Answer to a Popish Antichristian Catholic, Offer 22
The two and twenty Offer.
Offerer.
Two and twenty. Let the learned proue vntounto mee, that their church and congregation might rightly bee called Catholike, which for the ſpace of a thouſand yeeres togither, was ſo particuler, that no man coulde name any certaine place where their church was, or that it might bee called holy, which had for ſo longe time and ſpace neyther the doctrine of Chriſtes goſpell taught in it, neyther baptiſme, nor any other ſacrament of Chriſt vſed to ſanctifie them withall, or that it could bee called one church, which as ſoone as it grew vp, & ſhewed ſelfe to the world, was deuided into ſo many and ſundry ſectes of Lutherans, Zuinglians, Iliricans, Caluinists, Svvenfeldians, Anabaptists, and ſuch other: or that it might bee called Apoſtolike, which could neuer make an account by orderly ſucceſſion and diſcent, from any one of Chriſt his Apoſtles, or any other Apoſtolike man, or that their ſecret, hid, & vnknowne congregation was euer of that maieſty or authority, that it had at any one time or ſeaſon, the true obedyence of all chriſtian nations, or that it was euer of that maieſty or authority, that it had at any one time or ſeaſon, the true obedyence of all chriſtian nations, or that it was euer able to aſſemble & gather vniuerſall and generall counſelles of all nations and Chriſtian people, or to exerciſe any diſcipline or correction vponupon offenders throughout all kingdomes and regions profeſſing Chriſt: or that theſe titles following properly applied by the ſcriptures and doctors to the true church of Chriſt, could euer bee challenged by any right to their hyd and vnknowne congregation, I meane theſe titles: namely, Corpus Chriſti, the body of Chriſt: Sponſa Chriſti, the ſpouſe of Chriſt, Amica Christi, the louer of Chriſt, Vnice dilecta Christo, dearely beloued of Chriſt, Columba ſpecioſa, the beautifull Doue, Domus Dei, the houſe of God, Columna veritatis, the Piller of truth, Ciuitas Dei, the city of God, Ciuitas ſuper montem poſita, a city ſet vponupon an hill, Fons ſignatus, a Spring or Fountaine, ſurely ſigned and ſealed, Sponſa agni, the ſpouſe of the Lambe, Mulier amicta ſole, a woman clothed wyth the Sunne, Habitatio fratrum inuicem, a dwelling of bretheren all togither, Mont Dei, the hill of God, Sacra Anchora, the holy Anchor: Vinea Domini, our Lordes Vyneyarde: Terra viuentium, the Lande of the lyuinge: Eccleſia magna, the great and mightie Church: Arca Noe, Noes Arke: Vna, ſancta, Catholica, & Apostolic… Eccleſia, one, Holy, Catholique and Apoſtolike Church: Domus pacis, the houſe of peace: Domus refugij, the houſe of refuge: Domus veritatis, the houſe of trueth: Societas Sanctorum, the fellowſhip of holy Saints: Nutrix Christianorum, the Noriſhe of the Chriſtians: Ʋxor de latere Christi, the Spouſe out of Chriſt his ſide, ſicut Eua de latere Adam, like as Eue was out of the ſide of Adam. Let the learned Proteſtant make proofe, that theſe moſt exellent properties, and peculier denominations and callinges may poſſibly agree to their hid and vnknowne congregations and priuate ſocieties, or to any other knowne ſocietie of the whole worlde, but onelyonly to the holy ſocietie, moſt bleſſed companie and fellowſhip of the common knowne Catholique church of Chriſt, and I will then relent, yeelde, and recant, and not before.
Crowley.
This Offer may bee diuided into three partes. In the firſt the Offerer requireth a proofe of that which is already prooued in the anſwere to the ſeuententh Offer. Wherefore I refer yt reader to that which is written there, where hée ſhall finde that which may ſatiſfie him in that which the Popiſh Offerer requireth the learne Proteſtant to prooue firſt. In the ſecond part, he requireth ye Proteſtant to prooue that the church whereof be is, hath had at ſome one time or other, ſuch powre and authority ouer the whole Chriſtian world, as the Romiſh Catholike Antichriſtian church, hath vſurped and exerciſed and doth ſtill claime & exerciſe, where it may bée ſuffred. To this I doo ſay, on the behalfe of yt learned Proteſtant: that Chriſt him ſelfe did neuer exerciſe ſuch authoritie ouer kingdomes and Nations, as the Antichriſtian Popiſh church hath exerciſed, and dooth ſtill exerciſe, ſo farfoorth as it is able, and may be ſuffered. Neyther did our Sauiour Chriſt, giuegive any ſuch authoritie to his Apoſtles, as to hauehave all Chriſtian Nations vnderunder obedience, or to call them togither to generall Counſells, or to execute diſcipline vponupon them, and to correct their falts: for that power is giuen vntounto Princes, and Chriſt did not come to take that powre from them, but hee hath confirmed it in them. The Apoſtles therefore, and the Apoſtolike men that were the immediate Succeſſors of the Apoſtles, euen as many as God made excellent in his Church, in the time that was before Antichriſt began to ſhewe him ſelfe in the eſtate of the papacie: were contented to leaue that powre to princes and did both by doctrine, and by example of life, teach all Chriſtians to ſhew their due obedience to Princes. But when your Biſhops of Rome were become Antichriſtian: then they muſt needes aduaunce them ſelues aboue all that is called God (that is aboue all Princes) and they muſt ſit in the temple of God, and boaſt them ſelues as though they had bin Gods, that ſo they might bee knowne to bee that man of ſinne that Saint Paule ment of, in that hee wrote, 2. Theſſ. 2.2. Theſ. 2.
For the third parte of this Offer, wherein the Offerer requireth the learned Proteſtant to prooue that the tytles which are in the ſcriptures and Doctors giuen to the church of Chriſt, coulde euer bee challenged by any right, to their hid and vnknowne Congregation, &c. For anſwere to this: the learned Proteſtant: referreth the Reader to that anſwere that hee hath made to the ſeuentéenth and to ye eighttéenth Offer, with this addition, that if this Offerer can prooue, that euer any of theſe excellent properties or peculier denominations and callings, might poſſibly agrée to that knowne Antichriſtian church that hee is of: then will this learned Proteſtant, relent, yeelde, and recant, and bee an Antichriſtian Catholique, and not before.