Christs spouse ought to do shee will be iudge yea shee will giue the sense of the Scripture and the exposition of it as shal best serue to iustifie her owne cause and if any man shall take a sentence of Scripture otherwise than shee allowes them than that sentence so taken shall not bee accounted Scripture These and other such like consequences they draw and deduce from this one fountaine That the Church of Rome can not erre Aske againe of them why cannot your Pope erre seeing he is a sinfull man as well as others as they will not deny and they least of all who are best acquaint with the Popes priuate conuersation seeing it is possible that the Cardinalls who are subiect to errour especially when their head is dead and a new Pope not yet created seeing they may erre in choosing an vnfit man for so great a charge what warrand can they show to giue assurance that such a Pope cannot erre They answere at last albeit they shift possibliea while becaus Saint Peter was head of the whole Catholick Church in his time hauing supreme authoritie and the fulnesse of pastorall power in doctrine and gouernment ouer the rest of the Apostles and all the Churches of the Worlde Saint Peter so qualified say they was Bishop of Rome and there is his Chaire and the Popes are his only lawfull successours inuested lawfully by God in the same Apostolicke authoritie ouer all the sheepe of Christ and all that may bee sheepe in the World and is as infalliblie assisted by the holy Spirit as euer the Apostle Saint Peter was after the descending of the holy Ghost vpon him in the Pentecost This is the key-stone of their whole building this is the Pillar of whole Popedome if this stand the better for them if this fall all goes to the ground and all that is builded thereon for if either they faile in prouing Saint Peters supremacie or his Romish Episcopacie or the Popes lawfullsuccession in Apostolick authoritie and other priuiledges then the Popes infallibilitie and the Roman Churches certaintie with all their traditions customes constitutions and all the rest of that worke of theirs builded thereon shall hurle to the ground together CHAP. 6. No Papist in the Earth can shew one cleare testimonie of Scripture to make good that ever Saint Peter was at Rome or Bishop of Rome or that the Pope is his speciall successour in his Apostolicke office TO examine then these grounds that therby some taste may be giuen briefly of that Cup which Rome propynes to the World and the Princes therof to drinke that they may fall in loue with her J will say nothing to the Apostolicke authoritie of the Lords deare servant Saint Peter nor to his personall prerogatiue in age in time of following Christ in zeale and painfulnesse in his calling Yet let me vindicate him a litle from that iniurie which his pretended successours doe him who father the basphemous titles of their Antichristian vsurpation and tyrannie ouer Gods Church vpon him For this peerelesse power above the whole Apostles headship of the Church which they alledge is a thing which without blasphemie cannot bee ascribed to any mortall man because Christ in his holy Scripture claims this for his owne royall prerogatiue to bee head of his Church and to haue the Church his body and not anothers To bee the husband of his Church and to haue the Church his spouse and not anothers for these belongs to the Sauiour of the Church who is Christ only and not another and therefore these three styles are Ephes 5. 23. joyned together and ascribed to him And this supremacie of Peter ouer the Apostles is a forgerie only of these who would haue some scugge for their vsurpation Math. 28. 19. Matth. 23. 8. 9. Marke 9. 33 34. Luk. 22. 26. 1. Pet. 5. 3. 4. for Christ gaue all his Apostles equall Cōmission equalled them as brethren and discharged any of them to take any maioririe or supremacie one ouer another And when in their infirmitie they strove for it Christ rebuked them and the night before hee suffered discharged the same absolutly among them Next Peter himselfe disclaimes this supremacie and ascribes it only to Iesus Christ and discharges all Dominion and Lordship ouer the Lords inheritance And the Apostle Paul testifies the trueth of this for magnifying his Apostleship he avows he was nothing inferior 2 Corin. 11. 5. Gal. 1. 1. 16. 17. 18. 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. to the chiefest Apostles And declares that hee receaued his Apostleship from Christ immediatlie and exercised it sundrie yeares before he saw Peter and dischargeth all to glorie in men whether Paul or Cephas that is Peter or Apollos or any other But because this is not the maine matter let vs come to that wherevpon all stands How proue they that Peter was at Rome or Bishop there or that God hath tied his Spirit to whosoeuer should bee Bishop of Rome after him So weightie a matter as the Popes standing or falling so maine an Article of Roman Catholick Faith the only Pillar of the Romish Religion the ground of the remission of so many sinnes of sauing or damning so many Soules hath neede of expresse direct and ample warrand from the divine Scripture or else of need force the weight of Roman Religion is builded upon the sand and hath no warrand from God Let them but show vs one testimonie out of all the holy Scripture that Saint Peter was properly Bishop of Rome and next let them show any testimonie out of the same Scripture that the Popes of Rome are priuiledged from erring more than other men and are indued with as infallible assistance of the holy Spirit as Peter They will produce to vs their owne flatterers and old storie writers who both in those maters and others disagree among themselves But who are these that the Soules of so many thousands should bee grounded vpon their worde to speake nothing of the fables that is found in them and of the small respect that the Church of Rome carries to them when they seeme to make any thing against them Therefore I say againe let them produce divine warrand out of the Scripture or els let me be iustified who after the tryall of their falshood and deceat haue departed from them as seducers who when J followed their grounds to the vttermost could giue mee no warrand for the grounds whereon all their Religion stands but such as are taken from behind the Bible from lying mens words and forged histories supposititous treatises of the fauorites of Rome helpers vp of their monstruous head the Pope aboue the Church either let them proue these prime Pillars of their Religion or else let all Catholickes who in their heart would faine bee at Christ forsake their seducers as J haue done vpon iust grounds But becaus it is impossible for thē to proue S. Peter proper Bishop of Rome from Scripture far lesse that all
the Popes of Rome since the Apostles time were as infalliblie assisted with the holy Spirit and set vp in the same Apostolick authoritie that he had J will say something against these for such as faine would know the right to thinke vpon till they proue the same groundes out of Scripture The Scripture giues great probabilitie that Peter was not in Rome at all farre lesse to fixe his Episcopall Chaire there For first before Paul did write to the Romans Peter was not at Rome far lesse Bishop of Rome for then Paul should haue made some mention of him confirmed his doctrine commended his labour and saluted him among the first but this he doth not Secondly Christianitie would not haue beene so vncouth to the Iewes at Rome who desired to heare of it by Act 28 22. 2 Tim. 4 16. Paul as a noueltie if Peter had beene there before Paul came to bee prisoner Thirdlie when Paul was arraigned before Caesar all forsooke him Therefore Peter was not there except they will lay a second deniall of Christ vpō him Jn all his Epistles written when hee was prisoner at Rome he tels who were his helpers among whom Peter is neuer mentioned Last of all it is writen how Peter Gal. 2. 7. 8. 9. preached among the circumcision and prospered in the Gospell and Paul preached among the Gentiles and prospered Then how Peter and Paul with some others made a couenant that Paule should preach to the Gentiles and Peter to the circumcision that is that Saint Paul should exercise his Apostolicke office especially among the Gentiles and Peter his among the Jewes From hence I reason if Peter had either beene or purposed to haue beene Bishop of Rome hee would not haue made that paction that Paul should preach to the Gentiles of whom the Romanes were a part and taken himself to the Jewes for his lot But that hee did make this Paction or couenant is euident out of the place cited therefore neither was Peter Bishop of Rome nor purposed to bee Bishop of it if they say hee was Bishop before this Couenant then he forsooke his Bishopricke if they say after then hee broke his Couenant and changed his minde and did contrare to his purpose He that considers the nature of the Apostleship of a Bishoprick properly taken will see that this ground of theirs is a fiction for to make an Apostle proper Bishop of any Town is to digraduate him from his Apostolick office as far as to make the Pope of Rome Parish-priest in a landward Village Lastly it wants not a mysterie that they can not make out the supputation of these yeeres which their common opinion ascribes to Peters bishoping at Rome as likewise they can not reconcile the different opinions anent Peters immediat successors whether it was Linus Clemens or Cletus A wonder it is that the fastening of the body of popedome to Saint Peter shuld be so vncertaine but the truth is that God heereby would declare to these who are not blinded that the misterie of iniquitie lurketh vnder these and the like mists This for Peters not beeing at Rome Now that the Pope is not lawfull successour to Peter in his Apostolicke office J cleare it thus he hath neither Apostolicke office nor Apostolicke qualification nor Apostolicke calling and entrie to the office hee pretends Therefore hee cannot bee either lawfull successour to Peter or any of the Apostles in that Apostolicke charge The office of Peter and others the Apostles was to goe and teach and baptize all Nations that is in their owne proper person to goe from place to place by preaching to plant Churches and to establish them But the Popes of Rome stayes in their palaces and neither teaches nor baptizes Therefore in their office they are not their successours Secondlie Peter and others Apostles were immediatly called and entered into their office by Jesus Christ himselfe but the Popes are chosen by their owne Creaturs the Cardinals who neither haue their owne office of God nor power of God to giue such office to the Pope Thirdly Peter and other Apostles were authorised to write canonicall Scripture and were indued with the gift of miracles God testifieing to the World his extraordinar Commission giuen to them so are not the Popes qualified therefore they are not Peters successours Thus I haue showne that one of the two greatest pillars of Poperie stands vpon the sand CHAP. 7. That this rotten and falling pillar of the Popes supremacie may bee maintained they leaue no humane policie vn-attempted THe veritie of this first is cleare by the testimonie of their Popes and Cardinalls who for the most parte are of noble birth in this Worlde the second or third sonnes of Princes and great men in Italie Spaine Germanie and other partes where the Romish Religion hath place by whose Kinred friendship and Allyance the Pope and Popedome is strengthned in al places Next for every Nation among the rest for Scotland England and Ireland there are appointed Cardinals protectors as they call them at Rome men who haue Church offices honor at Rome to allure draw in by all their moyen whom they can specially such as out of curiosity in traueling do resort thither lands rents in about Rome besides their purchase which is often more than their set Rent are not deficient Then there are Cardinals sent forth from the court of Rome into all Cuntries where Popedome hath place to see to the standing of the Popes grandour that obedience be giuen to his Holinesse as they say euerywhere Under them in euerie Cuntrie where Romish Religion hath place are Primates Abbots Metropolitanes Suffraganes with many other their attendans c. vnto whom euerie-where large Rents of the Church-living and casualities and commodities doe appertaine all these by their whole strength studie to vphold the Popes grandure Vnder these againe are exceeding many ordouts of Monkes of Friers of diverse colours or habits Dominicanes or Iacobines Augustines Benedictines Franciscans Capucians Gray Friers Recollects Carthusians Carms Minims and Iesuits c. hudge number of all these of whom some liue by set Rents some goe a begging some liue on their purchase as they best may all these beside their proper motiues to advance the Sea of Rome are solemnly sworne to that effect that they shall maintaine defend and doe their vttermost for the honour welfare and grandour of their holy Father the Pope Besides these they haue all the common people tied vnto them by bands not laid vpon their bodies but vpon their Soules by their doctrine of auriculare confession whereby vnder paine of not beeing forgiuen their sinnes and eternall condemnation they make them reveale not only their secreet actuall turpitude wherevpon what abuse followes J neede not insist but also their purposes and intentions which they haue had to sinne and in speciall if they bee priuie to any thing against the Church of Rome their holy mother by
THE DECLARATION OF Mr. PATRIK CRAWFVRD HIS RETVRNE FROM POPERIE TO THE TRVE Religion which is according to the Word of GOD in holie Scripture Psal 40. verse 2. He hath brought me vp out of an horrible pit out of the myrie clay c. EDINBVRGH Printed by Iohn Wr cittoun Anno Dom. 1627. To the right Honourable the right Reverend and worshipfull THE LORD PROVEST BAILYIES MINISTERS AND remanent Counsellours of EDINBVRGH all encrease of grace heere and glorie heereafter BEeing obliged in conscience for the glorie of God and edification of his People to publish this my declaration of my returning to the true Religion these reasons amongst others moued mee to dedicate the same vnto you honourable and Christian People and to you their reuerend Pastours First because my sinne in revolting from this Religion in my youthlynesse is so grieuous howsoeuer the Lord hath showne mercie to me knowing that I did it in ignorance that it becomes mee as publickly as I can to declare my Repentance and this I haue thought the readiest meane for that purpose Next because I haue done wrong to my natiue Countrie and the Church in Scotland so farre as I was able in the matter of Religion and speciallie I haue done my uttermost endeuour to haue weakned the hands of sundrie professing the doctrine of the said Church and drawne them to the Romish Religion wherewith for the time of that my ignorance I was in conceite And now beeing sensible of my errour in some measure the shortest course which I could see to repaire this wrong was that so to you some sort of satisfaction might bee giuen and by you who are the most eminent and conspicuous and large Church in this Land others who from all partes resort vnto you might receiue the satisfaction in like manner Thirdly because your Pastours beene the speciall Instruments of GOD of my satisfaction in such scruples and doubtes of Religion as I had and propounded to them before I could renounce the groundlesse Religion of poperie and the men who mette mee when I was seeking home as a forlorne Sonne to my Fathers house againe as iustly I may now call my selfe You I say right reverend were the men that mette mee and mecklie poynted out the way and went along with mee convoying mee on my way in whose dealing with mee I might haue seene my heauenly Fathers readinesse to meete and embrace mee sometimes I grant I haue spoken of you as others of the Romish Religion doe of you and of all faithfull and learned Ministers only for the Religions cause But then I knew you not Now I haue found that you haue both learning and Loue and if you and others of your Calling were knowne as I know you I put no question many should bee nothing ashamed but glad at their heart to forsake the puddle of humane Doctrine and take them to the fountaine of the diuine Scriptures Now then seeing you are Pastours to me and I by this meanes as one of your Flock if so it may please your flocke and you to account of such a wandering sheepe as I haue beene To whom could I offer this testimonie of my Repentance rather than to you Honourable and Christian People and to you their vigilant and reuerend Pastours whose Christian disposition makes mee to hope that this my offer shall bee accepted in good part Yours in Christ Mr. Patrik Crawfurd GENTILI CHARISSIMO Patricio Crafordio à Cassilton ex Synagoga Romanâ ad Ecclesiae Evangelicae societatem reduci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 QVod Latii illecebras scorti evitâris astum Apoc. 17. ibid. 19. 9. ibid. 18. 4. ibid. 21. 2. In sua quo incautos retia dira trahit Quod thalamos sancti sis invitatus ad agni Dum venit in castos sponsa pudica thoros Quod Babyloniacam Domino suadente ruinam Effugis in Solymae tecta nouata redux Gratulor immensumque Dei miserantis amorem Miror inexhaustas bonitatis opes Tu quoque quod lubrico erroris de tramite caeci Conversus fratres sic stabilire paras Laudo piumque animum gratamque in pectore mentem Et cum candenti simplicitate fidem O vtinam surdis aures lumina caecis Assidue Dominus sic tribuisse velit Thomas Crafordius THE DECLARATION OF Mr. PATRIK CRAWFURD HIS RETVRNE FROM POPERIE TO THE true Religion which is according to the Word of God in holy Scripture He hath brought mee vp out of an horrible pit out of the myrie clay c. Psal 40. Ver. 7 CHAP. 1. The mercy of God to a Sinner THese sixe yeares bygone I haue beene a stranger to God and his Word and haue lyen in darknesse of Poperie neuer reading the Scriptures for the right end but only to picke out something of them for contraversie whereby I might brangle with some colour and appearance these who makes the Lords Word the only rule of their Religion euen as many moe Schollers than I doe read them still who sets themselfe to maintaine Poperie and oppugne the reformed Religion But now the Lord God who is gratious and mercifull to many that deserues wrath who is found often-times of them who seekes him not or seeks him not the right way hath opened my eyes by the power of his owne trueth and light which I in my ignorance smothred downe and keeped vnder in vnrighteousnesse and hath made mee vnderstand now that there is no Rocke whereon to rest that Soule that seeks certaintie either of Religion or of Salvation but the holy Scripture and that learned mens judgement and writings and the testimonie of the Church and publicke Preaching and conference and reading and meditation and prayer to God for the Spirit of Wisedome and grace are all but meanes to point out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the World and to finde out his will set downe in his Testament So that I may now say truelie the Lord hath brought mee out of an horrible and darke Pit where the light of the Lords Word is hid and put vnder a Bushell and out of the myrye and teugh clay of their errours which defyled mee and held mee fast wherein J found no ground to rest on but sunke deeper dayly and should haue drowned at last had not the Lord pulled mee out and set my feete vpon a Rocke and ordered my goings The summe of which worke of God as I haue declared to sundrie priuatly and now of late publickly in the Church of Irwing before my admission to the Lords Table there the 26. of August 1627. so J found my selfe oblidged to declare the same by write to all men if I could and that so much the more as I haue beene more wicked in the wrong way than many others who haue beene seduced and drawne away from the trueth as I was for J hauing drunken in the errours of Poperie as fast as I could at home went ouer to France and Italie and other
the head and quickned by one Spirite for which cause of Christ it is said that he dwels in vs and wee in him he is the head and wee Ephes 3. 17 4. 16 are the members of his mysticall bodie By this threefold certaintie they teach and belieue that they are made sure of Christ in the Sacrament for performance wherof they show that there is no necessitie of corporall presence First because these meanes of certaintie were appoynted of Christ to supplee his corporall absence till his second comming againe Secondly because the Sonne of God is more able after this manner from Heauen to communicate himselfe to vs on Earth then the Sun that shines dayly is able from Heauen to giue light and heate to vs on Earth without descending corporally to vs. Then for the exposition of the wordes of the Sacrament This is my body they professe to expone them as Saint Paul expones them who sayes that the bread which we break is the communion of the body of 1 Cor. 10 16. 1 Cor. 11 25. Iesus the cup which wee blesse is the Communion of the blood of Christ and as Christ speaking of the cup it must be exponed This cup is the new Testament or covenant in my blood and according to the vsuall forme of the Scripture language concerning Sacraments where the name of the gift is giuen to the Seale to assure them who faithully receaue the one that they are made sure of the other or the name of a mercie bestowed is given to the memoriall of it to make the acknowledgment of that mercy more fresh and liuelie Seeing that therefore J could find for the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation no warrand of the Lords worde and by that doctrine no ground of infallible certaintie to free mee from Idolatrie but on the contrare grounds of assurance that it could not bee that God would expose his Sonne any more to personall suffering of such indignities as is done him in the Masse Let any man iudge whether I had reason to sute to bee receaued to the communion with him according to the warrand of his owne worde and bee free for euer from all perill of that grosse Idolatrie CHAP. 10. The Masse drawes away from Christs rule of the Sacrament and defaces his institution THe next reason why J call the Masse an errour is because it doth leade men away from the right rule of the Sacrament to follow mens deuices and forged mysticall rites of mens appoyntments whereof the Lord hath pronounced in generall In vaine doe they worship mee teaching for doctrine the precepts of men Which howsoeuer they bee in estimation among men yet are abominable before God for our Lord Jesus beeing to leaue the World in regarde of his corporall presence thought good to appoynt a holy Supper wherein hee will haue his bodilie sufferings and bloodshed and death represented and brought to fresh remembrance by the breaking of bread and wine powred out in a cup and the Soules of his faithfull ones fed comforted in the assurance that his body was broken for them and his blood shed for the remission of their sinnes by eating of the bread broken and drinking of the wine powred in the cup which eating and drinking should bee to them a pledge and seale of their spirituall coniunction with CHRIST and partaking of his life as certainely wrought by his spirit as if these elements which they did eate and drinke were ioyned with their bodies Then which ordinance of our Lord nothing can bee more sweet to a Soule that considers his purpose therein and therefore he hath commanded not his Ministers only but his whole Church on Earth to doe this in remembrance of him following his example as he hath caused set down by his pen-men in his Testament to bee followed till his second comming againe But the Church of Rome as her defection hath growne peece and peece hath so far departed from the rule that scarsly now in their Masse can the footsteps of Christs ordinance be seene for vnder pretense that they are not tied to follow these circumstances which were proper to the first Supper such as are the time after Supper the place an vpper Chamber the number of persons eleuen or twelue the sexe men only and not women which any man may perceiue to bee proper to that first time and not belonging to the nature of the Sacrament if these circumstances were vrged vniversally they should marre and hinder that action and the comfort of the communicants women beeing secluded the night taking when the day was free a chamber taking wherein all the Church could not assemble and twelue only admitted where fourtie twelues were prepared and waiting on vnder pretense I say of not beeing tied to these foure circumstances when they may be prejudiciall to the action they haue taken libertie to alter the substance and sacramentall rites of this Supper left to be imitate by all Christs Churches till his second cōming again for as thogh Christs ordināce had beene too base and simple they haue deuised to cloath their Priests in brodering of silk and siluer and gold and to make sumptuous Masse cloathes to set out their work with all As if Christ his ceremonies had beene of small signification they haue casten them by and appoynted new ones of their owne making mysticall significations of their owne deuising As if the Apostle Paul had superfluously from Christs mouth giuen commandement to the common people to drink of the cup they haue cutte off the halfe of the peoples comfort and witholden the cup from them As if the Lord had not done wisely in vsing plaine language to his disciples such as they vnderstood they haue rolled vp all in an vncouth language commanding that Masse should only bee said in Latine As if our Lord had not well considered what belongs to the holynesse of such a worke in taking such bread as was vsuall in the Land and as the Master of the house laid downe before him to Supper they haue made a round Masse bread the quantitie of twelvepence or sixpence and as thin as they can cause it sticke together with a stamped crucifixe on the one side of it for the purpose they haue turned the communion of a number to the Priests drinking and eating alone the Lords table to a stone Altar the memoriall of his death to an imaginary corporall presence the seale of Gods giuing of Christ vnto men into mens offering vp of Christ to God Gods Sacrament into mans sacrificing of the sonne of God to the Father in a worde they haue turned Christs holy Supper in the Popes Masse and so what by adding what by pairing what by altering and chopping and changing they haue mutilated deformed and defaced Gods ordinance falsified King Jesus his great seale and corrupted his testament that he who is partaker of the Masse thinking to get Gods blessing by it casts himselfe in danger of Gods curse for beeing
no fewer than these that were enioyned For they teach that in baptism our sins are forgiuen vs by the merits and satisfaction of Christ allanerly but the sins committed after baptisme be taken away and expiat by our own satisfactions but the Apostle sayth That as the wage sin is death so the gift of God is life eternall throgh Iesus Christ Rom. 6. 23. our Lord. Heauen then is Gods free gift through Christ and not our deseruing Neither can it be considered how Christs obedience is properly a satisfaction and yet either requireth or admitteth our satisfaction Besids their owne extravagant fayth that one drop of Christs blood is sufficient to saue the whole World what necessitie or place then is for our satisfaction in our Saluation They will not receaue the Kingdom of Heaven after this manner but as a iust debt to the which God of justice is bund and obliged to them not only for the merits of Christ but also for the merits of their owne works which hath an equal worth answerable to the Kingdome of Heauen J passe by here their selling of Masses their baptising of Bells baptism being a Sacrament of the new couenant only and no wayes belonging to senslesse creaturs their scrotching fire of Purgatory as hot as hell wherein the Souls of the godly dying in the Lord are tortured before they come to Heauen till such time as the punishment due to their veniall sin in that continuall torture bee ended And yet the Scritpure tels vs Blessed are the dead that Revel 14 13. die in the Lord for so sayeth the Sprit they rest from their labours and their works follow them Fearefull should their rest bee if dieing in the Lord with some little thing vnsatisfied as they affirme they shuld be cast in the torture as hot as hells fire And heere is to be obserued the mercilesse dealing of their father the Pope who hauing power to relieue soules when he pleases yet suffers many thousands to be tortured there still till he or his receaue money for their deliuerance And thus much shortly for the third part whereof I promised to speake CHAP. 16. The cunning dealing of Romish Emissaries in seducing and disputing NOw being forced here to acknowledge the foresaid false grounds of the Romish Religion which in my miscarying J laide downe as true to haue beene the beginning of all this mischiefe and hauing my mind ouercharged with the filthinesse and loathsomnes thereof to testifie the vnfained forsaking of them all the filthynes of their superstition J must add some things by way of conclusion for the loue I carry to my Country the trueth of that Religion which is allowed of God albeit J know it will incense sundry against mee I would aduertise young Schollers and others whether at home or abroad to bee warre of the Jesuite his cunning dealing with other their Emissaries such as are seminarie Priests Friers c. whether hee come directly to seduce you or come occasionally to disput with you If hee haue a purpose to seduce you hee will first make choyse of some catholicke of your acquaintance who hath best credite of you and most respected by you him he will instruct how to handle you and will put his owne speaches and arguments in his mouth if you hearken giue eare and make hopes you may bee theirs an offer will bee made to you to speak with a Father or learned man and so you and and he shall come to conference If hee can not finde a fit person to deale with you then hee will come openly to you if he be where he may professe himselfe if not he will come vnder the habite of a Gentleman or burgesse of a Towne or Countryman as best fits his purpose as it were by occasion falling in your company will talke of any purpose till hee take you vp and as he hath time to stay or to bee with you so will he worke ordinarily hee will blame all our professours for few good works and open euill liues of the great many this at once he will turne vpon the Religion But stumble not you for this for the Religion of the Jewes was good when the Prophet complaines that Faith and trueth was Psal 12. departed from the children of men The Lords word which is our Religion condemnes the sins of professours more than they can condemne the same They will obiect the liues of Ministers what they please to speak of them and they haue in readinesse some examples and instances in print or writ or in their memorie but stumble not you at this for they doe injurie to the Ministers when they blame all for the fault of some and again they doe iniury to Gods word when they prease to blame the trueth for the teachers fault One of the twelue Apostles was a Devill what was the Apostles or the Apostleship the worse and yet when all is said if their closters were as open as Ministers conversation they should mak litle talke in this poynt They will tell thee of the ignorance and want of Learning among Ministers be not you troubled for this they are learned enough that know Iesus Christ rightly and can teach him soundly learning is not the glory of our Religion but trueth and yet thogh I somtime thoght so and said so as they doe yet I found it otherwise when I mette with the Ministers Yocke with the Ministers when they will so farre as J know they will ruse themself litle for the want of learning They will obiect they haue no warrandable calling but vrge you them to iustifie the calling of their chiefe pillars Popes Cardinals and Prelates whose office and entrie in their office God neuer ordained in his worde Ministers calling goes not by succession but by election Their office is prescrived in the word their entrie and qualification Let euery one justifie as he is challanged so much as may bee seene of men is alwayes nearer the rule of the Apostles than any of their calling They will obiect the noveltie of this Religion and will aske for succession of Pastours in our Church But answer you that they slander you vniustly for novelty whose doctrin was taught by Christ and his Apostles and recommended to after ages Where the Catholick Church and true sheep of Christ vvho heard his voyce and fled sequestrating themselues from strangers were there was our Church particular professours names is no poynt of saluation What manamong ten thousand can shew his naturall pedegree from the seventh generation shal a man be questioned of the trueth of his humanity if he cannot deduce his genealogie from Adam or Noah Albeit the Protestants can bee able to show continuance of their doctrine by the lyne and catalogue of the witnesses the truth through all ages from Christs vnto our time If this obiection were of any worth wee might use it against their Church and they could not deduce from Christ or the Apostles