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LOued and relouing friend, I haue receiued your cour∣teous letter, wherein you greatly wonder, that I won∣dred so much in our last discourse; that any man in England endued with a good iudgement, conioyned with a religious conscience, could either accept, or affect the Pro∣testants
new coyned Gospell. You request me to set downe briefe∣ly such reasons as induced me thereunto: the which suite I could not deny: for both religion and affection vrged me to satisfie so iust a desire. For I must confesse, I loue you as a man, and as an honest ciuill Gentleman, and most gladly I would haue occa∣sion to loue you as a Catholike Gentleman: for it is great pitie that such a multitude of detestable errors, and heynous heresies should lodge in so rarely qualified a soule. I haue penned them after an vnaccustomed manner following the fashion of schooles, in most of them after a syllogisticall method: to the intent that if you should shew them vnto your Ministers, which swarme about you, they might not haue such free scope and libertie, to range a∣broad with their idle discourses (as they vse to take) veiling their confused conceits with a multitude of affected phrases: thereby more easely to deceiue the simple, and loathe the learned. Where∣fore I beseech you if any such itching spirit shall attempt an an∣swere, to intreate him to performe it briefly, orderly, and serious∣ly. This I request, for that I perceiue that Protestants cannot answere with breuitie, because their Religion lacketh both cer∣taintie and perspicuitie: And extreame hard or impossible it is to replie without perplexitie, where there is no truth nor ve∣ritie. And therefore I request you as you loue me, to will them to consider well, before they answere ill: and not to replie with rashnes, least they retract with deliberation, to their vtter shame and confusion. And that you may perceiue how my wonder ra∣ther deserued approbation then admiration, and for that order is a fauorite of memorie: I thought good to reduce all my reasons into two heads; wit and will, knowledge and affection, faith and good life: because the nature of heresie hath euer been such as did not only inueagle the wit with errors, but also seduce the will with occasions of inordmate affections. I say the that no excellent goodwit, linked with a religious conscience, can accept nor affect the Protestants new coyned Gospell: for good wits and iudge∣ments, assisted with Gods grace, may easily conceiue the truth, yea by the force of their very naturall faculties, they may iudge credibly of the truth once proposed; and without great difficultie discorne the absurdities of an vntrue religion. Vertuous and well inclined affections which are the base of quiet, secure, and
religious consciences, abhor and detest such principles as either dishonor God, abase mans nature, occasion sinne, fauor iniqui∣tie, or any sort diminish deuotion, or pietie: And therefore all the insequent articles shall stand vpon these two foundations, to wit, that the Protestants religion debarreth the wit from right vn∣derstanding the true faith, and the will from following of any vertue or godlinesse.