Quod fi (qui olim Cæfari animus fuiffe dicitur) non nifi difficil lima quæque obeundi, idem hodie facratum Deo pectus infideat promoveatque. Cave tibi Tyrrhenum mare ingreffuro a duodecim fcopulis, plebi quidem nautarum forfitan incognitis, tibi vero peritiffimo naviculatori exploratiffimis: minitantur illi fcilicet exitium non cymbis modo quotidianis, feu onerariis, feu actuariis, fed ubi co transfretaveris, fane aut impingat tua sevis neceffe eft, aut fubfidat, dicam planius, ne te falus ipfa fervare poterit, ubi Romam accefferis quin aut damnatos a te pridem errores, mutata velificatione revoces, reforbeafque, aut damneris vivi comburio, durum utrunque omen, nec ulla alia ratione, nifi prudenti (quod cautus ufque fecitti) profugio avertendum. Poteftne fieri ut adeo fis prodigus totius tui, horum uti alterutrum, tuto placideque vitam iftic agenti arrideat? Certa mors imminet utrinque reduci, corporis quidem, fi verum fateri audes, fi dejeratæ animæ. At at fiquidem animo jampridem difceffum a nobis anteverteris, non erit ut de diuturniore aliqua molis extime retentione folliciti fimus: Nolo ego de te tanto Theologo mali quicquam opinari, levis cujufdam inconftantiæ fi te tuum ipfius factum palam alligarit, eft quod tibi fuccenfeas. Dic mihi vero per Deum immortalem (Magne Preful) quid tandem eft, quod te nobis poft aliquot annorum moram, jam de fubito abripere, Romamque pellicere potuit ?Numquid inhofpita tibi visa est gens noftra?Minulve quam forte fperaras virtutibus tuis indultum? Caufari profecto iftud non potes, in quem larga benigniffimi Regis manus tam ampla, tam opima congeffit ultro munera,majora infuper (fi foret opus) largitura; quem Aula, Urbs, Academia utraque, piebs denique univerfa ita fufpicere folita eft,et venerari. Quin & hæc ipfa,qua jam fereniffimi Regis beneficio frueris, difcedendi libertas,quam ingenue tecum iftic atum fuerit,fatis clamitat.Non ea patet ubique nobis pleniffima cundi qua lubet, redeundique facultas. Fuere e noftris quibus Romam vidiffe Capitale pridem fuit, funt qui ubi fævæ urbis limina infelici pede tetigerint, cefferint illico Lictori, jamque feptendecem plus minus annos modo ufque fupereffe licuerit) carcere inquifitorio crudeliffime detenti funt. Non ita nos tractamus hoftes, non perduelles noftros, nedum advenas; æquo patent iftuc coelum & terra: peffime que de Britannia noftra meriti, hofpitium nimis hercle benignum fibi pollicentur. Num tibi ergo parum placuere morcs noftri? Paulo forfan depravatiores folutiorefque quam par eft, vivendi rationes? Obre

pent

pent certe vel fanctiffimo populo fæculi fui vitia, neque noftros omnes immunes venditamus ab illa malorum illuvic, cujus bonos quofque & piget & pudet ferio. Venient fcandala, vetus verbum eft Servatoris : Atqui teipfum appello teftem judicemque, quicquid fumus, non adhuc Italiam impietate exaquavimus. Cedemus profecto non inviti genti Pontificia, neque illi diram hanc inhoneftamque palmam invid‹bimus. Finge nos (fi placet) multo adhuc improbiores, juftificabit nos tamen Roma,ipfa Delos Pontificii Apollinis,Itali vice Dei coelum, de qua merito quod olim dixerit Deus, Vivo ego, dicit Dominus Deus, quia non fecit Sodoma foror tua, ipfa & filiæ ejus, ficut fecifti tu & filiæ tue, etiam inter Purpuratos Ecclefiæ illius Moderatores comperies,a quibus turpiffimi inter noftros gancones facile fe victos fatebuntur. Quid ergo demum? Num difplicet quam nos iftic profitemur,religio? Abfit, abfit ut grandævus Antiftes tam eximiis animi dotibus imbutus recedivam patiatur; Apage mendacem famam, non poffum ego tam iniquis rumi.calis aurem præbere,quicquid ogganniat vulgus,nolo ego iftoc credere, nolo fufpicari. Quod fi quis tui fimilis tam male confulet & fue & aliorum faluti, cum fic audacter compellare non dubitarem. Difplicetne ergo religio? Non ea nunc primulum innotefcit, diu eft ex quo utriufque Ecclefiæ dogmata, ferio foliciteque penficulaveris, ac notam a te probe fententiam noftram denique amplexus folam veritati diving confonam orbi propinaveris, veracique calamo palam confignaveris.

Ecquod vero nunc novi luminis tibi improvifo obortum fic illuftravit oculos ut quæ folertiffima viginti fere annorum indagine fruftra perquifiveris,clariffime demum cerneres. Res eadem eft,tu si fisalius,videris quod te numen mutarit.Certe qui religionem noftram odio habentplufquam Eteocleo,fatentur nos verum dicere,fed totumnon dicere criminantur, quicquid eft pofitivæ (quam appellant) apud noftros Theologiæ etiam adverfariis perplacet, negationum folummodo quarundam paulo atrociorum graviter accufamur,nempe audacem illam,impiamq; novæ fidei farraginem ferre nec poffe nos,nec debere profite-mur,nihil quicqum addimus nihil timmutavimusnon aut formofior eft, quam fuit olim Romanæ Eccefiæ facies,aut reformataturpior.Dic mihi nunc cur quæ intoleranda tibi primum vifa funt religionis affumenta placere incipiant Cur jam fero primigenia noftræ fimplicitatis forma tibi fordefcere videatur? Obfecro te (ampliffime Domine) imo ad juro per Dominum Jefum Chriftum redeas ad cor tuum, velifque animæ

tux mifereri,fenex nunc es, moneant te Cani tui (flores illi comiteriales: qui nunc caput tuum gravi quodam decore obtegunt) non longe abeffe fatalem illum diem, quo tremendo fummi Judicis tribunali fifteris rationem demutatæ fententiæ redditurus. Cogita jam ferio,quid refponfi daturus fis illi, ili falli nefcio, vivorum, mortuorumque arbitro, quicquid certe fiat cæca plebeculæ, cui perfida Doctorum Tyrannide coeleftis doctrinæ jubar intercludi folet, fieri non poteft, quin ut tu quem tam infigni eruditione rerumque omnium fcientia inftruxit Deus poenam a veritatis agnitæ prius abnegatæque acerrimo vindice reportes. Affurgent contra te in illo verendo die fcripta tua egregia orthodoxias quondam tuæ monumenta æviterna, teftabunturque & quis olim fueris & quam folidis rationum nixus firmamentis ad noftras partes accefferis turpemque tibi lapfum coram Deo & Angelis exprobrabunt. Interim vero coelum & terra nobis atteftentur, ecquid fit in quo nos facris indubiifque Dei eloquiis non firmiffime adhærcamus. Ecquid in quo fanctorum patrum, conciliorumque authoritate deftituamur, ecquid in quo nos a Romanis difceffionem fecerimus, nifyubi illos a fe, a Deo difceffiffe conftiterit. O pios falutarefque noftros errores; Ecquis bonus eft, qui cum beatis Patribus, cum gloriofis Martyribus, cum fan&tiffimis Apoftolis, cum Deo denique ipfo errare dubitaverit? Aliam profecto femitam qui fibi calcandam elegerit erret, cadat, pereat, neceffe eft. Fige ergo fi fapis, (Venerande praful) fige iftic pedem,mane ufque nobifcum & fruere Deo, fruere Evangelio, fruere fuavifsima bonæ confcientie pace. Quod fi te ifta parum moveant, age orna hanc modo, & accipe,quandoquidem ita vis, fugam ab hoc Afylo pacis fimul & Religionis,daq; aurem noctuis illis (fi quæ fint) loioliticis quæ tibi ittæc fuaferint olim ( vivit Dominu) fera duceris facti poenitentia, Brittaniamque noftram aut nunquam vidiffe, aut nunquam dereliquiffe fruftra ex optabis, quod ex animo deprecor.

Reverentia veftra humillime deditiffimus Jofeph. Hallus Archipresb. wigornien.

A

LETTER PARÆNETICALL,

TO A

WORTHY KNIGHT Ready to Revolt from the RELIGION ESTABLISHED.

Orthy Sir, when leud and debauched perfons drop a way from us, we lament their lofs, not our own, but when Men of worth leave us, it is not their lofs more then ours, with fo much more indignation must we needs think of thofe Cheaters (for fo I conftrue St. Pauls Celar) that would fain win you from us with meer tricks of mil-fuggeftion; the attempt whereof hath given occafion to these warm lines which my true zeal of your fafety hath drawn from me : So much hath been already spoken to this cavill, that would you pleafe but to caft your eye upon Bishop Mortons treatise of the grand impofture, and Bifhop Bedells Epiftles to Wadsworth you could not defire other fatisfaction, thither give me leave to referr you at your beft leafure, in the mean time leaft I fhould feem willing to fpare my own indeavors, let me fhortly dilcover the vanity of that ftale collufion which fome Seducers would put upon you.

Certainly, Sir, the more you look into thefe quarrels the more you find that Templum Domini, was not a more mocking plea amongst the Jews of old, then Ecclefia Catholica, is this day among Christians, thofe challenge it whole that have it not, and those that

have right to it, are excluded with equal importunity. Bleffed be God you were born and bred in a noble and renowned Daughter of that great and univerfal Mother, the Church of England, what reason can an Enemy fhow you why you should repent you of fuch a parentage and spit in the face of fo gracious a Mother and nurse nothing it feems, is urged to you but her age; It is a killing word with those Romish Imposters, where was your Church before Luther, then which, there was never any plea more idle, more frivolous, when it falls under a wife and judicious difcuffion; for confider I beseech you. Did we go about to lay the foundations of a new Church, the challenge were most juft; Primum verum was the old and fure rule of Tertullian, we abhorr new Churches, and new Truths, find ours either to be, or to be pretended such, and forfake us: But when all our claim, all our endeavour is onely the reforming and repairing of an old Church, faulty in fome mouldred ftones, and mif-daubed with fome untempered, and lately. laid morter, what a frenzy is this to ask where that Church was which we fhow them fenfibly thus repaired, had it not been before how could it have been capable of this amendment, and if it be but reformed by us, It was formed before, and having been fince deformed by their errors, is only restored by us to the former beauty. As fure as there is any Church, any truth in the World this is the true and only State of this controverfie, the mif-prifion whereof hath been guilty of the lofs of many thousand fouls. To fpeak plainly, it is onely the grofs abuses, and palpable innovations of the Church of Rome which we have parted from, fet thefe afide, they, and we, are, and will be one Church, let this be done, and if their cruelty, and uncharitablenefs would fever us, our unity of faith and Chriftian love fhall make us one, in fpight of malice: If their mil-zealous importunity will needs fo incorporate those which we can convince for new errours, as to make them effential to the very being of their Church, they are more injurious to themselves, then their Enemies can be, we can but lament to fee them guilty of their own mischief: For us we have erred in nothing but this, that we would not err; to demonftrate this in particulars, were a long-fome task, and that which I have already performed in that my treatise of the Old Religion, may ir pleafe you to let fall your eye upon that plain and moderate difcourfe,you fhall confefs this truth made good,

12

Zzz

every