but will detest the impudency thereof at the first hearing Of necessity therefore some third party must be thought vpon who being no way intressed in either faction is of sufficient Iudgement to determine which of the pretenders make the best claime now though wee should search the whole world over with a candle there is none such possibly to be found vnder heaven but only the holy Scripture which being confessed by both sides to be the rule of faith cannot well be denied to be the most competent Iudge for deciding of all doubts in that kinde arising among the faithfull Scripture a competent judge of the true Church And for this question of the Church St Aug. is peremptory that there is no other way to determine it but by Scripture alone Jnter nos Donatistas quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesia iust as it is now inter nos Papistas quîd ergo facturi sumus in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis capitis sui Puto quòd in illius potius verbis cam quaerere debemus lib. de vnit Eccles c. 2. That whole chapter together with the 3. and 4. following is altogether to the same purpose nay Bellar. himselfe denies not but in some cases the Scripture is better knowne to vs then the Church and ex hac hypothesi when the Church is doubted of he is content to grant that wee must seeke for it in the Scripture de Eccles l. 4. c. 2. And yet notwithstanding all this faire weather that he makes with Scripture there is neither hee nor any of the rest that are willing to accept it for Iudge in this controversie the most they will yeeld is to accept it for a rule of faith and yet they stand not to that neither when they require tradition to be joyned vnto it as if without the helpe thereof it could not measure perfectly For Regula regulatum debent esse adaequata The autority of the scripture If Scripture alone bee not sufficient of it selfe to measure the length of à Christians faith vnlesse tradition bee added to helpe then it is no rule at all much lesse a perfect rule but only a peece of one But howsoever they are content sometime for fashion sake to acknowledge Scripture for the rule of faith in part yet by no meanes will they allow it for a Iudge though that be the very name whereby S. Augustine and the Fathers of those times did vsually call it Ista controversia Iudicem requirit saith he lib. 2. de nup. concup c. 33. Iudicet ergo Christus Iudicet cum illo Apostolus quia in Apostolo ipse loquîtur Christus and againe de gratiâ lib. arbit c. 18. Sedeat inter nos iudex Apostolus Iohannes and Optatus contra Parmen l. 5. Quaerendi sunt iudices saith he Jn terris de hâc re nullum poterit reperiri iudicium You see by this that the Pope was not acknowledged in those daies for the judge of controversies if Optatus had beene a Papist he durst not haue spoken such a word but marke how hee goes on De coelo quaerendus est judex sed quid pulsamus ad coelum cùm habemus hic in Evangelio Testamentum the place is too long to bee all set downe and that which followeth is all to that purpose Our adversaries speake in another language now adaies then Optatus or Augustine or any of those holy Fathers were wont to speake When they said so often Judicet Christus Iudicet Scriptura they would haue said once at the least Iudicet Papa if they had imagined that any such power had belonged vnto him Here was a fit opportunity for them to haue declared themselues true Catholiques But alas good men how could they speake of that which they knew not or how could they teach that doctrine to others that they were never taught themselues For this vpstart judge it is a meere novelty of a later edition vtterly vnknowne to the Christian world in those daies like that gibbrish tongue which some mungrell Iews spake Neh emias complaines of c. 13.24 In scripturis didicimus Christum in scripturis didicimus Ecclesiam Aug. ep 166. de vnitat Eccles c. 16. Now when we say that the Scripture is judge wee doe not refuse to heare the voice of the Church speaking in the ordinary Ministery of her lawfull Pastors interpreting the Scriptures vnto vs. Wee know that there are many texts full of difficulty and aboue the reach of common vnderstanding nay there are many which his Holinesse himselfe I am sure vnderstands not for all his infallible chaire But we know withall that there are other places of Scripture so facil and plaine as a man of ordinary capacity may safely be his owne interpreter and there is nothing necessary to salvation either concerning faith or life but that in some one place or other it is deliuered in such plaine manner as every man may vnderstand it if Saint Augustine deceiue vs not de Doctr. Christ l. 2 c. 9. And many other of the ancient Fathers as well as hee And therefore if blinde men see not the sunne it is not the fault of the sun but theirs whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded A lawfull Councell the Church representatiue Now for those places of scripture which are of greatest difficulty if we seeke for a vocall judge to interpret them vnto vs it is certaine that there is none sufficient to informe vpon earth the conscience of a Christian but only a lawfull Councell which is fitly therefore called the Church representatiue The declaratiō of several Pastors though never so learned godly cā induce no more thē a probability but the vniforme consent of thē all joyned together in a lawfull Councell doth conclude a certainty of truth in that that is declared What conditions belong to a lawfull Councell I will not now stand to inquire Some such there haue beene heretofore though not so many as would be thought so and some there may be againe In the meane time A councell the highest iudgement vpon earth I desire you to thinke that Protestants ascribe farre greater authority by many degrees to the voice of the Church speaking in such assemblies then Papists doe for all their great talking and yet you must know that there are divers learned Papists of the same opinion with Protestants in this point namely that the iudgement of a lawfull Councell is to bee reputed the highest iudgement vpon earth whether the Pope giue his consent therevnto or no. The Iesuites labour hard on the contrary side to draw all to the Papall chayre affirming the sentence of a Councell to be of no validity vnlesse the Pope doe approoue it which in effect is nothing else but to abuse the name of Councels and of the Church making them meere stales to serue the Popes turne Differēces amongst the Papists see the differences that are among themselues about
this matter in Bel lib. 2. de conc c. 14.17 and the base conceit the Iesuites hold of all such Councells as want the Popes confirmation contrary to the judgement of Peter de Alliaco Cardinall of Cambry Iohn Gerson Iacobus Almaine Card. Cusanus Bishop Tostatus Abbot Panormitan with the Councels of Pisa Constance and Basil and generally of the whole French Church at this day I know not to which of these factions your friend enclines if he thinke as the French Papists doe I am of his opinion if hee be Iesuited desire him to mend his description of the Catholique Church and where he names it a visible Monarch let him sit downe and write a visible Monarch For that is Purus putus Iesuitismus Disput Theol. To. 3. dis 1. By the Church we meane her head saith Greg. de Valent. that is the Pope in whom there resideth the full authority of the Church when he pleaseth to determine matters of faith whether he doe it with a Councell or without His words are these Est in Ecclesiâ authoritas divinitûs instituta quâ fideles tum doctrinâ tum praeceptis informentur Haec authoritas plenè in Romano Pontifice Christi Vicario S. Petri successore residet qui scilicet de fidei morum controversiis vel per se vel vnà cum generali concilio sufficienter constituat Nomine Ecclesiae intelligimus eius caput id est Romanum Pontificem per se I haue stood thus long vpon the authority of Scripture because if the question of the Church must receiue its decision from thence as Bell confesseth me thinkes it is but hard dealing in him and his fellowes to keepe Lay-people from the free reading of the scripture vnlesse they meane to keepe them from the knowledge of the true Church also but for your friend though hee talke much of the Catholique Church yet I cannot finde by his description that ever hee consulted either with scripture or any ancient lawfull councell when he went about it And thereupon I would presently ioyne issue with him but that I am bound to take knowledge first of a place of Malachy which hee sets most eminently in the forefront of his writing I haue no will in you saith the Lord of Hostes and gift I will not receiue of your hand for from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe great is my name amongst the Gentiles and in every place there is sacrificing and there is offered to my name a cleane oblation because my name is great amongst the Gentiles saith the Lord of Hostes Mal. 1.11 In the allegation of this Text I complaine that there are two notorious faults committed by him 1. That he alledgeth it to no purpose any other text in the Bible would haue become the place as well as that 2. That he falsifies the words of the Prophet and makes him to say that which he never meant 1. If your friend in citing these words did purpose to proue the reiectiō of the Iews and calling of the Gentiles I know it is true but I know not to what purpose alledged to perswade any man to Popery more then the deposing of Abiathar and Sadocks advancement to the Priesthood 1. Reg. 2.35 If his meaning be to shew that the Church of the Gentiles is of greater extent then ever the Iewish Synagogue was that it is not now confined to any one place or people as it was vnder the Law but belongeth indifferently to all Nations vpon earth for my part I know no Christian that ever denied it besides the Donatists of old and some Papists of later times who seeking to bring all Christians to a dependance vpon Rome and the Bishop of that place just as the Synagogue depended vpon the Temple of Ierusalem and the high Priest there they turne the vniversal Church into a particular congregation howsoever for fashiō sake they retaine the name of Catholike They themselues doe in a manner acknowledge as much when as not contenting themselues with those known marks of Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica by which the Church was wont to bee notified in the antient Creeds and Councels they foist in Romana amongst the rest which being but a late tricke vnheard of in antiquity and only devised to serue the present turne it shewes that the Church for whose sake it was first devised is but of a late edition per Romanam Ecclesiam nemo vnquam intellexit vniversalem nisi forte latini sermonis ignarus Pigh hierar Eccl. l. 6. c. 3. 2. My second accusation is that your friend deales not faithfully in setting downe the words of Malachy For whereas hee makes the Prophet to say that in every place there is sacrificing you may boldly tell him that there is no one word of sacrificing in the Hebrew text at all God saith that among the Gentiles there should be incense offered to his name that is prayers supplicatiōs as you shall findethe word interpreted by the holy Ghost himselfe Rev. 5.8 and therefore the Septuagint renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arias Mont. The sacrifice of the Masse who vnderstood both the Hebrew and Greeke very well in his interlineary Bible translates it incensum As for Sacrificing there is Nec vola nec vestigium neither fell nor marke of it as we say in all that saying of the Prophet You must thinke it was not without some speciall cause that the name of Sacrificing was drawne into the text thus by the heeles but vpon hope that it should doe som speciall service which though your friend doe not signifie and so I need not take knowledge of it yet I thinke good to make you acquainted withall because it may serue to discouer some other of our Adversaries mysteries Cardinall Allen forsooth Card. Allen hath vndertaken out of these words of Malachy to proue the sacrifice of the Mas by sixe reasons which would make my writing swell too big if I should set them all downe lib. de Euch. c. 5. I would desire you to reade both his reasons the answer made vnto them by Doct. Reinolds in his conference with Hart. p. 479. D. Reinolds and Hart. And if you receiue not full satisfaction in that point besides many others blame me for commending the booke vnto you Now what hope could hee ever haue of prouing the Sacrifice of the Masse by Malachy vnlesse the word Sacrifice it selfe were first found in the Text. And so I come to his description of the Catholike Church as he calls it though all things considered he hath little reason to giue it that name A description of the Catholique Church The holy Christian Catholique Church militant which we professe in the Apostles Creed to belieue is a visible Monarchy or Kingdome consisting of all the true belieuers vpon the face of the earth confessing one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity vnder one lawfull visible head for the time being obseruing one
Protestants Eusebius indeed saith so in his Chronicle and withall that he sate 7. yeare before hee came to Rome at Antioch both which cannot possibly be true and is evidently contradicted by the history of the Acts and S. Pauls Epistle to the Galath as Onuph a learned Papist proueth in his Annot. vpon Platina de vit Pont. Rom. I will not enter into that discours but desire you to read what others haue written I thinke there bee few learned Papists now but thinke that Eusebius was deceiued in that point of his Chronicle or else they must thinke that Saint Luke and Saint Paul were deceiued But it is generally agreed that hee was first Bishop of Antioch before hee was Bishop of Rome Now desire your friend to giue you some reason why the prerogatiue of Peters Supremacy if there were any such thing in rerum naturâ why it should not belong vnto the Patriarch of Antioch as well as to the Pope of Rome both being his successors alike in their severall places Perhaps he will say because Peter was put to death in Rome and not in Antioch and to that purpose it is likely that he cited Tertullian statu foelix Ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostolicum sanguine suo profuderunt vbi Petrus passioni ' Dominicae adaequatur vbi Paulus Iohannis exitu coronatur Tert. de praescrip c. 36. For else I know not what those words doe there but if that be his meaning he might well haue spared that quotation for if S. Peters Martyrdome at Rome be a good plea for the supremacie of that Sea aboue Antioch why should not Ierusalem claime it from them both seeing Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the world was put to death there St Peters successors That S. Peters Successors Bishops of Rome haue exercised chiefe authority in the Church militant ever since to this day And how doth hee proue this 1. Because that after the Martyrdome of S. Peter 32. of the succeeding Bishops were likewise Martyred This piece of his reading in old history might serue for some vse in another place but I cannot see how it helpes to proue that Popes haue ever exercised chiefe authority in the Church to which end it is brought here in this place I am sure that Popes in these latter ages haue neither succeeded Peter in his Martyrdome nor desire to be his successors that way All the world sees they haue beene more busy in makeing of Martyrs then in suffering of Martyrdome and in that respect may better bee called the Successors of Nero Decius and Dioclesian then of S. Peter and those 32. holy Bishops that succeeded him It is certaine that by the cruelty of Popes and their Popish instruments there hath beene more Christian blood shed in the world then ever was shed by those heathen tyrants in the greatest heat of their persecuting What though the Pope succeeded in place to those 32. holy Bishops and Martyrs It is no otherwise then as corruption succeedeth generation vinegar succeedeth wine as the Turke succeedeth Iames in Ierusalem and other of the Apostles in other places Pope Victor in the 200 yeere excommunicated the Asian Bishops about the observation or keeping Easter day So they say but doe you speake this to his credit or to disgrace his person Certainely it was a foule fact that he did commit therein and so it was censured by most learned and godly Bishops of that age and namely by S. Ireneus who wrote vnto him purposely about the matter and reproved him sharpely for it as he well deserued Jreneus in Victorem per Epistolam graviter invectus est saith Socrates Eccles Hist l. 5. c. 21. And that it displeased other Christian Bishops besides Jraeneus you shall finde in Euseb l. 5. Hist Eccl. c. 23.24 The foure first gener all Councells not called by Popes Pope Silvester in the 314 yeare called the first generall councell of Nice against the Arian Heresy Baronius then is out in his reckoning of anno 325. Eusebius who liued in that time and was well acquainted with the businesse affirmeth that it was called by Constantine the Emperour l. 3. de vit Constant c. 6. and 7. And I thinke it were hard to name any auncient writer that denies it The Councell it selfe acknowledgeth so much in a Synodicall Epistle to the Church of Alexandria Aegypt Libia and Pentapolis Quoniam Dei gratiâ mandato Sanctissimi Jmperatoris Constantini qui nos ex variis civitatibus provinciis in vnum congregavit magnum sanctum Concilium Nicenum coactum est apud Socrat. l. 1. Hist Eccles c. 6. This case is so plaine that Pigh Eccles hier l. 6. c. 1. calls generall Councells Inventum Constantinum though Bellarm chid him for it l. 1. de Concil c. 13. To. 2. Pope Damascus in the 367 yeare called the second gener all Councell at Constantinople against Macedonius the Heretique As true as Silvester called the first Sozomen Hist Ecles l. 7. c. 7. saith directly that Theodosius the Emperour called it the Councell it selfe in a letter writen to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth acknowledge that it was assembled together by vertue of a writ directed from his Imperiall Piety Pope Caelestine 414 called the third generall Councell at Ephesus against Nestorius the Heretique It seemes that Pope Caelestine himselfe was not present at this Councell But for the Councell it selfe it was called Authoritate nutu Theodosii junioris qui tum oririent ale administravit imperirium saith Evag. lib. 1. cap. 6. And Literae Jmperatoris erant ad Cyrillum ad alios omnes vbique sanctarum Ecclesiarum Praesides missae Ibid. and the Canons of the Councell in the very beginning doe testify so much Pope Leo 440 called the Fourth genera all Councell at Calcedon against the Heretique Eutiches Let the acts of the Councell speake which begin thus In civitate Calcedonensi Metropoli Provinciae Bythiniae facta est Synodus ex decreto piissimorum Imperat. Valentiniani Marciani and hee that reades the Epistles of Leo shall finde in what humble and submissiue manner hee wrote divers times to the Emperour to call a Councell not challenging any authority therein to himselfe but intreating it as a favour from his Lord the Emperour Vide Epistolam 9. ad Theodos Epist 12. Epist 23. ad Clerum Plebem Constantinop Epist 24. 26. And thus you see how the foure Popes did call the first foure generall Councels For when your friend begins to speake of the Councell of Trent he begins to draw vpon the lees And here Bellarmine who thinkes generall Councells profitable and convenient but not absolutely necessary for the Church l. 1 de concil c. 10. when he comes to the Councell of Trent he pleades for the necessity thereof vt pro aris focis as Demetrius for Diana Act. 19. Our trade is like to decay and be vndone if that be toucht Si tollamus autoritatem
THE FALSHOOD OF THE CHEIFE grounds of the Romish Religion Descried and convinced in a briefe Answere to certaine Motiues sent by a Priest to a Gentleman to induce him to turne Papist By W.S. Printed for the Author Anno Dom. 1635. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL his much honoured Vncle EDWARD SMYTH Esquire SIR THere are other reasons besides that common motiue and popular pretence of the importunity of friends which hath now put this little manuall into the world It was composed by the Author for I cannot say that it was written by him but rather dictated as hee spake it lying on his bed of sicknesse and therefore hee intended to haue kept it private iudging it vnworthy other mens approbation because vnworthy his own Neverthelesse it secretly crept into the presse and return'd from thence full of faults like the Printer of it who had as little authority to Print it at all as Print it false There was no other way to suppresse the old impression but by a new which I haue here done setting it out the second time but in a lesse volumne and with lesse faults There is one motiue more and that more important then the former The Author since his death for in his life time malice it selfe was never so audacious as to dare ecclipse the bightnesse of his integrity either in life or doctrine hath had his faith branded with the name of apostacy and his profession with heresy But whither he were a professed open enemy or an hypocriticall friend which hath done him this wrong I forbeare to name Whosoever he were this ensuing treatise will put him both to shame and silence and therefore I need not make any apology for him whose owne workes speake in his defence Sir it was formerly made solely yours by the Author and therefore in the dedication it now iustly claimes your patronage only If it satisfy not the more curious reader yet hee that made it thought his paines fully recompenced in that it gaue you satisfaction neither doth the reward of my labour spread it selfe vnto others but is wholy terminated in your acceptance If it chance to bee condemned as imperfect because he hath not spoken all that might haue beene said on this subiect I adde neither hath he spoken all that hee could It was intended for a letter only and therefore not to swell into a larger volumne yet I presume there is as much in the answere as the Priests motiues require more peradventure then he ever expected or at least thank't him for Such as it is it is once more made yours by him who desires to be esteemed Your dutifull Nephew and Servant WILLIAM SVTTON From Christ-Church in Oxon. Iun. 28. 1635. Motiues sent by a Priest to a Gentleman to Induce him to turne Papist The rejection of the Iewes and acceptation of the Gentiles I Haue no will in you How to knovv the holy Catholique Church which all Christians professe to beleeue saith the Lord of Hostes and guift I will not receiue of your hands for from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe great is my name among the Gentiles and in every place there is Sacrificing and there is offered to my name a cleane oblation because my name is great amongst the Gentiles saith the Lord of Hostes Mal. 1. vers 11. A Description of the true Christian Catholique Church Militant The holy Christian Catholique Church militant which wee professe in the Apostles Creed to beleeue is a visible Monarchy or Kingdome consisting of all the true beleeuers vpon the face of the earth confessing one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity vnder one lawfull visible head for the time being obseruing one Faith Religion and Sacraments instituted by Christ Which holy kingdome and Society is composed of a visible head Clergy and Laity the head to governe the Clergy to preach and administer Sacraments the Laity to learne and to obey in all things touching their faith and salvation For Christ saith of the Pastors of his Church Hee that heareth you heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10. vers 16. That our Saviour Christ being a Priest for ever secundum ordinem Melchisedec was the first visible head and founder of the said holy Christian Catholique Church militant composed of a head Clergy and Laity is apparant first in his sacred person being the visible head in his holy Apostles being the Clergy and in his Common disciples being the Laity which small beginning is compared to a Mustard-seed and the increasing to a great tree that birds may build in the Branches thereof our Saviour saying to the Clergy his Apostles and in thē to all their lawfull Successors To you it is giuen to know the misteries of the Kingdome of God but to the rest in Parables Luk. 8. vers 10. The increasing of the Church By the Preaching and Miracles of our Saviour Christ and his Apostles many were converted to be members of the Church At S. Peters first Sermon after he had receiued the Holy Ghost 3000. were added and afterwards 5000. Act. 2. vers 41. Act. 4. vers 4. And Saint Paul affirmeth that in his time the Romane faith was renowned in the whole world Rom. 1. vers 8. agreeing with the words of Christs But you shall receiue the vertue of the holy Ghost comming vpon you and you shall bee Witnesses to me in Ierusalem and in all Iurie and Samaria and even to the vtmost of the earth Act 1. v. 8. Of the Continuance of the holy Catholique Church in true Faith by the Holy Ghosts assistance This is my Covenant with thee saith our Lord speaking of his Church my spirit that is in thee and my words that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seedes seed saith our Lord from this present and for ever Isay 59. vers 21. All power is giuen to mee in Heaven and in Earth going therefore teach ye all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoever I haue commanded you and behold J am with you alwaies to the Consummation of the World Math. 28. vers 19.20 I will aske the Father and hee will giue you another Paraclet that he may abide with you for ever the spirit of truth Ioh. 14. vers 16.17 And if hee will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and as the Publican Math. 18. v. 17. All which promises of Christ for sending the Holy Ghost to preserue his Church in truth for ever was visibly miraculously performed on Whitsunday Act. 2. vers 1. That our Saviour Christ did constitute Saint Peter to bee Ministeriall head of his Church militant And I say to thee thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it
praesentis Ecclesiae Concilij Tridentini then all will come to nothing de effect saor l. 2. c. 35. q. d. Though all other councells were expunged yet that may stand by it selfe and so long we shall stand One thing more by the way I would haue you take notice of in Bellarmine how when hee had first endevoured to proue that the first foure generall Councels were all called by Popes just as your friend would haue it yet presently after in the same chapter he sets downe foure reasons why the Emperor did call call those 4. Councels and not Popes alone l. 1. de Concil to cap. 13. to 2. It is confessed by divers learned Protestants that the Romane Church was the true Mother Church which Christ our Saviour planted some for 300 yeeres some for 400. yeares some for 600. yeares c. Among other particular Churches planted by the Apostles the Romane Church with the first was of speciall note and the faith of the Romans in the beginning renowned through the whole world Rom. 1.8 But what doth S. Paul say more of the Romanes in that place The Romish Church not the mother of all Christians then hee doth of the Thessalonians elsewhere Read 1. Thes v. 7.8 2. Thes 1. v. 3.4 and you shall finde as great praise if not greater given to them then to the other What would hee inferre hence Did hee ever heare any Protestant confesse because he would so faine worke somewhat out of their confession that the Romish Church when it was at the best was the Mother of all Christians Or that the holy Catholique Church which we belieue in our Creed was nothing else but the Church of Rome Or because that Church was faithfull in the Apostles daies doth it follow that it must needs continue so still Egesippus an auncient Catholique writer saith that so long as the Apostles liued Virgo pura incorrupta mansit Ecclesia c. apud Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 29. And whereas hee talkes of 300 and 400. nay of 800. years as if we did acknowledge Rome so long to haue bin the Church of Christ tell him for his further learning that we acknowledge her for a Church still though a most degenerate and corrupted one Whose doctrine is full of Novelty and her practise as full of pride and cruelty and yet a Church in respect of some truths that shee teacheth among many falshoods as a man that is heart-sicke and ready to dye ceaseth not for all that to bee a man so we likewise thinke of divers other Christians in the world though there be many errors in their doctrine and much scandall in their liues yet so long as they hold the foundation the name of the Church is not to be denied them and if your friend thinke otherwise tell him that his faith is never the better because his charity is worse then ours The corruptions of Rome But hee will deny perhaps that there are any such corruptions as we speake of growne into the Church of Rome What then meane so many grievous complaints made by men of speciall note in that Church long before Luther was borne Bernard in â—antic â—on serm 〈◊〉 What meant Bernard to say that there was putida tabes a filthy disease that had spred it selfe throughout all the parts of the Church that Ministri Christi in his time did servire Antichristo If nothing be amisse in the Church of Rome what meant Paulus Tertius to set certaine delegate Cardinals and others a worke to giue their advice how reformation might be made Or what meant those Cardinalls to write such a booke as they did called Concilium delect Card. aliorum Praelat which if you will read as it is extant in Tom. 3. Concil edit per Crab. editionis Colon. 1551. you shall find that their Church hath both rugas maculas Concil Trident. sess 22. dâ—eret de Oâ— serb 〈◊〉 vit in cel bratione Missae as well in matter of doctrine as in manners What meant the Councell of Trent to decree that the Masse it selfe ought to be purged out of all such abuses as vel avaritia vel superstitio induxit if all were as it should be what needed such a reformation of your Breviary and Missal officium beatae virginis But that they were refertae superstitionibus and so confessed in Pij Quinti constitut super recitat offic Beat. virginis Read also his preface in Breviar Missale restitut Indeficiency of faith not promised to one particular Church Now let him answere himselfe how it may bee true that Rome was once a sound Church of Christ and yet is not so now Let him remember what Isaiah said c. 1. v. 21. How is the faithfull City become a Harlot Desire him to read that whole passage in the Prophet and he shall finde how changing of the name the words doe as well fit Rome in these daies as ever they did Ierusalem then And whereas he talkes of the promises of God it is but the same vanity that the Iewes were possessed with when they stood so much vpon Templum Domini Jer. 7. v. 4. The promises that Christ made to his Church that he would be with it to the end of the world That hee would send the spirit of truth to abide with it for ever that Hell gates shall not prevaile against it They were made to the Catholique Church and not to any particular one such as Rome is and to that Catholique Church they haue beene and ever shall bee most truly performed God will haue his Church vpon earth though Rome were as deepe buried vnder the earth as now she stands aboue it And to end with a demonstration Hee doth well to end with one for I am sure that from the beginning hitherto such Arguments haue beene geason with your friend and if this bee one Aristotle never knew what demonstrations meant in that kinde of argument the propositions ought to be evidently true and the conclusion to be drawne from the premises not by probable but by necessary consequence And here is no such matter The Patriarchall and Episcopall seates of the Apostles not extinguished That all the Patriarchall and Episcopall seates of the Apostles This is not true nay in saying so he doth vnreasonably overlash For it is well knowne to the world that there is at this day a Patriarch of Constantinople to whose Iurisdiction are subiect all the Christians of Asia minor excepting Armenia the lesse and Cilicia besides Circassia Mengrelia and Russia moreover that in Europe it selfe the Christians of Greece Macedonia Epirus Thracia Bulgaria Rascia Servia Bossina Walachia Moldavia Podolia doe acknowledge the Iurisdiction of that Patriarch and cannot endure the Bishop of Rome vnder this Patriarch there is the Metropolitan of Salonichi Thessolonica and thirtie Churches of Christians in that one Citty and no lesse then ten Suffragan Bishops subiect to his Iurisdiction besides this the Metropolitan of