When thou canst prove by holy writ Christs Faith to Rome by charter knit Then shall thy tale some credit find Where now it turneth all to wind But yet continuance is a Note Of Gods true Church and Paul hath wroâ—… Ephes 4.11 c. That there should still some teachers be In some we this fulfilled see I say continuance is no sign To prove a Church to be divine We may not think each Doctrine sure Which doth for many years endure (x) It is true that the truth shall continue but yet it holds not backward that whatsoever continueth is Truth The Devil is a lyar from the beginning Must not the tares be let to grow Till it be time the corn to mow (y) Mat. 13.10 And Antichrist shall long time stay Even till the very Judgment day (z) 2 Thes 2.8 The Arrian heresie years did stand Two hundred more than one thousand (a) Yea and it was so generally received that it was said the whole world was become an Arrian Hierom. dialog contra Luciferianos And so since Mahomet first was seen A thousand years have numbred been Romes name endures but Rome is chang'd And hath from Christ it self estrang'd Quit thou Rome from Apostacy Or name not Perpetuity Pauls words do prove (b) Ephes 4.11 c. that certainly The Church shall have a Ministry And that there shall be some to feed The Flock of Christ at ev'ry need But that these Pastors here or there Shall alwayes fit in beauty clear This fond conceit not one more word The holy Scripture doth afford Indeed in Rome there divers be That bear the name of Prelacie Better we Pilates may them call Seeking the Churches Funeral You call your Pope a Shepheard great But where is his Spiritual meat I do not hear that he doth preach That would his greatness much impeach Such are his carnal Cardinals Or rather bloody Canibals (c) The People that live upon mans flesh They eat the fat and skin the Flock And live upon the Churches stock An idle sign a Shepheards Crook In hand they bear (d) The Pastoral staff made in fashion of a Shepheards crook but cannot brook To preach the Word a Pastors grace That duty fits not their high place The key of knowledge they withdraw (e) Luke 11.52 And from Gods people steal (f) Jerem. 23.30 Gods Law And mens devices (g) They teach Traditions to be equally reverenced as the Scriptures Conc. Trid. ses 4. dec and Lidanus calleth them the foundation of Faith Panopl lib. 5. cap. 2. on them thrust Making them unto fancies trust These are Romes Pastors woful sheep Which left are to the Wolves to keep Thou Shepheard great and Bishop chief (h) 1 Pet. 2.25 4.5 Come quickly (i) Rev. 22.20 quell this Romish thief Papists Rime Visible ANother mark there is most clear The Church of God must stil appear As a City on a hill (k) Some wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Take heed Seen and continue still As a light on a Candlestick So is the Church Catholick Our Saviour saith if one offend And will not be rul'd by his friend Tell all the Church without delay (l) Would you have us go to Rome with every complaint It seemeth so for you tie the Church to that Sea And if he will not then obey Do thou esteem such a man An Heathen or a Publican Is not that the Church wherein we see Two hundred Bishops thirty three To have succeeded each other Since the time of Saint Peter (m) You must first prove that Saint Peter was Bishop of Rome Shew me this mark in you (n) Thou thy self sayst there have been successively 63. Bishops in England since Peter then either ours is the true Church or else succession of Bishops is no sure mark And I will say your faith is true If this be not in the faith of Rome Then will I be converted soon Protestants Answer Visible THou tell'st a tale incredible How that God's Church is visible And by the Bishops Catalogue Wouldst prove the Romish Synagogue The errors here together lapt By which the simple are entrapt All which your feigned Church doth hold I mean in order to unfold The Catholick Church defin'd aright Cannot be subject to our sight It is th' Elected company (o) 1 Pet. 2.9 And Christ his chosen Family (p) Ephes 3.15 Of this one part in Heaven lives (q) Called the Church Triumphant The other here with Satan strives (r) Tearmed the Church Militant The part above you 'l not deny With mortal eyes none can descry The same is true of that below It is unseen by us also How with mine eyes I might discern And see th Elect fain would I learn Upon their persons we may look Whose names are written in Gods Book (Å¿) The Book of Life Phil. 4.3 But as for their Spiritual being It is a thing doth pass our seeing Parts of Christs Church you Papists make Even those whom God will quite forsake (p) So doth Bellarmine lib. 3. de Eccles cap. 7. and the Rhemists in their Annotations upon John 15.1 Which if the matter be well scand Cannot with any Scripture stand Of the true Church Christ is the head (q) Ephes 1.22 In him can be no member dead (r) They are called living stones 1 Pet. 2.3 His Church a Garden (Å¿) Cant. 4.12 closed well In which no Reprobates can dwell (t) So August applieth the place Contra Cres Gram. lib. 2. cap. 26. and Gregory the great who was a Bishop of Rome in his Commentary upon that place Charitatis vallo circumquaque munitur ne intra numerum electorum reprobus aliquis ingreciatur So that if fitly we will speak The ground you lay is very weak In calling it a mark most clear That Gods true Church must still appear Of Churches nam'd in several In Cities or else National We yeeld sometime they may be seen Though sometime they are darkned clean Sometime the Moon with chearful light Shines in the height of Heaven bright (u) Aug. useth that similitude Epist 48 and Epist 80. and Ambrose Hex 4. C. 8. Ecclesia sicut luna defectus habet ortus frequentes Sometimes with clouds 't is overspred And in the Wane clean vanished So is the Church in safety still Although not alway visible Sometimes it sits in glory great Sometime it hath no certain seat The Woman which to Desart fled From Satans rage to hide her head * Apoc. 12.6 So much also the Rhemists upon that place do acknowledge By all the learnedst full consent The Church on earth doth represent The famous Church of Israel Where God did promise still to dwell (x) Psal 132.14 Was drown'd so in Idolatry And superstitious slavery That all true worship being gone Elias thought himself alone (y) 1 Kings 19.10 And
their enmity Against your vile Idolatry (e) Bertram wrote against Transubstantiation ann 812. a Bishop of Florence was condemned for teaching that Antichrist was come ann 1114. Arnulph was murthered in Rome for preaching against the Pope and his Clergy anno 1128. Henry a Monk of Tolose was against prayer for the dead Pilgrimage Cream Oyl c. anno 1137. Jo. of Salisbury called the Clergy Pharisees the Pope Antichrist and Rome Babylon 1151. Gerard and Dulcimus which taught the Pope to be Antichrist were burnt with 30. more about the years 1164 1165 1166. The Waldenses which held in many points against the Pope were in anno 1167. and after increasing in divers places Almaris a Bishop burnt in Paris for holding against Transubstantiation Images Altars and praying to Saints 1206. Many in Suevia did preach the Pope to be an Heretick in the years 1236 1237 38. Grosted Bishop of Lincoln wrote against the Pope anno 1246. Arnold de Nova Villa against Masses and Sacrifices for the dead taught that the Popes belief was the Devils belief ann 1259. All Histories are full of the like examples these few may serve for a taste to satisfie an indifferent reader and to stop their mouths who say none were heard of of our Religion and Church till Luther But now the Lord hath let us see Your Antichrists deformity That all men might him fully know Before his final Overthrow Our Pastor chief (f) 1 Pet. 5.4 in Heaven did sit And so doth still saith holy Writ (g) Acts 4.21 On earth Universal Priest None dare be call'd but Antichrist (h) Gregory the Great a Bishop of Rome said that whoso calleth himself or desireth to be called Universal Bishop is the fore-runner of Antichrist Epist ad Eulogium lib. 7. He that our Church and Keys had sought By tokens in the Scripture taught Our Church and Keys he might have found Even when the World was most unsound Building of Churches nothing makes For that which here thou undertakes For then commend Demetrius Who builded Shrines at Ephesus (i) Acts 19.24 Well may the heathen People boast Of Piramees and Churches cost In Houses made God doth not dwell As holy Scripture doth us tell (k) Acts 7.48 Yet neither all the Churches here Erected by the Papists were Nor are by us abolished Places where God is worshipped If private men have evil done For it blame not Religion Those men that do Church-spoyling love Our Faith and Church doth not approve Those Cells and Dens of Idleness And Nurseries of Wickedness Upon good causes were displac'd As Baals Temples were defac'd (l) 2 Kings 10. †Touching Luthers Marriage A lawless Vow (m) It is well called a lawless Vow because it is of a thing which is not in mans power If it be said that by fasting and prayer it may be performed and continency obtained I answer the gifts of God are two-fold Some common to all Believers as Faith c. Some peculiar to some onely as this of Continency Now if by fasting and prayer we labour for the first sort we shall in some measure receive them but we have not the like assurance for the gifts of the latter sort because it may be the Lord is pleased otherwise to dispose Now to make such a Vow is a sin but to persist in it is a double evil of single life Luther well brake and took a wife Better the pure and spotless Bed (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.4 Then by unclean lusts to be led (o) 1 Cor. 7.9 Better the married Chastity (p) Papists do oppose marriage and chastity but Paul bids young women to be chast and subject to their Husbands Tit. 2.4 5. Then violent Virginity They ought not single to remain Who are not gifted to contain (q) 1 Cor. 7.9 Wedlock it self cannot defile It hath an honourable stile (r) Heb. 13.4 God doth it not to each man give Without the Marriage Bonds to live (ſ) Mat. 19.11 And it is allowed to a Bishop to be the Husband of one Wife 1 Tim. 3.2 The forced vows of singleness Have brought forth beastly filthiness Thou maist behold in History The fruits of Monkish Lechery (t) There were 6000. Infants heads found in Pope Gregories Mote as appears by the letter of Volutianus Bishop of Carthage or as some think of Huldericus Bishop of Augusta to Pope Nicholas against the forbidding of Priests marriage Thy poysoned Tongue doth further reach The noble Saxon to impeach Because to truth he did encline Thou callest him a Libertine When God was pleas'd to let him see How Christ his death hath made us free Then did he deem it slavery To bear the Romish Tyranny Though Antichrist did Rome possess †Who kept the Scriptures You kept the Scriptures I confess And in that long Apostacy Those Books were in your custody So I a Pirate false have known To keep the Goods were not his own And in the Ship to rule and raign When the right Owner hath been slain So did the Jewish Synagogue Safely keep Moses Decalogue And th' other Books (u) Viz. The Prophets and Psalms for so is the old Testament divided Moses the Prophets and Psalms Luk. 24.44 when cruelly They did Christ Jesus crucifie †Touching the calling of Ministers The Pastors which did first restore The truth which long lay hid before Thereto were called lawfully And even by your Authority You did them Priests and Doctors make And they from you this charge did take * In their admittance That they the Truth should soundly preach And in the same the People teach Hereto you caused them to swear That to the Faith they should adhere And never should Errors endure That were against the Doctrine pure That whereunto you did them call Full well they have performed all Truth they have sought to propagate And Heresies to ruinate As we account your Baptism true And never do the same renew †Yet it followeth not hereupon that Rome is a true Church There is in the Papacy a certain hidden Church and to it that Sacrament appertains Circumcision was used of old even among the Samaritans So may you make a lawful Priest Yet be not the pure Church of Christ We know that now you wiser be And swear your Priests to Popery (x) In their Oaths and Admissions they put in this clause The Catholick and Apostolick Church of Rome which in elder times was not used And bind them to maintain the state Of your three-crowned Potentate See now O Papist thou recant Th' art answer'd by a Protestant I counsel thee if thou be wise No new evasions to devise Thy tale of Ethelbert of Kent Is but a slender Argument (y) It is also answered before It skills not whence the Faith was brought Or who it first amongst us taught Let us into the Scriptures look (z) Esay 8.20 And duly search (a) John 5.39 Acts 17.11 that holy Book Thence shall we know wch Church to leave And unto which alone to cleave (b) We have found Christ in the Scriptures there we must also find the Church Aug. de Pastoribus Those swelling words (c) 2 Pet. 2.18 of Unity Succession and Antiquity Are but poor groundless fantasies To blind the simple peoples eyes Though that an Angel thou shouldst see Let him saith Paul accursed be (d) Gal. 1.8 If from the Scripture he doth erre Account him not Gods Minister If one arise and wonders show Seeking the truth to overthrow Though that might seem a motive strong Yet unto him death doth belong (e) Deut. 13.1 2 5. If threescore Bishops here and three Have been with us successively It either proves our Church is true Or else that mark makes nought for you That Faith for which Peter was slain Our English Church doth still retain We hear the Voice of CHRIST JESU (f) John 10.27 Who is the SON of GOD most true FINIS
when Christ comes to judge us all Then faith on earth shall be but small (z) Luke 18.8 How is the Church a City then (a) Mat. 5.14 Rais'd on a mount and seen of men And how a light set up on high That all that will may it espie How shall we to the Church complain (b) Mat. 18.17 If of the Church no shew remain This is thy Popish reasoning And Scriptures plain misconstruing The true meaning of those places Christ doth th' Apostles counsel give Soundly to preach and well to live Because their places were in sight And 't was their Office to give light They erring many might mislead Which in their steps might hap to tread If that their Doctrine were unsound In falshood many might be drown'd It was in vain for them to ween In doing ill not to be seen You are saith Christ upon a Mount To be well mark't make full account (c) Thus Chry. and Theophilact expounded this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This shews wherein our duty stands And what God looks for at our hands Who call'd are to the Ministry To labour in God's Husbandry (d) 1 Cor. 3.9 But from hence how may proved be The Churches visibility This place affords a slender proof And little for the Popes behoof Yet you perhaps will urge it still The Pastors are set on a hill And called Light even so say I But all men can them not descry For those which want spiritual eyes (e) Ephes 1.13 Nor are by searching (f) John 5.39 Scripture-wise (g) Ephes 5.15 17. This mounted City cannot see Nor where these lightsome Pastors be (h) This was the Answer of Aug. to the Donatists Tract 1. in Epi. Johan Christ bids us we the Church should tell If things be not reformed well By Church he means all such as be Indued with Authority (i) The same which Paul calleth Presbyterian 1 Tim. 4.14 The Eldership These Office-bearers all men see In times of setled Sovereignty Yea and among themselves th' are known †This answer the Papists cannot mislike for they make use of it for themselves Rhem. in Apoc. 12.6 The error of this Popish Argument When th' outward state is overthrown When that was said in special You turn to Church in general Thereby you may deceive some fools But soon it will be seen in Schools This argument of outward state Which for a mark you intimate Against that thing doth strongly make Which you to prove do undertake Romes state hath sometimes been obscur'd And hath disgraces foul endur'd Burnt (k) By the Goths 547. sackt (l) By Charles Duke of Burbon in the dayes of Pope Clement the seventh whereupon was made tâ—… clause in the Letany Sancta Maria c. O holy Mary pray for Pope Clement c. some Popes imprisoned (m) John 14. Boniface 8. about the year 1304. Some glad to fly (n) John 17. fled to Hetruria some banished (o) Vigilius 18. and Gregory the ninth about the year 1227. Where did your glorious Church abide When Popes were glad themselves to hide Peace peace no more of this for shame Rome saith you will her clean defame †Succession Succession commeth next in place Whereby thou seek'st thy Church to grace Your turn Succession cannot serve If from the Truth Succession swerve The Jewish Church from Aaron A just descent might stand upon Even when they crucifi'd our Lord And hated all that lov'd his Word If we shall say that Church was true Consisting of so vile a crue We cast Christ and the Apostles out Among the base and damned rout The Grecian Churches at this day For their defence as much can say (p) At Constantinople there hath been a perpetual succession from Saint Andrew Nicep At Alexandria from Saint Mark Yet you of them do give this doom That in Gods Church they have no room Yet if Succession were a sign Which your grand Captain Bellarmine Dares not avouch (q) Bellarmine saith it followeth negatively that where there is no succession there is no Church but not affirmatively that where there is succession there is a Church Lib. 4. de Eccl. cap. 8. I fain would see How Rome can prove her pedigree You call your Church Saint Peters Chair As though the Pope were Peters Heir But if that ground we once deny What Papist can it verifie You cannot prove by holy Writ Peter at Rome did Bishop sit The onely place which you do name (r) 1 Pet. 4.13 The Rhemists say that thereby Babylon is meaned Rome and so they confess Rome to be Babylon Returneth to your greatest shame The things you fetch from Historie Touching this point do not agree (Å¿) Orosius saith Peter came to Rome in the beginning of Claudius reign Hierom in the 2d year others in the 4th year other the 13. year Damasus saith he came thither in Neroes reign so that there is no certainty in that which they make an undoubted principle And what our part hath herein sed By Papists stands unanswered But if he Bishop were indeed Tell me who next did him succeed Some Clement (t) The Popes decrees hold so and some Linus hold (u) Dorotheus Euseb lib. 3. cap. 4. Thus your succession is control'd Once was a Pope suppos'd a man †John 8. Platina The womans name was Gilbertia a Dutch woman of Burguntium But prov'd in time a Curtezan Then either your Succession shrank Or you must put her in the rank When Popes there were some 2. (x) Two Popes together Anno 1083. Anno 1058. and 1062. or 3. (y) Bened. 9. Silvest 3. Greg. 6. all at one time and at another time Ben. 1. a Spanish Pope Greg. 12. a French Pope and John 23. an Italian Pope Where then might your succession be One Schisme held almost forty year (z) 39. years Pope against Pope as doth appear (a) Let their own Authors speak One Council (b) The Council of Constance did these Popes put down And to another gave the Crown When these false Popes the place possest I think you 'l say Succession ceast Popish Rime Unity ANother mark there is truly The Church must have Unity As our Saviour hath foretold One Shepheard and one fold One is my Spouse one is my Love One is my Darling and my Dove This is his Spouse and at some time He doth resemble it to a Vine His Father is the Husbandman A Branch is every Christian This is his Body Mystical The which he doth his Kingdom call Whereof Saint Peter had the Keys (c) What became of the Keys when Pope Julius the second threw them into Tyber And his Successors have alwayes (d) As though no body did succeed Peter but the Pope who is rather the successor of Romulus then Peter as Pope Hadrian the fourth said when he died And likewise Saint Paul saith One Baptisme and one
stile The simple People you beguile The Lord is weary of your feasts (k) Isa 1.14 And likes not your devised rests All days are like in holiness None holy more none holy less (l) The difference betwixt dayes is in observation and use and not in the nature of the day if one day had been in nature holier then another the Sabbath might not have been altered Paul thought his labour was in vain Where days distinctions did remain (m) Gal. 4.10 11. Thou hop'st to put us in some fear With speaking of the Kalendar (n) Saints Canonized Thou ask'st what Faith all those did hold Whose Names are found therein enroll'd I tell thee plain 't is nought to me What many a one there nam'd might be My faith 's not so set on the rack To seek strength from the Almanack Yet sure I am what we profess Some that are there believ'd no less (o) As Peter Paul Mary c. and some there named which suffered persecution in the ten first Persecutions of the Church Our Faith and theirs doth well agree And you with them at variance be You Churches make and holy days Unto the Saints and Martyrs praise But us which do believe the same You seek to kill and to defame Thou ask'st who them canonized Whose names are there enregistred You say the Pope I ask again Wilt thou that sainting power maintain (p) The custom of Canonizing Saints was not heard of till one thousand years after Christ in the dayes of Alexander 3. and Gregory 7. Can any mortal Creature tell Who goes to Heaven and who to Hell All judgement Paul bids us forbear Until the Lord himself appear (q) 1 Cor. 4.5 In Heaven to sit or high or low Is it in mans power to bestow (r) Mat. 20.23 What Bishops can or Saints invest Or shut men from eternal rest Someone Pope doth a Saint enstall His grant another doth recall (Å¿) Bonifance 8. caused Hermanus Ferrariens who had been Canonized for a Saint 30. years before to be taken out of his Grave and burned ann 1300. 'T is but a silly dignity That 's subject to uncertainty Among your Saints even those are seen Which to their Prince have Traytors been As Thomas Becket and Elizabeth Barton called the holy Maid of Kent and others Though that our Church such Saints despise To it it is no prejudice Popish Rime Hereticks OUr Saviour warns us to have care Of false Prophets to beware (b) That makes us take heed of you Which in his name shall come Not sent yet they shall run (c) There be many of your Church come amongst us to work mischief before you be sent for Thieves not entring by the Door (d) A lively description of the Popes Clergy That kill and steal and keep a stoor Wolves in Shepheards cloathing That kill the Soul and steal the Tything Dogs Foxes and Masters of lies That new Sects will devise Bringing in dissention And heap thousands to perdition Where have you been this many a year That none of you durst once appear Ever since our Saviours time To whom did your light shine (e) To those which had eyes to see it Where did your principal Pastor sit (f) In Heaven Who kept your keys who fed your sheep (g) You have butchered a good sort of them Shew some Churches you have built I can shew many you have spilt How might a man have found you out To have trial in a matter of doubt (h) You be too proud to learn it is the first lesson you teach your Disciples to admit no conference Where for so many a year No such Company did appear Until Luther a lying Frier (i) If Luther had continued a true Friar he had never been good Upon whom the Devil had desire Brâ—ke his Vow (k) Herods vow is better broken then kept and married a Nun And there your Sect (l) Our Sect is the same that Pauls was Acts 28.22 first begun (m) Either thou knowest this to be a lie or thou knowst nothing And favoured in Saxony By a Duke that loved liberty And in King Edwards time truly (n) There were English men in England who bare witness to this truth by suffering death for it long afore King Edwards time It first infected our Country For a thousand years you say That Papistry did bear the sway And during all that space No Protestant durst shew his face (o) The more they lay hid the greater was your tyranny yet many then both shewed their faces and lost their lives Who kept (p) Indeed you kep them so fast that the people could have no comfort by them the holy Scriptures then From the hands of wicked men Who had authority to ordain Our Priests and Bishops again For he that entreth without Order As a Thief doth kill and murder And one thing maketh me to muse That no Priest you do refuse (q) A very tale Being ordred by the Church of Rome But he was accepted soon If he would say the New Service He should have a Benefice Without any further Order And accounted for the better (r) He that hath once been an eager Papist and is converted truly is to be the better thought of because having known the abomination of Popery he must needs detest it more How can she make a lawful Priest If she be not the Church of Christ Answer this O Protestant If thou canst I will recant (Å¿) I believe you will not be so good as your word But while an answer you devise (t) A man need not be long in making you an answer I counsel all men that are wise To hold the faith maintained here The space of a thousand year Brought unto us English men By our Apostle (u) Who made him an Apostle Saint Austen Who from Rome was hither sent When Ethelbert was King of Kent Who learn'd his Faith of Gregory †This Gregory accounteth him the fore-runner of Antichrist who so should seek to be called Vniversal Bishop from this Faith you are gone His Faith was kept successively By threescore Bishops and three Since Saint Peter's time truly Who learn'd his Faith of Christ Jesu Who is the Son of God most true Protestants Answer Hereticks THe Caveat touching Hereticks Doth make against false Catholicks We know full well that Popery Is but a Mass of Heresie Those Errors which of old were hatcht Your Church together hath them patcht (u) It maintaineth free will and merit of works with the Pelagians Augustine The Pelagians held Children to be without sin Aug. contra Jul. lib. 3. cap. 5. So the Church of Rome saith Concupiscence is no sin It holds Imagery with the Simonians Basilidians and Carpocratians and with the two latter they secret their Religion Iren. lib. 1. cap. 23. Epiph. Haeres 24. It alloweth praying in an unknown tongue with the Osteni Epiph.