consider, wherein the point of every difficulty consists, and not impertinently to shoot at rovers, and affectedly mistake one thing for another. As for example, to what purpose (forasmuch as concerns the question between D. Potter and Charity Mistaken) doth he so often and seriously labour to prove, that faith is not resolved into the authority of the church, as into the formal object and motive thereof? Or, that all points of faith are contained in Scripture? Or, that the church cannot make new articles of faith? Or, that the church of Rome, as it signifies that particular church or diocese, is not all one with the universal church? Or, that the pope as a private doctor may err? With many other such points as will easily appear in their proper places. It will also be necessary for him not to put certain doctrines upon us, from which he knows we disclaim as much as himself.

10. "I must, in like manner, intreat him not to recite my reasons and discourses by halves, but to set them down faithfully and entirely, forasmuch as in very deed concerns the whole substance of the thing in question; because the want sometimes of one word may chance to make void, or lessen the force of the whole argument. And I am the more solicitous about giving this particular caveat, because I find how ill he hath complied with the promise which he made in his Preface to the Reader, not to omit without answer any one thing of moment in all the discourse of Charity Mistaken. Neither will this course be a cause that his rejoinder grow too large, but it will be occasion of brevity to him, and free me also from the pains of setting down all the words which he omits, and

himself of demonstrating, that what he omitted was not material. Nay, I will assure him, that if he keep himself to the point of every difficulty, and not weary the reader, and overcharge his margent with unnecessary quotations of authors in Greek and Latin, and sometimes also in Italian and French, together with proverbs, sentences of poets, and such grammatical stuff; nor affect to cite a multitude of our catholic school divines to no purpose at all: his book will not exceed a competent size, nor will any man in reason be offended with that length which is regulated by necessity. Again, before he come to set down his answer, or propose his arguments, let him consider arguments, let him consider very well what may be replied, and whether his own objections may not be retorted against himself, as the reader will perceive to have happened often to his disadvantage in my Reply against him. But especially I expect, and truth itself exacts at his hand, that he speak clearly and distinctly, and not seek to walk in darkness, so to delude and deceive his reader, now saying, and then denying, and always speaking with such ambiguity, as that his greatest care may seem to consist in a certain art to find a shift, as his occasions might chance either now or hereafter to require, and as he might fall out to be urged by diversity of several arguments. And to the end it may appear that I deal plainly, as I' would have him also do, I desire that he declare himself concerning these points.

11.First. Whether our Saviour Christ have not always had, and be not ever to have, a visible true church on earth? And whether the contrary doctrine be not a damnable heresy?

12. Secondly. What visible church there was

before Luther, disagreeing from the Roman church, and agreeing with the pretended church of pro

testants.

13. "Thirdly. Since he will be forced to grant, that there can be assigned no visible true church of Christ, distinct from the church of Rome, and such churches as agreed with her when Luther first appeared; whether it doth not follow, that she hath not erred fundamentally? Because every such error destroys the nature and being of the church, and so our Saviour Christ should have had no visible church on earth.

14. "Fourthly. If the Roman church did not fall into any fundamental error, let him tell us how it can be damnable to live in her communion, or to maintain errors which are known and confessed not to be fundamental or damnable.

15. " Fifthly. If her errors were not damnable, nor did exclude salvation, how can they be excused from schism, who forsook her communion upon pretence of errors which were not damnable?

16. "Sixthly. If D. Potter have a mind to say, that her errors are damnable, or fundamental, let him do us so much charity, as to tell us in particular, what those fundamental errors be. But he must still remember (and myself must be excused for repeating it) that if he say, the Roman church erred fundamentally, he will not be able to shew, that Christ our Lord had any visible church on earth when Luther appeared: and let him tell us, how protestants had, or can have, any church which was universal, and extended herself to all ages, if once he grant that the Roman church ceased to be the true church of Christ; and, con

sequently, how they can hope for salvation if they deny it to us.

17. "Seventhly. Whether any one error maintained against any one truth, though never so small in itself, yet sufficiently propounded as testified or revealed by Almighty God, do not destroy the nature and unity of faith, or at least is not a grievous offence excluding salvation?

18. "Eighthly. If this be so, how can Lutherans, Calvinists, Zuinglians, and all the rest of disagreeing protestants, hope for salvation, since it is manifest, that some of them must needs err, against some such truth as is testified by Almighty God, either fundamental, or at least not fundamental?

19. "Ninthly. We constantly urge, and require to have a particular catalogue of such points, as he calls fundamental: a catalogue, I say, in particular, and not only some general definition, or description, wherein protestants may perhaps agree, though we see that they differ, when they come to assign what points in particular be fundamental; and yet upon such a particular catalogue much depends: as for example, in particular, whether or no a man doth not err in some points fundamental or necessary to salvation? and whether or no Lutherans, Calvinists, and the rest, do disagree in fundamentals? which, if they do, the. same heaven cannot receive them all.

20. "Tenthly, and lastly. I desire that in answering to these points, he would let us know distinctly, what is the doctrine of the protestant English church concerning them, and what he utters only as his own private opinion.

21. "These are the questions, which, for the

present, I find it fit and necessary for me to ask of D. Potter, or any other who will defend his cause, or impugn our's. And it will be in vain to speak vainly, and to tell me, that a fool may ask more questions in an hour, than a wise man can answer in a year; with such idle proverbs as that: for I ask but such questions as for which he gives occasion in his book, and where he declares not himself, but after so ambiguous and confused a manner, as that truth itself can scarce tell how to convince him so, but that with ignorant and ill-judging men, he will seem to have somewhat left to say for himself, though papists (as he calls them) and puritans should press him contrary ways at the same time: and these questions concern things also of high importance, as whereupon the knowledge of God's church, and true religion, and consequently salvation of the soul depends. And now, because he shall not tax me with being like those men in the gospel, whom our blessed Lord and Saviour charged with laying heavy burdens upon other mens' shoulders, who yet would not touch them with their finger; I oblige myself to answer, upon any demand of his, both to all these questions, if he find that I have not done it already, and to any other, concerning matter of faith, that he shall ask. And I will tell him very plainly, what is catholic doctrine, and what is not, that is, what is defined, or what is not defined, and rests but in discussion amongst divines.

22. "And it will be here expected, that he perform these things, as a man who professeth learning should do; not flying from questions which concern things as they are considered in their own nature, to accidental or rare circum