An apologie for religion, or an answere to an vnlearned and slanderous pamphlet intituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By Edvvard Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT, LORD Keeper of the great Seale of England, Cham∣berlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester, and one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell, grace and peace be multiplied.

WHen I consider (Right Honou∣rable) the estate of England in these our daies, I cannot bet∣ter compare it, then with the estate of the kingdome of Iu∣dah vnder K. Iosias, expressed shortly yet effectually by So∣phonie the Prophet, who liued and preached in that time. For as then God gaue to that people that worthy and godly King, who zea∣lously * 1.1 rooted out Idolatrie, and planted Gods true worship agreeable to his law: so God in great mercy hath giuen vs our most gracious Queene Elizabeth, by whose godly meanes Idolatrie hath been aboli∣shed, Gods true religion and seruice restored, his holy word truly and sincerely preached, and peace and tranquilitie among vs long maintained. And as in those daies vnder King Iosias, notwithstanding that godly and zealous reformation, there was great wickednes among the people, as the said Sophonias sheweth. For there were then which worshipped vpon the rouffes of their houses the host of heauen: * 1.2 and which worshipped and sware by the true and

onely God Iehoua, and by Malcham their Idoll: and such as were turned backe from after the true God, * 1.3 and sought him not, nor inquired after him: and that did weare strange apparell: and others that fil∣led * 1.4 their masters houses with robberie and deceite: * 1.5 and such as were frozen in their dregges, and said in * 1.6 their hearts the Lord will neither doe good nor e∣uill. And Ierusalem was then a filthie and spoyling * 1.7 citie, which heard not Gods voyce, receiued not in∣struction, trusted not in the Lord, and drew not neere vnto her God, &c. Euen so how these sinnes abound at this time in this land, I thinke there are but few, but doe see: and none that truly feareth God, but doth lament. To omit other sinnes here mentioned, as then there were which worshipped Iehoua the onely true God, and Malcham their Idoll: euen so there be now not a few, which to please the Prince and State pretend outwardly to like of reli∣gion established, and yet inwardly in their hearts fauour Idolatrie and wicked worshippings repug∣nant to the same. And as then many were turned backe from after God, and sought him not, nor in∣quired after him: euen so now there are many which be reuolted from Gods holy worship agree∣able to his word, and vtterly forsake the holy assem∣blies where Gods word is truly preached, the Sa∣craments are according to Christs institution right∣ly ministred, and Gods holy name faithfully called vpon. These with Lots wife looke backe vnto So∣dome: and are with the Israelites in heart turned * 1.8 backe into Egypt, desiring rather to eate onions and * 1.9 garlike there, then to feed vpon the heauenly Man∣na of Gods blessed word.

Of these thus turned backe from seeking after God, they be most dangerous, which being decei∣ued themselues, endeuour by all meanes both by speaking and writing to seduce and deceiue others. Such be the Seminarie Priests and Iesuites, who al∣though they be at this present time (at leastwise in outward apparance) at deadly fewd among them∣selues, writing most bitterly one against another: yet they all agree in resisting Gods truth, seducing the simple, and in labouring most earnestly to set vp againe their Dagon of the Masse fallen downe be∣fore the Arke of Christs Gospell. To this end they write lewd, lying, and slaunderous Pamphlets, wherein they traduce the truth, and faithfull fauou∣rers thereof, deceiue the ignorant, and confirme in error their ouer affectioned fauourers, who without triall or examination ouer rashly receiue, and ouer lightly beleeue whatsoeuer is broached by them.

Of these lying Libels there came one to my hands a yeere past and more, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. wherein is boldly affirmed, but faintly proued, that we haue no faith, nor religion: that of vs both the learned, and ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues be Infidels: that wee know not what wee beleeue: that we are bound in conscience both neuer to aske forgiuenes of our sinnes, and also to auoide all good workes: that wee make God the author of sinne, and worse then the diuell. These and such other shameles assertions and false slaunders when I read, it came into my heart, that Master Thomas Wright (with whose spirit I had been acquainted) was the venter of this ware. In which opinion I was afterward confirmed, for that

both some of his fauourers could not denie it, and in a written copie therof taken in a search in Shrop∣shire and sent vnto me, these two letters, T.W. were set in the end of it.

This lewd Libell although in respect of the mat∣ter voide both of truth and learning, deformed ra∣ther to be despised, then earnestly answered: yet be∣cause the author of it, thinketh so highly of himself, and so basely and contemptuously of vs, giuing out in certaine written conferences, which he hath dis∣persed abroad in this land, and some faithfull men haue seene, that wee be vnlearned, and so giuen to worldly affaires, that we bestow no time, or but little in studie: I (although the meanest and vnmeetest of many) was moued to write this answere, thereby to confute these calumnies, to cleere the truth, to con∣firme the faithfull, and if by Gods gracious blessing it might be, to reclaime and reforme the ignorant and seduced. Whereof I haue the lesse hope, for that as they imitate those wicked Israelites, which re∣fused to hearken, turned away their shoulder, stopped their * 1.10 eares that they might not heare, and made their hearts as an Adamant stone, least they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by his Pro∣phets: So they doe fully follow the peruerse Pagans, which most obstinately refused to reade godlie bookes written by Christians, as that ancient elo∣quent Christian Lactantius, in these eloquent words declareth: Non est apud me dubium, Constantine Impe∣rator * 1.11 Maxime, quin hoc opus nostrum, quo singularis ille rerum conditor, & huius immensi operis rector asseritur, si quis attigerit ex istis ineptereligiosis (vt sant nimia su∣perstitione impatientes) insectetur etiam maledictis: vt

vix lecto fortasse principio, affligat, proijciat, execretur, se{que} inexpiabili scelere contaminari atque astringi putet, si haec aut legat patienter aut audiat. One Bee or egge is not liker to another, then to these Pagans be our peeuish Papists, in shutting their eyes from reading godly and learned bookes, tending to the confuta∣tion of their errors, and the instruction of them in the truth. Whom yet I am to intreate with Lactan∣tius words immediately following: Ab hoc tamen, si * 1.12 fieri potest, humanitatis iure postulamus, vt non prius dam∣net quam vniuersa cognouerit. Nam si sacrilegis & pro∣ditoribus, & veneficis potestas defendendi sui datur, nec praedamnari quenquam incognita causa licet, non iniustè petere videmur, vt si quis erit ille, qui inciderit in haec, si leget, perlegat: si audiet sententiam differat in extremum. This reasonable request I would that I might ob∣taine at our Romish Catholickes hands, that they would first reade and examine this my answere, be∣fore they condemne it. For what is more vniust, then to condemne that which a man doth not know. Howbeit, I doubt least with the same Lac∣tantius I must say: Sed noui hominum pertinaciam, nunquam impetrabimus. Timent enim ne à nobis reuicti, * 1.13 manus dare aliquando clamante ipsa veritate cogantur. Obstrepunt igitur & intercidunt ne audiant: & oculos suos opprimunt, ne lumen videant quod offerimus. Euen so our vntruly termed Catholickes doe follow this froward peruersitie of the Pagans, in whom that saying also of the Prophet (as it is alleaged by Saint Luke) is verified: The heart of this people is waxed * 1.14 grosse or fat, and their eares are dull of hearing, and they haue shut their eyes, least they should see with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and vnder∣stand

with their hearts, and should be conuerted, and I might heale them. The which is a fearefull iudgement of God, when men refusing the loue of the truth that they might be saued, be giuen vp to a strong delusion to beleeue lies. * 1.15

But if these blinded with errour and ignorance, for whose sake especially I haue written this an∣swere, will not vouchsafe to reade it, nor make any vse and profit of it: yet if it may somewhat serue to edifie the faithfull, and confirme the weake, I shall thinke my labour not altogether lost. The which how small or simple soeuer it be, yet as I haue writ∣ten it for the good of Gods Church: so I haue bin by your Honours curtesie incouraged to offer and present it vnto your Lordship, as a true testimony of my louing heart and dutiful affection towards your Honour, for your fauour shewed me. The God of all grace and mercie blesse your Lordship and all yours, increase his good graces and gifts in you, and long preserue you to the bene∣fit of this Church and Common∣wealth, Amen. Westminster the 7. of May 1602.

Your Honours most humble to be commaunded, EDVVARD BVLKLEY.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. King. 23.
• * 1.2

  Sopho. 1. 5.
• * 1.3

  6.
• * 1.4

  8.
• * 1.5

  9.
• * 1.6

  12.
• * 1.7

  Chap. 3. 1. 2.
• * 1.8

  Genes. 19.
• * 1.9

  Numb. 14.
• * 1.10

  Zach. 7. 11.
• * 1.11

  Lactant. lib. 5. cap. 1.
• * 1.12

  Idem ibidem.
• * 1.13

  Ibidem.
• * 1.14

  Act. 28. 27.
• * 1.15

  2. Thess. 2.