Romes Ruin(1), Challenge
THE CHALLENGE.
WE catholikes say, that there is always one, and but one true, divine and infallible faith professed by the church of Christ, without which none can please God, nor attain to salvation: this one true faith generally preached through the world was not to cease with the Apostles and their immediate hearers, but was by Christs promise to continue unchanged to the worlds end. For so 'tis said (Mat. ult.) behold, I am with you all dayes, even to the consummation of the world: and John 14. The holy Ghost whom my Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things.
This divine truth once established, to the end it might continue, was to be derived to posterity; not by angels sent to teach particular persons, nor by illuminated brethren of Amsterdam still pretending new light, but by a continued succession of known visible pastours, and bishops lawfully ordained and sent to preach it perpetually, in despight of all new sectaries and novellers whatsoever. Whence, we say, it followeth, that not for six hundred years only, as many protestants grant, there was a true church free from spot of error, but likewise in all ages following there ever was and must be such a church, in the union wherof all sorts might be saved.
For to say (as some protestants doe) the church was long invisible (besides that it is contrary to many clear prophesies and predictions of the old Testament) it barreth the heathen of necessary means to salvation, whilst he seeketh not the true church, with which to jown hands; and amongst christians this invisibilitie supposed, it were very hard to hold communion with her in the administration of the sacraments. We then affirm, and let our adversaries disprove it if they can, that the Roman church hath bin always visible.
We affirm that the Roman church hath bin always catholike, viz. universall.
The Romish church hath ever had a succession of true bishops and pastors derived from the Apostles, still teaching the same unchanged doctrine, in all substantiall poynts of faith.
All which going together, and being onelyonly found in her, and no other church, do evidently prove that she alone is truly Apostolicall, and consequently out of her there neither is nor can be salvation.
To disprove us herin, we require that a protestant church with these marks may be shewed to have bin always extant.
Or, if they cannot do this (as we well know they cannot) let them labour to assign us another catholike church, distinct from the Roman, when she, as they falsly suppose, fell from the first truth?
Or at least they must shew us who were the true professors of protestancy in the immediate age before Luther began, in what city, town, or countrey they dwelt, and what writers speak of them which lived before our times.
If they cannot satisfie us in any of these demands, in which alone we offer to joyn issue with them, then do we think the day to be ours: if they can name any who did both believe and professe the protestant doctrine in all points, let them do it, and then, if we do not disprove them, the day is theirs. And seeing all is brought to this issue, we wish your learned to encounter us in this only point, and whatsoever they shall return for answer not belonging hereunto, we shall account it impertinent, and unworthy reply, as not direct to our purpose, which is to find out the true catholike and visible church.
Ridiculous it is to answer, as some do, that there were true believing protestants when Luther began, but durst not for fear of fire professe their faith: this wee say is to condemn them to have had no faith at all, but to be a dissembling company of such, as were neither hot nor cold; Christ saying of such, he that denyeth me before men, I will deny him before my father in heaven.
Or if your men fly this difficulty, we will joyn issue with them in the maintenance of that faith and religion into which we Englishmen were first converted by Austine a monk, a man of God sent by Gregory the great, bishop of Rome, more then a thousand years since: a faith confirmed by miracle from heaven, and therefore must needs be true, and never noted to differ from the common received faith of christendome in those days, as appeareth by the severall epistles of the said S. Gregory, to the bishops of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with all whom he held communion of faith, so as if Christ had a catholike church upon earth, as needs he must, S. Gregory was of it; and it then being a true church, we say (holding still the same …enets) it must needs be so now, Gods truthbeing, like unto himself, without change: and therefore if an angell should come from heaven to teach us any other doctrine then we first received, we are not to hear him, the good seed being ever first sowed, and the Galathians were worthily reprehended by S. Paul, for not constantly retaining their first planted faith.
Or lastly, if you desire to goe nearer to the times of the apo…les, we will joyn with you to prove our faith in the days of Constantine the great, who first built and opened christian churches; and gave freedom for christians to come together, and to know and publish to the world what was held by them, which before could not so well be done by reason of the great persecutions, in which the church had bin till then generally eclipsed.
Finis.