An Answer to a Popish Libel, Title page – Dedication
AN ANSVVERE TO A POPISH LIBELL INtituled A Petition to the Biſhops, Preachers, and Gospellers, lately ſpread abroad in the North partes, By FRANCIS BVNNY Prebendary of Durham; ſometimes fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.
Thus ſaith the Lord: ſtande in the waies and beholde and aske for the old waies, which is the good way, and walke therein, and yee ſhall finde reſt for your ſoules. Ierem. 6.26.
AT OXFORD, Printed by Joſeph Barnes, Printer to the Vniverſity. 1607.
TO ALL POPISH REcuſants who deſire to know the truth, F.B. wiſheth grace to ſee and to be ſorry for their ignorance & errour.
THE Prophet David complayneth grievouſly of ſome, whoſe wordes were ſofter then butter, Pſal. 55.22.yet vvarr vvas in their harte: they vvere more gentle then oile, yet they were ſwords. Wherein he ſeemeth to me, to paint out in ſome liuely colours, the Recuſants of our daies who hauing bloud in their minds, & moſt ſavage purpoſes ſtill in hammering: yet to blinde mens eies, or to turne away their harts from anie care of preuenting their danger, deale by Petition & Requeſt, as if they were verie loiall and reaſonable ſubiects. To this end (by that which hath followed we maie iudge) was that Petition in September laſt ſent abroad, To the Biſhops, Preachers, and Goſpellers, that being deceiued by their wordes of charitie, we ſhould not once doubt of anie vncharitable purpoſe that they would hauehave, & ſo ſhoulde bee taken in the ſnares which they had privilie laide. But how ſo euer they ſmoothlie dawbed ouer their moſt monſtrous deſignes, and couered with ſhew of ſugred words their moſt barbarous intent: yet the event hath ſhewed, that vnderunder the wings of that Popiſh diſſimulation, was hatched the moſt ſtrange and vnnaturall treaſon, that hart of man could thinke of; in reſpect whereof, the maſſacre of Fraūce though inhumane, the purpoſe of Haman though very cruel, the murder committed by Simeon and Levi of the Shechemits, though exceeding bloudie; yea the Attempt of Pope Lucius the 2. though monſtrous enough, & cō ming neereſt to this of our Recuſants, yet hauehave ſome honeſt coulour of excuſe. For in that of France, the King being ſeduced by bad Coūcell, was made to beleeue that by no other means he could execute Iuſtice (as they tearmed it) on his ſubiects, & therin not many of great reckoning died. Haman ſought the deſtruction of ſtrā gers; The childrē of Iacob had their ſiſter abuſed by Hamours ſonne who was Lorde of that Coūtrie; & the attempt of Lucius againſt the Praetor and all the Senators of Rome, was by open force, and not by ſuch daſtardlie or cowardlie practiſes. But this Popiſh deſigne, was to the deſtructiō of almoſt al the noble, learned either in divinitie or Law, wiſe and worſhipfull in the Land, onlie to attaine to their owne wicked deſires without cauſe of iuſt wrath not of forainers, but of Contriemen and kinſfolke, and that in a moſt treacherous and ſudden manner. It ſhal not therefore hencforth be ſtrange to me, that our Learned Antiquarie writeth of certaine ſprings with vsus,Camden in Brit. that turne wood into ſtone: neither yet that of Circe fabled to change men into ſwine: ſince that wee ſee the Popiſh humour, maketh the harts of men to be harder then flint: and Romiſh Circes by their inchantments, can cauſe them who before had humane & pitifull affectiōs like others to neighbours, frinds prince, and countrie, to caſt of al naturall louelove or dutie to all, hauing harts more harde then ſtones, and being in crueltie worſe then Tigers. Oh Sr. wil ſome men ſaie, not al Papiſts were acquainted with this conſpiracie. I am of that minde too. But withal this is my reſolution, that all perfect Papiſts, & ſuch as are reconciled to the Pope, though they knewe not of it yet being called vponupon, would hauehave beene aſſiſtāts therin. For that ſubiecting of thē ſelues to the Pope, as their Head & directour, and vowing their obedience to his commandements, which if he ſaie they be to the furtherance of the Catholick faith, they dare not but execute them if they be able; maketh vsus iuſtlie to doubt of their faith & loialtie to our dread Soueraigne. And if all knew not the verie myſterie of this Iniquitie, and the depth of of this purpoſe, namelie in what ſort, or at what houre it was intended to be executed: yet in the North parts, where this Petition perchance was framed; yea and in other places too, as I hauehave beene crediblie informed, there was ſuch boldnes and contempt of law, ſo litle feare to offend, and ſuch open reſort to their Idolatrous ſeruice: that manie good mē iudge nether are deceiued (J ſuppoſe) therin, that moſt of the Recuſāts, had at the leaſt ſome great expectation, of an Alteration of the Eſtate. Nether is it much to be regarded that the Preiſts tell vsus, that in Ciuill matters, and if the Pope ſhould be againſt the wealth of our Countrie, they would not obay; as VVatſons Treaſō him ſelfe being a Preist, and a Teacher of that leſſon, did proue vntounto vsus. For I am ſure he could not make it a matter of Religiō (except of Popiſh Religion) to murder his prince, to whom hee owed all ſubiection. And who knoweth not, that it is an eaſie matter for the Pope, whoſe voice Papiſtes take as the voice of God, to make his favorites to beleeue, that all things tend to Religion, that will inlarge his Authoritie? And what will hee not commende as a thing Religious, that compared the murdering of Henry the 3. the French King, to that Miraculous worke of Chriſt his Incarnation and Reſurrection? Can we imagine that they who dare vtter ſuch abominable blaſphemies, wil ſhame to affirme anie thing? And theſe ſo dangerous ſubiects, becauſe their cōſciences wil not ſuffer thēto come to our Churches, muſt craue ether to be reſolued that it is lawful to come to our ſeruice (which they are fully bēt neuer to be, for they wil nether hear vsus, nor read our writings) or elſe be freed from ſuch puniſhments as Lawes impoſe vponupon Recuſants. A ſtrang conſcience it is that manie of them hauehave, who would bee thought to be more ſingular, and to hauehave more feeling and feare to offend then the common ſort, & yet if we trie their converſation, they are not to be reckoned among the beſt ſort of ſuch as follow noe other direction for Religion, then to bee obedient vntounto his Maieſties Lawes, with out reſpect vntounto that God commandeth. Not to ſpeake of their vſual whoredoms, oppreſſions, malice towards others, and ſuch like good qualities which dailie are ſeene and knowne to be among them: let the fift of November bee a witneſſe whileſt that daie ſhall be numbred in the Calenders, of the more then Turkiſh crueltie of Poperie. HaueHave they a conſcience to ſteale, to liue in adulterie, to deale hardlie with their Tenants or neighbors againſt Gods laws: & wil not their cōſcience ſuffer them to heare that Service wherein themſelues confeſſe there is no evill? Stand not anie more vponupon ſuch tearmes O yee ſeduced Papiſts. Leaue that Romiſh Synagogue whoſe doctrine cōcerning the worſhip of God, is ſuperſtitious and beſides the Word, 1. Tim. 4.8.whoſe deuotion cōſiſteth in toies and trifles, & bodily exerciſe that profiteth little. Leaue I ſay that crue that warranteth, nay maketh meritorious and honorable the depoſing or killing of Princes and Potētates. Depart frō that church whereof to bee is but diſcredit; For the chiefe Teachers of Poperie aſſure vsus, that to bee of the Romiſh Church, there needeth no Internall vertue, but onlie to beleeue that faith that the Papiſts teach, & to acknowledge the Pope to be ſupreame head. The Divell himſelfe may be of that Church: what credit gaine you by being of that companie? Be aſhamed of them that teach you neither to keepe oath nor promiſe, to ſuch as they call heretickes. To be ſhort, ſeeing that church, hath ſo put vpō her the face of a harlot, that ſhe ſhameth not to be accompted, in corrupting Scriptures, & the writings of the fathers moſt vēturous, in treacheries moſt dāgerous, in crueltie moſt barbarous, & in all odious & vnnatural attēpts, moſt audacious:Apoc. 18.4. Go out of her, that you be not partakers of her ſinnes, & that yee receiue not of her plagues. O Romiſh Recuſants (for Catholiks I maie not call you, it is not a name that you maie truelie claime) you hauehave forſaken your first louelove, or at the leaſt that louelove,Apoc. 2.4. that you ſeemd once to bear to the truth: Remember from whence you are fallen, 5. Eſa. 51.1.repent, and doe your firſt works. And as Eſay the Prophet calleth the Iewes to conſider of Abraham in whom they were firſt choſen to be Gods Peculiar people: ſo doe I moſt earneſtlie intreate you,Philip. 2.1. If there be any conſolation in Chriſt, if anie comfort of louelove, if any fellowſhip of the ſpirit, if anie compaſsion and merciemercy, euen of your own ſoules, that you looke not from hence forth vntounto the glittering ſhewe of externall pride in a Mortall man;Heb. 12.2. but vntounto Ieſus the authour and finiſher of our faith. Marke well what he in his word commā deth that you maie doe it, what worſhip he requireth that you may yeeld it, what duties he teacheth that you maie learne and obey the ſame. So ſhall you finde the righte true waies to your feete, and peace vntounto your ſoules:Eſa. 50.11. whereas if you ſtill walke in the ſparkes of the fire vvhichwhich you hauehave kindled (to your ſelues) This ſhall you hauehave at Gods hand, you ſhal lie downe in ſorrow.