Churches handes Aske them againe Whereas some auncient writers haue bene iustly noted for certaine errors whether our Church may be taxed with any of those errors yea whether our Churches Faith be not the Rule whereby both Protestants and all others safely may and do now read those writers and so most easilye auoide those errors being nothinge moued with the authoritie nor antiquitie of those writers nor with the greate showe of many Scriptures which either those writers or also sundrye olde Heretikes made for their errors knowing vndoubtedly by the Rule of our Churches faith that those Scriptures haue not that meaning being otherwise like to thinke as any indifferent man will beare me recorde that the Scriptures make for those olde errors heresies no lesse yea much more then for Luther or Caluine or any other Heretikes of our time And whether it be not plaine by this that our Church is that Depositorium diues Iren. l. 3. cap. 4. that Riche Storehouse wherein all Truth either by the Apostles or by any other 2. Tim. 1. d 14. hath bene laide vp and wherein euery man that will may without danger and without labour finde what soeuer Truth he seeketh The 38. Demaund Old Heresies VVHETHER on the contrarie side amongst the Protestantes any other Truth be to be found but only such as they receued of vs yea further whereas very many Falsehoodes Errors Heresies haue bene from time to time by the Church noted and condemned whether a greate number of the same Heresies be not now to bee founde amongest the Protestantes So many olde Heresies I saye whereas one were enough to proue theÌ„ heretiks as be enough to proue them almost Apostatates As Against a Epip haer 75. Aug. haer 53. Praying for the dead Against prescripte Fasting daies Against b Aug to 6. de fide con Manich. c. 9.10 Aug. haer 82. Ret l. 2. c. 22. Free wil Against c Merite of Single life Against c the Vow of the same at least tweÌ„ty more And therefore whether as our Church is the storehouse of Truth so their Sinagogue bee not the Sinke of false hood and of Heresie The 29. Demaund VVhere grew their doctrine AGAINE whether the Persons that of olde professed the said pointes of these mens doctrine and were of the Church therfore noted for Heretiks were not also otherwise most notorious Heretickes for certaine other pointes I say confessed also by the Protestants to be heresy As whether a Epip haer 75. Aug. haer 52. Aerius who held with them against praying and offeÌ„ring for the dead and against all the prescript fasting dayes were not besides that also an Arian the like of all their other Parteners Aske them now what it meaneth that their doctrine alwayes hath been found in such naughty ground and with such stinking weedes And contrarywise our doctrine touching the same pointes found also at the same tyme in such as they confesse themselues to haue beene good ground as in S. Augustine in S. Epiphanius and others who did so hold our sayed doctrine that they with the whole Church coÌ„demned Aerius of heresy for denying the same The 40. Demand They neuer afore new VVHETHER of this it follow not that they must needes coÌ„fesse that their church was neuer in the world neuer I say at no tyme before this our tyme Or else let them say whether one that is an Arrian denying Godes Sonne to be Consubstantiall that is to say Of the same substance with his Father may be of their Church Yea also of VViclef and Husse themselues do you aske theÌ„ how they could be of this their Church holding with Pelagius Iustification a Tho. wald to 3. cap. 7. Melanct. hom ad Friden Micon by mans owne merits and also b Heu Syl. in hist Bohe c. 35. that a King or Queene committing any mortall sinne leeseth streight his office and is no longer to be obied The 41. Demaund Studying all Truth VVETHER our Church to keepe safely all Truth in manner aforesayd doe not diligently studdy all Truth her Masters therefore in their Bookes and Schooles teaching all Truth her scholers therfore learning all Truth to defend I say all Truth of Christ against all enemyes against Painyms against Iewes and against all Heresyes And whether Protestantes on the contrary side but a few of theÌ„ God wot do study any more then a few questions of this tyme onely and that so lightly that they be afrayd to reason with common Catholickes Being all rather occupyed about wyuing and thriuing in the world then sincerely and learnedly to defend Religion Or let them tell vs why else our Countrey is so ful of Atheists Achristes and all kinds of most detestable heretikes Aske them whether in their vniuersityes they haue the whole course of Diuinity within a certaine tearme of yeares yea or in Anno Platonis proceding as they do all read ouer Yea whether their Students or Doctours also and Readers can tel you almost what the course of diuinity meaneth And againe aske them who for christian study and increase of godly knowledg fouÌ„ded those vniuersityes builded those Colleges and instituted those degrees of learning whether our Church or theirs and who hath authority to make Doctours of Diuinity whether Kinges and Queens or only Bishops And therefore if our Church haue againe taken from them her graunt and annullated their degrees as it a Bulla Pij 5. Anno 1564. hath done aske them by what title they will clayme the same The 42. Demaunde Vnsent VVHETHER the Preachers euer of the Church of Christ did take vpon them to preach and teach without a IoaÌ„ 20. c. 21 Act. 15. cap. 24. Rom. 10 cap. 15. sending And whether euer any all this while had authority to send forth Teachers but only the Apostles and their Successors and such as receaued it of them And if they say their sending to be extraordinary aske theÌ„ why all this tyme God did so send non other but only to barre such as they be from so saying Aske theÌ„ likewise where then be their Miracles Or whether any also afore Christes Church beganne were sent out of order without the gift of Miracles or of prophecy or of both Finally you may aske them what warrant they haue to hold such an office of a Lay Prince Or how without that office they can pretend to be the true Church of Christ The 43. Demaund Succession VVHETHER it be not euident in the a Act. 1. d 21. 14. d 22. Actes and b Tit. 1. b. 5. Epistles of the Apostles with the c Eus l. 2. cap. 13.15.23 l. 3. c. 2.4.10 Ecclesiasticall historyes of the tymes that followed that the Church once begunne by and in the Apostles did afterward grow on as Christ d Mat 13. c. 14. f. 4. â—6 c. 18. did promise that it should and spread it selfe ouer all places and through all ages by
charge them and all other Heretickes with following some one man that was a new Maister and a deuiser of some new doctrine they cannot so charge vs with any one Pope at all because the Popes doctrines that we doe follow them in were not at any tyme newly deuised by them but receaued of the Apostles so kept continually of them al euen vnto this day And therfore Luther hauing nothing to charge vs with in this foresayd manner inuented this general tearme of Papists manifestly against himselfe being rightly scanned as the wise doe see The 9. Demande Conuersion of Heathen Nations VVAEREAS Christ did say that All Nations should bee conuerted from their Paganisme and be taught Io. 10 16. Mat. 28 19 Mar. 16.20 and heare his Gospell preached vnto them and whereas his Apostles beganne most gloriousely to doe the same let the Protestantes be asked who they are that did and doe accomplish the same Rom. 20 c. 18. whether they euer conuerted any Nation from Paganisme to be Christian and not rather doe only auerte Christians from the faith of Christ so as all other Heretikes haue done before them And on the other sid whether they know not how euen at this present our church filleth very many most ample Nations of the East and weast India with the Ghospel knowledg of christ And whether they do not confesse themselues that likewise all the other Nations which haue beene conuerted within these 1000. years which are very many were cōuerted by our Church Then of other nations afore cōuerted let them be vrged to name any one either cōuerted by them or not conuerted by vs but by some other Church and to some other Ghospell or some other Christ Finally let them peruse all Histories report truely whether they do not al note those nations then to haue beene conuerted vnto christ when they were conuerted vnto our Religion if any but we chanced to haue to do with the cōuersion of certain that their conuersion was neuer accompted right and good vntill they were amended by vs and namely vnited to the Sea of Rome And therefore let them be asked whether we be not or who els be christs witnesses vsque ad vltimum terrae Act. 1. euen to the furthest end of the earth The 10. Demaunde Touching Miracles VVHEREAS againe Christ confirmed his owne preaching to the Iewes by working of Miracles Io. 10.37 12.37 15.24 20 30.31 Mar. 16.17 Io. 14.12 Mar. 16.20 sending his Apostles with their Successors to conuert all other Nations promised and fortold that he would comfirme their preaching likewise with Miracles as also the Ghospell sayth that he did We aske the Protestantes whether they know not by Historyes that at the conuersion now of the Indes and afore also at the conuersion of those other nations by our church great Miracles are and euermore were wrought by our preachers And whether it follow not therupon that our Preachers are they whome Christ sent out and with whom christ worketh that their preachinge is true as christes preaching was true and his Apostles preaching true and that our Nations therfore be wel conuerted as S. Peter S. Barnabee and S. Paule doe proue therby I say by Miracles that the first Gentiles were well conuerted by them Act. 11.17 15.9.12 And besides the first conuersion of Nations whether they read not in most approued authors that afterward also almost continualy in euery Nation of our church most vndoubted Miracles be and haue bene wrought innumerable holy men and women of our church approued and honored by God with that gift as S. Bernard S. Frauncis S. Dominicke c. and very many articles pointes of our Doctrine also in particuler so confimed as the B. Sacrament the signe of the Crosse Relikes c. In so much that the auncient Christians writinge against the Iewes and Paynimes for the Godhead of Christ Aug. de ciui Dei lib. 22. ca. 5.8 de vtil cred c. 14.15 16. Re. lib. 1 cap. 14. Chry. to 5. cont Gent. de vita Babila col 885. do first shew that the miracles of Christ him selfe and his Apostls were wrought to set vp avisible Church that shold continue for euer wherof it foloweth that all Heretickes do rise in vaine And secondly they do by such Miracles of the Church as I haue saide daily to bee seene proue vnto those Infidels the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles recorded in the holy Scripture which those Infidels did denie because they did not see thē Let the Protestantes therfore be asked whether they dare ioine here in also with the Infidels against the christians and answere for them that the argument is not good because these Miracles of the Crosse and of Relickes and such like are not Miracles but illusions And then whē they shal by and by heare the Infidels say euen so also of Christes his Apostles Miracles let vs see a Gods name how wisely the Protestāts wil replie shew them a plaine difference betweene christes Miracles and our Miracles Or rather shal we not see them hereby not only confirme the Infidels in their incredulitie but also prepare weake christians to infidelitie yea them selues also readie to geue ouer therunto as in our countrey God helpe who seeth not The 11. Demaund Touching England our own Countrye AND here namely of our own Countrey a few questions whether it be not plaine by the Historie of Venerable Bede our Countreiman and other Authors that our English Nation a thousand years agoe in S. Gregories time was conuerted a lib. ca 23. by men of our catholike Romane church and conuerted to al points of our catholike Romane Faith as b lib. 1 ca. 26 Masse c lib. 3. k. 14.24 Purgatorie d lib. 1. c. 32 Saints c. And that our saide conuersiō was confirmed then e lib. 1. ca. 26. l. 2. ca. 2. l. 4. ca. 13 f. lib. 1. ca. 4 by wonderful Miracles And if this be not enough wheras the Britons or welsh men were conuerted before vs more then foure hundred years aboue fourtene hundred yeares agoe in S. Eleutherius time whether they were conuerted by S. Eleutherius to one faith and we English men by S. Gregorie to a lib. 1. c. 7.8.15.18 another faith Or whether g lib. 2 ca. 2 the greatest point wherein the Bipes of VVales differed from our Apostles were not about the Sonday vpon which Easter should be kept which the Protestantes pardy although ignorantly and falsely make to be no great matter And whether in that point also and in any other of less waight wherein they did differ the truth were not euen by the Protestantes owne confession on our Apostles side not vpon the welshe mens side Now for them to departe from this faith so longe continuing so confirmed so auncient so close to the Apostles time therfore as also because it came from
Bishops or Priestes of our churches making which I touched a little before and many of them also Monkes as a Soz. l. 6. cap. 15. Ruf. l. 2. c. 28. S. Basil S. Gregory Nazianzen b Hier proae l. 4. in Iere. S. Hierome c Aug. ep 89. q. 4. cō Petil. l. 3 cap. 40. S. Augustine d Greg dial l. 4. cap. 55. S. Gregory of Rome e Paul ep 7. ad Seu. S. Paulinus and many others And these and all the rest I say of one religion and therefore no one of them all of the Protestants religion and therefore againe the church at no tyme of the Protestants religion The 27. Demande Councells VVHETHER they know not that their Religion hath been of late examined diligently and finally condemned and ours confirmed in the Generall councell of Trent And whether euer any refused to yeald to a General councell but onely Heretikes And whether they can giue any iust cause why mē should beleue that in old tyme Generall councels might with authority define and determine of faith and religion this councell might not Yea whether not only this but also any other General councels were euer holden by Protestantes or for Protestantes and not all as well as this by men of our church and for our church as by Bishops that were made after our manner aforsayd many of them being also Monkes and all of the same religion with Monks hauing there also their Deacons and Subdeacons and Acolytes c. waiting vpon them and no one of them euer that marryed or thought it lawfull to marry after that he was made a Bishop Besides many other pointes of their doctrine also that may for vs against the Protestantes be noted in the actes of those councelles Finally if euer any such councell were for them let them tell vs why they write speake so much against all councells cōpelling vs to defend their authority and yet let them say whether all other catholike Bishops and all the church were not at those seuerall tymes of the councels religion and all those councels of one religion and therfore the church neuer of the Protestants religion The 28. Demaund Sea Apostolike VVHETHER they confesse not that we at this tyme do beleeue and communicate with the sea Apostolike of the church of Rome Whether Catholickes did not alwaies so doe Whether euer any refused obstinately so to doe Opt. l. 2. frl 15. Vict. de persec Vand. l. 2 fol. 20. August cou ep Fund c. 4. but onely Schismatikes and Heretickes Whether the holy Fathers by their so doing did not vse to confounde al Heretickes to shew thereby that they did beleeue and communicate with S. Peter S. Paule Away as most easy so continually most sure and certaine to auoide all error The 29. Demaund Traditions VVHE THER they wil be tried by traditiōs most certaine that haue bene alwaies in the Church of Christ Yea whether it be not a plaine ouerthrowing of all theire buildinge onely to heare that there haue bene alwaies suche Traditions in the Church of Christ Or let them say whether theyfind not in most approued Antiquitie such Traditions Chrysos hom 69. ad popul Antioc Cyp. ep 63. Aug. ep 118. c. 6. Or whether they find any such Tradition making for them and not for vs Or whether euer any denied obstinately all Traditiō crying in euery thing for only Scripture but only Heretiks The 30. Demaunde Their owne doctors VVETHER they will be tried by their owne Doctors and Felowes as by Luther Caluine Lib. in Zuing. an 1545 and such like And whether they know not that Luther hath written many Bookes full bitterly against them and condemned thē to Hell because they be Sacramentaries denying the real presence of Christes Body in the B. Sacrament And that Caluine likewise calleth it a blasphemie to geue to the King In Amos 7. and much more to a Quene the Headship or Primacie of the CHVRCH of England And therfore aske thē with what cōscience yea with what face they can say theirs to be the true Church which compelleth men so to blaspheme and that with booke othe their felow Puritanes at home also abhorring it That I speake not of many other pointes also of their Doctrine condemned also by theire owne felowes as they know thēselues whosoeuer els that readeth their Bookes The 31. Demaund Vniuersalitie WHETHER they know not vin Lyr con omnes Ha◠c. 3.4.31.41 Opt. l. 2 f 13. Bed Hist 4.5 c. 16. that the Auncient Fathers haue taught vs in such a doubtfull time of Heresie as this is to trie out the truth by Vniuersalitie that they meane thereby if at any time we see a piece of Christēdome diuide it self frō the whole that wee folow then the whole the Vniuersalitie I say of the Church in our owne time and not the piece Aske the Protestantes now if this had bene done in Luthers time whom shoulde Christan men haue folowed Luther or the Pope And if the Pope then now also the Pope pardie Gregorie the thirtenth that now is agreing in all as they know with Leo the tenth that was thē Aske thē Finally whether they singe not therfore against themselues in Te Deum when they say Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia which is to say that the faith or confession of the vniuersall Church that is the true confession The 32. Demaund Antiquitie VVHETHER they know not that the same Fathers haue taught vs Vine Lyr c. 3.4.6.7.8.9.38.41 for trying out of Truth to look likewise vnto Antiquitie and that as by Vniuersalitie they meane our owne time so by Antiquity they meane the time that was before our owne time teaching vs therfore by this if in our owne time any Noueltie do raign and that perhaps vniuersally that then we haue respecte to the former time before such Noueltie did arise Aske the Protestantes then whether they be content so to do And whether three score yeeres ago before Luther arose Christendome were of their Religion yea whether it were not of our Religion both then and many hundred yeeres afore and that by their owne confession The 33. Demaund Consent VVHETHER the same Fathers haue not taught vs to trie out Truth by Consent also And Vin. Lyr. c. 3.4.8.10.11.38.41 Bed hist. l. 3. c. 25 whether they meane not thereby that supposing both the Vniuersalitie of our owne time were corrupt also the Antiquitie of former time were at variance we should thē haue an eie to Cōsent in Antiquitie As if there had bin of olde some one Father or some one Prouinciall Councel for the Protestants as yet there was not to see thē whether there were not some General Councel against them Aske them now whether that before Luther was borne there were not many Generall Councells yea all Generall Councells against them and yet neither any Prouincial Councell nor so much as any one
Father for thē nor for any one thing that they hold against vs The 34. Demaund Authoritie VVHETHER the Church of Christ did not euermore take her selfe to be of Authoritie irrefragable and so beare her selfe as necessarie worthie to be beleeued vpon her onelyword and therfore no man to controll her a Aug. ep 105. Sentence or Iudgement no man to misdoubt her b Aug ep 118 c. 3. ep 105. Practise And whether S. Augustine haue not written a booke therupon which he calleth De vtilitate credendi Of the vtilitie of beleeuing the Church in all thinges shewing how profitable how necessary how sure a way that is for the finding out of true Religion And whether the Maniches then as the Protestantes now founde not fault with that way And whether the true Christians notwithstanding did not for all that hold thē against those all other Heretickes vpon the Churches Authoritie Chris con gent. de S. Ba◠coll 882. 884. Et con Iud. ar 2. col 928. Eus Hist l. 1. c. 3. Devt or c. 14. yea and alleage it also vnto the Iewes and Painimes to proue that Christ is God and that the holy Scriptures with the Miracles and all other things in them contained be true because I say the Church or company of the Christians so saith and so beleeueth And whether Saint Augustine and that by true reason doth not infer therupon that seeing we beleeue Christ and the Scriptures because of the church we must therfore beleeue the Church in all other thinges also whatsoeuer it saieth against the Heretickes And whether this Authoritie do not therefore argue that the Church can neuer erre And whether neuer erring doe not argue that it can neuer perish And therfore again whether it do not now also well worthely claime the same authoritie Yea whether the Protestants themselues haue not receaued many thinges as Christ himselfe and the Scriptures themselues c. vpon our churches credite the church I say that now is Aske them then howe they can possiblye bee the church who willingly doe renounce the claime of such Authoritie and doe by their doings confesse it to be in the companie of their aduersaries Finally bydde the deceaued consider this well that they haue no forte or nūber of men amōgst them whom they may truste in all thinges with whom and in whose steppes they may venture to walke the way of Faith and Religion towardes saluation None of all the Sectes in our countrey nor in all the world so happie none so secure and therfore no Church amongest them because I say they openly renounce the claime of Authoritie confessing therby that it is not of them that the Creed saith I beleue the Church in so much that they haue suffered of late an vnlearned Christian as he is called to set out in Print a vaine libell againste the Aucthoritie of the Church of God comparing and opposing vnto it the Authority of the word of God as though the word of God and the Church of God were one against the other it being yet so plainely written that as the Father saied of his Sonne Mat. 17. Mat. 18. Ipsum audite Heare him So the Sonne said of his church Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi ficut Ethnicus Publicanus If he will not heare the Church do thou vse him as the Iewes did as an Heathen and a Publican And yet this felow trusteth so much in his owne folie Prou. 17 that he is bold to prouoke all catholiks to answere his childishnes or els they must be accounted saith he no lesse then very Murderers It were good for him poore man that he had in him no more pride then learning My best counsaile to him for his saluation is that he reade humblye these Demaundes and looke whether any of his greate Masters will answere them And if after this his stomacke serue him still let him set out his Libel more orderly with his name with approbation of their Rabbins and with priuiledge that we labour not in vaine with the grace of God he shall quickly see it answered as vnworthy as it is The 35. Demand Vnity THEN whether vnity proced not of the sayd Authority And our Church therefore one for euer and not possibly by any questiō or controuersy to be desperatly deuided within it selfe They on the other side for lacke thereof running euery day into more and more diuision amongst thēselues multiplying Sectes as all men do see without hold or measure not being able to aleage herein any excuse for thēselues which the Arians Donatistes other olde Hereticks might not as well aleage for excuse of their diuisions yea euen their owne Doctrine being the very cause therof and they therfore guiltie of all these sectes that doctrine I say wherin they teach that the Scriptures are so easye and that therefore euerie one may folow his owne sese yea and vant also that it is the sence of the Spirite himselfe And whether the Churches inseparable vnitie be not so sure an argument of Truth that it is a moste iuste Motiue by Christes owne saying for the world to beleeue in Christ that no man meruaile seeing the infinite Sects that be now in Englād that there be also so many incredulous that beleeue not in Christ The 36. Demaund Kepers of Scriptures VVHether it were not our Church that notified to the worlde the Canon of the holye Bookes of the new Testament Whether it were not our Church that hath had the custodie construing both of the foresaid and of the other Bookes of the holy Bible euer since the Apostles time Or else whether before this time the Expositors thereof were Protestants And whether the Protestants had not the saide Books of vs And whether they can charge our Church all this longe while of her possesion with adding or minishinge any iote thereof Or whether they can not bee charged this short while of their vsurpation with robbing vs of many wholle Bookes thereof Bookes I say canonized in aproued Concels and of many a particulare portion more or whether euer any coulde be so charged but only Heritikes Finally whether our Church therefore be not the ōly true possessor or keper of this treasure as to whom only the Apostels cōmited it and therefore againe ours the only true Church The 37. Demaund Storehouse of all Truthe VVHETHER not onely all Canonicall Scripture as I haue saide but also all other truthes agreed vpon at any time by the Church of God and as it were laide vp for euer are not at this tym to be foūd in our church as that which was agreed vpon against the Arians that which was concluded against the Donatistes briefly that which was defined aganst all other Heretikes Aske them whether it haue not bene hither vnto and whether it be not still safelye keapt in our Church And how them selues came by the saide Truthes whether otherwise then at our