the Scriptures receiue authoritie from the Church and the sense thereof onely subiect vnto her That the Vulgar Latin translation is only to be admitted as authenticall That the Scriptures be imperfect and are not the certaine rule of faith That there are traditions besides for perfecting the Scriptures and to bee receiued with equall authoritie with Scriptures III. Of the Church That the Catholike Church is not the company onely of Gods elect people That the Church of Rome cannot erre IV. Of the Pope Where is Scripture to proue that Peter was at Rome and Bishop there twenty fiue yeeres That he was to be appointed Vicar of Christ That the Pope is the vniuersall Bishop That he onely is Peters successour and Christs Vicar That he cannot erre è Cathedra That he is aboue Councels That hee may depose Kings from their temporall estates and dispose of their Kingdomes That he can dispense with sinnes against the plaine Law of God That he can set soules free out of torments after this life V. Of the Clergie and Ecclesiasticall persons In what place of Scripture is it taught that there be Popes Cardinals and Popish Prelates like Princes That there are now Priests to whom a speciall Office of Priesthood is assigned That there bee seuen degrees thereof That a man is now appointed in the time of the Gospell to offer sacrifices daily for the quicke and the dead That all Churchmen so called are to liue vnmarried That a Monasticall life is the best estate That Ecclesiasticall persons are exempt from secular authority VI. Of the Sacraments Where doth the Scripture teach that Baptisme is to bee administred with Chrisme Oyle Coniuring Salt Spittle That there is such a spirituall kindred betweene the Witnesses and the party baptized as also betwixt the Parents and Children of those Witnesses as it hindreth marriage without a dispensation betwixt one another though there be otherwise no kindred either of affinity or consanguinity That Iesus Christ is bodily and wholly as he is Man borne of the Virgin Mary in the Sacrament the Bread being turned into his Flesh That it is a sacrifice for the quick and the dead That the Cake is to bee reserued and carryed about in pompe and that all are to fall downe to it and worship it That it is to bee administred but in one kind That the Lay people must not take it but gape and eate it That the Priest that saith Masse must haue a shauen Crowne haue his Amice Girdle Aube Manuple Stole Chesible and other pretended holy vestments That he must vse such crossings turning duckings liftings whisperings gapings minglings of wine and water such lickings and other variety of stagelike gestures VII Of Prayer That it must be in Latine That not God onely but Saints may be prayed vnto That the dead are to be prayed for That it is lawfull to pray by number to say the same 150. times and to pray vpon Beades VIII Of Worship What written Word teacheth that Diuine Seruice is to bee said onely in the Latine Tongue That Saints and their Reliques are to be adored That Images and Pictures are to be in Churches for adoration sake and to be Lay-mens bookes IX Of the Virgin Mary That she was borne without sinne That she is the Queene of Heauen the Lady of the World That she is diuinely to be worshipped That shee is to haue her proper seruice and her Aue Maries X. Of the Church or Temple the place of publike worship What Scripture that Belles are to bee baptized That there must bee Altars Veiles Holy-water Holy-ashes Palmes and many such trumperies That children dying without Baptisme are not to be buried in the Church-yard and that there is for their soules a Limbus Infantium XI Of dayes Where doe the Apostles teach that there are such a number of Holy-dayes as be in that Religion That a speciall Holinesse is to be put in the obseruation of dayes That dayes and times are to bee set apart to the worship of Saints XII Of meates Where in Scripture reade they that there is such a difference of meates as the obseruation of such a difference at some times is more holy then at other some times All these differences are humane inuentions without warrant of Scriptures Now let them shew that any of these sorts of Martyrs beleeued and professed these differences if they cannot then the conclusion is good that they were not their Martyrs by these differences but in common still ours as well as theirs III. If these differences be but a very patchery of Heresies Iudaisme and Paganisme then in respect thereof they cannot be their Martyrs for Martyrs suffered for none of these three but in detestation thereof were grieuously persecuted by Iewes Pagans and Heretikes But the anticedent is most true as our learned men haue made it manifest For Heresies Bish Morton Doct. Whitacres Gab. Powel and Doctor Willet For Iudaisme Doctor Raynolds hath sufficiently manifested it and somewhat of Paganisme But for this reade Thom. Moresin Doctor of Physick his whole booke called Papatus printed at Edenburgh and Gab. Powel on the first Chapter to the Romanes For all three see a late published booke called The three Conformities And therefore in respect of these differences being hereticall Iewish and Paganish these Martyrs are none of their Martyrs neither did their sufferings make good any whit this their now present Religion IV. If these differences from our Religion doe offer violence to the three Offices of Christ and make their publike worship in many things blasphemous and idolatrous then in respect of such differences they are not their Martyrs But the antecedent is true Ergo the consequent To proue the antecedent Doctor Fownes hath lately of purpose set forth his Trisagion wherein he hath sufficiently confirmed it out of their publike Missaes Breuiaries Portuses Rosaries Liturgies Psalters Primers and Manuals of prayers to which I referre the Reader for full satisfaction And doe conclude therefore that these blessed Martyrs were none of theirs by vertue of these differences V. If many of these differences of theirs be not only besides Scripture without warrant from thence as before is shewed but also flat against Scripture and against our common tenents agreed vpon betweene vs and them then in respect of these differences they are not their Martyrs For they did not suffer for those things which were against Scripture and the common tenents of Christianity wherein we and our Aduersaries doe agree If they dare affirme this let them giue instances thereof But many of these their differences are against Scripture and against the common tenents of Christianity in which we both agree Which being so these their differences can be no part of Christianity because they be against both the rule and also against the grounds of Christianity Therefore the consequence is true That there are such differences betweene vs I instance for proofe in these ensuing That the Scriptures are
yeeres after Christ in which space was there none that might be called a Papist or Roman Catholike after the definition of the Trentists And therefore were they not their Martyrs neither did any of them professe the now new Romane Trentisme And thus wee see how by these differences they cannot claime the Martyrs Now our differences from them are all grounded vpon Scriptures and principles of Christianity and warranted by such common truth of Christian Religion as they and we doe fully accord in not one of our differences being either heresie or any part of Iudaisme or Paganisme nor euer condemned by any generall Councell in the space of these first sixe hundreds of yeeres in which these three sorts of Martyrs did liue True it is that our aduersaries call vs Heretikes and lay heresies to our charge but falsely without iust proose as our learned Whitacres Bishop Morton and others shew in answering Bellarmine his calumnies herein to the full Seeing then our differences and truths of Christian Religion taught by the Apostles and by the succeeding Pastors and belieued by the Church are the parts of that Faith and Religion which these Martyrs suffered for I conclude that in regard both of the truthes wherein wee and our Aduersaries agree and also of our differences wherein we disagree from the now present Church of Rome they were our Martyrs and none of theirs IV. Sort of Martyrs are those who suffered by and amongst these our aduersaries as the Berengarians Waldenses Albigenses Wicklife and his followers in England Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prague at Constance and many moe in Bohemia and in other places euen to Luthers time and after an innumerable multitude slaine and massacred burnt and put to sundry deathes for our Religion and for gaine-saying our aduersaries in those differences which we now stand out in against the Church of Rome at this present These were therefore our Martyrs But our aduersaries will say that these were no Martyrs but condemned Heretikes That they were Martyrs no Heretikes its cleare S. Iohn in the Reuelation calleth those Saints and Martyrs of Iesus Reuel 17.6 which should suffer for the Word of God for refusing to worship the Beast and his Image and for not receiuing his marke in their fore-heads or in their hands Reuel 20.4 and for keeping the Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus and so dying in the Lord should rest from their labours and be accounted blessed Reuel 14.12 13. But such were these our Martyrs for they suffered for Gods Word for keeping the Commandements and Faith of Iesus and for refusing to worship the Beast and Whore of Rome drunke with the blood of the Saints And therefore were blessed Martyrs and no Heretikes But they will say These held diuers errours and were not in all things wholly with vs They suffered and were Martyrs for those selfe-same things which with vs they witnessed against the Church of Rome II. Many errours are ascribed vnto them which they neuer held as Doctor Vsher Bishop of Meeth learnedly shewes III. Though in some things they should haue differed from vs yet doth not that make them not to be of our Religion For if for lighter differences in opinions men should be held not to be of the same Religion if so our aduersaries will conclude then are the now Romanists not of one and the same Religion which is now professed at Rome for one of them differs much from another in many things Neither haue they any right to the ancient Fathers betweene whom and these our aduersaries is also great difference and that in many things These Martyrs therefore though they might differ from vs in some things the Light then not shining so clearely as now it doth were our Martyrs Thus wee see all the Martyrs from the beginning to be ours and so haue our Aduersaries none at all which may be properly called theirs for the first 600. yeeres For if they claime the first three sorts it s but as they doe agree with vs for in their differences from vs the Martyrs are none of theirs The fourth sort are clearely our owne and are Martyrs in defence of our differences from them But for their differences they haue no Mrrtyrs of Iesus for such Martyrs as be his Martyrs suffer for his sake for Gods Word for his Faith and Commandements but their differences are not Gods Word nor the Faith nor Commandements of Iesus neither suffered Papists here for Religion but for treason rebellion disloyall acts for denying due obedience to lawfull authority and for standing in defence of forraine power and the authority of the Whore of Babylon the murtherer of Saints and of that Antichrist the Pope as hee is prooued sufficiently so to bee And therefore I conclude our Religion to be before Luthers time III. Argument From the Writings of the ancient Fathers THat Religion which is to be found in the writings of the ancient Fathers as professed and taught by them in the first 600. yeeres after Christ that was before Luthers time But this our present Religion in the poynts of doctrine wherin we differ from our Aduersaries is to be found in the writings of the ancient Fathers as professed and taught by them in the first 600. yeeres after Christ Therefore was this our present Religion in the poynts of doctrine wherein wee differ from our Aduersaries before Luthers time The Minor I thus prooue All the differing Religions of greatest note which were euer since Christs ascension are one of these Iudaisme Gentilisme or Paganisme Arianisme vnder which I comprehend all heresies Mahometisme or Turcisme the present Religion of the Church of Rome which may be called Trentisme or Iesuitisme commonly called Papistrie and this our Religion termed The reformed Religion or Protestancy which wee professe and teach with an vnanime consent in the Harmonie of Confessions otherwise then the Church of Rome now doth But those ancient Fathers taught not Iudaisme nor Paganisme nor Arianisme or other heresies which in those dayes rose vp nor Mahometisme Ergo either the Religion of the now Church of Rome or ours with either of our differences one from another But not so this of theirs For those differences on their part whereby a man becommeth a Romane Catholike or Papist the ancient Fathers with one consent neuer taught The differences are mentioned before for all which if they can produce the vnanime Consent of those Fathers in 600. yeeres space we yeeld them the Fathers but if not then are they ours as they that taught and professed our Religion For they not onely taught all the maine poynts of faith which we and our aduersaries doe agree in but also all the principall differences with vs wherein we and our aduersaries doe differ as Polanus hath largely prooued to whose learned paines I referre the Reader Therefore this our present Religion was before Luthers time IV. Argument From the witnesse of our very
plaine name of Purgatorie nor Limbus Patrum nor Limbus Infantium In the Decalogue we find Heauen Earth and Waters vnder the Earth and in the Lords Prayer Heauen and Earth in the Creed Heauen Earth and Hell but none of the other deuised and faigned places This Purgatory for satisfaction is against common equity for they say the sinne is pardoned by Christ and can then in equity the partie be punished A Creditor forgiues freely to a man all his debt can he then with equitie after lay him in Gaole to make any satisfaction for the same They say that Images may be set vp to be adored The Scriptures are plaine against them Deut. 4.15 19. Esay 40.18 Act. 17.20 Rom. 1.23 The second Commandement in the Decalogue forbids them which our aduersaries bid from the people in their vulgar Catechismes Our corrupt nature is apt to these things and therefore the lesse to be liked of They teach to pray vnto the Virgin Marie to Saints and Angels The Scriptures afford no precept for this nor any euident example prayers there are taught to be made vnto God Angels are not to be worshipped Col. 2.18 Reuel 19.10 22.9 The Lords Prayer the perfect rule of prayer teacheth vs to pray to God our Father in Heauen whensoeuer we pray now can wee say to the Virgin Marie to Saint or Angell Our Father which art in Heauen Can we pray to any of them and say Thy Name be hallowed thy Kingdome come thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Can we pray any one of them to giue vs daily bread to forgiue vs our sinnes to deliuer vs from euill Can we ascribe to any one of them and say Thine is Kingdome power and glory for euer Yet this prayer warrants vs that to whom in Heauen we may pray to him may we say all this but if not to the Virgin Marie not to Saint nor Angell then may wee not pray to them by any warrant of this prayer Our Creed teacheth vs to beleeue in none but God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Now the Scripture plainely telleth vs that wee cannot pray to any but in whom we beleeue Rom. 10.14 Therefore then not to the Virgin Marie nor to Saint nor Angell because we are not to beleeue in them They tell thee that thou must beleeue the Romane-Catholik Church and to be also a member thereof else thou canst not be saued The Scriptures tell vs plainely that God added to the Church such as should be saued Acts 2.47 but not a word there of the Romane Church In our Creed we are taught to beleeue the Catholike Church and that we be members of it but to bee of any Romane Catholike Church is no Article of our Creed Besides the speech is absurd and it is against reason to call a particular Church the generall or the generall a particular as the Church of Rome in the best estate of it neuer was other And can the obiect of faith be the obiect of sight as it is the obiect of faith Now we beleeue the Catholike Church but the Papists tell vs that their Church is euer visible to the eye This also which they say is against common charitie for must all out of the Church of Rome be without hope of saluation In the planting of the Gospell there was a Church at Ierusalem before any at Rome and many Churches planted by Saint Paul which neuer had dependance vpon the Church of Rome many Churches in the East and other parts of the World which are not within the Romane iurisdiction nor doe acknowledge it must needs all these be without saluation because the Romane Pope is not domineering ouer them Now God forbid They will tell thee that thou must be able to shew thy Church and the professors therof in euery age else thou art not of the true Church But the holy Scriptures neuer bound any to such a taske neither Christ nor his Apostles in all the new Testament euer charged any Christian Church much lesse any beleeuer with this It is an Article of thy Faith to beleeue that there is a Church of God here and there dispersed abroad in the world This is a man bound to beleeue but not that euery one or any other for him should be able to make a Catalogue of all that went before in the same profession in euery Age. One ignorant of this may yet be of the true Church neither shal the ignorance thereof damne him They will tell thee that there are some sinnes in Nature veniall in themselues not deseruing eternall death The Scripture teacheth otherwise Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death no exception of any at all Yea the consent of sinne is worthy of death Rom. 1.23 In the Lords Prayer when we craue pardon of our trespasses without exception wee thereby acknowledge that euery kind of trespasse offendeth God standeth need of forgiuenesse and therefore what else would follow if he did not forgiue it but death This false distinction giueth libertie to our corrupt nature to sinne as experience tels euery of vs euen in our aduersaries wallowing licenciously in their supposed veniall sinnes It may seeme vnreasonable if there be sinnes veniall in their owne nature that such a horrible scorching fire as they make that in Purgatorie to bee should bee prepared to plague soules for the same The greatest torments in the world as they say are not comparable to the torments there How can it then be possibly imagined that veniall sinnes which as they say doe not breake friendship with God should be so terribly punished by way of satisfaction and yet God remaine to him who is so punished a sure friend They teach that a man hath power to doe Gods will and to auoide euill and not be ouercome thereof if he will The Scriptures tell vs that it is God that workes the will and the deed Phil. 2.13 and maketh all our sufficiencie to be of him 2. Cor. 3.5 In the Lords Prayer wee are taught to beg of God abilitie to doe his will and his grace to deliuer vs from euill vnder will is comprehended all good and vnder euill is contained whatsoeuer is sinfull so as it s not in vs to doe good nor to auoyde euill but both is Gods worke in vs. Euery man feeleth this inabilitie in himselfe by experience yea these also which doe maintaine this power in man if they would confesse it And why are they not all most holy if they haue this power Their damnation is more iust when they sinne in any measure then such as want this power though they fall by infirmitie into greater sinnes They teach that a man may fulfill the whole Law and so merit The Scripture teacheth otherwise Luke 17.10 Eccles 7.20 Prou. 20.9 Psal 130.3 Iob 9.20 1. Ioh. 1.8 Iam. 3.2 In the Lords Prayer we aske all of vs forgiuenesse In the Creed wee are taught not to dreame here of
TO THAT QVESTION SO often and so insultingly proposed by our Aduersaries asking vs Where this our Religion was before Luthers time IT is a common question and often propounded by Papists in an insulting manner ouer vs Where our Religion was before Luthers time As though wee could not answere to the demand nor fetch our Religion from any more ancient or better Author but they are deceiued in both And that I may not be tedious in prefacing I answer I. It was and is written and contained in the holy Scriptures the Canonicall Books of the old and new Testament II. The same hath been and is written in the hearts of Gods people such as the Lord from time to time effectually hath called according to euerie mans measure as they haue bin taught it and learned it out of those books of holy Scripture For this must we know that no other doctrine of Christian Religion was or is written in mens hearts by Gods Spirit then that which the same Spirit inspired the Pen-men of the Scriptures to write in those Bookes The necessarie truths of doctrine therein contained as God had promised hath he written in the hearts of his people Ier. 31.33 34. 2. Cor. 3.3 And for these ends that they might know God and know him to be their God and they his people Ier. 31.33 34. that they might make profession thereof and obediently set themselues to the practice of that his blessed will Ezech. 11.19 20. 36.26 27. III. That it was also written in learned mens labours agreeing with those holy Bookes as they found the truth therein taught vnto them by the Prophets and Apostles So as the doctrine of our Religion is no other then that which the Scriptures doe teach the Church and true People of God haue beleeued and professed nor no other then that which is to be found in the writings of y e holy ancient Fathers and of learned men before euer Luther was borne That our Religion was thus before Luthers time I proue by these ensuing reasons I. Argument From holy Scriptures wherein our Religion is written and taught in euery point THat Religion which is in all and euerie point thereof written and prescribed in holy Scriptures the Canonical books of the old and new Testament was before Luthers time For the Scriptures were written many hundred yeeres before Luther was in beeing and the Pen-men thereof had a care to practise the same But this our present Religion in all and euerie point thereof wherein we differ from our Aduersaries is written and prescribed in the holy Scriptures the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament as is in euery particular point prooued exactly by those of our side And therefore was it before Luthers time The Minor I thus prooue I. By the publike Records of our Church here at home as the publike authorized Catechisme shorter and larger by the booke of Homilies by the book of Articles and our booke of Common-prayer Out of which wherein soeuer we differ from our Aduersaries nothing is found besides as wanting warrant of Scripture much lesse any thing contrarie thereunto but euery thing grounded vpon and fully agreeing with the same II. By Gods Spirit the Author of the Scriptures which doth further our Religion in the hearts of the people through the reading and interpreting thereof which the Spirit of God would not doe if our Religion were not that which the Scriptures teach For would the Author of the one approue of the other if they were not both one If hee should further a Religion contrarie to the Scripture hee should be contrary to himselfe allowing and making good that in mens hearts by inward operation which he hath disallowed by the Scriptures which are of his diuine inspiration It is euident to all that are read in the Scriptures that they condemne all Heathenish al Heretical and Idolatrous Religion likewise all will-worship all vaine inuentions of men the seruing of God by humane traditions by the precepts and doctrines of men so as if our Religion were any such Gods Spirit would not grace it nor so knit mens harts vnto it nor so effectually worke by it in mens consciences nor so perswade vnto it as he daily doth by the Scriptures If they shall denie that Gods Spirit doth any such thing as we suppose I would faine know of them what other spirit it possibly may be that doth so leade men to esteeme so much the Scriptures doth excite men to the studie of them and to make them the onely rule of doctrine and life to heare belieue rest and delight in them and so to worship God onely as herein he requireth to be worshipped and to reiect whatsoeuer is not warranted by them in euery necessarie point of faith And that onely vpon this perswasion that the Scriptures are Gods word that they are endited by his Spirit and written by his holy Prophets and Apostles If this be not the Spirit of God which doth thus magnifie the holy Scriptures in the heart of euery sound Christian what spirit then is it Certainely it must bee either the Spirit of God or of Man or of the Deuill But neither of these two latter therefore the former I. It is not the spirit of man that can and doth thus worke for first the spirit of man perceiueth not the things of God till Gods Spirit acquaint him with them Secondly they be foolishnesse vnto him Thirdly his wisdome is enmitie with God so as Gods wisdome in diuine mysteries and mans wisdome can neuer agree in one Fourthly the spirit of man sauoureth the things of the flesh and not of the Spirit of God Fifthly his heart is continually euil till he be regenerate Sixthly and lastly it is euidently knowne by too much miserable experience that man loueth not the studie of the Scriptures he cannot delight in them hee cannot away to frame his life after them euery one that hath any sparke of diuine knowledge knoweth this to bee true from his owne naturall corruption both in himselfe and others also Now can any reasonable-minded man thinke that such an auerse spirit as is in man so disaffecting the holy Scriptures and the studie thereof that it can be that Spirit which perswadeth and draweth men contrary to it corrupt selfe to embrace that Religion which is grounded vpon the Scriptures and to presse to the obedience thereof Yea can it bee mans spirit that worketh loue to such a Religion which so opposeth mans corruption as the worldly wise Politician derideth it the pleasurable man hateth it the greedy of gaine cannot abide to bee ruled by it and the haughtie spirit which hunteth after the pride of life hath it in great contempt so as none in very deed but onely such as doe denie themselues doe forsake the world and can bee well contented to take vp their crosse and follow Christ either can or will embrace the same II. It is not the spirit of Satan For although hee
together with vs yet are deadly enemies to the effectuall operation thereof denying the power of it and deriding such as striue to liue strictly and would expresse the liuely vertue and force of it What diuisions what varietie of sects and schismes haue and doe yet hinder the growth of our Religion And lastly these last Enemies of it the Papists vnder that Antichrist of Rome against whom if God himselfe had not fought and vpheld our Religion they had ere this vtterly extinguished it And who will denie this that seriously considereth our simplicitie and their deepe policie our too much distractions their strong combination our small strength their great power our meane estates their abundance of wealth and treasures our more then supine carelesnesse their continuall watchfulnesse and daily endeuours which possibly Satan can put into their hearts to root out our holy profession as by their cruell Inquisition mercilesse persecution barbarous Massacres horrible Treasons vniust Inuasions bloody Warres the neuer to be forgotten Gunpowder plot killing of Kings faithlesse and treacherous dealings playing fast and loose with vs by lying Equiuocations and mentall Reseruations in all couenants promises and oathes besides their shamelesse belying our persons foule and false taxing vs of errours and heresies imputed to our doctrine and Religion Libertinisme Atheisme and other abominations their flattering of Kings and suggestion of falshoods of disloyaltie against such as they find best affected to our Religion their politike framing of their religion for worldly respects to euery mans humor to entangle the sooner mens minds to get the more to them besides all those hellish deuices before mentioned in the first argument among which is the corrupting of Fathers and the Writings of learned men both old and new that so we might be altogether destitute of all humane testimonies to witnesse with vs or any helpe of man but to be left to stand as indeed wee doe by the hand of God the onely Author of our Faith and Religion and the onely blessed Preseruer of the same hitherto before Luther was borne who now also euen in these troublesome times doth keepe it on foote against all the power and policie of our Enemies praysed bee his holy Name for euer and euer Amen If our Aduersaries thinke that here is all that can be said for vs or that onely we can thus prooue our Religion they are much deceiued for much more may bee said and also otherwise euen by Historie may our Religion and the Professours be shewed at large This for the present is onely to confirme such as in our Church truly feare God and make conscience of their wayes for such doers of Gods will shall know whether this doctrine be of God or no Ioh. 7.17 THE AVTHORS FARTHER HELPE TO stay the honest-hearted Protestant from Apostacie WEl-disposed Reader thou hast an answer to the question Where our Religion was before Luther If yet further they aske thee Where were the Professors thereof also before this time Thou mayst thence shape them this answere Euen where the Apostles and Apostolicall men did teach it and where Saints professed it and Martyrs dyed for it It is not so difficult a matter as they would make the world beleeue to bring forth in euery Age the Professours of this our Christian Faith A harder and a more impossible taske is it for them to prooue from Christ and his Apostles who and where the persons were that in euery Age made an intire profession of euery point which now this their present Romish Church teacheth and practiseth We will doe the former if they will faithfully performe this latter They haue set out as they call it a Catalogue of chiefe Pastors Generall Councels and Catholike Professors of which they much glory seducing therewith the simple and vnaduised They doe begin with Christ then follow they on with Saint Peter and other Bishops of Rome on the one side on the other they place the Virgin Marie Iohn Baptist Saint Iohn the Apostle with other Apostles and Euangelists then they reckon vp Christian Churches as the Romans Corinthians Galatians and the rest to whom Saint Paul and Saint Peter wrote and so they run on along to the end Now this is it that thou shouldest demand of them and put them to proue whether Christ and his Apostles taught and all the rest there mentioned did learne and practise all that the Church of Rome now doth If they can shew this but in the first hundred of yeeres professe thou to be satisfied and not to require farther after a continuall succession in the Ages following Presse this home to them stand onely vpon this this is plaine dealing to begin with them where they begin And if they will not indeuour to satisfie thee in this certainely the Catalogue of the names of Christ of his Apostles and the rest in the Primitiue Church are put onely in the forefront to coozen thee if they can For will they begin it with Christ Saint Peter and the rest and yet not proue them of their present Religion If they can why doe they it not Why doe they seeke to put it off If they cannot why claime they these for the authors and maintainers of this their present Romish Religion I say their present Romish Religion because there is a great difference betweene the Religion once at Rome in the Apostles dayes and the Religion of Rome now that of the Church then this of the Court and faction there now And here I pray thee wel vnderstand this one thing to wit what they meane by their Religion as we also doe by our Religion we neither side took it only for that wherein we both do agree but chiefely because of the distinct differences thereof either from the other this obserue that thou mayst not be deceiued by the Catalogue And the better to cleare thy iudgement therein let them shew thee that Iesus Christ that also his Apostles with the rest in the first hundred of yeeres taught not onely that wherein wee and they doe agree for so they gaine nothing to themselues but the Catalogue therein serues for vs aswell as for them but also that they taught and obserued all their now present differences from vs as for example let them shew that then was taught and the Churches learned I. To picture the holy Trinitie to make Images to worship them to adore the Virgin Marie as our Lady and the Queene of Heauen also to pray vnto other Saints and Angels and to adore their Images and Reliques II. To hold the Scriptures to be imperfect and obscure that the Apocryphall bookes were of diuine Authoritie the Latine Translation was to bee authenticall that Traditions were to be added to perfit the Scriptures concerning necessarie matters of saluation that the authoritie of the holy Scriptures doth depend vpon the authoritie of the Church that they are not to be made so free as to be read and studied of all without licence III.
to true Councels Can an ordinarie man then iudge of these things And if he cannot let him not be deceiued by pretence of them II. Touching the ancient Fathers this they must know that they are found to be of differing opinions and had contentions among themselues that they held not their owne iudgements infallible nor submitted to one another otherwise then men godly and learned doe now but onely as by good reason and authoritie they were ouercome that they haue erred and this is acknowledged by most learned men on both sides that our aduersaries of the greatest note do often shake off their authoritie when they are against them that of the Fathers writings some are doubted of some are corrupted and many counterfeites are put out vnder their names that the iudgement of all the Fathers cannot be had for all our controuersies These things being so how idle is it then for ordinarie men to be talking of Fathers of the opinion of all the Fathers or for any such men to be carried away with such a sound which is not possible for them to vnderstand seeing our aduersaries alleage them for their selues and we more truly for our selues III. Concerning the Churches custome and path in euerie age let them consider that this is very vncertaine Historians haue not alwaies in euery relation bin found faithfull that euerie Age hath not had in it such as haue truly written of the Church that a man may spend his whole life in seeking out the whole Churches course and yet not be able to find it out I suppose I erre not if I say that all men now liuing cannot do it exactly in euery Age. And therefore it s but a gulling flourish of our aduersaries to boast of the whole Church in euery Age and yet withall so boasting fraudulently to meane their owne particular Romane Church By alleaging then these arguments to wit Councels Fathers and the generall custome of the whole Church the conscience of an ordinarie Christian cannot bee throughly satisfied his knowledge cannot herein bee certaine to conuince his iudgement these are beyond his reach and capacitie Be aduised therefore not to be drawne with these reasons which are to thee so vncertaine but rest vpon the other which be plaine and easie within thy capacitie and certaine vnto thee by which thou mayst through Gods helpe maintaine that which thou professest and confute the aduersaries vntruths or at least gather thence such strength as they shall not easily draw thee to beleeue them as for instance in some particulars I wil shew thee They say that the Pope is the head of the Catholike Church There is no plaine Scripture for this We find Iesus Christ to be called the Head of the Church but no other It s no Article of our Creed therefore thou art not bound to beleeue it But I adde this that what we beleeue is inuisible Heb. 11.1 and not seene 2. Cor. 5.7 If therefore the Pope be the Head there must be a visible head of an inuisible body Againe the head immediately giues life motion and direction to its true body which the Pope cannot doe to Christs Church It s also vnreasonable to thinke two heads to bee for one body whether one besides another or one vnder another it is a monstrousity Common experience testifieth against the Popes inabilitie to performe the true office of the true Head to Gods Church They say that he cannot erre Let it be taken in the best sense they can conceiue it there is no plaine Scripture which giueth this to any one particular person It s no Article of our Creed to beleeue it experience hath found him to haue erred foully They say that after the words of consecration the bread is turned into the very body of Christ and the wine into his bloud so as Iesus Christ is there corporally as he was borne of the Virgin Marie vnder the accidents of bread and wine In holy Scripture there is no such thing taught there is a sacramentall phrase This is my Body and the like vsed in the Sacraments of the old Testament This is my Couenant Gen. 17.10 This is the Lords Passeouer Exo. 12.11 The Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10.4 but yet no turning one substance into another The Creed teacheth vs to belieue him to be in heauen and thence to expect his comming when hee shall appeare to iudge the quicke and the dead This transubstantiation therefore is no part of our Faith It s against reason for a true body and continued quantitie to be in two places yea in a thousand mouthes at once The Angels reason vnto Marie Mat. 28.6 confuteth this grosse opinion for he said to her when she with the other Marie came to seeke Christ He is not here for hee is risen that is He is not in this place because he is else-where in another If Christ could haue been in two places at once the Angels argument had been of no force remember that this is an Angell-reason which know wee how to reason truly This opinion is against our sences we see not feele not nor taste not flesh and blood Now God neuer deluded mans sences whensoeuer he turned one substance into another Moses staffe was made a Serpent dust was Lice the water blood and water was wine and all these sensible No Scripture nor any other approued testimony can be produced to shew vndoubtedly the contrarie Yea this is certaine that the true body of Christ is discernable by sense to be a true bodie wheresoeuer it is therefore when the Disciples doubted at his sudden appearing he said It is I my selfe And to proue this he willeth them to vse their senses saying Handle me and see that so they might discerne his true body flesh and bones and so might it be in the Sacrament if indeed and truth he were there corporally It hath been witnessed against by the blood or many Martyrs but where be so many in defence of our aduersaries grosse opinion Which of them haue euer hitherto or dare to suffer for this their opinion as ours haue done against it This opinion of our aduersaries is to be detested for first the falshood thereof secondly for the grosse idolatry committed through it euen a piece of bread adored for Almightie Iesus Christ himselfe Thirdly for the bloodie crueltie which for the vpholding of it hath been done with furious rage vpon the bodies of Gods Saints because they would not beleeue this false doctrine nor commit this abominable idolatrie Fourthly all such as thus beleeue sinne not only in the act damnably for Idolaters perish euerlastingly Reuel 21.8 but also irrepentantly because they be perswaded that in so beleeuing and worshipping they doe not onely not sin but doe a most excellent worke and meritorious seruice to God They teach that there is a Purgatorie a place of torment In holy Scriptures we find plainely Heauen Earth Hell Sea but no