question yea or no 16. Thinges vnwritten ordered If no Traditions ought to be receiued shew me where those thinges are written which S. Paul promised to set in order at his comming to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. for if all thinges were contayned in the written word which the Corinthians had receiued what needed S. Paul to promise to putt the rest in order at his cominge chiefly cōcerning our Lords supper 16. Church not inuisible Seeing Christ saith If thy brother will not heare thee tell it vnto the Church and if he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as a heathen publican and therfore apoints his Church to be iudge in controuersies concerning doctrine and maners how shal a man finde the church if it be inuisible And why affirme yee it so to haue bene seeing no recourse can be had to an inuisible iudge 17. Their Church how long How long esteeme you your Church to haue beene inuisible And during the tyme of the inuisibility therof if ther were any of your Ministers that preached the word of God administred the Sacraments in the realm of Scotland Also who they were that during that time opposed themselues to al heresies and confuted them seeing yee acknowledge with vs sundrie heresies to haue beene euen almost in all ages 18. The Sinagogue visible Seeing Christ hath reiected the Sinagogue of the Iewes erected and builded to himselfe a Church of the Gentills Mat. 28 which he hath promised to asist and maintaine to the end of the world how it is possible that the church of Christ against his said promise hath beene so many yeares inuisible as yee suppose Seeing that the aforsayd Synagogue notwithstanding the reiection thereof hath euer beene visible and is yet at this present in diuers countreyes so that by this your false doctrine yee giue vnto it euen after the reiection of it greater prerogatiue then yee vouchsafe to giue to the church of Christ 19. Tyme of decaying Seeing yee confes with your master Caluin l. 4. Inst. c. 2. n. 3. the Romane Church somtime to haue bene the true Church in what time age suppose yee that it decayed so that the adherents thereof by reasō of idolatrie could not be saued 20 Sucession of theirs Seeing God hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets Ephes 4. Euangelists and Pastors for the gathering to gether of the Saints and for the edification of the body of Christ which is his Church to the end of the world I require you if you be the members of the said body of Christ to shew your Doctors and Pastors who haue succeeded one another since the Apostles with continuance of any Vniforme doctrine as the Catholiques haue already done 21 Condemning herefies Why rayle yee so much against the seate of Rome seeing by that seate all heretiques haue bene conuicted and condemned hier ep 17. ad Dama s Aug. cont Pelag an euident token that it is of God And if yee haue the true Curch as yee alleadge shew that euer any of yours haue opposed your selues against any heresie before our dayes 22 Imitation of heretiques Why follow yee the footsteps of the Donatists who called the chaire of Rome Aug. cōt lit Petil. l. 2. c. 51. the chaire of pistilence Or how could it haue bene possible that the seat of Rome could haue withstood and prenailed against all kindes of perpersecutions since the begining and against so many infidels and heretiques if it had bene the chaire of pestilence as yee say The 23. Sacraments seales If the Sacraments be only outward tokens and seales as yee teache what prerogatiue giue yee to the Sacraments of the gospell Cal. l 4. Inst c. 10.1 aboue the Sacraments of the old law 24. Faith assures not grace Seeing yee teach that faith assureth you of grace receiued before the reception of the Sacraments how can you say but that they be altogether vnprofitable and can giue no fur ther confirmation For as much as where assurance of grace is already no confirmation is required 25. Value of Sacraments Why affirme yee the Sacraments to be of no valor except they be receiued by faith and not withstāding baptise infants who can receiue nothing by faith 26. Necessitie of Baptisme Why abuse yee the people teaching that infants without baptisme obtaine remission of their sinnes by the faith of their parēts sith the faith of the parents cannot hinder them to be borne in originall sinne Rō 3.5 Ephes 2. and to be the sonnes of wrath as S. Paul affirmeth 27. Preachatiue Baptisme Seeing Baptisme Cal. l. 4. Inst ca. 14. n. 4. as yee teache can not consist without preaching and for as much as no preaching was made at the time yee were baptised by the Catholiques what assurance haue yee that yee ar yet baptised Or what doth preaching auaile to alitle infant who wants the vse of vnderstanding 28. Baptisme of Infidels infants Why affirme yee with your master Caluin In Antid cō Trid. that the Sacrament of Baptisme ought only to be ministred to them who haue already obtained the remission of their sinnes Seeing therof it followes most euidently that infants begotten of Infidel parents should not at all be baptised because they cannot receiue remission of their sinnes by the faith of their parents when they are Infidels or vnfaithfull 29. Ceremonies of Baptisme Why reiect yee the ceremonies of Baptisme which alwayes a Dionis Ar. c. 2. c. Hier. haue bene vsed in the church of God since the dayes of the Apostles name what age soeuer you please Or how can yee defend your maister Caluin b l. 4. Inst c. 15 n. 19. who is not ashamed to affirme that in the primitiue church the right lawfull administration of Baptisme was already corrupted 30. Confirmation Why deny yee the Sacrament of Confirmation seing it is so clearly expressed in the Acts of the Apostles Act 1.19 who by the imposition of handes gaue the holy Ghost and also confirmed by all ancient writers yea and as yet retayned by the English Protestants 31. Reall presence If the body of our Lord Iesus Christ be not really in the B. Sacramēt l. 4. Inst. c. 17. n. 10. 14 why affirme yee with your master Caluin that in this Sacrament by the spirit of God those thinges are conioyned together which are seperat to wit the body of Christ which is in heauen with vs who are beneath in earth 32. Receiuing by faith Why affirme yee Cal. l. 4. Inst c. 17. n. 10. that we receiue the body of Christ really by faith if it be not really present in the Sacrament seing our faith cannot make that thinge to be which is not If therfore his body be not there really we cannot beleeue that we receiue it really except we flatly deceiue our selues 33. lifting vp to heauen In what scripture reade yee that which yee profes with your master Caluin
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
of themselues of their folowers The 51. Demaund Apostasie LAST of all to be short to cut off many other questions of like weight that I could demaund whether as in euery one of these Demaundes it is euident that they be Heretickes and Seducers so in many of them and much more in all of them it bee not likewise euidēt that they be litle better thē plaine Apostataes as First in changing the Priesthoode Heb. 7. c. 12. wherupon the change of al the Lawe ensueth as we see they also thereupon haue chānged wel neare all which no olde Heretikes euer durst to do except it were the Manichees Orat. de 5. Haer. c. 7.10.6 whom S. Augustine for that cause did note to be somthing els then Heretiks in saying that there were fiue sorts of people in the world Iewes Paganes Manichees Heretikes and Catholickes Secondly in reuiuing not one or two but so many olde Heresies besides as I am bould to say at leaste a thousand more of their owne inuention Thirdly for taking from Christian men so many arguments of Christs God head and Diuinitie as the inuisible Continuance and Authoritie of his Church the Honour of Crosses the vertue of Crosses the Honor of Relikes the vertue of Relikes Miracles Exorcismes Vnitie Sacrifice c. Fourthly for leauing nothing vndenied not Fathers not Councels not Traditions not Scriptures nor the only witnesse of all Canonical Scripture the Churches authoritie departing from the Faith of al ages since Christs time agreeing with no Christian time nor none with them Fifthly in place of al Religion and goodnes which they haue remoued deuising a new gospel of their foresaid onely vaine Faith which teacheth all Sinnes and all Heresyes to presume of saluation Besides much more that I need not to repeate And whether therefore people now a daies be not to to carelesse and negligēt of their soules that whereas they shoulde not vnder paine of euerlasting damnation yeald to any one Heresie haue so fowly yelded to so fowle Apostasie How beit as S. Peter saide to the Iewes Act. 3. Et nunc fratres scio quia per ignorantiam fecistis sicut principes vestri so I doubte not but that in our Countrey likewise many of all sortes may be somewhat excused by ignorance and therefore the more hope there is for such as wil repent But otherwise if any for all this list wilfully to folow on most fowly and most miserably deceauing them selues by cause afore God they can not possibly haue any excuse of their so doing no more then if they should consent to folow the proceedinges or to frequent the churches of the Arrians or of any other olde Heretikes yea or of the Turkes them selues if perhappes they liued vnder the raigne of such And therefore I say if any liste to contemne stil all holsome counsell and desperatelye to followe on not to returne to the Truth so manifoldly and so plainely opened some also to perfecute it moste malicioussy their blood at leaste wise Ezecb. 3 shal not bee required at our handes hereafter when they shall repente to late CERTAINE OTHER DEMANDS ANNEXED TO THE FORMER VERY FIT Also to be proposed to our En-English Protestants but principally vnto our Puritans EXTRACTED Out of a learned booke made by the Reu. Fa. Iohn Hay Priest of the Society of Iesus proposed vnto the Ministers of Scotland With licence Anno 1623. Stand yee vpon the wayes and see and aske of the old pathes which is the good way and walke yee in it and you shall find refreshing for your soules Ieremy 6.16 There must be heresyes that they who are approued may be knowne among you Cor. And I desire you brethrē to mark them that make dissentions and scandals contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoyd them for such do not serue Christ our Lord but their owne belly and by sweet speaches and benedictions seduce the harts of innocents Rom. 16.17 I know that after my departure there will rauening wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke and out of your owne selues shall arise men speaking peruerse thinges to draw away disciples after themselues Acts 20.29 THE PREFACE GENTLE Reader by the little experience that I haue in matter of disputation against Protestants I find the Prouerb to be verifyed which sayth That Aristotles Asse is able to deny more then Aristotle himself is able to proue For the most ignorant companion that euer handled a cudgell in schoole makes a shew to be some tale and iollie fellow all the while the skilfull Fencer suffers and wills his young schollar to lay at his Master he in the meane tyme lying only at his locke and defending himselfe and not offending his vnskillfull schollar But when this Maister begins to let flye at this ignorant fellow and to teach him the Art as well to defend himselfe as to offend others alas how doe the standers by laugh at this poore apprentice To see him who seemed some-body a little before to be now no-body and to be knockt and rapt how and where his Master listes The very like is to be sayd of the combate or Controuersy in Religion where let Protestantes alone still to stricke obiect and lay loade at Catholikes one would thinke I wosse that there were some matter in them For in opposing the Reall presence Purgatory Images Prayers to Saints Rayling at the Pope and the like you would thinke them to be some iollie fellowes but alas turne the offenciue weapon towardes him lay at him a little and do but teach this bould offender of others to defend himself all the beholders burst out in laughter and the poore schollar proues so vnskillfull that the blowes he should receaue vpon his buckler he beareth them off with his head and shoulders and is knockt and rapt euery where where the Fencer listes For euen so Protestantes seeme to shew some small skill in offending vs and our Religion but being put to defend their owne alas what poore Fencers doe they proue Let the Reader be but an indifferent behoulder of this ensuing combate and I assure him he cannot looke on but he shall laugh for his labour The 1. Demaund Their first Preachers VVHETHER the gospel of Christ was at any time preached in Scotland before Paul Methuen sir Iohn Knox yea or no 2. VVhence their Doctrine Seing no man ought to preach any doctrine but that which he hath learned in the Church of God because as witneseth S. Paul saith cometh by hearing Rom. 10 I demand from what Doctors or Pastors Iohn Caluin sir Iohn Knox and their like first learned their new doctrine now preached in the realme of Scotland 3. VVhence their vocation And sith it is written that no man may preach vnles he be sent Rom. 10 I demād by what power Syr Iohn Knox with other Apostataes Priests Monkes and Friars tooke vpon them this vocation 4. If Conforme to predecessors
l. 4. Inst c. 17. n. 3â—â— that when yee receiue the sacrament Christ is made verely present vnto you Not that he should be on the earth where yee are but that yee should be lifted vp to heauen where he is and to which of the heauens were the Apostles lifted vp when they had our lord Iesus Christ sitting with them in the last supper 34. In two places at once Why attribut yee more to your owne faith then to the omnipoteÌ„t power of God Cal. l. 4. Inst cap. 17. n. 31. saing that by your faith yee are truly lifted vp to heauen and so at one time yee ar both in heauen and earth and deny that Christ can cause his body to be really present at once in heauen and earth 35. Penance Why deny yee the sacrament of Penance Cal. l. 3. Inst. c. 4. by the which the lawful ministers of Gods word as instruments of his Maiestie giue vs remission of our sinnes according to the word of Lord Iesus Christ Ioh. 20. Whose sinnes yee forgiue they are forgiuen whose yee retaine they are retained 36. Order Why deny yee holy Order to be a sacrament l. 4. Inst c. 14. n. 20. seeing your master Caluin doth most euidently confes it to be one as is most manifest in the written word of God Mat. 10. Luc. 9. 37. Extreame Vnction Why deny yee the sacrament extreame Vnction seeing the Apostle S. Iames cap. 5. speaketh so manifestly therof saying Is any sick among yov let him send for the priests of the Church let them pray ouer him and annoint him with oyle in the name of our Lord 38. Matrimonie Why deny yee the sacrament of mariage Ephes 5. seeing S. Paul witnesseth in so plaine words that it is a Sacrament And why doth your master Caluin lye so loudly affirming that no man vntill the time of Gregorie the first of that name Pope of Rome In c. 5. ad Ephes l. de fide op c. 7. euer saw that it was giuen for a sacrament seeing S. Ambrose a S. August b and other Doctors long before Gregorie affirme the same in most manifest wordes to be a sacrameÌ„t 39. Two wiues at once Why permit yee any man to marrie his first wife being yet aliue seeing S. Paul saith That the womaÌ„ which is in subiection to a man her husband being aliue is bound to the law but if her husband be dead she is deliuered froÌ„ the law of her husband Therfore if she take another man whilst her husband yet liueth she shall be called an adulteres 40. Breaking of vowes Seeing S. Paul affirmes that those who marrie after they haue made the vow of chastity incur damnation what hath moued your Apostata Priests Monkes and Friars to attempt mariage after their so solemne vow of chastitie and so most willfully to damne themselues 41. Sinnes not imputed Why affirme yee that yee are so assured that your sinnes are not imputed to you as yee are assured that God is in heauen because yee beleeue the one the other with one faith as yee say And yet not withstanding yee beg daylie in our Lords prayer that your sinnes may be forgiuen you which prayer truly were superfluous if this your assertion were so assured 42. All good workes sinnes Why affirme yee Cal. l. 3. Inst cap. 14. n. 5.11 that all our workes how good soeuer they appeare to be are nothing but sinne in the sight of God sith it is impossible that any worke be good and euill all at once And in the Scripture it selfe Gen. 4.22.3 Reg. 10. we reade of sundry that haue bene commeÌ„ded for their good workes Or if all our workes be sinnes then is it all one to rob a poore man and to giue him almes excepte the one be lesse sinne then the other 43. False assurance Why affirme yee with your master Caluin l. 3. Inst c. 2. n. 40. that who soeuer hath once embraced the light of your gospell can neuer perish considering that many who haue bene of your sect yea Ministers themselues of the highest ranck haue turned to vs and haue dyed in our Catholique faith and so according to your doctrine ar vtterly Damned 44. Absurditie by denying a third place Seeing on the one side yee teach that the spots of sinne remayne so long as we liue Cal. l. 4. Inst c. 13 n. 10. and on the other side deny both place and time of cleansing after our death how can you auoide to declare manifestly that ether none at all enter into heauen or else that they who enter do still remayne with their spots of sinne a thing so expresly contrary to the word Apoc. 12. 45. Inuocation of Saints Why affirme yee against the Scripture that the Saints in heaueÌ„ heare not our prayers because forsooth that they ar dead seeing Christ himself saith that God is not the God of the dead Mat. 22. but of the liuing And how can the Saints in heauen reioyce at our repentance if they know not the same Luc. 15. 46. Images If all that haue errected Images in the Temple of God be I dolaters how can yee deliuer Moyses of that spot or yet defend Exod. 25. 37. Num. 7. that God himselfe was not the author of I dolatrie seing he commanded Images to be made for that effect 47. Renewing old heresies Why haue yee renewed so many old heresies condemned so many hundred yeares since by the vniuersall church of God Namely the heresie of Simon Magus denying the freewill of man Clem. l. 2 Recog 48. Of the Pepusians Why haue yee renewed the heresie of PepusiaÌ„ns affirming Aug. de haer haer 27. that distinction of order and degree ought not to be obserued in the church of God 49. Of the Nouatians Cyp. l. 4. ep 2. â— Why haue yee renewed the heresie of the Nouatians denying that all sinnes are forgiuen by the Sacrament of Penance 50. Of the Maniches Why haue yee renewed the heresie of the Maniches Aug. ad quodâ— ult heres 46. denying the water of Baptisme to auayle any thinge to our saluation 51. Of the Donatists Why haue yee renewed the heresie of the Donatists Optat. Mil. l. 2. ad Par. de scis Don. teaching that the Church of God hath perished thoroughout the whole world except in some obscure corners As also Aug. l. 2. cont Petil c. 34. that S. Iohns Baptisme was not different from the baptisme of our Lord 52. Of the Arrians Why haue yee renewed the heresies of Arius Aug. de heres ad quod vult Deum heres 13. teaching that it is not lawfull to offer sacrifice for the dead And that there is no difference betweene a Bishop and a simple priest nor that the fasting dayes of the Chruch ought to be kept but that euery man may fast according to his owne will and pleasure 53. Of the Eunomians Why haue yee renewed