Reproof of Howlets Untimely Shrieking, Title page – Preface to the reader
A Checke or reproofe of M. Howlets vntimely shreeching in her Maiesties eares, with an answeare to the reasons alleadged in a discourse therunto annexed, why Catholikes (as they are called) refuse to goe to church:
Wherein (among other things) the Papists traiterous and treacherous doctrine and demeanour towardes our Soueraigne and the State, is somewhat at large vponupon occasion vnfolded: their diuelish pretended conscience also examined, and the foundation thereof vndermined. And lastly shevved that it is the duety of all true Christians and subiectes to haunt publike Church assemblies.
2. Cor. 4. 3.
If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. &c.
I Imprinted in London, at the three Cranes in the Vintree, by Thomas Dawson, for Toby Smyth. 1581.
The Preface to the Reader.
IT is no maruell, though that Antichrist the Pope of Rome (seeing his kingdome of darknesse decay apace in these dayes, and fearing the vtter ouerthrowe of it for euer) being rowzed, bestirre himselfe as hee doth. He is in high place, & hath of some yeres growen too mightie in this world by his owne ambitious pride, and the grace hee hath founde in the eies of great princes and their people: God so iustly punishing mens ingratitude, towardes his maiestie. This lawlesse man therefore, of whom I speake, will no doubt leaue no meanes vnattempted, so long as hee may, to vpholde this his pompe and estate, whiche thing will not in these daies be perfourmed without much ado, especially when he cannot bee content to keepe himselfe within boundes, that is, as a Romane at home in his owne Citie and Countrie, where hee dwelleth, or as a Churche man in Church matters: but will needes roue ouer the worlde, sitting in Gods seate, and hauing; an Oare in eueryevery mans boate (as they say) yea and ruffle, euen among Monarques and great Princes, and that in, and for their kingdomes: giuing the same, taking, placing, displacing, disposing, &c. at his will and pleasure.
But playing thus his parte like himselfe, that is, so impudently and Godlesly, in the sight nowe of all the worlde bewraying himselfe to bee in deede that man of sinne that is prophesied of: Gods spirit on the other side, detecting and reuealing dayly2. Thes. 2. vntounto vsus, by the cleare light of the Gospell, the treacherie and sleightes of this sonne of perdition: some, possible, may maruell howe hee shoulde finde fauour grace, and good liking, with any that beare but a shewe of godlinesse and honestie, sauing that, wee are sufficiently admonished afore hande, that the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them that belesueCor. 4. 4. not, that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christe Iesus, which is the image of God, should not shine vntounto them. And againe, because they that perishe, hauehave not receiued the louelove of the truth that they might be saued, therefore God will 2. Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12.sende them stronge delusion to … lyes, that al may bee damned, which hauehave not beleeued the truth, &c. A necessary caueat, to stay vsus in these troublesome dayes on Gods truth immoueable, and a iudgement of God with feare and trembling to be reuerensed of all.
So then, such thinges as wee see come to passe at this day, and set abrod for the vpholding of that beast the Pope of Rome and his rotten religion, ought so little to seeme strange vntounto the faithfull, that being assured the Lorde will destroy that lawlesse2. Thes. 2. 8. man, with the spirite of his mouth, & take him away by the appearing of his cōming: We should take cōfort & incouragemēt therby, & manfully rather oppose our selues against him & his ministers, eueryevery one in our calling, then bee any whit weakened by such accidents, & putting differēce (as we are taught)Iude. ver. 22. 23. hauehave compassion of some, and saue other with feare, plucking them out of the fire, and hate euen the garment spotted by the fleshe. The moe stumbling blockes wee see Satan and his suppostes to cast before men, the more diligent and paineful ought we againe to be in setting our hands & shoulders to the worke for the remoouing thereof out of mens way, if God at any time will giuegive suche, as are intangled in the snares of the Diuell repentance to knowe the truth, leauing euer in good hope the successe to God and his blessing.
The consideration heereof, in confidence of Gods mercifull …, mooued mee, though among his seruants of a thousande the vnfittest, whyle other bee otherwise occupied, to take in hande vppon request of diuers godly and well disposed, to answere a certaine seditious booke of late imprinted and set out to the viewe of the worlde, by I. Howlet the title whereof is: A briefe discourse containing certaine reasons, why Catholikes (so hee calleth the earnest and hot Papistes heere in Englande, reconciled of late yeeres vntounto the Pope) refuse to goe to Churche, written by a learned & vertuous man, (as hee saieth,) to a friend of his in Englande, Whome hee nameth not, neither the one nor the other. Why not to her Maiestie: as these men vse to suppose,…. I. Hovvlet the madge Hovv let highly schritchith an maketh an yll fauoured noyse to the Nightinghale whose melodie & pleasant note is knowen. and wee must beleeue what they say. The whole (for the woorthinesse thereof forsooth, with a long Epistle Dedicatorie) is offered by I. H. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie: and printed as is pretended, at Doway, By Iohn Lyon with priuiledge. Though wee knowe it was printed, not at Doway, but in Englande, without priuiledge, or good leaue: yet wee may not say so, nor doubte of the other, such suppositions bee these Catholiques principles, wee may not cal them in question, nor iudge of them, they be aboue our reache.
For the Authours name of these reasons, because they list not to vtter the same, I am not curious, whether the same proceed from him that wrote the Dedicatory Epistle to her Maiestie or no, it is not greatly material, sauing, if they did not; M. Howlet seemeth to doe his fellowe some iniurie, in taking out of his handes that which hee promiseth, in his booke in the second place to performe, and nowe omitteth, to wit: to shewe…. 30. 68. …. the way and meanes that Catholiques, (as he calleth thē) hauehave, to remedie or ease themselues of this affliction now laide vponupon them for their consciences, with reasons and motiues to induce her Maiesty the rather to tollerate them in their religiō, in respect of God, her selfe, and her whole Realme. This peece of dealing with her Maiestie shoulde hauehave come after the treatise, sauing that M. Howlet, either doubting of the performance, or seeking that glorie, as one, loth to tarie so long, or for some other respect gleaning as appeareth from his friend, setteth the same out afore hande, and putteth it in the forefronte.
For I. Howlets person, who hath the chief dealing in publishing, & deliuering this whole matter vntounto vsus, as one supposed to be a good, faythfull, and stout proctour for the Popish Church, and a fit instrument to bring vsus such an vntounto warde and like a shrich Owle, sodenly and vntimely to make a great noyse in her Maiesties eares, or as hee in his fellowes names and vnluckie message vttereth it with his owne wordes. Wee crye out of the ryot, &c. Hee may issue from Pope Iohn the three and twentiethes spirit well inough, as one of that broode for the agreement that is betweene both. As for vsus, wee may not dislike, nor maruel at this choyse of these fathers (like Pope, like spirite) the rather, for that wee reade, that this foule and vnluckie birde, I meane madge Howlet, hath aforetime waited vponupon the Pope, and serued his vnholy holynesse, euen in counsell, as his familiar spirite, whiche is as worshipfull an office I tell you, as this carrier and letter bringer, serueth in now, howeuer the ill fauoured madge Howlet be wondred at among men, or other birdes, or be taken to be but an vnluckie messenger.
Let mee bee bolde with thee (… Reader) for the satisfaction of some here, vponupon such resemblance and agreement betweene the parties, and other circumstances: to set downe the olde storie of the madge Howlet, not taken out of newe writers…. Flac. …, De testibus …. of these dayes, which yet hauehave faithfully and truely deliuered vsus the same in wryting: as to leaue other, those reuerende and learned fathers Maister Iohn Bale in Latine, and Maister Iohn Foxe in Englishe our owne Countrey men hauehave done:…. Baleus. De illustr. …. Britan. Actes & …. Tome, 1. …. 705. & 706 Neuerthelesse, though I agree with them, and namely with Maister Foxes storie, and allowe the same, as fully agreeing heerein with the first Authour and truthe (wrangle the aduersarie against those woorthie fathers worthye woorkes, as much as he list) yet hauehave I thought good, to fetch this nowe, out of a worthye Doctour and Archdeacon of our aduersaries owne Church, called Nicholas de. Clamengiis, to whom maister Foxe honestly and truely sendeth vsus, and with whom also I sawe the booke. This Nichol de Clamengiis, liuing in the time whē the thing happened wrote the same. His booke also was since printed & publishd in a Popish time, a popish place, &c. That I say nothing of Orthuinus Gratius cē sure thereon, who being a popish priest, yet in setting this forth, amōg…, …, in fasciculo rerum expetendarum … fugiendarum. other things denieth not the truth heereof: So as the aduersarie cannot easily cauil. After this Archdeacon had declared the notoriousnesse of the matter, and the good testimonie hee had…. De Clamengiis in collatione 2. … per scriptum super materia Concilii Generalis, … Scholasticum …. thereof, thus setteth he vsus downe the storie, aboue eight score yeeres since: Balthasar Cossa, sayth hee, about foure yeeres since, called a Councel at Rome &c.
Nowe (at the entrie or before the first session of the …) when Masse for the holy Ghost, as the manner is, was done: and the Councel nowe were set, and Balthasar himselfe This was Pope Iohn the 23.in a chayre prouided for him on high aboue the rest, behold, a foule, vnluckie Owle, which is alwayes a messenger of Hee wrote this in the … of the Councel of Constance about the yere of our Lord. 1414 Masse of the holy Ghost, at the beginning of the Councel.some corps, or other misfortune, as they say, commeth out of his hole, and flickering about with his shreeching noyse, stayes himselfe vponupon the midle beame of S. Martines temple, where they sate in the Councell: casting his brode eyes directly vppon Balthasar. All there present, fel in a wonderment, that a night birde which shunneth the light, came in the middes of the assembly at brode day light, by which wonder and strange sight they did (not without cause) thinke some mischiefe to bee foreshewed. Behold, saide they, one to another softly, the spirit is come in the shape of an Owle. And when the rest looking one on an other, & vpō Balthasar, could scarsely forbear laugh ter, Balthasar himself (vponupon whome alone this madge Howlet, casting his eyes, stedfastly looked) did blushe for shame, sweate for anger, and fretted in his minde: and at length, not knowing how to helpe otherwise this his so great disgrace, breaking vp the councell, arose, and went his way. There followed after another session wherein againe after the same maner, the madge Howlet, (though as I thinke not called) failed not to bee present, casting still his foule eyes vponupon Balthasar, which m. Howlet, he seeing to be returned, was not without iust cause, more troubled and striken with shame than afore, and not being able to abide the sight of the madge Howlet any longer; he commanded him to be beaten away with libbets and clubbes, and with crying noyse, but M. Howlet neuer a whit disquieted either with their shreeching noyse or other disturbaunce woulde not flie away, till with muche cudgeling at him, being very sore beaten, hee fell. downe dead before them all. These things (saith our Authour) learned I of a certaine faithfull, and trustie friende, who, at that time came straight and directly from Rome, of whiche I making doubt, by reason of the strangenesse thereof, my friende being very earnestly sworne; Assured me, hee told mee that was moste true, and added further, that all that were present, were hereby brought into an vtter contempt, disdaine, and mocking of that councell, and the whole companie by little and little falling away, hee affirmed there was nothing at all there doone to any purpose. Thus farre Clamengius, cited very truely by maister Foxe.
For the Gentleman, the authours worshipfull friende (as hee speaketh) if there be any suche, and he not too farre gone, I wish him to bee aduised, and take heede, what scholemaisters hee betake his conscience to be framed by, the matter is of no small importance, let him at leastwise without preiudicate opinion heare and reade both sides before hee iudge, or thruste himselfe too farre ouer the shoes: for our part (what euer opinion the aduersaries bee of,) leauing the rest to hym that is aboue, wee desire no more at his handes: this is it wee hauehave from the beginning, and many a day sought and requested. If hee will heare this counsell, hee shall first see that wee drawe him not from the Pope and Popishe religion, to carry him to depende vppon any mortall man in the case of religion and conscience, bee he neuer so high or mightie: but only vppon the true and immortall God of heauen, and his sacred mouth: Next, that wee propounde him not doctrines deuised by mans braine, and after recōmended vnderunder title of the Church, to intangle his cōscienee, and without eyther grounde or good reason, make him perplexed and doubtfull by subtill quidities and questions, as these men doe, but after we hauehave brought him to feede in the pleasant and sweete pasture, and to drinke of the pure and liuely fountaine of Gods holy woorde, which is the trueth, hee shall see, wee endeuour to vnwrap and vnfoulde his conscience from snares, to quiet the same with the true peace of God, teaching him to make conscience where God and his woorde woulde, and no where els, and to looke well to these two points in the case of conscience. God may and doth make lawes to bynde conscience withall, and onelyonly God may deale therein and no mortall man, muche lesse that man of sinne the Pope.
In summe, the more precisely in these matters pertayning to his soules health, he shall cleaue to God and his holye truth contayned in the Scriptures, renouncing all sectes and partes of whomesoeuer, aswell Pope as other, the better shall he please, I will not say vsus, but first God, and next to God, satissie her Maiestie our dread soueraigne and his, who pretendeth not by her selfe, nor her lawes, to make any of her subiectes to be of her Religion, but vsus altogether with her selfe, of Gods true, certayne, and most holie Religion. Shee sitteth in no mans conscience as doth the Pope ywis, in doing this, shortely to say, he shall shewe himselfe to bee a faythfull and good seruaunt to GOD, and her Maiestie, bearing a duetifull minde, lyke a true subiect, to her godly lawes in eueryevery respecte, a profitable member also shall hee shewe him selfe to bee in Church and common wealth, and most of all (which hee hath to consider of) his owne friende; all which benefites, hee quite spoyleth himselfe of, in following the course these men sette hym in who as blynde guydes conducte him in the darkenes by bywayes of traditions, forefathers, custome, multitude, good intentes, and meaning, as they call them, and all without the light of Gods holy woorde, or any good warrant.
Nowe as there are two partes of this booke, the Epistle dedicatorie to her Maiestie, and the treatise or reasons, where vntounto accordingly I hauehave to answere, so for the matter, the drift wherto this booke tendeth, & the manner of handling the whole, generally to speake, it so bewrayeth it selfe as the indifferent Reader may and will (I doubt not) easily espie out the treacherie. Poyson to infect deadly, couered, and as it were sugured, that is: with faire wordes glosed and recōmended, is the whole matter: for what hauehave wee els to iugde of reasons, not grounded on any art of reason, and of persuasion, without all foundation. The whole that so great account is made of, was a letter from a friend to a friende, shuffled vp in hast, as the writer confesseth. Why then did not the same rest in the friends handes, or in the writers custodie, among other common letters and papers: vnlesse those of wisedome and authoritie heere; vppon knowledge, sight, and perusing, it had beene called for, and as other things that passe abrode, it … beene orderly allowed of; if it should hauehave been found meet. Forsooth, madge Howlet and his fellowes opinion must rule heerein, to make a Treatise and discourse thereof, and at length to publish the same in print, wherby besides the rest, they may shewe what great reasons they stay their consciences vppon (as they speake) to the condemning of others, yea of their own side that thinke not and do not as they doe, and what weightie motiues also they hauehave to moue her Maiestie withall, and what inuincible Scholasticall argumentes wee must looke for at these terrible fellowes handes. Of all which that I may heere briefly and in summe, giuegive a note, I say if their store behinde, bee no better then this they nowe sende vsus, for all their great bragges, wee may turne them ouer to Sophisters and laddes in the Schooles to answere them, so little neede wee surely feare their hie woordes and threates. Well, what opinion and liking so euer maister Howlet and his fellows hauehave of this worke of theirs, and what fruite they may looke for it to bring foorth among suche as are wedded to …, & therby inclinable to moue sedition and rebellion in this state: which appeareth to bee their meaning, what euer they pretende, we once in considering thereof see their purpose and drift not to bee good, for in going about, to confirme and encourage suche to goe on forwarde in their deuilishe and stubborne opinion, which abstaine from publique Church assembles here (wherein to Gods glorie are vsed the preaching of Christes Gospell, the administration of his sacramentes, godly prayers, &ct.) And againe, to refuse the othe of alleageance to her Maiestie, alluring other to the like: they drawe men (as much as in them is) from the ordinarie meanes whereby God beginneth, aduaunceth, and continueth faith and Religion in his, they dishonour his Maiestie, in swaruing from the rule of his holy woorde, they pine away and slaye their owne soules, and theirs that hearken vntounto them. Besides this offence to God, and priuate hurt to thē selues and others, they induce them further to disobey in the highest degree, their gracious Soueraigne and ours, and to break her wholsome lawes made for the aduauncement of Christes syncere Religion, and the suppressing of Idolatrie and superstition, and for the maintenance of her Royal estate and most lawfull dignitie among her subiectes, they offend moreouer all the godly minded, & weake ones also, by their euil exāple and dealing. That I speak nothing of vtter enemies to the truth, which can learne no good hereby. Finally, they seeke to make a schisme, and to maintaine heresie in this holy Congregation, and seditiously disturbing the peace and quiet here, they make a way to a newe rebellion, if it bee possible for them, infecting other with the same opinion and obstinacie, whiche are not hitherto so hot and forward, or peruerse and frowarde in this matter.
These and such like things are sought to bee iustified, maintained, and defended, by coloured reason and false perswasion, and all vnderunder pretence of conscience, in this booke. They must be tollerated in these doings, her Maiestie, and the state must be satisfied therewith, otherwise, they playne of the state and publique authoritie here, they deuise and inuent sclanders, they chalenge and threate, they bragge and vaunt, they whine and repine, and what not? They are loth to let goe their holde, and to leese all their labour, being come so farre as from Rome, the poore helpe of Italian and Romane souldiers, which our English Italianated Romanistes, had by suite procured from the Pope traiterously, by force of late to inuade her Maiesties dominions, thorough Gods prouidence, nowe failyng and deceiuing their expectation: these spirituall doues of the Pope, I meane the Iesuites, byrdes once of the Popes Seminaries, and other such sollicitors, and procters of Poperie, as comming like postes from beyonde the seas, flie here vp and down, among vsus, applying them selues to the time, hauehave thought good to holde another course, till they may be able to make such head againe, as in her Maiesties raigne they did first in Englande, and afterwarde of late in Irelande. For, least those of their companie that are left, after the suppressing of the rebelles among vsus, shoulde be dismaide and discouraged, setting a good face on the matter, they comfort them with such wordes and motiues, as they may in so bad a matter, and least when they can not openly in person goe abroade, their well willers and friendes, whereof they bragge of moe here, then I trust they shall finde, shoulde want their ayde in aduauncing the proude prelate of Rome, and his religion against the eternall God of heauen and her Maiestie, our naturall and dread soueraigne and Prince: here vponupon they print and cast abroad this and such like libels, full of holownes and vauntes, contayning litle or no other matter, as such doe easily and at first fight perceiue, which vntaught by them, are none of their disciples, but through Gods goodnesse vnderunder her Maiesties happie gouernement, hauehave been now many yeeres trayned vp in the schoole of the holy ghost, where (if wee hauehave grace) wee hauehave learned ynough to confirme and stablishe our mindes in the trueth of God, and to repell and ouerthrowe all deuises of men.
Now, because they hauehave by their euill desertes, iustly brought themselues farre into hatred, least they shoulde seeme common enemies, all their cunning of Rhetorique and persuasion muste be applied for the auoyding of this blot, hence commeth the dedication of this treatise to her Maiestie, and the allegation of conscience. But if they can blushe, mee thinketh surely they should hauehave beene ashamed for all their collours to hauehave offered suche stuffe to her highnesse. Princes woulde be reuerenced, and their presence & eares forborne and spared, especially such a Prince as her Maiestie, our Queene and Soueraigne is, who is after a rare and singuler manner, discreete, wise, and learned, whereby shee is able thorowly to discerne and iudge of things: shee is godly also, and from her infancie, a fauourer, pro fessor, and setter foorth of the Gospel of Christ in her dominions. A religion as contrarie to Poperie, as God is to the Deuil. Bee al former attempts and practises against her Maiestie, & the state by Pope and Popelings forgotten nowe? Or will the bare name of Conscience couer and blot out al? Or else bee their stomacks at length come do … when they hauehave gone as farre as they can with violence of sworde, and such mischieuous dealing to prooue if they can gaine any thing by woorde and fayre speeche in a coloured supplication? May there not bee thought lyke poyson to bee offred therein as hath beene founde in former vsage? This parlè with her Maiestie, if it had gone before violent attempts, and shamelesse and villainous writings against her Maiestie, might hauehave caried some shewe or lesse fuspition, which nowe is quite otherwise. Where is also submission and confession of former misdemeanor, to moue pitie? Neuer a worde of this, nay the whole must be iustified, and her Maiestie (as I hauehave saide) must take these reasons for al satisfaction, though shee hauehave neuer so great occasion offered her to plaine of vnnatural and naughty vsage of subiects, and their trayterous dealing. But howe euer things appeare to M. Howlet, who is of the night and of darknesse, yet may he not in this cleere light of the Gospel, to her Maiestie and others, speake, good Esay. 5. 20.of euil, and euil of good, put darkenesse for light, & light for darknesse, sowre for sweete, & sweete for sowre, and thinke so to preuaile. Wee must not beleeue eueryevery spirite, but wee must try the spirites whether they bee of GOD, It is the light 1. Iohn. 4. 1.that maketh all thinges manifest. And wee bee, the Ephes. 5. 13.children of light & the children of the day, &c. Great iniurie1. Thes. 5. 5. therfore doth M. H. so vntimely & out of seasō to shreche in her highnes eares, as though her Maiestie were a meete patrone for their naughty causes, which common sense and reason, if hee coulde harken thereto, would tel how vnfit she is for, or rather how greatly shee is sought heerein to bee abused by this lewde dealing. Howe the breache is made vp againe among the Papists herewith, or howe this salue and plaster serueth to cure them. I wote not, but after their reasons and persuasions hauehave lōg flown among their companions, to dedicate the same at seconde and thirde hand to her Maiestie, and that with such an impudent Epistle in so base and meane a subiect as M. Howlet is, is vtterly intollerable: her Maiestie can iudge wel ynough, betweene entising speeches of mans wisedome, and the plaine euidence of 1. Cor. 2. 4.the Spirit, whereof the Apostle speaketh. These mens motiues, reasons, and persuasions being but a fardel of vntruthes, neede not to be brought into hir highnesse presence, nor be opened to her maiestie. That I write in answere hereof, is for the simpler sort, that they may not bee abused by colourable deceit and onelyonly pretence of conscience, to whome I attempter my selfe so much as I may. It hath beene an old policie of heretiques to perswade before they teache, whereas trueth perswadeth by teaching, and teacheth not by perswading, as one of the auncient fathers reporteth. Howe they teache thatTertul. aduersus …. they are led in this cause by conscience, and how lewdly and diuelishly they and their Popishe Authours, whome they followe heerein, write of Conscience, abusing themselues, and their readers, but most of al God, and his heauenly doctrine, because this point is the grounde of the whole discourse, and I vnfolde the same at large, to auoide too tedious prolixitie. I heere leaue it, and desire the Christian reader euen for Gods sake, but to reade and ponder wel this matter, and I greatly meruaile if hee afterwarde abhorre not Popery for euer.