strong you haue dispersed the flocke of Christ which was at the first but one societie and fellowship In not sparing nor preseruing the vnitie of that flock you haue made your selues knowen to bée the same rauening wolues that the Apostle S. Paule spake of Acts 20. Act 20. Ego scio saith S. Paule I doo knowe that after my departing from you raueninge wolues shall enter in amongest you not sparing the flocke And from amongst your selues there shall rise vp men that shall vtter frowarde speaches that they may drawe schollers after them Not from the common knowen Catholique Church of Christ therefore whereof wée Protestants are members but from the now knowen antichristian Church whereof this offerer and his fellowes are members dyd that Schisme procéede that this Offerer speaketh of For by the deceitfull false doctrine that they haue taught and by theyr bloodie tyranny they haue drawen many from the vnity in Christ which is the verity and ioyned them to the Schisme of Antichristian impietie This matter béeing made so plaine as to mee it dooth séeme to be I doo thinke that euery indifferent reader here of will in hys heart say thus to this Offerer for shame stay no longer but yéelde and recant out of hand lest the heauie wrath of God fall vpon thée for that thou hast not yéelded and recanted before The fift signe and token false Prophets Offerer Fift signe and token of false Prophets Schismatickes and heretiques is disobedience Et non obedire sed resistere eis qui praesunt in Ecclesia Dei And not to obey but resiste those which doo beare rule and gouerne in the Church of God of the which sorte of men the Apostle S. Paule giueth vs warning Quemadmodum Iamnes Mambres restiterunt Moysi ita hi resistunt veritati homines corrupti mente reprobi circa fidem 2. Timot 5. Exodus 7 Like as Iamnes and Mambres dyd resiste Moises euen so doo these resist the trueth beeing men of corrupt minde and reprobates in fayth Now when the learned Protestant shal be able to prooue that this rebellion and disobedience to all Bishops Prelattes and ecclesiasticall gouerners is to be found in the chatholick Church and not in the priuate Church and congregations of the Protestantes then I shall yeeld submit and recant and not before Crowley As obedience is more acceptable in Gods sight then sacrifice 1. Regum 15. 1 Reg. 15 euen so there can nothing displease him more then disobedience dooth But we may not hereof conclude that God is so displeased with euery disobedience as he was with Saules disobedience when he dyd contrary to that which he had commanded him to doo neither euery obedience is so acceptable to God as that obedience shoulde haue béene if Saule had doone in all pointes euen as God had commaunded to him to doo For that obedience onely is acceptable to the Lord that is doone in the Lord and for the Lords cause and obedience in dooing that which the Lord hath forbidden to be doon and in leauing that vndoone which the Lord hath commanded to be doon is not to be accounted for obedience but is in déede disobedience Let vs sée therefore what manner of disobedience it is that this offerer hath charged vs with Euen such as was in Iamnes Mambres when they did resist Moses By coniecture these two that S. Paule nameth in the third Chap. of his second Epistle to Timoth were the Sorcerers that stroue against Moses in Egipt and dyd by theyr sorcerie worke such wonders in outwarde appearaunce as Moses dyd by the mighty power of God in very déede as in the 7. Exod 7 8 and 8. Chapters of Exod it appeareth But Moses dooth not name those sorcerers neyther are they named in any History of the Scriptures wherefore it may bee thought that S. Paule had some other writings then are now extant whereby he gat the knowledge of the names of those sorcerers that dyd so withstand Moses But howe so euer Moses came by theyr names this offerer hath not taken theyr names aright for both the translation that the Tridentine councell hath allowed of and the Greeke text haue Iannes and not Iamnes the Gréeke text hath Iambres and not Mambres But the matter is not great let the Offerer and his fellowes descide this matter at theyr leasure The Apostle S. Paule hauing described such men as by the Spirite of prophecie he did foresée should come in the latter dayes he sayth that they should bée such as resist the trueth euen as Iannes and Iambres did resist Moses Howe those sorcerers did withstand Moses dooth appeare in the two Chapters of Exodus that I haue noted before They dyd what they could to discredit all that was doone by Moses and to stay Pharao and the Egiptians from giuing credite to that messadge that Moses dyd from the Lord God of Israell So long as the Lord would suffer them they made shewes of as great and wonderfull workes as those were that were wrought by Moses Euen so saith S. Paule those men doo withstande the trueth béeing men corrupted in minde and lewde concerning the fayth But they shall preuaile no longer For the madnes of these men shal be made manifest to all men euen as theirs was Now let the indifferent reader iudge who they bée in these dayes that may most rightly be sayd to be lyke vnto Iannes and Iambres the Popish Catholiques or we Protestant Catholiques Wee come in the name of the Lorde God onely do labour to bring the people of God out of the Egiptian darcknes of Rome to serue God in spirite and in trueth for so God delighteth to be serued Iohn 4. Iohn 4. But the antichristian Popish Catholiques doo labour as Iannes and Iambres dyd to kéepe them in that darcknes styll and to that ende they doo what they can to cause vs to be taken for false Prophets Heretiques and Schismatickes and the Gospell of Christ which wée doo preach to be false doctrine Heresie and Schisme Yea let the indifferent reader iudge whether of both the sorts protestants or roomish catholiques may be déemed to be that men that S. Paule did Prophesie of in that third chapter of his second Epistle to Timoth. 2. Timot 3. They shal be saith S. Paule loouers of themselues couetous high minded proude blasphemers disobedient to parentes vnthankfull wicked voyde of affection truse-breakers false accusers incontynent cruell vncurteous traiterous frowarde malicious and such as doo looue pleasures more then God hauing a shewe of Godlines but denying the power thereof The Chronicles or Histories of times doo witnes that no men can bée more lyke vnto these men that saint Paule hath here described then the Popish prelates haue béene for the space of these last 1000. yéeres almost and so they doo continue stil as daily experience dooth shew Whereunto I doo refer the indifferent reader for the trial of the trueth herein Nowe therefore as
gospell and haue imbraced and professed and doo still professe most vnpure Popish religion The booke was first written by the aboue named Iohn de Albine as it may be thought either in the Latine or in the French tonge Wherefore I meane not to bestow any time in the answering of it supposing that either Beza or some other French Protestant hath already dealt therein sufficiently But because the offers séeme to be made by some English man and haue not as I thinke béene aunswered by any man I haue thought good to supply the place of that learned Protestant that the Popish Catholique ment to make the offers vnto And that the Offerer if hee be yet liuing or any fréende of his if he be departed this lyfe may not haue any cause to mislike with my dealing herein I minde to setfoorth to the view of the Reader all the words of the Offerer euen as I finde them and as I haue them to shew in his printed Coppie which I haue and doo mind to kéepe in a readinesse to shewe not abiding or dimnishing altering or changing one sentence worde sillable letter or title The Offerer beginneth thus The Offerer First seeing it cannot bee denied that our sauiour Christ before his departure and ascension did commit the charge and gouernment of his Church the testimony of his worde the truth of his gospell the ministration of his Sacraments to his Apostles and Disciples and that not only for them selues but to their successors Bishops and Priests and to none other saying only to them Euntes docete omnes gentes Math. 28. Marc. 16. Goe yee and teach all people and nations of the world baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghoste teaching them to obserue and keepe all things which I haue commaunded you Further the Apostle Saint Paule being at Miletum in executing of his charge gouernment gaue this admonition to the Bishops and Priestes there assembled before him saying Attēdite vobis et vniuer so gregi Act. 20. Take heed vnto your selues and vnto the whole flocke of Christ in the which the holy ghost hath ordayned you Bishops Regere ecclesiam Dei To gouerne the Church of God And in the thirteenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews hee dooth commaunded all other sortes of men without exception of Emperours Kings Queenes and Princes to obay their Bishops and priestes saying Heb. 13. Obedite praepositis vestris subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri Obey your Prelates and doo what they appoint you for they doo watch as men that shall render accomptes for your soules Seeing that by the testimonies before alleadged it can not bee denyed but that the charge and gouernment of Chryst his Church the preaching of his doctrine the admninistration of his Sacramentes was by him committed to his Apostles and Dysciples and to all Byshoppes and Priestes as Successours of them to plante Chrystian fayth and Religion in his Catholique Church vniuersally throughout all Nations Coastes and Quarters of the world Seeing this is by the playnnesse of the sayd testimonies of such an vndoubted truth that it cannot bee denyed now let the learned protestant affirming princes to bee the supreme heades of the Church eyther shew by some such other like playne testymonies of the Scriptures that our Sauiour Chryst did commit the chyefe charge and supreme gouernement of his Church to Emperours Kings Queenes and Princes to plant Christian fayth and Religion in the same or that any one of Chryst his Apostles or Disciples did conuert any people Lande or Countrey from their Idolatrie and Ethnike kinde of liuing to Christian faith and Religion by preaching the doctrine of the Protestants as of onely faith to iustifie the contempt of good workes and that they be all vncleane in sight of GOD the deniall of free will of the real presence of Christes body in the holy Eucharist of the Sacrifice of the most blessed Masse the abolishing Christ his Sacramentes and of all grace and goodnesse by them conferred vnto vs then I shall yeelde and recant and not before Thus farre the first part of the Offer Crowley This Offerer hath deuided this offer of his into 22. parts adding to the last part six certaine and assured signes and tokens of false Prophets Heretickes Schismatickes This diuision I meane to follow in mine answer To this first part therfore I say thus maister Offerer I cōfesse that our Sauiour Christ dyd as you haue sayd committe the charge and gouernement of his Church the testimonye of his worde the trueth of his Gospell and the ministration of his Sacramentes to his Apostles and Scholers and to theyr successors But not to such successours onely as you do name that is to Bishops and Préestes onely and to none other For S. Paule in the 12. Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians and in the 4. to the Ephesians writing of the same matter sayth thus Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem Apostolos Eph 4. quosdam autem Prophetas alios vero Euangelistas alios autem Pastores Doctores And he hath giuen some Apostles or Messengers and some Prophettes and other some Euangelistes and some others Pastors and teachers And againe in the 12. of the first to the Corinthians hee writeth thus 1 Cor 12. Et quosdam posuit Deus in Ecclesia primum Apostolos secundo Prophetas tertio Doctores deinde virtutes exinde gratias curationum opitulationes gubernationes genera linguarum God hath place in his Church certaine degrees of men first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers then powers after that giftes of healings helpes gouernements kindes of tongues Least you should quarell about the translating of S. Paules wordes out of the Gréeke I haue set them downe as I finde them in that translation that your Tridentine councell hath allowed of But I pray you good M. Offerer what meant S. Paule that in the rehearsall of those sundry degrées of men that God hath placed in his Church he would make no mentiion at al of your Bishops and Préestes to whom onely as to the onely successours of his Apostles and Disciples Christ spake if you haue written truely when he sayd thus Math. 28 Euntes docete omnes gentes Goe ye and teach all nations of the worlde c. Without all doubt S. Paule dyd know and so doo wée that God dyd neuer place in his Church or appoint to succéede his Apostles and Disciples any such Bishops and Préestes as you meane of That is Lording and loitring Bishops exercising dominion ouer the peoples that are alotted vnto them and sawsie sacrificing Préests which presume to occupie the place of Christ himselfe and to execute his office in offering sacrifice for the sinnes of the people S. Peter disaloweth the one 1. Pet. 5. and S. Paule the other Hebr. 10. Hebr 1◠1 Peter ◠Yea if our
it if he were caught or else béene enforced to abiure and so goeth it with such at this day and so is it lyke to continue so long as your Antechristian mother shal be able to doo any thing The thousandes which that mother of your hath in this tyme of the last thousand yéeres murdered in Italie in Bohemie in Germany in Portinggale in Spaine in England in Scotland and in the late massacre in Fraunce doo all with one voice crie vnder our Alter Christ saying How long Lord thou that art holy and true doost thou not iudge and reuenge our bloode vpon them that that dwell on the earth Apoc 6. Apocal. 6. If you had not altogether lost your inwarde sight you might sée that the crie of these holy Martyrs is hearkened vnto for sixe of the seauen Angelles to whom were giuen seauen Vialles sull of the wrath of God haue already powred out theyr Vialles at the commaundement of God and the seuenth is ready to power out his Viall and shall shortly power it out into the ayre And then shal that great voice procéede out from the temple of Heauen euen from the throne saying Factum est It is finished Apoc 16. Apoc 16 This voyce shal be terrible to your Popish Catholique mother and to all you her children But most comfortable to the true Catholique Church of Christ our mother and to all vs her children I say therefore vnto you as Christ Iesus sayd to the Angell of the Church of Laodicea Apoc 3. annoynt thine eyes with eye salue that thou maiest sée c. Apoc 3 Thus I hope I haue made it plaine enough to as many as will sée that the Church whereof all right Protestantes are members hath brought foorth all those thousandes of Martirs that you speake of when you say that not one of them was of our congregation fayth or beléefe whiles they liued in this transitorie estate And that she hath brought foorth and nourished vp thousands moe in the tyme of thesâ— latter 1000. yéeres which your mother the Popish Catholique Church hath murdered and made Martirs Wherefore submit your selfe now and recant although you would not before The eight Offer Offerer Eight Wheras the Apostle S. Paule testifieth that Christ gaue vnto his church some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij and so to continue to the edifiing of the bodie the Catholique Church vntill his comming againe Now if the Protestants shal be able to prooue by ecclesiastical histories of all ages the continuance vse of the sayd functions and degrees in theyr congregations and that by some orderly succession and plaine account made from Christ his tyme hetherto they haue neuer lacked the sayd appointed officers or that any other Church of Christ hath had at all times and the continuance of the same I shall then recant and relent and not before Crowley Ephe 4 It is a strang matter to sée how impudently this Offerer dare set downe the wordes of the Apostle Paule in the 4. Chapter of his Epistle to the Eph. as testifying that for an in fallible trueth which is as false as God himselfe is true That is that our Sauiour Christ hath appointed that hys Church shall haue Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and Doctors continually tyll his comming againe and that in a continuall and orderly succession Amongest the learned interpreters there is not one that hath noted anie such meaning in those wordes of the Apostle It is verie true that our Sauiour Christ made choyse of such men as he had made méete to be his messengers and sent them foorth first into those Citties that belonged to the Kingdome of Israel and after his resurrection he sent them into al the world commaunding them to teach all nations Baptising the beléeuers in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holie Ghost And by the ministerie of those and a fewe others whome he dyd afterward stirre vp and ioyne in commission with those hée planted hys Church in all quarters of the world Those were the Apostles of whome Saint Paule wrote to the Ephesian 4. saying Hée gaue some Apostles These contynued in executing theyr offyce fathfully and painefullie tyll they had runne out the rase of theyr naturall lyfe Which course God dyd not suffer to bée ended béefore the sounde of them had béene hearde all the world ouer as appeareth by the wordes of Saynt Paule Rom 10 Rom 10 When these had executed theyr office and were taken out of this lyfe it was not néedefull that other should bée sent from God to doo that worke which these men had alreadie finished and so it was altogeather vnnecessarie that there should bée an orderly succession of Apostles in the Church But when God shall sée cause hee may at hys pleasure stirre vp and sende foorth such messengers as hée shall make méete to doo hys message And such hée hath styrred vp sence the tyme of those fyrst Apostles and such hee dooth and wyll styr vp send foorth at his â—leasure and such may bée called Apostles of Christ béecause they be styrred vp by hys spirit and are sent of hym But this can not bée called a continuall and orderly succession Such Apostles our Church did not lacke in the time of the first 600 yéeres next after the ascention of our Sauiour Christ as by your owne histories it dooth most plainely appeare And euer since you fell from vs we haue had and haue styll as many as our good God knoweth to be needeful for vs as by the regesters kept in your consistories may bée séene for therein are written the horrible sentenses of excommunication that you haue pronounced against them because they would not worship the image of the Beaste nor take hys marcke in theyr handes nor forehead Our Sauiour Christ gaue vnto our Church Prophets also such as he made able to foretell of thinges to come as Agabus Ac. 11. Acts 11. the daughters of Phillip the Euangelist Act. 21 Act 21. S. Paule himselfe Act 20 1. Timoth 4 2 3. Act 20. 1. Timot. 4. 2 Timo 3. And Iohn that wrote the Reuelations with many moe Yea when hys pleasure is he can and dooth foreshewe vnto men things to come by the ministerie of such as it pleaseth him to foreshewe those thinges vnto Yea and he hath alwayes furnyshed and dooth styll furnish our Church with such Prophets as S Paule writeth of 1. Cor. 14. to whom hee giueth the gifte of interpretation so that they are able to make plaine the darke speaches that are some times vsed by the Prophets that speak of things to come 1 Cor 14 Of these Prophets our Church had many in the time of the first sixe hundreth yéeres that were next after the ascention of our Sauiour but not so many as since the time of your Apostacie which was in the dayes of Bonifacius the
A Deliberat answere made to a rash offer which a popish Antichristian Catholique made to a learned protestant as he saieth and caused to be publyshed in printe Anno. Do. 1575. Wherein the Protestant hath plainly substantially prooued that the papists that doo nowe call themselues Catholiques are in déed Antichristian schismatiks and that the religious protestants are in deed the right Catholiques VVritten by Robert Crowley in the yeere 1587. LONDON Printed by I. Charlwood and are to bée sold at the signe of the black Beare in Paules Church yâ—rde 1588. Falts escaped in the print In the 7. leafe and in the last line of the first page in the first of the second page reade thus innocencie of life for not continue in ignorance c. In the 9. leafe and 15. line of the first page reade thus and not let vs haue peace And in the last line saue one of the second page reade thus they are all become vnprofitable In the 10. leafe and 14. line of the second page read thus traxerit In the 16. leafe and 6. line of the first page read tend for bend In the 25. leafe and 12. line of the second page read conuenticles In the 26. leafe and 18. line of the 1. page read fasts for feasts In the 27. leafe and 9. line of the 1. page read cases for causes In the 31. leafe and 12. line of the eight Offer read at all times the continuance c. In the 36. leafe 7. line of the 2. page read such for those In the 39. leafe last line saue 4. of the 1. page read Qui pridie In the 50. leafe and last line saue 6. of the 2. page read at any time In the 53. leafe and 29. line of the 1. page read which are not c. In the 55. leafe and 33. line of the 1. page read perceiue by that c. In the 72. leafe 12. line of the 1. page reade Linus In the 75. leafe and 1. line of the 1 page read or doth seeme to bee In the 77. leafe and 1. line of the 1. page this woorde them is to much In 78. leafe 4. line of the 2. page read admonition In the 80. leafe 22. line of the 1. page read they for then In the 81. leafe in the title of the 1. signe read of false prophets In the 84 and 20. line of the first page read some of them contrarie to the expresse c. ¶ To all and singular popish Recusants SVpposing that all such papists as do refuse to ioyne with vs in the profession and exercise of religion and are therefore called Recusants be of one the same minde with that popish Offerer that first wrote these Offers and did publish them in print I haue thought it a thing very meete to request the same Offerer if hee bee yet liuing and all the rest that bee of his minde to afforde mee so much fauour as to reade ouer their owne Offers and that answere that I haue made therunto I trust you will not deny mee this request for your Offerer hath in the end of euery part of his Offer vsed these words or the like prooue this then I will relent and recant not before I know that ther be many amongst you that are worshipfull wise and learned such I hope will not blemish their worship wisedome and learning by fore-iudging ought that is or shal be written in answere to any Offer that any of their minde hath or shall make and require answere thereunto I doo not require any of you to giue credit to that which I haue written before you haue tried the same and found it worthy of credit And therefore I haue set ouer the heads of the pages of this my booke this admonition First trie and then trust If you shall finde that I haue sufficiently prooued all those thinges that your Offerer requireth the protestant to prooue then I hope you wil redily performe those Offers that he hath made And if you shall finde any insufficiency in mine answeres I hope that some of the learned on your side will vse some meanes whereby I may haue knowledge of that insufficiency And in the word faith of a Christian I doo promise you that what soeuer any of you shal write touching this matter I will reade it deliberatly and without all parciall affection with earnest prayer to the almighty for the direction of his holy spirite whereby I may be stayed from straying out of the way of truth I know that there is but one way to euerlasting life I doo know that Christ only is that way if any of your sort therefore can make it plaine vnto me that your popish Catholique church dooth walke in that way then will I leaue that way wherein wee protestants doo walk and runne with you for I tell you truly that none of you can haue a greater or more earnest desire to enter with the Bridgrome Christ then I haue and as I hope shall haue to the end My pen would gladly proceede in paynting my paper with moe sentences to the like effect but I haue thought good to stay it for that I doo persuade my selfe that you doo think the time longe before you can take in hand to performe that request that I haue herein made Frare you well From my house at S. Gyles without Creplegate of London The Lord Iesus direct you in all that you shall doo Amen Ianuarie 16. An. 1587. Your well willer Robert Crovvley The deliberate aunswer that Robert Crowley a Protestant Christian hath made to that rash offer that a popish Antichristan Catholique made to a learned Protestant Imprinted in Dovvaie as he saith Anno Domini 1575. Crowley IN the yeere of our Lord. 1586. there came to my handes by what meane I doo not well knowe but by the prouidence of God I am sure a certaine booke that had béen imprinted and published in Doway in Fraunce in the yéere 1575. in the Englishe Tongue That booke is intituled A notable discourse plainely and truely discussing who are the right ministers of the Catholique Church written against Caluin and his disciples by one Maister Iohn de Albine called De Seres Archdeacon of Tolossa in Fraunce Wherunto are annexed certaine Offers made by a popish Catholique to a lerned ProtestaÌ„t c. This booke lay by me as a thing whereof I made small accompt tyll the moneth of May in the yéere .1587 When hauing by occasion more spare time then in long time before I had or could haue I tooke this booke in hand and did deliberately reade ouer both the booke and the offers I found both the booke and the offers to stuffed with coulour of pietie trueth and sinceritie that I coulde not but thinke that the hauing of this booke in secrete hath béene one great cause of the Apostacie of so many young men as haue in late yéeres fallen away from the pure profession of the
assisted mee but all men left mee alone God graunt it bee not layde to their charge c. If this Offerer his fellowes haue any eyes to sée they may sée that when the Apostle Paule being in prison in Rome did write this Epistle to Timoth. the Bishops and priests that then were in Rome were scarce worthy the name of Christians bicause they durst not stand to the profession of Christian Religion as S. Paule did but left him all alone betraying the Christian cause as much as in them lay Yea and hereof it may bée probably gathered that Peter was not then at Rome and consequently that hee was not Bishop of Rome for the space of xxv yéeres togither as the Romish Catholiques doo affirme that hee was Yea rather it may bée thought that hee neuer was Bishop of Rome for this Epistle was written in Rome the 13. yeere of the raigne of Nero which was the 35. yeere after saint Paule was conuerted to Christ But if hee were then Bishop of Rome hée was at that time either fled from Rome fearing the persecution or els being in that Citie hée durst not shew him selfe to bée of one minde with Paule and so by his example the rest that then were Christians in Rome withdrew them selues from Paule and left him all alone Thirteene yeeres before this the Apostle Paule had written to the Romaines being then at Corinth in the last yeere of the raigne of Claudius the Emperour And as it appeareth in the first Chapter of that Epistle the fame of that Church was such at that time that saint Paule wrote thus Primum quidem gratias ago Deo meo Rom. 1 per Iesum Christum pro omnibus vobis quia fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuerso mundo First of all I giue thankes to my God thorough Iesus Christ on the behalfe of you all for that your faith is declared through out the whole world The Church therefore or Congregation of Christians that then were in Rome were of the best sort of Christians And bicause that Citie was then the chiefe City that then was in the world therefore the fame of their faith was spred ouer all the world But yet as appeareth by that which is before alleaged they had their faults and infirmities which were seene in them more at one time then at another At the first when they receiued the doctrine of the gospell they were earnest professors and followers of the same as commonly men haue bin in our daies and are still but when persecution began to arise for the professing thereof they began to shew them selues to bee like that seede that being sowne fell in stony ground and yet being againe moystened with that dew of Gods grace which fell from aboue they tooke déepe roote and so became more fruitfull in the ende For many of that age gaue their liues for the testimony of the truth and were Martirs or witnesses of Iesus Christ as in the Church Histories dooth appeere But that these were the writers of the Scriptures appeareth not in any Histories for they were written before some by the Prophets and some by the Apostles and such bookes as were written after the time wherein the other Apostles liued were written by the Apostle Iohn which liued after all the rest As touching the especiall care that you say the Catholique Church hath from time to time had not only of preaching the word but also of preseruing the same c all learned Protestants doo know that no man could haue greater care to preach the woord to discerne the bookes of holy scripture from prophane writings and to preserue them from the corruption of the aduersaries then they that in the time of the tenne first persecutions professed the Catholique religion And amongst those Catholiques none were more forwarde therein then were they which then were dwelling in the City of Rome But what maketh this for proofe that the Romish Church hath alwaies bin and is still the keeper and preseruer of the scriptures The first Romish Church which was Catholique preached the gospell as the Apostles and Disciples of Christ had doone but that Romish church that now is and hath bin for the space of these last thousand yéeres almost being Antichristian dooth and hath all this while preached mens traditions is to bee noted with that saying that the Prophet Esay vsed in reprehending the Leuiticall Priestes of his time Esay 29. Esay 29. Cited by our sauiour Christ Math. 15. Math. 15. Populus hic labijs me honorat c. This people honour mee with their lips they draw nighe vnto mée with their mouth but their heart is farre from mée In vaine doo they worship mée in teaching the doctrines and commaundements of men c. The first Romish Church vsed the Sacraments that Christ had instituted religiously and to that end that our sauiour Christ had instituted them for but that Romishe Church which you call Catholique hath for the space of these 1000. yeeres almost and dooth still abuse those Sacraments namely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord commonly called the Sacrament of the body and blood of our sauiour Christ For that Church dooth minister that sacrament to Churches to Belles and to Ships that saile on the seas and of the other sacrament they make an Idole lifting it vp ouer their heads to bee worshipped setting it vpon their high alter or hanging it ouer the same burning incense before it and vsing iestures of diuine honour before it and carying it abroade in pompous maner compelling the people to doo diuine honour to it Yea they offer it vp to God as a sacrifice for the sinnes both of the quick the dead and in tempests of weather and in coniurations they make it a bug to feare the diuell withall The first Catholique Church in their exercise of Religion did vse as few Ceremonies as might bee for they knew that our sauiour Christ had broken downe that midle walle or particion which was the lawe of Ceremonies contayned in the lawe written and had through the flesh bin the occasion that discord whereby the nations of the worlde were so seuered from the people of Israell that they could neuer ioyne with them in one religion till our sauiour Christ had made it voyde and made of both the people 's but one new man making peace that he might reconcile both in one body And Ephe. 2. Ephe. 2. But your Romish Catholique Church hath reedified a new middle walle or particion of a law of Ceremonies not contayned in the law written but diuised by men And that particion they doo still maintaine and vphold enforcing all men that will beare the name of Christ and bée called Christians to allow of and to vse those Ceremonies and all such as doo refuse those Ceremonies they doo excommunicate and deliuer to the secular powre to bée consumed to ashes with fire or otherwise to bée tormented onely bicause they refuse to vse
Emperor the murdred Mauricius his wife and children was the first that gaue the title of vniuersall bishop to Bonifacius the 3. then bishop of Rome And this was 600. yéeres after the birth of our sauiour Christ Your church was in hatching the later 300. yéeres of the 600. but neuer perfected before Phocas time Wherefore your antiquity is nothing Your vniuersalitie was neuer so large as the Romain Empire your vnity diuided into moe sects then euer the heathen Philosophers were Your succession of Bishops is such that no man can iustly prooue that Peter was the first nor that euer hee was Bishop of Rome Or if hée were Bishop of Rome no man can certainely say how longe he was there Bishop nor who it was that was the next Bishop after him And by the testimony of your owne Hystorians some in the succession of your Bishops were as wicked men as euer liued vpon earth and one was a woman an arrant whore And bisides all this your Apostolike seate of Rome that you bragge so much of hath bin voyde for the space of one yea two yeeres togither more You haue had also two yea three Popes at one time and much blood hath bin shed about the triall of their titles But our vniuersality is and euer hath bin as large as the whole world yea when in the iudgement of men of the best sorte our Church seemed to bée cleane rooted out as in the daies of king Achab it séemed to bée in the kingdome of Israell yet had God his number knowne vnto him although not knowne vnto men And therefore when Elias complayned and said The children of Israell haue forsaken thy couenant they haue ouerthrowne thine alter they haue slaine thy prophets I alone doo remaine and they seeke after my life 3. Reg. 19. 3. Reg. 19. Then did the Lord answere and saide vnto him I haue reserued for my selfe 7000. men that haue not bowed their knees to Baall As then and there so at all times and in all places the Lord hath had hath still and still will haue in despight of all Turkish and Popish enimies his number knowne vnto him selfe that number is his Catholique knowne church And this church hath God made able at all times to conuince all heresies and Heretikes And at this day hée dooth for euer hereafter hee will make the same church able to conuince all turkish popish Heretikes Heresies although not by the sword yet by the word as at this day you M. Offerer and all your popish Catholique brethren may sée if you haue eyes to sée willes to consider of that which you doo and must néedes sée Our vnitie also in the substance of religion is the same that was taught by the Patriarches by the Prophets and by Iesus Christ and his Apostles and was by the first Christians that were in Roome and in the rest of the Citties that then were vnder the dominion of the Romane Emperours receiued holden and professed That is with one full consent wée beléeue holâ—e and confesse all the Articles that are conteyned in the three Créedes namely the Apostles Créede the Nicene Creede and the Créede of Athanasius We beléeue as S. Paule hath taught the Ephes to beléeue that there is but one Lorde one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all Ephe 4. and in vs all Ephe. 4. Our succession of Bishops is such as the succession of the Prophets was We make no account of that succession of Bishops in Rome which you doo bragge so much of for the Scribes and Pharisies might haue bragged of such a succession as well as you doo and might haue sayd to our Sauiour Christ as you do to vs where was your Gospel 400. yéeres past But we doo make account of that succession wherein God hath in his good times stirred vp some in the spirite of Elias to deale in doctrine with men of all sortes as Elias dyd with Achab and the Isralities and as Iohn Baptist dyd with Herode and with the Iewes in his time The high Préestes had theyr succession euen from Aaron as your Popes haue had from Peter some of them asspiring to that estate by one sinister meane and some by an other as by the Histories it appeareth But in the meane while God stirred vp Prophets but now and then for the worde of God was precious in the dayes of Elie the high Préest when the Lord stirred vp Samuel to bee a Prophet And when Iohn Baptist was stirred vp there had béene no Prophet amongst the Iewes for the space of many yéeres together This was the execution of Gods iust iudgement vpon the Iewes because they had not regarded those Prophets which he had styrred vp amongst them In like manner in the time that hath béene since the Incarnation of our Sauiour Christ because men had giuen ouer themselues to beleeue lies did not regard the trueth God tooke from them such as had laboured to leade them in the waie of trueth and gaue them ouer to the efficacie of error Yea béeing wilfully blinde hee gaue them blinde guides that might leade them the right way into the ditch of distruction Thus you may sée if you haue a lust to behold the truth that not your new found Popish Catholique Church but our most auncient Christian Catholique Church is that Church that hath continued thoroughout firme and stedfast whiles all other couenticles and congregations aswell of Arians c as of Mahumetans and Popish Antichristians and the rest of Heretickes of all sortes haue decayed and béene conuinced and ouerthrowne and that by none other Church then by the knowne Catholique Church of Christ builded vpon the rocke Christ which Peter confessed Math. 16. Math. 16. And vpon none other foundation Wherefore I doo require you now to yéelde and recant according to your promise The fifte Offer Offerer Fifte if it may sufficiently be prooued that any other Church then the common knowne Catholique Church of Christ hath instituted and ordayned all goodly ceremonies and solemne obseruations in the same daily practised and vsed as the festiuall daies of Christmas Candelmas Easter Whitsontyde the feastes of the Apostles and holy Euangelistes Saint Michael the Archangell and of all hallowes and blessed Saintes the obseruation of the holy fast in lent and Ember dayes the fast of th'apstoles and of all the aforefayd festâ—uall Euens besides the weekely fast of Fridayes and Saterdayes and the rest yet obserued and allowed on both sides to the honor and glory of God then I will recant and not before Crowley Vnder the name of goodly ceremonies you comprehend all manner of ceremonies good and badde such as are daylie practised and vsed in your Church Your Baptising of Churches or buriall places of Belles and of Shippes to sayle on the Seas are goodly ceremonies Your hallowing of bread water or salte of Waxe and Wax candles bowes beades garmentes fire and
euen so did they 1. Ti. 2 1. Timot. 2. we beléeue that Christ Iesus hath taken vpon him selfe all our infirmities that the correction that was due to our sins is fallen vpon him and that by those wounds that he suffered we are made whole and so did they Es 53. Esay 53. We beléeue that Christ Iesus is that Lambe of God that hath taken awâ—y the sins of the world and so did they Ioh. 1. 1. Iohn 1. We beléeue that he is that son of the blessed virgin Mary whom the Angel named before he was borne saying to Ioseph his supposed father thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sins Mat 1 Math. 1. and so did they We doo beléeue that it is he that is our high Préest that he is entred into the holiest place of the tabernacle not made with handes and hath made there a sacrifice not of straying blood as of a Calfe or of a Goate but of his own heart blood hath thereby obtained vs eternall redemption Hebr 9 Heb. 9. and euen so dyd they We doo beléeue that Christ Iesus hath by that one oblation made of him selfe once offered made perfect as many as be made holy that is all the elected people of God and that he hath thereby so satisfied to God for the sins of all such that they shall neuer be charged with their sins any more and that where there is remission of sins theris no more sacrifice to be offered for sin Heb. 10. Hebr 10. euen so did they We know and confesse that our duty is to be as careful as possibly we may to liue with our sin and that when by infirmity of our nature we do sin we haue an aduocate with God the father which is Iesus Christ the righteous and that he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Io 2 1 Iohn 2. and euen so did they To be bréefe we differ not from theÌ„ neither did they differ from vs in any one point of the substance of faith And where as the Offerer saith that those holy Martirs c. were not of our religion I am sure that we doo hold professe that religion Iacob 1. that S. Iames dooth call pure vndefiled before God the father which is to visite the fatherlesse and widdowe in their tribulation for a man to kéepe himself vnspotted of this world And I thinke that M. Offerer will not deny that the holy martirs the rest that he speketh of did hold professe the same religion And how can he then say that they were not of the Protestantes religion If the Offerer will say that those Martirs c. did obserue and kéepe the religion and did performe in déede that which they did professe so that they were in déede vnspotted of thys world which none of vs dooth then I must say that they all did say as all we doo say as the Prophet Dauid hath written Psa 143. Psa 143 Esay 64 Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for no flesh is righteous in thy sight And as the Prophet Esay hath written Cha. 64. Al our righteousnesses 1 Iohn 1 are euen like vnto a filthy cloath And as the Apostle Iohn hath wrytten 1. Epist 1. If wée shall say that we haue no sinne wée shall desceiue our selfe and there is no trueth in vs. And where as the Offerer hath termed his virgins pure and innocent I thinke he wold haue sayd immaculate for that is an Epithiton méeter for a virgin then innocent is I am sure that none of them was either pure or innocent of them selfe neither did they account them selfe so to be but being washed in the fountaine of water by the worde of lyfe they were members of that glorious Church that in Christ is purged and made so cleane that in it is neyther spot nor wrincle or any such thing but in him al those Martyrs confessours virgins and we also that doo beléeue as they dyd are holy and vnblameable haue in vs no spot of sin Ep 5. Ephe 5. For Christ Iesus hath washed vs in the sope of his owne hart blood and made vs as white as the most white woole yea and as shining white as the snowe We therfore with the Martirs confessors and virgins that you speake of are the virgins that doo and for euer shall accompanie the Lambe Christ vpon the Mount Sion Apo 14. Apoc 14. As for your approouing and cannonizing of these Martirs c. Whereby you haue made them saintes after they were departed out of this lyfe it may well be compared to the building and garnishing of the Tombes of the Prophets by the Scribes and Phariseis Math 23. Math. 23. For although you pretende to haue a reuerend care for the kéeping of the worthy and valiant acts of those Martirs in remembrance yet you doo daily murder as many of that sorte of men as God wyll suffer you to haue power ouer and so you shew your selues to be the children of those bloody Tyrants that murdered those Martyrs that you speake of I thinke you can not but see now that all the thousandes of Martyrs confessors and virgins that were brought forth in the first sixe hundreth yéeres next after the ascention of our Sauiour Christ were the children of that Mother the holy Catholique Church of Christ that hath brought foorth and nourished vp vs whome you call Schismatickes and Heretickes But now I pray you good M. Offerer let mee learne of you the name of one Martir that your mother the Popish Catholique Church hath brought forth since the dayes of Boniface the thyrd which was the time wherein your Apostacie beganne I thinke you can not name me one Martyr that hath béene brought foorth by that mother of yours in all that time which is almost the space of a thousande yéeres Not one I am sure of all your Popes that haue succéeded that Bonifacius hath béene made a Martyr excepte you account for martirdome the poisoning of some of them which hath béene doone by some such as themselues that haue hasted to be in theyr place And the rest of the Children of that mother haue béene whelpes of the same heare namely blood thirstie bloodhoundes and bloody Butthers Curres Yea it appeareth manifestly that the whole state of your Popish Catholique Church hath béene and still is none other thing but that which was figured by that two horned Beast that rose out of the earth of whom mencion is made in the 13. Chap of the Reuelations So that Apoc 13 this mother of yours neither hath nor dooth bring foorth Martirs but hath dooth make Martyrs whom the holy Catholique Church of Christ our mother hath and dooth daily bring foorth and nourishe vp For whosoeuer in all this time hath refused to worship the image of the Beast which is the estate of the Romish Papacie hath dyed for
by Fayth Theyr Doctrine concerning the worthines of theyr owne workes All these and euery one of these doo yeelde the lyke conclusion for proofe that this offerer and his fellowes be such lyinge masters and false teachers as S. Peter writeth of in those wordes that this offerer aleageth against vs when they be taken wholy togeather as S. Peter wrote them I trust that the indifferent reader will easily sée howe well he may trust this offerer when he alleageth the scriptures for his purpose or matter out of the ancient doctors for the proofe of any thing that he taketh in hand to prooue The trueth of this testimony sayth this offerer is to bée tried by all sectaries and sortes of heretickes that euer haue béene and then he nameth certaine sortes of Heretickes that were troublesome to the Catholique Church in the primitiue time thereof and he affirmeth that the errours heresies that those sortes of men helde were by the generall councels the censures of the Catholique Church condemned ouerthrowne notwithstanding that Emperours and kings did stoutly vphold and maintaine them Here this offerer dealeth as cunningly as before he hath doone in citing his sentence out of S. Peters Epistle His meaning is to make it séeme to the reader that this Roomish Catholique Church hath had Emperours and Kings at commaundement euen these 1500 yéeres togeather and that all the generall councelles that haue béene holden haue béene appointed and called togeather by the Bishops of Roome onely without the authoritie of the Emperours and Kings that haue raigned in all this time Yea he would haue it séeme that the stoute Emperours and Kings which haue béene the maintainers and vpholders of errours and heresies haue béene bridled by decrées made in generall councelles and by the censures of the Roomish Church which haue bene by the holy fathers the Popes executed vpon them Platina De vitis patrū But if this offerer will giue any credite to Platina in his history De vitis patrum he shall finde in the lyfe of Siluester the first of that name in whose time the first generall councell was holden in Nice that the same councell was called together by the commandement of Constantinus then Emperour And if he will beléeue Lawrence Surius that lyued in our dayes and was a Carthusian Frier and gathered al the councels into 4 tomes he shal finde that the Constantinopolitan councel which was the second generall councell holden in the daies of Damasus the first Pope of that name was summoned or called togeather by Theodosius then Emperour And the first Ephesian councell which was the third general councell was holden in the dayes of Caelestinus the first Pope of that name and called togeather by Theodosius the yonger and Valentinian then Emperours And the Chalcedonian councell which was the fourth generall councell was holden in the dayes of Pope Leo the first of that name and was called togeather by the Emperours Valentinianus and Martianus that then raigned And this was 450 yéeres after Christs assencion wherby it appeareth that your account of 1500. yeres must be shorter by 450. yeres For so long time your Popes were at the commaundement of the Emperours as it was méete that they should and as they ought to be at this day as I haue sufficiently prooued in mine aunswer to your first Offer But now you must haue one fling more at the Lutherans and Protestants of our time What should you make mention of them say you sith in this realme the Lutherans haue taken their iust ouerthrowe all ready c. This Offerer and his fellowes building their foundation besid the rocke Christ which is the onely right foundation of right religion doo déeme that wée Protestantes haue none other foundation to build our religion vpon but Luther Oecolampadius Zuinglius and Caluine But they are disceiued For as I haue sayd in mine answer to the 15. Offer we doo not so estéeme of these or of any other men that we would builde our faith vpon them but we doo build vpon the rocke Christ as they did and we know that Dies declarabit in English the day wil declare That is the time of knowledge wherein the mist of darke ignoraunce shal be doon away the bright shining beames of the trueth shall make manifest in the harts of all men that haue eyes to see hartes to vnderstand whose doctrine ours or yours is méet to be called goold siluer and precious stones or on the contrarie timber haie strawe and stubble I know that the auncient fathers hauing occation to write of that godly life and conuersation that is required in Christians do vnderstand by gold siluer and precious stones such good workes as the right christian faith that worketh by looue is accustomed to bring forth and by the hay stubble and timber the contrarie And it is not amisse that in that case they doo so apply the words of the Apostle But in the circumstance of the text it appereth that the apostle meant rather of doctrin then of manners although the place may be applied to both because true christians doo teach both by doctrine and by life But to our purpose This Offerer dreameth that he séeth the Lutherans already ouerthrowen in this realme and al other sectaries for so it pleaseth him to terme all such as be not of his owne sorte yéelding vp the Ghost and ready to tylt vp their héeles For the Precisians and Puritans are in fauour with the common and baser sorte of the people and the magistrates doo so wincke at them that no small number of men of all sortes doo further and fauour them to the great encrease of them As touching the sectes that this Offerer speaketh of here enough hath béene spoken already We are christians we neuer were Lutherans Oecolampadians Zuinglians nor Caluinistes But in very déed many of vs were Papists before it pleased God in mercie to open the eyes of our vnderstanding and to shewe vs our saluation in our onely mediatour Christ Iesus To him alone we do now cleaue as to our onely shéepheard and high Préest His voyce we doo knowe and béeing his shéepe we harken to his voyce and we doo followe him We can not abide to here the voice of straungers Precisians and Puritans we can not mislike of if they bée such as all christians should bee that is precise in obseruing and kéeping of the commandements of God according to that which is written Deut 5 Deu 5 kéepe and doo those thinges that the Lord God hath commaunded you you shall not bowe to the right hand nor to the left but ye shal walke in that way that your Lord God hath commaunded you c. Such Precisians we do like well of and we doo still beg of God in prayer that it may please him in mercie to make vs euery day more precise then other And we are perswaded that no man is or can be so precise that way as all Christians
ought to bée Puritans also we must néedes like well of if they bee such as the apostle Iames discribeth Iacob 1 Iacob 1 If any man doo thinke himselfe to bée religious and yet refrayneth not his tongue but suffereth his owne hart to be disceiued this mans religion is vaine This religion is cleane and vnspotted before God and the father For a man to visite the fatherles and widowes in theyr trouble and to kéepe himselfe vnspotted of this world Such as haue a care to refraine theyr tongues frō all euill spéeches and all the partes of their bodies from euill actions And doo delite to be occupied in dooing good to all such as do stand in néede which is meant by the fatherles and widowes are the right puritans such as al christians shold endeuour to be in Christ Iesus all vnfained christians are pure being so made by the blood of Christ wherin such are washed made cleane so that in them there is neither spot nor wrinckle for Christ hath made them a glorious spouse for himself Eph 5. Ephe 5 And yet if these will speake truely they must euerie one of them say with the Apostle Paule Rom 7. There is nothing in me that is to say in my flesh vnderstanding therby his nature which is good And with th'apostle Ioh 1 Epi. 1. 1 Iohn 1 If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and ther is no truth in vs. Beeing baptised in Christ Iesus we haue put Christ vpō vs Christ is our garment Gala 3. Gala 3 Our care shold be to continue in that purity that we haue in Christ and to kepe the garmēt of ours vnspotted I haue thought it good to take this occasion to writ thus much in the defence of right precisenes and purenes of life because I doo sée that our subtile enimie the deuill laboureth to bring into contempt that precisenes in obseruing of Gods commaundements that al christians shold striue to attaine vnto and that purenes of life that is most séemely for al christians to walke in And he hath preuailed so much already that to great a number amongst vs doo make little or no consience at all in the transgressing of any commādement of our good God Some there be in déede that are noted by the names of Precisians Puritans which may more rightly be called péeuish ones These we Protestants doo not lyke of but would as gladly be ridde of them as you would be of vs. And the number of them is not so great as this offerer would haue it seme to be neither are they furdered and fauored of so many as hee reporteth although their number be greater then we wold wish it to be It is perceiued that they doo professe and hold the true and right religion of Christ and would gladly that it were purged of all Roomish drosse and that the pure wheat that is in Gods threshing floore were clensed from all roomish chaffe but béeing caried away with faruent zeale they runne before them that should lead them and doo hinder the cause that they would gladly furder When God wil these shal by his good meanes be brought to consider better of the matter and you roomish Catholiques shal be confounded This offerer concludeth against him selfe and his fellows for not we but they are the sectaries heretiques that by moouing flitting and passing from euill to worse are now at the laste come euen ad profundum malorum to the very bottome of euil and to a plaine open apostacy and falling away from Christ and ioyning with antichrist Yea and it appereth that you are perswaded that béeing ioyned to that antichrist of Roome as to your spirituall head you néede not to passe either for God or Deuill heauen or hell for your Pope hath absolute power both in heauen on earth and in his owne prison purgatory to Now let the offerer and his fellowes marke what I shall say For as much as the heresies of the popish Catholiques haue béene from time to time so fickle moouing their end in falling away frō Christ so horrible in the sight of God let any roomish Catholique liuing reply directly plainely with out all cauill colour or fraude of words without all vnprofitable impertinent digressions not only to this but to all the answers that I haue made to the foresayd signes tokens and demaundes and then will I for companie and good fellowship leaue the true catholique church of Christ wherin is the plaine way of saluation beaten by all our forefathers the true Catholique protestants for the space of these 5530 and odde yeres euen from the time of the first man and now wander with the romane Catholiques in their vncertaine by pathes of Popish deuises through vnknowē deserts of popish opinions through rough woods brambles briers of popish religions to séeke in the ende we can not tell what The offerers exhortation And here to conclude and for my parte to minister vnto you some occasion in the relinquishing of these priuate churches and congregations of sectaries to returne to the vnity attonement of the commō knowen catholique Church of Christ where stability and constancy of faith religion is onely to be found I shall here lay before you the worthy example of the blessed martir Sebastian by him brought of a loafe of bread to Genserichus then king of the Vandalles a furious and a barbarous nation which breaking into Affricke they found there many valiant Captaines placed by the Emperour Theodosius the second for the defence sauegard of the country amōgst the rest was this Sebastiā by dignity an earle a couragious and valiant Captaine who with the rest yeelding to the force of Genserichus was as Victor de persecutione Vandalorum writeth for his great wisedome and valiantnes not so much beloued as feared of the king Genserichus who being an Arrian intended by collour of religion to work his death For Genserichus knowing Sebastian to be a seuere perfect christian man conuented him before the Arrian Bishops vnder the pretence that Amity and freendship might be the surer and continue the longer betwixt them Genserichus mooued him to become an Arrian to professe the same fayth and religion as he and his people were of For answer thys holy martyr Sebastian requested Genserichus the king to command a fine wheaten loafe to be brought vnto him And taking it in his hand And here to omit many of his words notable sayings he requested the King Genserichus to commaund the loafe of bread to be broken in peeces to be ground brought to floure and boulted a fresh to be seasoned with water salt and baked againe if then it should in the ende prooue better bread then it was before he would not faile to accomplish the king Genserichus his wil and pleasure but if it were not possible by breaking the loafe baking it againe to better it but to make
I thinke the learned Protestante may easily prooue that rebellion and disobedience to all such powers as God hath ordayned and commaunded to be obeied yea and to God himselfe is to be found not in the Catholique Church of Christ but in the antichristian Church of Roome which dooth call her selfe Catholique and not in the Church and congregations of the Protestantes which it pleaseth this offerer to call priuate Reason would therefore that this Offerer should now yéeld submit and recant as long since he should haue doone The sixt signe or token of false Prophets Offerer Sixt signe and token of false Prophets Heretickes and Schismatickes is the ficklenes and weake slipperines of errours and Heresies Quod quaelibet haeresis prae catholicae fidei perpetua firmitate facile trāsit ac perit For that euery heresie in comparison of the stabilitie and perpetual continuance and firmenes of the Catholique faith doth soone perrish and passe away Th'apostle S. Peter in speaking of these false prophets saith Magistri mendaces superducent sibi celerem perditionem perditio eorum non dormitat These lying maisters doe bring vpon them selues a quicke and speedy ouerthrow and their distruction shall not bee slacked or slowed The truth of this testimonie is to be tried by all sectaries and sorts of Heretiques that euer haue bin as of the Nicholaits Arrians Donatists Maniches Pelagians Iouinists Nestorians Nouatians Sabellians and the rest of Heretiques whose errours and heresies being neuer so stoutlye vpholden by Emperours Kinges and Princes yet by generall councels and censures of Christ his Catholique Church they had in fine theyr iust condemnation and ouerthrowe What should I here make mention of the Lutherans and Protestantes of our time When the Lutherans in this realme haue taken theyr iust ouerthrowe already for the great desire the Protestantes had to prefer the doctrine of Oecolampadians Zuinglians and Caluinistes The Zuinglians and Caluinists with the rest Sectaries of all sorts are now here in this realme at the very neere and lyke poynt they beeing now ready to yeelde vp the Ghost and to tilte vp theyr heeles for the great desire the common and baser sorte of the people haue to be Precisians and Puritans And they beeing wincked at of the maiestrates there be no small number of all degrees and sortes of men that do furder and fauour them in this their attempt to the great increase of them It can not therefore be denied but that all Sectaries and Heresies are on this wise moouing flitting and euer passing from one sect to an other without any long time of continuance or stay in any one of them vntill they come ad profundum malorum vnto a most plaine and open apostacie to be Miscreants Turkes and of Mahomets religion not caring or setting by God nor the deuill neyther for heauen nor hell Now Heresies being thus fickle and moouing the finall ende of them thus lamentable and horrible in the sight of God let any learned Protestant liuing answer directly and plainely without all cauill colour or fraude of wordes without all vnprofitable and impertinent digressions not onely to this but to all the foresayd signes tokens and demandes and I shall for companie and good fellowship with them leaue the common knowen Church and the playne way of saluation beaten by our fathers for the space of these 1500. yeeres past and now wander with them in theyr vncertaine by pathes through vnknowen desertes rough woods brambles and bryers to seeke in the ende we can not tell what Crowley The learned Protestant will not deny that errours and heresies be fickle weake and slippery neyther wyll he denie that this ficklenes weakenes and slipperines may bee signes and tokens of false Prophets Heretickes and schismatickes Yea he will not sticke with you to confesse that in comparison of the euerlasting stabilitie and firmenes of the Catholique fayth euery heresie dooth easily passe away and perish And he will say as you doo when you say that S. Peter spake of such false Prophets when he sayd Magistri mendaces c. But the learned Protestant can not allow of the syncopation that you doo vse in taking out of the middest of S. Peters sentence that which may gyue the reader occasion to thinke that men of your sorte are méete to be numbred amongst the false Prophets Heretickes and Schismatickes that you speake of S. Peter hath sayd thus 2. Peter 2. 2 Peter 2 Fuerunt vero pseudoprophetae in populo sicut et in vobis erunt magistri mendaces qui introducent sectas perditionis eum qui emit eos dominum negant super ducentes sibi celerem perditionem Et multi sequentur eorum luxurias per quos via veritatis blasphemabitur in auaritia fictis verbis de vobis negotiabuntur quibus iudicium iam olim non cessat et perditio eorum non dormitat In English thus There haue béen false Prophets amongst the people sayth S. Peter euen as there shal be also amongest you lying teachers which shall bring in sects of perdition and they doo deny the same Lord that hath bought them bringing vpon them selues swift destruction And many shall follow their outrages by whom the way of truth shal be blasphemed and in gréedy couetousnes they shall with fayned wordes make Marchandise of you for whom iudgement is spéedely comming long since and theyr distruction sléepeth not Thus far the wordes of Saint Peter Are not they false teachers that doo deny that Lord which hath bought them And doo not they denye that Lorde that hath bought them which denie Christ to haue satisfied for them And doo not they denie that Christ hath satisfied for them which say they must satisfie for themselues And doo not they say that they must satisfie for themselues which say that they must doo penaunce for the sins that they haue committed And doo not they say that they must doo penaunce for theyr sinnes which doo make confession of all theyr sins to a ghostly father that enioyneth them to doo certaine penaunce vnder the name of satisfaction for their sinnes And is not this the chéefe poynt of that religion that this offerer and his fellowes doo call Catholique And doo they not all hold that without this there is no saluation I doo therfore conclude that as many as be of that minde that this offerer and his fellowes be of do forsake the Lord that hath bought them and are of that sorte of people that S Peter dooth call lying teachers or masters The vowes that they make whereby they binde themselues vpon paine of damnation to obserue rules diuised by men without any commaundement from God yea and some of them contrarie to the expresse commaundement of God Theyr inuocations and praiers that they make to angelles and to Saintes Theyr sacrifice that they make daylie for the sinnes both of the quicke and the deade Theyr blasphemous spéeches that they doo vtter against the doctrine of frée iustification