night in the word of God For by this exercise the soule is fed with the knowledge of the trueth and the will with the loue and sweetnes of it And when as the vnderstanding and the will are as it were two principall wheeles of a clocke that is of a life that is rightly gouerned if they moue in order and as they ought all the whole worke and whatsoeuer dependes thereon shall be perfectly ordered In this holy reading a man seeth his wants he resolueth his doubts he findes remedies to keepe in store against tribulations there are good counsels also afforded him there he learns many mysteries he is strengthened by the examples of vertues and he learnes the profit that comes by them And therefore Salomon so highly commendes it in his Prouerbes Keepe saith hee my sonne the precepts of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Binde them in thy heart continually and knit them about thy necke When as thou walkest any whither let them go with thee and when thou sleepest let them preserue thee and when thou awakest talke with them because the commaundement is a lanterne the law a light and the nurture of discipline the way of life Thus farre Granatensis Where he plainely condemnes that position of other Papistes that the reading of the scripture is daungerous Nay hée condemnes that which in their blind kingdome when as Gods word was banished they allowed that is the reading of vaine Histories as of Beuis and such like That saith he is most dangerous The author also of that booke called the Resolution agrees with Granatensis herein Who is there now adaies saith he which maketh the lawe or commaundement or iustifications of God as the scripture termeth them his daily meditation Part. 1. ca. 2. as king Dauid did Neither onely in the day time did he this but also by night in his heart as in another place he testifieth of himselfe How many of vs doe passe ouer whole daies and monethes without euer entering into these meditations Nay God grant that there be not many Christians in the world which know not what these meditatiōs meane We beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our Christ ā faith as that there is a Hell a Heauen a reward for vertue a punishment for vice a iudgement to come and an account to be made and the like but for that we chew them not well by deepe consideration and doe not digest them well in our hearts by the heat of meditation they helpe vs little to good life no more then a preseruatiue put in a mans pocket can helpe his health c. This author besides that he commends the continuall studie and meditation of the scriptures séemes to mislike with that generall faith knowledge which the Church of Rome teacheth we must not beléeue in grosse saith hée but we must particularly muse vpon and applie the things to our selues Ferus also of the princely authoritie of the scriptures writes thus And here thou feest the great boldnes of trueth Only trueth can say Fer. part 2. pass I feare no man No other doctrine is so perfect that it can say so besides that which God hath reuealed in his word And after he writes thus That Christ suffered all other iniuries with silence besides this blow on the face which the high Priests seruant gaue him He replies to that saith Ferus least that he should thinke that it were not lawfull to reprooue princes with the word of God whereas the word of God spareth no bodie It is the iudge of all men c. If the word of God be the iudge of all men then of the Pope hee must submit himselfe vnto it he cannot dispense with it The same Granatensis also De deuor Lib. 1. cap. 44. of the authoritie of the scriptures writes thus The controuersies that arise about trust or credite of bargaines betweene man and man and of ecclesiasticall decrees commaundements the Maisters and Doctors of that facultie know best And those same spiritual matters also are diligently to be examined that we may see if they agree with the rule of the diuine scripture He makes the holy scripture the rule of spirituall matters Granatensis also in another place yéeldes this excellent testimonie to the scriptures Med. 7. vitae Christi Mat. 2. And as these men speaking of the wise men made no account of this wisedome and of the argumentes of the flesh after that they saw a contrarie witnesse and testimonie giuen them in heauen so neither must thou thinke that the iudgements and opinions of the world to be of any force when as thou seest the word of God and the most holy gospell to teach the contrarie Let the world reproue and let it gainesay as much as it listeth the words of God let all the wise men of this worlde storme against it let them alledge olde customes let them oppose the examples of Kings and Emperours all these are but vapors and smoke neither are they of any force against the worde of God and his holy gospell and his heauenly wisedome And after Where art thou which art borne King of the Iewes the lawe of all deuout men the captaine of all miserable men the sight of all blind men the life of the dead and the euerlasting saluation of them that shall liue for euer And a fit answere followes In Bethlehem Iudah Bethlehem is expounded to be the house of bread and Iudah confessing For there Christ is found where after the confession of our faultes the bread of the heauenly life that is the doctrine of the gospell is heard mused vpon and kept in a deuout mind that it may be practised in deed and also may be declared to others There the child Iesus with his mother Mary is found whereafter sorrowfull contrition and fruitfull confession the sweetnes of heauenly comfort is tasted sometimes amongst streames of teares where praier him whom she founde almost in despaire now leaues reioysing and presuming of pardon c. And in another place he writes As concerning the first we must consider that it ought to be the chiefe and most principall exercise of a christian that he should meditate in the lawe of God and in the doctrine of the commandements And therefore among the commendations of a iust man this is one of the chiefest that he should meditate in the law of God day and night Med. 11. vitae Christi And the kingly Prophet in his Psalmes doth almost euery where make his boast of the loue which he had to the law of God and that he daily meditated in it And that the wordes of God were more sweete to him then hony and the hony combe If it were so delectable and pleasant to that most holy King to reade meditate and studie the words and precepts of that olde law how farre more pleasant should the reading and meditation of the words of the Gospell be to vs All the commandements
the Hebrewe article Lamed which is the signe of the Datiue case as though they were giuen to Dauid from aboue and not Dauids Psalmes with the signe of the Genitiue case as though they were of his owne making or inuention So saint Paul saith 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God And saint Peter saith Pet. 2. ep 3.15 Iames 1.5 As our beloued brother Paul according to the wisedome giuen to him wrote to you And saint Iames saith If any man lacke wisedome let him aske of God c. Hereof is the maiestie of the holy scriptures and worde of God it descendes from aboue all mens hearts must climbe vp to it no man nor Church is aboue it so that we maie iustly saie thereof as Dauid said Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy name and thy word aboue all things Osor lib. 3. de Sapientia Of the authoritie of the scriptures Osorius writes thus If thou be afraide to walke in darkenesse and desirest to be filled with the light of saluation doe not search for those causes and reasons of things thou canst neuer attaine vnto but onely giue credit to the heauenly testimonies and be content that thou maiest be sure that those thinges which thou beleeuest are confirmed by Gods â—â—ne word and sentence This is the rocke of all Christians â—â—at they knowe that those things which they doe beleeue are ratified by Gods owne word The words of all the Angels in heauen nor of all the men and Churches in the world without this word could not quiet and assure our consciences Therefore we beleeue and are assured because we know God hath spoken it and whatsoeuer hee hath spoken we doubt not of though he haue but once spoken it as Balam did Num. 22.11.20 after Gods answere he went to aske him the second time Againe of the excellent commoditie which is reaped by studying the scriptures he writes thus And that we may begin Lib. 5. de Sap. from hence it is euident by Gods owne mouth that true wisedome consists in true obedience and kéeping of the law of God For thus it is written This shall be your wisedome and vnderstanding before all people that they hearing these commandements may say Behold a wise and an vnderstanding people As though hee should say let others loue the studies of the Mathematiques let them search out with all their endeuours the hidden secretes of nature and if they thinke good let them measure out the heauens and let them endeuour to bring to light that which is shut vp in the bowels of the earth let them bragge of their wisedome and vaunt of their wits let them walke with the titles of great learned men and let them intrude themselues euerie where as correctors and amenders of common wealths But you keepe firmely with you one kinde of wisedome onely that is to say study you in the Lawe of God day and night let that neuer slippe out of your mindes Other studies can neither saue you nor aduance you nor deliuer you out of perils nor to conclude can bring you any fruit or commoditie in aduersities Nay it may so fall out that that same false opinion of wisedome may oftentimes bring you into the danger of your life and maye throw you headlong into euerlasting destruction For he is not called blessed which is skilfull in the artes which mans braine hath deuised but he that studies earnestly in the law of God day and night And after he concludes thus This Oration plainely declares that all wisedome is contained in the studying of the law of God If this be true why then are not all men in the Popes kingdome exhorted and pricked forward to this blessednesse why are some kept backe from it and forbidden it If all wisedome bee contained therein what state haue they béene in which neuer knew it And Ferus herin also agrées with Osorius Fer in c 9. act As vnreasonable beasts are guided and holden in with a bridle so to man is giuen reason and to Christians the word of God by which they may be gouerned He accounts Christians lacking the knowledge of the word of God like bruit bâ—astes without a bridle or like men without reason And againe The word of God is that sharpe and piercing sword wherewith the Diuell is repelled and put to flight He therefore that will liue without care danger let him take into his hands this sword Thus saith Ferus but the Pope saith not so he will not haue euerie one meddle with this sword In cap. 20. act And againe These are the weapons wherewith the enemies haue hurt the Church that is to say peruerse doctrine and all doctrine is peruerse wicked that agrees not with the rule and square of Gods worde Ibidem And a little after vpon these words And to the word of his grace He addes this as though he should say If any thing as yet bee wanting let it be taken out of the word of God For Gods word is a Lanterne vnto our feete Aboue all other things chiefly in all aduersities the power and authoritie of God and the word of truth doe comfort vs and doe defend vs against all inuasions of heretiques the Diuell and the world He doth not say as some Papists doe nowe saie that the wants of the Church must be supplied by traditions but by the Scriptures It is able to supplie all wants And againe vpon these words Saying none other things then those Fer. in act 24. which Moses and the Prophets did saie should come The doctrine of Christians must bee agreeable to the Scriptures And if Paul were not ashamed to preach the Scriptures how much lesse we And after speaking of Pauls Nauigation Let vs vse all fit meanes saith he but especially let vs trust in God In Act. 27. If we cannot escape the danger of our body yet let vs haue a care that our soule may be safe And marke here that the longer we are on this sea meaning the world wee doe saile the more dangerously Againe There is neuer more dangerous fayling then where there is famine of the word of God If we would then not suffer shipwrack Col. 3.16 let vs haue the anchor in our houses as Saint Paul counsels vs. And a little after As these men in so great dangers had nothing els to comfort them but the words of Paul so also now the word of God only comforts vs which God giues vs abundantly But wo be to our vnthankfulnesse which despise it The houre shall come when we shall desire to heare the word of God and it shall not be granted vs. Wo to him that despiseth it for he shall be despised Let all Recusants marke this Marke diligently also saith he that Paul spake but thrise in the shippe first he warned them that they should not saile secondly he comforted them And here thirdly he forewarneth against imminent
papist cites out of Eusebius Clemens that that Cephas which Paul reprehended in the 2. of the Galathians was not Peter the Apostle but another one of the 72. Disciples who was also called Cephas as he proueth out of Dorotheus and Hippolytus And he séemes to be himselfe of the same opinion for sayth he After the comming of the holy ghost vpon the Apostles it is not likely that the pillar of the Church shold haue fallen into so great a fault and haue erred in so great a matter of faith that is concerning the abrogation of the legall ceremonies To whom Christ committed his Church and appointed him generall pastour and teacher and maister of the faithfull and left him his Vicar vpon earth c. And againe It was not meete that the high Bishop and Prince of the Apostles should bee reproued of Paul so publiquely and sharply But this his smoake manifestly obscureth the truth for what is the drift of Paul in that place by the iudgement of other learned papists themselues but that he conferred the gospell with the Apostles not that he should learne any thinge of them whom he witnesseth to haue added nothing vnto him but lest they should not haue allowed it of whom onely he receiued the ministerie of gathering of almes And he shewes himselfe in somuch not inferiour to the Apostles that he feared not to reproue Peter their prince as it were compelling the gentiles to Iudaisme And after he shewes that we are Iustified by saith and not by the Lawe Gal. 2.16 This is Gagneus opinion in his argument of the second chap. to the Gal. So that if Paul conferred not his gospell with Peter the rest if he rebuked not Peter euen to the face as he there writes neither his owne authoritie nor the authoritie of his gospell which he preached amongst the GalathiaÌ„s had béene of such great authoritie Gal. 2.1 as hee there goeth about to proue vnto them And againe he writes that he went to Ierusalem where the Apostles abode and he reckons vp by name those that were chiefe amongst the Apostles Iames Cephas and Iohn and if Iames and Iohn were the Apostles he conferred with so also was Peter no doubt the Apostle he after reproued nay hee calleth Peter also Cephas by both his names lest hee should seeme to forget the priuiledge giuen him of our sauiour Nay hee called them pillars and is it likely that any of the 72 disciples should be called by that honorable name Nay he addeth that they gaue him right hands of fellowshippe now what great matter had it béen if any of the 72 disciples had made Paul equall with them And hee addeth after no doubt of the same Peter and not of any other that when as hee was come to Antioch hee withstood him to his face We may note here that the Papists are so blinded with the loue of their Pope that they will not sticke to discredite S. Paul and to diminish as much as in them lieth his authoritie and the authoritie of the gospell which hee preached to maintaine their Popes authoritie But this their exposition is not onely against the scripture but also against the Fathers Ierome and Augustine hadde soone béen agréede if they had credited any such matter who so earnestly wrote one against the other Aug. epist 9. concerning this reprehension when as Austin sayd Peter erred in deede and Ierome that he dissembled only and that Paul did not iustly reproue him But Ierome in his commentaries vpon the Galathians makes mention of this opinion and reiects it Hanmer in trans Dorothei de 70. discip Nay also in Dorotheus latin copie there is no such Cephas numbred amongst the 72 disciples although in the gréeke such an one is named This diuersitie of copies argues some of Sathans subtilties And here may bee a true and forcible argument drawne against the Popes supremacie If Peter had béen head of the Church hee ought not so publiquely sharply to haue béen reproued of Paul saith Pintus but as Gagneus and Austen and almost all the auncient fathers and truth it selfe doth witnesse Paul did so openly and sharply reproue him therefore he was not head of the Church Ferus how resolute he is in this his opinion concerning the Popes authoritie it is worth the marking howe plainly in other his workes as occasion offers hee shewes his iudgment herein If therefore saith hee wee will haue the Church safe let vs especially pray for the holy ghost for it is he wherein the Church is vnited gouerned spread abroad and preserued He alone is the only tutor gouernour teacher and comforter of all the faithfull To the vnitie of the church as other papists doe hee requires not the vnitie of a ministeriall head to gouerne the church but the vnitie of the holy spirit And after speaking of Peter he writes thus He stood in the midst of his brethren In which word the humilitie of Peter is commended For he did not alone by himselfe puft vp with vaine arrogaÌ„cie dispose the ecclesiasticall affaires according to his owne pleasure but in the midst of his brethren he dispatched all thinges which were to be done For it is not lawfull that the ecclesiasticall affaires and what thinges belong to the whole Church should bee ordered by the pleasures of a fewe but rather that those thinges should be disposed to the glorie of God according to the rules and appointment of the scriptures by the mutuall consent of good men Neither is that fit that any one shall take vpon him any office whatsoeuer For the Apostle sayth Let all things be done decently and according to order Therefore it was necessarie that one of the Apostles should orderly doe those necessarie affaires and therefore Peter stepps forth who had béen euer hitherto both more zelous and more apt and luckie in dispatching businesses Peter alone like the Pope presumptuously dealt not in ecclesiasticall affaires And after speaking of Peter Hee calles them brethren though he were the first in order amongst the Apostles For others are not to be disdained because of our higher estate aboue theÌ„ lastly he begins his oration of the holy scrip uâ—es Neither doth Peter this by mans fancie but by the mouing of the holy scriptures And if the chiefe of the Apostles did this what thinke we that we ought to doe Therefore let ciuill matters be discussed by ciuill iust and equall lawes And those things which are diuine let them be weighed in the ballance of the scriptures For there ought nothing to bee established or decreede in the Church but first of all wee should aske couÌ„sell of the holy scriptures The which thing I would to God had been obserued till now but now that is coÌ„monly put in practise of many So I wil haue it This I command to be done my pleasure is a sufficient warrant Surely Ferus in these words toucheth the Popes peremptorie authoritie And after vpon these wordes Let
of that were for the most part corporall but the commandements of this are spirituall the commandements of that were temporall but of this are eternall that was the law of seruants this of children that was giuen by the hand of man though a holy man this by the hand of the word it selfe of the eternall father and wisedome of God By the excellencie of the law-giuer appeares the excellencie of the law The best wine of the feast was reserued for that Lord whose duety and office it was to turne the cold water of the law into the precious wine of the Gospell c. This studie of the lawe of God and especially of the Gospell of Iesus Christ should be the chiefe studie of all christians by Granatensis iudgement and it is of verie manie their least and last studie Naie the church of Rome hath hidden them from her children as a sharp knife least they should cut their fingers therewith But shee should not haue done so by Granatensis his iudgment In 6. cap. Luc. Stella vpon these wordes And they came to heare him writes thus As the soule of Christ was the instrument of the Deity to worke miracles in the bodies of men so the wordes of Christ were the instrument of the same Deitie to worke miracles in their soules And as it was a wonderfull thing that Christs hand should giue sight to the blinde and should cleanse the Lepour so it was farre more wonderfull that his very word should giue life to dead soules For the words of Christ did not only stirre vp the mindes of his hearers neither did only perswade them as other preachers are wont to doe but they had also such a vertue and power that they seemed euen to compel the hearers that they should doe that which he preached Therefore the words of Christ gaue grace also without the which the minde cannot once moue her selfe to that which is righteous before God And a little after He that is of God heareth Gods word therefore you heare them not because you are not of God Euery one is glad to heare the noble actes of his country-men If any bee a Frenchman hee delights to heare any man tell the noble actes of Frenchmen but if one in the presence of a Frenchman should tell of the noble acts of the Hungarians he would make no account thereof he would giue no eare So by nature euery one delights to heare of the famous actes of his kinred and of his auncestors because hee comes of them But if men chance to talke of those thinges which belong not to his he makes no account of them but he goeth away So they truely which are Gods children delight to heare those things which are of God but they which are not of God but haue the Diuell to their father as obstinate children they delight not to heare Gods word And therefore the Lord said vnto them Therefore you heare not because you are not of God Whose are they then You saith he are of your father the Diuell and therefore you delight to heare his wordes and communication as murmurings blasphemies filthie and dishonest words One of the chiefest signes whereby it may be knowne whether one be predestinate or no is this whether he delite to heare the word of God and sermons For if he delite and take pleasure to heare the word of God surely it is a great argument that he is elected and of the householde and family of God O what a great company is there which are weary of hearing sermons and haue not tasted or sipped of the words of life So there is a great company of them that goe to hell They will haue leasure enough to read prophane filthy bookes wherin is nothing handled but of the world and the flesh but they cannot abide a holy and deuout booke in their handes no not halfe an hower yea if a sermon last aboue halfe an hower how will they goe home murmuring and grudging That now that saying of Paul may be verified of our miserable and vnhappie time There shall come a time when they shall not endure holsome doctrine but they shall heap to themselues teachers according to their owne lusts hauing itching eares and shall turne alwaie their eares from the trueth and shall be giuen to delight in fables Oh that all Christians would acknowledge this mightie power of Gods word which Stella héere teacheth It is as forcible and mighty euen now to heale soules as Christs hand when as hee was here was of force to heale bodies And that if they would apply it often to their soules it would heale all their infirmities Secondly that they would delight to heare Sermons It is the chiefest signe to knowe whether one be predestinate or no and who would not gladly be assured hereof In 6. Luc. And after speaking of the ground of Gods Lawe he writes thus Wherein O good Christ is thy law founded Not in power For thou hast compelled no man to receiue thy faith neither hast thou forced any to embrace thy law Neither is it grounded on naturall reason for although it be not against naturall reason but doth presuppose it yet it is aboue it for it surpasseth all the bounds of reason and goes beyond all the wit of man be he neuer so quicke witted and subtill In what thing therfore is this law grounded Surely onely in his Authoritie for only because Christ hath spoken this therefore we must beleeue it His word must be our only and sufficient warrant in all our actions 2. lib. de Abraham Pat. ca. 5. S. Ambrose verie excellentlie writes of the daily reading of the scripture And that thou maiest know that it is good that the beginning and the ende should agree together good Iesus him selfe hath saide I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende Therefore let our minde be euer with him let it neuer depart from his Temple and from his word let it euer bee occupied in reading the Scriptures in Meditations in Prayers that the worde of him who is in deede may euer worke in vs and that daily we either going to the Church or giuing our selues to prayers at home we may beginne with him and ende with him So the whole day of our life and the whole race of the daie shall beginne in him and ende in him For euen as in the beginning of our life to beleeue in God and to follow him is our saluation so perseuerance to the ende is necessarie And it is the best care that a soule can haue that marking wel the word of God it do nothing against reason wherewith it may be made sadde that euer knowing well what shee doeth shee maie keepe the ioy of a good conscience Here Saint Ambrose puts downe the whole course of a Christians life dailie to studie the Scriptures and to direct all his actions according vnto them De Iacob beat vita 2. lib. cap. 2. And againe he
ghost teach Peter this lesson Thirdly In ca. Act. 10. Whom God bindes doe thou not loose and whome hee looseth do not thou binde for thou hast not power at thy pleasure to place soules in heauen or hell but according to the worde of God For all soules are mine saith the Lord. Fourthly whome I haue serued let it not grieue thee to serue them also for the disciple is not aboue his maister I haue been a seruant to all do thou so also Fiftly whome I haue not as yet condemned doe not thou iudge rashly or condemne least thou be condemned thy selfe He glaunceth at the Popes authoritie in pardoning and condemning whomsoeuer he pleaseth And he is no changling as in his Commentaries vpon Mathew In ca. Act. 10. so here also he quite writhes the Popes temporall sword out of his hand vpon these words Arise Peter By an excellent metaphor saith he the office of the Apostles is described whose office is to rise not to take their ease and to watch take care for their flocke and then to kill not with the materiall sword for that was forbidden Peter but with the sword of the spirite which is the word of God which sword the Apostles are commanded to buye if they sold their coate for it And they kill when they preach the lawe and shew men their sinnes and doe teach that our strēght and righteousnes is nothing yea that wee are nothing but euen damned and miserable sinners And after also hee makes Peter subiect to the Church In ca. 11. Act. Peter saith he an Apostle the first and chiefe of the Apostles is forced to yeeld an account to the Church neither doth hee take this grieuously as a thing not agreeing to his authoritie For hee knewe wel enough that he exercised the office not of a Lord or maister but of a seruant of the Church The Church is the spouse of Christ and she is the Ladie of the house Peter is but a seruant and minister The Church therefore hath authoritie not onely to aske accompt of her seruants but also if they bee not fitte quite to put them away So heretofore it hath been often done in generall councels But nowe wicked Bishoppes will not be reproued nor rulde by the Church as though they were Lordes and not seruantes Therefore by the iust iudgment of God they are despised of all men Ferus agrées here with Austen and the auncient Fathers that the Church rules she is Christs vicegerent shee calles to accompt and deposeth whome it pleaseth her The fathers called this the Colledge of priests and hereof Cyprian called Cornelius Colleague This holy Colledge of priests ruled through the world not anie one prelate as now the Papists teach Euerie one seuerallie euen Peter the Bishop of Rome are but a seruant the Church is the Lady as Ferus termes her They are wicked Bishops sonnes o◠perdition that wil not be ruled by the Church this is Ferus iudgment And againe he writes thus vpon these words In cap. 9. Act. Hee went thorowe euery Citie confirming and stablishing that which the other had taught or adding to that which they had not done sufficiently he caried that scrole imprinted in his heart which Christ last of all commanded Peter saying Feede my sheepe if thou louest me In Peter thou seest the office of B shops that is to visite all according to that saying Heale that which is weake and binde vppe that which is broken c. They which are Bishoppes and doe sleepe and are idle doe not know in what a dangerous estate they are nor doe not thinke that the bloud of all that perish shall be required at their hands Heere hee makes Peter a patterne for all bishops to followe and not a type of the Pope and his successors And after vpon these words Behold three men c Marke saith hee that these wordes spoken to Peter doe belong to all pastours For so it is sayde to euerie one of them Behold men as though hee should saye These sheepe committed to thy charge doe require care and help the sinner succour the weake strength those which go astraie doctrine the vnrulie correctiō those which are tormented through afflictions comforte the whole church now dispersed peace Secondly Arise thou art not a Lord but a seruant this is not a time of ease but of labour hitherto thou hast done nothing through thy negligence the Wolfe hath entred in that is the Diuell For he is a Wolfe howe greatly soeuer he shewe the face of a friend c. Peters lessons Ferus attributes to all pastours And againe In ca. 10. Act. In Peter thou seest expressed what becomes Bishoppes that is to goe vp aloft to fast to praie Thou seest the contrarie in wicked and euill Bishoppes they onely take care of temporall thinges themselues they committe spirituall things to others They liue like Princes not like shepheards they neuer praie they giue themselues to pleasures And after hee writes thus In this Chapter Luke dooth prosecute the historie of Paul and Barnabas pilgrimage and hee names certaine countries which in their preaching they passed through Fer. in Act. ca. 14. that here al men may see how couragiously these two Apostles preached to al men the word of saluatiō to the great shame of those which brag themselues to be the successors of the Apostles whē as they are nothing else but slothfull vnfaithfull seruāts sharply to be reproued of the Lord nay iustly to be condemned No doubt he condemnes here the Popes proud and idle state And after he writes thus of the first generall councell of the authoritie of Iames Iames confirmes the sayings of the three Apostles pronounceth sentence as Bishop of Ierusalem If Peter had been dead of the vniuersall Church he should now haue pronounced sentence and ratified the councell as the Pope doth now But then this one thing verie euidentlie proues that there was no such authoritie acknowledged of Peter seeing that in the first generall councell in his presence Iames pronounceth sentence and as it were confirmes the councell And after Marke that he saith not that thou shalt haue much people but I haue much people in this citie As though he should saie the people is not thine but mine So he sayd to Peter Fer. in Act. cap. 18. Feede not thy sheepe but my sheepe As though he should say they are mine I haue redeemed them with my bloud I loue them I take care of thē therefore thou shalt not rule ouer them at thy pleasure thou shalt plaie the part of a shepheard and not of a Lord. If Peter had Christs authoritie committed to him and were his vicegerent then he had a kinde of Lordship ouer his sheepe But this Ferus denies And writing of Apollo he saies thus Mention of him is made in this place very fitly for he was such a great man the Corinthiās made him equall with Peter and Paul I
mens hearts consciences The world raignes with fleshly power but it obeyes the spirituall power but I make no accouÌ„t of fleshly power but I raign spiritually against fin death and hell c. The Popes kingdome is far vnlike this And of Christs crowne of thornes he writes thus The crownes of the kinges of this world Fer. part 3. pass are some of iron some of siluer some of golde By which is declared that the kingdome of the world consisteth of fleshly power glorie and nobilitie But Christs crowne is a crowne of thornes that by this token thou maiest knowe that Christes kingdome consists of thornes and afflictions And what kinde of king Christ is himselfe such like kings he makes vs that is subiect to afflictions No doubt then the Pope was neuer made king by Christ he is farre vnlike him as hee was here in this world Nay this his thornie crowne plainly condemnes that his triple crowne of golde In cap. 16 Mat. Titilman a Frier also vpon these words Vpon this rocke I will build my Church writes thus Vpon this rocke vpon this truth of faith which thou hast confessed and hast vttered saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and also vppon my selfe a most sure rocke which in thy foresaide speech thou hast confessed I will build and founde my Church c. So that all catholiques as M. Bellarmine affirmes doe not expounde Peter to be that rocke Cyril in Io. ca. 5.6 Cyrill of the authoritie of all the Apostles writes thus vppon these words And hee breathed vpon them When as hee woulde make his disciples famous and excellent for the great dignitie of their apostleshippe and would ordaine them the holy guides of his mysteries he forthwith sanctifies them with his holy spirite which by breathing he bestowed vpon them Here is the authoritie common to all the Apostles And although hee affirme that Christ built his Church on Peter as it were vpon a rocke or stone yet of Peter he writes thus and of that his thréefold loue Peter euer went before the rest for beeing especially in loue with Christ hee was euer most readie both to do any thing and to make answeare therfore euen now a little before seeing the ship came slowly to the land he girding his coate about him leaped into the sea Cap. 64. And wheÌ„ as our Sauiour asked his disciples saying whoÌ„ do men saye that I am When as againe after their answere he demauÌ„ded of them againe But whom doe you saie that I am as the principall and head of the rest he first cried out Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God He also smote off Malchas eare thinking by this meanes that he should euer cleaue to his maister Therefore of good right Christ asked him if he loued him more then the rest and that thrice Peter also confessed that he loued him and he calles none other to be witnes of this his loue but Christ himselfe And in euery one of his confessions the words being a little altered he heard that he must haue a care of Christs sheepe But this speech doth bring to light a hâ—gher matter for because Peter with the rest was adorned by Christ with the name of an Apostle and he denied him thrice at his passion by good right now the coÌ„fession of his three-folde loue is required that his three fold deniall might be requited with the like nuÌ„ber of his coÌ„fession So that which was committed by words was cured with words He asked of him if he loued him more then the rest for he which had tried the greater clemeÌ„cie of his maister towards him by good right ought to haue loued him more And although all the Apostles generally were stricken with great feare when the Lorde was betrayed yet Peters fault was the greatest that in so short a time denied him thrice Therfore seeing by the mercie of our Sauiour he obtained forgiuenes of a great sinne iustly of him greater loue is required All pastors of the Church hereby learne that they can no otherwise be beloued of Christ then if so bee that they shal studie with al their maine might that his sheep be wel fed like well Such a one was Paul c. He proues that Peter had his Apostleship common with the rest of the Apostles that by this place it was restored him againe and no primacie granted him ouer all the church And that all doctors heere haue receiued a charge not Peter onely He concludes thus By Peters threefold confession his three folde sinne of denying is done away And hee sayde to him feede my Lambes restoring to him againe the dignitie of his Apostleshippe least through his deniall which chanced by mans frailtie it had seemed to haue beene disanulled Héere is a restitution of Peter heere is no prelation as the Papists teach of the supremacie Ierome writes thus The arke of Noah was a figure of the Church Ierom. contra lucifera nos as Peter saith In the arke of Noah a fewe that is eight soules were saued by water As now also baptisme saueth vs. As in that were all kinde of beasts so in this are men of all countries and conditions The arke had her nests so the Church her mansions Eight soules of men were saued in the arke and Ecclesiastes biddes vs giue part to seuen and part to eight that is beleeue both the testaments And therefore some psalmes are written for the eight and by eight verses which are put vnder euery letter And in the 118. psalme the iust man is instructed and the blessings by the which the Lorde signifieth his Church in the mount are eyght c. A Crowe is sent out of the arke and returneth no more and after the Doue sheweth the peace of the earth So in the baptisme of the Church that blacke birde being expelled that is the Diuell the Doue of the holy ghost declareth the peace of our lande The arke beginning of 30. cubits is built by little and little decreasing into one cubite So likewise the Church consisting of many degrees at length is finished with Deacons Priests and Bishops Héere wee maye plainly sée that Ierome makes the whole order and brotherhood of Bishopps to bee that one cubite in which the arke was finished and not anie one Bishop no not the Bishoppe of Rome For in the same booke he alleadgeth thus Cyprian writing to the Bishop of Rome He ends saith he his discourse which hee had made to Stephen Bishop of Rome after this manner We haue shewed these things to your conscience most welbeloued brother both for our coÌ„mon honour and for my sincere loue I beare vnto you hoping that those things please you for the truth of your faith and religion which are both true and religious But wee knowe some that will hardly refuse that which they haue once tasted nor chang their resolution easily but the knotte of peace and concorde being kept
neglecting these do teach vs to seek for righteousnes remissiō of sinnes through a vaine rash confidence Behold saie they here there is Christ The which is in truth to seduce for these things are to be founde no where else then in the Catholike Church his spouse by Christ Thus the Romane edition enterlaceth and addes to Ferus They doe mislike that righteousnes and remission of sinnes should be obtained from Christ and by Christ They will haue as should séeme our owne workes and their sacraments of pardones ioyned with him and their Church For that they meane by the Catholique Church This they would force Ferus to teach which he neuer taught But Ferus in his true originall concludes this matter thus Christ therefore meanes in these wordes that wee should hope or looke for no other Christ but him that is that we should seek for righteousnes saluation remission of sinnes of him alone nothing regarding if the false prophets taught any other thinge Secondly of these wordes thou hast taught thee that Christ is tyed to no place outward shew peculiar kinde of worshippe or state of men that he should be found there alone and no where else otherwise all men must be forced to goe to one place or to be of one trade He is not bounde to Ierusalem nor to any other Citie that there all men should finde him neyther that he should bee founde of any other but of him that went thither Christ may be founde in euery Citie and in euery state and trade of mans life which is not repugnant to the word of God There are two things to which he hath bound himselfe wherein he hath foretold that he may be found that is to saie his word and his sacraments annexed to his worde There thou shalt finde Christ in deede neither is hee a false Prophet that sendeth thee thither Thus farre Ferus Where wee may note that to teach men to séeke for righteousnes in any other thinge then in Christ is to looke for another Christ is to denie Christ to becomed in the flesh And therefore is to be a disciple of Antichrist Though they séeme neuer so much to reuerence Christ with their toongs if they beleeue not with their hearts that he is such a Christ as the gospell teacheth that he alone is our righteousnes they are of Antichrist Secondlie if we will haue Christ we must séeke him in his word He is tyed to no place but to it How greatlie then did they beguile our forefathers which taught them to goe a pilgrimage to vndertake great iournies to séek Christ at Ierusalem and other places and in the meane time negelectd and neuer regarded his word Surelie they taught men the wrong waie to finde Christ if this be true that Ferus taught which is most true No nor if Christ bee not tied to any one state of men more then to another then not to their Friers as they bragge he is more then to anie other kinde of men If this doctrine had been taught our forefathers I thinke they would not haue bestowed their landes vpon Frieries and Monasteries as they did Lastlie whereas Ferus saith that Christ is only tyed to his word and sacraments annexed to his word the Romane edition leaues out Annexed to his word as though there might be sacraments not annexed or grounded vpon the word of God As in truth manie of their sacraments are Againe Ferus vpon these words Let them that be in Iewrie flie vnto the hilles writes thus But whither must we flie To the hils to the higher places As he did which saide I haue lift vp mine eies vnto the hilles from whence commeth my helpe And also In thee O Lord haue I put my trust I shall neuer bee put to confusion And I haue lift vp my soule vnto thee Happie is hee that hath fled to the hilles he shal be safe in deede Ferus heere by these hilles meanes heauen and that we must trust onelie in God as is most manifest by the scriptures he alleadgeth The Romane edition addeth Wee must flie vnto the hilles that is to the Catholique Church And to the superior places as he did shal said I haue lift vp mine eies vnto the hilles c. They would haue men trust in their Church as should séeme And so they abuse both Ferus meaning and the Scriptures he alleadgeth which cannot be referred to the Church but to God alone Gagneius vpon that place of S. Peter Babylon Coelected writes That the Greeke scholia and al other interpretors doe interprete Rome to be Babylon which he so calles for the confusion of their Idols Where we maie note first that Peter makes himselfe equall with other elders calling himselfe Compresbyterum that is a fellowe elder in his former epistle And in this his second epistle If Babylon be Rome as Gagneius séemes to affirme he makes it equal with other Churches calling it Coelected that is equallie chosē of God with other Churches And what prerogatiue then can either Peters successors or the Church of Rome challeng Secondlie if by al interpretors iudgments as Gagneius affirmes by Babylon Rome is vnderstood then no doubt this séemes to giue a light to S. Iohns Reuelation foreshewing where that Babylon should be which he should prophecie of For all the scriptures are as a golden chaine one linked within another and like that strange whéele Exechiel sawe A wheele appeared on the earth by the beasts hauing foure faces The fashion of the wheeles and their worke was like a Chrisolite Eze. 1.15 and they foure had one forme And their fashion and their worke was as one wheele in another wheele This strange whéele no doubt represented the gospell The scriptures agrée altogither S. Peter and S. Iohn did meane one Babylon And that former is Rome by Gagneius and all interpretors iudgments And surelie the second also Who will now then if he doe but marke these two places conferred togither for in scriptures one place expoundes another looke for anie good from thence Againe if Peter had béene made head of the Church by our sauiour he had sinned in not taking that power and authoritie vppon him in debasing himselfe and making himselfe equall with other pastors In 1. cap. Luc. Stella saith That it is humilitie to accept any honour offered of God And it were pride to put any let or hinderance vnto it How then did not Peter here by Stella his iudgment offend in pride in putting a stoppe or hinderance to that authoritie which our sauiour had giuen him when as he makes himselfe equal with other pastors That place of S Paul which they alleadge for the authoritie of the Church of Rome ouer all the world I thanke my God thorowe Iesus Christ for you all because your faith is published thorowe the whole world In 2. cap. Luc Stella expounds That is in manie places Stella also of the obedience to the ciuill magistrate writes thus That wee
Euerie Church saie Ierome and Ferus hath this power which was promised to Peter in her bishops and priests and not the Church of Rome or Peters successours onely as now the Patrons of the Church of Rome teach But wherefore were they then promised specially to Peter if he alone receiued them not Ierome answers For a mystery not for any superioritie to signifie that there should be but one faith one Church from which vnitie whosoeuer did swarne should not be partaker of this remissioÌ„ Agréeing herein with Cyprian who plainly affirmes that the other Apostles were the same that Peter was Cypr. de simp praelat endewed with the same power and authorititie but to him alone this was spoken to declare the vnitie of the Church In this waightie matter if authoritie be sought for here is the authoritie of the scriptures one place expounded by another here is the consent of the ancient Fathers and euen of Ferus a friend of the Roman Church and yet in this so euident a matter of truth forced to ioine hands with these I would to God all other fauourers of the Romane Church would do the like and would not séeke by indirect meanes and fraudulent dealings to peruert and obscure the truth as is most manifest that they do euen in this very matter For whereas Ferus in his copie printed at Paris and published by Philippus Agricola the Emperours Chaplaine and dedicated to him and therefore no doubt being the verie true copie of the Originall alleaging that place of Iohn for the explication of Mathew saith that it cannot be found in any place else where thâ—s promise was performed And the ordinarie Glosse citing this place of Ierome for the explication of that plâ—ce of Iohâ— the copie printed at Rome after Aâ—no Dom. 157◠〈◊〉 out both that place of Iohn and of Ierome belike they thinke that the promise was not performed then as Ferus most euidently affirmes it was or else Ieromes exposition pleaseth them not And yet they would make the world beléeue that both Fathers and the Scriptures are on their side and do make for them If this be true whie should they then purge out as some lothsome thing this saying of the scripture and this exposition of Ierome for so they say in their copie printed at Rome Commentaries of Ferus at Rome perused and purged Do they vse to purge such things out By this we may learne what account they make of the scriptures and Fathers But this their corrupt dealing is not only in this place but followes verie often after in this matter of Peters prerogatiue as shall appeare It followes thus after in Ferus in the true originall Neither can they simply at their owne pleasure and will remit sinnes or retaine them but by certaine meanes Let vs seeke therefore what they be And truly in Matthew and Marke they are most manifestly expressed for so we read in Matthew Go teach all nations baptize them and in Mark Go you into the whole world and whose sins you remit they are remitted vnto theÌ„ He that beleeueth and shall be baptized c. Behold these are the meanes by which the Ecclesiasticall power of forgiuing sinnes is executed that is to say the preaching of the Gospell and administration of sacraments neither do I find anie other thing else giuen to the Apostles by which they may execute their power then these two things Here are the meanes Ferus plainly set downe by which this ecclesiasticall power promised to Peter and giuen to him with the rest of the Apostles is executed that is the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the sacraments And in these two the bishop of Rome hath no more authoritie then anie other bishops or pastors of anie other church So that Ferus still kéepes his former iudgement that he cannot find but that which Ierome also auoucheth that euery church hath in her bishops and priests that which was promised to Peter and that this power is executed no otherwaies then by preaching and administration of the sacraments Then plainely by Ferus iudgement he cannot find that the bishop of Rome hath any power left him to execute this ecclesiasticall authoritie granted to Peter and to other bishops in making of pardons the which is a principall meanes by which he executeth this autthoritie Ferus can find but two means in the scripture by which this power is executed the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the Sacraments The making of Pardons is a meane deuised to enrich the Pope not found in the scriptures Nay if this be true he makes in effect the Pope to be Antichrist for if the power of the true keies consist in preaching the gospell and in the administration of the sacraments then the Pope himselfe which neuer vseth anie of these but is altogether occupied in other matters as in making of pardons in confirming and deposing kings vseth counterfeit keyes in the house of Iesus Christ vseth not the true keies and therefore himselfe is a counterfeit seruant Luke 11.23 and euen Antichrist himselfe For our sauiour hath said Hee that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad But our Sauiour Christ when he was on earth here gathered his shéepe togther by preaching as is most apparant in the Gospell Therefore the Pope which doth not by this meanes gather with him scattereth abroad and is not a faithfull shepheard but an hireling not a â—atherer but a scatterer not a fauourer but a destroyer of Christs flocke This doctrine of Ferus is manifest and truly grounded on the scriptures But now let vs sée how the Popes Patrones haue corrupted and peruerted it Ferus as I haue before cited him hath thus plainlie declared his iudgement in the copie printed at Paris but in his copie printed at Rome thus there they haue peruerted his doctrine When as they count simply or at their owne pleasures or at their owne willes forgiue or retaine sinnes but by certaine meanes let vs search them out and they truly in Matthew and Marke are most manifestly expressed for so we read in Matthew Go teach all nations and baptize them And in Marke Goe into the whole world he that beleeueth and is baptized c Behold these are the meanes by which the Ecclesiasticall power of forgiuing of sinnes is executed that is to say the sacraments which if he receiue now the kingdome of heauen is opened vnto him now his sinnes are forgiuen him Neither find I any other thing giuen to the Apostles by which they ought to execute their power and authoritie Thus saith the Romane copie where they leaue out the principall meanes of executing this power that is preach ng the Gospell to confirme no doubt and maintaine their dumbe Pope and his Clergie and whereas Ferus can find nothing but these two they leaue out the preaching of the Gospell and these words then these two and
they say neither can I find any thing els giuen to the Apostles to execute their authoritie meaning the sacraments What dealing is this thus to mangle his words what truth to take away the principall meanes of the power of forgiuing sinnes from the pastors of Christs Church And whereas Christ hath giuen them as it were two keyes to steale one from them what is this else but to throwe Gods people into hell and this dealing to bee at Rome which calles her selfe the mother Church the mistresse of all pietie and religion what a sinne is this But as Ferus goeth on further in setting forth the truth so do they also in their corrupt dealing The execution therefore saith Ferus of the Ecclesiasticall power consisteth in these two that is to say in preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments Neither do we read that the Apostles did any other things To which Ierome agrees vpon the 14. of Esay The Apostles saith he loose by the word of God the testimonies of the Scriptures and exhortations of vertues and as they loose by the word of God so also they loose by the sacraments which are adherents and appendants to the word Here the Roman copie leaues out Ferus drift The execution saith Ferus of Ecclesiasticall power consists in these two that is in preaching the Gospell and administration of the sacraments Neither do we reade that the Apostles did any thing else This sentence they leaue out which is the summe of all They after alleage Ierom as Ferus doth That they loose by preaching But that the execution of the power Ecclesiasticall consists only in these two points that they leaue out which ouerthrowes all their Popish pardons And after Ferus saith These things therefore I alleaged in this place that thou mightest see that my opinion wherein I said that the execution of the power ecclesiasticall did consist in the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments to differ nothing from the saying of the saints This sentence in the Roman copie is quite left out That conclusion of Ferus they do not like Of these things which haue beene spoken saith he is that question dissolued easily which troubles some how Priests can forgiue sinnes when as that only belongs to God according to that I am he that doth blot out thine iniquities And also that Christ alone hath the keyes of death and hell To which thus it may be answered That onely God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellency but the Apostles and their sucessours like seruants apply these things by which God forgiues sinnes and giues grace as are the word of God and Sacraments Here we may learne plainely by Ferus iudgement the power and authoritie of forgiuing of sinnes remaines only in God the pastors and ministers like poore and humble seruants to this great cure doe but applie those medicines and remedies by which God cures There is no power nor authoritie in them that is in God alone Here the Romane copie leaues out that only God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellencie It is likely they woulde haue that power in their priests They saye that God alone remitteth sinnes but they leaue out these wordes by the power of dignitie and excellencie To conclude saith Ferus these keyes of the Church are nothing else then power of binding and loosing of forgiuing sinnes and retaining them But the Roman copie leaues out are nothing else To conclude say they the keyes of the Church are power of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining of sinnes Ferus procéedeth To thee will I giue the keyes Some labour to proue that this was said only to Peter because hee said To thee I will giue Others say the contrarie But lest I should determine anie thing rashly I will shewe not mine owne but Augustines opinion Aug. in Io tract 120. who in the 120. Tract vpon Iohn saith thus Peter saith he bare a figure of the Church For properly as much as belongeth to himselfe by nature he was but one man and by grace one Christian and by his more aboundant grace but one and the same first or chiefe Apostle But when it was said to him To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen he signified the whole Church Also in his booke of Christiā doctrine the first boke and eight chap. he teacheth plainly that the keyes were giuen to the Church Here we may plainly see by Austines Ferus iudgement what Peter was in his greatest excellencie but one the first Apostle giuing him no more prerogatiue then the Gospell yéelds vnto him who in the numbring of the twelue Apostles saith the first Simon Peter He was as it should séeme most ancient therefore in order to be preferred before the rest Thus much concerning his owne person Austine and Ferus attribute to him but the keyes were giuen to him in another person that is in the person of the Church and therefore in her name he receiued them not in his owne name or for himselfe and his successours So that by Austines iudgement these keyes were not giuen to Peter alone but as Ierome before also professed that euerie Church in her Bishops and priests receiues that which was giuen to Peter This is Ferus opinion in his true originall but the Romane copie hath thus mangled him Some say they labour to proue that this was spoken to Peter alone because he said To thee I will giue c. to whom others are contrarie Thus far they go in the Roman copie but they leaue out Ferus opinion concerning this matter and that grounded vpon Saint Austine Here we may sée againe how little they doe estéeme the fathers and how little in truth they do make for them In this waightie matter of the Popes authoritie they haue reiected both Augustine and Ierome If they had liked their sayings why should they haue purged them out And after where Ferus declareth how the Church and also how Peter receiued the keies I answere saith he that both is true that the keies are giuen to the Church as to the mystris or spouse but to Peter not as a Lord or maister but as to a minister And to this belongs that which St. Paule saith Let a man so esteeme vs as the ministers of Christ And the same sayeth againe I am a debter both to the wise and foolish And hereunto belongeth the names of the Apostles who in the scriptures are called pastours watchmen laborers To conclude saith Ferus heare what Bernard writes to Pope Eugenius in his second booke of Consideration Thy predecessors sayth he the Apostles heard that the haruest is great and the labourers few challenge therefore the Fathers inheritance be watchfull in this and be not idle least it bee saide vnto thee why standest thou all the day idle much lesse it becommeth thee to bee either found dissolute through pleasures or effeminated with pompe and state The will
of the testator giues thee none of these But what If thou bee contented with that which is conteined in them haue a more care of the inheritance and of the worke then of glorie and riches For what did the holie Apostle leaue thee that which I haue sayth he I giue thee And what is that not gold nor siluer when as he had none of that but what care ouer the Church But what did he leaue thee a Lordshippe Heare what hee sayeth not ruling as Lords ouer the Lords inheritance but being made a paterne of the flocke And that thou mayst know that these things are so in deede Christ sayth in the Gospell The kings raigne ouer the nations but you shall not do so Of these it is plaine that Lordships are forbidden the Apostles the which whosoeuer doe challenge to themselues are of the number of them of whom God complaines thus They haue raigned but not by me And after they are the ministers of Christ and so am I and hee addeth I speake as vnwise I more being in many labours O excellent ministerie if thou must glorie let the patterne of the holy Apostles be set before thine eies acknowledge thine inheritance in Christs crosse in many labours happie is hee that can saye I haue laboured more then they all Thus farre Bernard let them marke well this saith Ferus that glorie in their authoritie To Peter therefore were the keies giuen but as to a minister This Ferus alledgeth out of Bernard to beate downe the Popes idle pompe and pride and to extoll the excellencie of the ministerie of the gospell The name whereof nowe to be called a minister the catholikes cannot abide All this sentence of Bernard and Ferus haue they of Rome in their edition left quite out they like not that Peter should receiue the keies as a minister that he should be matched with other pastors as he both ioineth himselfe 1 Pet. 1. Gal. 2 9. and Paule ioineth him They like not that Bernard giueth him not a Lordshippe or dominion ouer Christs Church which Christ onelie challengeth to himselfe Iohn 23.3 I am sayth he your Lord and maister but a ministerie or seruice and therefore impaires his authoritie that he should not be Christs vicegerent here on earth Ferus repeates that twise that to Peter were the keies giuen but as to a minister This they leaue out in both places It pleaseth them not that Peter should be a minister Thirdly that is also to be marked sayth Ferus that it is expresly sayd I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen hee doth not say of the kingdome of the earth These wordes belong nothing to earthlie iurisdiction which notwithstanding they goe about to establish on these words affirming that Peter not onely in spirituall but also in externall and worldly affaires to haue receiued fulnesse of authoritie The which thing Bernard to Engenius doth manifestly reproue Ber. lib. Io. d◠consid your authoritie saith he is in trespasses not in possessiōs because for those and not for these you haue receiued the keyes of the kingdom of heauen It followeth whether power seemes greater to thee to forgiue sinnes or to deuide landes These earthly and base things haue their Iudges the kings and princes of the world neyther doe you enter into another mans bounds why doe you thrust your sickle into another mans haruest why will you be greater then your maister who being requested of one saying speake to my brother that he may deuide the inheritance with me Answered who hath ordained me a Iudge betweene you Thus far Barnard Héere most manifestly both Bernard and Ferus take one of the Popes swords from him that he hath nothing to do in worldlie matters that he cannot translate kingdoms at his pleasure which hath béen a gainefull sword to the Pope which sword gat him both his Peter pence his popes power while by this sword he made all Christian Kinges to be at his commaundement This third note of Ferus and assertion of Bernard is thus peruerted in the Roman addition Thirdly say they that is to bee marked that it is expresly sayde And I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen as though hee should say the keies are mine therefore vse them according to my pleasure They quite leaue out that it is expresly sayd that to thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and not of the kingdome of the earth as also all the sentence of Bernard which confirmes the same Ferus also alleadgeth Ierome To conclude saith he that is to be marked which he saith I will giue thee the keies Thus saith he Ierome writes on this place in the 16 Chapter of Matthew Bishops saith he and Priests not vnderstanding this place take some thing vnto them of the pride of the Pharisees that they thinke they maye eyther condemne the innocent or loose the guiltie when as with God not the sentence of the priests but the liues of the offenders are required Christ therefore willing to reproue this presumptiō sayth I will giue the keies as though he should say The keies are mine therfore vse thē according to my pleasure and not acccording to thine owne pleasure This saying of Ierome also is omitted in the Roman editions It séemes to giue to Bishops and priests interest in that saying of our Sauiour and I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen which they would haue belong to Peter It quite ouerthrowes the Popes pardons The Pope cannot pardon whom he list nor sell his pardons to those whose liues he knowes not as he vseth commonly to do For with God saith Ierome not the sentence of the priests but the life of the penitent sinner is respected All the pardons in the world without true and heartie repentance are nothing auaileable to any man And true and hartie repentaunce with a liuely faith saueth without all popes pardons If all men knew this it would make the Popes pardons lesse saleable To conclude Peter saith Ferus receiued power but not any earthly power that hee might giue or take away or alienate kingdomes and gouernments nor such power that it might be lawfull for him to do what he list that which many dreame he did but he receiued power of binding and loosing of remitting and detayning sinnes of openning and shutting neyther that according to his owne pleasure but as a seruant or minister doing his maisters will This sentence also in the Roman edition is quite left out And héere all men may sée that will not wilfully shut their eies whose kingdome they maintaine that deale thus deceitfully Euen Sathans that prince of darknes who was a lier and a deceiuer from the beginning Truth needes no such shiftes And here also euerie faithfull christian may obserue another sleight which the Papists vse to maintaine their Popes authoritie Hect. Piu◠in Dan. Ca. 1. Hector Pintus a verse learned
safe among their fellow Bishops wil keepe some priuate opinions to themselues which they haue once liked of Wherein wee will not vrge nor prescribe a lawe to any man when as euery one in the Church hath free power and authoritie to gouerne as he will and euery one is set ouer the Lords flocke beeing to giue account to the Lord of his doing Here is plaine by Cyprians and Ieromes iudgments the common honour of all Bishoppes that one of them cannot enforce another And that they haue euery one of them frée power of gouernment in their seuerall charges whereof they are to giue accompt to the Lord. And of the authoritie and necessitie of Bishops he writes thus in the same booke If at the praier only of the Bishop the holy ghost descended then they are in a lamentable case who beeing baptized by priests and Deacons in villages townes far distant places haue died before euer they were visited of the Bishops The health of the Church consisteth in the dignitie reuerence of the chiefe priests to whom if a peereles chiefe authoritie be giuen of all men there will bee so manye schismes in the Church as therē are Priests c. Héere wee may plainly see first the iurisdiction of Bishops ouer manie villages and countrey townes in which onelie Priests and Deacons were placed in Ieromes daies And that euen then as some now a daies thinke euerie pastor was not a Bishop in his flocke Secondlie what the authoritie of euerie Bishop was it was Exors it was péerelesse he had none aboue him in this world in his charge noe not the Bishoppe of Rome And lastlie that whereas M. Dorman in his booke against M. Nowell doth alleage this place to proue the Bishoppe of Romes authoritie and would proue that S. Ierome in this place ment him Marianus Victorinus Reatinus Episcopus who hath corrected S. Ieromes workes and newly imprinted them being a great Papist affirmes that this place is ment of euery Bishoppe in his Diocesse Hee calles saith he the Bishoppe the chiefe priest whose authoritie also to be greater thē the other priests hee doth otherwhere plainly and manifestly auouch So the Apostles whose roome the Bishops now occupie succeede in were aboue the 72 disciples whom as blessed Damasus the Priest doth witnes the Priests do now succeede So Aaron and the other hie priests were euer aboue the Leuites So that by his iudgment by this chiefe priest is not ment the Pope but euerie Bishop And that euerie Bishops authority is péereles And this vnitie of Bishops makes Ierome to be the vnitie of the Church Augustine writes thus The scribes and Pharisees sitte vpon Moses chaire doe what they say but doe not as they doe You see that in the chaire of Moyses to which hath nowe succeeded the chaire of Christ that also euill men doe sitte and yet notwithstanding the good thinges which they are about to teach doe not hurt their hearers Wherefore doest thou for the wicked mens sake forsake the chaire Returne againe to peace returne againe to vnitie which hurt thee not If I speake well and doe well followe me But if I doe not as I say thou hearest the counsell of the Lorde Doe what I say but what I doe doe thou not But yet depart not from the catholique chaire Héere we may sée that this chaire of Christ was in euerie countrey and that euery Bishop sate in it not the Bishop of Rome onelie Austen himselfe sate in it and to the vnitie of the chaire he exhorts schismatikes that they would returne Secondly we may note howe this chaire then was called Christs chaire not Peters chaire As the Pope nowe calles his Of the strickt vnitie that is betwixt Christ the head and his Church the bodie Aug. in psal 37. he writes thus Whē as Christ speaketh somtime he speaketh in the persō of the only head because he is a sauiour borne of the Virgin Marie sometime in the person of his bodie which is the whole church dispersed through the whole world And we are in his bodie if our faith be pure our hope sure and our loue inflamed And after where hee saith The wordes of my sinnes there is no doubt but that it is the voice of Christ But how come sinnes but of his bodie which is the Church because both the bodie of Christ and the head speakes Why speakes he alone because they shal be two in one flesh This is a great mysterie saith the Apostle I meane of Christ and of his Church And a little after If he hath sayd now they are not two but one flesh what maruaile is it if one flesh and one tounge vtter the same words as of one flesh one head and of one bodie let vs heare them as one but yet the head as the heade and the bodie as the bodie The personnes are not deuided but there is a differēce of their dignities because the head doth saue the body is saued The head shewes mercie the body bewailes her miserie the head is to purge sinnes the bodie to confesse sinnes and yet one voice of them both Héere we may sée the narrowe vnion betwéene Christ and his Church They are one flesh hee is an adulterer that intrudes himselfe betwéene these The Church sinneth euen the Pope himselfe if he be a member of this body by Augustines iudgment and the head alone saueth Christ alone is the head and all the rest are members Quaest ex vtroque testā quaest 101. Augustine of the Deacons of the Church of Rome which estéemed themselues better then the order of those whome they called presbyters writes thus But because they are the ministers or deacons of the Church of Rome therefore they thinke thēselues more honorable then in other Churches for the statelines of the Citie of Rome which seemes to be the head of all other Cities Let vs marke héere what priuiledge Austen giues to the citie of Rome and whie the Deacons thereof might perchance aduance themselues aboue other Deacons because the Citie of Rome saith he Was the head of all other Cities If it had been accompted the head of all other Churches no doubt Austen would haue here giuen it that commendation but hee saith no such thinge thereof but that the magnificence thereof consisted in that it was the head of all other Cities What can be plainer then this Shall wee not beleeue Austen And in another place of the foundations and bulwarks of the Church he writes thus Epist 56. Heretiques goe about to vndermine or ouercome the most sure foundations of the Church by the shew of reasō but that mercifull Captaine of our faith hath as it were with a most stronge tower defended his Church by the solemne assemblies of all nations people by the seats of the Apostles and by certaine excellent learned godly and spirituall men also he hath fenced it with the plentifull furniture of inuincible reason These are all the visible
bulwarks and towers of defence of the Church which S. Austen knewe in his daies First generall councells then the apostolicall seas no one apostolicall sea more then the rest no not Rome and lastly some especiall godly learned men with their inuincible arguments and forces of reason Where also we maie note that as he preferreth no one apostolicall sea before all the rest so that he doth preferre generall councels before them all So that by Augustines iudgment a generall councell is to be preferred before the Church of Rome And here Augustine declaring the bulwarks of Gods Church against heretiques had shewed himselfe to be a verie vnskilfull Captain of the Lords armie if so be that he had quite forgotten the chiefe bulwarke aboue all the rest against them that is that the Pope cannot erre This had been the forciblest bulwarke that the Church could haue had against all heretiques But Austen in his daies knewe no such and therefore no doubt hee makes no mention of it And also in another place of Peters prerogatiue he writes thus As some things are sayd which seeme properly to belong to Peter himselfe and yet they are not rightly expounded In psal 108. vnlesse they be referred to the Church of which hee is acknowledged in a type to haue borne the figure for the primacie that hee had among the Apostles As this To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen and other speeches of our sauiour to him like to this so Iudas likewise as it were sustaineth the person of the Iewes that bee enemies vnto Christ which then hated Christ and now also their wickednes continuing as it were by a succession doe hate him still Here Austen acknowledgeth a primacie of Peter amongst the Apostles But for all that by this his primacie by Austens iudgement hee gaineth nothing to his successor or to the Bishop of Rome but to the whole Church whose Image he sustained because he was the chiefe among the Apostles He plainly affirmes that Peter was a type of the whole Church to it conueyed that priuiledge giuen to him and not to his successor the Bishop of Rome as that papists now would haue him And to expound that saying of our Sauiour To thée will I giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen as the papists doe nowe to Peter himselfe is not rightlie to expound them what can be plainer then As Iudas sustaineth the persons of all the wicked Iewes so doth Peter not of the bishop of Rome but of the whole Church This is Austens iudgment concerning this matter and he ouerthrowes the papists exposition of these words To thee will I giue the keies which referre them to Peter himselfe and his successors And to Austen agrées Chrysostome both concerning the authoritie of Rome and of Peter he manifestlie preferres Antioch before Roome Ho. 17. ad pop Ant. What saith he is the dignitie of our Citie it chanced first saith he that the disciples at Antioch were called Christiās this dignitie hath no citie else that is in the world no not Romulus his citie And therefore she that is Antioch may lift vp her eyes and ouerlooke all the world beside for this fire of her loue toward Christ for this her great confidence and boldnes for this her valiantes He cals Rome but Romulus his citie if she had béen then accounted the catholique mother church as the papists nowe affirme that she is he would not haue béen too bould with her he would haue giuen her some more honorable stile then to call her Romulus his citie nay he would not haue preferred Antioch before her yea and not onlie Chrisostome but the Emperor himselfe yéelds that same priuiledge to Antioch Ho. 21. ad pop Ant aeditione Harma 21. And haue I not saith hee alwaies preferred that citie before all other and haue I not accompted it dearer to me then mine owne natiue countrie The Emperor preferred Antioch before all other cities in the world and therefore before Rome and it is not likelie that he erred in iudgment And after of the Emperors authoritie in the same homilie Chrysostome writes thus Oh howe great is the force of Christian religion It restrained and bridled a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on earth had none to be compared with him that Lord that can ouerthrowe and destroy all things and taught him such heauenly philosophie as a meane man would neuer haue embraced c. He plainly here affirmes that the Emperor is the chiefe man here vpon earth And that there is none equall to be compared with him no not the Pope Victorinus an auncient father vppon the Reuelation concerning the church writes thus These seuen starres are seuen churches Victor in 1. cap. Ap. which he calls by their names and to whom also he writes his Epistles Not that they were the principall Churches of all other but that which hee speakes to one hee speakes to all for there is no difference as when one doth preferre the standerd of a fewe souldiers to a greater number Paul taught first that all the churches of the world were but seuen and those seuen which he named to be that one catholique Church The which thing that he might obserue him selfe he exceeded not the nūber of seuen Churches but he wrote to the Romanes Corinthians Galathians Ephesians Philippians Collossiās and to the Thessaloniās And afterward he wrote to particular persons least he should exceede the nūber of seauen Churches And briefly knitting vp togither the whole summe of his preaching he saith to Timothie That thou maist know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the Church of the liuing God We read also that this type was declared by the holy Ghost by the prophet Esay of seuen women that should lay hould of one man Christ is that one man which was not borne of mans seede the seuen women are the churches taking their bread and with them that is their garments they are couered who desire that their reproch may bee taken from them and that the name of the Lord may be called vppon them They take their bread which is the holy Ghost which nourisheth into his eternal life promised them by faith and their garments also which are promised thē which desire that they may be clothed Of which S. Paul speaketh this mortalitie must be clothed with incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie And they desire that their reproch may be taken away their reproch is their old accustomed sinne which is taken away in baptisme and a man then beginnes to be called a Christian which is as much to say as let thy name be called vpon Therefore in these seuen churches it may be that of one Church is made seuen c. Victorinus here plainly makes but one catholique Church and the Romane church being one of the seuen whereunto S. Paul wrote his Epistles a member thereof In psal 99. in praelat Austine writes thus Eyther
commission and commandement of the holy spirit for his warrant Now this same disputing and reasoning taught that Peter was not their head The brethren make him yeeld account of his doings to them Act. 8.39 as to his equals So the spirit caught Phillip awaie from the Eunuch and placed him at Azoto and he walked too and fro preaching in all the cities till he came to Caesarea The like practise of this authoritie and gouernment of the holy spirit in the Church we read in the Acts c. 13.2 Now as they ministred vnto the Lord fasted the holy ghost saide separate me Barnabas and Saul for the works whereunto I haue called them And after they had fasted and prayed and layd their handes on them they let them goe and they after they were sent forth of the holy ghost came euen to Caesarea and from thence sailed to Cypris Is not this to gouerne Amongst a number to elect out certaine men and to send them to certaine countries The like testimonie of this gouernment in Gods Church of Gods spirit yeeldeth S. Paul to a great number of pastors in a solemne synode Act. 20.28 Take heede therefore vnto your selues sayth he and to all the flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers To place pastors in the Church is it not to gouerne And this S. Paul attributes heere to the holie ghost and as hee affirmes this of the pastors of Ephesius so no doubt of the pastors of the whole world They are placed in their cures by the holie Ghost All the Apostles likewise attribute this power and authority to the holie Ghost In that great controuersie about circumcision and obseruing the lawe of Moses Act. 15.28 doe they not conclude thus It seemes good to the holie Ghost and to vs Héere is the holie Ghost first put as head and gouernour and decider of this great controuersie and they themselues all alike but as assistants vnto it And is not this to gouerne And as the holie Ghost did then expreslie shew his gouernement in the beginning so no doubt by his most mightie power and secret inspiration he gouernes the same still and as the Apostles acknowledge him the gouernour of the church no one of them but him as the head commanding works placing ministers and deciding controuersies and themselues all as hands and féete as Gregorie makes them fulfilling his will Philippus de Dies writes thus out of Ambrose of the authority and pleasure so let vs and no other _____ of all the Apostles Dom. 2. posi pasc conc 1 To this end S. Paul doth confesse that himselfe and his fellowe Apostles receiued grace and Apostleship we haue receiued saith he Grace and Apostleshippe that all nations might obey the faith That is that all nations might obey those thinges which faith teacheth For his name which S. Ambrose expounds as Christs Vicars occupying his roome in the Church And this is that which the same blessed Apostle saide before Wee are Embassadours for Christ But Theophilact expounds it thus For his name That is for the aduancement of the name of Christ that the virtue of his name might bee spred through the whole worlde Thus farre Philippus de Dies Ambrose and he makes all the Apostles Christs vicars and not the Pope onelie and Theophilact testifieth that it is the chiefe part of the apostles to teach that the virtue of Christes name might bee spred through the whole world but the Pope hath dyminished the virtue of this name by adding other names vnto it euen as when many hearbs in a medicine are mingled togither one hindreth the operation of an other what néeds any more if one be sufficient Of Antichrist Fer. in cap. 4. Io. OF the succession of place howe little it auaileth Ferus writes thus As the Iewes bragged of the citie of Dauid and of the Temple of Salomon so the Samaritanes had the dwellings of the former patriarkes who dwelt in those places And by reason of these places they defended and comforted themselues against the Iewes when as they had nothinge of Iacobs religion as also the Iewes nothing of Dauids holines Thus farre Ferus The like may be said of the succession of the Romane Bishop Succession of place without faith is nothing Ferus of the preaching of the Gospell thorough all the world before the ende of the world writes thus The gospell came before the destruction of Ierusalem euen to the verie end of the world but it shal be fulfilled more perfectly before the end of the world Let vs marke how he saith that the gospell shall be preached further and more perfectlie nowe In cap. 24. Mat. then in the Apostles daies And after Behold the goodnesse of God hee might iustlie condemne vs and yet he deferreth his iudgment till all be called to mercie Before he destroied all men with the floud Noe admonished them an hundred yeares before he destroyed Egypt first he sent Moses Euen so before the vniuersall iudgement first he calles all to mercy by the gospell And after To the good the gospell is to their saluation but a testimonie against the wicked Let all men take heede then now that make light accompt of the gospell marke not the doctrine conteyned therin least it be a testimonie against them to condemne them And againe he writes thus Marke that that Ierusalem on whom Christ pronounced the sentence of destruction signifies the world and the Temple of God in the world is the Temple of the faithfull Therefore in the Church he foretold that there shoulde be an abhomination before the end of the world To abhorre is to execrate to loath to disdaine not to suffer to throw a thinge away with disdaine or indignatiō Hence an abomination or a thing abominable that is called which engenders an abhorring loathing or detestation But no outward vncleannes God doth loath but our sinnes Hereof verie often and for the most part they are called abominations in the scripture as for example The way of the vngodly is abomination vnto the Lord but the greatest abomination of all other in the scriptures is Idolatrie impietie heresie and falling away frō God Therfore after this māner Christ doth saie that there shal be abomination in the Church that is an apostacie or departing from God And that not any meane departing or falling away but such a one as shall bring desolation with it that is shall vtterlie goe about to ouerthrow christian religion And this abomination S. Iohn meanes in the Reuelation sometime by the beast to which the Dragō hath giuen his power somtime by the woman sitting on the beast and making all Nations drunken of the wine of her fornication Of which S. Paul speaketh more plainely vnlesse saith he that a departing come first that that man of sinne be reueiled c. Therefore this abomination is nothing else then the kingdome and tyrannie of Antichrist or the falling away from god which shal
Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he which occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified S. Paul here speakes manifestly of common prayer in the Church both of praying singing of Psalmes and not only of priuate hymnes or some particular songs which some Christians made to their owne comforts and to praise God as Master Bellarmine expounds this place Saint Pauls doctrine agrées with the promise of our sauiour Lib. 2. de verb. dei cap. 16. and with the practise of the Church before recited The same doctrine he deliuereth to Timothie a Bishop to be deliuered to the whole Church I will therefore saith he first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings 1. Tim. 2.1 and all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie No doubt he meanes here common praiers And he puts downe the benefits which are reaped thereby which being knowen and vnderstood of the Church should as it were whet on this their desire of praying These benefits they should know assuredlie they did reape by their prayers and that they were to obtaine them by no other meanes but by prayer And therefore séeing they are such things as no man can be without all men greatliest desire it behooueth them especially to praie for these and as they know and vnderstand the price of them to be so much the more earnest by their prayers in begging them of God The like doctrine he teacheth all men after in their priuate prayers I will saith he that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without doubtfulnes They must haue faith ioined with their prayers and beleeue verilie they doe receiue that which they praie for according to our sauiours doctrine or else they shall obteine nothing at Gods hands But this faith of receiuing the things they praie for argues a knowledge They cannot beléeue they receiue the things they praie for vnlesse they know what they praie for so that by saint Pauls doctrine both common priuate prayers must be made with our vnderstanding The same teacheth saint Iames Is anie sicke amongst you Let him call for the elders of the Church let them pray for him Ia. 5.14 And annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Here are common praiers set downe but they must be done in faith and in the name of the Lord Iesus S. Iames agrees with the gospell Our common praiers must haue these two conditions which the gospel teacheth they must be made in faith and with knowledge as is before repeated And they must be made in the name of the Lord Iesus They must not be barbarous prayers without vnderstanding as saint Paul tearmes them but Christian prayers framed according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ The same doctrine saint Iohn teacheth 1. Io. 5.14.15 And this is the assurance which we haue in him that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Saint Iohn ioines the same two conditions to common prayers which saint Iames did that is faith and assurance that we shall obtaine our petitions and knowledge And this is that which our sauiour himselfe also teacheth all his Io. 16.24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full What can be greater ioy to a man then to haue his suit granted of a mortall man euen of a king but to haue it granted at the handes of God is the cause of the greatest ioy in the world Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred saith Salomon is the fainting of the heart bu◠when the desire commeth it is a tree of life But how shall w◠know that our suits and prayers be granted vs or not vnlesse we know what we pray for Therefore they take from vs this tree of life which teach vs to praie in Latin and not to vnderstand our prayers They take from vs the greatest ioie we haue in the world And what kind of enemies are they 1. Iohn 5.16 The same doctrine saint Iohn giues of priuate prayers If anie man saith he see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue life for them which sinne not vnto death All Christians ought to praie for their brethren when they sée them offend They should praie God to amend them And should they not then vnderstand their prayers I would to God all Christians would attentiuelie marke this forcible effect of prayer they shall by their praiers giue life to their brethren offending To restore a dead man in bodie to life againe what a great commendation would we account it but it is a farre greater matter to restore a dead man in soule to life againe And this most assuredly doth faithfull praier Oh that all Christians would remember this and practise it and cease in their brothers sinnes as most men do now a daies either to backbite them or slaunder them but rather as saint Iohn here counselleth pray for them Neither were the common prayers onelie in the Gospell but in the law also in a knowne tongue Before the captiuitie Dauid saith O come let vs sing vnto the Lord Let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation This exhortation had béene in vaine if the people then had not vnderstood what had beene said And in another Psalme he concludes thus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer Psal 106.48 And let all the people say Amen prase ye the Lord. And againe speaking of the Church of Christ Psal 47.7 he saith God is king ouer all the earth sing ye praises with vnderstanding All Christs subiectes must be children to maliciousnes but not in wit they must be men in vnderstanding And they must praise God with their vnderstandings He requires only the heart He will be worshipped in spirit and truth Iohn 4.23 Esay 29.13 as our sauiour teacheth And againe We must not now worship him as the wicked did in Esaias daies This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee This kinde of worship God condemned in the Iewes and do we thinke that he wil allow of such like amongst christians Of the common praiers also of the Iewes after the captiuity Neh. 8.6 we read thus in the booke of Nehemiah And Esdrah praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen c. No doubt if they had not vnderstood his praises they could not haue answered Amen So that contrarie to M. Hardings and Mast Stapletons assertions
both the diuine nature and our nature who vnderstands what is profitable for man and also what God requires of vs both worthy of God and him also that asketh And also with what words not so much fit for God for he knoweth the meaning and force of all words as for the minde of him that speaketh that he may not be ignorant how he ought to thinke of God And of this his vnderstanding the loue of God may spring in him and be confirmed And after There is no prayer which ought so diligently and attentiuely to be said and meditated vpon of vs as this meaning the Lords prayer euerie part of it nay euerie word euerie letter euerie prick of it are to be weighed of vs. He would haue this praier especiallie of all to be vnderstood and not to be saide in Latine as they vsed in Poperie 16. Of Auricular confession De Baptis ad Io. CYprian writes thus of that place in the 20. of Iohn Whose sins ye remit c. It is manifest where and by whom remission of sinnes may be giuen which is giuen in baptisme for the Lord gaue first that power to Peter vpon whome he built his Church and from whom he ordained and shewed the originall of humanitie that that should be loosed on earth that he had loosed And after his resurrection he speaketh also to his Apostles saying As my father sent me so send I you when he had said thus He breathed vpon them and said to them receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes yet forgiue they are forgiuen to him whose yee retaine they are retained Whereby we perceiue that it is lawfull in the Church for the gouernours thereof and those that are appointed by the law of the Gospell and the Lords ordinance to baptise and to giue remission of sins and that without neither any thing can be bound or loosed seeing there is no body that can binde or loose any thing Neither doe we set downe this O brother without the authoritie of the scriptures So that we said that all things are set in order by a certaine law and by his own appointment Neither that any man may take vpon him any thing against the Bishops and priests which is not in his right and power For Chore Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron tooke vpon them authoritie to sacrifice neither did they that without punishment which they attempted vnlawfully Here we maie learne first that the fathers workes either thorough malice or ignorance haue béene corrupted for what sense should this haue for God first gaue this power to Peter from whom he shewed and ordained the originall of humanitie no doubt it should be of vnanimitie or vnitie as appeares by the other place of his booke of the simplicitie of prelates So we may sée how that olde cousoner Sathan hath not kept back his fingers from the fathers workes he hath béen doing with them And therfore who dare safely build his faith vpon them Secondly that the Church was built vpon Peter to declare the vnitie that should be amongst all pastors not to declare anie superioritie of Peter in power or authoritie of binding or loosing aboue the rest for there hereafter he addes That al the rest receiued like power with him of binding and loosing And that the heretiques rebelling in the Church and breaking the vnitie thereof doe not rebell against anie one but against the Byshops and priests euen as Chore Dathan and Abiram did against Moses and Aaron And lastlie he expounds plainely where this power of binding and loosing is executed which hee affirmes to be in Baptisme and not in auricular confession as our late diuines of Rome teach who attributes the verie strength and power and force of that place to auricular confession and to their priests then either forgiuing or detaining sinnes Cyrill also as hath béene alleadged before agrées herein with Cyprian and expounds this authoritie of forgiuing sinnes which the ministers haue to be executed in baptisme or in repentance of notorious sinners Austen also expoundeth that place of S. Matthews Gospell Aug. Tract in Ioh. 123. To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen thus that Peter when this was said vnto him signified the whole Church And of Christs coate which was without seame he writes thus Tract in Ioh. 118. The coate without seame least at any time it should be ript in sunder came vnto one because he gathers all into one euen as amongst his Apostles when as the number was twelue that is three times foure and they were all asked Only Peter answered Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And it was said to him To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen as though he alone had receiued power of binding and loosing when as he being but one answered that for all and receiued this withall as a figure of vnitie therefore one for all because vnitie is to them all And therefore this when he had said wrought about he addeth thorow out the which if we referre to that which it signifieth no man lackes it who is found to pertaine to the whole from which whole as the Greeke tongue shewes the Catholique church is called This is Austens iudgment that Peter answered for all and receiued like authoritie for all But M. Bellarmine saith There was no cause why Christ should so particularly say to Peter To thee I will giue the keies and feed my sheepe and that for his singular faith and loue if he should receiue nothing besides the rest He plainlie dissents from Austen and so their new Catholique faith from the olde Austen and Cyprian affirme that this spéech of our Sauiour was to him alone to declare the vnitie he would haue amongst all his ministers and in this he made him a mirror and not a maister Cyrill in Io. cap. 64. And Cyrill saith by his threefold commission he comforted him againe for his threefold denying this he gained by it Franciscus de Euia a Papist of auricular confession writes thus Direct confes I counsell thee also deare brother if thou wilt confesse thy sinnes often that thou get thee a proper confessor and such a one as is well experienced in that matter a wise man and of a good and commendable life to whom thou maiest safely committe thy conscience and to haue now euen in the steed of the Lord God to whom thou maiest surely reueale all thy secrets both inward and outward and all thy sinnes Herein he plainlie discouers the corruptions of their Church Should a shéepe go from his shepheard This is an absurd thing But such hath béen their doctrine and practise that the pastors of congregations neede not preach themselues but friers in their roomes and thereby were all their Frieries maintained and that the shéepe maie go from their pastors to séeke some other to reueale their sins vnto 1. Pet. 5.1 Whereas S. Peter exhorts all elders and
testimonies God will haue and what witnesses in his Temple what trées in this his new Paradise and what candles in his house Exod. 25.31 The old Tabernacle had but one Candlesticke in it with seuen braunches to lighten it 2. Pe. 2.5 Heb. 3.5 and the olde world but one Noah to testifie to them the wil of God and the house of Israel but one Moses as a seruant to testifie those things which should be spoken after As our Sauiour also tolde the Iewes Doe not you thinke that I will accuse you to my father Io. 5.45 there is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whom you trust But in the Church of Christ shall be two witnesses The Law and the Gospell Besides this former testimonie of Moses The gospell also shall be preached to all nations for a testimonie Mat. 24 14. Mat. 18.16 saith our Sauiour and then shall the ende come Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euerie word or matter be confirmed Before his iudgement God will haue his truth firmely ratified to the world And therefore of these two witnesses and of these two testaments of the Law and of the Gospell in our daies in the repairing againe of the Temple which was prophaned and defaced by Antichrist Saint Iohn saith These are two Oliue trees and two Candlestickes standing before the God of the earth Alluding no doubt to Dauid here in the Psalme The word of the Lord is purified to the Lord of the earth and these Oliues and Candlesticks stood before the Lord of the earth As though the word of God and these Oliues and Candlesticks were all one The word of God the two testaments are the Lords two Oliues able not onely to sustaine Psal 104.15 but to chéere and make merie all Gods household seruants They are also the Lords two great lights like the Sunne the Moone which are sufficient also to lighten his whole house in all obscure and dark points of Religion and to shew vs the perfect and readie way to heauen Now let all his faithfull seruants haue an eie only to these De Mirah scrip lib. 1. cap. 6. Let vs marke what authoritie saint Austen himselfe yéelded to the fathers and expositers of the holy scriptures which were before him who speaking of the doores of heauen which were opened and of the fountains of the déepe at Noah his floud writes thus We cannot saith he for the slendernes of our wit and knowledge vnfold the hardnes of this matter with a grounded or ratified opinion that that is truth which we teach notwithstanding we will without anie partiality shew what in these matters the studies of our former masters could finde out in their diuers opinions yeelding no more authoritie to one then to another of whose iudgements and of whose particular choises we giue euerie man leaue to allow or disallow at his pleasure This opinion Saint Austen had of the opinions and iudgements of those which before him expounded the holy scriptures whom he cals Masters he himselfe was bound to none of them nor no more would he haue anie other And so no doubt by this his owne example he hath taught all men what opinion if they will not be wilfull euery one should haue of his writings expositions So that then in the time of popery the shepheards the pastors of congregations in not giuing this meat vnto their flocks in not healing their woundes sores with the leaues of these trees in not preaching the word of God they haue declared themselues not be Christs shepheards Io. 10.10 but to be Antichrists hirelings Nay to make this matter more plaine They haue not only not fed them but torne in peeces their hoofes as Zacharie prophecieth wounding their consciences and weakneng their faithes in teaching that vnlesse they sang masses for them after their deaths their faith in Christ did not profit them And that they were damned if they brake one of the least of their ceremonies and traditions Is not this quite to teare in péeces the verie hoofes and clawes of the poore sillie lambes whereby they began now to go and to lay hold on Christ Secondly this same Author saith That now one hauing gotten such a faithfull and holy confessor let him account of him euen as of God himselfe and reueale to him boldly all his secret sins and all the secrets of his heart And is not this plainly to say that the Pope is Antichrist He shall sit in the Church shewing himselfe as God saith saint Paul And doth not he here confesse the same What is it else to be God Psal 7.9 Ier. 11.20.20.12 Reu. 2.23 but to search the harts and raines as the scriptures often teach This thing they attribute to God onely And yet the Pope and his cleargie arrogate it to themselues And is not this to sit in the Church as God Saint Paul writes to the ministers of the Church of Corinth that they should iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 3.5 vntill the Lord come who shall lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and make the counsels and secrets of the hearts manifest 1. Ti. 5.24 and then shall euerie man haue praise of God And to Timothie Some mens sinnes are open before hand and goe before vnto iudgement but some mens follow after But the papists by this their doctrine contrarie to saint Pauls doctrine in both these places doe make their confessors to take vpon them that knowledge of secrets which belongs to God and that no sinnes are to be reserued vnto the daie of iudgement Their confessors if men will not be damned as they teach must knowe them before This author here himselfe confesseth that to know the secrets of the heart belongs onely to God And that therefore euerie one is to account of his confessor euen as of God himselfe And is not this plainly to affirme that the Pope shall sit in the Church as God Let vs neuer looke that anie other shall euer come into the Church and challenge or take vpon him more of the diuine Authoritie then this And therefore let vs acknowledge that this prophecie of saint Paul is alreadie fulfilled in him And that the Pope and his cleargie sit now in the Church of God 17. Of Purgatorie Psa 40.1 FIrst concerning Purgatorie that vehement and comfortable Sermon which God commaundes Esay and in him all ministers to preach to his Church is as it were a double cannon to beat downe the paper wals of Purgatorie Comfort comfort my people saith the Lord your God speake to the heart of Ierusalem and crie vnto her that her warfare is now at an end and that her iniquitie now hath obtained pardon For she hath receiued at the Lords hands double for all her sinnes This is a sermon of comfort and this must be preached to the heart of Ierusalem and of all Gods Church and cried out in their eares that their warfare now
Church How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued saith the Apostle The sense and féeling of miseries and calamities will make a man call for help Rom. 10.24 And thus we may plainly sée how by an excellent order our faith is portraied out euen in Adams children and the true Church described In Seth his daies as should séeme was no publique inuocation of the name of God True religion would not so soone take roote though he laboured no doubt verie earnestly about it or else being planted of Adam by Cains posteritie it had bene defaced But in his sonnes daies she sprang vp and put out her head againe And then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Here is another principall marke of the true Church to call vpon the name of the Lord. For the holy ghost doth meane the whole here by the principall part No doubt they offered sacrifices then as Abel and Cain did and they did meditate of that promise of God made vnto them of the womans seed Gen. 3.15 But this was a speciall note of Gods Church They called on the name of the Lord. To commend the excellencie and necessitie of praier Mark 11.17 our sauiour also saith That his house shall be called a house of prayer to all nations and not a house of preaching As tectum the roofe of the house in Latin is put for the whole house so inuocation of the name of the Lord is here put downe for the whole seruice of God Exod 20.1 And this seruice of God he commaunds in his first commaundement thou shalt haue no other Gods but me That is thou shalt trust vnto shalt call vpon no other but me for on them whom men trust in they call vpon Psal 50.15 And in the Psalme more plainly call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou sholt glorifie mee Where are added two notable reasons to make vs willing and euen to binde vs to this seruice first that God promiseth that he will deliuer vs and who being in trouble will desire anie thing else Secondly we shall hereby glorifie God This is such a seruice and dutie as belongeth to him alone we may not yéeld it to anie other This was also Abrahams religion which no doubt he had learned of his auncestors For thus we read of him Gen. 13.1 And Abraham came out of Aegypt and his wife with him and all that he had and Lot with him towards the South And Abraham was verie rich in cattell and in siluer and gold And he went on his iourney from the South to Bethel to the place where his tent had beene in the beginning betweene Bethel and Haie vnto the place of the Altar which he had made there at the first And there Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Here is Abrahams religion and worship of God set down in one word Rom. 4 12. he called on the name of the Lord. As he is the father of the faithfull in beleeuing as saint Paul teacheth so he is their father in this point also All his sonnes must follow his steppes This is a marke of the true Church If they do this they cannot erre And here we maie also note that Abraham changed not his religion though he had béen in Egypt Trauellers must not alter their religion they must not be like wethercocks turned about with euerie blast of vaine doctrine Eph. 4.14 And though also he was now waxen rich yet he kept the same religion he professed in the beginning Religion must be alwaies one no time maie alter it no wealth make it wauer Abraham being now wealthie comes a great iourney to worship euen there where he did worship before when he was poore So must the rich men of this world do riches must not choake their religion their zeale in Gods seruice as manie times they do They should now be more zealous not more slacke in Gods seruice then they were before The Philosopher could say he that found out benefites found out fetters And shall not Gods benefites binde them as they did here Abraham more firmelie vnto him Again here Iesus Christ is portraied out vnto vs He comes to the altar betweene Bethel and Hai. Bethel in Hebrew signifies Gods house and Hai desolation or a disordered heape and masse and maie fitlie represent the world Betwixt these is Abrahams altar that is Iesus Christ that all maie haue accesse vnto him he is placed betwixt Bethel and Hai Euen as God placed Ierusalem in the midst of the world as a fountaine of liuely waters that all people that would might repaire thither Esay 55.1 and freely quench their thirst And Abraham there called on the name of the Lord. The same lesson no doubt he taught Isaac his sonne who went out at the euentide Lashnak as it is in the Hebrew Gen. 24.63 to meditate or to pray in the field He called on the name of the Lord as his father did And in this one word his religion or seruice of God is put downe also Thus also is Enochs religion described he walked with God Gen. 5. â—2 24 Heb. 11.27 and he was no more séene for God had taken him away He walked with God not onlie praying but also euen liuing He liued so as though God had been alwaies present with him Psal 9.17 as he was indeed and is with euerie man although the wicked forget God and thinke not so As Moses also walked Verse 22.24 And it is twise said that he walked with God as a speciall commendation This is that great promise which our Sauiour Christ hath giuen to his Church Ioh. 16.23 That whatsoeuer they shall aske in his name they shall obtaine it And who that beleeues this will desire anie more if prayer in the name of Iesus Christ giue vs all things who will praie for anie thing in the name of any other And this is the marke whereby christians were knowne in the primitiue Church Acts 9.14 Ananias said vnto Christ Saul hath authoritie to binde all that all on thy name and after Pauls conuersion Verse 21. all the people that knew him said Is not this he that persecuted all that called on this name To call on the name of Iesus Christ was the badge of all christians in the primitiue Church by this Cognisance they were then knowne And Saint Paul himselfe by this marke points out all christians when he writes to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1.3 and to all that cal on the name of the Lord Iesus as well in their places as in ours That is euen in all places thorow the whole world Psal 50.5 And Dauid in the Psalme against the daie of iudgement when as all Gods shéepe shall be gathered togither giues this generall marke of Gods Church and this common brand of all his shéepe Gather my Saints togither saith God that haue
wiues for parents and children for maisters and seruants Before the men slept she went vp vnto them Heerof we may learne the zeale the true Church hath of hearing the word of God She makes no delay she goes vp to them presently She is desirous to heare the doctrine of her saluation She prefers this ioyfull newes before her sléepe And she saith to the men Vers 9 I know that God hath giuen you the land for the feare of you is fallen vpon vs c. Here is the confession of a true faith and here is also first the first propertie of a true faith not to doubt to know to be assured I know saith she that you shall conquere this land though as yet their wals stand and there many mightie kings being linked togither in leagues liued and flourished All these fleshly arguments could not daunt her faith I know saith she you shall haue the victorie For we haue heard how the Lord dried vp the red sea before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites which were beyond Iordan Sehon and Og whom ye killed 1. King 10.1 Ro. 10.14 Here is the ground of faith Faith commeth by hearing She hearing the wonderfull works of God beléeued to teach vs the meanes to obtaine faith by hearing also Now followes the confession of her faith Wee haue heard and our heart is quite gone and there is no courage left in any one of vs against you For your God is a God in deed in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath Deut. 64. Mat. 28.18 Psal 136.13.14.15.16 First her faith is grounded on one God and of his omnipotencie that he alone is of all power in heauen and earth he can drie vp the red sea he can destroy mightie kings euen Sheon and Og kings of the Amorites And here also the true Church may learne in her iourney out of Egypt with what enemies she must encounter For euerie true Israelite must now also come out of Egypt euen as those auncient Israelites did Reu. 11.8 Ps 114.1 1. Cor. 10.11 and the red sea must be dried vp before him and those two kings of the Amorites conquered and subdued And here first the red sea in Hebrew is called the sea of Rushes or the sea of consumption or ending And surely this world also for these two respectes may fitly be called the red sea First it is a sea neuer quiet but in it still one waue of afflictions followes another Secondly it is a sea of Rushes There is nothing sound in it Though the honours riches and pleasures thereof seeme great gréene to flourish yet they are but rushes they are not sound within they are but vanitie As that great king Salomon who had experienced all these things teacheth al men in his booke called the Preacher All saith he is but vanitie And if that were all it were well but he addeth further Eccles 1.14 and vexation of spirit This is worse then the former that such vaine things should vex a mans heart should trouble him should make him hurt his neighbour nay euen offend his most gratious God This world also is a consumption Ia. 5.4 2. Ti. 4.10 2. Sa. 20.10 a destruction to all that do loue it The louers of this world are enemies to God and he that embraceth this world with Demas it will in the end slay him as Ioab did Amasa traiterously and Iudasly This Rushie sea God dries vp by the mightie operation of the holy spirit to all his faithfull seruants 1. Cor. 7 31. 1. Pet. 2.11 before they enter into his land of Canaan They despise the world they vse it as though they vsed it not They account themselues here but as pilgrimes And to this agréeth that which is said in the Reuelation when the first Angell blew his trumpet there were haile and fire mingled with bloud cast into the earth Reu. 8.7 and the third part of the trees were burnt and all greene grasse was burnt This is not meant literally but spiritually That is that in all Gods children all worldly pompe and vanitie is now quite consumed The world is to them crucified and they to the world Gal. 6.14 The other two enemies which also must be destroyed are two kings Sehon and Og kings of the Amorites Whose names declare their natures Sehon signifies in Hebrew a rooter vp and Og signifies fine māchet And they may fitly resemble our flesh and our spirit our appetite and our senses Our senses delight in vanitie and therfore Dauid saith Psal 119.37 Col. 3.5 Turne away mine eies least they behold vanity And our appetites or fleshly desires must be mortified which are the rooters vp of all vertue This Sehon is king of Hesbon which signifies Reason so in the carnall man is will and lustes of the flesh And so also Og that is the flesh that delights in fine delicates in manchet is king of Basan that is ouer the spirit of God which is compared to oyle and fatnes the which also Basan signifies in Hebrew These two kings must be conquered of all Christians before they enter into the land of promise and Hesbon that is reason now must rule ouer Sehon that is affections And Basan that is Gods spirit must rule ouer Og that is Num. 21.23 33. the pleasures of the flesh And Sehon fightes with Israel in Lasha that is the field of saluation Og in Edrai that is on the mount of strength Mans carnall wisedom thinkes it selfe able to saue Psal 20.7 Psal 44 3. Reue. 7.10 and the flesh thinks her arme of force But Gods children must acknowledge another arme to be their strength euen the arme of the Lord and their saluation also not to be of themselues but of the Lord. And these are two kings of the Amorites which signifies rebellious These two kings are in man that do daily rebell against that onely and great king God Almightie And these two Rom. 7.33 saint Paul called the law of his members No doubt for their kingly authoritie which without Gods spirit they do challenge in vs. And these two kings must be killed nay as the Hebrew word which Rahab vseth Hekeramtem signifieth must be euen vowed to destructiō Psal 119.106 1. Pet. 3.21 And what doth this note else but our baptisme Wherein euerie one vowes himselfe a souldier against these kings And now sweare vnto me in the Lord because I haue shewed you mercie Ios 2. that you also will shew mercie vnto my fathers house and that you will giue me a signe of this truth And you shall cause to liue my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all things that they haue and ye shall deliuer our soules from death Here is another marke of the true Church all her doctrines must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1.15 3.1 Mat. 5.18
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
their children and families that so all Gods promises and blessings maie come vpon them The Tyger is reported of all wild beasts to be most swift Solinus cap. 17 so that they which take her whelpes from her haue ships readie and so taking ship she cannot pursue them nor ouertake them which otherwise could not escape from her But when she perceiues that one of her whelpes is stolne from her and that she cannot recouer it againe it is written of her that vpon the sea shore for verie griefe she will throw her selfe downe headlong into the sea punishing her owne slownesse with such a voluntarie destruction O the louing nature of this wild beast to her whelpes And shall not Christians shew the like loue to their children If they bee wicked and giuen to anie sinne not théeues as those Tygers whelps but the diuell hath stolne awaie and possessed them and shal not this grieue them especiallie when they see it with their eies Let all Christians be more kind to their children then Tygers Let them teach them the feare of Lord as Dauid teacheth Come ye children hearken vnto me Psal 34.11 I will teach you the feare of the Lord. And then shal not that enemie steale thē from them The vessell will euer haue a tast of that liquor with which it is first seasoned Let the first liquor that enters into their childrens hearts be the feare of God and then they will neuer forget it So no doubt Abraham although he had but one son of Sarah yet he pampered him not as should séeme but instructed him in the law of God For when he went to be sacrificed hee could say Father here is the wood Gen. 22 7. but where is the lambe for the burnt offering euen being so young he knew what a sacrifice meant no doubt his father had taught him So ought all Christians after his example to instruct their children in the principles of Christian religion So likewise Abraham also no doubt catechized and instructed his familie hauing in his familie a greate number as appeareth by that rescue of Lot Who brought forth 318. that were borne and brought vp in his house Gen 14.14 and with them pursued those kings which had taken Lot prisoner When as God after commaunded him to circumcise himselfe and all his familie that were males it is said Gen. 17.23 that Abraham circumcised them all the selfe same day No doubt they had béene well instructed before both in their duties and obedience towards God and also their maister or els all of them so willinglie and so readilie would not haue yéelded to such a painefull thing as circumcision was So Dauid being a king had care of his familie and seruants to teach all Noblemen and Gentlemen the like care of their families Socrates common by-word is often proued true That most commonly in great mens houses either some great good Eras Apoph or some great euill is hatched And first concerning the choise of his seruants Psal 101.6 Dauid writeth thus Mine eyes shall be vnto the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me and hee that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me And then for the kéeping and correcting his seruants he writes thus There shall no deceitfull person dwell within my house He that telleth lies shall not tarie in my sight No doubt he did reproue both deceitfull and lying seruants 2. King 5.25 and which were like to Gehezi and also other sins in his seruants And if they would not be reformed he would not keepe them anie longer I would to God all Noblemen and Gentlemen would doe the like then we should haue a flourishing Church and common wealth then so much sinne would not be committed as is commonly A Gentlemans or a Noblemans seruant will presume to sinne because of the authoritie of his maister or because his maister hee knowes neuer mindes what he doth and sometime will not sticke to tell a lie to féed his maisters humour Such presumptuous lying and flattering seruants king Dauid would not kéepe in his house Such a care also no doubt of his familie had that good ruler whose sonne Christ healed It is written of him that after his sonne was healed Ioh. 4.52 53. that he beleeued and all his houshold No doubt the good maister had a care to instruct all his familie in that faith and waie of saluation which he beléeued himselfe So Cornelius also hath this commendation giuen him Act. 10.2 There was a certaine man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Captaine of the band called the Italian band a deuout man one that feared God with all his houshold which gaue much almes to the people prayed God continually Here is a notable patterne set downe of a good housholder for all Christians to follow Hee feared God and all his houshould he gaue much almes to the people and prayed God continually He is not commended for the building or furniture of his house but for his deuotion for his care of his familie for his almesdéedes and for his daylie prayers O that we had manie such housekéepers these vertues should make them more famous Ier. 22.14.15 then building statelie towers and high walles and large windowes This is to execute iudgement and to do righteousnesse as Ieremie teacheth that Iehoiakim that proud king of Iuda in him all other maner of men So that good Emperour Constantine made his pallace as it were a Church in catechising his family himselfe Euseb de vita Const lib. 4. and both commanding them to pray and also teaching them how to pray as Eusebius in his life recordeth Nay he tolde the bishops dining at a certaine time with him you will say quoth he that I am a Bishop and so I am indeed but I within and you abroad And in his coine to declare what account he made of prayer he caused himself to be pictured with his eyes looking vnto heauen as it were euer crauing or requesting something of God And these were the common monie or coine that they vsed through all the Roman Empire during his raigne And likewise he was pictured at the entrance into his pallace kneeling on his knees as some suter and his eyes lifted vp to heauen This Eusebius reporteth of him O noble and Christian Emperour that was thus zealous of Gods seruice both himselfe and also which caused his family and subiects thus to serue God likewise How since his dayes Christians are degenerated all men maie sée Now they are accounted precise that so instruct and gouerne their families But this in his dayes was not precisenesse but Christianitie And that all Christians ought to instruct their families Chrysostome writes thus verie excellentlie Chrysost ho. 78. in Matt. And surely if thou longest greatly to be with Christ then do his will and his will is especially that thou shouldest studie to profite thy neighbour Wilt thou haue me