Defense of Perkins Book Called a Reformed Catholic, Title page – To the reader
A DEFENCE OF M. PERKINS BOOKE, CALLED A REFORMED CATHOLIKE: Against the cauils of a Popish writer, one D. B. P. or W. B. in his deformed Reformation. By Antony Wotton.
AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, for Cuthbert Burby, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swan. 1606.
THE PRINCIPAL POINS HANDLED IN THIS BOOKE.
1. Of Antichrist. pag. 41.
2. Of Freewill. pag. 64.
3. Of Originall sinne. pag. 95.
4. Of the certaintie of saluation. pag. 124.
5. Of Iustification. pag. 163.
6. Of inherent iustice. pag. 184.
7. Of iustifying faith; what it is? pag. 195.
8. How faith iustifieth? pag. 206.
9. That faith alone iustifieth. pag. 212.
10. Of good workes, how farre forth they are required to iustification. pag. 239.
11. Whether it be possible for a man that is iustified to fulfill the law of God. pag. 258.
12. Whether good workes be stained with sinne. pag. 265.
13. Whether faith may be without charitie. pag. 277.
14. Whether faith may be without good workes. pag. 285.
15. Of merits. pag. 287.
16. Of satisfaction. pag. 344.
17. Of Traditions. pag. 399.
18. Of vowes. pag. 469.
19. Of the vow of single life. pag. 487.
20. Of wilfull pouerty. pag. 508.
21. Of regular obedience. pag. 522.
22. Of Images. pag. 524.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, ROBERT EARLE OF SALISBVRIE, VICOVNT Cranborne, Baron of Essingdon, Principall Secretarie to his Maiestie, Master of the Court of Wards and Liueries, one of his Highnesse most Honourable Priuie Councell, and Chancellor of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge.
RIght Honourable, it hath pleased God to vouchsafe your Lordship no small honour in the profession of Christianity, that you hauehave not onelyonly beleeued the truth of the Gospell, but also are made partaker of that glorie of his children to suffer for it. To you it is giuen (saith the Apostle to the Philippians) for Christ, that not onelyonly Phil. 1. 24you should beleeue in him, but also suffer for his sake. Giuen; as if it were a speciall fauour, which no man attaines to, but they only to whom it is granted by priuiledge from God. To you it is giuen (saith our Matth. 13. ….Sauiour) to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen. And in another place: No man can come vntounto me, except Iohn 6. 6.it bee giuen him of my Father. This gift the Lord hath bestowed vponupon your Honour, that they which are enemies to him, should be persecutors of you, euen to the death, if it lay in their power, for his quarrell. But the gratious prouidence of God hath manifestly shewed it selfe, in this whole action, on your Lordships behalfe, in that not only you are still preserued, in despight of them, but also that you hold on that noble, and Christian resolution, to prouide for the sasctie of Religion, his Maiesties person, and estate, with the hazard of your owne life, regarding more what your Lordship ought to doe, in dutie to God, and your Soueraigne, then what you may suffer by men, for so doing. Now on their part, who can say whether their malice, or their follie is the greater? when I consider the height of their hatred, that reacheth euen to the taking away of life, which is in Gods hands; me thinkes I am not able to looke beyond it. But when I remember their desperate resoluing to commit such a murther, so openly, and their extreame indiscretion, in acquainting your Lordship with their intendment, it seemes to me, that the lightnes of their follie exceeds the waight of their malice. So that they giuegive all men iust occasion to suspect, that God hath giuen them ouer into a reprobate sense, as to destroy their soules by intending such a bloody sinne, so to cast away their liues also by attempting it, with so great follie. But leauing them to the merciemercy and iustice of God, for repentance, or confusion; giuegive me leaue (Right Honourable) to put your Lordship in minde of that, which I make no doubt, but you know, and thinke on; viz. That the Lord God (hauing taken your person, estate, and honour into his protection, against these and such like conspiracies) looketh for continuance, and increase of zeale, and care in your Lordship, for the securing, as much as may be in your power, of his holy religion, and his worthie Lieutenant, our gratious Soueraignes person, and dignitie. Now the knowledge of danger being a good helpe to the auoyding of it, The Lord himselfe seemes to hauehave taken halfe the care alreadie, in discouering those, that hauehave bin, are, and will be the continuall practisers of his Maiesties ruine. I were more than conceited, and foolish, if I could but thinke my selfe either able or fit to aduise your Lordship in matters of this nature. Yet let me humbly entreate your Honour, to vouchsafe the reading of that, which, in my poore thoughts, I hauehave apprehended. That the safetie of Princes dependeth vponupon the good pleasure of God, it is out of all question, especially in their account, who aduisedly, and thankfully remember the late wonderfull, and gratious deliuerance, neuer to be forgotten. Neither can it be doubted, but it is Gods good pleasure to preserue them, as long as they hauehave care to walke in obedience to him; especially in prouiding for his glorie, by maintaining and aduancing the true religion of Iesus Christ. So then, the safetie of religion is the securitie of the Prince; and the decay of Gods true seruice, the forerunner of the Kings destruction. As this is true (in generall) concerning all Kings, and Gouernours; so hath it an especiall euidence of truth, in his Maiesties particular. For it is apparant to eueryevery man, that the Papists quarrell to his Maiestie is not for hatred of his person, but of his religion. And therefore so farre foorth will they plot against the former, as they can see likelihood of a…chieuing the latter. His danger groweth by their hope; and their despaire of bringing in Popish idolatrie, must needs be the securitie of his life and state. Are wee then desirous to rid his Maiestie of this danger, and the whole state of this feare? we see the meanes of accomplishing that desire, to bee no other, than to prouide that true religion may grow and flourish, and Popish idolatrie fade and wither. For neither may wee looke for any blessing from God on the Common-wealth, if he be continually dishonoured amongst vsus, by the encrease of Popish heresie; nor reasonably promise our selues any end of treacherous and bloodie enterprises, as long as Papists conceiue hope of preuailing for Antichrist, by such attempts. If their number daily encrease, how should their hope lessen? And how is it possible to keepe it from growing, if thousands in this kingdome, remaining in their ignorance, be left as pray to seducing Priests and Iesuits? The conclusion is, that if there be not some religious and wise care taken, as to instruct the people in the knowledge of Gods truth, which is the principall: so to ferrit out those lurking Serpents, that breathe Idolatrie and treason into the hearts of his Maiesties people, and to keepe out their like from entring into this Iland, the glorie of God, the safetie of the King, and the prosperitie of this kingdome, are all waining, in the last quarter. For howsoeuer it be very true, that some Popish errors hinder not men from remaining good and faithfull subiects; yet (as his Maiestie most wisely, and truly obserued) None of those, that trulie know and beleeue the whole grounds and conclusions of their Schoole doctrine, can euer prooue either good Christians, or faithfull subiects. For the former, I referre my selfe to most of the points handled in this Treatise ensuing: for the latter, let the doctrine and practise of the Romish Synagogue it selfe giuegive sentence. How can he possibly be a faithfull subiect, that is to be commanded (in the highest bond of conscience) by forreine authoritie? Shall we rest vponupon the Popes holinesse: as if he forsooth would not enioyne any thing, that should preiudice any Prince in his estate temporall? Let former examples passe; can any true, or iust dealing be hoped for at his hands, whose vassals daily teach subiects, that it is meritorious to murther Princes. Would not the Pope, if hee had misliked that doctrine, hauehave checkt it long before this time, either in some generall Councill, or by some definitiue sentence of his owne; as your Lordship hath prudently obserued? And whereas their Arch-priest Blackwell condemnes all attempting of ought against Princes by any priuate authoritie, doth hee not (which is also your Lordships wise obseruation) reserue thereby a tacite lawfulnes thereof, in case it be directed by publike warrant? So impossible is it for a Papist (that beleeues the Pope cannot erre, and holds himselfe therefore bound in conscience to obey him, in all his commandements) to be a faithfull subiect to any Prince in the world whatsoeuer. But I hauehave been carried further in this matter, than I purposed; it remaines, that I humbly craue pardon of your Lordship, and commend there my poore labours to your honourable and g…tious acceptance; beseeching God to continue your life, and to encrease your zeale, care, and wise lo… to the glorie of his name, the further adua… of religion, the prosperi… of the estate, the sa…e and honour of his Maiestie, …d your owne present and euerlasting comfort through Iesus Christ.
From my house on the Tower Hill February 18. Anno 16… … Lord…hips to be commanded in all C…r…stian dutie. A…ONY WOTTON.
TO THE READER.
WHen I had finished my poore labours in answering, and compared Master Perkins Treatise, the Papists accusation, and my defence together; I could see no better course for thy vnderstanding of al three, then to set downe all three, eueryevery one in the Authers owne words. Now I came at the last to view them all three together, the greatnes of the booke driueth me into some feare least that which I intended for thy good in reading of it, should proue an occasion of thy forbearing to read it. Only my hope is, that knowledge of the truth being the end of thy reading, thou wilt not thinke much of a little more paines or cost, which necessity hath laid vponupon them, who desire to benefit themselues by vnderstanding the difference betwixt the Gospell and Popery. That neither my tediousnesse nor darkenesse might offend or stay thee, I hauehave laboured for as much plainenes as I could well attaine to, with so much breuitie. The skoffing, reuiling, and slaundering of the Aduersarie, I hauehave chosen rather to referre to God the reuenger of all such Antichristian dealing, and to thy discreete and Christian consideration, then to answere in the like measure and kind of sinning. But if it please thee in reading of the booke to compare the testimony he giueth of M. Perkins in his Preface to the Reader, with his carriage toward him in the whole course of his answering, thou shalt easily discerne, that either the one or the other, or both, must needs be without iudgement or conscience. For my course of answering I shall need to say nothing, because I spake sufficiently of it in my answere to the twelue Articles. In this present booke thou mayest know where M. Perkins, the Aduersarie, and my defence beginneth and endeth, as well by the difference of the print, as by the great or capitall letters set in the margin; W. P. for William Perkins, D. B. P. for the Aduersarie vnknowen, hiding himselfe vnderunder those three letters, A. W. for Antony Wotton. And this course is obserued throughout the whole booke, saue a few places, where the marginall notes would afford no roome to those letters. I hauehave further added some short answers in the margin here and there, which thou maiest perceiue by the matter and letter. It remaineth that I humbly and earnestlie intreat thee to examine what we hauehave written without preiudice and partiality, and to acknowledge the truth with liking, where it shall please God to make it euident vntounto thee: which he will certainly doe according to his promise, if thou call vponupon him in humility and faith, for the assistance of his holy Spirit; To whose gratious direction I commend thee now and euer.
Tower hill Febr. 18. 1606. Thine in the Lord Iesus, Antony Wotton.