A caueat for Parsons Hovvlet concerning his vntimely flighte, and seriching in the cleare day lighte of the Gospell, necessarie for him and all the rest of that darke broode, and vncleane cage of papistes, vvho vvith their vntimely bookes, seeke the discredite of the trueth, and the disquiet of this Church of England. VVritten by Iohn Fielde, student in Diuinitie.

By these testimonies alleadged by mee, concer∣ning the Fast of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, it appeareth (I 〈◊〉〈◊〉) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hovv vayn the accusation is, that these eni∣mies of God, and of her highnes, haue made against those Godly and learned men the Preachers that preached there, against the vvhole Borough & Ma∣gistrates therof, and against my selfe vvho neuer was

acquainted with the matter, neither had any dealing at that time or at any other 〈◊〉〈◊〉 any suche thing. And novv because I haue sufficiētly discouered this vvhol trovvp of papistes vnder Antichrist the Pope, to be enemies to our Lord & Captain Iesus Christ, to his religion, to our gratious Soueraigne for pro∣fessing it, and to vs, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as vnder her highnesse gratious gouernment hartily embrace it: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that he hath seuered vs from them, to the ende vvee should holde out his glory against them, and not be ashamed of his Crosse in the groatest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they shall be able to laye vppon vs, and, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 should haue no fellovvship vvith them. And there∣fore I moste humbly befeech her Maiestie vpon the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of my heart; vvhome God hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to that high top of honour, to honour him, & to holde vs 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in al obedience vnder his septer and gouernment (vvhich these enimies 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both against God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and against her 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 of it:) that she vvil (in that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 knovvledge of the truth, wher∣of by the singuler 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of God shee is made 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊◊〉measure, and in that 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the Lord in mercy hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in her gracious heart, agaynst 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉) 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 vvithout famting, to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉, her most 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and louing 〈◊〉〈◊〉: vvherein as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 haue by Gods: assistance pitched our staues to stand fast, so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fully 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our selues of her gracious defence euen to the ende. It is no time 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for vs to looke backe: All the boastinges land proude challenges in the vvorlde, of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and nevve 〈◊〉〈◊〉, cannot 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 to any suspence of the trueth.

VVe are not ignorant of their great speech & proud vvords: we know that Antichrist shal come with po∣wer, yea with lying signes & wonders: his bulke shall be big, & his men shall appear as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as great as euer were the Anakims and Goliah: yet we are not by the grace of God, afraid of thē. VVe haue had suf ficient triall of their weapons & armour, vve knovv their standings & their studies, and euermore when we haue crapled with them, by the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of God, we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ben to hard for thē. A tast was giuen in the be∣ginning of her maiesties most 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & since at sundry times, at VVifbich of late: & this other day at the Tovvre. And as euermore God hath knit vic∣torye vvith his trueth, so hee giues shame and con∣fusion to salsehood, vvith vvhat vvisedome of man soeuer, vvith vvhat learning or pollicie it bee main∣teined. And therefore hauing by the grace of God founde the trueth, vvee are fully determined to liue and dye in it. And it is 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that as God and Satan can not be serued together, so vve can not be faith∣full Subiects to Elizabeth our Queene mainteining 〈◊〉〈◊〉, if vvee serue Antichriste. VVee can not be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to her, if vve yeelde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to her eni∣mie, and a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vsurper. And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as vvee are made one vvith Christ our heade, & are sorted and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into his folde, as his Confederates, vn∣der the leading of our Christian Prince on earth: vve meame by his assistance faythfully to fighte his battels. Neither can they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vs, thoughe they shoue in amongst vs, as long as they come in, vnder this Antichristes standered and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Markes both of false 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Ty∣ranny and vvicked life. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 if they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to

be vvith vs as friends, and yet craftily vndermine vs to coole vs and hinder vs, vvee maye for a time bee deceiued, but our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vvill at the length disco∣uer them, and vvhen they are found out, oure eyes shall not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them. They shall be vsed not as con∣federates to him, vvhich only the fathfull are: but as enemies, vvhom vve being commaunded to strike, vve dare not spare, neither reserue: hovve goodly and fatte Oxen soeuer they bee, and vvhat good shevvs soeuer they haue. VVe dare not trust neither the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & whining of these Curres in this time of their bondage & tying vp. The time vvas vvhen they vvere lose, and then they played their partes, they shewed their kinde; and we knowe that there is no change, but by regeneratiō. Their snarling, their barking agaynst the trueth, their lying in vvaite, and continuall looking for aduantage, vvhen they maye crush vs, euen in this time, testifieth vvhat vve vvere like to finde, if they had any power ouer vs. And thoughe in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of them vp, as VVolues they haue licked out hands whilest we sed them to traine thē to humanity, yet lying lose, they wilbe the more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 against vs: God of his gracious goodnes keep vs out of their handes. And we giue him most hūble & harty thanks, who in so exceeding mercy & won∣derful patience, waiteth for our conuersion, euen o∣uercomming our sinne vvith his goodnesse, in pro∣tecting and defending vs against the madnesse and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of these open and deadly enemies. VVe hum∣blye thanke him for defending this Realme, oure Queene, her Counsailours, and all her people. For it is vvell knovvne, and vve 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it, that if he had looked vppon our vnthankfulnesse, vve should haue

bene as a pray vnto them and they would haue ea∣ten vs vp aliue: he hath done it: not vnto vs, that is, not for our sakes, but vnto his owne name, that he may haue the glory of it. And surely, if we faint not, but go cheerefully sorward in that glorious trueth, in 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 he hath called vs vnto, if we labor to approue our selues to him, giuing him a pure woor∣ship & seruice according to his own appointment & will, striuing to sincerity aud cleansiug our churches from that popish filth, this man of sinn hath left be∣hind him in thē, if we giue him the honor of leading vs, & will bee ruled by his woord, renouncing mans wisdome, pollicie, and strength in the worke of our saluation, then shal wee not neede to feare, though these enemies be neuer so many or mighty: If God be vvith vs vvho can be against vs? Though their Parsons be taule and terrible, their furniture vvell appointed, their strength in the iudgement of men inuincible, their knovvledge in martiall affairs equal vvith ours, their learniug, vvealth, riches, and pollicie aboue ours, yet in the name of the Lord of hoastes vve vvill not feare them: if God be in the middest of vs, compasse vs about & fight for vs, if vve be vnder his leading howe can they preuaile against vs? And surely cōfortable experiēce we haue had of his good nesse these many late years in protecting this realm, so beset with enimies, our gracious prince by nature a vveake vvoman, and subiect to many infirmities, her counsellors exercised vvith many difficulties & hard tentarions, her people giuen vp in peace, as commonly common people are in suche times, to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their profites and pleasures: that God, I say, hath yet so mightily defended them, and enriched

vs all, with so many blessinges both of this life, and of the life to come which are moste precious, vvhat other argument can it yeelde vnto vs, then of great incouragement? This shoulde euen encrease oure hope, and adde newe strength vnto vs, to make vs stande fast to our God: The trueth is, that our polli∣cie and arme hath not wrought it, but our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God who hath kept continuall vvatch ouer vs, to the end vve should vvalke in holy and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 obe∣dience, in fear and trembling as in his presence: not that vve should be secure and carelesse, arming these enemies of ours, vvith our sinnes and transgressions against vs, but that vve should feare before his 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & trust in him, being armed vvith the righteousnes of Iesus Christ our head, which shal not only shroud vs from their fury, but from his ovvne vvrath and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 damnation.

Thus muche I thought good, beeing specially dravvne in by the aduersary to speak in the defence of Gods euerlasting trueth. If I giue any iust offence to the godly, by any slippe of humaine infirmitie, I craue pardon for it: but I protest beefore him, that knoweth the secretes of all heartes, that I haue not of any malice, sinister affection or desire of reuenge, vvritten any thing, but for & in the simple desēce & maintenance of the trueth and to the end to discre∣dite error and 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And concerning one Hovvlet, vvhome I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in my Epistle dedicatory to aym at, and since haue vnderstood that the name by all likelihood shoulde be counterfaite, and taken vppon, by one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a runnagate Iesuite: I am very sory for the wrong (if any be) that I haue done to Howlet, vvhom I supposed it to be. And I vvould

the vvillingliar crye him mercy for it, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Lorde vvoulde vouchsafe him an happy conuersion, from that false religion of popery, which I vvill vndoub∣tedly pray for, vvith all my heart. The Lorde God of all glorye, vvho is king of kinges, and Lorde of Lordes, preserue our gracious Soueraine Queene Elizabeth, and all her honourable counsellors, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, inferior officers and people, and so streng∣then them in the trueth, as all may haue iudgement to discerne those thinges that differ, and in their se∣uerall callings knovve vvhat belongeth vnto their speciall duties, that they may all detest popery, false doctrine and heresie, and vvith the glorious profes∣sion of the truth, ioyne a sincere and godly conuer∣sation in life, & so hold out the glory of Christ their heade, through the sanctification of his blessed spirite, till they be gathered the vvay of all flesh, and arriued at that happy Hǎuen of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rest, vvhich hee hath purchased.

Amen.

I haue hated the Church of the Malignant.

FINIS.