An antilogie or counterplea to An apologicall (he should haue said) apologeticall epistle published by a fauorite of the Romane separation, and (as is supposed) one of the Ignatian faction wherein two hundred vntruths and slaunders are discouered, and many politicke obiections of the Romaines answered. Dedicated to the Kings most excellent Maiestie by Andrevv Willet, Professor of Diuinitie.

The fourth Article: his Insinuation.

HEre the Epistler seemeth thus to reason: If Catholikes be in error, then either they wilfully or ignorantly erre. 1. But neither the first: seeing we vndergo many penalties and punishments for our profession: p. 218. We follow a profession so austere and rigorous. p. 220. Their Religion is pleasant, and by professing it they liue in honors and delights, which haue enti∣ced Protestants▪ to be Mahometanes, &c. 2. Not the second: We haue all authorities, times and places for our defence, &c. we haue trauelled all countries, studied in all Vniuersities: we want wiues, riches, honors, the impediments of true Diuinitie and studie. If Religion can be found in this world, we haue sought and found out all meanes: they none. p. 218.

The Repulse.

1. THey suffer not punishment for their profession, but for their practising; not for religiō, but their rebel∣lion. Which of them hath bene put to death for his opini∣on, in holding transubstantiation, adoration of images, in∣uocation of Saints, Purgatorie, or any such like popish er∣ror? but because they submit themselues to the papall iu∣risdiction,

and are sent hither by his authoritie to corrupt and seduce the subiects. We may say then vnto them, as Augustine to the Donatists: Tribunus nō est persecutor vester, sed persecutor persecutoris vestri, id est, erroris vestri: The magistrate doth not persecute you, but that which perse∣cuteth you, which is, your error.

2. Neither is poperie such an austere and rigorous life, nor their imprisonment so hard, as they complaine; seeing their leisure suffered them in Wisbich prison to contend for superioritie and highest place•• at the table: they one ac∣cused another of dicing, carding, drunkennesse, fornicati∣on euen in prison: these are not the fruites of an austere and rigorous life. The Priestes tell Frier Parsons, that if laughing will serue their turne, they can laugh as fast as he. They haue reported of the Ignatians, that some of them ride in coaches, haue their stables of chaunge of geldings, do spend after fiue hundred pounds a yeare, go richly ap∣parelled: this seemeth to be no such rigorous and peniten∣tiall life.

3. The honours and riches of protestants are not to be compared to the glory of the Cardinals in Rome, Bishops of Spaine, Abbots in Fraunce: but for the most part of the Protestant Ministery, I thinke they in their imprisonment and affliction (as they call it) haue liued in greater fulnesse and plentie, and more at hearts ease. That some Papists are turned Protestants for honor and pleasure sake, I do easily beleeue: but that Protestants haue become Mahometanes, he cannot shew, vnlesse they be such temporizers, and cor∣rupt conuerts, as he speaketh of. Poperie is a fitter stocke to graffe an Atheist and Mahometane in, then protestan∣cie: according to the common by-word, An English Italia∣nate, a diuell incarnate.

4. Neither is austeritie of life a sufficient argument of the truth. The Pharises were more giuen to fasting then Christs disciples: among the Mahometanes there are Her∣mites, and bare-footed Friers: the Donatistes were very desperate, and would cast themselues downe from the hils and rockes, and breake their neckes; As Augustine saith:

I would know, who first of your side did cast himselfe downe headlong: Valdè illud granum fertile fuit, vnde tanta seges praecipitatorum cadauerum pullulavit: sure it was a very fruitfull graine, from whence haue budded foorth so many pre∣cipitated carkases.

Wherefore notwithstanding any thing yet said, they may be guiltie of wilfull error, although they did (which may be done with an obstinate and peruerse mind) suffer and endure much for their profession.

5 And this lastly ••erueth (if it proue any thing) to cleare the Protestants from suspition of wilfulnesse, who haue endured more by imprisonment, famishment, whip∣ping, racking, tormenting, burning, and many more tor∣ments, by an hundred fold at Papistes hands onely for their conscience, then the other haue felt for their offence a∣gainst the State.

1. Wiues being chosen in the feare of God are no im∣pediment to studie: they are helpers rather, and a means to ease the mind of Ministers from worldly busines, that they may be more fit for meditation. There was no place more apt for heauenly meditation, then Paradise; yet God thought good to make woman there. No persons more gi∣uen to meditation then the Apostles, yet they had their wiues following of them to minister to their necessities▪ 1. Cor. 9.5. Nay rather vagrant and vnsetled lust, such as raigneth in poperie, is a distracting of the mind. And they are like to be good Diuinitie Lectures, which the Iu∣dasites vse to reade in the nights to the auditories of faire women, while their husbands missing of them, scratch their heades where it itcheth not; as the Masse-priestes report.

2 It is not the trauelling abroad, or studying beyond the sea, and seeking meanes a farre off, that can bring a man certainely to true knowledge. Which of the Chri∣stian professours can compare with Solon, Lycurgus, Tha∣les, Plato, Pythagoras, for long trauaile, visiting of strange countries, seeing the behauiour of many nations? yet this could not bring them to the knowledge of Christ. The Pharises did compasse sea and land, they were greater

trauellers then Christ or his Apostles were at the first: it did nothing helpe them to the finding out of the truth. E∣uery Church and countrie hauing the word of God may find at home which is the truth, aswell as by searching a∣broad, as Moses saith: Neither is it yet beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go ouer the sea for vs and bring it vs? but the word is neare vnto thee. Hierome saith▪ Des••••t no∣tus tantùm in Iudaea esse Deus, in omnem terram exiuit sonus Apostolorum: God hath left to be knowne onely in Iudea, the sound of the Apostles is gone foorth into all the earth. Diuinitie is as well studied at Cambridge as at Rome, at Oxford as at Paris, and for soundnesse of iudgement and integritie of truth much better without comparison. Seneca saith: Proprium agri est, nihil di•• pati, & mutationibus vt re∣medijs vti▪ It is the propertie of sicke persons, to endure no∣thing long, and to vse often chaunges as remedies▪ So this shifting of places and chaunging of countries argueth the sicknesse of the mind. Plutarch very well compareth such to hennes▪ that when they haue heapes of corne before them, yet do seeke in corners, and picke out of the dirt, and scrape with their feet: So the sicke-braind students hauing much better doctrine at home, and more plentie of true knowledge, do go further and speed worse.

Now in the last place, this Epistler (belike) failing of o∣ther proofes, betaketh himselfe to his protestation.

Notes

• vntr. 221.
• vntr. 222.
• vntr. 223.
• vntr▪ 224.
• Manifest. fol. 4. l••b.
• Repl. f. 72. ••
• Crat. Petilian. 2.89.
• Manifest. p. 97.2.
• Deut. c. 30.13 14.
• Lib. 1. de Tranquil. vitae
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Plutar. de curiosit.