yet a lawfull succession remayned as it was done against the Donatistes or againste them whiche brought forth new bookes of our religion as were in the beginning almost an infinite nūber as [a] I suppose that he speketh here of Simō Magus mentioned in Act. 8. of whom many thinges are writtē in the old writers specially he affirmed that Christe was not come neither suffered any thing of the Iewes but that he himself was Christ Simon [b] He amongst other things taught that Christ the sonne of God tooke not mans flesh of the virgin but that he had a spirituall or heauēly body which passed thorow the virgin Marie as water thorovv a pipe or Conduit He vvas about the yeere 150. Valentine [c] He affirmed that Christ appeared not in the substance of flesh but in a phantasticall body that one Simon vvas crucified in his steede about the yeare 124. Basilides [d] He taught that Christe vvas not very man and that he ascended into heauen vvithout his flesh and first made lavves for abstinence from meates and marriages hee vvas in the yeare 180. Montane to conclude the whole troup of most shamelesse men After this sort the Fathers of right iudgement gathered and reserued against these Such as pretended to be inspired vvith reuelations The Messalian heretiques vvere so called who affirmed that baptisme and the Lords supper did neither profit nor hurt but that those whiche gaue themselues to prayer onely or sleeping should be inspired vvith the spirite vvhich being once receyued aftervvards they had no need of the word or any other exercise of godlines but that he that vvas so inspired vvas altogether vvithout sinne and did foresee thinges to come and did sometimes behold God with their eies Enthusiasts saying If your doctrine be true eyther there hath not beene euer yet anye churche or the doctrine which you alleage is old and ancient But that both these thinges are false appeareth by that both because the apostles haue gathered together the churche of Christe and you teach your doctrines as taken not out of the writings of the Apostles but as newely reuealed vnto you by the holy ghost And agayne sayd the fathers both these things appeare by that that we count the beginnings of our churches by ascending vpward euen to the Apostles themselues but you could not haue receiued from the Apostles your thinges which ye first deuised Here remained one thing which the moste subtile of those moste fantasticall persons obiected to wit that all things were not reuealed to the apostles and therfore that men ought to beleeue their reuelations also But Tertulian whom I maruail could afterward be deceiued which Montanus holy ghoste most plentifully and strongly confuteth this prescription shewing that the Lord hath neither kept backe any thing from the apostles the chiefe builders of his church nor agayn that the apostles haue concealed any of those things which they had receiued of Christe After this sort I say the fathers vsed the argument of the succession of persons agaynste those heretiques altogether by demonstration as it were But they vsed it not in like sorte against the [a] So called of Paulus Samosatenus vvho denied the sonne of God to haue descended from heauén but that Christ did proceed from Marie in the earth hee was about the yeare 372. Samosatans [b] So called of one Sabellius who taught that there was but onely one person in the godhead confessed that the trinity was distincted in respect of names only not in respecte of persons He was about the yeare 320. Sabellians [c] So called of one Arrius who affirmed that the Son was not truly naturally God neither coeternall with the father but to haue had a beginning to be made of nothing he was about the yere 320 Arrians [d] So called of one Pellagius who held free will and that euery man might obtayne saluation by his owne workes that infants were borne vvithout originall sin and that Adam hurt himselfe onely by his fall He vvas about the yeare 466. Pelagians to be short againste anye with whome the questyon was not of the very bookes but of the meaning because this had beene verie foolishe Briefly therfore I answere these two thinges that the auncient Fathers whose authoritie these men shameleslie abuse haue neither at any time seperated the succession of their bishops from the succession of the Apostolical doctrine nor haue set this succession against any other heretiques but against those of whom some new reuelation was pretended As at this day of the [a] They mayntaine amongest other errors reuelations and take avvay the baptisme of infants Anabaptistes [b] They casting a side all feare of God vvhat so euer hold that men may lyue as they list Libertines [c] So called of one Casper Svvingfeldius vvho held the same matters that the Anabaptistes do Swingfeldians And therefore for as muche as now the controuersie is betwixt the Romanistes and vs for two thinges onely to wit for the interpretation of the Scripture and whether the wrytinges of the Prophetes and Apostles doe most fully contayne what so euer we ought to beleeue it is prooued that they in the first point impudently abuse the example of the fathers in alleadging against vs the argument of succession and in the other is ministred vnto vs a sure weapon to confute them And that this succession also was alleadged against the Donatistes as Schismatickes this nothing toucheth vs whom these men account not properly for Scismatickes but for heretiques of which thing notwithstanding we will say some thing in his proper place a That the false church of Rome is not onely not propped vp by the argument deriued frō the personal succession of the apostles but also ouerthrown although the questiō be not of the doctrine But go to let vs gratify them a litle and which thing may be done without any preiudice of the trueth Let vs graunt vnto these men how much force soeuer they can imagine of that their personall succession What shall this I besech you help their cause b That there vvas neuer any Apostolicall vniuersall ministeriall head and therefore that his succession is not Apostolicall For that we may begin at the highest step of their Hierarchie or priestlike gouernement as they call it that is at that vniuersall mynisteriall head vnto whome they afterwarde appropriated the name of Pope which before was common to all Bishoppes they shal as easely finde the Diuell him selfe in the kingdome of God as any such head either in the bookes of the◠newe Testament or in the auncient church For verie children know this how false folish and absurd arguments they be whatsoeuer they bring out of the scriptures to proue the same And as concerning the history of that auncient purer church that is to say in this behalfe verelie euen to the tymes of that manslaier Phocas they shall finde
vvorlde in these our daies for true knovvledg and vnfayned godlines vvhatsoeuer the papists doe lyingly and slanderously babble to the contrarie And as touching the matter it is that vvhich ought to be of greatest accompt amongest men and vvhich euen in respect of the bare name and title of it is verie glorious and excellent much more in respect of the substance thereof it selfe And for the manner of handling the things propounded it is short for auoiding of tediosnes it is plaine euen for the capacitie of the simple it is sound in respect of the truthe it propoundeth And it is sufficient not onely to instruct God his childrē but also to stop vp the aduersaries mouths in this matter and vvhat then vvanteth or vvhat can be more acceptable profitable vvherefore I doubt not but it shall haue good entertainment as amongest all the godly generally so particulerly of your vvorship vvho I knovv doth hartely loue the Church and carefully like and tender the causes therof vvhich also hath beene the principall matter mouing me to vndertake this trauaile and to dedicate the same vvhatsoeuer it be vnto your vvorshippe vvhome for sundry good graces that God hath bestovved vpon you I do vnfaynedly loue and reuerence in Christe Humbly praying and earnestly exhorting you according to your measure of light and knovvledge receiued from the Lorde to enforce your selfe to the vttermost of your habilitie euery maner of vvay to the preferring and promoting of these excellent matters and namely those that concerne the reformation of such corruptions as yet remaine amongest vs either touching the ministerie or the discipline of the Church for to this ende hath God endued you vvith all the graces that you haue presently receiued or may hereafter thorovv his goodnesse attaine vnto eyther of vvit vvealth learning credit countenance byrth office honor or vvhatsoeuer els vvherevnto I vvill thorovv God his grace not onely styrre you vp by all the holy and lavvfull meanes I can but also further you in my poore prayers to almighty God in that behalfe that you may daily encrease and continue in the sounde knovvledge of his truth in the stedfast faith of his promises in the sincere zeale of his glorie in vnfained loue of his holy vvord and the exercises thereof and in care and conscience to put in practise those good thinges that are enioyned you therein that your vvhole life maye tende to the glory of God the good of the Church and common vvealth and the faithfull seruice of her maiestie and your death be comfortable to your selfe as beeing the speedy passage to eternall life and profitable vnto others vvhile they be by your example instructed both to liue and die vvell vvhich God graunt for his crucified Christ his sake To vvhose gracious gouernement and good direction I doe humbly commend your vvorship and all yours both novv and for euer London the 16. of this Nouember 1582. Your worships alwaies ready in Christ Jesus T. W. the Lorde his vnworthy A TREATISE OF THE TRVE AND visible Notes of the Catholique Church MEN demaunde at this daie concerning the markes and authority of the church the question beeyng raysed by those who when they see their erroures to bee refelled by the worde of God obiecte vnto men that are vnskilfull of these matters the sacred name of the Church and by heaping vp the disputations of auncient fathers against Heretiques they bring vs into hatred as though we had corrupted both the bookes of Gods worde and also as though by violating all authority of the church we had after the example of the [a] They were so called of one Donatus who baptized such as imbraced his opinions though they were baptized before and made a schisme in the Church about the yeere 334. Donatistes set vp altar against altar to be short as though because wee haue shaken of the yoke of Babilon we had forsaken the Church without the which notwithstanding euen as we our selues confesse there is no saluation And neither doth this subtle kinde of reasoning dryue away the vnskilfull onely from the knowledge of the truth but also causeth some euen amongest them which séemed most stedfast to wauer Furthermore by this occasion very many take counsell betwéene both sides and as in opinions they indeuour to mingle light with darknesse so also in discerning of the true Church they labour to mingle the bastardly or false marks with the true and proper marks therof But except men would willingly be deceiued the deceit of these men might be very easely perceiued and auoyded Men must first define the Church before they enquire any thing of the authoritye thereof For first men should demaund what that Church should be before they determine of the boundes of hir authoritie which order they that doe not follow commit truely that grosse error and worthy of stripes which they call [a] That is the begging or taking of that as granted which is in cōtrouersie Petitio principij Go to then let vs sée what these men meane by the Catholique Church These men holde what so euer they dissemble that the Church in which we ought to abide That the Catholique Church is not rightly called euery congregation in which is a succession of Bishops if we will be saued is an assemblie of Bishops whose calling and names may bee fet from the Apostles them selues We say that this succession which is meerely personall neyther is the Church neither any whit at all pertayneth vnto those that alleadge the same That it is not the church may appear euen vnto very children first by this The order of Bishops is not the church that vnder the name of the church properly taken it is certain that not only the Pastors but also the flocks are comprehended Now it is altogether ridiculous to define a part as the whole it selfe because by that meanes the whole and the parte shoulde be one and the selfe same thing They reply The consent of a byshop and of a flock is not alwayes a note of a true church that they vnderstand together with the Pastors the very flocks them selues cleauing vnto them But this thing is also ridiculous séeing that both hereticall and backesliding Pastors may succeed Pastors of sound iudgement and hereticall flockes true sheepe and some times in deed the Pastors are hereticall and the sheep true contrary wise true pastors may haue hereticall sheepe When that thing falleth out to wit that both the Pastors and the flockes are heretticall the very aduersaries them selues dare not deny but that such a whole Church although it haue had auncestors in deed Apostolicall both the Pastors and the flocks do agree amongst themselues in falling away is yet notwithstanding altogeather a false Churche vnlesse they will take these speeches to wit to be hereticall and vniuersal for one and the selfe same thing But in the latter case at least wise in one part there is found
falsehood although on both sides that personal succession may be found Therfore neither the succession of persons by it selfe neither such maner of consent doth of necessitie prooue a true Church for as much as where both are found yet some times there maye be a false church and there in some sort may be a true church where the pastor dissenteth from the sheepe or the sheepe from the pastor Now that men may by examples both past and present prooue that these things haue too often times fallen out no man I suppose will denie But againe they say that they dispute not of particular Churches which they graunt may fall away but of that Catholique or vniuersall Church 1. Tim. 3.15 which is the piller foundation of truth But how I pray you do they define this catholike Churche Firste by a certayne place as those that will haue catholicke and Roman to be al one Secondly by the multitude Catholique and Roman are not all one as they which vpbraide vs with fewnes Let vs see therfore what manner of arguments these be They be if they be kept within the iust rules of reasoning vnlesse I be deceaued these and such like The church of Rome teacheth so very many in respect of a very few so beleeue and so it was from hand deliuered vnto vs. Therefore this is the catholique truth But who is so far void of all reason that he seeth not here againe Petitio principij and the thing in controuersie to be taken as graunted Shew vs therefore ye Sophisters or at least wise teach vs probablie firste how a part should be the whol that we may graunt vnto you your Romish church to be a principall member of the catholicke church And then from whence I pray you haue ye learned this Romish Church to be ordayned for a perpetuall rule of truth and from whence haue ye drawen that to be true which is approued of the greatest number Verely ye shall neuer proue this out of the bookes of the old or new Testament For those corrupt argumentes Vpon this rocke I haue builded my Church Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.23 I baue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not and that saying of Christe thrise repeated feed my sheepe Ioh. 21.15.16 with men not altogether ignorant of these thinges need not any further confutation But happely ye will prooue it out of the writinges of auncient fathers As though for sooth it were the same thing to commende the faith and religion of the church of Rome as long as it was worthy praise and to establish hir for the catholicke church or a perpetuall rule to the catholicke church And seeing that by the name of the church of Rome if these flatterers will speake that they thinke they doe vnderstand no other thing than the byshop of Rome him selfe what madnesse is this I beseech you to haue the deciding of so great a controuersie to depēd vpon that seat in which their own writers being witnes not so much the monsters of men as Sathan himselfe doth seeme to haue sit so many ages together These men replie that the dignitie it selfe and the authoritie of the seate is not taken away by the faults of the persons euen as the Leuiticall high priesthood was true then also when it was exercised by vngracious and wicked high priestes And neither do we thinke that either the dignitie or els the efficacie of the ministerie may be abolished thorowe the faultes of the ministers which thinge these men yet thinke when it pleseth them as they that hang that their transubstantiation vpon the intēt of their sacrificing priestes a very rotten coard surely but this we say that their principle being graunted to wit that the Byshop of Rome is that head that should stand the catholique church as in stead of a soule it must altogether followe that this head be wyse if they will haue all his members that is the particular Churches to be wise And againe if that be frantick that the whole Churche must be franticke also Now that the Romish Bishoppes haue beene franticke many ages together not onely as priuate men but specially also as Bishops that is to say that euerie one of them almost haue bene not onely the most wicked of all men in respecte of their conuersation which thing these men can not denie vnlesse they woulde rather be conuinced by their owne testimonies but also as concerning the points of our religion whilst that partly they haue neglected all true religion and partly also haue set them selues against it so much that which thing two or three ages ago Petrarcha hath written whose verses they commend Rome hath beene a thousande yeeres at the least the temple of heresie and hath vtterly subuerted as much as was in hir all the offices of Christ yea so far forth that shee hath exalted hir selfe aboue Christe him selfe as the Apostles Iohn and Paule greater than all exception haue fore tolde all the beste approoued writers Gréeke Latin being the Byshops of other churches so interpreting the same vnlesse we haue sufficiently heretofore proued it we are ready again to prooue it before all vpright iudges Let this controuersie therefore be firste decided O yea Sophisters before that ye of this fained foundation as it were graunted vnto you But go to let vs graunt that the Byshoppes of Rome were suche whose so great and large succession is alleadged by these men Who yet vnlesse he be vtterly out of his wittes will therefore conclude that the bishop of Rome is the vniuersall head to whome who so euer doth cleaue is to be iudged a true member of the Catholique Church And yet these be the sophistications of these goodly fellowes which will haue catholique and Roman to be one and the selfe same thing to wit because Paule wrote that in his time Rom. 1.18 the faith of the Romans was famous throughout all the world But how much more rightly nowe may we say that the stenche of that whore hath not onely filled the earth but hath ascended also euen to heauen and that excellent epistle of the Apostle written to the olde Romans ought now truely to be written againste the Romans their successors Let vs now come vnto those who esteeme their catholicke churche The Catholike Church must not be esteemed by the multitude by the number and glorious shew of pages or seriaunts Verely if these men speake truth Christ and his flocke shall iustly be pronounced excommunicat and that multitude shal be the catholicke church which so often times cried out Take him away Mat. 26.23 take him away crucifie him The Apostle also shall be found a lyar writing to the Corinthians Brethren yee see your calling 1. Cor. 1.26 that we are not many wise according to the fleshe not many mightie not many noble to be shorte then these men shall be worthie whom to confute we may take paines when either by reason or examples
they shall proue that there are more wise men than fooles Now then I thinke it doth sufficiently appeare that by this bare successiō which they brag of that true catholike church wherein we must abyde cannot be discerned from the false Churche from which we ought of necessitie to depart But yet before that we conclude this place we muste refell an argument which these Sophisters would haue to be deemed such a one as cannot be ouercome For say they Hovv the fathers vsed the argumēt of personall succession the fathers so dispute from the succession of bishoppes against auncient heretiques But againe what can be more corrupt than this subtle kind of reasoning for this is that which is well knowne euen to children which they are wount to call an elench [a] The fallacie of composition or diuision is a false conclusion made by a wrong application of wordes alleadged or spoken referring that to one which is alleadged or spoken to an other or a fallacy of composition and diuysion First therfore I deny that any of the auncient fathers were mynded to vse the recitall of Bishops but to haue recourse rather euen to the Apostles And why so that the authoritie of doctrine rather than of persons shoulde be mainteined But these men obiect vnto vs the succession of their bishops not in déede bishops so far letting passe the mention of that Apostolicall doctrine that they woulde haue it accounted a wicked thing to demaund it at his handes that woulde proue him selfe to succeed the auncient byshoppes Now I pray you howe many authors of blasphemies haue sit in those chiefe seates of Alexandria Antioche Constantinople yea what seat will these men shew me somewhat more famous where some hereticall bishops haue not helde their seate And as touching the Romish chayre from which these men by a rottē coard hang the catholique church Honorius the [a] Monothelites were certain heretiks about the yeare 565 who affirmed that there vvas but one will and one action in Christ denying that ther was in him two naturall willes and actions which might aunsvvere to his two natures Monothelite openly condemned of the sixt general councell and priuately of Agatho another Roman Bishoppe And Iohn the 22. thinking euill touching the soule of man in like manner condemned of the colledge of Sorbon in Paris were sounde to haue sit in that seate To let passe [a] Liberius for ambitions sake fell into the Arrian heresie Liberius [b] He while Siluerius the Pope liued by the ayde of Belisarius the captaine of the Emperors armie obteined the popedome Vigilius and [c] He meaneth of Anastasius the 2. who fell into the heresie of Arrius and Eutiches which heresies Acatius also him selfe did propound about the yeere 484. Anastasius whom I see of some to be excused although Gratian. 2. Disti 19. reckeneth this last also as an Acatian heretique amongst the condemned Popes But if any man would obiect that these are blotted out of the number of Byshops and therfore are not comprehended in that title or role of succession yet this he shal be inforced to graunt vs to wit that the succession of the seat of Rome was then at the least broken of when these were therefore blotted out which persons notwithstanding they themselues as yet number in their Catologue because they had declined from the Apostolicall doctrine Whervpon followeth that which Tertulian rightly affirmeth that religion ought to be proued or tried not by the persons Tertulian but the persons by religion But here truly I confesse that I do somwhat ouershoot my self for seeing the question is of doctrine what doth this appertaine to the Byshops of the Churche of Rome whome all Christendome knoweth nowe so manye yeeres to haue beene for nothing lesse carefull then for anye doctrine eyther true or false but onely for to establishe and enlarge theire owne tyrannie But they will say no man hath condēned these Popes I confes it For who would haue taken to himself this lawful authority against their tiranny who had perswaded all men that they ought to be iudged of none Therefore there hath bene not of late onely but many ages together not an interruption but a full abruption or renting of the succession of Rome from the body of the catholique true church except peraduenture these men iudge that it is something lesse eyther to belleeue nothing or to teache nothing than to be an Heretique And I beséeche you what impudencie is this True doctrine ought to go before true succession to haue the knowledge of trueth to hang vpon succession wheras on the contrary these men themselues can not deny but that the trueth ought necessarily to go before succession And these Sophisters The Christian church in the time of Christe coulde not be knovvne by the succession of Persons if they had bene in the times of Christ by what Bishoply succession would they haue acknowledged the true church surely not by the title or name of the Leuiticall high priests because that priesthood was then at an end and Christ cannot be called the successour of Aaron vnlesse Iudaisme be agayne established wherefore also he is sayd to be made a high priest Heb. 7.16.17 not according to the order of Leui but according to the order of Melchisedec Therefore the holy men at that time acknowledged the Catholique church without the marke of personall succession to wit by the comparison of the doctrine of the Prophetes with the doctrine of Christe him selfe and the Apostles Which is so farre true that on the contrarye none haue lesse acknowledged Christe than they that haue cleaued to a Byshoply succession Therefore that personall succession is no true and perpetuall marke of the Catholique Church These men happely beeing driuen from the Leuiticall succession will againe obiect another succession from the Prophetes But neyther so shall they speake the truth if they sticke in the persons them selues for the succession of Prophetes was not perpetuall no more than the succession of Priests yea rather it was broken of a long time especially after Malachie They wil also obiect vnto vs that saying Mat. 23.2 The Scribes Pharises sit in Moses chaire But agayne they shold remember the same Christ to haue said Take heed of the leauen of the Pharisees Mat. 16.6 And therefore by that saying of Christ we are not called backe to a succession of persons but to a succession of doctrine But I haue besides an other thing more peremptorye as they them selues speake to aunswere againste that in which these men falsly boast themselues to followe the authoritie of the Fathers in discrying the church by which thing also their wilines may more and more be made manifest I denie therefore The auncient fathers vsed not the argument of personall succession against all heretiques that any of the auncient fathers haue at any time made mention of this succession but either against Schismatiques whilest
none that so interpreted the primacies and glorious titles which are attributed to the bishop of Rome although in deed the bishops of Rome ambitiouslie sought nothing more and there wanted not some who most shamlesly euen then flattered thē as that they did for all that gyue this degree of vniuersall head vnto him Therfore they haue not Christ nor Peter but that most vile man of al Phocas I say the emperor for the author of this vniuersallitie and they haue Boniface the thirde the head or beginner of this tyrannie or that I may vse the words of Gregorie the great himselfe the chiefe or head of Antichristianisme in so much that the Romishe popedome doth but onely sixtene yeares at the most goe before Mahumetisme or the turkishe religion But by what sleightes that monster hath vsurped and attayned this tyrannie who I praie you at this day can be ignorant vnlesse he be ignorant of histories or whose eyes Satan hath blinded yea seeing that this most holy father doth boast him selfe to be not the successor of Peter alone but of Paul also whose heads being cut off not so much by newes hang men as by the Pope himselfe he ingraueth in these his leaden seales it must needs be either that afterward two heads were growen into one whose authoritie afterward passed for sooth to this successor of them both or els that neither Peter nor Paule were this onely vniuersal ministeriall head except he woulde rather acknowledge that the catholique churche hath had at the beginning two heades vppon the earth But what say I that I may speake nothing here of so many Antipopes or Popes one against an other when as Liberius and Damasus at one and the same time as all men affirme obtayned that seate of Rome where was then that one vniuersall head And let these thinges be sufficiently spoken touching the deliuerie of that spirituall sworde from hand to hand And as concerning that other sworde which they call secular or politique wherewith they haue ouerthrowen all magistracie From whence I pray you do they take the beginning of this iurisdiction for though we shoulde beleeue that fable of the donation or gyfte of Constantine to be as true as it was shamelesly fayned yet truely it shal not be set from the apostles but frō the emperor neither yet graunted by Christ or by Peter but by men Which thing notwithstanding was neyther lawfull for Constantine to do nor for the Bishoppe of Rome to receaue although it had beene willingly offered him Wherefore if they shall of their owne authoritie requyre agayne these two feathers the churche those former to wit the ecclesiasticall gouernement and Kinges and Princes these latter to wit ciuill iurisdiction and authoritie both which in their time shall come to passe this fellow will then appeare not the head of the church but an vnfeathered cuckow And these things concerning this head haue I put down in few words because they haue of late by them of our side verie plentifully both out of the worde of God out of the truest histories of former times to be short out of the testimonies of the Popes thēselues ben manifestly declared and plentifully proued Now the head of this succession being cut off That there can be noe Apostolicall succession in the Cardinalles Metrapolitanes Primates or Archbishops what shall the rest of the body be but a roteen and stinking carkas Truely them selues are compelled to confesse that the next degree vnto this head to wit the order of cardinalles as it is nowe cannot be set from the more auncient time There follow primates and Archbishoppes for scarce the verie name of Patriarkshippe is yet remayning and Mahomet at the length hath ended the matter incontrouersie which firste arose betweene the [a] That is those foure men that tooke vppon them the gouernment of the vvhol world he meaneth the foure Patriarches to wit Hierusalem Alexandria Constātinople Rome Quartumvi i and afterwards betweene the [a] That is the fiue mē that toke vppon them the gouernement of the world Quintumuiri Therefore the Nicene councell it selfe doth not refer the beginning of these offices to the word of God or Apostolicall institution eyther written or not written but to ancient custome So that neither can this succession be thought to be Apostolicall The degree of Bishopps wherin they are exalted aboue the rest of the Ministers or Pastors was vnknowen to the Apostles and therfore that there is no Apostolicall succession therof There rest yet Bishoppes so called of them to wit which are set in euerie diocesse aboue ministers for the other inferiour orders these pleaders of succession nothing esteeme whose onely succession neuerthelesse hath some shew of Apostolicall succession But it maye plainely apeare out of the firste Epistle to the Corinth not onely that there was no suche degree of Bishops ordeyned by the Apostles as immediatly afterward was brought into the Church after the times of the apostles neither that ther was any such allowed of the Apostle to wit that ther should be one degree of a bishop and an other of a minister or that some man should be called a Bishoppe not in respect of a flock but in respect of his fellow elders For who doubteth but that the Apostle woulde haue gyuen this counsel vnto the Corinthians or himselfe woulde haue perfourmed it or haue attributed it to Caephas or Apollo if which thing Hierome hath written to Euagrius and in his commentaries vpon the first Epistle to Titus he had iudged this remedie profitable much more necessarie for the brydling of Schismes But whether it were lawfull to ordayne this degree in the Church or not for of this I like not nowe to dispute that thing is not only apparant out of Hierom vpon the epistle to Titus the Bishops are greater than ministers rather by custome than by the truth of the Lords appoyntment But also by witnesses which these men as greater than all exception are accustomed to alleadge as Lucius the Pope Clement the second Anacletus vnlesse their Epistles be rather counterfaite which yet these men cite for authenticall Lombard in his fourth booke of sentences the 24. distinct Gratian and to be short Cardinall Cusan in his booke of the vniuersall vnitie Platina in the life of Pope Bonifacius the third al which plainly witnesse that all this Hierarchicall or priestlike gouernment aboue ministers was deuised by men after the example of the Roman empyre that is to say that it is the true Imag◠of the beast described in the reuelalion of Iohn Reuel 13.1 Reuel 14.9 For whose cause some in the beginning also did trauaile which ment not to performe that which afterward insued The thing it selfe in fine taught vs that it was a matter of great importance to decline euen but a nailes bredth from the word of God The conclusion of the disputation touching the succession of persons sundred from the succession of
doctrine Now for as much as these thinges be so that is seeing neither this succession of persons is a sufficient true and proper marke of the Churche nor though we should graunt it such pertayneth any thing at all to this popishe vizard What is then the matter wherein we see some at this day so greatly to sticke that no small number as though [a] That is some fearefull terrible thing Gorgons head were caste in the way goe backe Verely this is the strength of the spirite of error that they which are prooued and pure may be made manifest Now let vs heare also suche an other testimonie of their impudencie That the canonicall ordeyning of Ministers i◠not a perpetuall and necessary mark of the Catholique Church they wil haue that to be iudged a Church where there continueth an ordinary calling to the holy ministerie But what other thing is this than after the example of that hostise of Chalcis to set before vs againe the same meate new drest Notwithstanding because here againe I sée some sticke as it were at a rocke and that not without danger of shipwrack I will indeuour and that as it were by the wind of truth hence to deliuer them that are cast vpon this coast Truely Pastors must in deede alwayes be sent by the Lorde but there is not alwayes alike order of their sending if a man bid them declare vnto vs what they vnderstād by the name of ordination which requeste in this question is altogether honest and verie necessarie then the clawes of these Lions wil openly shew themselues They will alleadge that of the Apostle How shall they preache vnlesse they be sent and that saying Rom. 10.15 1. Cor. 14.40 All things ought to be done in the house of God rightly and in order We agrée vnto it They will say that all that order is comprehended in the olde Canons which may not or ought not by any meanes be broken First we aunswere that it is playne by the comparison of the very Canons that one and the same order in the Christian Churches neither alwayes hath beene prescribed nor euerie where kept and that also the diuersitie of circumstances cannot suffer this that one order in these thinges shoulde be euerie where and alwayes exactly obserued and therefore very vnseasonablie is the obseruation euen of the moste auncient and best Canons required as absolutely and necessarilie to be kept And if they be here so impudent that they will deny this thing truely I will conuince them as manifest offenders For if it be vnlawfull Although the canonicall ordination be established for a perpetuall marke of the catholique church yet it reproueth the false church of Rome to omit any thing of the Canons without any exception From whence commeth that greate gaine vnto the court of Rome by dispensation also euen with the law of God neither truely wil I easely suffer my self to be thrust from this exception a But go to we are content here to do these men a pleasure let vs therfore say the disputation of this exception beyng deferred that vocation is an order not onely agreable to the worde of God but also euen to the verie auncient pure Canons by which an ecclesiasticall office is committed to some man Let vs graunt them also yet with no preiudice of the truth that there also the true Church is to be seene where this order continueth sound and pure yet I say that by that meanes it most certainely appeareth that that Popishe Churche is nothing lesse than that catholique church whose name it chalengeth to hir selfe For tell me what is this order to wit that a lawfull knowledge of learning and of manners going before and the order of ecclesiasticall degrees beeing not rashly violated some man by the free consent of any whole Church touching which the question is being appointed to this holy ministerie is ordained by thē of whom he ought that is is put into the possession as it were of his office And if anie man breake this order that is if a fault happen either in the examination or in the election all the pure Canons commaund all that to be iudged of no effect and so they subiect him that ordayneth the minister to moste gréeuous punishmentes That this is so they them selues cannot denie Wherefore I woulde not load many leaues with the alleadging of Canons Now let these men come forth and let them alleadge vnto vs euen one amongst all their clergie in whome this order hath beene thorowly obserued I demaund not whether these thinges prescribed both by the word of God and also by the pure Canons haue bene exactly obserued of them now a long time But this I aske whether there be any vse of election amongest them in the most places seeing that the Romish harlot hath couenaunted with Kings Princes for the abolishment of it and suffereth those bargaines to be printed and set out to sale Now where there remaineth any shew of election woulde a man haue thought any of them coulde haue beene so impudent that they shoulde be so bold as to denie that those offices which the whole world knoweth are openly gotten by purchase and that by buying free voyces which thing is specially practised amongst them that seke for priesthood and Canonicall persons as they call them that is to say amongst swine and asses which are altogether vncleane beastes to be so bold I saye as to denie it to be anye other thing than an abhominable treading vnder foote of all law both Gods owne and of that purer part of the canon law as they call it And of the triall both of doctrine and maners the lawful witnesses for sooth be those wicked men getting their liuing by no other means but by dayly and open periuries partly in the prouinces of the Church of Rome partly in the lappe of that Romish harlotte And this thing for sooth the high Bishops know not which begin their bulles with these wordes The honestie of life and maners vppon which commending the same vnto vs by a credible ttstimonie c. What say I their lawes of giuing either ordinarie or falling out vpon some as they call them and the lawes of resignation where were they deuised braied strained out at length set out and deliuered to make mad all both the highest and the lowest but in the deuilles kitchin And yet these men for sooth will prooue the Ecclesiasticall calling to remaine in their possession That the false clergie of Rome doth rashly dispute against vs for the laying on of hands But againe let vs heare that that may more conuince these mens shamelesnesse When they dispute with vs of a calling they are wont to vrge the laying on of hands as though the true difference of a lawfull and counterfaite calling consisted in that But I suppose these good men haue not forgotten that which I euen now saide to wit that by al the old canons his
ordination should be iudged of no force who hath not bene lawfully examined and chosen That no Pastors are ordeyned by the laying on of handes but being alredy ordeined are put into the possession of their office and commended vnto God and they that ordeyne suche to be subiect also to very gréeuous punishment And therefore they doe vainely challenge vnto them selues that which is no where found amongst them Moreouer this also they should know that Pastours are not made by the laying on of hands but being ordeined by a lawfull calling which is the voyce of God are so commended and put into the possession of the ministery For wheras they recken this ceremony of laying on of handes amongst sacramentes by the same reason that they recken baptisme and the supper of the Lord we say that it is altogether a vaine dotage seeing there is no expresse commaundement of that ceremonie extant neither is there ioyned vnto it any sacramentall promise neyther doe we reiect eyther this ceremony or iudge to bee vnprofitable the prayers of the church commending and as it were offering vnto God the Pastor that hee hath sent them for the sending of God is a lawful calling But here surely it falleth out with these hypocrites as it hath in other things also to wit that those things being omitted in which a true calling consisteth that is to say the trial of doctrine and of life and a lawfull election of the whole Church they sticke in the outward ceremonie whiche ceremonie also they haue defiled with infinit vicelike rites that I may let passe that horrible sale of benefices and treading vnderfoote of the old cannons made touching the multiplication of benefices as they call them and touching ordination by ouer leaping as they speake of inferior orders And yet notwithstanding they themselues are not ignorant that by the ful consent of the ancient Synodes not onely ordination but also other better parts of a calling are by the meanes iudged of no force That euen a lawfull ordination is not a perpetuall and altogether a necessarye marke of the true church eyther Catholique or particular But goe too let vs put the cafe also that all these men were both lawfullye chosen and ordeined Shal therfore their congregation be the catholique church or not rather a denne of théeues if in abusing their calling they turne lighte into darkenesse and perfourme this one thing alone to make slaues to Sathan the sheepe that shoulde bee brought to Christe And yet if forsooth the head of his false Church doe this as what els I pray you doth he he will not endure this that he may be iudged of any mortall man For so these men haue beene bolde nowe a long time not onely to speake but also to write And if this bee playnely to play the Antichrist what is this Catholique Church I beseech you of which Antichrist is the head Wherefore The conclusion of the whole former disputation of the personal succession ordination that I may at the length conclude this place I suppose that these two thinges doe nowe sufficiently appeare that neither a base succession of persons nor the obseruation of an outwarde vocation is that necessarye and perpetuall marke of the true Churche which the Logitians call proper after the [a] That is whiche agreeth to euery one of the kind onely to the kind and always to the kinde as to be apt to laugh agreeth to all men to men only and alwaies to them and to euerye particuler of that kinde fourth sort Neither although it shoulde be so doe these things at any thing at al belong to the Church of Rome such as now it is that is vnto the Popedome but rather what argumēts soeuer conuince the Churche of Antichrist the same doe so euidently appeare in this Harlot that he that would not acknowledge flye from and detest her as an adultresse forsaken of her husbande truelye A true definition of the true church and a proper necessary and perpetuall marke of the same must either nothing regarde these things or else be without all vnderstanding Nowe because we haue determined not onely to set out the false markes which thinges wee suppose wee haue done but also to poynte out as it were with the finger the true and proper markes of the Church Go to let vs attempt this latter point We say therefore that a true definition of a true Church eyther particularly or vniuersally considered is that by which it is said to be a congregation that confesseth the true Iesus Christe their onely sauiour For we say that Iesus Christe is that onely foundation of that true spirituall house of God Iesus Christ onely is the soule of that misticall bodie Iesus Christe onely is the square of that building The true Christe must be discerned from the false by the onely writinges of the Prophets Apostles The aduersaries will aunswere that they also acknowledge and preache the same thing Therefore we do adde seeing there be many false Christes that we dispute of the true Christe These men also will replie that they haue done and do the same In the third place therefore we adde that he is in deed the true Christ that hath most fully reuealed him selfe by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles And the mouth of the Prophetes and Apostles we interpret to be their authenticall writings wherin we affirme are most fully and moste perfectly comprehended all the pointes of the Christian faith partly plainely and partly by necessary consequences to be gathered thereof For we beléeue it to be as absurd that the true Christ must therefore be perfectly knowne by the writings of the Apostles prophets because they did fully and plainly both knovv and teach the whole Christian religion and the same Prophetes and Apostles do yet in their writinges teach it vnto vs. to thinke that the Apostles were ignorant of some thing of the misteries of christianitie or not to haue reuealed all thinges vnto the worlde both which Tertulian hath iustly accounted verie greate pointes of madnesse as not to haue put in writing all things necessarie to saluation or to be short not so to haue put them downe that either they should not be plaine inough of them selues or if any thing be written somewhat more obscure their true interpretation shoulde be els where sought than out of their very writings But here we haue the aduersaries manifestly disagreeing from vs yet not al neither those which like shamelesnesse For there be that graunt both these thinges that is to say that the Apostles knew perfectly all the doctrine of saluation and taught all the same most faithfully vnto the Church which thing in deed they iustly graunt for as much as Christ him selfe in the 15. of Iohn and the 16.13 witnesseth this in most plaine wordes And Paule in the 21.27 of the Actes Galathians 1.8 Hehrews 1.1 otherwise it shold be false at least in some
matter say that the Church of Christe is a schoole in which the worde of the Lorde is not onely barely to be read as out of the letter written but also to bee taught that it maye bee rightly vnderstoode and so to be taught that exhortations corrections and consolations both openly and priuately maye bee vsed which in Paul is vnderstoode by the name of Prophecying Rom. 12.6 Moreouer this also wee adde which thing ought here chiefly to bee marked that the interpretation of those scriptures are to be set no where else then out of the scriptures themselues not onely because the word of God is able to giue credite to it selfe but also because that trueth is reuealed vnto vs no where els then in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles For that saying of Austen is well knowen and is most true That the scripture is to be expounded by the scripture Neither shall it irke me heere to put downe that nonotable place out of the 49. Homelie of the imperfect worke vpon Mathew because it agreeth altogeather with our times He that will know saith he which is the true Church of Christ let him not know it but onely by the scriptures And by and by after Christians therefore beeing willing to receiue the certainetie of true fayth let them flie to nothing but to the scriptures otherwise if they shall haue respect to other thinges they shall stumble perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by this meanes they shall fall into the abhomintaion of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the Church But to whom shall belong will these men say the interpretation of scriptures Verily all be not Prophetes all be not teachers But againe Esay Esay as crieth that both Priestes and Prophetes haue erred in their vision neither would Christ haue admonished Math. 16.6 Math. 23.2 That the leauen of the Pharises should be auoyded if we shoulde without exception haue consented vnto them That sit in Moses chayre Neither should the false Prophetes be eschued if all the Prophetes did speake the truth neither would Caiphas and the whole Synode of the Priestes haue condemned Christ if the holy Ghost had beene tried without exception to those that sit in Aarons seat What then Antiquitye or noueltye maketh nothing at all to instruct men to discerne the true interpretation of scripture from the false Let these men therefore heare at length that which we haue so often times cryed out vnto deafe men to wit that we do not simply reiect neither the old nor the new counsels whether they be particular or generall vnlesse they be plainly theeuish that we do not simply refuse neither old nor new writers vnles they be manifestly either superstitious or ridiculous or by cōmon consent abrogated That we doe not simply cast from vs the writings neither of auncient nor new writers whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Laicall as these men call them for God is no accepter of persons and often times euen by the basest sorte he confoundeth the pride of the most wise vnlesse they be plainly wicked superstitious or foolishe But this onely we require which the most learned and euery the most religious of the old writers monish carefully to be don to wit that all these thinges should be diligently examined according to the rule of the written word of God For antiquitie and authoritie of those that wryte may in deed set some collour of truth vpon falshood but that it shoulde be true which disagreeth neuer so little from the writings of the Prophets and Apostles that truely it can neuer bring to passe Furthermore The Creeds of the ancient Synodes the iudgement of the fathers against heretiques are at no hand reiected by vs yea rather they are strongly defended against aduersaries although not as yeelding credite themselues experience it self more than sufficiently declareth that there haue beene long time since builded vpon the foundation layd by the Apostles not onely bay and stubble but also yron and rust to be short lies vppon trueth All which thinges muste at the length be consumed by the light and fire of Gods word Now least these men shoulde agayne complaine that what soeuer hath bene established by counsell after consell in the auncient Churche shoulde by this meanes be called into doubt we confes that we doe acknowledge the Créedes which were alwayes approoued by the common consent of the whole Church to wit the Creed of the Apostles Nice Athanasius his creed the creed of Constantinople Chalcedon togeather with the curses pronounced in the second counsel of Ephesus againste Nestorius And that we both with mouth and hart detest al heresies which either by open or secret consent of the whole Church were out of the word of God condemned in those 4. councels and also ouer throwen in the fifth and sixth councels of Constantinople And all other heresies whatsoeuer which afterwarde eyther newlye sprong vp or are newly polished not that the truth hangeth vpon any Synods or Creedes but because we acknowledge that the thinges which are prescribed and established in them The conclusion of the disputation of the true Christ who is the only true perpetual and absolute necessary note of the true Church may be rightly iudged by the writings of the prophets and Apostles so far of is it that we take away the authority of the church or dispise the consent of the godly either ancient or new writers which thing our aduersaries falsly shamlesly obiect vnto vs. Now the summe of al these things is this that Christ is the true perpetual necessary to be short the onely marke of the Church yea I say the true Christ that is suche a one as he from the beginning hath most perfectly touching the matter and maner of saluation reuealed him selfe both in the writings of the prophets and of the Apostles Mat. 12.13 For that saying standeth sure He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad and that saying 1. Pet. 2.7 that christ is that corner stone of the foundation vppon whome the whole building riseth vp And that onely head which ministreth vnto his body that is vnto the true catholique Church al féeling and mouing To be short Iohn 10.7 Iohn 14.6 Iohn 11.25 he is the dore the way the resurrection and the lyfe Therfore whersoeuer that word is heard as it ought to be there in deed Christe raigneth and where Christe raigneth there in deed we iudge the Catholique visible Churche to be neither tied to any certaine place nor vnto the multitude for where that dead carkas is Mat. 24.28 to wit Christe crucified there be those Egles there is saluation Act. 4.12 where that onely name is in which we must be saued there be the children of light where that sonne shineth there be the true sheepe Where the voyce of that sheepeheard is heard Mat. 18.20 although two or three onely throughout all the world
lacke this by reason of many letts cast in the way but that to wit the worde it can neuer lacke although he that dispiseth that to wit the Sacrament despiseth both and therefore shall worthily bee iudged out of the Couenant What then truely the Church can neither at any time lack the séeds of the word neither the sowing nor the sowers but yet the sluggishnesse and wickednes of the Pastors chiefly hindereth that we cannot restraine both the sowing and the sowers to an ordinarie succession and calling And this thing falleth out by two meanes By one when the chayres or places be not empty but they which sit in them haue entred in either by the doore or by the window and do either wholly neglect their dutie or mingle cockell with seed or els sowe nothing but poyson as such was the state of the ancient catholique church vnder the moste parte of the vacant gouernments of the iudges afterwards in Iuda vnder the moste of the kings and at the length in the times of Christ being conuersant vpoÌ„ the earth By the other wheÌ„ as that ordinary both sowing and also ordinary calling of sowers ceaseth being for a time as it were more than halfe dead for we doe not acknowledge that these things can all together be abolished before the ende of the worlde and such was as we haue sayd the outwarde forme and face of the Church of the tenne Tribes and of the Catholique Church in the captiuitie of Babylon I say therefore that the very same thing hath some times thorow the iust iudgement of God fallen out in the Churche in respect of the sowing and the sowers which often times falleth out in the times of famine and warre to wit that there is vtterly no place for sowing Which when it coÌ„meth to passe al do not yet die but the hunger staruen that remaine are relieued by the fruits gathered in the haruest of the former yeares euen as heretofore in the times of Ioseph the Egiptians did sow nothing but in the very seuenth yeare of the famine So it behooued Daniell Ezechiell Zorobabell Ezra Nehemia and the remnaunt of the godly in Babylon when an ordinary ministry was wanting to be Prophetes and Pastors vnto themselues ioyning with most feruent praiers the continuall reading and meditation of the holy scriptures as in that story we reade to haue bene done vnlesse we woulde rather say that Moses and the other Prophetes whose wrytinges were then extant although they them selues were dead long a goe were notwithstanding their Pastors in this exile vntill the Lord in his time should haue mercy vpon Syon But amongest these breaches of the Church That the mark of succession and ordinarie vocation is nor abolished by euery fault that may fall out in the minister there is yet muche difference For where the Pastors doe their duties onely negligently or else offend only in manners neuertheles the double mark of the Church which is ordinary and to be séen remayneth By the double mark of the Church I mean the séed and the sowing and also ordination if so bee that these Pastors although negligent bee notwithstanding lawfully called And if they mingle only some leauen The leauen is to be taken beede off but the pastors notwithstanding are to be hard so farre foorth as they sit vppon the chayre not of Peter but of Christ neither doth such a congregation therefore ceasse to bee deemed as a member of the Catholique Churche or els the Catholique visible Church is no where although perhaps no other but negligent Pastors corrupt in maners and mixing some leauen be found throughout all the whole worlde Such were in the times of Christe the Pharisees and Saduces and the Doctors of the Lawe whose Leauen hee teacheth Math. 16.6 must bee auoyded which yet hee commaundeth to bee hearde Mat. 23.2.3 So long as they sit in Moses Chaire But this place peraduenture is not of euery one diligently inoughe marked for it is to bee noted oute of other places that the writinges of Moses and of the Prophetes were reade bee piecemeale in the Synagogues Which thing the Sections noted euen at this daye by a true order in the Hebrewe Bybles doe declare Nowe vnto this pure and sincere reading was added an interpretation full of Leauen of which sorte are these pointes which especiallye in Mathew are plentifully confuted by Christ Therefore Christ commaundeth those thinges to bee heard out of the Pulpit which were by custome syncerely recited out of Moses and the Prophetes in the Synagogues but the Leauen wherewith they did corrupt the puritye of Doctrine to be eschewed So it is not to bee doubted but that that outwarde Worshippe in the Temple was in the times of Christe diligently exercised without Idolatry which also Godly men did diligentlye perfourme although the right vse of the sacrifices and of the whole lawe was vtterly destroyed by the iusticiarie Pharisees and by the Sâ—duces which denied the resurrection that is to say the chiefe ende of sacrifices What maner of marchandize of high priestes office there was then and that againste the prescript of the lawe appeareth by historyes But this fault of persons in so great confusion of thinges did not abolishe the very facts of the priesthoode which did depend not vpon the priest but vpon the ordinance of God For there is some certain mean thing betweene men meerely pryuate and men lawfully called to wit when as some exercising the place of those that be lawfully called are either thorow ignoraunce or thorow winking at them borne with al and in their name execute some publique office as we read that it was ordayned in the lawe of the Romans concerning one Barbarius Philippus of which matter we haue in an other place spoken more fullye Therefore the Church in deed retayned and that in Pharisiisme and Saducisme hir note both of Gods seed and in some sort also of the very sowing thereof although it were some what defaced and yet neyther Pharisijsme nor Saducijsme was a parte of the sound Church But as often as euen openly In the Romish church such a one as now a good while it hath been all the notes of the true Catholique Church are not in some sort defaced onely but euen vtterly taken away as was foretolde by the Apostles the chayre of truth is vtterly destroyed so that on the one side syncere breade is not propounded vnto vs so that a man maye receiue it and on the other side some Leauen is so set before vs that a man may not reiect it but poysons are drunke to men vnwilling of the same who will account the congregation of these Wolues or of those which followe them for the true eyther Catholique or particular Churche Now I affirme that the Popedome that is to saie the Churche of Rome as at this daie they call it hath by little and little growen to be suche a one Seeing that those thinges beeing in deed fulfylled which both
Paule 1. Thessalonians 2. And also Iohn in the discription of the Image of the beaste haue now so many yeares paste set before our eyes to behold and the auncient fathers both Greeke and Latin interpreters Irene Chrisostome Hierome Augustine Becla and Cardinall Cusan himselfe also haue interpreted the same of the seat of Rome For which of those three markes of the catholique Church wherof we haue shewed that one of thē onely is vnmoueable and perpetuall the other we haue declared also to be some time discontinued remaineth in the popish Church For to speake first of that proper perpetuall and absolutly necessary marke that is the holy word writen seeing that that is in the popishe Church is not set forth vnto the people but torne in sundry péeces and that also in a strange tongue and further seeing that their shamelesnesse hath proceeded so far that they can not beare the same to be turned into vulgare cōmon speches neither yet indure that the Latin interpretation being barbarous and in many places false shoulde be amended by the Hebrue and Greek copies is there any man vnlesse he be by the iust iudgement of God blinded that will iudge these men to be the Catholique Church in which onely there is saluation and not rather take it to be that Babylon out of which all that will not perish ought to depart But some amongst them say We do not onely receiue the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles but also receiue them and in deed receiue them more large than yee receiue them For for one and two places sake they ad the bookes which are Apocripha As though in deed to haue books decked with gold and precious stones to worship papers trāsformed into idols to sing in a strāge tongue parcels torn in sundry peces or to hang them about the necke or to vse them in magical inchantments be the same that it is to teach the writings of the Prophets Apostles and by these to direct the whole seruice of God and to be short by these to order the whole life of man But againe they saye we haue euery sunday sermons and the readinges also and homelies of the Doctors and to be short admonitions as they call them in parishes Yea haue truly But when what maner ones of whome and to what end are they had Note Now to comprehend all thinges in a few words seeing there be three wayes of corrupting the holy books of scripture one is when some thing is taken away from thē the second is when some thing is added to them the third when some thing is changed in them Who at the length seeth not that these men are cōdemned as guilty of so many sortes of falsehood That I may beginne with the law That vnwriten word which they haue deuised wil haue to be the chifest part of the seruice of God that authority which they take to thēselues to make lawes to bynd mens consciences by what name shal we call it Now haue they not vtterly blotted out without any shame the second commandement to the ende they might openly and manifestly renew al kind of idolatrie while they haue changed the names onely of ancient Idols Haue they not oppressed the miserable consciences of Christians both by new and directly repugnant traditions and vnder that cloake Mat. 23.14 Haue they not deuoured widowes houses onely as in times past the Pharisees did but also haue swallowed vp empires and kingdomes To be shorte haue they not ouerthrowen from the very foundations the vse and end of the law And in the Gospell the other and the chiefest part of Gods word what haue they left sound First what maner of Christ do they set forth vnto vs verely a christ now in deed indued with a body without a body do they propound him 1. Cor. 1.30 as he which was made of God vnto vs wisedome Yea for sooth so far as he helpeth our natural light Do thei propoūd him as our whole righteousnesse for sooth so farre as this thing is attributed to vs who are therto prepared partly of our selues and partly by grace that the reward of eternall life may by desert be ascribed vnto the deseruinges of oure righteousnesse But what if our owne deseruinges be not sufficient Verely the deseruings of some certaine saints whose treasure is not yet in deede drawen drie purchased by a certayne price at the hand of these brokers shal be added vnto vs. And the merites of what saints I besech you do they set forth vnto vs surely such as the Bishoppes of Rome them selues shal put into their calender and such as euery one shal chuse to him selfe for Patrones and intercessors But doe they propound Christ as our sanctification yea for sooth againe so far as he augmenteth the remnants of our naturall holinesse Doe they propound him as our onely redemption in deed they doe it in worde but performe nothing lesse in deed For they except the satisfaction of punishment which being granted they make God himselfe most vniust For what is more wicked than to require of him which is not in fault satisfacory of punishmēts And to what ende hath the Lorde borne our sinnes vppon the tree Esai 53.4.5 to what end hath our chastisment rested vpon him But now seeing we are come to those satisfactions doe they not most manifestly mocke with God and men when they teach that in the sprinkling of coniured water in tapers in spittle in oyle in the signe of the crosse in choyce of meates in the murmuring vp also of certaine prayers not vnderstood in the praiers of counterfeit saints for the most part in the worshipping of images in the ringing of bels in a certaine kinde of apparel also and that after death suche satisfactions doe consist what more O the moste abhominable wickednesse that hath at any time bene committed of any man in the very real offering of Christ him self for the quick and the dead which is therfore so much the more effectuall as they say by how muche it is the more often reiterated but in deed is an open manifest treading vnder foot of the sacrifice made once for vs when they teach I say that satisfaction for the punishment of sins may be bought at theyr hands both for vs that liue and also for them that be dead scorched in that their fier of purgatory What maner of thing therefore is this Gospell And what manner of Christe is this of the Romishe Popedome Who also perceiueth not by the conference of the word of god that these men by their doctrine of Opus operatum that is of the worke wrought haue ouerthrowen all the vse of sacraments That I may saye nothing of the destroying of the trueth of Christe his bodye of his Ascention into heauen and of the article of his descending out of heauen And that by the opinion of Transubstantiation they haue ouerthrowen the definition of a Sacrament And that they
haue polluted the Sacrament of Baptisme with infinite corruptions And that they haue taken awaye euen at the firste one Element of the Supper of the Lorde And whilst that afterwarde by a more than abhominable wickednesse chaunging that Sacrament into that detestable propitiatorie Sacrifice they haue vtterly taken awaye all that holy action and therefore openly haue by violence pulled away the seale of the couenant of the new Testament To be shorte that they haue by as many false Sacraments as it pleased them to deuise taken to them selues the authoritie of Iesus Christe oure onely lawe gyuer Therefore what parte of Gods worde haue not these men corrupted or rather cleane taken away And then where is that onely true perpetuall and necessarye marke of the Catholique Churche Where is that Seede whiche beeing taken away the spreading of the Church also vppon earth muste needes be taken away Now if the question be touching that Ecclesiasticall gouernement that I may speake some what more fully of this matter than heretofore I haue done what I beseeche you can a man finde in the Popishe cleargie but that Image of the beast Hath not this high Bishoppe succeeded the other high Byshoppe of Rome which was wont to be therin the hyre of the Gentiles What say I Hath not that Romishe Pope snatched to him selfe by occupying nowe at the laste and in some ages here to sore by sittinge in Rome the verye name and all the authoritie of the verie Emperour of Rome For the thinges whiche yet remayne there beeing Reliques not so muche of the Romaine empire as of the Germane kingdome and gouernment what are they more I pray you but a bare shewe and name not onely because the emperours themselues doe of their owne accord at this day worship the féet of this beast but also because he suffereth not so much as one of his false cleargie to be subiect to any secular power as they call it yea rather who perceiueth not this wicked fellow not contented with this so great wickednesse to be the very same person whom Paul fore told should sit after the empire of Rome was destroyed In the temple of God 2. Thes 2.4 and exalt him selfe aboue all that is called God For is not this he that openly affirmeth that he muste bee iudged of no man no not of the Aungelles Who if his price be giuen him boasteth that he can open both heauen and hell who at his pleasure openly breaketh all lawes both of God and men who also more than once with in these few yeares hath vndone lawes established by nature it selfe which wickednesse also the prophane city of Rome in time here to fore in the raigne of Claudius the emperor abhorred who hath sold euen for a farthing those very canons whose name was wont to make a fraide the ignorant people And as for those purpled Cardinals what other thing are they than an Image not of the auncient senate of Rome but of that senate which serued the emperors and deuiding the gouernement betweene them but who is so ignorant of the state of Rome that doth not perceiue that that distribution of gouernments is a picture of the empire of Rome ouerthrown which thing also the Bishops of Rome themselues and the writers that be addicted to them do witnesse And as concerning other ecclesiasticall functions such as they were ordained of Christ by his Apostles what doth there remaine among them but most vayne names and bare titles For the office of a bishop which in the beginning that is while the Churche florished was as Hierome also witnesseth nothing els but the office of an elder whilst euen immediatly after the time of the Apostles it proceeded to those heights of dignities or as they them selues speake prelacies of which we haue before spokē is now a good while ago wholly vanisht awaye amongest them Nowe what is it with them to bee a minister Is it to be appointed to feede some flocke Is it to haue the ouersight of manners and to beare rule in the Censures of the Church No in deede but to haue aucthoritie to offer Christ agayn What is it to bee a Deacon Is it to take charge of the goodes of the Church and righty to dispence them to the ministers and the poore and to render an account of that which is receiued and layde out Fye fie for this except alwais the yéelding of accounts is rather the onely chiefe and common office to all of the whole Popish clergie specially of the Pope himselfe and that so openly and so carefully indéede or couetously rather exercised that they exact euen of those that bee deade manye yeeres before a greate Tribute and vnto them that be aliue they doe not fréely giue anye thing though neuer so little Therefore there is no suche eyther Byshoppe or Minister among them as the apostle alloweth of and as for Deacons not so muche as one at all And yet these bee the men that obiecte vnto vs the succession of the Apostles And if so bee that that one olde Canon so often times repeated in the aunciente Synodes and altogether agreeable to the woorde of God did preuaile to wit that that ordination which is boughte by money that I may omit the principall parts of a iust ecclesiastical calling that is to say trial and election ioined with the free consent of the whole Churche which are wholly abolished by them if a man consider the thing it selfe should be iudged I say altogether void what marke of Apostolicall ordination shall there bee founde amongst them vnlesse happelye they meane that it is one and the selfe same thing to mocke at the order instituted by the Apostles and to keepe that Order diligently which hath beene deliuered frō hand to hand and vnlesse they wold prooue that lawfull and currant coyne were to be knowen from counterfeit mony by the bare image grauen vpon it and not rather by the matter it selfe especially as often as they shewe the same image to both parties To be short therefore what maner of one is that Catholique church in which in steed of true Christ a most false idoll at least wise in respect of his office is set vp and where in steed of Gods pure word partly the traditions of men and partly the traditions of the Deuill are placed and where also in steed of succession Apostolicall ordination nothing hath place all most but most manifest and detestable euen to the Deuill him selfe as it were both bying and selling of soules redéemed by the blood of Christ in so muche that they woulde haue it to be accounted an vnlawfull thinge to searche into these matters yea so farre haue they procéeded that they would cōdemne men though their cause be not heard yf high treason against God and man wheras on the other side if a man should graunt these things there shold be nothing so wicked so blasphemous and so horrible to be thought which a man might
Kinges and Princes And that that holy Citye hath in the meane time continued sure not for a smale time but for two and forty monethes or a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes But we leaue the acccount of those dayes to sharper witted men we vrge onely the matter it selfe Therefore to speake plainely we say that so long as that great Michaell did appeare by little and little killing that Dragon with the swoorde of his worde which hee hath agayne committed to his faythfull seruauntes or with the spirite of his mouth that so long the Catholique Churche that is to saye euery number though neuer so smal of such as helde fast both the personne and also the office of the true Christe laye hidde in the filthinesses of the Romish Babylon whilest the wicked one with his angels vsurping the seate of the ministery and the harlot that sate vpon the seuen hilles did make the world drunke with her dreggs But they say that this true Churche ought always to be visible To this if I shall aunswere that the true Church indeed hath alwaies beene visible and so shall be so farre forth as she consisteth of true visible members and that it is not a counterfayte thing In what sense the true Church is called visible and also that it is visible so farre forth as it hath outward and euident marks yet not in such sorte visible as though they that embrace true religion should always so agree that euery man might pointe out with this finger both who they are and where they are if I saye I shall aunswere this I shall indeede speake as the matter is and that which I haue a little before by reasons and examples declared But I make not this place my refuge for I saye that if wee will fetch recordes euen from the Apostles themselues who haue as it were with their finger poynted oute this wicked one and all his false Church that then we shall find that there scarce hath beene any age but that therein so soone as this Antichriste began to shew his head the Lord hath alwayes stirred vp some who did set themselues against his tyrannie If they denie this thing let them laye a wager but withall let them giue pledges or sureties for the perfourmaunce I doubt not but we shall shew foorth euen to al men that the thing is so vnlesse they had rather be willingly blynd yea and that by good and sufficient witnesses and by cleare euident and manifest testimonies drawen out of their very owne courtes and records But the aduersaries cannot so be brideled but that they will reply That the true laying on of hands remayneth vvholy with vs. demanding at the last what laying on of hāds we are able to alleadge that they haue receiued by whō in our time our churches haue bene established For so I remember Spensa a Doctor of the Sorbonistes did cry out against vs by whome afterward there was published concerning these matters a voulome verye grosse and full of slaunders Hovv farre forth the laying on of handes hath beene counted necessari to a lavvfull calling First I answere that which he himselfe elswhere hath noted out of Hierom against the * So called of one Lucifer vvho helde that the soul vvas of the substance of the flesh Luciferians which place also Gratian hath put into his decrees to wit that the laying on of handes after baptisme perteineth rather to the honor of priesthood as they call it than to bind anye by necessitye of lawe to obserue it After this sort therefore I saye did Hierome iudge whome they call vppon amongste their Sayntes But they will replye forsooth that he disputeth of laying on of haneds in confirmation and not of laying on of handes in ordination as they are woonte to speake Whiche that I maye graunte to bee so although Spensa thoughte otherwise what shall this replication or exception helpe them for they themselues do not onely number confirmation among the Sacraments but also when it pleaseth them they account it more excellent than Baptisme it selfe But let vs omit this thing They confesse vnlesse they will dissent from Bernard in his Epistle 77. who notwithstanding standeth bothe vppon the worde of God and also vppon the authoritie of Austen and Ambrose that those whiche are of the yeeres of discretion are blotted out of the Churche for contempt of Baptisme and not for the want of it And what shall let vs that wee maye not muche more speake the same thing of the laying on of handes vsed in giuing orders vnlesse peraduenture they shall saye that that is more to bee required vnto the holy Ministerye than Baptisme vnto saluation But howe can these excellent seruauntes of God seeme to haue contemned the laying on of handes which in our time by a verye Heauenlye inspiration haue deliuered the Churche from the Tyrannye of Antichriste when as they had none of whome they could lawfully euen by the warrant of the olde Canons themselues aske or receiue the same for I haue before shewed yet affirme this thing that there can not be found one amongst the whole clergie of Rome which is able by the pure and auncient canons to defend their ordination to be lawfull What say I It appeareth that euen in the most pure Churche also the laying on of handes was not counted so necessary for who I besech you laid his hands vpon Philip that of a Deacon he shold be made an Euangelist Act. 8.4 who laid handes vpon them in that firste dispersing of them selues abroad at Hierusalem the very Apostles also being ignorant therof preached the Gospell with so great fruit in Samaria but these men Peter and Iohn were afterwarde sent who should lay their hands vpon them Act. 8.14 Yea for sooth vppon those who beléeued and were baptised for as for thē which first had preached the Gospell vnto thē there is no mentiō at all made of them But let vs put the case that this place were to be vnderstood of these men also The Apostles therefore ratified that which the other as occasion serued had done euen before examination and before ordinary election not meaning to make the laying on of hands to be absolutely necessary And if these men be the successors of the Apostles as they will be called and accounted why haue not they them selues also that by the example of the Apostles made haste to approoue at the least the zeale of godly men Or why did they not helpe the attempt of that Archbishop of Colen rather thā they should haue betrayed him to that Romish Antichrist for a reward also of which wicked déed Gropperus had the Cardinals hat bestowed vpon him a couer in deed worthy for suche a cup. For sooth they will say because ye are heretiques Therfore the question must be of the doctrine and not of the laying on of handes and then as I hope we shall get the victory But they
will againe reply that that thing was lawfull at the first when the Churches were springing but now an order beeing once established the same thing is not lawfull I aunswere that I confesse there ought great regard to be had of the times that they are not to be borne with all who violate the lawes of the Church beeing well establshed But what if I shall say that the lawes of right and lawfull ordination are not violated by vs but that when they were taken away and defaced by them that fayned them selues to be the keepers of that order we haue applyed our selues to the restitution and restauration of them For that this thing is so it appeareth by this that excepting the ceremonies which are iustly abrogated al thinges cōmanded in the word of God and prescribed in the auncient pure canons are obserued exactly in our Churches but amongst them manifestly neglected Now who when Pastors by common consent are chaunged into Wolues woulde saye that the sheepe shoulde looke for such manner of ayde from Wolues and that shoulde bee condemned whiche after the example of the Prophets doth willingly set him selfe againste wolues Let this controuersie therefore be firste disputed of before the question be made touching the forme of ordination and let these men leaue of to boast of the apparell and outwarde shewe of Pastors when as inwardly they be rauening wolues Mat. 7.15 Verely Christ commandeth true Pastors to be distinguished from false not by the laying on of hands Mat. 7.16 But by their fruits that is by doctrin and maners But what wil their Pastors that be made by Bulles and licences answere to these things They being inforced to condemne extraordinary vocations That miracles are not necessary to prooue anye holy lavvfull vocation either ordinarie or extraordinarie and that more than once and without exception also at the laste they flie vnto myracles which they will haue of necessitie to be requyred to this extraordinary vocation But if a man bydde them alleadge oute of what place of Scripture they haue at the length drawen this rule then it necessarily followeth eyther the they can speake no more than fyshes or els bewraie extreem shamelesnesse Now firste it is manifest that the gyfte of myracles hath alwayes beene free that is set in the power of God alone who hath gyuen the same at certayne tymes and to certaine persons Therefore we can make no rule of it Next seeing that not onely Christ hath foretolde but also the olde and new storyes witnesse that this gyft was common both to true and also to false Prophetes what madnesse shall it argue to bee desirous to haue the false sending to be discerned from the true by miracles By vvhat meanes false vocations may be properly discerned Then you will say it shall be lawful for euery one to teach in the Church no in deed For who soeuer where there is place for order dispiseth that order he declareth by this very thing that he is not of God and therfore not to be heard Therefore the Donatistes who were in deed Schismatiques are by this reason iustly cōdemned because though it had bene most true which they obiected vnto Occilianus yet the order of the church was not for that cause to be broken and they were not to be borne with when for the defection of some Churches they cryed out that all the world was fallen away But where a generall disorder vnder the shew of order beareth sway and no remedy can be looked for from the authours of this mischiefe then doubtlesse this must be performed that euen as when a fier is raysed in a City those men cessing or setting the city it selfe a fier which by the ordinances of the city ought to haue come to the quenching of that fier it is the part of euery good Citizen to carrye water yea euen without order and to cast it vppon the flames so in this much more dāgerous fire of the Temple of the Lorde it is the duetie of euery godly man as muche as in him lieth to set him self against that euil and also of the godly magistrate to prouide that a lawfull order bee restored So haue the godly Prophets in times past done so haue the godly kinges Ezechias and Iosias done and vnlesse the very christian Emperors when heresies bare greate sway had interposed their authoritie none had more beaten down the Church as at the length we sée it to haue bene done than they that gouerned the chiefest seates And if notwithstanding all this there haue beene no ordinary vocation in the times of these ancient Synodes we muste know that that fell out in deed because that a lawful order then established in the church was not altogeather abolished as it is manifest that it hath beene performed now sundry ages since thorow the tyranny of the false Romish Bishop ther remayning amongest them not so much as a very slender shadow of the principall parts of Ecclesiasticall vocacion to wit of triall and election but after a most filthy sale of all thinges they vsing onely a vicelike kinde of laying on of hands thereby to deceiue the comon people VVe vvant not euen that laying on of hands vvhich the false church of Rome doth vntruly make simply necessarye to a lavvfull calling But though these thinges were not forcible which indeed are yet notwithstanding most strong what doth an extraordinary vocation appertaine to vs For it is most manifest that those firste restorers of Gods house in the dayes of our forefathers to wit Wickliffe Hus Hierome of Prage Luther Bucer Oecolampadius Swinglius Pellican Haller and very many other had the selfe same laying on of hands that these men require giuen them by their Bishops to teache the people by whome afterwardes the Churches were by little and little restored In which Churches also we affirme that the true vocation of pastors Doctors and Deacons was restored Now I call that a true calling which is according to the prescript of Gods word But here againe our vnorderly ordinaries suppose The laying on of hands belongeth to the presbiterie and not to that state of Byshops which men haue deuised that they haue found out somewhat wherin they may manifestly blame vs. For they deny that albeit those men whom euen now we named were ministers that therfore we are lawfully ordayned seeing that bishops onely may ordayne ministers muche lesse say they can we be bishops I in deed do willingly leaue vnto them al this state of bishoppely gouernment whereof I plainely say that the holy Ghost was not the aucthor but mans wisedome and vppon which vnlesse we perceiue that God hath layed a curse verely we do as yet see nothing at all and we foster a Viper in our bosome which will again kill the mother But of this matter we will speake in an other place Now onely I demaund of these men from whence they haue fet this for sooth from the second Canon