Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking — Perceval Wiburn

Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking · Perceval Wiburn

An answere to the booke, that of a letter, is made a Treatise, or discourse by M. Howlet.

BEfore the Reasons of the Papists refusall to go to Church, there is a Preface in this booke of theirs, as there is a recapitulation and Epilogus with addition in the latter ende: But the whole body of the worke is comprised in the ix. Reasons. Generally and in summe, in the writers preface, there are two pointes contained, whereof the first is, the sorrow & comfort, that the Authour conceiued of the Gentleman his freendes letters, with the matter and cause thereof: The other containeth the occasion, ground, and substance of the authours labour; partly nowe perfourmed, partly promised to followe hereafter. In which part, is made A diuision of Catholikes, and a necessarie supposition, as hee calleth it. This is that he handeleth for the most part in the sixe first leaues: After follow in order the reasons of refusal, whereof wee shall see (God willing) in their place. In the meane while, for this part I say, that the pitifull description of Englande at this day, which he maketh the cause of his sorrowe, is a counterfaited matter betweene these two Papistes, deuised to giuegive better colour and shewe to the whole Tragedie, They hauehave heere raised and still seeke to doe: least this five kindled by them, should seeme to bee vppon none or small occasion. God be thanked for the greate peace and quiet, that this Realme hath long vnderunder her Maiesties happy gouernment enioyed, to the admiratiō of Forrayners, and those abrode, while great troubles hauehave risen round about vsus elswhere. And though it be hard to finde among many such rest in any former Princes dayes, as wee hauehave in this peaceable gouernement vnderunder her Maiestie hytherto enioyed, which God long continue, and giuegive vsus grace to see and consider the same accordingly: yet if a certaine of these sturring & vnnaturall Subiects abrod were not more busily headded then needeth a great deale: both they and wee all might hauehave liued in some more rest heere at home, to Gods glory, our dread Soueraignes comfort, and the benefite of the whole common wealth. Thus hauehave wee all to thanke them, and they themselues alone, as the authours of all: if by sturres there hauehave growne any disquietnesse and hurt, either to them or to vsus here. And y^t soner they leaue this course, y^e soner will there bee an end of troubles. To mooue commiseration and pitie by Rhetoricall figure, they guilefully imagine greater miseries than in truth bee founde heere among vsus. Thankes bee to God, and her Maiestie therfore; they attaine not their with and desired purpose in this behalfe.

The rare matter of comfort, that the discourser sporteth himselfe withall, is the obstinacie of a fewe Papistes, which shewe their vndutifulnesse, first to God, his holy Gospell and worde: Next to her Maiestie, and her good and wholesome lawes made against superstition and idolatry: All which vndutifulnesse is couered vnderunder the cloke of conscience, when in deede it is nothing lesse; as in place wee shewe. So as with some altering of this mans woordes we may say: The Diuell or cōmon enimie laugheth thereat, the example is very euill to those abrode that shall heare thereof, and perillous to the state at home, while other like thēselues may seeme to be incouraged in naughtie vsage, the good and dutifull subiects are offended & molested with this treacher ous dealing, the Prince also and the state more troubled then otherwise needed, in preuenting and repressing the seditions that are heereby attempted and mooued, neither taking comfort in such Mates presently, nor hoping any good at their hands in time to come, vnlesse God giuegive thē better minds, then they yet shew themselue to hauehave: For howe can her Maiestie trust them that vngodly breaking God his testament, and the othe made vntounto his Maiestie in Baptisme; (as this man calleth it) betake themselues, not to Christe and Christian religion comprised in holy scriptures, but to Rome and Romishe religion deuised by men, that I say not, by the Diuell of Hell himselfe, and withall, leauing their naturall borne Soueraigne and Prince, followe the Pope and forraine power, to her Graces great preiudice, and the impayring, so much as they may, of her royall dignitie and title, which, also to the vttermost of their power, they impugne, and would bring into hazarde: And as for those of contrary religion vntounto them, that is suche as here sticke to the Gospel and the sincere profession thereof, how can they like of such, as make no conscience to roue without the boundes of Gods booke in his matters, choosing to themselues a religion at pleasure (if will worship may rather be called religion, then by the owne proper name of superstition) so this whole parte might hauehave beene spared well enough, if it had liked the authour.

Where the Authour makes the lawfull and iust punishments layde vponupon certaine of late in England to be for different opinions in religion only, as though they were otherwise quiet men and good Subiects, besides the publike testimonies of the lawes and state here to the contrary, what euer they say or pretend, all the worlde that hauehave any eyes may see that they iustly suffer in respect of sedicious and rebellious attemptes, and the busie sturres they make in disquieting at home and abrode this peaceable state. And albeit; it please the authour to cal it Constancie and faithfulnesse to God, yet they that list to examine, shall finde it an inconstant turning from y^t dutifull obedience, which they had once sworn to their soueraigne & prince, ioyned w^t vnconscionable & great vnfaithfulnes to God & her Maiestie. M. Howlet, & his fellow, to make shew & only to make shew; talke of Nobilitie & Noble men, great worship, and Worshipfull men, many Gentlemē, men of countenance and credite in their countries, important stayes to her Maiestie and state heere, &c. They are all in amplifications, in great matters and personages: Meane personages be no fit matter for their high stile; and yet, God bee thanked, among them of countenance and great calling, there are not so many so vnwise in this case, as they woulde make men beleeue, that abstaine from comming to Church and refuse the oth of Allegeance. It is a sort of Runneagates of very meane calling, that liue for most part on exhibitiō & almes of other mē at Rome, Rhemes, &c. Say this man here what he will, & as long as hee will, they shal be iudged at the last day with a more indifferent & vpright iudgement at Gods hands, thē by their own corrupt consciēces, or vaine opinions & fancies. False also is y^t he saith: that these men sticke to their faith, sworne vntounto God in their oth of Baptisme, which, because I treate of elswhere, I referre the Reader to y^t place. Neere onelyonly I note that this man maketh but two degrees of a publike faith or othe, and that truly: one to God; the other to the ciuile magistrate vnderunder God, which he calleth Englishe Subiectes secondarie faith and allegeance, sworne vntounto her highnes as to the substitute of God: according to the distribution of our Sauiour Christe in the Gospell. GiueGiveMat. 22. 22. to Caesar the things whiche are Caesars: and giuegive vntounto God those that are Gods. I woulde hee and his fellowes woulde hauehave kept them to this simplicitie and honest dealing still: Then shoulde they not vponupon a late reconcilement to the Pope and Poperie, by a third faith and othe, contrary to both these, hauehave so vnnaturally and vnchristianly shaken of obedience to God and her Maiestie. First her Maiestie in Gods name commaundeth that they shoulde haunt Church assemblies, and heare the preaching of the Gospel, pray with the congregation, and receiue Christes Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lordes Supper, make publike confession of the christian faith, &c. according to order heere taken by her Maiestie and y^e State after the rule of the Gospell. In refusing to doe this, they breake their first oth and promise of Baptisme, if they there made any to God, as seemeth they confesse they did: Next, her Maiestie requireth that they shoulde by oth acknowledge her soueraigntie as Gods substitute ouer them, that they should returne home into their Natiue countrie, & liue vnderunder their and our most naturall and gracious Queene, with other true hearted English Subieets. Shee cannot be yeelded vntounto, nor obeyed heerein by them: They make another substitute vntounto god here ouer English subiects, besides her maiestie in matters of obediēce to their prince & her lawes. They doe offer her Maiestie great wrong, who by their owne confession, giuegive vntounto her the seconde place, the second othe; may not shee iustly require at their handes to keepe their secondarie fayth, and Alleageance sworne vntounto her highnesse, as to the Substitute of God: Let them neuer talke of their obedient and well meaning mindes, that voluntarily and violently, so freely runne to the breaking of their secondarie fayth and alleagiance, sworne vntounto their ciuil Magistrate; call it they as they list. It can bee adiudged in deed and truth, no lesse then Periurie; and they in taking this wrong course, periured and forsworne men. It is a great worde and a high with these men, to talke of their obedient and well meaning mindes; Let them leaue their good intentes, and well meaning mindes, without all warrant of Gods booke, yea commonly contrary therevnto; and let her Maiestie hauehave them obedient, according to the wordes, and well meaning of the Scriptures, and shee will be content to quite their well meaning myndes otherwise: Yf neither the scripture, nor her maiesties laws, according to the Scriptures, nor I, that at this time put thē in minde of their dueties towards both, can auaile; At least, with them that delight in ancient fathers, let the testimonie of that most ancient father among other, teaching them their duetie, according to the doctrine of the Scriptures, preuaile with them herein, who speaking of the cheefe Ciuill Maiestrate in his time, and of the Christians vsage in obedience, and duetifulnesse towardes him, being an enimie to the Gospell, and a persecutour in those dayes, wrytethTertullian. ad Scapulam. thus: wee reuerence or honoure the Emperour as a man next vntounto God, and inferiour or lesse then God onelyonly. For so is he greater then all men, whilest he is lesse thē the onelyonly true God. Let Papistes embrace & followe this heauenly truth, vttered by our Sauiour Christ, vnderunder the name of God and Caesar (whiche are but two: this being likewise repeated afterwarde by the Apostle, vnderunder1. Pet. 2. 17. the name of God and the king, and heere by this father of God & the Emperour kept still:) keepe this moderation & rule and stick therto: without talking of God, the Pope, and then the Emperour, the King, Prince, and Ciuill Magistrate, for that is but an ill Commentarie, that corrupteth the text. In that which remayneth, is the Argument of this Discoursing letter, expressed &c. The Authour promiseth most briefly to touch three thinges in this letter to his friende. First, what cause or reason the Catholiks hauehave, to stande as they doe in the Refusal of thinges offered them, especially of going to the Church. Secondely, what way or meanes they may vse, to remedie or ease themselues of this affliction nowe layde' vponupon them for their consciences, so hee termeth their stubburnesse.

Thirdely, if that way or meanes doe not preuaile, then howe they ought to beare and endure the same.

Wee see the grounde of the whole letter that is nowe published, and made a Treatise, or Discourse; As it wel may bee so called: for in deede, he that euen nowe promised most briefly to touche three thinges in this letter, hath so amplie discoursed, trotting vp and downe in his first course, that wearying himselfe: partly by euill disposition of bodye, as he sayde elsewhere, partly by other sudden busines falling vponupon him, he was both inforced to leaue the place, and the matter, and tyme fayling him, and he saying more of the first point, then hee purposed at the beginning: the Messēger also, that brought that that was written awaye, being, as seemeth in poste haste, he forgate likewise, belike, what he had promised at the beginning, and therevpon eyther himselfe, or some other for him, rather as appeareth, is forced to excuse the omission of the seconde and thirde part, promised at the beginning. Thus hauehave wee a treatise hereof, borne out of time, maymed, and more then halfe a Monster. You that are so great schoolemen and Orators, shoulde hauehave learned, at the least out of Tullie, that: to omit any thing in deuiding is a very great fault: Yet two things are here cleane omitted, or two partes of your owne diuision, &c. It helpeth you not if you Scholasticall men, bee Scholastically, or Schoolelike followed, to say: you hauehave reckened vsus vppe all three partes that you purposed to treate of: for we reply, that you promised to treate of all three. Nowe, to runne such a course in one parte, that you quite leaue out the two other: I wot not well howe it will agree with the Rhetorike Schooles about you, nor what libertie you Orators, nowe a dayes take to your selues: and therefore I will leaue it, sauing that mee thinkes your friende M. Howlet, who is most like to bee the Poste or Messenger ye talke of, might hauehave forborne the printing of an vnperfect worke, or hauehave beene better aduised, then to hauehave Dedicated the same, at least to such a Personage as is her Maiestie: But we might stay well enough for the other two partes, this point to confirme, or obstinate and poyson rather, her Maicsties subiectes, was so necessarie, that it was to bee hastened: This was the Resolution of your wise heades; Yee are a Societie, I must suppose all is done by consent: Besides, I see M. Howlet in his Epistle Dedicatorie, to her Maiestie, hath entred into the seconde parte of his fellowes Diuision, as the same is reported vntounto vsus, in the excuse that is made in the latter ende of the booke: for though he hauehave omitted to treat of Instant and feruent Prayer to Almightie God, very necessarie for all Christians and namely for him and his felowes, that they may doe better then they doe: he taketh vpō him bolde recourse vntounto the Queenes Maiestie for tolleration in their corrupte religion, and he is busie with his Authours Motiues, &c. which is the seconde promised parte: It had beene better he had been more occupied in that hee hath left out of this seconde part of the Diuision, and to hauehave exhorted his Catholiks to obediēce to her maiesty, our most dread soueraine. This had beene a very necessarie point in deede, for such of his secte, as are here giuen to sedition and rebellion among vsus. Once, while it is sayde that the Authour meaneth, to this pointe to exhorte; many mischiefes by that ūde there while, are among vsus wrought. God amende them, or cut them more short. I will not charge M. Howlet heere with iniurie doyng, in preuenting his fellowe: because it is likely, all is done by compact & agreement among them. It may seeme as thinges fall out, that all this excuse of omitting the two latter partes, is but a flourishe, and the promise but a meere pretence: If health and leasure shall permit, he promiseth to finishe the rest: but I am hardely perswaded, that his health and leasure, will in these dayes serue him to perfourme so good an office, being so directly contrarie to the profession of their Popish religion, seeing especially it hath lost so good a place, as to hauehave gone first, or to hauehave been the foundation of the Supplication to her Maiestie. A great oportunitie and occasion lost: But least I seeme to dispayre of them, I pray God this peece of true obedience to her Maiestie, may bee thought of, and wrote of by these hot Catholikes: But y^t it may bee done with better conscience, & more stedfastnes, then hee that in Latin wroteSteuen Gardener. of true obediēce in her maiesties fathers dayes, the most famous & renoumed prince of blessed memory, K. Henrye theEdmond …. eight, or he y^t set the preface before it: who both of thē when time afterwarde serued, shamelessy reuoked that they had done, and returning to their vomite, most cruelly persecuted Gods people their brethrē, for & in y^t matter y^t they had before professed them selues, and published to the worlde, they shewed themselues without all conscience, time seruers onelyonly, &c. If to seeke to disturbe and molest by Rebellion their Lords and Princes, be the custome of Heretikes, and Sectaries of our time, then with vsus are the Papistes such here, who followe that trade with her Maiestie and this State right. If Subiectes bee bounde patiently to beare, and to obey, howe hardely so euer their Princes shall deale with them, vnderunder payne of deadly sinne and damnation, as these men in fayre wordes will seeme to professe, howe cōmes it then to passe they take vp the sword against their & our noble Queene Elizabeth. Again, if English men owe true obedience to her Maiestie, for consciēce sake, euen as to God himself, why do not papistes render it then; If it appertaine not to subiectes to iudge whether their Princes rule well or not, (as they say) why iudge they the whole matter so violently against her Maiestie; Why do other iustifie the same by wryting; yea, why procure they their Popes most traiterous bulles to be published and sent ouer hither; why come they not home, and liue like quiet Subiectes; words are winde, & all is but words & wind. Let thē declame as lōg & as loudlie as they will, hardly wil they be euer able to wash away this blot.

Now come I to the authours necessarie supposition, as he calleth it, and the two sortes of Catholikes that hee nameth, where he deuideth badly still, for he telleth vsus, There are to sortes of Catholikes in England. And when he hath done, maketh vsus three before he come to his Reasons. One sorte for the iustifiyng of whom he wrote his Treatise. Another sorte, for the reforming of whom hee wrote the same. And the third sort of very bad Catholikes, whom he accounteth damned men in this life. So where he telleth vsus there are here two sorts of Catholikes, we finde three, as we find but one parte, of his treatise, where he promised three: this is scholasticall and Orator like with these men. Let vsus heare what he sayth: But first of all is to be noted that my reasons to the end they may conuince, are to be supposed to proceede from a catholike minde, that is from a man which in his conscience is throughly petsuaded: that onelyonly the catholike Romane religion is trueth; and that all other newe doctrines and religions are false religions: as all newe Gods are false Gods. &c. First your supposition is ambiguous, doubtfull and captious, by reason you do not plainely and particularly enough expresse in the first part what the Catholike Romane religion is, which you say is onelyonly trueth: when you oppose all other doctrines and religions which you say are false, to the Romane religion, you call them newe. So as some man might thinke, ye talked in the first parte of y^e true christian religion groū ded vponupon the doctrine of the prophets and Apostles, and comprised in the canonicall Scriptures of Gods holy Byble which indeede is the onelyonly Truth and the old religion. And this is the very same her maiestie and we her subiects heere professe in the church of england, and is elsewhere professed by those that are termed Gospellers, Protestants &c, whom you yet account and call heretikes and their religion A newe doctrine and religion. Wee call this our religion, not in captious and doubtefull terme the Catholike Romane religion, or which we might with as muche right as you do; the Catholike English religion: but simply and plainly of the Authours, Gods and Christs true religion: Or if you wil, insteede of Rome and Romane, which be particular wordes restraining the word Catholike, wee are content to call it with your fellowe M. Howlet in his EPISTLE DEDICATORIE, the Christian Catholike Religion, or the holy catholike and Apostolike Religion, of the first Instrumentes and Planters thereof, as wee see set vsus downe in their writinges, or such like speech, for the knowledge, distinction, and triall of our religion, we refuse not. We are not wedded to one forme of words in that that may be diuersely expressed: as in time and with time tearmes and speeches, that for a time serue men, varie; but we woulde auoide cloudie ambiguitie in speech: if this I hauehave now spoken of, be the true religion, ye receiue, embrace, and beeleeue, we doe so with you, and you with vsus, that is wee agree; But vnderstand withall, that hereby we ouerthrowe all Poperie and Popish religion, as we doe Anabaptistrie, and all other false religions whatsoeuer deuised and erected by men, not warranted by Gods holy written worde call ye the same Romane, Italian, Germane, French, Spanish, English, Scottish, or what else you will, where and of whome soeuer it be professed, all is one; either it is that I hauehave here shortly described, or els it is false and naught: The true and Christian catholike religion, is not tyed to any certaine place, person, or time; but belongeth indifferently to all the Faithful, in al ages and in all places: eyther therfore tel vsus whether you meane by the catho like Romane religion, that Religion which the faithful people dwelling at Rome helde in the time of the Apostles, To whom S. Paule the Apostle of vsus Gentiles, and so of the Romanes; wrote the epistle extant and entituled to the Romanes: as he did diuers other to particular churches of y^e Gentiles, as y^t thē was, hauing yet beleeuing Iewes among them. Or if you take it other wise, make y^e religiō you meane first agree with that religion which those Romanes then helde and were instructed in, which was all one with that of the Ephesians Phillipians Thessalonians and other Churches planted by the Apostles, and with ours now, or ours rather is one with theirs, the which is expressed vntounto vsus in their writinges, whereto we sticke, and not to the places and people or persons that hauehave succeeded, which all hauehave greatly swarued since frō y^t they then were. Or else, if you like not to call your religion to this triall keepe your supposition to your selfe as false, til you hauehave prooued the matter, for we cannot, to be plain w^t you, nor we may not receiue the Romane religion as it is at this day and hath beene now some hundreths of yeres, for the Truth, much lesse for y^e only truth; vnlesse we mind withal, to quite & abandō God & his eternal Truth, expressed vntounto vsus as his reuealed will, that is in the canonicall Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament, which is commonly called The holy byble, as directly contrary to your Romane and Popish religion at this day, as white, is to black, Truth, to Falshood, Christ, to Antichrist, God, to the Diuell, wherof, let that booke be the iudge betweene vsus. Looke whose religion that booke will iustifie, looke whose it will condemne, that doe we likewise iustifie or condemne, by what name soeuer it be called, what coulour or shewe soeuer bee set vppon it, wee must bring it to that triall. It is not the name of traditions, It is not vnwritten verities, It is not multitude. &c, which be the props and pillers of your Romane church and religion, that can call vsus from the infallible written Truth of God: howeuer therefore your glosed and false supposition maye satisfie your side or serue a glosed and false religion, it cannot serue this church and state, you may not looke to hauehave it by and by receiued of the Queenes most excellent maiestie, of the honourable Lordes of her priuie counsaile, and other the godly, learned, & wise of englād. You might think y^t could not nor would not perswade, so godly and honourable personages; that is meeter for the ignorant sort and fooles: youforeign must lay a better foundatiō, you must bring better euidence before your Reasons can conuince. Suppositions shoulde be certaine principles and euident truthes, not so manifest falshoode as this is, to be receiued without proofe, wee canAristot. lib. 1. ca. 2. not suppose, at least we cannot knowe, that is not. I wishe therefore ye had trauailed in proouing this captious and false supposition, that after, your reasons might hauehave come the better to their effect & end of cōuincing; or we seen your feeble weakenes in your cause: But that you were not able to perfourme, you thought best to suppose, and occupie your selfe in flourishing with shew of … reasons, groū ded on false principles, rather then forciblye to prooue or to reason soundly. But Aristotle could hauehave tolde you thatAristot. …. lib. 1. cap. 1. &. in Elenchis &c. in Art of reasoning, thus to doe, is to make a Paralogisme, or in plainer english to speake; it is a kinde of iugling and of false and naughtie dealing. Suppose not that the Romane religion, as it is at this day, is the onelyonly old religion, and all other newe. The religion we professe, is (as truer) so older than your newe Romane religion, As Christ, his Apostles, and their writings are before those, vponupon whom and whose writings you would hauehave vsus to depend. It may bee in some kinde, that your olde vesselles be not fit to receiue this newe …: If the vessels breake, though the wine be spilt, yet the vessels perish. I counsaile you therefore to bring newe vessels Luke. 5. 33.and newe heartes, that the newe wine beeing put into newe vessels both may be preserued, rather then that you abhorre and reiect the newe wine, because it agreeth not with your olde leaking vessels. An olde ragged coate, An olde rotten tree, An old decayed house, &c. If you will needs sticke vponupon old and newe, are not the best and moste to bee commended you knowe: Please not your selfe therefore so much in these tearmes: But leaue them and goe to the matter. Let Gods booke, still I say, be iudge betweene vsus, for the thinges you bring foorth, and the thinges we bring, and there an end. Wee purpose and hope for religion to liue and dye with that booke.

For your Catholikes, you say there are two sortes, and yet if I can iudge ought, yee make three: first you tell vsus of such as be so wicked, and their case so damnable, as yee minde not to intreate of them: then you tell vsus of another sort of Catholikes, for whome this Treatise was made to reforme their persuasion, builded as you say, only vppon their owne fantasie. Yee might as well hauehave vsed your owne phrase of Conscience, if it had pleased you, though indeede for abusing the good worde of conscience, false persuasiō or fancy were euerie where fitter for you all in your profession. Thirdly, you make yet an other sort of catholikes besides these two: and them you call the onelyonly true Catholikes, which altogether refuse to cōforme themselues to the exercises of religion heere, and to take the othe of alleageance to her Maiestie, their Soueraigne and ours vnderunder God, &c.

Now Sir, I take it, that these are three sorts of Catholikes. Neuerthelesse make them for your pleasure but two sortes in other order thus. One sort of false Catholikes, as in deede yee all and eueryevery mothers childe of you Rome byrdes be none other. Let the second sort be true Catholikes: but not in your sense, that is hot papists. Then againe, of your false Catholikes make two sortes: one no Christians, and therefore much lesse Catholikes, as you speak, though you say they be Catholikes in another place. The other sort of false Catholikes that remaine, for whom you pretende that your treatise was made: yee call them elswhere colde Catholikes, Schismatike Catholikes, heathen men, Publicanes, &c. and suche as yee abhorre forFol. 28. & 61. their onelyonly going to the Protestants Churches. For your selues y^t are hot Catholikes take your place among the false Catholiks where you like best; a place among true Catholikes can you neither finde your selues nor … afoord you, except ye alter your profession. Heere is much adoe about Catholikes, & a great stirre, some true, som false, som hot, some cold, some schismatique, some Heathen, and Publicanes, some imbraced, some abhord. &c. and yet all Catholikes: Wee poore Protestantes may be glad we are out of your handes, when you play such Pageants among your own mē, taking a generall view of your Catholikes here amongest vsus in Englande, and deuiding and seuering the same with your Catholik and diuine iudgement, at first chop ye send the most of them quicke to Hell without all hope of recouery. At next hacke yee cut of a many branches, if not the very stocke and body, and leaue but a branche, and that a weake branche of that tree in this soyle, God be praysed therefore. Only they true Catholikes; y^t do not nor will not come to church heere amongest vsus, nor acknowledge the Queenes Supremacie &c. Are all other catholikes heere led with fancie; Are they schismatikes, or damned in hell; Speake out alowde and be plaine. So yee say, & I am in some respect, glad ye so say of your catholikes here amongst vsus, not y^t I wishe thē dānatiō, which ye threat, or yet their hurt any way: but y^e I hope wel it wil make some of them better aduised. Doe one sort of your catholikes heere sinne against the holy Ghost? Are they to bee accounted damned in this life; no Christians; &c. A harde iudgement against those of your owne religion, a pitifull case sure: but not with you, who iudge them to blaspheme against y^e holy Ghost y^t willingly breake your holy Canons, presume to speake against thē, or willingly agree to them that so will doe. And in deede to say the truth of25. q. I. Vialatores. them, if there be any such as you here describe, they are very naughtie men in deepely dissembling with God, their soueraigne, & the Church, but yet not so bad, as ye make thē, no dāned persons, without all hope of recouerie whiles they liue, not sinners against the holy ghost, for all this, if thinking on their miserable case they will vnfeignedly returne not to you and your religion which leaue them no hope, but to God by heartie repentance, for deeply dissembling with him and the worlde. You reiect them quite, & acknowledge them to be no true catholikes; but schismatikes excommunicate persons, &c. This hauehave they gotten, by liking and professing all this while your Popish religion: when you once shew your selues to fall out with them, a poore recompence at your handes: You hauehave amongst you the keyes of heauen, hell, and Purgatorie, ye can when yee list, sende all men whether you list quicke and dead: but yee sende men too fast to hell, to be charitable, especially those of your own sect and profession: Neuerthelesse, if God hauehave giuen them eares to heare, we say first to you, for some excuse or defence of such, as being aforetime of your sect and religion: howeuer you knew them in those dayes, yet we take them to bee changed men now, to hauehave learned foorth another and better lesson in Christes schoole; and as charitie woulde wee iudge the best of them, and generally to speake, wee thinke they allowe of Christes religion here professed. In summe that their saying, professing, and doing agree, till they manifestly shew the contrary. You sir, that can see farre in a milstone, are priuie to mens cōsciences, it is y^e seate where Antichriste challengeth to sit. You tell vsus here what men iudge in their consciences, we cannot go so farre, we leaue that to God, & themselues. You y^t know well by experience belike your catholike religion, to be full of hypocrisie and dissimulation, & to yeelde Hypocrites, iudge according to your spirite, and the fruites of your religion: but wee tell you, we iudge them to … been in a new and better schole, els wee wishe them at least to betake themselues to better maisters then to such, as iudging so hardely, deale thus cruelly with them: If they hauehave by confession tolde you their conscience in eare shrift, yet are you … to vtter the same. Next, if that will not serue; for that you presume to knowe those of your side, better then wee doe: we bid them, remaining in opinion, such as you tell vsus, looke for that in deede in the end, vnlesse they repent and that heartily, which you here threaten them, euen hell fire with hypocrites. A iust recompence for suche religion and doyng: but not in respect that they haunt our Church assemblies thogh, but for not rightly … the same to Gods glory, their owne comfort and edifiyng, and the benefite of other, for not changing their fansie, and foolish opinion, which you call Catholike religion & conscience, for continuing in this cleare light of the Gospel, obstinate in their ignorance and superstitions, for their wilfull refusing of Gods mercifull calling, &c. which calling of God, if vponupon this aduise they yeelde vntounto accordingly, we assure them (by the warrant of Gods worde) of Gods merciemercy and fauour in Christ. In the meane while, we obserue here that amongst you that will needes bee called Catholikes, there bee by your owne confession, diuers Sectes, that ye neede not so hotly condemne vsus your aduersaries and our Religion, because there be Sectes among vsus, and diuers opinions, whereof your selues and your Religion is no cleerer, nay, it is not harde to finde more diuersitie of opinions among you by your owne confessions, then among those that professe the Gospel, euen here. M. Howlet, wryting in his Epistle to her Maiestie, of the diuers knowne religions in Englande at this day, reduceth them to foure heades with their professours, to wit; Catholiks, Protestants, Puritans, Houshoulders of LoueLove, &c. By Catholikes, hee meaneth such as are of your side. Housholders of LoueLove, are well known, neyther to belong to the profession of our Religon, and to better agree with Papistes and Poperie, then with the Gospel of Christ. Puritans (as it pleaseth you Papists to call some here) are by you expounded in this Treatise: Fol. 39. …. 2.to be the hotter sort of Protestants. So that here be but two sortes of Protestants, and this is the difference yee make: Of Protestants, some here are hotter, and some are colder, and yet neyther sinne against the holy Ghost. Are these diuers in Religion; Then I pray you make the like of you Catholikes, as you will be called, for some of you are hot, some are colde, some Puritan Catholikes of y^t hotter and better sort as ye say. Some other more conformable men, as you here speake. And so of colde Catholikes, Fol. 21.yee tell vsus in another place of your booke: Adde the contrary difference, and ye shal find a sort of hot Catholikes too: Or else if you wil, make three sortes of Catholiks heere in Englande, as you nowe expresse vsus, and so one sort more, then you make of Protestants. When you hauehave reconciled your selues in opinions: Then will it bee time enough, for you to talke of great diuision among vsus here in Religion, for some difference in opinion that is founde among vsus, which you count an insolluble argument of your side against vsus, and yet may easily you see, bee turned on your owne heades.

Your three sortes of Catholikes, that I say you here expresse, thus doe I set downe, taking the same from your owne woordes. The Catholikes that are in this wryting iustified onelyonly, are suche as iudge all other Religions false erroneous, and damnable besides their owne, whiche they call the Catholike Roman religion. This is one point & common to al Catholiks, true, false, one and other. With all these, iudge all perticipation with the religion here professed in deede, worde, or shewe, by othe, by sacramentes, &c. naught, forbidden, and vnlawfull: Another, or the seconde point not so common to all: & herevppon by no meanes will they admit or consent to communicate with the same; This is the thirde and last point, proper to true Catholiks, as you call them, M. Howlet, the authour of this Treatise, and such like bee of this first sort of Catholiks. There are made another sort of Catholikes that are said to agree with these in the two first pointes, disagreeing from them, in the thirde onelyonly: And yet these that agree so well with them in opinion, and dissent from them in doing onelyonly, and that as they speake, for feare, or some worldely respect: the former Catholikes so abhorre and detest, that they pronounce these yet aliue in God his prouidence, dead and damned in hell. They are priuie to their consciences, they knowe who shal goe thither: nay, they sende at pleasure whome they liste: they leaue these men without comforte or hope of pardon, and esteeme them no Christians, much lesse Catholikes, so hee here pronounceth of them. Of the thirde sorte, I speake after in his place; that agree with the first onelyonly in one, and the first of the three pointes disagreeing in the other two pointes. These seconde Catholikes in the meane while aduise I thus: Take heed to your selues, all y^t at this day liue in Englande and be in heart of the Romishe religion, or hauehave to these your ghostly fathers by shrifte, or other wise shewed your selues to bee such: finding your selues in this seconde ranke of Catholikes, prouide for your selues I counsell you, it standeth you in hande once: for you are shutte out of doores for euer from the communion of the Church of Rome in this life, and are firebrandes appointed by Gods prouidence to hell in the worlde to come by definitiue sentence; while yee yet liue here, your Maister of whom you hauehave learned your religion, and who best knoweth (as seemeth) your heartes and consciences, and the nomber of you, speaketh thus, telling vsus; there bee very many such in Englande, though we hardly beleeue him, you must suppose whyle you holde you to that Religion, that this is the Sentence of the Pope of Rome, and so of the Catholique Churche and of GOD him selfe in heauen, immutable and vnreuocable, neuer to bee forgiuen neither in this worlde, nor in the worlde to come.Fol. 5. pag. 1. This is true, if God be not vntrue, sayth this Catholike M. Alas poore men and women: Consider in time, into what extremitie and miserie yee are thrust by those, whome yee holde of, and whome ye hauehave taken all this while to be your good friendes. I pittie your harde case, I assure you: It greeueth mee to heare tell of your eternall damnation in hell fire. They talke of the case of perplexitie, wherein men are sometime wrapped: But here men are tumbled and wrapped in a harder case by this religion, if harder may be; for dispensation with them might serue where men be forced, or by necessitie driuen, to choose and doe euill (as they can speake): here is no hope of any, they are alreadie paste all recouery in their determination? GOD giuegive poore soules grace, to consider this geare at the heart: Leauing the maze of Poperie: I will nowe endeuour to speake out of Gods booke some what better to your comfort (good heartes) that yee may see the difference betweene the Gospell aud Poperie, our Religion and that, bee it neuer so vnholie, will needes bee called Catholique. They vngodly and vncharitably … you, and driue you with maine force into dispaire for euer. Salue it vp as they can: we call you, we comfort you, we stretch out our armes to imbrace you, God rather sending vsus to preache the Gospell, & to cal sinners to repentance; by vsus as his instrumēts doth this for you, but marke well howe; to repentance (I say) and in y^t Christ Iesu doth god and wee call you. Be not deceiued, in assuring you (in Gods name) as we are bounde, of pardon for all the sinnes that ye hauehave euer heretofore committed frō the beginning. We bring you no pardon frō Rome, nor from the Pope, of which you see your selues to be out of al hope, by those your Ghostly fathers iudgement, that were sent & came hyther to reconcile true catholikes as they speake, to the Pope; you are none of them; they tell you nowe the resolute truth with thē, and their conscience: If they speake otherwise hereafter, neuer beleeue them that pretending conscience, speake this without all conscience: But wee tell you out of Gods word, there is yet some hope and comfort for you, so you will leaue that Popish religion, and betake your selues to the profession of the Gospel of Christ, turning from your sinnes and transgressions into the way of righteousnesse. Hearken, heare, and beleeue vsus, we wil not speake vntounto you our owne imaginations and fancies, and call them our conscience and truth: But we bring you the worde of the eternall God, and hisReade Ezek. 33. 11. & 18. 23. to the 32. reuealed will and truth, which is this, that as he liueth, he desireth not the death of the wicked: but that the wicked turne from his way & liue. Turne you, turne you from your euill waies (Oh mark this word well). For why will you die, O yee house of Israell. Though your sinnesEsay. 1. 18. wereas crimsin, they shalbe made white as snow: though they were red like scarlet, they shalbe as wooll. This is a true saying, & by all meanes worthie to be receiued,1. Tim. 1. 15. that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners. So God loued the worlde that hee hath giuen his onelyonly begottenIoh. 3. 16. 17. 18. &c. sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perish but hauehave euerlasting life: For God sent not his sonne into the worlde, that hee should condemne the world, but that the worlde through him might be saued. Hee that beleeueth in him, &c. reade forwarde to the 22. verse. These and such like be the very first wordes that are spoken, and they shall dayly heare to their comfort that resort to our Churches: But still marke the condition, of leauing our owne defections from God, of repentance, and turning from our owne wicked wayes, &c. Turne thereforeLooke to this purpose, Daniels confession. from Popery, and hearken to this doctrine, and tell vsus truely and in deed whether religion is more true and moreDaniel. 9. comfortable vntounto you. This which is Christes, and therefore ours, we wish and will no other: Or the Popes deliuered in this treatise, that condemneth you, as you heare. And yet, if all bee well marked, for all this comfortable doctrine of y^e gospel, that is, of God his mercy & grace vntounto sinners; that by the way I may answere y^t Popish cauill: Preach we not carnall libertie, wee set not open any windowe to sinne, we make not men slouthfull and negligent in godly life and good workes, &c. as the Papists sclaunder this doctrine. In opening this plentifull fountaine of God his grace to troubled and weake consciences, we stop not vpp nor let not the brookes & riuers course that issue thence, of godlinesse and good life; nay wee further & aduance the same greatly: I woulde the Papistes and Poperie did the like; but that will they neuer doe, we are faine to be occupied in scowring & clensing, where they hauehave troubled with their filthie mudde; that our doctrine and religiō may herein the better be knowne: This foundation doe we lay therof; This order with the holy Apostle, in summe, doe wee keepe: The grace of God that bringeth saluation vntountoTit. 2. 11. …. 13. 14. all men hath appeared, and teacheth vsus that we shoulde denie vngodlinesse, and worldly lusts, and that we should liue soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present worlde, looking for that blessed hope, and appearing of the glory of the mightie God, and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe, who gaue himself for vsus, that he might redeeme vsus from all iniquitie, and purge vsus to be a peculiar people vntounto himselfe, zelous of good workes. So then the cleere manifestation of God his healthfull grace, or the preaching of the Gospell of the grace of God, which is the worde of life: is so farre of from ouerthrowing godly life and good workes; that it is the fountaine thereof, it establysheth and setleth the same, and like a good Schoole maister, is occupied in faithfully teaching all … towardes God and man. God make vsus good and meete schollers. This we beleeue, and this we professe: this we dayly professe, this we dayly propounde and teache: in receiuing and following this course, we are not deceiued, we erre not; nay we are sure we goe the right way, we please God, and subscribe to the docrine of the holy Ghoste: rayle the aduersarie as much as he list, against our doctrine and profession.

But I cannot let this Censurer passe thus, that not onelyonly cruelly handeleth his companions: but her Maiestie, the State, the Lawes, and Magistrates here: If this (saith he) bee true, as it is, if God bee not vntrue (where warranted, tell vsus; bare affirmation suffiseth not) then in what a miserable case standeth many a man in England at this day which take othes, receiue Sacraments, goe to Churche, and commit many a like act, directly against their owne consciences, and against their owne knowledge, you shoulde say against fantasticall opinion &c. Nay, what a case doe they stande in which know such thinges to … directly against othēr mens consciences; and yet do cōpel them to doe it: As to receiue against their will, to sweare agaist their will, and the like, &c. First, we tell you Sir, for the Scriptures yee cited before, for this purpose, that yee corrupt the same: and that which yee say is false and ill applyed. Next, wee say in iust defence of her Maiestie our dread Soueraigne and the State, that yee … them: for there is no such enforcement, by your owne confessiō, but that it might be borne, & the going to church, is simplie a willing & free actiō in those of your religiō y^t doe it, here you say they receiue against their wil, swere against their wil & y^e like Fol. 21. You say cōtrary y^t it is not against their wil but a willing & fre actiō, absolutely & simply: speak thus stil: & ye answer for her maiestie & the state, & condemn that you here say, so you cōclude of it: Wher things done by outward violence & compulsion are simplie inuoluntary actions. And yet if it were otherwise, her maiestie, & the state … cause all the packe of of you false Catholikes: as much as in them lyeth, to … by the doctrine of the Gospell instructed: and to be priuately also conferred withall, for the remoouing of you, from your foolish, that I say not; deuilish opinions. They knowe, what euer you brag of conscience, that if you will not hearken and geue ouer to the Gospell and word of God, it is but wilfull obstinacie and peeuish standing in your conceiued opinions. It is senselesnes, and not consciēce. They know & see that your proceedinges and busie stirres needes some sharper seueritie than hither vntounto; seeing you hauehave so greatly abused her maiesties former lenitie and clemencie. According to dutie therefore to God, in their calling, doe they proceede. Lastly, they, hauehave for their warrant the example of godly Emperours, Kings, and States both before Christ, & since, set down in histories & their lawes. This am I forced often to tell you and your fellowes that so much and often maliciously repeate this intollerable and wicked …. For the other point of your allegation of Scriptures, finde vsus the wordes in the fourteenth chapter to the Romanes, you set vsus downe, which ye shall neuer be able to doe looke euen vponupon your owne translation: Or else confesse when you are taken with the manner, that you are a corrupter of the Scripture. Is a mans corrupte or erroneous conscience or knowledge and fayth all one think you; such knowledge, if ye so will call it, is one thing c: onscience is another, and faith differing from both, a third thing. Errour and falshod in knowledge bastard and corrupt the same, be enemies to faith, & no friends to conscience Humble, iumble, such is your religious handling of the scriptures. I pray you howeuer you talke of y^e sense & meaning; shuffle vsus not out the holy Ghostes wordes & phrase. A man, when the Apostle speaketh onelyonly of the faythfull, is too general. Decerne or iudge it to be vnlawfull, is put into the text by your self, as is, not according to his cōsciēce or knowledge. The next words adioyning, are also a text of your own coining. In y^e last of the three sentēces here cited, out of the fourteenth to the Romanes, where finde you in doing contrary to that he best alloweth; And all these corruptions be in that one place that you would cite out of S. Paule to the Romanes. It is the first text yee alleadge, yee geue vsus but a taste therein, of the forgerie we hauehave to looke for at your hands, if we hauehave not good regard to you & your doinges, It is not for vsus now adaies to receiue things from you, namely the scriptures at your handes vponupon your bare credit and reporte. S. James his place also somewhat halteth by your citation: but let this passe. M. Howlet and you iumping so close together in corrupting this text of S. Paule I neede adde no more then that I hauehave alreadie sayd thereof: but referre the reader to my answere made to him in his place: whereof, if you and hee hauehave any, shape me a good defence, you wil leese nothing for quoting thrise for failing the fourteenth to the Romans in your margin Matthewe, Marke and Luke, for one sentence of the Gospell. Iohn the 15. prooueth not that you cite it for. Gregorie out of whom you tooke it citeth it fitlier a great deale. Actes. 9. occupieth also a roome, and toucheth not this sinne against the holy Ghost, vnlesse the whole had beene better vnderstoode, & applied, howeuer you would needs set vsus downe those holy writers to fill vp your margin, yet might you hauehave spared well enough your doctors: your D. Thomas is twise heere called forth, Gregory the Pope, is adioyned to him, the place alleadged out of Augustine is sufficiently answeared by the Godly and learned brother D. Fulke. It is very vnfitly applied to the multitude and common sorte, & suche as doe things for feare, &c. That Augustine sheweth, is properly to be applied to captaines and ringleaders; but without all proofe, more vnfitly yet to such as ioyne with truth and godlines though erring in conscience, is that applied which pertaineth to the leaders into error, schisme, & …, but the supposition must helpe although it be no reason. S. Pauls doctrine speaking of meats, or things in thēselues indifferēt & lawful: & your doctrine talking of cōmunicating with the churches wherein the Gospel of Christ is preached, or abstaining from the same, which is simply good or euill, agree as wel as light and darknes, truth & falshood. Ye say truly that S. Paul layeth no lesse punishmēt vponupon the sinne against a mans owne conscience, than iudgement & damnation, no more doth he vponupon any sinne: Be it done according to the doers conscience, as you single thinges, or against it: for that doctrine is generall, The wages of sinneRom. 6. 23. is death: By one offence giltines vponupon all to condemnation. Rom. 5. 18 & 16.And againe, iudgement of one offence, vntounto condemnation. &c. But hee dealeth more fauourably with the parties and their persons than you doe; who leaue them without all hope of pardon in this world, or in the worlde to come, charging them to hauehave sinned against the holy Ghost. &c. S. Paule in the 14. to the Romanes, chargeth not those so farre, vnlesse he be racked: but that by repentance they may be renued again. The matter ye talke of is but an act cōmitted against a foolish cōceite, or diuellish opiniō: which hardly can be called conscience, vnlesse yee prooue it better than hitherto. God open their eyes, and geue them, that be entangled therein grace to leaue it. I answere you, I defende not their sin & wickednes, what euer it be: neither must ye think we equal al sinnes or make no degrees therein, we acknowledge some be greater, worse, and more hainous sinnes then other, but this is not vnpardonable nor sinne against the holy Ghost, that we say.

For your description of sinne against the holye Ghost out of D. Thomas to be against an appropriate good thing, as your schooles like to speake. As we are not bound to beleeue them nor you in your subtilties: So in the application ye make there of vponupon your owne Catholikes and to sinne committed against conscience, hardly agree you with D. Thomas, who maketh that sinne to be committed of certain malice onelyonly. Againe I meruaile how you, that are so addict to old doctors, could (to follow this opinion of others) leaue the expositiō of the auncient doctors herein. Athanasius, Hilarie, Ambrose, Hierom, Chrisostome, and Augustine, whose sentences of the sinne against the holy Ghost. D. Thomas reckoneth vp in his summe. And if this …, y^t yee follow be admitted, & the sixe kinds of sinne against the holy Ghost, that D. Thomas after the M. setteth down, you had neede to looke well to your selfe, that you bee not2. 2 q 14. … charged therewith, rather then set so fiercely vponupon other.Inuidentia …. Besides this, where your D. Thomas in his golden chaine vponupon the words of Christ, expressely treateth of the… grace in ones brother. sin against the holy Ghost; And after his maner reckoneth vp the approued doctors opinions he mentioneth not that expositionD. Thom. in aurea cathena. in 12. Matth. that you heere set vsus downe: And seemeth directly to charge you in this your application therof, to be a Nouatian heretike; who saide that the faithfull after their fal can not rise by repentance, nor attaine to the forgiuenes of their sinnes, principally they which being in persecution (marke this) did denie the truth, And this is the woorst that I am sure, euen you can, will, or doe charge your owne Catholikes with now: who you say are to be accounted (ac cording to S. Paule, that is vntrue) damned men in this life: Or that they sinne against the holy Ghost, whiche to say is to playe the Nouatian heretike. Moreouer, D. Thomas thus reporteth there, not from himselfe alone; I cannot see how euen the departing from christianitie or the catholike church is sinne against the holy Ghost, and reason thereof is there rendred. Againe, it cannot be iudged of in this life: for we must dispaire of none as long as the patience of God bringeth to repentance: for what if those whome vou note in any kinde of error, and condemne them as most desperate men before they end this life, repent and finde true life in the worlde to come, with manie other thinges which out of Augustine he there reciteth, whom, hee also most commonly, followeth. These thinges be contrary to your singular opinion against your false Catholikes. And yet I suppose you will admit this: if not for their sake, out of whom it is alleged, yet for that ye take that which D. Thomas wrote as a heauenly Oracle, according to ChristsBene … i de one Thoma. dixit … Christi. answere, so you beeleeue, geuen Fryer Thomas by the mouth of the Image of the crucifixe: Thou hast written well of me Thomas. Furdermore, if one woulde enter into more particular examination of that you say, it were not harde to improoue this your subtile exposition: and by as good ground to ascribe to the father authority, to the sonn natiuitie, or with the scripture power & grace, which you appropriate to the father and the holy Ghost. And to theAug de Ver. do mini serm. 11. holy Ghost communitie of the father & the son, vnitie, societie,Vide D. Thom in 12. Mattb. charitie, or else power which you ascribe here to the father, as it may be to both the father and the holy Ghost &c. This were not hard for him to do, y^t were disposed to dallyIohn. 1. 17. w^t the Scriptures and truth of God, as you do, drawing y^t 1. Cor. 1. 24.same into diuers & vncertain expositiōs too irreligeously. Gregory hath not one word of sin against the holy Ghost in place ye quote: I graunt you, he speaketh of insirmitie, ignorance,Mag. Senten. lib. 2. …. 43. D. & …. lib. 1. and purpose, but eueryevery sinne done aduisedly or of purpose is not sinne against the holy Ghost. I pray you, sir, if these your catholikes did commit a sinne, and that a greeuous sinne in haunting Protestants churches (which I trust they doe with better and more religious minds than you iudge, or hereafter at least will, Iudge nothing beefore the time vntill the Lorde come. &c. and so sinne not1. Cor. 4. 5. at all, But serue God faythfully) But I say put the case, there be some such naughtie men (then God amende them) But why I pray you may they not be iudged to do y^t they do, of humane frailtie, as did Peter, seeing you say they doe it for feare, fauour, or some worldly cause. This is but hard freedome, harde election, and hardly to be called meere will and malice, if al these termes be admitted to define sinne against the holy Ghost. Augustines modestie, noted by Thomas, would hauehave beseemed you: This is a deepe question, let theAug. de verb. domini …. 10 light of exposition thereof be sought for of the Lorde. I tel you beloued, there is not possible a greater nor a harder questiō in al the holy Scriptures: Thus far Augustine, Whose description both Petrus Lombardus, and Thomas auowe and like, better then I doe youres. There seeme ywis moe thinges required in the description of it, than you heere expresse. In your heat you shake vp these your catholikes: God make them wise, and you shall gaine little eyther by them or by that kinde of handling. It is better going to the Popes hell, or by his pretended sending thither than by his, that is able to destroy both body and soule inMatth. 10. 28 hell fire. Wherefore let vsus feare him that is the eternall God, which alone hath power to saue and to destroy. IIames. 4. 12. speake not all this while to defend any man in doing against conscience any thing, or if these men hauehave so shaken off al reniorce of conscience, that they are lulled a sleepe in securitie; I with them to awake to learne a better religion which is ioyned with conscience. I answere the aduersaries vniust charge and threat, and hope the best of such as communicate with Christes church and religion, here professed, or shewe them whereto they hauehave at least to trust. I woulde hauehave none flatter themselues in euill, which these men cariyng such a conscience, as he here speaketh of, or suche a minde, and not altering the same, doe, and are in a dangerous case for nourishing such a serpent in their bosome, as is poperie; and yet dissemble with all the worlde, in pretending to be of another religion. The mans talke here (hauing been possible abrode a shriuing of many, or taken it frō them that hauehave so done, and so knowing their consciences better then we, that liue among them, and are dayly conuersant with them: for that we sift not their consciences) may make one doubte there bee manye hollowe harted Catholikes among vsus, or worldlinges rather and Atheistes: for in deed such are vtterly without God & hauehave no cōscience at al. I wishe them therefore to looke about thē, men may be damned & many a one is damned for other sins, thē the sin against the holy Ghost, how euer they sinne, & that greeuously: I dare not say they sinne against the holy Ghost for al this, or may not' be good mē in time to cōe. Thus make I mine argumēt against y^e aduersarie: Nothing supposed to be done of feare, fauour or other passiō, can be iustly called sin against the holy Ghost: The Catholikes cōmunicating w^t our churches is a thing supposed to be done, of feare, fauour, or other passion, euen by this man and other of that syde: Therefore the Catholikes communicating with our Churches, can not bee iustly called sinne against the holy Ghost. Thus far of those, that you accompt the worst, and to to badde Catholikes, I pray God we may find them good Christians: And yet, if they hauehave learned any euill, they hauehave learned it of your religion and in your schoole. I hauehave beene herein the longer bicause the whole booke seemeth to be written against this kinde of men. God open their eyes they may see, knowe, and discerne their friendes from their foes, bee carefull, and watchfull, amending at least in time to come, that which is amisse.

The third sort of catholikes, or the seconde as you tearm them (quite leauing out such as your selfe are) agree but in one of the three points I spake of before, & dissent in two: they iudge all religions beside theyr owne, say you, false, erronious & damnable, this hauehave they cōmon with other Romane catholikes: but they thinke it lawfull for some worldly respect, as for sauing their offices, dignities, liberties, credits, or the like, to shewe themselues conformable men, in going to church, and other church proceedinges here. &c. thinking also other too scrupulous that stand in refusal of y^e same. This make you y^e proper difference of these from other catholikes. Nowe as they agree with the rest in the first point: so in going to church, taking othe, communicating. &c. they disagree from hot Catholikes, and agree therein with those I hauehave at large discoursed of euen now^te. The more I perceiue they acquaint them selues with the Gospell of Christ here professed and receiued: the more dutifull they shewe them selues to her Matestie, the worse bee they liked of you: but the matter is not great. Albeit these agree no better with you hot Catholikes, but dissent in mo pointes then the other that went afore, yet ye thought it pollicie belike, hauing so scourged and taken vp those, somewhat here to spare these men, least you should do your religion too much hurt, if you should fal too farre out with all besides your selues. In places elsewhere, you take them vp very sharply thogh: but here thinking good to forbe are, least you should want another mayne branche of your tree, yee hauehave thought good to make this Treatile for them, and take paynes to set downe Reasons, for the due reforming of them, being in better hope then of the former: but if all thinges bee well considered, there will bee found falshood in felowship, and very hollow dealing. You cut them off from you, and yet you woulde fayne holde them in still, what opinion you hot Catholikes hauehave of all besides your selues, euen such of your owne side, whom ye speake farest vntounto, let me be bolde shortly to giuegive here a taste. Generally you count no better of all them that goe to Churche heere, for what respect soeuer, other then such as the Pope will allowe; (whereof you speake, and we shall see more in your qualifications afterwardes) then of Apostataes, renouncers of the Catholike religion, perfidious, betrayers of Gods Catholike cause, traytours to God, no Christians, Heathen men, and Publicanes. &c.

And yet good sir, all these, as badde as they bee, are byrdes of one feather, and one neste, Schollers of your owne teaching, and none of our religion, yea, they defie it as you suppose hollowe geare still, and nothing but hollowe Catholikes. All the Catholikes in Englande that goe to Church, directly denie their religion: yea, the yeelding therein is a flatte and euident denying of God and of his fayth: And yet they remaine & be accounted Catholiks stil, what a religion call you that: wherein men may denie not onelyonly their religion: but God and his fayth too, and yet be of the religion stil: Your Catholikes you speake of be such, yet bee they in your heape still: that is, Catholikes, and of the Catholike Religion. They bee out of the Church, & so without hope of Saluation, Scismatikes, excommunicate persons, and yet Catholiks still, and of no other religion: A good religion sure, and a commendable is that they holde: who bee Atheists and godlesse men in your opinion if they be not; which directly and slatly renounce God and his fayth, and yet iudge all other religions false and erronious besides their owne opinion, and will neuerthelesse communicate with the same for some worldly respect, and condenme other that will not doe as they doe: Nowe if Athiests, &c. bee Catholikes, I can not tell what to make of you Catholikes, you bee neyther fishe, nor fleshe, nor yet I weene good redde hering, as they say, the wrong and perillous perswaūon that these men are sayde here to bee in; builded onelyonly on their owne fantasie, may beseeme a fantasticall religion, not grounded on Gods woorde: but on vnwrttten verities, traditions, doctrines of men, custom, multitude, &c. as popery is. Litle reformatiō, as hithetto may serue such a deformed religion: for these two sortes of Catholikes, as you call them, wee thinke yee doe in the one, as in the other, that is, but imagine, and goe all by supposition: it is your Clearklie dealing, whereof you heare what I say: The aduise that I can giuegive them is, that they leaue not only that perillous perswasion of communicating with contrary Religions, but also, and principally their Popery, and the opinion they hauehave of that religion: which as the rest, is builded onelyonly on fantasie.

Nowe hauehave wee viewed your Catholikes that you hauehave set vsus here downe, agreeing all in Poperie, though but ill fauouredly, and among them selues also hardely, if your reasons following, proceede from such a Catholike minde, as you hauehave described vsus in these men, surely they are hollowe, and can carrie no great waight with them, with such as liue here in her maiesties dominions, I verily think they can litle or nothing at all preuaile, if they hauehave especially any wisedome or feare of God before their eyes: for them y^t being in heart, of your religion, & do cleane contrary thervnto, I wot not howe easily they will be led by you: but surely if they will depende vppon God and his woorde, they neede neither feare your threates, nor regarde your Reasons, for any value or waight that is in the same.

But before I enter into the particular examination of your nine Reasons, hauing respect to the rude and simple sort, I wil make bolde to set downe a reason contrary vntounto yours: whereby I meane to shewe, that all men here liuing if they bee not too farre gone, are bounde to haunt Church assemblies, and the exercises of Religion vsed among vsus. And yet before I set downe my reason, both for the iust defence and cleering of her Maiestie and the State, heere against such quarelpikers, as you be: And also for y^t better satisfiyng of all her Maiesties duetifull subiectes and people, I say, to gods glory, y^t her maiestie, & y^t state hauehave not pretē ded to renounce Poperie, a hollowe and rotten religion, grounded vponupon whatsoeuer not vppon Gods holie worde, surely contayned in the Canonicall Scriptures, (as at this day is cleare to all that hauehave eyes to see) to establishe another Religion, though not so badde as Poperie, yet not auowable, deuised eyther by her selfe, or by any other men: but professeth to set vp the onelyonly true religion of Iesus Christ, taken out of the Scriptures. Her Maiestie and the State hauehave, and doe declare to the worlde dayly, that in steede of mens inuentions and glorious shewes or voluntary Religion, and will woorship, as the Apostle noteth, Superstition. Shee and they esteeme the worde of God alone,Col. 2. 23. to bee the foundation of true religion. The Apologie of this Church of Englande: The Articles of religion, set foorth by publike authoritie: and suche other writings doe sufficiently proue this godly purpose and meaning, and euen of late in the proclamation for the recalling home of her Maiesties subiectes from beyonde the seas, &c. is the same by expresse words mencioned. None (though the Papistes and enemies woulde make the worlde beleeue so) are here called to the King and Queenes religion, but with her Maiestie, all degrees and persons are called to Gods and Christes true religion onelyonly, which shee with her people professeth. Actes of Parliament, and Statutes, are not set into Churches, in steade of Masse bookes, Grayles, Legends, Portuises, Images, &c. But the Sacred Byble, the booke of the High and Immortall God of Heauen, faithfully translated into the mother tongue, to be read, expounded, heard, and vnderstood of all, to the vnspeakable comfort, her Maiesties Ciuill Ministers; As counsellers, Judges, Justices, and so forth, are not the Churche Ministers: but spiritual Pastors and Teachers, which are and by faithfull preaching ought to shewe themselues to bee the faythfull Ministers of Christ Iesus, the Prince of Pastours, or Shepheard, and Byshop of our Soules. Her Maiestie hath not taken away the Popes Antichristian office, and vsurped tytle here, to set her selfe in his place, nor to take on the other side Christes office in hande, or to infeoffe her selfe of his titles: who leaueth euen to Christs Ministers, their proper functions and charges whole, of preaching the worde, administring the Sacraments, publike, prayer, & Church discipline: how euer this wrangler and his fellowes would beare the worlde in hande, all Church Ministerie, and functions are heere exercised by meere lay men: and yet in the meane while, her Maiestie accounteth iustly it to be her office and duetie, and to appertaine to a kingly authoritie (according to the high dignitie of her royall throne, and princely estate, & calling) to moderate, & by al meanes to assist, according to Gods holy worde, and to see the same faithfully executed, by eueryevery particular in their degree: which, who so … or deny her Maiestie, prouoke Gods heauie wrath, and displeasure, and she we them selues vnwoorthy to liue, much lesse to enioy so great blessinges vnderunder so gracious a Soueraigne: She taketh only, y^t which is by Gods word due to Princes and Ciuill Magistrates, shee will suffer no one, besides her selfe, to be the chiefe Gouernour in her dominions, vnderunder God, Christ, and the worde, call yee him, Prince, or Prelate, shee requireth her subiectes first and principally to be Gods faithfull seruauntes in duely and reuerently keeping the exercises of true Christian religion eueryevery one in their calling, expressed in the two Cables of Gods holy commaundementes; which by her authoritie giuen of God shee mainteyueth, and like a godly Prynce purposeth still so to doe. Next, vnfaynedlye to acknowledge the Soueraigntie giuen to her Maiestie from God, for all outwarde and Ciuill pollicie in her dominions. This, iustly may shee chalenge, and more she requireth not, and who is there that iustly can refuse or denie her Maiesty this: Out of Gods booke rere religion, confirme faith, edifie conscience, growe and profite dayly in godly knowledge and practise thereof. In summe, walke in single vprightnesse of heart with God and man, and where this is the more seene, there are the parties the better liked and commended by her Maiestie & the State, y^t both God may bee the truelyer serued, her Maiestie obeyed, and others by good example in life and conuersation edified. This is that I say briefly, that the profession of religion here at this day in her Matestie, the State, and her people, is no newe profession, nor any other: but such as is common with the Patriarches, Prophetes, Apostles, and all Gods faythful people that hauehave liued in any age, and is warranted by Gods holy worde written. Nowe, if in bending, and contendyng hereto, her Maiestie, the State, and people, eueryevery one in their place, hauehave not thorowly and fully attayned to their purpose in reformation and practise hitherto: yet is not the profession and purpose to be blamed, yea, their will and affection is much to be commended, and they to be encouraged and stirred vp, to growe dayly from good to better, in these cold & naughty daies, while other, seeing in so waightie and necessarie a matter, many and great abuses, sit still, and either maintaine, or winke thereat. Prayer, in this great worke, is of all, and aboue all to be adioyned, and such helpe of Godly knowledge, wisedome, counsell, and other giftes as God bestoweth on any, woulde bee brought forth to the aduauncement of this heauenly worke: eueryevery one keeping his boundes and calling. The foule and filthie dung hill of Poperie, and superstition, is not so soone voy ded, our sinnes are the onelyonly, or the greatest impediment, and let of the full finishing of this worke: if there bee any thing wanting, it is our heartie repentance, and vnfayned turning to GOD, with thankfull heartes expressed in wordes and deedes, for the graces … vponupon vsus. In the meane while, where the profession I hauehave spokē of, is, and the worke taken in hande, and entred as wee see here among vsus, I say there are none but very obstinate and wilfull men that will refuse to come to the publike Churche assemblies, to heare the worde of God preached, the Sacraments of Christe, and publike prayers, &c. comfortablie administred, which that I may in other wordes somewhat formally for our aduersaries pleasure expresse, thus now I frame my reason: None supposed to hauehave Gods feare before their eies, to hauehave care of their owne saluation, to hauehave respect to her Maiestie, and their dutie towardes so vertuous and gracious a Soueraigne, & her godly & wholsome lawes. Againe, to hauehave due and charitable consideration of the Church of God and their Christian brethrē, and common honesty among men. No such, I say, can or ought to refuse to come to church exercises vsed here amōg vsus at this day: But all persons of what state or condition soeuer they be liuing in Englande, are supposed to be such, that is: to hauehave Gods feare before their eies, to hauehave care of their owne saluation, to hauehave respect to her Maiestie, and their dutie towardes so vertuous and gracious a Soueraigne, and her godly and wholesome lawes: Againe, to hauehave due and charitable consideration of the churche of God and their christian brethren, and common honestie among men: Wherefore no persons of what state and condition soeuer they ve liuing in Englande, can, or ought to refuse to come to Churche exercises vsed here amongst vsus at this day. The conclusion or the sequell of this argument and reason being so well grounded, the aduersaries cannot, nor will not I thinke denie me, if they will, let them turne mee to the proofe of the goodnesse thereof, or of the fourme of any argument I hauehave made them: The grounde of the first part of mine argument, and the reason is because amongst other godly thinges: as publike prayers, prouision for the poore, &c. Here is professed and set foorth principally in Church assemblies: the Ministerie or Preaching of Gods holy worde & Gospel; & professed the obedient hearing and receyuing thereof, with the administration of Christes Sacraments, according to the rule of Gods booke, which be notes & exercises of Gods true and faithfull congregation, whereunto eueryevery true christian ought to associate and ioyne himselfe. The seconde or middle part of my reason, there is none I take it would be thought so wicked as to make question or doubt of.

Though the … and flender dealing of our aduersarie in particularly seeking to find out faultes in our church exercise in his seuenth reason, bee a sufficient cleering therof to him and his worde, with those y^t list aduisedly and with indifferency to weigh y^e same, when they see he … chargeth it, and … it vntouched for ought he …; where … we shall see God willing when … come thither: yet because I hauehave not to regarde the aduersarie only, but some other also, and among the rest, suche especially as are sunple, rude, & somwhat ignorant. Therefore will I bee bold a little to wade here in the proofe of the particular partes of that peece of mine argument, wherein may seeme any …, or to shew the head of the fountaine & spring whēce the whole is deriued. Marke well the argument, & namely the first part of it: for some furder & better proofe whereof, I note this that followeth: None that are supposed to hauehave Gods feare before their eyes will refuse to come to Churche heere. Why so; For because God is the authour of such assemblies, requireth this dutie, is present there, and blesseth the same: This, if comparison bee made, is proued not only by the practise and example of Gods people in all ages vnderunder the Lawe and the Prophets before Christes comming in the fleshe, in going then to the Tabernacle, the temple, &c. and of the Disciples and faithful, after Christes Ascention, as the story of the Actes of the Apostles doth witnesse, according to whose direction and steppes, so neere as we may heerein, we professe and endeuour our selues to walke: But by the expresse doctrineMat. 18 19. 20 of our Sauiour Christe himselfe also, Verily I say vntounto you, that if two of you shal agree in earth vponupon any thing, whatsoeuer they shall desire, it shalbe giuen them of my father whiche is in heauen, for where two or three are gathered togeather in my name, there am I in the midst of them, &c. Now that we are bounde to honour, louelove, obey, & worship God according as he appointeth vsus, & deserue very euil in doing the contrary, none I trust doubt, then surely can none iustly doubt of this point, of comming together to heare our dutie tolde vsus out of Gods booke by preaching, to make publik confessiō of our sinnes, of y^e christian faith, to make prayers to God for our necessities, & others, & namely those of his church, to giuegive him thanks, and prayse his name in Psalmes, to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptisine, and the Lordes Supper, &c. which be the substance and principall ends of our Church meetings. The next point is of the care of our saluation, which none also I trust among vsus be voide of. Then cannot they doubt likewise whether they ought to practise and vse such outward meanes as God hath appointed to bring men to saluation by. Publike church assemblies were first instituted and appointed of God for our vse, and for our good, and the principal thinges there to be vsed, are the preaching of y^e Gospell and the ministering of the Sacraments, to wit: Baptisme, and the Lordes Supper, according to Christes holy institution for the … and increase of our faith, whereof they are seales as the cōmission giuen to the Apostles, their … practise, and the vse of the Primitiue Church sufficiently declare. And in this respect is the Gospell called, not onelyonly the worde of God: but the worde of … also, of grace, of faith, of saluation, &c As that which is the power of God to saluation to eueryevery one that beleeueth, &c. If then we will receiue the ende of our faith, which is the saluation of our soules, we must walke the way that leadeth thither, and vse while we may, those meanes that God hath appointed to bring vsus thereto; by contemning whereof wee shall shewe our selues to hauehave no care of our saluation. For the benefit that redoundeth to men by this exercise, remember what the Apostle writeth: When the whole Churche is come togeather in one, &c. If all Prophesie, and there come in one that1. Cor. 14 23. 34. 25. 26. beleeueth not or one vnlearned, he is rebuked of al men and is iudged of all. And so are the secretes of his heart&. Cor. 6. …. &c made manifest, and so he will fall downe on his face and worship God, and say plainly that God is in you indeed. And a little after: Let all things be doone vntounto edifiyng. Wee as workers togeather beseech you (with the holy Ghost) that yee receiue not the grace of God in vaine: and beholde, nowe is the accepted time: Behold nowe is the day of saluation, &c. The dutifull respect we ought to hauehave to our Soueraigne, and the present State, our common mother, and her Maiesties godly lawes is next to bee considered: which they that duly shal do, besides other matter and occasion of thanksgiuing to God offered to eueryevery one in priuate, cannot besides refuse to haunt publike church assemblies. That it pleaseth her Maiestie to hauehave care of our soules healths that are her Subiects, & to take paine to make lawes and set orders for the aduauncement thereof is the part of a good and blessed nurse in Gods church, and a singular benefite to vsus-warde. It is nothing to cause Preachers and preaching of Christes Gospel to be sent abrode in al quarters of her Dominions, &c, all must needes be in … on our behalfes and so turne to our greater and more iust condemnation: if we thankefully accept not, and carefully vse to Gods glory, and our owne profite this so great a grace of God offered, and take the oportunitie. Againe, as dutie greatly bindeth vsus to our princes & soueraignes to obey their autoritie, & to honor them, especially being godly: so among other things; hauehave wee to pray for them, not in priuate onelyonly; but in publike also with other, and thereby receiue we also great benefite many wayes. Notable is that heauenly sentence of the blessed Apostle I exh ort therefore that first of all supplicatiōs,…. Tim. 2, praiers, intercessions, & giuing of thanks be made for al men, for kinges and for all that are in authoritie, that we may liue a godly, a quiet & apeaceable life in al godlines & honesty: for this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour: who will that all men shal bee saued, and come to the knowledge of the truth, &c. This one sentence alone, well weighed if there were no moe might suffice for the matter wee speake of. They can surely be no friendes to the Queenes Maiestie and the State, and so consequently not to themselues, y^t refuse in publike with other continually to pray for the prosperitie and good of her Highnesse, and the State, &c. The last point is the Church of God and our christian brethren, Countriemen & others amongst whō we liue: Unto whom I thinke there is no man doubteth, but we ought to hauehave a charitable regard and like respect to our liuing honestly among thē. Now what charitable regard is that, to refuse in so holy, as Church actions bee, to ioyne with the Church where wee liue, to … from giuing publike testimonie of our faith and religion, shewing our selues to the worlde in so doing, to be of no religion: And so by example to offende many wayes and many men, the strong, the weake, the faithfull, the vnbeleeuers, &c. When of dutie wee shoulde not onelyonly auoide that: but eueryevery way … all, namely one another in all godlinesse and honestie, vponupon paine of Gods displeasure; keepe, entertaine, and testifie by all meanes the vnitie we hauehave with Christes Churche, which thinges are singularly perfourmed by vsus in haunting ChurcheHebr. 10. 23, 24. 25. assemblies, Let vsus keepe the profession of our hope, saith the Apostle, without wauering: for hee is faithfull that promised: & let vsus consider one another to prouoke vntounto louelove and to good workes, not forsaking the fellowship that we hauehave among our selues: as the maner of some is &c. Though this be an ample matter and might very easily bee waded in at large, yet I content me with this sūmall and short declaration thereof. When marriages are to be made and celebrated, children to be baptized, &c, where and how shall this and the like be honestly and orderly perfourmed and doone, if wee refuse church assemblies here: It were not hard to runne ouer all this authours nine reasons, & to turne thē all on the aduersaries owne head: As to giuegive example, for infection and the danger thereof, which they cannot be free from that abstaine from comming to Church here, lying open to the enimie of our saluation, and so not in danger to be infected only: but by the Diuels infection and poyson, vtterly consumed and destroyed also: for explanation and tryall whēreof, marke the nature, power, and propertie of the Diuell: with whome wee poore wretches hauehave to deale. Marke on the other side the nature of preaching the Gospel, namely marke that our Sauiour Christe speaking to Ierusalem expresseth it to bee. How often would I hauehave gathered thy childrē together,Mat. 23. 37. as the henne doeth her chicken vnderunder her wings and yee woulde not: and consider what danger of the Puttock and Kyte the little chickin bee in, not being vnderunder the Hennes winges vponupon this clucking and calling. Againe marke what danger the sheepe be in of the theefe and of the woolfe if either they runne astray out of the folde or bee not dayly fedde and lookt vntounto by the vigilaunt Pastour and Minister of Gods holy worde, &c. And it will not be harde to finde out how necessarie it is for vsus dayly and often to come to the Church to heare the preaching of the gospel, to receiue the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper &c. And how hurtfull the abstaining therefrom, is vntounto vsus. Ywts if Poperie and Popith religion; if ignorant sir Johns had but halfe as much to alleadge out of Gods boke the holy scriptures, yea but a cloke and coulor for their mumpsimus, … seruice and abhominable masse, and for their blasphemous sacrificing priesthood, as we hauehave for our holy assemblies, & the preaching ministerie of the Gospell by faythfull Pastors in the Church, at this day, they would brag mightily, and triumph: But thankes be vntounto God, they hauehave not somuch as one cleere syllable ne yet hardly any pretence. WeLuk. 11. 28. beare what our Sauiour Christ saith, blessed are they that heare the word of god & keep it, &c, Tel vsus you if you can, what he saith; for hearing masse and Popish seruice: The other Reasons of offence, of note to distinguish and know our religion by, of schisme; participation, &c: might bee dealt in, and the like sayd thereof as in the first of perill of infectiō: But heere I leaue y^t to the Christian Readers consideration, especially seeing this argument is at large entreated of by diuerse godly learned in their writings. I pray God all we his people, her Maiesties subiectes, referring things to the right ende, may better then hitherto vse to our saluation, these comfortable meanes of Church assemblies, that we may reape plentifull profit by hearing the worde preached, &c. and not sticke in outwarde ceremonies or doing of thinges for a fashion, which is but too common in the worlde, and the redresse hardly compassed; howbeit let vsus not flatter our selues: God hath dealt mercifully with vsus, and her maiestie hath not onelyonly cleered her selfe herein towards vsus, but greatly deserued at our handes also; so as al the fault is and resteth in our selues alone, and the matter will be but badly answered before God another day; if we looke not to it in time. I am not ignorant that the enemie wil cauil herevpon, but meerely cauill indeede, as is easie to bee seene in the rest, without all good ground: So as he can hardely deceiue any, but such as offer themselues willingly to be deceiued. But I respect, as I sayd, others besides the enemie. If there be any found in this Church and reformation, some defect, As what church is pure from all spottes, liuing in this world vponupon the earth: yet the preaching of the Gospel, and the administration of Christes Sacraments, concerning the substance being kept hole, and the desire and meaning, not being to nourishe and maintaine any vngodlines, abuse, &c, contrary to the Scriptures, but according to thmeasure of faith and knowledge geuen of God; as oportunitie may serue to reforme and redresse the same: There is no cause or reason why we should leaue the communion with the church, or leese the benefites offered vntounto vsus, in the same by the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the Sacraments, without neuerthelesse allowing in this our ioyning with the Church, any abuses or deuises of men, or their additions, which through ignorance and imperfection, that yet remaine euen in Gods churche too easily crepe in. One of these extremities will the diuell our common enemie assay to bring vsus vntounto if he can. And we hauehave great cause and neede to looke about vsus, and to take heede of his slightes on both sides. And herein not to dissentble or to flatter with those of authoritie and publike charge as is her maiestie, and those of the state here. But to begin with them with al reuerence and dutifull consideration, and their good accepcation, I doubt not, I am bolde vnderunder correction, to say, that for the training vp of vsus their people in Gods true religion, it is their partes, in matters of Gods Kingdome and Christian Religion, to looke narrowly, and well to their proceeding, and doing, to trye and examine the same by the touch of Gods holy word, as well on the parte of the churche Ministers, and ministerie, as the rest of Church gouernment, that all to Gods glory may answer the paterne set downe in his written worde, They pray I ani sure as wel as we dayly at our heauenly maisters commandements, Hallowed beethy name, Thy kingdome come. Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen, They hauehave not therfore to content themselues if the matter be wel marked, with a beginning or halfe a reformation of that is amisse, such as may please man: but godly, wisely, and zealously to aduance by the worde of God, and continually to set forwarde the worke begunne, and not to leaue, be weery geue ouer or rest, in y^t they hauehave once aduised or thought of, till the whole, by their Godly care and trauaile, bee so purged and fined, with the fire of Gods worde, as is vntounto his heauenly will correspondent and most agreeable. At least, if they cānot or do not y^t same at the first & at once, they hauehave more and more daylie to contend to bring their woorke to that passe, which thing is with great affection and hope longed and looked for at their hands, and not only wished and desired: but earnestly & hartely prayed for also, by al the godly. Rome, they are wont to say was not built in a day; but howe much more iustly may y^t be verified in y^t spirituall building vp of G O D his house, citie, and kingdome among men: But this (when it shal please God) wil be, as vntounto vsus al most comfortable, so vntounto our superiours very glorious and honourable to the procurement and continuance of Gods fauour and liberall blessings long among vsus. I enter not into particulars because I am not to prescribe nor yet to distrust the Godlines, wisedome, and care of so religious a Prince and state as God hath giuen vsus. For the rest therfore as in this imperfection and weakenes of mankind and the hardnes of the worke; these cogitations, these meditations, these endeuours, are in this case worthy, and very necessary and meete for Christian Princes states, and publique persons in Church and common welth; often and much to bee occupied in; eueryevery one according to their place and calling; so prouiding that they and their people Gods Churche bee not abused, with mens inuentions and dreames in steede of Gods pure and holye worde: So againe subiectes and priuate persons (where this matter is attempted and taken in hand with vantage, and (to Gods glory) with paine & care laboured in dayly) hauehave not onelyonly with all thankefulnes and reuerent dutifulnes, to acknowledge and accept this great blessing and goodnes of God, in, and by our Prince & state, with helpe of hartye prayer for successe, to the delight and encouragement of Christian Magistrates and Superiours: But further also; if in thus proceeding, all thinges eueryevery way answer not the godly mindes and expectation of the faythfull, to the full: We hauehave first to lay the fault and hinderance where it is: charging generally our selues and our owne … therewith, as the proper cause of all; and farther eueryevery one of vsus particularly examining our selues, hauehave to ioyne our seuer all sinnes with the sinnes of our peo ple; and hartely as in publike, so a parte to lament and be waile the matter in humble and plaine confession to God: and in testifiyng to men, as occasion is offered, or dislike with that is amisse, earnestly purposing and endeuouring to redresse that is amisse in our selues, and to help the same in other as we maye; keeping in all things the boundes and compasse of our calling. Nexte beeing thus in all godlinesse and modestie affected, hauehave wee to consider there whilest, according to our bounden dutie, wherein and howe farre wee maye, and oughte to ioyne our selues in communion and fellowshippe with the Christian and holye Churche or Congregation wherein we liue in all Christian humilitie, patience, meekenesse, bearing, and forbearing without breaking the vnitie thereof; so farre as is possible; Christian and holy I call thisLooke Esay 54. 13. 55. 10. …. &c. Church, in respect of that honour that God hath called it vntounto: and the good benefite of his holy worde, Sacraments, &c. Wherewith hee hath vouchsafed to blesse the same, not doubting in the meane while of good successe, increase, and dayly edification from God by these meanes, so farre as he seeth expedient, according to his promise; though in the meane while there may be founde among vsus but too many defects, not in life and conuersation onelyonly; but in church policie, and orders likewise: which defectes like spots, blemishes, and staynes of the face, we may behold, not nowe adayes first, but in these and some greater matters also; euen in the Apostles times, and afterwards in the olde and former Churches by themselues planted (though in this behalf they be to be accounted sicke and imperfect) which retaine yet still in Scripture the title and honour of Churches, and of the church of God: As for example; The churches of the countrie of Asia in the Reuelation ofReue. 1. 11. & 2. & 3. Saint Iohn: the churches of the Countrie of Galatia: and of the Citie of Corinth and such like. I speake not asGala. 1 2. though Churches shoulde or might please themselues in1. Cor. 1. 2. their follies, or to flatter any, I hauehave saide my minde thereof;2. Cor. 1. l. &c I tell here only what Christians particular dutie is, for bearing in this behalfe, where thinges be not too too intollerable: especially, this hauehave we well to consider of, when we be not required by the Church & authoritie to approue or imbrace in God his matters and religion any thing but that which is warranted by God his holy worde, and we commended thereby in framing our consciences and liues according to that rule, in all dutifulnesse towards God, our Prince, and other our neighbours: And the Church, & they of authoritie likewise be content to heare, and to be admonished of such defects and faultes; wherein they may bee thought, not to hauehave rightly applied, nor iustly followed the rule of all reformation; the worde of God (so the same be Christianly doone and modestly, as I hauehave said) and we stil liue in good hope of redresse of that is a misse, as the same may once be founde out, perceiued, and knowne, by those to whome publike reformation thereof doth orderly appertaine: which be the very same whom God hath placed in publike authoritie and calling.

Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking, Part 2 (1 of 3)

p. 109An answere to the booke, that of a letter, is made a Treatise, or discourse by M. Howlet.

An answere to the booke, that of a letter, is made a Treatise, or discourse by M. Howlet.