To the Religious and well affected Gentrie of this Kingdome.

IF for no other
cause, yet for
this alone
that the
world may know it is no
difficult matter for a meane
Lay-man to prooue the ancient
visibilitie of the Protestant
profession, I haue
attempted to send foorth
this Essay of my poore endeuours
in this cause, being

A 2

thereunto prouoked by a
challenge heretofore sent
vnto me, by a Iesuite, in
these words: viz. That
Sir Humfrey, or his
friends should prooue
out of some good Authors,
that the Protestant
Church was in all ages
visible, especially in the
ages before Luther.
It is not my profession, I
must confesse, to returne
challenges or publish works
of this nature; yet knowing
that Truth is iustified of
her children; I haue presumed,
as a child of that
Mother, to vindicat her
cause, and maintaine my
owne reputation: and in answer
hereunto I shall present
such proofes as are
warranted by Certificat
and confession, not onely of
the most orthodox Fathers,
but of the Romish
Bishops and Cardinals, and
other moderne Writers in
the Romane Church.
It is an vndoubted truth
& subscribed by both parties,
that the faith which
Christ and his Apostles
taught in the first age had
visible professors in al ages.
It were therefore sufficient
without any further recital

A 3

of succeeding witnesses to
proue that the now Faith
of the Church of England
is that Faith which was
once deliuered to the Saints
by Christ and his Apostles,
but I rather condescend to
meete the Aduersarie vpon
his owne ground, and to
deale with him at the same
weapon which himselfe
hath chosen, wherein on our
part the Ancient Fathers
shall be my Champions,
and his owne Romish Bishops,
and Cardinals, and
Schoolemen shall be my Seconds,
as being Testes
veritatis witnesses of Gods
truth professed in our
Church:
Of what strength and
force is Truth, shal appeare
by
this that shee extorts a
full and ample testimonie
from her sworne enemies
to make good the visibility
of our Church, nor that only,
but she denyes antiquity
and vniuersalitie to the
principall Articles of the
new Romane Creed, wherin
she points forth that old
and true way, and this is
acknowledged on both sides
to be Via tuta, The safe
Way: vpon which ground
it is likewise lawfull for me

A 4

to frame a counterchallenge
by demanding, By what
authoritie of Scriptures,
& ancient Fathers they
haue imposed new Articles
of Christian beliefe
vpon Priests & people?
sure I am, those twelue new
coined Articles declared by
their gra~d Councel of Trent
and published by Pope Pius
the fourth, are so far short
from the knowledge of antiquitie,
that as yet they
are scarce vnderstood amongst
their own Disciples
for Articles of Faith. And
their best learned Romanists
professe openly, that
most of them were vnknowne
to former ages.
It is no wonder, that a
blind obedience and an implicit
faith is so much obtruded
to the ignorant of
the Romane Church, when
their best learned Doctors
are forced to confesse touching
the chiefe Articles
wherein they differ from
vs that they can neither
subsist by Antiquitie, nor
stand with the safety of the
beleeuer: Neither may it
seeme strange that these me~
should create new Articles
of faith, when as they dare
alter and detract from the

A 5

Commandements of God;
witnesse their Decalogue so
often published by the
Church of Rome, here now
prefixed wherein not only
the second Commandement,
is left out as it is vsually
in all their Psalters but the
fourth Co~mandement, touching
the Sabbath day is
changed into these words:
Remember thou sanctifie
Holy-dayes: But as
for these peccadillos, the
recitall of them I account a
sufficient refutation: In the
meane time, those men who
call for a Catalogue of
names of such Protestants
as taught and professed the
39. Articles of Religion of
our Church, in all ages, let
them in euery age produce
one Ancient and orthodox
Father, who did teach and
maintaine their twelue new
Articles de Fide which
they command vnder a
curse to be beleeued of all
men I say let them produce
but one in euery age, or but
any one in all the ages for
1500. yeares after Christ,
till the dayes of Luther,
that taught and beleeued all
their twelue new Articles
de Fide as points of faith,
and for that one good Authors
sake, I will be so liberal,
as to acknowledge their
professors visible in al ages;
I will say their Bishops, and
Cardinals, and Schoolemen,
which haue witnessed the
Antiquitie of our doctrine,
were mistaken, and ought to
bee reformed by an Index
Expurgatorius, I will testifie
the Reformed Churches
are guiltie of Noueltie,
and submit my obedience
with an implicit faith to
the Romane Church.
And, as touching my owne
particular, I professe,
through the prouocation of
a Iesuite, I haue vnwillingly
thrust my sickle into other
mens haruest; yet I
witnesse a true confession
before God and man, that I
haue neither willingly, nor
wilfully falsified any one
Author either in citation,
or translation in this Treatise:
If any slips haue hapned
which I doe confesse
for want of helpe and opportunitie
may befall me
let it be shewed mee by answer
moderately, plainely,
and faithfully, and I will
ingeniously confesse the
weaknesse, not of our doctrine,
but of my own handling.
So for this time, vntill
it please God to giue opportunitie
to publish some further
fruits of my labours
in this kind: I heartily desire
good interpretation,
and fauourable acceptance
of the beginnings and endeuours
of him, who is
At your seruice in
Christ, and for
his Truth,

H.L.