Refutation of a Puritan-Papist, Title page – To the reader
A REFVTATION OF AN EPISTLE Apologeticall written by a Puritan-Papiſt to perſwade the Permiſsion of the promiſcuous Vſe and Profeſſion of all Sects and Hereſies:
Wherein the vnlawfulneſſe and danger of ſuch wicked Licence is fully declared by auctoritie of Scriptures, Canons, Councels, Fathers, Lawes of Chriſtian Emperours, and iudgement of Reaſon.
Together With the Puniſhment of Heretiques and Idolaters.
LONDON Printed by Arnold Hatfield for Thomas Man Iunior dwelling in Pater-noſter-Row at the ſigne of the Talbot. 1605.
To the Christian Reader.
AS the famous City of TROY ſtood inuincible by any externall power of Grecke aſſaults, vntill by Sinons craftie and deceitfull ſleights the Troians were perſwaded to breake their walles, the rocke of their defence, to receaue the Epean Horſe, out of which iſſued the deſtruction of their citie.The Sinonian praectiſes of Papiſts to ſubuerts the State. So the Eccleſiaſtique and Ciuill eſtate of Great BRITAINE, being inexpugnable by any force of outward violence; many ſubtill and pernicious Sinons deceitfully labour to perſwade our dread Soueraigne to breake vnity of Religion, the bond of our ſecuritie, to receaue into his Dominions the Epean monſter of Popiſh Hereſie, which would be the vtter ouerthrow and ruine both of Church and Common-wealth, of his royall Perſon and State.
To this end theſe cunning Work-maſters hauehave bent all their wits and forces for their beſt aduantage: for they hauehave omitted no meanes, refuſed no labour, ſpared no coſt, ſoliciting their Friends abroad, and Fauourers at home, earneſtly to importune his ſacred Maieſtie in their behalfe. And Camelcon or Proteus-like, they hauehave transformed themſelues into all formes and colours, writing vntounto his Highneſſe Petitions, Supplications, Bookes, Dedicatories, Apologies and Epiſtles, vnderunder the maske and vizour ſometimes of Catholique Noblemen and worthie Gentlemen of England; ſometimes of Spirituall, ſometimes of Lay-Catholiques; and now laſtly (becauſe they would leaue no meanes vnattempted) of True and Charitable Brothers of the Reformed Church: Wherein I can but maruell at their behauiour and carriage towards his Maieſtie.
The Papists hypocriticall dealings towards the Kings Maiestie.For one while, Serpent-like to inſinuate into his Highneſſe fauour, thus they ſycophantize;1Papiſts 1. Supplication vntounto his Maieſtie. Puiſant Prince and orient Monarch. 2Pap. 1. Supplie.Your rare perfections and admirable gifts of wiſedome, prudence, valour and iuſtice. 3Pap. 2. Supplie.Such a King to whom that may be applied; Miſericordia & Veritas obuiârunt ſibi, Iuſtitia & Pax oſculatae ſunt.4Ibidem. A Prince of mercy and iuſtice. 5Pap. 3. Supplic.Your rareſt clemencie. 6Ibidem.Your ſingular and rareſt wiſedome. 7Pap. 3. Supplic.Your Princely power and pietic. 8Pap. 4. Supplic.Your Highneſſe ſit yeeres to gouerne, and your long and ſucceſſefull experience in the affaire, being the Art of Arts, and the Office of God. 9Ibidem.Your Maieſties reguardfull louelove: the good triall of proweſſe, wiſedome, iudgement, clemency, beauty, compaſſion, the edification of your exemplar life. 10Papiſt. 3. Supplicat. cap. 1.Your Maieſties Candor and Clemencie is knowen vntounto vsus, and by vsus blazed throughout the Chriſtian world. 11Ibidem.Your heroicall vertues are made notoriout by our tongues and pennes. 12Papiſt. 5. Supplicat. cap. 7.So magnanimious a Monarch as your Maiestie is. 13Doctor Biſhop againſt M. Perkins in the Ep. Ded.Your excellencie, your high clemencie, your exceeding clemencie, mildeneſſe and rare modeſty. 14Ibidem.So louing & affable a Soueraigne, ſo learned. 15Epiſtle of the charitable brother. fol. 9.So profound, ſo mature in iudgement. 16Papiſt. 4. Sup. Kelliſon in the Epiſt. Dedic. to his SurucyYour Maieſties direct title. 17Pag. 4. Supplic.Your vndoubted right. 18Biſhop againſt Perkins in the Epiſt. Dedicat.Your Maieſties deepe wiſedome and iudgement. 19N. D. in his 3. Conuerſ. part. 1. in the Dedicatorie Addition to the Catholiques.A Prince moſt like vntounto Conſtantine.
Againe,20Pap. 1. Suppl. Your Maieſties peereleſſe Mother. 21Pap. 2. Suppl.The good Queene you Mother. 22Biſhop againſt Perkins in the Epiſtie Dedicat. towards the latter end.Your moſt ſacred and deare Mother. 23Pap. 2. Suppl.Her title, her religion, her Princely vertues.
24Pap. 4. Supplic.Your bleſſed and renowmed Mother. 25N.D. in his 3. Conuerſ. in the Dedicat. Addition.Such a Mother and ſuch a Cauſe. 26Ibidem.A Princeſſe moſt like vntounto the Empreſſe S. Helena.
Alſo,27Pap. 4. Suppl. The Papiſtes reproaching and re…tling his Maieſtie. The nobleſt diſpoſition of our yong Prince and his Brother; the rare vertues of their Queene Mother, our moſt reſpected Princeſſe. All which it is apparant how hypocritically they are auerred by the Papiſtes: ſeeing
Another while, full like themſelues, they raile, and reuile his Highneſſe, wiſhing him not28Biſhop againſt Perkins in the Dedicatorie Epi. ſo heauily to perſecute the Papiſtes.
Yea and ſometimes they plainely threaten and terrifie his Grace.29The Papiſtes threatning of the State; Theſe vniuſt courſes of theirs (the Proteſtants) hauehave bred deepeſt diſcontentments and very mortall iniuries within the Realme, which certainely had now broke forth to the deſtruction of many, if hope conceiued of your gracious Clemencie and redreſſe had not made the ſtay. Heere, by the way, the wiſe Reader may conſider what it was, that detained the Papiſtes from their intended tumults and rebellion againſt his Maieſtie at his firſt enterance, notwithſtanding their great ſhew of applauſe and ioy: was it not Hope of redres? &c. & when this Hope is taken from them, they will fall to their old plots and practiſes againe againſt the State and his Highneſſe Perſon, for all their pretence of Loyaltie and Submiſsion.And of his Highneſſe. And indeed ſo much they ſeeme to inſinuate in expreſſe tearmes, ſaying.30Biſhop againſt Perkins in the Dedicatorie Epiſt. not farre from the end. And when they (the Papiſtes) ſhall ſee No HOPE of remedie, the ſtate being now ſetled, and a continuall poſteritie like to enſue of one nature and condition: God knoweth what that forceable weapon of neceſſitie may conſtraine and driue men vntounto at length. Behold the loyaltie and fidelitie of Papiſtes! But (God be praiſed) his Maieſtie need not feare theſe pyrgopolinizing Champions, for all their deſperate threats and big lookes. He that hath more then ordinarily preſerued his Highnes,His Maieſties ſtrange preſeruation and deliuerance. and deliuered him from manifold imminent dangers euer from his infancie hitherto (which great effects are commonly neuer wrought but to great ends) and now hath ſetled the Crowne vponupon his head, will doubtleſſe defend and keepe him heereafter, for effecting thoſe ends wherefore he was ſo ſtrangely preſerued, which (I hope) are Ciuill and Eccleſiaſticall Vnitie amongſt his Subiects,The Ends wherefore his Ma. was ſo preſerued. the eſtabliſhing of the Brittiſh Monarchie, and the razing (at leaſt) the deadly wounding of Popiſh Idolatrie. The one whereof, by Gods great bleſsing, his Maieſtie hath in manner already performed: The other, by Gods grace, vſing the ordinary meanes he is ſhortly to effect.
The encreaſe of Papiſts in this Kingdome.In the meane time, it is certaine that Papiſtes, vponupon what falſe grounds I know not, (conſidering his Maieſties heroicall and conſtant Reſolution to maintaine the puritie of the Goſpell) bragge much of their number and multitudes within this Kingdome, whereby they hauehave encreaſed their malicious zeale, in ſo much as they ſeeme to be euen almoſt ready to breake forth into actuall Rebellion. I will not ſpeake of the multitude of peſtilent Books, which they hauehave lately brought into the Realme, to moue Sedition; nor of the flocking hither from beyond the Sea of whole ſwarmes of Ieſuites and Prieſts, beſides two Benedictine Prouincialls, with their fellow Locuſtes, who are ſaid to hauehave ſhared the Kingdome betwixt them, to prepare the people for their purpoſe; nor of their labouring to alienate the common peoples affection from their loyaltie towards his Maieſtie; nor of their pernicious Libelling againſt the State; nor yet of their Inſolencie and Rage towards the perſons of ſome particular Miniſters and others that ſtood in their way: OnelyOnly their furie and malice may be partly gathered by their outragious and enormous fact lately committed at Enborne in Barkeſhire, Ontragious parts plated by the Papiſtes as Enborne in Barkeſhire.as may appeare by this parcell of the Libell they left behinde them, in the Church; which in perpetuall deteſtation of their inſolent Libelling-ſpirit I thought good here to inſert, as foloweth.A fragment of a Papiſh Libell.
And now what we bee, if any would know,
Catholiques we are, and ſo do auow.
The Seruice-Booke here ſcattered all,
Is not diuine, but hereticall.
So is the Bible of falſe tranſlation,
To cut and mangle it, is no damnation.
The Regiſter alſo if ſo we do ſerue,
We ſerue it no other, then it doth deſerue.
For why ſhould new Heretiques be thus enrold,
Enrole good Catholiques long dead of old.
Out with new Heretiques, hence let them go,
Regiſter Catholiques, and regiſter no mo.
For Catholiques onelyonly are worthy record,
Into Church-regiſter to be reſtord.
The Papiſtes violent carriage an argument of their imminent ruine.This violent carriage of the Papiſtes in time of their reſtraint, as it doth ſufficiently declare their more then Diabolicall audacitie, if they had libertie granted them: ſo vntounto me, it is an euident argument of their imminent ruine; For in deadly diſeaſes, it is commonly ſeene, that before the period of death, the patient is wont to receiue ſome ſmall ſtrength, which vntounto the vnskilfull giues hope of perfect recouerie, but vntounto the learned Phyſition, as the extreameſt endeuor of Nature, is an infallible token of certaine death.
To this end, at the commandement of ſuch whom in the Lord I am bound to obey in all things, I hauehave penned this ſubſequent Tractate, wherein I hauehave proued the Vnlawfullneſſe and Danger of Toleration of promiſcuous profeſsion of diuers Religions, aſwell by Lawes, Diuine and Humane; as alſo by Reaſon and the woefull Experience of ſuch as euer found themſelues deluded by humaine Prudence, or Policie.
Of Toleration of Heretiques.If any man ſhall aske, whether I thinke it altogether vnlawfull for a Chriſtian Prince in any caſe to tolerate Heretiques, within his dominions, where true Religion is ſetled: I anſwer, that I thinke I hauehave manifeſtly proued in this Treatiſe, that the exerciſe of a contrarie Religion ought not to be admitted; becauſe it prouoketh the indignation and wrath of GOD againſt the whole Land, expoſeth orthodoxe Chriſtians vntounto the danger of Gods reuenging furie, and breedeth contempt of Religion.
Of Heretiques cohabitatiō amongst true Chriſtians.But if Queſtion be made concerning the cohabitation only of ſuch with vsus: I anſwer, that ſubmitting my ſelfe, I willingly commit that vntounto the grauer iudgement of ſuch as hauehave experience of publique affaires, and exact knowledge of all Antiquitie: albeit I am perſwaded, that all Chriſtian Princes ought carefully to labour, as much as in them lieth, that Heretiques do not inhabite together with Orthodoxe Chriſtians: they ſhould waigh whether Religion, the Church, and Common-wealth by mutuall exchange receiue any thing which may more benefit them. So that I thinke,Note will. onelyonly Ciuill and Politique Reaſons, as the profit of ſome Citie or Prouince, greater gaine in traffique, enlargement of buildings, or encreaſe of reuenewes, are not to be regarded in this caſe; if they be compared with the miſchieuous & wilfull contempt of Eccleſiaſtique and Ciuill Magiſtrates, and with the certaine danger of corrupting good Citizens, who can hardly touch pitch, and not be defiled therewith: eſpecially by ſuch as are wholy bent to peruert and infect aſwell their owne children & friends, as their fellow-citizens and neighbours. Almightie God, Lord of Heauen and Earth, of his infinite mercy and louelove in Ieſus Chriſt, giuegive his Church reſt, and deliuer vsus from this great plague of Popiſh Hereſie. Amen. Farewell good Reader.
London-Houſe, this 18. of May. 1605. Thine euer in the Lord IESVS CHRIST, Gabriel Powel.