The third part of the Defence of the Reformed Catholike against Doct. Bishops Second part of the Reformation of a Catholike, as the same was first guilefully published vnder that name, conteining only a large and most malicious preface to the reader, and an answer to M. Perkins his aduertisement to Romane Catholicks, &c. Whereunto is added an aduertisement for the time concerning the said Doct. Bishops reproofe, lately published against a little piece of the answer to his epistle to the King, with an answer to some few exceptions taken against the same, by M. T. Higgons latley become a proselyte of the Church of Rome. By R. Abbot Doctor of Diuinitie.

R. ABBOT.

It is true that his comming shall bee to iudgement; but what shall he need to come if he be here already? It was not questioned whereto he should come, nor whether we may shew the death of the Lord, his body being present, if it were present; but why the Apostle should say till he come, if he be intended to be here already present. His body being present saith he, as though he meant that Christ were not wholly present, whereas they tell vs that whole Christ is in the Sacrament, both God and man, soule and body, flesh blood and bone as hee was borne of the virgin and nailed afterwards to the Crosse. And if Christ be wholly present, what reason had the Apostle to say till he come? He telleth vs a ridiculous and impertinent tale of certaine noble Ma∣trones, who preserued of their husbands blood to represent more freshly to their children the slaughter of their fathers. But what is this to the matter here in hand? If those noble ma∣trones had had their husbands with them, and in the pre∣sence of their children; then let him tell vs whether it had not been a witlesse thing to bid them expect their fathers till they come? But hee stealeth away from the point, and though he doe but gull his Reader with an idle iest, yet he would haue it thought that hee hath giuen a worthy an∣swer. As touching the truth of this matter, our Sauiour in∣formeth vs when he telleth his disciples, a 1.1 The poore ye shall haue alwaies with you, but me ye shall not haue alwaies. S. Au∣stin giueth a reason of those word; b 1.2 because according to the presence of his body, he was conuersant forty daies with his disciples, and then they bringing him on the way by seeing, but not by following, he ascended into heauen, and is not here. Christ then according to the presence of his body is not here; yea

c 1.3 the heauen must containe him, saith S. Peter, vntill the time that all things be restored, and therefore d 1.4 from heauen wee looke for him, saith S. Paul, euen as in our Creed we professe to beleeue that from thence hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead. Now because we beleeue according to the scripture, that Christ as touching his body is in heauen and not here, and that from heauen we are to looke for him at the last day, we are able to giue a iust reason why the A∣postle should say, vntill he come, which M. Bishop out of his learning cannot doe.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Iohn. 12.8.
• b 1.2

  August. in Io∣an. tract. 50. Quoniam con∣uersatus est se∣cundum corporis praesentiam quadraginta diel. us cum dis∣cipulis suis & eis deducentibus videndo, non se∣quendo a scondit in caeiu•• & non est hic.
• c 1.3

  Acts 3.21.
• d 1.4

  Phil. 3.20.