Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Title page – Dedication
A TOVCHSTONE, whereby may easilie be discerned, which is the true Catholike faith, of all them that professe the name of Catholiques in the Church of Englande, that they bee not deceiued:
Taken out of the Catholike Epistle of S. Iude.
Ieremie 6. verse 16. Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the waies, and behold and aske for the olde way which is the good way, and walke therein, and ye shall find rest for your soules: but they said, we will not walke therein.
August. lib. 1. Retract. cap. 13. For the thing it selfe which is now called Christian religion, was among the fathers, neither yet euer failed from the first beginning of mankind, till Christ came in the flesh: from whence that one religion which now was before, began to be called christian religion.
Iere. cap. 50. verse 14. Put your selues in array against Babel round about: all ye that bende the bowe shoote at her, spare no arrowes: For shee hath sinned against the Lord.
AT LONDON Printed by Peter Short, dwelling on Bredstreet hill at the signe of the Starre. 1599.
To the Right Honourable, his verie good Lord, Sir Thomas Cicil Knight, Baron of Burghley, her Maiesties Lieutenant in the county of Yorke, and President of her highnes councel established in the North parts: Grace, mercy and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
THe great zeale your Lordship hath to the Gospel, and to the professors therof, and the dutie my Parentes, and my selfe did owe to your Lordshippes honorable father, of most famous memory, deceased (right honorable) embolden mee to offer these my simple labors vntounto your Lordship, as a token of my humble dutie. If the earth yeeldes increase as it were with vsury to her Tillers, much more man ought to doe the same. There is no sinne more against the nature of man then vnthankfulnesse: and therefore one of the Philosophers sayde, hee that calleth one an vnthankful person, comprehendeth in that one word all vices. And another, being asked, what thing of al others in the world died soonest, answered, a benefit or good turne: which thing in our corrupt nature, wee finde often true by experience.
And although I confesse, that the forme of this my simple worke is rude, & vnworthy your Lordships view, yet the matter therein contained is excellent. This short Epistle of S. Iude, like that pretious stone called the Carbuncle, small in quantity, but great in force, disperseth all the thicke mistes of errour and darkenesse of Antichrist. It lighteneth to al Christians,Mat. 2.10 like as that starre did to the wise men, the way to Bethlehem, that is, as the hebrew word importeth, the house of breade, where Iesus Christ abideth. And then howe necessary is it for these our daies, wherein Sathan goeth about by all meanes to seduce all men, from this Bethlehem, this house of bread, to Bethauen, that is, to his house, the house of lies. Iesus Christs house is Bethlehem, in it is breade, euen the breade of life, that is, the worde of God: according to that which is written, Man liueth not by breade onelyonly, Mat. 4.4.but by eueryevery worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And againe, I am the breade of life, Io. 6.51.which came downe from heauen. Hee that eateth this breade, and beleeueth my worde, shall liue for euer. In Gods house is this bread, and all his houshold doe feede thereof: but Sathans house is Bethauen, that is, a house of lyes:2. Thes. 2.11 Because they hauehave not receiued the louelove of the truth, that they might be saued (saith the Apostle:) therefore God hath sent them strong delusions, that they shoulde beleeue lyes: As the vaine fables, varnished as it were with some shewe of deuotion and religion, drawne out of the popish Legends, which many simple Catholikes at this daie beleeue, plainlie proue. These two houses, this Catholike Epistle of S. Iude doth very liuely describe, as your Honour in the further consideration thereof may perceiue. And heere no doubt,Act. 8.27 as God sent that Noble man of Candaces Queen of Ethiopia to Ierusalem, that hee learning the truth there might by his authoritie establish it, among the Ethiopians, whither after hee sente also some of his Apostles to preach,Psal. 77.20 (for in building of the Lordes house, Moses and Aaron, that is, the magistrate and the minister, must ioine handes together:) So no doubt, God hath placed your Lordshippe in the North partes, that the Catholike faith, which many in those partes do louelove, and this Epistle doth most plainely teach, may also there by your Lordships authoritie be planted, and established amongst them. But when as they, which hauehave sore eyes will finde fault with the sunne, and seeing our daies hath too many such, which like bastarde Eagles cannot abide to beholde the true sonne of righteousnesse Iesus Christ: I most humbly craue your L. honorable patronage, against the cauilling censures and reprehensions of any such, concerning these my simple labours. And thus beseeching the Lord Iesus to blesse your honour, with al temporal, and spirituall graces, I most humbly take my leaue.
Your Lordships most dutiful in the Lord, Francis Trig.