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bosom , and called in such as be thought meet to hear it read . And after he had read it , he delivered it to me to be answered . ' After Crowley had finished his answer , he published it , ( together
with Pownde ' s pamphlet ) under the following title : " An Aunswer to Sixe Reasons , that Thomas Pownde , Gentleman , and prisoner in the Marshalsey : at the commaundement of Her Majesties commissioners , for causes ecclesiasticale , required to be aunswered . Because these reasons
do move him to think , that controversies and doubts in religion may not be judged by the Scriptures , but that the Scriptures must be judged by the Catholique Church . 1 st , For that the Scriptures are mute and dum . 2 nd , For that they be full of
harde and deepe mysteries . 3 rd , For that St . Peter sayth , No Scripture is to be taken after any private interpretation . 4 th , For that to appeale to the Scriptures , dooth seeme to denie all unwritten verities . 5 th , For that it were a great absurditie , not to
have a certaine judge of absolute authoritie , in the interpreting of Scriptures , &c . 6 th , For that in refusing the authoritie of the churches absolute judgement herein , we seem to denie the Holie Ghost to be the
spirite of trueth . Written by Robert Crowley , London , 1581 . " So much for the history of this tract . There is nothing worth extracting under the 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd heads , but I think the 4 th will amuse some of your readers .
" The 4 th reason , ( says Pownde ) is , because by appealing only to the Scriptures , you seem to give men liberty to deny all unwritten verities , which we have received of the church , either by express definition in general council , or but by tradition . And I
believe at my first naming of unwritten verities , Maister Crowley and his fellows will laugh straitway , as though all such were but fables . But to temper their folly ( I will not say
their pride ) a little in that point , I ask them all this question — I low they prove the trinity of persons in the unity of substance in Godhead by the express Scriptures ? Or the two distinct natures in Christ , and but one pertfon ^—or God the Father to be
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Ingenitus—or the proceeding of the Holy Ghost , both from the Father and from the Son , as from one fountain—or the descending of Christ into hell , by plain words of Scriptureor the custom of baptizing infants ,
seeing the Scripture rather soundeth as though they should be first taught their faith , before they were baptized , saying — " Go and teach all nations , baptizing them , " &c . ? Yea , and why not may any heretic deny all our three creeds : both the Apostles ' Creed , the Nicene Creed as it is
called , and the Creed of St . Athanasius , seeing never a one of these is written in Scripture expressly , but all left us upon credit of the church ? Mark you not how these Bedlam
Scripture men would shake all the foundations of-our faith , by binding us to believe nothing but Scripture - Do not these blind guides , think you , lead us a trim dance toward
infidelity ?" Crowley thus undertakes to prove " the trinity of persons in the unity of substance in Godhead , by the express Scriptures . " " The Prophet . David hath written thus : Ps . ex .
' The Lord said to my Lord , sit thou at my right hand , till I make thine enemies thy footstool . The Lord shall send out of Zion the sceptre of thy power : bear thou rule in the midst amongst his enemies . * * The Lord / That is God the Father . ' Said
to my Lord . ' That is God the Son . Here we have two distincted persons , the Father and the Son . And in the second verse he saith , ' The Lord shall send out of Zion the sceptre of thy power , ' which is the word of the gospel : and this sceptre was sent out of Zion , by the Holy Ghost , in the feast of Pentecost . So that here we
have the third person , aad consequently three distinct persons . " Whether Crowley ' s reasoning wrought any conviction in Pownde ' s mind , I have no means of ascertaining ; but I think many of the modern defenders of Trinitarian ism must have
felt the truth of Powhde ' s prediction , and that " these Bedlam Scripture men have shaken all the foundations of the orthodox faith , by binding . us to believe nothing but Scripture . *' EDWARD TAYLOR .
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356 A Catholic Challenge to Protestant Trinitarians .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1817, page 356, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2465/page/36/
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