The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Title page – To the reader
A CONSIDERATION OF the Papiſts Reaſons of State and Religion, for toleration of Poperie in England, INTIMATED IN THEIR Supplication vntounto the Kings Maiestie, & the States of the Preſent Parliament.
Mich. 7.10.
Shee that is mine enemie, ſhall looke vponupon it, and ſhame ſhall cover her which ſaid vntounto me; VVhere is the Lord thy GOD? Mine eies ſhall beholde her: now ſhall ſhee bee TRODEN DOVVNE as the mire in the ſtreetes.
AT OXFORD, Printed by JOSEPH BARNES, and are to bee ſold in Paules Church-yarde at the ſigne of the Crowne, by Simon VVaterſon. 1604.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
AS I hauehave profeſsed heeretofore (in my Treatiſe againſt the Papiſts first Petition) ſo heere again I protest, that, this fourth Supplication beeing directed vntounto his Maiestie, I hauehave not preſumed to Anſwer any thing at all thervnto; becauſe I know his Highnes Chriſtian & heroicall Spirit is only worthy to giuegive Anſwer in this caſe. Notwithſtanding, ſeeing the impudencie of the Petitioners is ſo intolerable, that in ſo flouriſhing an age, & vntounto ſo learned a Prince, they dare exhibite their idle fancies, and vaine toies (being vtterly devoide of better Arguments) which they hauehave ſcraped out of the often-refuted writings of their owne Sophiſters, and couched togither without forme or methode; I hauehave bin once againe imboldened to conſider of their Reaſons, which (I hope) I hauehave proved in ſufficient to force ſuch a Cō cluſion, as ſhould bee the overthrowe of our Chriſtian Church and State, of the Goſpell & his excellent Maiestie. I confeſse my paines heerein might well hauehave bin ſpared, and indeed had I known ſo much in time, I would not hauehave made this paréntheſis in my Studies; conſidering that a thrice-learned & reverend Father of our Church M. Doctor Sutcliffe the worthy Deane of Exceter, hath even already (as the report goeth, although I hauehave not yet ſeene his Booke) amated theſe importunate & ſhameleſſe Petitioners, & made them as mute as a fiſh, not daring to exſpect any other ANSVVERE (in reaſon) at his Maieſties handes, but Le Roy ne le veu't pas▪ yet foraſmuch as diverſe books, being written in diverſe methods of the ſame argument or ſubiect, are not vnprofitable; I hauehave bin bold not to ſuppreſse what I had done already, committing the ſu…ceſse vntounto Almightie GOD, and my ſelfe herein vntounto the Cenſure of the learned, who (I preſume) can not but iudge Christianly and charitably of my good meaning and endevour to promote the common cauſe, againſt the common adverſarie. Farewell.
Oxford, from St. Marie Hall. 13. of Aprill. 1604. Thine ever in the Lord, Gabriel Powel.