Catholike Questions to the Protestants

Extract

I pray thee Protestant beare with mee,

To aske thee questions two or three :

And if an answere thou canst make,

More of thy councaile I will take.

Many and sundry sects appeare now in the world far and near:

The Protestant, the Puritan, the Calvinist, the Zwinglian,

The Brownists and the Family of love

And many more which I can prove,

And the Roman Fayth truly, Which you do call Papistry.

All these in very deed,

Rehearse all Articles in the Creed,

And every one of them sayth, That theirs is the Catholike Fayth.

How should I among all these, Know the truth from fayned Lies?

For every one confesse Jesu,

Saying that their faith is true :

But this is it that I doe seeke, To know the Church Catholike :

The Communion of the company

Of holy men in unity.

CATHOLIKE.

In your Bibles I have read The Church must through the world be spread.

For Christ his Apostles sent, With power and eke commandment :

That to all nations they should go

To preach and to baptize also, Who hath done this to know I will

For that is sure the Church of Christ.

And for example let me know, And if thou canst I pray thee shew,

What company did take in hand

The first conversion of our land?

And all countries every where, Throughout the world farre and neare?

If this were not the Church of Rome

Then will I be converted soone. St. Paul in his Epistle sayth: The Romans had the Catholike fayth :

Saying, it was renowned, Spoken of, and published Through the world over all,, Catholike, Universall If yours were ever so,