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.

That your Protestant VVay to be firme to no Religiō, but still in motion and change, is damnable. §. 2.

4. ABout your selfe, and your being vngroun∣ded and vnsetled in matters of Religion, thus you write, and sincerely professe pag. 278. lin. 29. (z) I truly for my part, if I did not find in my selfe a loue and desire of all profitable truth; if I did not put away idlenesse, & preiudice, and worldly affections, and so examine to the bot∣tome all my opinions of Diuine matters, being prepared in mind to follow God, and God only, which way so euer he shall lead me; If I did not hope, that I eyther do, or endeauour to do, these thinges; certainly I should haue litle hope of obtay∣ning Saluation. Here you professe, that neither Christian

Religion, nor any truth thereof, hath been as yet fir∣mely rooted, or deepely by the fingar of God printed in your heart. You declare your soule to be a Blanke, noted with no Religion: but prepared for any, which to you shall seeme of God, to wit you are ready to be∣lieue not absolutly, but (a)as most probable for the present; but resolued neuer to belieue God so firmely, as to ranke doubting of what you haue receaued as his word, among mor∣tall sinnes.

5. That this your practise implyeth doubting of all Christian Religion, I proue; because you professe, to question and examine all your opinions of Diuine matters; to make an if, or a doubt of the certainty and truth of them all; that is, you examine them, prepared in mind to leaue them all and euery one, if vpon trial they seeme to you false. But among your opinions of Diuine mat∣ters, your persuasion that our Christian Scriptures and doctrines are Diuine oracles, and Gods word, is one; for you hold the Diuinity of Scriptures, & consequent∣ly of the Doctrines contained therein, only as an opi∣nion very probable, as is hereafter (a) shewed. Ergo you question the holy Scripture, the Religion and Gospell of Christ; you make an if of the truth and certainty thereof: You examine it doubtingly, with liberty of iudgment, prepared in mind to leaue it, if perchance you find the grounds thereof apparently false. What is this, but to be a Nullifidian, a man setled in no Reli∣gion, but doubtfull of all? Such an one as they were whome the Apostle (b) checketh, terming them, men still learning, but neuer attayning to the assured knowledge of any thinge. Againe (c) Pag. 307. n. 107. you write, thus speaking vnto our Maintayner: Your eleauenth fal∣shood is, that our first reformers ought to haue doubted, whether

their opinions were certaine: which is to say, they ought to haue doubted of the certainty of Scripture: which in formall and expresse termes contaynes many of these opinions. From this testimony I conclude, that you doubt of the cetainty of the Scripture. You professe to examine and question all your Protestant opinions of Diuine matters; to make a doubt of the certainty of them. But you contend, that some of your Protestant opinions of Diuine matters, be such as to make a doubt or question of the certainty of them, is to doubt of the certainty of formall and ex∣presse Scripture. Ergo, your Way, and practise of doub∣ting of all your opinions about Diuine matters, is doubting euen of the truth of the Christian Scripture, and Ghos∣pell of Christ. A thinge most impious and execrable as you now suppose, & yet so fond and forgetfull you are, as to say, you should haue litle hope of Saluation did you not do it, or endeauour to do it.

6. In fine, your safe Way is a Labyrinth of implica∣tory and inextricable errours. Protestants, that are concluded therein, are lost in a maze of vncertainties, and in an intricate mixture of contrary doctrines, be∣ing sure to find nothing therein but damnation, which way so euer they turne themselues. Do they doubt of the truth of their Religion which they belieue to be the Ghospell? They are both according to truth, and in your doctrine, damnable wretches, as being formall Heretiques. Be they so firme in their Religion, as they ranke doubting thereof among deadly sinnes? Then they are (you say) obstinately blind, sure to fall into the pit of perdition, as much as we are, at the least you affoard them litle hope of obtayning Saluation.

Notes

• (z)

  Cap. 5. n. 16. in. fine.
• (a)

  Pre∣face n. 5.
• (a)

  Con∣uict. 6.
• (b)

  2. Ti. 3.7.
• (c)

  Cap. 5. n. 107. initio.