TO THE RIGHT
HONORABLE LORDES AND
OTHER THE KNIGHTS AND BVRGESSES,
ASSEMBLED IN THE
HIGH AND MOST HONORABLE
Court of Parliament houlden this
present yeare. 1604.
FOR so much right Honorable
as the Catholickes subiectes
of this Nation beeing,
though distressed members,
yet truely members of that politicke
Body, which this high
and honorable court of Parliament
doth represent, haue
now for a great part of this last declining age, bene
contrarie to all example of former times excluded
from their accustomed places and voices therin: and
continuing yet vnder such estate, are therby depriued
of all ordinary meanes to moue or answere for
them selues, when and where it doth most concerne
them: It can not I hope seeme iustly greeuous or
offensiue to any, that being in these straights, and
destitute of all other aduocates they should mediate
the appeasing of their former pressures and calamities,
by their owne most humble and earnest intercession.
Amongst which their sundry endeuours
thus vndertaken to be made knowen vnto his Maiestie,
as to a most Roiall and euer flowing fountaine
of all grace and mercie. The treatise hereunto annexed

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was specially one, being at first penned with
intention to haue the same deliuered vp to his Highnes:
But wheras afterwards his Highnes being in the
meane time ouercharged with multitude of petitions
so formerly exhibited by Catholickes and others
his princely pleasure was thereupon at last signified
not to be further troubled or importuned in that
kind; the author of this treatise did thervpon not
only alter his first intention co~cerning the deliuery
therof vp to his Highnes but also seriously laboured
by all carefull meanes & direction for the vtter suppressing
therof: In which
course of his said labour,
whe~ I perused ouer the original writen copie hereof,
which casuallye and without his knowledge came
vnto my handes, and had fully considered the sobrietie
of stile therein so carefully obserued and continued
without all occasion of offence, and the peculier
and choice methode therof; togither with the
sundrie important reasons, enlarged and set downe
therein, not so much with ornamente or riches of
wordes, as with correspondence & sequell of matter,
and that somewhat perhaps more painefully
endeuoured in this, then in some other like treatise
formerly published; howsoeuer I could not but
commend his foresaid care and good discretion, in
not presuming by deliuerye of this treatise to his
Highnes to become offensiue or further tedious to
so great a Maiestie. Yet could I not but censure his
other intendment of suppressing the same for no lesse
then extreame, and fitt to be preuented: as houlding
it vnworthy, that so great paines & of such publicke
profite. should for his priuate satisfaction be wholly
suppressed and buried in silence. For which cause
I haue aduentured though in regard of the reason
before signified not to offend or trouble his Maiestie
therwith yet to dispose therof in an other course
and so publishing the same without the Authors
assent to offer it with all humble and due respecte
to your most honorable and graue considerations.
For whom other may we in the co~fidence and equitie
of our cause importune rather then your selues,
being the honorable Peers, and graue Sages of our
noble Nation? vpon whom next vnto his MAIESTIE
the charge of redressing our miseries is most
properly incumbent. Vouchsafe therfore I humbly
beseech you, to view euen with charitable and
Christian commiseration, our present estate & condition
described to you in this treatise, and in like
maner to waigh the reasons and motiues to the contrarie
therin set downe, which are many and important.
As first that our affliction heretofore for so many
yeeres susteyned, hath bene for persisting constant
in that Faith wherto we Englishmen were aboue
a thousand yeeres since conuerted: that also
the same faith is confessed to haue bene the generally
receaued faith of all Christian countries for
sundrie hundreth yeeres before those times: that
likewise it was confirmed with true and vndoubted
miracles, and those reported not from the Apocriphall
testimonie of any pretended fabulous Legend,
but from the constant assertion of learned
Protestants them selues: That also the same faith is
deduced vp to the Apostles times: In more full
demonstratio~ wherof it is likewise yet further shewed,
as well that Protestants are not able to proue
that the Romane Church hath changed her Religion
since her first profession therof in the Apostles times,
as also that Catholickes haue proued the contrarie
euen by sundry arguments demonstratiuely vnanswerable.
Furthermore that wheras according to
S. Austines assertion the holy Ghost foreseeing
the contentions that would arise about the Church,
did therefore by his Prophets speake more plainelye

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therof then of our Sauiour him selfe, there is in this
treatise accordingly described the propheticall
historie of the true Church: with like proofe of the
succeeding answerable euent therof to be most euidently
wanting in the Protestants Church, and
yet fulfilled in ours. In so much as the more sober
and learned Protestants in preseruatio~ of Christs
true Church vpon earth for many former ages in
which theirs was wanting, are enforced to acknowledge
our now Catholicke Romane Church to
be the true Church, and the profession therof for sufficient
to saluation, charging therfore their other inconsiderate
and headstrong brethren who affirme
the contrarie, euen with ignorant zeale. These
with sundry other important reasons being contained
in this treatise, and all of them made plaine
and confessed, not by doubtfull ambage of words,
neither by onely sentences of Scriptures or Fathers,
though in them selues neuer so manifest, for that
course is specially and of purpose forborne, as being
in regard of our aduersaries endles tergiuersation
no other then as it were a vast Ocean wherin we can
hardly restraine them to any certaintie of fight
But for their more full conuincing by those speciall
testimonies whether of Scriptures or Fathers
whose euident sense on our behalfe, is accordingly,
and for such acknowledged euen by their owne
learned writers, and those not fewe or vulgar, but
many and of great estimation; I haue in respect of
such their frequent and plaine testimonies, so fully
alleaged in iustificacion of our Church and religion,
entitled this treatise: The Protestants Apollogie of the Romane
Church. How effectuall that kind of argument
is which is thus taken fro~ the confession of the aduersaries,
I shall not need to shew, seing the force therof
is not onely acknowledged by Mr. D. Whittaker
and other Protestant writers, but is also of it
selfe manifest euen to common vnderstanding; For
how can it be denied but that they, who in liking of
their owne opinion, doubt not to preferre and maintaine
the same against the vniforme and confessed
iudgement to the contrarie, of the auncient Fathers,
of our now Catholike writers, and of their owne learned
brethren are to be giuen ouer as being desperately
incureable, & much more worthie of conte~pt
then answere. These thinges being thus premised,
the conclusion of my most humble request is, that
you will not forget to reme~ber these knowne principles
of your owne schooles, as namely that you are
but men, and subiecte no lesse then the Fathers
were, or then we yet are to error, ouer-sight, and
misvnderstandinge of the Scriptures, that therfore
you would resolue to trie the spiritts if they be of
God, and proue all things houlding that which is good.
And that accordingly you would read ouer this treatise,
not being tra~sported with preiudicate conceit
of your former opinions, but as led therto with
indifferent and equall censure. Let not the sway of
times, or our miseries preuaile to make you so regardles,
or vs dispiseable, that therfore you should
be vnmindfull either of your owne soules or our present
condition. Thus much but obtained, I doubt
not but you will in the end, awake from all former
spirituall drousines of opinion & therupon confesse
& say of our Catholike Church, as Iacob at his bodily
awaking said of the place where he dreamed
Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not aware. The
eternal God according to whose will all laws shold
be made direct you accordingly in your making of
lawes, and incite or stirre vp, if any as God forbid
not yet satisfied with our former troubles, shoulde
vrge or moue for our further continued calamitie
some one or other well enspired hart, to perswade
and preuaile as did the honorable Gamaliel when he

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vpon the like occasion said, Men of Israel take
heede what you intend to do touching these men: &c.
refraine your selues and let them alone, for if this
worke of theirs be of men it will fall
away, but if it be of god, you are
not able to dissolue
it.