A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

TO THE READER.

THis which followes, though it needeth Patronage, as great as may be had; yet it is such, as may not presume to aske it: there∣fore it thrusts it selfe to the End of these Labours, that it may seeme to haue the same Patron. I would haue put nothing before it, were it not necessarie you should know the Cause why the following Discourse was written; why it stayed so long, be∣fore it looked vpon the Light; and why it is not able yet to goe alone, but is led abroad by this former Worke. The Cause why it was written, was this. A certaine B. (in the Iesuit's stile) was called and required to a a Conference by Them that might command him. The Iesuit with whom hee had to deale, was M^r Fisher. Hee began with great Protestations of seeking the Truth onely, and for it selfe. I would the B. could haue found it so. After the Conference ended (a great part of which time he spent, in reading a passage out of a Booke which himselfe had printed) the B. not suspecting any such thing, hee spread abroad Papers of the Conference, which were full of par∣tialicie to his Cause, and more full of Calumnie against the B. Hereupon the B. deliuered me the Papers that were spread, and a Note what was mis-spread in them, to the vttermost of his Memorie, and other helpes. And I not departing from that, haue here entirely deliuered it to the vse of the Church.

There was a Cause also why it stayed so long, before it could endure to be pressed, and you must know that too. It was not my idlenesse, nor my vnwillingnesse, to right both the B. and his Cause against the Paper that was scattered: For I haue most Hono∣rable Witnesses, that this Thing (such as it is) was finished long

since: for the Papers came to my hand after Michaelmasse 1622. and J finished this Relation to them that Tearme. But the cause was partly mine owne backwardnesse to deale with these men: For they pretend onely for Truth and Vnitie, but will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neither, vnlesse they and their Faction may preuaile in all. Whereas it is a thing impossible, so many deuout and lear∣ned men, in diuers Ages and Parts of the Church, should still pray, and sometimes call for a Reformation, if the Church had not warped at all, or if no b Reformation were necessarie. And partly because there were about that time, three Conferen∣ces with M^r. Fisher, Two, at which the worthie Authour of this fore-going Discourse was present. This was the Third, and therefore could not well and conueniently come into the world, till the two former (vpon which it somewhat depended) had shewed themselues.

And the Cause why it cannot yet goe alone, but is led into publicke by this former Worke, is, because before those Nine Ar∣ticles there goeth a Preface, which together with some of the Articles themselues are the mayne and substance of all that pas∣sed in the Two former Conferences; and so they are fittest to take this Third by the hand, and lead it forth.

J haue thus farre acquainted you with the Occasion of the ensuing discourse. J haue beene a faithfull Relator of all passa∣ges, and the B, protests hee hath beene faithfull in relating to me. But J cannot but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (and hee hath c hard Bowells that grieues not) to see Christendome bleeding in dissention: Nay, which is farre worse, triumphing in her owne blood, and most angry with them that study her Peace. Jn the meane time there are Sua, their owne things, which S. Paul tells vs, All men seeke, and not the things that are Iesus Christs. And Religi∣on, so much pretended and called vpon; and the Church, the Church, so much honoured in name; are but the stalking horse, other Fowle are shot at Complaint is but a seeming ease of wea∣ker spirits: it can helpe nothing; And since it cannot, vse these Pa∣pers for a little support: It may be these may giue some stay till God giue stronger. So I leaue you to be indifferent between the B. and M. Fisher: and for my selfe, I shall haue reward enough, if you pray for Peace and Truth in the Church, and so for me.

Yours in Christ, whom I labour to serue, R. B.

Notes

• a

  May 24. 1622.
• b

  And the Rom. Court, the great mi∣sleader in all this. For in Iul. 3. time, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Trent not dissolued. Ru. Tapper in the pre∣sence of Lindan with griefeacknow∣ledges, Abusus Ro. Curiae enex∣cusabiles, Inexcu∣sable abuses of the Court of Rome. O∣rat. 10.
• c

  And hee that hath hard Bowells is a stranger to God, who in other things, (and so in the di∣stractions and suffe∣rings of his Church, much more) is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bonorum viscerū Deus. S. Iaco. 5. 11 Et Hypol. Orat de cōsummat. Mund. Pia Mosis viscera. S. Aug. ser. 18. de verb. Dom. c. 21. d. Phil. 2.21.