The By-Way, Title page – Dedication
ƲIA DEVIA: THE BY-WAY: Miſ-leading the weake and vnſtable into dangerous paths of Error, by colourable ſhewes of Apocryphall Scriptures, vnwritten Traditions, doubtfull Fathers, ambiguous Councells, and pretended Catholike Church.
Diſcouered By HVMFREY LYNDE, Knight.
Scriptura Regula credendi certiſsima tutiſsimá que eſt. Bell de Verb. Dei 40 1 cap 2.
LONDON, Printed by Aug. M. for ROB. MILBOVRNE, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Grayhound in Pauls Churchyard. 1630.
TO THE INGENVOVS AND Moderat Romaniſts of this Kingdome; H. L. Wiſheth the knowledge of the Safe way, that leadeth to eternall Happineſſe.
CHriſtian is my name, and Catholique is my Sirname: the one I challenge from my Baptiſme in Chriſts Church; the other from my profeſsion of All ſauing Tru…th in Gods Word. If you queſtion this my right or claime, I will produce my Euidence out of ancient and vndoubted Records, and ioyne Iſſue with you vponupon the marks of your owne Church;Antiquitie. Vniuerſalitie. Succeſſion. and if I prooue not the Faith which I profeſſe to bee Ancient, and Catholike, I will neither refuſe the name, nor puniſhment due to Hereſie.
As touching the Viſibilitie of our Church, I hauehave anſwered your Ieſuites Challenge by the Title of Via Tuta, the Safe Way: wherein I hauehave appealed to the beſt learned of your owne ſide, both for the Antiquitie of our Religion, and the Noueltie of your owne. If you require further ſatisfaction in this point, read & peruſe the Articles of our Church, & tell me, without a preiudicate opinion, if our Church was not Ancient & Viſible long before Luthers dayes. Our 22. Bookes of Canonicall Scripture, were they not publiſhed and receiued in all ages before Luther? Our three Creeds, The Apoſtles, Nicene, Athanatius Creed.were they not anciently beleeued, and generally receiued in the Church before Luther? Our Liturgie, and Book of Common Prayer, was it not the ſame for ſubſtāce which was taught and profeſſed in the boſome of the Romane Church before Luther? Our two Sacraments of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, were they not inſtituted by Chriſt; were they not publiſhed and receiued in all ages before Luther? Theſe are the Foundations of our Church, and all theſe in deſpight of malice it ſelfe, muſt bee acknowledged by our aduerſaries, that they are taught by vsus, and were vniuerſally receiued long before Luthers dayes. And as touching the particular tenets of our Church (oppoſite to your Trent Creed,) our ſpirituall receiuing of Chriſt by faith (onelyonly,) whereby wee are made truely and really partakers of Chriſts body crucified, is agreeable to all Chriſtian Confeſsions, and taught by all antiquitie before Luther. Our publique Communion of Prieſt with people, had Antiquitie and Vniuerſalitie in the beſt and firſt ages,Bel. de Miſſa. lib. 2. ca. 9 & 10. by Bellarmines confeſsion long before Luther. Our Prayer and Seruice in a knowne tongue, was publiquely deliuered, and anciently taught (by Bellarmines confeſsion) long before Luther. Bell de verbo Dei lib. 2. cap. 16.Our Communion in both kinds, was inſtituted by Chriſt, and continued in the Primitiue Churches (by Bellarmines confeſsion) long before Luther. Idem de Euch. lib. 4 cap. 24.Nay more, the Pſalmes of Dauid, which vvee ſing, (and ſome of you blaſphemouſly tearme Geneua Iigges) were in ancient vſe amongſt the common people long before Luther. In Bethlem, where Chriſt vvas borne, turne whither thou wilt (ſaith Hierome) the Husbandman holding his Plough, Hier. in 1. Epiſt 17. ad Marcel.continually ſingeth Alleluia: the Mower when hee ſweateth (and is wearie) refreſheth himſelfe with Pſalmes: the Gardiner, as hee dreſſeth his Vine with his hooke, hath ſome piece of Dauid in his mouth. Theſe (I ſay) are the chiefe principles of our Religion: theſe vvee holde vnderunder the Charter of the great King; and all theſe by the teſtimonies of our aduerſaries themſelues, were publikely known, and generally practiſed long before Luthers dayes. Doe you looke for an outvvard Forme of a glorious and Viſible Church in obſcure ages? Doe you looke for A Citie vponupon a Hill in the darke night of errour and ignorance? I appeale to your ovvn conſciences; to vvhat purpoſe were the prophecies of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, that the Church ſhould flie into the wilderneſſe, and lie hid there? that Faith ſhould not bee found on the earth: that the time will come, when they will not ſuffer wholſome doctrine, but ſhal be giuen to (Legends &) fables? that ſome ſhould giuegive heed to the ſpirit of errour, and doctrine of Deuills? that after a thouſand yeeres Sathan ſhould be let looſe, and deceiue the foure quarters of the earth? were all theſe things foretold, that it might bee fulfilled what was ſpoken, & are the thouſand yeeres long ſince expired, and yet ſhall vve thinke that none of theſe propheſies are accompliſhed?
Admit the man of Sinne bee not reuealed, yet the Myſterie of iniquitie began to vvorke in the Apoſtles time; and the Euangeliſt tells vsus, the tares vvhichwhich the thiefe fovved in the night, had almoſt choaked the good corne; and leſt there might be ſome expectation of a great multitude, which ſhold aſſume the Title of an eminent and glorious Church, our Sauiour himſelfe by way of preuention, cals his Church by the name of A little flocke, Luke. 12.32as if a ſmall number were the ancient Character of the true Church. The malignāt Church hath many heretikes and hypocrites, which indeed make a great noyſe for a viſible Church, when as thoſe wicked perſons (ſaith Auſten) although they ſeeme to bee in the Church, Auguſt. de Bapt. lib. 6. cap. 3.yet they appertaine not to the true Church. That many are called, is the Church viſible: that few are choſen, is the Church inuiſible. Neither doe vvee hereby make two churches, when we conſider this Church after a two fold maner.Bellar. de Eccleſ. li. 3. cap. 15. In the Church ſomething is beleeued, ſome thing is ſeene; we ſee that company of men which is the Church, but that this cōpany is the true Church, we do not ſee it, but beleeue it: this is Bellarmines confeſsion, this is ours. Againe, looke back, and take a briefe Suruey of the Church in ſeuerall ages. It began with two in Paradiſe; there remained in the flood but eight perſons, & in that number there vvas an accurſed Cham. In Sodome not ten perſons, nay ſcarce three righteous to be found; there was but one Ioſhua and Caleb, of many thouſands that entred the land of Canaan: In the fiery trial, but three children, at the comming of Chriſt, there was Simeon and Anna, Ioſeph, and Mary, Zacharie, and Elizabeth, and not many more knowne to bee ſincere profeſſours of Gods Trueth, in the Church of Hieruſalem. In the Colledge of the Apoſtles, there were but twelue, and one was the ſonne of perdition. In the time of perſecution for three hundred yeres after Chriſt, Euſebius tels vsus,Euſeb lib. 8 cap 2. the Church was ouerwhelmed to the ground, and the Paſtors of the Churches hid themſelues heere & there. In the ages following for 300 yeeres more, the Arrian hereſie ſo infected the Church, that the ſhip of the Church was almoſt ſunke, Hieron. ad Lucif.ſaith Hierome.) If therfore in the firſt and beſt ages the Church was much darkned and obſcured, what ſplendor and viſibility ſhould we expect in theſe latter dayes, wherein the deuill is let looſe, ſeeking to deceiue if it were poſsible the very Elect themſelues.
Let it ſuffice, as God himſelfe firſt planted his church in Eden with two; ſo he hath watred it in the Garden of his Spouſe, with the increaſe of many, beſt knowne vntounto himſelfe, and hath promiſed a continuall preſeruation of it, where two or three are gathered together in his Name; and according to this Rule, (which our aduerſaries cannot deny) vve hauehave at this day, a Church in Spaine, in Italie, in the East and West Indies, in eueryevery place where the Inquiſition reigneth, although the outward face of the Church doe not viſibly appeare.
Your Church of Rome is too too viſible in this Kingdome, although you hauehave not toleration of publike Exerciſe, nor is your Idol of the Maſſe ſet vp in the Temple, (which our good God, and gracious King forbid) I ſpeake not this in any ſort to decline the viſibility of our Church; for the Church is like the Moone, which hath often waxings & waynings, and vvee know the Moone at full, and and the Moone at the waine, is one and the ſame Moone, although not alike conſpicuous It was a Quaere in the dayes of Salomon, Who can finde a vertuous woman?Auguſt. de Tempore. Serm 217. but (ſaith Austen) in that hee ſaid, who can find her, ſhewed the difficultie, not the impoſsibitie of finding her: and this woman was the Church. He that made that queſtion, was the wiſeſt among men; and he that expoūded his meaning, knew well how to diſtinguiſh the right woman from the counterfet; yet both agree in this, that the true Church was not eaſie to be diſcerned Saint Iohn tels vsus, this woman tooke her flight into the wilderneſſe, and there ſhee was fed. If the Apoſtle had foretold the place as well as her flight, happily ſhee had beene purſued and found of many; but the place vvas a deſart, obſcure and vnfrequented, and therfore known to few; and for certain ſhe was found of ſome, for otherwiſe ſhee had not bin fed. In vaine (I muſt confeſſe) had Chriſt cō maunded vsus to tell the Church, if there had been no Church to heare, and his precept had bin needleſſe to bid vsus heare the Church, if there had been no Church to ſpeak; yet hee that warned vsus to heare the Church, forwarned vsus, that after his departure Grieuous wolues would enter into the church and ſpeak peruerſe things. Acts 20.29.He that taught his Diſciples to obſerue to doe according to all the Scribes and Phariſies ſhould teach thē, enters this caue at againſt their falſe gloſſes:Math. 23.3 Beware of the leauen of the Phariſies. He that ſaid, Blindnes in part was hapned to Iſrael, told vsus alſo, that the Church of Rome, if ſhe did not continue in her goodnes,Rom. 11.22 ſhee ſhould alſo be cut off. And it is obſervable, the ſame Church of Ieruſalem, which the Prophet Dauid called the Citie of God, Pſal. 48.19.was termed an Harlot by the Prophet Iſay in his time; and that Temple which Solomon termed a Houſe of Prayer in his dayes,1 Kin. 8.20. was afterward by Chriſt called a den of theeues, Math. 21.14the one ſhewed what the Church was, the other how it was altered, yet both agree, they were one & the ſame church.
The Chriſtian church was neuer brought to a lower ebbe, then was the Iewiſh Synagogue at the coming of Chriſt, & yet a man at that time might hauehave ſeen Simeon and Zachary, Ioſeph and Mary, Anna & Elizabeth, the true ſeruāts of Christ ſtanding together with the Sadduces in the ſame Temple, which might wel be accounted as the houſe of Saints, in regard of the one; ſo a den of theeues in reſpect of the other. If therefore wee hauehave corrected the errours of the Romane church (as Chriſt whipt the theeues and money changers out of the Tē ple) we doe not hereby make a new Church, but renew that houſe of Prayer, and reſtore it to the ancient and true ſeruice of Chriſt. If we had left our Mother, when we firſt found her ſick, ſhee might hauehave iuſtly taxed vsus of diſobediēce, and want of dutie towards her; but when the Priest ſaw her, and paſſed by, when the Leuite looked on her, and forſook her, Luther and Caluin perform'd the office of the good Samaritan, they came neere vntounto her, and ſaw her, and tooke care to cure her wounded ſoule; and frō that time her children became Phyſicians, to heale, not parents to beget a new Church. To heale a ſore, to purge a ſick and diſeaſed body, is not to make a new body, but to renew it, and reſtore it to his former health: let me giuegive you but one familiar example of your owne in this latter age. Saint Francis eſtabliſhed the Order of Frāciſcans, and they according to the meaning of their firſt Founders, did for a long time follow the Inſtitution of their firſt Orders: afterwards, when certaine errors and corruptions had crept in amōg them, they ſeparated themſelues frō the reſt, and were called the Recollects. VponUpon this occaſion a ſuit was cōmenced, to decide whether the Recollects, or the other Franciſcans did adhere to the true orders of S. Frācis. After examination, & deliberation had, the Recollects were found to adhere to the ancient Inſtitutions of their Order, and therevpon Iudgement was publiſhed on their behalfe, and they were afterwards called the Reformed Franciſcans. Such is the ſtate of the Reformed Churches at this day; the true Church was firſt planted and eſtabliſhed by Chriſt and his Apoſtles; continued ſound in Head & members for many ages: afterwards whē error and ſuperſtition had crept in, and gotten the vpper hand, there were certain Recollects, which complained of the corruptions and errours, which had ſprūg vp in the Roman church; wherupon after mature deliberation had of the true doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, publication was made in the behalf of the Recollects, that they were found to adhere to the ancient Inſtitutions of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and from and after that time they were called the Reformed Churches.
Will you bring a Quo Warranto, and examine for what cauſe, and by what authority the Proteſtants hauehave reformed the errours of your Church? I will tell you in briefe. If for no other cauſe, yet for this alone, becauſe you are taught to eate your God, Mariana.and kill your King, they might iuſtly ſeeke a reformation in doctrine and maners: but the trueth is,1. Iohn 4.1. there were falſe Prophets gone out into the world; and for that cauſe Chriſt gaue his commiſsion to try the ſpirits, whether they were of God; and accordingly they proceeded to examination of the doctrine of the Scriptures, by Fathers, & coū cels, and after publication of witneſſes, they receiued vvarranty frō the anciēt Biſh. of Rome, and your owne famous Councell of Trent, the one commending that doctrine to the Chriſtians of their daies, which we now profeſs; the other commanding a reformation (in the Romā church) of ſuch errours in faith & maners as we condemne. I will giuegive you inſtances in both.
Your worſhip of Images, (which you receiue as an article of faith) for feare of Idolatry we hauehave reformed, if you require warranty from the Romane Church, Gregory Biſhop of Rome proclaimes it to the Christians of his time:Greg lib. 9. Epiſt 9. Let the children of the Church bee called together & taught by the teſtimonies of holy ſcriptures, that nothing made with hands may bee worſhipped. Your doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, which you hauehave decreed for an Article of Faith, we hauehave reformed; if you expect warrantie from the Roman church, Gelaſius Biſh. of Rome publiſhed and profeſſed our doctrine flat cōtrary to the faith of Tranſubst In the Sacrament is celebrated an image, Gelaſ cont. Eutych. & Neſtor.or reſemblance of the body & bloud of Chriſt, and there ceaſeth not to be the ſubſtance and nature of bread and wine. Your halfe Cōmunion we hauehave reformed; if you require warranty from the Roman Church, Iulius Biſh. of Rome, ſpeaking of the deliuering to the people, a ſop dipt in vvine, for the vvhole Communion, tels vsus:De Conſecrat. Diſt. cum omne. In Chriſts inſtitution there is recited the deliuering of the bread by it ſelfe, & the cup by it ſelfe, leſt inordinate and peruerſe deuices weaken the ſoundneſſe of our faith. Theſe are fundamental points, & agreeable to the tenets of our Church, and are warrā ted to vsus by the ancient Biſhops of Rome themſelues; and if the Popes doctrine be infallible in points of faith, (which you teach and profeſſe) without doubt they may bee ſufficient warranties for you to allow this Reformation.
I wil come neerer vntounto you, & deſcend from the ancient Biſhops of Rome, to your late Coū cell of Trent, which intended & wiſhed a Reformation in faith and manners, euen of thoſe things wch we hauehave reformed: your Prayer & Seruice in an vnknowne tongue, we hauehave reſtored to the vnderſtanding of the hearer; if you expect warrantie from your ovvne Church, your Councell of Trent, (although they reformed not this doctrine) yet for the better ſatisfactiō and inſtruction of the ignorant, leſt (ſay they) the ſheepe of Chriſt ſhould thirſt, Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 22. c. 8.& the children craue bread, and none ſhould bee ready to giuegive it them, it was decreed, that the Prieſts & Paſtors ſhould frequently expound, and declare the myſterie (of that vnknowne Seruice to the people.) Your ſuperſtitious ceremonies of many lights and candles, and your certaine number of Maſſes, vve hauehave reformed. If you expect warranty frō your own Church,Quarundā verò Miſſarū et Candelarū certū numerū qui magis à ſuperſtitioſo cultu quā à verā Religione inuē tus eſt, omninò ab Eccleſia remoueant. Idem cap. 9. your Councell of Trent confeſſeth, They were firſt inuented rather out of ſuperſtitious deuotion, then true religion; and therfore ſay they, let thē be altogether remooued frō the Church. Your Indulgences, (which are made an article of Faith) we hauehave reformed; if you expect warranty from your ovvn Church, you may anſwere with the Fathers of the Trent Coūcell:Quaſtorum abuſus vt corū emendationi ſpes nulla relicta videatur, &c. The Popes Officers in collecting money for Indulgences, gaue a ſcandall to all faithfull Chriſtians, which might ſeeme to be without hope of Reformation; and therfore we hauehave reformed thē.Ab Eccleſiis verò Muſicas eas, vbi ſiue organo, ſiue cantus laſcivū, aut impurum aliquid miſcetur— Your laſciuious & wanton ſongs which are mingled with your Church Muſicke, vve hauehave reformed; if you expect warrantie from your own church, your owne Coūcel complained of it, and wiſhed it might be reformed, and they giuegive the reaſon for it:Vt Domus Dei verè domus orationis eſſe videatur. Idem ibid. That the Houſe of God may appeare to bee the houſe of prayer. Your Superſtition, your Idolatrie, your Couetouſneſs, which you confeſſe to hauehave crept into the Maſſe, by the error of time, and wickedneſſe of men, vve hauehave reformed; if you require warrantie from your own church,Ordinarii locorū Epiſcopi ea omnia prohibere atque è medio tollere ſedulò curent ac teneantur, quae vel auaritia idolorū ſeruitus, vel ſuperſtitio induxit. Idē Can. 9. your Coū cell decreed, That the Ordinary ſhould bee very carefull to remoue all thoſe things, which either couetouſnes, or worſhip of idols, or ſuperſtition had brought in. Laſtly, your priuate Maſſe we hauehave reformed, and reſtored to the Communion of Prieſt and people; if you expect warrantie from your own Church, Anacletus, and Calixtus, (both Biſhops of Rome) decreed; that after Conſecration all preſent ſhould cōmunicate, Diſt 1. Epiſcopus &. 2. Peracta.or elſe bee thruſt out of the Church. And your late Councell of Trent, although they reformed not this doctrine, yet Optaret quidē ſacroſancta Synodus; The Coūcell could wiſh, that the people might cōmunicat with the Prieſt; and there they giuegive the reaſon for it: Becauſe it would be more fruitful and more profitable.Seſſ. 22. c. 6.
If therefore we hauehave changed your Sacrifice into a Sacrament; your carnal and groſſe eating of Chriſt, into a ſpirituall receiuing by faith; your half Communion into the whole Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt; your priuate Maſſe, into the publike communion of Prieſt and people: your adoration of Images, into the true worſhip of God in ſpirit and truth; your prayer and ſeruice in an vnknown tongue, into the vulgar lāguage to be vnderſtood of the cōmō people; your laſciuious & wanton ſongs, into Dauids Pſalmes: we hauehave don nothing herein, but what the Apoſtles, what the holy Fathers, what the ancient Biſh. of Rome taught in the firſt & beſt ages, and what your grand Coū cell of Trent intended, and wiſhed to be reformed in this latter age. Nay more, ſince your Councell hath made ſeuerall Decrees for Reformation; The Councel of Trent began An 1545 and ended Ann. 1563. Bell. Chro. pa. 121. 123.ſince they can neither plead vvant of Authority, nor vvant of time, during the liues of …ight Popes, and eighteen yeres continuance, why they did not proceed, & put in execution thoſe Decrees. I hope wee ſhal deſerue the greater thāks from your Popes and Cardinalls, for rectifying thoſe abuſes which they themſelues condemned, and from their owne Decrees and faire pretēces, may iuſtly arrogate to our ſelues that honorable Title of Reformed Churches.
GiueGive me leaue therefore by way of counter-challenge to your Ieſuit, to vſe the words of ſobernes & truth: Where was your Church & Trent doctrine before Luther? for I call God and his heauenly Angels to witnes, that notwithſtanding you obtrude the inviſibility of our church as a ſtumbling blocke to the ignorant, notwithſtāding your great brags of an outward face of an eminent, and glorious Romane Church; yet your Trent faith and doctrine vvas far frō the knovvledge of Chriſt & his Apoſtles: nay more, if any Ieſuite, or all the Ieſuites aliue, can proue your Roman Faith had Antiquity, Vniuerſalitie, and Succeſsion, in al ages, and that your Trent Articles were plainly, commonly and continually taught, & receiued de Fide, as Articles of Faith, before Luther, let all the Anathema's in your Trent Councel fall vponupon my head. And as touching the great noiſe and rumors of your Catholike Church, if you wil conſider and vveigh it vvith wiſdom and moderation, you ſhall find, it wholly depends vponupon tvvo doubtfull and vncertain cōcluſions (viz.) The Infallibilitie of the Pope, and the Intention of the Prieſt. Theſe are but tvvo ſlender threds to vphold the Vniuerſall faith of all Chriſtians; and therfore blame not vsus, if ſuch things ſeeme harſh and vntunable in our eares, that many millions of ſoules ſhold depend vponupon the Infallibility of one man; & that man by your own ſuppoſall, may draw vvith him innumerable ſoules to hell. That man vvho hath the name and nature of Antichrist in his perſon; in the one as he is againſt Chriſt and his doctrine; in the other as he claimes to be Chriſts Vicar, & ſit in his ſtead, (for the very name of Antichrist imports both.Anti-Chriſt ſignifies, Againſt Chriſt, and to be in the place of Chriſt.) That man vponupon vvhoſe forehead, (by the teſtimonies of learned Authors) the vvord Myſterie, Dr. Iames in his Epiſt. Dedicatory of the Corruption of the Fathers &c.the very mark of the Beaſt was ſometimes writtē. That man who is pointed at by the Apoſtle,foreign. to be that Antichrist, by his habitation ſeated vponupon ſeuen hills. Reuel. 17.That man, who hath the character of the man of ſin, 2. Theſſ. 2.4which aduāceth himſelfe aboue all that are called Gods; I hauehave ſaid you are Gods Pſal. 82.6.(viz) the Kings and Princes of the earth. That man, who hath publiſhed the doctrine of Deuils, 1. Tim 4.by forbidding of meats, and Marriage vntounto Prieſtes. Laſtly, that man whoſe Infallibility, Conc. Flor. in Decret. Eugenij.whoſe Succeſsion, whoſe Orders, whoſe Baptiſme, and Chriſtianitie it ſelfe, depends vponupon the Intention of a ſilly Prieſt,Bell de Iuſtif. li 3.….8. of whoſe Intention none can be aſſured by your owne confeſsions.
It is not the great ſoūd of a viſible Church that muſt outface the truth; (for the emptieſt veſſels make the greateſt ſoūd) neither is it the name of Catholike, (which you wholly appropriate to your ſelues) ſufficient to proue your Church Catholike: nay more, your pretences of Scriptures, of Traditions, of Fathers, of Councels, of an Infallible Church, are but figge-leaues, to couer the nakedneſſe of your nevv borne faith: for it ſhall appeare, (by this ſmall Treatiſe) that your chiefeſt ſcriptures, on which you build your Trent doctrine, are Apocryphal; your Traditions, which you hauehave equalled to the Scriptures, are Apoſtaticall: your Fathers, which you aſſume for Interpreters of the Scriptures, are ſpurious and counterfet: your Councels, which depend vpō the Infallibilitie of the Popes iudgment, are erronious & doubtful; and your pretēded Catholike Church, which is made the onelyonly rule of Faith, is neither a whole, nor yet a ſound member of the Catholike and Vniuerſall Body. This way therefore which you take, is a cloke & colour to darken truth, by outward ſhewes, and ſpecious pretences, and therefore Via Deuia, a vvandring and By-way.
Neither is it your bitterneſſe and inuectiues againſt a Lay man, ſhall make me ſilent in Gods cauſe; for I ſay with Moſes, Num. 12.29Would God al the Lords people could prophecie: and I hope there will neuer be wanting a Mildab, & a Medab, to aſsiſt Moſes and Aaron, that may bee able to vindicate Gods Honor and Truth, & eaſe our painful Paſtors and Miniſters, which moſt laboriouſly performe the work of an Euangeliſt, and conuert ſoules by preaching, which yours peruert by Controuerſies of Diſputations: I hope, I ſay, there wilbe alwaies ſome, who wil publiſh to the ſhame of your Romiſh Paſtors, the palpable ignorance of the Laitie, who with an implicite faith, & inuolued obedience, reſigne vp their ſight and ſenſes to blind guides. Let the Trueth of God and his Church flouriſh, & no rayling accuſation of an Aduerſary ſhall deterre mee from my ſeruice to his cauſe. In the meane time I will appeale to your own conſciences, whether it bee Catholike doctrine, or ſauour of Chriſtian Charitie, wch your Ieſuites teach, (viz. Haereticos non magis audiendos eſſe etiamſi vera et ſacris literis cōſentanea dicant aut doceant quā Diobolum. Mald. in Math. 16.6) That the Reformed Churches are no more to be heard, then the deuill himſelfe, although they ſpeake trueth, and agreeable to the Scriptures; nay more, I ſpeak it with ſhame and griefe,Diſcept. T…ol. Sect. 2. the Pope at this day allowes the Talmud of the Iewes, and yet prohibites the Books of Proteſtants.
GiueGive mee leaue therefore to ſpeake to you, as ſomtime S. Auſten ſpake to the Donatists: Aug. contr. Pet…l lib. 3. cap. 59.If you will be wiſe, & vnderſtand the trueth, it is well; if otherwiſe, it ſhall not grieue mee, that I hauehave taken this paines for you for though your hearts returne not to the peace of the Church, yet my peace ſhall returne to mee in the Church. The cauſe is Gods, the labour is mine; if you wil reade it impartially, and can ſhew me any error clearely, faithfully, and moderately, I wil make a work of Retractations, and profeſſe openly with righteous Iob: Iob 31.35, 36.O that mine aduerſary would write a Booke againſt mee, I would take it vponupon my ſhoulder, and bind it as a Crowne vntounto me.
H. L.