Answer to a Popish Pamphlet, Title page – To the reader
AN ANSVVERE to a popiſh Pamphlet, of late newly forbiſhed, and the ſecond time Printed, Entituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reaſons diſcouering the palpable abſurdities, and moſt notorious errors of the Proteſtants religion.
By Anthony Wotton.
Papiſt.
Palpauimus quaſi coeci parietem, et quaſi abſ que oculis attrectauimus, impegimus meridie, quaſi in tenebris. As blinde men we hauehave gropte the wall, and as without eyes we hauehave handled it, we hauehave ſtumbled at noone dayes, as in darkneſſe. Iſa. 59.
Proteſtant.
If you were blinde, yee ſhould not hauehave ſinne; but now yee ſay we ſee, therefore your ſinne remaineth. Iohn. 9. 41.
Papiſt.
Domine aperi oculos iſtorum vt videant. O Lord open the eyes of theſe men, that they may ſee. 4. Reg. 6.
Proteſtant.
Lord lay not this ſinne to their charge. Acts. 7. 60.
Imprinted at London by G. Eld, for William Timme, dwelling in Pater-noſter rowe, at the ſigne of the Flovver de Luce and crovvne, neere Cheapeſide. 1605.
To the Right Honorable Edward Lord Denny, Baron of Waltham.
R. Honorable:
MAy it pleaſe your good Lordſhip, to accept of this poore treatiſe, not in any part of ſatiſfaction for ſo honorable an offer of your vndeſerued kindnes, but as a Bill of my hand, for the acknowledgment of ſo great a debt; To promiſe payment of ſuch a ſum, were to deceiue with falſe hope, to imagine it may be made by ſuch meanes as this, would argue a miſcōceipt both of your Lordſhips due, and my ability. All that remaines is by this, or ſome ſuch l…ke deed, to profeſſe my ſenſiblenes of your great fauour, and my owne bond, with a continuall deſire of ſome better oportunity to ſhew my thankfulneſſe. Which if it pleaſe your Lordſhip to take in good part, your honorable kindnes, and my debt by it ſhall receaue ſuch increaſe, as ſhal bind mee alwaies to the beſt duty I can performe, euen to call vponupon God for an enlargement of all his graces and bleſſings on your Lordſhip, and all yours, to your preſent, and euerlaſting comfort through Ieſus Chriſt; to whoſe gratious protection I commend your Honor now and euer. Tower hill. May 23. 1605.
Your Lordſhips in all Chriſtian duty. Anthony Wotton.
To the Reader.
I Had diſpatcht my anſwer to theſe Popiſh Articles, with purpoſe to hauehave publiſht it, Ianuary 9. 1600. But it pleaſed God to diſapoynt me of that purpoſe, by the vnlooked for ouerthrow of my Honourable Lord the Earle of Eſſex, ſince that time I hauehave kept it by me, the rather becauſe the Pamphlet hath bene ſince that time ſufficiently anſwered, by two learned men: Now at the laſt the importunity of ſome friends hath drawne from me a certain Conſent, for the Printing of it, in theſe 2. reſpects. First becauſe it ſeemes to them that it may ſerue, as part of an anſwere, to diuers points lately ſet out against Maister Perkins reformed Catholick: til… a more particular refutation thereof be ready; ſecondly, becauſe the Papiſts hauehave of late new for biſhed and reprinted theſe Articles, with ſome anſwers and arguments, which were not in the former treatiſe, & therfore remaine as yet vnanſwered. The booke it ſelfe, with the Author, and reaſons of the publiſhing thereof; I committ to thy Chriſtian cenſure, beſeeching God to giuegive a bleſſing to it, for the maintayning of his owne holy truth, the inſtructing and eſtabliſhing of his children, & the conuincing and confounding of his enemies, to his diuine Maieſties glory, in Ieſus Christ our Lord and onelyonly Sauiour. Tower-hill. May 23. 1605.
Thine aſſured in Chriſt. Anthony Wotton.