Two Treatises Against the Papists, Article rebutted 28
The 28. article conteyneth 3. demandes.
1 If vnitie in Faith, austeritie of life, sharpe discipline, great penance, much fasting, large almes, godly deuotion, obedience to higher powers, grauitie and constancie in all cases, be not the signes of the true Church.
IF you aske of true Faith, repentance, discipline, &c. these might be signes of the true Church, but if you meane vnitie in any faith, &c, as it seemeth by your wordes, the Mahometistes and Turkes, are the true Church, for they hauehave vnitie in their faith, austeritie of life, sharpe discipline, fasting, almes, deuotion, obedience, grauitie, Constance, &c. as much, or rather more then the popish church.
2 Or be not more in our Church then in their Congregation, I recant.
YOu hauehave not vnitie in true faith: for you knowe not what it meaneth, but are vtter enemies vntounto it, and in your owne principles, there is no vnitie, whether the Pope or the Councell be superior, &c. you may, as all hypocrites, pretende austeritie of life, when you are most luxurious riotors, as the world knoweth: your discipline is not so sharpe, but money wil make it blunt: you hauehave great penance but no true repentance, you hauehave much abstinence from meates, which is the doctrine of diuills, but you fast as litle as other men: your almes are large but without faith, and therefore sinne: your deuotion is blinde, and not godly, but like her mother Ignorance: you are disobedient to Christian Magistrates, submitting your selues to Antichrist: your grauitie and constancie in all cases, is better commended of your self, then knowne of other men: Wherefore being voyde euen of these, which you make the signes of the true Church, you are none of the true Church, except you recant.
3 But if discorde in religion, licentiousnes in lyuing, contempt of Discipline, reiecting of penance, lothesomnesse of fasting, lacke of zeale and deuotion, disobedience to Magistrates, sacriledge, apostacie, breach of vowes, vnlawfull lustes, wantonnesse in all life and maners, if these thinges, I say, agree not better to the Protestants, than the Catholikes, or if these be not the plaine signes and fructes of a false church, and doctrine, I recant.
WE acknowledge that in the outward face of our church, be many hypocrites, chargeable with these crimes that you speake of, and we yelde our selues guiltie before God of greuous offences, that our life is not aunswerable vntounto our doctrine: Neuerthelesse we doubt not, but God for Christ his sake, will hauehave mercy vponupon vsus. But if in life and conuersation we be compared with you Papistes, euen the cheefest of your church, as Popes, Cardinalls, Byshoppes, Monkes, &c. We dare approue our life to be honester both before God and men. You shall neuer be able to charge vsus with such ryot, whoredome, adulterie, incest, sodomitry, bestiality, murther, poysoning, necromancie, apostasie, blasphemie, &c. as both the worlde seeth to ouerflowe in your Prelates at this daye, and we are able to bring forth of your owne Cronicles and Hystories, to hauehave ben committed in times past: wherefore, for very shame, leaue of this comparison. We meinteine no stewes, neither of males nor females, we set forth no bookes in commendation of Sodomitry, we exact no tribute of Cour…isans, to kepe open bawdrie, we priuiledge no writinges that teache men to committe vylanie, worthy of a thousand deathes. Therefore be not so impudent, to charge vsus with these crimes aboue the Papistes, but rather forsake that filthie whore, the mother of all fornication, and recant.