The Catholike moderator: or A moderate examination of the doctrine of the Protestants Prouing against the too rigid Catholikes of these times, and against the arguments especially, of that booke called, The answer to the Catholike apologie, that we, who are members of the Catholike, apostolike, & Roman Church, ought not to condeme the Protestants for heretikes, vntill further proofe be made. First written in French by a Catholike gentleman, and now faithfully translated. See the occasion of the name of Huguenots, after the translaters epistle.

THE TRANSLATER TO the Christian Readers.

AND TO ALL THOSE ESPECIAL∣ly, whose hard hap it is, or may be, to be sedu∣ced vnto Popery: That by the helpe of this Booke, and their owne Prayers, they may be deliuered from the the Euill, when the Priests and Iesuits would Lead them into temp∣tation.

THere is a bold Nation of men (the Temp∣ters aboue mentioned I meane) slily of late crept in amongst you (well-meaning and abused people) whose enticements (as you know too well) still begin with the Church; saying you Protestants are direct Hereticks, you haue no Church: Are you therefore reconciled to the Church? Meaning all this time the Romane Church. Had they fairely meant the Catholike Church, I know no Calui∣nist that hath put this Article out of his Creed, I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church. And to say, I beleeue: What else im∣plies it, but to beleeue himselfe to be of it; else, why his Creed? That therefore you may make one Romanist to an∣swer all the rest; doe but turne him, that would seduce you, vnto these two first Chapters; and he shall there finde, that for those few points of Reformation, both in matter of Do∣ctrine and Ceremonie, wherein the Protestants haue iustly dissented from the Papists; we can be no Heretiques. And that their owne new Doctors, who boast so much of Anti∣quitie, can no where shew our Doctrine to be sufficiently condemned, before the time of that fifth Gospell of the Ro∣manists,

the Councell of Trent I meane, which ended no more than some 60 yeeres agoe; the third Chapter will euidently shew them. And how incompetent a Iudge an Aduersarie is, and how vnlawfull a Councell that of Trent was, the Instan∣ces of the fourth and fifth Chapters will euince it. Lastly, that we Protestants, hauing euer continued true members of the true, holy, and catholique Church, doe not now need any Reconciliation to theirs of Rome, the last Chapter will abun∣dantly demonstrate it. Which six Chapters being written by a Gentleman, who euery where professes himselfe one of theirs, if they would offer to shift off (as they haue euasions enow) by saying that what is written in this Booke, is but the opinion of one Doctor: Loe then, we haue not only the Authors opinions, but the strength of his reasons to vrge them withall. All which are so mannerly, so directly, and so succinctly toucht vpon, and come off so handsomely, as no man (in my opinion) hath yet said better, that purposed to say so little.

To giue you therefore the minde of the Authour in a word: Nothing was here written, with any intention to vrge vs Protestants, any whit to depart from our Right in yeelding to a Reconciliation with them; but to perswade them rather, to esteeme better of vs: and to demonstrate withall, that if they will iudge right, they must needs thinke well. And this is the purpose of the Translator also. To shew you therefore to vnderstand all this Booke: If the Reader shall sometimes feele, that this Author now and then giues the Protestants a light fillip by the way; he shall obserue in the conclusion, that it was to reach his owne Romanists, a smarter blow; which is satisfaction enough. And that hee giues vs any at all, let vs but consider, that the Author though he were a moderate man, yet that he was withall a Papist, and it will take away much of the scandall. Lastly,

which will giue vs as much aduantage as we can desire from one man, which is to answer them by one of their owne; this Gentleman the Author H. C. was too well knowne here in England to haue continued a most zealous Roman Catho∣lique vntill his dying day, and yet neuerthelesse are all his Reasons for Moderation, directed to the Papists, as if they should first begin it; and all his conclusions directly for the Protestants, as though we should still hold them. Nay and which is somewhat more; whereas all this is with vs of En∣gland, common to our Brethren the Protestants of France, yet doth this Booke make more for vs at home, than it doth for them, for whose sakes it was first written. For though we haue with them entertained the points of Reformation; yet haue we not so far receded from the more Primitiue Roman Church (which he stands for) but that we still retaine more of the necessarie Ceremonies, Solemnities, and Church Dis∣cipline, than they of France haue done; witnesse his second Chapter of Ceremonies; which is still for our aduantage.

As therefore this little Booke hath beene twice already printed in France, which is an Argument of the Protestants good liking of it there; so hath it foure or fiue seuerall times, both by Diuines and Gentlemen of our owne Religion, been translated both into Latine and English, which is a demon∣stratiue Reason to me, how much it hath beene lik'd and de∣sired. To saue therefore the labour of writing it out, which I still obserued, as many desirous to doe as could get Copies of it, I haue thought fit to let mine be published: desiring all those that light vpon it, to be as impartiall and charitable, as the Author himselfe wishes them; which if they be, I hope well that the strictest need not be offended, and the well∣minded may reape much benefit by it. Which being my on∣ly desire, I shall euer pray for.