Answer to a Popish Antichristian Catholic, Offer 16
The ſixteenth Offer.
Offerer.
Sixteenth. When the Proteſtant ſhalbe able to prooue, that thoſe perſons which in theyr departure made frō the Catholique Church of Chriſt, hauehave more deſire to beare the name of Sectaries, as of Lutherans, Zuinglians, Illerians Caluinistes, Swenkfieldeans, & Anabaptistes, thē the name of Chriſtians or Catholiques, are the true members of Chriſt his Church, and not Heretickes, and Schiſmatickes, nor yet followers therein of theyr fathers the Arians, whych tooke theyr names of Arrius, the Maniches of Manes, the Nestorians of Nestorius: the Nouatians, the Ʋigilians, the Iouinians, Pelagians, Eutichians, and others, then I ſhal yeeld and recant, and not before.
Crowley.
Let the Proteſtant make the lyke offer, and ſo the one offer ſhall be a ſufficient anſwer to the other. When the Antichriſtian Catholique ſhalbe able to prooue that ſuche perſons, as doo deſire rather to be called Fraunciſcans of Fraunces, Dominicans, of Dominicke, Benedictines, of Benedict, Auguſtiniās, of Auguſtine, Barnardines, of Barnard, Brigettines, of Briget, and ſo foorth of all the ſeuerall orders of Friers, Monkes, Chanons, and Nunnes, rather then by the common name of Chriſtians, bee true members of Chriſtes Catholique Church, and not Sectaries, Heretickes, and Schiſmatickes, nor yet followers of theyr Fathers, the Arrians, which tooke theyr name of Arius, &c. Then will the Proteſtant yéelde and recant, and ſo become an Antichriſtian Catholique, and not before.
A man might meruaile to ſée the blindnes of this Offerrer, that could not ſée, howe eaſily this balde offer of his, might be turned backe vponupon himſelfe. Yea there is much greater reaſon to mooue any man to thinke, that the Monkes, Friers, and Chanons, Nunnes and others of the Popiſh religious perſons, doo deſire to be named after the firſt founders of their religions: then that they which do fauour and followe the doctrine of Luther, Caluine, or any other, doo deſire to be called by the names of them whoſe doctrine they followe or fauour. For were it not that ſuch as doo miſlike with the doctrine of Luther and the reſt, doo in diriſion call the fauourers of that doctrine by the names of thoſe chéefe teachers of the doctrine: wée ſhould not amongſt thouſands finde one that would giuegive any of thoſe names to himſelfe. But the Popes religious perſons, doo for the moſt parte, blot out of memorie the names that were giuen vntounto them when they were baptiſed, as Frier Iohn Frauncis Minime of Nigion in Fraunce, was called Debnam by hys Progenie, and kindred whereof he came, and at his Baptiſme, the name Samuell was giuen vntounto him.
I thinke it will be hard for this Offerer to prooue that this is not a flat renouncing of Chriſt and Chriſtendome. For in this new name, not onelyonly the progenie of his naturall parentes is renounced, but that religion alſo, that was profeſſed when he was baptiſed, and in that new profeſſion that he hath made, thereis no promiſe made of obedience to Chriſt, or vowe to obſerue Chriſtian religion, but to obay the Father Prior and all the ſuperiours in that order: and to obſerue that rule of S. Frauncis order. If this be not a flatte forſaking of Chriſt: then vndoubtedly, no man can forſake him.
And what may bée thought of you Antichriſtian Catholiques? Doo not you forſake Chriſt, where you chuſe a man to bée his Vicar generall, captiueing and ſubmitting your ſeuerall meaninges, to the iudgement of your Prelates and ſpiritual gouerners, and of one chéefe heade and paſtor amongeſt thoſe Prelates, and that in all Eccleſiaſticall thinges and cauſes?
Well, I would wiſh you to remember your ſelfe better, and to conſider from how good, loouing and faithfull a ſhéepheard you are gone aſtray: and by howe many waies hee hath, and dooth ſtill ſéeke to bringe you home againe to hys ſhéepfolde, the right and true Catholique Church, conſider that you hauehave willingly wittingly and wilfully made your ſelfe captiue, to the greateſt enimy that your ſhéephearde Chriſt hath or can hauehave. Make haſt to returne: your ſhéepeheard will with ioy receiue you. Your ſinne is great in forſaking ſuch a ſhéepheard: and yet not ſo great but it may be pardoned. Repent, and beléeue the Goſpell: and vndoubtedlie you ſhalbe ſaued. Let not the vaine eſtimation of the world ſtay you from ſaying. I yéeld and recant, although he therto it hauehave ſtayed you ſo, that you could not ſo ſay, notwithſtanding that your conſcience hath tolde you, that you ought ſo to doo, and ſay.