tha Christ is God and also against the Iewes in the second of his fiue Orations that he made against them That Christ I say is God because his church although it had but a small poore beinning euē then very many very mightie and very fierce enimies yet could not nor cannot euer possibly be suppressed but contrariwise being in the beginning as it were but one litle sparkle of fire whole floudes yea seas of persecutions being poured out vpon it yet could it not be extinguished but contrariwise I say partely hath and partly shall set all the world on fire first or last bringing all to christ according to christs owne prediction which he also doth there alleage Aedifieabe Ecclesiam meam Mat. 16. Portae inferi non praeualebūt aduersus eam I will builde vp my church and Hel-gates shal not preuaile against it Now let it be considered whether this argumente doe holde if it be true which they say to wit that the church of Christ was not inuincible but that it hathe bene these many hundred yeares quite suppressed yea in Chrysostomes own time no church of Christ at all For they knowe if they graunt that thē to haue bene the true church that they must grāt also ours now to be the true church as being all one with that If then they will say that this is not a good argument lett thē be further demaunded whether they dare take parte also with the very Iewes Paynims againste the Christians yea and against the Godhead of CHRIST himselfe and whether they will go about or whether they be able which the Iewes and Paynimes were neuer able nor neuer shal be able to answere this argument And thē againe How they can for shame say theirs to be the Church of Christ not rather a plaine Apostasie from Christ that must needes labour to answer the arguments of CHRISTIAN men which they haue made against such infidels to proue that Christ is God And therfore againe whether it be not a sufficient Motiue for any Christiā man to be of our Church which he so plainely seeth anon more plainly shall see to stand vpon the very same argumentes against these Heretickes whereupon the Diuinitie of Christ himselfe doth stande against the Iewes and Painymes Finally let thē consider whether it be not euidēt by this that when they talke so much of Persecution to bring vs thereby into enuie and thēselues into fauour they do not geue wise mē occasion to marke that they cannot be the Church of Christ For Persecution is not a Motiue of it selfe alone to beleeue any Otherwise not onely one sorte but all sortes should be beleeued because all are persecuted Iulij 22. Stow. as themselues of late did burne certaine in Smithfielde But persecution is a Motiue after this sorte as S. Chrysostome here doth handle it to wit that Christ must be beleued to be God because according to his owne saying no persecution coulde or can ouerthrow his Church which being once granted that the Church of Christ I say alwaies standeth contineweth let the Heretickes say whether they had any cause to rise and therfore if they be wise let them lye down againe returne to the Church and saue their soules The 3. Demaunde Going out VVHEREAS it is manifestly writtē in the holy Scripture of the Apostles actes Act. 2.4.5 28. Act. 15. that the Church of Christ a began visibly a Hierusalem and visibly growing on b came at lengthe also visibly to Rome Whether the Protestantes can shew vs out of Scripture or storie that the Romanes with whom as it is manifest we agree in all pointes who then were in the church went againe out of the Church forsaking at any time the communion or company of other christians then liuing and making a new seueral church or companie by themselues asunder So as it is knowen themselues haue done being first of our company and their Captaines for the most parte also of our Mōkes Fryars as Luther Oecolampadius Hooper Bale with many others and afterward breaking from our company by disobedience and contempt of their ordinarie Superiours and so seditiousely setting vp these factions of theirs which now we see Whether also they can name vs any company that euer since the Apostles time so did and obstinatelie stood in it that was not Schismatical As it is plaine that they are Gono out so it is plaine I say that we neuer went out wherof it foloweth sensibly that as they be notwithin so we be stil within And therefore let them be vrged what they can say to this either for themselues or against vs. Or rather let them if they be wise geue ouer and quickely without more a doe come in againe The 4. Demaunde After rysing WHETHER they be able to name any time since the Apostles time when our Church first Arose Or because they refuse not onely our company as Schismatiks but also our Faith as Heretikes and also almost all our Religion as plaine Apostatats whether they can name any certaine Author and first beginner of the peculiar Articles of our Faith and Religion but Christ and his Apostles onely Let them be vrged to name the Article the time and person Sure it is that they can name no such But on the other side it is euident that their companie or companies beganne of late the Author therof is knowē the time of his rising not onely recorded in Histories but also fresh in the elders memories and very manie Articles of his Doctrine before vnheard of Many such cōpanies are noted in Histories rising so with new Articles after the begining of the church as Nouatians Sabellians Arrians Pellagians and very many moe Now for defense of their owne doing let thē looke amongst them all and name vs some one of them that notwithstanding this their rising afterward was not Schismatical nor their Articles Hereticall Sure it is againe that they can name no such and therefore is it euident both that we bee still the true and Primitiue or first christians and also that they be of a new false makinge and not true christians The 5. Demaund VVondred at ALso whether at any time the christian people wōdered at our Religion Doctrine or any point therof as then first appearing and afore not heard of and whether the Pastors and Doctors of the church then presently controled the same as new diuerrs from the Doctrine that was before And whether that all Heresies were not so wōdred at and so controlled at their first appearing WHETHER also that which seemed so strange to them that stoode in vnitie which was so gainesaid resisted in bookes Disputations and councels by them that had the charge of the Church of Christ were not alwayes Heresie the Professors of it if they were obstinate alwaies Heretickes without exception As our doctrine therfore which euen from Christ his Apostles is come quietlye to our handes
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
Eus hist l. 4. c. 14 l. 6. c. 4.9.35 l. 8 cap. 2.17 Cyp. ep 5 34.37.57.69 by the religion of those ancient Martyrs and others then in persecution as S. Ireneus S. Cyprian S. Laurence and such others as we read of in the Ecclesiasticall Histories where they write of those persecutions and was sensibly the true Religion of Christ and yet I warrant you the learned Protestants that haue read and seene all will neuer be content to be tryed by it They know to well that it was not theirs Otherwise aske them what it meaneth that they and we be so contrary in setting out the liues of Martyrs their Foxe for example being most occupyed about their new foūd Martyrs of this our age and our Surius besides many others being altogether occupyed about the liues of old Saintes such as haue bene euen from the Churches beginning read their liues and you will not meruaile neither at Foxe on the one side nor at Surius on the other side And not only in the sundry persecutions of the heathen but aske them likewise of the sundry persecutions of diuers Heretikes as in the persecution of the Arians in Afrike a little after S. Augustines death whether the Catholiks whom those Heretiks did persecute were not of the same religion as we whome these heretikes doe persecute S. Victor who then liued with them writting that the Arrian King Hunericus permitted the Catholiks a Vict. de perse vand l. 2. fol. 12. Missas agere to say Masse in certaine Churches afterward charged them b f. 19. contra interdictum Missas egisse to haue sayd Masse in other Churches that they were forbidden writing also that afore him the Arian King Gensericus did forbid them all churches Neque c Lib. 1. fol. 3. vsquam orandi aut immolandi concedebatur locus Neither any place was permitted vs to pray or to Sacrifice And that thereupon caeperunt Sacerdotes qualiter poterant vbi poterant ablatis Ecclesijs Diuina Misteria celebrare The Priestes began when their Churches were taken from them to celebrate the Diuine Misteryes as they might and where they could so as they are fayne to doe now also in England Saint Augustine himselfe being to those Priests d fol. 2. fellow both in persecution and also in Religion The 21. Demaunde Churches VVHether they will be content to be tryed by the Relihion of those first christiā churches or temples and chappels a Eus hist l. 7. c. 24. l. 8. c. that in the foresayd persecutions were by the pagane Emperours ouerthrown Or b Eus l. 8. c. 28 by those churches that were afterward by the Emperours specially when they were conuerted built vp againe 9. c. 8.9 l. 10. c. 2.3.4 de vit Cōst l. 1. c. 40. l. 3. cap. 41.58 Bed hist l. 5. c. 12.18 c Bed l. 3. cap. 2. Chrys to 5. con gēquod Christus sit Deus col 1036 Or by the Churches that are now ouer al Christendome to be seene being the most liuely and most principall Monumentes of Christianitie And whereas the Churches now beare plaine witnesse to our Religion both in their fashion in their furniture as that they be builded at length into the East and the chiefest also in the forme of a Crosse furnished with Chauncells Altares Crosses and other Images with holy Relikes with Chalices and other holy vessells and with Holy Vestimentes c. Aske the Protestants what they reade of the aunciēt first Churches whether they also were not so builded and so furnished yea whether very many of these that are now to be seene are not of the very first and most auncient Or when the Churches beganne to be chaunged and altered from the first to a cleane contrary forme furniture As for example in our owne Countrey whether of late yeares they were changed from c Bed l. 2. c. 3.14.16 l. 3. c. 2.7 those of our first conuersiō Or whether those of our first conuersiō did differ from d Bed l. 1. c. 6.8.26 l. 2. cap. 5. the former of the Britons or welshemen Or whether of both Englishe I say and Britannes there are not yet some to be seene and they and others as well in that Iland as in all the reste of Christendome so like and vniforme that neither the Heretikes can pointe out so much as one that was of their Religion the Catholickes may see g Aug. ep 118. de bap l. 4. c. 24 by theire vniformitie I say that they haue bene and be al of the Apostles Religion and tradition And therefore put the Heretickes in mind of their hainous Sacrilege partely in pulling downe so many of the Churches partely in vsurping the reste and the Liuinges of al being the possessiōs of Christ and Dowries of his onely Catholike Church and no one of them all builded by Protestantes nor for Protestants nor for their wemen and children The 22. Demaund Seruice VVHETHER they wil be tried by the praiers that were saide or Seruice that was done in the foresaid Churches either before they were throwē downe by the Tirantes or after they wer reedified by the Christiā Emperours or any time since then Let them say what they reade therof likewisē in all Antiquitie whether they reade not expresly that alwaies there was in thē a Cyp. ep 69. Eus de vita Cōstant l. 4. c. 56.71 Aug. de cura pro mort in fine Praying for the dead and Praying vnto Saintes and in administration of the Sacramēt of Baptisme those very b August con Iul. l. 6. c. 8. l. 2. de nup. c. 17 18.19 Ceremonies which we now vse which they haue laide awaie as Exorcisme Exufflatiō Inunction Consecration of the Fonte with crossinge of the water c And whether they read at any time whē Masse did first come into the Churches ye whether they find not expresly as alwayes Altares chalices and Priestes so alwaies Masse and Sacrifice c Cyp. ep 66. August Confess l. 9. c. 12 14. euen for the dead also which they most abhorre with the wholle substance of the most holy Canon which they haue presumed to lay away not considering that euidentlye it came of the Apostles no Heretike being able to bring forth any other origen of any peice of the saide substance thereof Finally whether in all the Masse or other Seruice of our Church the which Catholickes most worthily doe admire they finde any piece although it were afterward brought in contrarie to the olde faith therfore what cause they haue to find fault with that more then with Gloria Patri Te Deum Quicumque vult Gloria in excelsis and very many more such afterward I say brought in and yet retained now by themselues also being all nothing els but godly exercises daily preachinges of the Faith that the Apostles taught Heretikes impugned the Church hath alwaies kept The 23. Demaund Apes WHETHER they haue in
their Seruice or any wher els any thing to be commended but they haue like Apes taken it of vs by imitatiō as may bee seene in their Communion booke comparing it with our Masse book in their spiritual Courtes Visitations Conuocations Councels Excommunications Burning of Heretikes Depriuations Degradations c. Aud therfore aske them how that can be the true Church which so must and so doth imitate or that the false Church which so is imitated and so worthy to be imitated The 24. Demand Priesthood ALSO whether they be content to trie Religion by the Priesthood that not onely these later hundreds of yeares but also from the beginning hath serued in the foresaide churches of Christendome As whether S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Cyprian S. Ireneus or any other were made Bishop or Prieste by a King or Queene and not by Bishops and Priestes Or whether it be not expressely written in many a Tim. 4. d 14. 5. d 22 Tit. 1. b 5 places of the new Testament that Bishops and Priestes should be and also were made by Bishops and Priestes And as the most aūcient priests of Christendome were made by such so againe whether they were not made b Hie. l. 14. in Ezec. 45 Paulin. ep 4. ad Amand. c. Cyp ep 66. to offer Sacrifice yea also c Ang. cō fess◠9. c. 14. for the dead And whether therfore there were not besides Priestes and Deacons which they seeme to retaine euen in the first Churches I say also d Eus l. 6. c. 35. Subdeacōs Acolytes Exorcistes Lectors Ostiaries or Dore-keapers all which they haue plainely laide away Whether these orders were not I say e Cyp. ep 66. in respect of a Sacrifice and there vpon so distinguished that although they might all be with in the Chauncell which the Lay people were he the King or Emperour f Theod. l. 5. c. 17. Soz. l. 7. c. 24. might not yet some of thē might g Dion Ec. Dion c. 3. p. 2. ep 8. ad Demoph not come at the Altar others might and there h Hier. in Ezec. 45.48 some able to doe lesse others able to doe more Let them say whether they finde not all this in Antiquitie yea and that it was thē so obserued much more straightly then we obserue it now and therefore wher as our obseruatiō plainly sheweth that we beleue a Sacrifice and also whom we beleeue to be there sacrificed so whether the more obseruation of the same in Antiquitie be not a plainer demostrantion that they also then beleeued the same And whether this be not so euident that they also to proue Christ to be GOD i Eus de laud. Const pag. 384. Cyp. Test l. 1. c. 16. Chry. to 5. Con. Iud. or 2 co 942. obiected this their Priesthood and Sacrifice to the Iewes Painims shewing vnto them that wheras then both in Herusalem and in all Nations both the Iudaical also pagane Sacrifices had giuen and daily did giue place to this Sacrifice that the same I say was euen so promised and foretolde by the Prophets k Mal. 1. c. 11. of the old testament And therfore aske thē againe whether by all this it be not euident that they haue changed the priesthood of the new Testament both because they are made by the Prince and because they are not made for the Altare or to offer Sacrifice As it is also euident onely by this that they go about to change the name of Priestes For as the Apostles bringing into the wolde a new Order changed the olde names of the Iewes and Gentiles to witte Pontifex and Sacerdos for which we haue no English and said for them Episcopus and Presbyter whereof are deriued our English names Bishop and Prieste so who seeth not that the Heretikes changing again those Apostolike names into Superintendent and Elder doe manifestly bewray them selues that they haue also changed the Apostolike Order And that wee who are found still to haue reteined the Apostolike names haue therefore neuer gone aboute to change the Apostolike Order In so much that wheras we as they know accompte their Orders no Orders yet they accepte our Orders for true Orders and hauing bene Ordered by vs seeke not to be reordered as may be noted in Parker Grindall Sandes Horne and many moe that are Priestes of the Catholicke making And herevpō may al men note how it is that wheras aforetime Heresies haue troubled the world vnder the name of christiās these men haue brought in not so properly an Heresie but as it may rather be called an Apostasie from almost all the Law of Christ For as Sainte Paule saieth Vpon the changing of Sacerdotium Heb. 7. c. 12. that is to saye Orders or Peiesthoode there must needes folow changing of the Law bycause the Law runneth so much vpō the Priests as is to be noted both in Moyses Iudaicall law also in our Catholike Christiā law which one thing I would to God they wold quietly sadly and with the feare of God consider that they I say go about to do against Christ and his law as much almost as the Turke if he should come would do and where he cometh doth The 25. Demaund Monkes THEN whether they be content Eus hist l. 2. c. 15.16 that the matter be tried betweene vs by the Religion of the Monkes Nunnes Ermites Anchoretes Soz. l. 1. c. 12.13.14 l. 3 c. 12.13.15 l. 6. c. 15.17.28 and other such like persons in state of perfection that were in those first tymes of the church of Christ Yea whether it be not a plaine confounding of them and their doings to heare that then also as euer sithens Aug. de moribusec cat c. 31 de vn Ec. c. 14. there were such persons in the church of Christ specially to see that a Eus de lau Const p. 385. christian writers haue against the Painimes made of thē for their straight life and great numbers an argument to proue Christes diuinity The 26. Demaund Fathers VVETHER they will be tryed by the fayth and Religion of the ancient Fathers Or whether euer any refused to be so tryed but onely Heretikes Or whether the Fathers Faith and Religion were not the faith and Religion of all the church in their seuerall tymes Or whether the Fathers were not all of one faith of one church and of one religion Or whether these besides many moe be not good causes for christian men to beleeue the Fathers in so much that the Protestantes themselues thinke it good and necessary to make a shew of the fathers in their books and sermons vnto the people But yet let them say in conscience whether they were not al of our church and of our religion Or els why do they put vs to defend their authority Why do they in writing and speaking as most men know so derogate frō their credite yea let them say whether they were not all
Father for thē nor for any one thing that they hold against vs The 34. Demaund Authoritie VVHETHER the Church of Christ did not euermore take her selfe to be of Authoritie irrefragable and so beare her selfe as necessarie worthie to be beleeued vpon her onelyword and therfore no man to controll her a Aug. ep 105. Sentence or Iudgement no man to misdoubt her b Aug ep 118 c. 3. ep 105. Practise And whether S. Augustine haue not written a booke therupon which he calleth De vtilitate credendi Of the vtilitie of beleeuing the Church in all thinges shewing how profitable how necessary how sure a way that is for the finding out of true Religion And whether the Maniches then as the Protestantes now founde not fault with that way And whether the true Christians notwithstanding did not for all that hold thē against those all other Heretickes vpon the Churches Authoritie Chris con gent. de S. Ba◠coll 882. 884. Et con Iud. ar 2. col 928. Eus Hist l. 1. c. 3. Devt or c. 14. yea and alleage it also vnto the Iewes and Painimes to proue that Christ is God and that the holy Scriptures with the Miracles and all other things in them contained be true because I say the Church or company of the Christians so saith and so beleeueth And whether Saint Augustine and that by true reason doth not infer therupon that seeing we beleeue Christ and the Scriptures because of the church we must therfore beleeue the Church in all other thinges also whatsoeuer it saieth against the Heretickes And whether this Authoritie do not therefore argue that the Church can neuer erre And whether neuer erring doe not argue that it can neuer perish And therfore again whether it do not now also well worthely claime the same authoritie Yea whether the Protestants themselues haue not receaued many thinges as Christ himselfe and the Scriptures themselues c. vpon our churches credite the church I say that now is Aske them then howe they can possiblye bee the church who willingly doe renounce the claime of such Authoritie and doe by their doings confesse it to be in the companie of their aduersaries Finally bydde the deceaued consider this well that they haue no forte or nūber of men amōgst them whom they may truste in all thinges with whom and in whose steppes they may venture to walke the way of Faith and Religion towardes saluation None of all the Sectes in our countrey nor in all the world so happie none so secure and therfore no Church amongest them because I say they openly renounce the claime of Authoritie confessing therby that it is not of them that the Creed saith I beleue the Church in so much that they haue suffered of late an vnlearned Christian as he is called to set out in Print a vaine libell againste the Aucthoritie of the Church of God comparing and opposing vnto it the Authority of the word of God as though the word of God and the Church of God were one against the other it being yet so plainely written that as the Father saied of his Sonne Mat. 17. Mat. 18. Ipsum audite Heare him So the Sonne said of his church Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi ficut Ethnicus Publicanus If he will not heare the Church do thou vse him as the Iewes did as an Heathen and a Publican And yet this felow trusteth so much in his owne folie Prou. 17 that he is bold to prouoke all catholiks to answere his childishnes or els they must be accounted saith he no lesse then very Murderers It were good for him poore man that he had in him no more pride then learning My best counsaile to him for his saluation is that he reade humblye these Demaundes and looke whether any of his greate Masters will answere them And if after this his stomacke serue him still let him set out his Libel more orderly with his name with approbation of their Rabbins and with priuiledge that we labour not in vaine with the grace of God he shall quickly see it answered as vnworthy as it is The 35. Demand Vnity THEN whether vnity proced not of the sayd Authority And our Church therefore one for euer and not possibly by any questiō or controuersy to be desperatly deuided within it selfe They on the other side for lacke thereof running euery day into more and more diuision amongst thēselues multiplying Sectes as all men do see without hold or measure not being able to aleage herein any excuse for thēselues which the Arians Donatistes other olde Hereticks might not as well aleage for excuse of their diuisions yea euen their owne Doctrine being the very cause therof and they therfore guiltie of all these sectes that doctrine I say wherin they teach that the Scriptures are so easye and that therefore euerie one may folow his owne sese yea and vant also that it is the sence of the Spirite himselfe And whether the Churches inseparable vnitie be not so sure an argument of Truth that it is a moste iuste Motiue by Christes owne saying for the world to beleeue in Christ that no man meruaile seeing the infinite Sects that be now in Englād that there be also so many incredulous that beleeue not in Christ The 36. Demaund Kepers of Scriptures VVHether it were not our Church that notified to the worlde the Canon of the holye Bookes of the new Testament Whether it were not our Church that hath had the custodie construing both of the foresaid and of the other Bookes of the holy Bible euer since the Apostles time Or else whether before this time the Expositors thereof were Protestants And whether the Protestants had not the saide Books of vs And whether they can charge our Church all this longe while of her possesion with adding or minishinge any iote thereof Or whether they can not bee charged this short while of their vsurpation with robbing vs of many wholle Bookes thereof Bookes I say canonized in aproued Concels and of many a particulare portion more or whether euer any coulde be so charged but only Heritikes Finally whether our Church therefore be not the ōly true possessor or keper of this treasure as to whom only the Apostels cōmited it and therefore againe ours the only true Church The 37. Demaund Storehouse of all Truthe VVHETHER not onely all Canonicall Scripture as I haue saide but also all other truthes agreed vpon at any time by the Church of God and as it were laide vp for euer are not at this tym to be foūd in our church as that which was agreed vpon against the Arians that which was concluded against the Donatistes briefly that which was defined aganst all other Heretikes Aske them whether it haue not bene hither vnto and whether it be not still safelye keapt in our Church And how them selues came by the saide Truthes whether otherwise then at our
her Sacraments as well for remission of sinnes after Baptisme as of sinnes before Baptisme to the vnspeakable comfort of all that be heauy loaden merite in her workes force in her word power in her teaching so that shee breedeth deuotion turneth to Religion to the search of saluation strangely altereth the hartes of men yea her children therfore being the saddest sorte of people men of best order in all families townes and citties for all goodnes best beloued both of God and man And whether with the Protestantes all be not cleane contrarie No preaching of Penance no grace in Sacraments nothing but sinne in good workes although they be done in Christ no power to bring vnder Diuels no blessing no comforte And their folowers therfore easie to be noted by their ill conditions All persons as they fall from order and godlinesse more neare they become to their Religion a generall obseruation that all men as they returne to our Church bettered and amended as they fall to their Synagogue much worsed more then afore corrupted And yet be they neuer so wicked flagitious haue they Onely Faith and no doubt they shall be saued And what Faith I pray you Not our Christian faith which is conteined in the articles of our Creed and such like but a speciall Faith or an vndoubted perswasion that he is predestinate For who soeuer so perswadeth him selfe doubting no more therof thē he doth of one God and of Christs birth death and other Articles of the Creed he they say most certainly is predestinate and shall be saued and his sinnes are thereby remitted And it is forsooth a goodly comfortable way because it teacheth men to bee soe certaine But in truth and in deed if it be a litle examined no greater teaching of vncertaintie For say we vnto them not onely English Protestantes but also any wicked man cōtinuing in his wickednes may firmely persuade him selfe that he is predestinate and all other Heretiks of this time do so teach and so persuade them selues euē those two Anabaptistes also whō for dānable creatures thēselues of late did burne in Smithfielde How thē teach you that the said faith or persuasiō saueth all herevnto they say that such Heretiks and wicked persons can not haue this wonderfull faith because it cannot be without true doctrine nor without good workes But say we they persuade thē selues and they will sweare yea and die in it yea and which is greatest of al they know that they so persuade thē selues as who knoweth not when he persuadeth him selfe of any thing as of One God of Christ and so forth O say our Protestants and the like say the others of them to but they do not soe perswade them selues And where I pray you is now becom this great certaintie the matter being brought now to this passe that by their owne saying of one another no man can tell when he is certaine in so much that also of any one of their owne fellowes standing now in true doctrine as they esteeme it in good works and so persuading himselfe to be predestinate if he fall hereafter they must then and wil say of him that he did not afore persuade him selfe and so none of them all can say to day that he is certayne because he cannot tell what he shall doe to morrow Is not here then trow you a greate certaintie that I vse no other reason against this vaine sinfull point of their doctrine being yet the groundeworke of all theire innouations Well whatsoeuer they say euery man seeth that all Heretikes naughtie packes may and that some of euery sorte do thus persuade assure themselues And we on the otherside be sure that not by our only bare persuasion as they see by this Booke that none of them all so cōtinuing shall be saued And therfore best it were for them to confesse the vanitie of their new special faith and to returne to the Catholicke faith and so liuing through the grace of Christ in good workes to hope assuredly for saluatiō wherof now most vainely they do presume or rather in deed they neither hope nor presume but think verely that there is no saluation at all vsing therfore their owne religion as if they thought it and as it is indeed no religion at all as now at length the wiser sorte principall of the Realme haue proued infinite waies by experience of their doinges according to our Sauiours true prophecie Mat. 7. Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos By their fruites you shall knowe them The 49. Demaund All enemies VVHETHER it bee not our Church onely which al the enemies of Christ do fight against conspiring all against vs as the companie that onely standeth in their way that onely beareth off their brunte specially all Sectes and Heresies for that cause bearing intollerably with one anothers blasphemies and as it is called syncretizing and tyed togither by the tailes like Sampsons Foxes their heades being most farre a sunder Iud. 15. and counting Turkes and Iewes and very Atheistes for their frendes and all that be not Papistes And therefore whether our Church be not the true Church and our Church onely as which only both now and euer hath bene of all maligned by Hel gates impugned The 50. Demaund Sure to continue VVHETHER our Church for all this fighting and conspiring against it Aug de vt cred c. 8 Psa con part Dō Chri. cō Gent quod Christus sit Deus col 1039 as it hath hithervnto stood vpright so be not sure to stande and continue likewise hereafter Or els how is it that the Fathers which in their sundry times haue bene bould so to say of the Church namely also of the Church of Rome that it I say should stand foreuer could not all this while be proued liars yea whereas they haue further saide that the Church by oppugnatiō should not ōly not be ouercom but also more increase therby and florish Whether this saying of theirs as alwaies heretofore so now likwise be not plainly iustified innumirable persons as well of our owne countrey that against all hope of man but to the gratious safetie hither to no doubt to the wise of the State so much maligned by the Puritans as of others also daily seing and confessing that ours is the true Church and ours the true Religion and the Heretiks haue fowely abused hitherunto their ignorance The Heretikes in the meane time partely by the conuersiō of such partly by their continuall diuiding into so many strange Sectes daily diminishing and as all other Heretiks before them going to nothing And whether they were not best therefore to put vp their pipes as Humfreie his wise Syllogismes in his Onus or prophecie of the ruine of Rome to holde their barking against the Moone and to leaue with Saul their vaine kicking against the pricke getting nothing thereby but onely the eternall hurt destruction both