An ansvver of a true Christian to the proude challenge of a counterset Catholike. By VVilliam Fulke Doctor in diuinitie

The third article conteyneth 5. demandes.

1 Shew me why our common knowen Church, did not as well corrupt the text of the Testament, as the true religion conteyned in the same?

THere may be diuers good reasons shewed, why your Church, commonly knowen to be the church of Antichrist, did not as well corrupt the text of the Testament, as the true religion conteined therein. First, because she coulde not, the copies thereof being so many, by the prouidence of God dispersed throughout the worlde. Secondly, because she thought it not so needefull, hauing other meanes to worke her deuilish deuise: For, al∣though she coulde not corrupt the scripture, yet it made the lesse matter, because she founde meanes to diminish, and controll the authority therof by aduancing decrees of men, Popes, and Councells, to be equall or of greater authoritie than the scripture. Thirdly, because she woulde be lesse in feare, to be reproued by the scripture, she prouided that the knowledge thereof, shoulde be hidden from the vnlearned people by a strange tongue, and from the learned, by the te∣dious mazes of questions, deuised by her Canonistes, and Sententiaries. Fourthly, because she submitted all interpre∣tation of the scripture, to her owne iudgement, and there∣fore woulde not be controlled by the iudgement thereof, but woulde alwayes expound it, as it liked her best. As ap∣peareth by Ockam, and Duns, who though they confesse, that transubstantiation, seemeth to them, contrary to the scrip∣ture, and reason, yet they beleued it, because of the autho∣ritie of the church, and for none other cause. These are the reasons, why the Romish church did not, as well corrupt the text of the Testamēt, as the true Religion. And yet how cor∣rupt that Latine translation is, which they woulde needes

thrust vpō vs, is sufficiently knowen to all learned men, euen in such texts, as are the most coulerable places for the de∣fence of Popish doctrine. I will geue one example for all: They alleage the text 1. Cor. 10. Qui stat, videat ne cadat. He that standeth, let him take heede he fall not, against the cer∣tainetie of faith, whereas the Greeke hath, not he that stan∣deth, but, he that thinketh he standeth, let him take heede he fall not: Thus the popish church cannot altogether ex∣cuse her selfe, from corrupting of the text of the Testament, whether it was of fraude, or of ignorance, or of negligence, the Lorde knoweth.

2 Shew me why, she kept not so safely, and faithfully, the true sense of God his word, as she preserued the word it selfe?

BEcause it was against her owne estimation, and profit, which are the chiefe endes for which popish Prelates mainteyne popish religion. Take away the Popes pre∣rogatiue, which is contrary to the sense of God his word, downe goe Cardinalls, Legates, Prothonotaries: downe goeth all the Court of Rome, take away workes of superero∣gation, which are contrary to the Scripture, downe goe Ab∣beys, Priories and Chantries. Take away the sacrifice of the Masse, & Purgatory, which are contrary to the word of God, downe goeth the estimation, and gaynes of all the popish clergie: And this is the cause, why the popish church kept not so safely, and faithfully, the true sense of God his word, as she preserued the word it selfe, although she preserued not the word it self, in such safetie as becommed the Church of Christ.

3 Shew me why, we should beleue the Papistes, as you terme them, for the word it self, and rather you Protestants thā them, for the meaning of the word.

WE doe not chalenge credit to our selues, in any poynt, so presumptuously as the Papistes, that men must beleue it because we affirme it. But because we proue it to be true, by the worde of

God. And therefore for the meaning of the word, you should beleue vs rather than them, because our groundes & proues are better then theirs, or else we require not to be beleued better than they.

4 Shew me why, you beleued our Church, telling you this to be God his booke, & will not credit her, auouching this to be the true and vndoubted sense of the same booke?

IF we had no better ground to perswade vs, of the autho∣ritie of God his booke, than y^e testimony of your Church, you may be sure we would not beleue it. But because we haue most stedfast assurance of God his spirite, for the au∣thority of that booke, with the testimony of the true Church in all ages. If you say it is God his booke, we beleue you not, because you say so, but because we know it to be true. But if you bring out a false sense, we beleue you not, because we know it to be false, & are able to proue by the word of God, that it is contrary to the meaning of the holy Ghost. To be plaine with you, we geue as much credit to your Church, as to the deuill. When the deuill sayth: it is written: He shall giue his angells charge ouer thee, and with their handes they shall hold thee vp that thou dash not thy foote against a stone. We be∣leue that this is the worde of God. But when he auoucheth this to be y^e meaning of it, that we may cast downe our selues from a Church steeple, without daunger, we doe not beleue him, because we know this sense is contrary to an other Scri∣pture, which sayth: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. So when you say these wordes are the Scripture of God: This is my body: We beleue it, because we knowe it to be true. But when you say this is the meaning of these wordes. This bread is turned into my naturall bodye, we beleue you not, because it is contrary to all places of Scripture, which proue the trueth of Christ his humanitie or naturall body. Thus I shewe you why we beleue you, if you say the Scripture is God his word, namely because we know it to be true, & why we beleue you not, saying this is the meaning of it, that is, because we knowe by the word of God that it is false.

5 Last of all, Shew me why, you beleued the olde known church, affirming this to be the word of God, and will not beleue her, affirming Luther to be an heretike, shew me good rea∣son or Scripture for these thinges, and I recant.

IF you meane by the olde Church the primitiue Church, whose testimony of the word of God we allow & beleue, I deny that the primitiue Church did affirme Luther to be an heretike, or the doctrine that he taught, which we hold, to be heresie, but I am able to proue, that the primitiue Church, from which you haue receiued the Scripture, affir∣meth your doctrine to be heresie, & your Church y^e Church of Antichrist.

But if by y^e old knowne Church, you meane the Church of old, knowne to be the Church of Antichrist, which is the po∣pish church, we beleue the deuill if he speake the trueth, and we beleue not an Angell comming from heauen, if he bring any other Gospel, than S. Paule deliuered to the Galathians. Therefore when your church affirmeth Luther to be an he∣retike, seeing we know that Luther did not obstinately, and malitiously erre, in any article of faith, concerning the sub∣stance of religion, we doe not beleue her: and specially be∣cause she is a partiall witnesse against him, whome God vsed to discouer, so much of her wickednesse, to her great hin∣drance, there is no credit to be geuen vnto her, when she goeth about to deface him, by sclaunderous names, and false accusations. Thus I haue shewed these thinges that you re∣quire, both by good reason, and also by scripture: Therefore if I may beleue you, you recant.