A briefe treatise of diuers plaine and sure waies to finde out the truth in this doubtfull and dangerous time of heresie Conteyning sundrie worthy motiues vnto the Catholike faith, or considerations to moue a man to beleeue the Catholikes, and not the heretikes. Set out by Richard Bristow priest, licentiat in diuinitie.

Name of Catholikes.

[ I] AND to begin with three most cer∣taine waies, all of one sort: who so that will consider well vppon our verie names and callinges, hee shall know by them, who are Catholikes, and who are Heretikes: as readily, easily, & certaine∣ly, as such a Citie is knowen by the name of London, and such a Countrie by the name of England.

Then first I say: that whosoeuer are in the world commonly called Catho∣likes, or knowen by that name, they vn∣doubtedlie are Catholikes, and so at length haue alwaies of all men beene knowen and confessed to be, whatsoeuer smoke for a while their enimies make a∣gainst them, by putting other names vpon them. Or let our aduersaries shew the contrarie: let them if they can, out of anie Historie bring forth a companie of men, at any time since Christs Ascē∣tion, knowen commonly by the name of Catholikes, which notwithstanding were not Catholikes, but prooued He∣retikes. Certaine it is, that they can∣not

bring forth any such companie. For neuer was there such, nor neuer shall there be.

And therefore was S. Augustine bold (in aledging to the Manichees the cau∣ses that held him in the lap of the Catho∣like Church) after others thus to say: Te∣net me postremo ipsum Catholicae nomen:* 1.1 quod non sine causa inter tam multas haereses sic ista Ecclesia sola obtinuit, vt cum omnes haeretici se Catholicos dici velint, quarenti tamen peregri∣no alicui, vbi ad Catholicam conueniatur, nul∣lus Haereticorum vel Basilicam suam, vel domū audeat ostendere. In the Catholike Church there holdeth me finally the very name of Catholike: vvhich not without cause amongst so many Heresies this Church only hath so obteined, that whereas all Heretikes would haue themselues to be called Catholikes, yet to a straunger as∣king, where I pray you, doe the Catho∣likes meete at seruice none of the Here∣tikes dareth to shew their owne meet∣ing place. As also at this day wee see traueiling in Cities of Germanie, vvhere are Churches of both sorts, that if vvee aske anie Heretike there, vvhich I pray

you is the Catholike Church, he direct∣eth vs by and by to the Church vvhere Masse is said. And that this Motiue of S. Augustines, leaneth not only vpon his authoritie (which yet were sufficient in this case to any reasonable man) but also vpon very good and true reason: it may be soone perceiued by this, that there he saith: All Heretikes would haue themselues to be called Catholiks, which also at this day you see the Protestants doe desire. For why are they also desirous of this name, but only because that they which indeed haue the name, are also indeed euermore true Catholikes: and so the name alone sufficient to moue any man to be of that side? As likewise, all Heretikes desiring to haue it seeme, that there maketh for them Scriptures, Miracles, Fathers, Martyrs, and such like (of which I will speake more hereafter) doe euidentlie therby declare, that company, for whom in deed such thinges doe make, to haue with them both truth and saluation.

Againe in another place the same ho∣ly Doctor saith:* 1.2 Tenenda est nobis Christiana religio, & eius Ecclesiae communicatio: quae Ca∣tholica

est, & Catholica nominatur, non solū a suis, sed etiā ab omnibus inimicis. Velint enim nolintue, ipsi quoque Haeretici, & Schismatum alumni, quādo non cum suis, sed cum extraneis loquuntur, Catholicam nihil aliud quam Ca∣tholicam vocant. Non enim possunt intelli∣gi, nisi hoc eam nomine discernant, quo ab vniuerso orbe nuncupatur. Wee must hold the Christian religion and the companie of that Church, which Catholike is, and Catholike is named, not only of her own, but also of al her enimies. For will they, nill they, the Heretikes also and Schis∣matikes, when not with their owne, but with straungers they talke, they call the Catholike nothing but the Catholike: for they cannot els be vnderstanded, vn∣lesse by that name they discerne her, by which of the whole world shee is called. This therefore is proued, they to be the Catholikes, that Catholikes are called.

Will they now denie, that we be cal∣led Catholikes? The world doth beare vs witnesse. For (besides the foresaide note of the Cities of Germanie) I aske them, when as in bookes written now a dayes wee be named Catholikes euerie∣where,

whether that the reader knoweth not straight waies, who by that name are meaned? In this very booke speak I not plainly enough, whē I so call our selues? Or thinketh any man by that name, that I am some Lutheran, Protestant, or Pu∣ritan? Why els doe they mocke at the very name of Catholikes (and not at vs only) nicknaming it Cacolikes, & Car∣tholiks? Or why els did Luther* 1.3 in Germa∣nie cause the Creed to be turned, I be∣leeue the Christian Church, & not, I beleeue the Catholike Church? What els meant Iew∣ell,* 1.4 to entitle his Replie to D. Harding, A Replie against the Roman Religion, which of late hath bin accounted Catho••ike?

Finally, any indifferent man may see, & will acknowledge as much to be con∣fessed in the new Legend set out of late by Laurēce Humphrey* 1.5 (although not great∣ly liked, I dare say, of his fellow-Puri∣tans) for the canonization (and please you) of Saint Iewell. Where hee saieth thus: Errauit, qui Pontaco suggessit, Londini solum praesedisse laicos, neque doctos, neque Ca∣tholicos. Hee erred, vvhich infourmed Pontacus, that at London (in the pre∣tensed

Disputations at Westminster, were moderators only lay men, neyther learned, nor Catholike, An. 1. Eliz. Ade∣rant non solum homines Catholicissimi, id est, Papisticissimi, qui spectatum venerant, sed alij eiusdem Catholicissimi acerrimi propugnatores, &c. Present there were not onely men most Catholike, that is to say, most Pa∣pisticall, who came to looke on, but o∣ther most earnest defenders of the same Catholikedome. And againe: Primam causam, & primaeriam, & fere solam, omnium malorum, contentionum, deformationū & quasi Equum Troianum intra Ecclesiae muros nobis omnibus insidiantem, fuisse hactenus, & esse hodie, Catholicam a Scriptura sancta defectio∣nem; & praecipue vestrum Papismū. The first cause and formost, and only in a maner, of all euils, contentions, deformations, & as it were the Troian horse, which with∣in the Churches wals lieth in wait for vs all, hath beene hither-vnto, and is at this day, Catholike reuolting from the holie Scripture, and specially your Pope∣dome.

Where what hee meaneth by Catho∣like reuolting, who seeth not? Although

to helpe his cause he would seeme to di∣stinguish from it the Popedome (as he tearmeth it) contrary to his own inter∣pretation afore, but in deede to his mer∣uailous disaduantage: whiles that in the same his distinction, whether we be Ca∣tholikes or no, hee chargeth the Catho∣likes with reuolting, as well as vs, who¦soeuer they be. True it is, that in the same place aforegoing hee tearmeth vs Pseudocatholicos, falsenamed Catholikes. But euen so haue I with myne owne eares heard him (which manie moe also may remember) in the Diuinitie Schole at Oxford in his fond vnlearned Read∣ings, tearme S. Augustine also himselfe and his felowes: being not ashamed in his controlling of our worshipping of Saintes, to allege this as good autho∣ritie, that Faustus the Manichee Heretik for the same did say in his time Pseudoca∣tholicis, to the false catholikes:* 1.6 Idola verti∣stis in Martyres, The Idols you haue tur∣ned into Martirs. These Pseudocatholici, who they were, Saint Augustines wordes declare:* 1.7 Hinc nobis calūniatur Faustus quod Martyrum memorias honoramus, in hoc dicens

nos idola conuertisse. With this doth Fau∣stus entwite vs, because wee honour the Martyrs memories, saying, that into this we haue turned the Idols. Neither can Humphrey or any other prooue, that ey∣ther now, or then, or euer, were or shalbe in the world any Pseudocatholici at al, any (Isay) commonly named Catholikes, but only true Catholikes. Wherefore in calling vs Pseudocatholicos, hee graunteth v••to be true Catholikes, such as were also those Pseudocatholici in Faustus time.

So thē, both these haue I inuinciblie proued, that the generally named Ca∣tholikes be Catholikes: and that wee be so named catholikes, and for that name mocked at by our Aduersaries. vvhere∣of it foloweth, that we be catholikes; and therefore, that we haue the truth. A most certaine demonstration, which no Ad∣uersarie of ours can with any reason gainsay, and sufficient by it selfe alone, to satisfie any man that will be satisfied. But yet of aboundance will I shew the other waies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••on. Ep. fund. ca. 4.
• * 1.2

  De ver. rel. c. 7.
• * 1.3

  Luther.
• * 1.4

  Iewell.
• * 1.5

  Hūphrey the Puri∣tan. Iewell a new saint of Pope Hūphries own ma∣king. How er∣••d he, ••o, whose History Hūphrey him-••elfe here vna¦wares cō¦firmeth? For Ca∣tholikess saith hee, were pre¦sent, as lookers on & ear¦nest defē¦ders. What then but none such were mo∣derators, saue only lay lords & vnlear¦ned He∣retikes. Ergo.
• * 1.6

  Apud Aug. eo Faus. li. ca. 4.
• * 1.7

  Li. 20. ca. 21.