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A06697 A profitable dialogue for a peruerted papist. Or a little labour of a lay men tending to the profit of a peruerted Papist: namely, by laying open vnto him his ovvne errour, in beleeuing that the Church of Rome cannot erre. Composed in dialogue maner, as it were betweene a simple lay man, and certayne graue diuines, and published onely for the benefit of the lay Papist. VVritten by R.M. gent. and student in Diuinity. R. M., student in divinity. 1609 (1609) STC 17149; ESTC S103258 25,816 46

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and in his 96 Treatis By this occasion of the Euangelicall sentence where our Lord sayth I haue yet many things to say to you c. all the most foolish heretickes that would be called Christians go about to colour the boldnesse of their owne inuentions c. But who dares to auouch that such and such are those things which Christ had to say to his Disciples and if they do auouch it how do they proue it c Lay. To this thou hast answered very playne for by this thy playne speach we well perceyue thy meaning in an other place u Against the Epistle of Fundament Chap. 5. where thou sayest that Thou shouldest not haue beleeued the Gospell vnlesse the Authority of the Church had moued thee thereunto c. Wée also in these our dayes may iustly auouch the same thing because first the authority of the Church is the meanes for the most part to moue the outward man both to know and beléeue and also to reuerence the holy Scriptures But tell vs yet reuerend Father is that authority still absolutely to be obeyed albeit it teach vncertayne things which the Scripture doth not allow or may we then lawfully forsake it although by the same meanes we first beléeued Aug. My sonne x Against the same Epistle Chap 14. What haue we to do but to forsake them that inuite vs to know things certayne and afterwards commaund vs to beleeue things vncertayne and to follow them which inuite vs first to beleeue that which we are not yet able to behold that being made stronger by faith it selfe we may attayne to vnderstand that which we beleeue now not men but GOD himselfe confirming and lightening our mindes inwardly c. None can be ignorant y In his ● Booke of Baptisme against the ●onatis●s Chap. ● that the holy Canonicall Scripture as well of the old as of the new Testament is contayned within her certayne limits and that it is so preferred before all later writings of Bishops that whatsoeuer is certaine to be written in it can not in any wise be doubted or disputed whether it be true or right ☞ But the writings of Bishops which haue By this distinction betweene the certayney of holy Scripture and the vncertaynty of all other writings he proues by good consequence that the visible Church may erre bene written or which are now written after the Canon is confirmed may be lawfully reprehended both by a more wise speach of some man which perhaps is more skilfull in that matter and also by a more graue authority and more learned prudence of other Bishops and by Councels if perhaps any thing in them haue strayed from the trueth And euen Councels themselues which are gathered in any Region or Prouince must without all doubt giue place to the authority of generall Councels which are gathered out of the vniuersall Christian world And oftentimes the former generall Councels themselues may be corrected by the later when in any try all of matters that is opened which was shut and that knowne which was hidden z Nothing is hid from the holy Ghost therfore the holy Ghost is not assistant to those general Councels which may be corrected without any swelling of sacrilegious pride without any stiffe-necke of puffing arrogancy without any contention of cankred enuy with holy humility with Catholike peace with Christian charity c. But for this matter I haue written at large in my booke of the vnity of the Church Lay. Vndoubtedly these things from thée are most effectuall to proue the Church of Rome to erre in affirming that she cannot erre But yet for more confirmation thereof we pray thée to deliuer vnto vs thy iudgement also touching a principall matter of the Christian faith now in controuersy betwéene vs to wit concerning the presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood But before we procéede in that matter we will craue a few words from Gregory the great sometime Bishop of Rome touching the vniuersall supremacy of the Pope of Rome for we take his vniuersall authority to be the onely cause that Romes errours haue bene so much scattered and dispersed abroad into euery Christian nation And because they hold now in Rome that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre we thinke the best proofe against them therein is to bring the Bishop of Rome against the Bishop of Rome Speake diuine Gregory what sayest thou to him that is called by the name of Vniuersall Bishop Gregory My sonne If any one in the Church snatch to himselfe that name a In his Register the 4. Booke Epistle 32. then by the iudgement of all good men when he falls which is called Vniuersall the vniuersall Church falleth frō her state which God forbid But farre be that name of Blasphemy from Christian hearts by which the honour of al Priests is taken away while it is foolishly arrogated by one to himselfe c. b In his 6. Booke and 〈◊〉 Epistle I speake it boldly whosoeuer cals himselfe vniuersall Priest or desires to be so called by the same pride of his he forerunneth Antichrist for by pride hee preferreth himselfe before others and by the same pride he is led into errour c. Lay. Verily hadst not thou thy selfe bene Bishop of Rome the Church of Rome could hardly brooke these words of thine for here thou doest not onely call this name A name of Blasphemy but contrary to their opinion touching the immutable doctrine of the visible Church thou doest also affirme that by the iudgement of all good men when he which is called Vniuersall falls into errour then the vniuersall Church falls from her state also But yet thou séemest here to speake somewhat doubtfull in discommending him onely that doeth arrogate to himselfe this vniuersall authority It may be that thou doost allow the Bishop of Rome to consent vnto it and so to take it being offered by others Gregory My sonne c In his 4. Booke and 36. Epistle This name of Vniuersal was by the Calcedon Councell offered to one Bishop of the Apostolike seat in which I serue God disposing but none of my predecessours consented at any time to vse this so prophane a name Lay. Why would they not consent to it Greg. Truely because if one be called d In his 39. Epistle the vniuersal Patriark the name of Patriarks is taken frō the rest But away with that c. To consent to that wicked name is nothing else but to destroy faith c. e In his ● Booke and 69. Epistle One to be Vniuersal Bishop is to the iniury renting of the whole Church and as we haue sayd to the contempt of all Bishops for if one be vniuersal as he thinketh it remayneth that the rest are not Bishops c. Lay. But if the Church of Rome permit this matter to be lawfull which thou doost so much gainesay doth any euill then come thereby Our Lord
vnlesse they adde thereunto some matter of their owne deuising as namely by adding a condition to the holy text more then thou didst there expresse * Bellarmine in his 〈…〉 as though there were a defect in thy word by which all things are made perfit and by which at the last day they shal● iudge both the quicke and the dead But full well do thy faithfull people know by the direction of thy holy spirit that thou giuest not thy selfe for foode to any reprobate and vnworthy creature for thou sayst here most playnely that whosoeuer eateth and drinketh thy flesh and blood hath eternall life and therefore although the Sacrament thereof may be eaten and drunken both by the worthy and vnworthy receiuer as witnesseth thine Apostle Paul q 1. Cor. 11. 27. yet that blessed foode it selfe cannot so be eaten and drunken for the vertue thereof is to giue life to all that eates and drinks it and this is thy promise which can neuer be broken But most gracious Lord forasmuch as there be yet many weake people that cannot well vnderstand thée herein without adding to these thy words this word worthyly resolue them we humbly beséech thée whether it be so or not that some professed Christians may eate and drinke this sacred banket of thine euen thy selfe vnworthily and so dye in their sinnes as the vnworthy and faithlesse Iewes did notwithstanding they did eate Manna Speake so vnto them good Lord that they may both heare and vnderstand Christ My sonne Let those weake people of little faith marke well here what I say vnto them Haue not I graciously giuen you warning by my sacred word saying r Math. 16. ● and 15. 9. Take heede and beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Sadduces in vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts Haue not I taught you by mine Apostle Paul faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God * Rom. 10. 1● Iohn 8. 4● Mark 1● 24. He that is of God heareth Gods wordes c. * Iohn 5. 39. Are ye not therfore deceiued because ye know not the Scriptures neyther the power of God * Search the Scriptures My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them Iohn 10. 27. and 12. 48. and 14. 6. Luke ●1 23. and they follow me He that refuseth me and receyueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him the word that I haue spoken it shall iudge him in the last day I am the Way the Trueth the Life No man commeth vnto the Father but by me * Iohn 6. 〈…〉 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth but * He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As that liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me Note well here what I say I speake not one thing and meane an other I make not my promise so absolutely and meane it but conditionally I say not he that eateth me worthily because no vnworthy creature that shall dye in his sinne can eate me And to make that most playne vnto you I say againe as I haue sayd already This is that bread which came downe from heauen not as your fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer c. Lay. For this thy playne declaration all prayse be giuen vnto thée O Lord for hereby all may discerne most clearely that thou doost not commit thy selfe to vnfaithfull creatures and to be foode for the reprobate as Iudas and such like We therefore most humbly pray thée to open the eyes of these blinde weakelings which by too much establishing the doctrines of men go about to contradict thée herein and so inspire their heartes with the grace of thy holy spirit that they may thereby discerne the onely cause of their great blindnesse But the same cause being by thy gracious help taken away they shall then clearely sée to séeke and find euen according to thy diuine direction ſ Math. ● 7. Let them sée O Lord that their Church of Rome doth yet erre and will erre still vntill shée acknowledge her owne weakenesse that she may erre But so aboundant is thy goodnesse mercy towards repentant sinners that if she would in due time repent her former errours with that vayne and presumptuous opinion touching her supposed purity in her owne doctrine generally no doubt thou wouldst not onely pardon all her erronious doctrines and superstitious cerimonies but also restore her to her first dignity and commendation and cause all her good and laudable Traditions and Customes which now in respect of her wilfull blindnesse in some poynts are little or nothing regarded by a great number to be as highly estéemed and as duely obserued as euer heretofore they haue bene for thy eternall wisedome doth more respect the good and faithfull intent of the dooer then the déed done whatsoeuer it be because whatsoeuer is not of true faith séeme it neuer so holy in the sight of man is no better then sinne in thy infallible Iudgement * Rom. 14. 23. In consideration whereof we most humbly beséech thée also to encrease in vs Protestants true and liuely faith which alwayes worketh by loue that we may be all in generall more zealous in thy seruice then hither to we haue bene for we here acknowledge before thée that knowest the secrets of all hearts who also hereafter shalt be our Iudge the knowledge without true zeale is more vnprofitable in thy sight then zeale without knowledge t Math. 21. 28. to 32. Luke 12. 47 48. Iohn 9. 41. Actes 10. 1. 10 5. Rom. ● 〈◊〉 5. 6. therefore as we professe thée in words so good Lord let vs expresse thée in workes that we may not be reckoned in the number of those foolish men that build vpon sand that is those that heare thy words and do them not u Math. ● 26. 27. We professe before thy diuine Maiesty that none can be saued but those that haue a faith working by loue x Gala. ● 6. 1. Tim. 1. ● Tit. 3. 8. Iames. 2. 20. other faiths we hold as dead and vayne in respect of Iustification but that faith onely which worketh by loue we hold to iustifie without the workes of the law euen as thine holy Apostle hath taught vs. y Rom. 3 ●8 Therefore for the great loue in thée declared vnto vs when thou didst suffer torments death for our sinnes we beséech thée swéete Iesus so to blesse the hearts of all true Christians that they may all from hencefoorth both liue and dye in peace and vnity Behold sayth thy Prophet Dauid * Psalm 1● how good how comely a thing it is brethrē to dwell euen together It is like the precious oyntment vpon the head that runneth downe vpon the beard euen vnto Aarons beard which went downe on the border of his garments and as the dew of Hermon which falleth vpon the Mountaynes of Zion for there the Lord appoynted the blessing and life for euer Let thine heauenly blessing therefore so blesse the Vniuersall Church here on earth that it may euen now without any more controuersies conclude a spirituall marriage as it were betwéene faith and workes that so wée may all both truely glorifie thée in this world also be made partakers with thée of that euerlasting felicity in the next world euen in that holy place of en●lesse ioy which from the foundations of the world hath bene prepared for thine elect z Mar● ●● 24 by thine heauenly Father our onely God and Creator to whom with thée our swéete Redéemer and the holy Ghost our sanctifier thrée persons and one euerliuing God be ascribed all prayse power honor dominion and glory both now and for euermore Amen FINIS Let no man deceiue himselfe If any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God c. 1. Cor. 3. 18 19. Laus Deo et pax Christianis Glory be to God and peace among Christians Faults escaped In Page 5. line 23. for a principall Read the principall Page 12. line 24. for sayth he knoweth God Read sayth he knoweth God Page 24. line 5. in the mergent for Page 18. Read Page 15.