An Answer to Six Reasons of Thomas Pound, Title page – Dedication
An Aunſwer to ſixe Reaſons, that Thomas Pownde, Gentleman, and Priſoner in the Marſhalſey. at the commaundement of her Maiesties Commiſſioners, for cauſes Eccleſiasticall: required to be aunſwered. Becauſe theſe Reaſons doo moue him to think, that controuerſies and doubts in Religion, may not be Iudged by the Scriptures, but that the Scriptures muſt be Iudged by the Catholique Church.
1. The firſt is, for that the Scriptures are mute and dum.
2. The ſecond, for that they be full of harde and deepe myſteries.
3. The thirde, for that S. Peter ſayth: No Scripture is to be taken after any priuate interpretation.
4. The fourth, for that to appeale to the Scriptures, dooth ſeeme to denie all vnwritten verities.
5. The fyft is, for that it were a great abſurditie, not to hauehave a certaine Iudge of abſolute Authoritie, in the interpreting of Scriptures. &c.
6. The ſixt is, for that in refuſing the Authoritie of the Churches abſolute Iudgement herein: we ſeeme to denie the holie ghoſt, to be the ſpirite of trueth.
Written by Robert Crovvley.
¶Imprinted at London by John Charlewood. 1581.
¶To all the Pope his Catholiques, in England or elſe where.
IN September laſt, I with others, was by ſufficient Authoritie, appointed to cōfer, with ſuch of your ſort, as at that tyme, were in her Maieſties priſons, of the Marſhalſey & the white Lion, in Sowthwark, reſtrained of lybertie, for refuſing to conforme themſelues to that order of Religiō, which is now publique in this Realme of England. And according to our duety in that behalfe: Maiſter Henrie Tryp, and I, did (as we were required) make our ſpedy repaire, firſt to the one priſon, and then to the other. And after ſome conference had with certain that were cloſe priſoners: we came to confer with one Maiſter Thomas Povvnde Gentleman, in the lodging where he then laye. And finding him altogeather vnwylling to enter into any conference by ſpeaches, becauſe (as he ſayd) he feared to fall into daunger of Lawe therby: I aunſwered, that he ought to hauehave a better opinion of her Maieſtie, (by whoſe appointment, we were come to offer cōference) then to thinke that ſhe would ſend vsus, to entrap him, or any other her ſubiects. For ſhe needeth not to ſeeke more aduantage againſt any of them, then that which already by their diſloyall behauiour they hauehave giuē her. So that if ſhe would proceede againſt them in rigour of lawe, and not in merciemercy: ſhe might cut their heads from their ſhoulders, and make no more to doo with them. But being deſirous, by ſome meanes to bring to paſſe, that they might become as obedient ſubiects to her, as ſhe both hath and dooth ſhew her ſelfe a louing Prince to them: ſhe would not abridge them of lybertie (which for good and iuſt, yea neceſſary cauſes, ſhee is now enforced to doo) but that ſhee would withal prouide, that by cōferēce with ſuch as be learned, they might either be drawn from their errours: or els be found to be obſtinate and wilfully blinde. But none of theſe ſpeaches could mooue maiſter Pownd to like of any conference by ſpeaches. Yet notwithſtanding, he ſayd he was ready to confer by wryting, and offered ſo to doo. Whereunto I aunſwered, that we had no commiſsion to deale that way: but yet if he would write, I promiſed to aunſwer him in writing. VponUpon this he pulled a Pāphlet out of his boſome (the copie wherof I hauehave cauſed to be ſet before mine aunſwer) & called in ſuch as he thought meete to heare it read. And after he had read it: he deliuered it to me to be aunſwered. And this was done the. 7. day of September. The ninth of the ſame month, I began to ſhape him an aunſwer: and finiſhed the ſame with as much conuenient ſpeed as I could, being letted with buſines, beſides that buſines, enough to occupy ſom mā thorowly. But by Gods helpe, the time was not long before the aunſwer was finiſhed. But in this meane whyle (I know not by what occaſion) Maiſter Povvnd, was remoued to another priſō, further of: ſo that I could not come to delyuer mine aunſwer to him, neyther did I thinke it meete to be ſent to him immediatly from me, becauſe I vnderſtoode, that the right Reuerend Father the Lorde Biſhop of London, had commaunded him to be remooued thence. I did therefore reade, in the hearing of as many of your ſorte, as I then found in the Marſhalſey, bothe the Reaſons contayned in Maiſter Povvnd his Pamphlet: and alſo mine aunſwers to the ſame. Promiſing, that with as much ſpeede as I might, I would ſend bothe to my ſayd Lord the Biſhop, with my Letters, beſeeching him, at his diſcretion, eyther to ſend mine aunſwer to Maiſter Pownd: or els to cauſe him to be brought back againe to the Marſhalſey, whether I might repaire, to proceede in conference with him by writing. But my ſayde Lorde, being oppreſſed with other affaires more waightie: and thereby enforced to commit this buſines to ſome other, that were not ſo carefull for the diſpatch thereof, as I would they had. And I my ſelfe alſo (not altogether vnoccupied otherwiſe) did not, (as in dutie I ought) call vponupon my ſayd Lord, but ſuppoſing that mine aunſwer had beene ſhortly conuayed to Maiſter Povvnd, (becauſe I heard not of his returne to the Marſhalſey) I reſted, looking to hauehave receyued ſome replie from him: tyll at the laſt (euen in the MonethMonth of December laſt) I heard that the Copies of his Pamphlet were made common to many of your ſorte, with great brags, that the reaſons therein contayned are vnaunſwerable. Yea, and ſome of our ſide, were required to aunſwer them, euen as Maiſter Povvnd had required me. Whereupon, repayring to my ſayd Lorde the Bishop: I receaued my ſayde aunſwer againe the 4. of this Ianuarie, with his allowance to publish it in Printe, together with the Copies of Maiſter Povvnd his Pamphlet, and the breefe aunſwer that Maiſter Trippe wrote, after I had finished mine, as by the ſame may appeare. And this was thought needefull to be don, becauſe the Copie of Maiſter Povvnd his Pamphlet is already made ſo common: our annſwers being as yet, made knowne but to fewe. And that you may hauehave that firſte in ſight that you like beſt: I hauehave cauſed the Printer to place the Copy of Maiſter Povvnd his Pamphlet, immediatly after this short Epiſtle. Reade theſe Reaſons for your pleaſure, and our aunſwers for your profite. And if you miſlike with our aunſwers, replie, if you can. You shall finde them of our ſide, that will deale with you, faithfully and freendely too. Be not obſtinately, and wilfully blinde: leaſt you doo thereby prouoke (yea and enforce) our mercifull Prince, contrary to her naturall inclination, to deale with you in Iuſtice without merciemercy. Though we hauehave great cauſe to thinke that you (all the ſorte of you) doo hate both: our Prince and vsus, for that Religion which bothe ſhe and we do profeſſe: yet I dare aſſure you, that bothe ſhe, and all the Honorable & learned of her Realme, yea and all, of all eſtates, that doo vnfainedly profeſſe that Religion that you hate, doo vnfainedly looue you, and pray for the opening of the eyes of your vnderſtanding, that you may ſee and feele, and embrace your ſaluation in Chriſte, and that being Engliſhmen, or inhabiting within the Engliſh dominions, you may know and acknowledge her Maieſtie, for your ſupreme Gouernor in all cauſes, next and immediatly vnderunder Chriſte, our onelyonly vniuerſall head. Fare you well. From my houſe at S. Gyles without Creplegate of London, the. 6. of Ianuarie. 1580. After the accoumpt of the Church of Englande, and in the. 23. yeere of her Maieſties Reigne.
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Yours, when you ſhall ſhew your ſelues to be true Chriſtians, and Engliſh men: Robert Crovvley, Clerk.