Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking, Part 1 · Section 1
1 MY moste exellent and soueraigne dread Ladie and Princes: two causes induced me, to direct vntounto your royall person, & most gracious Maiestie, this present treatise, Two causes of dedication.after I had read & considered the same. The one, for that it seemed to mee, both conceaued and penned, with such modedestie and humilite of spirite togeather with all dutifull respect to your Highnesse, to your honourable Lordes of the Counsell, and the whole estate of your noble Realme (contrary to the spirite and proceedings of all sectaries:) as none might iustly be offended therewith, but only in respect of the writers zeale and opinion in religion, which notwithstanding, hauing bene from time to time, the common receyued religion of vniuersall Christendome: can not bee so soone abandoned by the disfauour of any one countrie, nor lacke men to speake or write in defence of the same, as long as there is, either head or hande remayning loose in the worlde.
2 The other cause was for that it seemed to mee, to containe matter of great and weyghtie consideration, and much important, not only to the cause of God, but also to your Maiesties soule, estate, and realme, and vntounto the state of many a thousande of your graces most louing, faithfull, and dutifull subiectes: who being now afflicted for their consciences, and brought to such extremitie, as neuer was harde of in Englande before: hauehave no other meanes to redresse and ease their miseries, but onelyonly as confident children to runne vntounto the mercye and clemencie of your Highnesse their Mother, and borne soueraigne Princesse: before whom, as before the substitute and Angell of God, they lay downe their griefes, disclose their miseries, and vnfoulde their pitifull afflicted sase, brought into such distresse at this time, as either they must renounce God by doing that, which in iudgement and conscience they doe condemne: or els susteine such intollerable molestations, as they cannot beare. Which your Maiestie by that which followeth, more at large, may please to vnderstand.
IN the two first sections & pages of your Epistle (M. Howlet) are two causes alleadged for the dedication of the whole treatise to her Maiestie, taken from the Authours person, and the matter, cunningly to get thereby good will, to prepare and stirre vp attention, which together with the amplifications of your pretended extremities, and the like necessitie of complaint you are brought vntounto, your exaggerations on the one side, and extenuations on the other, with such ornaments and floures to mooue pitie, if they were true, and in a good and iust cause, might for their pretie handeling delight, & hauehave some vse, sauingPersuade not before you teach as heretikes do, … Tertull. they bee somewhat too open. As schoole furniture to moue with, they may be kept for the exercise of youth, or to sporte and refreshe mens mindes withall. This floorishing greatly beseemeth not the profession and persons of Diuines. In a word to say, eueryevery thing considered, there is no cause why you should hauehave troubled her Maiestie with such paltrie, whereof let the Christian Reader after examination iudge. The Authours dutifull respect eueryevery way, and M. Howlets too, to her Highnesse, her honourable Lordes of the Councell, and the whole state of her noble Realme, might without vaunt, hauehave been left to hauehave been iudged by her Maiesties wisedome and theirs, and to hauehave had cōmendation by other, whē it should hauehave been found better then it is. These men seeke by all meanes & wayes they can to disioyne her Maiestie from her lawes, and the Ministers thereof, & from her loyall subiects to: they go about to withdrawe with themselues other her subiects from obedience to God and her Maiestie, and when this dealing is by order of lawe but somewhat crossed, then is outcrie and complaint of tyrannie and crueltie greater then euerIn the second & xii. section of his Epistle dedicatorie, &c. Or in the reasons of refusall. hath beene hearde of in England before, or is in any prince in Christendome, or than is vsed among the Turkes at this day. This comparison is not M. Howlet ashamed to make, and therein agreeth with his authour. This is…. 5. 57. &c. great dutifulnesse sure. Like is the modestie and humilitie of both your spirites, sauing that if there be any difference, M. Howlets in a diuers kinde of writing sheweth it selfe to bee more shamelesse, as through the whole too much appeareth, dealing especially with the Queenes most excellent Maiestie. Hee may not thinke the Oratours rule, (that an Epistle biusheth not) wil serue his turne heere, it isCicero. out of place to excuse thereby impudent vntruthes, and slaunders. In perusing this writing let the Christian Reader still iudge whether M. Howlet bee not a sectarie, if this be a note of a sectaries spirits proceeding, as he here tels vsus, what modestie and humblenesse of spirite may this bee called in the Authour of this treatise, who is so highly in this respect commended heere by M. Howlet. When not contented through his whole discourse to compare and liken the profession and professours of the Gospell to theFol. 41. pag. 2. Heretikes both olde and newe, hee chargeth Gods seruice heere nowe vsed with falshood, and blasphemie also, and pronoūceth vsus to bee condemned yet aliue, but no maruell, when hee chargeth some Catholikes at this day in England of his owne Religion to sinne euen now against the holy Ghoste and damneth the same in Hell, being yetFol. 4. & 5. quicke on the earth, &c. I giuegive the Reader but a tast of this Luciferian spirite, till wee may come further into the examination of things: M. Howlet excuseth this with zeale and the writers opinion in religion, a hot & too immoderate a zeale, destitute of knowledge, It may well be called his discoursers opinion in religiō, which carrieth wt it neither religion nor conscience. Such zeale might hauehave regarded better and spared the Princes eares, and might hauehave been forborne in our Soueraignes presence. What want of duetifull respect soeuer it carry towarde other. You take your selfe by the nose while you think to charge vsus to bee sectaries; for the vntemperate spirite of sectaries resteth in none more than in the hot sect of your puritane Jesuits, and such as you are, who taking vntounto you mens names, and orders to be called Religious men by, declareThe foundation of our religion. your selues to be sectaries in Christes Churche, whereas wee for our Religion, holde of God, Christ, and the holy Scriptures which al agree and goe one way. We deuide not Christ, neither are wee Franciscans, Augustines, Iacopines, no Scotistes, Thomistes. &c. Nor yet Lutheranes, Caluinistes, &c. which names you odiously put vppon vsus, and wee condemne and refuse the same. These be names of sects, I leaue the further consideration heereof to the discreete reader, and proceede. It is to great a bragge made of M. Howlet, when in praysing his writers priuate opinion in religion, hee saith: It hath bene from time to time the common receaued religion of vniuersal Christendome. This should hauehave been prooued or let alone, more modestie of speeche euen heere woulde hauehave better beseemed, til trial…. might hauehave beene taken thereof: but he telleth vsus, but what seemeth to himself in praysing his fellowe. Wee say it is a great vntrueth if he and his discourse bee of one opinion in religion, and as easily as it is spoken, so easily may it bee reiected, though as one of the principles of their Catholique Religion, they would hauehave all men suppose it. But wee can suppose no suche grosse absurdities in this cleere light of the Gospell, nor admit the same. Besides there bee a great many Catholiques, as they call them at this day in Christendome, that bee not of that opinion in Religion, that this discourse setteth vsus downe in his lettre and treatise, as they that lift to reade, may vnderstand, yea euen those, for whome this treatise was made, dissent from the Authours opinion in Religion, as hee himselfe confesseth: so as this writers zeale and opinion … hardly be counted The common receiued religion of vniuetsall Christendome. There bee also as thisFol. 20. page 1. man speaketh, good Catholiques, and bad Catholiques:Fol. 6. page 1. true Catholiques, and false Catholiques: colde Catholiques, and hot Catholiques. And if among protestantesFol. 28. page. 1. M. Howlet can make these termes (hot, and colde) &c. to seuer religion, as for his vauntage hee doth in the nextFol. 60. In this point whether it be lawfull for these Catholikes to goe to protestantes Churches or no? section of his epistle, let his Authours description and confession be iudge of the men and their profession there mentioned, called Protestantes, and Puritanes which his authour sayth are the hotter sort of protestants: then let them giuegive vsus leaue also to say their hot and cold Catholikes. &c. be of diuers religions, and by their own rule let vsus call that colder sort or the false and the worser by the common name of Catholikes: & ye hotter sort of Catholikes let vsus cal PuriSect. 3. tanes, because they are precise in ye religiō, & shew thēseluesFol. 39. pag. 2. a Looke the … discourse. vnspotted seruants and irreprehensible, as this discourser spaketh.Fol. 65.
M. Howlet talketh of speaking and writing in defēce of their religiō, how māfully it shall be done, as long as there is either head or hād remaining loosein the worlde: but let thē leaue fire & faggot, and their blooddy lawes, and they shall be written and talked with, well ynough, I doubte not, yea and easily inough entreated too, as God bee thanked and her Maiestie, their handes be tied nowe, when they were loose they had shrewde argumentes, suche as I euen nowe spake of, and yet God to his glory and their shame, gaue them that matched with them euen then, receiued their argumentes, and soluted them, remaining themselues still by Gods power inuincible. Since that time their religion hath gained but litle by speaking and wryting, and I hope shall eueryevery day lesse then other, so mightie is the … of trueth, and preuayleth. I see not why wee here may not make as great accoumpt of Christes Religion professed in this Church as you doe of your friendes priuate opinion, and thinke and say as well of it and without bragge tell you, … religion hath been from time to time, The common receiued religion of vniuersal Christendome, & so can … so soone be abandoned, for you and your fellowes, …, and disliking, &c. We (who set no newe religion abroch, nor confesse & acknowledge any other then the only true religion of … Christ, grounded on the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, and taken thence) may better auow & proue our religiō, then you can your friendsopiniō, which vpō brag without proofe, you so confidētly boast of.
The matter your Authour treateth of, seemeth to you, great, waightie, and important, to Godward, to her Maiestie, and to many a thousand of her Maiesties best subiects. This is the other and second cause of your dedication of this peece of worke to her Maiestie; heere want no wordes to amplifie that withall, which wanteth matter to vphold it, and is nothing but wordes. You tell vsus what seemeth you, both of your freende and the matter, you can doe little; if in wordes you cannot commend them both, if that will serue the turne; you hauehave saide your minde, and giuen them your good word, your opinion is not rested vponupon; the coloures of your Rethoricke carry shew, but moue not. One must trie, prooue, and looke into the thing, as into the man also, that you praise. First we wishe the matter were important to Gods cause, to her Maiesties soule, estate, and Realme, and to the estate of her graces faithful subiects. Then were it in deede a thing meete to be presented to such a Prince as is our dread Soueraigne, and to come into her royall presence. But al is cleane contrary, there is as much as you can perfourme in this discourse to hurt & hinder gods cause, her Maiesties soule, estate, & Realme, & to poyson and infect, and thereby to alienate the mindes of ye good subiects of this land, from their dutifull obedience to God, & their lawful and most louing dread Soueraigne & ours, if you could do more hurt, we should be sure of it: but we … God against you for our defence, whom we humbly beseech either to turne you; or to preuent & ouerthrow all your wicked deuises. For particular proofe of things we referre it to triall vponupon reading that both partes write, & in a worde, denie heere still that you say, and but say in wordes.
In this second sectiō of your Epistle, you increase ye troubles too much, ye you imagine to bee heere, & therein too vndutifully also vse your self towards our Soueraigne, her lawes, councellers, & ministers. After you hauehave once menxioned it only, you leaue quite out (without prosecuting) gods cause, her maiesties soule, estate, & realme, which were your principall cōmendations of ye matter, before you folow & set out like an Oratour for your cōmoditie, the pretended afflictiōs of your self, & other your friends ye papists heere. This matter you amplifie, heere you are carried with full wind & saile, (as they speak) What: Such afflictiō & extremitie of many a thousād of her graces most louing, faithful, & duetiful subiects, as neuer was hearde of before in England, & that for their consciēces. (Thus you too oftē cal Popish … & treason.) You write of a great matter nowe, if it were true. There is no doubt, but you & your fellowes giuegive this foorth in speeche & wryting where euer you become, that dare so boldly auouch it in printe & before her Maiestie. I remēber besides other, what your seditious Sanders in an Epiftle before his visible Monarchie of the Churche reporteth of the crueltie of this his countrey, as though there were some mafsacre, or the shedding of many martyrs blood, heere in her Maiesties most milde gouernement: as I remember also his too vile, lewde, & slanderous report in ye same booke, for yt her Maiesty hath bin forced to execute some vile traitors for their too iust deserts, which I here only touch by the way: because I treat thereof at large els where. You wold make the world beleeue that all your stirres here hauehave not risē of nothing, as though you had had great occasion ministred for your seditious & rebellious attempts, frō time to time. I blame you not in respect of your selues & your epistle that can not blush, but I blame you for sclandering her Maiestie, & the state, & realme, you woulde make many thinke yt we are not our selues, or very fooles yt can not see nor vnderstande of that at home, whiche you by here say, being so farre off, can tell vsus vponupon report: but fame and reporte, you must remember, goyng farre gaineth in cariage, and euil will was neuer giuen to say well, you woulde enduce other, and her Maiestie also to thinke there were yet some bloody and butcherly Bishops, like (ye wote whome) yet in her Realme, vnknowen vntounto her highnesse vnlesse to the great reioycing of her subiects heartes, she went often and often among them both farre & neere, and had better intelligence of the estate of her whole Realme and all her subiects, than you can giuegive her, & better opinion and liking also of the Ministers of her Maiesties lawes, than you woulde she had, massacres, and hot burning execution hauehave bene and are the weapons of your side, know the Authours and make much of the executioners. You should remembre, me thinketh in what you deale, and with whome, our soueraigne is merciful, milde, & pitifull, where she is not to much prouoked, as (swelt your harts) you cannot denye, nay you graunt it, though it bee to your owne shames yt so farre & so much prouoke her gētle nature: but shee is (you must vnderstande) with other qualities, godly, wise, and vpright, way what that and the royall estate and dignitie of her crowne and authoritie require at her hands, your conceiued griefs and necessitie shoulde not make you roue so farre without the compasse of the trueth, as impudētly to suggest so manifest false things, such Hyperboles, that is, excessiue speeches are scarsely currant, and yet your writing is full of them. Righteous lippes are the delight of Kings, and the King loueth him that speaketh rightProu. 13. 16. things, saith the wise man.
Surely M. Howlet, if you marke your vsage thorowe your whole Epistle this way, you may thinke your selfe very gently dealt withal, if you leese but your…: Theodor. & Vabentinian. con. …. lib. 1. Tit 25. request, and that you seeke: for the lawe is that a lying petitioner or suiter shoulde bee frustrate of the thing hee had obteined, and thereupon another sayeth: That it is good right in plea of Court, that hee that is founde to suggest a lye, shoulde take no profite by that hee getteth that way, & you in thus dealing deserue no better. Your matter is not onelyonly false: but a great slaunder, her Maiestie and her lawes to afflict any for their consciences': If it were any,… forensis est vt qui in precib. mentitus fuerit, non ills prosit quod …. Aug. in …. …. 7. sure it were not you, whē in your respect shee is so farre of, that many insolences hauing bene cōmitted openly by your Catholikes to the disturbance of her quiet estate, and the Church and common wealth, hauehave yet beene pardoned & let goe. Except, you may lawfully and at pleasure doe what you list, without check or controlment, ye are afflicted. Alack their while: But looke into the former gouernement, when they of your side cōmanded. The dealings of your sect hauehave of late bene so violent, that her Maiestie to her great charges & trouble (we confesse) hath bene enforced to looke narrowlier vntounto you than hitherto, as wel to represse rebels that came frō your holy father yt Pope, as to cut thē shorter, yt to confidētly & openly goe stil about to kindle a new fire, prouiding as much as conueniētly may be, yt they shal do no harme: to tendre moreouer her simple poore subiects yt are sought to be poisoned with the Romane & Popish religion. If there be any straightnes herein, who hath procured & inforced it? Looke to that M. How. & on that side. Of il vsages & doings spring many times good lawes. Ye talke of many a thousand: but if with your Author you auowe none but such as wil not come to Church here, nor take the othe of obediēce to her Maiestie condēning other, euē of your own religiō, some to hel, some other wise; ye may spare this exces siue speech of: Manye a thousand: it may be & is likely, yee hauehave infected some few, which are to many, with your late reconciliation ioined with subtil perswasiō, which was the end of your cōming frō the Pope into Englād, & for which disturbance ye iustly suffer. Rude, simple, & ignorāt people, womē especially are easily seduced in Parishes where there is litle or no preaching of the Gospel, her Maiesties godlines & wisedome, and the States, will of pitie I doubte not, prouide they may be better instructed, & submitting themselues to God and her Maiestie quietly, wil not only generally sende abroade such as shal breake vntounto thē by doctrine and preaching the bread of life for their soules confortably to feede on, & like good Pastours dwel among thē, to helpe them in neede, & to driue al Popish wolues & the like away: But like a tendre mother also, she wil beare more with their imperfections, than the Pope and you Catholikes doe, that send thē quicke to hel. And in deede heere, & with these & the consciēce of such weakeones, is the place & time of bearing, til they may be aduanced, who (for comming to church here, & simply & vnfainedly seeking the comforte of their soules, though possibly, not so throughly yet & fully perswaded in al points of religion, for lacke of instruction, as were to bee wished) are so hardly handled by you false Catholikes. A weake conscience in these, keeping quiet, may be tendred & a time borne with, & by instruction further aduāced. If after so long preaching of the Gospel among vsus there be any such founde, as in out quarters of her Maiesties dominions, I feare there be to many. With you fiery, stubborne, & rebellious Catholikes, pretend what you wil, you are so grosse, & your matter so open & plaine, yea so violent &, vnreasonable as neither time, place nor reason can beare with you, except you repēt & amende. Remēber this Church & state may answere you, with that holy father cited & allowed by your D. Thomas. Who would not hauehave you nor any heretiques perish,…. Epist. 50. D. Thom. 2. 2. 9. 10. act. 8. but the house of Dauid (as he saith) otherwise deserued not to hauehave peace, except his sonne Absolon had perished or been slaine in the battaile, that he moued against his father, so the Catholike church (that is not you that wil needs take ye name, & hauehave but ye bare name) but ye true church of Christ if it gather ye rest, by destroying some, it healeth ye sorrow of a motherly hart, by deliuering & sauing so great & mighty a people. Of …, how farre your corrupt and obstinate dealing is frō it, I speake in place. Put case thē, of ye worser sort for their naughty deserts, some fewe hauehave been restrained of libertie, or licētiousues rather, some committed to bishops & other church men, or to good, wise, & godly Gentlemēs custodie, some also imprisoned, as ye case requireth, they fare wel cōmonly, & lie soft, only the loose libertie of a fewe in respect, hath been vponupon great consideratiō I am assured, restrained: to foresee & preuent euil & dangerous attempts (as good wisedome and a great blessing of God.) We hauehave tasted but too much of the bitter fruite that your late reconciltatiō to the Pope bringeth forth. Remember I pray you (as oft as ye hot Catholiks plaine of hard dealing in these dayes) the cruell vsage of God his faithfull seruantes in times past and of late yeres, and yet still in many places among you: and ye shall see lesse cause to make such tragical a doe vponupon a litle and gentle seueritte towardes a certaine here, rather haled vponupon them selues, then offred, as all the worlde may see. If further, some few traitors hauehave felt any sharpnes and smart of death, their traiterous and seditious dealing by rebelling against our dread soueraigne, and the state, hath procured it, & some notorious traitours had neede to be made an example to terrifie and stay others attempts, when they growe perilous to the good and setled state. This is the great extremitie that you plaine some endure, being iustly and orderly proceeded withall by lawe, for their offences, and that very mercifully too, as (say the worst yee can) ye must needes confesse. There is a milde seueritie, as there is a cruell pitie. One might recken how many things her Maiestie, hath borne and for …, howe many matters shee hath put vp, and pardoned both them and the persons. This it might please you to consider of. You say: ye hauehave no other meanes to redresse and ease your miseries, but only as confident children, to come to the mercy & clemency of her highnes your mother & borne soueraigne Princes, &c. Faire words & good. I wold ye had in deed no other meanes, & would seeke & vse no other: But why run ye so fast to Rome then: Why seeke ye helpe at stepfathers and stepmothers: why procure and bring you in strangers and Italian souldiers: why be ye not ruled by your natural Mothers, & borne soueraigne Princes wisedome, bearing and abiding her gentle correction with a rod for your demerites and insolencies: Is not this, to take the rod out of her hand: nay, the … and authoritie quite from her, to ease your selues if ye can: To be playne, if the Popes vnholinesse be your father. If you be his children? Seeke your mother where ye can finde her, her Maiestie is none of your Mother, yee are not her natural subiects and children. If ye bee her Maiesties children & subiects, renounce with her that vnholly father, yt most diuelishly seeketh her Maiesties ouerthrow, & ye destructiō of this noble realme and all the faithfull subiectes therein. Commit your selues vntounto God & her Maiesties holy gouernment: Sticke not to sweare obediēce to your mother, against Pope, Turke, and all forraine power whatsoeuer. If you sticke at this, & wil needs cleaue to this Antichrist your father, following the Pope and his becke, her Maiestie is so farre off from being your mother, or accounting you her naturall subiectes and children, that Shee and the State here denounce you, with him, her, & their woorst enemies, ye wot what they he in plaine English? and hath she not good cause if his doings & yours be considered: yours eueryevery body of the meanest sort heare knoweth: & his, though first done in a corner, yet hath been published to all the world. I thinke you will call it worse then a bill of diuorcement frō mother Church here? I meane your Popes excommunicatiō & great curse with such like stuffe, may not her Maiestie iustly cōplaine wt thatPsal. 22, 12. 13. heauēly Prophet & gods holy anointed, king Dauid, and in resepect of your Popes bellowing Bulles, say: Many yong Buls hauehave compassed me, mighty Bulles of Bashan hauehave closed me about, They gape vponupon mee with their mouthes as a ramping and roaring Lion. &c. Your greatest hope is in this father, in his deuilishe bulles, and in your… 13. 17. …. &c. blooddy stepmother the Popish Church and Sea of Rome, who are liuely described by S. Iohn in his Reuelatiō. God, we dout not shall disapoint you of your hope, as heretofore, and her Maiestie by her lawful authoritie, shall I trust frō time to time be able to represse all vnlawfull, seditious, & rebellious attēpts. God, of his goodnes indue her Royal minde and more more with goodly wisedome and courage accordingly, and long preserue her Maiestie against her enemies, ye shee may be an old mother in Israel. Practises of prelates & other popelings, hauehave long enough been knowē, they are no changelings, such consciences they hauehave. The subiects yee speake of, must either renoūce God, yee say, or susteine intollerable molestations. A harde Dilemma, or straight that you are brought into: But you know M. Howlet the solution of yt argument, by finding out a meane betweene those two extremities.
Wherefore mende your iudgement, and that you pretend, and call conscience, as right religion woulde, and all is holpen: rather you renounce God, and being obstinate will buie it with troubles, then by any godly meanes be remooued from that Diuelishe persuasion. All her Matesties trauell hath been and is with mildnesse and gentlenesse to bring her Subects to God by such meanes as hee hath appointed in his worde. To this ende labour the Preachers. To this end tend her Maiesties wholesome lawes, whereof yee so plaine, as seconde meanes and helpes which hauehave beene a great while executed with great fauour towarde those of your side. And yet this is the thankes yee giuegive, as they had beene most extreemely laide vponupon you, which is false. It is possible her Maiestie seeth her lenitie abused, as in deede: hope to escape punishment, is a traine andMagna … illecebra … spes. …. baite alluring to doe amisse. And being too much prouoked she is inforced to change her course, and in a maner her nature, and against violent and disorderly dealings, to oppose iust violence and punishment by the sworde, wherwith God hath armed her royall Maiestie.
You talke of conscience, as though yee indured for it. You doe her Maiestie, and the honourable estate great wrong, it is false yee say. Tell vsus where and howe you grounde your conscience, that try all may bee taken whether it bee conscience in deede, or but a pretence and words. All hauehave not conscience that say so, your conscience is not well and rightly grounded, if you hauehave any heerein. There is yee know a good conscience and a bad. Ignorance, the mother of your superstitious deuotion, …, and obstinacie, are the greatest enimies that conscience hath, and quite ouerthrow ye same. A good conscience, is that keepeth vsus in God & with him, which must be alwaies directed by God his holy worde. The Apostle ioyneth: Faith and a…. Tim. 1. 5. 19. good conscience together, which he saith, Some hauehave put away, and as concerning faith hauehave made ship wracke. Wordes make not a good conscience, there bee more circumstances required in it then so: Is not this conscience, you speake of, it, that set them a worke in the North against her Maiestie, when it was. Is it not it, that doth the like in Irelande, haled in by those of the Popes Seminaries, Iesuites, and such like. Summa Summarum? Is not this the Popes conscience expressed in his bull that hee sent hither to discharge English subiectes of their bounden duetie towardes our liege Lady & most dread soueraigne, Noble Queene Elizabeth, our most lawfull, naturall, and godly Prince, whom God, God (I saie) long preserue, from such helllike consciences. Uerily this is the conscience, you must all bee ruled by, when it pleaseth your vnholie father. Naughtie fruites of a noghtie conscience. Your conscience M. Howlet, and your fellowes too, was better … you liuid here as duetiful subiects to her Maiestie, before your reconciliation to the Pope. You hauehave made an euill change for the worse, if you can consider it well.
After this preamble. M. Howlet, you begin to disclose and laie downe at large to her Maiestie, your griefes and grieuous afflictions in particular; whereof the first is, that the Catholike religion, as ye terme it, that is whiche wee here call the Popish religion, hath great wrong, in that it and the professors thereof are no more fauoured. What fauour woulde you hauehave: ye clayme that of dutie that yee neuer deserued, it woulde goe harde with you Catholikes if you had that you deserue, but you are before hande, so as if there were a great deale more seueritie vsed then nowe is towarde those of your side, yet were it hardly quit with you, as beneficiall as you wold seeme to be to Gospellers amōg other afore time: But God forbid the Church of God shouldSect. 9. followe you in crueltie and sucking of blood. You louelove to reuenge & to quite, as you speake else where. It is the diuinity you hauehave learned out of your Philosophers, and out of Aristotles Rhetorique. Againe, your other proceedingsArist. lib. 1. …. by your owne confession here, procure rather disfauour,foreign. thē fauour in being so beneficiall to them that you accompt Heretikes and sectaries, as you here report. What fauour I praie you deserueth it at yt Queene of Englands hands, if this bee true to hauehave filled her realme with …, and sectaries: You plaine next of the good and wholsome lawes here made against poperie, and of the execution thereof: great cause I trowe, if that were true ye falsly and sclanderously say, & more too. Hereto you adioine for proofe certaine particular matters, auowing, the Loyaltie and obedience of you Catholikes towardes ciuill Princes, and sharplie, yea leawdlie by sclander, charging other wt disobedience. This is the some of that you write, for the most part in eight of your next leaues. A worthie matter to be treated of, before her Maiestie, when all is well waied. But I must somewhat examine, there is no remedie, what you say a part and in order. First you compare diuers religiōs together, and shewe that poperie fareth hardely and the woorst. Hardly sure: can there be founde a worse religion and more contrarie to the sincere Gospell of Christ here professed, or that so much troubleth the good and quiet estate of Christs Church in this lande and Realme, and therefore needeth most looking too.