part, according to that ſlender skill, which GOD hath giuen mee, I hauehave by vvriting endeauoured to further this kinde of teaching,Engliſh Catechiſme. and to hold to the patterne of the leſſer authorized Catechiſme, for the auoiding of confuſion, by an vniforme proceeding: wherein I hauehave not beene altogether fruſtrated of my end neither, there being many Reuerend Diuines and others, amongſt whom this labour of mine hath beene ſo accepted, as that it hath long agoe come to the third impreſſion. Now if my coniecture deceiue mee not, another good helpe to preſerue from this infection, would bee ſome Antidote of our tenents and grounds, and of Popiſh tenents and practices in the worſhip of God, without all ground ſet vp, either by aduantage taken of the darkneſſe, or by force, there beeing none able to make reſiſtance in ſeuerall times and ages of the world; eſpecially if it might bee perſpicuous and plaine to any capacitie, and briefe for eueryevery ones leiſure and abilitie. And ſuch is this, which I here preſent vntounto your Sacred Maieſtie, the which or the like vntounto which, I could wiſh that eueryevery one, who is not furniſhed with better, would make his vade mecum. That Reuerend and learned Biſhop of Meath hath lately put out a Worke in anſwere to a Ieſuite, of the noueltie of Poperie, in ſo complete a manner, as that a man would thinke, as it was ſaid of the anſwer of our bleſſed Sauiour, none ſhould dare to aske that queſtion any more. If this of mine comming after, it ſhould ſeeme ſuperfluous, my apologie is, that our Church beſides the greater hath alſo the leſſer Catechiſme. Babes muſt hauehave their prouiſion as well as thoſe that are ſtronger. Your Maieſties care of the good of this Church committed vntounto you herein, like to that of Conſtantine in the matter of Ar…ianiſme, as it hath much reioyced my heart, and the hearts of many thouſands that pray for the proſperitie of Sion, ſo it hath incouraged mee to preſſe into your Sacred preſence with this my Goates-haire, not being able to bring better. Your Maieſtie, I know, hath no need of ſuch Tracts, but many of vsus that bring preſents in this kinde may bee glad to learne from your Pen, and to receiue knowledge from your lips; yea,1 King. 10.…. bleſſed are they that ſtand alwayes in thy preſence to heare thy wiſedome. Yet vouchſafe, I beſeech your Maieſtie, to ſuffer it to paſſe vnderunder the protection of your countenance to your people, and I doubt not, but the Proteſtant Religion ſhall hereby appeare vntounto them as it is, ſo amiable and rightly grounded; and the Religion of the Church of Rome ſo corrupt, and peruerting the grounds, as that thouſands, which ſhall attentiuely and without preiudice reade it, ſhall herein bleſſe God for you; ſome that were ignorant of the differences of theſe religions, and ſo ſtanding indifferently affected, being better informed; ſome that were wauering through the ſeeming truth of that hereſie, being confirmed; and ſome that were ſimply ſeduced and gone from vsus, being againe to the truth reduced, to the great glory of God, and to the fulfilling of the number of moſt loyall and faithfull ſubiects, in whom the heart of your Maieſty may moſt ſafely truſt. The Father of lights, who hath ſo enlightned your knowledge; the Son, that life, who hath ſo viuified your heart; and the Spirit, that ſire, who hath ſo inflamed your zeale for the truth, increaſe, confirme and proſper this your knowledge, life, and zeale to the benefiting of many ſoules, and to the ioyfull giuing vp of your Maieſties Accounts at the great day of reckoning; Amen praieth he, who is
Your Maieſties moſt humbly deuoted ſubiect and ſeruant, IOHN MAYER.