R. 1. Thus some men study to deceive, by turning from the question to another. Our question I tell you is Whether the Religion of the Protestants be Infallible? and not, Whence is their name? 2. But by a Protestant we mean only one that taketh the Scripture for the Rule, and Christianity for the Essence of his Religion: Which no one doth that denieth any essential part of it. If we do so, prove it, and you shall have our answer. How do you judge of any man among your selves that taketh Gods word proposed by your Church for his Religion, and yet mistaketh the Church in any point: As Durandus that thought the matter of Bread continues, whom Bellarmine yet denieth to be an Heretic. So is it with any among us that mistake the sense of Scripture in some such point.
When a Name is put upon any person or party from a common accident, you may if you will call all by that name which that accident agreeth to: And so Papists are called by some Non-conformists now in England, because they Conform not: But the world knoweth well enough that it is Protestants which are commonly meant by that name, and not Papists, Quakers, Seekers, &c. though these conform not. And so you may say if it please your self that Turks, Jews, Heathens, Socinians, Quakers, Rangers, are Protestants, because they Protest ⟨p. 59⟩against, or reject Popery: But the world knoweth who is meant by the Name, Even Christians rejecting proper Popery.
And for my part, I deal openly with you, I care not if the name Protestant were utterly cast aside; If any man be so deceived by it as 1. Either to think that it signifieth the Essence of our Religion (unless you mean as we Protest for Christianity.) 2. Or that we take those called Protestants for the whole Catholic Church, they make it an occasion of their own deceit: Names of distinction are used, because men know not else readily how to speak intelligibly of one another without circumlocutions: And then cometh the Sectarian, and taketh his Party, for all the Church (at least which he may lawfully Communicate with), and the name of his party to notify his Religion. And then comes the crafty Papist, and pretends from hence that such a named Religion is new; and asketh you, where was there any (e. g.) Protestants before Luther?
My Religion is naked Christianity, the same as is where the name of a Protestant is not known, and as was before it was known;
R. 1. Thus some men study to deceive, by turning from the question to another. Our question I tell you is Whether the Religion of the Protestants be Infallible? and not, Whence is their name? 2. But by a Protestant we mean only one that taketh the Scripture for the Rule, and Christianity for the Essence of his Religion: Which no one doth that denyeth any essential part of it. If we do so, prove it, and you shall have our answer. How do you judge of any man among your selves that taketh Gods word proposed by your Church for his Religion, and yet mistaketh the Church in any point: As Durandus that thought the matter of Bread continues, whom Bellarmine yet denyeth to be an Heretick. So is it with any among us that mistake the sence of Scripture in some such point.
When a Name is put upon any person or party from a common accident, you may if you will call all by that name which that accident agreeth to: And so Papists are called by some Non-conformists now in England, because they Conform not: But the world knoweth well enough that it is Protestants which are commonly meant by that name, and not Papists, Quakers, Seekers, &c. though these conform not. And so you may say if it please your self that Turks, Jews, Heathens, Socinians, Quakers, Ran•ers, are Protestants, because they Protest ⟨p. 59⟩against, or reject Popery: But the world knoweth who is meant by the Name, Even Christians rejecting proper Popery.
And for my part, I deal openly with you, I care not if the name Protestant were utterly cast aside; If any man be so deceived by it as 1. Either to think that it signifieth the Essence of our Religion (unless you mean as we Protest for Christianity.) 2. Or that we take those called Protestants for the whole Catholick Church, they make it an occasion of their own deceit: Names of distinction are used, because men know not else readily how to speak intelligibly of one another without circumlocutions: And then cometh the Sectarian, and taketh his Party, for all the Church (at least which he may lawfully Communicate with), and the name of his party to notifie his Religion. And then comes the crafty Papist, and pretends from hence that such a named Religion is new; and asketh you, where was there any (e. g.) Protestants before Luther?
My Religion is naked Christianity, the same as is where the name of a Protestant is not known, and as was before it was known;
