The totall summe. Or No danger of damnation vnto Roman Catholiques for any errour in faith nor any hope of saluation for any sectary vvhatsoeuer that doth knovvingly oppose the doctrine of the Roman Church. This is proued by the confessions, and sayings of M. William Chillingvvorth his booke.

The ground of your Safety, onely false suppositions, and foolish braggs. §. 1.

2. FIrst it is false, that if Protestants say true, we do that which is impious. For Protestants against Zelots maintayne, that our practises though erroneous in their iudgement, yet are not impious, and in themselues damnable; and that they who in sincerity of heart professe them, shall this notwithstanding (y) 1.1 with∣out doubt be saued.

3. Secondly, it is false, that if we be in the right, yet you may be secure inough in your refusing to vse these our practises, because they be not necessary. For though it be no sinne of it selfe purely to omit pious practises, and profi∣table deuotions: yet to omit them out of proud cōtempt, and much more out of an Hereticall persuasion, that they be impious, is vndoubtedly an heynous and damna∣ble crime. It is not necessary that you marry a wife, you may be saued if you lead a chast single life: but if you omit mariage out of an opinion, that it is a thing impure, or out of contempt of that doctrine, that (z) 1.2 Mariage is a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church; you will (except you repent) certainly be damned. In like manner, if we be in the right, and that these be pious

Christian practises of voluntary deuotion, you who relinquish them out of contempt, and Hereticall per∣suasion that they are impious, cannot escape damnation without a dereliction of your errour.

4. Thirdly, it is false, that if we be in the right, yet you only do not something which we confesse not ne∣cessary to be done. For we do not say of all these pra∣ctises, that they be not necessary to be done; yea we say, it is necessary to Saluation to receaue the B. Sacrament, and in receauing to adore it. Besides we say, that you not only omit to do what is not necessary to be done, but also condemne the vniuersall practises of Gods Church, and definitions of her Generall Councells; which is not only not necessary to be done, but also exe∣crable, impious, hereticall to be done.

5. Fourthly, it is a foolish bragge that you can al∣leadge such cleere texts of Scripture against these our practises. For if you can alleade them, why do you con∣ceale them? Why are you ashamed to bring them to light? Why haue you not stored your booke with such allegations as are able to put the matter out of question? Some very few you haue produced,* 1.3 and those which you tearme the playnest that possibly may be, I haue shewed to be darke, obscure, yea by you falsifyed in the text?

6. Fiftly, it is also a foolish bragge, that your texts of Scripture be certainly such as make the matter que∣stionable: which you proue very grauely, because we cannot with any modesty deny it. Verily had you any modesty or shame, you would blush to dispute so poo∣rely, miserably, seelily in a Controuersy of such mo∣ment which concernes the eternal damnation of your Country. I adde, though it were true (as it is most false)

that your texts make the matter questionable; yet your abandoning the Roman Church is damnable. For, Ar∣guments which make the matter questionable, be not ne∣cessary nor euident: But it is damnable to forsake the Church of Rome, and the definition of General Coun∣cels without reasons necessary and euident, as both you and D. Potter affirme, as hath beene often noted.

Notes

• (y) 1.1

  D. Potter pag. 78.
• (z) 1.2

  Ep∣hes. 5.32.
• * 1.3

  Church Conque∣rant cap. 6. con∣uict. 8.