Conference Between Rainolds and Hart, To the reader
Iohn Hart to the indifferent Reader.
BEhold (gentle Reader) the conference, which thou hast so long looked for, betweene M. Rainoldes and me, at length ended: as also it had beene more then twelue monethes since, had not my selfe hindred the cōming of it foorth, when it was nigh readie to be deliuered to the Printer. For it is now aboue two yeares ago, that the right honorable, Syr Francis Walsingham, as he had shewed me great fauour from the time that I was apprehended, in graunting me libertie of conference at home, first in mine owne countrie, and afterwarde in prison: so, when the sentence of death was past vponupon me, hee ceased not still to offer me the same fauour if I would admit it. VVhichWhich I, grounding my selfe vponupon the most certayne foundation of the Church so strengthened by God that it shall stand for euer, did gladly yeeld to, and (as became me) accepted of it with all dutie. VVherevpon his Honour sent for M. Rainoldes to conferre with me: taking order also that I should be furnished with whatsoeuer bookes I did neede thereto. But after we had spent certayne weekes together in conference by word of mouth, and I continued still in my former mind: he desired to hauehave the summe thereof in writing, that he might see the groundes on which I stood. And to this intent we set downe together breefe notes of the points that we dealt in: I shewing my reasons with the places of the autours whose iudgement and learning I rather trusted too, then to my owne skill; and M. Rainoldes answering them in such sort as he thought good. Howbeit, those notes being so short (as pointing to thinges rather then vnfolding them) that they could not well bee vnderstood by any, but our selues onelyonly, vnlesse they were drawne more largely and at full: my selfe being troubled then with more necessary cogitations of death, (as altogether vncertaine when I might be called to yeeld vp mine account before God and man,) requested M. Rainoldes to take paines to penne them according to our notes thereof. Promising him that I would peruse it when he had doon it, and allow of it, if it were to my mind; or otherwise correct, if I misliked ought in it. This paines he vndertooke, and sending me the partes thereof from time to time as he finished them, I noted such thinges as I would hauehave added, or altered therein, and he performed it accordingly. But when I perceiued that it was prepared to be set foorth in print: I sought meanes to stay it all that I could, for some considerations which seemed to me very great and important. Marry since that againe vnderstāding it to be his Honours pleasure that it should go forward, wherevnto he granted me also by speciall warrant the vse of such bookes as I should call for to helpe my selfe withall: I set afresh vponupon it, & by letters written vntounto M. Rainoldes & receiued from him, I had mine owne speeches & reasons perfitted, as I would. VVherefore, I acknowledge that he hath set downe herein a true report of those things which past in conference betweene vsus, according to the grounds and places of the autours, which I had quoted & referred my self too. As for that which he affirmeth *In the seue…th Chapter, and the seuenth Diuision.in one place, that I hauehave told him, that my opinion is, the Pope may not depose Princes: in deede I told him so much. And in truth I thinke that although the spiritual power be more excellēt & worthie thē the temporall; yet they are both of God, neither doth the one depend of the other. VVherevpon I gather as a certaine conclusion, that the opinion of them, who holde the Pope to be a temporall Lord ouer Kings & Princes, is vnreasonable and vnprobable altogether. For he hath not to meddle with thē or theirs ciuilly, much lesse to depose them or giuegive away their kingdomes: that is no part of his commission. He hath in my iudgment the Fatherhoode of the Church, not a Princehood of the world: Christ himself taking no such title vponupon him, nor giuing it to Peter, or any other of his disciples. And that is it which I meant to defend in him, and no other soueraintie. Humbly desiring pardon of her Maiestie, my gratious soueraine Lady, for my plaine dealing in that, which (so Christ helpe me) I take to be Gods cause, and the Churches only. As I do also most willingly submit my selfe to the curteous correction of all men, who, through greater skill, and perfitter iudgement, see more then I doe in the depth of these matters whereof I hauehave conferred. Farewell, gentle Reader: and now that I hauehave shewed thee my dealing herein, let me obtaine this little request at thy handes, that thou be not too hasty in giuing thy iudgemēt, before thou hast weighed all things sincerely and vprightly.
From the Tower, the seuenth of Iuly.