Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking, Part 1 · Section 5

Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking · Part 1 · Section 5

p. 318 ANd that the Catholike religion in generall (for I medleThe Catholique fayth teacheth obedience more then other religions. with no mans particular fact,) is vniustly touched by any sect of our time, for teaching disobedience, or rebellion against their princes: it may appeare plainely, by the different doctrine which eche part deliuereth vntounto his followers. First, Iohn Wikliffe, one of their progenitours, teacheth. That a Prince if he rule euil, or fall into mortal sinne, is no lōgerCon. Const. Sess. 8. Cocleus. Prince, but that his subiectes may ryse against him & punish him at their pleasures. Secōdly, Mar. Luther following the same steppes teacheth. That Chistians are free and exemptedLib. 1. &. 3. Hist. Huss. Wicklif. li. 4. trial cal. 3. from all Princes lawes. Whereof followed immediatly that famous rebellion of the countrey men againste their Lordes in Germanye in the yeere 1525. and in the same two hundred thousande slaine in one day. Thirdly, Iohn … not dissenting from the rest, teacheth, That princes lawes binde not subiectes to obedience in conscience, but onelyonlyIn Bulla Le on 10. & in asser. art. ibi damnat. for externall and temporal respect. Wherof enseweth that if by any occasion, this externall feare, (for the which only the subiect obeyeth,) be taken away: as when he were ableCocleus in. vita. Luth. & Sur. in. hist. huius. anni. to make his partie so strong as he feared not his Prince: then he should not sinne in rebelling against him. And in another place, holding plainely the doctrine of Luther, he sayth. That the consciences of the faythfull are exempted from the powerLib. 4. inst. cap. 10. of all men, by reason of the liberty geuen them by Christ. Lastly the writing against the regiment of women in QueeneLib. 3. insti. cap. 19. Maries time for that the gouernment then, liked them not, all men can remember. Which, errours all, the CatholikeGoodman Gilbye. Church vtterly condemneth: teaching her children, together with the Apostle, true obedience to their Princes, for Conscience sake, euen as vntounto God him selfe, whose roome they doeRom. 13.Rom 13 possesse, and to whom they are bounde, vnderunder the paine of mortallVide om. sinne, & eternal damnation: patiently to obey, how hardlyDoct. 2. 2. quest. 90. de Leg, 22, Aug. in ps. 70. so euer they deale with them in their gouernment otherwise. By the which your Maiestie may perceyue, howe falsly the Catholike religion is charged, by her enemies, of the contrary crime.

9 Besides this, if your Highnesse wisedome shall but enterCrysost. & Ambro. in. cap. 13. ad Rom. into a litle consideration, of the demeanour of Catholikes, and of other of newer religions, towardes their Princes, this day in Europe: it shall easyly appeare, whiche of them are of the quieter spirites, and milder in obedience. I will not make mention of greater matters: but onelyonly, to quite this aforesaide Puritane, which so falsely hath infamed vsus, I will set downe here certaine propositions, gathered out of two sermons of two, of his preachers, by a minister present there, in Stamforde at the generall fast this last Sommer. Which fast being prohibited, with the preachings at the same, by the expresse letters of the Lorde Superintendent of Lincolne, bearing date the 5. of September, to the Alderman and Comburgeses of the said Towne: the preachers would not obey, but stepping vp into the pulpit, vttered as followeth.

p. 321. In such actions as may further the publique fast, flesh andThe first precher. blood must not be called to counsell, to doe the Lordes commaundement, but they must be vndertakē without such warrant.

2. The religion that Ionas preached, did not (as ours now doth) depend and hange vponupon Actes of Parliament. For we, when we go about such actions, as God is to be glorified in, … first inquire, whether there be any acte of Parliament, to warrant our doings, or no.

3 It is the manner of her officers and Counsellers now … dayes, to reforme matters by acts of Parliament, and by pollices, and not by Ionas his preachings.

4 Her Counsellers neuer inquire, what newes at Poules sermō, but what reports are abroad, that if any disliking thing should come to the Kings …, they might stop it from thence.

1. He is of no spirite, that will not promote that whicheThe seconde preacher. God commandeth though all Edictes be contrary, for we must not obey fleshe and blood.

2. They that are ruled by the Edictes of men will change their religion with the Prince, and they are of no conscience, though they be neuer so much grounded in diuinitie.

3. What if nether the Queene, Counsell, nor Bishoppe, hauehave been present at the Fast, nor allowed thereof? yet wee ought to vndertake it. Put case, it is not in the Queenes chappel: what then?

4. This fast hath been hindred, by certaine prophane & carnall wretches.

10 Here loe, your Maiestie may see, with what temperate spirite these men doe proceed, and what they would teach and doe, if they shoulde be contraried in great matters, seeing they boult out suche doctrine against their Magistrats for crossing their appetites in so small a matter, as is a litle phantastical age of fasting sodainely come vponupon them, for a desire they hauehave, to heare themselues speake ten or twelue houres together, after their continuall railing against fasting for these twentie one yeeres past.

But this is their spirite, to rushe into eueryevery thing with inordinate violence, and to like of nothing that order and obedience layeth down vntounto them. The which your Maiesties great wisedome considering, together with the quiet and modest proceedings of the Catholike part, shall, I doubt not, easily perceiue, what daunger it were to permit muche to such kinde of spirites, and to bereaue this your Realme; of so important a stay as Catholikes are in eueryevery of your countreys, against the perilous innouations of these and the like men, whose finall ende is (as their doctrine declareth) to hauehave no gouernour or ruler at all.

11 And this may bee one great Motiue vntounto your Maiestie,A waightie motiue. in respect of the safetie & quietnes of your whole …, to extende some more mercye and fauour, to your trustie and afflicted subiectes the Catholikes. Who as they were moste ready at the beginning (according to their bounden dueties) to place your highnesse in that Royall roome, wherein nowe by the fauour of God you stande: So are they, and will bee alwayes in like sorte ready, with the vttermost droppe of their blood, to defende the same in all safetie, peace and quietnesse vntounto the ende. In consideration of which goodwil and seruice, they can not imagine to aske of your Maiestie, any so great gift, recompence, or benefite in this worlde, as shoulde be to them, some fauourable tolleration with their consciences in religion, the which consciences, depending of iudegement and vnderstanding, and not of affect and will: can not be framed by them at their pleasures, nor consequently reduced alwayes to such conformitie; as is prescribed to them by their Superiours: and yet this nothing deminisheth their duetifull louelove towards the same Superiours, seeing conscience (as I hauehave said) dependeth of iudgement, and not of will.

BEcause you Catholiques are touched, and that iustly with the crime of disobedience and rebellion towardes our soueraigne, and that the whole fault hereof proceedeth p. 33from you that teache and leade the rest hereunto, yee take some paines and seeke heere to cleare Poperie of that note, but ill fauoredly and to little purpose; for when you hauehave all sayd, the matter is where it was, you neither cleare your selues, nor satisfie other, you giuegive vsus still faire wordes, and make odious cōparisons besids the matter: taking occasion in the most of this part, to slander & charge mē at home, here and abroade, aliue and dead, one and other, and still to vaunt and praise your selues, and so make all things to serue your turne. Herein spende you nowe sixe or seuen pages in this your Epistle to her Maiestie: Whereof I must particularly speake some thing. In the very entrye, yee say yee medle with no mans particular fact, but speake of the Catholik religion in generall. So ye leaue vsus a generall, that can bee vndermined and ouerthrowne by no particulars. Take away particulars, and whereof will your generall consist. Thus prouide you a salue for all the trecheries & attempts, taught and committed by any person of your side in any tyme: So you salue vp the Popes bulles, if you accompt him a man among other, and his doing a particular facte. So, to make an ende, yee salue vp all other libelles and writings made by any of those, of your side, what treason so euer they containe. So yevantage your selfe greatly (as ye weene) and no lesse seeke you to disaduantage vsus: for what bryng you against vsus, and our religion in this case, but particular mens writings, and particular, not factes, but words of men. Thus can you to charge in generall our religion, both in doctrine and demeanour, conclude without all reason. A generall affirmatiue against vsus, by one or two particular examples: but no particulars (as. I hauehave saide) how contrary so euer they be in doctrine and behauiour, to your Catholike religion in generall, may ouerthrowe that you generally denie, to fall into that religion. Me thinketh you shoulde giuegive vsus the same libertie ye take to your selues, you medle, you say, with no mans, particular fact, and yet you will driue vsus to answere for particulars.

1 Your position hath two partes: one to cleare your selues, and your religion, to wit, you say, that the Catholike religion in generall is vniustly touched by any secte of our time for teaching disobedience or rebellion against their Princes, or as your note hath: The Catholike faith, teacheth obedience more then other religions. This is for you. I well wote not what you meane by your Catholike religion in generall, nor howe you may vnderstande your note, to bee some way true, that your Catholike faith teacheth slauish obedience, more then any other religion. In that it maketh Emperours, Kinges, Potentates, of the world, and ciuil Magistrates, so subiect to the Pope; as to … on their neckes, to set them to holde his Stirrop, his brydle, to leade his Palfrey, to kisse his foote, &c. Which al be but duties of obedience on their behalfes, to set vp his creatures, the Prelates of the Clergie, to be Lordes ouer Gods Church, whose seruantes they ought to bee. As your very Pope also professeth himselfe to bee, the seruant of the seruantes of God: But as Salomon saith. When aProu. 30. verse 21. 22.Prov 30:21Prov 30:22 seruāt raigneth, or is Lord, it is one of the things of three or foure for the which the earth is moued, & can not susteine it selfe: So this, and such like slauishe obedience, is nothing to the commendation of your Popishe religion: which in too vile speeche and maner, subiecteth into it those that yee call of the Laytte. For obedience of subiectes to Princes, it teacheth it so farre, as may serue the turne of that religion, and their ambitious mindes that I hauehave spoken☞ of. 2. The other part of your position here, is, to charge vsus & our religion, to wit, that the finall ende of our doctrine & doing, is to hauehave no gouernours or ruler at all; that all heretiks and sectaries of our time (such you call vsus) in eueryevery coūtrey where they are contraried, seeke to disturbe and molest by rebellion their Lordes and Princes, teaching the same to be lawfull, that they rushe into euerye thing with inordinate violence, and like of nothing that order and obedience layeth downe vntounto them: whiche howe Clarkelike you proue, wee shall, God willing, see in p. 34his place: for first hauehave I to speake of you, your faith, doctrine, religiō & demeanor, touching obediēce, & disobediēce w^t is y^t marke you shoote at, or should be at least, if ye rightly handled or perfourmed that yee take in hand. Thus muft I stil put you in remēbrance of, that where you shold proue and shewe that your faith and your religion, that is, the popishe faith and religion at this day, is the Catholike fayth and religion, as you terme it: there you faile in your proofe. It must needes bee supposed you are, Catholikes, and wee Heretikes and Sectaries, because you say so without all proofe: but the truth is farre otherwise. False Catholikes or Catholikes in name, may goe in opinion of men for Catholikes, but true Catholikes shall they neuer be. Leaue this equiuocation and ambiguitie of woordes and speeches, and giuegive vsus a sounder proofe then hitherto, if ye hauehave it; that Papistes bee true Catholiques, and we Heretiks and Sectaries: els giuegive vsus leaue to beleeue, that all ye say is not Gospell. Our controuersie is not with the Catholik religion in general, but with your Popish religion in particular. The profession and fruites of your Popishe religion, and disobedience to our Soueraigne, the State, and lawes here: (if we goe not without the compasse of these times) will alwaies stoppe you from making a good argument, to cleare your religion from rebellion; namely, when you deale with her Maiestie, who is priuie of your whole doctrine and practise. Yf you make a perfect argument, eyther will one of your sentences be flatte false, and so must be denied, and you put to a harde prufe; or els there is no remedy but ye must run, for a poore helpe to an Elench, and fallatiō which is a bad kind of reasoning: You y^t can not be reduced to conformitie prescribed by your Superiours: Inducing you to your soules healthes, to godlines, & to the cōmon good & quiet of the countrey; had not need to brag of your obedience towards your superiors. But while you frame a good scholasticall argument, to mainteine your Popish religion, that teacheth and practiseth disobedience and rebellion against our common Soueraigne and Queene, which will be a good while to: I hauing spoken thus much in generall, will further and more particularly therewhilest enter to speake of your doctrine and demeanour heerein: Then will I, (so much as shall be necessarie) answere to those particulars ye obiect here against vsus, & our religion. And yet here entring into a large fielde, to rip vp your corrupt doctrine and rebellious demeanour towardes princes; there is so much matter to treate of, that in suche plentie, it is harde to keepe measure, to giuegive ouer, and come out againe, wherof notwithstanding I must hauehave special regarde, and minde so to doe. This hauehave I to desire you not to bee offended with all: If I be any where founde in the matter, to vse the same lawe towardes you, that you doe towardes vsus. For your doctrine therefore of obedience, and demeanour also: first I must admonishe, without you were better, that we may not call you that bee the children of the Pope and Popishe religion at this day, to the Apostles doctrine and their rule and practise, set vsus downe in the scriptures at the beginning; the things bee too vnequall, and we may be no bolder with you, then so farre as your Churche teacheth you, and your supreme Pastors voyce, that is the Pope calleth you herein, and yet here fal some good words from you contrary to the rest of your doctrine, set vsus down in your bookes, and your demeanour at this day towardes our soueraigne. I heare what glorious shewe, your words hauehave, and I see; you set vsus downe in your margin. Rom. 13. Which heauenly doctrine we receiue, we teach, we stedfast ly holde, and practise. The Scriptures are the foundation and grounde of our profession, we can not, we may not, we will not refuse them: our bookes as publique recordes testifie the same. EueryEvery soule must bring eueryevery mothers child of yours to be subiect to our Soueraigne & Queene, as to the chiefe, it is not spoken to lay men, as your glose vpō the decretals, expoundeth it*. But I see you sende vsusExtra decretal. de censibus. cap. 2 omnis anima. further in your margin to Saint Thomas, and om. Doct. that is all your doctors, & there is a Vide afore it, that is a watche worde to looke vponupon the matter.

p. 35As for Augustin, Chrysostom, & Ambros. that come after your D. Tho. & om. Doct. They teache all one doctrine heerein with the Apostles, and therefore trying that they say by that rule, & finding it conformable, wee receiue it w^t their iust cōmendation. They are no Popishe teachers, but better expoūders of the scriptures, & morefaithful & sounde in this point, the your late schole Doctors, bicause M. How. bidsvs looke: I wish the reader that vnderstandeth Latin to looke and see their Popishe doctrine of the authoritie of aExtra de Maioritat & obedient. Tit. 1. tit. 33 ca. 6. solite.Titus 1 King or Emperour in the Decretalles, hee shall see howe the Pope playeth legerdemain, falsefieth the Scriptures, and doeth worse if worse may bee, shewing what spirite hee is ledde with. If that chapter and the glose were in English it would lothe any Christian eares. And again looke Dist. xcvi. And yet many of that age are somewhat more indifferent teachers and dealers, than you whot and bad Catholikes bee, for the most parte nowe adayes, that so grossely folowe the Pope, and Poperie that by writings & dooings ye stirre him vp, and raise sedition against our natural Soueraigne Prince, and yours, and this State and Realme, too vnnaturally, vnduetifully, and vnchristianly Iwis. I hauehave looked syr, as your Authour whome you followe willethVide D. … q. 2. 2. a. q. 90. & om. doct. ibid. vponupon the place of your S. Tho. wee are sent vntounto: In seeking I finde neuer a word of this matter of Magistrats and obedience there, as which deuided into three Articles treateth of the vsing of Gods name, in adiuring: which belongeth to the thirde commaundement, but you following your Authour in citing and quoting places, who, for his greate haste in wryting had not tyme to suruiew or reede any parte of his treatise ouer againe, and is therefore according to his request to bee borne withall, it may bee you were deceiued also with him: But let that goe as a small matter. Tell vsus your selues, to what place of D. Thom. you sende vsus rather than to that you name. In the meane while, as you and your Authour say and set vsus downe one and the selfe same thing, So your D. Thom. by your leaue where in his summe he treateth of, that argumēt disagreeth from you both: which, that the reader may some what perceiue, (thogh I lyke not to be so occupied) I wil shortly set down both your words, & some parte of his also. Thus your Authour whome you follow: The Catholyke churche hath alwayes taught her children that how hardly soeuer their Prince should deale with them, yet are they bounde to beare it patiently & obay him for conscience sake as substitute of God & placed in that roome for their punishement, if he rule not wel, which apertaineth not to the sub iect to iudge of. Good wordes, howe cōmeth it to passe that you Catholikes vse not your selues thus towards her Maiestie then: how commeth it to passe, that your fellowes in their bookes printed abroade teache otherwise, & stirre vp sedition here then: Ye shewe your selues to bee another Baalams, or Cayphas. children, whose mouths must serue the holy Ghost at this time, to vtter y^e trueth, though the instrument & meanes be very vnfit, & the whole serue your side to… Balaam … significātur. 2. 9. 7. Nos. Vide M. Hardings … to M. Iuel. Art. 4. Diuis. 22. De Anna & Caiapba. Vide Hot. lib. 2. contra … & Hard. confulat. Apolo. par. 6 cap. 6. …. 3. 1. 2. Q 96 Art. 4. in fine. litle purpose, who elsewhere teache & practise the contrary. Be not angrie at the comparison, your owne side … Popish Prelates to Baalam & Cayphas. But your D. Thom. to whom you send vsus, disputing whether mans law put necessitte on vsus in the Court of conscience, and hauing obiected to the contrarie (as his manner is) out of the tenth of Esay: Wo be to them that make vniust lawes. &c. Hee answereth and saith, that that place speaketh of a lawe that laieth an vniust burden vponupon subiects, whereunto the order of power graunted of God streacheth not it self. Wherfore in such cases man is not bounde to obay the lawe, if hee bee able to resist without Scandale (that I may keepe his word and your treatises) or greater detriment. And againe, wee must say: that a man is bound so farre to obay secular princes as the order of Iustice requyreth. And therefore if they hauehave not iust but vsurped principalitie, or if they commande2. 2. Q. 104. …. 6. vniust things, their subiects are not bounde to obay them; except peraduenture by some accident, for the auoyding p. 36of scandale, or danger: and can yee make that obedience for conscience sake? Againe in another place, agreeing with the Decrees, and alledging the authoritie of Pope Gregory the seuenth, hee wryteth as perillously for her2. 2. Q 12. Art. 2. Maiestie and this state, and all one with that which y^e wickedVide causa 15. Q 6. cap Nos sanctorum, & in. cap. …, &c Pope in his wicked Bulls hath at this day most wickedlie published and set abroade, contayning a most diuelish Doctrine of Disobedience and a lyke practise, what euer you nowe tel in faire wordes, to flatter withall, in opinion you agree with these woordes of D. Thom. and apply all to and against our noble Queene and this State, as…. 26. 24. 25. 26. your practises too much prooue. The wise man saieth: Hee that hateth wil counterfaict with his lippes, but in his heart he layeth vppe deceite. Though hee speake fauourably beleeue him not: for there are seuen abhominations in his heart. Hatred may bee couered by deceit: but the malice thereof shalbee discouered in the Congregation. And that this, that I tell you of, is true among you, hot Catholikes, as you wil be called. I wil at this tyme wade no farther in your S. Thomases summe, nor in your Popes Decrees and other wryters of your side in former times: But let me be bold as you doe obiect vntounto vsus the doctrine of one or two of our men: so for all, to set you downe y^e words at least of one of your cōpaniōs or great pillers & doctors rather of your present Popishe church, that is fled from his Countrey, Prince, & vsus here, to Rome and abroade; there & thence, like a Popish Priest by practises & wrytings seeking to stirre vp among other seditious rebellions and treasons against her Maiestie, and this State; which partly by wryting, partly by posting betweene, is according to Commission and trust performed by him soN. Saunders opion and dealing. farre as hee may to the vttermost. Saunders trauaile more laborious and …, then sounde, Godly, or wise, in his huge peece of woorke of the visible Monarchy of the Church; is against the present state of this Churche and Realme of Englande, there needeth noHe calleth Moron the protector of England: hee was the Popes Legate, & chiefe President of the … Councel of Trent. other applier of the whole then himselfe; I suppose all you hot Romaine Catholikes agree and bee all of one minde in this behalfe, & in the name of you all, he speaketh for the rest, especially seing their voices being asked, they disagree not, any I know for, but … y^e same rather in their wryting. In Saunders Epistle therefore (To the most vnreuerendN. Sander. in Epist. Ad Cardin. Moron. Cardinals, Iohn Moron and twoo other) before his visible Monarchie, not only Iyingly and slaunderouslyLib. 7. De visib. Monarch. Eccles. Fol. 732. & ante a fol. 688. ad. fol. 712' &c. chargeth he the godly lawes of this Realme with impietie & tyrannie, and that this I … almost alone at this day in all Christendome plentifully yeeldeth foorth Martyrs, (so hee calleth the Traytours that hauehave been and a litle before the wryting heere of were, executed heere for their trayterous attempts, and other English Romaine Catholikes, whereof in … beaderoll hee reckeneth vsus vp a rable.) But furthermore also, … stirreth vp the saide Cardinals (as though it were very earnestly from hence sued for vntounto them) to trauaile by such meanes as they can, to deliuer the people heere (hee meaneth such as himselfe is) from this so great and cruel tyrannie, so hee calleth the most moderate and peaceable gouernement of her Maiestie: whereunto also, after congratulation and commendation for hisSand. in Epist, dedicat. praefixa lib. De visib. …. former late dealing with this Realme, her Maiestie, and the State, hee exciteth the vnholinesse of the Pope in his Epistle Dedicatory to him, cōforting himself, & feeding other, and namely his Pope, with vaine hope (this was about tenPope … 5. yeeres since) that very shortly after, the runnegate Catholikes, and their fellowes, shoulde bee restored to their Religion and places heere againe, hee dreamed of a drie sommer: Wee may easily gather, howe and whence all the stirres here, since, arise and growe, and what the drifte of al is. If this bee not seditious doctrine and demeneanor rebellious and trayterous, what is I pray you. God lōg blesse and keepe her Maiestie among vsus. Proceeding furder in his visible Monarchie thus mryteth he amōg other things: p. 37It belongeth vetily, to the Bishoppes especially both toDe visib. …. Eccl. lib. 2. cap. 4. fol. 98. 79. pronounce the king himselfe an Heretike, or an Apostata, and also to declare that his subiects are afterward free from geuing him any obedience, and that they ought to doe their endeuour, that another bee out of hande put in his place. Nowe if the subiects doe not looke to their office in this behalfe, it longeth to the Pastors, to prouide by any meanes they can, that he that sitteth in the chaire of Pestilence raigne not in the Church of God: this is the true obedience your Catholike Churche teacheth her children to yeelde to their Princes for conscience sake. Is not saith Saunders the matter so, &c? do not the Pastors watche for the soules, as wel of kings as of those which obay kings. It is their duetie therefore to omit nothing that they shall knowe to bee expedient for the soules health: & who seeth not that it is cleane contrarie to the soules health: that hee should bee suffered to raigne ouer the Faithfull, which is himself vnfaythful, &c? Shal he then be worthie the name of a man that shal affirme that a wicked king ought not to be compelled, to cleere and put himselfe out of his publique charge. If at al, surely hee must bee put out for Heresie. How shal that controuersie be iudged without the resolution of the Doctors of the church, &c. Now Pastors & Teachers of the churche can bee no Iudges of a king, except the king be in that thing lesse and inferior vntounto thē: For neither hath an equal power ouer an equal, nor an inferior ouer his superior. We affirme therfore iustly that al Christian kings in matters appertayning to Fayth are so subiect to Bishops & Priests: that obstinately continuing in offending against Christian religion; after one or two admonitions for the same cause, they may & ought, by the sentence of the Bishops to be put from other tē poral gouernement, which they hauehave ouer Christiās. And yet againe after in the same chapter, out of a great many, I take but a fewe sentences. Since therfore the wisedome ofIbid. fol. 83. God hath not left his churche (which is a Citie very well built & defensed) without a medicine for such a disease, ne yet can any other medicine helpe, than that may take away so euil a king from among the people, and giuegive his kingdome to a better man. Wee must beleeue that such power at least was graūted to the supreme pastour of the church (hee commeth nowe from meaner Bishops to the Pope of Rome, whome hee meaneth by that tytle) in these words: Feede my sheepe, & whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vponupon earth shalbe bounde also in Heauen. (To foule and shamelesse … of the holy woorde of God) That the supreme Pastour may not onelyonly excommunicate a wicked king, but also free and set his subiectes at libertie frō all obedience vntounto him: For if so bee whatsoeuer Peter, or Peters successour vppon earth loose, bee also loosed in heauen, then truely when rightly and orderly hee setteth faythful subiects at libertie from the obedience of a wicked king vppon earth, the same subiects also are freed in heauen from the obedience of the same king. Againe, if whatsoeuer peter, or Peters successour, binde vponupon earth bee also bounde in heauen, whensoeuer Peters successor of right and equitie commaunde any king eyther to leaue his Royall dignitie which hee (so affected) vniustly holdeth, or to stoppe and hinder another king by all the meanes hee can, which hindereth a faythful people from eternal life, least hee perishe in doing wickedly: I thinke hee would say: that the king proceed not in dooing wickedly.that king is also bounde in heauen, that is before God and his Angels, to obay the chief Pontifical bishops decree, except hee will hauehave his sinnes holden & not forgiuen before God, &c.

Heere is in general tearmes your Catholike doctrine truly set downe by Saūders, who sent I trowe, frō y^e Pope, tooke a long iourney into Ireland, where of late it is …, hee was and still is: to stirre vppe lyke a Capitaine, and incourage the Trayterous hearts that he might meete with, and to see this doctrine of Pope holines reuerently obayed p. 42and put in practise so farre as hee might, against this state: for the which purpose serued also your late flocking hether in sholes from beyonde Sea, much about the same tyme, and your more publishing of sedicious libelles than a goodDe visib. …. Lib. 7. fol. 730. 732. &c. while before. As lykewyse in the yeere 1569. Nicholas Morton an Englishe rennegate Priest, the Popes Penitentiary at Rome, was sent (sayth Saunders) by the Pope into England (where hee deserued ywis to … crackt a rope) to stirre vp the Nobilitie against our Soueraigne, & to doe such other most vile offices, &c. Whose counsaile they that folowed in the North, felt the iust rewarde & smarte of rebels for their rebellion, as the Romishe Irlanders did, in folowing Saunders and his fellowes coūsailes of late. Here the Popish obedience your Catholike Religion teacheth & practiseth, commeth in fitly and hath his proper place.

Now that this Popish merchants opiniō & meaning towards her Maiestie & this state, in particular, may be y^e better knowē out of his general doctrine before deliuered. Let vsus heare yet furder himself in this one place only & no more speake therof: When the Apostolique sea sawe that ElizabethWhat had the pope to do with this Realme. More busie than he had thankes for his labour. What Legats talke you of, and who stopt them. A … medicine of the Pope of Rome: to depriue princes of their king domes, & to discharge subiects of obedience. was fallen from the Churche, and that the whole Realme of England was therby become Schismatical, it sent once or twise Legates into England to recal that nation backe againe to their duetie, but there was not so much as a way open for those Legates to enter into the Island, so farre were they of from obtayning any thing, which being thus, after ten yeeres amendement looked for, and now almost despaired of: Pius the 5. the chief bishop turning to that only medicine which could bee applyed to so great a disease. In the yeere of our Lorde 1569. hee sent into England the reuerende priest Nicholas Morton an Englishe man, a Doctor of Diuinitie, one of his Penitentiary priests, solemnely by Apostolique authoritie,Lyke Pope. to declare to certaine noble and Catholike mē,Lyke …. that Elizabeth which then gouerned was an Heretique, and for that cause was by the very lawe fallen from al superioritie and power, which shee then vsed ouer Catholikes, and that she might lawfully be taken of them as an heathen & Publican, & that they were not hēceforthMore pompe & solemnitie in the Pope then good diuinity or honestie. bound to obay her lawes or commandements. By which solemne declaration many noble men were brought so farre that they prouided not onelyonly for themselues, butThe ground and cause of the insurrectiō in the north truely described. tooke vponupon thē also to deliuer their brethrē frō the tyrā nie of heretikes. May not we here iustlier charge M Howlets Catholike Religion, his Pope, & his Bul. N. Morton, Saunders, & their doctrine, with teaching & practising rebellion, than he doth Luther and his doctrine. Your floures of Rhetorique (M. Howlet) will hardly washe this geere away: reade, marke, and iudge of the whole vprightly. Now they hoped (saith Saunders) that al Catholikes woulde w^t Godly treason with great reason.all their force hauehave assisted so godly a purpose. But althogh the matter fel out otherwise than they looked for, eitherIure publico. For omnia …, bee in scrinio pectoris Papae. because all Catholikes did not yet well knowe that Elizabeth was by publike Lawe declared to bee an heretike, or else because God had decreed more sharply to punishWel bould Tur pin, & wel guest. Heere is a right & true confessiō of a Romain catholike or Popish fayth. so great a defection of that kingdome: yet not withstanding those noble mens counsels or enterprises were to be commended, which wanted not their sure and happy successe: for although they coulde not bring al their brethrens soules out of the pit of Schisme, yet both they thē seluesTreason, a confession of Catholike religion Grosse abuse of Gods holy scriptures. did notably confesse the Catholike religiō, & many of them did giuegive their liues for their brethren. (But very fewe noble men by your leaue, & those taken rather through Gods prouidence by force, than willingly yeelding themselues) which is the highest degree of louelove (to doe as traytors) & the rest rid thēselues frō the bondage both of heresie & sin into that libertie wherewith Christ hath freed vsus, (y^t they are become Satans & sins slaues al the dayes ofA Fable of a … myracle their life) In old time S. Bernard had exhorted the Christians to goe to Ierusalem: and yet was not the East Churche deliuered by that voyage, but they rather which went about to deliuer their brethren from the yoke of the Saracenes died themselues a glorious death.

p. 39Nowe after he hath rehearsed at large a Munkishe myracle out of Godfry, a Munke, to shewe that that voyage to Hierusalem, was approued of God, Antichristes newe Gospel must, and needeth to be confirmed by new myracles. Thus he speaketh of the rebelles in the … against her Maiestie and the State. Who nowe, but hee that is ignorant of Gods counselles (whereof belike this good fellowe is very priuie) dare say that that confession of faith proceeded not from God, which certaine NobleStill a Popish traiterous cōfession of a Popish faith. men of Englande made in armes: He meaneth the late Earles of Westmerland, Northumberlande, and their adherentes. Surely that must needes bee counted a myracle, A popish myracle to confirme Popish religiō, it needes it greatly.saith hee, that being almost fiue hundred of them, which tooke armes for the fayth, (so reporteth hee of the Northren traytours) which taken by the heretikes, and put to death (so calleth he the State and her Maiesties ministers of iustice there.) None of them was foūd which either forsooke the Catholike faith: or accused the Authors of that warre of any fault: They were very innocent and blamelesse sure, vnderunder pretence of their popishe faith and religion, to take the sword in hand against their dread soueraigne and ours, they must be so supposed, though this be iu deede most lewde in the highest degree. (And this man either was among them, and verie priuie to eueryevery one of their deathes, or els which is most likely, hee tooke thē report at their friendes mouthes and his, at seconde or thirde hande at least.) But many of them, being a litle before reconciled to the vnitie of the Church: were well apayed, and greatly reioysed in themselues, that they shoulde depart this life, before they shoulde with newe wickednesse, defile the peace (hee meaneth) their reconcilement to theThey are … gone, you may begin Placebo, and … a … for their …. Romishe Church, newely receiued, and they wished not to liue any longer in that kingdome, which nowe a good while had ceassed to liue in Christe. It had been better you had been hanged with them. All of them at their death praied that the restitution of the Catholike fayth begun, might be happily atchieued. They reioyced by this tale in their owne miserie, and wee in Gods blessing, and the happinesse of our countrey, deliuered and eased of such traitours. So both sides were pleased, and all was well. Let Saunders himselfe nowe in Irelande doe the like, and his complices, and if it like him: it shall not offende vsus. But I thinke he, & they wil rather trust to a payre of heeles, when they hauehave kindled the fire of rebellion, if they see thinges prosper not, as N. Morton, and the Captaynes in that rebellion, lefte the people, when they had thrust them ouer the … in rebelliō. This is their manhood, for all their great bragges. A note of an euill conscience, and an euill cause. God sende vsus better, and more resolute Captaines, in defence of Gods truth, our Prince and Countrey; He hath done it; Thankes be to his Maiesties therefore. I thinke the poore people of the North, that were then seduced by N. Morton, and induced by other that ran away, and left them in the bryars when they had brought them into rebellion, be sufficiently warned to take heede of suche mates, a good while againe. I pray God they be; And he vouchsafe to giuegiveSomma Summarum. all good subiectes grace to be warned thereby. After he hath1 A new popish Antichristian Gospel. Looke Math. 24. 24. 2. Thes. 2. 9. 10. &c. 2 Lieng miracles, & wonders, to confirme the same. 3 A strāge trayterous confessiō of a Popish catholike faith. 4 A bead roll of Popish confessors & Martyrs, al traitors and rebels.Matt 24:242 Thess 2:92 Thess 2:10 thus set vsus downe a popishe Gospell, and doctrine, confirmed by like myracle or lying wonders &c. Told vsus also of a right confession of the Popish Catholike faith and religion, indeede high Treason, and rebellion, and so was punished: He reckeneth vp neere halfe a hundred by name, of the most famous traitors, & rebels that were in the North, popish confessors & Martires must we needs repute thē as he doth &c. I forbeare to enter any further in laying abroade the dirtie mire that this filthy varlet, made a priest at Rome it selfe, forsooth, hath cast vsus from him in his foresayde serpentine booke, woorthylie Dedicated to Pope Pius 5. Hee may bee called Impius well ynough, for his dealing towardes her Maiestie, and this State, about that verye p. 44tyme, euen as his Successor since, this very Pope, lately also, and still dealeth. They can now a dayes treade in no other steppes. M. Howlet commendeth the nuyete and modest proceedinges of the Catholique parte. But hee that shall obserue the vnquiete and vnmodest wryting and proceeding but of this one Englishe Romane Catholike of his, whiche is a chiefe Ryngleader among them, shall easily in him learne by the stampe and marke, to knowe an vncatholik, or rather to vse M. Howlets phrase a Popish catholike and Sectarye, euen As a Lyon is knowne by his Clawes, so liuely sheweth hee hym selfe in his colours.

It seemeth they hauehave of late taken a newe course in wrytinge, differing from the common sorte of their predecessors afore tyme, for their writinges nowe a dayes, besids the mingling of poyson and diuilishe doctrine of Poperie, are farced full of sedition and treason, as which seemeth, to be their principall intent and purpose, where vntounto they driue in their traiterous bookes whiche they set abroade, and bryng hither among vsus. All lightly drawe in one line, all agree in one, and with the Pope and his wicked Bulles iumpe, as the fitte foundation and meete matter to staie and feede all trecherye and Treason on. Wee must needes hauehave recourse to some mens wrytings and bookes at least, to shewe that they of M. Howlets secte and religion, teach disobedience and rebellion against their Princes. In some men likewise must we needs note demeanour & behauiour, else can we not perfourme that which hee so greatly heere prouoketh vsus vntounto. Againe, M. Howlet doth the like in charging aforehand, the professors and profession of our Religion particularly and by name. I trust therefore I shall bee borne with, in taking the like course heere, whereas otherwise I protest, I had rather in silence hauehave passed ouer this matter, then to hauehave entred so farre, and in particulars. The thing thogh abominable & lothsom to all godly minds and to be … and spit at of all faithfull subiectes in this Realme, is yet too too notorious. I omitte here Bristowes seditious motiues approued by Doctor Allen forsooth, and such other Traiterous bookes, all agreeing in one. The answeres made vntounto them by Godly and learned men, may be seene of them that liste to vnderstande more hereof. Let it suffice for doctrine, by this taste out of their Popishe writers, to hauehave shewed howe shamelesly M. Howlet heere entreth this common place of his Catholikes teaching obedience to their Princes, and their quiet and modest proceedings, and that to and before her Maiestie, whom of all other Christian Princes at this day, they most vilainouslye, and spitefully deale with all, setting downe in bookes thus expresly their doctrine and minde, cleane contrarye to that they will here seeme to affirme. Yet, before I leaue this place of doctrine, I wishe the reader among other the testimonies (M. Howlet) out of the old fathers, quoteth here in the margin of his booke, diligently to note and obserue Chrysostoms wordes; in this very place that he sendeth vsus vntounto, whereunto agree the wordes of Theophylact. a later writer of their side, also vpō these words Let eueryevery soule be subiect to the higher powers. &c. Although thou be an Apostle, Rom. 13.Rom 13(saith Chrysost.) although thou be an Euangelist, although a Prophet, or whatsoeuer thou be els: for this subiectiō ouerthroweth not religion godlines. &c. Why thē should not your Pope himselfe be subiect to the Magistrate, & ciuill powre: He is belike none of the children of the Catholike Church, or els the Catholike Church teacheth not all her children without exception, true obedience with the Cpistle, &c. Which you yet affirme by this fathers testimonie, that you bring vsus foorth. We holde to this doctrine of Saint Paul: Let eueryevery soule. &c. And of Saint Peter also, who calleth the king, the Highest: and it is well and truly…. …. 2. thus explayned by Chrysostome, without exempting any, and in this point, do you and wee disagree: you see whome wee followe.

p. 41Now let vsus come to see somewhat more of your Popishe demeanour towardes Princes. The practise of Prelates and Popelinges, and their whole studie, and life at this day is almost nothing els, but a putting in vre ofseditious doctrine, and so hardly can the one be seuered from the other. I will yet shortly touch two or three home matters of former times, besides that I hauehave said, leauing forraigne dealings abrod with Emperors, & kings, of other countries &c. What but naughtie demeanour of the Pope…. … An. 1094. made King Williā in his time alleadge: y^t no Archebishop nor Bishop of his Reahne should hauehave respect to the Court of Rome, or to the Pope; what but that mooued the Emperour to reprooue King Henry the thirde for suffering his Countrie to bee so impudently impouerished by the Pope as it was; Himself also to plaine of that matter by his Embassadour1240. in the Councell at Lions, & to represse the Popes Legate in this land … were the Popes exactions here then; What demeanour of Pope and popelinges1215. was that towardes King Henrie the second before: to take his Crowne from his head, and so villanously to vse him in maintenance and defence of a villanous traitours cause, as is reported; I doe but occasion the Reader to consider of the hurly burlies, of this false Catholike Churche andThomas …. religion. What was that demeanour, to excommunicate1211. King John, & to discharge his subiects; of the oth of allegeanceHee that list to see heereof more particularly, besides the Actes & Monum ētes, and our English Chronicles, and stories, let him looke on the Apologie of the Church of Eng land, the 6. part and last chapter and M. Iewels defence thereof. to stirre vp warre against him, and at lengthto bereaue the King both of kingdome and life, after hee had giuen his wicked definitiue sentence, that hee shoulde bee deposed from his estate, and had enioyned the execution thereof to y^t French King for remissiō of his sinnes, & tohaue for his rewarde, the kingdome of Englande, he and his successours for euer. Hee called this king Iohn his Vassall or tenant: for y^t after the Pope by his Legate … phus, had taken the Kinges Crowne into his hande once, the good King coulde no other wise after inioy it, but that hee must acknowledge that hee and his heires must receiue the same from the Pope. This dealing of Pope Innocentius against King John, may not bee thought strange: for that in a solemneConcil. lateran. sub Inno. 3. cap. 3 de …. Councell helde vnderunder him at Rome, we finde it decreed, that if a Temporall Lorde being admonished by the Church, doeneglect, to purge his lande from heresie (wee knowe what they called heresie then) he shoulde bee excommunicated by the Metropolitane, and the other Bishops of his Prouince, and if he refused to make satisfaction within a yeere, it shoulde bee signified to the Pope that hee from thence foorth shoulde pronounce his Subiectes to be free from keeping or yeelding fidelitie to such a temporall Lorde, & should expose his land to be inuaded by Catholik es.

To come nearer home, and to speake of that most mightie Prince of famous memorie King Henrie the eight, within mans remembrance, what demeanour and proceeding was vsed in cursing, excommunicating, and suche like styrre keeping, to disturbe, that victorious King of Englande, and the State of the whole Realme; For our liege Ladie and dread Soueraigne, most high and noble Queene Elizabeth, what and howe many thinges hauehave beene attempted, and howe many wayes also, and yet still are, the thing is freshe and common, the rebellions so late in memorie, the dayly practises, and attemptes by Gods Prouidence so reuealed and met withal, as I think yee can hauehave no face to stande in the deniall, though your Epistle blushe not: Shortly to say, What Englishman soeuer, borne in this Realme, shall denie the superioritie (or refuse to submit him selfe, vponupon the grounde of his faith giuen to the Pope, & of his Popish or Romane religion vnderunder the power, authoritie, and ciuill gouernement) of our dread Soueraigne and Iawfull Queene Elizabeth, as Gods Lieuetenant or chiefe minister, be he Apostle, Euangelist, Prophet, or whosoeuer and howsoeuer els yee list to call p. 42him: in resisting the order and ordinance of G O D, hee is to bee reputed of all men Gods enimie, and no good Christian, but a very naughtie man in so doing, &c. But suche are your English Romane or hot Catholikes, as her Maiestie, and the State chargeth you, and all the worlde seeth, and you your selues dissemble not, in allowing your Popes Bulles, and other writinges therevppon grounded, & agreeable thereto, and in your ouuert and open dealinges: whereof may easily bee gathered, what maner of men, yee are to be reputed towards God and the world, although I hope well in God that there bee not many such heere in England.

Yf, because you bee disputers yee aske Scholasticall argumentes, and yet if one argue with you out of the scriptures, you make little account thereof, thinking the bare Scriptures (so can yee speake) too sclender stuffe to conuince you withall: Therefore grounding vponupon your owne doctrine, which is of more waight with you, and vppon the lawe of this Realme, which decideth cases of Treason here, I purpose (God before) to prooue some what further this way. Albeit I must suppose that you bee not ignoraunt of the pointes of your owne doctrine, and that true hearted Englishmen knowe the Soueraigntie of our Prince and Queene, and so their duties towardes her Maiestie, taught them first in Gods worde; and afterwarde expressed heere further by the lawes of this Realme in Acts of Parliament &c: Yet hauing layed the one and the other as the foundation of the arguments that I minde to make you: Let mee, so much as shalbee necessarie heereunto, note in summe the the wordes of your doctrine and our lawe, and then from both see, if I can frame some fewe Scholasticall arguments, that yee may thereby perceiue, that it is not hard, for him that list y^t way to exercise himselfe, to bring many & substantial argumēts against you in this case of doctrin, & demeanour of disobedience, and Treason towards superiours

Thus is it written in your popish decrees, and thence taken and repeated by your D. Thomas in his summe, where he treateth of subiects discharge frō the gouernemēt of their princes, and from their othe, and fidelitie towardes them. Wee holding the statutes of our holy predecessours byThe places are quoted before in your decrees & D. Thomas caus. 15. q. …. cap. Iuratos vt supra. & decretal. …. de hereticis, ad abolendam. Vide …. extra, in ca. cum non ab homine Felin de rescript cap. Rodolpbus. Demaioritate & obedientia vnam, sanctam. glos. ibidem. Apostolique authoritie, doe absolue them from their bonde, which are bound by fidelitie or othe to them that be excommunicated, and by all meanes forbid that they keepe not fidelitie to them till suche time as they come to satisfaction. Now adde to this, your Popes late traiterous Bulles in her Maiestics case, and this Realmes, wher with you are but too wel acquainted: & forget not your owne profession and doing at this day. And so let the perpetuall doctrine of your supreme pastour and his supreme authoritie acknowledged, receiued, and in practise followed by you, bee for one parte, the grounde and proofe of the Arguments that I shall propounde vntounto you, Or if you … furder: let N. Saunders, a principall piller of your Popish English Synagogue beyonde Sea, speake particularly for all. Of whose speache in this case I hauehave giuen you a taste before, out of his visible Monarchie. On the other part let those that bee presently of that state, heere, (to go no furder of) speake on the other side, and reporte vsus whether you hot Catholikes bee traitours &c, or no? Fume not, fret not, at my wordes nor at any other priuate mans: but examine y^e matter & your owne cōscience herein. And because yee talke of the renting of your Catholike hearts at these wordes and the like: which being double, may with murmuring and grudging possible bee vexed to. litle purpose and sone rent a sunder. Therefore for your good, this way, here Gods counsaile, rather by the holy Prophet.…. …. 13. Rent your heartes and not your clothes, and turne to the Lorde your God: for hee is gracious and mercifull, flowe to anger, and of great kindnesse.

p. 43Nowe these are the wordes of the Acte of Parliament that is not yet dissolued, in the last Session holden at Westminster from the xvi. day of January last past, vntill the xviii. of Marche following. I leaue the former Statutes and lawes.

Be it declared and enacted by the authoritie of this presentAnno. xxiii. Reginae …. Parliament, that all persons whatsoeuer, which hauehaveAn act to retain the Queenes Maiesties subiects in their due obedience. or shall hauehave, or shall pretend to hauehave power, or shall by any waies or meanes, put in practise to absolue, persuade, or withdrawe any of the Queenes Maiesties subiectes, or any within her Highnesse Realmes and dominions, fromCap. I. their naturall obedience to her Maiestie, or to withdraw them for that intent, from the religion, now by her highnesse authoritie, established within her Highnesse Dominions, to the Romish religion, or to mooue them or any of them to promise any obedience to any pretended autoritie of the Sea of Rome, or of any other prince, State, or Potentate, to bee had or vsed within her Dominions, or shall doe any oucrt Act, to that intent or purpose and eueryevery of them, shalbe to all intents adiudged to bee traitours: & being thereof lawefully conuicted, shall hauehave iudgement, suffer & forfaite, as in case of high treason. And if any person shall after the ende of this Session of Parliament, by any meanes bee willingly absolued or withdrawne as aforesaid, or willingly be reconciled, or shall promise any obedience to any such pretended authoritie, Prince, State, and Potentate, as is aforesaide: that then eueryevery such person their procurers and counsellers there unto, being thereof lawfully conuicted, shall bee taken, tryed, and iudged, and shall suffer & forfaire, as in cases of high treason.

Heereupon may one hardly and heauily, as me thinketh reason against you is this case of treason. And if I may bee so bold, as to deale with so great Clarkes: thus after my rude maner make I my blunt arguments.

Whosoeuer at this day by profession hold, y^t our dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth is an excommunicate person, and the present state hereticall or schismaticall, and so to be abhord, are reputed traitours, and so ought too be taken.

But all English Romanistes that call themselues Catholikes are such, that is: at this day by profession hold, that our dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth, is an excommunicate person, and the present state hereticall or schismaticall and so to be abhord.

Ergo. All English Romanists that cal themselues Catholikes are reputed, traitours & so ought to be taken.

No religion that approoueth the Popes authoritie, doctrine & practise in excommunicating and depriuing of Kings, Queenes, &c, of their estate, whom he calleth heretikes, is vniustly touched by vsus English men, to teache disobedience and rebellion against their Princes.

But all Catholike Romane religion approoueth the Popes authoritie, doctrine, and practise in excommunicating and depriuing of Kings, Queenes, &c. of their estate whom he calleth heretikes.

Ergo No Catholike Romane religion, is vniustly touched by vsus English men, to teach disobedience and rebellion against their Princes.

Al persons that by writing, or otherwise, persuade any within her Maiesties Realmes and Dominions from the religiō now by her Highnes authoritie established, to the Romish religion, thereby withdrawing them from their obedience to her Maiestie to yeeld the same to the Sea of Rome: are by the law heere reputed traitours.

p. 44But you M. Howlet, your authour, N. Mortone N. Saunders, Allen, Bristowe, with other like doe so, that is: by writing, or otherwise persuade within her Maiesties Realmes and Dominions from the religion nowe by her highnes authoritie established, to the Romishe religion, thereby withdrawing them from their obedience to her Maiestie, to yeeld the same to the Sea of Rome.

Ergo M, Howlet, your authour N. Saunders, Allen, Bristow, with other like, are by the lawe heere reputed traitours.

No religion that condemneth Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne of heresie, & so foorth, to the great preiudice of her royall estate and person and so the common hurt of vsus all, is vniustly touched for disobedience or rebelliō against her maiestie.

But your pretended Catholike religion condemneth Queene Elizabeth our Soueraigne, of heresie, & so forth, to the great preiudice of her royall estate and person, & so the common hurt of vsus all.

Ergo Your pretended Catholike religion is not vniustly touched for disobedience and rebellion against her Maiestie,

If these arguments, in zeale & defence of our soueraigne and the state presse you, or be thought sharpe & to touche the quicke, thanke your selfe, that by entring your commō places & odious cōparisons, forcibly drawe the same from vsus. Once the Syllogismes or arguments be scholasticall, y^t is: good & perfect enough, in the perfectest moodes & perfectest figure. You heare now the opinion y^t is of you, heere, not of one man, or spightfully vttered, but commonly, & too well grounded for you to deale with: either repent, craue pardon, come home, and liue like dutifull Subiects, y^t such violent arguments proceede no further, which with all my heart I wish you to doe) or els, if you like that best, prouide answere to solute such like arguments, which will be very harde for you to doe, I will say no more heerein: but a parls Dilemma or streight, are your Romane Catholikes, brought into, if you bee argued against in the pointes of doctrine and demeanour for obedience to our dread Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth out of your owne Popish schole doctrine, and practise of old & at this present, and out of the lawes of this Realme nowe in force, and withall bee put to make a direct answere thereunto. Presse vsus no further in the matter if you bee wise; rather take heede that by your doctrine and demeanour towardes her Maiestie, and the State, yee bee not brought within the compasse of the lawe, and there an ende: But that cannot bee vnlesse you alter the course you hauehave of late taken, and still doe, or the whole state for your pleasures only bee altered. I wishe and desire, for your owne sake (M. Howlet) though I know you not, that you bee not of the opinion and vsage of suche Catholikes as I hauehave set downe, that yee take heede thereof, or leaue the same in some time, that yee may bee … & taken in the number of good & dutifull subiects you & your author w^t others. So as, y^t which I hauehave spokē vpō supposition onelyonly, of your agreement with the rest of your fellowes at Rome, Rhemes, &c. and namely, N. Saunders, may not bee vnderstanded of your owne persons: but of those and suche Catholikes onelyonly as seditiously from beyonde Sea write, and accordingly practise against her Maiestie, and the State heere, & further woulde I not hauehave my woordes stretched to touche any particular person vnlesse his owne Conscience tell him hee agree with them, or her Maiestie, the State, and his owne doinges finde him culpable. This may serue to checke the great and waightie Motiues that you heere make mention of, and suche as your Authour or you seeme to promise shall followe, and to shewe that p. 45the proceedings of your Catholike part bee not so quiet & modest as is in wordes to her Maiestie heere pretended: neither they such important a stay in eueryevery of her Maiesties Countries as is heere iollily bragged. Though vppon occasion I hauehave beene rounde in this matter, and it may seeme sharpe that I here vtter: yet let the matter bee well wayed, and I shall not bee founde I trust to hauehave exceeded the bounds, of truth and charitie. I protest that I meane not to excite, or stirre vp my Soueraigne to any crueltie, or the State, or any of authoritie heere: though on the other side I bee so farre of from disliking of iustice and execution of wholesome lawes, that though the same turne to the hurt and mischiefe of some; yet I like that better, then that an inconuenience should grow to the publike state. Let mē looke to themselues: but that it is not requisite or needefull nor my part to deale in prescribing nor yet in aduising the wisedome of those that rule this State. I am so farre of from hastening any particular mans vndoing, that I wold wishe, which I am assured is without mee thought of, and sought: that all meanes might bee vsed, to the recalling of men home, conferrence and other, before execution especially of death. And is it not so? I doe but preuent the aduersaries cauill, and shewe my purpose and meaning. I neede not, nor list not to wade any further heerein. The particular rebellions in the North, Irelande, and such other sturs, from time to time, by your Catholike part, (as to well knowne to all men) I here omit.

Further to diduct, and come now to answere, that which is obiected in this behalfe to vsus by the aduersarie; whiche generally consisteth, as the former in doctrine and demeanour. For our doctrine of Magistrats & obedience (as weAs the Apology of the Church of England. Articles, set forth by … authoritie. Homilies, &c. professe no other then that which is set vsus foorth, and plainly layed vsus down in the holy scriptures:) So I marueile agayne, that (M. Howlet,) beyng an Englishe man, leaueth out those publique testimonies and wrytinges of our … in this matter: whiche to the viewe of the worlde are published by this Church, both in Latine and Englishe, to expresse their iudgement herein; and chargeth our doctrine with particular mens bookes, and teachings of late yeres, to bring hatred and displeasure, or spitefully to wrecke and reuenge himself vponupon some one man, if he can doe no more: where of though some be aliue, yet others are dead, & so can not answere for thēselues: but their books must be their clering to all y^t world: If the godly doctrine, we professe here, had bin by you read with a single heart, & (before rash iudgemēt) wel weighed, as in y^e bookes aforesaid is declared, you would hauehave forborne, I take it, these words y^t: our final end is, as our doctrine declareth: To hauehave no gouernour or ruler at all. Whence you tooke this doctrine, you y^t are so ful of quotatiōs, here quote vsus nothing. And we tell you plainly, y^t things deuised by your brame, or picked out of your fingers ends, be none of our doctrine, wee say it is a great and vntrue slander ye charge this Church with. Her Maiestie (though diuers times disturbed in her State, by you false Catholiks) hath raigned in a Gospelling time, nowe aboue twenty yeres, as chiefe gouernor by y^t doctrine of y^t Gospel, & ruler ouer y^t professors thereof, in much honor & great quiet, highly to Gods glory, her Maiesties singular cōmendation, & y^t exceeding comfort of all true harted englishe mē, her Maiesties natural & most bonden subiects: and many moe yeres may shee raigne we dayly do beseech y^t almighty, to y^t promoting of Christs holy Gospel, y^t benefit of his Church, & her own comfort & honor: Though it be to y^t regret & renting of all popish Catholike hearts in Christendome. To charge our doctrine about Magistates w^t all, you set vsus down three or foure sentēces, takē out of three worthie men. Christes faithfull souldiers, and seruantes in their time. The first is, M. John Wickliffe, one of our progenitours, say you, one of the singular instrumentes, that it pleased God, in his time to vse, for the aduauncement of his Gospel, say we: and so rare a one, that hee might iustly bee counted among the rest, a bright starre, shining, and giuing light to a great many, to their inestimable comfort; he opened p. 46long since, such a wicket as greatly profited the postetitie in Gods matters. The seconde whom you alleadge, is Doctor Martin Luther, whose rare and excellent giftes eueryevery way, mightily, both astonished the highest of your side in state Ecclesiastical and …, and no lesse furthered and profited Gods cause, and encouraged all the godly, by his godly and learned writings, and otherwise. The thirde is, that odde and incomparable man of our time: The reuerende Father, and most painefull and faithfull Pastor and Teacher in Christes Church, M John Caluin; Whom, thogh your heart swelt, you can not discredite among Gods seruantes,, nor iustly staine his trauailes and writings, left among vsus for the benefite of Gods Church, so hath it pleased his maiestie, to blesse this good mans labours: The Diuell, I confesse, as in other, hath beene very busie in his instruments, to deface, and disgrace this excellent man diuers wayes, but euer their mischiefes returned vponupon their owne pates, and they, euen as many as hauehave risen and bent thēselues against him, hauehave had the foyle to their shame: Although, wee highly prayse God for these men, and for his great gifts in them, as in others, giuing them likewise their due cōmēdation, as reasō is, yet would I y^t you M. Howlet, and your fellowes shoulde knowe, we make none of them, nor them all, our Pope, to depende of them and their authoritie, ne yet the Authours of our religion, as you do the man of sinne at Rome: But we reserue this priuiledge to Jesus Christ alone, w^tout being addicted to any mans doctrine or writings, for faith and religion, further then he shal teach vsus by canonicall scriptures. All these men are dead & gone, & ye might hauehave let them rest in peace w^tout slanderously charging them, if it had so pleased you, M. Howlet.

But it shall not be amisse to enter into particular examination of that ye say: first therefore let vsus see, what it is yee charge M. Wickliffe withall, and howe you doe it: Iohn Wickliffe say you, one of their progenitors teacheth: that a Prince if he rule euill, or fal into mortal sinne, is no longer prince, but that his subiects may rise against him and punish him at their pleasures.

If Wyckliffe should hauehave holden any errour, the times wherein he liued considered, it were not greatly to be marueyled at: God rather is highly to be praysed, that in so corrupt and blinde times, he sawe and helde the truth in many pointes. We are not, we may not, nor no reason why wee should be y^e mainteiners of any mēs errours. This article, as it is set vsus downe here by you, is (That I may say what seemeth to me) not only false, but also seditious, & so is it reputed amōg vsus; & y^t which ye father vpō M. Wickliffe here, agreeth better with the Pope and your Popishe religion, then with the Gospell of Christ, and our religion. Doth not your Pope and Popishe religion disable, and seeke to dispossesse any lawfull prince: onelyonly supposed by those of your side to fall into the mortall sinne of heresie, and arme his subiectes against him; Your selues also must define both mortall sinne and heresie too, full euill fauouredly ywis, as al men may easily see. Did not Wickliffe in his life time write that the Clergie, moued by the Fryers, went aboutWickliffe in his Trialogue. that matter here in Englnade; hath not the Pope your father, claymed the ryght of disposing all ciuill and earthly Kingdomes; hath he not called the King of England (to omit other) his vassall; as though he held his kingdome, but as his tennant, and at his pleasure. I hauehave shewed you before, where you shall finde our doctrine and profession of Magistrates more sounde, holy, and reuerent then yours, els woulde I be ashamed of it. But you will say you sende vsus to the places, where we shall finde that this was Wickliffes doctrine; howe say wee to that; I say you doe it full ilfauouredly, you quote vsus in deed three places, whereof two are pretended to bee taken from the lying spirites and wrytings of Gods aduersarie, and Wickliffes. The third vntruly, as farre as I can see, out of his owne workes, whiche are very hardly come by nowe a dayes, and yet as I coulde, recouered I … Trialogue. And I hauehave read, & read againe, the thirde Chapter of the fourth booke of Wickliffes Trialogue, where you sende vsus to seeke, that yee impose vponupon p. 47Wickliffe, whereof I praye you entreateth, hee there; for sooth this is the argumēt. To shew in this speech of Christ: This is my body. What is signified by this woorde, This. wherein (establishing the truth) he mightely ouerthroweth your Popish corrupt doctrine of this Sacrament. Now for M. Wycklyff, to teache in that place the article you set vsus downe, were nothing to the purpose. And this I say: if any such worde as ye reporte be in this place ye send vsus vntounto, let me leese my credite for euer, if not, let y^e Christiā reader take heede for euer howe hee trust your lying spirite in quoting things. Howe can you reporte trueth of vsus when your religion forbiddeth to reade our wrytings, vnlesse it bee to reprooue them: yee knowe your owne tearmes best. Yee take al one from anothers reporte, and beeing our sworne enemies, howe is it to bee thought you will reporte truely of vsus, and of our opinions and wrytings: but the fault may possibly bee in the Printer; or you taking this from your Authours second promised parte, vnperformed yet, might bee deceyued; as indeed you or hee set vsus downe in another place this article to bee in the 36. chapter of the 4. booke of Wycklyffs Trialogue. Thus your Authour and you leadeFol. 68. pag. 2. about the reader vncertainly, not knowing where to seeke y^t you alledge, There is as much to be had of this article in the 36. chapter of that booke, as in the place before alleaged, which is nothing at all. The matter hee handleth in this 36. chapter is, how Fryers so greatly poysoned kingdomes wherein they dwelt, as in those dayes they did: So, wee send you still to seeke vsus a newe place for this article in Wycklyff. Marke your wordes, Cogge not, foyst not, Tell vsus where the wordes, as you set them downe be to be had? Tell vsus not what begging and lying fryers may hauehave deuised, or your enuyous Papisticall wryters of this mans doctrine: you set vsus the article downe as though it were his owne woordes: I am not ignorant that in Wycklyffs life time, not much an vnlike slaunder (as the latter part of your article containeth) was raysed against the profession of the Gospel by the wicked fryers, that then liued.

Nowe come I to the two other places you send vsus vntounto in your marginall quotation. I meruaile you bee not ashamed to sende vsus for the report of Wickliffes doctrine, to his so deadly enimies: one of the testimonies is fetched but from a yesterdayes byrde to speake of, who was vnborne many yeeres after Wickliffe was dead, I meane that obstinate enimie to Christes Gospell, brawling and rayling Cocleus, who is saide to hauehave died 1552. well toward 200. yeeres after Wickliffs daies, whose bookes long before y^t time, being condemned to be burnt, were then hardly to bee gotten & neither sought after but to that end, nor regarded by those of your side; but let that enimies testimonie of Wickliffs doctrine goe, as not worth the examining. The Councell of Constance remaineth as the thirde testimony herein. It seemeth yee make great account of that, for you set it in the first place, you will say peraduenture it is a publike testimonie, & is grounded vponupon moe testimonies also. I reade Wickliffes articles set downe by diuers and confuted by some of your side, yet doe I not finde by the former reporters, no not Popes and Papistes that liued about that time this article, as you set it vsus downe, and in this Coūcel of Constance, you … not this article you charge him with heere, so are you a false reporter of the Councell too. Which I say not, to … their spight and hatred that were there assembled against poore Wickliffe, and suche other: Wickliffes bookes … then & before that time were condemned to bee burnt, so … no man might reade, keepe, hauehave, or vse any of them but to their reproof: hee also was before the assembly of that …, many yeeres dead, and was by the vnholy fathers … assembled, appointed to bee taken vp againe, and his bones to bee burnt, so feruent and hot was their Popish charitie or rage rather according to their custome in these later tymes. Nowe when Wycklyff was dead and his bookes thus consumed by fire, no mastrie p. 48for them that had al the world at will and commandement, to make men beleeue Wycklyff wrote that, which they his mortal enemies listed to charge him with: but let thē beleue it that list, we are not bound to their report. And yet syr, though that conncel, set Wycklyffs articles downe to malicioussy, we finde not this article in y^t Sessiō of y^t coūcel, y^e …. 8.you set vsus downe. If you referre vsus to y^e 15. article there set downe against Wycklyff, you take away for your vaūtage; you spightfully adde as good as halfe in this article you set vsus downe; other enemies to y^e Gospel & to Wycklyff afore tyme hauehave delt lesse shamelesly in setting downe this article then you doe: so doeth at this day Saunders your owne man, which gathereth all he can, wherein Wycklyff may seeme to disagree from other profefsours of the Gospel, and writers of these times: your article I finde not there. But let mee be bold M. Howlet to goe a litle further with you for your councell of Constance (whence one part of your article may seeme to be deriued) because councels bee of so great moment with you & carie a great shew, & this is your first and principall testimonie heere against Wycklyffs doctrine. I demaunde of you howe you like the resoiution of Constance councell in subiecting the Pope to a councell: howe their proceeding against Hus, and Ierom of Prage, contrary to all equitie, and the Emperours safe conduit then giuen? To leaue other matters, the councell of Constance you will say, was a notable and famous coū cell and yet was it but a branche of Pysan councell, … Pope Alexander, and of the councell, holden at Rome … Iohn the 23. where one of your predecessours, a foule Madge howlet presided, frō whom possible by traditiō you receiued this article you charge M. Wycklyff withal here, as the councel of Constance it selfe sendeth vsus thither: but, to returne to your testimonie out of the councell of Constance, who I pray you called that councel? Who was then head of your Church and councel when it was called; Who was President in it? forsooth say they in the inscription and title of that councel in the very entrance: our most holy father in Christ and Lord, Lord Iohn, by Gods prouidence the 23. Pope. This holy father and Lorde, this worthy presidēt in the same Councel, was not supposed to bee lawfull Pope, his title was not taken to bee good: but Gregorie the 12. rather as is by diuers of your greater Clarkes decided: if anyes title that then occupyed that seat were good. Againe, he was condēned & deposed for heresie, symonie, incest, & a heape of sins moe, wherein hee waltredSessione. 11. from his youth vp, which are there charged & prooued at large in aboue 50. seueral articles: a meet presidēt for such a coūcel. Furder, syr, this coūcel of Cōstāce & y^t of Rome to, was kept, whē there was a great & horrible schisme in your Popish Church: not as had nowe of many yeeres continued betweene 2. Popes, but betweene three: for there were then 3. Popes at once: this Iohn, one Benedict, and Gregorie, and all three were put out, or remoued by thisIoan. 23. councel of Constance as vnlawfull I trowe, and the 4.Gregori. 12. Martyn the 5. put in and made Pope for all. Besides, syr,Benedict. 13, Martin. 5. it is not vnlykely that the same spirite cōducted this councell that had begunne to doe the same at Rome afore; ForRemember the story of the … Howlet. this councel was but a prorogation of the general councel begunne before at Rome, as the Popes Bull, for the calling of this Constance Councel doeth witnesse. The councel also and Cocleus referre to the Roman general councell, and at the entring of their councel after their Hymne: Come holy Ghost, &c. was soung; there was answere made to the vnholy Fathers request, by whomesoeuer it were, and publiquely set vp in the Temple, thus. BEING OTHERWISE OCCVPIED, WE CANNOT NOW BEE PRESENT WITH YOV. Lastly (syr) that I may at length come out of this filthie puddle, Aske but euen your owne felowe N. Saunders, and hee will tell you, as I take it, as hee wryteth, that the councel can neuer well bee counted General, that was p. 49called of one only bishop of Rome of y^t three y^t then were, & y^t … Lib. 7. De Concil. …. …. 539. & 538.was kept by the Prelats of one part only, &c. These be Saū ders owne words: And no man (saith hee furder) denieth that a councel, which is not vniuersal, may erre in decreeing any thing. And so (by your leaue M. Howlet) doth this particular councel of your diuelishe Pope, in condemning Wycklyff, & other professors of the Gospel. GiueGive vsus leaue to be as bolde with the decrees of it, as your owne men are. The summe of the answere to this article obiected against vsus, in M. Wycklyffs person is this, that the article it selfe whose soeuer it be, is diuelishe and vngodly, & if Wyckliff should hauehave held it, it had been but the remnants of y^e dregs of Popery that he had aforetime sucked, and was not then yet wel cleered of: which I may iustly doubt of, & deny to be his, til you bring more sufficient & soūde testimony thē heere you do for proof of it: & so turning y^t doctrine & article home to you where it was first bred: I leaue it.

For y^t worthy man of God M. Luther, whose wordes (to quarel against him as though he should condēne or cōtēne Magistrats) out of Pope Leo his Bull, Popish Cocleus, againe & Surius a Charter house Monke of Coolen, are said to be these: that Christians are free & exempted from all Princes lawes, first, though I be weary nowe in folowing you to examine your Authours, & false allegatiōs, and these heere brought, to report vsus Luthers doctrine, were all Papists, and so his mortal enimies, & therby not to be regarded what they say of him & his doctrine, yet heere somewhat to note your impudencie stil, I tell you (M. How.) in fetching light at other mens candles, ye trust your friēds too much, &Tom. 4. Conciliorum. Bulla Apostolica Leonis …. aduersus …. are too oftē deceaued; you send vsus here to Pope Leo the 10. Bull: it may be some of the Popes vnwrittē verities, wherunto you (M. How.) as his spirite (being more priuey than we) may suggest vsus y^e same by tradition: for I say perusing his printed Bul, euen as the same is set vsus downe by yourPrimae lutberi baereses. selues: I find neuer an article there, like vntounto this, you here set vsus downe. There be I confesse diuers articles imposed vponupon Luther, by the Pope and in the margin noted: Luthers chiefe Heresies. Why did not you take some of them there recited that it might hauehave appeared you had looked at least vponupon the Bull that was written by your Pope against Luthers errors, as he saith, & that we might hauehave there foūd y^t, where you sēt vsus to seeke it. Ye walke (M. Howlet) too confidently, dealing especially w^t her Maiestie, Now as this your article is not founde in the Popes Bull whether you sende vsus: so, much lesse is the same to bee sought for or looked to be founde, in the assertion of the articles there condemned. But I must take another course; I will suppose the wordes to be Luthers, leauing your credite and your Popishe wryters: And therefore I say next, that hee meaneth touching matters of the soule, conscience, and the life to come. And speaking thus, saith hee, I pray you, any more than the blessed Apostle, when hee saith, There is neytherGalat. 3. 28.Gal 3:28 Iewe, nor Graecian, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female: for yee are all one in Christ Iesus, &c. And yet the Apostle meaneth not thereby to take away the distinction that God hath put in mans nature, nor the states of this present life, but speaketh only in respect of Christ, and his spiritual kingdome: euen so doeth Luther, in some respect onelyonly, euen touching their soules, & things properly belonging to the heauenly kingdome and euerlasting life, teache that Christians are free and exempted from all Princes Lawes, and not simply & eueryevery way, or for this life and ciuile gouernement. The collection therfore that pickt out of your fingers ends, you and your Pope, & Popishe wryters, to whome you heere sende vsus, of your selues may and would faine gather: as though Luthers doctrine Ab eo quod … est secundum Quid, ad id quod est simpli. citer.were the cause of the famous rebellion that followed in Germanie, or such lyke, is not worth a halfe penie: you may keepe it to your selues. It is, as if one shoulde reason:A non causart …, &c. immediatly after a storme foloweth fayre weather: therfore the storme is cause of the faire weather, &c. here in very few p. 50lines, besides forgery, are at the least two grosse deceyts or fallacions (as they cal them in the schooles) And if yee thus gather: whose doctrine was the cause of thecalled: …. like famous rebellion of the countriemen there, aboue twētie yeeres before? and so some nombre of yeeres ere Luther professed the Gospel: Luthers doctrine was the cause of that rebellion: euen as Christ; A stumbling stock, and a Rock to make men fall, is cause of the destruction of the wicked: & he; and his Gospel, of the sword, and diuision in the world. Howe Luther misliked their sedicious proceeding, Can it better appeare than by his godly and earnest wryting vntounto them and against them euen at that very tyme? Wherof, see in the beginning of the fifth booke of Sleydans Commentaries at large, But let me bee bolde, leauing other heere, and matching one with one, to set downe your gloses woordes and the collection that is made therevppon in Commentarie vponupon Commentarie, which at length corrupteth the Text: As you doe Luther and his woordes by your … and false collection. In the Gospell after S, Matthewe, where our Sauiour Christ, speaking ofMat. 17. 25. 26.Matt 17:25Matt 17:26 paying tribute to Ciuile Magistrats, saith: to Peter: Howe seemeth it to thee Peter: the kings of the earth of whom doe they take tributs or custome, of children, or of strangers? Then Peter saith vntounto him, of strangers, then Jesus sayth vntounto him, then the children are free, &c.

Your glose taking the same from another hath: If2. 2. q. 104. in eueryevery kingdome, the sonnes of that king which is* Seruitus qua bomo bomini subiicitur ad corpus pertinet, now ad animam … libera manet, & paulo ante ex … in 3. de beneficiis. Errat … quis … ouer the same kingdome, bee free: Then the sonnes of that king to whome all kingdomes are subiect, ought to bee free in eueryevery kingdome, Hence is collected: Because Christians bee Gods sonnes. To whome all kingdomes bee subiect, that therefore they are free frō paying tribute to any Ciuile power? so seeme the woordes of the glose literally expoūded, to importe. Others expoūd the words of the glose of the childrens freedom, concerning y^t soule, which abydeth free as euē your S. * Tho. speaketh, and not concerning the body and bodily subiectiōn which is due to superiours.… in totū bominē descēdere, pars enim melior excepta est, Corpora obnoxia sunt & ascripta Dominis. Mens quidem est sui iuris; & ideo in his quoe pertinent ad interiorem motü voluntatis homo non tenetur homi ni obedire sed solum Deo, &c.

GiueGive vsus then like libertie and leaue, or Luther himselfe to expounde howe, and howe farre, Christians are free and exempted from Princes lawes, as you take your selues, for to salue your glose, & you nor any shal hauehave iust cause to plaine of his doctrine. D. Luthers words I am sure wil better beare a good and honest exposition for the soules and consciences of men than your gloses: and sommes collection of your side vponupon the same will doe, for your Popishe clergies immunities; he is no smal one of your sort (to omit other at this time) that in a third commentary, gathereth thus vppon the words of the glose before mēcioned, after he hath cited Thomas his exposition. The glose might notwithstanding be othcrwise expounded (saith hee) in saying that by the sonnes of the eternal king or kingdom, hee vnderstandeth not all Christians, but those that rule in the kingdom as childrē orThom. A Vio Caietan. Cardin. in summa D. Thom. 2. 2. Q. 104. super. art. 6. sonnes. And these are bishops, priests, & those y^t forsaking al, folow Christ which shal iudge the world: for these in this world as the kings sonnes, by their state must set foorth and cherish the kingdom of God, & ought also to be free, from y^t bondage or seruice of temporall Lords. And this agreeth (saith he) with the doctrine of our Sauiour, whilest hee insinuateth that Peter the Apostle is free, adioyning least we offēd thē; pay for thee. And w^t y^e glose, speaking of freedom, in this life, while he saith: the childrē of the kingdō vnderunder which al kingdoms are, ought to be free in eueryevery earthly kingdom. Here is much a doe: for here is first the Glose vponupon the text, somewhat obscure, then here is Thomas expoū ding the glose, to salue it, & hold it vpright, y^e rather bicause it is taken out of Augustin, then heere is yet furder Cardinall Caietan, commenting vppon Doctor Thomas. who vponupon the glose still (for there is all the matter) pleadeth, p. 51for the immunitie of the Clergie, and concludeth full ill fauouredly: for by this Doctors exposition, both Christ and the glose, serue to exempt Bishoppes, Priestes, Fryers, and y^e rest of the Popish Clergie, from paying tributes, and from other bodily subiection to ciuill Magistrates, according to the immunities giuen them by their Pope. Nowe let the reader scanne, matching this Popishe doctrine with Luthers, whether teache more loosenes from obedience to ciuill Princes, this doctrine of the Gospell thus deliuered by Luther, or y^e contrary deliuered by your Pope & his chā pions. This may serue for the clering & opening of these words of Luther here set down, & y^e right expositiō & taking therof, according to y^e Authours meaning, especially, seeing they stand as words culd out of his bookes vpō y^e report of y^t Pope only & Papists. If any list to see more for D. Luthers Defence of the Apology, 4. part, chap. 5. Diuis. 1. &cclering, let him looke vponupon other which answere Popishe sclanders, wherewith they goe about to charge this holy man of God, and namely vponupon that worthie and learned father M. Iewel, against Harding, euen in this matter of Magistrates and obedience.

Because M. Caluin is saide by M. Howlet, to agree with the doctrine of M. Luther, as in deede hee doth, wherevpon hee might hauehave easily vnderstood the meaning of the sentence, taken out of M. Luther, (If it had so pleased him) and with his Pope, hauehave left it out of the number of Luthers heresies, as it pleased them to call his doctrine: Therefore come I nowe to that diuine and learned father, M. Caluin. This I like, for M. Caluin in you, better than in that is before, that ye sende vsus to his owne workes: the first place ye charge this godly man withall (Though yee bastarde and corrupt the same by your glose) ye take out of the 10. Chapter of the fourth booke of his Institution, the 2. and last out of the 19. Chapter, of the 3, booke of the same Institution: But sir, in neyther of both doeth hee make any large or further discourse of Princes, and Subiectes: If ye woulde hauehave knowen, or described to other his iudgement in that matter, ye should hauehave repaired, and sent vsus to y^e place where at large, & of purpose he ētreateth thereof, which he doth in the twentie or last chapter of the fourth booke of his Institution; expressely handlyng there the heauenly authoritie of Magistrates, and the duetie of good and obedient subiectes, whiche Chapter is written wholly of Politique gouermnent: Wherein (M. Howlet) prooue him, if you can, to hauehave written vngodly, seditiously, or vntruely, No, as hee writeth very godly, and with great authoritie of scriptures and reason, so doth he very reuerently and modestly also, if any other writer old or new (as they say) doe so; after another manner and sort, then eyther you here doe to her Maiestie, for all your flattering floures, or then your sort hauehave of late, or now doe of Princes and … els where. I woulde wishe the godly and christian reader, to bee well acquainted with this M. Caluins writings, and I doubt not to affirme to bee true here, that was else where saide. Let him thinke he hath greatly … in matters of religion: who is brought into a louelove and liking of Caluins writings. And yet I make neither him my God, nor his writings my Byble, for all this reuerent thinking and speaking of him and his writings. Euen in this matter of Magistrates: I praye thee gentle reader, looke but into that last Chapter, and thou shalt see, it shal be hard for thee to read else where, … or profoūder iudgement of a diuine, for the excellent dignitie of ciuill Princes and Magistrates, or for subiectes, and priuate mens obedience, to thy satisfaction and contentmēt, and to be able with all, to confute, whateuer M. Howlet, or his side can cauill against this seruaunt of GOD, or Christes religion here …. I will not nowe stande in diducting this matter but note thus much by the way, and nowe come M. Howlet, to answere your glenings and pyckings out of his writings. In the 10. Chapter of the 4. booke of his Institution, p. 52he treateth of the authoritie of the Churche in making lawes, and of the Popes and popishe Prelates tyrannie ouer mens consciences in that behalfe: and namely, handling this question, whether it be lawfull for the Church by her lawes, to binde mens consciences, he freely inueigheth against your popish Churches, licentiousnes in that behalf, without any whit preiudicing politique order, onelyonly reseruing mens soules and consciences free, to bee spiritually guided by God, Christ, and his holy woorde, in the matters appertayning to the soules health and saluation Nowe, M. Howlet, if this doctrine mislike you, that mens soules and consciences should be aboue the cōpasse of mens authoritie and lawes, then condemne our … Christ, the Prophetes, and Apostles, with M. Caluin, who make one spirituall Judge, King, Lorde, and Lawgiuer ouer mens soules, that is able to saue and destroy, willing vsus so to giuegive to Ceasar, those thinges that are Caesars, that we giuegiveEsai. 33. 22.Isa 33:22 to God the thinges that are Gods, to feare him that hathIam. 4. 12.Jas 4:12 authoritie to cast into hell, and to destroy both soule andMath. 22. 2.Matt 22:2 body there: Whereas men, what power soeuer they hauehaveMat. 10. 28.Matt 10:28 ouer the body, afterwarde can doe nothing more, nor areLuk. 12. 4. 5.Luke 12:4Luke 12:5 not able to kill the soule. Againe, Yee are bought with1. Cor. 7. 23.1 Cor 7:23 a price, be not the seruantes of men. Stande in the libertyGal. 5. 1.Gal 5:1 wherewith Christ hath made vsus free: and be not intangledGal. 3. 28.Gal 3:28 agayne with the yoke of bondage. In the kingdomeColo. 3. 11. of God, there is neyther Iewe nor Grecian, circumcision nor vncircumcision, bonde nor free, male nor female, but ye are all one in Christ, & he is all in all thinges. And yet in place, may this distinction bee made and, must also be as I noted before. Your faulte herein is, that yee distinguishe not aright betweene the ciuill and outwarde Courte: and the Spirituall Courte of conscience, as they speake, and Maister Caluin here noteth, and else where also, howe euer your Fafather, and Church hauehave taken vponupon them, to deale with mens consctences, which is Gods seat, to sit and rule there, wherein they shewe what they bee, yet neither our …; nor other ciuill Princes, vsurpe so much ouer Gods right, that is proper to Antechrist, and your faction.

Concerning the first Article, your corruption, and false collection therein are so shamelesse, that they may be easily espied. I wishe the reader to hauehave but recourse to the placeIn the wordes is there that, which in the schooles is called: A fallation of the Accent. ye quote, to finde out your trecherie or false allegatiō in peruerting the authours woordes and sense to be able to answere the same. Excellently well doth M. Caluin in that place, defining and treating of conscience, reconcile these two pointes togethcr. First, that mens consciences, for their spirituall gouernment, are aboue mens reaches reserued only to God, which also in time of ignorance (as y^e said M. Caluin, sayth) was seene and obserued by your Popish writers, though practise were to the contrary, as may name ly be seene in your Saint Thomas. Next that, we must2. 2. Q. 104. Art. 5. &. 6. &c. bee subiect to our ciuill Magistrates, and that for conscience sake, according to the doctrine of the Apostle, not so much respecting the thinges commaunded or forbidden byRom. 13. 5.Rom 13:5 them, which of them selues touche not conscience: as the generall ende and commandement of the eternall God, that hath appointed this order, and willed vsus by his commandement to be subiect to autoritie. And this is it, the Apostle tendeth to, in his epistle to the Romanes: so as leauing your caueling in wordes and syllables, if you couldeRom. 13. 1. &c.Rom 13:1 and woulde distinguishe betwene the ciuill Courte, and theStill a fallaciō from that which Aristotle calleth foreign, to that which he calleth foreign. court of conscience, and betweene generall and particular, as M. Caluin speaketh; All scrupule auoyded, this matter might bee eased, and better matter gathered from this godly wryter: then you, too … pretende to bee there. The booke being both in Englishe and in Latine, let the reder iudge of the whole, you M. Howlet, and your fellowes shall neuer be able to stayne M. Caluin and his doctrine, nor cleare your selues from malice &c. while you liue, p. 53if you deale plainely. Set vsus downe the booke, Chapter, Section and Caluins wordes: for we hauehave no cause other wise to trust you, as you doe your fellowes.

The second place or article that yee take out of Caluin is so plaine & true, as I maruell what yee meant to charge him therewith, for speaking of Christian libertie, hee saith: That the consciences of the faithfull are exempted from… 3. Cap. 19. sect. 14. &c. the power of all men, by reason of the libertie giuen thē by Christ, so as they are not to be intangled in the snares of constitutions, in those things wherein the Lord would hauehave them free: But adde I pray you, as hee doth there, That as the matter is very worthie and meete to bee knowne, so needeth it a large and plaine declaration by reason of the adoe, that partly seditious persons, partly quarell pickers make, as though all obedience of men, which is not meant, were thereby also taken away and ouerthrowne. To preuent this inconuenience, doth maister Caluin there a large entreate of Christian libertie, & the consciences of the faithfull, as he doth in the other place of maister Caluin cited by you before, and by this your misdealing, doe wee see how necessary it was, often and much to beate in that point. In summe, we say: spirituall libertie in Christe, and Politike subiection to Magistrates and Supertours, may and doe very well agree, and both are taught vsus in the Scriptures, and hauehave their place of practise.

From slaundering of these men that are dead, commeth M. Howlet to those that are aliue. Whose names hee quoteth downe in his margin, mentioning a writing made in the dayes of Queene Marie, which he doth but touche, and I thinke needelesse to stay thereon, considering the thinge being aforetime obtected by M. Harding, hath beenDefence of the Apologie I part Cap. 4. Diuis. 1 &c. fully answered vntounto by y^e reuerend father of blessed memory. Maister Iewell late Bishop of Sarisburie, as is that of maister Luther before: I perceiue that M. Howlet. goeth all by report and heare say, and seeketh to winne. grace by … other. And where wisemen are wont diligently, to respect circumstances in all doings, he, such is his humor throughout his Epistle, careth neither what, when, nor in whom he reprooue, so he may finde somwhat to carpe at, in any professours of the Gospell. I woulde M. Howlet. for his owne sake were but so faithfull a seruant of God and her Maiestie, and did but halfe so vprightly walke in his calling, in zelously aduauncing the Gospell of Christe, and dutifully obeying our Soueraigne, as the men he nameth, to their great commendation, in singular modestie, and vpright conscience at this day trauell to doe, with no small fruite to the Churche and people of God among vsus, howe euer he obiect old matters to so worthy fathers, M. howlets conclusion of this part, of charging master Wickliffe, mastar Luther, master Caluin, and the rest is, that the Catholike Churche vtterly condemneth all these errours, and teacheth her children otherwise and the contrary. Nowe I aske M. Howlet if he exempt not the consciences of y^t faithfull from Princes lawes, and the power of all men with master Luther, & master Caluin, how it commeth to passe, that he and his felowes exempt themselues from her Maiesties obedience vnderunder pretence only of conscience, as euen in the leafe before this we hauehave in hand, in the name of y^t … he craueth pardon at her Maiesties hands, for not yeelding to such conformitie in matters of religion as is demaunded at their hands, which they cannot doe but by offence of their cōsciences, &c. And the end of all in him & his authour is, y^t her Maiestie must take their disobedience & refusall of conformitie for a ful satisfaction: because they alleadge conscience. Nowe if this among other bee an errour condemned by the Catholike Churche: that the consciences of y^t faithfull be exempted from the power of all men, &c. Why doe you being Catholikes, as yee say, follow it; Why doe you make that your pretence; Why doe you dwell therein; If Princes lawes binde subiects to obedience in conscience, so as they may not be exempted for their consciences: but y^t p. 54they must obey them, as God himselfe, whose roome they possesse, and that vnderunder paine of mortall sinne and eternall damnation, how hardly soeuer their Princes deale with thē in their gouernment, &c. Why learne you not that lesson; Why reforme you not your consciences by Gods word, that God and her Maiestie may hauehave due obedience of her Subiects: which shee requireth and no more without complaining, murmuring, & this bitter accusing: ye tel her Maiestie of errors, & your selues run into thē headlong; Ye wil by no meanes with Luther hauehave Christians free & exempted from Princes lawes; no not in their conseiences, and yet by meanes of conscience you will exempt your selues, what shoulde I say: like not that in your selues, yee condemne in other. The difference (gentle Reader) betweene vsus and them is, as thou mayest perceiue, that wee exempt mens consciences from all mortall men to giuegive them to God aboue alone, to be guided by his holy worde & no other wise, which in deede her maiestie alloweth well of, slaunder these fellowes what they can herein, for her title of supreme gouernour ouer her subiects. They without any warrant of Gods worde exempt, not conscience, but pretended, or that they call conscience, from dutifulnes to God and their lawfull Prince and Soueraigne in God, to giuegive it to the Pope, induced therto, because they see her Maiestie to leaue mens consciences free & vntouched, hauing a tender care & great respect therof. Where conscience is in deed, though it be but weake, according to the doctrine of y^t Scriptures & Gospell where shee learned this: & not frō popery & Pope, to whose supreme authoritie grounded vponupon suppositiōs & false principles, these coūterfeited Catholiks hauehave by reconcilement and oth betaken thēselues according to their rottē religion, so defrauding God & her Maiestie of their due, abusing their Soueraigne authoritie, & themselues greatly. After this commeth M. Howlet to note our demeanour, & heere passing other, as hee saith, hee setteth vsus downe at large a matter doone the last Sommer at Stamforde, and dwelling therin, he reprooueth both the doctrine of certaine Preachers there, and their demeanour also, whereof he maketh no small a doe, seditious, pretendeth he, was the doctrine there taught, seditious was the vsage, and yet, I trowe, nothing like to that of theirs in the North, in Irelande, nor that which I hauehave described before. It is happy, God made not him the Prince of this lande, nor any of the State, otherwise I perceiue the poore men had beene trounced: he giueth sentence as though the matter were his owne, when nothing was there doone against him, and as for her Maiestie and the State, they call not for his help in the gouernment heere. But I see M. Howlet is still like himselfe, that is past shame, els woulde he hauehave blushed to hauehave spoken so vntruly of a matter so lately doone and so publikely in the face of all the worlde: but let vsus see what hee saith: first he entreth into this matter, to quitte, as hee speaketh, the Puritan that hath so infamed the Catholiks. Therefore he thinketh good to diffame him againe. Hee hath slaundered you M. Howlet, with a matter in trouth, as wee hauehave seene: And you cannot forget an iniurie, if it were one, yee must needes bee quite with the Puritan. Alas poore Puritan: but it is happie your handes bee bound that yee can doe him no more harme, hauehave you not powred out your spight enough against him, before to be quitte with him. You play as the Dogge doth: that when a stone is flung at him, runneth after the stone, and for reuenge, catcheth the same in his mouth. When yee can finde no more matter in the man to raile vponupon, you immagine he sendeth out Preachers, yee call them at Stamforde his Preachers. Preachers at this day, the more is the pitie, are with you, and to many such, Praeda Mysorum, it is your owne Prouerbe taken out of Aristotles Rethoricke and Rethorically amplified and handeled, speaking against this man that yee will now needes quite, but this man that you reuenge your selfe vponupon: First telleth you those Preachers you talke of were none of his, he sendeth out none. Next, that p. 55hee is not bounde to answere for them, though in so … a cause, that be not harde to bee doone. This might M. Howlet easily thinke, considering that euill will is not giuen to say well; That her Maiestie, and all other that shoulde reade that he setteth foorth in printe, woulde hardly beleeue amongest so many vntruthes, this report of his proceeding from such a reuenging stomack as seeketh therby to quite his enimie, which doctrine he taketh out of Philosophie, and from his Maister Aristotles Rethoricke, rather then from good diuinitie and the Scriptures; yet it may agree with his Catholike religion, well enough. Againe, hee might thinke the grounde and truth of the matter woulde bee looked into, which is not hard heere to bee doone.

Next, he alledgeth a Minister to be his Authour in the report of this matter: but that is for his vantage, he nameth him not, neither thinke I, he can name any such, hee were too notorious an hypocrite and false brother, so lewdly to belie and betray his brethren. Neuerthelesse that is possible: for among Christes Apostles, there was a Iudas. This dealing might hauehave much impayred his credite with you, sauing that you lye in awaite to trappe the innocent, with all godly and honest men that list to vnderstand heereof, if there were any such man. Whereof giuegive vsus leaue to doubt, till we heare more, hee will be abhorde for his double dealing, & you for your impudent reporting of so manifest a sclander. Did the Minister tell you the matter himself; Or did some other that hearde it of him, or some bodie els, tell it you from him; You were not, we must suppose, at the exercise your selfe. Take heede of too light crediting reports M. Howlet and especially of reporting them againe, and that to her Maiestie, and of putting them … in print too the viewe of the worlde, that is your foundation and entrie. Proceeding, yee obiect disobedience to the Preachers that woulde not obey the Bishops letters prohibiting the fast at Stamforde. There are but too many such as you be, that by sinister informations and sclaunders, goe about to hinder godly and holy attempts, fishing out some thing whereby to stay y^t same, by all meanes they can: But God be praysed such false and light reportes, such naughtie dealings, hauehave turned and doe commonly turne to the beginners shames, and to Gods glory the more, and his peoples good and comfort, as in deede this did: for though this godly exercise were a time stayed, by misreportes, yet at length was it taken in hande, with the good countenance and liking of authoritie, whereof you and such might learne, to giuegive ouer such rustie cankered practises, and to take a new and better course; if ye had any grace.

It fareth now adayes (gentle Reader) in the building of Gods spirituall house and Citie, which is his Church here vponupon earth euen as it did in old time (which conformitie and likelihood may serue greatly to our instruction, admonition and comfort) when at Gods appointment, the house and temple of God, and the Citie Ierusalem were to be reedified, God stirring vp for that purpose King Cyrus, and Darius, & preparing the heartes of other of his people to further and aduaunce that worke, as we may see in the holy stories of Ezra, and Nehemiah, the thing … well begun, was greatly hindred, somtime by colourable vndermining after a politik maner, & by false accusation, making cōplaint euē to the king, somtime by conspiracie & open force & violence; yet notwithstāding (all preparatiōs and subtill deuises cō ming to naught) the work, though with much a do, by gods meruellous prouidence; went lustily & luckely forward, and was at y^e last happily finished. There was on the one & better side, though lesser & weaker in the sight of man Zerubbabell, Ieshua, Ezra, Nehemiah, y^t prophets, Haggai, & Zechariah &c. as chiefmen amōg the people of God w^t their band & cōpany. There were on y^t other side. Rheū, Shimshai, Tatnay, Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, & their cōpaniōs in Samaria, & the people beyond the riuer mighty & enuious Cheeneth, Arabians, Ammonites, Ashdodims, & other, w^t p. 56Shemaiah, Noadiah. &c. false Prophets, hirelings, and hypocrites, many & great ones. The kings, with whome both parties had to deale, being Heathen men, were somtime, no maruell, against the matter, especially being stirred vp by the malice of the aduersaries to this building, & their often and many complaints, handeled with great cunning & pollicie, which more troubled and hurt the seruants of God, and hindred their godly proceeding, as hypocrites alwaies doe, than any open violence: but which was to be maruelled at, euen those Heathen kings were sometime fauourable, forward, and with the matter, Gods prouidence and blessing so ordering the whole worke till it were atchieued, as namely wee see vnderunder the good kinges Cyrus and Darius. Now to leaue the state of the Churche in other Realmes, by Gods maruellous goodnes, we hauehave at this day raysed vp vntounto vsus for one & a principall parte not a heathen king, or a Cyrus, & Darius: To fauor & set forward y^t building of gods house among vsus: but a Christian Soueraigne & Prince, herselfe professing y^t Gospell of Christ Iesus, who doth not stand by & looke on y^t builders: but bending her royal authoritie and wisdom to y^t defence & maintenance of y^e truth, & repressing of error & falshood; so moderateth the whole, that she greatly encourageth all gods people her obedient subiects, & terrifieth the aduersaries: her maiesties Counsellers, the Nobilitie, the spirituall Pastours, & the other officers & Ministers of y^t lawes are likewise professors & setters forward of this busines in their degree & calling, to the great cōfort of the common people, & those of the lower sort: whereupon the aduersaries, how many and how mightie soeuer they be, may be the lesse able to doe hurt. Yet to waken vsus, & to keep vsus frō securitie; we shal not lacke (neither hauehave we to maruel therat, or be discouraged) enimies as lōg saith M. Howlet, as ther is either head or hand remaining loose in the world. We shal not lacke hypocrites, false accusers, conspirers, violent dealers, seditious persons, &c. we shall not lacke stinging Hornets, like the Horonites, Ammonites & Arabians, we shall not lack a Rehum, a Shimshai, a Tatnai, a Tobiah, a Schemaiah, &c. that in a rout will vndermine, and oppose themselues to the Gospell: But, God bee thanked, we neede little feare them, hauing that mightie God, so mightily standing on our side, and blessing vsus with such a Soueraigne, and state as he doth. Wherefore; let vsus now M. Howlet be bolde to vnfolde and lay abrode your false accusations and slaunders and to aunswere the same.

Ye say, that the Preachers would not obey the prohibition but stept vp into the Pulpit, &c. As though they ran before they were called. First, I answere, that both the first and seconde Preacher whom yee charge, were by publike authoritie licenced, both were by the Magistrates and Assistants of y^e town requested thither, both their doctrines and vsages, in that solemne and notable assembly are not on ly cleered from your vncharitable slaunders M. Howlet, but very well reported of by those of honourable and worshipfull calling that were present, and hauehave giuen testimonie thereof vnderunder their hands to bee seene of any that list. It is supposed by some M. Howlet, that if you be not a husband mans sonne of y^t quarters, Yee are some night bird, whose hauntes may possibly be spied out, they were best looke to it in whose barnes or out houses ye lodge, if yee chaunce to be spied, men louelove an Owle so ill, I will say no more, you wote what befel one of your ancestors at Rome aforetime? This (being in those quarters) is likely enough to be your grief, to see or heare, that this assembly was so assisted, and things therein so well performed: but you fret & are angrie without cause, it quites your Puritan neuer awhit, it slaundersThe Alderman of Stamford, the Comburgesses and the Recorder of the towne, & ministers and other of the countrey such as I hauehave …. Stamford, the assembly, & those that had dealing therin, &c. You take the report of the matter, as you would hauehave vsus beleeue at least, at one mans handes, a minister presente there. I, as you see oppose to this vaine report, for the truth of y^e matter, many to one, & that those of calling, honorable, & worshipful, magistrates, & other in the town & abrod, besides diuers godly, & learned ministers & Preachers whose hāds p. 57and markes I hauehave seene, which carry great credite, & hauehave talked with diuers therin, to the reproouing of that you so rashly affirme, & falsly, & slaunderously heere enforme her. Maiestie of, & to the testifiyng of the contrary, & the iust cō mendation both of the exercise, and the godly Preachers eueryevery way: who there present writing diligently tooke the notes, & are readie to auow the same, vpō oth if need be, to your discredit and shame. The credit of these mē, as those that had cause, best to vnderstand of the whole matter, will weigh downe the single credit of the single sowld Minister you talke of, without any indifferent men, to shew that the eight articles set down by you are not true, but most falsly and maliciously deuised by your selfe, or by some other enimie no better then your selfe, and that the doctrine & other vsage at that exercise was godly and comfortable. In the meane while it is neither newe, nor to be wondred at, that Preachers & professors of Gods truth be euill spoken of for well doing, it is the reward our Maister had when hee was here, it is y^t he hath willed vsus to looke for. For the dealing in that godly exercise of preaching, praying, & fasting ioyned with almes, authoritie, & proceeding, The Alderman & Cō burgesses were peticioners therein, both for allowance at the Bishop of Lincolns hand, and also for assistance of preachers as their letters therein declare, to their great commendation, for their Godly forwardnesse in so good a matter, being the chiefe of that corporation, wherein they stayed and forbare, till they had both allowaunce and direction also for the fourme and order of proceeding, set them downe in wryting particularly, as the saide Bishop of Lincolnes letters of the fifth of August, in answere to the letters of the Town of Stamforde of the xxx. of July before, doe declare: But hee and his letters will carrie no credite with you, and yet in this matter, being by you alleadged, must and iustly doth, and ought to doe: Besides this they had the good and fauourable allowance of one, not of the meanest of the Lordes of her maiesties honourable priuie Counsell, to whom vnderunder her Maiestie, y^t Borough appertayneth, as three of his honourable letters of the xxv. of July to the Bishop of Linclone, the Alderman, and Burgesses of Stamforde, and to one of the preachers, that you here charge, do v̄eare witnesse: that I speake nothing of the publike order set downe by authoritie, to moue vsus all generally to repentance, ioyned with fasting, prayer, and relieuing of the poore The Camets & strange sights that were seene in the heauenes, the Earthquakes heere beneath among vsus, the disturbances and disquietnes of neyghbours rounde about this Realme, the monstruous and vnnaturall dealings of those of your side with her Maiestie, and this peaceable State, the great miseries of God his faithfull congregation and people almost eueryevery where, and the like miseries: whereby God as it were shaketh his rodde ouer mens heades, seemed sufficient occasions to her …, the graue, wise, and godly here; to cal to these extraordinary exercises of fasting, prayer, &c. the practise whereof also was seene in diuers places of this Realme, and namely in the Diocesse of Lincolne to giuegive example, and stirre vp the godly minde of them of Stamforde, which example they very well folowed and perfourmed the like, the fourteenth of September last, highly to Gods glorye, their due prayse, & the ioy and comfort of y^e godly, that were present, & such as heare of the same abroade. This that had such approbation, and proceeding with consent of all, to whome the same vnderunder God and her Maiestie, doth any way appertaine, can not iustly be charged by you: Turning therefore your standerous reporte for the doctrine in your eight propositions set down, and for other behauiour, home vntounto you againe where it was first bredde, as vtterly false, and not to be founde eyther in preachers or people at the publique fast at Stamforde, I hauehave set downe the trueth of the whole.

But what sir, if all these circumstances had not bin precisely kept, no contempt towardes superiour authoritie being, the godlines and reuerence of the matter of it selfe, p. 58would sufficiently hauehave excused and commended it in these dayes of the profession of the Gospell vnderunder so godly and vertuous a Prince, and other Magistrates. The more godly the exercise was, the more it seemeth to offende you: the more it misliketh you, the better is it to bee esteemed of the godly; raile, reuile, and fret, till your heart ake, yet shall this godly order of publique and extraordinarie fasting, vppon occasion incident ioyned with preaching, meditation, prayers, and charitable reliefe of the poore and miserable, practised & vsed in this Church, & recommended by her Maiestie, and other of the State long agoe in the great plague here, and since, and yet still in these dayes, as very necessary: this I say, is so farre of from disorderly, or seditious dealing, as it shall neuer be iustly founde fault with by you, grounded sufficiently vponupon Gods booke, and better tenne thousande times (if such cōparison may be) than eyther your blasphemous precessions, your running to Churche to toll a bell, your casting of coniured water, &c. to fray away spirites, or than your Popishe fast, consisting in superstitious choise of meates and dayes, ioyned with hypocrisie, opinion of merite, &c. It is happie ye can finde out fasting at the length in the Gospelling Churchs, among those that ye call Protestantes, you might hauehave done it sooner if it had pleased you. You were wont to say: wee quite ouerthrowe all fasting and prayer, because we went about to correcte and take awaye the abuses that Poperie had brought into both: euen as wee see our Maister Christe in his tyme to hauehave done the lyke. And heere you say there hath beene continuall rayling against fastyng for these xxi. yeeres paste. Math. 6.Matt 6Untrueth still: It hath beene but against your superstition and abuse, whiche wee take not, I tell you still to bee Gospell, wee hauehave commended, and recommended alwaies in place, true fasting, wee hauehave practised, and vsed the same according to the pure vse deliuered vsus in the Scriptures, and of late, more vppon occasions then aforetime and more generally with doctrine adioyned, from whiche doing your corruptions, wherwith you had filled y^e Church a long time, helde vsus: but we hope well, it shall dayly more and more be purged, and such dust swept away out of Gods house heere, and both this and other godly orders also grow from good to better, among the faithfull people of this English Church, with the furtherance, good liking, and delight of her Maiestie, our Soueraigne, we doubt not in beholding her people and subiectes, to profite dayly in all godlines, howe euer you … and repine thereat: HereMat. 11. 16. 17. 18. 19.Matt 11:16Matt 11:17Matt 11:18Matt 11:19 ye call this godly exercise a litle fantasticall rage of fasting, &c. You raue and rage too. But whereunto shall wee liken this generation, but with our sauiour Christ to little children sitting in the marketts, &c. For as Iohn came neither eating nor drinking & they sayde, he had a diuell: and the sonne of man came eating and drinking, and they say de: Beholde a glutton, and drinker of wine, a friende vntounto Publicanes and Sinners. Euen so doe our Pharisaicall Papistes deale, and say nowe: No way can please and content them, neyther vsing the libertie of Gods good creatures, sanctified by the worde of God, and prayer, as y^e Apostle speaketh, neyther yet absteyning therefrom. But wee answere with our good Maister and Sauiour,Luke. 7. 35.Luke 7:35 wisedome is iustified of all her children.

Ye talke at pleasure of speaking ten or twelue houres together, with all a lye a: Although the corruptions that your Popishe and Pharisaicall leauen hath many yeres infected fasting withall, sticking fast, require sometimes to purge the same before it can be well and profitably taken in hande: And againe, the right vse and ende thereof, and of prayer, humilitie, fayth, repentance, newenesse of life, liberalitie also to the poore &c. to be treated of, aske time, that this Christian exercise of fasting may be Christianly kept: among the ruder sort especially, yet M. Howlet, neyther bee so many houres prescribed, the preacher to talke, neither knowe or heard I it euer, any where so vsed. For time sir p. 59herein, we vse it and leaue it as an indifferent thing, to take more or lesse, according as occasion and necessitie of matter require, and in this and like circumstances say, as our … Christ saide of the Sabbath in his time, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. LetMark. 2. 27.Mark 2:27 time serue vsus, and wee in time, and therewith, serue God. Both the Sermons at Stamford, forenoone & afternoone too, mounted not much aboue halfe the time of the least of your two numbers: but I will leaue this matter, and the quiting of your Puritane, because I vnderstande yee heare thereof another way.

After this, you tell her Maiestie, of a weightie motiue, so you set it downe in your margin. The effect you note a litle before, when you make Catholikes so important a stay in eueryevery of her Maiesties countreys: As though the safetie and quietnesse of the whole realme rested on you Catholikes, that refuse to come to Churche heere, to renounce the Pope, and betake your selues as true Englishe men to God and her Maiesties gouernment, &c. Of which number you take your selfe. M Howlet, to bee one. Though you for your part shoulde seeme to bee better acquainted with the barne, and the rude husbandmans cotage in the countrey, where your neste may also be founde, then with any good Towne or Citie, muche lesse with a Princes Pallace, whereby you shoulde bee meete to stay vp her Maiesty, and this common wealth with your shoulders: But are you or your fellowe Catholikes, the safetie of this whole Realme? God forbidde man, yet these are those that are here so commended, these are those y^e whole suite is for, that it woulde please her Maiestie to graunt that whiche it seemeth they will hauehave whether shee will or no: Obstinating themselues, and cloking all vnderunder vnconscionable conscience before they make her highnesse priute of their suite and dealing. A woorthie maner of suing, to abase & bring her Maiestie to their bende, that they may altogether … the roste heere. Because your framed consciences, be some what too weake reasons, to mooue her Maiestie withall alone. You bryng foorth your waightie motiue, where althoughe at the first yee speake of merciemercy and fauour, yet so soone as yee seeme to hauehave giuen some sope of milke, by & by, ye throw y^e whole down againe w^t your heele. For ye hauehave no sooner spoken of merciemercy and fauour, but straightway with a commemoration, as it were an vpbrayding, &c. yee fall a clayming the thing ye would hauehave, in recompence of your seruice. I greatly marueile not to see you deale thus with her Maiestie here vponupon earth, as though yee deserued, that can chalenge merites at Gods handes in heauen: but say and thinke what yee will for that: Grace and merites can not stande together. Her Maiestie of her selfe, belike; can not conceiue, nor see what you and your felowes hauehave deserued and deserue at her highnes handes: Yee are litle beholding to your neighbours, that need thus to praise say, and speake for your selues. If you hauehave done nothing but your bounden dueties, nor in deede halfe that neither, as better subiectes and more duetifull doe, vnfainedly acknowledge from the heart, and needes must in respecte of her Maiestie, and the manifolde and great benefites that wee all dayly receiue from and by her Maiesties meanes (whome God long preserue among vsus); why then claime you recompence for your seruice? What is it I pray you, you hauehave done;

First, forsooth you, (you know what catholiks you meane) were most readie at the beginning, to place her Highnes in her Royall Throne. I leaue to speake of her Maiesties disfauour, procured by you hot Catholikes in Queene Maries dayes, of the straightnesse, and harde vsage that her Maiestie founde, among your Jaylors her highnesse keepers then. Wee, to our inestimable ioye and comforte, knowe by whose power and prouidence alone, her Maiestie was deliuered out of the Lions mouth, & placed in her Royall seat too well to ascribe y^t prayse vntounto you hot Catholiks; Were you most ready to place her highnes in that royall p. 60roome, wherein now by the fauour of God she standeth? Indeed by the fauour of God, y^t ye say well & trulye, more than by your willes and help, els were it harde with vsus all. You were so great helpes at y^t beginning y^t not being able to kepe in any longer the cankered poysō lurkinge in the heart, but opening y^t hiddē malice, euē (in honorable and open meetinge, after her Maiestie was placed in her royall Throne, when the barbarous crueltie towardes her Maiestie and other, vsed in the former dayes was obiected) one amongst other answered in y^e name of y^e rest: that there wasIohn Story in the first Parlament of Queene Elizabeth. no other fault but that leauing the roote standing, the brāches only were hakt of, whē rather the mightiest tares (so it pleased a champiō of yours to speake, of y^e professiō &This is reported euen by N. Saunders in Sto ries life devisibili Monarchia eccles. some professors of the Gospell) should hauehave bene puld vp by the rootes, which if it had bene done, we shoulde not now see so many and so great wicked stockes (saide this stout Catholique) remaine eueryevery where and flourishe. This was it that happelye greeued you, that by your wicked and trayterous dealinge, her Maiestie was not before that time made away: But if her Maiestie, & we all, were so beholding vntounto you for this seruice, why dyd not you and your felowes make this sute, when the matter was fresh in memorie, the thing was not then ripe, hauehave you now firste gotten hart of grace. It is but of late M. Howlet, that most of you hauehave puld your neckes out of the coller of obedience to God and her maiestie, and therefore the recompence of that seruice that yee brag of, if there were any such, longeth litle to you young men Iesuites, and other late Byrdes of Rome: that which foloweth perhaps, you wyll saye doth: for ye recken not vp onelyonly what yee hauehave done, whiche in truthe yee neuer dyd, but what proper men yee presentlye bee and wyll bee; to spende the vttermost drop of your blood to defend her Maiestie in all safetie, peace & quietnesse to the ende, yf it lyke her Highnesse to beleeue pour tale, or truste to the broken reede of your defence, Your dealinges heretofore, in both her Maiesties Realmes of Englande and Irelande, to leaue olde practises, and to remember but her dayes; confirme this promise of yours. The stirres ye nowe afreshe goe about to make, continuing the old rebellions till ye may ioyne them to new, vtter your good meaning hearts, remember whēce you come? frō whome? and in whose name? This seruice to her Maiestie, and the State, had neede bee recompenced, it were pitie els. I thinke certainely your affections at the beginning towardes her Maiestie were euen such as yee nowe shewe them, and will hereafter to the ende approoue them, while her Maiestie liueth. Can the blacke MooreIere. 13. 23.Jer 13:23 change his skinne or hue, or the Leoparde his spottes. Then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to euill. Your great fathers stomackes in the beginning, were to high, to become Petitioners; popishe Prelates coulde not, or woulde not submitte them selues to her highnes. One White, in his rochet, after Queene Maries death at Paules crosse, speaking of alteration of religion from Poperie to the Gospell &c. openly sayde: It can not be, it may not bee, it shall not bee; yee holde one course, yee are I perceiue no changelings.

But there is, sir, an oddes between doing a thing in deed, and pretending to doe a thing, betweene doing of conscience, affection, duetie, & louelove, heartily; and betweene rhetorically doing, (that I may so speake) that is: Italian and Romanlike, with colour and great cunuing, or if you will, … of our Englishe mens doing now, that come thence: if her Maiestie therefore spie your drift, and rewarde you with fourtie stripes, as the frenche king once did, (in not much an vnlike case) a dissembler, for pretending in hope ofLewes. 11. rewarde, (with termes and … of great reuerence) to take a … from him, after another … of his had receiued rewarde, for a very like seruice and office done to the king his M. before: Are yee not well ynough serued: Or at least, if her Maiestie, comparing you with other, consider p. 6iher faithfull subiectes in deede, which aske nothing, nor brage of their seruice, but acknowledge they hauehave receiued more then they hauehave deserued, and desire nothing more, then that they may in all thankefull dutie, answere their Soueraignes bountie towardes them, as the Chauncellour, to the said French king somtime did, stāding amongst such gaping and rauening Crowes, Cormorantes, or Owles, call thē what ye will. As you in words set out your … byrdes here to bee, if I say she shall in the end reward those good Subiectes, as King Lewes did his Chauncellour, and send you emptie away that gape so fast afterward & answer you: that you must waite for an other occasiō as y^t King did, &c. What hauehave you to plain of; It is said that y^t king toke a delight to mocke the gaping byrde, were it Crow or Daw. Is this your waightie motiue, ye so glose in the margin ofPulcbrū est … deludere Hyantes. your booke; If your Authour hauehave no better in store to come hereafter, as in this your treatise promised shall come, both he & you may put vp your pypes for ought I see.It is a pretie sporte to mocke the gaping Chaugh.

But yee runne backe to your starting hole, and alleadge conscience, this is a poore helpe. And yet this must bee a satisfaction for all if the rest faile: howe hollowe soeuer your consciences bee, if there remaine any at all, the bare name of cōscience, must be your defence, whē you hauehave nothing els to say. Heere make yee now a Rampeere. Conscience, you say, dependeth of iudgement, and vnderstanding & not of affect and will. It cannot be framed at pleasure, nor consequently reduced to such conformitie, as is prescribed by Superiours. Conscience, no doubt, where it is in deede, and not in fancie and wordes pretended onelyonly, is a great matter, and woulde by any meanes be respected and tendred of all. And so doth her Maiestie heere, God be praised, why did yee not heere M. Howlet set downe the groūd of your vnderstāding & iudgement, or forbeare this brag of cōscience, till we had seene & examined the groūd thereof, y^t which, w^tout all proofe, ye here bring forth in wordes only, that do we returne vntounto you againe, as a thing vnproued, & therfore reproueable, to wit, y^t the persuasiō you are entred into, of not comming to the Churche among vsus at this day and refusing the oth of alleageance to her Maiestie; is not onelyonly not grounded on the scriptures, but is contrary thervnto, and thereupon dependeth altogether of affect and will & not of iudgement and vnderstanding; is framed at your pleasures, without good warrant or ground, and so may be reduced to cōformitie prescribed by superiours. Your owne S. Thomas in his summe saith, Q. 79. art 13. that conscience is no speciall facultie or power of the soule, because it may bee laide away, which the other cannot: but bee that as it wil be: A corrupt conscience such as yours is, may and ought to bee laide away. The reasons in your treatise as in place we finde, deale little or nothing to proue the contrary to this I tell you or deale (as you doe) very hollowly, being grounded altogether vponupon supposition, which not grounded on Gods truth in matters of Religion, is a rotten post, for conscience, to leane vponupon. Trye your consciences in religion by right iudgemēt and good vnderstanding, taken out of Gods booke: runne not vponupon false suppositions, and we shalbe soone at an ende. I still maruell M. Howlet how you can exempt your cōsciences from …, and so from her …, that before condemned these sentences as errours That the consciences of the faithfull are exempted from the power of all men, that Chistians are fre and exempted from all Princes lawes, as touching their consciences, &c. For you admit this exposition of the former sentence, in saying: that Caluin and Luther, holde therein one doctrine, whereof I hauehave spokē in his place. The matter is, that your Secondary faith, and alleageance sworne vntounto her Highnesse, as to the sub stitute of God (thus yee speake) is at the Popes pleasure broken, and nowe discharged of that faith by his warrant, and the same bestowed vponupon him, and such as hee wyll appoint without good warrant from God or her Maiestie. In the meane while we will take, as graunted by you this Maxime, or supposition: That conscience dependeth of iudgement & vnderstanding, and not of affect & p. 54will, albeit in your case this wholy raignethin you, & therefore seemeth not be conscience.

But because pretended conscience is the grounde of these mens whole matter and the only shift of excuse that both M Howlet and his authour hauehave to cloke their disobedience, withal, let mee be bold with thee gentle Reader somewhat at large to vnfolde some parte of their Popish … in this case of conscience, which that I may the better doe, I will first set downe some of both their wordes agreeing in this point together. Then examining in generall the popish doctrine whereon they grounde themselues without all Scripture, yea contrary to Scripture, common reason, and hon estie also, as the same is deliuered vntounto vsus in their bookes, by the principall … of their religion, I will shewe howe godlesly and howe hollowly they may be found to speake, write, and thinke in the whole: enough in my opinion, to bring their religion into vtter … detestation, and hatred: for broching vsus such abhominable abhominations. Afterwarde, God willing (returning to M. Howlets wordes againe, and comparing them with the doctrine of the Scripture) will I, so much as I shall thinke needefull answere the same particularly. Thus writeth M. Howlet of this matter heere at large.