The state of the now-Romane Church Discussed by way of vindication of the Right Reuerend Father in God, the Lord Bishop of Exceter, from the weake cauills of Henry Burton. By H.C.

Answer.

This is the second Argument by which the Question begs him some fa∣uou•••• for indeed it cannot be d••••yed

to be very waightie, tending either to the admission or expulsion of many mil∣lions of soules eyther into, or out of the Church of Christ. But both his com∣paratiue amplification, and his Rheto∣ricall anticipation (by the one whereof hee would breede enuy to his aduersa∣ries, not onely for oppressing the truth with their authoritie, and estimation in the Church; but also for giuing a pe∣rillous, and vnseasonable aduantage to the Papists, and popishly affected: and by the other would free himselfe and his from fault) I say both of these doe admit many, and those very iust excep∣tions. For first, who are those some in authoritie in the Church, of whom he speaketh? I doubt not but hee meaneth his elect aduersaries, & other reuerend Fathers, and Ministers of our Church, who are of a contrary opinion to him: But our worthy fellow, and friend, M. William Bedle (now Rector of the Colledge and Vniuersitie of Dubline) in his Letters to Waddesworth, pag. 75. tels him, and that in truth, That this opi∣nion is not onely fauoured of many great

Scholars in England, but is the common opinion of all the best Diuines of the Re∣formed Churches that are, or haue beene in the world. And it is so well known to the common Aduersaries, that Brier∣ley in his Apologie of the Romane Church, Tract. 1. Sect. 6. Subdivis. 3. And Smith in his booke of the Author and essence of the Protestant Church and R••ligion, Lib. 1. cap. 2. haue made whole Catalogues of them; wherein you shall finde truly billed, The Augu∣stane Confession, Luther, Caluin, Iunius, Zanchius, Plessaeus, Bucanus, Polanus, Saravia, Boysseul, Vorstius, and Martyr: And of our owne, King Iames, An∣drewes, Hooker, Covell, Whitaker, More∣ton, Feild, Powel, Reinolds, White, and Hall our reuerend Diocesan, our ioy & crowne, and your meeke, and sweet spi∣rited aduersary, as you truly call him, pag. 52. To whom they adde by neces∣sary consequence many more, as Beza, Melancthon, Pappus, Schusselburge, Io∣annes Regius, Leonardus Crentremius, Whitgift, Lubbertus, Brentius, Magde∣burgenses, Da••aeus, Iuel, Fulk, Bale,

Zuinglius, Bucer, Molinaeus, Bell, Ma∣son, Sadeel, yea and Perkins himselfe, who of all the rest seemes to be furthest off from this opinion; but these they adde, because they allow them the Co∣uenant, the calling of Pastors, the hol∣ding of all the necessary points of the foundation, and saluation it selfe, which being granted, the true Church cannot be denyed vnto them.

Loe these are the some, which sway the ballance on the contrary side to you, being indeed of no small authority, and ••o less renownd opinion in the church; And not some few in our Church of note and authority, as you would insi∣nuate.

Secondly, who are those many ill af∣fected, and of the aduerse partie, who take aduantage hereof? and when did they do it? you would make the world beleeue that this were a new thing oc∣casioned by these some in authority, whom you haue made your aduersaries: But they are no lesse then the whole Church of Rome, and that euen from our first separation from her; as may

appeare by the Apologies of all the re∣formed Churches; and by Bellarmine: thirteenth note of the Church de Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 16. Sect. Idem de Haereticis, herein therefore you are greatly to bee blamed.

Thirdly, what is the aduantage which they take? and what is the perill there∣of? doubtlesse some extraordinarie thing (I warrant you) neuer heard of, before these men gaue it in these luke∣warme, indifferent, neutralizing dayes; Thy Mother Church of Rome; forsooth: A perillous aduantage, I promise you; To acknowledge that truth in luke∣warme times, which was alwayes open∣ly knowne and professed: For whoe∣uer denyed, but wee were sometimes members of that Church? and with what face can it be denied? of which I may well say, (as Saint Paul said in a∣nother case) if it be perilous, it is peri∣lous to them that perish, in whom the god of this world hath blinded their eyes that they should beleeue lyes, be∣cause they neuer entertained the truth in loue; and if to them it bee perilous,

let it be perilous; their blood be vpon their owne heads: If we testifying our loue and good opinion of them in the bowells of Christ Iesus; they turne it to their owne perdition; wee are not vnder bondage in this case: But if any aduantage be to be taken in this respect, vndoubtedly (saith worthy Bedel, vbi supra) we haue it of them, and not they of vs, in that what we doe, we doe it of charity; but they of ignorance, or ma∣lice, or both.