Seeing you acknowledge in your Confession of faith that the Sacraments ought only to be ministred by such as are called therunto by ordinary vocation I demand if your vocation vnto the ministrie be like vnto the calling of all others who haue gone before you in the Church of Christ since the time of the Apostles whom both yee and wee repute and hould to haue been Iawfull pastors and teachers of his flock as S. Cyprian S. Augustin S. Ambrose and diuers others wishing you to shewin al points the conformitie of your vocation with that of theirs 5. who their Doctors Seing after the discours of the election of your Ministers Elders and Deacons yee acknowledge that the Scriptures make mention of a fourth kind of Ministers lest vnto the Church of Christ which also are very necessarie profitable Ephes 4. 1. Cor. 12. and are called by the name of teachers and doctors whose office it is to teach and instruct the faithfull in sound doctrine prouiding with all diligence that the puritie of the gospel be not corrupted ether throgh ignorance or false opinion I pray you to shew at what time any Doctors of such calling haue bene in your Church before Iohn Caluin because the places of Scripture noted by you teach and declare that God hath appointed such meanes in his church that it should neuer be left desolate nor yet his Doctrine to decay for wāt of Doctors other teachers 6. Their admission of Tinkers c. And seeing yee confes in the same place that men cannot profit so well in the knowledge aforesayd vnles they be first instructed in the learned tongues humane sciences for now God doth not commonly worke by miracles and that therefore it is necessary that seed be sowen for the tyme to come to the end that the Church be not left barren wast vnto posterity and also that for this effect schooles be erected wherin youth may be trayned vp in the knowledge and feare of God I demand why yee admitted at the first entry of your doctrine into Scotland and yet doe Taylors Skinars and other Artificers who were neuer instructed but in their owne craft and occupation which they left and abiured and out of their owne heades without any further calling vnto the ministery began to teach the people hauing for all their learning and forme of preaching some English books only which yet themselues very hardly vnderstood 7. If the only written word be Iudge Seeing that among other heads of your alleadged fayth this is one principall that nothing is to be beleeued Cal. l. 4. Inst c. 8. sect 8. but what is found in the written word I demaund what testimony yee haue in the same for assurance of your faith in this point And whether the fayth of the Apostles was groūded on the written word or not 8. S. Thomas Ghospell Where is it written that there is only foure Ghospels and that the Ghospell of S. Matthew with the other three ought to be recea ued and not the Ghospell of S. Thomas Or what authority hath moued you to receaue som books or chapters for canonical scriptur and to refuse or reiect others Or if any man deny any booke of the new Testament as Martin Luther doth the epistle of S. Iames what argumentes haue yee from the Scripture to condemne him Praef. in nou Test 9. VVhy Iewes credited Seeing yee giue so great authority to the Synagogue of the Iewes that according to their canon yee admit reiect sundry bookes of holy Scripture why giue yee not the like authority to the Christian church which hath gone before you in receauing such bookes as are approued by her for canonicall Scripture And if the only cause which moues you to reiect such bookes be because they were not approued by the Synagogue of the Iewes why by the same reason reiect yee not Christ himselfe seeing that Synagogue would not admit him for their Messias 10. Churches authoritie If it be the office of the church to discerne betwixt canonicall Scripture and not canoniall as a De capt Bab Luther b In prologo cont Pet. à Soto Brentius and other of your owne masters doe confes why should not the same church be heard of you in giuing her interpretation vpon any doubtfull place therof called in question Or why call yee more in dout the interpretation of the Scripture giuen by the Church then the very bookes themselues Or why prefer yee the priuat opiniō of Iohn Caluin and your selues before the vniuersall and vniforme consent of all Christian people before you 11. Citing only the written word Why esteeme yee Calu. l. 4 Inst c. 8. num 13. that yee haue an infallible marke of the true religion because yee cite only the written word seeing this hath beene common to all heretiques from the beginning Or what haue you more to say for your felues then they had for themselues in this point 12. If Scripture be easy If the Scripture be so easy as yee teach it to be c Luth de ser arbit what hath moued your owne writers to make so many cōmentaryes therupon Or what is the cause that ther is so great controuersy in religiō as we see at this day Yea euē vpon the expresse wordes of the last Testament of our Lord which according to the nature of a Testament should be most cleere 13. Conference of places If the priuate iudgment of euery one conferring Scripture with Scripture be a certaine and infallible rule of right interpretatiō as yee say how is it that so many grosse contradictions are foūd in your writinges gayn-saying not only one another but your selues also as is euident in your owne bookes 14. No meanes to be resolued Seeing that the Lutherans the Zuinglians and the Caluinists besides an infinite number of other sectes doe euery one alleage the written word for cōfirmation of their contrarie opinions how shall it be knowen to any man that would resolue himselfe in matters of religion which of them haue the true word sith it is the true vnderstanding that maketh the word and not the outward sounding of the voice as Christ himselfe saith who obiected to the Saduces Mat. 12. that they mistooke the Scriptures because they vnderstood not the meaning of them 15. Traditions Why deny yee any credit to be giuen to Traditions contrary to a Cal. l. 4. iust c. 10. the expres commandment of the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians in this maner b 2. Thes 2. Stand and keepe the Traditions which yee haue receiued whither by word or by our epistle And also contrary to the doctrne of all the auncient doctors of the church Or how haue yee the Scripture it selfe but by Tradition And seeing yee will giue no place vnto Traditions what assurance haue yee that since the Natiuitie of Christ there is only 1623. yeares Or whither it be lawfull for Christian men to call this point in
without such cōtradiction is sure and Catholike so that of the Protestantes and Puritanes which was streight with the sworde of Gods Church sticked in Luther and neuer since hath ceassed to be by learned Catholike men confuted and hath beene by a Generall Councell also examined and accursed At Trent nor neuer shall be able to get one day of quiet possession but euer oppugned and assaulted vntill it be quite againe dispatched as all other Heresyes haue beene before it is most certainly without all doubt hereticall The 6. Demaund The nature of Catholikes VVHENSOEVER there was such Going out and such after rising of some such wondering at it of others whether al wayes then in talke in books one sort of Christians were not commonly called Catholikes Aug. cō ep Fund cap. 4 de vera relig c. 7 and well knowne by that name And whether the said Christians were not alwayes true Catholikes so at length of all men confessed to bee Victor deperse-Vand l. 3. fol. 34 whatsoeuer smoke for a while their enemis made against thē by putting other names vpon them And now at this time of their Going out new rising let thē say whose name that is ours or theirs for example At Paris very lately a young Gentleman of our nation called M. Culpeper lying on his death bedde the night before he died there came vnto him a countrye man of ours as he saide vpon a message And being there vpō admitted vnto him by them that were about him praying for him teaching him how to dye after that he had done his Masters commendations by by he broke out saide vnto him in these very wordes O Master Culpeper In any case renounce the Catholike faith Now who heareth this and knoweth not what faith that good felow meant as himselfe also would not so haue spoken but that he knew well enough the tearme to be neither strange nor ambiguous nor obscure Or whether should I also not be vnderstoode if I should tel further how the Gentleman died Catholikely notwithstāding that a little before his death he said as in an agonie to a Catholike learned holy man his leader and director in soule matters that stoode then by his bedde side O tell me I praie you am I in the right waie And he assuring him that he was That is well quoth he And will you goe with me The saide catholike affirming that hee woulde That is well quoth he againe and so laye stil a while And anon againe he said But tell me I pray you am I right And he againe with good words assuring him That is well saith the Gentleman againe And will you goe with me Then after his answere a litle silence againe and with very cheerefull countenance the Gentlemen saieth O now I see my selfe that I am right Beholde my good Angell hath most glorioussye appeared vnto me and shewed me the dore open for me that I nay euen now enter in But you quoth he to the good man with whom he talked may not yet come And so lying a while longer with a smilinge countenance gaue vp his happie ghost Iul. 24. Dying I say a Catholique By which name here I aske the Protestant whether they know not what I meane As likewise in all other bookes written now adaies when they happen commonly vpon that name whether they or any body else stagger at it as not knowing whether we or they are meant therby The 7. Demaund The name of Heretikes LIKEVVISE whether they that haue beene of christian men at any tyme since heresyes first rose commonly called Heretiks plainely known by that name haue not alwayes been heretikes also indeed and so euer in the end Soz. li. 7 ca. 4. Iren. li. 3 ca. 15. of al men confessed to be Let them runne ouer the Ecclesiasticall Historyes and writings of the Fathers and bring vs some exception And let them say withall at this tyme whose name that is ours or theirs As in bookes written now a dayes vpon whome that name runneth and that so roundly that the Reader I warrant you whosoeuer he be neuer sticketh at the matter but knoweth well of whome he readeth to wit of them and not of vs. The 8. Demande The Name of Protestantes VVHETHER out of all this tyme since Christs Ascention Hier. cō Lucif Aug. de vtil cre c. 7. Chris ho 33. in Acta Ire li. 1. ca. 20. Lact. li. 4. c. 30. Opt. li. 3. they can bring vs any that in respect of the doctrine which they did professe or in respect of the seueral company with which they did communicate had a new name made of some mans name or otherwise taken vp whereby they cōmonly tearmed thēselues and in the world generally were tearmed and immediatly known thereby but if they were obstinate they were euer Heretikes or Schismatikes as Arians Pelagiaus Donatists c. Againe at this tyme which of vs haue such new names as whose names these be Protestants Puritans Precisians Vnspotted brethren Fellowes of loue Superilluminate Porklinges Lutherans Caluinistes Anabaptistes with many such more And further let them be asked whether they can auouch their common slander that among vs also there are such names as Dominicans Franciscans Iesuites with such other names of our Religious Let them tell vs then what seuerall article of fayth or what seuerall cōmunions those Religious haue and briefly whether it be not euident that they we that are not Monkes be both of one faith and both of one communion that is to say both frequenting the same churches and the same Sacramentes And as for the name of Papists let them shew that it was euer heard of before Luther Sure it is that it was not therefore can it not be the name of vs who by their owne confession were many hundred yeares before Luther was borne and not all that while without a name but then and now Aug. de vtil cre c. 17. to 6. Ser. con Ar. Col. 3 diei nu 2. Basil ep 71. and euer named Catholikes although it pleased Luther to nicke-name vs Papists as other Heretiks afore also nicke-named the true Catholikes our fore-fathers calling them Homousians Caesarians and such like Let them tell you this also why they doe not tearme vs by some one Popes name as Gregorians of Gregory or Leonians of Leo that was when Luther began or in like manner of some one or other So as we tearme them of Luther Lutherans of Caluin Caluinists and others Arrians of Arius Pelagiās of Pelagius c. Why I say do not they likwise tearme vs by the name of some one Pope but generally Papists of Pope wheras there haue bin Popes alwayes since the Apostles times What is the cause of this difference in our dealing Let them if their wisedome can giue me any other cause but only this which bitterly condemneth them and plainly cleareth vs That whereas we haue truely to
charge them and all other Heretickes with following some one man that was a new Maister and a deuiser of some new doctrine they cannot so charge vs with any one Pope at all because the Popes doctrines that we doe follow them in were not at any tyme newly deuised by them but receaued of the Apostles so kept continually of them al euen vnto this day And therfore Luther hauing nothing to charge vs with in this foresayd manner inuented this general tearme of Papists manifestly against himselfe being rightly scanned as the wise doe see The 9. Demande Conuersion of Heathen Nations VVAEREAS Christ did say that All Nations should bee conuerted from their Paganisme and be taught Io. 10 16. Mat. 28 19 Mar. 16.20 and heare his Gospell preached vnto them and whereas his Apostles beganne most gloriousely to doe the same let the Protestantes be asked who they are that did and doe accomplish the same Rom. 20 c. 18. whether they euer conuerted any Nation from Paganisme to be Christian and not rather doe only auerte Christians from the faith of Christ so as all other Heretikes haue done before them And on the other sid whether they know not how euen at this present our church filleth very many most ample Nations of the East and weast India with the Ghospel knowledg of christ And whether they do not confesse themselues that likewise all the other Nations which haue beene conuerted within these 1000. years which are very many were cōuerted by our Church Then of other nations afore cōuerted let them be vrged to name any one either cōuerted by them or not conuerted by vs but by some other Church and to some other Ghospell or some other Christ Finally let them peruse all Histories report truely whether they do not al note those nations then to haue beene conuerted vnto christ when they were conuerted vnto our Religion if any but we chanced to haue to do with the cōuersion of certain that their conuersion was neuer accompted right and good vntill they were amended by vs and namely vnited to the Sea of Rome And therefore let them be asked whether we be not or who els be christs witnesses vsque ad vltimum terrae Act. 1. euen to the furthest end of the earth The 10. Demaunde Touching Miracles VVHEREAS againe Christ confirmed his owne preaching to the Iewes by working of Miracles Io. 10.37 12.37 15.24 20 30.31 Mar. 16.17 Io. 14.12 Mar. 16.20 sending his Apostles with their Successors to conuert all other Nations promised and fortold that he would comfirme their preaching likewise with Miracles as also the Ghospell sayth that he did We aske the Protestantes whether they know not by Historyes that at the conuersion now of the Indes and afore also at the conuersion of those other nations by our church great Miracles are and euermore were wrought by our preachers And whether it follow not therupon that our Preachers are they whome Christ sent out and with whom christ worketh that their preachinge is true as christes preaching was true and his Apostles preaching true and that our Nations therfore be wel conuerted as S. Peter S. Barnabee and S. Paule doe proue therby I say by Miracles that the first Gentiles were well conuerted by them Act. 11.17 15.9.12 And besides the first conuersion of Nations whether they read not in most approued authors that afterward also almost continualy in euery Nation of our church most vndoubted Miracles be and haue bene wrought innumerable holy men and women of our church approued and honored by God with that gift as S. Bernard S. Frauncis S. Dominicke c. and very many articles pointes of our Doctrine also in particuler so confimed as the B. Sacrament the signe of the Crosse Relikes c. In so much that the auncient Christians writinge against the Iewes and Paynimes for the Godhead of Christ Aug. de ciui Dei lib. 22. ca. 5.8 de vtil cred c. 14.15 16. Re. lib. 1 cap. 14. Chry. to 5. cont Gent. de vita Babila col 885. do first shew that the miracles of Christ him selfe and his Apostls were wrought to set vp avisible Church that shold continue for euer wherof it foloweth that all Heretickes do rise in vaine And secondly they do by such Miracles of the Church as I haue saide daily to bee seene proue vnto those Infidels the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles recorded in the holy Scripture which those Infidels did denie because they did not see thē Let the Protestantes therfore be asked whether they dare ioine here in also with the Infidels against the christians and answere for them that the argument is not good because these Miracles of the Crosse and of Relickes and such like are not Miracles but illusions And then whē they shal by and by heare the Infidels say euen so also of Christes his Apostles Miracles let vs see a Gods name how wisely the Protestāts wil replie shew them a plaine difference betweene christes Miracles and our Miracles Or rather shal we not see them hereby not only confirme the Infidels in their incredulitie but also prepare weake christians to infidelitie yea them selues also readie to geue ouer therunto as in our countrey God helpe who seeth not The 11. Demaund Touching England our own Countrye AND here namely of our own Countrey a few questions whether it be not plaine by the Historie of Venerable Bede our Countreiman and other Authors that our English Nation a thousand years agoe in S. Gregories time was conuerted a lib. ca 23. by men of our catholike Romane church and conuerted to al points of our catholike Romane Faith as b lib. 1 ca. 26 Masse c lib. 3. k. 14.24 Purgatorie d lib. 1. c. 32 Saints c. And that our saide conuersiō was confirmed then e lib. 1. ca. 26. l. 2. ca. 2. l. 4. ca. 13 f. lib. 1. ca. 4 by wonderful Miracles And if this be not enough wheras the Britons or welsh men were conuerted before vs more then foure hundred years aboue fourtene hundred yeares agoe in S. Eleutherius time whether they were conuerted by S. Eleutherius to one faith and we English men by S. Gregorie to a lib. 1. c. 7.8.15.18 another faith Or whether g lib. 2 ca. 2 the greatest point wherein the Bipes of VVales differed from our Apostles were not about the Sonday vpon which Easter should be kept which the Protestantes pardy although ignorantly and falsely make to be no great matter And whether in that point also and in any other of less waight wherein they did differ the truth were not euen by the Protestantes owne confession on our Apostles side not vpon the welshe mens side Now for them to departe from this faith so longe continuing so confirmed so auncient so close to the Apostles time therfore as also because it came from