THE DECLARATION OF Mr. PATRICK CRAWFURD HIS RETURNE FROM POPERY TO THE TRUE Religion, which is according to the Word of GOD, in holy Scripture.  Psal. 40. verse 2. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, etc. 
EDINBURGH, Printed by john Wr cittoun. Anno Dom. 1627.   

To the right Honourable, the right Reverend, and worshipful, THE LORD PROVEST, BAILYIES, MINISTERS, AND remanent Counselors of EDINBURGH, all increase of grace here and glory hereafter.  
Being obliged in conscience, for the glory of God, and edification of his People, to publish this my declaration of my returning to the true Religion, these reasons amongst others moved me to dedicate the same unto you, honourable and Christian People, and to you their reverend Pastors. First, because my sin in revolting from this Religion in my youthlynesse is so grievous, (howsoever the Lord hath shown mercy to me, knowing that I did it in ignorance) that it becomes me, as publicly as I can, to declare my Repentance: and this I have thought the readiest means for that purpose. Next, because I have done wrong to my native Country, and the Church in Scotland, so fare as I was able, in the matter of Religion, and specially I have done my uttermost endeavour to have weakened the hands of sundry professing the doctrine of the said Church, and drawn them to the Romish Religion, wherewith for the time of that my ignorance, I was in conceit. And now being sensible of my error in some measure, the shortest course which I could see to repair this wrong, was, that so to you some sort of satisfaction might be given, and by you who are the most eminent and conspicuous and large Church in this Land, others who from all parts resort unto you, might receive the satisfaction in like manner. Thirdly, because your Pastors been the special Instruments of GOD of my satisfaction in such scruples and doubts of Religion, as I had and propounded to them, before I could renounce the groundless Religion of popery, and the men who met me, when I was seeking home as a forlorn Son to my Father's house again, as justly I may now call myself. You I say, right reverend, were the men that met me, and mecklie pointed out the way, and went along with me, convoying me on my way: in whose dealing with me I might have seen my heavenly Father's readiness to meet and embrace me▪ sometimes I grant, I have spoken of you, as others of the Romish Religion do of you, and of all faithful and learned Ministers, only for the Religion's cause. But then I knew you not. Now I have found that you have both learning and Love, and if you and others of your Calling were known, as I know you, I put no question many should be nothing ashamed, but glad at their heart to forsake the puddle of humane Doctrine, and take them to the fountain of the divine Scriptures. Now then seeing you are Pastors to me, and I by this means as one of your Flock, if so it may please your flock and you, to account of such a wandering sheep as I have been. To whom could I offer this testimony of my Repentance rather than to you Honourable and Christian People, and to you their vigilant and reverend Pastors, whose Christian disposition makes me to hope that this my offer shall be accepted in good part.  
Yours in Christ Mr. Patrick Crawfurd.   

GENTILI CHARISSIMO Patricio Crafordio, à Cassilton, ex Synagoga Romanâ ad Ecclesiae Evangelicae societatem reduci.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
QVod Latii illecebras scorti evitâris, & astum 
Apoc. 17. ibid. 19 9 ibid. 18. 4. ibid. 21. 2.   
In sua quo incautos retia dira trahit:  
Quod thalamos sancti sis invitatus ad agni,  
Dum venit in castos sponsa pudica thoros:  
Quod Babyloniacam, Domino suadente, ruinam  
Effugis, in Solymae tecta novata redux;  
Gratulor, immensumque Dei miserantis amorem  
Miror, inexhaustas & bonitatis opes.  
Tu quoque quod, lubrico erroris de tramite caeci  
Conversus, fratres sic stabilire paras,  
Laudo piumque animum, gratamque in pectore mentem,  
Et cum candenti simplicitate fidem.  
O utinam surdis aures, & lumina caecis  
Assidue Dominus sic tribuisse velit.   
Thomas Crafordius.   

THE DECLARATION OF Mr. PATRICK CRAWFURD HIS RETURNE FROM POPERY, TO THE true Religion, which is according to the Word of God in holy Scripture,  He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit; out of the miry clay. etc. Psal. 40. Ver. 7 

CHAP. 1.  
The mercy of God to a Sinner.  
THese six years bygone I have been a stranger to God and his Word, and have lain in darkness of Popery, never reading the Scriptures for the right end, but only to pick out something of them for controversy, whereby I might brangle with some colour and appearance these who makes the Lord's Word the only rule of their Religion: even as many more Scholars than I, do read them still, who sets themselves to maintain Popery, and oppugn the reformed Religion. But now the Lord God who is gracious and merciful to many that deserves wrath, who is found oftentimes of them who seeks him not▪ or seeks him not the right way, hath opened my eyes by the power of his own truth and light, which I in my ignorance smothered down, and keeped under in unrighteousness, and hath made me understand now, that there is no Rock whereon to rest that▪ Soul that seeks certainty either of Religion, or of Salvation, but the holy Scripture, and that learned men's judgement, and writings, and the testimony of the Church and public Preaching, and conference, and reading, and meditation, and prayer to God for the Spirit of Wisdom and grace, are all but means to point out the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World, and to find out his will set down in his Testament. So that I may now say truly, the Lord hath brought me out of an horrible and dark Pit, where the light of the Lords Word is hid, and put under a Bushel, and out of the miry and teugh clay of their errors, which defiled me and held me fast, wherein I found no ground to rest on, but sunk deeper daily, and should have drowned at last, had not the Lord pulled me out, and set my feet upon a Rock, and ordered my doings. The sum of which work of God, as I have declared to sundry privately, and now of late publicly, in the Church of Irwing, before my admission to the Lords Table there, the 26. of August, 1627. so I found myself obliged to declare the same by write to all men if I could, and that so much the more, as I have been more wicked in the wrong way than many others, who have been seduced and drawn away from the truth as I was, for I having drunken in the errors of Popery as fast as I could at home, went over to France and Italy, and other parts; and by the space of four years, what by travels, what by conference, what by studying in the Colleges of Jesuits, made myself as able as I could to defend Popery, and oppose true Religion: and when I returned home did what I could to pervert others, and to confirm them that were seduced: and convoyed Jesuits oftentimes where their purpose was to further their designs, sometimes being disaguised with them for fear of discovery, to the hurt of many Souls (the Lord forgive me) for whose cause I do write this my declaration, if possibly it coming to their hands might be a mean to cause them considder their ways, and repent, and forsake their Idols, and turn to seek the Lord Jesus, who will teach all them 
James 1. 5, John 14 16.  the true way, who seeks the same by prayer of God through Christ alone, and so the wounds might be healed in God's mercy, which I helped to give these Souls in my blind zeal: the recovery again of whose Souls without any detriment to their bodily estate worldly, is and shall be ever my desire: only the Lord give them Repentance, and make my Repentance daily more fruitful, that I may be as truly zealous for the truth, as ever I was blind forward against the same.   

CHAP, 2.  
The justice of God, giving those over to believe lies, who will not learn the truth.  
TO show then the whole matter from the beginning to the glory of God, and edification of all who pleases to peruse these presents without prejudice, I was brought up in the College of Glasgow, and did pass, my course under learned godly Masters, who did their diligence to instruct both me and others in human Learning and Religion, as time would suffer: but I in my youthlinesse did not lay Religion to heart, and therefore was justly punished thereafter: for within half an year after I ended my course in the College, I was infected with the errors of Popery, (so just a thing it is with God to punish the neglect of truth with giving over to error that they may believe lies, who will not take pains to understand the truth) for an Papist of my acquaintance, who had been out of the Country, a Scholar sharp enough, began to deal with me, and put me in question and doubt, concerning the Religion professed in Scotland, so much the more easily as I understood it not at that time. Then when I should have sought satisfaction of my doubts at those who understood the truth, before I had given any more ear to him that seduced me, I lent my ear still, and gave credit to all that he spoke, without examination according to the Scriptures (so dangerous a matter is it to admit any grounds of Religion without trying them by the rule of God's Word; whether they be divine or not) and so he possessed me, what by himself, what by Books, what by conference with Priests and others, of these erroneous positions following.  
First, that the Roman Church was the mother Church, only true Catholic and Apostolic.  
2. That the Scriptures did not contain all things needful for Salvation, but was an unperfect rule of Religion.  
3. And that traditions must be joined therewith, which were of equal authority with the Scripture.  
4. That the Scripture was obscure and dangerous to be read by laickes.  
5. That to the Church of Rome belonged to give the sense of it, and that their exposition was as good as Scripture.  
6. That the Church of Rome was judge of all contraversies of Religion.  
7. That the Church of Rome could not err.  
8. That Saint Peter was Pope of Rome.  
9 And that all the Popes since, were his lawful successors, Christ's Vicars, heads of the Church and had authority above the Scriptures, and that he bore the Keys of Heaven, and could not err in doctrine, and no Salvation without the Roman Church for any Soul, and such like. Those grounds I drunk in, supposing them all to be true; whereupon my mind was casten open to believe every thing which they commanded me to believe; and whatsoever the Church did believe, without any further examination. So I was received amongst Papists, and admitted to their Mass, here at home. Then being desirous to have further insight in the Romish Religion, I went over to France, and stayed there a season, conversing with Jesuits in their Colleges. Thereafter I went to Rome to the head spring of that Religion, and stayed there some eight Months, but was forced to leave it through sickness, and retiering to West-Flanders, I stayed in a seminary, and studied in a College of Jesuits some two years, all which time I remained obedient to all their injunctions given unto me, and albeit many things occurred in my travels, which perplexed my mind, making me doubt of the course I was entered into, yet I smothered all down, by the weight of these grounds, which I had laid down in the beginning, and namely, of this that the Church of Rome could not err.   

CHAP. 3.  
The power of Delusion.  
I Observed their Churchmen of greatest account and Wisdom among them, to lay heavy burdens and grievous to be borne upon others, but they themselves took little pains in the business. They professed for the most part voluntary poverty one by one; but the yearly Rents and common Purse, whereof every man was furnished as he had to do was very rich. I saw some of their Orders live by begging and Alms, who would shortly have forsaken the craft, if there had been any danger in that course, either of hunger or cold, more than they pleased to take upon themselves, and make show of: Yet I thought their Church could not err. They professed to be so retired from the World, as they could think of nothing but Heaven, and yet took the most witty courses that could be, to understand all men's affairs, designs and disposition, and then made use of them all as best served their own ends. They professed humility, but laboured in effect to be in honour and estimation by all, and were as impatient to be despised as any man: their special pains being employed, to bring more and more under their subjection, under pretence of making them religious. Yet I thought still their Church could not err. I saw the Pope who calls himself Peter's successor, and his Cardinals busked in the greatest riches, and worldly honour that can be in the Earth, and in the mean time casting the glory of the Apostles, the preaching of the Gospel, at their heels, as unbeseeming their Grandour. When the Pope came abroad he was carried in a gorgeous Chair, upon four men's shoulders, and all men as he went by, kneeled direct to the ground, in effect adored him, as one invested with Christ's power and pre-eminence in the earth, and owner of Christ's honour in the World, as his Legate and Lieutenant, and so I honoured him amongst others myself. And yet I thought all well for this presumption that the Church could not err. I saw the Church men take direct courses that the common-People should never understand what they or themselves were doing: for their Masses and public services all was done in an unknown language to the People, and for their ordinare Prayers, they enjoined for the most part to say them in Latin, though they understood not the same. (Indeed here in Scotland, because such proceeding hath given distaste to sundry by appearance, liberty is given to those who please to have them in the vulgar language else where I have not seen this so ordinarily practised) Next by all means they laboured that the common-People either had not the Bible in their vulgar language, or else that they read it not, or if any read it, that they should not presume to take any part of it in any sense contrary to the doctrine and practice of the Roman Church, but instead thereof, I saw they filled their heads and hands with Jmages and Beads Agnus This, medals and relics and books of Prayer to this Saint, and to that Saint, and the office of our Lady as they call the Virgin Mary, and the legends of such and such miracles done by Saints departed, as they allege. Such stuff as these a man travelling will find in men's houses, but seldom or never the Bible, and oftener mention will he hear of the Virgin Mary, than of our Lord and Saviour, and the fairest Churches and Chapels you shall find dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and to Saint Peter, and Saint Paul, & others, some he, some she Saints, to whose chapels and Churches, you shall find daily numbers going in Pilgrimage or visitation and offering their offerings and Prayers before such an Altar, to one Saint to keep them from the Pest, to another, to keep them from the Ague, to this Saint, for their Cows, to that Saint for their Horses, in such variety as I cannot number: for there are particular Saints for all diseases, whom to, at several times by Prayers and offerings, ordinarily they have their recourse to be helped. Yet I thought all well thinking the Romish Church could not err. At Rome itself, I remarked a Church, whose Patron (if I remember) is commonly called in vulgar speech, Saint Aloy, and hath power, as they say, to heal Horses, or keep them from their diseases. To this Church once in the year all the Horses of Rome, the Pope's horses and Cardinals, Counselors and Citizens horses are brought, and when they come to the Fount where the holy water stands, I saw one of the Priests sprinkle holy water on the horse forehead, and another Priest receive the offering that useth to be given at that time; by which means that Church and all these that wait upon it are upholden, and thus it is done in other places, and for several diseases of men and beasts. All this I approved, supposing the Church of Rome could not err. Neither do I speak these things without pity of the estate of the poor Souls so abused: for I myself who had seen better things, and should have had better understanding, as a scholar, by tying myself without further warrant, to believe as the Church believes, and believing the Church of Rome could not err, for that time allowed or forced my mind to allow of all these abominable Idolatries, and multitude of false Gods, and was as busy to pray to all the Saints as any man, and said my Prayers, Pater noster, Ave Marie, and Confiteor upon my beids, as carefully as the most ignorant old Wife among them. I keeped constantly the Matines and Vespers, and Salute, said the office of the dead, my long litanies and my 〈◊〉, I approved their making of holy water, consecrating of medals, beads. Agnus This etc. Also that there was some divine virtue in making the sign of the Cross before my breast, for expelling the Devil for the time from me, I believed I was as clean as glass, when the Priest did shrive and absolve me. I have come with others to meet a procession of sundry sorts of Church men, carrying a consecrated hostie, which they did relate was Christ himself, carried throughout the streets▪ I have fallen down before it, worshipped and adored it, with many others supposing it was Christ bodily present, when I was present at Mass I did the same upon the same presumption, I beheld the bread of the hostie before it was consecrate as they call it, I beheld it when it was consecrated, and when it was lifted up, I saw bread as clearly as I saw the Priest's hand that held it up, I opened my mouth, and the Priest put it in my mouth, I saw btead with my eyes, I smelled it, I felt it, I tasted and discerned it as sensibly as ever I did bread in my life, yet I believed that it was not bread, but jesus Christ corporally present, put in my mouth, and going down my belly, though all senses (which God hath ever made the faithful witnesses of all miraculous changes whereof we read in Scripture) did testify the contrary, I gave them all the lie, because I believed as the Church believed, and believed that the Church of Rome could not err. Thus I who would not believe the Truth, was given over to such fearful superstition and strong delusion, that I might believe lies.   

CHAP. 4.  
No end in erring, except the Lord reclaim.  
THese things were common to me, and all others of the Romish Religion, but I went yet further than the common course, and was yet more besotted by this delusion, for I have been clerk to the mass, helped the Priest to the saying of it, lifting the mass Book, now from the right hand to the left, now from the left to the right back again, Now kneeling, now standing, now bowing and bending the body, now knocking on my breast, now making the sign of the cross at the elevation. I have born up the Priest's tail with the one hand, having a burning torch in the other hand, sometimes giving him Wine and water in a Chalice, sometimes one thing, sometimes another, as such like service did require. I entered myself yet further in their snare, and became one of the sodality of our Lady. (This sodality ties none to any Ecclesiastical order, for therein with their approbation, all Ranks of Persons may be, so they use their particular devotion to our Lady) which is an order wherein especially all devout students in Colleges by a solemn oath and invocation of the Virgin Mary are tied to use special devotion all their days to her, and to defend her name, where ever they come, and to depend upon her as their Lady Patroness, and lady advocate with God for them. O fearful Idolatry! and yet I swallowed it then, believing as the Church believed, and that she could not err, and obeying as divine truth what their Church commanded.  
Last of all I was in terms with the jesuits to have rendered myself of that order, and to have taken on their threefold vow, the third whereof, which is of a blind & absolute obedience to the superiors of that order, renuncing both my will and judgement (as their Father Ignatius 
His Epistle to his Brethren in Lusitania.  calls it) and to follow all their injunctions without ask question to go, or to stay, to do or to suffer whatsoever they thought good to enjoin me for the Catholic cause and good of the Roman Church, This oath I say I could not get digested. For thereby I should have been bound, if they had thought it fit to enjoin me for the advancement of the Catholic cause, to have been an instrument of all the mischief that they could devise against my native Country, and under colour of relieving souls to do what any hath done or attempted in that blind obedience. Skarring therefore at this oath, I came home, and yet forced myself still to keep the former grounds of Religion: whereby I was made obstinate in error, and untoward to be dealt with by any who would have studied to reclaim me: Yet it pleased God at last to force in his own truth upon my conscience, that I began to smell sundry of their errors, and specially of the sacrifice of the Mass and transubstantiation, that I began to examine these grounds of the Roman Religion which I had drunk in the beginning if they could bear me out before God or not: wherein finding myself miserable mistaken, and so long by that means abused, freely and of my own accord, not being dealt with by any, I addressed myself for conference with the Ministry of Edinburgh, Falkirke and Glasgow: who all lovingly and learnedly gave me solution to all my doubts, and furthered this work of God in helping home a forlorn Son to his Father's house again.  
Now for all the particular reasons why I call their mass and transubstantiation an error, and the grounds of their Religion unwarandable, and why I have renunced their particular errors builded thereon, it were not convenient to set them all down here: partly because it would accresse to a volume, partly because in substance they are the same that are learnedly set down by these who handles the contraversies against the Church of Rome. Only I will content myself to show some few things of many. First, concerning their Religion in general. Next, concerning their mass, adding thereto compendiously in the third place, some few things of their common absurdities maintained by them.   

CHAP. 5.  
The Scriptures alleged imperfection, & the Pope of Rome's perfection, who can not err as is alleged, because he sits in the Chair of Saint Peter, are the two rotten Pillars, whereon all these errors are builded.  
THis Romish Religion is a mystery: it makes show to hold the common grounds of Christianity, but by her deeds everts them. The first principles of the Romish errors do resolve upon these two, the imperfection of the Scripture, and the peerless prerogative of the Church of Rome. As for the imperfection of the Scripture, they allege that it does not contain all things necessary for Salvation, but place must be left for traditions, that is, unwriten doctrinal points, and ancient customs long used in the Church, as also for Ecclesiastical constitutions, and determinations or definitive sentences in matters controverted: all which they allege must have equal authority in men's minds with the Scriptures.  
Next, they allege that these points necessary to Salvation, which are set down in Scripture are not clear and plain in the Scripture, but that the Scripture is obscure and doubtsome, and therefore is neither necessary nor expedient that it should be translated, that it is a dangerous thing for laics to read it: wherein, to any that will look narrowly upon the matter, they bewray a secret fear, if they be hemmed in into the rule of the Scriptures, they cannot justify with any colour the abundance of their errors.  
Thirdly, evidently they show that the reading of the Scriptures by laics should breed more doubts about their Religion than they could be able to solve, and give them such insight in this Religion, that these whom they keep now in the chains of darkness and blind belief causing them to do, and suffer and believe what they please, could not but break the yock if they grew acquainted with the Scripture.  
fourthly, they bewray the Spirit of Antichrist, who thus under fair pretences slander Christ Jesus. who having taken upon him, as the great Prophet and Doctor of his Church, to reveal the whole Counsel of God concerning men's Salvation, and caused set it down in Scripture, yet hath come short of his purpose, as their doctrine imports, and neither hath set down all things needful, nor these clearly which are set down, but obscurely, ambiguously and dangerously, that it is not safe for common People to read the same: and so by these means they breed a misregard of the Scripture of Christ in men's hearts, and scars Christ's sheep as long as they can from hearing what the Spirit of Christ sayeth to his Churches.  
As for the peerless prerogative of the Church of Rome, the first is, that she cannot err. If we ask how this can be, since they cannot name six men living of the Romish Religion, of whom they either dare or will avow but they may err, and are subject thereto, nor three, nor two. They will answer, that yet there is one who is head of all the rest of that Religion, the Pope, who cannot err, all the rest of the Churchmen of that profession being gathered together without him, or without his mind, sent by his Legate or Nuncio to them, they grant they may err, only he cannot err. So then in stead of the Church of Rome, we have the Pope, whose council of Cardinals they will join with him for lustres cause: but the infallibility of doctrine they place in none but the Pope only. By virtue of this prerogative of the Pope they ascribe great things to the Church of Rome, under this pretence all her traditions are Apostolic, albeit they be not in Scripture, because they are come down, as is alleged; through the Apostolic channel of the Pope's infallibility. Under this pretence all her customs and observations are Catholic and Apostolic, and all her Ecclesiastic constitutions, and definitive sentences in matters controverted are of divine authority as they allege, and do oblige men to belief & obedience no less than the Scripture. Yea, under this pretence the Scripture hath no authority in respect of these who believe it, wherefore it should persuade them or be credited more than the fables of Esope, but as much as the Church of Rome allows upon it. Under this pretence, when other Churches doechallenge the Roman Church for any fault or error, she takes upon her to be judge in all controversies betwixt herself and others. The Greek Church for example in Asia challenges her of usurpation above other Churches; she will be judge, challenges her of defection from Apostolic doctrine, she will be judge: challenges her of not doing as she ought to do, or Christ's spouse ought to do, she will be judge: yea, she will give the sense of the Scripture and the exposition of it as shall best serve to justify her own cause: and if any man shall take a sentence of Scripture otherwise than she allows them, than that sentence so taken shall not be accounted Scripture. These and other such like consequences they draw and deduce from this one fountain, That the Church of Rome can not err. Ask again of them, why cannot your Pope err, seeing he is a sinful man as well as others, as they will not deny, and they lest of all who are best acquaint with the Pope's private conversation, seeing it is possible that the Cardinals (who are subject to error, especially when their head is dead, and a new Pope not yet created) seeing they may err in choosing an unfit man for so great a charge, what warrant can they show to give assurance that such a Pope cannot err. They answer at last, albeit they shift possibliea while, because Saint Peter was head of the whole Catholic Church in his time having supreme authority and the fullness of pastoral power in doctrine and government over the rest of the Apostles, and all the Churches of the World. Saint Peter so qualified say they, was Bishop of Rome, and there is his Chair, and the Popes are his only lawful successors, invested lawfully by God in the same Apostolic authority, over all the sheep of Christ, and all that may be sheep in the World, and is as infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit as ever the Apostle Saint Peter was, after the descending of the holy Ghost upon him, in the Pentecost. This is the key-stone of their whole building: this is the Pillar of whole Popedom: if this stand, the better for them: if this fall, all goes to the ground, and all that is builded thereon: for if either they fail in proving Saint Peter's supremacy, or his Romish Episcopacy, or the Pope's lawfullsuccession in Apostolic authority, and other privileges, than the Pope's infallibility, and the Roman Churches certainty, with all their traditions, customs, constitutions and all the rest of that work of theirs builded thereon shall hurl to the ground together.   

CHAP. 6.  
No Papist in the Earth can show one clear testimony of Scripture to make good that ever Saint Peter was at Rome, or Bishop of Rome, or that the Pope is his special successor in his Apostolic office.  
TO examine then these grounds, that thereby some taste may be given briefly of that Cup, which Rome propynes to the World, and the Princes thereof to drink, that they may fall in love with her; I will say nothing to the Apostolic authority of the Lords dear servant Saint Peter, nor to his personal prerogative in age, in time of following Christ, in zeal and painfulness in his calling: Yet let me vindicate him a little from that injury which his pretended successors do him: who father the basphemous titles of their Antichristian usurpation and tyranny over God's Church upon him. For this peerless power above the whole Apostles, & headship of the Church which they allege is a thing which without blasphemy cannot be ascribed to any mortal man: because Christ in his holy Scripture claims this for his own royal prerogative to be head of his Church, and to have the Church his body and not another's; To be the husband of his Church, and to have the Church his spouse, and not another's: for these belongs to the Saviour of the Church, who is Christ only, and not another, and therefore these three styles are 
Ephes. 5. 23.  joined together and ascribed to him. And this supremacy of Peter over the Apostles is a forgery only of these who would have some scugge for their usurpation: 
Math. 28. 19 Matth. 23. 8. 9 Mark 9 33 34. Luk. 22. 26. 1. Pet. 5. 3. 4.  for Christ gave all his Apostles equal Commission, equalled them as brethren, and discharged any of them to take any maioririe or supremacy one over another: And when in their infirmity they strove for it Christ rebuked them: and the night before he suffered discharged the same absolutely among them. Next Peter himself disclaims this supremacy, and ascribes it only to jesus Christ, and discharges all Dominion and Lordship over the Lord's inheritance. And the Apostle Paul testifies the truth of this, for magnifying his Apostleship, he avows he was nothing inferior 
2 Corin. 11. 5. Gal. 1. 1. 16. 17. 18. 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22.  to the chiefest Apostles: And declares that he received his Apostleship from Christ immediately, and exercised it sundry years before he saw Peter: and dischargeth all to glory in men, whether Paul or Cephas, that is, Peter, or Apollo's or any other. But because this is not the main matter, let us come to that whereupon all stands. How prove they that Peter was at Rome or Bishop there? or that God hath tied his Spirit to whosoever should be Bishop of Rome after him. So weighty a matter as the Pope's standing or falling, so main an Article of Roman Catholic Faith, the only Pillar of the Romish Religion, the ground of the remission of so many sins, of saving or damning so many Souls, hath need of express, direct and ample warrant from the divine Scripture; or else of need force the weight of Roman Religion is builded upon the sand, and hath no warrant from God, Let them but show us one testimony out of all the holy Scripture that Saint Peter was properly Bishop of Rome▪ and next let them show any testimony out of the same Scripture, that the Popes of Rome are privileged from erring, more than other men, and are endued with as infallible assistance of the holy Spirit as Peter. They will produce to us their own flatterers and old story writers, who both in those matters and others disagree among themselves. But who are these that the Souls of so many thousands should be grounded upon their word? to speak nothing of the fables that is found in them, and of the small respect that the Church of Rome carries to them, when they seem to make any thing against them. Therefore I say again, let them produce divine warrant out of the Scripture, or else let me be justified, who after the trial of their falsehood and deceat, have departed from them as seducers, who when I followed their grounds to the uttermost, could give me no warrant, for the grounds whereon all their Religion stands, but such as are taken from behind the Bible from lying men's words and forged histories, supposititous treatises of the favourites of Rome, & helpers up of their monstruous head the Pope, above the Church: either let them prove these prime Pillars of their Religion, or else let all Catholics who in their heart would fain be at Christ forsake their seducers as I have done upon just grounds▪ But because it is impossible for them to prove S. Peter proper Bishop of Rome from Scripture, far less that all the Popes of Rome since the Apostles time were as infallibly assisted with the holy Spirit and set up in the same Apostolic authority that he had, I will say something against these for such as fain would know the right, to think upon, till they prove the same grounds out of Scripture. The Scripture gives great probability that Peter was not in Rome at all, fare less to fix his Episcopal Chair there: For first, before Paul did write to the Romans, Peter was not at Rome far less Bishop of Rome: for then Paul should have made some mention of him, confirmed his doctrine, commended his labour, and saluted him among the first, but this he doth not. Secondly, Christianity would not have been so uncouth to the jews at Rome who desired to hear of it by 
Act 28 22. 2 Tim. 4 16.  Paul as a novelty, if Peter had been there before Paul came to be prisoner. thirdly, when Paul was arraigned before Caesar, all forsook him. Therefore Peter was not there: except they will lay a second denial of Christ upon him▪ In all his Epistles written when he was prisoner at Rome, he tells who were his helpers, among whom Peter is never mentioned. Last of all it is written how Peter 
Gal. 2. 7. 8. 9  preached among the circumcision and prospered in the Gospel, and Paul preached among the Gentiles and prospered. Then how Peter and Paul with some others made a covenant that Paul should preach to the Gentiles, and Peter to the circumcision, that is, that Saint Paul should exercise his Apostolic office, especially among the Gentiles, and Peter his among the Jews. From hence I reason, if Peter had either been, or purposed to have been Bishop of Rome, he would not have made that paction, that Paul should preach to the Gentiles, of whom, the Romans were a part, and taken himself to the Jews for his lot. But that he did make this Paction or covenant is evident out of the place cited: therefore neither was Peter Bishop of Rome, nor purposed to be Bishop of it: if they say he was Bishop before this Covenant, than he forsook his Bishopric; if they say after, than he broke his Covenant, and changed his mind, and did contrary to his purpose. He that considers the nature of the Apostleship, & of a Bishopric properly taken, will see that this ground of theirs is a fiction, for to make an Apostle proper Bishop of any Town, is to digraduate him from his Apostolic office, as far, as to make the Pope of Rome Parish-priest in a landward Village. Lastly it wants not a mystery that they can not make out the supputation of these years which their common opinion ascribes to Peter's bishoping at Rome: as likewise they can not reconcile the different opinions anent Peter's immediate successors whether it was Linus, Clemens, or Cletus: A wonder it is that the fastening of the body of popedom to Saint Peter should be so uncertain: but the truth is, that God hereby would declare to these who are not blinded, that the mystery of iniquity lurketh under these, and the like mists: This for Peter's not being at Rome. Now that the Pope is not lawful successor to Peter in his Apostolic office, I clear it thus, he hath neither Apostolic office, nor Apostolic qualification, nor Apostolic calling and entry to the office he pretends. Therefore he cannot be either lawful successor to Peter or any of the Apostles in that Apostolic charge. The office of Peter and others the Apostles, was, to go and teach, and baptise all Nations; that is, in their own proper person, to go from place to place, by preaching to plant Churches and to establish them. But the Popes of Rome stays in their palaces, and neither teaches, nor baptises. Therefore in their office they are not their successors. secondly, Peter and others Apostles were immediately called, and entered into their office by Jesus Christ himself: but the Popes are chosen by their own Creatures, the Cardinals, who neither have their own office of God, nor power of God to give such office to the Pope. Thirdly, Peter and other Apostles were authorised to write canonical Scripture, and were endued with the gift of miracles, God testifieing to the World his extraordinar Commission given to them: so are not the Popes qualified: therefore they are not Peter's successors. Thus I have shown that one of the two greatest pillars of Popery stands upon the sand.   

CHAP. 7.  
That this rotten and falling pillar of the Pope's supremacy may be maintained, they leave no humane policy un-attempted.  
THe verity of this, first is clear by the testimony of their Popes and Cardinals, who for the most part are of noble birth in this World, the second or third sons of Princes, and great men in Italy, Spain, Germany and other parts where the Romish Religion hath place, by whose Kindred, friendship and Alliance, the Pope and Popedom is strengthened in all places. Next for every Nation, among the rest for Scotland, England and Ireland, there are appointed Cardinals protectors, as they call them, at Rome, & men who have Church offices & honour at Rome to allure & draw in by all their moyen whom they can; specially such as out of curiosity in travelling do resort thither; & lands & rents in & about Rome, besides their purchase, which is, often more than their set Rent, are not deficient. Then there are Cardinals sent forth from the court of Rome into all Country's where Popedom hath place, to see to the standing of the Pope's grandour, & that obedience be given to his Holiness, as they say, everywhere. Under them in every Country where Romish Religion hath place, are Primates, Abbots, metropolitans, Suffragans, with many other their attendans, etc. unto whom everywhere large Rents of the Church-living, and casualties and commodities do appertain, all these by their whole strength, study to uphold the Pope's grandeur. Under these again are exceeding many ordouts of Monks, of Friars of divers colours or habits, Dominicanes or jacobines, Augustine's, Benedictines, Franciscans, Capucians', Grey Friars, Recollects, Carthusians, Carms, Minims, and jesuits &c. huge number of all these of whom some live by set Rents, some go a begging, some live on their purchase as they best may all these beside their proper motives to advance the Sea of Rome are solemnly sworn to that effect, that they shall maintain, defend and do their uttermost for the honour welfare and grandour, of their holy Father the Pope. Besides these they have all the common people tied unto them by bands, not laid upon their bodies, but upon their Souls, by their doctrine of auriculare confession, whereby under pain of not being forgiven their sins, and eternal condemnation, they make them reveal not only their secret actual turpitude (whereupon what abuse follows I need not insist) but also their purposes and intentions which they have had to sin, and in special if they be privy to any thing against the Church of Rome their holy mother; by which means they not only bring people's minds in a servile subjection to themselves (for none can have more Commandment over one than their Father confessor) but also by their intelligencing this way, make the Pope their Monarch dreadful to all Kings of the Earth, for he will do more by a side Cloak and a sharp knife in one hour, than the mightiest Prince in the Earth will do by forty thousand armed men in a long time: yet he should do less harm if he were less dread: for when men are more feared to grieve the Pope than God, what wonder the Lord let him be a scourge to them? This their strong sort of Government, (more wittily devised than ever the old Senate disposed the ruling of the conquered Provinces, or conquering of new) they second with the extreme show and external lustre of holiness and Religion. For the multitude of Religious Orders, with houses and Closters' and persons in them, with the pretence of their single and chaste life, the multitude of Religious exercises, Canonicke hours, fasts, Feasts, holy days, the multitude of Altars, Jmages, and rich Ornaments of their Churches, the multitude of all sort of Ceremonies, that may carry appearance of Divinity. The multitude of poor people enduring penance, going in Pilgrimage, the wonderful mercilessness of poor tormented consciences scourging themselves openly in their streets with their faces covered, at the direction sometimes of their confessor, sometimes voluntarlie, supposing this way to do away their sins, and pacify God's wrath, and their own perplexed conscience, together with the profession of the common grounds of Christianity, which Papists makes show of, so astonishes the minds of the simple people, so ravishes and amazes ignorant on-lookers, so enchants and so bewitches the multitude, that they cannot think but God will be as well pleased with such follies, as they are themselves, not knowing what is pleasant to him by his own Word, or that will-worship, though never so specious, is abominable to him. Then to back and beamfill all, comes in their seminary Priests, and preaching Friars, and the late order of the Jesuits, by all their powerful persuasion to press the receiving of the grounds of Roman Religion upon men, and by a show of Philosophy, and the Wisdom of this World that comes to nought, and the opposition of science falsely so called, (the instruments whereby Satan opposed the Apostles of old) they strive to make all seem good that the Roman Church doth, and that all is evil that they do not. But where shall all the riches be gotten to uphold such a stately Monarchy as this, and so many servants of that state? for answer, they have so many points of gain full doctrine, as first of the merit of good works, & supererogation of the merits of Saints, which furnisheth the treasure of the Church of Rome, among which good works, especially Alms, this must be held for a principle, that those who have wealth cannot do a more meritorious work to purchase heaven by, than by largely bestowing upon religious men and their maintenance. Secondly the Doctrine of penance and of indulgence, and satisfaction; which sometime rendered the Sea of Rome, a great deal more than now it doth, and yet brings huge monies to that Sea. Thirdly, the doctrine of purgatory nothing inferior to any of the former: for these who could not be enduced to give them any thing largely in the time of their life, at the time of their death for fear of Purgatory, to the end that they may win out of Purgatory fire soon, by the virtue of Soul masses, & religious men's devotion, will be willing to mortify or leave in Legacy what their Fatherconfessor thinks expedient, and that of the readiest. fourthly, the straight urging the threfold vow of single life, poverty, Canonical obedience, upon all them whom they can persuade to rander themselves religious. For by this means the several Religious ordours, but especially the Jesuits, if they can by any means persuade a man of wealth, or a rich burges heir, a Noble man's son, or an heritour of Lands, (as they persuade too too many to be of their ordours,) than he renounces all his means to be disposed upon, by the superior of the order; and he himself with the rest professes poverty, and lives upon the common Purse, or his purchase if he be sent out or employed in service. These, and many more means unsearchable, they have of drawing in Rents & moyons to themselves, beside offerings to Altars, extraordinary mass. Casuality at burials, and such like. In all which things and sundry other points both of practice and doctrine, they will be sparing in any part, where they are seeking to make conquest, as in Scotland, or England or Ireland, for fear to lose their prey; but when and where they are settled any man that travels, if he please may try the truth, whether it be not as I say and more: for I will be sparing to speak all, lest I should see me to tax particular persons, rather than to seek the furtherance of the true and disgrace of counterfeit Religion.   

CHAP. 8.  
That the Scriptures imperfection and obscurity is wrongfully alleged by Papists.  
THus having at length discovered the main pillar of Popedom with some of their humane policies for upholding the same, I will speak shortly a word or two against the imperfection & obscurity which they allege of the Scripture. This saying is so blasphemous against God the author of the Scripture, Let the Lord 
2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. joh 5. 39  answer for himself. By his Apostle All Scripture is given by divine inspiration etc. That the man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished unto all good works. And by his son who hath given Commandment to those who thinks to have eternal life to search the Scriptures. If thou will obey this command, constantly praying to God for knowledge daily: the Lord shall show thee in reading of it that they are his enemies who have so disgraced his writings. wherefore I would persuade young Scholars, and others of young years, to drink in the knowledge of the Scriptures and never to quite the light thereof, which the Lord hath appointed to direct us. We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy, whereunto ye do 
2, Pet. 1. 19  well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. etc. Next when doubts of Religion are casten in their mind, the not running to God by Prayer, as the fountain of Religion, and to such Godly and truly learned men, who are content that all they say, be examined according to the Scripture, is a special cause of provocation of God, to give them over to believe lies, who thus despising the right means, and love of the truth, will not go to law and testimonies. 
Isaiah. 8. 20, 1. Tim. 4. 1. Rom. 1. 21.  as God directeth them. But gives ear to seducing Spirits, and doctrine of Devils, as the Apostle calls them. Further, when men knows God, and glorifies him not as God, they become vain in their own imagination, and their foolish hearts are darkened in God's justice, as is said of the Gentiles. If thou will not obey this foresaid command and counsel, it is▪ as needless to dispute this question further before thee, as to dispute what taste the honey or the honey comb hath with them, that never tasted thereof, for fear it poison them. And this much for the first part, I promised to speak, which was of their Religion in general.   

CHAP. 9  
No certainty to have the true Christ, or to be free from Idolatry of a false Christ in the Mass.  
Follows hear the next point, whereof I promised to speak, to wit, of the Mass: but I shall shall insist most upon that gross here sie of transubstantiation. For upholding whereof their special ground is the words of the institution; This is my body: which never can enforce transubstantiation, for first Bellarmine in his third book of the Eucharist, Secundo dicit 
chap. 23  etc. Declares that Scotus says, there is no place of Scripture so plain, that compelles evidently to admit transubstantitaion, without the declaration of the Church. And Bellarmine himself acknowledges, that not altogether to be improbable. Next, they aggrie not themselves upon the exposition of these words, so that they cannot condescend upon the very first word HOC, this, as Bellarmine acknowledges of the Eucharist. Where refusing the opinion of other Catholics, he takes him to this interpretation that HOC, This, signifieth, sub his speciebus contentum, contained under these speces, which indeed is an uncouth acception of the word, such as is not to be found in any author either divine or hu mane; and yet it makes nothing to the purpose: forit may ever be demanded, what is that which is Sub his speciebus, under these speces: for that must be either the bread, or the body of Christ: if they understand the body of Christ, then, the meaning in their exposition is, the body of Christ is the body of Christ; Which neither agries with Christ's purpose, nor yet proves their purpose, for the body of Christ may be the body of Christ, and yet no change made of the bread in the substance of Christ's body. And by, This, if they understand bread, than the force of the words will be, This breadis Christ's body: But neither will this prove their purpose, because it is not said, the substance of this Bread, is changed in the substance of Christ's body, as they expone it, But only This is my body, which no more can infer the change of substance in substance, than these words which he said I am the true vine, can infer a substantial change of himself 
joh. 15. 1. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 25.  in a vine tree, or these words, which he said in the same Supper, as the Apostle Paul shows, This cup is the new Testament, can enforce either the change of the substance of the cup, or of the vine in the cup in a Testament. So I could find no warrant out of Christ's words for transubstantiation, I might well take their word for it in stead of Christ's.  
Next, their doctrine could give me no infallible certainty that I should be free from worshipping an I doll, and the fantasy of my own brain in stead of Christ, when I came to the Mass: for their doctrine is, except the Priest have a special intention to consecrate, albeit he say Mass, that no transubstantiation will follow, and so all that are present at the Mass, are deceived, as they grant. Now what can any man have but a probable conjecture or charitable opinion, or strong apprehension of another man's intention, infallible certainty can he not have: And I in special, who knew certainly some of these Priests who were chosen, and sent out by their superiors to propagate the Romish Religion, subject to as gross faults in their life, for drunkenness, and sundry other vices, as other sinful Laics, as they call them: and yet part of them said Mass many a time, both near hand, and further off: how could I then but be suspense about their intention, and how could I but doubt whether God would be pleased at such men's intentions to change bread in Christ's body, and to put Christ in their hands, and mouths, and to allow them to be Priests, to offer the Son of God his body in a sacrifice to the Father. I know what they use to answer in such cases, that the People's worshipping of a supposed transubstantiat hostie were but material idolatry, because their purpose was to worship the true Christ, when they worshipped only bread, and the Idol of their own imagination. But alace, this is a poor shift, and no better than if one should comfort a woman who had lain with another besides her husband, saying to her, no matter this adultery of thine is but material only, and not formal; because thy purpose was to give thy body to thy husband, and no other. For the Scripture compares Idolatry 
jeremy 3. 1. 2.  and adultery together very often.  
Thirdly, I found their transubstantiation builded upon a pretence of making men certain of their communion and conjunction with Christ: which conjunction if it may be sure without a corporal presence of his body, their transubstantiation is a needless fiction.  
Now I understand certainly that, howsoever the Papists do traduce Ministers, as if they fed people with signs and shadows, yet they believe and teach, that they are made sure of jesus our Lord. First by his covenant and promise, as these that are espoused, being faithful one to another, are made sure one of another before their compleet marriage, by mutual affection of heart, consent and covenant, and mutual promise: for which cause, the spouse in the Canticles many a year before Christ's incarnation, said, My beloved is mine, and I am 
Cant. 2. 16.  his. Next they believe and teach that they are made sure of Christ, by his own great Seals annexed to his covenant, the two Sacraments, Baptism, and the Lords Supper, which the Lord hath ordained to be the pawns, pledges and Seals of himself his gifts, and his graces bestowed upon them, and so are made sure of Christ, and his grace for their Salvation, as men are made sure of the King's gift when they have his royal donation, and his great Seals annexed thereto: for which cause, When our Lord had given the Sacraments to his disciples, he says, I dispone or appoint a Kingdom unto 
Luk. 22. 9,  you; because he had given them the Seals of donation thereof presently before. Thirdly, they teach that they are made sure of Christ, by the Spirit of Christ, whom Christ promises, and gives to every one that believes in him, in such sort that he who hath not 
Rom. 8. 9  the Spirit of Christ is none of his. By which Spirit Christ is joined to them, and they to Christ, as members of one body are joined to the head, and quickened by one Spirit: for which cause of Christ it is said that he dwells in us, and we in him, he is the head, and we 
Ephes. 3. 17, 4. 16  are the members of his mystical body. By this threefold certainty they teach and believe that they are made sure of Christ in the Sacrament, for performance whereof they show that there is no necessity of corporal presence. First, because these means of certainty were apppointed of Christ to supplee his corporal absence till his second coming again. Secondly, because the Son of God is more able after this manner from Heaven to communicate himself to us on Earth then the Sun that shines daily is able from Heaven to give light and heat to us on Earth, without descending corporally to us. Then for the exposition of the words of the Sacrament This is my body, they profess to expone them as Saint Paul expones them, who says, that the bread which we break is the communion of the body of 
1 Cor. 10 16. 1 Cor. 11 25.  jesus, the cup which we bless is the Communion of the blood of Christ, and as Christ speaking of the cup it must be exponed: This cup is the new Testament or covenant in my blood, and according to the usual form of the Scripture language concerning Sacraments, where the name of the gift is given to the Seal to assure them who faithully receive the one, that they are made sure of the other; or the name of a mercy bestowed is given to the memorial of it, to make the acknowledgement of that mercy more fresh and lively. Seeing that therefore I could find for the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation no warrant of the Lords word, and by that doctrine, no ground of infallible certainty to free me from Idolatry; but on the contrary grounds of assurance, that it could not be that God would expose his Son any more to personal suffering of such indignities as is done him in the Mass; Let any man judge whether I had reason to suit to be received to the communion with him, according to the warrant of his own word, and be free for ever from all peril of that gross Idolatry.   

CHAP. 10.  
The Mass draws away from Christ's rule of the Sacrament and defaces his institution.  
THe next reason why I call the Mass an error, is because it doth lead men away from the right rule of the Sacrament to follow men's devices, and forged mystical rites of men's appointments, whereof the Lord hath pronounced in general: In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the precepts of men: Which howsoever they be in estimation among men, yet are abominable before God: for our Lord Jesus, being to leave the World in regard of his corporal presence, thought good to appoint a holy Supper wherein he will have his bodily sufferings, and bloodshed and death represented and brought to fresh remembrance by the breaking of bread and wine poured out in a cup; and the Souls of his faithful ones fed & comforted in the assurance that his body was broken for them, and his blood shed for the remission of their sins, by eating of the bread broken, and drinking of the wine poured in the cup; which eating and drinking should be to them a pledge and seal of their spiritual conjunction with CHRIST, and partaking of his life as certainly wrought by his spirit, as if these elements which they did eat and drink were joined with their bodies. Then which ordinance of our Lord nothing can be more sweet to a Soul that considers his purpose therein: and therefore he hath commanded not his Ministers only, but his whole Church on Earth to do this in remembrance of him following his example as he hath caused set down by his penmen in his Testament to be followed till his second coming again. But the Church of Rome as her defection hath grown piece and piece, hath so far departed from the rule, that scarcely now in their Mass can the footsteps of Christ's ordinance be seen: for under pretence that they are not tied to follow these circumstances which were proper to the first Supper, such as are the time, after Supper; the place, an upper Chamber; the number of persons, eleven or twelve; the sex, men only and not women: which any man may perceive to be proper to that first time, and not belonging to the nature of the Sacrament: if these circumstances were urged universally they should mar and hinder that action, and the comfort of the communicants, women being secluded, the night taking when the day was free, a chamber taking wherein all the Church could not assemble, and twelve only admitted, where forty twelves were prepared and waiting on: under pretence, I say, of not being tied to these four circumstances, when they may be prejudicial to the action, they have taken liberty to alter the substance, and sacramental rites of this Supper left to be imitate by all Christ's Churches till his second coming again: for as though Christ's ordinance had been too base and simple, they have devised to  their Priests in brodering of silk and silver and gold, and to make sumptuous Mass  to set out their work with all: As if Christ his ceremonies had been of small signification, they have casten them by, and appointed new ones of their own▪ making mystical significations of their own devising, As if the Apostle Paul had superfluously from Christ's mouth given commandment to the common people to drink of the cup, they have cut off the half of the people's comfort, and withholden the cup from them: As if the Lord had not done wisely in using plain language to his disciples, such as they understood, they have rolled up all in an uncouth language commanding that Mass should only be said in Latin: As if our Lord had not well considered, what belongs to the holiness of such a work, in taking such bread as was usual in the Land, and as the Master of the house laid down before him to Supper, they have made a round Mass bread, the quantity of twelvepences, or sixpence, and as thin as they can cause it stick together, with a stamped crucifix on the one side of it for the purpose, they have turned the communion of a number, to the Priests drinking and eating alone, the Lords table to a stone Altar, the memorial of his death to an imaginary corporal presence; the seal of Gods giving of Christ unto men, into men's offering up of Christ to God, God's Sacrament, into man's sacrificing of the son of God to the Father; in a word they have turned Christ's holy Supper in the Pope's Mass, and so, what by adding, what by pairing, what by altering and chopping and changing they have mutilated deformed and defaced God's ordinance, falsified King Jesus his great seal and corrupted his testament, that he who is partaker of the Mass, thinking to get God's blessing by it, casts himself in danger of God's curse, for being guilty of so manifold dishonouring of the son of God.   

CHAP. 11.  
The Mass draws men from the true Christ, to adore and believe in a false Christ.  
THe third reason why I call the Mass, and their pretended transubstantiation in it an error, is this. Because it hath drawn me and doth draw all that believes it, from the true Christ Jesus described in the holy Scripture to a false Christ forged in their fantasy and brains of men, given over for the time to the spirit of delusion, in all things contrary to the true Christ our Saviour the son of God: for the true Christ is so described to us in holy Scripture, that if an Apostle or Angel from Heaven teach another Gospel, especially 
Gal. 1, 8.  about the person of Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, as the Apostle says. Well, than the Scripture gives us to understand, that the true Christ hath assumed not the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham, 
Heb. 2. 14 16.  even our nature of the virgin Mary, Partaker of flesh and blood, & in substance & properties like to us in all things, except sin, who himself hath given us warrant to account of any obtruded in his name, as a false Christ. But the doctrine of the Mass draws us to a pretended Christ, the substance of whose body is made of the substance of bread, changed by the force of five latin words, said by a Romish Priest, Hoc est enim corpus meum.  
Secondly the true Christ his body is sensible, might be seen, touched, handled and felt, as sensibly as any man's body, not only before his death, when he bore our infirmity, but also after his resurrection, when he had laid down our infirmities: made up of flesh and bones, the very same that hang upon the cross, fastened with nails as himself testifies. Behold my hands and my feet that it 
Luc. 24. 39  is I myself, handle me and see me, for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to have, saith he, wherein he gives us all to understand that he will not have us to think that he hath another body or substance now after his resurrection, than he had before his crucifying. Next to prove the verity of his real and corporal presence he appeals to the true testimony of all their senses, being contented that they should not esteem him bodily present, except they saw and felt him to have flesh and bones, but the Doctors of the Mass teach men to believe in, and to adore a Christ, whose body is borne up betwixt the Priest's finger and his thumb, which neither can be seen nor felt, nor any ways is sensible, a false Christ who may not abide the proof and rule which the true Christ hath set down in his word to try the truth of his body and bodily presence by.  
Thirdly, the true Christ grew up from a child to the ordinary stature of men before his death, and being dead his body took up proportional room in the Sepulchre, so that when he was now risen, the Linnings wherein his body was wrapped were found in the sepulchre, some of them at the part where his feet lay, and some at the part where his head lay, and after his resurrection he shown his hands and feet in the own due proportion distant one from another in place; but the Papists are made to worship a Christ in the Mass, whose head and feet and all the parts of his body compleet, are not only in the bounds of their paper-thin hostie, but in every preene point room of the same, for this is their express doctrine that, Corpus Christi est totum in tota hostiâ, & totum in quolibet puncto, that the body of Christ is whole in the whole hostie, and whole in every point or part thereof.  
fourthly, the true Christ will not have us to imagine of his body, that ever it was or shall be in many places at one time, for when joseph and his mother sought him three days, they could not find him till they came to the very place where only he was in the Temple disputing with the doctors, when he was upon the mount he was not bodily any where else, when he was on this side of the Sea, he was not on that side, when he was in the wilderness, pinnacle of the Temple, in the ship, in the house, there he was and no where else, when he was in the grave his body was not risen; and when he rose the Angel sayeth of the grave he is not here, he is risen behold the place where the Lord lay, when he was with his disciples, he says himself he was not ascended, when he ascended, he left his disciples in regard of his bodily presence, not to come again in bodily presence until he came to take them to that place which he went to prepare for them, but these doctors tell us that their Christ in whom they believe, & whom they command to be worshipped hath a body which at an instant and point of time is in an hundreth places within a Church, and in five hundreth places of the same Church is not, in a word hath a body which is in as many consecrated hosties as are in the World at one time though there will be thousands daily and which body is in no other place or space betwixt the hosties, and yet will avow that such a body is but one single, and the same body undivided, which was borne of the Virgin, and hang upon the cross, so pert are they to hold up their false Christ by calling him the true, when he hath nothing of this truth, that is in our Lord.  
Fifthly, the true Christ once died from his giving up the ghost upon the cross until his resurrection, but after that he dieth no more, but is alive for evermore; he suffers no more bodily, his blood is shed no more, his soul no more severed from his body, this is the Christ which the Scripture teaches us to believe into, and to worship: but the Popish doctrine draws these silly souls that believes them, to believe and adore such a Christ whose very substantial body is bathed and swims in his own natural and true blood daily: for when the Priest consecrateth the chalice than the wine, as they say, is turned substantially in blood, as certainly & really as Christ changed water into wine. Now when the hostie is broken, and a part thereof put in the consecrate chalice, among the very blood as they teach, which hostie and every part thereof, as they say, doth contain the very body of jesus, do I speak any thing but according to their doctrine, when I say that, that Christ of theirs swims daily in his own blood, incace they abide at their doctrine, teaching that Christ's words in the Sacrament, are taken literally: for these words This is my body, taking the words literally, must have another sense than these words▪ This is my blood, and so the words being taken literally, as they pretend, the hostie being put in the cup, the body is put in the blood.  
Sixtly, the true and living Christ, where he is bodily present, can walk alone, he needs not to be lifted, nor to be borne, or carried in men's hands, he is not feared to fall, nor that any evil befall him. But the Romish Doctors, in effect (I must now say with grief, deceavers) draw the people to adore for their Lord and Saviour, a Christ of the Priests making in the Mass, who is so weak, that he can not rise till he be lifted, he can not walk but must be carried, and when he is mounted up in his maker's hand, except his creator and maker hold him up, or if the Priest himself snapper and fall at a procession, or in a journey, than this Christ goeth to the ground, and his maker both, and there he lieth, though it were in a mire, till he be lifted again. What care have I seen taken to lift this Christ attentively, and to lay him down again softly, for fear of breaking of him? and if he be not eaten presently, but must be keeped to be adored upon the Altar, some days after, than every night at even he is put in ward, and keeped fast under lock and key ordinarily, lest while his maker and preserver is sleeping the mice or the rats, whom the World can not persuade, but the hostie is very bread indeed, should carry him away, and use some short improbation against this their transubstantiation: this can not be but a matter of laughter to those who are fred from the Romish yock, but alace for pity of the Souls that believes all is well. I know they gull the people by telling them that Christ 
john. 20. 26.  came in to his Disciples the door being shut. And that this could not be but by rarifying his own substance to such subtility that it might go through the door: but poor Souls that heareth this, they must not dispute nor reply, but believe as the Church believes. If they would reply it were greater reason that the door should yield to Christ than he to it, and that it were as easy for him to come in the chamber and the door shut, before and after he came in, keeping still his bodily substance in the own natural constitution, as it was to Peter to come through the prison, and through the iron gate, which was shut before and after he came 
Act. 12 10.  out, but opened when he went through: And no farther can this text afford them: if any (I say) would reply after this manner this pretext would not save them. They please the people another way also (for fear that this might be answered) by distinction of a glorified body and unglorified, for taking away whereof I say. Seventhly, the true Christ his body is glorified with such a glory as doth not abolish the substantial properties of his body, but only makes the same more illustrious and conspicuous: whereof himself gave a proof in his transfiguration, when he clothed himself with the glory of the only begotten son of God for a while: at which time his glory made not his body to disappear, but to appear more conspicuously than before. Another proof 
Act. 9 3. & 26. 13.  he gave of this at the conversion of Paul when from Heaven there shined a light from him (while he spoke down to Saul) brighter than the Sun at noon day. and to put us out of doubt in this matter, the same Apostle 
Philip. 3. 21.  saith that Christ shall change our vile bodies, and make them like to his own glorious body. Wherein he lets us understand, first, that our Lord still retains the same true body which he assumed, and that his body is glorious and beautiful. Next, he shows that Christ Jesus hath such a body now in Heaven as we shall have in our own degree when the resurrection comes: but when the resurrection comes our body's flesh and bones will rise and be glorified. Therefore our Lord hath such a body in his own degree of flesh and bones glorified: from which glory now his body can not be severed. But that Christ which is made in the Mass, hath a body no ways glorious nor conspicuous, but altogether ignominious, and subject to more personal disgraces, than when he suffered at Jerusalem; as that which is said already may clear.  
Eightly, and last of all (to be short) the true Christ hath forewarned us not to believe any such Christ after his ascension as men shall point out on the Earth, saying of 
Mat. 24 23.  him Lo here, lo there is Christ, For there shall arise false Christ's and false Prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, 
Math.  so that if it were possible, they should deceive the very Elect. Behold I have told you before, Wherefore if they shall say 
24.  to you, behold he is in the desert, go not forth, behold he is 
25.  in the secret place, go not forth. For as the lightning cometh 
26.  out of the East, and shineth to the West, so shall also the 
27.  coming of the son of man be. And again by his Apostle 
Colos. 3▪ 1. 2.  declares himself only to be fund in Heaven for his bodily presence, discharging us to set our affection upon any thing on earth. But the Christ in whom the Papists Priests and doctors teaches people to believe as their God, and to worship as their Saviour, & on whom they cause them set their affection, is corporally present in the earth, and his body on the earth all the days of the year: of whom my ears have heard say times out of number, lo here, lo there, lo yonder our Lord and Saviour coming through the street, let us go and convoy him; and in the Mass the Priest lifts him up, and after puts him in the people's mouth, and he goes over the throat. What becomes of him than ye will say? hear what the true Christ sayeth Perceive you not that whatsoever entereth into the 
Math: 15. 17,  mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught? O how fare then are the people deceived! First, they believe they have among their hands the true Christ, and do worship him, when they worship only an Idol and a false Christ. Next, they believe that however the matter be, that their intention to serve the true Christ will save them from the sin, and the judgement due to such a sin, and then they are again deceived: for if good intentions could have any weight with God where the work is not warrantable, than these men should go free, who murder the Prophets and servants of Jesus, thinking they do God good service; of whom Christ speaks 
joh. 16. 2.  Then the Jews should go free, who believed when they were pleading against Christ & dishonouring him, that they were friends to the promised Messiah. The Galatians believed that they held the true Christ when they joined justification by works and faith together, and yet the Apostle tells them that if they held Christ so, Christ should not profit them. It was a misconceaved Christ 
Gal. 5. 2.  that deceived the▪ Heretics of old, for every heretic pretended an intention to honour the true Christ, and it is a false Christ that deceiveth the Jews, who pretend that they are keeping their faith and worship to the true Messiah promised, but have forged in their own brain one altogether different from the true, & yet none of all these have ever conceived a Christ, more contrary to the true Christ, then is this forged Christ in the Mass. without warrant as is said of Scripture, and contrary to the tenet of antiquity, however the Priests and jesuites gull their auditors with pretence of the same. For Tertullian sayeth Acceptum panem & distributum discipulis 
lib. 4. ad versus Marcionem cap. 40.  corpus suum illud fecit, hoc est corpus meum dicendo, id est, figura corporis mei. Christ took bread and gave it to his disciples making it his body, while he says This is my body, that is, a figure of my body: where ye see that this Father who lived two hundreth years after Christ doth expone these words of the institution figuratively. And yet Bellarmine is not ashamed to use this testimony for 
lib. 3. Eucharistiae cap. 20.  proving transubstantiation, but doth bewray herein his fraud and deceitful handling of the Fathers: for alleging this place so directly contrary him, he leaveth out the Father's gloss, that is, a figure of my body. And Augustine is so clear in this matter, that it is a wonder that any man should oppose him for giving a rule how to know when the words of holy Scripture are to be taken figuratively, & when properly he saith thus, Si preceptiva locutio est, aut flagitium aut facinus vetans, aut 
lib▪ 3. 〈◊〉 doctrina christiana cap. 16  utilitatem, aut beneficentiam iubens, non est figurata, si autem flagitium aut facinus videtur iubere, aut utilitatem, aut bene ficentiam vetare figurata est: nisi manducaveritis (inquit) carnem filii hominis, & sanguinem biberitis non habebitis vitam in vobis, facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere, figura est ergo. If the precept forbidden any crime or wicked deed, or command any profit or beneficence than is it not figurative: but if it seem to command any crime or wicked deed, or to forbid any profit or beneficence it is figurative, then doth he give for instance to this rule these words of our Saviour Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you, These words sayeth he seem to command some crime and wicked deed; therefore they are figurative. Many other passages of Fathers I might cite, but I fear to be too tedious, neither need I to insist much on Fathers seeing the very Canon of the Mass doth overthrew transubstantiation. For after the words of consecration: the Priest offering jesus Christ to God, prayeth after this manner. Supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respic●re digneris sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui iusti Abel. On which things may it please thee to look with a good and favourable countenance, and to accept of them, as thou did accept of the presents of Abel thy righteous servant. Any man may easily perceive, that if there were nothing there but Christ as they affirm, the Priest durst never take upon him to be a intercessor betwixt the Father and the son▪ as though the son had lost the favour of his Father, for whose only sake we all are received in favour.  
And since I have now made mention of the Mass, I can not conceal what secret reluctation was ever in my mind, even when I was most bewitched with the inchauntments of Popery, against their propitiatory sacrifice daily offered up in the Mass, which so flatly contradicts the words of Scripture With an offering hath he reconciled 
Heb. 10. 14. Vers. 10.  for ever them that are sanctified. And to exclude reiteration the Scripture sayeth We are sanctified by the offering of the body of jesus Christ once made. And most clearly As it is apppointed for every man once to die etc. Neither 
Heb. 9, 27. 28.  will the distinction of a bloody and unbloody sacrifice satisfy this passage, seeing that the Apostle shows that as a man dieth but once, so Christ is offered but once. How ridiculous a thing should it be for one to say, that a man can die but once a bloody death, but he can die oftener an unbloody death? and if this distinction of theirs can not hold in the death of man, neither can it in the offering of the Lord Jesus. Seeing the Scripture precisly compareth them in number that they are both but once. Yea, in ●●presse words of that same chapter the Scripture excluds this distinction while it saith Without shedding 
Ver. 22.  of blood there is no remission of sins. If then the Mass be an unbloody sacrifice, by it there is no remission of sins. And lest this should be eluded by the typical sacrifices of old, the Apostle speaks in the present time etc. And this much concerning their Mass, which was the second part whereof I promised to speak.   

CHAP. 12.  
Of Merits.  
Follows here the third part whereof I promised to speak, which contains some of their common absurdities, and first of Merits: for the mixture of our works, and the works of Christ jesus is untolerable and more incompatible than the mixture of wine and water, for to make up the blood▪ of their Saviour in the Mass: how can we have good works before we be made good by regeneration? seeing an evil tree can not bring forth good fruit. Yea, they are gone so fare on in this mixture, that they exclude Christ's merits altogether from the formal cause of our justification, and only makes Christ's righteousness a help whereby we ourselves may fully & formally be justified before God Si quis dixerit homines iustificarivel sola imputatione iustitiae 
Canone 10 & 11 sessione 6 Concilii Trident.  Christi, vel sola peccatorum remissione, exclusa gratia & charitate quae in cordibus eorum per spiritum sanctum diffundatur, atque illis inhaereat, aut etiam gratiam qua iustificamur esse tantum favorem Dei, anathema sit. If any man say that we are formally justified by the righteousness of Christ let him be accursed. etc. Neither doth their doctrine stay here, but proceeds to works of supererogation, whereby they put God in their debt, and enrich the Pope by laying of these works of supererogation in his store-house to be sold out at his pleasure for monies. Since these works can be applied to men for their satisfaction which they have not wrought, wherefore may not the merits of Christ Jesus be applied to us to our justification? and as sin although inherent into us, and only imput unto Christ jesus, who had no inherent sin in him, made him die the death wherefore may not Christ's righteousness inherent in him and imput unto us be accepted of God for our justification to life, and that so much the more because Christ jesus is our head and cautioner, which the Saints are not, For he hath made him to be sin for us, which 
2 Cor. cap 5. vers. 21,  knew no sin etc.   

CHAP. 13.  
Of taking away the Cup.  
TOuching their minching of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Table, and depriving the People of the one half thereof, contrary to Christ's institution, who commanded them all to drink of it, is a grievous defrauding of the people of their due comfort and that by john 6, which they will have spoken of the Sacrament, except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and 
john. 6.  drink of his blood, ye have no life in you. So to deprive them of the blood is to deprive them of eternal life. And in the primitive times when persecution raged in the Church the godly Fathers, never omitted the holy cup to the people, & that not only because of Christ's divine institution, but also that they might encourage people to shed their blood cheerfully for him who had shed his blood for them, & did so friely communicate with them in the holy cup. Further Christ sayeth it is the cup of the new Testament in his blood, which he shed for the remission of sins. Then it appeareth that to deprive the people of the cup, is as much as to deprive them of the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins: for in the hostie there is no shedding of blood, as they themselves confess. As for the custom of the primitive Church, it is clear in this point neither can they or do they deny it; yet when either the command of Christ, or practise of the primitive Church seemeth to cross their business, they disallow both him and the ancients, and in open counsel give a decreet to their contrary. The council of Constance holden anno 406, which was the first council that discharged the cup, as an heresy, towards the midst of the Canon 
Concilium Constantinense. 13. sess,  hath these words: Although jesus Christ did institute and administer to his Disciples this venerable Sacrament, under the forms of bread and wine; and likewise although in the primitive Church this Sacrament was received by the faithful under both kinds, nevertheless this custom hath with reason been induced that it should be received by those who consecrate under both kinds, and by the laity under form of bread only etc. And concludes that these that would maintain the contrary were heretics, where by consequence they make Christ and the primitive Church heretics, at least in practice, which if I had not red and considered in their councils, I could not have believed that men could be so impudent and absurd as to affirm.   

CHAP. 14.  
Of Images.  
HEre I can not pass by their adoration of Jmages 
2 book of the images of Saints chap. 21.  but must give a taste thereof. Their doctrine is of Images that they are not only relatiuè, as they respect the thing represented, but properly and pierce, by themselves, and terminatively without respect to the thing represented, as Bellarmine hath expressly: yea, not only with the worship of dulias or service as they call it (by the which distinction they blind the eyes of the ignorant, since all religious worship, in whatsoveer degree belongs properly to God) but also they teach and affirm that the Images of God, and the cross aught to be worshipped, with the selfsame supreme worship that is due to God himself, which they call Latria: as hath expressly their 
25. ques. 3. arti. in the concl. 4. article  Angelic doctor, in his third part Sic ergo dicendum est etc. and fourth article in the conclusion Crux Christi etc. which conclusion the foresaid doctor proves by this, that we give the supreme worship to him, in whom we put the hope of our safety: but in the cross of Christ (This is the cross of wood whereon he was nailed) we put our hope of safety. So the Papists object of faith according to his doctrine, is an Image of stock and stone. And therefore Suarez says in express terms Per hanc 
45. disp. 4. sect.  adorationem, etc. (I shall faithfully translate the words) By this adoration a man not only professeth that which he adoreth to represent God, but also to be God, and his supreme Lord and Redeemer; otherwise it would not be a true and supreme worship. The common people their case in this Idolatry is deplorable; but somewhat more excusable, albeit they be involued in that same guiltiness, who must believe by an implicit faith, whatsoever their Church believes: for their great doctors do expressly admonish their Readers, that their Preachers let not the people understand in their sermons, that this Sovereign worship of God, should be given to Images, by the principles of the Roman catholic faith; for it might readily scar them, & of catholic Romans make them become Calvinist heretics. See Bellarmine of the Jmages of Saints at these words Quantum ad &c, 
22. chap.  gives the same watchword in the place foresaid. And this 
25. ques. 54. dis. 4. article  because as they both acknowledge in the foresaid places, the common people can not be capable of these sublime distinctions, whereby the foresaid doctrine must be maintained: yea, scarcely saith Bellarmine, our great doctoures themselves. Some of them for eschueing the inconvenience of this foresaid doctrine do use these terms directly and indirectly but any that pleaseth to examine, at more length this defence they shall find it indirect enugh to give to the creature any way a worship due to the Creator. Further for backing of this doctrine their best reason that I could perceive they ever brought was, their blotting out of the second command of the Lords Law. for giving and not granting that the second command were one with the first, yet wherefore do they scrape out so great a part of that command, if their best defence stood not in cancelling the Law of God, which is opposite to their adoration of Jmages?   

CHAP. 15.  
Of their new belief, satisfaction, purgatory.  
IN this place their large addition to their belief represents itself to my mind: as may be seen in the bull of Pope Pitis the 4. concerning the oath taken of their Churchmen containing their Trent creed wherein beside the Articles of the Apostles creed, they have engrossed many other Articles of their most gross and absurd heresies. I can not also omit here their idle repetition of Prayers, ascrybing merit and satisfaction to the number of them, for I myself have been enjoined to say such a number of Aves, Pater nosters, by way of penance, or for the relief of Souls, and no fewer than these that were enjoined: For they teach that in baptism our sins are forgiven us by the merits and satisfaction of Christ allanerly, but the sins committed after baptism, be taken away and expiate by our own satisfactions: but the Apostle saith That as the wage sin is death, so the gift of God is life eternal through jesus Christ 
Rom. 6. 23.  our Lord. Heaven than is God's free gift through Christ and not our deserving. Neither can it be considered how Christ's obedience is properly a satisfaction, and yet either requireth or admitteth our satisfaction. Besides their own extravagant faith, that one drop of Christ's blood is sufficient to save the whole World, what necessity or place then is for our satisfaction in our Salvation. They will not receive the Kingdom of Heaven after this manner, but as a just debt, to the which God of justice is bund and obliged to them, not only for the merits of Christ, but also for the merits of their own works, which hath an equal worth answerable to the Kingdom of Heaven. I pass by here their selling of Masses, their baptising of Bells, baptism, being a Sacrament of the new covenant only, and no ways belonging to senseless creatures: their scrotching fire of Purgatory, as hot as hell, wherein the Souls of the godly dying in the Lord, are tortured before they come to Heaven, till such time as the punishment due to their venial sin, in that continual torture be ended. And yet the Scritpure tells us Blessed are the dead that 
Revel. 14 13.  die in the Lord, for so sayeth the Spirit, they rest from their labours, and their works follow them. Fearful should their rest be, if dieing in the Lord, with some little thing unsatisfied as they affirm, they should be cast in the torture as hot as hell's fire. And here is to be observed the merciless dealing of their father the Pope, who having power to relieve souls when he pleases, yet suffers many thousands to be tortured there still, till he or his receive money for their deliverance. And thus much shortly for the third part whereof I promised to speak.   

CHAP. 16.  
The cunning dealing of Romish Emissaries in seducing and disputing.  
NOw being forced here to acknowledge the foresaid false grounds of the Romish Religion, which in my miscarrying I laid down as true, to have been the beginning of all this mischief; and having my mind overcharged with the filthiness and loathsomeness thereof, to testify the unfeigned forsaking of them, & all the filthiness of their superstition: I must add some things by way of conclusion for the love I carry to my Country & the truth of that Religion which is allowed of God, albeit I know it will incense sundry against me.  
I would advertise young Scholars and others, whether at home or abroad, to be war of the Jesuit his cunning dealing, with other their Emissaries such as are seminary Priests, Friars etc. whether he come directly to seduce you, or come occasionally to disput with you. If he have a purpose to seduce you, he will first make choice of some catholic of your acquaintance, who hath best credit of you; and most respected by you, him he will instruct how to handle you, and will put his own speeches and arguments in his mouth, if you harken & give ear and make hopes you may be theirs, an offer will be made to you to speak with a Father, or learned man, and so you and and he shall come to conference. If he can not find a fit person to deal with you, than he will come openly to you if he be where he may profess himself: if not, he will come under the habit of a Gentleman or burgess of a Town, or Countryman, as best fits his purpose; & as it were by occasion falling in your company, will talk of any purpose till he take you up, and as he hath time to stay or to be with you, so will he work, ordinarily he will blame all our professors, for few good works and open evil lives of the great many: this at once he will turn upon the Religion. But stumble not you for this: for the Religion of the Jews was good when the Prophet complains that Faith and truth was 
Psal. 12.  departed from the children of men. The Lord's word which is our Religion, condemns the sins of professors more than they can condemn the same. They will object the lives of Ministers, what they please to speak of them, and they have in readiness some examples and instances in print or writ or in their memory, but stumble not you at this, for they do injury to the Ministers when they blame all for the fault of some: and again they do injury to God's word, when they press to blame the truth for the teacher's fault. One of the twelve Apostles was a Devil: what was the Apostles or the Apostleship the worse? and yet when all is said, if their closters were as open as Minister's conversation, they should make little talk in this point. They will tell thee of the ignorance and want of Learning among Ministers, be not you troubled for this, they are learned enough that know jesus Christ rightly, and can teach him sound, learning is not the glory of our Religion but truth: and yet though I sometime thought so, and said so as they do, yet I found it otherwise when I met with the Ministers. Yocke with the Ministers when they will, so fare as I know they will ruse themselves little for the want of learning. They will object they have no warrandable calling, but urge you them to justify the calling of their chief pillars, Popes, Cardinals and Prelates, whose office and entry in their office God never ordained in his word. Ministers calling goes not by succession, but by election. Their office is prescrived in the word, their entry and qualification: Let every one justify as he is challanged, so much as may be seen of men is always nearer the rule of the Apostles than any of their calling. They will object the novelty of this Religion, and will ask for succession of Pastors in our Church. But answer you, that they slander you unjustly for novelty, whose doctrine was taught by Christ and his Apostles, and recommended to after ages. Where the Catholic Church and true sheep of Christ who heard his voice and fled sequestrating themselves from strangers were, there was our Church, particular professors names is no point of salvation. What manamong ten thousand can show his natural pedigree from the seventh generation? shall a man be questioned of the truth of his humanity if he cannot deduce his genealogy from Adam or Noah? Albeit the Protestants can be able to show continuance of their doctrine by the line, and catalogue of the witnesses the truth through all ages, from Christ's unto our time. If this objection were of any worth, we might use it against their Church, and they could not deduce from Christ or the Apostles time, or a long time after any that ever heard of a number of the Articles of their Faith. But this is one of their shifts to dispute about genealogies, and generalities, lest coming to particulars the strength of our cause and weakness of theirs should appear. They will object Luther and Calvine, and our first reformers were Papists first: But it makes not to us, we believe not any point of Religion upon their word, but what we find aggrieing with Scripture. Again Paul was not the worse Apostle that sometime he was a Pharisee, but their Religion is so much the worse as such men and many after them behoved to quite it, or lose their Souls. They will object diversities of opinions, and divisions, and schisms, but answer you; that there were divisions in the Churches of Corinth, Galatia, and other Apostolic Churches: and yet they were not the less true Churches: let every Church answer for herself, whether she keep unity with Christ and his Apostles in her doctrine: for unity without truth is but conspiracy in error. It is a whorish impudency to object uncleanness to a chaste Matron, they might remember Christ's advertisement Hypocrite cast out the beam of thy own eye first: or the Poet's admonition Loripedem rectus derideat. For beside the bloody schisms of their Popes, and the irreconciliable divisions of their Doctors, the Jesuits and Dominicans, at this day do jar so hotly concerning grace and fry will, that their Pope dare not determine the question for fear he lose one of the parties. If they find you ignorant they will cause you believe that your Ministers teaches such and such heresies, as that they are enemies to good works▪ enemies to the Virgin Mary, and to the Saints, that they give liberty to sin, and makes God the author of it, that such a writer on our Religion hath such a blasphemous error in such a book, and another writer, another blasphemy in another book; Luther says this, and calvin says that, and a thousand slanders suchlike. To be short, their whole wits they will employ to brangle you, in some general, that they may have you at an vantage, brought over to their grounds, whereof they will make great show and ostentation, or if they condescend upon a particular, and find you therein weak, they will shoot at all. But if ye keep the love of the Scriptures, the Lord shall make you to stand, Great peace have they who 
Psal. 119. 165.  love thy Law, and nothing shall offend them. As for their disputs, they will make great boast and brag if they see not a learned party: if they find a learned party, they will take them to discourse if they may: if they must disput they will keep the former method, that is, stick upon generals, about the visibility of a Church, and notes as they say thereof, whether the true Church can err, and will hold off whether Rome can err as long as they can: they will make show to quot councils and Fathers, not because that they can obtain the victory by them, but because the books are rare, and few are acquaint with them to know whether they say right or wrong: they will avow forged distinctions, when they are pressed, and flee to philosophic terms, not because such refuges will save them, but because by this means they blow missed in their eyes that cannot follow them to their lurking holes: when their cause is weakest than they grow boldest, and will set a brow upon their part, that their countenance may give weight to their watter-wersh argument or answers: when they are like to succumb, they will cry loudest, and cast in a new subject to disput on: ye will not put them to silence, albeit they know they are overcome For what by shifts, what by subtleties: what by circumventions, what by apparent verities, they can colour their cause, though never so bad.  
It were an endless labour to show all their courses & impossible, these may suffice to give advertisement to you, who may be in danger, that you acquaint you with the grounds of your own Religion, and diligently read the Scriptures: that you be not rash to undertake a disput concerning Religion, and lean not much to your own or others disputation: for in a disput ye will get the two disputers wits tried, and acquaintance with their own grounds which they defend, but ye will not so try Religion, it is the studieing of all the grounds thereof, and trying them by the Scripture must make you sure: when God's glory or others edification requires that you disput, do it advisedly, for they have their set arguments, and their written disputs, carrying about with them: set the state of the question right, limit thy argument to be brought on either side to Scripture, or reasons deduced therefrom: not because thou needst to fear any councils and fathers, but partly because fathers and councils are but human testimonies, partly because if you go from the Scriptures, ye go to the long Sands, and the disput will not end shortly, and so he escapes and his error is not convinced, and the auditors is left suspense. This much may serve for a general advertisement. Now for my part, pray for me, that God may show more and more mercy on me. I know many a bitter hard word will be spoken against me, & I deserve them all, not for my departing from them, but for my first revolting in my ignorant youthead from this Religion whereinto I am now brought home by God's mercy, his name be glorified for ever. And the Lord make known this his truth to the World, who knows it not; and no doubt multituds shall come unto the Lord & this Religion, which is grounded on his truth, as Doves flocking to their windows.   
Lord do it for Christ's sake. All glory be given to God through Christ. Yours in Christ, Mr PATRICK CRAUFURD.  
FINIS.   

Faults escaped in the Printing.  
Pag. 10 for Chap 5 read Chap 4. Page 47 line 8 for justification read regeneration. Page 5● line 1. at the beginning read Suarez, The changes of letters or transposing of words the courteous reader will tolerate.