and the abhominable and murtherers c. 655 22 And after I had heard and séene I fell downe to worship c. 653 22 Sée thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt c. 743. 842. 890 The third and last table conteyning a short summe of such words or names and matters as are mentioned in this booke A. AAron a type or figure of Christ 332 Aaron his rod. 332 Abraham how he is iustified 3. 387. 554 Abia beléeuinge the ward of the Lord ouercommeth 5000000. men of theâ—ribe of Israel 253 Abigei what they are 279 Abrogation of the Lawe 409 Abrogation of the Iudiciall lawes 427 Abortion what it is 443 Abuse of Christian libertie 449 Alsolom 523 Abuse of the Church goods 1128 Achaz 254 AccusatioÌ„s false and wrongfull 320 Accusations that be iust 322 Actuall sinne and the cause thereof 505 Adam and â—ethusalem 649 Adoration 651 Adamonition before punishmeÌ„t 202 Adulterie spoken against 231 Adulterie and fornication 863 Adulcerie pardoned by Christ 234 Adulterie what things are in it forbidden 234 Arian heretiques condemned 775 Affinitie that the word of God hath with sacraments 291. 892 Afflictions 292 293. 298 299. 307. 310. 311. 312. 313 316. Altar 348 Altar or table of the Lord. 1070 Allthinges of God by God and in God. 494 Amasias 254 Ammon the king rebelling against the word of God after two yeares infortunate reigne was murthered of his owne household servaunts 255 Ambition worketh by priuate gifts 278 Anabaptistes and Nouations the me 〈◊〉 of Sathan 569 Angel and Angels 732. 733. 734. 735. c. vsque 745. Anthropomoâ—phites 118. 613 Antiochus Epiphanes 511 Anthemius 892 Annoynting or annoyling 1136 Apostles of Christ 11 Apostles how they bynde and loose 902 Apostles what they be 877 Apostles bâ—ptise infants 1055 Apostles authoritie very great 12 Apostles Créede 55 Apostles receiue wages 1121 Application of scripture necessarie 903 Appeale 392 Appearing of spirits 392 Article of the Christian faith 55 2 Article 59 3 Article 60 4 Article 63 5 Article 67 6 Article 69 7 Article 74 8 Article 78 9 Article 78 10 Article 81 11 Arâ—icle 84 12 Article 90 Aristocracie 169 Arcke 345. 346. 996. Assemblie 1064 Assemblies that be holy 915. 916 Ascension of Christ 69 Asturia 235 Asa 253 Ascend into heauen 1088 Auncient lawes 387 Authoritie of the Apostles very great 12 Authoritie of fathers 393 Auengment taken by the magistrate 196 Augustines opinion of the righte hand of the father 73 Augustines diuision of signes 955 Augustines sentence touching merites of Saintes 494 Auricular confession 577. 578 581 Authoritie of pastours 912 Authour of Sacraments God himselfe 962 Auncient exposition of the words of the Supper This is my bodie 1086 B. Backbiting pernicions 323 Bargaining buying selling 287 Baptisme 989. 1005. 1013. 1027. 1031. 1033. 1050. 1055. 1060. 1061. 1062. Baptising with water vnconsecrated 1039. 1040. Baptiser 1042 Baptised 824. 1055. 1060 Baâ—lards 395 Baâ—des and Curtisans haue benefices at Rome 900 Belongeth to vs to knowe what was written to theÌ„ in old time 15 Beléeue in the sonne of God. 59 Beléefe of oures the second Article thereof 58 Beléefe in the church forbidden 78 Bed in wedlocke ought to be vndefiled 226 Benâ—fits of God are to be acknowledged 952 Beginning of sinne against the holy Ghost 517 Beginning of the ministerie from whome and the worthines thereof 875 Behauiour of the godly in their calamities 300 Bearing witnesse 319 Birth of Christ 63 Bishops 878. 905. Blaspemie 516. 517 Blessing and thankesgiuing 977 Bloud and strangled forbidden by the apostles 421 Body of Christ 689 Body glorious 87. 88 Body naturall body spirituall 89 Bodies of the wicked rise againe 89 Bonauentures opinion of grace 1003 Bondage 395. 441. 442 Both kindes in the supper giuen receiued 1066 Bow downe to images what it is 122 Bread among the Hebrues what it signifyeth 947 Bread and wine remaine in their substance after consecration 984 Bread and wine are so called after consecration 985 Breaking of bread 1063 Buriall of Christ 65 Buying and selling c. 394 C. Catalogue of the bookes of the diuine Scripture 12 Cause of Christes incarnation 60 Calling to the ministerie 891. 893 Cathechising 907. Calamities 291. 293 Candlesticke golden 347 Carnall and fleshly people 404 Cure of the bodie 448 Cauills of those that attribute iustification to workes 458 Cause of sinne and euill 483 Catholique church what it is 79. 813 Carnall bondage and seruile 991 Carthage counsell for examining of bishops 895 Celebration of the supper c. 1072 Ceremonies 229. 328 329. 330. 364. 413. 415. 424. 1033. 1034. Confession of true religion 366 Charitie 92. 98 Christe as yet executeth all the dueties of a priest in the church 872 Christ what hee receynâ—th to himselfe from his ministerie and apostles 872 Christ is the naturall sonne of God 883 Christ reâ—eyneth both natures vnconfounded together 691 Christ in one person remayneth vndiuided 694 Christ is king of all 698 Christ is a Monarch 698 Christ is cotent to debate with Pilate of his kingdome 700 Christ called the onely sonne 59 Christ how he reigneth on earth in his kingdome 700 Christ Iesus the highe prest 704 Christ is annointed but with inuisible oile 705 Christ doth the office of a priest that is teacheth maketh intercession blesseth sacrificeth and sancrifieth 705 Christe his priesthood 706 Christians are kinges and priesis 709 Christ compared with Adam 49 Christ died not in vaine 50 Christ by interpretation annoynted 60 Christ is our Lord. 60 Christs conception and the maner thereof 62 Christes conception pure 63 Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate 64 Christ a Judge 74 Christ conueyeth himselfe awaye when the people would haue made him a king 218 Christians haue nothing to doe with the yron like Philosophie of the Stoikes 301 Christ coÌ„mandeth vs to beare his crosse 309 Christ and Paule examples to vs. 314 Christ is the rock not Christ signifieth the rocke 991 Christ the first begotten 331 Christ and his Apostles institute scholes 1115 Christ hath taken all burthens froÌ„ our shoulders 437 Christ fulfilled the lawe and is the perfectnes of the faithful 407 Christ alone is our life and saluation 543 Christ doeth fully worke our saluation 544 Christ is receiued by faith and not by workes 548 Christ how he preached the Gospel 548. 661. 862. Church Churches and CoÌ„gregation c. 667. 812. 813. 815. 816. 820. 821. 827. 831. 832. 833. 852. 860. 861. 863. 864. 866. 867. 868. 1118 1127 Circumcision 355. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. Citie and temple of Hierusalem destroyed 413 Clearkes what they were sometime 883 CoÌ„municating of properties 696 Counsell of the priestes forsaken by king Ioas what followed 254 Conscience at quiet peace before God is the worke of the holy ghost 723. Constancie of the Apostles 723 Consecrating of pastours begun with fasting and prayer 897 Concupiscence 108. 949 Consubstantiall and coessentiall 59 Communion of sainctes 80 Confession and acknowledging of sinnes 81
Christianitie but since they were in authoritie and bare the names of magistrates what let is there I pray you whie a true Christian man may not beare that office of a magistrate in his coÌ„mon weal What may be thought of this moreouer that in the new Testament certaine notable men are well reported off who when they were in authoritie were not put beside their offices because they were Christians and of a sound religion Touchinge Ioseph of Arimathea thus we read in Luke And behold there was a man named Ioseph a counsellour Marcke saith a noble Senatour who was a good man a iust the same had not consented to the counsel and deede of them which was of Arimathea a citie of the Iewes which waited also for the kingdome of God. Marke here I beséech you how notable a testimonie this man hath here Ioseph is a counsellour or Senatour yea and that more is a noble senatour too he sate in the Senate and amonge those Iudgâ—s which did coÌ„demne our sauiour christ but because hée consented not to their déede and iudgement he is acquited as guiltlesse of that horrible murder The same is said to haue béene a good man and a iuste and of the number of them that looke for the kingdome of God that is of the number of those which of Christ are called Christians and yet neuerthelesse he was a counsellour or senatour and that too in the Citie of Ierusalem A Christian therfore may lawfullie beare the office of a magistrate Hereunto belonge the examples of the Aâ—thiopiaÌ„ treasurer Actes 8. of Cornelius the Centurion Acts 10. and of Erastus the Chamberleine of Corinth Rom. 16. 2. Tim. 4 But oure desire is to haue the Anabaptistes proue and declare out of the Scriptures that which they obiecte here in saying that these men beinge once conuerted to that faith did streightway put off their roabes of estate and lay aside their magistrats sword For wée haue a litle before by the wordes of S. Augustine vpon Iohn Baptists answere who did himself also preach the Gospel alreadie proued that the souldiers that were baptised were not put beside their office nor coÌ„maunded by Iohn to giue ouer armour and ceasse to be souldiers They obiecte againe that the Lord conueyed himself priuilie away when the people were minded to haue made him a king which say they he would not haue done but because by his example hée would commend humilitie to all Christian people and as it were thereby to commaunde them not to suffer the charge to rule any common weale to be laid on their necks They adde moreouer these sayinges of the Lorde My kingdome is not of this world Againe Kings of nations haue dominion ouer them but ye shal not be so But they vnderstande not that the cause whie the Lord conueyed him selfe away was for the fond purpose of the foolish people which went about by making him a kinge not to doe the wil of God but being blinded with affections to séeke to bring those thinges to passe that were for the ease and fillinge of their bellies For in so much as hée had fedde them miraculously a little before therefore they thoughte that he would be a king for their purpose who was able to giue his subiectes meate without any coste or labour at all Furthermore oure Lord came not to reigne on the earth after the maner of this world as that Iewes imagined and as Pilate feared who dreamt that Messias should reigne as Salomon did and for that cause the Lord doth rightly say My kingdome is not of this world For hée is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righthand of his father hauinge subdued all kinges to himselfe and all the world beside wherein hée reigneth by his word and his spirite and which hée shall come to iudge in the ende of the world And although Christe denieth that his kingdome is of this world yet notwithstanding hée neuer denied that kinges and Princes should come oute of the world into the Church to serue the Lord therein not as men alone but as kinges and men of authoritie But kinges cannot otherwise serue the Lord as kinges but by doing the thinges for which they are called kinges And vnlesse that Christians when they are once made kinges should continue in their office and gouerne kingdoms according to the rule and lawes of Christe how I beséech you should Christe be called kinge of kinges and Lord of Lords Therefore when hée said Kinges of nations haue dominion ouer them but so shal not ye bee hée spake to his Apostles who stroaue amonge themselues for the chiefe and highest dignitie as if hee should haue said Princes which haue dominion in the world are not by my doctrine displaced of their seates nor put beside their throanes for the magistrates authoritie is of force still in the world and in the Church also The kinge or magistrate shall reigne But so shall not yée yée shall not reigne yée shall not be Princes but teachers of the world and ministers of the Churches Thus briefely I haue aunsweared to the Anabaptistes obiections which in other places also I haue many times confuted somewhat more largely By this that héere I haue saide I thincke I haue sufficiently proued that a Christian man cannot onelie but ought of duetie also to take vpon him the office of a magistrate if it be lawfully offered vnto him Now before I make an end of the discourse of this place I will briefly adde what the duetie of subiectes is and what euerie man doth owe to his magistrate First of all the subiectes duetie is to estéeme honestly reuerently and honourably not vilely nor disdainfullie of their magistrates or Princes Let them reuerence and honour them as the deputies and ministers of the eternall god Let them abroade also giue them the honour that is vsuallie accustomed in euerie kingdome and countrie It is a foule thinge for subiectes to behaue themselues vndeceÌ„tly towards their Lords and men of authoritie But a false a lighte or ill opinion once conceyued bréedeth a contempt of the things and persons touching whom that opinion is once taken vppe Some euidente testimonies of Scripture therefore must bée gathered and graffed in euerie mans heart that thereby a iuste estimation and worthie authoritie of magistrates and officers may bée bred and brought vpp in al peoples minds Here by the way let Princes and magistrates take héede to themselues that by a spotted and vnséemelie life they make not themselues contemptible and laughinge stockes and so by their owne defaulte loose all their authoritie amonge the common people The Lord oure God verilie voucheth safe to attribute his owne name to the Princes and magistrates of the people and to call them gods Exod. 21. Psalm 82. The Apostles called them the deputies and ministers of god â— Peter 2. Rom. 13. But who will not thincke wel of godds and them which are the deputies and ministers of god by
are neither euill men nor hypocrites but the verie worste and the most cruell enimies of Christ his trueth openlye blaspheming the Gospel and persecuting those that beléeue in Christ And therefore they neither haue the outward nor yet the inward markes of the Church The Spirite of the Lord resteth vppon those that tremble at the woord of God these men fret and fume if any man vnfeignedly reuerence the woord of God. True faith attributeth onelye vnto Christe all the meanes whereby it commeth vnto euerlasting life these men doe persecute the faithfull beecause they attribute vnto Christe Iesus alone all the meanes whereby they atteine vnto euerlastinge life and will not parte stakes in the meanes of saluation with Popish fancies In steede of charitie they exercise crueltie against their brethren and against their neighbours What shall a man saye of them who abuse the publique goodes of the Churche and spende them according to their owne priuate lustes For that whiche of old time the faithfull haue of charitie giuen to the vse of the church and for the sustentation of the poore that doe these men waste liuing most lecherouflie and filthilie Whiche thing the electe Apostles of the Lord Peter and Thaddeus did fore-tell the Church of GOD of concerning them And as touchinge the outwarde markes of the Churche what shall I saye These men saye that the Canonicall Scripture hath her authoritie in the Churche of Rome and that the same woorde is reade bothe in their Churches and in their Scholes and that the Sacramentes haue their force and are effectuall amoungest them But I can shewe the contrarie First of all they will make subiecte the interpretation of the holy and sacred scriptures vnto their Sea and the righte of iudgement in all cases they giue vnto their idol the Pope of Rome For that canon euery man knoweth Whatsoeuer hee decreeth what soeuer hee establisheth is of all men to bee obserued for euer inuiolably And againe The whole Churche thoroughout the vniuersall worlde knoweth that the holye Churche of Rome hath authoritie to giue iudgement of all thinges neither is it lawefull for anye to giue iudgement of her iudgements Therfore shee also iudgeth the Scriptures and expoundeth them and turneth and windeth them whiche waye shee listeth I will not nowe remember howe by manifest woordes the Standard-bearers of that Sen doe write that the canonicall Scripture taketh her authoritie of the Churche abusinge this sentence of the auncient father Sainct Augustine I would not haue beleeued the Gospell if the authoritie of the holy Churche had not moued mee c. This will I affirme whiche cannot but bee manifest vnto all men that the Romishe Church or the rulers of the same Churche doe take awaye the naturall sense and true meaning of the holy Scriptures and haue sett downe a straunge sense in stéede of it whiche sense to the ende it maye the better bee liked of men they call the sense of the holye mother the Churche whiche sense also they vrge with so great wickednesse as if you oppose against if the natiue sense you shall receiue for your labour the reprochefull name of an heretique In fewe wordes except you bring out the whole Scripture wrested after their minde and gaine that is to saye tempered with their diuellishe decrées as with poyson it will bee saide that you haue not broughte out the holye Scriptures but that that you haue taught heresie By examples the matter wil be made the plainer The Scripture teacheth that Iesus Christe is the onely head of the Church but vnlesse you also ioyne the Pope to be the head of the Church militant in earth you wil be called an heretique The Scripture teacheth that Iesus Christe is the onely intercessour or mediatour Priest and onely sacrifice propitiatorie of the faithfull but vnlesse you ioyne herevnto that Christ is in déed the mediatour of Redemption but that the sainctes together with Christe are the mediatours of intercession and that the priests do daily offer an vnbloudie sacrifice so as the Sainctes maye bee acknowledged to be intercessours together with Christ in heauen and that the priestes in earth do daily offer in their masse a sacrifice for the quicke and for the dead you will else be called an heretique The Scripture teacheth that Iesus Christe is the righteousnesse of the faithfull which righteousnesse we receiue by faith but vnlesse you will part stakes betwéene this righteousnesse of Christ and woorkes or mens merits you wil be called an heretique The Scripture teacheth that Christe ascended into heauen and hath established a Vicegerent power to witt the holy Ghost and that also he wil not come againe into the world bodily but onely at the daye of Iudgement but vnlesse you do acknowledge the same Christ to be also corporally present in the bread of the Sacrament and doest also worship him there thou wilt else be called an heretique Christe our Lord said at his last supper reaching the cup to his disciples Drincke you all of this but and if thou wilt contend that both the kindes of the sacrament ought to be giuen to al the faithfull thou wilt be called an heretique God said in his lawe Thou shalt not make an Image thou shalt not worship it thou shalt not serue it But vnlesse thou vnderstaÌ„d by an Image the Idols of the Gentiles as of Saturne or Mercurie but not of the true God or any sainct thou wilt be called an heretique Many mâ—â—e thinges of this sort I could bring forth if I spake to them that were ignorant What authoritie therfore or what place shall we say the word of God had in that sea Who séeth not that these filthie beastes doe tread vnderfoote as a captiue the most holy word of God that they establishe and reestablishe lawes of God according to their owne giantlike bouldnesse It is therefore as cleare as any thing may be cleare that the Romish Church is destitute of the holy word of god I haue shewed plainely in the first Sermon of this Decade that it is not enough to boast out the woords of the holy Scripture vnlesse therewithall the naturall sense be reteined vncorrupted The Church of Rome hath corrupted the sense and meaning of that holy Scriptures and thrust vppon the simple people opinions contrarie to that scriptures and therfore the Church of Rome is not that true Church of Christ The sacrameÌ„t of baptisme ministred by Popish priestes albeit we doe not reiterate for that they baptised in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste as in the first Sermon of this Decade I haue shewed yet the breaking of bread or distribution of the Lords supper they so defiled and also corrupted the same with doctrines contrarie to the sound faith and turned the same into such a filthy merchaundize as no man that is of a sound iudgement can with a safe conscience and without corruption of his religion communicate with them Of the
their tributarie cities subiecte vnto them diligently to sée and marke what they did in euerie citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say spyes and watchmen The Apostles called byshops watchmen and kéepers of the Lords flocke and the stewardes of Christe or disposers of the secretes of God in the Churche And Presbyter an Elder hath his name of age and auncient yeares In times past the care of the common wealth was committed vnto the elders as to those that were exercised with manifolde experience long vse of things For gouernours of cities are bothe called Seniors and Senatours And as common weales haue their Senatours so hath the church her elders as it appeareth in the Actes 14. 15. 20. 21. chap. It séemeth that the ordeining of elders came into the church out of the synagogue For thus we reade in the booke of Numbers Gather vnto me saith he three score and ten men of the elders of Israel whome thou knowest to bee the elders of the people and officers ouer them and I wil take of the spirit which is vpon thee and put vppon them and they shall beare the burthen of the people with thee least thou bee constrained to beare it alone Wherefore the elders in the churche of Christe are eyther byshoppes or otherwise prudent and learned men added to byshops that they maye the more easily beare the burthen layd vpon them and that the churche of God may the better and more conueniently be gouerned For Paule sayth The elders that rule well let them be counted woorthy of double honour most specially they which labour in the worde and doctrine There were therefore certeine other in the Ecclesiasticall function who albeit they did not teach by and by as did the byshops yet were they present with them that taught in all all businesses Perhaps they are called of the same Apostle elsewhere Gouernours that is is to say whiche are set in authoritie concerning discipline and other affaires of the churche And bycause we are come thus farre in this present treatise we will also declare other names of offices in the churche There is muche speache in the scriptures of Deacons and amonge Ecclesiasticall writers of Priestes In the primitiue Churche the care of the poore was committed to Deacons as it is plainely gathered out of the sixt chapter of the Actes of the Apostles There are also lawes to be séene which are prescribed vnto them by the Apostle in the firste to Timothie the thirde chapter The office of Deacons was separated froÌ„ the function of Pastours and therefore we do not reckon them in the order of Pastours The auncient fathers referred them to the ministerie but not to the Priesthoode We reade also that women not wedded but widowes ministred in the primitiue churche And among other Phebe of the churche of Cencâ—ea highly praysed of the Apostle is verie famous But he forbiddeth women to teach in the church and to take vpon them publique offices How therfore or in what thing did women minister in the churche vndoubtedly they ministred vnto the poore in duties apperteyning to women They ministred vnto the sicke and with Martha Christs hostesse they did with great care and diligence chearish the members of Christe For what other offices could they haue Moreouer the name of Priest séemeth to be brought into the churche out of the synagogue For otherwise ye shall not finde in the newe Testament the ministers of the worde of GOD and of churches to be called priestes but after that sorte that all Christians are called priestes by the Apostle Peter But it appeareth that the ministers of the new Testament for a certeine likenesse whiche they haue with the ministers of the olde Testament of ecclesiasticall writers are called Priestes For as they did their seruice in the tabernacle so these also after their manner and their fashion minister to the churche of god For otherwise the Latine word is deriued of holy things and signifieth a minister of holy things a man I say dedicated and consecrated vnto God to do holy things And holy things are not only sacrifices but what things so euer come vnder the name of religion from whiche we dee not exclude the lawes them selues and holy doctrine In the old testament we read that Dauids sonnes were called priestes not that they were ministers of holy things for it was not lawfull for theÌ„ whiche came of the tribe of Iuda to serue in the tabernacle but onely to the Leuites but bicause they liuing vnder the gouernement and discipline of priestes did learne good sciences and holy diuinitie Here it séemeth it must not be dissembled that those names which we haue intreated of are in the Scriptures one vsed for an other For Peter the Apostle of Christ our Lord calleth him selfe an Elder And in the Actes of the Apostles he calleth the Apostleship a Byshopricke For Saint Paule also calling the Elders together at Miletum and talking with them he calleth them Byshops And in his Epistle vnto Titus he commaundeth to ordeine Elders towne by towne whome immediately after he calleth Byshoppes And that they also are called both Doctors and Pastours there is none so grosse headed to denie Now by all these things we think it is manifest to all men what orders the Lord him selfe ordeined from the beginning and whome he hath consecrated to the holie ministerie of the Church to gouerne his owne church He layd the foundation of the churche at the beginning by Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes he enlarged and mainteyned the same by Pastours and Doctours To these Elders and Deacons were helpers The Deacons in séeing to the poore and the Elders in doctrine in discipline and in gouerning and susteyning other weightier affaires of the Churche Neuerthelesse it appeareth that the order of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophets was ordeined at the beginning by the Lorde vnto his Churche for a time according to the matter persons and places For many ages since and immediatly after the foundation of Christes kingdome in earth the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophets ceased and there came in their place Byshops Pastours Doctours and Elders which order hath continued most stedfastly in the Church that nowe we can not doubt that the order of the Churche is perfect and the gouernement absolute if at this day also there remaine in the Church of God byshops or pastours doctours also or Elders Yet we deny not that after the death of the Apostles there were oftentimes Apostles raysed vp of GOD whiche might preache the Gospell to barbarous and vngodly nations We confesse also that God euen at this day is able to rayse vp Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes whose labour he may vse to worke the saluation of mankinde For we acknowledge that holy and faithfull men whiche first preach the truth of the Gospell to any vnbeléeuing people may be called Apostles and Euangelistes
grace that is which haue power to giue grace For they say that they are as instruments pipes certeine conduits of Christes passion by whiche the grace of Christe is conueyed and powred into vs but that the signes of the old testament giuen to the fathers were signes onely and not causes of grace also whiche haue force to signifie but not to giue grace They séeme truelye to haue suckte that errour out of Sainct Augustines words wrongfully vnderstoode for he writeth vppon the 73. Psalme thus The sacraments of the new lawe are more wholesome happie than they of the old lawe because they promise these giue But S. Augustinement to say no other thing than that whiche in another place he speaketh after this manner The sacrament of the old lawe did foreshew that Christ should come but ours doe shewe that hee is come For also against Faustus Lib. 19. cap. 14. he calleth the Sacraments of the old lawe Promises of things to bee perfourmed but our sacramentes tokens of thinges that are alreadie perfourmed Wherfore vpon the 73. Psalme he sayeth The sacramentes of the old lawe are giuen to signifie the verie thing but ours do witnesse that it is giuen and signifie that it is present I confesse that he saith more than once that our sacramentes are more comfortable and effectuall but hee said that by no other reason than for that the Messias being alreadie reuealed and giuen vnto vs in the new testament our sacramentes are more perfecte more lightsome and more beautifull for Christ hath brought all signes to an end wherfore ours haue a more full signification and after a sort are the more liuelie But if Augustine had béene altogether of that opinion which these men do fauour and followe would not godlines it selfe persuade vs to forsake the authoritie of men and cleane to the word of trueth Let vs sée therefore what may bée gathered out of the word of trueth that is out of the canonical scriptures touching the likenes and difference of the sacraments of the old and new testament This we hould for a certeintie out of the scriptures that there is but one euerlasting and vnchaungeable God and Lord of either Churche that there is but one faith in him thorough Christe of either Churche that there is but one waye layd downe in either Church to atteine to the promises of saluation to be short that there is but one Churche of the onely liuing God gathered together out of either people both of the Iewes Gentiles I thincke there needeth no large confirmation of these thinges out of the scripture béecause in the 8. Decade and third Sermon I haue handled them at the full Now that I haue fortified and cōfirmed these thinges before by the writinges of the Apostles thus I conclude not of mine owne braine but by the authoritie of God They which alwayes haue one euerlasting and vnchaungeable God one waye of saluation set forth for all in Christ from the beginning one faith one church one baptisme the same spirituall meate and drincke they cannot choose but haue the selfe same sacraments as touching their substance But the Iewes and Christians haue one God one faith one way of saluation which is by Christe to be short one church therefore haue they also the selfe same sacraments sauing that ours are giuen vnder other signes and for that throughe the reuelation ot the Sunne of righteousnes I meane Christ are made more lightsome and manifest I saye further that the scripture witnesseth that the sacraments of the old testament and ours are of the same force in so muche that Paule calleth them circumcised which are baptised and them baptised which are circumcised And he also teacheth That oure fathers did eate that spirituall meate which wee eate dranke of that spirituall drincke that is the rocke But anon he addeth And that rocke was Christ The words of the Apostle are well knowen and are read in the 1. Cor. 10. The same Apostle in the se-second chapiter to the Coloss saith In Christ ye are complete or made perfecte in whome also ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the bodie of the flesh subiecte to sinne by the circumcision of Christe buried with him in baptisme c. What I praye you can bée spoken more plainely Circumcision made without handes is the circumcision of Christians which is baptisme But in the former place of Paul to the Corinthians we must mark as elsewhere I put you in minde that to be baptised into Moses is not the same that it is to be baptised into Christe For to be baptised into Moses is all one as if he had said to be baptised by Moses or thoroughe the ministerie of Moses For it is manifest that Moses broughte the people to GOD whiche were onely committed to his charge In many places in Aurel. August ye shall read the like howsoeuer oure aduersaries doe father vppon Augustine this difference betwene the sacraments of the old lawe and ours of their owne bringing in For he Lib. 2. cont literas Petil. cap. 27. sayeth The sacraments of the Iewes were in out ward tokens diuers from ours but in the thinges signified they were equall and all one Also Tract in Ioan. 26. vpon this place He is the bread which came downe frō heauē he saith Manna did fignifie this bread the altar of God signified this bread Those were sacramēts In signes they are diuers but in the thinge signified equall The like woordes thou mayest read Lib. 19. contra Faustum Manichęum cap. 13. 16. 17. And againe Tract in Ioan 45. Before the comming of oure Lord Iesus Christ whē he came basely in the fleshe there were iust and righteous men who did so beléeue in him then that was to come as we doe beléeue in him nowe that is come The times were chaunged but so was not faith And so forth And anon In diuers signes is all one faith so in diuers signes as in diuers words because woords chaunge their soundes by times and truely words are nothing bu◠signes For in that they signifie they are wordes take a waye the signification from the word and it is a vaine noyse Therefore all woordes are significations Did not these that ministred those signes in the old lawe beléeue those thinges which we no we beléeue were prophecied before hand by them No doubt they did beléeue them but they beléeued they should come and wee that they are come Also vppon the 77. Psalme The same meate and drincke sayeth hee had they in their Sacraments which wée haue in oures but in signification the same not in likenesse For the selfe same Christ was figured to them in the rocke but manifested to vs in the flesh But with them all God was not well pleased All verilie did eate one spirituall meate and dranke one spirituall drinke that is which signified some spirituall thing but in all of them God had no delight And
tasting of milke and honie and after baptisme an abstinence from bathing by a wéekes spaces In his first boke against Mart. hemaketh mentiō also of oyle Truly milk is méete for children vnto whom also they that be of perfect age being baptised are likened Beside this in the olde testament there is often mention made of the land of promise flowing with Milke and Honie Those thinges were first offered to be tasted of them that are baptised to giue thē to vnderstande that Christ Iesus being their capteine and hauing passed ouer Iordan they might by an infallible hope haue an inheritance in the lande of promise S. Hierome witnesseth that wine was mingled with milk saith Com. lib. 15. ad Isaiam The Lord prouoketh vs not onely to buy wine but milke also which signifieth the innocencie of infants which type and custome is euen vnto this day kepte in the weste churches to giue to thē that are borne a-new in Christ wine and milke At this day neither of them both is giuē to infants no not of them which will seeme to be zealous mainteiners of the olde ceremonies They beléeue in the meane while that their omitting of these ceremonies is without sinne and néedeth no satisfaction Nowe also we may gather out of the sixte booke of Augustine de Bap. contra Donat cap. 24. that they vsed diuers and what praiers thei thought good about baptisme The same August contra Pelag. Celest. lib. 2. cap. 40. saith In baptising of children they firste coniure and blow away all contrarie power Which also the infantes by the wordes of them that beare them doe aunswere that they renounce This ceremonie he mentioneth also Libro primo de Nupt. Concup ad Valer. cap. 20. libro 2. cap. 18. It is saide in the ecclesiasticall Decrees that the holy church through-out the whole world vsed that ceremonie Againe August In Epistola ad Bonifa 43. saith that the god-fathers doe aunswere for the faith of the children and confesse their faith We aske them saith he which offer the infants and say Beleeueth he in God who being of that age knoweth not whether there be á God or no They answere He beleeueth and so they aunswere vnto euery question which is asked The same Augustine in his booke de Trinitate 15. capi 26. maketh mention also of Oyle wherewith they that were baptised were annoynted Rabanus Maurus Bishop of Mentz a longe time following after Augustine reckoneth vp many more ceremonies of baptisme For he Libro de Institutione Cleri 1. cap. 27. saith They are marked in the forehead and heart with the crosse in baptisme that the diuell seeing that marke may knowe that that sheepe is not of his folde Also consecrated salte is put into the childes mouth that beeing seasoned with the salte of wisedome he may be free from the stinch of wickednesse and rotte no more with the wormes of sinne His eares and nosthrilles are touched with spittle saying the word Ephatha vsed of our Sauiour beeing therevnto added that by the vertue of Christ the high Priest his eares may be opened to receiue the knowledge of God and to heare the wil and commaundementes of god Then the childe is blessed and his breast annoynted with holy oyle that no reliques of the enimie may lurk and remaine in him After this in the name of the holie Trinitie he is baptised beeing dipped thrise in the water And in his 28. Chapter And beeing baptised he immediatlie is signed in the forehead with the Chrisme with a prayer together followinge that he may be made an inheritour of the kingdome of Christ and of Christ may bee called a Christian And in the 29. Chapter After Baptisme there is deliuered to the Christian a white garmente signifying purenesse and innnocencie Also for this cause were the baptised cloathed with white garments that they mighte nowe remember that they were set free and of seruauntes and bonde-slaues of the Diuell made the free-men of CHRIST IESVS Moreouer white couloure in times paste was consecrated to victoryes and triumphes Whereby it may seeme that the white garmente was therefore giuen to them that were baptised that they mighte bee mindefull that whiles they lyue here on earth they must continually fight and ouercome in Christe For the life of manne is a warrefare vppon earth And certeinely whereas offeringes also began to bee giuen to the baptised by the God-fathers that seemeth to haue bene borrowed from warrefare For by the offering or earneste whiche wee Switsers call Die yn bindeten he that is baptised is warned of his faithe giuen in baptisme alwayes to be mindeful what a Capteine hee forsooke and into what garrison he was entertayned wherein hee muste keepe his faith giuen to the new capteine Christe Many other thinges of this kinde which I find◠among writers of this latter age I willingly passe ouer leaste I shoulde séeme to abuse your patience and gentlenesse And who perceiueth not yea that at this day other of this kinde innumerable new deuises are added to baptisme Therfore the safest and surest way is to builde vppon the firste foundations of the blessed Apostles For if antiquitie séeme to boulster vpp these last inuented ceremonies who dare denie that the authoritie of the Apostles doeth excell it manye wayes For the Apostles were before them all which haue lastly inuented and deliuered those manifolde ceremonyes to be vsed in Baptisme This also commeth in question Whether we ought to baptise with bare faire water or with consecrated water and why the Lorde commaunded to baptise with water S. Cyprian epist. lib. 1. epist. 12. sayth The water ought to bee cleansed and sanctified before of the priest to wash away the sinnes of the man that is baptised But the examples and testimonies of the holie Scripture doe more preuaile with me than the authoritie of Cyprian or any other man whatsoeuer it be This good man of God was also deceiued in another place aboute the mysterie of Baptisme so that we must read his writings with iudgement The Scripture telleth vs that Iohn Baptist and the Apostles and faithfull disciples of Christ baptised with water not consecrated For what can bee spoken or read more plaine than that Iohn baptised in Iordane Yea that Christe him selfe and his Apostles also baptised in the Riuer Iordane Where or howe did the Apostles consecrate the water of baptisme in the Actes of the Apostles Philip when the Eunuch shewed him water as they iourneyed he baptised him oute of that pure and cleare founteine Beside this I haue declared in the Sermon nexte going before how little purenesse is in common fourme of baptisme whereby the fonte is consecrated But if any man thincke that wee oughte to Baptise with consecrated or holie water and by consecrated doe neither vnderstande annoynted or prepared with crosses or sanctified with charmes but chosen to holie vses I woulde stande in contention with him neuer a whitt For the water of Baptisme in very
mingled with the wine in the cuppe the people is vnited vnto Christe and the multitude of the beleeuers is coupled and ioyned vnto him in whoÌ„ they beleeued And thus in blessing the Lords cup only water may not be offred neither in like sort may wine only For if any man offer onely wine the bloud of Christe beginneth to be without vs but if it be water only then doeth the multitude beginne to be without Christe But when they are both mingled together and are ioyned with a confused mixture betwixt them theÌ„ is there an heauenly spiritual sacrameÌ„t wrought By these words truly doth S. CypriaÌ„ shewe vnto vs a good mysterie but why doe we seeke to bee wiser than Christ and to mingle together moe mysteries than wee haue receiued of him The holy scripture maketh mention of no water but rather reporteth that the Lorde vsed nought else but meere wine For the Lord sayth Verily I say vnto you that henceforth I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine For he plainely sayde not the wine but the fruite of the vine that herein wee shoulde make no manner of mingling But what if that the holy martyr of God himselfe Saint Cyprian hath laboured by all the meanes hee might to shewe that the only is to be followed of the faithfull in celebrating of the Lordes supper which they haue receiued of our Lord Christe himselfe And forasmuche as that testimonie doth make much to all this our treatise concerning Christes supper to be celebrated according to the words of the gospel I will recite it worde for worde out of the second epistle of the 3. book of his epistles We must not sayth he depart in any respect from the doctrine of the Gospel and those things that our maister taught did himself the scholers also ought to obserue and do The blessed Apostle in another place speaketh more coÌ„stantly and stoutly saying I meruell that you are so soone chaunged from him that called you to grace vnto another gospel which is nothing else but there besome that trouble you go about to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ Howbeit if we our selues or an angel from heauen do preach vnto you any other thing than that wee haue taught let him be accursed As I haue said before so say I now againe if any man preache any other thing vnto you than that whiche you haue receiued let him be accursed Since therefore neither the Apostle himselfe neither an angel from heauen can preache or teache otherwise than Christe him selfe once hathe taught and his Apostles haue preached I muche maruell from whence this custome hath growen that contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles in some places water is offered in the Lords Cup whiche being taken alone caÌ„not expresse the Lords bloud And againe there is no cause déerely beloued brother that any man should thinke that the custome of certeine men is to be followed if there be any that heretofore haue supposed that water alone is to bée offered in the Lordes â—up For it must be demaunded of them whom they haue followed herein For if in the sacrifice which is christ none is to be followed but Christe doubtlesse then ought wée to hearken vnto to do after that which Christ hathe done and commaunded to bee done since he him selfe sayeth in his Gospel If you do that which I commaunde you to do I will call you no longer seruaunts but friendes And the Christ alone should be heard the Father him selfe also witnesseth from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whâ—â—e I haue delight heare him Wherefore if onely Christe is to be heard wee ought not to regard what any other before vs hath thought meete for vs to doe but what Christ did first who is before all other Neither ought we in any case to follow the custome of men but the trueth of God considering what the Lord speaketh by the prophet Isaie saying They worship me in vaine teaching the commandements doctrine of men And againe the Lord repeating the selfe same words in the gospel sayth Ye set Gods commandementes aside to establish your owne traditions And in another place he sayth He that shall breake any one of the least of these commaundementes and shal on this sort teache men shal be accounted least in the kingdome of heauen But if it be not lawful to breake the least of the commaundementes of God howe muche more heinous is it to breake thinges so greate so weightie and so muche belonging to the Lordes passion the sacrament of our redemption or else to change it into any other order by mans traditions than is instituted by God And so forth as followeth There is no man can denie but that these thinges are of authoritie euen against the authour himselfe For neither by the scriptures nor by the example of Christe can it bee proued that water was mingled with the wine at the supper As for the authorities and testimonies which the author alledgeth euery man may perceiue how litle they make to the purpose yea that they be wrested froÌ„ their naturall meaning The gospel plainly pronounceth that the Lord dranke of the fruite of the vine vnto his disciples And as often as Paule maketh mention of the cup yet teacheth hee in no place that water was mingled with the wine or that it ought to be mingled with it Wherefore these watermen that is to say they that vse water only in celebrating the Lords supper are iustly condeÌ„ned such as the Martionites and Tâ—â—tianes were Howbeit it is an indifferent matter whether you vse râ—d wine or white in the supper Againe why did not the Lord deliuer the Sacrament of the Supper vnto vs vnder one fourme of bread or wine only but rather vnder both kindes the doctours of the church by one coÌ„sent suppose this to be the cause for that he would signifie or rather testifie vnto vs that he tooke both soule flesh vpon him and gaue the same for vs and also hath deliuered our soules flesh froÌ„ euerlasting destruction For although there be 2. kinds yet do they make but one sacrament and they may not be separated Neither is their opinion of iudgemente to be allowed of who of their owne priuat or rather sacrilegious authoritie do corrupte the institution of Christ offering to the Lay people whiche do coÌ„municate the one kind only of bread graunting to priests both kinds so challenging both kinds to themselues only But Paul the Apostle receiued the authoritie from the lord himself to admit all the faithful people of Christ vnto the Lords cup and therefore let these bold fellowes consider from whome they haue receiued commaundement to put back the Layitie and to forbid them the cup whiche by the Lorde our God is graunted vnto them For Christ in plaine wordes and as it were by the spirite of prophecie foreséeing what shoulde come to passe in the Church saide
weales or CongregatioÌ„s yea and that more is the most flourishing Kingdomes in all the world vnder their authoritie All the wysemen in the whole worlde I meane â—hose whiche liued in his time did reuerence Solomon a King and so great a Prophet and came vnto him from the very vtmoste endes of the worlde Daniel also had the preeminence among the wisemen at Babilon being then the moste renoumed Monarchie in all the worlde He was moreouer in great estimation with Darius Medus the Sonne of Astyages or Assuerus and also with Cyrus that moste excellent king And here it lyketh me well to speake somewhat of that diuine foreknowledge in our Prophets and moste assured foreshewing of things which were to come after many yeares passed And now to say nothing of others did not Esaias most truly foretell those things which were afterward fulfilled by the Iewes in our Lord Christ Not in vaine did he séeme to them of olde time to be rather an Euangelist then a Prophete foretelling thinges to come He did openly tel the name of king Cyrus one hundred and thréescore yeares at the least before that Cyrus was borne Daniel also was called of them in the olde time by the name of one whiche knewe muche For he did foretell those things whiche are and haue béen done in al the kingdomes of the world almost and among the people of God from his owne time vntil the time of Christ and further vntill the last day of Iudgement so plainely that hee may séeme to haue compiled an hystorie of those thinges whiche then were already gone and past Al these things I say doe very euidently proue that the Doctrine and writings of the Prophetes are the very word of God with whiche name and title they are set fooâ—the in sundrie places of the Scriptures Verily Peter the Apostle saithe The prophecie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghoste And although God did largely clearly plainely and simply reueale his woâ—d to the world by the Patriarchs by Mâ—ses by the Priestes and Prophetes yet did he in the laste times of all by his Sonne set it forth moste clearely simply and aboundantly to al the worlde For the very and onely begotten Sonne of God the father as the Prophetes had foretolde descending from Heauen doth fulfill al what soeuer they foretolde and by the space almoste of thrée yeares dothe teach all pointes of Godlinesse For saith Iohn No man at any time hath seene God the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hathe declared him The Lord himselfe moreouer saith to his Disciples Al things which I haue herd of my Father haue I made knowne to you And again he saith I am the light of the world whosoeuer doth followe me doth not walke in darkenes but shall haue the light of life Our Lord also did teache that to him whiche would enter into Heauen and be saued the heauenly regeneration was néedeful bicause in the first byrth man is borne to death in the second to life But that that regeneration is made perfect in vs by the spirit of God whiche instrueteth our hartes in faith I say in faith in Christ who died for our sinnes rose againe for our iustification He taught that by that faith they whiche beleeue are iustified that out of the same faith doe growe sundrie fruites of charitie and innocencie to the bringing foorthe wherof he did most earnestly exhorte them He taught furthermore that he was the fulfilling or fulnes of the law and the Prophets and did also approue and expound the doctrine of Moses and the Prophetes To doctrine he ioyned diuerse miracles and benefites wherby he declared that he him selfe was that light of the world and the mightie bountifull redéemer of the world And to the intent that his doctrine and benefites might be knowne to all the worlde he chose to himselfe witnesses whome he called Apostles bicause he purposed to sende them to Preache throughout the world Those witnesses were simple men innocentes iust tellers of trueth without deceipt or subtilties and in all pointes holy and good whose names it is very profitable often to repeate in the Congregation The names of the Apostles are these Peter and Andrewe Iames and Iohn Philippe and Bartholomevve Thomas Mathevv Iames the soÌ„ne of Alphe Iudas his brother vvhose surname vvas Thaddaeus Simon and Iudas Iscariot into whose roome because he had betraied the Lord came Saint Matthias These had he by the space almoste of thrée yeares hearers of his heauenly doctrine and beholders of his diuine workes These after his ascension in to the Heauens did he by the holy ghost send downe from Heauen instruct with all kinde of faculties For as they were in the Scriptures passing skilful so were they not vnskilfull or wanting eloquence in any tongue And being once after this manner instructed they depart out of the Citie of Ierusalem and passe through the compasse of the earthe preaching to all people and Nations that which they had receiued to preach of the sauiour of the world the Lord Iesus Christ And when for certaine yeares they had preached by woord of mouth then did they also set downe in writing that whiche they had preached For some verily writ an hystorie of the words and deeds of Christ and some of the wordes and déedes of the Apostles Other some sent sondrie Epistles to diuers Nations In all which to confirme the trueth they vse the Scripture of the lawe and the Prophetes euen as we reade that the Lorde oftentimes did Moreouer to the twelue Apostles are ioyned two greate lightes of the world Iohn Baptiste then whom there was neuer any more holy borne of women and the chosen vessel Paule the greate teacher of the Gentiles Neither is it to be merueiled at that the forerunner and Apostles of Christ had always very great dignity and authoritie in the Churche For euen as they were the embassadours of the eternall King of all ages and of the whole worlde so being indued with the spirit of God they did nothing according to the iudgement of theyr owne mindes And the Lord by theyr ministerie wrought great myracles thereby to garnishe the ministerie of them and to commend their doctrine vnto vs And what may be thought of that moreouer that by that woorde of God they did conuert the whole world gathering together laying the foundations of notable Churches through out the compasse of the world which verely by mans counsell and wordes they had neuer béene able to haue brought to passe To this is further added that they whiche once leaned to this doctrine as a doctrine giuing life did not refuse to die Besides that how many soeuer had their beliefe in the doctrine of the Gospell they were not afraide through water fire swordes to cutte of this life and
tranquilitie doe preserue fellowly societie among men doe defend the good bring inordinate persons into better order and lastly doe not make a little onely to the setting for warde of religion but doe also abrogate euill customes and vtterly bannish vnlawfull mischiefes Hereof we haue examples in the déedes of Nabuchodonosor Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes and other Princes more But touching the Magistrates power his lawes and office I will speake of them in an other place Ecclesiasticall lawes are those which being taken out of the worde of God and applyed to the state of men times and places are receiued haue authoritie in the church among the people of god I call these ecclesiasticall lawes and not traditions of men bycause being takeÌ„ out of the holy scriptures and not inuented or brought to light by the wit of man they are vsed of that Churche which heareth the voyce of the shéepehearde alone and knoweth not a straungers tong The congregation commeth together to heare the word of God and vnto common prayers at Morning at Euening and at such appointed houres as are moste conuenient for euery place and euerie people and that the church holdeth as a lawe The Church hath solemne prayer times holy dayes and fasting dayes which it doth kéepe by certaine lawes The Church at certaine times in a certaine place and appointed order dothe celebrate the Sacraments according to the lawes and receiued custome of the Church The Churche baptiseth infantes it forbiddeth not women to come to the Lordes Supper and that it holdeth as a lawe The Churche by Iudges conueniently appointed doth iudge in causes of matrimonie and hath certaine lawes to direct them in such cases But it deriueth these and al other like to these out of the Scriptures and doth for edification apply them to the estate of men times and places so that in diuers Churches ye may sée some diuersitie in déede but no discord or repugnancie at all Furthermore Ecclesiasticall lawes haue their measure certain marks beyond which they may not passe to wit that nothing be done or receiued contrarie or differing in any iote from the worde of God sounding againste charitie and comelinesse either in little or muche that lastly this rule of the Apostle may be effectually obserued Let all thinges be done decently according vnto order and to the edification of the Church If therefore any man shall goe about vnder a coloured pretence of ecclesiastical lawes tobring in and pop into the mouthes of the godly any superstitious busie and vnseemely traditions of men whiche withal do differ from the Scriptures their part shall be first to trie that deceipt of theirs by the rule of Gods worde and then to reiect it There remaine nowe the traditions of men whiche haue their beginning are made and inuented of men at their owne choyce of some foolishe intent or some fonde affection of mankinde contrarie or without the holy Scriptures of which sorte you shall finde an infinite number of examples I meane the sectes the dominion and single life of spirituall men the rites and sundry fashioned customes vsed in their Church Touching all which the Lorde in the Gospell citing the Prophet Esaie sayth Why transgresse ye the Lords commaundement for your own traditioÌ„ ye hypocrites rightly did Esaias prophesie of you where he saith This people commeth nigh vnto me with their mouth and with their lippes they honour me but their heart is farre from me but they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines the precepts of men The blessed Martyr Cyprian alluding to these wordes of Christ Epistolarum lib. 1. epi. 8. saith It is corrupt wicked and robberie to the glory of God what soeuer is ordeyned by the giddie madnesse of mens heads to the violating of Gods disposition Depart as farre as may be from the infectiue contagiousnes of such fellowes and seeke by flight to shunne their talke as warely as an eating cancker or infecting pestilence for the Lorde forewarneth and telleth you that they are blinde leaders of the blinde Paule also in his Epistle to Titus sayth Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth not taking heede to Iewishe fables and commaundements of men turning from the trueth I doe of purpose here let passe the words of Paul in his second chapter to the Colossians bycause the place is knowne of all men I will not trouble you dearely beued with too large and busie an exposition hereof For I suppose that this little that I haue sayde touching the lawes of nature and of men I meane lawes politique Ecclesiasticall and méere traditions of men are sufficient to the attentiue and faythful hearers who at their comming home do more diligently thinke of euery point by theÌ„ selues and also reade the places of Scripture often cited by me and deuoutly expounded The Lord for his mercy graunt that we doe neuer despise the admonitions of natures lawe graffed in our heartes nor yet be intangled in mens traditions but that we in walking lawfully in vpright politique lawes and holy Ecclesiasticall ordinaunces maye serue the Lord To whom be all glory honour and dominion for euer and euer Amen Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first Table ¶ The second Sermon THE lawe of God openly published proclaimed by the Lord our God him self setteth downe ordinarie rules for vs to knowe what we haue to doe and what to leaue vndone requiring obedience and threatning vtter destruction to disobedient rebels This lawe is diuided into the Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall lawes All whiche partes and euery point whereof Moses hath very exquisitely written and diligently expounded The Morall lawe is that which teacheth men manners and layeth downe before vs the shape of vertue declaring therewithall howe great righteousnesse godlinesse obedience and perfectnesse God looketh for at the handes of vs mortall men The Ceremoniall lawes are they whiche are giuen concerning the order of holy and Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies and also touching the ministers and things assigned to the ministerie and other holy vses Last of all the Iudiciall lawes giue rules concerning matters to be iudged of betwéen man and man for the preseruation of publique peace equitie and ciuil honestie Touching the two latter of these I will speake of them in place conuenient At this time I meane to discourse vpon the Morall lawe First of all therefore let no man thinke that before Moses time there was no lawe and that the lawe was by Moses firste of all published For the selfe same especiall pointes of the Morall lawe whiche Moses setteth down in the ten Commaundements were very well knowne to the Patriarches euen from the beginning of the world For they worshipped the one â—rue God alone for their God whome they reuerenced and called vpon him Iacob tooke away with him the Syrian Idolles of Laban out of his house and hid them in Bethel vnder an oke or Terebinth trée which was nigh to
to all other nations we should séeme to shew our selues more than halfe madde And to what end should wée bring backe and set vppe againe among the people of God the ofscouringes of the heathen that were cast out a great while agoe The Aposiles of our lord Iesus Christ did binde or burden no man with the lawes of Moses they neuer condemned good lawes of the heathens nor commēded to any man naughtie lawes of the Gentiles but left the lawes with the vse and free choice of them for the Saintes to vse as they thought good But therewithall they ceassed not most diligently to beate into all menns heades the feare of God faith charitie iustice and temperaunce because they knew that they in whose heartes those vertues were settled can either easilie make good lawes themselues or picke and choose out the beste of those which other men make For it maketh no mattter whether the magistrate pick out of Moses Iewish lawes or out of the alloweable lawes of the heathen sufficient lawes for him and his countriemen or else doe kéepe still the old and accustomed lawes which haue before béene vsed in his countrie so that hée haue an eye to cutte off such wicked vniust and lawelesse lawes as are found to be thrust in among the better sort For I suppose that vpright magistrats ought to take off curiositie and new inuented nouelties Seeldom saith the Prouerbe is the Crowes eye pickte out without troublesome stirres and curious mens new lawes are for the most part worse than the old that are broken by them and vtterlie abolished Furthermore al lawes are giuen for ordering of religion or outward worship of God or else for the outward conuersation of life and ciuil behauiour Touching the lawes of religion I haue spoken of them before For ciuil and politique lawes I adde thus much and say that those séeme to bée the best lawes which according to the circumstaunce of euerie place person state and time doe come néerest vnto the preceptes of the tenne commaundements and the rule of charitie not hauing in them any spot of iniquitie licentious libertie or shamelesse dishonestie Let them moreouer be briefe and shorte not stretched out beyonde measure and wrapped in with many expositions let them haue a full respecte to the matter whereto they are directed and not be friuolous and of no effect Now marke that politique lawes doe for the most part consist in thrée especiall and principall pointes honestie iustice and peace Let lawes therefore tend to this end that discipline and honestie may bee planted and mainteyned in the cōmon weale and that no vnséemelie licentious and filthie act bee therein committed Let lawe forbidde all vncleannesse wantonnesse lightnesse sensualitie and riottousnesse in apparell in building in bibbing and banquetting Let wedlocke bee commaunded by lawe to bee kept holie Let stewes and brothell houses bée banished the Realme Let adulteries whoredomes rapes and incestes bée put to exile Let moderate feastinges be allowed and admitted Let thriftines be vsed which is the greatest reuenue that a man can inioye Brieflie whatsoeuer is contrarie to honestie and séemelines let it by lawe bée driuen out and reiected Let iustice by lawes be strongly fortified Let it by lawes be prouided that neither citizen nor forrenner be hurt or hindered in fame in goods in bodie or life Let vpright lawes be made for the obteyning of legacies and inheritaunces for the perfourming of contractes bargaines for couenaunts agréements for suretieshipps for buying and selling for weightes and measures for leasses and things let to hyre for lending and borrowing for pawnes in morgage for vse commoditie and vsurie of money Let order be taken for maintenaunce of peace betwéene the father and his children betwixte man and wife betwixt the maister and the seruaunte and to bee shorte that euerie man may haue his owne For my meaning is not here to recken vppe particularlie euerie seuerall point and title of the lawe Lastlie meanes must bee made by giuing of lawes that peace may bee established wherby euerie man may enioye his owne All violent robberies and iniuries must bee expelled priuie grudges and close conspiracies must not bee thought off And warre must be quieted by wisedome or else vndertaken and finished with manlie fortitude But that wée may haue such a magistrate and such a life the Apostle commaunded vs earnestlie to pray where hée saith I exhort you that first of all prayers supplications intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for all men for kinges and for all that are in authoritie that wee may liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honestie I am now againe compelled to end my Sermon before the matter be finished That which remayneth I will adde tomorrow Make ye your earnest prayers with your mindes lift vppe into heauen c. ⸫ ¶ Of Iudgement and the office of the Iudge That Christians are not forbidden to iudge Of reuengement and punishment Whether it be lawfull for a magistrate to kill the guiltie Wherefore when how and what the magistrate must punish Whether hee may punish offenders in Religion or no. ¶ The eight Sermon I SPAKE yesterday derely beloued of the magistrats ordinaunce there are yet behinde other two partes of his office and duetie that is Iudgement and Punishment of both which by the helpe of God I meane to speake as brieflie as may bee giue yee atttentiue eare and pray yée to the Lord to giue mée grace to speake the trueth Iudgement is taken in diuers significations but in this present treatise it importeth the sentence of Iudges brought in betwixte men at variaunce which sentence is deriued out of the lawes according to right and equitie as the case put foorth of the parties required and is pronounced to the intente to take vppe the strife betwixt them at variaunce and to giue to euerie manne his owne For at Sessions or Assises parties appeare and sue one an other for some inheritaunce or possession which either partie affirmeth to bée his by lawe layinge for themselues whatsoeuer they canne to proue and shew what right and title they haue to the thing All which the Iudges doe diligently heare and perfectly noate then they conferre the one with the other lay them with the lawe lastly they pronounce sentence whereby they giue the possession to the one partie and take it from the other The like reason is also in other cases and matters And this is iudgmente yea this I say is the execution of iustice But this kind of quieting and setting parties at one is verie myld in comparison of reuengement and punishment which is not executed with words and sentences but with swords and bitter stripes And good cause whie it should bée so since there be diuers causes whereof some cannot bée ended but with the sword and some more gentilie with iudgement in words But herein consisteth the health and safegard of the kingdom or
Lord in Ieremie crieth out and saith I call a sworde vppon all the dwellers vppon earth Againe in Ezechiel The sword is sharpe and readie trimmed to kill the sacrifice And againe I will giue my sword into the handes of the king of Babell The kings of Aegypte were of their people called Pharaos as who should saye Reuengers But the swoord in the magistrates hand is to bée put vnto two vses For either hée punisheth offenders therewith for doinge other men iniurie and for other ill déeds Or else hée doth in warre therwith repell the violence of forreine enimies abroade or represse the rebellions of seditious and contentious Citizens at hoame But here againe an other obiection is cast in oure way by them which say that according to the doctrine of the Gospell no man ought either to kill or to be killed ▪ because the Lord hath said Resiste not the euill And againe to Peter Put vppe thy sword into thy sheath Euerie one that taketh the sworde doth perishe by the sworde Mine aunsweare to this is that throughout all the Scripture priuate reuengement is vtterlie forbidden but that that is done openlie by authoritie of the publique magistrate is neuer founde fault withall But that was priuate and extraordinarie vengeaunce that the Apostle Peter was about to haue taken considering that hee was called to bée a Preacher of the woord of God not to bée a Iudge a Capitaine or a man of warre And against priuate and extraordinarie reuengment is that sentence rightlie pronounced Euerie one that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword But that publique vengeaunce and the ordinarie vse of the sword is not prohibited by God in the Church of Christe I proue by this testimonie of the holie Apostle Paule in the 12. to the Romanes hath taught what and how much the perfectnesse of the Gospell requireth of vs and among the rest thus hée saith Deerelie beloued reuenge not your selues but rather giue place vnto wrath For it is written vengeaunce is mine and I wil repay But because this might be argued against and this obiection caste in his way Than by this meanes the long suffering of Christians shall minister matter enough to murder and manslaughter hée doth therefore immediately after in the next Chapiter adde The magistrate is the minister of God to thy wealth to terrifie the euill doers For hee beareth not the sword in vaine For hee is Gods minister reuenger of wrath to him that doth euill Wée gather therefore by this doctrine of the Apostle that euerie one of vs must let God alone with taking of vengeaunce that no man is allowed to reuenge himself by his owne priuate authoritie But publique reuengemēt wrought by the ordinarie magistrate is no where forbidden For that God which said to vs Vengeaunce is mine I will repay doth graunt to the magistrate authoritie to exercise and put that vengeaunce in vre which hee doth claime as due to himselfe So that the magistrates duetie is to punish with the sword the wrongfull dealings of wicked men in the name and at the commaundement of God himselfe Therefore when the magistrate punisheth then doth God himselfe to whom all vengeaunce belongeth punish by the magistrate who for that cause is called by the name of god Moreouer it is written Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Againe A wise king will scatter the wicked and turne the wheele vppon them And againe He that iustifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the iust they are both abhominable in the sight of the Lord. Neither doe wée lacke examples to proue that some haue incurred y heauie wrath and displeasure of the Lord for their foolish pittie in sparing them whom the Lord cōmaunded to strike with the sword I speake of Saul and Achab. Againe on the other side there are innumerable examples of most excellent Princes which testifie beare witnesse of the praise that they deserued for punishing of lewde wicked offenders For the Prince sinneth not nor is blameworthie any whit at all which killeth or otherwise punisheth the guiltie and vngratious man and for that cause we finde in the law so often repeated His bloud be vppon him selfe But if the bloud of the guiltie be not shedde then that is imputed as a fault and layde to the magistrates charge because hée neglecting his office hath pardoned them that were not worthie to bée forgieuen and by letting them goe hath left the innocent vnreuenged For hée is made partaker of the iniurie done shedding of the innocents bloud which he leaueth vnreuenged by letting the murderer goe vntouched on whose necke the Lord gaue charge to let the sword fall The iust seueritie of the vprighte magistrate in punishinge naughtie men is not as it is falselie iudged extreme crueltie But ouerthwart and péeuish pitie that spareth offenders which are not worthie to liue amonge men is vtter and méere crueltie in déede For when the magistrate letteth them goe vnpunished and at ease which with their naughtie déeds haue deserued death he doth thereby first of all giue occasion and courage to like offenders to go on and increase in their mischiefous wickednes For they sée their owne faultes borne with al in other men Secondarilie the men that are not as yet altogether drowned in the myre of wickednesse but are euerie hour◠tempted and prouoked to naughtinesse wil at the last leaue to haue scruple of cōscience and giue their consent to yéeld to mischiefe For they sée that mischiefous marchaunts are gentellie dealt withall Lastly offenders set frée without any punishment doe for the most parte become little better yea they become twice worse than they were before and the increase of his sinne shal at length compell thée to kil him for many murders whom thou wouldest not kill for the murder of one wherby thou mightest haue saued many guiltlesse men whō that cutthroate since his first pardon hath villaynously slaine They therefore send wolues and beares amonge the common people that let such rakehells escape vnpunished Since now that I haue declared the right vse of the sword proued that the magistrate hath power to reueng mens iniuries and to kill haynous offenders let vs goe on to consider what the causes bée for which God cōmaundeth to punish transgressors let vs sée also when they ought to be punished and lastlie what kinds of punishment or penalties the magistrate must vse The especiall causes for which the Lord doth openly commaunde to punish offenders are for the most part these that follow The Lord resisteth force with force worketh the safegard and saluation of men he reuengeth them that suffer wronge and restoreth againe whatsoeuer may be restored Hée declareth his iustice also which rewardeth euerie one according to his déedes And therefore hée wipeth out reprochfull déedes with a reprochfull death Hée putteth offenders in minde of their crime and therwithall for the most part doth giue them sense of repentaunce
consist in hearing and following the word of God and that contrarily calamities and miseries doe rise by the coÌ„tempt and neglecting of the same For Ieroboam the first king of the seperated Israelites letting passe the word of God did ordeyne new rites to worship the Lord by and erected new temples but by so doing hee ouerthrew himselfe his house and all his kingdome After him doth Baasa succeede both in the kingdome idolatrous religion which was the cause why he his were vtterly destroyed Then followeth Amri the father of Achab who for augmenting idolatrous impietie is horriblie slaine with all his family so that not one of his escaped the reuenging sword of Gods anger ielousie And for because Iehu was faithfull valliant in killing those tyraunts in dispatching Baals priestes rooting out of idolatrous superstition the Lord doth promise say vnto him Because thou hast zealously done that which thou hast done according to all that is right in my sight therefore shall thy children vnto the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel And wee read verily that his sonnes and nephues were notable Princes which succeded in the kingdome euen Ioachas Ioas Ieroboam the second of that name and Zacharias The other kinges as Sellum Manahe Pekaiah Peka and Osee had their kingdome altogether like to the kingdome of the sonne of Iosâ—as to wit in a seditious troublesome a most miserable taking For they despised the mouth of the lord Therfore were they vtterly cutt off and for the most part either slaine or carried away captiue by their enimies the Assyrians From the diuision of tbe people into two seuerall kingdomes after the death of Solomon there were in number 19 kinges of Israell and 18. of Iuda The kings of Israell altogether reigned about 272. yeares and they of Iuda about 393. Now by the space of so many yeares in the most renowmed peculiar people of God which was as it were a glasse set before the eyes of all nations to view and behold themselues in there might the truest causes of felicitie calamities of all kings kingdoms in the whoale world be so liuely represented and perfectly paynted that there should bee no neede to fetch from else where a more plaine and euident demonstration of the same And yet for al that wee are not without other forreigne examples wherby to proue it For the Pharaoes of Aegypt were the destruction both to themselues and also to their kingdome by their stubborne rebellion against Gods word Againe Darius Priscus and the great Nabuchodonosor enioyed no small felicitie because they despised not the counsells of Daniel Balthazar king of Babylon a despightfull contemner of God and his word is in one night destroyed with all his power Babylon the most auncient and famous citie of the world is taken set on fyre sacked and ouerthrowne and the kingdom translated to the Medes and Persians Neither were the kinges of Persia vnfortunate at all I meane Cyrus and Darius otherwise called Artaxerxes because they fauoured the word of God and did promoate his people and true religion But on the other side wee read that Antiochus syrnamed Epiphanes was most vnfortunate who as it were making warre with God himselfe did most wickedly burne and make away the bookes of holy Scripture Furthermore wee haue as great stoare of examples also euen out of those Histories which followed immediately the time of Christ his ascension For so many Romane Emperours kinges and Princes as persecuted the preaching of the Gospell and Church of our Lord Iesus Christ aduaunced idolatrie and superstitious blasphemie so many I say did die a foule and shamefull death Of this are Eusebius and Orosius renowmed Historiographers assured witnesses Againe S. Augustine lib. 5. de Ciuit. Dei affirmeth that incredible victories verie great glorie and most absolute felicitie hath beene giuen by God vnto those kinges which haue in faith sincerely embraced Christe their Lord and vtterly subuerted idolatrie and superstitious blasphemie It is euident therefore that felicitie commeth by good will and obedience to the word of God that all kings and kingdoms shal be vnhappie which forsake the word of God and turne themselues to mens inuentions And this I haue I trust declared hetherto so plainly that the hearers may seeme not onely to vnderstand but also to see before their eyes and as it were to feele with their hands the pith and materiall substaunce of this whole treatise But wherunto doth all this tend That your Royall maiestie forsooth may vndoubttingly know be assuredly persuaded that true felicitie is gotten and reteyned by faithfull studie in the word of God to witt if you submit your selfe altogether and your whoale kingdome to Christe the chiefe and highest Prince if throughout your whoale realme you dispose and order religion and all matters of iustice according to the rule of Gods holy word if you decline not one haires breadth from that rule but studie to aduaunce the kingdome of Christ and goe on as hetherto you haue happily begon to subuert tread vnder foote the vsurped power of that tyrannicall Antichrist Not that your maiestie needeth any whit at all mine admonitions or instructions For you haue vndoubtedly that heauenly teachâ—r in your minde I meane the holie Ghoste which inspireth you with the verie true doctrine of sincere and pure religion Your Maiestie hath the sacred Bible the holiest booke of all bookes wherein as in a perfect rule the whoale matter of pâ—etie our true saluation is absolutely conteyned and plainly set downe Your Maiestie hath noble men and many Counsellours belonging to your kingdome faithfull valliaunt and skilfull heads both in the lawe of God and men who for their wisedome loue that they beare to the sincere truâ—th are greatly commended amonge forreigne nations And for that cause all the faithfull doe thinke and call your maiestie most happie But that happie king Ezechias although hee did especially vse the helpe of those excellent men Esâ—â— and Micheas did not yet despise faithfull admonishers euen amonge the 〈◊〉 sort of Leuites neither thought they that in admonishing the king theâ— lâ—st and 〈…〉 labour in vaine I therefore hauing good affiaunce in your 〈◊〉 good aâ—d godlâ—disposition do verily hope that this short discourse of mine touching the true causes of the felicitie and calamities of kinges and kingdoms shall haue a proâ—iting place with you Euen I which 12. yeares since did dedicate vnto your father of famous memorie Henrie viij a booke touching the authoritie of the holie Scripture and the institution and function of Bishopps against the Pontificall chuffes of the Romishe superstition and tyrannie and now by experience know that that labour of mine brought forth no small fruite within the realme of England am now so bold againe as to dedicate these my Sermons vnto your Royall maiestie In these Sermons I handle not the least and lowest points or places of Christian religion the
sinne whiche is in my members And at the last he concludeth and saith So then with the minde I me selfe serue the lawe of God but with the flesh the law of sin Nowe some there are which thincke y Paule spake these wordes not of himselfe but of the person of others which were carnal men and not as yet regenerate But the very words of the Apostle doe enforce the reader whether he wil or no to confesse that the words recited may be applied eueÌ„ to the man that is most spiritual Augustine 1. lib. Retractat cap. 23. saith that he himselfe was sometime of opinion that those woords of the Apostle ought to be expounded of the man which was vnder the lawe and not vnder grace but hée confesseth that he was compelled by the authoritie of others writings treatises to thincke that the Apostle spake them of such men as were most spirituall of his owne person as he doth at large declare in his books against the Pelagians Euen S. Hierome also who is said to haue thundered out a most horrible curse against them that taught that the law did commaund things vnpossible doth expressly write to Rusticus that Paul in this place speaketh of his owne person But if the flesh and the corrupte disposition thereof remaine wherby it doth vncessaÌ„tly striue with the spirite then verily that heauenly perfectnâ—s is neuer perfecte in vs so longe as we liue so consequently so longe as we liue none of vs fulfilleth the law Here also is to be inserted that disputation of Paul where he proueth that no mortall maÌ„ is iustified by the workes of the lawe his meaning is not that no man is iustified by the very works of the law but that no man is iustified by the workes of our corrupt nature which doth not performe that whiche the lawe of God requireth For as the same Apostle saith it is not able to performe it And very well truly saith he We knowe that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ and we haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the lawe because by the deeds of the law no flesh shal be iustified Neither must we by the déedes of the lawe vnderstand the Ceremonies onely For euen as the Ceremonies do not so likewise do not the morals iustifie vs men The Apostle speaketh of the morals when he speaketh of the déeds of the law For in the 3. Chap. to the Romans the same Apostle saith By the deedes of the lawe there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight And immediately after he addeth the reason why saying For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But in the 7. cap. he sheweth by what lawe to wit the morall lawe For the moral law saith Thou shalt not lust But the Apostle saith I knew not sinne but by the law For I had not known coÌ„cupiscence if the lawe had not said thou shalt not lust In his Epistle to the Ephesians he speaketh to the Gentiles and saith simplie that workes do not iustifie But speaking to the Gentiles he could not meane it of the ceremoniall lawes but of the very morall vertues that is all kinds of workes y séemed to be good To the Galathians he saith As many as are of the deedes of the law are vnder the curse And to proue that he addeth For it is writteÌ„ Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to do theÌ„ Now vnlesse we do by the déeds of the lawe vnderstand the morals as wel as the ceremonials I doe not sée howe his proofe can hange to that which went before For he saith expressely In all things which are writteÌ„ in the booke of the lawe to do them Nowe who knoweth not that the ceremonials were not written alone but that the morals were written also And S. Augustine in his booke De spiritu litera Cap. 8. doth by many argumentes proue that Paule by the déeds of the lawe did vnderstand the morals also Nowe that wée may conclude this place I will héere recite the words of the Apostle in the 8. to the Romanes saying What the lawe could not doe in as much as it was weake thorough the flesh that God performed by sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinnefull flesh and by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the lawe might bee fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite The Apostle in these words teacheth vs two things First that the law neither can now nor neuer could iustifie vs men The fault of this weakenesse or lacke of abilitie he casteth not vpon the law which is of it selfe good and effectual is the doctrine of most absolute righteousnesse but he layeth the fault therof vpon our corrupt flesh Our flesh neither could nor can performe that whiche is required of vs by the law of god Whereupon S. Peter in the counsell held at HierusaleÌ„ is read to haue said Now therfore why tempt ye God to put on the disciples neckes the yoke which neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare The latter is inferred vpon the first to wit when the lawe could not giue vs life nor wée were able to do y which the law required at our hands theÌ„ God who is rich in mercie and goodnesse sent his sonne into the world that he being incarnate should die for vs and so take away the sinne of our imperfection bestow on vs his perfectnesse in faith being himselfe the perfectnes and fulnesse of the law By this therfore it is manifest y Christ hath fulfilled the lawe that he is the perfectnes of al the faithful in the world But here this place requireth a more ful exposition how Christ hath fulfilled the law how he is made our perfectnesse First of all whatsoeuer things are promised and prefigured in the lawe the Prophets all those hath Christ our lord fulfilled For those promises The seede of the woman shall crush the Serpents head In thee shall all the kindreds of the earth bee blessed other more innumerable like to these did our Lord fulfil wheÌ„ he being borne into this world made an attonement for vs brought backe life to vs againe In like maner he fulfilled all the ceremonials while he himselfe being both priest and sacrifice did offer vpp himselfe is now euer an effectuall and euerlasting sacrifice an eternall highe priest making intercession alwayes at the right hand of the father for all faithful beléeuers He also doth spiritually circuÌ„cise the faithful and hath giuen them in stéed of circumcision the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme He is our Passouer who in stéed of the Paschal lamb hath ordeined the Eucharist or supper of the lord Finally hee is the fulfilling and perfectnes of
without all filthie vncleane beastlynesse Last of all hee willeth the Gentiles to be restrayned of eating bloud and strangled He addeth the cause why and saith For Moses of olde time hath in euery citie them that preache him in the Synagogues where hee is read euery Sabboth daye Of which constitution touching bloud and strangled I spake somewhat before that I made this same digression Nowe therefore since the matter is at that pointe it is euident that they are without a cause offended with Sainct Iames which thinke that he did without all right and reason make and publishe this decree and that the fruite of that Synode was verie perillous nothing healesome and flatly contrary to Christian libertie For it is assuredly certeine that the meaning of Iames did in no poynte differ from the minde of Sainct Paule who neuerthelesse did verie well and praisworthily saye Let vs followe the things that make for peace and thinges wherewith we may one edifie an other Destroy not the work of God for meates sake All thinges are pure but it is euil for that man that eateth with offence It is good neither to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or falleth or is made weake c. Romanes 14. It is also moste certeine that Sainct Paule who was so sharpely set to defend the Christian libertie that hee withstood Peter openly at Antioche would not haue beene behinde hand to resist Sainct Iames if he had thought that this constitution either had béen or should bée preiudiciall to Christian libertie Verily hee woulde neither haue preached nor yet commended this tredition of y Apostles to the churches of the Gentiles if hee had not thoughte that it had béene both hoalesome and profitable for them all to embrace But he did preache and commende it vnto the churches as is to be séene in the sixtéenth of the Actes and therfore is sainct Iames without a cause murmured against of some because hee for badd to eate bloud and strangled Finally the conclusion of their Epistle is From which if ye keep your selues ye do well So fare ye well They praise that abstinence and teach it as a good woorke because it is also commended to vs in all the Scriptures Thus haue I digressed not farre I trust from our purpose to speake of the decrée of the apostolique Synode helde at Hierusalem and thus muche at this time touching the abrogation of the ceremoniall lawes It remaineth here for mée to saye somewhat concerning the abrogation of the Iudiciall lawes Nowe therefore the Iudiciall lawes doe séeme to be abrogated in this sense because no Christian common weale no citie or kingdome is compelled to be bound to receiue those verie same lawes which were by Moses in that nation according to the time place state published and set out of olde Therefore euery countrie hath frée libertie to vse such lawes as are best and most requisite for the estate and necessitie of euery place and of euery time and persons so yet that the substance of Gods lawes be not reiected troden downe and vtterly neglected For the things which are agréeable to the lawe of nature and the tenne commaundements and whatsoeuer else God hath commaunded to bee punished must not in anye case bee either cleane forgotten or lightly regarded Nowe the ende whereunto all these lawes do tende is that honestie maye flourish peace and publique tranquillitie be firmely mainteined iudgement and iustice be rightly executed Of which because I haue at large disputed in the exposition of the precept Thou shalt doe no murther I will here be coÌ„tent to be so much the briefer The holie Apostle Paule commaundeth to obey the magistrate he aloweth of the authoritie of the sword which he confesseth that the magistrate hath not in vaine receiued at the hande of god And therefore he did not dissallowe or finde faulte with the election of the magistrate the vse of the sworde the execution of the iudgement and iustice nor with vpright ciuil lawes Now whosoeuer doth conferre the lawes and constitutions of Princes kings Emperours or Christian magistrates which are to be found either in the Code in the booke of Digestes or Pandectes in the volume of newe Constitutions or else in anye other bookes of good lawes of sundrie nations with these Iudiciall lawes of God he must néedes confesse that they drawe verie néere in likenesse and do verie well agrée one with an other Iustinian the Emperour forbad by law either to sel or otherwise to make awaye the possessions of the church things consecrated vnto god For the sincere confessing and pure mainteining of the catholique faith the Emperours Gratian Valentinian Theodosius did make a moste excellent holie law Constantine the great gaue charge to Taurus one of his lieuetenauntes to shutte the idol temples and with the sworde to destroye suche rebeiles as went about to sett them open and to do sacrifice in them That lawes were made for the reliefe of the poore and that kinges and emperours had a care ouer them it is to be séene in more places than one of the Emperours lawes and constitutions It is verie certeine y whosoeuer readeth the Code lib. 1. tit 2. he shal finde much matter belonging to this argument For the honest trayning vp of children and the liberal susteining of aged parents there are verie commeÌ„dable lawes in the bookes of the heathens Concerning the authoritie y parentes haue ouer their childreÌ„ there is mâ—châ— many things to be found in writingâ— likewise of wedlock of incâ—st 〈◊〉 marriages Honoriê° Aâ—cadiê° many other princes haue made verie tollerable laudable decrées where they speake also verie well and wisely of the lawe of diuorcement But if I go on to add or oppose to euery seuerall title of the Iudiciall lawes conteined in this sermon sundrie and peculiar lawes out of the decrées of Christian Princes I shall I knowe be too tedious vnto your patience For then would this treatise passe the time of an ordinarie sermon Let it therefore suffice vs at this time by the declaration of these notes to haue opened and made a way to the diligeÌ„t louers of the truth to come to the vnderstanding of other things which we haue here omitted and that they may beléeue that the substance of Gods Iudiciall lawes is not taken awaye or abolished but that the ordering and limitation of them is placed in the will and arbitrement of good Christian princes so yet that they ordeine and appoinct that which is iuste and equall as the estate of the time place and persons shall best require that honestie and publique peace may be thereby preserued and god the father duely honoured through his onely begotten sonne Christe Iesus to whome all praise is due for euer For we do sée that the Apostles of Christe did neither require nor coÌ„maunde any nation in the administration of politique affaires to binde them selues to
be called vppon For that God only is the searcher of heartes cōprehended in no place but present euery where and omnipotent Solomon in these words doth testifie Behold the heauens and the heauen of heauens are not able to conteine thee how much more vnable than is this house that I haue built Thou therfore shalt heare in heauen in the place of thy habitatiō or in thy dwelling place and shalt haue mercie For thou only knowest the heartes of the sonnes of men Thou shalt doe and giue to euery one according to al his wayes which knowest his very hart As for the heauenly patrons as these men cal them they do neyther know the thoughtes of men neither is their power spred throughout the heauen the earth and the seas neither do they know althings or yet are euery wher present or be omnipotent For if it were so with them they shoulde be transformed changed into a diuine nature should ceasse any more to be creatures but althogh by Christ they inioy euerlasting blessednes yet notwithstanding they remain creatures stil neither do they knowe al things neyther are almighty therfore are they at no hand to be called vpō In one prick moment of time truly innumerable thousands of mortal mē offer vp their vowes and make their petitions so that he verily which heareth must at a pinche and in a very moment not at sundry seasons or degrées of time know be able to doe all things yea and in a moment also reache out his helping hande vnto all Which as no creature though neuer so excellēt can do so the only God that knoweth al is omnipotent can do all things and therefore only alone is to be called vpon I wot well what the defenders of heauenly patrones or Saints obiect against that which I haue spoken to wit that they of their owne nature do neither sée nor yet heare what is done of vs vpon the earth but in the face of God as in a most lightsome looking glasse to sée all thinges what so euer God vouchsafeth to reueale to them and that so they haue an vnder-knowledge of all our affaires also helpe vs But this imagination or forgerie in all points doutfull can be proued by no authoritie out of the holy scriptures But touching the celestiall Saints the scripture doth rather affirme the flat contrarie For in Isaie the people of god cry out Thou O God art our father though Abrahā be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou O Lorde art our father and our redeemer If than the patriarchs so studious and careful for their people knew not what they did which of the Saints I pray you shal we graunt or point out that knoweth what we do that intermedleth with the affaires of the liuing True doutlesse is y that the holy Psalme soūdeth Bicause my father and my mother haue lefte or forsaken me the Lord hath taken me vp If our parents forsake and leaue vs how I pray you can they tel or do they care how it fareth with vs Let that suffice vs wherw t Dauid held himself throughly cōtent saying The lord hath takē charge ouer me We reade y Iosias was trāslated out of this life into an other to the end he shuld not sée the mischiefes or plagues and punishments which the Lord determined to bring vpon the Israelitish people for their most wicked naughtie life The blessed souls therfore enioy the sight of god therby participate light and endlesse ioy or gladnesse they knowe none of our affaires neither is it néedefull they should knowe them considering that the Lorde alone hath all things in his gouernement Nowe is that also most certeine that inuocation springeth from faith as the fruit from the roote For Paul vsing that saying of the Prophete Who so euer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be safe doth by and by adde But howe shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleeued Sée howe the Apostle bringeth in one vppon an other He is not called vppon who is not beléeued Wherefore in whom we beléeue vpon him we doe also call But in God onely and alone we do beléeue therefore on him onely do we call For where so euer true faith is there likewise is the gift of the holie Ghost For the Apostle sayth If any haue not the spirite of Christe this man is none of his And againe You haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but you haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba father They therefore that are indued with a true beliefe in God call vpon God whome they doe acknowledge and confesse to be the onely father of all Neyther might so much as the lest part in that solemne forme and order of inuocation deliuered vnto vs by the sonne of God be attributed by any meanes vnto Patrones or Saintes The onely God therefore is to be called vpon The hart of sinfull man trembleth and quaketh to approche neare vnto so greate a maiestie For who may séeme worthy in him selfe to appeare and come before the presence of the most holy the most iust and the moste terrible God Here therefore some supply and make vp the matter with the patronship or intercession of celestiall Saintes by whose mediation and making way before vs passage lyeth open for vs vnto God. But this they bringe foorthe without the warrant of the scripture The scripture hath layde before vs a law as it were of calling vpon god thervnto hath annexed most ample or large promises so the commaundement doth set foorth vnto vs by and through whome we shoulde call vpon God adding therevnto a most excellent promise and opening vnto vs through Christe Iesus onely a ready way to the Father For in the Gospell the Lorde sayth Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name hee shall giue it you Hetherto you haue not asked any thing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may bee perfect or full And Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name I will doe it that the father may bee glorified by the sonne If you shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it What could be spoken more fully and clearly than these words Christe biddeth vs by or in his name to call vpon god the father and promiseth that he will giue the faithfull what so euer they aske in Christ his name Who doubteth now any whit at all of the truth constancie of him which promiseth What néed we therfore hencefoorth the intercession of Saintes Of calling vpon them or of comming to God by their mediation we haue no testimonie of scripture we haue no promise Wherevnto I adde that he contemneth the commaundement and precept of God who so euer seeketh by any other than by Christe and his intercession to come to the father
the father is in mee Againe wee read in the Gospell of Iohn The Iewes therefore sought to kill Iesus ▪ not onely because hee had broken the Sabboth day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but said also that GOD was his father euen his proper or verie owne making himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall to God. Furthermore the Grecians expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye Equall by this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Like Neither can that equalitie any where else haue place than in the substance For the Iewes vnderstand that wherof the Arians will bée ignoraunt that the Lord after a certeine peculiar and speciall manner called GOD his father to witt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper or verie owne father by nature or by byrth of whome the sonne beeing naturally begotten is naturall and consubstantiall with his father For it followeth Making himselfe equall to or with God namely in vertue or power in euerlastingnesse and Essence For the same Lord sayeth in the same Euangelist I proceeded and came from God. Hée did not say onely I came but I proceeded He procéeded from the father such a one in substaunce as the father is surely Light of light Verie God of verie god For he sayeth againe to the Iewes Verily I saye vnto you before Abraham was I am He doth not say I haue beene or I wil bee but I am alluding to the name of the Lord Iehouah and declaring that the substaunce of his Godhead is the verie same with the substaunce of the father and that he is therefore consubstantiall with the father For yet againe he sayeth more plainely I and the father are one One I say not in concord or agréement but in selfe-same-nesse and Béeing For in that place the power and Maiestie of God are handled And when the Iewes would without further staye stone the Lord to death hauing spoken these words they declared plainly enough after what sorte they vnderstoode his words For they stoned blasphemers to death who with reuileings either empaired Gods glorie or else vsurped and tooke the same vnto themselues Hetherto belongeth that whiche Paule speaketh concerning the sonne of God saying Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of all creatures because all thinges were created by him For if hee be the image of the inuisible God he must néeds be fellowe or coequall with god For in another place Paule calleth the same Christ The ingrauen fourme of god and his expresse image and aunswearable in all respects most truely to his paterne or first figure An image verily and likenesse is of things that are not vnequall or vnlike but of things equall and like And he is called The first borne beecause hee is Prince and Lord not that hee is reckoned amonge creatures For all things that were made by him they were made therefore hee is no creature but true God to witt of the nature and substaunce of God one with the father The same Apostle sayeth to the Philippians that the sonne is in the forme or shape of god But to be in the forme or shape of God is nothing else than in all respectes to be fellowe or equall with God to be consubstātiall with him and so in déede GOD himselfe For what it is to be in the fourme or shape of God is by the cōtrarie clause verie manifestly declared For it followeth Hee tooke vppon him the fourme of a seruaunt Whiche is againe expounded by that which followeth Beeing made in the likenesse of men that is to say béeing made very man vnlike in nothing to all other men sinne excepted whiche in another place is plainely expressed And here he addeth againe And foūd in figure as a man. Therefore to bée in the fourme of God is to be coequal and consubstantiall with god For he addeth He thought it no robberie to be equall with God. For robberie is the taking away of that which another doth owe for it is possessed by iniurie The sonne therefore is coequal with the father and true God by Nature and after the most proper manner And this is the meaning of S. Paule his woords Albeit the sonne were of the same glorie and maiestie with the father and could haue remayned in his glorie without humiliatiō or debafement yet had hee rather abase himselfe that is to say take vnto him the nature of a man and cast himselfe into daungers yea euen into death it selfe For otherwise according to his godhead he suffered no chaunge For God is vnchaungeable and without variablenesse Since the case so standeth godly is the saying of S. Ambrose in his booke De fide against the Arians and fift chap Séeing therefore thou doest knowe this vnitie of substance in the father and the sonne not onely by the authoritie of the prophetes but also of the Gospell howe sayst thou that Homoousius consubstantiall is not founde in the sacred scriptures as though Homoousius were somewhat else than that he sayeth I went out from God the father And I and the father are one c. The scholer S. Augustine following his maister Ambrose in his controuersie had with Pascentius cōfirmeth Homoousius by places of scripture and declareth that this is holily vsed in our fayth and religion The same doth he also in his thirde booke against Maximinus bishop of the Arians and 14 chapter But what néedeth heaping vp of more wordes For I trust it is plainely enough declared by euident places of holie Scripture that the sonne is consubstantial with the father and that so it must be beléeued We hope also that in the treatise following this selfe same point shall not a little be made manifest by testimonies of Scriptures Arius with his complices denyed that the sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christe is true god But the most true Scripture doth so euidently proue and confirme it that none which loueth the truth from his heart can doubt any thing at all thereof We wil presently cite some testimonies and arguments that are moste plaine and apparaunt whereby thorough the assistance of the holy ghost our faith may be established and the Catholique and sound trueth it selfe made manifest In the third chapter of Matthew the heauens are opened to our Lorde as he was baptised by Iohn Baptist and the holie Ghoste came downe in the likenesse of a Doue and allighted vpon the heade of our Lord Iesus Christe and foorthwith was a voyce hearde out of the cloudes pronounced by the glorious God in this sorte This is my beloued sonne in whome my soule is well pleased And Iohn sayth in his Gospell I sawe the spirite descending from heauen in the likenesse of a Doue and it abode vpon him and I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water hee sayde vnto me Vppon whome thou shalt see the spirite descending and abiding vpon him this is hee which doth baptise with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and
of his father begotten before all worlds and man of the substance of his mother borne in the world perfect God perfect man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting Thus farre in these wordes haue we shewed that Iesus Christe our Lord is very God and verie man consubstantiall or of the same substance with the father according to his Godhead and consubstantial or of the same substance with vs according to his manhood For hée hath a reasonable soule and humane flesh in very déed We wil speake furthermore of the coniunction or vniting of these natures into one person in whiche matter histories declare that certaine auncient writers in old time fowlie erred For Eutiches admitted one nature only in Christ and the same made that is medled or confounded together of a diuine and humane nature from whome the Monothelites were not farre beyond acknowledging only one will in Christ Nestorius willing to auoyd a colâ—pitt fell into a lime kill For he confessing two natures séemeth to affirme that there are so many persons teaching that the woord is not vnited to the flesh into the selfe same person but that it onely dwelleth therein wherevppon also he forbad the holy virgin to be called Gods mother Against whome the common assertion of the whole church holding opinion according to the scripture hath taught that two natures in Christ and the properties of those natures are to be confessed which are so coupled together into one vndiuided person that neither the diuine nature is chaunged into the humane nor the humane into the diuine but either of them reteine or kéepe their owne nature and both of them subsist in the vnitie of person For Christ according to the disposition of his diuine nature is one and the selfe same immortall according to the disposition of his humane nature mortall and the selfe same immortall GOD and mortall man is the only sauiour of the world Of which thing we will speake anon by Gods grace somewhat more largly and plainly Touching the very coÌ„iunction or vniting of the true Godhead and manhoode in Christ the prophets and Apostles haue not crabbedlie nor craftilie disputed For they speaking simplie said God was made man. Or God tooke on him man For Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist sayeth The woord was made flesh that is God was made man or the word of God became flesh S. Paule sayeth God was made manifest in the flesh And againe The sonne of God in no sort toke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Therefore wée according to the doctrine of the Apostles expounding the mysterie of the coniunction of the diuine and humane nature in Christ say God was incarnate or made man God toke on him man God appeared or was made manifest in humane flesh He that will sift out déeper matters than these it is to cast himselfe into great daungers Some there are who in expounding these pointes more fully vse the woordes of societie or fellowshipp participation and communion or part-taking and that not without authoritie of the scriptures Paule saying Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud hee also himselfe like wise toke part with them Neuerthelesse wée must héere first of all take héede that we do not mâ—dle or confound the two natures ioyned together in one person nor that wée robb them of their properties For GOD of his owne nature is euerlasting and vnchaungeable God therefore remayning alwayes one and the selfe same is not chaunged into an humane or into any other nature but ioyneth coupleth taketh yea and vniteth vnto himselfe the humane nature Againe vnlesse in his humane nature he remaine a creature and be the selfesame which he is said to be it is not an humane nature this therefore remaining in it owne substance is taken to the diuine nature Therefore two natures remaine in the one person of Christ the diuine and the humane either of them doeth reteine their owne disposition and their owne propertie Which we will now declare by some places of scripture Isaie in his seuenth chap. sayeth A virgine shall conceiue bring forth a sonne his name shal be called Immanuel Hée acknowledgeth both natures in Christ for according to his diuine nature hee is called Immanuel that is to saye God with vs according to his humane nature hee is conceiued and borne The same prophete sayeth A child is borne vnto vs and a sonne is giuen vnto vs c. For hee is giuen who is from euerlasting and hee is borne whose beginning and béeing is in the world Wherefore one and the selfe same reteineth both the diuine and the humane nature For Micheas also sayeth And thou Bethlehem Ephrata art little in deede among the thousands of Iuda Out of the shall he come forth vnto me which shal be the gouernor in Israel whose out-goings haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting Loe what could be spoken more plaine One and the selfe same hath two ofspringes for insomuch as he is God his generation is from euerlasting and as he is man he is borne in Bethlehem Wherefore one and the selfe same Christ is very God and very man Againe in the Gospel according to S. Matth. the Lord asketh the Phariseis saying What thincke you of Christ whose sonne is he They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid He saith vnto them how then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying The Lord said vnto my Lord sitt thou on my righte hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole If Dauid call him Lord how is he theÌ„ his sonne As if he said Since Christ without doubt is the sonne of Dauid and hee calleth him Lord not by humane affection but by the holy ghost that is to say verie god of the selfe same power with the father the sequele is the Christ is verie man verie god The angel Gabriel noting no lesse plainlie both these natures saith to the virgin Marie That holy thing which shal be borne shal be called the sonne of god For of the virgin he is borne very man of very man and this is the sonne of god For Elizabeth also calleth the virgin the mother of the Lord to wit of god Moreouer in the Gospel of Iohn thou maist read verie many sayinges of this sort which point out as it were with the finger both natures in the selfe same Christ Ye beleeue sayeth the Lord in God beleeue also in mee And againe The father is greater than I. Also I went out from the father came into the world Againe I leaue the world go to the father And againe in another place The poore shall ye haue alwayes with you but mee alwayes ye shall not haue And againe Behold I am alwayes with you euen vnto the end of the world Wâ—ich sentences truly as it were coÌ„traâ—â—â—â—annot be all true at once vnlesse 〈◊〉 â—nowledge that Christ
Pharistis confesse both And in déede the whole scripture doth testifie that there are Angels making mention in many places that they haue appeared vnto men and haue reueled vnto them the will of God or otherwise accomplished his worke Truely the Lord Iesus reasoning against the Saduceis in the Gospel sayth Ye erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of god For in the resurrection they neither marrie nor are giuen in marriage but are as the Angels of God in heauen Let vs therefore beléeue that there are Angels For the authoritie of the sonne of God and the irreuocable trueth of the holie scriptures ought worthily to winne more â—râ—dite with vs than the toyes of all Saduceis and wicked men What haue not the heathenish Poets and philâ—sophers confessed that there are Angels whome they call Gods for they 〈◊〉 that Gods in the likeness 〈◊〉 were lodged and interteyned of righteous men séemed to al learned men to haue ment nothing else than that whiche the holy scriptures make mention of howe Abraham and Lothe receiued Angels into their houses resembling straungers But howsoeuer the case staÌ„deth most certeine it is both by the holy scripture and by manifolde experience that there are blessed spirites of God that is to say good angels Now what the nature of Angels is it can not throughly be declared of any man. For there are many things in the order of creatures whose nature can not directly and perfectly be expounded they may neuerthelesse after a sorte according to our capacitie be shadowed out Some therefore there are whiche say that Angels are good spirites ministers of a firie nature created for the ministerie or seruice of god and good men Othersome say Angels are heauenly spirites whose ministerie and seruice God vseth to execute all thinges which he hath determined Wherefore we shall not séeme to misse much of the marke if we say that Angels are good spirites heauenly substaunces I meane incorruptible created for the ministerie or seruice of God and men That Angels are created of God the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles doe witnesse For Paule citeth that saying of Dauid Whiche maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flame of fire The same Apostle saith By Christ all thinges are created that are in heauen and that are in earth visible and inuisible whether they be maiesties or lordships either rules or powers Wherfore heretiques haue set foorth toyes saying that Angels are workers in the creation of al things and coeternall with god For God in time by the sonne as wel created angels as all other creatures Nowe touching the time when angels were created whether with the light before man or after man and al the workes of God let him tell that can the holie scripture passing it ouer with silence and pronouÌ„cing no certeintie therof Epiphanius and Augustinus auÌ„cient interpreters of the scriptures learnedly and truly confesse that there is nothing deliuered in the scriptures of y matter And that which is not deliuered in the scriptures can not without daunger be inquired after but without daunger we may be ignoraunt thereof It is sufficient to acknowledge that angels were created at what time soeuer it semeth they were created Let vs rather giue god thankes that he hath created for mankind so excellent ministers Let vs liue an holie and an angelike life in the sight of Gods holy angels Let vs watche least he which transfigureth and turneth him selfe into an angel of light vnder a good shewe and likenesse deceiue vs Nowe we must further sée what maner of creatures angels are They are heaueÌ„ly spirits incorruptible most swift substaunces We say expresly that angels are substances that is to say creatures hauing essence or being For some denie that they are substaÌ„ces subsisting in their proper essence or being For they imagine that angels are nothing else thaÌ„ qualities motions or inspirations of good mynds But the canonical scripture calloth them ministers Oursauiour saith that they whiche rise againe shall be like vnto the angels of god Saint Paule declareth that the sonne of God is more excellent them the angels for that they worship him as God their creator The selfe same apostle saith For ye shall reade in no place that the sonne taketh on him the angels but the seede of Abraham taketh he on him Whiche testimonies most manifestly teache that angels are substances not qualities or motions in mens myndes that I say nothing nowe how they haue oftentimes appeared vnto men in likenes or shape of men Let vs therefore hold and confesse that angels are substances Furthermore what substaunces angels are other peraduenture haue better declared for the which I beare no man grudge I confesse that there are good spirites to make difference of them that are euill Whereof shal be spoken hereafter I confesse that they are good not so much for the goodnesse of their nature in whiche they continued as for their operation or working For they alwayes stirre vp and further vs to that which is good I confesse also that angels are spirits that is to say spirituall heauenly incorruptible and excéeding swift substaunces For the Scripture witnesseth and saithe Whiche maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flame of fire The scripture I say nameth Angels spirites and a flame of fire not that angels of their owne nature and substaunce are corporal fire but bicause fire after a sort resembleth them which in clearnesse beautie and incorruptiblenesse and also in swiftnesse quicknesse and brightnesse are y most beautiful and excellent creatures The 〈◊〉 definitions groâ—â—ely enoughe â—ay that the angels are bodily substances but of their owne kinde For God only is without body In thâ—se wordes therefore thus they haue â—etdowne Euerie creature is bodily Angels and all heauenly powers are bodily though they consist not of flesh Nowe hereby we beléeue that they are bodily bycause they are limited in place as the soule also is inclosed with fleshe Angels peraduenture at this daye are more aptly sayd to be locall or in place not circumscriptiuely but definitiuely We must beléeue that nothing by nature is bodilesse and inuisible but God onely that is to say the father the sonne and the holy Ghost who therefore is rightly beléeued to be bodilesse bycause he is in euerie place and fulfilleth and conserueth all thinges and therefore he is inuisible to all creatures bycause he is without body Thus much from theÌ„ But those bodies eyther of young men or olde men in whiche Angels oftentimes appeared vnto the fathers were not their proper or natural bodyes but taken vpon them and as it were borrowed from elswhere for a time and for the weaknesse of oure capacitie And what manner bodyes those same very bodies were whiche they tooke or from whence they were taken or where they were bestowed when they had ended their businesse it is verie hard to declare S.
for heauen or the place of blessednesse as the left hande for hell or the place of damnation Therefore this is his meaning When thou art deade thou shalt remaine for euer either 〈…〉 agreeable to the heaueÌ„ly For S. Cypriâ— against Demetrianâ—s sayth When we shall bee departed hence there is then no place of repetance 〈…〉 value Here life is eyther lost or gotten Here is prouision made for eternall saluation by the seruing of god and the fruite of fayth They obiect againe That souls when they depart from the body are purged in déede by the bloud of the sonne of God but not fully for there remaines some filth to be washed away in Purgatoriâ— For they depart out of this worlde not hauing a full and perfect sayth therefore they be not altogether good and again since they haue some fayth they be not altogether euill bicause they are not perfectly good they cannot enter into heauen againe since they are not altogether euil they caÌ„not be daÌ„ned and therefore there remayneth a middle place wherein they may be fully tryed and at the length being purified may be presented â—â—to the sight of god But these mâ—n after their manner 〈◊〉 what they 〈◊〉 But we haue shewed by the holie scriptures that the souls of the faithfull are purged by the onely bloud â—â— the sonne of God through 〈◊〉 and not by purgatorie Nowe will I also shewe in that whiche followeth that the sinnes of all men are puriâ—â—edfully that is to say moste absolutely by the onely sacrifice of Christe and further that by the grace of God in the bloude of Christe is forgiuen in the verie instant of death whatsoeuer infirmitie remnants of sinne are behinde in the soules of the faithfull departing from the body For the Lorde saith in the gospel He that is washed needeth not saue to washe his feete 〈…〉 euery whâ—â— Beholde he 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 washed by the grace of Christ so that the 〈…〉 of the féete that is to say the infirmitâ—e and imperfection whiche remaineth after regeneration caÌ„not bring him againe into the number of those that are vncleane For the Lord sayth againe in the Gospell And for their sakes sanctifie I my self that they also might bee sanctified through the truth The Lorde gaue vp himselfe to be a sacrifice for oure sinnes to the ende that we might be sanctified that is purged from oure sinnes truly that is to say fully and 〈◊〉 perfectly For Paule sayth For with one offering hath he made perfâ—st for euer them that are sanctified â–ª Mark I pray you y apostles words Christ with one oblatioÌ„ Lo he saith with one hath perfectly sanctified al that are sanctified are made heires of eternall life Herevpon we gather If by the one sacrifice of Christ once offered for vs al soules are purified and that in déede perfectly purified so that there is nothing waÌ„ting to their puâ—â—fying what I praye you findeth Purgatorie to purifie Therefore it is a shamelesse forgerie and horrible blaspheâ—â—ie against the merite of the purifying of IESVS CHRIST the some of god If there séeme any thing to be diminished or wanting vnto the soule nowe departing Christe by his grace performeth and maketh it vp whilest it is yet in the worlde It is a wicked speach and vnworthy to be heard among christian people that by oure sufferings in Purgatorie that is fulfilled whiche was not as yet fully satisfied with the bloud and passion of Christ As if our suffrings were better more effectual than the passion of that sonne of God. Thâ—se men obieâ—te vnto vs the weaknesse of faith in them that dye and we â—n the other side obiect vnto them the mercie of God fully pardoning his faithfull people The father of the Lunatique mentioned in the Gospell requiring helpe of the Lord heareth If thou caÌ„st beleeue to wit that I am able to heale thy sonne al things are possible to him that beleeueth And albeit he felt his fayth not altogether perfect but that therein remayned much weakenesse yet the helpe of God was not hindered by the weaknesse thereof For bycause he humbly submitted him selfe wholy vnto the mercy of the Lorde beséeching and saying Lord I beleeue help my vnbeliefe the Lorde by and by succoured him and without delaye healed his sonne So there is no dout that the most mercifull Lorde will fayle his faithfull people to whom he hath promised most full forgiuenesse acknowledging their weakenesse in the houre of death and therefore also calling for the mercy of God but that vppon the instant of the going out of the soule he forth with perfectly â—anctifieth it with his spirtie for Christes sake and beautifieth it with all kynd of graces that being truely purged from all filthe of sinnes it maye flée vp and deserue to appeare in the presence of god And this shoulde be beaten into the heades of them that are a dying For there are extant most large promises of god there are extant examples of many holy men dying and calling vpon god Furthermore it is certeine by those thinges which we haue already alledged that the death of Christ hath made ful satisfaction for sinnes so that nowe there remayneth nothing further to â—e 〈◊〉 wâ—th the fire of purgatorie Souls after the death of the â—â—dy 〈◊〉 the right 〈…〉 heauen taking nothing 〈…〉 them which â—â— it dâ—th purging Therefore that fire of purgatorie is nothing else in verie déeâ—e than a traâ—â—â—que or merchandize of most couetâ—â—s meÌ„ whereby craftily and cunningly they purge the pursses not the soules both of rich and poore These men by and by vnderprop their purgatorie building which is a falling with two postes The first is this They of olde say they prayed for the saluation of soules separated from the body therfore there is a purgatorie For since in heauen they haue no néed of prayers surely in hel prayers do no good since in hell is no redemption truely there is a middle place left wherein soules are kepte vnto whom the prayers of the liuing doe good that place is Purgatorie Thus in déede they reason howbeit imagining all thinges of their owne heades without the authoritie of the scriptures But this is that they haue to say That they of old prayed for the deade I knowe what Augustine that famous doctour of the Churche what Chrysostome that golden-mouthed man and other auncient and notable men haue lâ—â—t written touching this matter But I aske the question Whether that whiche they did were well done For not all thinges which the holy fathers sayd and did who oftentimes haue suffered somthing of maÌ„s inuention are absolutely to be alowed or followed Those things are not to be allowed and folowed which are set down by them against the decrées of the scripture which thing they theÌ„ selues vnfeinedly confesse but those things onely whiche are vttered and confirmed by the authoritie of holie scriptures which 〈…〉 of godlynesse But thou 〈…〉 nothing in them
haue for the deade for the dead haue their sinnes forgiuen them therefore al lets delayes vnto life are taken away so they liue with god But they which haue not beleeued haue reteined kept their sinnes stil being east down into the bottomlesse lake sticke fast in the myâ—e of hell Which thinges since they are 〈◊〉 certâ—ntie truly theâ— is a 〈◊〉 of praying for y dead 〈◊〉 before goâ—â— nor among the faithful Herevnto are annexed so many examples of the â—aintes in both the Testaments which are to be preferred both before vs 〈…〉 condeÌ„nations of men Which I pray you of the holy fathers euer prayed 〈◊〉 their dead Did Adam pray for his Abel did the sonnes pray for their father Adam What prayers did Abraham offer to God for the soule of his father Thare or for the soul of his most deare wife Sara What prayers poured Esau and Iacob forth for their father Isaac when he died the â—â— sonnes of Israel for Iacob Solomon for Dauid In the new Testament Iohn baptist is beheaded of Herode Stephan stoned of the Iewes Iames his head is cut off by the shoulders at the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of Agrippa their disciples burie their bodies do all things religiously belonging to their burials but in somany 〈…〉 made of prayâ—r for the soules of the deaâ—â— For they beléeued they forthwith after death were carried into euerlasting life Who theÌ„ after so many notable examples after so cleare profession of the catholique and sinnere fayth 〈◊〉 ye vs to the necessitie of praying for the soules of the dead Who can say hereafter that we are hereâ—iques who fulfill that in worke whiche we professe in profession of fayth or confession of the mouth yea which do no other thing thaÌ„ the most excellent worshippers of God of both Testaments haue done before vs. The last pâ—st wherewith they vnderprop their purgatorie least it should fall is the appearing of spirites For Rabanus a byshop sheweth out of the testimonies of Pope Gregorie and reuerâ—nd Beda that the soules of dead men haue very often appeared and taught that oblations and praiers do profite them verie much But I wonder that men of learning wold grouÌ„d their worke vpon so rotten ruinous foundations For the Lorde in the lawe forbiddeth to aske the truthe of the spirites or soules of the deade In the Prophetes we are sent from such 〈◊〉 to the law the testimonie In Luke the rich glutton cryeth in torments saith I pray the father Abraham that thou wouldest sende Lazarus to my fathers house for I haue fiue brethren that he may witnesse vnto them least they also come into this place of torment But he heareth They haue Moses and the Prophetes let them heare them But when the riche glutton hadde answered No father Abraham but if one come vnto theÌ„ from the dead they will beleeue and repent He heareth againe If they heare not Moses and the Prophetes neyther will they beleeue if one rise from death Therefore it is most certeine and confirmed by the authoritie of the gospel that blessed soules are not sent of God vnto vs to teache vs any thing Who I pray your woulde giue eare to wicked and condemned soules The Gospell of Christe sendeth vs all to the canonicall scripture Wherevpon it followeth that the testimonies which are fetched from Oracles or appearings of the spirites of the dead are of no weight but most deceiuable and full of lying Mans testimonies are agreeable with Gods which also teache vs that souls being separated from their bodies can not wander or stray in these regions The wordes are too long to rehearse which Tertullian learnedly disputeth of this matter in the ende almoste of his booke De Anima yet they are all leuelled to this 〈◊〉 to shew that souls separated from their bodies and appointed to their places do not returne again into this world To the obiection of some that boast of arte Magicke and also that by the power of God many haue returned froÌ„ the deade into this life he answereth But although the power of God hath called backe againe some soules into their bodies to giue vs instruction of his might and right yet therfore that shall not be communicated with the credite and boldnesse of Magicians and the deceitfulnesse of dreams and licentiousnesse of Poets but in the examples of the resurrection when Gods power eyther by Prophetes or by Christe or by Apostles bringeth soules into bodies it is manifestly declared by sound euident and ful truth that it is the shape of a true body that thou mightest iudge all appearings of 〈◊〉 men 〈…〉 Therefore 〈◊〉 in his 29. Homelie vpon Mâ—â—demauÌ„ding What then shall wee answere to those speaches I am such a soule Hee answereth It is not the soule of that dead body which speaketh these things but the diuell who deuiseth these things to deceiue theÌ„ that heare him And anon he sayth Wherefore these are to be counted the wordes of olde wiues and of dotards and childrens toyes and phantasies And againe A soule separated from the body can not wander in these regions For the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and the soules of infants likewise for they haue not sinned And the souls of the wicked after this life are by and by carried away Which is made apparant by 〈◊〉 and the rich glutton But in an 〈◊〉 place the Lorde also sayeth Thâ—◠〈◊〉 they shall require thy soule againe from thee Therfore the soule when it departeth from the body can not wander here with vs and that not without cause For if they which go a iournie chauncing into vnknown countries know not whether they are like to goe except they haue a guide howe much more shal the soule bee ignoraunt whether it shall goe after it hath left the body and entereth altogether into a newe life and straunge way vnlesse it haue a guide Out of many places of the scripture it may bee proued that the souls of iust righteous men do not go astray after death For Stephan sayth Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite And Paul desired to be losed to be with Christe Of the Patriarch the scripture also sayth He dyed in a quied or good age and was gathered vnto or layd by his fathers And that the soules of the wicked can not tâ—rrie or haue their abiding heere giue eare what the rich glutton sayth and consider what he craueth and obteyneth not For if the souls of meÌ„ might be conuersant here he had come him selfe as hee desired and had certified his brethreÌ„ of the tormeÌ„ts of hel Out of whiche place of scripture this also plainely appeareth that foules after their going out of the body are carried into som certein appointed place froÌ„ wheÌ„ce they caÌ„ not return of their owne accord when they wil returne but waite and looke for that terrible day of iudgement Thus much hitherto out of
ouerthrowe the trueth they are neuer able For the soules of the faithfull euen out of the verie mouth as is commonly said Von mund vss zu himmel faren vppon a sodeine enter into their blessed seats and by faith enioy euerlasting felicitie Againe we read in the Reuelation of our Lord Iesus Christe made to Iohn the Apostle that it was said And I heard a voice from heauē saying vnto mee write Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours their workes followe them In these words an heauenly and vndoubted oracle touching the blessednes of all such as die in faith is knitt vpp and S. Iohn is commanded to write the oracle from heauen that it may remaine to all times and be read of all people The summe of the oracle is this Blessed are the dead whiche heerafter die in the Lord. But they die in the Lord whosoeuer depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christ For so the Apostle vseth this kind of speach in the 1. Cor. 15. and 1. thess. 4. Furthermore they whiche depart out of this life in the faith of Iesus Christe are simplie and truly pronounced blessed to witt happie and free from all miserie Yea a note of the time when they shal obteine this blessednes is added namely Hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say presently at an instāt by and by out of hand to witt as the Lord saith in the Gospel forthwith after the death of the bodie There is added also another testimonie whereby againe the certainetie of felicitie is expressed and perfection too not delayed till the morrow Euen so saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours The spirite I meane of trueth whiche cannot lie sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Amen so it is truely the faithfull are blessed in déed and euen at an instāt they are blessed and so blessed that They rest from their labours The labours of the faith full are miseries calamities afflictions sorrowe feare or dread and other euils of this sort wherewith in this world they are vexed yea rather exercised in faith From these thinges the soules of the faithfull departing from their bodies are deliuered therefore they are not purged by torments and vexations they are not scortched in that middest of their iourney but beeing happie and blessed are forthwith deliuered from all anguish and trouble And if so bee that they suffered any thinge whiles they were yet liuing in the bodie if they did any good workes in faith they do follow them Let no man thincke that those woorkes beecause they nowe ceasse were and are vaine For they receiue their reward in that blessed life For that it is that Their works do folow them And let vs marke that he sayth not The workes of other followe them to deliuer them forsooth out of purgatorie but Their owne works follow them For in the Gospell also the wise virgins which had oyle readie in their lamps went in with the bridegrome to the mariage the folish virgins which had prepared themselues no oyle but did hope to haue from elsewhere to serue their turne are excluded and shut out from ioy To the omnipotent God therefore our most mercifull father and continuall-running founteine of all good Graces and whiche is neuer drawne drie who fashioned our bodie in our mothers wombe and breathed or powred into it a reasonable soule whiche might whiles it is ioyned to the bodie quicken and direct vs and when it is separated from the bodie might forthwith after the death of the bodie be translated into heauen there to liue in ioy and happines vntill it returne againe vnto the bodie beeing raised from the dead in the last iudgement with the which it maye reioyce and be glad for euer and without end to that God I saye thoroughe Iesus Christ for whose sake we are made partakers of so great a benefite be glorie praise and thankes giuing for euermore Amen ¶ The ende of the second Tome THE FIFT AND LAST DECADE OF Sermons WRITTEN BY HENrie Bullinger The thirde Tome IESVS This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Heare him Matth. 17. THE FIFTE DECADE OF Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of the holie catholique Church what it is how farre it extendeth by what markes it is knowen from whence it springeth how it is mainteyned and preserued whether it may erre Also of the power and studies of the Church ¶ The first Sermon THE order course of things so leading vs next after God the workeman and authour of all thinges wee come to speake of his most excellent worke to witt the Church For so great is the goodnesse of our good God and most louing father that not he himself is desirous to liue happily blessedly alone but moreouer to bestowe and powre vppon vs men his beloued creatures all kinde of blessednes and that wée should enioye his goods by all meanes possible And for that intent he choseth men to him self who liue in this world that he may once translate vnto him selfe in whome also euen while they liue héere hee maye dwell whome he may enriche with all his goods in whom he may reigne and that they should be called by his name to wit a people a house a kingdome an inheritaunce a flocke a congregation or Church of the liuing god Of which Church I will speake being ayded with your prayers such things as the Lord of the Church shall graunt vnto mée to vtter This word Ecclesia which signifieth a Church or Congregation is a Gréeke word vsed receiued amonge the Latines signifying as I said a congregation communion or assemblie in the Dutche tongue Ein Gemeind or a people called together to heare of matters of the cōmon wealth For so it is founde that S. Luke vsed this word in the 19. Chap. of the Actes of the Apostles But it was translated to an holy vse and began to bée called a congregation assemblie or companie of the faithful calling vppon the name of the lord S. Paul saith that he persecuted the cōgregation or Church of God who in another place sayeth I receiued authoritie from the highe priestes to binde all those that call vpon the name of christ For now doth hee terme them such as call vppon the name of Christ or Christians whome before he named the Church Or else this word Ecclesia the church or congregation is so called of caling forth together for in the Gréeke tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to call forth For God calleth forth from al parts of the wide world and from the whole congregation of men all beléeuers together with their séede that they may bee his peculiar people he againe may be their God that is to say that they may be the Church of the liuing god In times paste the congregation or assemblye of the Iewishe
his confession and the keyes of giuing of sentence iudgement or of opening shutting vpp of heauen of forgiuing or reteyning of sinnes They say that this power was promised to Peter in Matthew the Lord saying Vnto thee wil I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but that it was giuen to all the disciples in Iohn Christe saying Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiueÌ„ to theÌ„ And in these dayes is giuen to the priests by the bishop in their consecration laying their hands on the priests at the giuing of them their orders sayinge Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinns soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them They call the power of placing ministers of the Church Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to consist in a certeine prelacie and the fulnesse of it to rest onely in the Pope hauing respecte to the whole vniuersall Church For it belongeth onelie to the Pope to appoint rulers and prelats in the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie because it was said to him Feede my sheepe Moreouer they say that all iurisdiction ecclesiasticall doth come from the Pope to inferiour rulers either mediatlie or immediatlie in which thinges authoritie is limitted at his pleasure that hath the fulnesse of power For a bishop hath authoritie onelie in his diâ—cese and a curate in his parish c. Power of Apostleship or preaching the word of God they call the authoritie of preaching which the Lord had giuen to his disciples saying Go ye into all the world preaching the gospel to all creatures But doctours in these dayes affirme y none ought to be sent out to preach but onely by Peter that is his successour mediatly or immediatly c. They say that the power of iudiciall correction was giuen to Peter by God to whome he said If thy brother shall offend or trespasse against thee c. For the words of the Lord are knowen wel enough in S. Matth. cap. 18. They say therfore that God gaue authoritie vnto priestes not onely of excoÌ„municating but also of determining iudging and establishing commandements lawes and canons because in that place it is said Whatsoeuer ye bind vppon earth it shal be bound in heauen To conclude they saye that the power and authoritie to receiue thinges necessarie for this life in reward of their spirituall labours was giuen by these woordes of the Lord Eatinge and drincking suche as they haue These thinges do these men teach concerning Ecclesiasticall power not onelie foolishlie but also falslie Of the power of consecration sacrificing howe vaine and foolish it is wee haue oftentimes said in other places and perhaps will say more if God grauÌ„t life in conuenient place and time Of the power of the keyes we wil dispute God willing about the end of the next sermon And something we brought when we disputed of penance auricular confession But they are foolish shameles trifles which they babble of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the fulnesse of the high power that is to saye of the bishop of Rome whiche I doubt not are knowen well enough to the whole world longe agoe and of that matter there shall follow hereafter some arguments for the confutation therof in these our sermoÌ„s Wheras they vsurpe vnto themselues the office of teaching and crie out that no man can lawfullie preach but such as are ordeined by them they thereby séeke the ouerthrowe of Gods word the defence assertion of their owne errors whiche shall also be intreated of in his due place The power of excommunicating they haue so filthilie shamefullie abused that the Church through their negligence and wicked presuÌ„ption hath not only lost true discipline but also excommunication it selfe hath béene a great many yeares nought else with the bishops of Rome but fire sword wherewith they first raged against the true professours of Gods word and persecuted the innocent worshippers of Christ Moreouer that there is no power giuen of God to the ministers of the Church to make new lawes we wil shew in place coÌ„uenient The authoritie and power to receiue wherewith to liue haue they put in execution to the vttermost but in recompence of their temporall haruest they haue not soawen spirituall thinges but rather being a sléepe they haue suffered him that is oure enimie to soaw cockle in the lords field and that not by any other but by their owne meanes For haue not they not being contented with thinges necessarie for this life vnder that colour subtilely inuaded kingdomes and most shamefully cruelly possessed them Wherfore he that seeth not that ecclesiastical authoritie as it is by these men affirmed and also by them put in practise is but a méere tyrannie ouer simple soules it is plaine hee séeth nothing at all Wée wil nowe herevnto ioyne a true simple plaine manifest doctrine concerning ecclesiasticall iurisdiction Power is defined to be a right which men haue to doe some thing by It is called in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherof the first word signifieth right and power the second abilitie to execute power or authoritie For oftentimes it commeth to passe that a man shall haue authoritie to doe a thinge but is destitute of abilitie to performe it But God can do both and hath giuen them both vnto the Apostles against those the were possessed with diuels as Luke witnesseth saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee gaue them power and authoritie ouer all diuels c. And there is also one sort of power whiche is free and absolute an other sort of power whiche is limitted whiche is also called ministeriall Absolute power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restreyned by the lawe or will of any other Of which sort is the power of Christ which he speaketh of in the Gospell saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen in earth goe therefore and teache all nations baptising them c. Hee speaking againe of this power in the Reuelation shewed vnto S. Iohn the Apostle sayeth Feare not I am the first the last and I am aliue but was dead and behold I am aliue for euermore And I haue the keyes of hell and of death And againe These thinges sayeth he that is holie and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth no man openeth The power whiche is limitted is not frée but subiecte to an absolute or greater power of another whiche cannot of it selfe doe euerye thinge but that onelye that the absolute absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certeine conditions Of whiche sort surely is the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and which may rightly be called the ministeriall power For the Church of God vseth her authoritie committed vnto her for this purpose by her ministers S. Augustine acknowledging this distinction speaking of Baptisme in his fifte treatise vppon Iohn sayeth
Paule baptised as a minister not as one that had power of himselfe but the Lord baptised as he that had power of himselfe Behold if it had pleased him he could haue giueÌ„ this power to his seruants but he would not For if hee should haue giuen this power vnto his seruaunts that it should also haue beene theirs which was the lords then there should haue beene as many sundrie baptismes as seruaunts c. In the Church Christ reserueth that absolute power to himselfe For he continueth the head king bishop of the Church for euer neither is that head whiche giueth life separated from his body at any time But that limitted power he hath giuen vnto the Church Whiche thing it ought to acknowledge to wit an Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hemmed in with certeine lawes whiche procéedeth from God and for that cause it is effectuall and therefore in all thinges ought to haue chiefe regard vnto God and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is for that purpose giuen vnto the church that it might be put in practise for the profite of the Church For S. Paule sayth The Lord hath giuen vs power to the intent we should edifie not for the destruction of the Church And therefore that power whiche tendeth to the hinderance and destruction of the Church is a diuelish tyrannie and not an ecclesiasticall power procéeding from god And it behoueth vs diligently to marke and reteine this ende of Ecclesiasticall power But the limitted power of the church consisteth verie néere in these points to witt in ordeyning of the ministers of the Church in doctrine and in the discerning betwéene doctrines and finally in the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters Of euery one of which pointes in their order we will speake a litle declaring what manner of authoritie the Church hath and howe farre it is limitted in euery part thereof The Lord himselfe appointed the chiefe doctours of the Church whiche were the Apostles that all men might vnderstand that the Ecclesiastical ministerie is the diuine institution of God himselfe and not a tradition deuised by men And therfore after that the Lord was ascended into heauen S. Peter calling the Church together speaketh out of the scriptures of placing an other Apostle in the stéed of the traytour Iudas by that very facte shewing that power was giuen vnto the Church by God to electe ministers or teachers The same Church also not longe after by the persuasion of Peter and the Apostles so persuading vndoubtedly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost choose seuen deacons The Church of Antioche being manifestly instructed by the holy Ghoste doeth ordeine and sende Paule and Barnabas althoughe they were longe before that time assigned to the ministerie It is read also in the Actes of the Apostles that the churches by the commaundement of the Apostles did ordeine doctours for the holy ministerie as often as néede required And yet notwithstanding they did not ordeine euery one without choice but such onely as were fitt for that office that is to say such as afterward by expresse lawes they themselues did describe to witt If any man were faultles the husband of one wife watchfull sober c. The rule set downe by the Apostle is sufficiently knowen as appeareth in the 1. to Tim. 3. Cap. But as touching the ordeyning of ministers God willing wee will speake in the third sermon of this Decade But if the Church haue receiued power to appoint fitt ministers for the Church I thincke no man will denie that the Church hath authoritie to depose the vnworthie wicked deceiuers and also to correct and amende those thinges whiche being lacking may séeme necessarie for this order And forasmuch as ministers are chosen chiefly to teach it must follow that the Church hath power to teach to exhort to comfort and such like by her lawfull ministers and yet no power to teach euery thing but that onely which she receiued being deliuered vnto her from the Lord by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Teach them sayeth the Lord that whiche I commaunded you Go ye and preach the Gospell to all creatures And S. Paul sayth I am put a part to preach the Gospell of God which he promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures But this ministerie office of preaching is nothing else but the power of the keyes whiche the Church hath receiued The office I saye of binding and loosing of opening shutting heauen In another place also the apostles receiued power from the Lord ouer all ouer all I say not absolutely but ouer all diuels and not ouer all Angels and men and yet that authoritie and power they receiued ouer diuels they receiued it not absolutely for it is added vnto it that they should expell and cast them out And therefore they could not deale with diúels after their owne fancie but that onely so farre forth as he would haue them to dâ—e who hath absolute power ouer all diuels and that they might cast diuels out of men but not to sende them into men thoughe they would haue desired it neuer so much And so also as touching diseases they could not doe what they would else would not S. Paule haue left Trophimos sicke at Miletum who might so greatly haue béene profitable vnto him in the holy ministerie The two disciples if they had béen able to haue done what they would would haue commanded fire from heauen to haue fallen downe vppon Samaria and so would haue taken vengeaunce of the vncourteous and barbarous people of Samaria for that they denied to harbour the Lord Christ In like manner those same Apostles receiued keyes that is to saye power to binde and to lose to open and shutt heauen to forgiue and to reteine sinnes but perfectly limitted For they could not lose y which was bound in hell neither bind them that were liuing in heauen For he said not What soeuer ye binde in heauen but whatsoeuer ye binde vppon earth Neither said he Whatsoeuer ye lose in hell but what soeuer ye lose vppon earth Againe they were not able eyther to binde or lose whom they would not so much as vpon earth For they were not able to lose that is to say to pronounce a maÌ„ frée from sinne that was without faith Againe they could not binde that is say pronounce condemned him that was lightened with faith was truely penitent And surely such as teach other doctrine than this touching the power of the keyes deceiue the whole world of whiche wee will more largly intreat in place conuenient Likewise the Church hath receiued power from Christ to administer the sacraments by ministers but not according to her owne will and pleasure but according to Gods will and the forme and manner sett downe by the Lord himselfe The Church cannot institute sacraments neither yet alter the ends vse of the sacraments Finallie that the Church hath
as a Christian of Christ And Peter also himselfe by the rocke vnderstood Christ Herevnto maketh the authoritie of Paule saying The rock was Christ And Other foundation can no man laye than that whiche is laid whiche is Iesus Christ For Dauid before sayed Who is God besides the Lord or who is a rocke saue our God These testimonies I repeate not vnaduisedly for all those that are not beside their witts wil confesse there is more credite to be giuen to these most manifest testimonies witnessing Christ onely to be the rocke and placing him for the foundation of the Church than vnto those that teach both Peter the bishop of Rome together with Christ to bee rockes and foundations of the Churche I will vse no sharper speach at this time against them for asmuch as it is most manifest vnto all men what maner of men they be most vnworthie to bee reckoned with Peter but most worthie to be counted amongest Symoniackes Peter foresawe what manner of men they would bée and therefore least any man should be deceiued by them he painted them out in their colours in the 2. Chapiter of his 2. Epistle But leauing them wee will returne to the exposition of the parable we had in hand The matter of the house as the walls other parts are faithfull men builded vppon the foundation Christ Which thing those famous and principall workemen of this building Peter and Paule witnesse and explaine in these woordes Peter sayeth To Christ ye come as vnto a liuing stone disalowed of men but chosen of God and precious And ye as liuely stones bee made a spirituall house and holie priesthood to offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to GOD by Iesus Christ And Paule saith Now therefore ye are no more straungers forreyners but citizens with the saincts of the household of god And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone In whome all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy temple in the lord In whō ye are also built together to be the habitation of God by the spirite By the authoritie therfore of the Apostles wee learne that Christ is the corner stone in the house of God who least the walls should fall downe coupleth them together and vp houldeth the whole building He is also the roofe of the church that is to say the defender and ruler vnder whose defence the church liueth safe happie and blessed Herevnto apperteyneth the consideration of the tabernacle of Moses and of the temple of Solomon for either of them is called the house of god The tabernacle was distinguished into The holiest of all the holie place and the court and albeit these seuerall partes be named yet is it called one house of the Lord because there is but only one vniuersal church whiche neuerthelesse hath as it were her parts The holiest of all is a figure of the triūphant church in heauen where are our fellow seruauntes brethren the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the blessed spirites There doeth Christ our Lord appeare alwayes in the sight of god who is our arcke wherein is conteined the treasures of the church which is the fulfilling of the law the certeintie of the couenaunt our propitiation Thence haue we our Oracles In this part of the temple all thinges are sumptuous gold and precious stones For in heauen perfecte ioy is atteyned In the temple are formes of Angels palmes and floures for because in the life to come the elect shal be as the Angels of god Here they y doe ouercome are gréene for euermore To him that ouercommeth saith the Lord wil I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God. Here all thinges shine for in Christ and in the life to come wee shal be made bright The holie place representeth vnto vs the militant inward church sanctified with the bloud of Christe whiche hath not a shew of godlines onely but godlines it selfe For by faith they cleaue fast vnto God and with mutuall charitie they are knitt together amongest themselues they serue god in spirite hearing gods word and being partakers of the sacraments In the holy place therefore Solomon placed 10. candlestickes 10. tables and tenne cauldrons For in the church y saincts are daily lightened nourished purged through repentance Finallie the Court receiued the whole assemblie of the people For the Churche is the assemblie of all those that professe fayth hauing also hypocrites mingled with them Betwene the holy place and the Court or porch are two pillers in Solomons temple dedicated to the posteritie of Dauid For it is Christ that beareth vp the church by whom that way is open into the church Through the benefite power of Christ the church hath obteined that if shee continue in Christ she should also be the piller and ground of the truth But besids the tabernacle and temple of God there is no place but in the Churche wherein God receiueth the seruice done vnto him God is onely fauourable in the church of his sainctes Let the Iewes Turkes and Sarracens therefore do workes which in outward shewe are neuer so excellent yet without Christ his fellowship no man pleaseth god Againe the church of god is compared by Esaie to a most excellent vine who saieth by plaine words The vineyard of the Lord of hostes is the house of Israel the men of Iuda are his pleasant plant And also in the Gospel our lord in the parable of the vine plainly expoundeth that mē are the branches of this vine Yea and in Iohn he saith I am that true vine my father is an husbandman Euery branch that beareth not fruite in me he taketh away and euerie one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorthe more fruite As the braunche cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the vine you are the braunches he that abideth in me I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite for without me ye can doe nothing If a man bide not in me hee is cast forth as a braunch withereth and men gather them cast them into the fire they burne There is one church therfore for it is one vine Out of her come branches partly fruitfull and partly vnfruitfull For both the good or godly and true worshippers of God and euil men or hypocrites are counted to be in the church But hypocrits in their time are cutt off and throwne into euerlasting fire That the good remaine in the vine and are not cutt off but bring forth fruite that are they indebted for to Christ the foundation of the church and also the head preseruer of the same who by his spiritual liuely iuice makes them fruitful in good works Herein most euidētly
or apostolique men to reigne like vnto the Princes of this world Hée instituted ministers of the church who should serue the Churche She sitteth at the table the ministers sett that food before her which they receiue of the Lord and rightly diuide the woord of the lord Did not Christe him selfe refuse a Crowne vppon earth and did not hee that is Lord of all minister doth not he him selfe disallowe that any minister shoulde séeke any prerogatiue no not in respect of eldership He that is greatest among you saith he let him be as the yonger He therefore commaundeth an equalitie amongst them all And therefore S. Ierome iudgeth rightly saying that by the custome of man and not by the authoritie of God som one of the elders shuld be placed ouer the rest and called a Byshop wheras of olde time an elder or minister and a Byshop were of equall honour power and dignitie And it is to be obserued that S. Ierome speaketh not of the Romish Monarchie but of euerie bishop placed in euerie citie aboue the rest of the ministers Whiche thing I bring not out to that end we shoulde stay vppon the authoritie of man but to that ende I might shewe that euen by the witnesse of man it may be proued that that maioritie as they call it hath not the original from the Sonne of GOD and from Gods worde but out of mans braine and that therefore both Christe remaineth the onely head of his Churche and the bishop of Rome is nothing lesse than the head of the Church militant And ther withall we cleaue most stedfastly to the sacred and holie Gospell and to the vndoubted doctrine of the Apostles which doctrine taketh away all pride of Supremacie and commendeth vnto vs a faithfull ministerie and the equall authoritie and humblenesse of the ministers The Apostle againe witnessing and saying Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God. Herevnto belongeth almoste the whole tenth chapter of Iohn wherein the Lorde named him selfe the true and also the onely shephearde of the vniuersall Church The only shepefolde of this shephearde is the catholique Churche gathered together by the word out of the Iewes and Gentiles And shéepe of this folde are all the faithfull people in the world hearing and giuing them selues ouer wholy to be gouerned by this chiefe shepheard Christe who albeit he also communicate this name of Pastour or shephearde vnto the ministers appointed to the ministerie of the churche yet notwitstanding he reteyneth vnto him selfe the charge of the chiefe shephearde and also the chiefe power and dignitie Men that are Pastours of churches are all ministers and are all equall Christe our Lord is the vniuersall pastour and chiefe and Lord of Pastours The more worthy diligence and trust is in the Pastors the more worthy it maketh them Therefore when the Lorde saide vnto Peter Feede my sheepe he committed not vnto Peter any Empire eyther ouer the world or ouer the church but a ministerie to the behalfe of his redéemed Teach saith he and gouerne with my word my sheepe my sheepe I say whome I haue redeemed with my bloude For Paule saith Take heede vnto your selues and to the whole flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud The bishop of Rome therefore is deceiued who by the Lordes words spoken vnto Peter thinketh that full power is giuen vnto him ouer all in the church Let the Apostle Peter him selfe be heard talking with his fellow â—lders and as it were opening those wordes of the Lorde spoken vnto him The elders that are among you sayth he I beseeche which am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glorie that shall be reuealed Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mynde Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Peter speaketh not of any Empire and Lordship yea by expresse words he forbiddes Lordly dignitie For euen as he is appointed of the Lorde a minister and an elder not a Prince and a Pope so also he appointed no Princes in the Churche but ministers and Elders who with the word of Christe should féede Christes flock that willingly and lawfully al wicked deuises at once set apart Hereto belongeth the whole 34. chapter of Ezechiel whiche a little before we alledged But had not the heart béene hardened and the eyes blinded of the byshop of Rome and his they shoulde long agoe haue séene that they coulde in no parte nor by no meanes haue béene numbered amongest the shepeheardes of the Churche and disciples of Peter They woulde at least haue marked that sentence of their owne Gregorie whiche sentence he reciteth vnto Maurice the Emperour almost in these words I affirme boldly that who so euer hee bee that calleth him selfe the vniuersall Prieste is a forerunner of Antichriste And anon after But for as muche as the trueth it selfe sayes Euerie one that exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lowe thereby I knowe that euerie puffing vppe is so muche the sooner broken how muche the greater it is swollen These are his sayings Last of all the estate of Christ and the Churche is shadowed out by the similitude of marriage betwéene the husbande and the wife For Christ is called the husbande of the Church and the Churche is called the spouse of Christe Sainte Iohn sayth to his disciples Ye your selues are my witnesses that I sayde I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him Hee that hath the bride is the bridegrome but the friende of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him reioyceth greatly bycause of the bridegromes voyce This my ioye therefore is fulfilled Hee must increase but I must decrease And in the Prophetes this Allegorie is very common In a certeine place is feigned a damsell despised and polluted to lye in her filthinesse and a certeine noble man commeth by who plucking her out of the myre and making her cleane from her filthinesse and also sumptuously apparelling her chose her vnto his wife And albeit this Allegorie declareth that heauenly benefite whiche GOD shewed vnto his people being in bondage in Egypt by the wonderfull deliuerance and adopting them into his peculiar people who notwithstanding séeth not that all mankynde from his first originall is defiled with sinne and wickednesse and sticketh fast in the myre of hell who knoweth not that the sonne of GOD came downe from heauen and washed all mankynde in his bloude and hauing purged her hath ioyned to him selfe a glorious Churche hauing neyther spot nor wrinckle nor any suche thing Surely by marriage is made a mutuall participation in common betweene those that are contracted of all
sauiour tooke vppon him the ministerie and was made the Apostle and minister of the churche of the Iewes What and if those first ministers were such as no age in any doctrine of religion in holinesse and excellencie had their fellowes muche lesse their betters At this day in so muche as they are the last times wherein scoffers and Epicures haue their full range the ministerie of Gods word is of no value But if you runne ouer and weigh all the ages euen vnto the beginning of the world you shall finde that the wisest iustest and best men in the whole world had nothing in more reuerence than the word of God the prophets and the holy apostles of God. But before we procéede any further in other thinges belonging to this matter we wil make answere to some which euē vnder the pretence of the holy scriptures endeuour to peruert the ministerie of the word For they alledge this text of Ieremie No man shall teach his neighbour for al shall know me As we denie not that Ieremie hath so written so we say by that kinde of speache and figuratiue saying that he ment nothing else thā that the knowledge of God and heauenly things should be very common in the whole world Which Ioel also foretolde woulde come to passe and which Peter alledgeth in the Actes 2. chapter In the meane while those two Prophets as also all other verie often doe make mention of the teachers of the Churche whome the Lorde shoulde sende vnto his people which they woulde not haue done if they had vnderstoode that all preachers shoulde be cleane taken away Whereas other obiect that al haue the office of teaching committed alike vnto them to wit parents to teach their children and euery one to admonish his neighbour therefore that there is no neede of the ministerie of the worde of God in the church it is sophisticall For all of vs can and ought priuately to teache and admonishe our children and our neighbours but therfore the publique ministerie of the word of God is not superfluous For the same God whiche commaunded parents and vs all that they shoulde instruct their children in godlinesse and that euery one of vs also shoulde teache and admonish our neighbours hath giuen publique ministers vnto the Churche It is their office to teache openly or publiquely in the Churche neyther is this permitted to whome so euer will but onely to them that be lawfully ordeyned least happily if other teache they should not goe forward in the righte pathe For then it were lawefull for euery one being inspired with the spirit of God at what time and place so euer both soberly to gainesay and to affirme the trueth Therefore the publique ministerie of the worde remaineth neuerthelesse and that perpetually in the Church Thus much haue we spoken in generall of the ministerie and the ministers of the worde of god Nowe that which remaineth of this matter we will discusse by their kyndes and partes and first we will shewe what orders or what offices the Lord hath instituted from the beginning or whō he hath put in authoritie in the holie ministerie of the churche then what manner men and after what sorte it is méete for vs to ordeine ministers Last of all what maner of office it is that they haue that are ordeined in the church And that we be not troublesome vnto you beginning a long discourse from the Patriarches we will beginne at our Lord Christ him selfe of whom Paul the Apostle speaking Hee that descended sayth he is euen the same whiche ascended vp farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things And he gaue some Apostls and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Doctours to the gathering together of the Saintes into the work of ministration into the edifying of the body of Christ And so foorth as is read in the 4. chapter to the Ephesians Therfore our Lord ordeined Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours by whose labour he ment to builde preserue and gouerne the Church Let vs nowe sée what the scripture teacheth vs of them Apostle is a newe name giuen of the Lorde him selfe to those twelue whiche he chose peculiarly and ordeined teachers and maisters to all nations For thus we reade in the 6. of Luke The Lord called his disciples and of them he chose twelue whome also hee called Apostles For Apostle signifieth one that is sent a messinger embassadour or oratour For in the Gospell after Sainte Iohn we read The Apostle or messinger is not greater than he that sent him And truely there is verie often mention made of sending in the Prophets in the olde Testament from whence it séemeth the Lord borrowed that name We reade of no certeine boundes appoynted to the Apostles For the Lorde saith in the Gospell Goe ye into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures These are the maister builders of the firste Churche of God from whome among auncient writers they tooke the name of Apostolique Churches those I meane which the Apostles first founded as was the Church at Antioch Ephesus Corinthe and many other mentioned in the Acts of the apostles The name of a Minister and Prophete is excéeding large Whereof is spoken in an other place Prophetes in this place are they which excell in singular reuelation and by whome the Lorde foretelleth thinges that shall come to the Churche suche a one as we reade Agabus was which both foretold to S. Paule the famine whiche was to come and his bonds Wise and godly men indued with a singular gifte of interpreting the scripture in times past were called Prophetes as it maye appeare by the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. chapter An Euangelist is a preacher of the Gospell of Iesus Christe sente with Apostolique authoritie Such we reade were Philip and Timothie c. Pastours watche ouer the Lordes flocke hauing care of the Lordes people féeding the Churche with the worde of trueth and kéeping the woolues from the shéepefouldes The chiefe of these is that good shepehearde Christe which sayth vnto Peter Feede my sheepe Whereby he also ioyneth him selfe to shepeheards Doctours or Teachers haue their names of teaching Neyther do I sée what they differ from shepheards but that they did onely teache and in the meane while were not burthened with the care that belongeth to the Pastour of whiche sort in a manner are the interpreters of scriptures and gouernours of Christian schooles There are also found other names of the ouerséers of the Churche in the scriptures The Apostle Paule saith vnto the shepeheards gathered together in the counsel at Miletum Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the whiche the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God. But byshops are called Superintendents séers kéepers watchmē rulers The people of Athens called them whome they sēt to
Plebani that is priests appointed for the people who only represent some shadowe of the old institution in this that they preache and administer the Sacramentes whiche neuerthelesse you cannot allowe beecause they minister them after Popish traditions and not after the doctrine of the Apostles And many other thinges they doe by reason of their office which godlines by al meanes doth dissallowe There are added vnto these hirelings helpers or vicars There are also ioyned vnto these Sacellani whome they call chaplaines of whom there is an excéeding number These euen as the monkish priests do account the chiefe partes of their duetie to be saying ouer their houres but especially in massing as for doctrine they attribute nothing to it For of this companie you shall finde some who neuer in all their life made one sermon For the charge of preaching they committ onely to their parishe priestes and their vicars they serue those Gods to whome their altar or their chapell is consecrated c. By all whiche thinges euen vnto blinde men it plainly appeareth how shamefully the first institution of ministers or pastours is corrupted and turned vpside downe They set ouer the priestes archpriestes I haue vsed that word in my preface or epistle in the beginning of the first Decade and I heare that some brethren are offended at it as thoughe there stucke some péece of Popish leuen still about vs or as though wee thought to bring in againe some vnworthie dignitie into the churche But I would not haue those brethren to feare With vs there are no Popish archpriests neither vnderstood I any Popish dignitie by that word but the office of ouerséeinge whiche others call visiting For they haue the charge of all degrées in our countrie in admonishing and correcting they haue no prelacie or superioritie they reape no rewards thereby c. But wee returne to our purpose They deriue priestes or sacrificers from the seuentie disciples whome it is read in the Gospel that the Lord did choose The order of bishops from Peter himselfe and the residue of the Apostles And immediatly they diuide the order of bishops into thrée partes namelye patriarches archbishoppes and bishops They account the patriarchs the fathers of princes or highest fathers And them also they call Primates And Primates say they haue authoritie ouer thrée archbishops as a king also hath authoritie ouer thrée dukes Here I thincke Cardinals haue their place in whom the church of Rome is turned as a gate vpon the hindges For in the Decretals of Gregorie De officio Archip. it is thus read Cardinals haue their name a Cardine that is of the hindg of a gate for as by the hindg the gate is ruled so by Cardinals the vniuersall churche is gouerned Archbishops are as it were the princes of bishops they are also syrnamed Metropolitanes because they haue their gouernment in the chiefest cities In verie déed Metropolis with the Gréekes is as it were a mother citie from whence Colonies are deducted that is people are sent out to inhabite some newe place Wherevpon he is called the Metropolitane byshoppe who gouerneth some one Prouince and hath other byshops vnder him And these are called both byshops chiefe priestes and presuls But if you compare all these thinges with that whiche I sayde before of the byshops and gouernours of the primitiue churche you will say there is very greate difference betwéene them But that whiche they write touching the Pope or chiefe byshop is farre from the writings of the Apostles and Euāgelists and from the first ordeyning of ministers made by our sauiour Christ All those bishops saye they our most holy Lord the Pope doth excell in dignitie and power who is called Pope that is the father of fathers he is also called vniuersall because hee is chiefe of the vniuersall churche and hee is also called Apostolicall and the chiefe bishop because he supplieth the roome of the chiefe of the Apostles For he is Melchizedec◠whose priesthood other are not to be compared vnto because he is the head of all bishoppes from whom they descend as members from the head and of whose power they all do receiue whome he calleth to be partakers of his care and burden but not to bee partakers of the fulnesse of power They therfore define the Pope to be the supreme head of the churche in earth and the onely vniuersall shéepeheard of the whole world who cannot erre nether ought to be iudged of any man For they saye he is the iudge of all men hauing absolute power For thus sayeth Innocent the 9. Pope in his thirde Quest Neither of the Emperour neither of all the Clergie neither of kinges nor of the people ought the iudge to be iudged Vppon whiche place he that wrote the glosse writeth thus A general coūsell cannot iudge the Pope As appeareth in the Extrauagants in the title of Election cap. Significasti Therfore if the whole world should pronounce sentence in anye matter against the Pope it seemeth that wee must stand to the Popes iudgement Herevnto perteine those common grounds of the clawbacke flattering laweyers of the Popes Court very plausible and authenticall That all the lawes of the Pope are to be receiued of all men as if they proceeded frō the very mouth of Peter That the authoritie of the Pope is greater than the authoritie of the Saincts That the Pope is all and aboue all That God and the Pope haue one consistorie Which thing also Hostien affirmeth In C. Quanto de Transl prael That the Pope cannot bee brought into order by any man thoughe hee bee accounted an heretique That he hath supreme power neither hath he any fellowe That he hath all lawes within his breast That there is a general counsell where the Pope is That hee hath all lawes in his breast That he hath both swordes whereby he maye rightly bee called an Emperour yea that hee is aboue the Emperour That hee onely can depose the Emperour and pronounce the sentence of the Emperour to be of no effect That he onely may spare whom he will and maye also take awaye the right of one man and giue it to another And finallie may take away priuileges To bee short they saye hee is Lord of Lords and hath the right of the king of kinges ouer his subiectes yea and also hath fulnes of power ouer the temporall thinges in earth Yea and also the whole world is the Popes diocesse wherein he is the Ordinarie of all men and it standeth vppon the necessitie of saluation that euerie man be subiect to the bishop of Rome Herevnto for conclusion I will add the words of the Glosser who sayeth In Ca. Quanto de Transl Episcopi Tit. 7. The Pope sayeth he is said to haue a heauenly power and therfore he altereth the verie nature of things by applying the things that are of the substance of one thing vnto another And of nothing hee can make something and that sentence which
Lord fled into the wildernes wheÌ„ the people thoght to make him a king He knewe the HelisÄ™us by most wholesome counsel refused the reward of NaamaÌ„ the prince And the Giesi his seruant to his euerlasting reproche and ouerthrowe of his owne health required it afterward at his haÌ„d S. Peter would not take vppon him the charge of the poore least he should thereby with lesse diligence attende vppon prayer and preaching of the word of God whiche thing the Actes of the Apostles do witnesse who therefore thincketh it likelye that hee casting aside the office of Apostleship would haue receiued the Empire euen of the whole world Hée denieth that one man can both happily execute the charge of the ministerie of the word and also minister vnto the necessitie of the poore But what Pope wil they giue vnto vs that hath the spirite more fully than Peter had Which can performe that which Peter could not Whiche cannot onely now both serue at tables but also can gouerne the whole world Therefore they are trifles which they rehearse to vs touching the donation of ConstaÌ„tine Constantine was more sounde than that he would frame such a donation which he knew was repugnant to the doctrine of Christ Syluester was more vppright than to receiue that which he knewe could not be receiued without the vtter ouerthrowe of the ministerie of the word But if Constantine gaue that altogether which he is said to haue giuen that Syluester did not refuse his donation both of them offended Because both delt against the word of God. I sawe what of late yeares Augustine Steuchus a man otherwise well learned of much reading hath written touching Constantines donation against Laurentius Valla but he bringeth no sound arguments though hee wonderfully rage and put all the force of his eloquence in vre and finally doe buisily heape together from all places whatsoeuer by anye manner meanes maye seeme to further this cause And truely that booke séemeth better worthie to be troden vnder foot than to bee occupied in good menns hands For that I make no wordes that he calleth that ecclesiastical kingdome of Rome oftentimes eternall whereas the kingdome of Christ and the sainctes is onely eternall doeth hée not most manifestly place the Pope in the seate of Christe our Lord For after he had recited the testimonie of one Pope Nicholas hee forthwith addeth Thou hearest that the highe bishop of Constantine is called God couÌ„ted for god This verilie was done when hee adorned him with that famous edicte hee worshipped him as God as the successour of Christe and Peter As much as he could hee gaue diuine honours vnto him hee worshipped him as the liuelie Image of Christ Thus farre he in the 67. section of his booke Neither hath he written that whiche is vnlike vnto this 28. section For hee remembring certeine imaginations of his owne conceiued of the Pope he feigneth I cannot tell what fruite would come thereof if it were made knowne among the furthest Indians that all the kingdomes of the world are gouerned by the Popes becke that kings worship him as being a thinge very well knowen to them that he is the successour of Christe and therefore that they receiue him not so muche a mortall man as God himselfe in him who hath substituted him in his roome in earth and therefore wee oughte to absteine from reprochfull words if he sinne in any thinge as a man because in him they worshipp the Sonne of God. These wicked reioycinges these flattering or rather sacrilegious voyces would Peter haue suffered think you who lifted vpp Cornelius when hee fell downe before him and would haue worshipped him and said Arise I my selfe also am a man. We read also that the Angel himselfe said vnto Iohn whiche fell downe and would haue worshipped at the Angels féete See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets It is also written of Herodes Agrippa because he repressed not the flattering voyces of the people whiche cryed when he had ended his oration It is the voice of a God not of a man that therefore hee was stricken of the Angel of God and hee rotted away being eaten of wormes Therefore we since wee knowe that Christ himselfe the sonne of God doth reigne as yet in the churche as to whome onely all glorie and power is giuen and hath not substituted any man on the earth in whom he wilbée worshipped and serued wee worship and serue Christe Iesus the sonne of God oâ—ely and vtterly abhore the Pope as antichriste and a dounghill God or if you wil a God of the iakeshouse together with his sacrilegious clawbackes and blasphemous flatterers The Lord in verie déed said to S. Peter Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will build my Church I wil giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. But what make these sayinges to establish the monarchie prerogatiue and dignitie of the Pope Peter is commended of the Lord for the constancie of his faith wher vpon also he receiued his name béeing called Peter A petra that is of the rocke wherein hee settled himselfe by a true faith Christ is that rock wherevnto Peter stayed He heareth that this shal be the perpetuall foundation of the churche that all shal be receiued into the fellowshippe of the church who with a true faith confesse with Peter that Iesus Christ is the verie sonne of God and rest vppon him as the onely rocke and saluation Moreouer the keyes of the kingdome of God are promised vnto Peter but when they are deliuered they are not giueÌ„ to Peter alone but to all the Apostles For The keyes are not as these men imagine a certein dominioÌ„ iurisdiction but the ministerie of opening and shutting the kingdome of heauen to lett into the church and to shutt out whiche is wrought by the preaching of the Gospell as it shall anon be said more aboundantly After the same manner when Christ said to Peter Feed my sheep he did not giue vnto Peter the monarchie of the whole world and dominion ouer all creatures but committed vnto him a pastorall cure Of whiche thing I haue spoken in my last sermon as also else where both often and largely against the supremacie of the bishop of Rome Vnto the auncient writers of the church which they obiecte vnto vs testifying I knowe not what of the supremacie of Peter we wil aunswere in one word that we care not so much what the old writers thought herein as what Christe the sonne of God instituted and what the Apostles whose authoritie doth farre excell the iudgement of the old writers practised and what they haue left both in their writing examples for vs to iudge and sollowe Whereof I haue also spoken in the 2. Sermon of this Decade Wée haue almost gone further than wee determined therefore that we may draw to an end we haue spoken of
and the benefites receiued at his hand Herevnto is referred a great part of the psalmes wherof part perteine to inuocation or calling vppon God and some ferue to teache or instruct some to declare or expound whereof at this present there is no place to speake Paule the blessed Apostle of Christ acknowledging these parts of prayer writing to the Colos sayeth Continue in prayer watch in the same with thankesgiuing And to the Philippians Let your requestes be shewed vnto God in prayer supplication with giuing of thankes And againe vnto Timothie I exhort therfore sayth Paule that first of all prayers supplicatioÌ„s intercessions giuing of thanks be made for al men Kinds of prayers are these There is a priuate prayer of euerie faithfull man there is also a publique prayer of the whole church Priuate prayer is made vnto God by euerie faithfull man in what place soeuer either in the house or without dores in the closet of his heart temple of his owne bodie For S. Peter went vp into the vppermost part of the house and prayed S. Pans sayeth I will therefore that the me pray euery where lifting vp pure hands And Christ our Lord himselfe verie often departed euen out of the temple into the mount to pray And in the Gospel hee sayeth When thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shutt thy dore pray to thy father whiche is in secrete Publique prayer is that which is vsed of the church whiche is made vnto God in the holy assemblie according to the accustomed order of euerie churche Nowe the pastours duetie is as Paule also admonisheth in the 1. Tim. 2. and wée in the last Sermon before this haue rehearsed to gather together instruct and preserue the assemblies in whiche supplications or common prayers are made And they are greatly to bee blamed who are more negligent in this behalfe than becommeth them neither are they in déede to be suffered which séeldome or neuer teach diligently and are cold in stirring vpp a desire in men to pray Men by nature are slow and slacke in the studie of religion and therefore we haue néede of a sharpe spurre And the charge and office of stirring vpp and prouoking is committed to the pastours of churches The prophets somewhere crie Blowe out the trumpet in Sion assemble a congregation For in a holy congregation thrée thinges are chiefly vsed the teaching of the Gospel faithfull prayers and religious celebration or administration of the Sacraments And sometimes there is a collection made for the reléeuing of the poore and of the church The holie Scripture wittnesseth that these thinges are not instituted at the will and pleasure of man but by the authoritie of God yea and immediatly after the first beginning of thinges and that they were also vsed of the most holy worshippers of god Of those most auncient patriarchs both which were first before the floud and which followed immediatly after there is no doubt since the scripture plainly witnesseth of Iacob himselfe the nephue of Abraham that he exected an altar in Bethel whervnto he assembled his whole household though it were excéeding great and there offered sacrifice vnto god In Moses time by the law in most euident commaundements he instituted holy assemblies Yea in the 10. commaundements he diligently coÌ„maundeth to sanctifie the sabboth day which also compreheÌ„deth holy assemblies The holy prophets of God do euerie where praise and commend the ecclesiasticall assemblies of Gods people Neither did Christ our Lord disallow them wheÌ„ he came in the flesh For as in the most notable assemblies and feastes hee taught with great diligence euen so he gathered and assembled together both the people and also his disciples whome he specially commaunded that they should not depart from Hierusalem but waite for the promise of the father which thing when they were gathered together into an assemblie and in prayer we read in the Actes to haue béene performed There also the assemblie of the faithful is coÌ„mended to vs as appeareth both in the 11. and 14. cap. of the 1. epist. of Paul to the Corin. Those supplications which the same Paule commaundeth to bée made for all them that are set in authoritie are made chiefly in holy asseÌ„blies Truely Plinie an heatheÌ„ author writing to Traianus the Emperour doth make verie manifest mention of holy assemblies Holie assemblies had of old time verie excellent promises as we may sée in the prayer of Solomon whiche is described vnto you in the first booke of the Kinges the 8. cap. And at this day the church of Christ hath promises nothing inferiour to them Christ our Lord saying I say vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shal be done for them of my father whiche is in heauen For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Behold the Lord him selfe is in the middst of the assemblies of saincts And where the Lord is there is both plentie and the treasure of all good things And therefore experience it selfe which we haue of matters teacheth that the supplications of the church are effectuall For the Lord heareth the prayers of the church and deliuereth from euil those whose safetie the church commendeth vnto him We haue oftentimes had experience that they which were in extreme daunger haue found verie present helpe euen at the same instant wherein the congregation hath offered their prayers to the Lord. Moreouer the example moueth verie many otherwise hard hearted and barbarous For they sée the deuout godlines of the holy congregation and the feruencie of the faithful in assemblies are thereby moued so that entring into themselues they acknowledge that they are miserable desire to be partakers of this fellowship according to the saying of S. Paul. If therfore wheÌ„ the whole church is come together in one and all speake straunge tongues there come in they that are vnlearned or they whiche beleeue not will they not say that ye are out of your witts But if all prophecie and there come in one which beleueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men is iudged of all And so are the â—ecrets of his heart made manifest and so he wil fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you in deede With what confidence therefore and howe shamefully dare some set light by holy assemblies and not onely set light by them but also scorne at them as if they were assembled together without any profite at all Dauid in his banishment maketh complaint of nothing so much as that hee was compelled to wander in the wildernesse and was shutt out from holy assemblies For hee promiseth the Lord hee wil enter into his holie congregation if euer he be restored againe Verily when the Lord sayeth in
finde that they of the old Testament had Sacraments after one kynd and they of the newe Testament Sacraments after an other kind The Sacraments of the people vnder the old Testament were circumcision and the Paschal lambe to which were added sacrifices whereof I haue aboundantly spoken in the thirde Decade and the sixt Sermon In like manner the Sacraments of the people vnder the newe Testament that is to say of Christians by the writings of the Apostles are two in number Baptisme The Supper of the Lorde But Peter Lombard reckoneth 7. Baptisme Penance the supper of the Lorde Confirmation Extreme vnction Orders Matrimonie Him followeth the whole rablement of interpretours and route of scholemen But all the auncient doctours of the Church for the moste part do reckon vp two principall sacraments among whome Tertullian in his first fourth booke Contra Marcionem and in his booke De corona militis very plainly maketh mention but of two onely that is to saye Baptisme and the Eucharist or supper of the Lorde And Augustine also Lib. 3. de doctr Christiana cap. 9. sayth The Lorde hath not ouerburthened vs with signes but the Lorde him selfe and the doctrine of the Apostles haue left vnto vs certeine fewe thinges in steade of many and those most easie to be done most reuerend to be vnderstoode most pure to be obserued as is baptisme and the celebration of the body and bloude of the Lord. And againe to Ianuarius epist. 118. he sayth He hath knit and tyed together the fellowship of a newe people with sacramentes in number verie fewe in obseruing verie easie in signification verie excellent as is baptisme consecrated in the name of the Trinitie and the partaking of Christs body and bloud and whatsoeuer thing else is commended vnto vs in the canonicall scriptures excepte those thinges wherewith the seruitude of the olde people was burdened according to the agreeablnes of their heartes and the time of the prophets Which are read in the fiue books of Moses Where by the way is to be marked that he sayth not And whatsoeuer things else are commended vnto vs in the canonicall scriptures but And what so euer thing else c. which plainely proueth that he speaketh not of Sacramentes but of certeine obseruations bothe vsed and receyued of the Churche as the wordes of Augustine whiche folowe do declare Howbeit I confesse without dissimulation that the same Augustine elsewhere maketh mention of the Sacrament of Orders where neuerthelesse this séemeth vnto me to be also considered that the selfe same authour giueth the name of Sacramentes to Annoynting and to Prophecie and to Prayer and to certeine other of this sorte as well as he dothe to Orders and now and then among them he reckoneth vppe the Sacramentes of the Scripture so that we may easily sée that in his workes the worde Sacrament is nowe vsed one way and sometimes an other For he calleth these Sacraments bicause being holie they came from the holie Ghoste and bycause they be holie institutions of God obserued of all that be holie but yet so that these differ from those Sacramentes whiche are holie actions consisting of wordes and ceremonies and whiche gather together into one fellowshippe the partakers thereof But Rabanus Maurus also Byshoppe of Mentze a diligent reader of Augustins works Lib. 1. de Instit cleric cap. 24. sayth Baptisme and vnction and the body and bloude are Sacramentes whiche for this reason are called Sacraments bycause vnder a couert of corporall thinges the power of GOD woorketh more secretely oure saluation signified by those Sacramentes wherevppon also for their secrete and holie vertues they are called Sacramentes This Rabanus Maurus was famous about the yeare of the Lorde eight hundreth and thirtie so that euen by this we may gather that the auncient Apostolique Churche hadde no more than two Sacramentes I make no mention here of Ambrose although he in his bookes of sacramentes numbereth not so many as the companie of scholemen doe bycause some of those workes sette foorthe in his name are not receyued of all learned men as of his owne doing so I little force the authoritie of the workes of Dionysius whiche of what price and estimation they be among learned and good men it is not needefull to declare But howe so euer the case standeth the holye Scripture the onely and infallible rule of life and of all thinges whiche are to be done in the Churche commendeth baptisme and the Lordes Supper vnto vs as solemne institutions and Sacramentes of Christ Those two are therefore sufficient for vs so that we néede not be moued what so euer at anye time the subtile inuention of mans busie brayne bring against or beside these twaine For why GOD neuer gaue power to any to institute Sacramentes In the means while wee doe not contemne the wholesome rites and healthfull institutions of GOD nor yet the religious obseruations of the Church of Christ We haue declared elswhere touching Penaunce and Ecclesiasticall Order Of the residue whiche latter writers doe authorize for Sacra ▪ mentes we will speake in their conuenient place So haue we also elsewhere so farre foorthe as we thought requisite entreated of the likenesse and difference of Sacramentes of the people of the olde and newe testament Nowe let vs sée in what thinges Sacramentes consiste By the testimonie of the Scripture and of all the godly men they consiste in two thinges to witte in the signe and the thing signified in the worde and the rite in the promise of the Gospell and in the ceremonie in the outwarde thing and the inwarde in the earthly thing I saye and the heauenly And as Irenaeus the Martyr of Christe witnesseth in the visible thing and inuisible in the sensible thing and the intelligible For heerevnto belongeth that whiche Sainte Iohn Chrysostome vppon Matthewe sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRIST deliuereth nothing vnto vs that is sensible but vnder visible thinges the outwarde thinges are sensible but yet all spirituall But hee calleth those thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensible whiche are perceyued by the outwarde senses as by séeing hearing tasting and touching but those thinges he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligible or mentall whiche are perceyued by the mynde the vnderstanding consideration discourse or reasoning of the mynde not of the fleshe but of fayth By the testimonie of the Scriptures this thing shall bée made manifest .. The Lorde sayeth to his disciples in the Gospell Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures and he whiche shall beleeue and bee baptised shall be saued Yee shall baptise in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghoste The same sayeth of Iohn Baptiste Iohn baptised in the wildernesse preaching the baptisme of repentaunce for the remission of sinnes So also Sainte Luke witnesseth that Sainte Peter sayde to the Israelites Repent yee and bee baptised euerie one of you in the
reached farre Many thinges are sounge in the seruice of the papistes at the time of Easter and Whitsuntide which are not vnderstoode but by this lawe and custome At the lengthe it grewe out of vse and the faithfull were baptised as occasion and opportunitie firste serued This is also in controuersie Who ought to baptise what the baptiser worketh Of the last I wil speake first The baptiser giueth visiblie the sacrament of regeneration and a testimonie of the remission of sinnes but the Lorde by his spirite doth inuisibly regenerate and forgiueth sinnes and sealeth the regeneration Iohn and the Apostles baptise with water Christe baptiseth with the holy Ghost not onely with the visible signe of fire and the gyfte of tounges but euen he onely giueth all spiritual giftes Which thing the auncient fathers that they might expressely declare did diligently distinguishe betwéene power and ministerie For August tract in Ioh. 5. sayth It is one thing to baptise in way of ministerie another thing to baptise by power Our Lorde Iesus Christe coulde if he had would haue giuen power to any one seruaunt to giue his baptisme as in his steede could translate or remoue frō himself power to baptise and place it in one of his seruauntes and giue as greate force to baptisme being translated or remoued into his seruant as it should haue being giuē by the lord He wold not doe so for this purpose that the hope of thē which wer baptised shuld hang on him of whom they acknowledge them selues to be baptised He would not therefore that a seruaunte shoulde settle his hope in a seruaunt And therefore cryed the Apostle when hee sawe men willinge to putte their hope and truste in him Was Paule crucified for you Or were yee baptised in the name of Paule Paule therefore baptised as a minister not as the power it selfe but the Lorde baptised as the power And againe Iohn Baptist learned by the doue Vppon whomesoeuer thou shalt see the spirite descending like vnto a doue and tariestil vpon him the same is he whiche baptiseth with the holy ghost Therefore O doue let not deceiuers seduce thee which say Wee baptise O doue acknowlege what the doue taught The same is he which baptiseth with the holy Ghost By the doue it is knowen that it is hee doest thou thinke that thou arte baptised by his power by whose ministerie thou art baptised If thou bee of that minde thou art not yet in the bodie of the doue and if thou bee not in the bodie of the doue it is no maruel because thou hast not simplicitie For simplicitie especially is figured by the doue Iohn learned by the simplicitie of the doue that this is hee which baptiseth with the holy ghost Thus farre he Furthermore the minister of the Church being lawfully ordeined ought to baptise The Donatistes contende that none can baptise but he whiche is pure holy They boldly auouched that the baptisme was fruitelesse and voide of effecte which a lewde liuing minister or defiled with wicked vices did administer Against these Augustine grauely disputed and conuinced thē by the trueth of the scripture He in his 166. Epistle saith See howe peruersely and wickedly that is spoken which ye are wont to say Because if he be a good man he sanctifieth him whom he baptiseth but if he be an euill man and he not know so muche which is baptised then God sanctifieth him If this be true then men ought rather to wishe to be baptised of minsters vnknown to be euil then of them whiche are knowen to bee good that they may rather be sanctified of God than of man But farre from vs be this madnesse Why then doe wee not speake trueth and are rightly wise Because that grace belongeth alway to GOD and the Sacramente is his and the ministerie onely committed vnto man who if he be good he cleaueth to God and worketh with God but if he be euil GOD woorketh by him the visible fourme of the sacrament but he himselfe giueth the inuisible grace Herein let vs al be wise and let there bee no schismes or diuisions among vs. The same Augustine in his thirde booke Contra literas Petiliani ca. 49. doeth plentifully sette forth the same mattter And because wee haue also handled the same thinge in the ende of our former sermon nexte before this it is néedelesse to speake one thing twise Here is a question obiected vnto vs touching the baptisme of Middewiues Whether women Midwiues vppon the point of necessitie that is when the Infante is in ieopardie to die before hee come to bee baptised at the handes of the Ecclesiasticall minister ought and may babtise We answer that baptisme is a sacrament of the Churche that women are forbidden to minister in the Church therfore that they neither can nor ought to baptise as they are by no meanes permitted to teache The lawes of the Apostle are well known But I suffer not a womā saith Paule to teache neither to vsurpe authoritie ouer the man but to bee in silence The same lawe is repeated of the same Apostle 1. Cor. 14. is cōfirmed by Gods law Mans testimonies agrée with gods For Tertulliin his booke De Velandis Virginibus sayeth It is not permitted vnto a woman to speake in the Churche muche lesse to teache or to babtise nor to offer neither to take to her self the execution of any mannes office muche lesse the priestes This also is read repeated in the fourth counsel of Carthage where also Aurelius Augustine is said to haue béene present Epiphanius Bishop of Salome in Cypres disputing againste diuerse heresies and confuting Marciō saith He also giueth women leaue licēce to baptise He saith as muche of the Quintilian and Peputian heretiques He also reasoning against the heretiques Collyridiani sayeth If women were cōmanded to sacrifice vnto God or to execute any regular thing in the churche then Marie ought rather to do sacrifice in the new Testament whiche was made worthie to carrie in her owne armes the king of al kings the heauenly God the sonne of God whose wombe was made a temple and dwelling for the dispensation of the Lord in the flesh being prepared for that purpose throughe the bountifulnes and maruelous mysterie of god But it did not so please god But neither was it committed or graunted vnto her to baptise Otherwise her sonne might haue bin rather baptised of her thā of Iohn The same author addeth And truly there is in the Church an order of women ministers called women-deacons but not permitted to sacrifice neither to attempt any thing but for reuerence sake of women-kind or for the houre of bathing or visiting or for affection and trauel Whereas they obiecte the example of Sephora the Madianite wife of Moses whiche circumcised her sonne in the time of necessitie that doeth establishe no common lawe as the particular example of Delbora maketh not all women Iudges For there are
not of the bread Eate yee all of this But when he tooke the cup he added Drinke yee all of this Saint Marke also adioyneth herevnto not without déepe iudgement And they drank all thereof Herevnto also apperteineth that which the Lord speaketh in S. Luke Take this and diuide it among you S. Paul the Apostle hauing a special regard vnto this excelleÌ„t plaine institutioÌ„ of Christ thrée or foure times ioyneth the cup to the bread saying As often as you shal eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shall expresse the Lords death Againe Whosoeuer eateth of this bread or drinketh of the Lords cup vnworthily he shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. And againe he saith Let a man examine himselfe and then let him eate of the bread and drinke of the cup Againe Who so eateth and drinketh vnworthily c. These testimonies are manifolde and worthie absolutely to be beléeued vnto which al traditions of all men whatsoeuer should giue place The Lord hath instituted the cup of the supper vnto all the faithfull wherfore the Apostles exhibited the same vnto all the faithfull For if the sacrament of the bloud of Christ were giueÌ„ to the Apostles only surely then the thing it selfe to wit the remission of sinnes which is obteined through Christes bloud belongeth only vnto the Apostles Howbeit the Lord saith plainly This is the bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes It is also in other places of the scripture manifestly set downe the Christs bloud was shed for the remission of the sinns of al the faithful Wherfore if the Laitie be capeable of the thing how muche more of the signe Now if our aduersaries procéede further and say that the Apostles only sate at the supper who represented the figure of the priestes and that the vse of the cuppe was graunted vnto them only and not to be graunted vnto other but to such only as were present at the first supper then doe we demaunde of them by what authoritie they giue the Lordes bread to the Laitie or by what right they do admitte simple women vnto the Lordes supper since it is manifest that neither the one nor the other according vnto their speaking in this matter sate at the Lords table And in this point they being taken tarde can goe no further But they obiect the daunger of the cup which if it be giuen vnto all without exception it would come to passe through the follie negligence of men there might some great offence be committed in letting it fall or powring it on the floore As who shuld say the eternal prouidence hath not foreséen so great an offence which these wisemen doe well perceiue nowe at length in the end of the world and do amend that wherein the Sonne of God did amisse For they crie out that one kinde is enough for the lay people for asmuch as by a necessarie coherence it foloweth that where the bodie of Christ is there is his bloud also and thus must it then followe that the one kinde is instituted in vaine But the lord distinctly first offered the bread and afterward the cup the Lord instituted nothing in vaine therefore both kinds since the Lord hath so coÌ„manded ought to be parted among all the faithful which as many as haue read the writings of the ancient fathers wil report was obserued euer before euen almost vnto the time of the counsell of Constance Of whom many haue not beene afraide to say that the diuiding of this sacrament after this maÌ„ner could not be done without sacrilege The matter substaÌ„ce of the supper being declared there is lightly some question moued concerning the forme or of the consecration of the breade and wine But for asmuch as I haue intreated hereof in the generall consideration of the sacraments there is no cause why I should with lothesomnesse to the bearers repeate the selfe same thing againe We do not acknowledge any transubstantiâ—tion to be made by force of wordes or characters but we affirme that the bread and wine remaine as they are in their owne substances but that there is added vnto them the institution will and worde of Christ and so become a sacramente and so differ muche from common bread and wine as we haue saide in place conuenient Consequently insueth the question touching this point Who should administer the Supper that is to say Whether any one of the congregation ought to be chiefe in the celebrating of the supper then Who the same should be Surely the thing it selfe requireth and nature also commaundeth that euery thing bee done decently and in good order and religion requireth that all thinges apperteining to the supper bee done according to Christs example But he was the chiefe dealer in the supper And he likewise hathe appointed ministers of the Churche by whom he will haue the sacraments to be administred Wherefore like as euerie man doth not baptise but the lawfull minister of the church so apperteyneth it not vnto euerie man to prepare minister the holy supper but to the minister which is ordeyned by god Herein now we disproue the Papistical doctrine which alloweth of priuate Masses teacheth that the prieste offreth vp the bodie and bloud of our Lord for the standers by and that by the Masse he applteth the merite of redemption vnto them that with deuotion come to that sacristce For as there is no one worde of the Lord extent that commaundeth the priestes to sacrifice or priuately to apply the supper for others or that promiseth any thinge vnto them that stande by and looke on it for he sayth Doe this eate yee and drinke ye all in the remembraunce of me he sayeth not Looke vppon the priests onely while they be eating and drinking for you so Christ is not bodily present in the breade and wine he is ioyned vnto our heartes and mindes by his spirit For it were to none effect that he remained in the breade And if he were present there in déede yet coulde he not be sacrificed both for that he hath offered vp him selfe once vppon the crosse neither can the moste worthy and onely begotten sonne of God be offered vp againe to God the father by a sinnefull man as also for that there is no néede for him to offer againe For S. Paule saith Christ beeing one onely sacrifice offered vp for sinne sitteth for euer at the righte hand of God looking for that which is yet to come vntill his enimies bee made his footestoole For by one oblation hee hath made them for euer perfect that are sanctified And againe he sayeth Whereas is full remission of sinnes there is no more oblation for sinne But we haue full remissioÌ„ of sinne by the death which Christ once suffered Therfore there is no sacrifice in the church for sinne In déede the Churche doth celebrate the memoriall of the sacrifice which
argumeÌ„ts the right to receiue a stipende for the holie ministerie Haue we not saith he power and authoritie to eate and drinke or maye wee not carrie about with vs a woman sister For he meaneth the lawfulnesse and authoritie to receyue any thing necessarie for him selfe his wife and his whole housholde And for that he asketh a question he sheweth what he meaneth that thereby he may declare a playne truth and equitie amongst all men and thereto addeth examples not of euerie man seuerally but of all generally and specially of the chiefest apostls of Christ and of them that were kinne vnto Christe by bloud saying Euen as the other Apostles and brothers of oure Lorde and Cephas And who is that Cephas but Peter To this Cephas the Lorde sayde in the first chapter of S. Iohn Thou shalt be called Cephas whiche if a man interprete it signifieth a stone But Peter also was so syrnamed of a rocke to the intent the interpretation of the name may alwayes fail vppon the same And who I pray you are the Lordes brethren but Iohn and Iames and Iames the brother of Iudas and Iudas and Simon the brethren of Iames All these sayth Sainte Baule liued of a stipend they had being gathered of the common assembly of the Church Vnto these examples he addeth other also like vnto them commonly put in practise Who sayth he doth goe to warre at his owne costes and charges Or who planteth a vineyarde and eateth not of the fruite thereof Or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the mylke thereof Surely he bringeth foorth these similitudes very finely and properly applied vnto them and not vnto any other For the ministerâ— of the Church are somtime called souldiers or vine yard-kéepers sometime husbandmen and shepherds And who I pray you is so farr from reason that he woulde denie vnto souldiers husbandmen and shepheards meate and clothing for the paynes they take in warfare husbandrie and about cattel The true hearted men therfore and suche as are of an indifferent iudgement do acknowledge that the ministers of the Church may liue by the Ecclesiasticall ministerie But least that any man should obtect that these humane parables and similitudes taken from the common vse do proue nothing in an Ecclesiasticall cause he addeth presently Doe I speake these things according to maÌ„ Doth not the lawe say also the same For it is written in the lawe of Moses Thou shalt not mussell the Oxe that treadeth out the corne As though he shoulde say I haue in a readinesse for the coÌ„firmation of our right not only humane similitudes but also testimonies of the holy scripture And he allegeth a place out of the 25. chap. of Deuteronomie concerning y nourishing of labouring oxen Againe lest any man shuld say that that place is not to be vnderstood of preathers but simply of oxen he addeth Dothe God take care for oxen Or dothe not hee speake it altogether for oure sakes Doubtlesse hee hath writen it for our sakes that he which ploweth may plowe in hope and he that thresheth in hope may be partaker of his hope The Lorde sayd he in his lawe would prouide for vs For he would haue the â—qualitie gathered by a certaine syllogisme or kinde of argument after this or suche like manner If the Lorde prouided for beastes and cattell and woulde haue consideration to he hadde of them howe much more of men It were truly a very vniust thing that an husbandman should labour with his oxe without hope that is to saye in vaine and without commoditie Therefore were it also a most vniust thing for the minister to exercise ecclesiastical husbandrie in the church without hope or due stipend Moreouer where it is againe obiected here against that vnto the spiritual ministerie belongeth no corporall but a spirituall reward the Apostle aunsweareth If wee so we vnto you spiritual things is it a great matter if we reape your temporal things He therefore thinketh that the Corinthians giue nothing when they giue their temporall thinges namely if they be compared with eternall good thinges which the ministers do bring by teaching For looke how farre the soule excelleth the bodie by so muche are spiritual thinges better than temporall The Apostle also concealeth an euident argument in these words where he admonisheth that it is meet that he that soweth should also reape In this point also is great inequalitie in that the ministers sowe the better and reap the worse Because men set light by God and the diuine ministerie therefore they thincke that the ministers doe nothing S. Paule againe confirmeth his owne right by the example of others saying If others bee partakers of the power towardes you why rather are not wee For séeing none had taken more paines amonge the Corinthians than S. Paule no man was more worthie of reward Moreouer he confirmeth his right by the example commaundement and ordinaunce of the Lord saying Knowe ye not that they whiche take paines in the holy thinges doe eate of the holy thinges and they that minister at the altar are partakers o the altar Euen so hath the Lord ordeined that they that doe preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Where hath the Lord ordeined this Forsooth when he said in the Gospell that the labourer is worthie of his hire But I iudge this especially to be obserued whiche the Apostle speaketh in plaine words That the Lord instituted his ordinaunce concerning the maintenaunce of the ministers of the church vnto the imitation of the auncient lawes of the Iewishe people Hereof wee gather that wée misse not much the marcke if in this and such like cases wée do not vtterly reiect the auncient institutions of the fathers But in that S. Paule the Apostle vsed not his authoritie as he mighte haue done it maketh nothing against these thinges For one question is of the déede and another of the right of the thing In very déede hee toke nothing of the Corinthians for diners causes yet notwithstanding hee toke of other Churches Neither receiued he any thing of the Church of Thessalonica yet for all that this his deeing is not prtiudiciall to the equitie of the right For he saith vnto the Corinthians I haue robbed other Churches hauing receiued wages of them to thintent I might do you seruice And when I was with you and wanted I was not burthensome vnto any man For the things that were lacking vnto me were giuen me by the brethren that came from Macedonia And vnto the Thessalonians he saith We behaued not oure selues inordinately amongst you neither did we take our bread for nothing But with labour and paines both night and day doing our woorke to the intent wee would not be a burden vnto any of you Not that it is not lawefull for vs to doe it but because we would set downe our selues as a patterne for you to followe after And againe the same S. Paule saith vnto the Thessalonians I