Credo ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam I beleeue the holy Catholike Church : the authoritie, vniuersalitie, and visibilitie of the church handled and discussed / by Edward Chaloner ...

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, WILLIAM, Earle of PEMBROKE, Lord HERBERT of Cardiffe, Lord Par and Rosse of Kendall, Lord Marmion, and Saint Q••intin, &c. Lord Chamberlaine of his MAIESTIES Houshold, Lord Warden of the Stanneries, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter: Chancellor of the Vniuersitie of Oxford; And one of his Maiesties most Ho∣norable Priuie Councell.

MY LORD,

THe first assault which was euer made vpon mankind, appeared in the shape of a question, for in that man∣ner did the Serpent sett vpon Eue; and the victo∣rie then purchased, hath euer since anima∣ted

the Viperous brood of that arch-enemie, to encounter the Church of God with the same engin. Aristotles positiue formes of di∣sputing, sute not so well with their distem∣pered materials as those of Socrates, which conclude in Questions. As it was at the buil∣ding of Babel, so is it now in Babylon, their confounded language serues onely to aske and demand, not to reply. For what are the cryes of Rome, which more frequently walke the streets, and fill them with lowder clamours then those of London, other then these? Whereupon doe you lastly ground your beliefe? How doe you know the Scriptures to be the Word of God? Where was your Church in all ages? If the Church of Rome professe not the same faith which anciently it did, when did it alter or varie from her first integritie? Argu∣mentations of other natures, are forbidden the Laytie vnder paine of curse, this kinde onely of disputing by Questions, is dispen∣sed vnto the rudest by the prouerb, which saith, An Ideot may propound more in an houre, then the learnedst in a Kingdome can resolue in a yeere. Hauing therefore discoursed vpon these subiects, partly in some Lectures had

in a famous Metropolitan Church of this Kingdome (where for a time abiding, I ad∣uentured to thrust in my Sickle into the Haruest of more worthy Labourers) partly in my seuerall attendances vpon our late Soueraigne of happy Memorie, and his Gracious Maiestie now being, I presume in humble acknowledgment of your noble fauours conferred vpon me, to present these my poore endeauours to your honourable protection, beseeching your Lordship to passe a fauourable construction vpon my boldnesse, and to accept of them as from him, who is, and alwayes will remayne

Your Lordships humbly▪ deuoted; ED. CHALONER▪

Notes

• Gen. 3. 1.
• Canterburie.