1. SIR some while since , you wrote a booke of the Visibility of your Church , calling it via tuta , a safe way ; prouoked therevnto , as you say , by the challenge of a Iesuit : to which now after a long pause , you seeme to answeare , though it bee not ( as you also say ) your profession ; thereby to vindicate the cause of your Mother , the Church of England ; and maintaine your owne credit . And all this you pretend to doe out of our owne authors . It is true Sir Humphrey , that a Iesuit made you a challenge , as many haue done before , and doe still to all Protestants , to shew where their Church was before Luther ; and thereby haue putt them to much study and paine , to find her out . And some finding the taske soe hard , haue beene faine to turne about another way , and tell vs it is not needfull for the Church to be visible , which they proue , God's arrow against God's enemyes by Hen Smith . Cap. 5. Fulke Apoc. cap. 12. because in the dayes of Elias it perished , as they say ; for he said he was left alone ; and in the Apocalyps it is said , that the Woman shall fly into the desert . Which say they is all one , as that the Church must be inuisible . But you now , as it should seeme , taking your self to bee somewhat a better man then others that haue gone before you , will needs take vpon you to shew where your Church was before Luther . Wherein you are soe glorious and confident , that you stile your booke a safe way leadinge all Christians to the true , ancient , and Catholique faith , now professed in the Church of England ; and this you vndertake to performe by the testimonies and confessions euen of your best learned aduersaries .

2. Which booke of yours , though it hath beene long out , and gained you much fame among some of your owne sect , yet amonge Catholiques it hath seemed of soe small account as noe man hath all this while thought it worth the answearing , thinking it the best way of answeare for such toyes to let them dye as they springe : but since you not conceiuing this to bee the true reason of our silence , nor hauing reguard to your owne credit which is lesse impaired by silence then writing , stand still printing and reprinting this your wise peece of worke , I haue thought good to giue it some answeare . For though my intention at first , were only to satisfye a priuate freind , ( which was somewhat stumbled with it ) by gathering some few corruptions , whereby hee might guesse of the rest ; Yet coming to reade your booke , and finding the very choyce hard in such aboundance of corruptions ; and considering that many conceiued highly thereof , the rather because it was not answeared , I resolued vpon a little more full answeare , which might serue for satisfaction , not onely of that one freind , but of others also , who may haue conceiued the like opinion of this your booke : the very title and first page especially mouing mee therevnto , in which are contained soe great promises , or rather soe great braggs , that if Sir Humphrey , you make them good , wee may well change your name from Sir Humphrey to Sir Hercules ; for it is more then an Herculian labour which you vndertake therein : if you doe not , I presume you wil be content to change your surname of Lynde to another word , not farre different in sound , as beginning with the two first letters the same , and more sutable to your deeds : though ( not to vndubbe you ) howsoeuer the matter fall out , there will still be left for you a title of Sir . Which title should seeme a little by your phrase of speaking , to bee the thing that made you engage your selfe in this quarrell , as if by the honour of your Knighthoode you thought your selfe bound therevnto : which if it were , Sir Fr. Hastings . Sir Edw. Hobby . Sir Edw. Cooke . you might haue remembred , how ill some such Knight venturers as your self haue sped with their zeale . But seing , you will not be ware by other men's harmes , but be putting your fingar into the fire , you must take your chance as they did . And for triall of this quarrell you shall giue mee leaue to enter into the lists with you in the examination of the booke it self : heere only I shall a little examine what you say in your dedicatory Epistle .

3. In which , I reflect first , vpon the title , which is , to the religious and well affected Gentry of this Kingdome , what should be the cause , you should dedicate this your worke to the Gentry particularly , the thing yt self pertayning alike to all sortes of men , who haue soules to saue ; vnlesse it were that by hauing specially to doe with Gentlemen , you would faine seeme to haue somewhat of the Gentlemen . For which I blame you not , hauing need thereof : for setting your Knighthood a part , it may be your gentry may be questioned , yf it be true that I haue heard , of the honest Grocer your father , who dwelt next doore to the George in Kings streete : by which your birth as it were by a natural kinde of congruity , you may seeme rather ordained to haue to doe with a pestel and a morter , then a sworde , or pen . This I doe not say Sir Humphrey , that a man meanely borne , may not by his deserts come into a better ranke ; for reason , authority , and example of all sorts teach the contrary ; but because , as nobility of extraction and vertue ioyned together , adde and receiue lustre reciprocally one from the other ; Soe meanesse of qualities or conditions , such as you shew in your writings , and as ( God willing ) I shall out of them manifestly proue , doth more shew it selfe , being ioyned with a meane birth and education , the one as it were bearing witnes of the other . Wherefore mee thinkes Sir , you being priuy to your owne wants of this kind , should haue forborne to proclayme them to the world by this manner of writing ; which euery man presently seeth , cannot come from an ingenuous disposition , such as a Gentleman is presumed to haue .

4. But now to come to your Epistle it self , you say you haue attempted to send forth this Essay of your poore endeauours , to make the world see , it is noe difficult matter for a meane Lay man , to proue the ancient Visibility of the Protestant profession ; prouoked thereto by a Iesuit's challenge , to shew out of good authors , that the Protestant's church was visible in all ages before Luther ; and this you vndertake to doe , not onely out of the most orthodox fathers , but alsoe out of the Romish Bishops . Doctours , Cardinals &c. This essay of your labours Sir Humphrey , is poore indeede , not to stand complementinge with you , as I shall after shew : and for your proofes out of Fathers , and other writers in the Romane Church , wee shall there also see what ones , they are ; that is , either nothing to the purpose , or out of Authors branded with the marks of heresy , or at least temerity and singularity . For the challenge it selfe , wherein consisteth the state of the question , I say heere , that you doe not sett it downe soe truely and fully , as you should . For you were to shew the Visibility of your Church , by naming some who in all ages did professe the Protestant faith , as it is now taught , and professed in England , entirely beleiuing all that is heere beleiued , and beleeuinge nothing els that is contrary vnto it . Which you might haue done , if it could be done , out of some good histories , without standing vpon proofes of the particular points of doctrine , out of this or that author , for that was not to the present purpose .

5. Neither were it sufficient , as you say in your next paragraphe , seeing it is confessed on all sides , that the faith of Christ in the first age had visible Professours , therefore to proue that the Faith of the Church of England is that , which was deliuered to the Saints by Christ , and his Apostles , without farther recitall of succeeding witnesses : this I say were not sufficient . For the chalenge then which you were now to answeare , and controuersy which you were to handle , was not soe much of the truth of this or that particular point , or of the doctrine euen in generall , but of the Church it self , which was to deliuer the doctrine , and by which we were to come to the knowledge of the truth , who the men were , that were trusted to keepe the depositum which S. Paul gaue Timothy charge of , where the Church was , which the same S. Paul calleth the howse of God , the pillar and firmament of truth ? Which was the seede of Christ , whereof I say prophecieth , and promiseth in the person of God the Father , to his Sonne , that hee would neuer take away the words of truth from their mouth ? Hoc foedus meum cum eis dicit Dominus . Spiritus meus , Isai. 59.21 . qui est in te , & verba mea , quae posui in ore tuo , non recedent de ore tuo , & de ore seminis tui , & de ore Seminis Seminis tui , dicit Dominus , amodo & vsque in sempiternum . This is my couenant with them saith our Lord. My spiritt that is in thee , and my words that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth , and out of the mouth of thy seede , and out of the mouth of thy Seed's seede saith our Lord from this present and for euer . Who they bee , to whom our blessed Sauiour himself in person , and with his owne mouth promised , that he would send the Spirit of truth to remayne with them for euer ? and that himself would be with them to the consummation of the world ? Soe as this controuersy being of the Church it self , which was to be found out , by the visibility and succession thereof , not soe much by the doctrine , it could be no way sufficient to proue that the doctrine of the Protestant church , was taught anciently : though that can neuer bee proued . For as I say the question is not of the doctrine , but of the persons : Wherein the Iesuit tooke the right way , like a wise man and a good scholar , to find out the Doctrine , which is a thing more spirituall and lesse subiect to the sense , by that which is corporall and more subiect to the view of all sorts of men . For this is the way that all Scholars , in the teaching of all Sciences take , to wit , to beginne with that which is knowne and euident , and by it to come to the knowledge of that which is hidden , according to Aristotel's Doctrine .

6. And this hath euer beene the way , which the holy fathers haue taken , eyther in prouing the Catholique faith , or disprouinge of heresies . Soe Tertullian , (a) (a) praescrip. cap. 32. & lib. 3. car . adu . Marcio . soe Irenaeus , (b) (b) lib. 3. cap. 1.2.3 . & lib. 4. cap. 43.45.46 . soe Cyprian , (c) (c) ep. 52. & 76. Optatus , (d) (d) lib. 2. aduer. Parm. and most of all that great Doctour S. Augustine (e) (e) psal. 2. part . Don. & ep. 165. & de vtil . credend . cap. 7. in seuerall places ; and particularly in his booke de vtilitate credenai : where writinge to his freind Honoratus , whom he laboureth to draw from the Manichaean heresy , and putting case that he did doubt what religion to follow , he saith without doubt he were to beginne his enquiry from the Catholique Church . Proculdubio ab Ecclesia Catholica sumendum exordium . For saith hee , whereas there be among Christians many heresies , all which desire to seeme Catholiques , and call others Haeretiques , there is one Church , as all graunt , if you reguard the whole world refertior multitudine , vt autem qui nouerunt affirmant etiam veritate sincerior caeteris omnibus , sed de veritate alia quaestio est . More full of people , and as they that know her for truth more sincere then any other : but of the truth , it is another question . Soe as heere Saint Augustine maketh the first question of the Church it self : Which he maketh to bee the first thing that a man that doubteth and seeketh to saue his soule must enquire after , leauing the truth of the doctrine to be disputed in the second place . praescr . cap. 19. The like also hath Tertullian giuing withall a good reason thereof : for making this prescription or exception against Haeretiques , that we are not to admitt them soe farre as to dispute with them of Scriptures , he sayth it is first to be disputed . Quibus competat fides ipsa &c. to whom faith it selfe belongeth , to the which the Scriptures pertaine . From whom , and by whom , and when , and to whom that discipline was deliuered , whereby men are made Christians . For where it shall appeare , that there is the truth of Christian discipline and faith there shal be the truth of scriptures and expositions , and all Christian traditions , soe Tertullian . In whose iudgement it is plaine , that we are first to seeke the persons that professe the faith , that is the Church : because there certainely is the truth to be found . Which is the course wee Catholiques take , and perswade other men to take , following the stepps of our Forefathers ; to wit , to seeke out the Visible Church : whereas Haeretiques , as appeareth by Saint Augustine in the same booke , take the cleane contrary course iust as you doe heere Sir Humphrey .

7. This therefore being the thing which you , should haue done , and you being soe mistaken in it , what can be expected at your hands , but that by declining the question , in steede of vindicatinge your Mother's cause , and maintayning your owne credit , you betray the one , and ouerthrow the other ; being not able to shew your pedigree and Succession , and in steed of making men see it is noe difficult matter to proue your visibility , to make them see it is not onely difficult , but also impossible . For though you pretend facility in words , yet in deeds you shew impossibility . That then which you say in your brauery , that you will meete the aduersary vpon his owne ground , and deale with him at his owne weapon euery man seeth how false and vaine a florish it is . For your aduersaryes ground that hee appointeth you , is to shew your Succession in all ages ; and his weapon is a catalogue of Bishops and Pastours succeeding one another ; Euangelists , and Doctours , the former to gouerne , the later to instruct , such as S. Paul , mentioneth Ephes. 4.11 . And he gaue some Apostles , and some Prophets , and other some Euangelists , and other some Pastours and Doctours , to the consummation of the Saints , vnto the worke of the ministery , vnto the edifying of the body of Christ , vntill wee meete all into the vnity of Faith . Bring such a Succession of Pastours , such a people , liuing in this or that Citty or Countrey , professing the same faith and beleife which Protestants now doe ; and you meete your aduersary vpon the same termes ; for of this kind of weapon he hath offered you many , as Genebrard , Gualterus , Bellarmine , Sanders , and many others . Bring such a catalogue of your owne , like one of these , and then you discharge your creditt , which till then lieth engaged . And for this you should not haue needed to take all that paines , nor putt your selfe to those straites of prouing out of our owne Bishops , Cardinals , Doctours &c. that your Doctrine hath beene taught in former ages . For to be as liberal with you agayne ; the Iesuit would haue giuen you the freedome to take all manner of Writers , whether Catholiques or Haeretiques , Pagans , Iewes , Turkes , or what profession els soeuer they were of , to see whether out of all together , you could patch vpp a Catalogue , or bring any the least mention of such a goodly people and commonwealth ; as wee see suddainely started vpp in the world , vpon the reuolt of Luther . For we Catholiques haue a publique testimony of the Visibility of our Church , from all sorts of men , all sects and professions whatsoeuer , that being a condition and property , whereof the whole world cannot but take notice , and consequently all manner of men must necessarily witnesse .

8. And therefore Sir Humhrey while you thinke you haue hitt the bird in the eye , by prouing ( though you should proue it as you neuer can ) out of our Cardinals , Bishops , and Doctours , that your faith was taught in former ages , you are cleane mistaken . For Visibility and antiquity are two different properties : antiquity properly belongeth to the doctrine and beleife of the Church ; but Visibility properly belongeth to the Church it self , as it is a Church , to wit , a community , commonwealth , or kingdome consisting of men liuing in a certaine forme of gouernment , and professing a certaine outward forme or face of Religion , by Sacrifice , Sacraments , and other rites , tending to the worship of God and Sanctification of themselues , wherein all that are of that Community doe participate , and thereby are distinguished and differenced from all such as are not of the same Community and profession . Wherefore you being chalenged to shew such a community , and flying from that to proue the antiquity of your Doctrine , out of our Fathers and Schoolmen , what els doe you doe , but confesse your Church to want Visibility , and your selfe honesty , by endeauouring to deceiue men with a specious title of a safe way ; intending indeed to leade them , from the true safe way of the Catholique Church , into such certaine by-ways and corners , as our B. Sauiour foretold vs of , when hee said , that False Prophets should come and tell vs , loe here is Christ , or there , doe not beleeue them . And by this you may perceiue , how vnfittly you ioyne , or rather confound antiquity and Visibility , by saying in the very beginninge of this your Epistle , the ancient visibility of the Protestant profession , and soe in many other places . For Visibility must as well be new , to follow your manner of speaking , as ancient : that is , it is a thing which hath beene without interruption , is , and euer must bee to the worlds end , in the true Church of God ; and is noe more tyed to these primitiues or ancient tymes , then to these later of ours , nor noe more to those tymes of ours then to those that shall come after vs againe . Or if it more belong to one tyme then another , it rather belongeth more to succeeding tymes . For as it is cleare by the Prophecies going before our B. Sauiour's coming , and the accomplishment of the same , after his coming the Church was to beginne as all things els in this world , from a small beginning ; and after , by tyme and continuance , receiue a greater encrease ; and by little and little come to spread ouer the whole world ; at which tyme , it must needs be more visible then in the beginninge . Soe that little Stone , Dan. 2.36 . which the Prophett Daniel speaketh of in figure of the Kingdome of Christ , which is his Church , grew by little and little to be soe great a mountaine , as it filled the whole Earth : at which tyme certainely , it was more visible then at first , when it was but beginning . Soe the Church which began at Hierusalem , & from thence was spread by degrees to other Countries , and is to goe on increasing to the vtmost bounds of the Earth , to the very end of the World , must needes be more visible and apparant , as it goeth more dilating it self in space of place , and continuance of tyme .

9. But now you come vpon vs with a counter challenge , demanding by what authority of scriptures and ancient Fathers , we haue imposed new articles of Christian beleife vppon Preists and people : for , as you say , truth denyes antiquity and vniuersality to the principal articles of the new Roman Creede : and you say our best learned Romanists , professe that most of them were vnknowne to antiquity . Wherefore after a digression against implicite faith , and our altering and changing the ten commandements ( as you say very wisely ) you wish , that they that vrge a catalogue of such Protestants , as haue in all ages professed your 39. articles , should produce one ancient orthodox father in euery age , for these 1500. yeares , who hath held all our Trent articles de fide , and that then you will acknowledge our Professours visible in all ages ; our Cardinals , Bishops , & Schoolemen mistaken , & that they are to bee reformed by an Index expurgatorius ; you will acknowledge the nouelty of your Church , and submitt your selfe with an implicite faith to the Romane Church . Soe you : for your counterchallenge Sir Humphrey , had you marked the challenge well , you might haue spared it ; for the Iesuit required you to performe nothing , but that which many on the Catholique part haue performed ready to your hand , that is , that you should bring such a Catalogue of succession , for proofe of the Visibility of your Church , as we did many of ours , as Sanders , Bellarmine , Gualterus , & others . You aske by what authority we impose new articles of beleife vpon men ? this question is not to the purpose : but I answeare , by denying your supposition ; for we doe not impose new articles vpon men , but defend the old , against new fangled fellowes , neither is this the proper place for you to require , or for vs to bring proofes out of Fathers & Scriptures of particular points ; whereof you cannot but know , that many great and learned men in the Catholick Church , haue written great volumes ; which noe haeretique hath euer yet durst venture to answeare , how then can you soe brasenly say , that our owne best learned confesse , that the articles of the Trent-Creede as you call them , are vnknowne to antiquity : what point is there defined in the Councel of Trent , which is not proued by way of authority of scriptures & fathers by Iudocus Coccius , by way of reason and solution of arguments by Bell. by way of history by Baronius , to say nothing of others ? some may perhaps say , that some points there defined were not before defined by any general Councel ; but to bring any Catholique to say that they are new or that they were not anciently nor commonly beleeued I dare say Sir Humphrey , is more then you can proue : but suppose any one may say , that there is noe proofe extant in any ancient author of this or that point , must it therefore follow that it is new ? noe surely , for all things are not written , as S. Iohn verifyeth of our Sauiour's owne words and deeds : how much lesse then other things , which yet are generally taught and practized in the Catholique Church : which very practize without farther proofe S. Augustine maketh to be an argument of antiquity ? Aug cont . Don. lib. 4.24 . but of this newnesse of faith , whereof you soe ignorantly complaine , and likewise of implicite faith , I shall say more afterwards .

10. Now for our leauinge out the second commandement wherewith you tax vs , and changing the fourth from sanctify the Sabboth to Sanctify the holydayes , it is pitty you are soe hard driuen , as when you are called vpon to proue your Succession and Visibility of your Church , to fall vpon vs for the commandements : a thing of soe different nature and soe triuiall . For first it is false , that we leaue out that which you call the second commandment , Looke in our bibles and see whether you find it not there in all Editions , and translations as well English as Latine , or any other language whatsoeuer . How then doe we leaue it out ? you will say we leaue it out in our catechismes ; true : but to leaue a thing out of a catechisme , is not absolutely to leaue it out , as long as it is els where . But besids to answeare you another way , wee leaue out many other things , as that God is a iealous God , that hee reuengeth the Sinnes of the Father to the 3. and 4. generation and the like , though they goe intermingled with the commandements in the text : and this we doe without blame ; because they eyther pertaine not precisely to the commandement , or are sufficiently expressed in the very words of the commandement it self . Soe wee say of this , that it is either contayned in the first commandement being onely an explication of the same ; or if it be a distinct precept as some Deuines say , then is it ceremoniall onely , and consequently abrogated with the whole Law .

11. Soe likewise for the other commandement of Sanctifying the Holy-dayes I answeare that in our bibles or text of scripture we keepe the word Sabboth , and in most and best catechismes also , as for example Canisius , Bellarmines large catechisme , and others but specially in that of the Councel of Trent sett out by authority of Pius V. Which were answeare enough to shew we make noe such mystery of it , since sometymes we say Sabboth sometymes Holydayes : as indeede we well may , the sense being the same : and we may better vse this liberty in catechismes , where we stand not soe much to cite the very words of scripture , as to declare the meaning of them ; though in the text it selfe we keepe precisely to the very words . Where yet we explicate it in the same sense , following therein the example of Scripture it self , which vseth those words indifferently as may appeare Leuit. cap. 23. Where other Holydayes beside the Saturday or Sabboth are called Sabbata 3. or 4. tymes in that one chapter : and in the beginning thereof those dayes which are called Sabbata , are called twice Feriae sanctae Holydayes . Soe as you Sir Humfrey in making such a deale of difference betweene Sabboth and Holyday shew your self to be but shallowly read in scripture . Besids I may answeare to this as to the former obiection , that this commandment was partly ceremonial , to wit , for as much as pertayneth to that particular day of saturday , and partly natural , to wit , soe farre as it obligeth to the obseruing of some daye or tyme holy indeterminately .

12. But if we be such great offenders for changing ●●e word Sabboth in some of our catechi●mes into Holyday , what are you for changing the very commandement while you stand working vpon Saturday , and rest vpon Sunday , soe changing the Sabboth it self ? but what stuffe is this for you to trouble your gentry Readers withall in the very beginning of your booke , and in your Epistle dedicatory forsooth , and not onely to touch vpon it heere , but to print the commandements faire in a leafe by themselues , with a marginal note of Ledaesma's catechisme of 2. or 3. editions , as if you would make your Reader stand at some goodly gaze ? but by this a man may easily guesse what matter hee is like to find in the booke it selfe . I could haue noted a thing of the same kind of yours in this Epistle , in the first leafe where you say , truth is iustifyed of her Children , whereas the text of scripture is Wisedome is iustified &c: but that I did not count it worth speaking of .

13. Touching your great boast , that if we can shew one good author in euery age for this 1500. yeares , who hath held our Trent articles , as you call them , de fide , you will confesse our Doctours , Schoolmen , &c. to be mistaken , and to neede an index expurgatorius ; and that you will submitt your self to the Romane Church , acknowledging the nouelty of your owne church : Forasmuch as this your promise seemeth by the manner , to be but a proud vaunt to delude the simple reader , to make him more confident by your example in his false beleife , I shall not much reguard it , or any thing els which you shall say in that kind : for your deeds giue mee assurance of deepe malice , and peruersnes soe grounded in your hart , as that they hinder you from beholding the light of truth , for which cause I cannot but reckon you in the number of them , of whom S. Paul lamentingly saith . 2. Cor. 4.3 . Quod si opertum est euangelium nostrum , in ijs qui pereunt est opertum , in quibus Deus huius saeculi excoecauit mentes infidelium , vt non fulgeat illis illuminatio euangelij . If our Ghospel be couered or hidd , in them that perish it is hidd , in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of the vnfaithfull , that the light of the Ghospel may not shine vnto them . For otherwise how were it possible , that in such great aboundance of Catholique authors , now in this age prouing the verity of the Catholique faith , some by way of controuersy , some by way of history , others by way of chronology , others by way of authority , others by way of schoole diuinity , you should come to aske for one in euery age ? what is Gualterus his whole chronology , but to proue twelue verityes now adayes most controuerted by the testimonyes of Fathers and Doctours in euery age ? Doth not Genebrard in his chronology , at the end of euery 100. yeares , note the antiquity of the Catholique beleife , in most of all these points citinge the places where the Fathers and Doctours their testimonyes and proofes are to bee found ?

14. But you say , they were not taught de fide as points of Faith ; what is that to say ? that they were neuer defined all in any general Councel , I grant you that ; but what then ? must they not therefore belong to Faith ? how many points be there that were neuer soe defined ? will it not serue your turne , that they were commonly beleeued without contradiction of any , as all these were ? or if some one Doctour should bee singular in his opinion , yet soe as to be ready to submit his iudgment to the definition of the church , what would this hinder ? nay would it not much helpe to proue the continual Visibility & supereminent authority of the Church , which is the question now betweene vs ? but of this more afterwards . Now for our Doctours , whom you will confesse to be mistaken , in witnessing the antiquity of your doctrine , I wil say nothing heere , but in dew place wil shew how notoriously you falsifye some , impertinently alleadge others , and eyther very maliciously or very ignorantly bring condemned knowne Haeretiques against vs , for authors of our owne .

15. In which reguard I cannot but admire to heare you soe hypocritically to conclude your Epistle , saying that though by the prouocation of a Iesuit , you haue putt your sickle into another man's haruest , yet you witnesse a true confession before God and Man , that you haue neither wilfully not wittingly falsified any one author , eyther in citation , or translation in this treatise . What execrable periury this is I shall after demonstrate . Prius vos ostendens fabricatores mendacij . First shewing you to be framers of lyes , as I may say to you Sir Humphrey , with soe much more reason then Iob did to his freinds ; by how much they did vrge him not with any false doctrines , but onely mis-applied truths . Whereas you offend in all kind of falshood . For euen where you happ to cite a place truely , for soe much as pertaineth to the words , you doe it soe cleane kam from the authors meaning , and discourse , that euery man may see how euidently false , and consequently how iniurious both to God and Man that profession of yours is , wherein you call them to witnesse your truth & honesty in the citing of authors .

16. And therefore whereas you seeme to attribute the slipps , if there be any , to your owne weakenesse , which you are content ingenuously to confesse , if they be shewed you moderately , plainely , and faithfully : I must deale freely with you Sir Humphrey , and tell you , that indeede I take your weaknesse or ignorance to be noe whit lesse , if not more , then you seeme to acknowledge , both by what I find in this treatise , & by what I heare from some that know you well , and verily thinke you scarse skill euen of ordinary Latin much lesse of such other Learning as is needfull for writing books of this nature . Wherevpon they conclude this booke to be none of yours , but some Ministers who hath borrowed your name and title to countenance his worke withall : and that you being somewhat greedy of glory were content to lend it , not considering that by soe doing ( that is ) by fathering such a booke , you are to vndergoe all the reprehension and shame which shall ensew vpon the discouery of the author's ignorance and weaknesse whosoeuer he be . But because this is but a probable coniecture I will not build vpon it , but taking you for author , seeing it beareth your name , I shall discouere not onely your great weaknes and ignorance which you acknowledge , but greater obstinacy and malice , soe as thereby it may plainely appeare that your faults are not soe much to be termed slipps of ignorance or weaknes , as slowes of malice of purpose to plunge your Reader , and make him sticke fast in some myre of mis-beleife and infidelity with your selfe .

17. Which obstinacy and malice to be the true cause of all your errours , whatsoeuer you may pretend to the contrary , doth yet farther appeare in that hauing receiued a foile or two , and together with them good admonitions ,

A plea for the reall praesence by I. O.

A defence of the appendix by L.D.