is all the elected children of God whom GOD hath by the holie spirite of santification made holie Yea and the couenant that the Apostle speaketh of heere dooth assure vs that all the sinnes and iniquities of Gods Elected children are so pardoned and forgiuen that they shall neuer bée called to memorie any more And heere vpon saint Paule concludeth that there is no more sacrifice to bée offered for sinne How dare any Christian therefore affirme directly contrary to these woords of saint Paule that there is a sacrifice daily offered in the Masse for the sinnes both of the quicke and of the deade For that is the doctrine that this Offerer and his fellowes doo maintaine 1. Iohn 1 See also what Saint Iohn writeth in the first Chapter of his first Epistle Si autem in luce ambulamus sicut ipse est in luce societatem habemus ad inuicem sanguis Iesu Christi filij eius emundat nos ab omni peccato c. If wee doo walke in light as hee is in light meaning GOD of whom hee spake before then haue we fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne doth make vs cleane from all sinne If wée shall say that wée haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If wée confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust so that hee will remit or forgiue vs our sinnes and hee will clense vs from all iniquitie And againe in the second Chapter 1 Iohn 2. the same saint Iohn saith thus My litle babes I write these woords vnto you that you should not sinne but if any man shall sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ the Righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Not for our sinnes only but also for the sinnes of all the world If wée had to doo with reasonable men this that I haue cited out of the writings of these two Apostles might suffice for defence of that which the Protestants doo held concerning the Masse affirming that there is no sacrifice offered therein for the sinnes either of the quicke or of the deade But nothing will satisfie this Offerer his fellowes the Popish Chatholiques The Scriptures haue no credit with them except the same bee confirmed by the wryting of men Bicause commonly the Auncient Doctors haue in their writings vsed excessiue or hyperbolicall maner of speaches to mooue the mindes of their Readers reuerendly to esteeme of the holy mysteries these grosse Capernaites would by the authoritie of those auncient Fathers enforce vs to confesse that the holy Eucharist is a Sacrifice for the sinnes both of the quicke and of the dead But when their works are throughly waighed it is found that they ment nothing lesse then to giue occasion of any such blasphemous doctrine as these Blasphemers woulde builde vpon their woords Let vs see what Chrysostome hath said in his Homilie vpon the 95. Psal concerning the Sacrifices of the New testament Expounding the woords of the Prophet Malachie in the first Chapter Chrysost in Psalm 95 Malach. 1. Non est mihi voluntas in vobis dicit Dominus omnipotens c. I haue no pleasure or delight in you saith the Lord Almighty c. Hee saith thus Vide quam luculenter quamque dilucide mysticam interpretatus est mensam quae est incruenta hostia Thymiama vero purum appellat sacras preces c. See saith Chrysostome how plainly and manifestly hée dooth interpret the mysticall Table which is the vnbloodie Sacrifice Hée calleth the holy prayers which are offered vp after the sacrifice pure incense For this perfume is it that refresheth God not that which is taken from the rootes that grow in the earth but that is breathed out of a pure heart And after hée hath noted that the Sacrifices of the olde law were very many hee saith thus Quae omnia noua gratia superueniens vno complectitur sacrificio vnam ac veram statuens hostiam All which sacrifices the new grace that succeeded dooth comprehend in one Sacrifice ordayning but one which is the right Sacrifice in deede Who can write more plainely for the proofe of one onely Sacrifice that our sauiour Christ offered once for all then Chrysostome dooth in this place Yea hee proceedeth yet further and saith thus Habemus nos in nobis ipsis varias immolationes non quae iuxta legem incedunt sed quae decent Euangelicam grâ—tiam visne has cognoscere victimas quas habet Ecclesia quum sine sanguine sine fumo sine altari caeterisque ceremonijs munus euangelicum sursum ascendit ad Deum c. And wee also haue in our selues sundrie offerings which procéede not according to the law but such as are séemely for the grace of the gospell But wilt thou know those Sacrifices which the Church hath when the sacrifice of the gospell ascendeth vp vnto God without blood without smoake and without Aulter and the rest of the Ceremonies which is also the cleane and vnspotted sacrifice Hearken to the holy Scripture which dooth plainely expound vnto thée this difference and varietie The first Sacrifice therefore is that which I haue spoken of before that spirituall and mysticall gift whereof Paule speaketh when hée saith thus Jmitatores estote Dei c. Bée yee followers of God Ephe. 5. as deerely beloued children and walke in loue euen as Christ loued vs and gaue him selfe for vs a sacrifice and oblation of a sweete sauour vnto God c. It were too long to set downe here all the woordes of Chrysostome in this place The Offerer Tom. 1. or some of his fellows may reade them as they stand written in the Homilie afore mentioned It is manifest that Chrysostomes meaning was not to maintaine the opinion of the popish Catholiques which hold that in their blessed Masse is offered a sacrifice propitiatorie for the sins both of the quicke and the deade The same Chrysostome in his 17. Tom. 4. In Epist ad Heb. hom 17. Homilie vpon the Epistle to the Hebrews writeth thus Nonne per singulos dies offerrimus Offerrimus quidem sed ad recordationem facientes mortis eius Et vna est haec hostia non multae Quomodo vna est non multae Quia semel oblata est c. Doo not wée offer euery day In déede wée doo offer but wée doo it for a remembrance of his death And this sacrifice is but one and not many And how is it but one and not many Bicause it was offred but once it was offred in the holiest place of all and this sacrifice which wée offer is the Paterne or example thereof wée doo alwaies offer one and the selfe same thing And after many words to the same end hée saith thus Non aliud sacrificium sicut Pontifex sed idipsum semper facimus magis autem recordationem sacrificij operamur Wee offer not another sacrifice as the high Priest did
orderly succession of Bishops the vniformitie of solemne Ceremonies and the vnitie of faith that hath in her selfe all holy functions of the spirite as working of miracles remission of sinnes the true cence and interpretation of Gods word that is beautified with diuersity of states commended by Christ as with Martirs with Confessors holy virgins and such other Let the Protestant prooue vnto me that this is not the true Church and that we are not bound to obey and beleeue this Church and none other in al controuersies doubts vprising eyther by the difficulty of Scripture or by vayne contention and pride of Heretickes and I wyll yeelde and recant and not before Crowley The Protestant hath already prooued that the Church whereof this Offerer is a member hath not béene of so long continuaunce as fiftéene hundreth yéeres Yea and that there be not yet a full thousand yéeres past since that Church became of such power and estimation in the world as now it dooth challendge to it selfe and as this Offerer dooth bragge of That Church which is Catholique in déede whereof all right Protestāts be members hath bad continuance euen euer since this promise was made in the daies of the first man I wyll put enimitie betwixt thée and the woman betwixt thy séede and her séede her séede shall breake thy heade and thou shalt assalt his héele Gen 3. These wordes dyd God him selfe speake to the sperpent and this promise dyd the first man and his wyfe beléeue and they and theyr faithfull posteritie dyd from time to time looke for and long after the performaunce of this promise euen tyll our Sauiour Christ which is that blessed séede of the woman had in déede performed it Our Sauiour Christ speaking of this looking for and longing after sayd thus to his disciples Many Prophets and Princes haue desired to sée those things that you sée and haue not séene them and to heare those wordes that you heare and haue not heard them Luc. 10. Lucae 10 And againe speaking to the Iewes he sayd Your father Abraham dyd aduaunce him selfe that he might sée my day and he dyd sée it and reioyce in it Iohn 8. Iohn 8. And this Catholique Church hath continued still in all troubles and persecutions and dooth continue to this day and so shall to the ende still reioysing in the day of Christ that is already past and looking and longing after that day of his that is yet to come which is the day of his appearing in glory when all his shall appeare with him in glorie Colo 3. Coloss 3 This Church hath had the vse of Sacraments euer since Sacraments were instituted But before Abrahams time there was not any Sacrament ordayned for the first Sacrament was Circumcision and the other Sacrament was the Passe-ouer which was instituted in the dayes of Moses By this it appeareth that the Church was before the sacramentes were and so it followeth by good consequence that Sacramentes are not necessarily required to the constituting of a Church Yea and after those Sairamentes were instituted the vse of them was by occasion intermitted and yet the Church that dyd intermit the vse of those Sacramentes was still the Church of God notwithstanding the intermitting of the vse of the Sacraments As in the time of the people of Isralites béeing in the wildernes which was fortie yéeres both Circumcission and the Passeouer were intermitted and yet that people were styll accounted to bée and were in déede the Church of God Euen so our Sauiour Christ haueing fulfilled the lawe did institute two Sacramentes in the place or stéede of those two that were before hys incarnation namely Baptisme and the Sacrament of his body and blood and left them to hys Church with commaundement that they should bee vsed in hys Church and therfore the Church of Christ may not refuse to vse them But yet if by iust occasion the Church shal be enforced to intermit the vse of them for as long or longer tyme then the Isralites dyd intermit the vse of theyr Sacramēts this may not be thought to be a iust cause to account that Church to be no Catholique Church which hath for a tyme intermitted the vse of Sacramentes But that Catholique Church whereof we Protestants be members hath not any at time intermitted the vse of these two Sacraments that Christ hath ordayned no not in the tyme of most bloody persecution as in most auncient Histories it dooth appeare And after the ende of those bloody persecutions which dyd continue almost to the ende of the first 300. yéeres after Christes ascention the same Church dyd continue the vse of the same Sacramentes publiquely and openly which before that time bloodie Tirrannie would not suffer them to doo But when the tyme of Apostacie was come and the man of sinne of whom S. Paule wrote 2 Thessa 2. 2 Thessa 2 had gotten the vpper hand then this Church was inforced to leaue that open vse that of Sacraments that it had continued for the space almost of 300. yéeres and to vse them as before shee had doone in the time of the first bloody persecutions For the Romane Church béeing fallen away from the Catholique Church became as bloodily minded as euer the Romane Empire had béene Thus the Catholique Church whereof wee bée members hath continued and dooth stil continue the vse of those Sacraments that Christ hath instituted As for confirmation order and that which you call penaunce matrimony and extreame vnction wée doo not acknowledge to bée Sacraments because they agrée not with the definition or discription of a Sacrament which is a visible signe of an inuisible spirituall grace instituted by Christ him selfe we knowe and doo confesse that confirmation is a good order and may bée vsed to the edification of the Church and therfore it is appointed by publique Authority that when younglinges shal be instructed so that they shal be able in some measure to make profession of the Christian fayth they shal bée brought to the Bishop that by prayer to God for them and laying on of his handes vpon them they may bée the better confirmed in that faith which they haue learned and professed The ordering of ministers we allowe of also as of a good profitable order in the Church for we know that no man may take vpon himselfe that honour but such as shal be called thereunto as Aron was And therefore as great care as may be is taken in the chosing of such as shal be admitted to the ministry and as great circumspection in the admitting Heb. 5. If any fault be in this behalfe it is not in the lawe that prescribeth a good and perfect order to be obserued herein but in the lacke of care that may be in such as haue the execution of the law As touching that which you cal penance wée doo neither accept of it as of a Sacrament because we knowe that it is none neyther doo we take
God to giue his Church libertie to make publique profession of fayth and religion as now for the space of 29. yéeres togeather he hath doone in this realme of England such as be members of the true Catholique Church doo and haue doone by the permission and commaundement of our Prince whom God hath appointed to gouerne vs as it becommeth Catholike Christians to doo in open praier preaching and administration of Sacramentes And to the ende that all thinges may bée doon orderly and as it beseemeth we haue bishops al other necessary ministers orderly elected admitted to minister vnto vs the word and to exercise publique prayer necessarie discipline suche as the higher powers vnder whome we liue doo thinke méete to be exercised As for the vniformity of your solemne Ceremonies that had not had so long continuance for the space of fiftéene hundreth yéeres nor yet for the space of fifty yéeres For by the confession of your holy father Pope Pius quintus the difference of ceremonies vsed euen in your holy Masse was such before the tyme of your last generall Councell which began at Trident. Anno. 1545. that it was thought méete by them to take order for the reformation thereof But though it had béene as auncient as you would haue it what great matter is there in it to prooue thereby that your Church is the true Church of Christ sith it is an easie matter for any sorte of men to agrée in outward and solemne Ceremonies although the same bee neuer so superstitious vaine and foolish But here is a matter of greater waight that is the vnity of fayth that your Church hath had these 1500 yéeres last past continually I haue already prooued that your Antichristian Church hath not had continuance so long by 600. yeres almost And it shal be an easie matter to prooue that the fayth of your Church hath in the time that it hath had continuance varied very often in some poyntes of greatest wayght as you doo account of them The generall councell of Basill beléeued that theyr authority was aboue the authority of the Pope and that they might depose hym and therefore they dyd depose Eugenius that then was Pope and choose an other in his place And the same Eugenius bolding a Councell at Farrary beléeued that he had authority to excommucate the generall councell And this article was long doubted of Whether the Pope or the generall counsell should haue the supreme authoritie And about the wordes of consecration I thinke your Church is not yet agréede whether the vertue â—hat turneth the substaunce doo lye in the verbe Est or in the sillable vm And whether the substance of breade and wyne bée turned into the substaunce of the body and bloode of Christ or whether that substaunce departing and giuing place the body and blood of Christ doo occupie the place thereof vnder the qualities of bread and wine And whether the mouse that eateth the consecrated rake doo eate the bodie of Christ or no. In these high poyntes of religion and in dyuers other of lyke sorte the vnitie of your fayth hath béene and styll is sore shaken But I perceyue that which followeth in thys conclusion of thys offer that the fayth whych you speake of is that fayth or beleefe that you haue in that Church of yours which you call Catholique You neuer trouble your selfe with the waighting and examining of matters of beléefe for you confesse that you must of necessitie beléeue the Church So that your determination is to beléeue whatsoeuer that Church hath or shall determine and commaund you to beléeue although you knowe not what that Church either hath or shall determine Thus your late prosilite Frier Iohn Frauncis of Nigeon in Fraunce dyd in his letters that he wrote to his mother instruct her to beléeue But here riseth a doubte whether this Church be the general councell the colledge of Cardinalles or the Popes holines alone If it bee the generall councell what shifte would you haue made when two generall councelles were holden at one tyme and decréede contrarie the one to the other the one holden at Basill and the other at Farrarie If it be the colledge of Cardinalles which way would you haue turned your selfe when there were thrée Popes at one tyme and each Pope had his colledge of Cardinalles If it bée the Pope him selfe then tell mée vpon whome you would haue hanged your fayth when there was no Pope for the space of two yéeres togeather and when there were three Popes at one tyme and when haueing but one Pope the same was an Arrian or Saddusey or had giuen hym selfe to the Deuill that hee myght bée made Pope I leaue this to your discretion or to the discretion of some one of your sorte that shall take in hand to replye to this aunswer that I make to these your offers You saye that your Church hath in her selfe all holie functions of the spirite as workinge of miracles remission of sinnes and the true sence and interpretation of Gods worde A straunge manner of ennumeration of partes All the holie functions of the spyrite are innumerable and therefore they are commonlie sayd to bée seuen by which number béeing a perfecte number an infinite multitude is commonly signified But you set downe thrée for all The working of miracles is one of those holye functions that you speake of You meane I am sure of those miracles that haue béene and are wrought in your places of Pilgrimage and by the rotten reliques of your Sayntes whereof I haue heard great boast and some experience I haue séene in England The holy mayd of Kent with her confederates wrought manie myracles in the dayes of King Henrie the eyght as in our Chronicles is to bée séene but in the ende she was founde to bée an arrante Whore and so was the holie made of Lemster that was nothing inferiour to the other in working of myracles The holy Roode of Bostone the holie Roode of Boxley the holie Roode of Chester the holie Roode of Northamton and the holie Roode at the North doore of Paules Church with the holy Roode in Roode Lane in London were not behinde the rest in working miracles by the helpe of knaues that had the kéeping of them I might speake of the holy blood at Hailes which was sayd to bee a portion of the bloode of Christ Saint Thomas of Canterburie S. Thomas of Hereford S. William of Mawuerne S. Ioseph of Shaftesburie and holy King Henrie of Windsore King Kenelme of Cowbadge S. Hugh of Lincolne and S. Robert of Naseborowe and a number of blessed Ladies to many to bée rehearsed by name The knauerie that was practized in these places is so well knowen in England that your miracles can haue no credite amongst such English men as haue not Roomish hartes Yea and our sauiour Christ hath forewarned vs Math 24. Math 24 That in these latter dayes many false Christs and false prophets shal arise shal
Bishop Fyshar Sir Thomas Moore the Monkes of the charter house with all the rest of the Popes friends that suffered in the daies of King Henry the eight and Edmond Campion with his companie and the rest that haue bene executed in the time of the raigne of our Soueraigne that now is for what cause haue they suffered was it not for that they affirmed that the Popes holines hath the supreme power in this realme that princes haue not the highest power vpon earth ouer such as be their subiectes This cause can not bee Christs cause for Christ did in his humaine nature submit him selfe to the Emperor in that hee him selfe did pay tribute to the Emperor in token of subiection Mat. 17. Mat 17. S. Peter willeth all christians to submit them selues to all estates of men euen for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to him that hath the preheminence or to the Dukes or captaines as to men whom the Lord hath sent for the punishment of euill dooers but for the praise of such as bée good for so is the will of God that Christians should by well dooing stop the ignoraunce of foolish men c. 1. Pet. 2. 1 Peter 2. S. Paule also wrote thus to the Romaines Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit c. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. Rom. 13. Rom. 13. Chrysostome expounding these woords of S. Paule saith thus Etiam si Apostolus sis si Euangelista si Propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris c. Although thou be an Apostle if thou bée an Euangelist if thou be a Prophet and to conclude who or what so euer thou béest For saith Chrysostome this subiection dooth not subuert godlinesse And hée saith not simply hée must obay but hée saith Chrysost in Rom. 13. subdita sit It must bée in subiection By these woords of Chrysostome it appeereth what maner of Martyrs they are that haue died for the mainetenaunce of your Popes supreme powre ouer all Christians vpon earth If Chrysostome were now liuing and would maintaine this that hee hath written your Pope would make him a Martyr in déed if hée might catch him as hee hath and still dooth make Martyrs of all such as hée hath and can catch that bee of one minde with Chrysostome Your Confessors are euen such as your Martyrs and so are your Virgins with the rest that you meane of when you say and such other Now let the Protestant prooue say you that this is not the true Church that we are not bound to obay and belieue this Church and none other in all controuersies and doubts c. The Protestant hath already prooued that the church that you meane of which is the Romaine Antichristian church is not the true Church of Christ and that it hath not in it those things that you doo so much brag of It hath not continuance as yet for the space of 1000. yéeres It hath not neither dooth it exercise preaching to the conuersion of nations to the obedience of the gospell but to the obedience of Antichristian doctrine It hath not had neither hath it the right administration of the sacraments but with such mixture of humaine diuises as is vnséemely in the Church of Christ It hath not had neither hath it any such orderly succession of bishops as you brag of neither any such vniformitie of solemne Ceremonies It hath not had at any time neither hath it now such vnitie of faith as you speake of nor the holy functions of the spirite as working of Miracles remission of sinnes nor the true sense and interpretation of the woord of God Neither is it beautified with that diuersitie of states that you speake of as Martyrs Confessors and Virgins such other wherefore the Protestant concludeth that there is no cause why he should obay and belieue that church of yours no more is there that you should not yeelde and recant The Twentith offer Offerer Twentith Moreouer let the learned Protestant proue that the true and Catholike church of Christ may at any time bee voide of Gods spirit which he hath promised to be with his Church for euer saying Et ego rogabo patrem et alium paracletum dabit vobis Iohn 14. vt maneat vobiscum in aeternū or falsly to interpret any sentence of holy scripture or to induce any erroure among the people or approoue vnprofitable and hurtfull vsages amonge the Christians or that shee suffereth any damnable abuse in her religion without open repredhension thereof Let the learned Protestant prooue any of these points and I will then yeelde and recant and not before Crowley The true Catholique church of Christ in déed is neuer voyde of Gods spirite Yea there is not one member of that church which hath not that spirite dwelling in it in some measure For thus the Apostle Paule hath written to the Romaines Si quis autem spiritum Christi non habet hie non est eius If there be any that hath not the spirite of Christ the same belongeth not to him Rom. 8. Rom. 8 I doo confesse therefore that the true Catholique church of Christ is neuer voide of Gods spirit But according to the words that this Offerer hath cited out of the 14. cha of Iohn Iohn 14 our sauiour Christ hath sent another comforter which is the holy spirit of God to be with his Church for euer But what maketh this for M. Offerers purpose Hee must prooue that the church of Rome being such as now it is hath bin for the space of a thousand yéeres almost is that true Catholique church of Christ and then these pointes will serue him to some purpose otherwise they doo make flatly against him Taking your church to bee the true Catholike church of Christ you offer to yéelde and recant if the Protestant can prooue that your church hath fasly interpreted any one sentence of the holy scripture The Protestant hath alreain his answere to your 19. offer sufficiently prooued that your whole church hath in the 25. session of your Tridentine counsell falsly interpreted or rather flatly denied mo then one two or thrée sentences of the holy scriptures as to the indifferent Reader it may there most euidently apeere wherefore wée doo looke for the performance of your promise in yéelding and recanting That your church hath induced doth still induce errors amongst the people hath approued and doth still approoue vnprofitable and hurtfull vsages amongst Christians hath suffered and dooth still suffer damnable abuses in religion without open reprehention is more manifest then that which lyeth open in the cleare sunne light Wherefore the Protestant néedeth not to spend any time in the proofe therof It may suffice to put the reader in minde of those shamelesse errors that your church hath taught dooth still teach and maintaine concerning the inuocation of Angelles and Saints the praying for the deade
A Deliberat answere made to a rash offer which a popish Antichristian Catholique made to a learned protestant as he saieth and caused to be publyshed in printe Anno. Do. 1575. Wherein the Protestant hath plainly substantially prooued that the papists that doo nowe call themselues Catholiques are in déed Antichristian schismatiks and that the religious protestants are in deed the right Catholiques VVritten by Robert Crowley in the yeere 1587. LONDON Printed by I. Charlwood and are to bée sold at the signe of the black Beare in Paules Church yâ—rde 1588. Falts escaped in the print In the 7. leafe and in the last line of the first page in the first of the second page reade thus innocencie of life for not continue in ignorance c. In the 9. leafe and 15. line of the first page reade thus and not let vs haue peace And in the last line saue one of the second page reade thus they are all become vnprofitable In the 10. leafe and 14. line of the second page read thus traxerit In the 16. leafe and 6. line of the first page read tend for bend In the 25. leafe and 12. line of the second page read conuenticles In the 26. leafe and 18. line of the 1. page read fasts for feasts In the 27. leafe and 9. line of the 1. page read cases for causes In the 31. leafe and 12. line of the eight Offer read at all times the continuance c. In the 36. leafe 7. line of the 2. page read such for those In the 39. leafe last line saue 4. of the 1. page read Qui pridie In the 50. leafe and last line saue 6. of the 2. page read at any time In the 53. leafe and 29. line of the 1. page read which are not c. In the 55. leafe and 33. line of the 1. page read perceiue by that c. In the 72. leafe 12. line of the 1. page reade Linus In the 75. leafe and 1. line of the 1 page read or doth seeme to bee In the 77. leafe and 1. line of the 1. page this woorde them is to much In 78. leafe 4. line of the 2. page read admonition In the 80. leafe 22. line of the 1. page read they for then In the 81. leafe in the title of the 1. signe read of false prophets In the 84 and 20. line of the first page read some of them contrarie to the expresse c. ¶ To all and singular popish Recusants SVpposing that all such papists as do refuse to ioyne with vs in the profession and exercise of religion and are therefore called Recusants be of one the same minde with that popish Offerer that first wrote these Offers and did publish them in print I haue thought it a thing very meete to request the same Offerer if hee bee yet liuing and all the rest that bee of his minde to afforde mee so much fauour as to reade ouer their owne Offers and that answere that I haue made therunto I trust you will not deny mee this request for your Offerer hath in the end of euery part of his Offer vsed these words or the like prooue this then I will relent and recant not before I know that ther be many amongst you that are worshipfull wise and learned such I hope will not blemish their worship wisedome and learning by fore-iudging ought that is or shal be written in answere to any Offer that any of their minde hath or shall make and require answere thereunto I doo not require any of you to giue credit to that which I haue written before you haue tried the same and found it worthy of credit And therefore I haue set ouer the heads of the pages of this my booke this admonition First trie and then trust If you shall finde that I haue sufficiently prooued all those thinges that your Offerer requireth the protestant to prooue then I hope you wil redily performe those Offers that he hath made And if you shall finde any insufficiency in mine answeres I hope that some of the learned on your side will vse some meanes whereby I may haue knowledge of that insufficiency And in the word faith of a Christian I doo promise you that what soeuer any of you shal write touching this matter I will reade it deliberatly and without all parciall affection with earnest prayer to the almighty for the direction of his holy spirite whereby I may be stayed from straying out of the way of truth I know that there is but one way to euerlasting life I doo know that Christ only is that way if any of your sort therefore can make it plaine vnto me that your popish Catholique church dooth walke in that way then will I leaue that way wherein wee protestants doo walk and runne with you for I tell you truly that none of you can haue a greater or more earnest desire to enter with the Bridgrome Christ then I haue and as I hope shall haue to the end My pen would gladly proceede in paynting my paper with moe sentences to the like effect but I haue thought good to stay it for that I doo persuade my selfe that you doo think the time longe before you can take in hand to performe that request that I haue herein made Frare you well From my house at S. Gyles without Creplegate of London The Lord Iesus direct you in all that you shall doo Amen Ianuarie 16. An. 1587. Your well willer Robert Crovvley The deliberate aunswer that Robert Crowley a Protestant Christian hath made to that rash offer that a popish Antichristan Catholique made to a learned Protestant Imprinted in Dovvaie as he saith Anno Domini 1575. Crowley IN the yeere of our Lord. 1586. there came to my handes by what meane I doo not well knowe but by the prouidence of God I am sure a certaine booke that had béen imprinted and published in Doway in Fraunce in the yéere 1575. in the Englishe Tongue That booke is intituled A notable discourse plainely and truely discussing who are the right ministers of the Catholique Church written against Caluin and his disciples by one Maister Iohn de Albine called De Seres Archdeacon of Tolossa in Fraunce Wherunto are annexed certaine Offers made by a popish Catholique to a lerned ProtestaÌ„t c. This booke lay by me as a thing whereof I made small accompt tyll the moneth of May in the yéere .1587 When hauing by occasion more spare time then in long time before I had or could haue I tooke this booke in hand and did deliberately reade ouer both the booke and the offers I found both the booke and the offers to stuffed with coulour of pietie trueth and sinceritie that I coulde not but thinke that the hauing of this booke in secrete hath béene one great cause of the Apostacie of so many young men as haue in late yéeres fallen away from the pure profession of the
those Ceremonies To bée briefe the first Catholique church did acknowledge none to bée her vniuersall head but Christ Iâ—sus onely and shée submitted her selfe to bee gouerned in matters of faith by his spirite which spirite did in déede gouerne hir in the vnderstanding of the scriptures which are the rule of Christian Religion And in ciuill gouernement shee submitted herselfe to Princes and other Potentats acknowledging that God hath giuen vnto them the power of the sword and hath made them his reuengers vpon earth coÌ„maunding them to vse that power in defending innocents and in punishing of such as doo transgresse his lawes But your Romish Catholique church must haue a Pope to bee hir vniuersall head vnder the name of Christes vicar generall and hee must haue absolute power vpon earth diriued from the Apostle Peter that neuer tooke vpon him selfe any such power but willed all Christians to submit themselues to all estates of men euen for the Lord Iesus sake Yea hee willed them to honour all men to loue brotherly fellowship to feare God and to honour the king 1. Peter 2. 1. Peter 2. But your Pope must haue power ouer all men euen ouer Princes to whom Peter submitted him selfe and willed al christians to doo the like Yea hée must haue power to depose all such Princes as will not bow to him and bee his Executioners in executing the paines of death vpon all such as it pleaseth him to take for Heretikes Such Princes dooth your Pope take vpon him to depose to depriue them of all princely dignitie to set vp in their place such as will submit them selues vnto him become his sworne vassalles And that he may the more easily bring these things to passe hée absolueth all the subiects of such Princes from their dutifull oth of obedience which they haue dutifully taken to those their leage and naturall Princes Yea as late and daily practises doo teach they spare not to promise the kingdome of God to such subiects as will most vndutifully most vnnaturally murder not onely their naturall countrimen but also their naturall Princes By these differences it apreareth how great the difference is betwixt the first Romish church which was in déede Catholique and yours which you call catholique but is in déede Cacolike But now you conclude that if the learned Protestant can prooue that the priuate conuenticles congregations of the Protestants were the first bringers foorth of the sacred Bible and written woord of God the chiefe preseruers and defenders of the same in all times and ages from all Iewes Gentiles Heretikes and schismatiks then you wil reuolt and recant as you haue saide before To this I say on the behalfe of the learned Protestant that neither the Catholique church nor any other congregations haue bin the first bringers foorth of the sacred Bible c. For those bookes which are called the Bible were brought foorth and written before our sauiour Christ sayd thus to the Iewes Scrutamini scripturas c. Ioh. 5. Ioh. 5. Serch the scriptures c. And as for the preseruing and defending of them from Iewes Gentiles c. I say that it hath not bin the worke of man but of God him selfe who is the only Author of the same Apocal. 6. In the sixt chapter of saint Iohns Reuelations it is written that when the third seale of that booke which was sealed with seuen seales was opened there was a voyce which came from the midst of the foure beasts which saide to him that sate vpon the blacke horse had a balaunce in his hand Wine and oyle see thou doo not hurt In the iudgment of all learned interpreters wine and oyle doo in that place signifie the scriptures which God would not suffer to bee hurt by any mans interpretation no not in the time of most déepe Ignorance The Iewes could neuer corrupt the text of the Canonicall scriptures although they lacked no good will to haue corrupted them Neither could your Popish catholiques at any time corrupt those scripcures for God hath reserued a Remnant of the Iewes with whom those scriptures are and alwaies haue bin had in such estimation and reuerence that they would neuer leaue them to any that would corrupt them and this hath God wrought by them vsing them as his instruments therein In like manner the Grecians haue bin his instruments in kéeping the Gréeke text both of the olde and newe testament from all manner of Corruption in all partes thereof that doo concerne any parte of the substance of our Religion so that though your Popish Catholiques would as no doubt they are willing enough yet they can not corrupt either the Hebrew or Gréeke text Thus if you will you may sée maister Offerer that God alone by such meanes as hée hath dooth and will vse hath bin the bringer foorth of the sacred Bible and other holy scriptures for the holy men of God did speake as the holy spirite of God did mooue them to speake 2. Pet. 1. 2. Peter 1. And it is hée that hath vsed his good meanes both in discerning of the holy writings from the prophane and also in preseruing and defending of them from all maner corruption Wherefore if you minde to bée as good as your woord you must reuolt and recant The third Offer The Offerer Third Shew mee good reason why yee Protestants doo belieue our Catholique Church enforming and telling you this to bee the woord of God written the true Bible and sacred scriptures and doo refuse to credit hir in the true sense and vnderstanding of the same Scripture shee being vndoubtedly led with the spirite of God in them both For if the Catholique Church had the spirit of God in discerning and iudging the true Scriptures of God from the rest not Scriptures why should not wee belieue that same Catholique church gouerned and led by the same spyrite in giuing the true sense meaning and vnderstanding of the Scriptures When yee shal be able to render a sufficient reason of the one and not of the other I shall then yeelde and recant and not before Crowley There is no reason why wée should shewe you good reason why wée doo that thing which none of vs either haue done doo or minde to doo In beliuing that the Bible and scriptures that wee haue is the true Bible and scripture wée doo as the people of Sichar did Iohn the fourth chapter They said to the woman that told them of Iesus Iam non propter tuam orationem credimus c. Iohn 4. Now doo wée belieue not bicause of the tale that thou hast told vs for wee our selues haue heard and doo know that this is very Christ the sauiour of the world Euen so wee confesse that when wee were amongst you wée heard you talke of a Bible scriptures wée were desirous to sée them but you kept them from vs by all the meanes that you coulde deuise but at the
last by Gods mercifull prouidence wée gate a sight of them and had them translated into such languages as wee our selues doo vnderstand But this was full sore against your willes as by Hystories it dooth appeere Wee haue therefore no cause to thanke you for them but wée doo giue most heartie continuall thanks to our heauenly father that hath prouided them for vs and hath giuen the vse of them to vs. Yea and finding in the first chapter of S. Iames Epistle Iacob 1. that if any man lack wisdome hee must aske it of God who giueth to all men indifferently and dooth not vpbrayde any man with his giftes wée haue and doo still begge of God his holy Spirite to direct vs both in the discerning of the Bookes of the Scriptures and in the finding out of the true sense of the same And wee doo finde the saying of our Sauiour Christ written by Saint Luke chapter 11. very true Luc 11. Si vos cum sitis mali nostis c. If you being euill doo know how to giue good giftes to your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy Spirite to them that craue it of him wee haue craued that holy spirite and doo still craue it of our heauenly Father Wee haue receyued it and doo still receiue it in some measure Wée are thereby made able to iudge the spirits and according to the counsell of S. Iohns first Epistle 1 Iohn 4. and fourth chapter Wée belieue not euery spirite but wée doo trie the spirites And finding that the holy spirite of God did mooue them that first wrote the bookes of the Bible to write as they did write therefore wée doo thankfully receiue those bookes as holy scripture and doo reuerendly vse them as a Lanterne to our feete and a light vnto our pathes After this maner did the Catholique men that haue liued before vs endeuor to know the canonicall Scriptures from such as are pro haue And as S. Augustine writeth vpon the last Psalme August in Psalm 150. Tom 5. Tom. 8. Sunt etiam qui vniuersas omnino scripturas canonicas vnum librum vocent quod valde mirabili diuina vnitate concordent There bée some men also saith S. Augustine that doo name all the canonicall scriptures but one booke bicause they doo agree in a very merueilous and heauenly vnity S. Augustine in his second booke of christian Doctrine August de doct Christ lib. 2. Ca. 5. writeth thus Cap. 8. Totus autem canon scripturarum in quo istam considerationem versandam dicimus his libris continetur In déede the whole canon of the Scriptures wherein wee doo affirme this consideration is to bee vsed is conteined in these bookes And then hée maketh rehersall of those 44. bookes which are contained in that booke which both you and wée doo call the holy Bible concluding thus His quadraginta quatuor libris veteris testamenti terminatur authoritas In these foure and forty bookes is the authority of the olde testament ended Then hée maketh rehersall of the bookes called the New testament which are in number 27. and they are the same that wee haue in our bookes called the New testaments both in gréeke in latine Of al these bookes togither which are in number 71. S. Austen writeth thus In his omnibus libris timentes Deum pietate mansueti quaerunt volūtatem Dei In all these bookes they that feare God are by godlines made modest doo séeke for the will pleasure of God And in the beginning of this 8. chap. of this second booke of christian Doctrine S. Austen dooth instruct euery christian after this maner Erit igitur diuinarum scripturarum solertissimus indagator qui primo totas legerit notasque habuerit si non dum intellectu iam tamen lectione duntaxat eas quae appellantur canonicae He therefore shal be the wisest searcher of the holy scriptures which will first read them through and will haue a perfect knowledge of them although not in vnderstanding as yet but yet already in reading those scriptures onely which are called Canonicall And going forward in this instruction hée saith thus Jn Canonicis autem scripturis Ecclesiarum catholicarum quam plurimum authoritatem sequatur inter quas sane illae sunt quae Apostolicas sedes habere Epistolas accipere meruerunt Let him as much as may bée follow the authority of the Catholike churches in the canonicall scriptures amōgst which churches vndoubtedly those churches are which haue deserued to haue Apostolical seates to receiue Epistles By these woords of S. Augustine it appeareth what was ment in S. Augustins time by these words the Catholique church the canicall scriptures The scriptures were called canonicall that doo containe the rule of faith of maners And the churches were planted by the preaching of the doctrine amongst which those were accounted for the chiefe that had bin planted by the Apostles them selues had had some one of the Apostles resiant amongst them for a time and therefore the places were called Apostolicall seates And these were the congregations that the Apostle Paule did direct his Epistles vnto And heere I doo by the way note that as Rome was Sedes Apostolicae an Apostolike seate so was Corinth Galatia Ephessus Colossa Philippos Thessalonica Wherefore these later were of like authority with the first S. Austen therefore addeth further and saith thus Tenebit igitur hunc modum in scripturis canonicis vt eas quae ab omnibus accipiuntur Ecclesijs catholicis praeponat eis quas quaedā non accipiunt Let him therfore that is a searcher of the scriptures kéepe this meesure in the canonicall Scriptures that hee prefer those scriptures that be receiued of al Catholike churches before those scriptures which certaine Catholike churches doo not receiue By all these words of S. Austen written in the 8. chap. of his second booke De christiana doctrina it appeareth manifestly that the church of Rome although it were then Catholique accounted so to be yet it was not as now you doo account it to be the onely Catholique church of Christ For the other Churches which had bin Apostolike seates had receiued Epistles were Catholique as well as the church of Rome was yea and that all those churches were but particuler churches and none of them vniuersall but members of that vniuersall Church which consisteth of all the particuler churches that are haue bin or shal be vpon earth Yea and it appeareth that some of those Catholique churches did not receiue as canonicall all those bookes that are contained in the Bible although they did in some sorte account them canonicall as containing rules necessary for maners though not for faith In Tom. 4. Tom. 4. of S. Hieroms works it appeareth the Ruffinus a learned Priest and such a one as S. Hierome liked well of liuing about 400. yéeres after Christes ascention did not alow for
yéeres euen as the tares doo springe vp amōgest the good graine before the time of Haruest yet the field remaineth still a corne field not a field of tares yet the church was still Catholike till the whole state did professe Antichristianisme began to persecute such as continued in the profession of the auncient true Catholike religion which is the same that wée doo now professe you and your sorte doo persecute These haue not bin the worke of cōuenticles priuate congregations as it pleaseth you to terme all the particuler churches of Christ that refuse to take the marke of the beast and to acknowledge your Antichristian church to bee the knowne Catholike church of Christ but they haue bin the fruits that haue spronge out of the same faith and religion that was taught by Christ him selfe by his immediate Apostles receiued belieued professed by the first Catholike christians and is still professed by vs and is fruitfull in vs when ability and oportunity dooth serue In the daies of king Edward the sixt of blessed memory who founded in London Christs Hospitall for the education of fatherles infants S. Bartholmews Hospitall in smithfield and S. Thomas Hospitall in Southwarke for the curing of diseased persons did not the protestant Catholikes make those charitable prouisions doo not they still maintaine the same This Offerer may remēber that his Antichristian catholikes did in the time of quéene Maries raigne attempt to ouerthrowe those foundations agayne Who were the founders of Christs Colledge S. Iohns Trinitie Colledge in Oxforde of Emanuell Marimagdalen Caius Colledge in Cambridge did they not beare the name of protestant Catholikes that founded them Many grammer Schooles also might be named diuers other prouisions that protestant catholikes haue made both for the maintenance and increase of learning and also for the succouring of the poore and néedy If any tares doo spring vp amogst this good graine that haue bin sowne by the enuious man it is no fruit that springeth out of that good faith religion that we professe If your word promise therfore be any thing worth thē I require you to doo the part of an honest man in yéelding recanting The foureteenth Offer Offerer Fourteenth Let the learned protestant name any one fellowship or company of belieuers in the whole Christian world that in all articles of faith and religion be in one vnity in one meaning and beliefe and contented also to captiue submit their seueral meanings to the iudgment of their prelats and spirituall gouerners and of one chiefe head pastor amongst them in all Ecclesiasticall things and causes let I say the learned protestant name any one company thus agreeing amonge themselues and thus humbly affected in Christian faith and religion sauing onely the holie and blessed fellowship of the common knowne Catholike church of Christ and I will then recant and not before Crowley Vnderstanding by the holy blessed fellowship of the cōmon known Catholike church of Christ as I am assured that you doo that Antichristian church that you are of I cōfesse that there cānot any one fellowship or cōpany of belieuers in the whole christian world be named that is such a fellowship or cōpany as you would haue the learned protestant name vnto you for in very déed there is not one fellowship or cōpany of belieuers in the whole world so foolish as to vēter the saluation of their foules vpon the iudgmēt of other men but only that fellowship whereof you are But I doo vtterly deny the fellowship to be the knowne Catholike church of Christ and am bold plainely to affirme that it is the malignant cursed church of Antichrist the filthy synagogue of satan The knowne Catholike church of Christ whereof wée hée dooth agrée in one vnity in one meaning beliefe in all the Articles of the christian faith religion Yea wée all with that whole Catholike church doo captiue submit our seueral meanings to that rule of religion that the holy ghost hath set downe in the scriptures which rule wée doo know to be so perfect that it néedeth no addition alteration or change that man can deuise And as for one chiefe head Pastor we acknowledge none amongst men being assured that our one onely head Christ Iesus that hath promised to be with vs continually euen to the end of the world neither is nor will be from vs but is and still will be with vs and dooth still and will by the working of his holy spirite instruct and leade vs in the true vnderstanding of that rule of our religion that he hath left vnto vs so that wée doo not neither shal we at any time stand in néede of any such chief heade or Pastor as this Offerer speaketh of As for Prelates spirituall gouerners we haue such as bée able to breake minister vnto vs the spirituall foode of our soules as well by preaching expounding vnto vs that rule of our religion as by ministring the sacraments that our sauiour Christ hath ordained commaunded to bée vsed in his Church To these wée giue credit so longe as wée sée that they swarue not from that rule that both they and wée are bounde to followe and they doo not desire to haue credit any further And as touching their example of life wée doo followe it so far foorth as wée sée that they followe Christ and no further For S. Paule did not wish the Corinthians to follow him further then they should sée that hée followed Christ If you bée not obstinately bent to stand to your takling against all reason and christian knowledge this that I haue héere written may suffice to mooue you to recant although hitherto you haue refused so to doo The fifteenth Offer Offerer Fifteene Againe I do demande of the learned protestant whether the Lutherans Zuinglians Illirians Caluinists Confessionists Svvinkfildians Anabaptists and such like be all of one church and congregation or no And if he be able to prooue these sects being of such diuersity in faith and religion to make one church and that euery one of them may giue saluation to their fellowes being so disagreeable one with another in high pointes of faith and religion or that I ought to belieue all those rather then the one true Catholike church of Christ or yet any of these more one then another all of them making such a bolde challenge of the truth of Gods word and gospell When the learned Protestant shal be able by good reason or drift of argumēt to satisfie these my requests then I shall yeelde and recant and not before Crowley If I did not knowe that this Offerer is past all shame I could not meruell enough to sée that he would demaunde of the learned Protestant a proofe by good reason and drift of argument that Luther Zuinglius Illiricus Caluin the Confessionists Swinkfild and the Anabaptists should bée members all
yéeres and more But to let this Offerer and his fellowes see wherein they be disceiued I will adde some thing to the which I haue written there making it manifest that this Offerer and his fellowes did depart from vs and from our Church before wée did depart from them and their church They departed from vs and our Church without cause but we did departe from their Church for iust cause When S. Iohn wrote these woords Ex nobis prodierunt c. 1. Ioh. 2. They went out from vs but they were not of vs c the church of Rome was Catholique Christian Holy and Apostolike They therefore that did then depart from them were Antichristian and Schismaticall and were not of them whilse they were amongst them and therefore they did not tarie with them And you and men of your sorte are they that in the daies of Phocas the Emperor did openly departe from our Catholique church became a schismaticall Antichristian church or rather Synagogue of Satan persecuting the true Catholique church of Christ continually from that day to this Wée therefore being amongst you till it pleased God to open the eyes of our vnderstanding so that wée might see the abhominations of your Antichristian religion were not of you and therefore wee did departe from you not leauing our Faith and Religion wherein wée were baptized for wée were baptized in the name of Christ and not of Antichrist For though God haue suffered you to diuise many toyes which you doo vse in the ministration of baptisme yet hee would neuer suffer you to alter the institution of that Sacrament for you doo still baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And therefore wee seeke not to bee rebaptized knowing that the baptisme which wee receiued at your hands is as effectuall as that which wée our selues doo minister to our Infants Wee are not therefore departed from the true Catholique church of Christ but from your Antichristian church and wee are returned againe to that true Catholique church from which your sorte departed when Boniface the third tooke vpon him that Antichristian name of vniuersall bishop And vs that were borne amongest you yee haue kept from our deere mother and haue enforced vs to taste of the poysoned mylke of the dugs of that purple clothed Whore your Damme of Rome But our louing Father hath in his good time by his good meanes brought vs out from amongst you and restored vs againe to our good mother his deerely beloued spouse the true Catholique Holy and Apostolike church out of whose plentifull Dugs wee doo daily sucke the swéete pleasant healthsome mylke that feedeth vs vnto euerlasting lyfe This mother that wee are returned to is that romish Catholique church that was in the dayes wherein Saint Iohn wrote those woordes that you take holde of From hir did you departe bicause you were not hir naturall chyldren but Bastards borne in hir house but not of hir housholde and therefore like a Bastardly broode you went out of hir house and became most bloodie persecutors of hir children and so you haue continued for the space now of a thousand yeeres almost yea and so you doo continue still By the mercifull goodnes of our Father working in vs by his holy spirite wée doo now belieue as the children of our mother then in Rome did belieue They belieued then that there is but one God the hath made all creatures and him they glorified in the vse of his creatures and they gaue thanks to him alone for those creatures and studied to serue him onely in spirite and with spirituall seruice flying from th' example of the Heathen nations that presumed to counterfaite his maiestie by Images Ro. 1. Rom. 1. and so doo wée They belieued and confessed that all men are sinners that no man can iustifie him selfe before God bicause no man can so kéepe the law of God but that his owne conscience shall condemne him as a transgressor therefore they did cleaue to the mercie of God and so doo wée They belieued that they were iustified that is discharged of their sinnes fréely by faith without the déedes of the law and yet they thought themselues bound to doo all that God had and should make them able to doo in obseruing fulfilling of the law and so doo wée Rom. 2.3.4.5.6.7 Rom. 2.3.4.5.6.7 They belieued that God making choise of them had in mercie made them his owne children by adoption inheritors of his kingdome heires annexed with his onely begotten sonne Christ Iesus and hereof they were assured by the spirite of Christ which was giuen vnto them cried in their hearts Abba-pater Father Father so doo wée Ro. 8. Rom 8. They belieued that this election choise was made in the fore knowledge and purpose of God before they themselues were and so consequently before they either had or could doo good or euill and so doo wée Rom. 9. Rom. 9. They belieued that as they were by the free mercie of God Adopted Predestinated called iustified and acquited of their sinnes and in Gods predestination glorified and made like to the Image of his onely begotten sonne Christ Iesus Rom. 8. Rom 8. so their dutie was to bée carefull to leade a righteous life before men and not to bee bolde to commit sinne bicause God had in mercie discharged them of sinne but to liue in a reuerend awe and feare of his iustice as they that would shew them selues continually thankfull for his mercie in making their owne bodies a Sacrifice to God liuing holy and acceptable to God as their reasonable seruing of God Rom. 10.11.12 Rom. 10.11.12 and euen so doo wée They belieued that their duetie was to submit them selues to all such as God had set ouer them in authoritie to obay them not only for feare of punishment but for conscience sake also knowing that who soeuer resisteth the powre resisteth the ordinaunce of God dooth purchase to him selfe damnation And they belieued that their duetie was to giue euerie man his owne and to vse louing behauiour towards all men knowing that loue is the fulfilling of the law And that being baptized they had apparelled them selues with Christ and that they ought to walke and continue their liues in holinesse and in honestie not making prouision for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof Rom. 13. Rom. 13. and euen so doo wée They belieued that although God had giuen them libertie in the vse of all his creatures yet their duetie was to haue a continuall regarde to the infirmitie of their bretheren and not to vse any of those creatures to the offence of any of them Rom. 14.15 Rom. 14.15 and euen so doo wée They belieued that they togither with all other Christians els where in any parte of the worlde were fellowe members of one bodie in Christ and vnder Christ alone acknowledging no vniuersall head of
illa bona pacemque quae inter Deum homines facta erat c. In english Chrysostome saith thus But marke Hée saith before that the prophet hath sayd the whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall bee safe But some man peraduenture will say and how can they call vpon him in whom they haue not belieued And then after this obiection followeth his question that is to say why haue they not belieued And after these woords another obiection followeth also for thus it might be said in déed And how shal they belieue when they haue not heard But he saith that they haue heard And yet againe there is another obiection And howe coulde they heare without a preacher The solution wherof is againe set down straight after But many haue preached which haue bin sent for the same purpose And how is it plainely prooued that these bee they that were sent Then doth he very well bring in the prophet saying How beautifull are the féete of them that doo declare peace and that doo declare good things Doo you not sée how he dooth declare the preachers themselues by the maner of their preaching For they went about vttering by spéech none other thing then those ineffable good things that peace that was made betwixt God men c. Thus far Crysost By these woords of Chrysostome it is manifest that in his iudgment the note whereby preachers are knowne to bee sent of God is the maner of their preaching If they preach the vnspeakable commodities benefits that God hath bestowed vpon mankinde in the Mediator Christ Iesus that peace which Christ Iesus the peace maker â—ath maâ—e betwixt God man then are they sent of God saith Chrysostome for the maner of their preaching doth declare them so to bée And this iudgment of Chrysostome is according to that which S. Iohn hath written in the fourth Chapter of his first Epistle Charissimi nolite omni spiritui credere 1. Iohn 4 sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint quoniam multi pseudoprophetae exierunt in mundum In hoc cognoscitur spiritus Dei. Omnis spiritus qui confitetur Iesum Christum in carne venisse ex Deo est omnis spiritus qui soluit Iesum ex Deo non est hic est Antichristus de quo audistis quoniam venit nunc iam in mundo est Most déerely beloued saith S. Iohn belieue not euery spirite but trie the spirites whether they be of God or no for many false prophets are gone out into the world By this is the spirite of God knowne Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirite that deuideth Iesus is not of God the same is Antichrist of whom yee haue heard that hée commeth and euen now he is in the world These woords of the Apostle S. Iohn doo make manifest and plaine that iudgment of Chrysostome which is that the preachers which are sent of God are not so well discerned from them that are not sent of God by any outward signe or token as by the maner of their preaching If they confesse Iesus Christ to bée commen in the flesh saith S. Iohn then vndoubtedly they bee of God but if they deuide Iesus then without all doubt they are not of God but they are then of Antichrist But wee which bée Catholique Protestants doo confesse that Iesus Christ is commen in the flesh and the Popish Catholiques doo deny him to bee commen in the flesh Therefore wée bée of God and bée sent of him and the popish Catholiques are not of God neither are they sent of him but they are of Antichrist and are his messengers The Offerer and his fellowes will deny the latter part of the Minor proposition that is that they deny Christ to bée commen in the flesh therefore the learned Protestant must prooue it For proofe that the Popysh Catholique dooth deny Christ to bée commen in the flesh the learned Protestant saith thus Who soeuer dooth deuide Iesus dooth deny him to bée commen in the flesh but the popish Catholique dooth deuide Iesus therefore the popish Catholique dooth deny Christ to bée commen in the flesh Héere the popish Catholique will deny that hée deuideth Iesus To this the learned Protestant must say that by interpretation Iesus dooth signifie a Sauiour But the popish Catholique dooth deuide the Sauiour hée dooth therfore deuide Iesus And if the popish Catholique will say that hée deuideth not the Sauiour then the learned protestant must say that the popish Catholique dooth ascribe part of his saluation to Christ and parte to his owne workes and to the merits of holy Saintes Hée dooth therefore diuide the Sauiour and so consequently hée denieth Iesus to bée come in the flesh For Christ his comming in the flesh was to saue sinners 1. Timoth. 1. 1. Tim. 1. Yea and he was called Iesus bicause he should saue his people from their sinnes Math. 1. Mat. 1. And as there is but one God so there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man the same is the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. 1. Timo. 2. And hée it is that hath taken vpon him our infirmities and vpon whom the correction due to our sinnes is fallen by whose stripes wée are made whole Esay 53. Esay 53. Yea and it is hee that hath troden the Wynepresse of Gods wrath alone there was none to help him Esay 63. Esay 63. Thus much may the learned protestant conclude against the popish Catholique out of the words of S. Iohn as they he translated out of the Gréeke allowed of by those popish Catholique Fathers of the last generall counsell holden in Trident. If this Offerer or his fellows will finde falt with this translation Let them take héed of that horrible cursse the those fathers haue denounced against all such as shall mislike with any thing that the generall counsell did like wel of But it may bée that for aduantage to bée taken against a protestant Catholique the holy Father of Rome will dispence with the decrée allow this Offerer to flee to the gréeke text or to some translation that is more agréeable to the gréeke then this translation is But that will not help For the gréek hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not confesse that is as much as to say Hée that dooth deny And by those places of scripture that I haue cited it appéereth manifestly that who soeuer taketh not Christ to be his only alone sauiour but ascribeth some parte of his saluation either to himselfe or to some other the same doth in déed deny Christ to be any sauiour at all so to haue taken vpon him mans nature and to bée commen in the flesh Thus by the help of Chrysostome the learned protestant hath made it plaine to the indifferent reader that S. Paule writing thus to the Romans How shal
selues to think any thing but our sufficiencie is of God And agayne to the Philippians Chapter first Philip. 2. Sainte Paule saith thus Deus enim est qui operatur in vobis velle perficere pro bona voluntate It is God that worketh in you both the will and the powre to performe the will And againe to the Romaines Chap. 7. Rom. 7. Velle adiacet mihi perficere autem bonum non inuenio c. I haue a will but to performe that which is good I finde not For I doo not that good thing which I am willing to doo but the euill thing which I am vnwilling to doo that doo I. Now it is not I that doo it but sinne that dwelleth in mée By these plaine places of Scripture it appeereth manifestly that the learned Protestants doo teach nothing concerning free will but that which our Sauiour Christ his Apostle Paule haue taught But now to the fourth pointe of doctrine The fourth point of doctrine is the denyall of the reall presence of Christes body in the holie Eucharist It is very true that all learned Protestants doo deny the reall presence of Christes bodie in the holie Eucharist And there is good cause why they should doo so For touching the reall presence of his body our Sauiour Christ him selfe hath sayd as wée reade in the 11. Cha. of S. Iohns gospeâ—l Lazarus is deade and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there that you may beléeue If you will say that Christes body was not then glorified as nowe it is and therefore could not then as nowe it may bee in moe places at once then one then consider the words of S. Peter Act. 3. Act. 3. Repent and bée conuerted that your sinnes may bée blotted out when the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord shall come when hée shall send him that hath beene preached vnto you euen Iesus Christ whom heauen must containe euen till the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holie Prophets from the beginning By these woordes of Saint Peter it appeareth that hee knew nothing of this reall presence of Christs body in the holie Eucharist For hee saith that heauen is the place where the Reall bodie of Christ must bee till that tyme wherein hée shall appeere in iudgement which is the time of the Restitution of all thinges as hee hath spoken by the mouth of his holie Prophets which haue bene since the world began According to this dooth Saint Augustine write to Dardanus Tim 2. Epist 57. Cauendum est enim ne ita diuinitatem adstruamus hominis vt veritatem corporis auferamus Wee must take héede that wée doo not so builde vp the diuinity of the manhoode that wee take away the truth of the bodie For it followeth not that whatsoeuer is in God should bée euery where as GOD is By this it appeereth that Saint Augustine knew nothing of our Offerers reall presence of the bodie of our Sauiour Christ in the holie Eucharist All this notwithstanding wee hold that the body and blood of Christ are in the holy Eucharist present to the faythfull receiuers verily and in deede So that as many as doo with a full assurance of the mercies of God promised in Christ receiue the holy Eucharist doo vndoubtedly by faith receiue into their soules the verie body and blood of Christ to their endlesse comfort The learned Protestants doo not teach as you doo slauÌ„derously report of vs that in the holy Eucharist there is nothing but bread and wine for wee know what S. Paule hath written to the Corinth in the 10. Chapter of the first Epistle Vt prudentibus loquor iudicate vos quod dico 1. Cor. 10. Poculum benedictionis cui benedicimus c. I doo speake as vnto wise men doo you iudge that which I doo speake The Cup of blessing which wee doo blesse is it not the common partaking of the blood of Christ And the bread which wée breake is it not the coÌ„mon partaking of the body of Christ The Lord hath made vs able to iudge of the meaning of the Apostle in these woords wée doo know that as many as doo come worthely to the Lords table and be partakers of the holie Eucharist doo not receiue the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ onely but they receiue his verie bodie and blood Although not really substancially and bodily as you imagine yet spiritually sacramentally and verily and in deed And this is according to that which saint Augustine hath written in his Sermon De Sacramentis fidelium De Sacramentis fidelium Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam c. This is therefore to eate that meate and to drinke that drink for a man to dwell in Christ and to haue Christ dwelling in him And hereby hee that dwelleth not in Christ and in whom Christ dwelleth not without doubt hee neither eateth his flesh nor drinketh his blood although hée doo eate and drink the Sacrament of so excellent a thing to his owne condemnation This may suffice to certifie any reasonable man that wee denie not that presence of Christes bodie in the holie Eucharist which is taughte in the Scriptures and in the writings of S. Augustine The fift point that the Offerer dooth charge vs with is that wee denie the Sacrifice of the most blessed Mâ—sse You should haue sayd the most abhominâ—ble Mâ—sse For what thing can bee more abhominable then that thing which is directly contrarie to the scriptures and derogatorie to that one sacrifice that Christ Iesus our high Priest made of himself once for all Saint Paule to the Hebrews Chapter 10. Hebre. 10. speaking of our Sauiour Christ sayth thus Hic vero vna pro peccatis oblata victima c. After this man had offered vp one sacrifice for sinne hee sitteth at the right hand of God for euer waighting from hence forth till his enemies may bee made his foote stoole For with one oblation hee hath made perfect for euer such as are made holie And the holie Ghost dooth certifie vs when hee saith thus This is the Testament that I will make vnto them after those daies saith the Lord giuing my lawes in their hearts and in their mindes I will write them and their sinnes iniquities will I not remember any more And where there is forgiuenes of those sinnes and iniquities there is nowe no Sacrifice for sinne This farre Saint Paule What can bee written or spoken more plainely then this is for the proofe of that which wee holâ—e that is that in the Masse there is no sacrifice for sinne Christ our high Priest hauing offered vp one oblation is set downe on the right hand of God for euer and what other thing can bee ment by this then that which followeth which is that by that one oblation he hath made perfect al such as are made holie that