and stinckyng harlotte of Antichriste Thei haue alwaies in their mouthes this saiyng of saincte Augustine non crederem Euangeli◠nisi me ecclesiae catholicae authoritas commoueret I would not beleue the Gospell excepte the aucthoritie of the Catholike Churche moued me These fewe words haue thei tossed to and fro to presse out of them that is not in theim and would seme to goe aboute to proue the creature aboue the creatour that made all thynges But as S. Augustine saieth he beleued the Gospell because of the Church so likewise he hath said Exore veritatis ecclesiam agnosco participem veritatis By the mouthe of the truthe I knowe the churche that is partaker of the truthe But whereas thei would seme to goe aboute to proue by Augustines woordes that the Churche is aboue the worde of God their folie herein is easily espied if wée consider the cause that moued Augustine so to speake The Manichees would needes goe about to proue and make men to beleue that the Epistle of Fundamētus was of as good aucthoritie as the Epistles of Paule Peter Iames or Ihon. And that their Manicheus was the Apostle of Christe Augustine aunswereth theim and saieth he can not bee so easily perswaded by the same reason to receiue the Epistle of Manicheus as the Epistles of Peter and Paule c. He giueth a reason why for because saieth he in receiuyng of them thei had the aucthoritie testimonie and commendation of the Catholike Churche but Fundamentus Epistle hath no aucthoritie nor testimonie but onely of the Manichees theim selues whiche were openly shutte out from the Churche whiche by no meanes can be in equall aucthoritie with the aucthoritie of the Churche So if wée marke Augustines woordes well wée shall easily perceiue that he maketh not the Churche iudge of the scriptures nor yet graunteth any aucthoritie to the church ouer the scriptures but onely as witnesses and testimonies whiche bee the true canonicall scriptures from the Apochriphes and counterfecte Scriptures as this Epistle of the Manichees And that this is the true meaning of sainct Augustine one of their owne doctours and a Papiste for his life saieth vpon these woordes of sainct Augustine before recited Errare cos qui ijs dem Augustini verbis abutuntur ad probandum quod Papae vel cōcilium vel ecclesia possit immutare quae ab Euangelistis Apostolis sunt tradita That is to saie they do erre whiche vse the same wordes of sainct Augustine to proue that the Pope or Counsaile or the churche maie alter or chaunge what so euer haue been deliuered by the Euangelistes and Apostles No◠wee maie not gather herevpon that the aucthoritie of the churche is greater then the aucthoritie of the scriptures because that there bee many founde whiche dooe take the holy scriptures for authenticall as moued by the aucthoritie of the Churche In deede to them the Churche séemeth better then the holie scriptures but thei bee farre otherwise of them selues Els Moyses should by the same reason bee of greater aucthoritie then Christe because that many beleued in Christe moued by the aucthoritie of the scripture of Moyses as Christ saith If you would beleue Moyses ye would beleue me also We reade in Iohn thus And of that citie many of the Samaritans beleued in Christe vppon the woorde of the woman whiche bare witnesse and saied For he tolde me all thynges that I haue doen. Accordyng vnto this argument the aucthoritie of the synfull woman was more then of Christe and so it was in deede at the firste of more reputation with the people of the citie to whom Christe was yet vnknowen But of it self it was not so nor afterwardes whē thei hearyng the doctrine of saluation of Christe hym self thei saied vnto the woman Now we doe not beleue because of thy woordes for we haue heard knowen that this is verely the sauiour of the worlde Sainct Ihon shewed Christe vnto the people yet he was not greater then Christe In sainct Peter we doe reade in this wise Likewise ye women also bee subiecte vnto your husbandes that thei also whiche dooe not beléeue the woorde maie be wonne without the worde through the conuersation of the woman c. Ergo whereas the vnfaithfull husbande is stirred vnto the faithe of Christe by the regarde of the conuersation of his wife whiche he seeth is honeste chaste faithfull and obediente whereas he coulde not bee moued by the preachyng of the Gospell maie we gather that the conuersation of the woman is better or greater then the Gospell In deede so it appeareth but it is to hym whiche is still vnfaithfull not vnto hym which doeth acknowedge the trueth of the Gospell and the aucthoritie of God. The Churche had in tymes paste greate estimation of holy conuersation whereby many were brought vnto the faithe of Christ and the aucthoritie of the church did them good But yet it was not of it selfe better then the truth of the Gospell ¶ The xxxlx Chapiter ¶ Of the office and aucthoritie of the Churche and how i◠maie erre and how it cannot erre THE Churche we graunt as part we touched before hath three offices touchyng the worde of god The first and formoste of them is that as a witnesse she keepeth the holie bookes of the Canonicall scriptures But thereby it can not be proued that it is lefull for her to peruerte or alter any thyng in the saied holie bookes As publique and priuate writynges are committed to Scriueners or Notaries to be laied vp and kepte of them And yet none will saie he maie alter any thyng of those writynges The seconde office is to preache and publishe the wordes committed vnto it by God but it maie publishe nothyng but what is taught by the worde to them deliuered as a common crier who although he publishe the decrees of Princes and Magistrates yet he is not aboue the decrees of Princes and Magistrates but his whole office is faithfully to pronounce all thynges as he hath receiued them of the Prince addyng nothyng to it nor takyng ought awaie The thirde office is sithe that she is indued with the spirite of God it must therefore discerne and trie the sincere and vncorrupte bookes of holie scriptures from the counterfecte and Apochriphas So many can descerne the true and proper writynges of Plato and Aristotle So we can descerne God from the deuill and yet are we not to be compted equall with God much lesse can we thinke that we doe excell hym Now we haue saied somewhat of the office of the Churche I will also declare the whole aucthoritie that she hath by the woorde of GOD. The aucthoritie then of the true Churche of our Sauiour Christe doeth moste chiefly consiste in fower thynges First this true and faithfull Churche hath aucthoritie to choose and ordeīne ministers as wee learne by the example of the Apostles and of the Churches that bee spoken
to him in our willes and vnited in our affections If we shoulde say thei againe minister the mysticall cup to the laye people we shoulde be fayne to keepe the sacramentall wine as well as the sacramentall bread But the wine can not be kept long but it waxeth eger so that it can not be drunken for egernesse Therefore the Churche of Rome hath thought good that the cup shoulde be cleane taken away from the laye people Who woulde not laugh at this balde reason of theirs do not your holy cakes in the pixe if thei be to long kept moulde also and finnie yea and runne full of maggottes and wormes too so that ye be fayne many tymes to burne that blessed body of the Lorde that ye your selues haue made and to burye the ashes in some blinde and darke corner Let the cautels of your Masse beare witnes of the thing How chaunceth it that your whorishe mother the Churche of antechriste did not for the same cause put the laye people from the sacramentall bread too Doeth not the one stande with as good a reason as the other For if ye can finde a remedie that the bread shall not waxe out of fashion by often chaunging of your holye cakes that is to say by often taking away of the olde and putting in of newe may not the same remedie be vsed in the wine Whereas they say the wine can not be kept or reserued for causes before expressed Herein they shewe them selues most miserable blasphemers From where and from whence haue they this aucthoritie to reserue and locke vp their consecrated bread as thei call it scriptures thei can shewe none and the learned are against them yea and some of their owne proctours and doctours Gabriell Biell a greate stickeler in your Transubstantiation saieth Non dedit discipulis vt ipsum honorificè conseruarent sed dedit in sui vsum dicens accipito manducate Christ gaue not the sacrament to his disciples that they should reuerently reserue it but he gaue it for their vse sayng take and eate Saincte Ciprian an olde auncient Father saieth Panis iste recipitur non includitur This bread is receaued and not shut vp Clemens likewise saieth Tanta in altario Holocâ—usta offèrantur quanta populo sufficere debeant quod â—i remanserint in crastinum non reseruentur Let there be so many Hostes or so muche bread offered at the aulter as maie bee sufficient for the people if any thyng remaine let it not be kepte vntil the mornyng Origene and Cirill saie also verie plainely Dominus panâ—m quem discipulis suis dabat non distulit nec iussit seruari in crastinum The bread that our Lorde gaue to his disciples he lengred it not nor â—ad it to be kepte vntill the mornyng Sainct Hierome shewyng the order of the Churche of Corinth saieth After the Communion was doen whatsoeuer portion of the Sacrifices remained they spent it there together in the Churche eatyng their common supper Hesichius sheweth the order in his tyme of that that was left of the sacrament and saieth that the remanentes of the Sacramente were burnt immediatly in the fire Nicephorus also saieth of the order in his tyme of that was lefte after the people had communicated together that the remanentes of the same in some places were geuen to the children that went to schole to be eaten by them presently in the Churche These testimonies are sufficient to disproue all that they haue or can alledge for their reseruation and if they woulde vse this order as thei haue declared they should neuer doubte of â—nowing moulding and sowring of the sacramentall bread and wine but yet a little more to reason with these fellowes of Rome aboute the sowryng of the wine for the which cause it can not be reserued saie they If it be the blood of christ how can it corrupte or chaunge or if it doeth corrupt and chaunge how can it be the blood of Christe Is not the blood of Christ vncorruptible and no more subiect to alteration Your owne reasons whatsoeuer ye can imagine and prate of your accidentes without substaunce or of your substaunce without accidentes doe quite ouerthrowe your false and erronious doctrine of Transubstantiation But that I should be somewhat shorter you haue no commaundement in all the scriptures to doe as you doe Is not this that ye doe in keepyng any parte of the Sacrament one of your beggerly traditions Doe ye not moste vngodly contemne despise and breake the holy commaundementes of the lorde that so ye maie maintaine vpholde your lousie inuentions The wisdome of the father our sauiour Iesu Christ doth saie drinke ye all of this diuide this among you whiche thyng the holy apostles whom we ought most chiefly to folowe next vnto Christe did performe immediatly For they dranke all of it But this wholsome commaundement of our Sauiour is cleane put downe that your wise traditions maie stande and take place When we do reproue your false shamefull and detestable abuses wherwith ye haue filled the Churche of Christ ye crie out still againste vs The Fathers The Fathers and nothyng haue ye in your mouthes but the Fathers Heare then what Sainct Ciprian who is one of the moste auncient writers of the true Churche doeth saie if in the sacrifice whiche is Christe saieth he Christe onely ought to be folowed truely we must heare and doe the same that Christe our Sauiour did and commaunded to be doen. For he saieth in his gospell if ye doe the thinges that I commaunde you I wil no more cal you seruauntes but frendes And that christ alone ought to be hearde the father doeth also testifie from heauen saiyng This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am pleased heare hym If Christe onely must be hearde we ought not to care what any man hath thought good to be doen afore vs but what Christe first who is before all hath doen. For we ought not to folowe mans custome but the trueth of god Sith that the Lorde doeth crie out by Esay saiyng They worship mée in vaine teachyng the doctrines and commaundementes of men And he saieth a litle after whosoeuer breaketh one of the least of these commaundementes and teacheth men so to doe he shal be called the least in the kyngdome of heauen If it be not lawfull saieth he to breake the least of the lordes commaundementes How much lesse ought wee to breake or transgresse those greate and weightie commaundementes and that do so muche pertaine to the Sacrament of the Lordes death and of our redemption or to chaunge them into any other thyng than it hath been instituted or ordained of God Sainct Ambrose also hath a notable saiyng Nos noua omnia quâ— christus non docuit iure damnamus quia christus fidelibus via est Si igitur christus non docuit quod
iudgement euen as the vnfaithfull and reprobate can geue no iudgement of the worde of God nor yet alowe it Whereby we maie then conclude that the certitude veritie and infalliblenesse of Gods worde doeth not depende or hang vpon the opinion and iudgement of men but that it doth altogether depende of the holy spirite of God whiche by his owne force vertue and strength doth verifie it and constraineth the faithfull to alowe and receaue it as the bright and cleare beames of the Sunne doe compell the eyes to confesse that the Sunne is cleare and bright For the shéepe of our Sauiour christ doe both heare and vnderstande the voice of their shephearde and not the voice of a straunger And all the Prophetes haue prophecied and taught and the apostles also haue been verified and aucthorized by the vertue of hym that spake in theâ— so that all the whole worlde could not withstande it It is nowe easie to see that the true catholique Churche of God though she knoweth which is the true worde of god and which is not and that by the inspiration of the same holy spirite that they were inspired withall whiche did leaue vnto vs by writyng the holy and sacred Scriptures that be conteined in the olde and newe testament I meane the canonical bokes of them both for as Sainct Chrisostome saieth Ergò suam erga homines amicitiam innouare volens quasâ— longè absentibus literas mittit conciliaturus sibi vniuersam hominum naturam Therefore god mindyng to renewe his fauour towardes man sent his holie Scriptures as it were his letters thereby to reconcile to him selfe all mankynde â–ª Ireneus saieth Apostoli tunc euangelium praeconiauerunt Postea verò per dei voluntatem illud in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Then the Apostles preached the Gospell and afterwardes by Gods will thei deliuered the same to vs in writyng to be a foundation and a piller vnto our faith But here to speake of the Papistes obiections howe that the Churche was before the worde it shal be superfluous to waste paper and Inke in so fruictlesse a question For we say generally the worde was before the church for Moyses wrote the worde of God that he spake to Adam of the séede to come So saieth Sainct Paul God spake in olde tymes many waies and in sundrie sortes vnto the fathers And saint Chrisostome saieth God the creatour of mankynde from the beginnyng spake vnto men by hym selfe in his owne person We speake not so precisely and nicely of Gods worde written in Paper For so it is a creature corruptible and shall consume and perishe as other corruptible creatures doe But the worde of God whiche we speake of endureth for euer Saincte Hierome thereto agreyng saieth these wordes Quomodo aeternae erunt scripturae diuinae si mundus certo fine est terminandus Verum est quidem quod librorum pelliculae cum ipsis literis abolandae sunt Sod quià subiungit dominus verba mea verò noÌ„ praeteribunt proculdubio quod illiâ— apicibus pollicetur erit aeternuÌ„ That is to saie in englishe thus How shall the holy scriptures be euerlastyng seeyng the worlde shall haue an ende True it is that the Parchement or leaues of the bookes with the letters and all shal be abolished But forasmuche as our Lorde addeth my wordes shall neuer passe doubtlesse the thynges that are promised by the same letters shall laste for euer ¶ The .xxxviij. Chapiter ¶ The true Churche is knowen by the worde of God. SO that the woorde of GOD enduring for euer is it that the holy catholike and true Church is knowen by and euer hath been Therefore sainct Augustine saith Exore veritatis ecclesiam agnosâ—o participem veritatis By the mouthe of the truthe I knowe the churche that is partaker of the truth And againe he saieth I would the Churche should be shewed not by the decrees of men but by the heaueÌ„ly oracles or wordes of God Wée muste seeke the Churche in the woordes of Christ whiche is the truthe and beste knoweth his owne bodie The holie Scripture sheweth vs the Churche without doubtyng In the holie scriptures the Churche is plainly knowen We muste knowe the Churche by the holie Canonicall scriptures as we knowe the heade Sainct Chrisostome also saieth Nullo modo cognoscituÌ„r quae sit vera ecclesia nisi tantuÌ„modo per scripturas It is not any wayes knowen which is the true Churche of Christ but only by the scriptures S. Augustine saith Non audiamus haec dico haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit dominus Ibi quaeramus ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram Let vs not heare these wordes this saie I this saiest thou But let vs heare these woordes thus saieth the Lorde There lette vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse our cause I will not haue the holy Churche to bee shewed by mans iudgement but by Goddes woorde Saincte Ambrose also doeth saie these wordes Ecclesia fulget non suo sed Christi lumine The Churche shineth or is knowen not by her owne light but by the light of Christ which is by the worde of God. These testimonies of the godlie fathers of the Catholike Churche dooe flatly declare that the Churche is knowen onely by the worde of God and not by mans decrees nor statutes therefore the true Churche doeth not take vpon her to adde any thing vnto it or to take ought away from it she doth not presume to forge newe articles of our faithe and to sette forthe news lawes and decrees for Goddes holie woorde but she contenteth her self with the worde lawes and ordinaunces of her true husbande and heade Iesus Christe Therefore that whorishe churche of Rome whiche moste presumpteously forgeth daiely newe lawes and Articles of our faithe settyng forthe euen with fire and sworde the fonde doctrines and inuentions of men for the true and infallible woorde of the liuyng GOD mainteinyng openly that their Churche is aboue the woorde of GOD and that it is of more force and greater aucthoritie for these are their owne woordes set out in their owne bookes A doctrina Romanae ecclesia Romani pontificis sacra scriptura robur trahit authoritatem The holie scripture taketh strength and aucthoritie of the doctrine of the Romain Churche and of the Bishoppe of Rome Againe in the same booke he saieth I meane Siluester Prierias maister of the Popes palaice Indulgentiae authoritatae scripturae non innotuere nobis sed authoritate Romanae ecclesiae Romanoâ—umque pontificum quae maior est Pardones are not knowen to vs by the aucthoritie of the Scriptures but by the aucthoritie of the Romaine Churche and of the Bishoppes of Rome whiche is greater then the aucthoritie of the scriptures These I saie boldely can in nowise bee the true spouse of our sauiour Iesu Christe but the abhominable
or Hell. That christes soule should not néede to goe downe thither to fetch them out And also declared that Christ vsed the like woordes vpon the Crosse by whiche is declared that his soule departyng from his bodie wente straight into heauen and not into hell the place of the dampned But that the efficacie vertue and power of his death and passion did pearce through and into the verie hell it self by his diuine power and Godheade that all the damned soules felt their full paine and iuste damnation for their infidelitie And Sathan hym self felt all the power and strength of his tyrannie and darkenesse was weakened vanquished and fallen to ruine and vtter decaie c. And that the soules of all them that died in the faithe of Christe beyng in heauen felte the fulnesse of their redemption how it was now fullie perfected and ended for them c. This beyng by me taught it was noysed abroade in the peoples eares and that by no meane men that I hadde denied an article of the Creede and that I was an open heretique and suche a one as was not worthie of life but cruell death When those reportes and false rumours came vnto mine eares I besought God to strengthen me in his faith and giue me pacience knowyng well that after the waie which they call heresie so worship I and teache the God of my fathers beleuyng all thynges whiche are written in the lawe and the Prophetes I also considered with my self what will this people saie and reporte when as thei shall happen to reade my booke wherein this article of Christes deseension into hell is handeled that thus beginne to condemne and iudge me before they haue knowen or heard the trueth opened vpon the occasion whereof I cleane altered my former preface to the reader that I had made before made this as an apologie or defence thereof against suche as will or shall carpe against it Wherefore I beseche thee frendly reader to lende me thy eares to heare me thy eyes to see me thy tongue to reade me thy mynde and harte to iudge me with an vpright iudgemente accordyng to the truthe of Goddes woorde whiche as Dauid saith is a Lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes that is it that giueth wisedome vnto the simple it is that that giueth lighte vnto the eyes by it the seruaunte of God is made circumspecte our Sauiour Christe willeth vs to searche the scriptures for those are thei that beare witnesse of hym For the mynde muste bee taught and instructed of the will of God by the woorde like as the eyes are taughte and instructed by outwarde thynges For as Augustine saieth Titubat fides si diuinarum scripturarum vacillat authoritas If the aucthoritie of the holie scriptures wauer then dooeth faithe stumble I will nowe accordyng to my small skill saie of this matter somewhat more largely then I haue saied alreadie in my booke whether sufficient or insufficient I shall praie thee to stand an indifferent iudge To thee it is dedicated and for thy sake it is written Here must I saie vnto thée euen as S. Hierome somtime said to his reader in the like case Quaeso lector vt memor Tribunalis domini de iuditio tuo te intelligeÌ„s iudicanduÌ„ nec mihi nec aduersario meo faueas neue personas loquentiuÌ„ sed causam consideres That is I beseche thee good reader that remeÌ„bryng the iudgement seate of the Lorde and vnderstandyng that as thou iudgest so thou shalt bee iudged thou fauour neither me nor myne aduersarie And that thou regarde not the persons but the cause onely Firste thou shalte vnderstande gentle reader that this Article of Christes descendyng into helle is not reade as Rofinus saith in the Romaine Crede nor yet in the Nicen Crede the Easte Churche had it not the Counsaile of Ephesus and Constantinople left it out For wee maie reade by the writynges of the olde Fathers that that parte whiche is reade in the Crede was not in olde tyme so muche vsed in the Churches yet I doe confesse it is a necessarie article meete to haue a place in the Crede as a thyng that conteineth a verie profitable misterie of a waightie matter Sainct Cyprian vnto this saieth Sciendum sane est quod in Ecclesia Romana Symbolo non habetur addituÌ„ descendit ad inferna Sed neque in Orientis ecclesiis habetur hic sermo Knowe ye for certaintie that the Churche of Rome hath not added this in the Crede he descended into hel No neither yet the Easte Churches hath added this kynde of speache in the Crede Unto this Erasmus fullie agreeth saiyng Atque adeo quum Symbolum Nicenae sine Constantinopolitanae Synodi nihil aliud sit quam huius Symboli explanatio ne illic quidem quicquam est quod huic particulae respondeat Ipsa denique inconcintas sermonis arguit ab alio quopiam intertextum emblema That is Moreouer although the Simbole or Crede of the Sinode holden at Nice or the Sinode holden at Constantinople is none other thyng then a declaration of this Simbole or Crede called the Apostles Crede yet there is not so much as any thyng that is correspondent to this particle Finallie the verie incoÌ„cinnitie and vnhandsome ioyning or hanging together of the speache and oration is an euident argumente that this parcell or particle he descended into hell was put in among the other Articles by some other man As is supposed by Thomas of Aquine and immediately after he sheweth the cause why the auncient fathers put not this Article into the Crede he descended into hel Quia vetustissimi patres magna Religionâ— cauebant ne quid asseuerarent duntaxat in Symbolo quod non esset euidenter expressum in sacris literis vtriusque testimenti Talâ—â— sunt articuli omnes hoc vno excepto That is because the fathers of auncientest tyme with great Religion toke heede were warâ— that thei would not affirme any thyng namely in the Crede whiche was not expressed in the Scriptures of bothe Testamentes Suche maner Articles are all the other onely this one he descended into hell excepted Thus farre Erasmus Sainct Augustine in his booke de Fide Symbolo expoundyng the Crede of the Apostles comming to the Article of Christes sufferynges declareth of his pacience and humilitie in sufferyng death euen the death of the Crosse to take awaie the horror of death from vs and that he was crucified and buried vnder Pontius Pilate addyng Pilates name for the certaintie of the tyme and that he laie in a graue and before that in the wombe of his mother in whiche graue and bellie neuer none laie before nor after c. But of this article of Christes descention into hell he neuer speaketh worde of it nor yet reciteth it for if it had been an Article putte in the Crede at the
firste would sainct Augustine haue left it out thinke you or at least â–ª neuer to haue spoken woorde of it in this place hauyng suche an occasion and oportunitie as he had in entreatyng of the beleife I can neuer beleue that for of al the old writers he was moste precise and vigilante in suche poinctes of Religion that touched faithe So that it must euidently appeare that it was putte in by some aftercommers as Erasmus before hath saied Whereby we maie vnderstande the care of the godlie ones then that woulde not putte foorth or affirme any thyng whiche could not bee proued by the Scriptures So Hierome saieth Omne quod loquimur debemus affirmare de scripturis sanctis What soeuer we affirme we must proue it by the holie scriptures For Augustine saieth Sine scripturarum autoritate nihil definiendum est Nothyng is to bee determined or affirmed without the aucthoritie of the holie and sacred scriptures And likewise Saincte Paule saieth Now is the righteousnesse of God made manifeste without the Lawe hauyng witnesse of the Lawe and of the Prophetes Whereby is gathered that all truthe and righteousnesse of Gods Religion and our faith in the redemption of his sonne muste haue the witnesse of the Lawe and the Prophetes that is to saie the holie Scriptures will euer acknowledge and allowe it And whereto it giueth no witnesse that is alwaies false and erronious For as sainct Hierome saieth Hoc quia ex sacris literis authoritatem non habet eadem facilitate refellitur qua probatur Seyng this saieth he speakyng againste those Fathers that did affirme that that Zacharie whiche Christ spake of beyng the sonne of Barachie was Iohn Baptists father hath no aucthoritie out of the scriptures it maie bee as easely denied as affirmed Therefore I saie searche the holy scriptures as they of Berea did as coÌ„cernyng this matter in question and yet thou shalte neuer bee able to finde there that euer Christe our Sauiour in bodie or soule descended into hell after his death to the place of the daÌ„pned or into any Limbo Onely thou shalt finde there that he died and rose againe the thirde daie c. Some will here replie and saie What sir you saie not truely Are there not scriptures sufficient to proue he descended into hell although there are sondrie places yet there are fower principall places as in the Psalmes in Zacharie in the Actes of the Apostles and in Saincte Peters Epistle I praie you saie thei is it not writen in the Psalme thus Non derelinques animam meam in inferno I doe graunte it is so written but it followeth not hereby to proue that his soule or that Christes soule should goe vnto hell the place of the damned for soule in this place doeth not signifie the soule of Christe but it signifieth the bodie or persone of Christe and by hell he vnderstandeth not the place of the damned but the graue or sepulchre and therefore Stephanus translation hath Non relinques corpus meuÌ„ in sepulchro thou shalte not leaue my bodie or persone in the graue So hath the Tygurian translation also For this Hebrue woorde Nâ—pesch signifieth a bodie or person as you maie reade in Leuiticus and in Numeri Also for this worde Soule in that place and many others is taken for the whole naturall man for we reade in Genesis that all the soules that came with Iacob into Egypt whiche came out of his loynes were in the whole thréescore and sixe foules that is thréescore and sixe persons or bodyes And in the Actes it is sayde There were added to the Churche by Peters Sermon about thrée thousande soules that is thrée thousand persons And so Peter vseth the same when he saith Wherein fewe that is eight soules were saued in the water that is eight persons or bodyes S. Paul also vseth that worde saying Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers c. That is let euery body or person be subiect c. By this you may soone perceaue what Dauid meaneth by this word soule that it shoulde not lye in the graue for euer but shoulde rise vp againe So Iob saieth in matter one although in other wordes where he saieth Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet I shall see God in my fleshe As for this worde Hell it is taken in diuers significations in the Scriptures as you may â—ée in my booke where I do intreate of this article but in this place it signifieth not the place of the damned but the graue wherein he was buryed So likewise S. Cyprian dâ—eth expounde that worde hell saying Vis tamen verbi eadem videtur esse in eo quod sepultuâ— dicitur That is howbeit there séemeth to be the same strength of the worde hell in that he is sayde to haue béen buryed As for the place of Zacharie where he saieth Thou also shalt be saued through the blood of thy couenaunt I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water serueth litle and nothyng at all for the proofe of Christes descention into hell For the Prophetes meanyng is in that place that God saueth his Churche by the blood of Christe whereof the blood of the sacrifices was a figure and is here called the couenaunt of the Churche which he did make with Abraham promisyng vnto him that all nations should be blessed in his séede which is our sauiour Christ. And so Zacharie compareth the babylonicall ouerthrowe wherein the people was oppressed to a drie pyt So that he vnderstandeth by the prisoners not any soules in hell but the children and seruauntes of God which were and are captiues vnder Sathan the deuyll mans enemie who was prefigured before by that cruell tyraunt Pharao and by the king of Babylon And by the waterlesse pit he vnderstandeth the goulfe of all miseries calamities whence it is impossible for man to come out by any meanes without the helping hande and out stretched arme of Gods almightie power And that you shall not thinke this to be of my owne exposition I wyll shewe you what S. Augustine saith vppon this place Alio loco ad ipsum Christum in spiritu Propheâ—ia loquens de remissioâ—e peccatorum per eius sanguinem Tu quoque inquit in sanguine Testamenti tui â—misisti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non est aqua Quid per hunc locum velit intelligi possunt diuersa sentiri etiam secundum rectam fidem Mihi autem videtur non eo significari melius nisi humanae miseriae siâ—cam profundiâ—atem quodammodo sterilem vbi non sunt fluentia iustitiae sed iniquitatis lucum Dâ— hoc quippe lacâ—â— in psalmo dicitur eduxit me de lacu miseriae de luâ—â— lâ—mi that is to saie And in an other place speakyng of the spirite of prophecie vnto Christe hym selfe touchyng the remission of synnes through his blood
imagined also about this particle he descended into hell whiche wee haue shewed to bee an addition to the Crede tellyng what persones Christe did bryng from hell and whom he did leaue there still and what thynges with what woordes he did speake to euery one of the Circles c. Therefore he saieth Tibi satis est profiteri Christum sic descendisse ad inferos quemadmodum sentit scriptura c. It is sufficient for thée saieth he to professe that Christe did so descende to helle as the scripture meaneth For we muste vnderstande Christ beyng from the beginnyng head and gouernour of his Churche came in the daies of Noe not in body which then he had not but in spirite and preached by the mouth of Noe to the disobedieÌ„t which would not then repent and therefore nowe are reserued to the last iudgement For Paul saieth Iesus Christe yesterday and to day the same is also for euer as if he woulde say Christ was and shall be the foundation of all his Church for euer Peter also saith The prophecie came not in olde time by the wyll of man but holie men of God spake as thei were moued by the spirite of God Wherevpon I saie as the sonne of GOD did preache in his spirite to theim that were in prisone as Peter saith that is to them that were then in the prison of their sinnes that thei should repent as we haue before written so be saued Euen so now at this day he is quickened in the spirite and by the same spirite continually doeth preache and teache by his ministers vnto the worldes ende to those people that are in the prisone of synne ignoraunce and disobedience to tourne them to the Lorde that euery one that beleueth maie bee saued This is the verie meanyng of this place therefore we muste not gather or descante vpon bare wordes and take them literally as we liste But wee must gather of the cause For so saieth saincte Hillarie Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed rei est sermo subiectus That is The meanyng of woordes is to bee gathered by the causes of the speakyng for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Erasmus saieth that some came after and seemed to gather out of the Scriptures some sentences whereto thei added some reasons Non illas quidem adamantinas But not those reasons saieth he verelie moste strong but suche as are of no weighte And after that he hath recited vp all the places that seme to make for Christes soule to haue descended into helle the place of the dampned he concludeth saiyng Verùm horum nihil est quod cogat credere Christi animam per se decendisse ad tartarum siâ—e vt illi loquuntur ad Limbum That is There is none of all those aucthorities of scriptures that maie constraine any to beleue that the soule of Christe wente doune by hym self personally to hell or as thei call it to Lymbum Hereunto agreeth one Pampolitanus that saieth In inferno igitur damnatorum pro peccato actuali Christus non fuit quia vt ipse dicit inter vos nos chaos magnum statutum est c. Sicut enim coelum Empyrium est locus gloria Ita infernus est locus aeterne poenae Sicut ergo damnatus non potest ascendera coelum Empyrium Ita nullus saluatus potest descendere in locum damnatorum ergo neque Christus That is to saie In the hell of the dampned for actuall synne committed Christe was not for because he saieth Betwene you vs there is a great goulfe set c. For as the Emperiall heauen is a place of glorie So hell is a place of extreme paine and punishemente Therefore as the dampned cannot ascende into the Emperiall heauen So none of the saued can descende into the place of the dampned Therefore muche lesse christ By whiche testemonies it is plaine agreable to the worde of God that Christes soule after his death neuer wente doune to helle the place of the dampned or into any Lymbum but it went directly into heauen as he did commende it vpon the Crosse. The reason that moueth men to iudge that his soule weÌ„t into helle is for that thei supposed all the soules of the righteous before Christes commyng wente doune to helle And of this grosse iudgemente was saincte Augustine Origene Hierome Chrisostome Gregorie Folengius c. And therefore thei affirmed that Christes soule did fetche out Adam Eue Abel Seth Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob c. Howe farre wide all thei were from the truthe herein it maie easely appere by the sacred Scriptures For there it is fullie expressed that the Churche of Christ did beginne froÌ„ the creation of the worlde and from the firste righteous man that euer was and that it shall continue and indure vnto the laste daie for euer For the Churche of the Patriarkes and Prophettes that haue been before Christes commyng is all one with the Churche of his Apostles and Euangelistes and the faithfull of the olde Testamente and the faithfull of the newe are all one people and one Churche thei haue had all one God one Christe and the very same promises Thei haue had all one spirite of faith and haue all eaten of one spirituall foode and drunke of one spirituall drinke with vs So saieth Leo. Misteria pro temporum ratione variata sunt quuÌ„ fides qua viuimus nulla fuerit aetate diuersa That is Their Sacramentes by reason of the tyme were diuerse when as the faithe by the whiche wee all liue in no age was diuerse So saieth saincte Augustine likewise SacrameÌ„ta illa fuerunt in signis diuersa in rebus quae significabaÌ„tur pariae that is Their Sacramentes in outward signes were diuerse from oures but as concernyng the thynges whiche thei did signifie are equall and one with oures Tunc Christus venturus modo Christus venit venturus venit diuersa verba sunt sed idem Christus That is Then was Christ shall come nowe is Christ is come Shall come and is come are sundrie wordes But Christe is all one wherevpon I maie well conclude that all the faithfull in the olde Testament and the faithfull in the newe haue had and haue now but one place of reste and ioy to bee receiued in after their life Chrisostome herein saieth That the bosome of Abraham was vnto the poore Lazarus Paradise or heauen Some wil replie saieth he in Paradise but I confesse also the holie Paradise c. Now gentle Reader vnderstande that the promise was made vnto Adam touching the seede of the womaÌ„ that should breake the Serpentes head and that hath been confirmed againe and more plainely set forth vnto the other Patriarkes and especially vnto Abraham and Dauid all thei I saie that did giue credite
represent his body with bread whiche no man can denie to be a creature but Christe doth represent his body with bread Ergo the bread is not naught but a good creature of God to be vsed with thankes geuyng But how soeuer the matter goeth Tertullian doth plainely affirme here that Christe doth represent his body with bread And vnto him doeth S. Hierome agree saiyng He taketh bread whiche comforteth the hearte of man that as Melchisedech had doen in the figure of hym when he did bryng foorth bread and wine so he shoulde represent the veritie of his body and blood No man will saie that the thyng that doeth represent and the thing that is represented be all one except it be the papistes as Doctour Harding Cope Marshall and Shakestockes I woulde saie Shackelocke who goeth about by Columellas wordes to proue as VVinchester did such a thyng but if the saiyng of that prophane writer shoulde take place in this matter it should folowe that the bread should but represent it selfe and none other thing as Columella will haue Vt Villicus semper se representet That the Bailife of husbandry shoulde alwaies represent hymselfe whiche is no more in our englishe but that he shoulde be alwaies present We are not woont to saie that a kyng doeth represent hymselfe or his owne person But of a Lorde or of a iudge that sitteth in iudgement we say commonly that the same Lorde or iudge doeth represent the kynges person not as a plaier that doeth represent an Emperour or a kyng in a stage or footplaie but bicause of the kynges aucthoritie and power that is geuen vnto hym Euen so in the Sacrament we saie with the auncient Fathers that the bread doth represent the body of Christ not as a bare naked figure or signe whiche thyng all the rablement of popishe papistes doe most slanderously laie to our charge but bicause that beyng duely ministred and worthely receaued it bringeth with it selfe the nature propertie vertue and grace of the body of christ as Ambrose doth testifie with these wordes Thou doest receaue the Sacrament for a similitude but thou doest obteine the vertue and grace of the true nature And bicause that thou doest receaue bread thou arte in the same foode made partaker of the diuine substaunce These be the causes wherefore we saie with the olde Fathers of the auncient catholique Churche that the bread doeth represent the body of Christe But as it needeth not that a kyng be really or personally present for to haue his aucthoritie or power to take place among his faithfull and obedient subiects so is it nothyng necessarie that wee shoulde haue the naturall body of Christe really present vnder the formes of bread and wine For without it that is to saie though it be sittyng still accordyng to the Scriptures on the right hande of the father we haue by the vertue of his institution and the mighty workyng of his spirite there in the Sacrament the verie propertie vertue and grace of the naturall fleshe and blood of christ most effectuously ministred vnto vs to the euerlastyng comfort and nourishment both of our soules and bodies The same auncient writer and father I meane Tertullian in his fourth boke against Martion writeth after this maner Christe takyng bread and distributyng it did make it his body saiyng Hoc est corpus meum hoc est figura corporis mei This is my body that is to saie the figure of my body And vnto hym will I ioyne Sainct Augustine that all men maye see what shameful lyars Doctour harding other the papistes are who are not ashamed to saie that none of all the auncient fathers neither before nor sence did expounde these wordes of christ as Tertullian did expounde them in that place The wordes of Sainct Augustine are these Adhibuit ad conuiuium in quo corporis sanguinis sui figuram discipulis commendauit tradidit And he did admit or receaue hym vnto the banquet wherein he did commēde and deliuer vnto his disciples the figure of his bodie And in another place he saith againe So the blood is the soule as the Rocke was Christe and yet the apostle saieth not the rocke did signifie Christe but the Rocke was Christ So may I expounde that this precepte or commaundement was geuē in a signe Non dubitauit Dominus dicere hoc est corpus meum cum daret signum corporis sui For the Lorde did not doubte or sticke to saie This is my body when he did geue the signe of his body In their owne distinctions thei haue these wordes Dicitur corpus christi sed improprie vt sit sunsus vocatur corpus christi id est significat corpus christi That is to saie in englishe it is called the body of Christe meanyng the Sacrament but improperly as the meaning of it may be thus it is called the body of christ that is to saie it doeth signifie the bodie of Christ. These sayinges neede no exposition at all For they are so plaine that the very children in the streete be able to vnderstande them and also to perceaue and espie out the shamefull leasinges of our disguised papistes who care not what they say so that they may séeme to say some what for to deceaue the simple and ignoraunt people withall and for to mainteyne their great graundfather Antechristes kingdome of proude Rome For ye must vnderstande that this is the only marke that they shoote at all the packe of them that they may set vp them selues as gods and bryng all mens heades vnder their girdles And no doctrine they thinke wyll serue better for that purpose than this grosse and Capharnaiticall doctrine of transubstantiation and of the corporall presence of Christes body in the sacrament For who woulde not stande in feare of them and reuerence them as gods that can with fiue wordes make Christ both God and man of a péece of bread whensoeuer they list And therefore it is written in a booke of theirs these wordes O howe honourable howe worshipfull and excellent is the dignitie of priestes if they will liue priestlike in whose handes as it were in the virgines wombe the sonne of God is incarnated or taketh fleshe And then by and by after it foloweth Iste qui creauit me dedit mihi creare se qui creauit me sine me creatur mediaente me cum ergo tante dignitatis fit sacerdos quod creator fit sui creatoris totius creature ▪ ipsum perdere vel damnare inconueniens est That is to saie in Englishe He that made mee gaue mee power to make hym and he that made mée without mée is made by the meanes of mée Seeyng then that a Priest is of so greate dignitie that he is the maker of his maker and of euerie creature to destroye or to condemne hym it is not conuenient euen the like you may reade in another
saieth he had not some certaine similitude or likenesse of the thynges whereof they be Sacramentes they should be no Sacramentes and of this similitude many times they haue the names of those thynges them selues As then the Sacrament of the body of Christe is after a certaine maner the body of Christe and the Sacrament of his blood after a certaine maner his blood So the Sacrament of faith is faith All these aucthorities are of them selues plaine enough and néede no further exposition Therefore sith that I haue sufficiently proued both by the holy Scriptures and also by the aucthorities of the auncient fathers that the Sacramentes are called by the names of the thinges whereof they be Sacramentes I wyll be so bolde to conclude that Christe our sauiour dyd at his last Supper call bread his body and the wine his blood because that they were by his holy institution made the sacramentes of his body and blood And vnto this doeth Theodoretus agrée as it hath béen declared before wheÌ„ he saith He that did call his body wheate and bread and himself a vine doth honour the bread and wine with the name of his body and blood not chauÌ„ging the nature but addyng grace vnto the nature S. Chrisostome hath euen the like wordes whereby we may also gather that the bread and wine being coÌ„secrated that is to say being applied to that holy vse that God hath instituted and ordeined for that is the true consecration as one very well sayde consecratio tota actio Christi est whatsoeuer the papistes can prate and scoulds to the contrary be called the body and blood of Christe because that being duely ministred and worthily receaued thei bring with them selues the grace vertue and propertie of his most precious fleshe and blood whose nature and propertie is to bryng immortalitie and life euerlasting that is to say to viuiâ—â—e and quicken all faithfull beleuers both in soules and bodies And this doth S. Ambrose meane when he saieth Thou doest receaue the Sacrament in a similitude but thou obteynest the grace and vertue of the true natural body of Christ and also of his blood and that eating the bread as we ought to do we are fed vnto immortalitie whiche is a propertie of the diuine substaunce This also doth saint Cyprian meane when he writeth on this maner The same bread that the Lord did reache foorth vnto his disciples beyng chaunged not in outwarde appearaunce but in nature was by the almightie power of God made fleshe Which wordes notwithstanding that they be aleaged of the papistes for to mainteyne their butcherly and grosse doctriâ—e of transubstantiation withall haue none other meanyng but that the bread remayning bread styll as it was before as it doth appeare outwardly vnto the eye the nature of it is cleane altered chaunged For whereas the propertie nature of the bread is to féede the body only and to mainteyne or continue the life of it beyng applied to that holy vse that Christ hath instituted ordeyned in his holy misteries it doth feede both the soules bodies vnto immortalitie life euerlasting so that by it not only our soules do receaue a life that neuer shall haue ende but also our bodies are made partakers of vncorruption as Ireneus doth testifie saying As the bread which is of the earth after that the name of god is called vpoÌ„ ouer it or receauing the name or calling of god is no more coÌ„mon bread but the bread of thankes geuyng consistyng of two thinges that is to say of the heauenly and earthly so our bodyes receauyng the bread of thankes geuing are no more corruptible hauyng a hope of resurrection Who woulde not saie that the nature and propertie of the bread is wonderfully altered and chaunged The like doeth Sainct Augustine wryte of the water of baptisme saiyng Vnde ista tanta virtus aquae vt corpus tangat cor abluat nisi faciente verbo Whence commeth this so greate vertue of the water to touche the body and wash the soule but by workyng of the worde here is a wonderfull alteration and chaunge The propertie and nature of the water is to washe awaie the filthines of our bodies to quenche our thirste and to serue vs in other thinges that parteine to this mortall life to moyst the grounde and to make it fruictfull but beyng rightly ministred and worthely receaued in the Sacrament of baptisme it washeth awaie the filthinesse of the soule and maketh the inwarde man cleane from all sinnes through the working spirit of God and yet it remaineth water still no parte of the substaunce thereof beyng chaunged so ought we to vnderstande of the sacramentall bread and wine For though beyng duely ministred worthely receaued they haue the nature propertie and grace of the precious fleshe and blood of Christ yet as Theodoretus saieth they remaine still in their former substaunce shape and figure Whereunto the olde writer Emisenus doeth agree affirmyng plainely that the corruptible creatures of bread and wine are by the consecration or worde and secret power of the inuisible priest so chaunged and turned as we be chaunged in baptisme where though we be renued by the holy ghost and made newe creatures yet we remaine stil the same in substaunce that we were before And so with the blessed Martir Ciprian he calleth the visible creatures of bread and wine the body and blood of Christ bicause of the excellent nature vertue propertie and grace of his most precious fleshe and blood that thei do receaue by the mightie word and secret power of the inuisible Priest who is our Sauiour Iesus Christe hym selfe For this excellent propertie I saie vertue and grace that the creature of bread beyng rightly ministred and worthely receaued doth obtaine by the almightie power of God. The blessed Martir sainct Ciprian with the other auncient fathers doe saie that the bread is made fleshe Else if we shoulde take his wordes so grossely as our papistes doe we should be faine to confesse that the blessed body of Christe beyng made of bread should haue his beginnyng originall and ofspryng of the corruptible creature of bread as I haue sufficiently proued already before Wherefore Saincte Ambrose saieth Sunt quae erant in alium mutantur in substaunce they are meaning the Sacrament the same they were before but in accident or qualitie they are turned into another thyng for before it was common meates For mans table nowe is turned to be meate for the Lordes table and in another place he saieth Ante consecrationem alia species nominatur post consecrationem corpus christi significatur before the consecration it is named by another kynde but after consecration it doeth signifie the body of Christe Sainct Chrisostome agreeyng herewith saieth Si incorporei essemus c. If we were bodilesse god would geue vs these thynges bare and bodylesse but for
thinges should chaunce and come to passe By suche maner of speaking then our Sauiour did signifie the greate perplexitie and anguishe of them whom God shall poure his vengeaunce vpon at that daie of iudgemente for their rebellious disobedience againste his holy and sacred worde How so euer we take these wordes we can not excuse our selues but that these thynges are fulfilled daiely For we see euen before our eyes in what perplexitie the enemies of God are for the moste parte of them How thei fall into plaine desperation and madnesse beyng in that case that thei thynke hourely that hell shall swalowe theim vp quicke Therefore let vs not flatter our selues or deferre from tyme to tyme to repente and amende our liues For the Lorde shall come as a theif euen when we looke lesse for hym As for the comming of Elias and Enoch we maie content our selues with the saiyng of our Sauiour Christe touchyng the matter For when he had spoken many thynges in the commendation of Ihon the Baptist he did adde for a conclusion And if ye will receiue the same is Elias which shoulde come Meanyng thereby that Ihon the Baptist was the same Elias that Malachy the Prophet did speake of whiche should come before the daie of the Lorde as the Angell doeth declare vnto Zaharie saiyng And he shall goe before the lorde in the spirite and power of Elias to make the people readie for him But Sathan the deuill that he might perswade the Iewes that our sauiour Christ was not the Messias did by the Phariseis and Scribes blowe abrode among the people that Elias muste come in persone and that therefore sithe he was not come Christe our Sauiour was not true Messias For this cause did the Apostles aske Christe why the Scribes saide that Elias must come firste Unto whom he aunswered that Elias was come alreadie whereby thei vnderstoode that he spake vnto them of Ihon the Baptiste Euen so now at this presente to make the worlde to liue in a securitie the deuill goeth aboute by his false Prophetes to make men beleue that Elias and Enoch must come in persone before the seconde comming of Christ our Sauiour And all this doeth he to the intent that as long as we see that they be not come personally we should thinke still that the Lorde doeth deferre his commyng and so begin to smite our felowes and to eate and drinke with the dronken that we maie be rewarded with the Hypocrites where shal be wéeping and gnashyng of teethe It is without all doubt that Enoch and Elias be come alreadie not in persone but in spirite For how many hath the Lorde our God stirred vp and sente in these our daies in the spirit and power of Elias and of Enoch for to reproue the Idolatrie and Superstition hypocrisie and wickednesse of the worlde These are the twoo faithfull witnesses whom mention is made of in the Reuelatiō of sainct Ihon by the whiche small number the faithfull and earnest preachers of Goddes worde are vnderstanded First because that thei be inspired and moued with the same zelous spirit that Elias and Enoch were inspired withall Secondly because that thei are but a small number in comparison of the aduersaries and yet sufficiente for to reproue and condemne the worlde of iniquitie and vnfaithfulnesse For in the mouthe of twoo or three witnesses all thynges shal be established Let not then this erronious pernicious doctrine of Sathan touching the personall corporall commyng of Elias and Enoch seduce deceaue vs For there be many Eliasses Enoches in the world already which ought to be vnto vs a plaine certificat that the daie of the Lorde is at hande And if we had none other tokens and signes yet the wordes of our Sauiour Christ ought to suffice vs where he saith As the tyme of Noe and of Sodome was so shal the cōming of the sonne of man be This one saiyng ought to put vs out of al doubte for what tyranny oppression and crueltie what pryde what excesse in all thynges what fraude deceipt sweryng forsweryng vsurie extortion brybery hordome vnlawfull mariages putting awaie of lawfull wiues buggerie daunsynges breakyng of the Sabathe daies disobedience to fathers and mothers speaking euill of them that are in aucthoritie dronkerds glottons and epicures Idolaters vngodlines securitie and carelesnes railers vpon the preachers not regardyng their doctrine was vsed then that is not nowe vsed in all partes of the worlde reade ye the Scriptures and ye shall finde that all the abhominable vices wherefore God did in tymes past drowne the worlde and also rayne fire and Brimstone vpon the cities of Sodome and Gomorra doe reigne now in all places and yet not punished As for Antichriste who they saie muste come before that daie it is without all doubte that he is alreadie in the worlde For what worse Antichriste can we haue then either Mahomet is or the Pope of Rome whiche is yet a thousande tymes worse then Mahomet is As for false Christes all Churches and Aulters are full of them Againe there were neuer so many false Prophetes in the worlde as are nowe at this present tyme whiche seeke al maner meanes that can be sought now by erroneous papistical doctrines now by false and counterfeited miracles to deceiue euen the verie electe if it were possible by any meane These thinges beyng well considered let vs beware that we be none of those mockers which do walk after their owne lustes and saie where is the promise of his commyng For since the fathers died all thynges continue in the same estate wherein they were at the beginnyng For as sainct Peter saieth the Lorde is not slacke to fulfill his promise as some men counte it slackenesse but is pacient to vs warde and woulde haue no man loste but would receiue all men to repentaunce Neuerthelesse the daie of the Lorde will come as a thief in the night Wherfore seeyng that we loke for suche thynges let vs be diligent that we maie be founde of hym in peace without spot and vndefiled and suppose that the long sufferyng of the Lorde is saluation But of that daie neither the Aungels nor yet the sonne of man doeth knowe but only our father which is in heauen And therefore I doe greatly merueile at that madde toye of the Anabaptistes whiche dare so presumptiously affirme that the Lorde shall come this daie or that daie sithe that our Sauiour Christe in that he is man or touchyng his manhoode knoweth not of it but touchyng his Godhead he knoweth all thynges that the father doth Also we ought to be ware of all dreames fantasies of men which weerie themselues others in searching out curiously the time that the lorde shall apeare alledgyng for themselues a vaine prophesie and most falsely ascribed to Elias that twoo thousande yere before the Lawe twoo thousande yere
giue eare to Paule and in respecte of this spirite the Prophet saith Erunt omnes docti a Deo Thei shal bee all taught of god Who so euer besides dooeth not beleue that the doctrine of the holie ghoste conteined in the olde and newe Testament is sufficiente vnto saluation But regardeth it as vile and of no force nor yet aucthoritie but calleth nameth and reporteth it with these woordes and suche like blasphemie deade ynke a liuelesse matter a dumbe iudge that can not speake a blacke Gospell Inken diuinitie a nose of ware Doeth deny this article of our beléefe I beleue in the holie ghost that is to saie he doth denye the holie ghoste to be true and naturall God sithe that any insufficiencie or vnperfection is founde in his doctrine For why It is the propertie of God to dooe all thynges with most consummate perfection Whereby it doth folowe that he whiche doeth any thyng with vnperfection is no true and naturall god Thei therefore that deny the doctrine of the holie ghoste and also doe despise mocke scorne and speake vnreuerently of it conteined in the old and newe Testamēt not to be perfect or sufficient to saluation are plaine Macedonians For they deny the holie ghost to bee true and naturall god And all thei that followe this opinion and doctrine not contentyng theim selues with the moste true and infallible worde of God whiche is set foorth vnto vs by the holie ghost are not the true Churche and spouse of christ For the true Churche and spouse of Christe as it is borne of newe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer so is it builded vpon the sure foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles Christe Iesus hymself beyng the chief corner stone Wherefore we must learne firste of all to beleue God secondly to beleue hym as God thirdly to beleue in God wee must beleue GOD that is to saie that he is creatour of all thynges and that he is omnipotente We muste beleue God as God that is wée must beleue hym as he hath declared and opened hym self in his holy and sacred scriptures vnto vs To beleue in God that is to put our whole truste confidence and affiaunce onely in hym and to call vnto and vpon hym in all our troubles miseries and aduersities and vpon none other And also constauntly and assuredly to beleue in hym that by his power he susteineth vs by his prouidence he gouerneth vs by his goodnesse nourisheth vs and by his mercie saueth vs and indueth vs with all kinde of blessynges So that wee must beléeue in none but in God the father that loueth vs in God the sonne that redemeth vs and in God the holie ghoste that sanctifieth vs although three in persones yet one in essence and Godhead Sainct Agustine therefore saieth Credimus Paulo non credimus in Paulum credimus Petro non credimus in Petrum Wee beleue saieth he Paule but we beleue not in Paule we beleue Peter but we beleue not in Peter The .xxxiiij. Chapiter ¶ What is the true Churche of God and where it is THis then shal be my beliefe touchyng the true Catholique and vniuersall Churche All they that are begotten of newe with the immortall séede of Gods worde and are builded vpon the foundation of the prophetes and Apostles hauyng Christe for their chief corner stone by whose only spirite and worde they are guided and ruled in what countrie or nation vnder the heauens so euer then be are the true church of Christe we may also define and set forth the Churche after this maner The Churche of Christ is the holy congregation of the faithfull whiche by a true and liuelie faith are vnited incorporated in our sauiour Christe whose members they are And bicause that sauiour Christ is the true sonne of God all his members by hym are the sonnes of god Iesus Christe is the head and the true Christians are his body He is the Bridegrome and the faithfull are his spouses whiche he doth cleanse with his blood geuyng health and saluation vnto his bodie and sauyng his people from their synnes This Church is affixed or bounde to no seuerall place but wheresoeuer twoo or three are gathered in the name of the Lorde I meane of our sauiour Christ there the true Church is They therefore that doe aligate and bynde the true Catholique Church to this place or that place as though it coulde be no where els as our Papistes doe are in this thyng greately deceiued For though the whole worlde were so ouer whelmed with Idolatrie and superstition that there shoulde séeme to be no Church at all yet God hath alwaies his elect and chosen in one corner or other although they be vnknowen vnto the worlde Yea many tymes the faithfull congregation is vnknowen vnto the true and faithfull seruauntes of God as we maie see by the example of Elias the Prophete who complained that he was lefte alone But the Lorde made hym an aunswere that he had seuen thousandes left in Israell whiche had not bowed their knées vnto Baall Who woulde not then haue thought that the Churche had been at that tyme in Israell or in Samaria where foure hundreth and fiftie false Prophetes were continually which did feede at Iesabelles boorde or that there had been no Church at all yet we sée that God had euen at that tyme his flocke which he did preserue and keepe vnto hymselfe although they were scattered abroad and not scarcely knowen of the true and faithfull Prophetes of God. Therefore it were good to haue alwaies before our eyes the goodly saiyng of Hilary which writeth on this maner One thyng saieth he I warne you of beware of Antichriste It is not well that ye haue suche a pleasure in the walles It is not well that ye honour and reuerence the Church of God in houses and buildings It is not wel that vnder the colour of them ye doe bryng in the name of peace Is it to be doubted that antichriste shall sit in them The Mountaines the Woodes the Lakes the Prisons and mierie Doungeons are more sure for mee For the Prophetes remainyng in them or beyng let downe into them did there prophecie This then is my beliefe that although the true preachyng of Gods word and the right ministration of the sacramentes accordyng to the Lordes institution and ordinaunce are the moste infallible tokens and signes whereby the true Churche of God is knowen here vpon the earth yet many and sundrie tymes by the righteous iudgement of almightie God our sinnes and wickednesse deseruyng the same these signes and tokens are so taken awaie that it is impossible for the worlde to knowe where this true Churche of God is And yet notwithstanding God hath stil his flocke in one place or other he hath still his elect and chosen whom he doeth preserue and keepe in the
of in the booke of the Actes but this must bee doen accordyng to the rules and canons of the Apostles If they be blamelesse the husbande of one wife vigilante sober and apte to teache c. Secondlie it hath aucthoritie to teache by the lawfull ministers I meane by these ministers that are lawfully chosen with the laiyng on of handes accordyng to the rule and Cannons of the Apostles And these ministers ought to teache and set foorthe none other thyng then thei haue receiued of the Lorde hauyng alwaies before their eyes the saiyng of Christ our Sauiour Docete eos obseruare quaecunque precepi vobis Teache them to keepe and obserue all thynges what soeuer I commaunde you And the same it is that we call Potestatem clauium The power of the keyes which as it hath been sufficientlye declared before consisteth in preachyng free remission of synnes vnto the faithfull and true repentaunte synners and eternall condemnation vnto the vnfaithfull and vnrepentaunte Whiche thyng if it bee duely dooen accordyng to the institution and ordinaunce of our Sauiour Christe taketh no lesse effecte then if it were doen in heauen And vnder this doe we comprehende the aucthoritie that the churche hath to excommunicate open synners and to receiue them again if thei shewe true tokens of repentaunce and of amendemeÌ„t of life Thirdely the true and faithfull Churche hath aucthoritie to minister the sacramentes by the ministers thervnto lawfully appoincted so that it bee doen accordyng to the institution and ordinaunce of our sauiour Iesu Christe vsyng suche tymes and seasons as thei shall thinke moste expediente for the same Fourthly and laste of all it hath full aucthoritie and power to examine the doctrines and to trie the spirites whether thei bee of God or not as it is manifeste and plaine by these saiynges Lette twoo or three Prophetes speake in the Churche and let other iudge Againe Proue all thynges and holde that whiche is good Saincte Ihon saieth Dearely beloued try the spirites whether thei bee of God or not But this triall muste bee doen with the touchestone of Gods woorde whiche with the holie ghoste ought to be the chiefe president in all Sinodes and Counsailes So saincte Augustine saieth againste Maximinus these woordes Nowe neither ought I to alledge the Counsaile of Nice nor thou the counsaile of Ariminum to take aduauâ—tage thereby for I am not bounde to the aucthoritie of the one nor thou restrained to the determination of the other Sed scripturarum authoritatibus non quorumque proprijs sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cumre causa cum causa ratio cum ratione concertet But by the aucthorities of the Scriptures not peculiar witnesses vnto either of vs but common and indifferent vnto vs bothe let one matter with an other cause with cause and reason coÌ„tende with reason Saincte Hierome therefore saieth Omni studio legende nobis sunt scripturae in lege domini meditandum die ac nocte vt probati trapezite sciamus the scriptures are to be read of vs with all diligence and to meditate daie and night in the lawe of the lorde that we maie become perfecte exchaungers to knowe the false counterfecte doctrine froÌ„ the true doctrine of Christe Sainct Origene also hath these woordes Sensus nofiri enarrationes sine scripturis testibus non fidem habet Our iudgemente and expositions without witnesse of the holie scripres haue no credite Thus wee maie plainly see that all our matters muste bee tried by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures So farre foorth doth the aucthoritie of the true Churche extend which as it can not erre as long as she taketh gods word the holy ghost for her guide so assoone as she forsaketh Gods worde and the guidyng of the holie ghoste she falleth into all kinde of errours at length doeth become the Synagogue of Satan the Church of the malignaunt the stinckyng haâ—lot of antichriste Howbeit the whole vniuersal Church doth neuer so fall awaie from the truthe of Goddes woorde but that God dooeth alwaies preserue vnto hym selfe a certaine number whiche will neuer agree nor consente vnto vngodlinesse and from whom the spirite of trueth is not taken awaie And because that these bee vnknowen of the worlde as thei that lacke the outwarde tokens and signes of the true Churche of Christe whiche are the preachyng of Gods worde and the ministration of the sacramentes and the vse of true discipline accordyng to the institution and ordinaunces of the Lorde are commonly called the inuisible Churche not bicause that men are inuisible whiche thyng can not be as long as they bee here conuersaunt vpon the earth but bicause that thei be only knowen and seen of God who knoweth onely who be his who be not And this faithfull congregation whether it hath the outwarde signes of the true Churche of Christ or not as long as it beareth aboute this body of synne is subiect to many infirmities but for Christes sake thei are not imputed for when it is saide that it is without spot or wrinkle that is to be vnderstanded by imputation through Iesus Christ our sauiour And therefore it is called the glorious congregation And I doe also beleue with sainct Augustine that this catholique Churche is the Barne floore of the Lorde and that in it vntill the daie of iudgement Chaffe shal be mixed still with the Wheate My meanyng is this that in the Church both good and badde true beleuers and hypocrites are conteined together in the felowship of the sacramentes and that it shall be so vnto the worlds ende Whiche thyng we doe learne by the parable of the good seede and of the Darnell and of the Nette that is cast into the Sea and whiche doeth drawe of all kynde of fishes vnto the shore But we must in the meane while beware that we do not because of the Chaffe Darnell and rotten fishes seuere and diuide our selues from the Churche as the wicked Anabaptistes doe which for euery triflyng matter do diuide them selues from the Churche though the worde of God bee neuer so finely nor sincerely preached and the Sacramentes moste rightly ministred according to the institution and ordinaunce of the Lorde Why do we not rather folowe the godly counsell of the blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian that he geueth vnto vs Although saith he Darnel Tares are seen to be in the church yet our faith and charitie ought not to be letted that bicause we do sée Tares and Darnell to be in the Church we shoulde therfore forsake the Church but rather we ought to endeuour our selues that we may be good corne that when the good corne is gathered into the Garners of the Lorde we maie receaue a rewarde of our labour and worke Also in a great house there be many vessels not only of Golde and Siluer but
him He hath set fire and water before thee reache out thy hande vnto which thou wilt They doe herein shewe their ignoraunce if the matter bee waighed for all men knowe this booke is not autenticall nor numbred among the canonicall Scriptures therefore Sainct Hierome saith it is Apochrypha That is to say a thing that is hidden secrete or darke whiche hath no certaine authour or whiche is not autentike that is asmuche to saie as of aucthoritie or bookes which were not receiued by a common consent to be read and expounded publikely in the Church neither yet serued to proue any pointe of christian religioÌ„ saue in asmuch as they had the consent of other Scriptures canonicall to confirme the same or rather whereon thei were grounded But lette vs graunte that it is Canonicall what get thei by it For it maketh nothyng for their purpose For before we declare how it maketh nothyng for their matter we must consider of man what he was before he fell what he was after he fell and what he is when he is regenerated and newe horne againe of the spirite by the will of god If you marke this texte well you shall easily perceiue that he speaketh of man as he was before his fall in his firste estate of his creation and being in his originall innocencie and righteousnes And that doeth sainâ—te Augustine saie whose woordes are these Freewill before the fall was an vpright freewill before which fire and water was laied of God and the first man did reache his hande to whiche he would he did choose fire and forsooke water Sée the righteous iudge the same which man beyng free did choose he did receiue he would haue euill and the same did followe hym Againe he saieth I saie that free-will was in that man whiche was created firste For he was so made that nothyng could with stande his will if he woulde haue kepte Goddes commaundementes but after that he had synned through freewill he did caste vs all that come of his stocke into necessitie Againe he hath these wordes The fault whiche followed the synne and whiche is the punishemente hath tourned libertie into necessitie Againe Man vsyng free-will not well did bothe loose it and hym selfe And in an other place he hath these woordes Verum est magnas arbitrij liberi vires homo cuÌ„conderetur accepit sed peccando amisit It is true saith he that man when he was made did receiue greate strength of freewill but he loste it in synnyng These aucthorities of saincte Augustine doe sufficiently declare how the place that thei alledged out of Ecclesiasticus ought to bee vnderstanded for there doubtlesse the wiseman speaketh of man as he was firste created in the estate of innocencie not as he was with his posteritie after his fall whereby as Augustine saieth All men haue loste their naturall possibilitie and ablenesse and their naturall or originall innocencie And so oughte all the doctours to be vnderstanded when soeuer thei speake of free-will in man for thei speake of that freewill that was in AdaÌ„ before his fall And therefore sainct Augustine when he saith Ad ValentinuÌ„ Si noÌ„ est liberum arbitrium vt mundum iudicat deus If there bee no freewill how shall God iudge the worlde He meaneth there that God shall iudge vs all by his iustice in that freewill that we had in Adam before his fall whiche some men in his tyme did vtterly deny any freewill to bee in Adam at all vpon occasion whereof he saied these wordes to staie the contentions that then was For in an other place he openeth his full mynde and iudgemente saiyng Cum autem de libera voluntate recte faciendi loquimur de illa scilicet in qua homo factus est loquimur That is When wee speake of freewill of doyng well we speake and meane of that freewill in whiche man was first made before his fall And hereto sainct Hierome agreeth writyng vppon Ieremie when he saieth these woordes And therefore the heretiques bee wonte to promise felicitie and to open vnto synners the kingdome of heauen saiyng Thou maiest followe the maiestie of GOD and bee without synne sithe that thou hast receaued the power and strengthe of freewill and the vnderstandyng of the lawe whereby thou art able to obtaine what soeuer thou wilte And so the saied heretiques doe deceiue the poore simple and ignoraunte persons and specially women whiche beyng loden with sinnes are ledde to and fro with euery winde of doctrine deceiuyng by their flatterie all them that giue eares vnto them Here we see that sainct Hierome doth call them all heretiques that saie that men be able by their freewill to dooe bothe good and euill They do further obiect and saie that if man hath not that power of his owne strength to kepe the whole lawe and performe it why then are we commaunded to kepe it vpon paine of dampnation and if for not keepyng wee shal bee punished then are wée punished wrongfully and God shall seeme to bée vnrighteous to giue vs a lawe and to require performaunce of vs of the same when it is not in our powers and freedome to obserue it as â—e commaundeth And againe what neede so many exhortations to turne to hym to beleue hym to heare to repente to amende our liues c. if we haue not a wyll and power of our selues to doe al this And againe God saueth no man againste his will. As to the firste in that God giueth his lawe vnto vs to bee obserued and requireth of vs due fulfillyng of the same and for not doyng of it he will punishe vs he is in all this a iuste and righteous god And in that wée can not fulfill the lawe as it requireth the fault nor hardnesse of it to be kepte is not of God nor yet of the law it selfe for the lawe of it self is easie and so are all the commaundementes of GOD and if any difficultie or hardnesse bee in them it commeth not of the nature and propertie of the commaundementes of God giuen â–ª vnto vs but of the corruption of our owne nature Therefore sâ—inct Paule setteth foorthe this in plaine wordes saiyng What soeuer the law coulde not fulfill in as muche as it was weake because of the fleshe that same did God performe sendyng his sonne in the similitude of synfull fleshe and by synne dampned synne Two thynges are to be learned in Saincte Paules woordes Firste that it commeth not of the lawe that men are not able to fulfill it but of the imbecilitie and weakenesse of the fleshe Secondlie we doe learne that God doeth by his sonne Iesu Christe supplie the same that by reason of the weakenesse of our fleshe wee bee not able to fulfill God therefore is not vnrighteous to aske the performaunce of his commaundementes at our handes although we can not satisfie it accordyngly No more then if I were bounde to paie one
5. Ioh. 5. Obiection Aunswere Howe the faithfull shall appeare in iudgement Iames. 2. Matth. 25. Matth. 19. Luk 22. 1. Cor. 6. VVild. 3. Rom. 4. Galat. 3. Ephe. 2. Gen. 25. The misterie of Iacobs putting on of his brothers apparell Ambro. de Iacob vita beata lib. 2. Psal. 32. Rom. 4. Matth. 5. Iames. 2. Galat. 5. Esai 64. Rom. 10. Rom. 5. Matt. 5. Galat. 3. Rom. â— Iohn â— Matth. 6. Psal 14. Psal. 53. VVild. 2. Eccle. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Luk. 12. Rom. 2. Iames. â— Matth. 25. Luk. 13. Matth. 7. Psal. 6. 1. Iohn 3. Iames. 2. Luk. 16. Prou. 21. Tobi. 4. Eccle. 4. Eccle. 13. Eccle. 14. Luk. 14. Luk. 16. Eccle. 28. Matth. 12. Rom. 10. Galat. 3. Luk. 17. Esai 64. Rom. 4. Psal. 143 Iob. 9. Iob. 14. Luk. 21. Iob. 13. 1. Iohn 4. Iohn 20. Rom. 8. Matth. 24. Reuel 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess. 4. 1. Peter 5. Iames. 4. 2. Tim. 1. Matth. 1. Luk. 2. Phil. 3. 1. Tim. 1. 1. Tim. 2. Luk. 21. 1 Peter 4. Ephe. 4. 2. Peter 3. Matth. 24. 2 Peter 3. Reuel 3. Reuel 14 Matth. 25. Ephe. 6. 1 Thess. 5. 1. Iohn 5. 1. Peter 5. Hebre. 4. Coloss. 4. Ephe. 5. 1. Cor. 6. Coloss. 3. What is signified by Psalmes by Hym-es by songes 1. Thess 3. Rom. 8. Matth. 16. Matth. 7. 1. Cor. 10. A speciall caueat or warnyng 1 Thess. 5. 2. Peter â— 1. Tim. â— Matth. 24. Luk. 21. Obiection Luk. 21. Aunswere Matth. 24. Howe the wordes of Christ are taken of many What the same doth signifie What the Moone doth signifie Reuel 6. What the starres doe signifie Reuel 6. Daniel 12. Matth. 24. Chrisost. in MatthaeuÌ„ The true meaning of the darkning of the sunne moone and starres Esai 13.24.34 Iere. 15. Ezech. 32. Amos. 8. Ioel. 2.3 Mich. 3. Luk. 23. Reuel 6. Eccle. 5. Matth 24. 1. Thess. 5. 2. Peter 3. Reuel 3.16 Hebre. 10. Matth. 11. Malach. 3. Luk. 1. Matth. 17. 2. Cor. 11. Matth. 24. Enoch and Elias be come alredy Reuel 11 Matth. 18. Hebre. 6. Matth. 24. Luk. 17. Gen. 6. Gen. 18. 2. Tim. 2. Gen. 6. â— Gen. 18.19 Antechrist False christes False prophetes Matth. 24. Mark. 13. 2. Peter 3. 2. Tim. 3. Iude. 1. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Peter 3. Hebre. 10. Rom. 2. 2. Peter 3. 1. Tim. 2. Ezech. 18. 1. Thess. 5. Matth. 24. Reuel 3. Matth. 24. Mark. 13. Luk. 17. Christe as touchyng his manhoode is ignoraunt of the latter day Actes 1. Rom. 12. Prou. 25. Eccle. 3. Rom. 12. Ephe. 5. 1. Thess. 4. Rom. 2. Matth. 25. 2. Thess. 2. 2. Thess. 2. Psal. 28. Franciscus Zarabella Distict 96. Satis euideÌ„ter Extraua IohaÌ„ 22. cum inter in Glossa Impress Lugduni Anno 1555. Concil Trid. sub Paulo 3. De electi cap. licet Conci Leteran Session 6. pag. 601. Paulus Aemilius lib. 7. Grego in Iob. cap 34 lib. 25. cap. 14. Anselmus in 2. Thess. 2. Eusebius de praeparat lib. 7. 2. Thess. 2. Rom. 1. I beleue in the holy ghost 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 8. Acts. 2. 2. Cor. 3. Ephe. 1. Rom. 5. Iohn 16. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Peter 3. 1. Cor. 6. Rom. 8. Psal. 51. Psal. 1. Matth. 5. 1. Peter 2. Iohn 7. Esai 55. Esai 44. Iohn 7. Ezech. 36. Matth. 3. Actes 1. Ephe. 4. Barnard in die Petecost Sermo 2. 2. Peter 1. The doctrine conteyned in the olde and newe Testament is sufficient vnto saluation 2. Tim. 3. Chrisost. in 22. cap. Matth. Hom. 41. Hom. 1. in Epist. ad TituÌ„ In Matth. 22. cap. Hom. 4. August ad Fratres in Here. Athana cont Gentiles Lyra in vlti cap. prouerb Galat. 1. Iohn 1â— Ezech. 13. Matth. 15. 1. Iohn 4. Chrisost. de sancto adorando spiritu 2 Peter 1. Matth. 11. Reuel 3. Actes 16. Iohn 6. Esai 54. Lodoâ—â—tus citatur ab illyrico in Norma Concilij Albertus Pigghius controuer 3. de ecclesia Martin Kemnitius in examine Concil Trident. pag. 32. Pigghius Hâ—â—rar lib 3. ca. 3. â—ol 〈◊〉 3. All these are the papistes saiynges Iohn 10. Ephe. 5. 2. Peter 1. Ephe. â— To beleeuâ— God as God â—â— god Hebre. 11. Psal. 50. We must beleeue in Gods power Gods prouidence Gods goodnesse Gods mercie August in Ioh. tract 29. I beleue the Catholike Churche 1. Peter 1. Ephe. 2. What the true Church of Christ is Ephe. 5. Ephe. 5. Iohn 15. Matth. 1. Matth. 18. The Church is bounde to no seuerall place â— Reg. 19. Rom. 11. Hylarius cont Auxentium The outward tokens of the true Catholike Churche Ephe. 1. Who can be the head of the Church Coloss. 1. Ephe. 1. An Argument Hieroni. ad DamasuÌ„ Grego lib. 4. Epist. 30. Churche of Rome is an whore Matth. 16. Argumentes of papistes whereby thei go about to proue the supremacie of the Pope Iohn 1. Not that ye shoulde bee heades of his Churche Aunswere Barnarde Serm. 78. Cyprian de simplicitate PraelatorÌ„ Origen in Matth. tract 1. Hieroni. cont Iouinia lib. 1. Ambro. de dignitate Sacerdotali ca. 2. August de ago Christia cap. 30. Beda in Homi. in Euang. queÌ„ ane dicunt August in Iohn tract 50. In tract 124. Matth. 16. An example Iohn 20. Matth. 18. What Christ meaneth by the keyes Chrisost. in Matth. 23. cap. Hom. 44. Tertul. cont Marcionem lib. 4. Hieroni. in Esaiam lib. 6. cap. 24. Ambro. de Cayn Abel lib. 2. August de Sanct. Ho. 27. Who be the kepers of the keyes of gods kingdome Luk. 11. Veselus subditis superio Mark. 16. Two things are to be marked in Christes wordes What it is to loose Actes 3. Rom. 1. Rom. 4. Matth. 18. Hieroni. in Esaiam lib. 6. cap. 14. August in Ioh â–ª tract 80. August in Iohn tract 39â— Ambros. 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 1 â–ª What it is to binde Matth. 18. August in Ioh. tract 50. Cyprian de simplicitate Praelatorum Matth. 16. August in Io. tract 124. 1. Cor. 10. Ephe. â— 1. Cor. 3. August de verbis domi Serm. 13. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 10. Beda in Cor. 1. Ambr. ad Ephe cap. 2. Hieroni. super Matth. cap. 16. Chrisost. Serm. 21. de Pente Cyrill dialog de Trinitate lib 4. Hylary de Trinit lib. 6. Iohn 1. 〈◊〉 1. â—â—â—istes are â—â—rsed by gods worde Obiection Aunswere Matth. 22. Actes 1. 1. Corin. 9. Gala. 2. Peter no higher in aucthoritie then the other Apostles Actes 8. Gala. 2. The true Churche is contented with the only worde of god The Church doeth alowe the Scriptures as a witnesse Luke 14. Iohn 15. Matth. 27. Ephe. 5. The Church aloweth the scriptures as a subiect A similitude Iohn 10. Reuel 21. The propertie of a true wife Galat. 3. Foolishe sayinges 1. Peter 1. An excellent similitude Whereof the certitude of Gods word doth depend A similitude Iohn 10. Chrisost. in Genesis Ho. 2. Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 1. The worde was before the Church was Hebre. 1. Chrisost. in Gene. Hom â–ª 2. Esai 40. Hieroni. inâ— Iob. cap. 27. August in Psal. 57.
faithful shal appeare in iudgement fol. 101.2 How the wordes of christ are â—aken of many fol. 104.2 Howe this is to be vnderstanded God saueth no maÌ„ against his wyll fol. 139.2 Howe the soule of Christe dyd suffer fol. 5.2 I Iesus Christe hath taken a pledge of vs and hath left vs one fol. 32.2 It is a monstrous bodye that the Papistes wyll haue in the Sacrament fol 44. It were starke madnesse to grounde anye doctrine vpon a dreame fol. 79.2 In outwarde thinges all men haue free will. fol. 104. If the Papistes purgatorie should stand Gods promises must néedes be false fol. 10. Iohn putteth hymselfe in the number of synners fol. 83. L Life confirmeth fol. 79. Laste refuge of the Papistes fol. 97.2 Lymbe of the children that be styll borne or die without baptisme fol. 16. M Mediatour betwéene God and man none but God only fo 82. Manicheis heresie fol. 141.2 Materiall cause of our saluation fol. 18. Midwiues ought not to Baptise fol. 23 â–ª O Obiections of them that saie that christes soule did suffer in hell fier fol. 5. Opinion of some concernyng Christes goyng downe to hell fol. 6.2 Others make none account of the Sacramentes 27. Oyle for a sacrament more fit for a Sallet fol. 28. OpinioÌ„ of many touchyng the quicke and the dead fol. 99.2 Outwarde tokens of the true Churche fol. 112. Opinion of the Anabaptistes fol. 123. P Papistes purgatory fol. 10. Pope of greater aucthoritie force then Christ the sonne of God among the papistes ibid. Papistes make Augustine a lyer fol. 11.2 Papistes make Barnarde a lyer ibidem Phrases of scripture 23.2 Papistes owne doctours dooe condempne them fol. 26. Papistes as vnwares to them selues ouerthrow their limbe fol. 26.2 Papistes lyke the Anabaptistes fol. 45.2 Papistes mainteine Donatistes heresie fol. 28. Papies are vtter enemies to the almightye power of God. fol. 45.2 Per concomitantiam a tearme of the Papistes fol. 49. Papistes make christ to haue no witte nor vndrastandyng what he did or saide at his last Supper fol. 49. Popish Priestes make not the blood of christ but only when they be at Masse fol. 49.2 Papistes are blasphemous heretiques fol. 50. Papists do against their owne decrées fol. 50.2 Papistes doe make Christe to be verie ignoraunt fol. 51. Papistes owne reasons dooe quite ouerthrowe their transubstantiation fol. 52.2 Papistes are like the Arians fol. 64. Papistes themselues saie that transubstantiatioÌ„ is not fouÌ„de in the worde of God. fol. 66. Papistes do burne their christ fol. 68. Papistes make Christe more fearefull and weake then vile vermine and other creatures fol. ibidem Papistes like to Rat catchers fol. 84.2 Peter no higher in aucthority then the other apostles fo 117. Papistes call vs Solifidians fol. 127. Papistes like the Arian heretiques fol. 64. and. 127. Purpose of God doeth exclude all merites from the iustification of man. fol. 127.2 Pelagians heresie fol. 141.2 R Right hande of God is taken two maner waies fol. 35.2 Right vnderstandyng of this worde intercession fol. 83.2 S Sacramentes are not bare signes fol. 70.2 Similitudes that our papistes do bryng for to maintein their Idolatrie fol. 88.2 Similitude of the papistes discussed fol. 92. Similitude of the papistes is ouerthrowen by an other f. 93. Shiftes of the foolishe papists fol. 94.2 Spirite of God worketh our spirituall regeneration fol. 24. SignificatioÌ„ of baptisme f. 34. Signification of water in Baptisme fol. ibidem Strength of man regenerat after what sorte thei haue frée wyll fol. 140. T The meanes wherby the death of Christe can be applied vnto vs. fol. 3.2 The benefites of Christes death fol. 4. The misterie of Ionas fulfilled in Christe fol. 7. The breakyng of the Serpents head what it is fol. 6. The meanyng of harrowyng hell fol. 6.2 The foolishe imagination of them that thinketh Christe went to fetche Adam out of hell ibidem The spirituall goyng downe of Christe into hell fol 8.2 The true purgatory fol. 9.2 The place of Iohn expounded fol. 12. The greate crueltie of the papistes against poore children â–ª that die without baptis fol. 16. There can be no trespasse but in breakyng Gods commaundement fol. 59. The women of the Israelites were saued by the inward circumcision fol. 17.2 Though wee haue neuer so strong a faithe yet ought wee not to despise the Sacra ibid. The chosen among the heathen were saued without circumcision fol. 18. Thynges diligently to be noted and marked fol. 20.2 The Euchariste ministred to little infantes fol 21.2 The maner of the Iacobites Greekes ibid. The maner of the Bohemyans and Morauians fol. 22. The cause that the fathers did erre fol. 22. The signe and the figure are taken manye tymes for the thinges that they doe signifie fol. 30.2 The fruictes of christes resurrection fol. 32. The office of Christe our Sauiour ibidem The heresie of the Antropomorphites fol. 35. Trickes of the deuils Sophistrie fol. 35.2 The shamelesse heresie of the papistes fol. 36.2 The meanyng of this worde the new Testament fol. 41.2 Their argument brought vpoÌ„ their owne heades fol. 41.2 The childishe argumentes of the papistes fol. 44.2 The fetche of the Papistes fol. 45.2 The shamefull Argument of the papistes ibid. The papistes lye fol. 46.2 The doore beeyng shut that was in the night season f. 46.2 The blasphemie of the Papistes fol. 47. The ministratioÌ„ or receiuyng of the Sacramentes is not indifferent fol. 54. The seconde cause why christ would communicate with vs. fol. 63.2 The tragicall exclamation of the papistes fol. 64.2 TransubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ came from Rome fol. 65.2 The age of the papistes transubstantiation is 355. fol. 66. Transubstantiation was neuer hearde of in the Churche for the space of 1215. yeres after Christ. fol. 66. To examine our selues standeth in two pointes fol. 76.2 The Christ that the papistes haue in their Masse is made of bread and wine fol. 66.2 The Christe of the papistes is eaten with Myce and Rattes fol. 68. The true exposition of these words this is my body f. 68.2 The Sacramente is not the news Testament of Christe but a Seale or Signe thereof fol. 69.2 The marke wherâ—at the papistes shoote fol. 71. The place of Simeon expounded fol. 72.2 The Fathers in the olde TestameÌ„t did eate christes â—lesh as well as wee in the newe fol. 78.2 Two maner of sinners fo 90. The true meanyng of this article fol. 100. The misterie of Iacobs puttyng on of his brothers apparell ibidem To whom these sentences of the Scriptures ought to bee dreadfull fol. 102. The true meaning of the darkenyng of the Sunne Moone and Starres fol. 105.2 The doctrine conteined in the olde and newe Testament is sufficieÌ„t vnto saluatioÌ„ f. 109.2 To beleue GOD as God in God. fol. 111. Twoo thynges are to be marked in christes wordes f. 114.2 The true Churche is contented with the onely woorde of God. fol. 117. This worde iustificare is takeÌ„ of S. Paul in one sence and of S. Iames in a