Answer to a Popish Antichristian Catholic, Offer

Answer to a Popish Antichristian Catholic · Offer

¶ A new Offer, touching the ſixe ſeuerall ſignes, that the Offerer calleth certaine and ſure ſignes, &c.

Certayne & aſſured ſignes and tokens of falſ prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes.Laſt of all, when theſe notes following, being moſt certaine and ſure ſignes and tokens of Antichriſtians, falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes, mentioned, & manifeſtly expreſſed in diuers partes of the ſcriptures, ſhall by the learned proteſtant be prooued more aptly and truely to agree vntounto vsus of the common knowne church of Chriſt, then vntounto the Proteſtantes of ſo many ſundry and diuers ſects and congregations, I ſhall ſubmit, yeelde, and recant, and not before.

Crowley.

When this preſumptuous Offerer, ſhall prooue that the Church of Rome that now is (whereof hee glorieth that hee is a member) is the true Catholique church of Chriſt, and not Antichriſtian, Hereticall, and ſchiſmaticall: and that the notes that hee ſpeaketh of, doo not more aptly and truly agree vntounto him and to men of his ſort, then vntounto vsus that be Proteſtants, (whom hée calleth Antichriſtes, falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes) then will I ſubmit, yeelde and recant, and not before.

The firſt ſigne and token.

Offerer.

1Firſt ſigne and token appropriated to Antichriſts, falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes, in the ſcripture, is, their departure from the common knowne Catholique church of Chriſt, wherein they were baptized, and firſt receiued Chriſtian faith and religion, of the which ſigne and token ſpeaketh the Apoſtle S. Iohn ſaying: Ex nobis prodi… runt, 1. Iohn. 2.1 John 2ſed non erant ex nobis, nam ſi fuiſſent ex nobis, permanſiſſent vtique nobiſcum. They departed from vsus, but they were p. 66not of vsus, for if they had bin of vsus (and of our church) they would (ſaith the Apoſtle S. John) hauehave continued with vsus ſtill, & not hauehave departed from vsus. And now the learned Proteſtant, not being able to denie, that they hauehave departed from our common knowne Catholique church, from our faith & religion, wherin they were firſt baptiſed, and not wee departed from them, but ſtill remaining in the profeſſion of the ſame faith and religion that wee firſt receiued: hee muſt needes by the drift of Argument and reaſon graunt alſo, that this firſt ſigne and token of falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes was before ſpoken of the Apoſtle S. Iohn, onelyonly of them and not of vsus.

Crowley.

Touching this firſt ſigne and token, which this Offerer would appropriate vntounto vsus, as vntounto Antichriſtians, falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes: I might very well referre the indifferent Reader to that which I hauehave written in anſwere to the tenth Offer. Where I hauehave made it manifeſt, y^e the ſame faith and religion that wée doo profeſſe and practize now, was profeſſed & practized in the time of the Apoſtles, and many yéeres after the aſcention of our ſauiour Chriſt, although not ſo purely towards the ende of thoſe ſixe hundreth yéeres, as at the beginning of them, and for the ſpace of 300. yéeres, and more.

But to let this Offerer and his fellowes ſee wherein they be diſceiued: I will adde ſome thing to y^e which I hauehave written there: making it manifeſt, that this Offerer and his fellowes did depart from vsus and from our Church, before wée did depart from them and their church. They departed from vsus and our Church, without cauſe: but we did departe from their Church for iuſt cauſe. When S. Iohn wrote theſe woords, Ex nobis prodierunt, &c. 1. Ioh. 2.1 John 2They went out from vsus, but they were not of vsus, &c: the church of Rome was Catholique, Chriſtian, Holy, and Apoſtolike. They therefore that did then depart from them, were Antichriſtian, and Schiſmaticall: and were not of them whilſe they were amongſt them, and therefore they did not tarie with them. And you and men of your ſorte, are they, that in the daies of Phocas the Emperor, did openly departe from our Catholique church, & became a ſchiſmaticall Antichriſtian church (or rather Synagogue of Satan) perſecuting the true Catholique church of Chriſt continually from that day to this.

Wée therefore being amongſt you till it pleaſed God to open the eyes of our vnderſtanding, ſo that wée might ſee the abhominations of your Antichriſtian religion: were not of you, and therefore wee did departe from you, not leauing our Faith and Religion wherein wée were baptized, for wée were baptized in the name of Chriſt, and not of Antichriſt. For though God hauehave ſuffered you to diuiſe many toyes, which you doo vſe in the miniſtration of baptiſme: yet hee would neuer ſuffer you to alter the inſtitution of that Sacrament, for you doo ſtill baptiſe in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt. And therefore, wee ſeeke not to bee rebaptized, knowing that the baptiſme which wee receiued at your hands, is as effectuall as that which wée our ſelues doo miniſter to our Infants. Wee are not therefore departed from the true Catholique church of Chriſt: but from your Antichriſtian church, and wee are returned againe to that true Catholique church from which your ſorte departed, when Boniface the third, tooke vponupon him that Antichriſtian name of vniuerſall biſhop. And vsus (that were borne amongeſt you) yee hauehave kept from our deere mother, and hauehave enforced vsus to taſte of the poyſoned mylke of the dugs of that purple clothed Whore, your Damme of Rome. But our louing Father hath in his good time, & by his good meanes, brought vsus out from amongſt you, and reſtored vsus againe to our good mother (his deerely beloued ſpouſe) the true Catholique, Holy, and Apoſtolike church: out of whoſe plentifull Dugs wee doo daily ſucke, the ſwéete, pleaſant, & healthſome mylke that feedeth vsus vntounto euerlaſting lyfe.

This mother that wee are returned to, is that romiſh Catholique p. 67church that was in the dayes wherein Saint Iohn wrote thoſe woordes that you take holde of. From hir did you departe, bicauſe you were not hir naturall chyldren, but Baſtards, borne in hir houſe, but not of hir houſholde: and therefore, like a Baſtardly broode you went out of hir houſe, and became moſt bloodie perſecutors of hir children, and ſo you hauehave continued for the ſpace now of a thouſand yeeres almoſt: yea, and ſo you doo continue ſtill.

By the mercifull goodnes of our Father, working in vsus by his holy ſpirite, wée doo now belieue, as the children of our mother then in Rome did belieue. They belieued then, that there is but one God y^e hath made all creatures, and him they glorified in the vſe of his creatures: and they gaue thanks to him alone for thoſe creatures, and ſtudied to ſerue him onelyonly in ſpirite and with ſpirituall ſeruice, flying from th'example of the Heathen nations, that preſumed to counterfaite his maieſtie by Images. Ro. 1. Rom. 1.Rom 1and ſo doo wée.

They belieued and confeſſed that all men are ſinners, & that no man can iuſtifie him ſelfe before God: bicauſe no man can ſo kéepe the law of God, but that his owne conſcience ſhall condemne him as a tranſgreſſor, & therefore they did cleaue to the merciemercy of God, and ſo doo wée.

They belieued that they were iuſtified (that is, diſcharged of their ſinnes) fréely by faith, without the déedes of the law: and yet they thought themſelues bound, to doo all that God had and ſhould make them able to doo, in obſeruing & fulfilling of the law, and ſo doo wée. Rom. 2.3.4.5.6.7.Rom. 2.3.4.5.6.7.Rom 2:3Rom 2:4Rom 2:5Rom 2:6Rom 2:7

They belieued, that God making choiſe of them, had in merciemercy made them his owne children by adoption, inheritors of his kingdome, & heires annexed with his onelyonly begotten ſonne Chriſt Ieſus: and hereof they were aſſured by the ſpirite of Chriſt which was giuen vntounto them, & cried in their hearts Abba-pater, Father, Father, & ſo doo wée. Ro. 8.Rom, 8.

They belieued, that this election & choiſe was made, in the fore knowledge and purpoſe of God, before they themſelues were, and ſo conſequently, before they either had or could doo good or euill: and ſo doo wée. Rom. 9.Rom. 9.Rom 9

They belieued, that as they were by the free merciemercy of God, Adopted, Predeſtinated, called, iuſtified, and acquited of their ſinnes, and in Gods predeſtination, glorified, and made like to the Image of his onelyonly begotten ſonne Chriſt Ieſus. Rom. 8. Rom, 8.ſo their dutie was to bée carefull, to leade a righteous life before men, and not to bee bolde to commit ſinne (bicauſe God had in merciemercy diſcharged them of ſinne) but to liue in a reuerend awe and feare of his iuſtice, as they that would ſhew them ſelues continually thankfull for his merciemercy, in making their owne bodies a Sacrifice to God, liuing, holy, and acceptable to God, as their reaſonable ſeruing of God. Rom. 10.11.12. Rom. 10.11.12.Rom 10:11Rom 10:12and euen ſo doo wée.

They belieued, that their duetie was to ſubmit them ſelues, to all ſuch as God had ſet ouer them in authoritie, & to obay them, not only for feare of puniſhment, but for conſcience ſake alſo: knowing that who ſoeuer reſiſteth the powre, reſiſteth the ordinaunce of God, & dooth purchaſe to him ſelfe damnation. And they belieued that their duetie was to giuegive euerie man his owne, and to vſe louing behauiour towards all men: knowing that louelove is the fulfilling of the law. And that being baptized, they had apparelled them ſelues with Chriſt, and that they ought to walke and continue their liues in holineſſe and in honeſtie, not making prouiſion for the fleſh, to ſatiſfie the luſts thereof. Rom. 13. Rom. 13.Rom 13and euen ſo doo wée.

They belieued, that although God had giuen them libertie in the vſe of all his creatures: yet their duetie was to hauehave a continuall regarde to the infirmitie of their bretheren, and not to vſe any of thoſe creatures to the offence of any of them. Rom. 14.15. Rom. 14.15.Rom 14:15and euen ſo doo wée.

They belieued, that they, togither with all other Chriſtians els where in any parte of the worlde, were fellowe members of one bodie in Chriſt, and vnderunder Chriſt alone: acknowledging no vniuerſall head of that body, but only Chriſt Ieſus alone. Rom. 12. Rom. 12.Rom 12and euen ſo doo wée.

Thus may you ſée (M. Offerer) that wée are not departed p. 68from the Catholique church of Rome, which was in the time of S. Iohn: but from your ſchiſmaticall and Antichriſtian Ramaine church, that did departe from that firſt Romaine church in the dayes of Phocas the Emperor, & Boniface the third, your firſt Antichriſtian Pope.

And now, the learned Proteſtant, hauing ſufficiently prooued, that his ſorte are not departed from the common knowne Catholique church, neither from that faith and religion wherein they were baptized, but doo ſtill remaine in the profeſſion of the ſame faith and religion that they did, by baptiſme, firſt receiue: you muſt needes by the drift of Argument and Reaſon, graunt, that this firſt ſigne and token of falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and Schiſmatikes, was before ſpoken by the Apoſtle Iohn, onelyonly of you and of men of your ſorte, and not of the learned Proteſtant and of his companie, For you are fallen from the fayth of the firſt Romaine Church, in that you hauehave repoſed truſt in Creatures, and doo repoſe truſt in them ſtill. You doo call vponupon them, making prayers to them. You make Images of them, ſetting them vp in places of honor, and you doo kneele before them: yea, you burne Wax and Incenſe before them, &c.

You repoſe truſt in your owne ſtrength, and perſuade your ſelfe, that you are able to fulfill the law of God: and when you hauehave broken any parte thereof, you perſuade your ſelfe, that you are able by penance that you ſuffer, to ſatiſfie to God for the breaking of his law, &c.

Take to your ſelfe therefore, this firſt ſigne and token of falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and Schiſmatikes: wée will none of it. It is not ours, but youres, and you ſhall hauehave it.

The ſecond ſigne and token.

Offerer.

2Second ſure marke, ſigne, and token of falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and ſchiſmatikes is, that they being thus departed from the Catholique church doo of them ſelues, & of their owne authority, without warrant, being not ſent, ſet vp a new goſpell, a new faith & religion, by preaching of a new doctrine, to aſſemble and ſet vp a new church and congregation.

Of this ſigne and token, and great preſumption ſpeaketh the Apoſtle Saint Paule: Quomodo enim praedicabunt niſi mittantur? Rom. 10.Rom 10How ſhall men preach except they be ſent? And in his Epiſtle to the Hebrews hee ſaith: Nec quiſquam ſibi ſumit honorem, niſi qui vocatur a Deo, quemadmodum & Aaron. Let no man take vntounto him ſelfe honor, except he bee called of God, like as Aaron was. Certaine it is, that Aaron was called vntounto the Office and dignitie of a biſhop, ordinarily by Moſes, Exod. 4.Exod 4and by externall and viſible vnction. Moſes him ſelfe was ordinarily called and ſent of God, approoued by myracle, as it appeereth in the fourth Chapter of Exodus. And therefore the Apoſtle S. Paule, nameth Aaron, and not Moſes, to ſignifie, that all extraordinarie vocations by myracies, as (Moſes was) are now ceaſed; and wee muſt from henceforth bee ordinarily called by externall vnction, as Aaron was.

When therefore the learned proteſtant ſhall be able to prooue their iuſt and due vocation ordinarily or extraordinarily to proceede of God, and not onelyonly of men, I ſhall then yeelde and recant, and not before.

Crowley.

In the firſt Period, or perfect ſentence of this ſure mark (as this Offerer dooth terme it) hee chargeth vsus vniuſtly with three crimes. Whereof the firſt is, A departing from the Catholique church. The ſecond is, the ſetting vp of a p. 69new faith and religion. And the third is, the aſſembling of a new church and cōgregation. I hauehave in mine anſwere to the firſt ſigne, ſufficiently prooued, that not wée Proteſtants, but this Offerer & his fellowes, bee guilty in theſe thrée points: For they are departed from the true Catholique church, they hauehave ſet vp a new faith and religion: and they hauehave aſſembled and ſet vp, & doo ſtill labour to aſſemble and ſet vp, a new church and congregation.

In the reſt of this ſure marke of his, hée wreſteth far out of tune two ſentences that Saint Paule hath written, the one to the Romaines, and the other to the Hebrews. To the Romaines S. Paule hath written thus in the 10. Rom. 20.Chap. Quomodo, &c. How ſhall men preach, except they bée ſent? And to the Hebrews hee ſaith thus, Cap. 5. Hebr, 5Nec quiſquam, &c. Let no man take vntounto him ſelfe honor, except hée be called of God, like as Aaron was. By theſe two places, our Offerer will prooue y^e wee proteſtants hauehave no lawfull miniſters in our Church, bicauſe our miniſters be not ordinarily called by outward & viſible vnction, as Aaron was, & ſo ſent foorth to preach and miniſter, as their ſmered & ſhauen Prieſts bée.

But I hope, the indifferent reader ſhall plainly ſée, how violently this man dooth racke theſe ſayings of S. Paule, to make them ſéeme to ſerue his purpoſe. In the 10. Cap. of his Epiſtle to y^e Romans: S. Paule maketh it plain vntounto them, that God doth in mercy embrace all men that belieuing his promiſe, doo call vponupon him: and thus he ſaith. Non enim eſt diſtinctio Iudaei & Greci: nam idem Dominus omnium, diues in omnes qui inuocant illum, &c. There is no difference of Iew, & Gréeke: for one is Lord of all, & rich towards all, that doo cal vponupon him. For eueryevery one whoſoeuer ſhal call vponupon y^e name of the Lord ſhalbe ſaued: how therefore ſhall they call vponupon him, in whom they hauehave not belieued? Or how ſhall they giuegive credit to him, whom they hauehave not heard? And how ſhal they heare w^tout a preacher?Eſay, 52. And how ſhal they preach except they be ſent? as it is written. How glorious are y^e féet of them that preach peace, and that preach good things.

Chryſoſtome in his 18. Homilie vponupon the Epiſtle to the Romaines,Chryſoſt. in homilia 18. in 10. cap. Ad Rom. and expounding theſe very woords of ſaint Paule: ſaith thus. Obſerua vero, ſupra inquit, dixit propheta, quod quiſquis inuocauerit nomen domini, ſalnus ſit futurus. Sed dicet forte quiſquam, & quomodo poterūt inuocare eum in quem non crediderunt? Deinde & post hanc obiectionē ſequitur ipſius interrogatio, nimirum quare non crediderint? Poſt haec & alia obiectio: poterit enim omnino dici, & quomodo credent, cum non audierint? Atqui audierunt, inquit. Deinde & alia rurſus obiectio. Et quo modo potuiſſent audire ſine praedicante? Cuius iterum ſubiungitur ſolutio. Atqui praedicarunt multi ad hoc miſsi ſcilicet: & vnde manifeſtum quod isti ſint miſsi illi? Tum recte prophetam inducit dicentem: Quam ſpecioſi pedes annuntiantium pacem, annuntiantiū bona? Vides, quo modo a praedicationis modo ipſos praedicatores declaret? Circuibant enim nihil dicentes aliud, quam ineffabilia illa bona, pacemque quae inter Deum & homines facta erat, &c. In engliſh, Chryſoſtome ſaith thus. But marke: Hée ſaith before, that the prophet hath ſayd, y^e whoſoeuer ſhall call vponupon the name of the Lord, ſhall bee ſafe. But ſome man peraduenture, will ſay, and how can they call vponupon him in whom they hauehave not belieued? And then after this obiection, followeth his queſtion, that is to ſay, why hauehave they not belieued? And after theſe woords: another obiection followeth alſo: for thus it might be ſaid in déed. And how ſhal they belieue, when they hauehave not heard? But he ſaith that they hauehave heard. And yet againe, there is another obiection. And howe coulde they heare, without a preacher? The ſolution wherof is againe ſet down ſtraight after. But many hauehave preached, which hauehave bin ſent for the ſame purpoſe. And how is it plainely prooued that theſe bee they that were ſent? Then doth he very well bring in the prophet ſaying. How beautifull are y^e féete of them that doo declare peace, and that doo declare good things? Doo you not ſée, how he dooth declare the preachers themſelues, by the maner of their preaching? For they went about, vttering by ſpéech, none other thing then thoſe ineffable good things, & that peace, that was made betwixt God & men, &c. Thus far Cryſoſt.

p. 70By theſe woords of Chryſoſtome it is manifeſt, that in his iudgment the note whereby preachers are knowne to bee ſent of God: is the maner of their preaching. If they preach the vnſpeakable commodities & benefits, that God hath beſtowed vponupon mankinde in the Mediator Chriſt Ieſus, & that peace which Chriſt Ieſus, the peace maker, …ath ma…e betwixt God & man: then are they ſent of God (ſaith Chryſoſtome) for the maner of their preaching doth declare them ſo to bée.

And this iudgment of Chryſoſtome is according to that which S. Iohn hath written in the fourth Chapter of his firſt Epiſtle. Chariſsimi, nolite omni ſpiritui credere, 1. Iohn. 41 John 4ſed probate ſpiritus ſi ex Deo ſint: quoniam multi pſeudoprophetae exierunt in mundum. In hoc cognoſcitur ſpiritus Dei. Omnis ſpiritus qui confitetur Ieſum Chriſtum in carne veniſſe, ex Deo eſt: & omnis ſpiritus qui ſoluit Ieſum, ex Deo non est, & hic est Antichristus de quo audistis quoniam venit, & nunc iam in mundo est. Moſt déerely beloued (ſaith S. Iohn) belieue not eueryevery ſpirite, but trie the ſpirites whether they be of God or no: for many falſe prophets are gone out into the world. By this is the ſpirite of God knowne. EueryEvery ſpirite, that confeſſeth that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is of God: and eueryevery ſpirite that deuideth Ieſus, is not of God, & the ſame is Antichriſt, of whom yee hauehave heard that hée commeth, and euen now he is in the world.

Theſe woords of the Apoſtle S. Iohn, doo make manifeſt and plaine that iudgment of Chryſoſtome: which is, that y^e preachers which are ſent of God, are not ſo well diſcerned from them that are not ſent of God, by any outward ſigne or token, as by the maner of their preaching.

If they confeſſe Ieſus Chriſt to bée commen in the fleſh (ſaith S. Iohn) then vndoubtedly they bee of God: but if they deuide Ieſus, then without all doubt, they are not of God, but they are then of Antichriſt. But wee which bée Catholique Proteſtants, doo confeſſe that Ieſus Chriſt is commen in the fleſh, and the Popiſh Catholiques doo deny him to bee commen in the fleſh: Therefore wée bée of God, and bée ſent of him, and the popiſh Catholiques, are not of God, neither are they ſent of him, but they are of Antichriſt, and are his meſſengers.

The Offerer and his fellowes will deny the latter part of the Minor propoſition (that is) that they deny Chriſt to bée commen in the fleſh: therefore, the learned Proteſtant muſt prooue it.

For proofe that the Popyſh Catholique dooth deny Chriſt to bée commen in the fleſh: the learned Proteſtant ſaith thus. Who ſoeuer dooth deuide Ieſus, dooth deny him to bée commen in the fleſh: but the popiſh Catholique dooth deuide Ieſus: therefore the popiſh Catholique dooth deny Chriſt to bée commen in the fleſh.

Héere the popiſh Catholique will deny, that hée deuideth Ieſus. To this the learned Proteſtant muſt ſay, that by interpretation Ieſus dooth ſignifie a Sauiour. But the popiſh Catholique dooth deuide the Sauiour, hée dooth therfore deuide Ieſus.

And if the popiſh Catholique will ſay, that hée deuideth not the Sauiour, then the learned proteſtant muſt ſay, that the popiſh Catholique dooth aſcribe part of his ſaluation to Chriſt, and parte to his owne workes, and to the merits, of holy Saintes. Hée dooth therefore diuide the Sauiour: and ſo conſequently, hée denieth Ieſus to bée come in the fleſh. For Chriſt his comming in the fleſh was to ſaue ſinners. 1. Timoth. 1. 1. Tim. 1.1 Tim 1Yea, and he was called Ieſus, bicauſe he ſhould ſaue his people from their ſinnes. Math. 1. Mat. 1.Matt 1And as there is but one God, ſo there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man, & the ſame is the man Chriſt Ieſus. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Timo. 2.And hée it is that hath taken vponupon him our infirmities, and vponupon whom the correction due to our ſinnes is fallen, & by whoſe ſtripes wée are made whole. Eſay. 53. Eſay, 53.Yea, and it is hee that hath troden the Wynepreſſe of Gods wrath alone, & there was none to help him. Eſay. 63.Eſay, 63.

Thus much may the learned proteſtant conclude againſt the popiſh Catholique, out of the words of S. Iohn, as they he tranſlated out of the Gréeke & allowed of by thoſe popiſh p. 71Catholique Fathers of the laſt generall counſell holden in Trident. If this Offerer or his fellows will finde falt with this tranſlation: Let them take héed of that horrible curſſe y^e thoſe fathers hauehave denounced, againſt all ſuch as ſhall miſlike with any thing that y^e generall counſell did like wel of.

But it may bée, that for aduantage to bée taken againſt a proteſtant Catholique, the holy Father of Rome will diſpence with y^e decrée, & allow this Offerer to flee to y^e gréeke text, or to ſome tranſlation that is more agréeable to the gréeke then this tranſlation is. But that will not help. For the gréek hath it thus. foreign. which doth not confeſſe: & that is as much as to ſay, Hée that dooth deny: And by thoſe places of ſcripture that I hauehave cited, it appéereth manifeſtly, that who ſoeuer taketh not Chriſt to be his only & alone ſauiour, but aſcribeth ſome parte of his ſaluation, either to himſelfe or to ſome other: the ſame doth in déed deny Chriſt to be any ſauiour at all, & ſo to hauehave taken vponupon him mans nature, and to bée commen in the fleſh.

Thus (by the help of Chryſoſtome) the learned proteſtant, hath made it plaine to the indifferent reader, that S. Paule, writing thus to the Romans. (How ſhal they preach except they be ſent?) Had no ſuch meaning as this Offerer dooth beare the world in hand that hée had. That is: that no preachers can be thought to be ſent of God, but ſuch only as are allowed of, by ſome popiſh Prelate.

S. Auguſtine in his Dialogue of 65. Auguſt. in Dialog. 65. queſtionū.queſtions (if that booke may bée called his) hath this queſtion in the later end of that booke. Quot genera ſunt Apostolatus: vel quale nomen ſit Apostolus, volo cognoſcere. I am willing to know (ſaith Oroſius) how many ſorts of Apoſtleſhips there bée, or what maner name this name Apoſtle is. The anſwere that ſaint Auguſtine is ſuppoſed to make, is thus. This name Apoſtle is interpreted to ſignifie, ſent. Of Apoſtles or meſſēgers there be foure ſorts or kings. One ſort are ſent from God, & not by men: another ſort are ſent from God, but yet by mē: a third ſort, are ſent by men onelyonly: and the fourth ſort are ſent of them ſelues. From God only, was Moſes ſent: from God, & by man, was Ioſua ſent: by man onelyonly are ſuch ſent, as by y^e fauor of the cōmon people, are aduaunced to y^e office of prieſthoode, as in our daies many are. Of themſelues are ſent, ſuch as be falſe prophets: then Oroſius aſketh another queſtion, which is the laſt queſtion of that booke. Quomodo poſſumus ſcire, qui mittatur a Deo? How may wée know (ſaith hee) who it is that is ſent of God? Auguſtine anſwereth. Illum cognoſce miſſum a Deo, quem non paucorum hominū laudatio, vel potius adulatio eligit, ſed illum quem & vita & mores optimi, & apostolicorum actio commendat ſacerdotum: vel etiam qui vniuerſorum populorum iuditio comprobatur, qui non appetit praeeſſe, qui nec pecuniam dat vt Epiſcopatus honorem acquirat. Nam qui praeeſſe festinat, quidam patrum eliganter expreſsit dicens: ſciat ſe non eſſe Epiſcopum, qui praeeſſe cupit, non prodeſſe. In engliſh thus, Know this, that not y^e man, whom the commendation, or rather y^e flatterie of a few men dooth chooſe, but he whom both life and maners of the beſt ſort, & the action of Apoſtolike prieſtes dooth commend, is ſent of God: or els that man that is allowed of by the iudgment of all people, ſuch a one as deſireth not to beare rule, & that doth not giuegive money that he may obtaine the honor of a biſhop. For he that is haſty to beare rule, is by one of the Fathers, finely painted out in this ſaying: let that man that coueteth to beare rule, and not to doo good: know that hée is no biſhop.

In theſe woords of S. Auguſtine, it appéereth, that in his iudgment, it is not the ordinarie calling and externall vnction, that wee ſhould looke vntounto, when wée bee deſirous to know, what preachers be ſent of God: but it is their good life, & the good liking that good men hauehave of them: yea, and the good opinion that all men are enforced to hauehave in them, bicauſe they ſée in them no ſigne of ambition, or deſire of honor, but contrariwiſe, that they are deſirous to be occupied in doing good. By theſe ſignes (ſaith S. Auguſtine) yee ſhall know that they are ſent of God. So that as Chryſoſoſtome ſaith, that they are knowne by the maner of their preaching: ſo S. Auguſtine doth ſay, that they are knowne by their life.

p. 72But now, the Offerer (or ſome of his friends) will ſay, that S. Auguſtine is againſt vsus in theſe woords, Et apostolicorum actio commendat ſacerdotum. In engliſh thus. And ſuch a one as the action of the Apoſtolike prieſts dooth commend. Theſe Apoſtolike prieſts, muſt néedes be popiſh Catholiques, (in the iudgment of this Offerer & his fellows:) for with them, onelyonly Peter is the Apoſtle: and Rome, the Apoſtolike ſeate, bicauſe (as they imagine) Peter was byſhop there 25. yéere, & left his powre, & authority there with his immediate ſucceſſor. But who was that ſucceſſor, they are not yet agréed: for ſome of them ſay it was Clement, & ſome ſay it was Limus. But this is their concluſion: that whoſoeuer is biſhop of Rome, muſt néedes hauehave Peters authority by ſucceſſion in that ſeate, although hee bée in life, & doctrine, neuer ſo vnlike, or cōtrary to Peter. And none may be accounted Apoſtolike, but ſuch as be of or vnderunder the obedience of that Apoſtolike ſucceſſion: but by y^e circumſtance of S. Auguſtines woords, it appéereth that hee taketh them for Apoſtolike prieſts, that are moſt like vntounto the Apoſtles in life and in doctrine, and in painefull trauell, and in continuall care to doo good in y^e Church of Chriſt. Such are not the popiſh Catholiques, for all their care is (as in the Decrées of their generall Counſelles it dooth appéere) to aduance them ſelues in degrée, aboue all other ſortes of men, and to maintaine them ſelues in that high eſtate. And they are euen the ſame men that are ſpoken vntounto in thoſe laſt woords that I hauehave cyted out of S. Auguſtine: ſciat ſe non eſſe Epiſcopum, qui praeeſſe cupit, non prodeſſe. Let that man, which coueteth to beare rule, and not to doo good, knowe: that hee is no biſhop.

But let vsus nowe ſee what this Offerer hath cited out of the fift Chapter to the Hebrewes.Heb. 5.Heb 5 Nec quiſquam ſibi ſumit honorem, niſi qui vocatur a Deo, quemadmodum & Aaron. No man taketh honor vntounto him ſelfe, except hee bée called of God, as Aaron was. Firſt I muſt note, that this Offerer hath not dealt ſimply, in that he hath tranſlated theſe wroodes thus: let no man take vntounto him ſelfe, &c. For by this tranſlation, it ſéemeth to bée a commaundement giuen, or a rule ſet downe by the Apoſtle: which rule muſt néedes bee kept in the admitting of all ſuch as ſhalbe miniſters in the church of Chriſt. So that who ſoeuer is not admitted according to that rule, may not bée taken for a Catholique miniſter, nor his miniſtration allowed of.

But let vsus ſée in what meaning the Apoſtle did write the woords. The circumſtance of the text dooth make it plaine, that the Apoſtles purpoſe was to prooue, that Aarons prieſthoode was at an ende, and that the high prieſtes that had bin made after the Order of Aaron, were farre inferiour vntounto Chriſt, that is our high Prieſt, not after the Order of Aaron, but of Melchizedech. And yet our Sauiour Chriſt was no vſurper: for hée was called of God as Aaron was. And herein hée was like vntounto Aaron. But in that Aaron, and ſuch as were made high Prieſts after his Order, did offer Sacrifice for their owne ſinnes, Chriſt was nothing like them, for hee neded not to offer for any ſinnes of his owne, ſith there was no ſinne in him.

But how maketh this for our Offerers purpoſe? The Apoſtles meaning was to prooue that Aarons Prieſthoode was now come to an ende, and muſt now giuegive place to the Prieſthoode of Chriſt, which ſhoulde neuer hauehave an ende. And our Offerer woulde prooue by this place, that all ſuch immediate callinges, ſuch as the calling of Moſes was (wherein God vſed no meane) are nowe ceaſed: and that wée muſt from hencefoorth, bee ordynarily called by externall vnction, as Aaron was. And what is this other, then to ſet vp the carnall Prieſthoode of Aaron againe, and to diſanull the ſpirituall and euerlaſting Prieſthoode of Chriſt, directly contrary to the meaning of the Apoſtle in this place alleaged by this Offerer?

Wée doo not holde or teach, that eueryevery man may thruſt himſelfe into the miniſtery without orderly calling: or that any man may take vntounto himſelfe the honor of y^e calling, not being called of God as Aaron was: but wée doo both holde & p. 73teach, that ſuch as ſhall miniſter in the Church of Chriſt hauehave an inward calling from God, and be outwardly admitted by man. But that this admiſſion muſt bée by outward vnction: ſuch as was vſed in Arons Préeſthoode, or ſuch as the Antichriſtian Catholiques hauehave deuiſed, and doo vſe, that wee doo flatlie denye, becauſe the Apoſtles neuer taught any ſuch maner of admiſſion, S. Paule hath taught. 1. Timoth, 3. 1, Timot, 3,That ſuch onelyonly are to bee admitted into the miniſtery, as be qualified ſo as in that place he hath preſcribed: Yea none is admitted, but ſuch as do confeſſe that they are inwardly drawne there vntounto, and hauehave determined to continue the whole courſe of theyr life in that ſeruice of God, and to imploy themſelues wholy therein, ſéeking to ſet foorth Gods glorie in the edification of his Church. And then they are not admitted without inuocation and praiers made vntounto God, and impoſition of handes, and ſuch other Ceremonies as hauehave ſome ground or foundation in the holy ſcriptures. Which we vſe not as thinges of neceſſitye, that may not be altered or lefte: but as thinges indifferent, whych may bée vſed ſo long as the vſe of them may edifie, & lefte when ſuch as hauehave authority ouer vsus ſhall ſée the contrarie. But your Antichriſtian vnctions, wée can no ſkyll of.

Thus hauing prooued (as I thinke) ſufficiently, that we Catholique Proteſtants, not béeing departed from the firſt Roomiſh catholique Church, but continuinge in the ſame fayth and religion, that was profeſſed and holden by that catholique Church: are not Schiſmaticall, but catholique: And hauehave our authoritie from Chriſt, as that firſt Roomiſh catholique Church had, & doo by that authority call & admit ſuch miniſters, as by ſuch outwarde tokens as ſaint Paule hath mentioned, 1. Timoth, 3. doo appeare or ſéeme vntounto vsus to bée called of God. And haueing thus admitted them: wée appoint them to miniſter in the church of Chriſt, (ſo nighe as poſſibly may bée) euen according as Chriſt Ieſus commaunded hys Apoſtles to miniſter hys worde and Sacramentes.

Now M. Offerer, hauing thus prooued our iuſt and due vocation, ordinarily to procéede of God: I require you to yéelde and to recant, as you hauehave promiſed to doo.

The third ſigne or token of falſe Prophets.

Offerer.

The third ſigne and token, of falſe Prophets, Heretickes & Siſmatickes, is, that they being firſt departed frō the Catholique Church, & ſecondarily not called, do foorthwith all of themſelues preach and teach contentiouſly and ſediciouſly againſt the doctrine before time taught of the common knowen Catholique Church of Chriſt, as againſt the Sacramentes of Chriſt his Church, by a flat deniall of many of them, againſt the reall preſence of Chriſt his body in the holy Euchariſt, againſt the bleſſed ſacrifice of the Maſſe propitiatorie bothe for the liue and deade, againſt penaunce, and the worthy fruites thereof, by faſtinge, watch, prayer, and all ſtraightnes of lyfe, againſt vowes, inuocation of Saintes, prayer for ſoules departed, and finally againſt the Church it ſelfe, flatlie denying, that Chriſt hath here vponupon earth any ſpouſe or viſible Church here to bee heard ſpeake, perceiued or ſeene. The Apoſtle S. Paule in admonition giuing vntounto vsus, to bee ware of this ſigne and token ſayth:Hebr, 13, Doctrinis varijs & peregrinis, nolite abduci. Bee not you led and caryed away with theſe diuers and ſtrang doctrines: ſo termed of the Apoſtle S. Paule, becauſe they are not agreeing, but contrary to the receiued and commō knowen doctrine of Chriſt his catholique Church. When therfore the learned Proteſtant ſhalbe able to prooue, that they and theyr congregations are not the rayſers vppe of theſe contentions and ſtrifes, by theyr preaching of theſe ſtraung doctrines, but wee, that are members of the Catholique Church, then I wyll ſubmit and recant, and not before.

p. 74Crowley.

To the firſt parte of this ſigne or token, this Offerer may thinke himſelfe ſufficiently anſwered already, more then once. Wée Proteſtant Catholiques, are not departed from the true Catholique Church, neyther are we without our ordinarie calling from God, and by men. Béeing ordinarily thereunto called: wée doo preach, not contentiouſlye and ſeditiouſly, but conſtantly and ſincerely. Not againſt that doctrine which in tyme paſte hath béene taught in the commonly knowen Catholique Church of Chriſt: but againſt the new doctrine of Antichriſt, preached in the commonly knowen Antichriſtian catholique Church.

Againſt the Sacramentes of Chriſt we preach not, neither doo we flatly deny any of them: but wée doo teache the right vſe of them, and we doo deny thoſe other to be Sacramentes, which your antichriſtian Church hath enforced vponupon vsus as Sacramentes, which doo not agrée with the definition of a Sacrament. As is already declared, in the aunſwer to the firſt and to the eleauenth offers.

Againſt the reall preſence of Chriſtes body in the holie Euchariſt after that groſſe and carnall manner that you do teach it to bée preſent: we doo preach in déede, and are by S. Auguſtine admoniſhed ſo to doo. Ad Dardanum. Epiſt, 57. Auguſt. Epiſtle, 57.Cauendum est, &c. Wée muſt take héede, that wée doo not ſo builde vp the diuinity of the manhoode in Chriſt: that wee doo take away the trueth of his bodie. We doo knowe, and we doo teach, that our Sauiour Chriſt is preſent in the holy Euchariſt, and dooth therein exhibite himſelfe to the worthy receiuer, that is to the faithfull, that hath by due examination prepared himſelfe, and ſo commeth to the Lords table & receiueth that holy Euchariſt. And we teach y^e ſuch a one ſo prepared, receiueth as the faithfull Apoſtles dyd Panem Dominum: that breade which is the Lord. But the vnfaithfull, doo as Iudas dyd, receiue Panem Domi…i contra Dominum. The Lordes bread againſt the Lord. Auguſtine, Tract, in Iohn, 59. Againſt the Sacrifice of the Maſſe, which you doo call bleſſed,Auguſt. in Ioh, Tract. 59 and propitiatorie, both for the liue and the deade, we doo preach in déede: and that not without iuſt cauſe. For in the tenth chapter of the Epiſtle to the Heberews, Hebr, 10,it is written. That Chriſt Ieſus hath by one Sacrifice made perfect as many as be made holy. And that the deuine maieſtie, hath ſo blotted out the ſins of his elected, ſo made perfect, that hee will neuer remember them anie more:1 Iohn, 2, and y^t therefore there is no more ſacrifice for ſin. And in the ſecond chapter of S. Iohns firſt Epiſtle, wee are aſſured, that Chriſt Ieſus the righteous, is the propitiation for our ſinnes. Your opinion therefore concerning a Sacrifice propitiatorie to bée offered in your Maſſe: is blaſphemous, and dooth derogate from the glorie of Chriſt, who is our onelyonly mediator, whoſe mediation is ſufficient, and néedeth no helpe of your maſſing Préeſthoode. Your penaunce alſo, is in ſome part blaſphemous, as in that you teache your ghoſtly children to ſatiſfie to God for theyr ſinnes by ſuche workes as you enioyne them to doo. And the fruites thereof (which you call worthy) as faſting, watchinge, praying, and all ſtraightnes of lyfe, are ſuperſticious and Hipocriticall: and therefore we ſpeake againſt them. Your vowes, your inuocation of Saints, and your prayers for the ſoules departed, are ſuperfluous, and in your meaning, ſuperſtitious, & in very déed very wicked & blaſphemous. For what néede hath a Chriſtian to adde any vowe, to that which is made in baptiſme, ſith no man can truely ſay, that eyther he hath or could performe that vow ſo, but that God might iuſtly charge him with the lacke of performaunce thereof? That vowe is to forſake the deuill and all his works and pompes, the vanities of the wicked world, and all the ſinfull luſtes of the fleſhe. To beléeue all the articles of the Chriſtian fayth: and to kéepe all the commaundementes of God, all the dayes of our lyfe. If this vowe bee ſo ſtraight, that not one amongſt thouſandes can bée ſound that dooth not fayle in performing of it: then is it more then ſuperfluous to adde any other, which may ſéeme to bée more p. 75ſtraight, and hard to be performed then this is, or ſéeme to bée. Your praying vntounto Saintes alſo is ſuperfluous. For God himſelfe, that is all ſufficient, and able to doo for vsus all that we doo or can deſire, yea and much more then wee can deuiſe to craue of him, hath commaunded vsus to call vponupon hym: yea and he hath promiſed to heare vsus, and to giuegive vsus cauſe to glorifie him for our deliueraunce. In the 50. Pſal, Pſalme, 50.the prophet Dauid ſaith thus in the perſon of God himſelf: Jnuoca me in die tribulationis, eruā te, & honorificabis me. Call vponupon me in the day of thy trouble: I wil deliuer thée, & thou ſhalt honor me. And in y^e Pſalm, 81, Open thy mouth wide,Pſal, 81, &, 145. and I wil fil it. And in y^e Pſa, 145. The Lord is hard at hand with eueryevery one that calleth vponupon him, w^c eueryone y^e calleth vpō him faithfully. Eſay y^e Prophet cha, 63. Eſay, 63,Made his praier vntounto God, not to Abrahā, not to Iſacke, not to Iacob. The apoſtle Paule bowed his knées (that is to ſay, hee prayed) to the father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that is the diuine maieſtie, not to the Saintes or holy Angels. Ephe, 3. Epheſ, 3,Our Sauiour Chriſt teaching his ſchollers how they ſhould pray, ſayth thus When thou wilt pray, enter into thy chamber, and when thou haſt ſhut thy doore pray vntounto thy father in ſecrete, and thy father which ſéeth in ſecret ſhall giuegive vntounto thée. And againe he ſayth. On this wiſe therefore ſhall you pray. Our father which art in heauen, &c. Math, 6. Math, 6.By theſe places of Scripture and many other, we are encouraged to make our prayers vntounto God: and to be aſſured that he dooth heare vsus, and that he will graunt our peticions. For hée is both able and ready to helpe vsus: as a moſt mighty and mercifull father. It is therefore a thing altogeather vayne and ſuperfluous and vnneceſſarie to make any prayers to any other.

In lyke manner, it is a thing altogeather vnneceſſary to make prayers for the ſoules departed. For if they be departed in the Lord, they be happie, and bleſſed as wee are certified by that voyce which came from Heauen Apo, 14. Apoc, ….And on the contrary, if they departed not in the Lord: then are they moſt vnhappie and curſed, ſo that thereis no ſaluation duplicate page p. 75duplicate page for them. Nothing that we can doo, can profit them. So that in the one caſe, they doo not ſtand in néede of our prayers: and in the other, our prayers can doo them no good. Your prayer therefore for the dead, is altogether ſuperfluous, and vnneceſſary. Your opinion in this poynt, is grounded vponupon no Canonicall Scripture, but vponupon an imagination that you hauehave conceiued, concerning y^e meaning of Iudas Machabaeus, 2. Mach, 12 2, Mach, 12.Of what authoritie y^e booke is, may appeare in that which Saint Hierome hath written in hys preface vponupon the bookes of Salmon. Hierom, praef. in pruden. Salomon.Thus hath Saint Hierome written there. Sicut ergo Iudith, & Tobiae, & Machabeorum libros, legit quidem Eccleſia, ſed eos inter canonicas ſcriptura; non recipit: ſic & haec duo volumina, &c. In Engliſh thus Euen as the Church dooth (in déede) reade the bookes of Iudeth and Tobias, and of the Machabies, but doth not receiue them amongſt the cannocall Scriptures: euen ſo, ſhe may reade theſe two bookes, (meaning the Booke of wiſedome and Eccleſiaſticus) to the edifying of the people, but not for the confirming of Eccleſiaſticall doctrine. By this it appeareth, that the foundation of your imagination, is verie weake, and not ſufficient to beare that waightie buildinge that you doo lay vponupon it. Which is as weighty as an article of our fayth. The authoritie of that booke, may bée ſéene alſo, euen in the laſt lines of the booke: wherein the authour dooth ſhewe himſelfe to ſtand in doubt, whether he had doon ſo well as he wiſhed to doo: and in caſe he had not, he craueth pardon at the handes of his readers And he vſeth a ſimilitude to mooue his readers to pardon him. Which is not found in any of the writers of the Canonicall Sriptures. And in the latter part of the 14. Chapter of that ſecond booke of y^e Machabies, 2, Macha, 14,theris great commendation giuen to one Razias, for that he dyd murder himſelfe: whych can not make for the credite of the author of the booke, neither of y^e matter contained in y^e booke. But let y^e booke bée of as great authority as this Offerer wold with it to be: what hath Iudas Machabaeus doone, that may mooue vsus to thinke that he had any ſuch meaning, as this Offerer and his fellowes p. 76doo imagine y^e he had. The Hiſtorian ſayth, that af…er the Armie of Gorgias, was by the mightie power of God put to flight: Iudas (hauing gathered his armie togeather) came to the Cittie Odolla. And when the ſeauenth day was come, and they were purified,2, Mach, Chap, 12. according to the cuſtome: they did in the ſame place ſpende the time of the Saboth. And the next day following, Iudas came with his company, to take vp the deade bodies of them that were ſlaine, and to burie them with theyr fathers, in the buriall places that belonged to them. And they found vnderunder the garmentes of them that were ſlaine, certaine of the giftes that had béene offered to the idols that were at Iamnia, from which the lawe had commaunded the Iewes to abſtaine. It was therefore made manifeſt to al men: that this was the cauſe wherefore they were ſlaine. The whole companie therfore, did commend the iuſt iudgement of the Lorde: which had made manifeſt the déedes that had béene hidde, and kept ſecret. And ſo they gaue themſelues to prayer: and beſought God, that the faulte which had béene committed, might be blotted out of memorie. But, the moſt valiant man Iudas, exhorted the people to kéepe themſelues without ſinne, hauing euen before theyr eyes thoſe thinges that had happened, for the ſinnes of them that were ſlaine. And hauing ended his Collation, hee ſent to Ieruſalem 12, thouſande drachmas of ſiluer: that ſacrifice might bee offered for the ſinnes of them that were dead. Thus farre goeth the report of that which was doone by Iudas Machabaeus.

This is tranſlated out of that latine text that the Tridentine councell hath allowed of, which text this Offerer and his fellowes, may not diſalowe of. In the Gréeke the ſence is vncertaine, and hardly can there any certaine ſence be gathered in this place. And this one thing I muſt note, that where as this vulgare tranſlation hath 12. thouſande drachmas, the Gréeke hath but two thouſande drachmas, which together with the reſt of the circumſtaunces of the texte, doo cauſe me to thinke, that Iudas néeded not to make any collection of money to be ſent to Ieruſalem. For y^• …m being no greater, he might very wel ſpare it out of his own treaſure, as it may be ſuppoſed. Hauing therefore ended his collation or concion which he made to the whole company of hys Souldiours, that then were about him (wherein hée exhorted them to conſider of that which had happened, and to take warning thereby, to bée careful to kéepe themſelues from ſinne, leſt the lyke ſhould fall vponupon them alſo) he ſent that ſumme of money to Ieruſalem, that Sacrifice might be offered there, for the ſinnes of them that were dead. Slaine (by the iuſt iudgement of God) for that contrarie to the lawe, they had taken to theyr own vſe, ſome of thoſe things that had béene offered to the Idolles of Iamnia.

But what? Shall we thinke that Iudas Machabeus (being a man ſo preciſe in obſeruing the lawe of God, as in this Hiſtorie it dooth appeare that he was) would cauſe any newe kinde of Sacrifice to be deuiſed, or that he wold cauſe any of thoſe Sacrifices, that Moſes had by Gods direction commaunded to be offered: to bée vſed for any other purpoſe, then for thoſe purpoſes, that God himſelfe had ordayned them for? If you will reade the whole Leuiticall lawe throughout: you ſhal not finde, that euer God did command any Sacrifice to bée offered for ſinne, other then that which is called a ſinne offering, and was to be offered for penitent ſinners, in ſuch ſorte as the lawe dooth preſcribe, which was in the preſence of the penitent ſinner him ſelfe, laying hys hand vponupon the head of the Sacrifiſed beaſt, thereby ſignifying that it was he that had deſerued that death, which that innocent beaſt was there and then to ſuffer. The ſacrifice therefore, which Iudas would hauehave to be offered at Ieruſalem, muſt néedes be of that kinde which is called a peace offering: and was to be vſed for the pacifying of Gods wrath, which ſhould at any tyme, by any occaſion, be bent, eyther againſt the whole people, or againſt any one ſorte of the people, for any offence committed amongeſt them. Iudas therefore, conſidering, that God might in iuſtice (as often tymes he had doone) viſite the ſinne of the fathers vponupon the children, euen to the third and fourth generation, in them p. 77them that committing willing and wilfull ſin, had ſhewed themſelues to be haters of his maieſty: feared leaſt this iuſt iudgement ſhould be executed vponupon ſuch amongſt his people, as remained yet aliue, and were of the poſteritie of them that were already ſlaine, for that wickednes that they had committed.

The writer of the hiſtorie therefore, hath doone great wronge to Iudas, in that which hee addeth to the ende of this parte of this Hiſtory. Bearing hys readers in hand, that Iudas ment to redéeme by Sacrifice, the ſinne that the flayne had committed, and to teache, that to pray for the deade, that they may be releaſed of theyr ſinnes, is an holy, and an holſome cogitation.

Thus, if this offerer and his fellowes wyll, they may ſée, vponupon how ſlender a foundation, their opinion conceruing praying for the ſoules departed, is builded. I doo conclude therefore, that theyr vowes, their inuocation of ſaintes, and praying for ſoules departed, are ſuperfluous: Yea and as they hauehave conceyued opinion of them: ſuperſtitious, and as they doo vſe them, very impious.

But finally, this Offerer dooth charge vsus with ſpeaking againſt the Church it ſelfe: flatly denying, that Chriſt hath here vponupon earth, any ſpouſe or viſible Church, to bée heard ſpeake, perceyued or ſéene. Here I muſt ſay, that this Popiſh offerer dooth offer the Proteſtantes open wrong, in charging them with that which neuer any one amongeſt them (that is learned) hath affirmed, ſpoken or thought. It may be, that ſome ſuch amongeſt the Proteſtants, as hauehave not had the knowledge of the arte of reaſoning, hauehave béene by captions manner of reaſoning brought into ſuch a maſe that they could not deliuer themſelues from the captious Argumentes, that theſe ſubtyle Popiſh Catholiques doo vſe to frame. And ſo hauehave ſéemed to be conuinced, and enforced to graunt, that Chriſt hath no viſible Church here vppon earth: but ſuch amongſt the Proteſtant Catholiques as doo knowe howe to anſwer ſuch captious argumentes, are able and hauehave alwayes béene able, to vſe ſuch diſtinction as by the Arte of reaſoning are allowed to bée vſed, and thereby to make it playne, to as many as be not wilfully blind, that Chriſts Church that is here vponupon earth, may in one reſpect be ſayd to be viſible, and in another reſpect, y^e ſame Church may be ſayd to bée inuiſible.

2. Timot, 2.The Apoſtle Paule, writing to Timoth, 2, Epiſt, 2, chapter ſayth thus. Firmum fundamentum Dei stat, habens ſignaculum hoc. Cognouit dominus qui ſunt ſui, &c. The foundation of God, ſtandeth firme and ſure, and hath this ſure ſeale. The Lord dooth knowe who be hys. And let that perſon that calleth vponupon the name of the Lord, departe from euill. Here the Apoſtle Paule dooth make y^e Church of Chriſt (here on earth) inuiſible: as knowen onelyonly to the Lord, and not vntounto any man. For none but onelyonly God dooth knowe, (or can knowe) who they bée, whome hée hath choſen to be enheritors of hys kyngdome. Yea none but onelyonly God, whych hath choſen them before the beginning of y^e world. And ſuch onelyonly are, that Church that may rightly be called y^e church of Chriſt. And ſuch hauehave a care to doo, as Saint Paule dooth there exhorte, when he ſayeth: Let eueryevery one that calleth vponupon the name of the Lord, depart from euill. And in ſo dooing, they doo in ſome ſorte make it knowen vntounto men, that they be the elected and choſen children of God. But this knowledge can not bée ſo certaine, that any one man may be therby aſſured of the election of an other, becauſe he ſéeth him depart from euil. For gods ſercet election can not be certainly knowen by any outward ſignes: & therfore, the church of Chriſt (as it conſiſteth of y^e number, that God hath in his ſecret election appointed to be enheritors of his kingdome) may rightly be ſayd to be inuiſile, as knowen onelyonly to God, and vnknowen vntounto men.

2, Timoth, cap. 2,But as it followeth in the ſame text of S. Paule to Timoth. As in a great houſe there are veſſelles, not onelyonly of golde and of ſiluer, but of timber and of clay alſo, ſome appoynted to honeſt vſes & ſome to diſhoneſt: euen ſo is it in the Church of Chriſt (which is the houſholde of God) ſome are of one ſorte, and ſome of an other. And this mixed multitude is viſible, and knowen to bée that number of people p. 78that beareth the name of Chriſt and is called chriſtian. And in thys multitude are thoſe elected and choſen children of God that may rightly bée called y^e church of Chriſt: & in this reſpect, may y^e ſecret church of Chriſt, be called viſible.Math, 13.

This thing dooth our Sauiour Chriſt ſet foorth plainely in the parable of the net, that being caſt into the ſea doth drawe together fiſhes of all ſortes: but when this nette is drawen to the ſhore, the fiſher men doo chuſe out the good fiſhes, and caſt away the other as vnprofitable. And againe in the parable of y^e fielde: both the good graine and the tares doo growe togeather, and the féelde is called the corne féeld, and not the féelde of tares, tyll the tyme of the Harueſt bée come: but then the good grayne is gathered into barnes, and the tares are bound in bundles to bée burnte in the fyer. Euen ſo the open and knowē church, (which is viſible, ſéene and hearde) conſiſting of men, women, and children of all ſortes: continueth, and ſhall continue a myxed multitude euen till the harueſt (which is the ende of the world) ſhall come. And then he that now dooth (alone) knowe his choſen Church, ſhall make the ſame knowen to all men, by receiuing them to himſelfe, and by refuſing of the reſt.

Thus this Offerer and his fellowes may ſée howe the Church of Chriſt may be ſayd to bee inuiſible, and yet not denied to bée viſible. But it is manifeſt what ſtone it is that theſe men doo ſtumble at. They are perſwaded, that the Church of Chriſt, muſt néeds be alwaies in ſuch flooriſhing eſtate here on earth, as the Church of Roome is now, and as it hath continued for many yéeres togeather: But they ſhould conſider, that the woman y^e S. Iohn ſawe Apoc, 12. Apoc. 12.Rev 12was driuen into wildernes by the crueltie of the Dragon, (as I hauehave noted in mine aunſwer to the ninth offer) and yet ſhe is ſtil cloathed with the Sunne, and hath the moone vnderunder her féete, and is crowned with the 12. ſtarres. Yea ſhe is the Cittie ſituated on the hyll, the light of the world, and the candle ſet on the candleſticke: as ſhe was euen in thoſe daies of horrible perſecution, when the Biſhops of Roome, had no dwelling place in Roome, nor the Chriſtians in Roome, any open Church to méete in, for theyr exerciſe of Chriſtian religion. Looke well to that which I hauehave written in aunſwer to the ninth offer: and then I hope you will not charge vsus as you hauehave doone.

As touching y^e admonitton that S. Paule gaue to the Hebrewes, Hebr, 13.in the 13, Chapter of that Epiſtle: I wiſhe you to weighe it well, and to conſider the time, and what doctrine was vſuall in that tyme wherein the wordes of that admonition were written. Which if yée would doo, you ſhould finde that your doctrine, for the real preſence of Chriſts bodie in the holy Euchariſt: for the Sacrifice of the maſſe, and the propitiation of ſinnes, both of the quicke and the deade thereby: for your penaunce, with the fruites thereof: your ſtraightnes of lyfe, your vowes, inuocation of Saintes, and your prayer for ſoules departed, and ſuch lyke: are the various and ſtrange doctrines, that Saint Paule dooth warne you of. For all thoſe doctrines were ſtraung in thoſe daies, and ſcarcely was any one of them hearde of. Thinke therefore that S. Paule ſayeth vntounto you be not ledde or caried away, with the diuers and ſtraung doctrines, of Tranſubſtantiation, of maſſing for the quicke & the dead, of ſatiſfying for ſinnes, by penaunce enioyned by a ghoſtly father, by faſting, watching, praying, vowing, inuocating of Saints, &c. For they are not agréeing, but contrarie to, the receiued and commonly knowen doctrine of Chriſtes Catholique church. When y^e Popiſh antichriſtian catholiques can be able to prooue that the high Préeſts, Scribes and Phariſeis, were not the rayſers vppe of thoſe contentions and ſtrifes, that were ſtyrred vp, in the dayes wherein Chriſt and hys apoſtles preached in Ieruſalem and Iewrie, but Chriſt & his apoſtles, by preaching the doctrine of the Goſpell. And that the contentions and ſtrifes, that hauehave béene, and bee ſtyll ſtyrred vp in our dayes, hauehave not béene, nor are ſtyll ſtyrred vp by them, by theyr preaching and maintayning of theyr ſtrange doctrines of tranſubſtantiation & ſuch lyke: but by vsus, that béeing members of the moſt auncient Catholike Church doo preach the ſame catholique doctrine, that Chriſt and hys Apoles dyd preach and none other: then wyll I recant p. 79and become a Papiſt and not before.

And becauſe I hauehave (in the iudgement of all indifferent readers) ſufficiently prooued, that which this Offerer hath in this Offer required the learned Proteſtant to prooue: I doo requyre him to doo as becommeth an honeſt man in performing his promiſe. Which is to ſubmit him ſelfe, and to recant, although hetherto he hauehave refuſed ſo to doo.

The fourth ſigne and token of falſe Prophets.

Offerer.

Fourth ſigne and token of falſe Prophets, Heretiques 4and Schiſmatiques, is, Schiſma in Eccleſiam introducere. To bring into the Church of Chriſt by their doctrine, ſchiſme, diuiſion and ſeperation of one member from another, and of the whole miſtical body from the true head Ieſus Chriſt. For where as the health and ſaluation of Chriſt hys flocke and people dooth moſt cheefely conſiſt in peace, concord, and vnitie, they therefore which by Schiſme doo deuide and diſperſe his flocke, and of one ſocietie and fellowſhip before, doo make many and diuers, they in not ſpareinge nor preſeruing in vnitie the flock of Chriſt, are become rauening Wolues. Th'apoſtle S. Paule knowing the great daunger and hurte vpriſing of Schiſme, dooth moſt humbly beſeech vsus with all dilligent circumſpection to auoide the ſame, ſaying: Obſecro vos fratres per nomen domini nostri Jeſu Christi, vt idipſum dicatis omnes, & nō ſint in vobis ſchiſmata, ſitis autem perfecti in eodem ſenſu, & in eadem ſententia. 1. Cor, 1.I beſeech you brethren by the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that you ſay all one thinge, and that there bee no ſchiſme amongſt you, but be perfect in one minde, and one meaning. Nowe if the learned Proteſtant ſhalbe able to prooue, that where as about the time of threeſcore yeeres and aboue, we were all (not onelyonly in this realme, but vniuerſally in al other realmes profeſſing Chriſt) of one church of one fayth and religion, and of one vnitie therein: if hee ſhalbe able to prooue, that this late Schiſme, whereby wee are ſo deuided and diſperſed, that ſome are become Lutherans, ſome Zuinglians, ſome Caluiniſts, ſome Puritans and Annabaptiſts, dyd proceede from vsus, and from the common knowen Catholique Church of Chriſt, and not wholy from theyr priuate Church and congregations, and of the deceitfull and falſe doctrine by them preached and taught, I ſhall then ſtay no longer, but yeelde and recant, and not before.

Crowley.

They that be the bringers of Schiſmes and diuiſions into the Church of Chriſt, &c? may rightly be ſaid to be falſe Prophettes, Heretiques, and Schiſmatiques. And th'apoſtle Paule dooth very well and loouingly exhorte and beſéech vsus, euen in the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, to be all of one minde and that there be no Schiſmes amongſt vsus, &c. But now, the learned Proteſtant muſt prooue that the late Schiſme (whereby the people of all Chriſtian realmes, are diuided into Lutherans, Zuinglians, Caluiniſtes, Puritans and Anabaptiſts,) did procéede from the common knowen Catholique Church of Chriſt, and not wholy from the Proteſtants congregations and from their deceitfull doctrine: otherwiſe, there is no hope that euer this Offerer will recant and yéelde.

Well, let vsus ſée what may be ſaid to this offer. Firſt (as I doo vnderſtand the wordes of this Offerer) hee affirmeth that till it was within the ſpace of thréeſcore, and ſome odde yéeres, laſt paſt, there had béene no Schiſme brought into the Church of Chriſt: ſo that before that tyme, al were of one Church, of one fayth and religion, and of one vnitie therein. And thus he hath diſcharged all thoſe olde Heretiques y^t troubled the Church of Chriſt in the beginning of y^e preaching of the Goſpel amongſt the nations, & from thenſe forth, till it was within thréeſcore & odde yéeres, before the tyme wherein he made this offer. None of them may bée taken for falſe Prophets, Heretiques, or Schiſmatiques: if thys bée the meaning of this offerers wordes, as I thynke p. 90it muſt néedes bée. But how ſoeuer this offerer and his fellowes, doo account of theſe men that then brought Schiſmes into the Church of Chriſt: we Proteſtants doo déeme them to be falſe Prophets, Heretiques, and Schiſmatickes, yea and members of antichriſt, and we doo by all meanes poſſible ſhunne theyr doctrine, and teach all other Chriſtians to ſhunne them alſo.

It may bée that this offerer meant not of any other falſe Prophets, Heretiques or Schiſmatickes: then ſuch as hauehave troubled the Church of Chriſt within theſe thréeſcore and odde yéeres laſt paſt: and therefore hee beginneth with Luther, Zuinglius, &c. But if that were his meaning, then I muſt tell him, that he and his fellowes (the antichriſtian catholiques) are the falſe Prophets, Heretiques and Schiſmatiques, that hauehave troubled the Catholique Church of Chriſt all this while, & many hundrethes of yéeres before, euen euer ſince the dayes of Phocas the Emperour, and the dayes of Boniface the thyrd, theyr firſt Apoſtatate Biſhop of Roome.

As for Luther. Zuinglius, and Caluine, they dyd but departe from the antichriſtian Schiſmaticall Church, wherin then had béene foſtered, and ioyned themſelues to the true catholique Church of Chriſt: euen as the Apoſtle Paule leauing the Hipocriticall profeſſion of a Phariſey, wherin he had béene brought vp euen at the féete of Gamaliell (the good Phariſey) ioyned himſelfe to the Church and religion of Chriſt, which was not a forſaking of the lawe, but a cleauing vntounto him that is the perfection of the Lawe.

Luther, Zuinglius, and Caluine, dyd not take vponupon them to be authors of any new religions: but they embraced, and laboured to maintayne, that olde religion, that had béene planted by the Apoſtles, and profeſſed by theyr immediate. ſucceſſors. And as they could, they dyd endeuour, to purge it of al ſuch filth as you (M. Offerer,) and your prediſſeſſors had begrimed it with.

If in this buſines, they dyd not ſo well in all poyntes as they wiſhed: yet theyr meaning béeing good, they are to bée helde excuſed. Though they dyd nowe and then buylde timber, ſtrawe and ſtubble: yet ſo long as they did laye no new foundation, but dyd ſet all theyr building, vppon the rocke Chriſt which is the right foundation, and the onelyonly foundation, for Chriſtians to build vponupon: they ſhalbe ſaued, as S. Paule hath aſſured vsus. 1, Cor, 3.1, Cor, 3.

We Proteſtant Catholiques, doo eſtéeme of theſe men, none otherwiſe, then as of faithfull labourers in the Lords harueſt, and carefull followers of Chriſt Ieſus. If they did in any poynt goe aſtray (as béeing men they might, and vndoubtedly dyd) our profeſſion is not to followe them. Their profeſſion was to followe Chriſt, and ſo is ours.

The learned Proteſtant therefore may conclude, that not the knowē catholique Church of Chriſt, but y^e knowen antichriſtian Church of Roome (whereof this Offerer and his fellowes are members) hauehave by theyr doctrine, brought into the Church of Chriſt, Schiſme Diuiſion and ſeperation of one member from another, and of the whole miſticall body, from the true heade Ieſus Chriſt. For you enforce all ſuch as wyll enioy any outwarde peace in this lyfe, to ſubmit themſelues to the ſtate of the papaſie, as to theyr vniuerſall heade here vponupon earth, directly contrarie to the commaundement of Chriſt, Math, 23. Math, 23,Sée that you do not name any man, your common father vponupon earth: for one is your father which is in heauen. Neither be ye called maſters: for Chriſt only is your maiſter. If we will enioy peace amōgſt you, we muſt learne to ſay thus. Our moſt holy father the Popes holines: is heade of the vniuerſall Church of Chriſt. And we muſt acknowledge, that his colledge of Cardinalles, and the Prelates, that he calleth togeather in hys generall councelles, binding them by an oath to maintaine the eſtate of your antichriſtian Church, are our maſters or teachers (for ſuche maſters our ſauiour Chriſt ſpake of at that tyme) and what ſo euer they ſhall teach, that muſt wée beléeue, although we doo knowe and ſée, that they doo teach directly contrarie to that which is taught by the holy ghoſt in the Scriptures.

p. 81The peace therefore, the concorde, and the vnitie, that you doo maintaine is not in verity and trueth: but in impietie and falſe religion. By your Schiſme, (wherein you are growen excéeding ſtrong) you hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave taught, and by theyr bloodie tyranny they hauehave 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 eueryevery 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 vponupon 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 5heretiques 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 vsus warning: Quemadmodum Iamnes & Mambres reſtiterunt Moyſi, ita & hi reſistunt veritati, homines corrupti mente, reprobi circa fidem. 2. Timot, 5. Exodus, 7Like 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 ſhalbe 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 eueryevery diſobedience, as he was with Saules diſobedience, when he dyd contrary to that which he had commanded him to doo: neither eueryevery obedience is ſo acceptable to God, as that obedience ſhoulde hauehave béene, if Saule had doone in all pointes, euen as God had commaunded to him to doo. For that obedience onelyonly 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 vsus ſée therefore what manner of diſobedience it is, that this offerer hath charged vsus 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 p. 82not 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 ſhalbe 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 vntounto Iannes and Iambres: the Popiſh Catholiques, or we Proteſtant Catholiques. Wee come in the name of the Lorde God onelyonly, & 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 vsus 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 y^e indifferent reader iudge whether of both y^e ſorts (proteſtants or roomiſh catholiques) may be déemed to be y^t men that S. Paule did Propheſie of in that third chapter of his ſecond Epiſtle to Timoth. 2. Timot, 3.They ſhalbe (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 vntounto theſe men that ſaint Paule hath here deſcribed, then the Popiſh prelates hauehave béene for y^e 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 y^e trueth herein.

Nowe therefore (as 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 hauehave doone.

The ſixt ſigne, or token of falſe Prophets.

Offerer.

Sixt ſigne and token of falſe Prophets, Heretickes, and Schiſmatickes 6is, the ficklenes, and weake ſlipperines of errours and Hereſies: Quod quaelibet haereſis, prae catholicae fidei perpetua firmitate facile trā ſit ac perit. For that eueryevery hereſie, in compariſon of the ſtabilitie and p. 83perpetual 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 vponupon 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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, vntounto 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 onelyonly 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: eueryevery 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, 2Fuerunt 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 hauehave béen falſe Prophets amongſt the people (ſayth S. Peter) euen as there ſhalbe alſo amongeſt you, lying teachers, which ſhall bring in ſects of perdition, and they doo deny the ſame Lord that hath bought them, bringing vponupon them ſelues ſwift deſtruction. And many ſhall follow their outrages, by whom the way of truth ſhalbe 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 p. 84hath bought them: which denie Chriſt to hauehave 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 hauehave committed? And doo not they ſay y^t 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 vnderunder 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, y^t 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 vponupon 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 by Fayth. Theyr Doctrine concerning the worthines of theyr owne workes. All theſe, and eueryevery 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 vsus, 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 hauehave béene: and then he nameth certaine ſortes of Heretickes y^t were troubleſome to the Catholique Church in y^e primitiue time thereof and he affirmeth that the errours & hereſies y^t 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 hauehave béene holden, hauehave béene appointed and called togeather by the Biſhops of Roome onelyonly, without the authoritie of the Emperours and Kings that hauehave raigned in all this time. Yea, he would hauehave it ſéeme that the ſtoute Emperours and Kings, which hauehave béene the maintainers and vpholders of errours and hereſies, hauehave béene bridled by decrées made in generall councelles, and by the cenſures of the Roomiſh Church, which hauehave bene by the holy fathers the Popes: executed vponupon them.

Platina De vitis patrū.But if this offerer will giuegive 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 y^e 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 y^e 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 p. 85councell) 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 y^t they ſhould, and as they ought to be at this day, as I hauehave ſufficiently prooued in mine aunſwer to your firſt Offer.

But now you muſt hauehave 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 hauehave taken their iuſt ouerthrowe all ready, &c. This Offerer and his fellowes, building their foundation beſid the rocke Chriſt (which is the onelyonly right foundation of right religion) doo déeme that wée Proteſtantes hauehave none other foundation to build our religion vponupon, but Luther, Oecolampadius, Zuinglius and Caluine. But they are diſceiued. For (as I hauehave 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 vponupon them: but we doo build vponupon 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 ſhalbe doon away, & the bright ſhining beames of the trueth ſhall make manifeſt in the harts of all men, that hauehave 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, y^t 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 vsus were Papiſts, before it pleaſed God in merciemercy to open the eyes of our vnderſtanding, and to ſhewe vsus our ſaluation in our onelyonly mediatour Chriſt Ieſus. To him alone we do now cleaue, as to our onelyonly 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, 5kéepe 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 merciemercy, to make vsus eueryevery 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, 1If 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 hauehave 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 p. 86as do ſtand in néede: (which is meant by the fatherles and widowes) are y^e 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 (y^t is to ſay in my fleſh, vnderſtanding therby, his nature) which is good. And with th'apoſtle, Ioh, 1, Epi. 1. 1, Iohn, 1If we ſay that we hauehave no ſin, we deceiue our ſelues and ther is no truth in vsus. Beeing baptiſed in Chriſt Ieſus, we hauehave put Chriſt vpō vsus: Chriſt is our garment, Gala, 3. Gala, 3Our care ſhold be to continue in that purity y^t we hauehave in Chriſt, and to kepe y^e garmēt of ours vnſpotted. I hauehave 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 y^t al chriſtians ſhold ſtriue to attaine vntounto, 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 vsus, doo make little or no conſience at all in the tranſgreſſing of any commā dement 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 vsus. And the number of them is not ſo great, as this offerer would hauehave 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 y^t 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 y^t 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) ſhalbe confounded. This offerer concludeth againſt him ſelfe and his fellows: for not we, but they, are the ſectaries & heretiques y^t by moouing, flitting and paſſing from euill to worſe, are now at the laſte come euen ad profundum malorum, to y^e 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, y^t 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, hauehave 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 y^t I hauehave 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 y^e plaine way of ſaluation, beaten by all our forefathers, the true Catholique proteſtants for y^e ſpace of theſe, 5530, and odde yeres, euen from the time of y^e 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 vntounto 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 onelyonly 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 p. 87country: 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, & vnderunder 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 vntounto 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 worſe bred then before, he wold not, nor cold not conſent therunto: & in fine ſuffered death in defence of the chriſtian faith & religion by him already profeſſed & receiued, rather then he would condiſcend to the imparing, infringing or breaking of any parte thereof. And ſo Genſerichus cauſed this bleſſed man Sebaſtian to die a holy Martyr. Thus much I hauehave breefly deducted out of the hiſtorye of victor, to the intent that ſo apte and familier an example of ſo holy & bleſſed a martir, might in theſe perplexities and doubts in theſe ofte changes and mutations of religion, comfort the weaklings of Chriſt his Church, & bring them to ſome more better ſtay, when by this example of Sebaſtians Loafe, certaine and ſure we may be, that the loafe of the vnitie of Chriſt his Church, the loafe of his Goſpell, faith and religion, being by Schiſme and Hereſie neuer ſo oft broken, neuer ſo finely grinded, boulted ſearced and ſifted, kneaded, and baked againe & againe, they ſhall neuer be able to better it, or to bring it to that perfection which it had before. And therefore, all theyr attempts to the contrary are moſt vaine, the only remembrance of this Sebaſtians loafe ſhold ſuffiſe to confirme the faithful, to ſtay the wauering and weakelings, and to plucke the diſceiued bake againe, & to cauſe thē in leuing of this the…r fickle waue ringnes of this their proceedings (as they terme it) from one ſect to an other, from one congregation to an other, & from their ſcattering abroad with antichriſt, to ſtay themſelues, and to gather themſelues with our Sauiour Chriſt into the vnity of his common knowen catholique Church, where they ſhalbe ſure to finde vnity of religion, vniformity of al ceremonies and obſeruation of the ſame, with th'attonment of chriſtian faith throughout in all Sacraments & articles of our Creede, to the pa…ſying of many contentions and ſ… amongſt vsus, to the quietation of mens conſciences, in cauſing vsus all profeſſors of Chriſt, as brethren here to liue together in quietnes, peace & vnity, to the more better aſſuraunce of the publique eſtate of this realme, and to the great glory and honour of almighty God to whom be al praiſe, honour and glory world without ende. Amen.

Crowley.

That example, that you ſay, you will lay before vsus, to giuegive vsus occaſion to leaue theſe priuate churches and congregations of ſectaries, and to returne to the vnity, &c: is a very méete example to be vſed by the learned Proteſtant, that (if it be poſſible) he may thereby drawe you backe againe, from your apoſtacy, (wherein you run a whoring after Roomiſh Idols, and delite your ſelfe in antichriſtian breathing out of blaſphemy, againſt God and all godlines) to embrace that vnity & attonement y^t is in verity, profeſſed by that common knowen catholique church of Chriſt: wherin ſtability and conſtancy of faith and religion were to be found in that time wherin Sebaſtian ſuffered manfully for the teſtimony of Chriſt, and was made a martir, y^t is a witnes of Chriſt. As for y^e truth of the hiſtorie that you cite out of Victor, I wil not impech it, although I do find in hiſtories, y^t Sebaſtian ſuffered martirdom in y^e daies of Diocletian, which was 100 yeres & more before either Theodotius ſecundus or Genſerichus did beare any rule at al. But let y^e hiſtory be as true as you would wiſh it to be: y^e example is the thing that may ſerue the learned proteſtants purpoſe verie well. Sebaſtian being conuented before the Arian Biſhops, is by king Genſerichus required to become an Arian: but for anſwere he requeſteth the king to commaund a fine wheaten loafe to be brought vntounto him, which being doone, hee requeſteth the king, to commaund the ſame loafe to bee broken into péeces. &c. Here the learned Proteſtant will ſay, that the wheat wherof this loafe was made, did not grow in the field of that romiſh Catholique Church, that this Offerer doth brag ſo much off, neither was it threſſhed in y^e threſhing flowre, ground in that myll, ſifted with that Siue, or boulted with that boulter, nor knode in that kneading fatte, nor baked in that ouen. For at that time (which was about y^e end of the firſt 300 yéeres after Chriſt) the Church that was in Rome, was nothing like that romane Church that now is and hath bene euer ſince the daies of the Emperour Phocas.

p. 88The learned proteſtant will ſay, that this loafe was made of that wheate which was ſowed by that ſower y^t went foorth to ſowe his ſéede. Mat. 13.Ma. 13 and being threſhed in his threſhing floore with the flaile of bitter perſecution, was fanned or wynowed by him y^t hath his fanne in his hand, to purge his threſhing floore. Mat. 3.Ma. 3 and grownd in the Mill of oppreſſion, & ſifted or bowlted, with y^e ſiue or bowlter of tentation, & knoden with the water of vnfayned & hearty contrition, & in the end, baked in the Ouen of hotte & feruent louelove & zeale, to true religion. And all this was done in y^e time that was paſt, when Sebaſtian required the king to call for a fine wheaten loafe. Many had aſſaied (before that time) to make this bread better, by breaking of this loafe, and by working of it againe: but they could neuer bring it to paſſe, for the baker y^t did firſt bake it, is ſo ſkilfull in baking ſuch bread, that it is not poſſible for any to amend that bread y^t he baketh, or to bake any of the like goodnes. They that attempted this matter, before Sebaſtians time, were theſe, whoſe names doo enſue. Symon Magus, Alexander the Copperſmyth, Hymenaeus and Philetus, Nicolas the deacon, Cerinthus, Menander, Ebion, Gnoſtici, Baſilides, Saturninus, Valentinus, Syrenus, Carpocrates, Marcellina, Montanus, Seuerus, Tacianus, Alogiana ſecta, Hierarchas, Berillus, Noetus, Tertulianiſtae, Origianiſtae, Nouatus, Sabellicus, Nepos, Paulus Samoſatenus, Martion, Manes. All theſe had endeuoured (before y^e daies of Sebaſtian) to make better bread of this loafe, then the heauenly baker had made: but it would not be. And euen ſo hauehave a number moe done, ſince the dayes wherein Sebaſtian ſuffred martyrdome: but all in vaine. Yea, and none hauehave at any time done more in this matter, thē this Offerer & his fellowes hauehave done & doo ſtill: but all their labour is loſt, & ſo ſhall it be ſtill, let them doo what they can to amend it, they ſhall finde in the end that it is ſo perfect, that no man can be able to amend it, or to make y^e like. The learned proteſtant therefore, neither wil nor can conſent, to leaue that church or congregation (which y^e Offerer calleth priuate) which is in déed moſt publike, & hath in it that ſtability & conſtancie of faith & religion, that none other church either hath, or can hauehave: for it hath continued euen from the beginng, & is rightly figured by that loafe of Sebaſtian, that y^e Offerer hath ſpoken of: for y^e heauenly baker alone, hath mowlded, made & baked it: & hath giuen it vertue to féed vntounto euerlaſting life, al ſuch as doo or ſhall taſte thereof, & take pleaſure therein: yea, rather then the learned proteſtāt would forſake this heauēly Bethlehem, or houſe of bread, & ioyne himſelfe to the Romiſh Bethauen, or houſe of vanity & confuſion: he will yéeld to ſuffer moſt painful death in his body: for that chriſtian religion & faith, y^t he hath already receiued & profeſſed. Which is in déed the right Catholique faith & religion of Chriſt Ieſus: to y^e impairing, infringing, or breaking of any part wherof, he wil in no caſe condiſcend or agrée. Thus this Offerer & his fellowes may ſée, how aptly this example of Sebaſtian, ſerueth for the ſtaying & confirming of ſuch proteſtants in y^e church of Chriſt, as be weake, & are (by theſe often chaūges of religion) brought into perplexities & doubts. For by this example of Sebaſtians loafe: we may be moſt certaine & ſure, that although y^e loafe of the vnity of Chriſts church, the loafe of his goſpell & religion, be by ſchiſmes & hereſies, neuer ſo often broken, neuer ſo finely grinded, bowlted, ſearced, & ſifted, kneaded, & baked againe, and againe: yet it is moſt apparant, that no goodnes can be added to the firſt goodnes, that is in this bread, which y^e heauenly baker hath baked. Let this Offerer & his fellows therefore, hauehave a due conſideration of Sebaſtians loafe, for thereby they may be confirmed in the right faith of Chriſt, ſtaied from wauering, pluckt back againe from their erroures, and cauſed to procéede from one degrée of perfection to another: yea, & to ſtay thēſelues from ſcattering abroad with Antichriſt, to ſéeke ſaluation here & there, and they know not where. It may cauſe them alſo, to gather them ſelues togither, with our ſauiour Chriſt, into y^e vnity of his cōmon knowne Catholike church, wherein they ſhalbe ſure to finde vnity of true religion, Attonement of right Chriſtian faith, in al ſacraments & Articles of our créed, & no ſuperfluous, or dumbe ceremōies, or ſuperſtitious obſeruances. To y^e pacifying of all contentions & ſtriffs, to y^e quieting of all conſciens, cauſing al y^e profeſſors of Chriſt, to liue here in quietnes, peace, & vnity, to y^e better aſſurance of y^e publike eſtate of this realme, & to the great glory & honor of almighty God: to whom be all praiſe, honor, and glory, world without ende. Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Robert Crowley, Answer to a Popish Antichristian Catholic (1588)