Etenim cum hinc ob consilij maturitatem longam maximarum rerum experientiam prope Regem ad maxima Reipub. negotia peragenda sedere compellimini illinc vero propter senilem infirmitatem amplissimam vestram prouinciam peragrare quomodo se quisque suo in munere gerat perlustrare non possetis adiutorem vobis elegistis nobilissimum Dominum D. Franciscum de Harlay virum omnium virtutum laude florentem qui ex illustri ortus familia inter magnates sanè si voluisset spleÌ„dide viuere potuisset sed ab ineunte aetate saeculi pompis nuncium remittens in altissimarum rerum contemplationem mentem suam tanto studio tantaque ingenij foelicitate intendit vt non in Latinis modo Graecis literis sed in omni scientiarum genere tam miros breui tempore fecerit progressus vt inter grauissimos Theologos Parisienses iuuenis summa cum laude professus sit qui rerum etiam occultarum cognitioni raram quandam prudentiam coniungens ad res magnas sacras eximiè gerendas admodum habeatur idoneus Hic talis ac tantus iuuenis vestram sustinens personam ac grauiore vestro illustratus consilio gregem vestâ—um vigilantissimè inspiciet omnia quae ab boni Pontificis munus spectare intelligit prudentissime administrabit Quum igitur prouinciam nobis proximam ab Illustrissima D. vestra adeo omni ex parte excellenter gubernari perspexerimus mirum videri non debet si nos qui omni proprij Episcopi auxilio penitus destituimur ad tanti Archiepiscopi patrocinium confugiamus Itaque humillimè ab Illustrissima vestra Amplitudine petimus vt in suam nos clientelam benigne admittere libellum hunc perpetui nostri erga Illustrissimam D. vestram obsequij quasi arrhabonem recipere dignetur Deumque Opt. Max. quotidie rogabimus vt Illustrissimam D. vestram ecclesiae suae quam diutissime incolumem conseruet Parisiis xxi Nouembris Anno Domini 1614. AN ANSVVERE VNTO M R ABBOTS EPISTLE DEDICAtorie GOOD Christian reader I being prisoner by the gatehouse in westminster when Mr. R. Abbots last booke intituled the true ancient Roman Catholike came forth against mee was you may be sure wel inough looked vnto for writing then any replie Since my enlargement I was a long time occupied partlye in flanders partlye in Paris about ordinary busines well knowen to many so that I had small respite to reade ouer that which M. Abbots had written against mee At leÌ„gth coming to haue better leasure albeit I haue neuer since bin free from the same care and not willing to spend my spare time idly but to set in haÌ„d with some peece of worke I was by my graue and vnderstanding frinds advised to begin with a confutation of the same booke as coming forth latest and being indeed the only booke wich M. Abbot had labored in defence of himself against mee I at my louing frinds instaÌ„ce perusing ouer that booke more diligentlie found it fuller of words tauntes and cauills thaÌ„ of weightie and sound matter and would therfore rather haue made choise of some other booke of more importance not making anie great reckning of his vntrue imputations and bitter speeches against my self bicause the most honorable prelates of the primitiue Church and best deserving Doctors whose bookes I am not Worthie to carrie after them writing against bitter and broadmouthed Heretikes never lightlie escaped better cheape for what these mild hornets wanted in sound reasonnig that they were wont to supplie in foule railing My kind frinds replied that how litle account soeuer I made of mine owne interest yet M. Abbot being now growen a maÌ„ of name and chosen for the divinitie reader in the famous vniuersitie of Oxford that ought not to bee contemned which hee and his frinds deemed worthie the print Besides he pretendeth it to bee a peece of great price long premeditated and esteemed by him a mater worthie a large treatise and therfore not to bee lett passe as a thing of naught without an answer whervpon in part and withall to iustifie that in my booke which hee catcheth at as least iustifiable belike for he doth not answere it orderlie as it lieth though it were but a litle one but picketh out certen parcelles I in fine resolued to examine brieflie the weight and worth of that his booke which hee surnameth à counterproofe not vnproperlie bicause hee doth in it verie often hunt the counter as they say that is rather runne vp and downe forward and backward turne this waie and that waie verie idly and impertinently then fall to any serious proofe or pursue the points in questioÌ„ directlie Notwithstanding I will not deale with M. Abbot after such a hafting and abrupt manner as hee doth with mee by cutting of at the first clapp fowerscore eight pages of my small discourse without amy word of auswere therunto mangling also the middle of it and leauing out a great part of the latter end but will begin with him at his Epistle Dedicatory and thenceforth prosecute it orderlie as it lies not omitting by the way anie matter of moment though I meane not to sett downe his whole text word by word bicause that would cost mee more the printing then it is worth by agreat deale And wee here in banishment haue not so much spare monie but the summe and substance of all hee handleth shal bee sincerely related as the iudicious and vpright Reader if hee please to conferre this my answere with that his booke shall easilie perceiue Having in few words shewed the reasons that moued mee to vndergoe this worke and the method that I meane to obserue therin without anie further preface I will presentlie come to M. Abbots Epistle Dedicatorie in the first entrie wherof hee seemes to plaie the triuant and for want either of iudgment or of fitter inuention to fall into a faultie Exordium by the skilfull in that art called Commune comon which his aduerse party maie as well if not better vse against himselfe then hee doth against his aduersarie Neither needes it anie other answer but a plaine returne of the same wordes with a verie little alteration Let vs trie whether M. Abbots proeme proposed against vs will not in the iudgement of an indifferent Reader serue for vs against them Thus it begmneth Mr. Abbots text turned against his ovvne partie MOST gratious and renowmed prince such is the malice and furie of Antichrist and his army of priestes as Gregorie calleth theÌ„ in oppugning the Religion and faith of Christ Greg lib. 4. Ep. 38. as giueth cause to vs that fight for Christ to stand continuallie vpon our guard and to be readie still in armes to entertaine the assaultes that are made continuallie against vs. W. B. THE first staffe of this wartier like sentence bicause it hath in it the names of Antichrist and Priests maie at the first blush seeme to some protestantes to hitt vs but
man our lord doth abhorre God send you gentle sir a litle more Charitie It followeth in your text which will verie currantlie serue against your selfe R. AB IN vhich seruice of Antichrist M. ABBOT our countryman hath verie industriously done his part M. Bishop and hath labored if not to excell yet to equall almost anie of his fellovves in the subverting of the wayvvard and in animating of men to obstinacie against the truth of God vvho hauing to the kings most excellent maiestie disgorged against vs the venomed poison of his vvicked and corrupt heart and being by mee duly chastised for his disloyall and traiterous attempt to delude by false suggestions his liege and souareigne lord seing his impostures and fraudes most plainlie discouered and laid open hath added dronkennes to his thirst and sought to fill vp the measure of his former iniquity by vvilfull railing at those things vvhich hee knoweth to bee true And hauing no other vvay to reuenge the impeaching of his credit greatly touched as he conceiued by the ansvvering of his booke hath in a latter booke run vpon me furiously and loaden mee as much as in him lieth vvith odious imputations of abusing falsifying misconstruing and misapplying both scriptures and fathers like the vngratious theefe at the barr vvho conuicted by most cleare and apparant euidence yet still impudently crieth out that all is false c. W. B. HItherto are M. Abbots wordes with the onlie change of my name into his which euerie man that hath seen what bookes passed between vs can witnes how fitly they may be returned vpon himselfe for in his answere to my Epistle to his Majesty he doth bitterlie inveigh against mee and goeth about by verie vntrue suggestions to abuse his highnes which I partlie discovering in my booke called the reproofe he seeking to vphold his credit much impeached as hee thought ther by hath since surcharged me with more odious imputations True it is that neither he nor I doe come neere vnto manie other writers of this age on both sides though I keeping the tenor of his owne words which do attribute vnto mee much more then I deserue do signifie that he laboreth to equall almost any of his fellowes alwaies excepting the vnciuill rudenes of his stile which is much more cancred then becomes the Candor of a Divine but if that be the naturall and incureable malady of the fervent hot spirit in the new turmoiling Gospell all mild and sweet peacible natures will assuredly in short time learne to abhorre it wheras M. Abbot chargeth mee to haue endeuored to delude my soveraigne by false suggestions all vpright cōsciēces will iudge that hee rather hath soe done then I if it shall please them to take to their considerations but this one inducement M. Abbot in his first booke did burthen mee with the same crime to which I returned him in print this Answere I vvish very hartely that you could and vvould obteyne of his maiestie that vvee both in person might appeare before his highnesse there to iustifie vvhether of vs had sought to abuse his Maiestie by lies and by pretending antiquitie for those things vvhich by antiquity vvere condemned I to shew the assurance I had in the truth of my allegations and in the vprightnes of the Catholike cause having publikely made this earnest request vnto M. Abbot it being my hap afterward to fall into his brothers hands and by him to be laied vp in prison where M. Abbot might haue spoken with mee at his pleasure and leasure should not he then at the least if he had had any confidence in the goodnes of his cause haue confronted mee and conuinced mee of some of the pretended falshoodes wherof hee had accused mee He cannot saie that he knew not of it or had not sufficient time to thinke of the matter for I was holden there in expectation eleven monethes during which space hee was once at London that I heard of and had leisure to goe to à Readers feast but small deuotion as it seemeth to visit a poore prisoner and lesse affection to come to à conference about those allegations and reasons which though hee had cuningly patched togither and gilded over goodly yet his owne conscience told him that they would not abide the hammering of an equall conference they might serue to deceiue the simple but would not hold weight in the ballāce of à learned Disputatiō wherfore he had reason to thinke it better policie to auoyd that triall which might perhaps haue turnd to his further shame yea his Maiestie of his owne grations disposition being willing as I credibly heard to haue spoken with mee was by M. Abbots frinds possessed with sundrie slaunderous informations against mee to diuert his Maiestie therfro Seing therfore that I both offered requested and expected a meeting with M. Abbot about the verification of our writings and hee hauing not onlie the oportunitie of time and place but the aduantage also of other Circumstances would not appeare and show himselfe what reasonable men can doubt but that he at the least did feare and mistrust his owne cause and thervpon assure themselues who cannot be so priuy to M. Abbots dealings as hee is himself that M. Abbots allegations and arguments are to be vehemently suspected and feared and consequently that very vnwise are they who in matter of saluation and damnation doe rely vpon him Hitherto I haue vsed M. Abbots words aganist himselfe now I come to the rest which speake more distinctly for him R. AB VVhich plainelie appearing to be soe litle reason had I to trouble my self to giue any further answere to it Neuertheles bicause the further answer of the chiefest part of it hath fallen within the compasse of my intention of describing the true ancient Roman Catholike no difference there is but that wheras I might haue walked at my owne libertie I now tie my selfe to follow him I haue yeelded so much to him that wheras by comparison I formerly shewed that the now church of Rome in faith religiō is far estranged from the old so it may now more fully appeare that it is soe and that M. Bishop contending for the contrary hath done it only for his belly and for his credits sake hauing made the deceiuing of soules his occupation to liue by and being ashamed at these yeeres to confesse that he himselfe hithero hath been deceiued W. B. M. Abbot as he here saies would not haue answered my litle book howsoeuer it was to purpose had it not fallen within the compas of a former pretended treatise of his owne how much lesse cause haue I to withdraw my hand from more serious and substantiall worke to giue answer vnto his long tedious trifling bookes that mans head that should not ake before M. Abbot had soundly proued the now Roman church to be in any one pointe of faith estranged from the old were like to liue many a faire day without need of a Phisitian
and to stop the aduersaries mouth that hee maie haue no thing further to replie I haue according to Tertullians rule endevored to make truth to vse all her strength I haue taken time conuenient to levie such troupes and bands that I maie not need to doubt of the victorie compare these places togither and tell mee whether they bee not plaine contradictorie to handle questions positiuelie and brieflie And to treate of them so fullie and in such exquisite manner that to the verie aduersarie nothing should be left to replie there he wrote that hee tooke convenient leasure to leavie such troupes and bandes that hee needed not to doubt of victory here having seene his said troupes and bands harassed and defeated hee is of another mind and vpon better advise acknowledgeth that his former furniture was slender and that hee handled the matter but superficiallie whether of these should the good Reader beleeue both hee cannot being so contrarie the one to the other yet being one and the same great Doctor that hath sett downe both in print and recomended both to his reader he may hap to stagger which of them he is to take for true M. Abbot so highlie magnified there his vttermost endevor to discusse those matters plentifullie and exactly that he left to himself here no colour for this poore excuse which he cometh in withall of handling these questions positiuely well if the maister of the worke himself surveying it better ouer vpon my aduertisment do thinke his former arguments and answeres which then he tooke to bee compleate and insoluble to bee both slender and feeble I make no doubt but that the discreet reader will doe him so much honor and credit as to follow his iudgmeÌ„t therin and to esteeme no better of them then hee himself doth that fauoureth them most and should know them best surelie mee thinkes it must needes be a sufficient wrning to anie man to beware how hee beleeueth him who doth not beleeue himself in his former writings Now to that bigge bragge of his that hee hath in a brief advertisment trowneed mee terribly like a Saturnian frowning angrie scholemaister scourged me accordinglie God bee thanked his words be but wind for the poore scholler so piteously whipped by him feeles no paine at all But what meant hee to hide that Cholericke pamphlet of his written in more hast belike then good speede in such a corner that a man must ride to the latter end of the third part of his long tedious bookes ere he can find it out well sith it hath pleased him to range it in that place so farr out of the waie he cannot bee offended that I do not answere it till I come thither in the meane season let the iudicious reader take a scantling by this my answere vnto his worke of longer meditation how easilie that short pamphlett written both in hast and in passion maie bee answered M. AB BVT in that reproofe of his verie litle it is that hee hath said for iustifying what hee himself had before written not being able in deed to defend any one pointe therof onelie hee found some what to cavill concerning my debating of the name Catholike and the comparison I made betwixt the old and new Roman church and therof as touching the matter in substance he hath framed his booke W. B. VVhat he should saie or doe that dealeth with such a shameles writer I assure thee good Reader I do not well know my booke is extant and in manie mens hands as he cannot bee ignorant Let them all or whosoeuer els pleaseth to reade it be iudges betwene vs whether from the verie preface vnto the end of my booâ—â— I doe any thing els then pleade in iustification of what I had before written putting downe word by word first what exception M. Abbot had taken against the same then answering directlie to euery pointe and parcell therof must he not then if any grace be left in him blush at these his words that I said very little for iustifieing what I had before written where more is saied to that very purpose I think then hee wil be well able to answere these seaven yeeres he that in the Entrie of his booke sticketh not to tell such grosse tales what credit doth he deserue in the residue he confesseth that I said something of the namâ— Catholike and of his comparison betwene the old and new Roman church which is true but when he signifieth that therof in substance my whole booke was framed he goeth about to deceiue and that very grosly for besides sundrie other matters I treated of these very three points in particuler which M. Abbot pretends to be most pertinent to his purpose To wit the first that Saint Paule both in his Epistle to the Romanes and in the rest doth teach most branches of the Romane doctrine which is handled from the page of my booke 134. vnto 149. The secoÌ„d that so did also some of the most holie best learned ancient Bishops of Rome froÌ„ p. 149. vnto p. 219. And as plainly against the third point I declared that not so much as one heresie condeÌ„ned of old is by the moderne church of Rome reviued or countenanced but that the protestants do in expresse tearmes revive boulster out and vphold manie old rotten errours and heresies recorded and condemned for such by the most sound sincere and Iuditiouse witnesses of the primitiue church S. Augustin Sainct Ambrose Sainct Hierome S. Epiphanius and others see the page 251. and manie after all which being to bee found most certain and true with a wett finger as they saie by turning onlie to the places quoted the reader if he haue any care to find out the truth and to avoid errors will I hope take notice at the length of M. Abbots most palpable and notorious leasings who would make him beleeve that there were nothing of substaÌ„ce in my booke of anie of those matters R. ABBOT TO this therfore I haue addressed my description of the ancient Roman Catholike forbearing that more orderlie course which I had intended for the performance of this worke and chosing rather to follow him step by step as formerlie I haue done onlie beginning where he cometh to the purpose and leaving all his vagaries and affected discourses to hee more briefly touched in the end of all W. B. YOV may here discouer why M. Abbot was bold to straine a point and to saie that I only touched the name Catholike and that comparison that hee forsooth addressing an answere thervnto might be taken to haue if not proceeded orderly yet to haue spoken to the purpose directly But it being euident and cleare that I handled as well those other three pointes and in the same order as he propounded them everie vnderstanding man may perceaue that his purpose was rather to shift from orderly proceeding and to thrust out some such stuffe as he had ready for the present to entertaine his favorable
know that the church of Rome doth not greatlie approue Erasmus censures and annotations vpon S. Hieromes and other Doctors workes yet is he one of M. Abbots alleaged Authors page 72 Now for watsons Quodlibets Anianus fables and other such like puddles out of which M. Abbot takes some dreggs to giue his gentle reader satisfaction shall I saie or rather infection I say no more but that they must needes be very kind favorable yea foolish and simple readers too that will take such base coyne for good payment And M. Abbot therby is conuinced to bee no man of his word for hauing promised nothing but taken out of Authors famously approued by vs he doth notwithstanding produce manie writers of no estimation at all in our church Thus haue I briefly runne ouer all M. Abbots preface that the whole drist of his booke might bee disclosed and that the vnpartiall reader might withall take a tast of the manner of his dealing which if it cōsist much of craking shifting and misreporting he maie cōiecture what he is to expect of him in that which followeth I haue stood here vpon the particulers to shew the reader what aduantage I might take of his words if I would do the like in his whole booke But well weighing how small profitt the reader should reape out of anie such verball contention I will vtterlie avoid it and in as short and perspicuous sort as may bee I will relate trulie the sence and substance of what M. Abbot saith and ther vnto frame my answere That the good reader may leese no time but with ease and speede trace out and find where the truth resteth God grant him grace to embrace and follow it and in his praiers to recommend vnto the father of light from whom all good giftes do descend my poore endeuors that through his heavenlie blessing they may yeeld that fruite which I desire And that both they and I may serve his divine maiestie faithfully all the daies of this life and finallie through his infinite mercie obtayne life everlasting Amen AN ANSVVERE VNTO M. ABBOTS FIRST CHAPTER The contents whether the church of Rome doth vainly and absurdly chalenge to her self the name of the Catholike church THIS first paragraff or section M. Abbot doth make to iustifie the manner of his proceeding before hee come to the matter but before all hee thought it expedient how vndecent soever it were to begin with a florish in his owne commendation thus R. AB AS for the victorie which I ominated to my self thankes be to God I haue obtayned it being become Maister of the field And M. Bishop enforced to leaue the mayne battle contented now out of a corner to thrust an ambush that hee maie make some shew that he is not quite spent I triūph over him in his owne conscience W. B. NAturam expellas furca licet vsque recurret see how hard a thing it is to driue a man from his old by as M. Abbot hath been pretilie well canvased for his vnmannerly vaunting of his owne doings yet hee cannot bee taught to leaue it custome is another nature what will you he dwelleth belike farr from good neighbors and is therfore inforced to praise himselfe well if hee will needes proue himself a wisard and one that can ominate and tell good fortunes before they fall how should I hinder him I willinglie confesse that hee doth but his dutie to thanke the Lord for his good luck and might for more complete ioy haue called in his fellowe Ministers with their wiues to haue congratulated with him But to put the censure of his triumph to his adversaries conscience seemeth to excessiue an amplification for hee was cock sure to be condemned by me for singing a triumph before the victorie that before had told him plainely inough that I scarse found anie weightie point in his booke worth the answering and that there was better proofe of their doctrine in two leaues of M. Perkins treatise In my preface of the reproofe then in ten of his yea I moreover made so bold as to tell him that his printed papers were more fitt and proper to stopp mustard potts Ibidem Page 94. then anie meane schollers mouth was there anie reason after such plaine warning given him before hand of my dislike once to imagin if hee had not been wonderfully conceited of himself that I so highlie esteemed of his writings that I would without faile giue him the prick and price But why do I exact reason of an Augurer or wiseman as they call him that will needs dine into the secrets of my conscience may not hee peraduēture by helpe of his Astronomicall skill see there that which I cannot espie my selfe In good sadnes honest sir tell mee I praie you why you saie that I left the maine battle and was content out of a corner to thrust out an ambush when as I marched in the face of your forces and encountred with the forefront of your battle setting downe your discourse even as your self had ranged it making answere to the verie first words and so continuing without interruption verie impertinently then do you charge mee with lying in ambush and setting on you out of corners These odd tearmes of an old rustie ragged soldiour may be much more properlie returned on your selfe that hath leapt ouer so manie scores of the first pages of my booke and left as many of the last vnanswered slipping over also some of the middest what is to ly in ambush and to sett on a booke out of corners if this answering of it by snatches bee not but leaving these idle speeches wherwith M. Abbots book is stiff būbasted let vs come faire and roundly to the matter which in this section is to shew whether he hath proceeded orderlie or no in his discourse that the learned reader maie the better bee able to iudge of it I will summarily rehearse how wee fell into this Question whether the Romane church bee the Catholike church or noe I in the Epistle Dedicatory of my first booke aganist M. Perkins humblie besought his Maiestie that he would bee pleased to embrace that true Catholike and Apostolike faith in which his most royall progenitors liued and died whervnto M. Abbot answered that my petition was needles bicause his Maiestie had already embraced the same true Catholike and Apostolike faith which to prove he made as it were this argument The Catholike church is that which is spred over all the world but the Roman church is not spred over all the world therfore the Roman church is not the Catholike church To which I replied that granting the maior or first proposition to bee true the minor or second was not so direct to his purpose as if he should haue subsumed but the English church the faith wherof his Maiestie embraceth is spred over all the world or at least the English church is a true member of that church which is spred over all the world
for whether the church of Rome bee the Catholike church or no the faith which his Majestie embraceth cannot bee Catholike vnles it bee that which either hath been or now is spred ouer all the world therfore no man can deny but that it had been a more direct and speedie course to have proved their owne church to bee Catholike then to goe about to disprove the church of Rome to bee Catholike for let vs suppose that which M. Abbot would have though it bee most vntrue that the church of Rome were not the Catholike church Doth it thervpoÌ„ follow that the church of England is Catholike nothing lesse for there have been and are manie erring no Catholike congregations by the consent of all men different and dissenting from the church of Rome as for example were of old the Arrians the Donatists Macedonians and att this time bee the Trinitarians Anabaptists and such like supposing then the church of Rome not to bee Catholike and that the English church doth not agree with the said church may it not neverthelesse bee some other erronious congregation that is faâ—r enough of froÌ„ being Catholike there being in the world so manie other of that bad marke and stampe It must needes then follow that M. Abbot beginning with the church of Rome neither tooke a speedie and direct nor yet a sure course to prove his maiesties faith to bee Catholike M. Abbot in his owne excuse saith that to prove his maiesties faith to bee Catholike he must needes declare what the Catholike church was bicause of the Catholike church it is that the faith is called the Catholike faith This I admitt for good doctrine and do desire the Reader to beare it well in mind that the Catholike faith must needes bee sought for in the Catholike church and cannot be found out before wee haue the Catholike church to teach it vs. because as M. Abbot affirmeth heere of the Catholike church it is that the faith is called the Catholike faith well go on good Sir I grant that you did well to declare what was the Catholike faith and what was the Catholike church too But having declared what was the Catholike church and faith why did you not go in haÌ„d to proue your English faith that his maiestie maintaineth or your English church which hee vpholdeth to bee that same true Catholick church To saie that that stumbling blocke to witt that the church of Rome was the Catholike church was first to be removed out of the way will not serve the turne for that was not necessary when as the other if it had been true might haue been performed by it self without any mention made of the church of Rome And if your fingers itched to haue a fling at the church of Rome would it not haue been more seemly and decent first to haue confirmed your owne faith to bee Catholike which you tooke in hand then having layed that fouÌ„dation to haue declared that the faith of Rome was not Catholike wherfore I did neither idly nor preposterously as you write require so much att your hands but verie preposterously do you proceede and beyond all measure extravagantly that having spoken somewhat to declare what the Catholike church was and that the church of Rome was not that Catholike church do afterwards run through seaven or eight questions more and make an end of your booke too before you come to take one chapter to prove that your English church is the Catholike church or that your English faith is the Catholike faith Is not this to forgett your self in the highest degree that is possible to institute a treatise to prove his maiesties faith to bee Catholike and to professe in the beginning of it that to find out the Catholike faith wee must first find out the Catholike church which being soone found out and agreed vpon to bee that which is spredd over all the world after wardes in all the ensuing discourse not to haue one chapter to prove the English church or faith to bee spred all the world over was not this vtterly to leese himself and to leave his reader as it were in the middle of a maze Pervse gentle reader the contents of all the chapters of M. Abbots booke which bee fowreteene in number thou shalt not find one of them so much as pretend to prove directly the faith of England to have been dilated into all countries the first is that the church of Rome doth vainely pretend to bee the Catholike church the second consisteth of a comparison betweene the Papists and the Donatists the third is about the Papists abuse of the name Catholike the fourth that the church before Christ was a part of the Catholike church and that the old and new testament do not differ in substance of faith The fift that religion cannot satly bee grounded vpon the example of fathers and forefathers the sixth that the reasons of popery are not vrgent and forcible The seventh of the florishing and best state of the church of Rome and of the fulnes of doctrine contayned in Saint Pauls Epistle to the Romanes of Idolatry in worstipping of Saints The eighth of iustification before God The ninth of iustification before man The tenth that eternall life cannot bee purchased by meritt The eleaventh the first motion of concupiscence is sinne The twelfth that the spirit giues witnes to the faithfull that they bee the sonnes of God The 13. that good workes are not meritorious of life to come The 14. that the Epistles of Saint Paul are loosely alleaged by the papists lo here is the end of the booke and as a man may well saie finis ante principium a conclusion of the worke before he begin to handle the principall point in question to witt whether that faith which his Maiestie embraceth bee the Catholike faith that is whether at any time it hath been receiued in all Christian countries so that in one word this booke of M. Abbots may bee answered with a nihil dicit as our comÌ„on lawiers tearme it that is hee hath said iust nothing to that which hee vndertooke to performe therin for having taken in hand to prove that the faith of the English congregation is Catholike and consequently that it hath been vniversally planted in all nations now to let that stand a cooling and to argue that the church of Rome is not the Catholike church but rather Donasticall and that it abuseth the name Catholike that the church in old father Abrahams daies was a part of the Catholike church and such other impertinent questions was it not rather as one maie say to lead a wild Goose chase and to wander vp and downe very strangelie then to speake to the point of the question propounded And albeit it draw some what neerer the matter to go about to proue the Protestants doctrine to be more conformable vnto the old and new Testament then the doctrine of the Catholiks yet that is a severall distinct question
Romes supremacy Ergo there is no such matter in all the scripture M. Abbot blushing at the vglie shape of this ilfavoured argument to botch it out doth adde that by those seaven churches are figured the whole church of Christ and yet there is not a word in thē of the supremacie of the church of Rome I thinke well nor of thundreth matters moe that belonge to the christian religiō for these seaven short letters which S. Iohn writes to the seaven churches are contained within the compasse of three pages of one little leafe in octauo in their owne bible and can anie man bee so simple as to dreame that all the points of our faith are comprehended within them S. Iohn com̄ends the vertues reprehends the vices of those churches but doth treat of verie few points of doctrine and therfore no strange case if hee spake not of the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbots third argument the church of Rome hath a speciall caution given her not to presume vpon her stabilitie in the faith lest she fall Rom. 11.20 S. Paul saying to her Be not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed also lest hee spare not thee Behold the bountifulnes of God towards thee if thou continue in his boūtifulnes or els also thou shalt bee cut of Ergo what hee had neede to bee a cūning fletcher that could make either a bolt or a shaft of this fit for the purpose First here is nothing at all against the church of Romes supremacie nor yet anie certaine assertion against her stability in the received faith For here is aswell a promise of Gods bountifulnes towards them if they will do well as a threat against them if they do evill Againe all this is besides the cushion for though that Epistle bee to the Romanes yet S. Paul there doth expresly direct that discourse not to the Romanes in particuler but in generall to all the Gentiles beginning it thus for to you Gentils I say c. Ibid. v. 13 and goes on with a comparison betweene the Iewes and the Gentils so that nothing is more perspicuous then that the warning there given is not speciall to the Romans but generall to all Gentiles These loe bee the foregallāts shal I saie or rather the forlorne hope of M. Abbots terrible argumēts marshalled by himself in the forefrōt of his batlle to daūt the Enemy are wee not like thinke you to haue a hott skirmish of it where such drosse and refuse of arguments are thought worthie the first and best place but it were pittie that such a bad cause should bee burnished sett out with anie better M. Abbot having given such a mighty pushe at our position cometh to confute that I said to witt that it is deduced out of Gods word rightly vnderstood according to the interpretation of the ancient fathers that the church of Rome is that rock vpon which Christ built his church against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile To which M. Abbot as though he went about to choke dawes saies that I giue him chalke for cheese bicause I promised a deduction out of the word of God and in steed therof bring an exposition of the ancient fathers Marke gentle reader my words and then thou canst not but find M. Abbot to be an egregious wrangler for I performed that deduction which I promised out of Gods word naming the verie place out of which it is deduced but because I ioyned with it according vnto the exposition of ancient fathers hee like a man scarse well in his wits cries out that in steed of scriptures I bring in an exposition of the fathers when I do make mention of the fathers exposition not as the ground of my deduction but onlie for the true sense of those words of holy scripture out of which I do make the said collection The deduction in my former booke was verie briefe bicause I did there point onlie at the places of holie scriptures out of which it might bee gathered the question of the supremacy being there but touched by the way wherof M. Abbot takes advantage and saies that I am dumbe and can say no more because I will not bee like to him and out of season thrust forth long discourses of by questions I hauing also before written a whole chapter of the supremacy in my second part against M. Perkins where M. Abbot saw well enough that I could haue said here much more of the same matter if need had so required but such is his impudencie that he cares not what hee saie so hee maie make a shewe to his simple reader that hee hath canvased his aduersarie seeing that M. Abbot hath here hudled together verie much of that matter I will more at large sett downe these deductions and orderlie confirme each member therof The first fountaine out of which all the rest do flow as riuers is this The chief superiority in governmēt and authoritie of power over all the church was by our blessed Saviour given to S. Peter and to his successors vnto the end of the world but the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters successors therfore the Bishops of Rome have from our saviours grant and gift authority of power and superiority of goverment over all the church The maior of this argument is to bee deduced out of the word of God the minor being a matter of fact and that which hapned after S. Peters death to wit who was his successor shall haue sound proofe out of the most approved testimony of the best witnesses since that age All which being performed the conclusion that the Bishop of Rome hath supreme commaunding power over all the church must needs stand most assured That our blessed saviour gaue superiority of government to S. Peter vnder the metaphore of a rocke or foundation in building when he said Thou art Peter Math. 16 and vpon this rocke I will build my church Thus I proue Christ made Peter the rock or foundation of his church therfore he gaue to him the chiefest place of government in it for as the foundation is first placed and doth vphold all the rest of the building so he that is the foundation in the spirituall building of Christes church hath the chiefest place therin is to com̄and over all the rest To make this more perspicuous we must call to mind that amongest other titles and names of the church of God one is a house as the Apostle sheweth that thou maist knowe how to converse in the house of God 2. Tim. 3.15 which is the church and the faithfull are called by the same Apostle 1. Cor. 3.9 Ephes 4.12 the building of God Dei aedificatio estis Againe God gaue some Apostles some Doctors c. to the building vp of the bodie of Christ S. Paul as a wise Architect laid the foundation and others builded thervpon Now in that supernaturall and