15. for he is a chosen vessel vnto me to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kinges and the children of Israel Which is a matter worthie to bee noated to the ende that we shoulde carefully looke vnto our selues that we take not vppon vs to iudge of any man rashlie and before the time CHAP. III. Of the visible Church and of the true markes thereof THe visible Church is the cōpanie of all those who by the preaching of the Gospell are called to be of Christs flock as indeed they are supposed to be amongest whome notwithstanding manie are not of the number of the elect as appeareth by the parable of the seede whereof Iesus Christ maketh mention in the 13. chapter of the Gospell according to S. Matthew and by that which he saith that all they which say vnto him Lorde Lord Math. 13.24 Matth. 7.21 Matt. 20.16 shal not enter into the kingdom of heauē Also that many are called but few are chosen Also by that Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.6 that all they which are of Israel are not therefore Israel And S. Iohn They went out from amongest vs Iohn 2.19 but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. We haue an example hereof in Iudas as Iesus Christ himselfe witnesseth the same in Saint Ioh. Here then we haue to marke this Iohn 6.70.13.18 that the outward profession of Christan religion is not sufficient to saluation Furthermore this Church is knowen by her own proper marks which are two verie principall and substantiall The first is the pure preaching of the worde with a right and common consent thereto There was neuer yet any religion which was not vpholden maintained and pointed out by some doctrin So we se that the gentiles haue had their seruices hymnes songes praises vnto their Gods The Iewes haue the barke or huske of the lawe and their own Thalmude The Turkes haue the Alcoran of their Mahumet and the heretikes also boast thēselues of the doctrin of the Gospell and yet all these are false signes or markes But the true church hath for her first and principall marke the worde of God purely preached to the which the church consenteth conformeth hir selfe as we proue it plainely by these places of scripture Iohn 10.27 Iesus Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I knowe them and they followe mee And Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 2.20 you are saith he builded vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christe himselfe being the cheife corner stone And indeede if this be true as of necessitie it must needes be that by the Scriptures wee are brought to the knowledge of Christ as Christ himselfe affirmeth Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures diligently for they are they which beare witnesse of me ought we not then by the same scriptures to be guided and leade to the knowledge of the true and right Church This matter the auncient fathers respected when they taught the the true Church ought to shewe and declare it selfe by the holy scriptures as Saint Augustine saying There is great disputation betweene vs and the Donatistes Contra pitilia cap. 2. to knowe where the Church is What is then that we haue to doe herein Shall we search it out in our owne wordes or rather in the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christe the head thereof verily we ought rather to seeke for it in the wordes of him that is trueth and knoweth very well his owne body For the Lord knoweth them that be his And againe 2. Tim. 2.19 Cont. Pitili cap. 3. Aug. epist 166. I will not shew or declare the Church by the doctrine of men but by the word of God Also by the scriptures saith he we haue learned Christ by the scriptures likewise we haue learned to knowe the Church We haue these scriptures common amongest vs wherefore then doe we not retaine and holde in them both Christ and his Church And Chrysostome saith Supr Matth. exposit 2. Homil. 49. cap. 24. He that will knowe which is the true Church of Christ by what meane can he knowe it in such and so great a confusion of outward shewe if it be not onely by the scriptures Lib. 2. de Iacob cap. 7. Saint Ambrose saith also The true and Catholike Church is there where GOD him selfe appeareth and speaketh to his seruantes by his owne worde The other marke of the Church is the lawfull administration of sacraments Cont. Faustū Manich. lib. 9. cap. 11. Saint Augustine hath sometimes saide that men can not vnite or knit them selues together in any religion what so euer be it true or false but by the meanes of some sacramentes or visible signes So the Gentiles had their sacraments and sacrifices The Iewes had Circumcision and some other outward signes of their religion But the true Church hath for the second of her markes her owne sacraments instituted by Iesus Christe the head thereof that is to say baptisme and the holie supper And therevnto must be referred that which Saint Augustine saith The Lorde hath vnited or knit together the newe people that is Ad inquisit Ianuar. ca. 1. the people vnder the newe Testament by the sacraments which are few in number easie in obseruation and very great in signification to wit by baptisme consecrated or administred in the name of the blessed Trinitie and by the communicating or partaking of his body and of his bloud Besides Saint Paule doth in like sort rightly teach vs this when he saith first of baptisme 1. Cor. 12.13 that we are all baptised by one spirit into one body and afterward of the supper we that are many 1. Cor. 10.17 are one breade and one body bicause we al are partakers of one and the selfe same breade meaning thereby that these two sacraments are in such sort the two common signes of the Church that by the same we are visibly gathered together into the house of God that we may there be accounted in the number of his housholde seruants and contained in the vnitie of the body of the Church withall the faithfull and by consequent drawne taken and separated from all other people prophane nations CHAP. IIII. Whether these true markes of the Church are to be found amongst the Romish Catholiks THese then are the two certaine and infallible markes of the true Church by which men must examine all assemblies that pretend the name and title of the Church least otherwise they be seduced and deceiued Wherfore if a man will knowe whether the true Church be among the Romish Catholikes or no we neede not haue recourse to any other proofe or touchstone then this onely But it shall behoue vs to holde and to keepe in memorie one foundation or sure ground to wit that these two markes must alwayes be retained and kept in their puritie without being any manner of way
might knowe the thinges that are giuen to vs of God 2. Cor. 2.14 Also that the things of the spirite of God are spiritually discerned that is to say by the efficacie mouing and working of the holie spirite Wherefore it followeth that the holie spirite teacheth vs and maketh vs to discerne betwene these bookes which we ought to receiue without gainesaying and the other which we ought to reiect and refuse Some perhaps will say that this article or point is daungerous bicause that heretikes oftentimes bragge that they haue the spirit of God which they haue not indeed and we knowe howe they haue alwayes indeuoured to make their doctrines of authoritie and credite through their inward reuelations which they haue imagined to proceed from the holie Ghost But we can easily aunswere this to wit that in this matter we can easily auoyde al daunger if we vse and followe the remedies which S. Iohn doth furnish vs withal when he saith that we ought not to beleeue euery spirite 1. Ioh. 4.1 but to trie and proue the spirites whether they are of God or no. And what shall be the meane and way of this triall and examination euen the word of God as we see that therby the men of Berea Act. 17.11 did proue S. Paule his spirit and doctrine And to this meane doth Chrysostome send vs when he saith thus Many boast of the spirit Chrysost de sanct adorand spiritu but they which bring any thing of their owne doe falsly pretend the same As Christ witnessed that he spake not of him selfe bicause that his doctrine was taken out of the lawe and Prophets in like manner if any vnder the title and name of the spirite shall bring vnto vs any thing which is not contained in the Gospell let vs not beleue it For as Christ is the accomplishment and fulfilling of the lawe and Prophetes so is the holie Ghost of the Gospell But how can we by this way or meane discerne and knowe the spirites that is to say whether the doctrine which they shall propound and set foorth vnto vs be from the holie Ghost or no After two sortes or by two meanes you shall knowe this First if it tend to this end to exalt establish and set vp the glorie of God Ioh. 7.18 For as Iesus Christe saith He that seeketh the glorie of God is true and no vnrighteousnesse is in him Secondly if it be conformable and agreeable Rom. 12.6 to the proportion of faith that is to say if it agree and accord well with the heads foundations of Christian religion whereof we haue spoken more largely heretofore in the fourth Chapter The second thing that I aunswere touching the foresaide reason of the Romish Catholikes is that the consequence thereof is not necessarie neither well grounded when they say that the Church yeldeth testimonie to the word of God and doth commend the same vnto vs that therefore the certaintie and authoritie of the worde of God dependeth vpon the authoritie iudgement of the Church For as we haue but a little while agoe alledged out of Alfonsus de Castro The word of God is certaine not by reason of the Church which beareth witnesse thereof but bicause of it selfe and his owne credite The Apostles yelded testimonie Ioh. 15.17 Act. 1.8 and bare witnesse of Iesus Christ And who is he that will therefore say that Iesus Christe his authoritie doth depend of the authoritie and iudgement of the Apostles The Goldsmith trieth the golde and putteth a difference betweene that which is good and pure and that which is naughtie mettall But doth he therefore by his triall and proofe make that the golde is either good or euill A parliament receiueth some edict or lawe which commeth from the King that it may be published and proclamed Inquirie is diligently made whether it come from the King or no Afterwardes all knowe that it commeth from the King what doth the parliament then It is true that it alloweth the edict that it acknowledgeth the same that it beareth witnesse to it and commendeth and setteth out the same yea and if neede be interpreteth it according to the Kings intent and meaning But doth the parliament for al this cause it or make it to be the Kings lawe Doth it giue authoritie to it Hath it any authoritie to chaunge any thing in it or to add any thing to it or to clippe or take any thing what so euer away from it It is certaine no. Euen so standeth the case with the Church For although it be an excellent testimonie to the word of God yet it can not at any hande giue it authoritie as to say that the certaintie of the word of God hangeth vpon the authoritie and iudgement of the Church For when the Church acknowledgeth and alloweth the word of God and doth put a difference betweene it the doctrines and inuētions of men she doth no other thing but heare the voice of her pastor Ioh. 10.5 discerneth knoweth it frō the voice of a stranger Nowe there is great difference betweene discerning the Pastors voice from astrangers and adding authoritie credit thereto bringing to passe and that according to trueth that it should be such or such that is either true or false The second reason is The Church is more auncient than the scriptures For in the time of Adam Abell Seth Noah Abraham Isaac Iaacob there was no scripture For Moses was the first penman or writer of matters concerning religion and yet notwithstanding there was a Church Wherfore it followeth that the authoritie of the church is aboue the authoritie of the holie scripture First and formost I aunswere that the consequence of this argument is none at all For graunt it that one thing be more auncient and olde than an other yet it followeth not for all that that it should be of greater authoritie and credite otherwise we must inferre that Moses hath more authoritie than Iesus Christe and the lawe more than the Gospell Secondly as touching the antecedent or former proposition I say that it is sophisticall captious and full of deceit For albeit that in these first times of the world there was no scripture which the father 's vsed yet for all that the word of God ceased not to be bicause it was written and ingrauen in the fathers hearts and moreouer sounded verie clearely in the Church which word was in good time brought and committed to writing first by Moses and afterwards by others and therevpon called the holie scripture wherefore seeing that the holie scripture and Gods word is nothing but one and the selfe same thing it followeth verie well that if our first fathers haue had the word of God they haue had also in substance the holie scriptures Aug. cont epist fundamen cap. 5. The third reason S. Augustine hath saide I would not beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie of the Catholike Church did not moue
belong but by sheep are meant the electe Matt. 25.32.33 as appeareth by that which is said Math. 25. The Church then is nothing else but the sheepefold or congregation of the elect Fourthlie the auncient writers haue so declared it and set it out For behold how Saint Augustine hath spoken thereof August in psal 122. All faithfull Christians saith he are the Church And Chrysostome The Church saith hee consisteth not in Walles but in the multitude of faithfull people Homel 20. de expuls ipsius Lib. 7. de stroma Clemens Alexādrinus saith also I cal the church not the place or the temple but the congregation of the elect This Church is called Catholike or vniuersall for three reasons First in consideration of the place for it is not tied to one certaine place as citie prouince or kingdome but is dispersed and scatered abroad throughout all the worlde euen as Iesus Christ hath said that he hath receiued all power both in heauen and in earth and as the seconde psalme sheweth that all nations and all the endes and coastes of the earth Math. 28.18 are by the Father appoynted to his sonne for his inheritaunce and therefore also did Iesus Christe sende foorth his disciples through out all the worlde to preache the Gospell and to minister the sacramentes Wherefore Donatus erred Psal 2.8 Matt. 28.19 when he went about to tie the Church to a certain corner of Affrica onely The Romish Catholikes also doe at this day abuse themselues when they indeuour to tie it to Rome alone For though it were so that the Church of Rome were a true Churche wherof we wil speak in a whole plaine chapter afterwards yet it could not be but a particular Church at no hand the vniuersal church wherof we speak They also are likewise deceiued who thinke to chase and banish this Church out of the world For seeing that it is vniuersall it shall neuer want place but it shall alwayes be gathered together receiued in some quarter or corner of the earth Secondlie it is called Catholike in consideration of the persons for it receiueth and containeth al the faithful of what estate sex or condition soeuer they be as S. Paul sheweth when he saith That there is neither Iewe nor Greeke Galat. 3.28 Colos 3.11 bonde nor free man nor Woman but that all are one in Christ Iesus And in the Apocalipse this Church is described and set out in this behalfe as a certayne Citie hauing twelue Gates Reuelat. 21.13 three on the East side three on the North side three on the South side and three on the West side And therefore the Iewes are deceyued whē they suppose that the Church ought to bee restrayned to the onlie fleshly race and linage of Abraham Thirdlie in consideration of the time for it shal indure and continue in the world not as some doe imagine a hundred or two hundred yeares a thousand or two thousand yeares onelie but euen as long as the worlde it selfe shall last as we will declare more at large when we shall speak of the perpetuitie or continuance of the Church Furthermore we hold that this Church is one euen as it is sayde Cantic 6.8 Iohn 10.16 2. Cor. 11.2 Reuel 21.9 1. Cor. 12.12 that there is but one onely Doue perfecte and the onely Daughter of her Mother one sheepefolde one spouse of Christe one bodie And indeede this vnitie or onenesse of the Church doeth not consist in a common and bodilie dwelling together nor in certayne outwarde ceremonies but in a certayne verie spirituall vnitie and in an assured consent of doctrine and faith For amongest all those which truely beleue in Christ there is one bodie and one spirite one hope one Lorde one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and in all and through all and therevppon it is that Saint Paul saith of the whole church Ephe. 4.4.5 Gal. 3.28 That we are all one in Iesus Christ All the particular churches then which consent in true doctrine ought to be holden esteemed for one onely Church seeing that the Church is but one Wherevpon Saint Cyprian saide There is no more but one onely Church which is spreade abroade or stretched out farre and wide as there are manie beames in the Sunne De simplicit praelat and yet the light thereof but one and in a tree there are manie branches or bowes and yet but one bodie which is stayed vpon his owne roote and from one onely fountaine runne manie riuers which no whitt at all hinder or let that the vnitie or onenesse shoulde not abide in the fountaine Now herevpon it followeth that al Scismatikes which by factions sectes partakinges do breake the vnitie of the Church doe sinne greeuously 1. Cor. 1.13.3.3 as also S. Paul declareth the same writing vnto the Corinthians We say also that this church is inuisible and that there is none but God alone who knoweth the same therefore Iesus Christ saith Iohn 10.14 That he knoweth his sheepe and that he knoweth them whome he hath chosen And Saint Paul Iohn 13.18 The Lorde saith he knoweth those which are his And as concer-cerning our selues we beleue it as we protest confesse 2. Tim. 2.19 in the christian articles of our beleefe when that by outward signes we cannot point it forth or marke it out For albeit we do not many times see behold the same yet it ceasseth not for all that to be as it was declared vnto Elijah when hee cōplayned that he was alone making profession of the name of God 1. Kings 19 10.18 Rom. 11.3.4 No no saith the Lorde vnto him I haue reserued vnto my selfe seauen thousande men which haue not bowed the knee to Baal But let vs marke that wee speake of the bodye of the church generally and not of the members thereof particularly For there is no doubt but that wee may by signes and outwarde testimonies profitably iudge of election euen as men iudge the tree by the good fruite and yet this must be vnderstoode singularly and specially when the questiō concerneth our selues For according to the testimony of S. Peter 2. Peter 1.10 We make our calling election firme sure through good workes Moreouer this church containeth also many persons which are not yet called vnto the visible church euen as our Sauiour Iesus Christ sheweth in S. Iohn Ioh. 10.60 when he saith Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this folde them also muste I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall bee one sheepefolde and one sheepehearde And hereof wee haue an example in Saint Paul for when hee persecuted the Church it seemed verilie that hee did not appertaine to the Churche being not yet called to be a sheepe of the visible sheepfolde of Christe Notwithstanding the Lorde saith vnto Ananias Goe thy way to him Actes 9
sound goeth foorth of his mouth If he be deade as saith S. Gregorie when he preacheth not Greg. epl 24 by what title may a man say that the Romish Bishops and priestes succeded the the Apostles and haue the possession of their chaire or place if they be deade or altogether dumbe or else not the followers of the Apostles in doctrin truth for let vs a litle beholde howe the auncient fathers haue ioyned and knitte the succession of person or place with the succession of doctrine and office Irenae lib. 4. cap. 43.44 Irenaeus saith Wee are commaunded to yeeld obedience to the elders which are in the Church who haue their succession from the Apostles and together with the succession of the office of a Bishoppe haue receiued according to the good pleasure of the father certaine grace and knowledge of the trueth Tertullian saith also If some heresies dare be so bolde to intermingle them selues with the times of the Apostles thereby to make men beleeue that they were deliuered from the Apostles them selues because they were vnder the Apostles or in their dayes we may say let them shew then the beginnings of their Churches let them vnfolde or discouer the succession of their Bishops in such sorte running and flowing by continuall order from the beginning that the first Bishoppe hath had some of the Apostles for his author and predecessor or some one of them who were the folowers of the Apostles who also did notwithstanding perseuer and continue with the Apostles And a litle after The Churches saith he which were planted after the Apostles time those which are yet planted at this day although that they bring not any author for them from amongest the Apostles themselues or Apostolicall persons yet notwithstanding being found consenting in the same faith they are not to be helde taken or acknowledged for any other then Apostolicall pro consanguinitate doctrinae saith he that is to say for the nighnesse in bloud or by reason of that doctrine which they maintaine keepe and holde with the Churches which the Apostles them selues ordained and set vp S. Augustine writing to one Generosus Aug. epist 156. doth so extoll the succession and continuall order of Pastours that he nameth thirtie Bishops of Rome putting Anastasius for the nine and thirtieth but he addeth euen presently or immediately after In all this ranke or band there was not to be found one Donatist Epist fundament cap. 4. And against the Manichees he writeth thus There are very many things which holde and keepe me in the lappe of the Catholike Church the consent of people and nations the authoritie which was begunne by miracles nourished through hope augmented by charitie and confirmed by antiquitie moreouer the succession of Pastours euen from the seate of Saint Peter to him that is at this day present And a little after But on your parte saith he to the Manichees ye alledge or bring foorth no such thing but onely ye retaine or stand to a promise of truth which indeed if it did declare it selfe so euidently that a man could not any more dout therof I confesse consent that it ought to be preferred before antiquitie succession and all other things Hierom. epist 1. ad Heliodor habetur S. Hierome they are not saith he the sonnes and children of holy men that hold and possesse the places of holy men but they which followe their doctrine and practise their workes Distinct 40. Can. And Chrysostome in a certaine place There are saith he many Elders and fewe Elders many in name and fewe in deede Behold my brethren how ye are placed and set in the chaire For it is not the chaire or place that maketh an Elder but the Elder the chaire or place Behold after what maner and sort the auncient writers haue spoken But would we knowe in one word by the word of God of what value is the most common and old succession that a man can suppose if the puritie of doctrine be wanting S. Paule teacheth it vs Gal. 1.8 writing to the Galathians when he saith If we our selues or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Moreouer I would gladly demand of the Romish Catholikes for what cause they holde not the Churches of the East for true Churches They will not say that it is bicause that succession is not on their side for they want not that but it is on their side euen as olde and auncient at the least as in the Romish Church Wherefore they must needes say that it is by reason of the doctrine receiued amongest them to wit bicause they hold not the Pope for their head bicause thei deny Purgatorie bicause their ministers be married bicause they celebrate and minister the holy supper with leauened breade bicause they giue both kindes to the people and such like things Nowe if as touching the East Churches the Papistes iudge of the Churches not by succession but by doctrine wherfore do they when they dispute with vs stay themselues rather vpon succession then vpon the doctrine seing that the question in controuersie betweene vs is to examine the markes of the Church Secondarily touching the matter of succession we say that if we shall enter into the sifting of the succession of Popes Bishops in the Church of Rome we shal easily finde that if men will thereby iudge of their vocatiō or calling it shall not serue their turn very much or stand them in any great stead For this we shal be sure to find that they haue oftentimes succeeded tyrants schismatikes excōmunicate persons and Bishops or Popes not lawfully called For what was Gregorie the seuenth who was named before he came to the popedome Hildebrand Vispergens Vispergensis witnesseth that he vsurped the Papall seate through tyrannie and not by a lawful vocation And the Councel holdē at Wormes Concil Wormat. in the yere 1080. saith also of the said Hildebrand that he was not chosen by God but that he did without shame thrust in him selfe thether by deceit and money that he ouerthrew the Ecclesiasticall order that he was an offensiue person a mouer of debate and an obseruer of diuinations and dreames yea a manifest Necromancer or coniurer What was the woman Pope Ioan about the yere 854 Platina Platina in her life saith that she was an English woman who in her youth followed and accompanied a young scholler in studies and profited so well therein that at Rome she was esteemed amongest the most skilfull and learned for which cause she was exalted to be Pope they supposing she had ben a man But she was found great with childe and at the last deliuered in an open streate and as they were going in solemne procession vpon the shoulders of those that caried her where also she died What was Benedict the ninth The storie writers declare that after he
and lawfull succession of the chaire or place is on our side For there the ordinarie Bishops haue receiued the Gospell and preach it so that we shall not neede to dispute of their vocation no more then for the calling of the Priestes which are at this present in the Romish Church called by the Pope but euen only of their doctrine CHAP. VI. That the Church hath bene alwayes from the beginning is now and shall be euen vnto the worlds end but that it ought not to be esteemed or acknowledged by the great number WE must not thinke that the Churche had her beginning where the Apostles began to preach the gospel throughout all the world at which time the disciples were first named Christians in Antiochia but that she began to be in the world euē from the verie time of our first parents Adam and Heuah For in them and by thē God began to be serued on the earth hauing blessed them and cōmended vnto thē his seruice and after their fall hauing preached vnto them repentance and assurance of victorie against the serpent through Iesus Christ his sonne But the world increasing the Church also was augmented seruing God For as S. Paul saith God created the world Act. 17.26 hath made of one bloud al men that they might seeke and serue him And he himselfe saith in Isaiah This people haue I formed for my selfe Isai 43.21 they shall rehearse and shewe foorth my praise GOD then created in the worlde and that from the beginning a Church thorough free adoption to this ende that his name might be duely praised by conuenient fit and meet witnesses for so excellent a worke For this cause also the Church is called the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Isai 61.3 Isaiah 61.3 Moreouer this Church notwithstanding the sharpe and hard persecutions which it hath suffred hath not yet ceased alwayes to be as it is at this present and shal be vnto the worldes end For as Dauid saith The Lord hath chosen Sion Psa 132.13 c. that is to say the church and hath desired it for his seat it hath bene saith he my rest for euer Matt. 28.20 Iesus Christ also hath promised his disciples to be with them alwayes euen vnto the end of the world But chiefly Saint Paul hath declared and set out the perpetuitie and continuance of the Church when he assureth vs Ephes 3.21 that GOD shall be glorified in the Church through Iesus Christ throughout all generations for euer and euer They then are ouermuch past shame which limit the continuance of the Church to a certaine time as those of whome Saint Augustine speaketh August de ciuitat Dei lib. 18. ca. 54 who durst boldly affirme that the christian religion should not last but 365. yeares They likewise doe abuse and deceiue themselues which thinke that by the assaults which they giue vnto the Church they are able to beate it downe consume it wholy take it away out of the world for is it possible that God should be without a Church Psal 100.1 c. hath not he himselfe promised that his sonne shall raigne and beare rule for euer ouer all his enimies Verily the Church which is the spouse or wife of Christ is become or made so mightie and stronge through her husbande that being euen one bodie with him she is more forcible and mightie in her weakenesse then al the world in his pride and hautines But as we haue alreadie saide once heretofore we will hereafter speake more amplie and largely of the Churches force and power in persecutions To bee short amongest so manie and so diuerse chaunges of the kingdomes of this worlde God alwayes preserueth his Church and bringeth to passe that nothing in al the world is durable and perpetuall but she not that she is alwayes florishing or hath a continuance which followeth al by one threede that is commeth altogether but because that God not minding that his name shoulde be put out in the worlde doeth alwayes in his Church raise vp some of whome he is sincerely and purely serued Nowe when the question is to discerne the true Church from the false some there are that stay themselues vpō the multitude and great number But they are very farre from their right reckoning or account For GOD measureth not his Church by the number Matt. 18.20 He loueth his faithful people keepeth himselfe in the middest of them although they be a verie small number on the otherside he hateth those that doe dispise it and disdayneth them though the number of them be neuer so great And indeede on the side of the multitude and great number the false and bastardly Church is rather founde than the true and lawfull one And that it is so let vs first marke the places of scripture which withdrawe vs from the multitude and teache vs to stay and cleaue to the little flocke Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not followe a multitude to doe euill neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and to ouerthrowe the trueth Matth. 7.13.14 Enter in at the straite Gate for it is the wide gate and broad way which leadeth to destruction many ther be which go in thereat because the gate is straite and the way narrowe that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that find it Feare not litle flocke Luk. 12.32 for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Wee see by these places that the greatest number is not alwayes the best neyther the soundest and that the Church of God is founde rather amongest the small number then among the multitude Secondly let vs note the reasons following which are taken frō examples that we finde in the scripture touching this verie matter On which side was the Church Gene. 7.1 Heb. 11.7 when Noah alone with his litle familie which was not in all but eight persons followed the true religion God approuing him by his faith condemning all the rest of the worlde On which side was the Church 1. Kin. 19.10 when Elijah saide O Lord the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant they haue destroyed thine Altars and slaine thy prophets with the sworde and I am left altogether alone and yet they seeke my soule to take it away On which side was the Church when the foure hundred prophetes deceiued Ahab ◠King 22.8 and Michaiah being alone and contēned did yet notwithstanding resist them and speake the trueth On which side was the Church when Ieremiah was sent frō God to say Iere. 4.9 In that day the heart of the king shall perishe and the heart of the princes and of the priestes shall bee astonished Iere. 10.18 and the Prophetes shall wonder and that therefore the Prophetes resisted him layed crimes vnto his charge and imagined mischeife against him On which side was the Church when the chiefe Priestes and scribes
things we cānot after any sort say or affirme of Rome Moreouer if we must respect and regard the Apostles there is as much or rather more reason to make S. Paule the first Bishop or Pope of Rome as S. Peter For in the first place besides that he was not in any thing lesse or inferior to the most excellent or chiefe Apostles 2. Cor. 11.5 we finde not that S. Peter did at any time reproue him in his ministerie Gal. 2.11 as he reproued or blamed S. Peter And besides we haue a certaine and an assured testimonie in the holie scripture touching S. Paul Act. 23.11 Act. 28.30.31 that he was sent by GOD to Rome there to beare witnesse of him that he there preached the kingdome of God two whole yeres together that from thence he writ diuers Epistles to the Churches that he was there prisoner and at the last beheaded by Nero. And as touching Peter we haue no assured testimonie that he went to Rome or that he taried there exercising there the ministerie If they wil replie that Iesus Christ gaue him the keies of the kingdome of heauen and that by that meanes he was preferred before Saint Paule and made head of the Church we haue aunswered that heretofore which we minde not hereto repeat Besides though it were so that S. Peter was ordained to beare rule ouer all Churches as an Apostle yet it can not therevpon followe that his successours ought to haue any such right or authoritie as he bicause they which succeeded the Apostles haue not the same charge and the same office that the Apostles had For when Iesus Christ ordained his twelue Apostles he ordained them for a time onely and after thē he hath not substituted or ordained others in their place to haue so ample and large a charge as theirs was Likewise we read not that the Apostles established other Apostles in their stead but onely Elders and Auncients that is to say Pastors and Ministers who had their callings charges and offices limitted Wherefore albeit Saint Peter might well be an vniuersall Bishop yet so it is that those that came after him can not rightly attribute vnto themselues such an office But to conclude by what marks can the Pope brag that he is the successor of Peter whose office he doth not any maner of way execute and whome he followeth not in any thing whatsoeuer CHAP. VIII Whether the Church of Rome be the true and Catholike Church And whether we doe well to separate and withdrawe our selues from it WHen we cal the assemblie of Papistes the Romish Church we mean not that we hold or take the same for the true Church For we take the word Church in his generall signification for a companie or fellowship or congregation And indeed we hold and affirme that among the Papists the true church is not but only some little tract or path of a Church to the end that that which Saint Paule saith may be accomplished to wit that Antechrist doth sit as God in the temple of God This being true 2. Thess 2.4 much lesse can we say that the assemblie which is amongest the Papistes is the Catholike Church which point we proue by these reasons folowing The first reason The true Church is founded or buided Ephes 2.20 vpon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as S. Paul saith but the Papacie or Popedome hath not any such foundation bicause that it hath ouerthrowne the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as may plainly appeare by the examination of their traditions The Popedome therefore is not the true Church The second reason In the true and Catholike church 1. Tim. 3.7.15 the truth should reigne beare sway for S. Paul saith the church is the piller and ground of truth but in the Papacie truth reigneth not but on the cōtrarie side falshod lying as appeareth by the doctrine of the Masse of Purgatorie of invocatiō or praier to Saints of idols of merits and other such matters Wherfore it foloweth that the papacie or popedome is not the true Church The third reason The true Church 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5.22 is the spouse or wife of Christ But the Churche of Rome is not the spouse of Christ For the spouse of Christ contenteth her selfe with Christ her only husband euen as an honest woman doth content her selfe with her only husband without admitting or suffering any other with or besides him which the Romish Church doth not bicause she receiueth the Pope of Rome for her husband and ioyneth him together with Iesus Christ Wherefore it followeth that the Romish Church is not the true Church The fourth reason The true Churche is the sheepfold of Iesus Christes sheepe Ioh. 10.16 But the Popedome is not the sheepfold of Christes shepe for it heareth not the voice of Christ the true Pastor or sheepheard but the voice of a stranger that is of the Pope whose lawes it foloweth and keepeth more then the lawes of Christ The papacie then or popedome is not the true Church Ephes 1.23 The fift reason The true Church is the body of Christ but the Romish Church is not the body of Christ For the body of Christ contenteth it selfe with Christ the onely head therof otherwise it should be a monster with two heades as we haue declared before in the seuenth chapter which thing the Romish Church doth not bicause it receiueth and holdeth the Pope for her heade Wherefore it followeth verie well that the Romishe Church is not the true Church The sixt reason Though it were that Church of Rome were the true Church yet it could not be but a particular church euē as the Church of Corinthus Ephesus and others wherevppon it followeth that it is not neither can be the Catholike and vniuersall Church The seuenth reason In the true Church these three markes are founde without fayling that is to say the lawful calling of pastors the pure preaching of the worde the right administration of sacraments but in the Romishe Church these three markes are not to be founde as it is easie to shewe by the examination that a man might make thereof Wherof it followeth that the Romishe Church is not the true and right Church Nowe seeing that wee haue sufficiently shewed that the Church of Rome is not the Catholike Church neither yet the true Church mē must not deme it strange that we can not agree with it but that we depart and seperate our selues from it and that in so doing we ought not at any hand or any manner of way to be held accoūted for Schismatiks because we do not forsake the auncient and Catholike Church no not the auncient Romaine Church but doe altogether agree with the same For would we knew what manner of Church the church of Rome was in auntient time Tertullian teacheth it vs Tertul. de praescr haeretic when hee speaketh therof after this maner A blessed Churche
for which the Apostles haue spred abroad all the doctrine with their bloude where Saint Peter suffered such a death as the Lorde him selfe did where Paul was crowned with martyrdome where Iohn the Apostle was put into burning or flaming oyle yet was taken out of the same without any hurte or blister and afterwardes sent into exile Let vs looke vpon that which she learned and that which shee taught and what concorde and agreement she hath had with the Churches of Affrica She hath acknowledged confessed and allowed one onely God the creator of all thinges Iesus Christ the sonne of God borne of the virgine Marie shee hath beleeued also the resurrection of the fleshe she hath receaued the law and the Prophetes with the writinges as well of the Euangelistes as of the Apostles and from thence she draweth or fetcheth faith she marketh hers with the sacramente of baptisme and shee clotheth them with the holy Ghoste shee nourisheth them with the sacramentes of the supper shee exhorteth by martrydome and she receiueth not any person against such instruction Beholde Tertullian his wordes wherefore wee haue not forsaken this auncient Church of Rome but the newe and particular Romish Church which since hath lifted vp her selfe which aduoucheth the Pope for her heade and alloweth him for the Vicar of Iesus Christ on earth which worshippeth him and obeyeth his lawes againste the lawes of GOD. For shee hath degenerated and gone out of kinde and hath loste all her authoritie euen as the cleargie of the saide Church hath sometimes foretolde writting to Saint Cyprian saying Cyprian lib. 2. epist 7. Rom. 1.8 That the prayse that Saint Paule gaue to that Church to wit that their fayth was spreade abroad and published throughout all the worlde should bee turned to their shame dispraise if they went out of kind became bastards and if they continued not to bee heires of the same faith And by this departure from her we haue declared the obedience which wee owe vnto God who hath commaunded vs to doe so saying Goe out of Babylon my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues And haue receiued the counsell of Saint Ambrose who saith If there bee any Churche which refuseth the faith and keepeth not the foundation or groundworkes of the Apostles preaching wee must leaue her least she bring with her the infection of error and vnbeliefe This hee hath written vppon the ninth chapter of the Gospell according to Saint Luke But some will say ye account the reformed Churches of Germanie for the true church though ye find there many things to be amended as concerning the supper it selfe and some other ceremonies why thē make you not the like accoūt of the Church of Rome I aunsweare that it is very true that there is some controuersie betwene the Germaines and vs touching some poyntes of religion but it is not in respecte of the essentiall or substantiall poyntes thereof I call them essentiall or substantiall points that are so of the substance of religion that if men erre in one point the same cannot subsiste or stande for euen in that which concerneth the holy supper wee all beleeue that wee are partakers of the bodie and bloude of Christ The difference is not but in that Consubstantiation whiche they maintaine which is not of such great importance and weight as transubstantiation which the Romish pretendeth which euen in that one point ouerthroweth and vtterly bringeth to nothing godlinesse putting an idole of bread in the place of the sonne of God making of the creature a creator a Christ subiect to corruption rasing frō the foundation turning topsie turuie as wee say that which concerneth the proprietie the nature and the glorie of Iesus Christ his bodie All which abhominations and idolatries the Germans that are reformed doe detest and set them selues against as well as we But if some that are willing to make diuorce as it were and separation between the Germanes and vs will alledge that the foresaide Germans haue not the like opinion of vs that we haue of them and that they holde and account vs for heretikes as may bee seene and proued by certayne writinges which they haue set abrode and published we answere that the passions affections and heates of some particular persons who haue written somewhat more freely thē they should ought not so to be regarded and esteemed that thervppon they will make a generall conclusion of all the rest and so prooue that there is a diuision betweene all them and vs. For albeit there bee some diuersitie betweene them vs in this point touching the supper and in some certayne ceremonies yet vnitie doeth not therefore cease to continue and remayne alwayes amongest vs. Socrat. lib. 5 cap. 22. Socrates who writ the Ecclesiasticall historie sayth thus There is not any religion which obserueth the same ceremonies though it doe receiue and admitte one and the selfe doctrine touching ceremonies And indeede they which haue the same faith sometimes differ amongest themselues touching some ceremonies and obseruations Irenaeus writing to Victor the Bishop of Rome Euseb lib. 5. cap. 26. rehearseth that there was great diuersitie in the Churches touching fasting and the celebration of the feast of Easter afterwards he addeth Notwithstāding though there were diuersitie amongest all these touching ceremonies yet so it was that they did alwayes agree with vs and the discord or difference about fasting did not breake the concord or vnitie of faith So then following these places wee affirme that we leaue not of to acknowledg the companie of the reformed Germanes for the true Church although that we be not in euerie poynt and throughly agreed with them touching some matter considered in the supper and some ceremonies obserued amongest them And the rule of charitie teacheth vs this as Saint Paul hath giuen vs a good example thereof 1. Cor. 1.2 2. Cor. 1.1 Galat. 1.2 when he calleth the Corinthians and the Galathians Saintes and faithfull ones and giueth vnto them in generall the name of the Church although there were amongest them great and greeuous faultes as well in ignorance of the doctrin as in their owne life and manners This is that also which hee hath set foorth in an other place saying That all they which hold and keepe the foundation do not alwayes build gold and siluer and pretious stones but haye stubble But some say why follow you not the same rule on the behalf of the church of Rome we answere that in the ceremonies seruice of the Romishe Church the puritie of religion is not there obserued kept but the whole seruice of God is amongest them corrupted and falsified and therefore can not with out offending God applie or frame our selues vnto them And Saint Augustine hath giuen vs this lesson teaching vs howe farre wee may communicate in the ceremonies and seruice of other Churches
force notwithstanding the vngodlinesse of men Likewise he hath by his prouidence brought to passe that there should remaine amongest them other remnants also as the Lordes praier the Apostles Creede the Commaundements of GOD c. least the Church should vtterly perish And as sometimes buildings are pulled downe in such sort that the foundations remaine and some shewes of the ruines and destructions so the Lord hath not suffered that his Church should be so rased or destroyed by Antichrist that nothing of the building should remaine And although that he might take vengeance of the vnthankefulnes of men who despised his word he hath suffered such a horrible shaking and fall to be made yet it was his pleasure that some part or portion thereof should remaine as a signe token and marke that the whole was not abolished Wherfore when we refuse simplie to graunt vnto the Papistes the title of the Church we doe not therefore vtterly denie them that they haue not any Churches amongest them but we onely reason of the true and right estate of the Church which importeth a fellowship as well in the doctrine as in al that which belōgeth to the profession of our Christianitie Daniel 9.27 2. Thess 2.4 Daniel and S. Paule haue foretold that Antichrist shall sit in the temple of God We say that the Pope is the head of that execrable abhominable and cursed kingdome at the least he is so in the West Church Nowe seeing it is saide that the seate of Antichrist shall be in the temple of GOD thereby is meant that his kingdome shall be such as shall not altogether abolish the name either of Christ or of his Church Hereby therfore it appeareth that we denie not but that the Churches ouer which he beareth rule by his tyrannie remaine Churches still but we say that he hath prophaned them by his vngodlinesse and so poisoned them with his false doctrines that there appeareth amongest them a picture or image of Babylon rather than of the holie citie of God To conclude we say that they be Churches first bicause that the Lord hath miraculously preserued amongest them the remnants of his people though they be poorely and thinly scattered abroad Secondly bicause there remaine amongest them some markes and tokens of the Church specially these tokens the power and effectualnesse wherof can not be abolished neither by the craft of the diuell neither by the malice of men But on the other side bicause the markes which we haue principally to regard in this dispute or question be blotted out there we say that there is not amongest them a right shewe and lawfull forme of a Church neither in any of their particular assemblies neither in the whole body And these are the wordes of Caluine But though we might indeede accord and agree to this that the Romish Church were the true church in respect of the baptisme which it hath yet there should be no reason to inferre therevpon that we ought also to take hold it for the true Church in respect of the other points of doctrine for it is most manifest that for the most part they are altogether contrarie to the expressed word of God And as cōcerning baptisme albeit they adde many vaine and superstitious ceremonies ministred in a tongue vnknowne to the people and not vnderstoode of them yet so it is that notwithstanding the substance remaineth that which is the principall or chiefe point of the forme as we haue shewed Now if one would demaund why then suffer we not our infants to be brought to the Romish Church there to be baptised seeing that the baptisme which is there ministred is good I aunswere that we suffer it not bicause God hath giuen vs grace to knowe the superstition and idolatrie 1. Cor. 10.14 1. Iohn 5.21 which is there committed to which we may not at any hande sticke cleaue or consent what soeuer apparance and shew of good we suppose may come thereby either to vs or to our children Rom. 3.8 for Saint Paul saith That we ought carefully to looke vnto our selues not to doe euill that good may come thereof And also bicause that through gods grace and goodnes we haue a meane way opened to haue our foresaid children baptised in the reformed Churches without any abuse error supperstition or idolatrie They will say yet further that Iesus Christ ceased not to approue allow the Church of Ierusalem in his time though it had in it store of errors which he well declared when he was there present at the sacrifices and feastes Wherefore then do not we approue also the Romish Church although it haue errors in it For if a Church shall for some abuses faultes or errors loose the name of the true Church where shall we then finde one alone in the whole worlde I aunswere firste that wee holde not that a true Church looseth the name of a true Church for some abuses or errors therein For S. Paul left not of to name the faithfull people of Corinthus the Church although he blamed and reproued them for many errors and corruptions not onely in respect of their manners but also concerning their doctrine And wee shall see hereafter that particular Churches are neuer so perfect in this worlde but that they be oftentimes subiect to error and goe astray But we rightly holde and affirme that the Romish Church ought to leese the name of a true Church because shee hath degenerated and gone out of kinde from the auncient and Catholike Church For the true auncient Catholike church cleaueth to her onely heade and husbande Iesus Christ shee beleeueth his worde followeth him shee is faithfull to him without committing adulterie with idols which the Romishe Church doeth not which thing wee haue a little while agoe shewed Secondly as concerning that that Iesus Christ did approue the Church of Ierusalem in his time we say in the first place that there is verie great difference betweene the estate of that Church then as it was and the estate of the Romish Church such a one as wee beholde it at this day For the abuse and corruption as well of doctrine as of sacramentes and the manifest idolatrie which beareth swaye at this present in the Romishe Church was not at that time in the Church of Ierusalem which is easie to prooue because that Iesus Christe would not haue made much a doe to beat down the idoles to reforme other abuses if they had had place there as he ouerthrew the tables of the monie chaungers Iohn 2.14 cast out of the temple those that there solde openly sheepe and doues Moreouer Iesus Christ woulde not reiecte or disallow the Church of Ierusalem because that the time was not yet come wherein he shoulde put an ende vnto the ceremonies of the lawe Leuiti 17.3 Deut. 12.13 Wherefore for as much as the faithfull had the commaundement of God whereby it was appointed them not to search
or seeke newe places to offer their sacrifices oblations in but to come and to staye them selues within the Court of the tabernacle or of the temple Iesus Christ woulde not despise this place But wee knowe that whatsoeuer corruption was there no faithfull man was inforced to cleaue or sticke to anye superstitious manner or custome which is not practised at this day in the Church of Rome For as all there is of superstition and manifest idolatrie so they will constraine and enforce the faithful by fire and sworde to consent thereto and to pollute and defile themselues therewith against their owne consciences and gods expresse forbidding Lastly to what point did Iesus Christ bring the Church of Ierusalem when the high Priestes Scribes and Pharisees shewed them selues great madde men not doing their duties towardes it did hee not take his vineyard from these husbandmē who did not giue him the fruites whiche belonged vnto him and committed the same vnto others that is to his Apostles and their successors to yelde him fruite in their seasons Euen so likewise hath the Lorde done therewith in the Popedome He hath not destroyed his Church but hath only chaunged the estate thereof taking it out of the hand and guiding of the Bishoppes and Popishe Priestes and placing it againe vnder the gouernement and charge of other guiders and leaders who can see more clerely and be of better trust as it is spoken in Saint Mathewe Matt. 22 4◠vnder the similitude or parable of the vineyarde To conclude if they aske what shall become then of our predecessors who died in the faith of the Romish Church are they condemned I aunswere that wee leaue the iudgement thereof vnto GOD for it belongeth not to vs to determine iudge of that which is hidden from vs which indeed passeth our knowledge and calling It is verie true Ioh. 3.18.36 that the holy scripture pronounceth that they which die without the faith of Christ are damned and we cannot but say amen and giue our consent to this Neither serueth it to any purpose to alledge ignoraunce and to say that it excuseth the sinner before GOD For the scripture is plaine and manifest therein Luk. 12.47.48 The seruaunt saith Iesus Christ that knew his masters will prepared not him selfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many strippes But he that knewe it not and yet did commit thinges worthie of stripes shall be beaten with fewe stripes Also Matt. 15.14 if the blinde leade the blind they shal fall both into the ditch Saint Paul saith also As many as haue sinned without the lawe Rom. 2.12 2. Thess 1.6 shall perishe also without the lawe and as many as haue sinned within the lawe shall bee iudged by the law And againe it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest and deliuerance with vs when the Lorde Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that do not know God and which obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christe which shall bee punished with euerlasting destruction c. These places doe openly inough declare what is the ende of those that die without faith although they bee ignorant for their ignorance can not excuse them nor serue them for a cloake or couering to absolue and set thē free from the iudgement of God for confirmation proofe wherof wee may alledge also and put downe that which is written in Leuiticus Leui. 4.2 touching the offering commaunded by God for the sinnes which were committed through ignorance Lo what wee haue to say for one point But to that which remaineth touching our fathers and predecessors God might well shewe mercie vpon them at the end of their dayes making himselfe knowne vnto them by the secrete vertue and power of his holy spirite and putting it into their harts to beleue in Iesus Christ his sonne that so they might be saued For God is almightie to saue his owne people yea without vsing any of these meanes which he is accustomed cōmonly ordinarily to vse to plant faith in vs and to ingraue it in our harts to our owne saluation And this is S. Cypriā his answere touching those that die in some false opinions Cypri lib. 2. epist 3. If some one of our predecessors saith hee either by ignorance or through simplicitie hath not kept and helde that which the Lord hath taught vs to doe by his example and authoritie the mercie of the Lord may pardon him But wee cannot helpe the same being admonished instructed by him Behold what S. Cyprian pronounceth herein It is true that hee speaketh properly touching the matter of the holy supper but nothing letteth but that wee may applie his speach generally to the matter of all the other articles of the faith The IX CHAP. Of the degrees of ministers in the Church where mention is made of the orders of the popish clergie and of the offices and dueties of true pastors Matt. 9.38 WE haue sene and heard heretofore that it apperteineth vnto the Lorde of the haruest to sende foorth workemen into his haruest For it belongeth not to any what giftes soeuer he hath receiued from the Lord to thrust himselfe into the worke of the ministerie vnlesse he be lawefully called thereto Ephes 4.11 Now the Apostle Saint Paul writing to the Ephesians sheweth vs what workemen the Lorde hath sent into his haruest that is to say Apostles prophetes Euangelistes Pastors and doctors Apostles Touching the Apostles they were chosen immediately from Christe and their office was to sowe and spreade the Gospell abroad throughout all the world neither had any one of them any limites or borders set thē or some certaine Churches appointed to them Matt. 28.19 Matt. 10.2 Gal. 2.8 but Christ would that in euery part or place where so euer they came they should do their message before all peoples and nations Such were the twelue named in the Gospell to whome Saint Paule was added who was specially appointed to beare the name of Christ among the Gentiles Nowe bicause this degree of Apostles was instituted and ordained by God for the establishing of Churches those Churches being planted and established this name of Apostle ought not any more to be vsed among the ministers as to be giuen and communicated to them And yet we read that sometime it is taken generally in the scripture for a Pastor and preacher of the Gospell As Epaphroditus is called the Apostle of the Philippians Philip. 2.25 Act. 14.14 and Barnabas is named an Apostle Act. 14. Prophetes are distinguished into two sortes or orders Prophets Some were vnder the old Testament and in that time who being instructed and taught by a speciall reuelation from God did foretell things to come the other were in the newe Testament who in
the corruption of the Churche see Isaiah 1. verse 21. to the 24. verse Isaiah Isaiah 3. ver 8.9 Isaiah 5.13 Isaiah 30. ver 9. to the 13. ver Isaiah 59. ver 2. vnto the 17. ver Isai 64. ver 6.7 Iere. 2. ver 5. Ieremiah to the end of the Chap. Iere. 3. ver 2.3.20 Iere. 4. ver 22. Ieremiah 5. ver 1. vnto the 15. ver and afterwards from the 19. ver to the end of the Chapter Iere. 6. ver 7. vnto the 11. ver Ieremiah 8. ver 4. vnto the 11. ver Ieremiah 9. ver 3. vnto the 17. ver Ieremiah 13. ver 10. vnto the 15. ver Ieremiah 22. euen vnto the end Ieremiah 16. ver 11.12 Ieremiah 18. ver 13. vnto the 18. ver Ezechiel 5. ver 6. vnto the 12. Ezechiel ver 22. ver 3. vnto the end of the Chapter Ezechiel 33. ver 24. vnto the 30. Deuteron ver Deuteronomie 32. ver 5.6.32.33 Touching the ingratitude and vnthankfulnesse of the Church see Isaiah 1. ver 2.5 Isaiah Isaiah 5. ver 47. Isaiah 43. ver 21. vnto the end of the chapter Isaiah 17. ver 10.11 Isaiah 63. ver 9.10 Ieremiah 2. ver 6.9.21.22 Ieremiah Ieremiah 12. ver 7. Ezechiel 16. ver 15. Ezechiel vnto the 24. ver Zechariah 11. ver 8. Zechariah vnto the end of the Chapter Deuteronomie 32. Deuteron ver 15.18.23 Hosea 12. ver 1.9 Hosea 13. Hosea ver 6. Malachie 1. ver 2.8 Touching the obstinacie and rebellion of the Church Isaiah see Isaiah 1. ver 5. vnto the 7. ver Isaiah 6. ver 9.10 Isaiah 8. ver 10.11.13.16 Isaiah 26. ver 10.11 Isaiah 28. ver 9.12.13 Isaiah 30. ver 9.15 Isaiah 42. ver 19.20 Isaiah 48. ver 4. Isaiah 65. ver 11. Ieremiah 2. Ieremiah ver 24.29 vnto the 33. ver Ieremiah 5. ve 3. vnto the 8. ver and ver 20. of the same Chap. vnto ver 25. Ieremiah 6. ver 10. in euerie verse almost vnto the end of the Chapter Ieremiah 7. ver 24. vnto the 28. ver Ieremiah 8. ver 4. vnto ver 8. Ieremiah 17. ver 1.23 Ieremiah 10. ver 11.15 Ieremiah 25. ver 4.8 Ieremiah 29. ver 17.20 Ieremiah 35. ver 13.16 Ieremiah 43. ver 2. Ieremiah 44. ver 7.10.11.16.20 Ezechiel 2. Ezechiel ver 3. vnto the end of the Chapter Ezechiel 3. ver 5.10.26.27 Ezechiel 4. ver 3. Hosea Ezechiel 12. ver 2. Hosea 4 throughout the whole Chapter Hosea 5. ver 4. Amos 4. Amos. ver 6. vnto the end of the Chapter Zephaniah 3. Zephaniah Zechariah Prouerbs ver 5. Zechariah 7. ver 11. vnto the end Prouerbs 1. ve 24. vnto the end Matth. 11. Matthew ver 16.17.21 and so vnto the 25. ver Matth. 12. ver 41.42 Matth. 23. ver 37. Touching the Pastors specially and particularly see Isaiah 56. ver 10.11 Ieremiah 6. ver 13. Ieremiah 14. ver 14. Ieremiah 23. ver 1.2 c. Ezechiel 22. ver 25.26.28 Ezechiel 34. ver 23.4 c. Hosea 9. ver 8. 1. Kings 22. ver 6. Iohn 7. ver 47. CHAP. XIII Whether the Church be aboue the holie scripture that is to say whether the holy scripture depend of the iudgement and authoritie of the Church THE Church indeede hath a very great authoritie among men in so much as it behooueth vs to heare the same if we will not be accounted rebels against God Yet notwithstanding seeing she is the wife and scholler of Iesus Christe shee ought alwayes to bee subiect vnto him as vnto her husband head and teacher And therfore this is an article which we must hold inuiolable and without breach to wit that the Church ought to depend and hang on Christ and his word and to haue her authoritie from the same word and not on the other side that the worde of Christ should depend and hang vpon the credite and authoritie therof from the Church Notwithstanding many are found which holde altogether the contrarie setting as we say the cart before the horses and plowe or waine before the oxen and vtterly ouerthrowing all order For they suppose that the holie scripture hath no more certaintie and authoritie than it pleaseth the Church that by her allowance and consent it shall haue And these be the Romish Catholikes who speake of the Church after this manner giuing it authoritie ouer aboue the word of God to make men to beleeue that what so euer it decreeth determineth and concludeth we must hold her iudgement sentence and resolution as a certaine oracle comming from heauen and to be short as an article of our beliefe And beholde their reasons for this The first reason The Church by her iudgement hath brought to passe that the holie scripture hath bene acknowledged for the true word of God and hath distinguished separated and sundered it from al all other writings what so euer which men haue published and brought into the world For who is it that in the beginning hath assured vs that the holie scripture is the word of God but the Church alone And who is it that euen to this day can certifie and assure vs that the same word of God is come safe sound and whole euen vnto our age but onely the same Church Wherefore it followeth that the authoritie and certaintie of the holie scripture dependeth vpon the authoritie and iudgemēt of the Church I aunswere two things or two manner of wayes First that this is a most wicked opinion to say that without the Church the word of God could not haue a sufficient witnesse to commend and set forth the authoritie and credite thereof vnto vs Let vs heare what Saint Augustine saith hereof Aug. de assumpt virg Mar◠cap. 1. The authoritie of the trueth saith he is fruitfull and plentifull and if she be diligently examined men shall finde that of her selfe she maketh her selfe to be sufficiently knowne Alfonsus de Cast li. 1. ca. 8. cont haereses Wherefore Alfonsus de Castro hath sometimes saide seeing that the holie scripture is come foorth from GOD it hath of it selfe alreadie deserued that we should giue trust vnto it and beleeue it And when the Church publisheth this that it is giuen by God she doth wholie euen as a witnesse which beareth witnesse to some thing So that the trueth of the scriptures is certain not bicause of the witnesse but by reason of it selfe and the credite it hath and not bicause the church receiueth it and publisheth it but bicause that GOD hath giuen it and made the same manifest vnto vs. Besides is this a small matter that we haue the testimonie of the holie spirite dwelling in our hearts Ioh. 16.13 1. Ioh. 2 27. It is saide that it is his peculiar office to guide and leade vs into all trueth and to teach vs all things Wherevpon it followeth that he teacheth vs this trueth that the holie scripture is of God and from him 2. Cor. 2.12 It is saide moreouer that we haue receiued the spirite of God that we
this manner of speach which Saint Peter vseth is not in any sort to be referred to the forme of baptisme but onely declareth that all the vertue power and efficacie of baptisme consisteth onely in Iesus Christ alone bicause that all that which baptisme doth represent and figure vnto vs 1. Ioh. 1.7 Rom. 6.4 is comprehēded in him alone For by the bloud of Iesus Christ we are washed purged from all our sinnes and by baptisme buried with him to the end that as he is raised vp frō the dead by the glorie of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life The fift reason The Church hath changed the Sabaoth to the Lordes day or that which we call Sunday although that God by expresse writing commaunded the obseruation and keeping of the said Sabaoth Wherefore it followeth that the Church hath power and authoritie ouer the holie scripture I aunswere in the first place That the Church hath changed nothing at all of the commaundement touching the obseruation of the Sabaoth in or cōcerning the substance thereof but onely in or concerning the circumstance For the thing or matter abideth always that is to say the substance of the commaundement seeing that one day of the weeke is reserued to be imploied bestowed vpon the holie rest which thing is enioyned by the commandement as being indeede the veritie and truth therof So that the obseruation and keeping thereof is only chaunged in respect of the time which chaunge doth not derogate any thing from the commaundement and neither altereth nor chaungeth any thing therin of that which God minded to commend and commaund to vs. Next the commaundement of the Sabaoth in respect of the figure was temporall and indured but a season and therfore it ought to haue an end as the other ceremonies of the lawe had Wherefore the figure was taken away and changed not by the authoritie of the Church properly or as you would say of it owne authoritie but by the trueth it selfe which declared and shewed it selfe in Iesus Christ wherevpon also the Apostle saith Col. 2.16.17 Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holie day or of the newe moone or of the Sabaoth day which are but a shadowe of things to come The sixt reason The Apostles decreed in the first Councel which they held in Ierusalem Act. 15.29 that the Christians should abstaine from a bloud and from that that is strangled which decree yea brought and put into writing the Church hath taken away and chaunged after the time of the Apostles giuing leaue to christiās to vse both bloud and that that is strangled It foloweth then that it is lawfull for the Church to change some thing in the word of God and by cōsequent that the Church is aboue the same word I aunswere that the place of the Actes touching that which the Apostles determined in the Councel which they held in Ierusalem is ill vnderstood and yet more ill applied to fetch and drawe from it such a consequence For the Church after the Apostles hath not established any thing against the decree of the Apostles in that they haue suffered Christians to vse and eate bloud and that that is strangled For the decree of the Apostles was made set vp and published for a time onely and therefore it ought to end The Church in the time of the Apostles was builded as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes Some weake ones amongest the Iewes thought that they were yet bound in their consciences to the obseruation of the lawe of Moses that is to say to the ceremonies thereof The Gentiles on the other side strengthening themselues with that Christian libertie which Iesus Christ hath brought vnto vs would without any difference vse all manner of meates and so amongst the rest bloud and that that was strangled Wherevpon the Apostles least that so free a vse of bloud and of that that was strangled might breede and bring some offence to the weake Iewes determined and decreed in their Councel that euerie one should abstaine from such meate for a time til that they might see a good agreement peace betweene these two peoples Nowe afterwardes the feare of such an offence being taken away the Church iudged that the obseruation and keping of the said decree was not any more necessarie or any longer needfull and therefore respecting the intent and purpose of the Apostles gaue libertie to the faithfull to vse all kinde of meates or else to speake better did by the word of God declare vnto them the libertie that they had to vse all maner of meats without in any thing altering or chaunging the intent and purpose of the Apostles when they made and established the foresaide decree not being appointed and set vp by them but for a time onely And thus much touching the reasons of the Romish Catholikes who affirme that the certaintie and trueth of the worde of God doth depend of the iudgement authoritie of the Church Beholde nowe our reasons to the contrarie The first is this The certaintie of the Churche dependeth vpon the authoritie of Gods word It followeth then that the contrarie can not be true to wit that the certaintie of the word of God should depend vpon the authoritie of the Church Nowe we proue the antecedent or former proposition by that which the holie Ghost saith Ephe. 2.20 that the Church is builded vpon the foundation and doctrine of the Ppophetes and Apostles Wherevpon it followeth that the Church dependeth vpon the authoritie of the same doctrine And herevnto belong the sentēces of the ancient Doctors which we haue cited and quoted before in the third Chapter by which this is shewed proued that the Church is marked declared and knowne by the holie scriptures 2. Tim. 3.16 The second reason The holie scripture being giuen by inspiration of God as S. Paule saith hath the authoritie from it selfe as we haue declared in the beginning of this Chapter in aunswering the first reason of the Romish Catholikes wherein we haue followed the iudgement of Alfonsus de Castro It followeth then that it taketh not credit or authoritie from the Churche neither more nor lesse than the edict and lawe of the King which hath the authoritie it hath from it selfe that is to say from the King from whome it proceedeth and commeth and not from the parliament to which it is sent although that the same be allowed praised yea and expounded sometimes by the saide parliament The third reason If the word of God ought to be heard aboue the Church then certainly it doth not hang of the authoritie of the Church but that the word of GOD ought to be heard aboue the Church it appeareth by this which S. Paule saith that it ought to be heard aboue the Apostles Gal. 1.8 yea the Angels them selues Wherefore it followeth that the word of God doth not hang of the
and Iohn who being couetous and greedie of worldly honours and desiring to liue at their case and rest Mark 10.35 c. demaunded of Iesus Christ That hee woulde graunt vnto them to sit in his glorie the one at his right hande and the other at his left But the scripture teacheth vs altogether the cōtrarie that is to say that so long as we haue to walk here below it standeth vs in hand to battell or fight yea to passe thorow the thornes and to be tormented by the malice of the Deuill wicked men his instruments yea so much the more by how much wee shal indeuour and labour sincerely to serue God Which thing also Iesus Christ hath well and sufficiently declared to the abouesaid sonnes of Zebedeus when he answered them Mark 10. 38. Yee knowe not what yee aske Can ye drinke of the Cup that I shal drink of and be baptized with the baptisme wherwith I shal be baptized Meaning therby that the common state cōdition of Christiās is this that they should be exercised in this world by the crosse tribulations before that they can bee crowned And this is the cause wherfore the church is called militant or warfaring so long as it is here below on the earth euē as we haue seene and heard in the first Chapiter And for this verie selfe same cause also Mark 4.36 c. it is compared to a litle shippe altogether tossed vp and downe in the midst of the bellowes or surges and of the tempests of the sea also to grounde continually ploughed ouer Psal 129.3 and thorowe which men make the plough continually to goe to rent or cleaue it to turn it vpside down Therfore also S. Paul saith in the Acts Act. 14.22 That by many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of God And in 2. Epistle to Tim. All those that wil liue godly in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3.12 shal suffer persecution Iesus Christ saith also vnto his Disciples Iohn 15.20 Remember the worde that I said vnto you that the seruaunt is not greater than his maister If they haue persecuted me Iohn 16.1.2 they wil persecute you also Also These things haue I said vnto you that yee should not be offended They shal excommunicate you yea the time shal come that whosoeuer killeth you wil thinke that hee doeth God seruice And this is the state and conditiō wherein God wil haue his Church to glorifie him here belowe on the earth And in deed the first lesson that Iesus Christ gaue to his Disciples was touching this matter of the Crosse and persecutions If any man saith he wil come after me Matth. 16.24 let him forsake him selfe take vp his Crosse and folow me The experience of all times and ages doth sufficiently shew vnto vs the truth of this matter whether we cōsider somwhat narrowly as well the estate of the auncient Church vnder the old Testament as the state of that which came afterward vnder the new Testament insomuch that it may rightly say Psal 129.1 They haue often afflicted mee frō my youth haue done mee a thousand euils as is saide in the Psalmes For euen from the beginning the Deuil hath alwayes beene like to himself that is to say a lier a murtherer Iohn 8.44 enuious a false and priuie accuser war hath alwayes continued betweene the womās seed the Serpents seed And howe can any man ioyne put together thinges which are of a cōtrarie nature Gene. 3.15 2. Cor. 6.14.15 How can any man make agreement betweene God and the Deuill betweene Christ and Belial betweene the faithfull and the vnbeleeuers Iesus Christ in the third Cap. of S. Iohn sheweth a reasō to declare why it is impossible that the good the wicked shuld suffer one with another agree together Iohn 3.19.20 to wit That all the workes which the worlde doeth are wicked and therefore lest they should bee discouered laide open by the light it hateth the light and loueth darknesse From hence is it that euen frō the beginning of the world enimites between the faithfull and the aduersaries of the trueth haue taken and had their originall and first foundation This is the cause why Cain slue his brother Abell that Lot the faithful seruant of the Lord was hated of the Sodomites that Ishmael mocked Isaac and persecuted him that Esaw went about to oppresse kill Iacob euen from his youth that Ioseph had his owne brethren for his enemies that the Prophetes could not agree with the wicked Kinges nor S. Iohn Baptist with the incestuous Herode nor Iesus Christ with the high Priestes Scribes Pharisees nor the Apostles and Martyrs with the infideles vnbeleeuers of their times And therefore it is meere follie to suppose and thinke that the children of God can euer bee beloued of the worlde Whereupon by good right for good cause S. Iames saith That the amitie of the world Iames. 4.4 is the enimitie of God and hee that will bee a friende of the worlde maketh himselfe the enimie of God Iohn 15.19 And for this cause also Iesus Christ hath saide to his Disciples If yee were of this worlde the worlde woulde loue his owne but because yee are not of this worlde but I haue chosen and separated you out of this worlde therfore the worlde hateth you To bee short if we woulde that the Church of God should bee without persecution then of necessitie must it bee that the worlde shoulde bee without hatred the Deuill without enuie and our nature without vice or sinne But to the ende that wee may specifie and declare certaine thinges A discourse of the ten great persecutions of the Church touching the persecutions of the Church let vs examine as it were one by one the ten persecutions which came vpon it after the death of Iesus Christ vnder the Emperors whereof the Ecclesiasticall historie maketh mention True it is that in the time of Augustus the seconde Emperour the church was muche persecuted vnder the greate Herode who thinking to put to death the King of the Iewes in the verie cradle commaunded men to slaie all the babes and litle children of Bethlehem and of all the borders thereof from two yeares olde and vnder Also vnder Tiberius the third Emperour by Herode Antipas the Tetrarch of Galilee who was the sonne of the first Herode who tooke away his brother Phillips wife and put to death Iohn Baptist because hee reprooued him for that sinne and offence And by Pilate also who condemned and caused to be put to death on the Crosse Iesus Christ the high Priests Scribes Pharises Elders of the people beeing the principall blowers of the fire and chiefe persecutors Moreouer vnder Caius Caligula that horrible monster who was appointed the fourth Emperor in the nine and thirtieth yeare after Christes birth raigned three yeares tenne monethes and
recompence that slownesse as it were long forebearing by very terrible torments yea it commeth and draweth nigh by little and little with feete of wooll as it were but being once arriued and come it declareth that it hath an arme of iron to bruise in peeces beat downe all vnrepentant wicked persons O blessed is he as a certaine Poet hath sayde who is made wise by an other mans daungers and examples I wishe that this might open the eies of the men of our time who doe openly bande and set themselues againste God and his Church For some there bee who are so arrogant and presumptuous that they take pleasure delight in no other thing then to murther and persecute poore innocent people as though they had made a couenant or agreement with death it self as Isaiah saith They lift vp thē selues aboue the clowdes Isaiah 28.15 neither haue they any tast or feeling of the iudgement of God and therefore they harden them selues in a cursed kinde of licentiousnesse But so much there is that their ende if they amend not shall make manifest an alteration and chaunge not looked for by which the Lorde when so seemeth good vnto himselfe knoweth rightly to execute his own iudgemēts yea that his hande although it appeare not that it seemeth as thogh hee had it shut vp in his bosome is notwithstanding nigh to ouerwhelme them and where as they lift vp them selues against heauen that hee will in a moment and twinkling of an eye make them to fal backwarde to the earth yea and cast them headlong to the deapth or bottome of Hell O that tyrants persecutors would thinke well of these matters But what What should a man doe to hard heartes and to blinded eies The wicked become more proude through the prosperitie which they haue in this worlde as though that no punishmēt for their cruelties were prepared for them It fareth with them as with Dionysius the tyrant who after he had spoyled and robbed a temple went to the Sea and seeing hee had a good wind beganne to say that the Gods fauoured Churche robbers or spoylers of temples So likewise these men when they beholde that their offences remaine vnpunished that their villanies wickednesses are not corrected immediatly they giue them selues ouer to worke wickednesse outragiously and to conclude in their carnal fleshly vnderstāding that there is no iudgement of God at all and that hee hath no punishments redy and prepared for their iniquities But as the holy Scripture determineth and pronounceth the quite and cleane contrary so ordinary and common experience of the examples of gods wrath doeth sufficiently shew vnto vs that when god spareth the wicked persecutors of his people for a time and maketh as though hee seemed not to looke vpon their extortions outrages and violences it is not because hee is fauourable vnto them neither because hee reacheth them his hande and helpeth them for it cannot otherwise bee but that one day as hee is a iuste iudge hee wyll giue vnto the enimies of his glorie and the good and saluation of his Children suche recompence and hyre as they shall haue deserued first in this life if it bee expedient that they may shamefully and wickedly ende their daies and afterwardes in the other worlde that they may vtterly perishe if they repent and amend not in this life and may bee tormented eternally in Hell fire where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth FINIS ¶ A Table conteining the principall matters handled in this present booke A AFflictions and the causes thereof Page 333. c. Afflictions of the church 274. Afflictions of the Church and the ends which God respecteth therein 340. Afflictions of the Church increase when the deliuerance thereof is nigh 325. Afflictions of the Church is alwayes ordered and gouerned by Gods hande 321. Afflictions come not without the prouidence of God 318. Afflictions and their issue in respect of the faithfull 345. Afflictions and their issue in respect of the persecutors 357. Ancientes 133. Antiochus 359 Apostles 128. Archebishops 69. 144. Aurelian 304 372. Augustine and in what sense he saide that hee would not beleeue the Gospel without the authoritie of the church 222. Auncient fathers did not acknowlege the bishop of Rome for Pope 92. c. B BBaptisme of the Roman Church 115. Bishop 69. 133. 143. Bishop vniuersal is a title of Antichrist when it is giuen to men 94. C CAlling see Vocation Cardinals 146. Censures 247. Censures three endes thereof 252. Censures of the Church must be applied with out respect of persons 255. Chaplines 140. Councels 202. Consistorie 241. Corrections and censures 247. Curates 142. Church whence it commeth 2. Church how many waies taken 2. Churche which is true hath two substantiall markes 15. Church and her continuance 55. Church and her head is Iesus Christ alone 68. Church and her holinesse 184. Church compared to a Palme tree roses lilies and to a Vine 332. Old Church of Rome what a one it was according to Tertullian his iudgement 106. Church catholike is one alone 11. Church catholike inuisible what it is 7. Church distinguished into three sortes 4. Church in what sense called the piller groūd of trueth 200. Church in what sense saide to be without spot or wrinckle 189. Church whether aboue the scripture 213. Church whether more old then the scripture 220. Church must not be iudged by the great number 58. Church whether it may erre 197. Church why called catholike 9. Church why saide to bee inuisible 12. Church represented by a bright lampe or firebrand in the middest of a burning or smoking furnace 330. Church represented by the burning bush 330. Church of Rome hath not the markes of the true church 19. Church of Rome is not the true church 102. Church of Rome hath not true vnitie 113. Church increaseth in the middest of persecutions 330. Church visible what it is 14. D DEcius 299.370 Deacons 136. Diaconisses 244. Dioclesian 305. 373. Discipline necessarie in the Church 235. Discipline incrocheth nothing vpon the magistrate 237. Doctors 132. Domitian 283. 365. Donation of Constantine to Siluester 87. E EVangelistes 130. Excōmunication 3. endes therof 252. Exposition of Scriptures and two principles necessary therein 20. Elders 135. G GAlerius 376. Galien 302. God deliuereth his church out of afflictions when it is time 327. God why he afflicteth rather his church then other people 319. God why he sendeth not succour to his church so soone as it is afflicted 323. H HEad of the church is Iesus Christ alone 68. Herode Agrippa 362. Herode Antipas 362. Herode the great 360. High or chiefe Bishop 97. Holinesse of the Church vnperfect 187. I IGnorance excuseth not 125. Iulian the Apostata 313. 377. K Keyes in the Church and the vse thereof 79. L Lawes Ecclesiasticall 258. M MArcus Aurelius 293. 357. Maximianus Herculien 305. 373. Maximinus 298. 369. Metropolitanes 69. 144. 149. Ministerie and howe much shoulde bee giuen thereto 179. Ministerie of the worde ordeined by God for our weakenesse sake 177. Ministerie necessary in the Churche 160. Ministers considered after two sortes 180. Ministers of the church their degrees or orders 128. Miracles are not sufficient to proue a calling 53 Multitude maketh nothing at al for the church 58. N Nero. 184. 364. O Orders of the Pope his cleargie 139. P POpe 97. 152. Pope and his blasphemies 75. Popes two at Rome at one time 91. Pastors 131. Patriarches 69. 149. Paule shoulde rather bee taken for Pope then Saint Peter 100. Persecutions of the Church 274. Persecutions of the Church ten great and general a discourse thereof 279. Persecutions come not without Gods prouidence 318. Persecution the first vnder Nero. 281. Persecution the second vnder Domitian 283. Persecution the third vnder Traian 284. Persecution the fourth vnder Marcus Aurelius 293. Persecution the fift vnder Seuerus 296. Persecution the sixt vnder Iulian Maximinus 298. Persecution the seuenth vnder Decius 299. Persecution the eight vnder Valerian and Galien 302. Persecution the nienth vnder Aurelian 304. Persecution the tenth vnder Dioclesian and Maximianus 305. Pharao 358. Peter whether he were Bishop of Rome is vncertaine 98. Peter was not the head of the Church 71. Pilate 363. Pontifex or high Bishop 97. Predecessours of ours who died in the faith of the Romane church whether saued or condemned 126. Priestes 140. Prophetes 129. Parsons 158. S SAbaoth changed to the Sunday 228. Sanctitie or holinesse of the churche is vnperfect 187. Sanctification how wrought in vs. 186. Sanctification and three degrees of it 69. Saincts in what fense wee are called 185. Sancherib 358. Seuerus 296. 269. Succession and three sortes thereof 26. Succession to what ende and in what sense the auncient Doctors vsed an argument taken there from 28. Sucession personall hath some times had a breache in the seate of Rome 35. Succession and calling of persons 24. T TRaian 284. 356. Teachers 132. V VAlens the Emperour 314. 378. Valerian 362. 371. Vicars 140. Vnitie in veritie is not in the Romishe church 113. Vocation of Pastors three thinges necessarie therein 39. Vocation ordinarie and extraordinary 47. FINIS
A Treatie of the Churche conteining a true discourse to knowe the true Church by and to discerne it from the Romish Church and all other false assemblies or counterfet congregations Written by M. Bertrande de Loque of Dolphinee and dedicated vnto my Lord the Vicount of Turenne And faithfully translated out of French into English by T. W. Imprinted at London for Richard Langton dwelling in Swythins Lane and there they are to be solde 1581. The Summe of the Chapters conteined in this present Treatise TOuching the diuers significations and Chapter 1 takings of this worde Church and how the Churche is commonlye distinguished Pag. 1. Of the Catholik and vniuersal Church which Chapter 2 is one although there be diuers particulers thereof Pag. 7. Of the visible Church and of the true markes Chapter 3 thereof Pag. 14. Whether the true markes of the Church are Chapter 4 to be found amongest the Romish Catholikes Pag. 19. Of the calling succession of pastors Pag. 24. Chapter 5 That the Church hath alwaies been from the Chapter 6 beginning of the world is and shal be vnto the end thereof but yet the Church must not be regarded or acknowledged for the great numbers sake Pag. 55. That Iesus Christe alone is the head of the Chapter 7 Churche and not Saint Peter neither any Pope Pag. 68. Whether the Church of Rome be the true and Chapter 8 Catholike Church and whether wee doe well to withdraw and separate our selues from it Pag. 102 Chapter 9 Touching the degrees of Ministers in the Church where also speeche is had of the orders of the Popes Cleargie and of the office and dueties of true pastors Pag. 128. Chapter 10 Whether the ministery of the word be alwaies necessary in the Church and howe muche men may attribute or giue therto Pa. 160. Chapter 11 Of the sanctitie or holinesse of the Churche Page 184. Chapter 12 Whether the Church may erre Pag. 197. Chapter 13 Whether the Church be aboue the holy scripture that is to say whether the holy scripture depend on the iudgement and authoritie of the Church Pag. 213. Chapter 14 Of the Discipline of the Church Pag 234. Chapter 15 Whether it helong to the Churche to make lawes and if shee make some how far the faithful ought to obey her Pag. 258 Chapter 16 Concerning the afflictions and persecutions of the Church Pag. 274. ¶ To the most noble Lorde my Lorde Henry de la Tour Vicount of Turenne Countie of Monfort Baron of Mongacon Oliergues Bonsolz Fey Seruissac Croc c. Captaine of fiue hundred men at armes of the kings armies MY Lord Lactan. lib. 4. de vera sapient Cap. 30. Lactantius hath very properly and fitly called the Church the fountaine of trueth the house and dwelling place of faith the temple of God adioyning withall that if there bee any whiche entreth not into this Temple or if there be any that goe out therof hee is shut out from the hope of life and from eternall saluation For euen as in the time of the vniuersall flood none coulde bee saued which were out of Noe his Arke Genesis 7.20 23. so without the Churche there is neither hope nor faith nor grace nor saluation Whiche thing also the Apostle Saint Paule did verie well declare and meane when beeing purposed to excommunicate some and to caste them out of the Church 2. Cor. 5. 3.5 1. Tim. 1. 20 hee saide hee muste deliuer them vnto Satan For as Iesus Christe reigneth in the Churche so Satan reigneth without the same and as they which are in the Church hauing Iesus Christ for their head are in very good state blessed so they which are out of the Churche hauing the Diuell for thejr head cannot but be wicked and accursed And therfore it is said both in Isaiah in Ioel That in Sion and in Ierusalem there shal be saluation Isaiah 46.13 Ioel. 2.32 There being meant by Syon and Ierusalem the Church of God as also by the worde heauē there is meant the same thing in the Apocalips when S. Iohn saith I hearde a great lowd voice Reue. 12.10 saying Nowe is saluation in heauen On the other side wee reade that when God declareth that hee will vtterly roote out some from the heauenly life hee denounceth against them and threatneth Ezech. 13. 9 That they shal not be in the councell assemblie of his people neither written in the role of his seruants And Dauid very well knew and felt this when sometimes being in exile all griefes and aduersities were vnto him tollerable and as a man would say easie to beare excepting this that hee was depriued of and wanted the solemne assemblies wherein men made publike declaration and protestation of Gods religion and seruice Wherefore bewailing his condition because hee was excluded from the visible Churche hee being also shut out from accesse or comming to the Tabernacle by the crueltie and tyrannie of his enimies hee cried out earnestly and said Psalm 84.1.2.4.10 O Lord of hostes how amiable are thy Tabernacles My soule longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the Lord for my heart and my fleshe leape for ioy in the liuing God And a little after Blessed are they which dwel in thy house they will euer praise thee For a day in thy courtes is better then a thowsand other where I had rather bee a doore keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the Tabernacles of the wicked For thereby he hath declared that the conditiō of those men which bestowe their life yea although it were but a day long in the seruice of God in the middest of the Church and among faithful people is farre more blessed then theirs who lyue though it were neuer so long out of Gods house and in the midst of those out of whose companie their religion is banished To which purpose also belongeth that Psalm 27.4 which the same Prophete singeth an other Psalme One thing haue I desired of the Lorde that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of Lorde all the dayes of my life to beholde the beautie of the Lorde and to visit his Temple Psal 106.45 And againe when hee saith Remember or haue mercie on mee O Lorde with the fauour and good will of the people and visite mee with thy saluation That I may see the good things of thy chosen ones reioyce in the ioy of thy people and glory with thine inheritance And for this very cause and occasion Heb. 11.24.25 the Apostle to the Hebrewes commendeth and praiseth Moses when he saith That by faith hee beeing com to age refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaoh his daughter chosing rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of GOD then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a short season Wherefore if wee woulde that GOD shoulde gouerne vs by his holy spirite to the ende to make vs inioy and possesse
his spirituall heauenly good things which he gyueth not but vnto his children alone the members of Iesus Christe his sonne and by consequent if wee woulde be saued and made blessed wee ought to hold and keepe our selues firme sure and well stayed in the Churche so that there bee no force of tyrants no violence of stormes and tempestes no persecution of enimies no promises no threatnings nor to be short any thing els which may turne vs away or cause vs to separate our selues from it But in the meane while wee see what controuersie and disputation there is at this day amongest men touching the point or matter of the Church that beeing true whiche Lactantius saith to wit That euery company of Heretikes supposeth Lact. de verae sapient ca. 10. that they are true Christians and their Churche is the Catholike Churche as wee knowe that Parmenianus the Donatist saide That there was not a Churche but amongest his sorte and companie insomuch that sundrie in this age suffer them selues too droppe away and bee deceiued by the feigned name and visardlyke title of the Churche abidyng hardened in their superstitions and blinded in their errours making no accounte August ad Catecuin cap. 20. of Saint Augustine his aduertisemente and counsell who speaketh thus This Catholike Churche is our true mother yea shee is our faithfull and chaste mother decked within with the dignitie and worthinesse of her husbande and not coloured or painted without with lying and falshoode and afterwardes hee addeth Let vs looke well to our selues that the strange and false name of the Churche turne vs not away from this mother of ours and that the outwarde shewe or borowed bare title of the Church doe not deceiue vs. There are some others who remaine astonished as it were and doubtfull not knowing to which parte to turne neither on which side to set themselues in order seeing the Romishe Church armed with great force and authority mainteined and vpholden by great personages clothed with diuers ornamēts outward apparrell and folowed of the greatest number On the otherside beholding the reformed Church feeble and weake in outward shewe made and standing for the most parte of the smalest and basest according to the worlde simple in deckinges and ceremonies and folowed of verie fewe people But the doctrine of the trueth which is our principall light and chiefe guide giueth vs a good remedie and aide in this difficultie shewing vs that the true Church ought to be discerned frō the false by her own right and true markes which are the pure preaching of the worde and the true and right vse of the Sacraments and not the great number of people nor pompes nor outwarde ceremonies inuented and deuised by men themselues You my Lorde haue sometimes seene what trouble combats the very visard bare name shining shew of the Romish Church hath brought to some mens consciences and spirites and that not onely amongest the rudest and ignorant sort but euen in the rancke and order of those which made profession and tooke vppon them to teache others yea so far it hath carried them that by reason there was not in them a full resolutenesse they knew not of what companie they shoulde bee Notwithstanding as touching your selfe after that God had honoured you with his knoweledge and called you into his Churche that you mighte bee comprehended within the sheepefolde of Iesus Christe his sonne hauing almost made open profession of his Gospell and cast away the beastes marke whatsoeuer shaking and staggering you perceiued in diuers others you notwithstanding haue alwayes continued through Gods grace grounding and setling your selfe vpon his assured and inuincible worde And in deede by what force and strength coulde the backe slydinges of some and the Sophisticall disputations of other some astonishe your faith or beate downe your constancie so well mainteined and vpholden by the holy Ghoste How coulde these assaultes cracke your courage or change and make colde your zeale so hotte in the seruice of God Certainely this is a great matter that all the worlde hath an eye vpon you wondring at and louing the great and singuler affection which you beare to the aduauncement of Gods true religion and seruice But the question is nowe to continue in well doing and to proceed dayly from good to better For this is nothing to beginne wel except a man perseuere and continue euen to the end And wee knowe what Iesus Christe saith to wit That hee which putteth his hande to the plough and looketh backe is not apt to the kingdome of God Luke 9.62 2. Tim. 2.5 And Saint Paule If any man saith hee striue for a maisterie he is not crowned except hee striue as hee ought to doe There are some which say that this is enough for a man to haue some testimonie in his conscience that hee belongeth to God albeit hee make not any declaration or profession of his religion But by the testimonies heere aboue marked and put downe it is easie for vs to gather what neede wee haue to range and bring our selues into the true Churche that wee may therein liue Christianlie in the seruice of God seeing that any where els there is neither life nor light And also what assurance can they haue of their saluation whiche liue in this world as dogs and swine folowing the traine and steppes of Sardanapalus or of Epicurus to eate and drinke to laugh and reioyce to play and to giue themselues to pleasure without thinking any whit at all of God or remembring any religion Wherefore my Lorde euen as you haue well and blessedly begunne hauing had right knowledge to discern betweene the true and false Churche so it yet resteth that you perseuer and continue yea that yet you proceede and passe some what further to range and bring into order all your house in the feare of God that it may be vnto him a holy and chaste Churche in the middest whereof hee may take pleasure to dwell that thereby hee may blesse you and make you to prosper You know with what ardencie and zeale the Prophet Haggai reprooued the Iewes of his time Haggai 1.4 lately returned out of Babylon because they builded many houses for themselues and did diligently seele and carue them but they had no regard to build vp the Lordes Temple Hag. 2.3.22 And wee muste note that the Prophete directeth not his speeche onely to the people and Priestes to mooue them to doe their duetie for the furtheraunce and setting vp of this building but also vnto Zerubbabel the gouernour of Iudah Which serueth well to declare that great Lordes and Magistrates as well as ministers and the reste of the people ought withal their might and power to imploy them selues for the edification and aduauncemente of the Churche of God Rom. 13.4 Psalm 82.1 And thereupon commeth it too passe that Saint Paule calleth Magistrates the Ministers and Seruauntes of God and that in another place
They are called euen Goddes to wit not onely in respect of ciuill iudgements and because they are the tutors mainteiners and defendours of publike good thinges and the common wealth but also because the principall parte of their charge and office is to serue God in nourishing and mainteining his seruice aswell outwarde as inwarde in causing pure doctrine and religion to florishe and in keeping the state of the Church safe and sound and whole in euery parte for whiche effect and cause they are also named in Isaiah Isaiah 49.23 Nurcing fathers and Nurces of the Churche The Apostle writing vnto Timothie 1. Timo. 2.2 sheweth vs the selfe same matter when after hee had exhorted them to pray for the kinges and for all those which are placed in authoritie he addeth as a fitte reason and verie strong for that purpose That vnder them wee may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie For thereby hee euidently declareth that the Magistrates office is to haue care that the people which are committed too them shoulde liue not onely in honestie and in peace one of them with another but also in all godlines and feare of God But if the holy Scripture did not teach vs this yet wee might in some sorte learne it out of prophane authours that is to saye Philosophers and Heathen lawe makers For among the Philosophers Aristot in Politicis Aristotle in his Politikes hath saide That godlinesse and religion are the matters which Magistrates ought to esteeme most necessary for the establishement of common weales Plato in Epi. nom And Plato in his Epinomis saith also That Princes shoulde not at any time bee persuaded that there is any thinge more profitable and necessarie for mankinde then that vertue is which men call pietie and godlinesse that is to say religion and the seruice of God And as concerning lawe makers wee knowe that they hauing to prouide for necessary things and to make ordinances and decrees therefore haue alwaies giuen the first most honourable place to pietie or godlinesse and the seruice of God And in deede because they woulde that their Lawes should bee of greater authoritie and better receiued of their people as well agreeing with pietie and godlynesse they haue made them beleeue that their Gods were authours thereof Minos Minos the Lawemaker of the Cretenses gaue them to vnderstande that hee was Iupiters familiar friende and that hee spake often to him to the ende the people might beleeue that he receiued from him the lawes which hee established amongest them Zoroastes Zoroastes gyuing lawes to the Bactrians and Persians saide that hee receaued them from Oromason whome they accounted for God and authour of all goodnesse Trismegistus saide also Trismegistus that hee had receiued from Mercurius the lawes which hee gaue to the Egyptians Carondas Carondas the lawmaker amongest the Cathaginenses referred and ascribed his lawes to Saturnus Lycurgus Lycurgus the lawemaker of the Lacedemonians referred the lawes which hee gaue to Apollo Solon and Draco the lawemakers among the Athenians Solon Draco Xamolxis Numa referred their lawes to Minerua Xamolxis the lawemaker among the Scithians ascribed his lawes to Vesta Numa too the end hee might get authoritie to his lawes amongest the Romans feigned that in the night season hee had great acquaintance or lay with the goddesse Aegeria Wherefore this remaineth resolute and standeth sure that Princes and Magistrates to the end that they may in good policie and order gouerne their Lordships and frame the maners of their subiects ought alwayes to beginnne with pietie and the seruice of God as with the most necessary matter and as without the which there is no regiment or gouernment in the world which can long subsist or stand And therefore for this cause specially is it that good kinges princes and lordes are praised in the scripture as Dauid Iosiah Hezekiah amongest kinges Ioseph and Daniell amongst the rulers and gouernours of prouinces for kings Moses Iehoshua the iudges amongst those who had the guiding and leading of people which were free Wherefore the flatterers of the courte doe uilanously abuse and mocke the very Lordes and Princes when they blowe this into their eares that the cause of religion concerneth them nothing at all and that they ought to be content with this that they haue some care of politike matters committed vnto them and charge of their domesticall and housholde affaires and namely of their Horses Dogges Haukes Foules c forwarre for hunting hauking and for their other particuler pleasures without trauelling and taking any more paine for all that or any part thereof which concerneth the good estate and affaires of Gods Church Thankes bee to GOD my Lorde that you be far otherwise instructed in that which belongeth to the duetie of Christian lords and magistrates thā that which the courtiers brabble and prate not to suffer your selfe to bee distracted neither to goe astray from that which the trueth hath once taught you And I hope yea I hope it very stedfastly that that great God who hath put and placed in you so good seed will giue it so good an increase that hee will be thereby for euer glorified and that that true and not counterfeite profession of the religion which you haue wil bring to passe that you shal be more and more loued honored of good and honest people and feared and reuerenced of the wicked and persecutors On mine owne parte that I might bring some aide and succour to the faithfull people to the end that they might learn by your example to put a difference betweene the true and false Church and by the same meane to resolue to keepe and stay them selues vppon the true Church and that I might also giue some familiar and plaine order to all to knowe on which side the true Churche is I haue as diligently builded framed and prepared this present discourse as it was possible for me wherein I intreate of the Churche and all the pointes and partes thereof that I thought meete and purposed to touch or could thinke vpon And therin I haue followed the most apt conuenient order that I coulde choose without confounding the matters therein declaring all that which wee ought to behold and beleeue of the Church touching her estate forme guiding and gouernment For I shewe therein what is the true Churche which are her true and infallible markes which is the true succession and calling of Pastours therein what is her spreading abrode increase and continuance who is the head thereof howe shee is holy whether shee may erre what is her power and authoritie amongest whom it is what be the degrees and orders of her guiders what is her discipline whether the ministerie be necessary in her And lastly I speake of her persecutions and afflictions in which point I am somwhat more large then in the rest because I knewe that the present need
and occasion required it to the ende I might confirme and strengthē the faithful peoples cōsciences at this time in which it seemeth that the Diuell the enimie of Gods glorie and our saluation is vnchayned and vntyed and that all the worlde is kindled with rage and set on fire with furie and conspired with him furiously to rush vpon the poore Churche setting out and making a shewe against it of all that that crueltie can deuise Weerefore I shewe what is the state and condition of the Church on earth that shee hath alwaies had such a vertue of patience and so great cōstancie and courage in the middest of the crosse that tyrants haue rather left of to persecute her then that shee hath failed and fallen away by their torments insomuch that she hath abode inuincible and vnconquered against the vehemencie and violence of so many horrible cōbats as she was to sustain indure and out of all them hath brought a famous victorie and moste glorious crowne In summe that the sonne of God hath alwaies founde place and passage in the middest of the worlde notwithstanding the fires swordes tormentes furies outcries and horrible scatterings abrode which were made against him As touching the fruite and profite whiche may come of this little labor I dare not affirme any thing thereof except it bee in respect of you my Lorde For I doubt not but you take as muche pleasure to heare mee discourse in writing vpon this matter of the church as you commonly doe when you heare mee speake either particulerly to your selfe or publikelie in the execution of my charge and office And yet if you regarde that which is mine without doubt the fruite wil bee none but if you consider the argument and the large laying out of the matters conteined in this present treatie I assure my selfe that it will not bee altogether vnprofitable and that they which shall reade the same will not repent themselues thereof Furthermore I staying my selfe my Lord vpon your accustomed goodnesse through which you disdaine not or dislike any thing which commeth from your seruants offer and dedicate vnto you this little booke most humbly beseeching you to accept it and to take it well that it commeth out into light vnder the inscription of your name and to receiue it with such gentlenesse and curtesie as you haue been accustomed to loue vertue and fauour Christian religion and those that make profession thereof For I hope that if you receiue and take it well that your name shal procure it more grace and liking and shall get it more authoritie and purchase it more fauour amongest all because that thinges dedicated to great personages are better receiued of the lower sort although the thinges of them selues are oftentimes very base and of small account and value And also as touching my selfe I was gladly minded to declare and shewe by this slender meane a testimonie of the obedience which I owe you and for the singuler earnest desire which I haue to do you the most humble and acceptable seruice that I can in the Lorde whom I beseech with all my hearte to maintein you my Lord my Lady the Coūtesse your sister in his most holy most worthy keeping and to preserue you both in a blessed and long life augmenting and increasing in you dayly more and more the giftes and graces of his holy spirite wherewith hee hath so plentifully decked and liberally inriched you From Turenne this xxv of March 1577. Your most humble and most obedient seruant Bertrand de Loque ¶ An Admonition to the Reader I Was loth gentle Reader to publish this profitable and necessary treatise because it being meant wel may bee taken ill and being a rule and confirmatiō to forraine Churches reformed may perhaps fall into the hands of vndiscreete readers trouble the happy quiet state of the Church of England But to preuent this inconuenience and to helpe the weakenesse of many whiche carried with a preposterous rash zeale doe iudge before they conceaue and like rather to feede their humor then foster the peace of the Church I thought it necessary to put the reader in remembrance of those thinges which being greedily snatched at and read without iudgement by curious and contentious heads may tende to the disturbance of the peace and tranquilitie of the Church Whereas therefore in the nienth Chapter intreating of the degrees of the Ministerie the authour seemeth to detract frō Archbishops Metropolitanes Deanes Archdeacons and other Ministers in this Church of England and els where his meaning is not to condēne those titles allowed attributed to faithfull Pastors in other reformed Churches according to the auncient and laudable order of the primitiue Church but to eleuate and impugne the tyrannie pompe and ambition of the popishe prelacie who leauing their function of preaching and teaching haue vsurped I knowe not what authoritie and power of commanding and countercommanding what they list in the church of God Who in crueltie succeed not Peter but Romulus in pompe and magnificence not Peter but Cōtantine as Bernard faith They doe all for honor and nothing for holines saith the same authour Their courts are full of Symoniacks their thresholds more troddē by ambitiō then by deuotiō and their Cannons Ecclesiasticall procurers of gain lucre The Church is not gouerned by names but by offices which they faithfully performe this day to whom for reuerence wee willingly ascribe the names of honor and dignitie Moreouer no man will denie though the same authoritie be committed to all Gods faithfull Ministers in binding losing preaching or ministring the Sacraments yet that this equalitie in ministration doth nothing hinder a diuersitie distinction of degrees and superioritie in gouernment being very necessary for the auoiding of cōfusion and schisme That this preheminence is not lately deuised or newe begunne may soone appeare by these words of the Apostle The spirites of the Prophetes are subiect to the Prophetes Whereupon I gather that if the spirites of all the Prophetes being lightened by the vertue of the holy Ghoste were not free from the checke of other Prophetes vpon whom it had pleased God to bestowe his gifts of iudgement knowledge and learning much more ought wee to allowe and preferre the graue and learned iudgement of the best and graunt them a dignitie preheminence in matters of lesse importance The reason by the Apostle is not to be neglected Non est Deus author confusionis sed pacis as who shoulde say if some were not appointed to decide such doubtes as arise either of ignoraūce or of mallice all woulde goe to wracke in haste and Christian education to mortall hatred Thē would the frost of priuate quarrel either sterue the buddes of the Gospel or rage of spirituall ambition disturbe the policie of euery congregation Gregorie Nazianzen in his Oration intituled Apologeticus saith There must of necessitie be two sortes of mē 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some
that must rule and guide others that must bee guided and gouerned In man there are two thinges the soule which gouerneth by reason the body which submitteth it selfe and obeyeth otherwise if in an armie all were souldiers or all Captaines what hope were there of victorie and good successe If in a ship all shoulde bee alike all marriners who shoulde stande at the Helme who shoulde guide the compasse If in a Citie all were equall who shoulde make decrees prescribe lawes and execute the same If the whole bodie were a head what disorder Or if the members were without a head what confusion The learned therefore send vs to learne order to the heauens to the earth to the angels amongst whom there are degrees Angels Archangels vertues potestates principatus dominationes throni Cherubin Seraphin to the Sun to the moone to the stars which in glory brightnes excell one another To the Bees which haue their graūd captaines at whose buzzing they go forth they follow cluster together to the trees wher you see of a great stocke many braunches arise and spring Our naturall appetite and affection acknowledgeth the gouernmēt of reason vnderstāds And so in the Church of God ther hath been alwayes gouernours and they gouerned chiefly and souerainly as in the ciuill estate Seth Enos Sem ruled the Church in their time the Church acknowledged obeyed their gouernment The best writers affirme that the first borne had the rule of the whole familie Noah alone ruled in making and ordering the Arke in which there were cleane and vncleane beastes tame and sauage of all kindes to signifie the church gathered together of both Iewes Gentiles and gouerned by Iesus Christ only as by a second Noah The Church vnder the lawe had diuersitie of orders as may appeare in sundry places In the third of Numbers where the Tribes are mustered the three families of the Gersonites Kohathites Merarites had their Prince or head which they called Nescha In the first of Kings the 4. Azaria is called the Prince of the Leuites Obadiah that worthie Counceller meeting with olde Heli disdaineth not to call him lord Gregorie Nazianzen writeth to Gregory Nissien which supposed him to be angry because they had ordeined one without his consent saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no mā bely vs nor any of my lords the brethrē Good Gregorie an humble and simple man weighed not titles nor cared for any worldly honour but was carefull that order should bee prescribed in the Church and that one should goe before an other in honour S. Iames saith Be not yee many masters And Chrysostom saith that equalitie of dignitie and place bringeth forth schisme Likewise Ierome writing to Euagrius saith that from Marke to Dionisius and Heraclas there was one alwayes set in higher place of dignitie aboue the rest and this he saith was to auoid schismes which seeing they lacke skill and be in the Church and shal be to the end sith the disease remaineth still what great folly is it to condemne or refuse the remedie In the Counsell called Gangrensse the holie fathers assembled there writing to the Bishops of Armenia vse these wordes Honoratissimis dominis To our most honourable Lordes The late writers most of them allow and affirme a primacie of order though not in degree of ministration M. Caluin writing vpon the 2. Cor. 10. Etsi omne commune sit c. Although one and the same office be common to all yet be there degrees of honor And the same Authour writing vpon these wordes out of the 2. to the Philipp Sicut patri filius ita mihi Timotheus seruiuit in Euāgelio As a father his sonne so hath Timothie serued mee in the Gospell Wee learne saith hee in this place that no such equalitie was amōg the Ministers but one did rule and gouerne the rest by counsell and authoritie Againe in his 4. booke 8. Chapter sect 54. He saith that euerie prouince had among their Bishops an Archb. and that the Councell of Nice did appointe 4. Patriarches which shoulde be in order and dignitie aboue Archb. it was for the preseruation of discipline Wherefore it is apparant by testimonies of holie scripture by light of reason and by practise of the Church by the necessitie of the thing that distinctiō of degrees superioritie is necessarie in the church as without the which law would soone grow to libertie faith wold soone be deuided the coat of christ Iesu which is his church rent and torne in sunder so many fancies so many faithes would follow Nowe whereas many make much adoe about the titles of Bishops Metropolitans Archb. and the scripture is still alledged as an aduersarie in this quarell containing expresly no such names Thus may they make our Sauiour Christ inferiour to his father concerning his diuinitie because the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where literally expressed although the same by sūdrie places may be well and iustly gathered Therefore to conclude to them that list to be contentious Vbi de re constat puerile est de verbolitigare And to the discreete Reader that hee peruse this booke to profite his conscience and not to please his affection Seeke peace and the God of peace shall blesse you increase his grace amongst you to the terrour of your enemies and comfort of your soules Amen A TREATIE OF the Church containing a true discourse in which a man may clearely behold and see what is the nature forme gouernement and guiding of the true Church together vvith the infallible markes and tokens by vvhich a man may knowe it and discerne the same from the Romish Church and all other false and counterfeited congregations CAP. I. Of the diuers significations and acceptions of this word CHVRCH and how the Church is commonly distinguished MEN are accustomed to say that euery worde which may be taken in many senses and in diuers significatiōs shuld rather be distinguished then defined For a man can not otherwise rightly declare the nature vertue and disposition of any thing vnlesse he be first resolued of the sense and meaning in which it ought to be taken For as much therfore as this word Church is of that sort being a Greeke word which signifieth an assemblie or congregation is taken or deriued from a word which in that tongue signifieth to call or to cause to come it is meete and necessarie that before we giue the definition thereof we declare after howe many sortes men vse to take it 1 Nowe men sometimes take it for a companie or assemblie of wicked persons as Psalme 22.16 Psal 22.16 The Church or the Synagogue of the wicked haue inclosed me and in Psalme 26.5 Psal 26.5 I haue hated the Churche of the wicked that is to say the companie For there is in the Hebrue text two words which the Greekes haue turned Synagogue and Church which doe signifie as much as a companie troupe
falsified or corrupted that is to say that the preaching of the doctrine must be pure and the administration of the sacramentes sound and lawfull For indeede in outward shew they would make men beleeue that these two markes are to be found amongst the Romish Catholikes but when all shall be rightly and duely examined we shall finde that the true Church is not for all that on their side For as concerning the worde it is not preached by them rightly or purely but as S. Hilarie saith they make a sense vpon the scriptures and take it not out of the scripture and make it as were a leaden rule which men commonly call Regula Lesbia applying it to their owne intentes and purposes and not submitting their owne purposes to it Touching this matter it is needfull for vs to knowe that all exposition of holy scripture must be referred to two principal heads or ends that is to say that it tend to the glorie of God and that it be conformable or agreable to the analogie proportion of faith For touching the first Iesus Christ saith Ioh. 7.18 He that seeketh the glorie of God is true Now without doubt when the Romish Catholikes extol mans free wil ascribe vnto mā some merit for his works they snatch as it were by violence pull away frō God some part of the glorie which is due vnto him and so by consequent whē they serue them selues with certain peeces of the scriptures to proue that which they pretend they can not therein excuse them selues but that they corrupt and falsifie the scriptures declaring them selues hereby right heretikes indeede In epist ad Galat. For as S. Ierome saith Who so euer expoundeth the scripture otherwise then the sense meaning of the holy Ghost requireth although he haue not withdrawne or separated him self from the Church he ceaseth not for all that to be an heretike Secondly S. Paul declareth that he Rom. 12.6 who hath the gift of prophecie ought to prophecie that is to say expound the scriptures according to the proportion of faith Now if in this behalfe we would take heed to and marke the expositions which the Romish Catholikes make and bring foorth vpon the scripture we shall finde at the least for the greatest part that they alledge or bring nothing lesse than the right true sense therof not following the analogie proportion which is required namely when the question is to expound these wordes of Iesus Christ This is my body Matt. 26.26 For seeing that they tye Iesus Christ here belowe on the earth meaning also that he should be bodily in the sacrament and that neuerthelesse the articles of our faith which are taken and drawen out of the holie scripture Act. 3.21 do teach vs that Iesus Christ is aboue in heauen and that he must of necessitie in respect of his body be therin contained remaine there vntil the last day that he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead it followeth well that in such an exposition they go farre astray and wander very much from the analogie proportion of faith As much also may we iustly say in that behalfe of many other articles which they haue corrupted Matt. 15.9 besides that very often they propound teach for doctrine mens traditions which are not only not drawne or taken from the word of God but which is more are altogether contrarie therto as cōcerning abstinence from meats forbidding of marriage inuocation of Saints praier for the dead adoration or worshipping of reliques and images many other such like matters And as concerning the sacramēts it is certaine that they are not lawfully administred by those men neither yet according to the forme and ordinance of Iesus Christ but they adde and ioyne to them in the ministration thereof infinite abuses superstitions do corrupt them through a certaine kinde of idolatrie which is detestable and full of vngodlinesse for that I may speak nothing of the fiue sacraments which they haue added of their owne let vs consider in what puritie baptisme and the holie supper is administred amongest them First is this a smal abuse to applie or minister baptisme to things without sense as to bells which was not ordained but for reasonable creatures Is this a sleight prophaning therof to ioyne to this sacrament oyle spittle salt and other such things as though it did not behoue vs to be content with that simplicitie wherein and wherewith Iesus Christ hath commaunded his Apostles to administer the same And touching the holie supper when they cause men to worship a morsell of breade for Iesus Christ when they denie to the people the signe of wine when the Priest eateth all by him selfe so that there is not any communion or partaking at all what is a corruption of the sacrament and an ouerthrowing of the ordinance of Iesus Christ if this be not Now seeing that these matters fall out thus we are to make this cōclusion to wit that seeing it must needs be that the word of God should be purely preached and expounded and the sacraments lawfully administred to the end that men may holde take them for right and certaine markes of the true Church that we are certaine and it manifestly appeareth that the contrarie be found amongest the Romish Catholikes it followeth verie well that these are not to be attributed to them although they would make men beleeue that these markes doe agree vnto them and their Church as well as vnto vs. But we wil dispute more largely in an other chapter of this matter to witte whether the Romish Church be the true Church or no CHAP. V. Of the succession and calling of Pastors BVT it may be that some wil demaund Is not the succession and ordinarie calling of Pastours a marke also of the true Church yea one of the principall markes I aunswere that the Romish Catholikes do affirme so indeed for this is that which they cōmōly obiect vnto vs to weaken our calling by being not able in the rest to find any thing to say or set against the doctrin whiche we preach vnlesse they intangle thēselues in infinite contradictions manifest absurdities But in the first place concerning succession I demaund what this is which they meane there I suppose that it is not such a succession as is from the father to the sonne as it hath beene heretofore in the line and race of Aaron as to say that he should be a priest that is the sonne of a preist for so they might ouermuch discouer and vnfold the vilanie of their high priestes but that they meane a continuall succession of Bishops and Pastors succeeding one an other euen from the time of Iesus Christ and his Apostles But where is this to be shewed that they haue founde that such a succession shoulde simplie bee necessarie and make a vocation or calling lawfull Doeth S. Paul Timoth. 4.1 c.
Titus 1.7 c. describing what qualities and conditions ought to bee alwayes in those which shoulde be chosen for pastours of the Church make any mētion at all of this succession No indeede And yet notwithstanding it had beene verie fit yea necessarie if the succession whereof we speake had beene wholie required in a Bishop or Pastor to make his vocation sure certaine and lawfull But that we may not speak confusedly of this point we must distinguish betwene the succession of persons or that which is of the chaire and place and betweene the succession of doctrine and office As concerning the succession of doctrin we say that it is altogether on our side no whit at all on the Romishe Catholikes side for we make profession to teach the pure worde of God alone following therin the Prophetes and Apostles whereas they of the Romish Church staying them selues vpon their inuentions teach for doctrine Matt. 15.9 the traditions and commaundementes of men which thing Iesus Christ expresly forbiddeth And as touching that succession which concerneth the execution of the office or of all the chardge and dutie of Pastours which consisteth in preaching the gospel purely in administring the sacramentes lawfullie in caring for the poore in visiting the sicke in redressing offences in exhorting comforting teaching reprouing and such like exercises trueth it selfe and experience doe sufficiently shewe who do indeede and verilie succeede the Apostles therein whether the priestes of the Romish Church or we Lib. 19. cap. 19. de Ciuitat Dei Saint Augustine hath sometimes saide That the name of a Bishop is a name of charge or burthen and not of honour that he indeed is a Bishop which desireth to profit his flocke in teaching them and not simplie to beare rule ouer the same Aug. cont Cresco Grāmat lib. 2. cap. 11. Also in an other place We are not Bishops of our selues but for them to whō we administer the word Sacraments Now here I speake vnto all Cardinalls Bishops Abbots Priors Curates and other priestes together with their Pope himselfe and will them to examine and iudge themselues in their owne conferences and see whether they can with good right boast themselues to bee the Apostles successors in sound doctrine and in faithfull execution of their charge and office and to marke how they obserue these canons which they attribute to the Apostles whereof the fiftie eight canon Can. Apost can 58. excommunicateth the Bishoppes and Elders who haue not anie care either of their cleargie or of the people the charge of whome is cōmitted vnto them and which doe not teach them in the doctrine of true religion which canon also ordeineth that if such continue in their negligence and carelesnesse they shoulde be deposed There resteth the succession of persons or that which is of the Church or place touching which first we say that the auncient doctours did not alwayes aide themselues with this argument when they were to fight with heretikes for hauing to deale with such as did receiue and allowe the worde of God as well as themselues the dispute and matter in controuersie betwen them being onely in the true interpretation thereof they contented themselues to alledge scripture expounding places one by an other euen as Saint Augustine saith That that which is darke in one August is cleare and manifest in an other But when they were to reason against them that would add to the holy scriptures as Manichaeus who woulde that men shoulde receiue his Epistle which hee called fundamentable euen as it were the Gospell it selfe there and in that respect they serued their turne with the argument of succession And yet when they vsed it it was not either their onely or their principall defence For in the first place they shewed by the worde of God that they were in error and afterwardes added as a good bulwark or meane of resistaunce the consent of the Church witnessed by a continuall succession of all ages and times Also they helped themselues therewith as with a verie likely or probable argument and good inough in the defence of trueth against errour but yet not so as though it had a like force and strength for the maintenance of error against trueth it selfe Lastly when they demaunded of heretikes from whence they came from whome they descended who were their predecessours c. they meant not to speake of their vocation or calling which they neuer called into doubte or question for the greatest number of them were Bishoppes as Nestorius was Bishop of Constantinople Samosatenus of Antioche all lawfully called and hauing right and authoritie to teach in the Church but they meant to speak of their doctrine whiche was newe and not hearde of before Wherfore when they alledged or layd succession for them selues they did not so much meane the occupying of the chaire or enioying of the place as the continuance conformitie and agreement of the doctrine whereas on the otherside our aduersaries do not demaund of vs who were the authours of our doctrine but inquire of vs touching our vocation and calling and are contented with this to declare that their Bishoppes are descended from al antiquitie but not their doctrine and yet notwithstanding they deceiue them selues For neither in the primitiue Church neyther long time after such Bishoppes as be nowe in the popedome had any place so that a man may safely say they are not descended from the Apostles nor from the true successors To conclude we say that it is verie certaine that such a succession of the pastors in the primitiue Church was of greate weighte and importance because the pastors at that time had not onely the name and title of pastors but did withall faythfully exercise the Charge and office thereof But what is at this day the dutie of Bishops and priests of the Church of Rome Let the most sounde iudge thereof Is the controuersie in the Church touching succession to some inheritaunce to haue the possession and enioying thereof No but rather for men to set their hands to worke and labour as the Apostles haue done to watch diligently ouer Christes flocke and to minister vnto it the foode which is necessarie and meete for it As S. Paul saith If any man desire the office of a Bishop 1. Tim. 3.1 he desireth a good or excellent worke And againe speaking vnto Bishops Act. 20.28 Take heede to your selues saith he and to the whole flock whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Bishoppes or ouerseers to feede the Church of God And S. Peter The Elders 1. Pet. 5.12 which are among you I beseech which am also an elder with them feede the flocke of Christ which is committed vnto you caring for it not by consent c. The succession then of the Chaire or place is nothing without the succession of doctrine dutie Cyprian lib. 1. epl 4. For if the Bishoppe be deade as saith S. Cyprian when no
which are two very essentiall points and commanded by gods lawe with which none in the world may dispense there cōmeth in the third place the imposition or laying on of hands whiche is a ceremonie by which the ministers that were lawfully chosen were offered dedicated as it were to the seruice of God and the Church But let vs nowe examine the Romish priestes vocations first I aske whether the election which is made amongst them be deferred and put ouer to the postours and the Churche yea or no Euerie man seeth what place and authoritie they giue to their resignations as they call them to their permutations collations presentations donations c. and also howe the Magistrates and greate men giue Bishopprickes Abbotshippes personages vicarages and other benefites as it pleaseth them selues If the pastours or to speak more rightly they that vsurpe the place of true pastours indede meddle in the election then it appertayneth to the Pope alone to choose the Cardinalles the Bishoppes and Archbishoppes and to giue the greatest and the fattest benefices And it belongeth to the Bishoppes to choose the simple or fingle priestes and to bestowe or giue the other inferiour and lesse benefices And where is then the holy consent and agreement amongest the Pastours which is of necessitie required in the election Secondarilie is the people called to it or is the people aduertised or forewarned to bring thither and giue their aduise and consent thereto Euerie one knoweth that this is not performed Thirdly as concerning them whome they choose what serious or earnest examination make they either of their manners or of their doctrine Sometimes they chose infantes and children at no hande fit or meet to exercise the least charge of the Church whatsouer it be Sometimes they chose men altogether ignorant and verie often also of wicked life this they doe through fauour mony robberies spoiles factions and other lewde and naughtie practises ouerthrowing all order and subuerting all good pollicie and discipline And yet notwithstanding the Canons which they attribute to the Apostles ordeyne and determine Can. Apost Can. 29. 30. that euerie bishop Elder or Deacon that shall haue obteined his office by monie or giftes or by the fauour of the princes and potentates of this worlde shoulde not onely be deposed frō their estates and offices but also excommunicated and cast out of the Church and that not onely they themselues but also they which shal admit and receiue thē into such charges and which shall shewe them fauour and shall communicate with them Nowe let men marke howe these Canons are at this day obserued and practised in the Romish Church and by consequent howe right and lawfull the vocation is of the Bishoppes and priestes of that Church It is true that they vse indeed the imposition or laying on of hands but euerie one knoweth with howe many trifling toyes and supperstitions it is accompanied And indeede this is the onely poynt whereof they can vaunt themselues which is not so necessarie but that we may verie wel ouerpasse or litle regard it as hauing no expresse commaundement touching the vse thereof For touching the two substantiall pointes they wante them wholy Titus 2.7 contrarie to the ordinaunce of Saint Paul Titus 2.7 But touching our vocation it is an easie matter for euerie one to iudge whether it be true and lawefull euen by the proceeding which they that chose vs keepe hold in the right examination diligent inquirie that they make as well of our doctrine sufficiencie meane and manner of teaching as of our life manners and conuersation also by the allowance and manifest consent of the people who do receiue vs after that they haue a certayne space hearde and tryed vs. For wee holde and teach that none ought of himselfe to teach and haue charge in the Church vnlesse he be lawfully called therevnto It apperteineth to the Lorde of the haruest Matt. 9.38 to send foorth workemen into his haruest And S. Paul touching this matter asketh Howe shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 And therefore in the Prophet Ieremiah they are taxed and reproued as false Prophets Iere. 14.14.23.21 which did runne not being sent And Iesus Christ saith also Iohn 10.1 That they which enter not in by the dore into the sheepefolde but climb vp some other way are theeues and robbers But perhappes the Romish Catholikes will not so much examine our calling as that of the firste reformers and restorers of our Churches and will demaunde of vs from whome it is that they receiued imposition of handes and finding in their owne indgemēt as they suppose that they had not any certaine vocation therevpon they woulde inferre that then they could not chuse cal vs to our charges so by consequent our vocation shoulde be none at all wherevnto we answere two things The first is that we ought to exercise our calling according to the visible state of the Church which is either altogether or else abiding safe and sound If then the state of the Church abide in her puritie whiche is then when pure doctrine is kepte therein and the lawfull administration of sacramentes with the right vse of the discipline we say that an ordinarie calling that is to say the way and manner of chosing pastors prescribed by the worde of God according to which we haue beene called placed in our charg ought to be obserued followed But if the state of the Church be altogether corrupted we say that then an extraordinarie vocation hath place euen accoding as it shall please God to raise vp his seruauntes and to employe them to reforme the Church and to bring it to her olde puritie For God is alwayes not boūd to ordinarie meanes which he vseth notwithstanding whēn it seemeth so good vnto himself And this was practised in former time euē then whē the ten tribes of Israel were altogether become bastards and corrupted through their idolatries For God did extraordinarily stirre vp 1. King 18.19 vnto them Elijah to reforme them and to indeuor to bring them into good order touching his seruice yea I say Elijah who was not a priest and had not in that respect any succession So likewise we holde and affirme that God hath dealt in our time in the choise and sending of some of our ministers who were inspired and stirred vp by GOD to streatch out the hande vnto the Church which in respect of the outwarde and visible state was wholy almost beaten downe and ouerthrowen And these men neither could nor ought to looke to be sent from or to be approued by the pope his people whose intollerable abuses and false doctrines they had in charge to reproue no more then they that woulde take vppon them to reforme a companie of Women who had openly fallen to whordom fornication c. ought to wait to be stirred vp or required therevnto either by altogether or
be alwayes present in the middest of his Church to rule and gouerne the same what hath he to doe for a Vicar or Lieuetenant And as concerning charges and offices we know what executors he hath established and left S. Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians affirmeth Ephes 4.11 c. that Iesus Christ being ascended into heauen hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors some teachers to whome he hath giuen in charge and committed his Church to order and guide the same This is not spoken onely for two or three or for some other small number neither yet for one age but for all the Pastours of the Church generally and for all times Nowe you may see what lieutenantes Iesus Christe hath substituted in his place but that he shoulde giue vnto Peter a primacie to bee Pope and heade of the Church is a meere leasing The seconde reason is this Iesus Christ onely is the foundation of the Church 1. 1. Cor. 3.11 Corinth 3.11 Wherevpon it followeth that the Church is founded vppon Iesus Christ and at no hande vpon Saint Peter and by consequent that Iesus Christ alone is the heade of the Church and not Saint Peter Touching that which Iesus Christ speake vnto Peter Thou art Peter Matt. 16.18 and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church we wil anon declare the true and naturall sense thereof The thirde reason S. Peters charge office was limited and set within certaine bondes For S. Paul witnesseth of himselfe and Peter thus Galat. 2.7 That he was the Apostle of the Gentiles and Saint Peter of the Iewes And saith that this diuision was made by the reuelation and ordinaunce of GOD. It followeth then that Saint Peter was not an vniuersall Apostle nor a soueraigne high bishoppe ouer all the Church Otherwise Saint Paul shoulde haue done ill in so limiting hedging in as it were the the charge and office of his Apostleship yea and that eighteene yeares after the death of Iesus Christ But I would wish the Romishe Catholikes to take some better viewe of and heede to this reason For if their Pope snatch and take vnto himselfe the primacie for this reason because hee is Saint Peters successors he must then exercise his primacie or popedome ouer the Iewes and preach vnto them the Gospell that hee may gaine them and drawe them to Iesus Christ leauing vnto him whosoeuer he bee that will take vppon him to be called the successor of Saint Paul primacie ouer the Gentiles The fourth reason One wife hath but onely one husband which is her head But the Church is the spouse of Christ 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephe. 5.22 Reue. 21.9 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephesians 5.22 Reuelat 21.9 The Church then hath none other but Christ alone for her husbande and head The fifth reason It is certaine that Saint Peter vsed the power and authoritie which Iesus Christe gaue him for otherwise hee shoulde haue neglected his charge and hidden his talent in the ground and so by consequent haue disobeyed his Master not seruing him purely and faithfully But so it is hee neuer vsurped any primacie ouer the other Apostles or ouer the Church for hee maketh himselfe equal to the other pastors 1. Peter 5.1.21 c. naming himself a pastor and an Elder with them and hee hath saide also that it is not lawefull at anie hande for anie man to haue Lordship ouer the Lordes inheritaunces Then it followeth that hee receiued not anie primacie or Lordshippe from Iesus Christ ouer the Church of God The sixth reason Act. 8.14 Saint Peter was sent together with Iohn into Samaria by the other Apostles Nowe if hee had beene the head of the Church and had had rule and authoritie ouer the Apostles it had apperteined vnto him to sende others not to others to send him The seuenth reason If Saint Peter had had the right of primacie to what end woulde he haue suffered himselfe to haue beene reproued by S. Paul and that before the people In sext decr de Con. cap. Licet distinct 19. ca. si Roman in Glossa de conces prae tit 8. ca. pro. posuit alibi for this was done euen then when hee both might and ought to haue shewed his authoritie and rule As at this day the Pope who saith that hee is aboue right neither is helde or bounde by lawes that he may preferre through his interpretation equitie vnwritten before lawe writen that wee ought to allowe or dissallow all that he alloweth or disalloweth that he is not subiect to any censure hauing all lawe and right in the coffer of his breste and stomacke Now Saint Peter did not alledge any whit or parte of all these blasphemies but tooke in good worth Saint Paules censure and reproofe acknowledging himselfe his companion and fellowe and one that was ioyned with him the other Apostles in felloweshippe of office yea inferiour to the whole bodie and subiect to the admonitions and censures of his brethren The eight reason So it was that among the Apostles in the time that our Sauiour Christ was bodily conuersant with them Luk. 22.24 c. there was a controuersie which of them shoulde bee esteemed or iudged the greatest but Christ laboreth to bring them to humilitie and to take from amongest thē all ambition saying thus The kinges of the nations beare rule and they which exercise authoritie ouer thē are called Gratious lords but ye shall not be so But let the greatest among you be as the least and the cheifest as he that serueth And afterwardes hee setteth himselfe foorth for an example For who is greater he that sitteth at Table or he that serueth is not he that sitteth at the table And I am among you as he that serueth and ye are they which haue continued with mee in my temptations Lastly he concludeth Therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed to me These are our principal reasons to declare that Saint Peter was not appointed Lorde ouer the Church and that hee had no more authoritie or preheminence in it than the other Apostles his companions and fellowes had Nowe let vs heare the contrarie reasons which the Romish Catholikes make The firste is this Matt. 16.18 Iesus Christ hath said to Saint Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church It followeth then that Saint Peter is the foundation of the Churche and by consequent the head thereof I aunswere that the holy spirite is not contrarie to it selfe but hee hath spoken plainely to the Corinthians That Iesus Christe alone is the onely foundation of the Church 1. Cor. 3.11 and that none can lay anie other than that which is laide alreadie Therefore he affirmeth not in that place of S. Matthewe the contrarie to this And marke this deed Iesus Christ hath not said and vpon thee O Peter I will builde my Church but vpon
this rocke I will builde And what meaneth this vpon this rocke Let vs heare S. Augustine The Church saith he is founded vpon the rocke August in Iohan. tract 124. ca. 21. of which rocke Peter hath taken his name for the rocke is not so called of Peter but Peter is so named of the rocke as Christ hath not taken his name of Christiās but Christians of Christ Therefore the Lord saith vpō this rocke I wil build my Church because that Peter had confessed thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God He saith therefore vpon this rock which thou hast confessed I will build my Church For the rock was Christ vpō which foundatiō Peter also himselfe was builded Marke what S. Augustine saith S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome vnderstand this to be spoken of the faith which is Christ not as the Pope doth of the person of Peter S. Ambrose saith thus Amb. in epl ad Ephe. ca. 2.20 Iesus Christ said to Peter vpon this rocke I wil build my Church that is to say vpon this confession of Catholike faith I will establishe the faithfull vnto eternall life Chrysostome saith also Chriso Ser. 21. de Pentecost Iesus Christ saith Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church Hee saith vppon this rocke and not vpon Peter For he hath founded or set his Church not vppon man but vpon the faith and confession of Peter And what was this faith and confession Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God The seconde reason is Matth. 16.19 Iesus Christ hath giuen the keyes vnto Peter he hath therefore appointed him head of the Church I denie the consequent For by the vse of the keyes is vnderstoode not the rule or ouersight of the whole Church but the power to binde and loose or else to pardon or not pardon sinnes as it is declared Matt. 18.18 Iohn 20.23 in the 18. Chapter of the Gospell after S. Mathewe and Chap. 20. after S. Iohn Now seeing that so it is that power to remitte or to retaine sinnes was giuen not vnto Peter onely but equally vnto all the Apostles it followeth well that the vse of the keyes was not giuen to Saint Peter alone but also to all his companions fellowes by consequent if he were the head of the Church to whō the power of the keyes was giuen it would follow that the Church had so many heads as it had then Apostles But some will say Iesus Christ speaketh onely to Peter It is true indeede Howe beit by the name of Peter is vnderstoode the whole Church For euen as Iesus Christ was willing to heare what iudgement not onely Peter but also all his fellowes had of him when he demaunded of them But what say ye that I am Matt. 16.15.16 And that Peter alone in the name of all answered and made this confession Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God So on the other side Iesus Christ giuing the power of the keyes vnto the Church addressed his speache vnto Peter alone although he meant to speake as wel vnto all the rest Augu. in Iohan tract 50 And so doth Saint Augustine vnderstande it for beholde howe he speaketh Peter saith hee signifieth the whole Church For if that in Peter there were not the figure of the Church Christ would not haue saide vnto him I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen And agane when Iesus Christ saide vnto Peter I will giue vnto thee the keyes c. Hee ment without doubt the whole Church And the reason would be marked why Iesus Christ in the person of one spake vnto all that is to the ende hee might cōmend and set the vnitye of the Church euen as also the ancient writers haue marked obserued the same Cypri tract 3. de simpli praelat S. Cyprian saith thus Our Lord in the person of one man hath giuen the keyes vnto all thereby to denote and set out the vnitie of all The other wer the same in deede that Peter was fellowes in equall honour and in equal power But Iesus began with one man to the end to shew that the Church is one And Augustine August in Iohan. tract 11. So it was saith he that all were asked Peter alone answered him thou art Christ c. to him was it said I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as though power to bind and lose had bene giuē vnto him alone But as he answered for al so he receiued the keyes together with all bearing as it were the person of vnitie Wherefore he alone was named for all bicause there was vnitie among all 3 The third reason is Ioh. 21.16 Iesus Christ commaunded Peter aboue al the rest yea and the three times to feed his sheepe He then did constitute and make him an vniuersall Bishop and head of all Churches I aunswere that this consequent is false for there is a very great not only differēce but contraritie betwene these two to haue charge to feed the sheepe of Christ and to haue a most high Empire vniuersall rule ouer the whole Church Besides if to feede the sheepe of Christ be no other thing but to minister giue vnto them the spiritual foode of their soules by the preaching of the Gospel Matt. 28.19 Mark 16.15 as it is indeed and seeing that it is most euident and plaine that Iesus Christe hath giuen this commission to all his Apostles generally it followeth verie well that he hath not giuē it to Peter alone And indeed Peter him self doth wel confesse the same 1. Peter 1.5 c. when he exhorteth his fellow ministers to feede the flocke of Christ which is cōmitted vnto them And Basil cōfirmeth the same saying Iesus Christ him selfe teacheth vs this to wit that he is the only head of the Church who did cōstitute appoint Peter the pastor of his church after him For he saith Peter louest thou me feede my sheepe and consequently he hath giuen this verie same power to all Pastors teachers and hereof this is a certaine signe and sure token that all bind and lose without any difference as well as he The fourth reason S. Peter is diuers times in the Scripture named the first among the Apostles Therefore he was chosen to haue rule aboue the other his fellowes yea aboue or ouer the whole Church I answere first that this argument is friuolous and vaine yea worthie to be mocked and hissed at For be it that we confesse that S. Peter was the first and chiefe as it were amongst a fewe people that is to say amongst the twelue Apostles yet very farr fet is this that it should therefore followe that he was the first or chiefest ouer all Christians or that he did beare rule ouer all the world Secondly if bicause that S. Peter is the first named he is therfore the first chiefest
not be called the prince or chiefe of priestes or the high priestes or any such other like thing but only the Bishop of the first seate and that he himselfe shoulde not bee called vniuersall Bishoppe whiche laste clause Peter Grabbe the compiler or gatherer of the Tomes of the Councelles hath lefte out either by deceit or negligence I know not whether You see testimonies inowe gathered out of the most approued olde Doctours and such as bee best worthie of credit by which you may easily perceiue that this rule or authoritie ouer all Churches was not in their time attributed to the bishop of Rome and that the Churches themselues had not anie superioritie or authoritie one of them ouer an other but that they were all associated and vnited together that some obteyned not neyther more or lesse power then othersome yea wee reade that when the Romish Bishop woulde sometimes haue vsurped more authoritie than did appertayne vnto him other Bishoppes did stronglie and stedfastly resist him which appeareth by the historie following that Socrates an ecclesiastical historiographer writeth in his seconde booke and fifteenth Chapter and Sozomenus in his thirde booke and eight Chapter A certaine man named Athanasius one Paulinus being deposed from their charges by the Bishoppes of Asia assembled and mett together with their Metropolitane would needes complaine to the Bishop of Rome who easily gaue thē letters by which he did place them againe in their firste offices and did greeuously reproue and chide them who had put them therefrom But the bishops of Asia tooke this in such sorte that they obteyned of the councel of Antioch that letters should be written to Iulius Bishoppe of Rome by which there should be declared vnto him that he did attribute and take vnto himselfe an authoritie which did not at anye hande belong vnto him and that in so doing hee offered greate wronge to other Churches and other Bishoppes And there was added to the letters that he should no more meddle with them whom they had deposed thē they medled with those whiche were deposed by the Bishop of Rome and others which were ioyned with him therein To which purpose they alledged the example of Nouatus which was as yet verie freshe and newe For when this Nouatus was reiected by the bishoppe of Rome none of the rest of the Metropolitanes and Bishops of other prouinces did gainesay the same neither any manner of way intermedled therein Furthermore if that which is maintained and practised at this day amongst the Romish Catholikes touching the large iurisdiction soueraigntie of their Pope were in force by Gods lawe as they would persuade the simple people therof should not then all the foresaid Bishops all others together with their Councels and Churches which haue not at any time confessed the Bishop of Rome for their head be verie grieuously censured or punished and worthie of a verie seuere and sharpe reprehension It is true that men may find that some amongst the auncient Fathers haue sometimes called the Bishops of Rome high Priest Pope but they did heretofore call after the same sort all Bishops For as touching the name high Priest Theodo lib. 2. cap. 7. Theodoretus in his second booke chap. 7. speaketh on this maner that two hundreth and fiftie high priests were assembled together in Sardis And Athanasius in his first Oration against the Arrians Athanasius oratio 1. cōtra Arrianos doth not only cal Iulius and Liberius the Bishops of Rome high Priests but also he calleth by the very same name the Bishops of Grecia Dacia Cappadocia Affrica Ruffin lib. 2 cap. 26. Italie Sicilia and Armenia Ruffinus also in the second booke sixe and twentie Chapter calleth Athanasius the great high Priest As concerning the name Pope we wil speake thereof by Gods grace and aide hereafter in the ninth Chapter Moreouer let vs consider by what tokens and markes the Pope of Rome saith that he is Saint Peters successour It is say the Romish Catholikes bicause that Saint Peter had his seat and chaire in the Church of Rome being there the Pastour and hauing borne rule there a long time and that after him there came in order his successors the Bishops of Rome hauing the same authoritie which he had before But touching the first it is vncerteine whether Saint Peter was Bishop of Rome or no at the least whether he bare rule there and helde the seat They are not able plainely to proue the same neither to approue it as truth at what time it was neither vnder what Emperour neither howe long bicause that out of the holie scriptures they are not able to bring so much as one onely probable coniecture Caluin li. 4. Instit cap. 6. sect 14. but rather the contrarie as Caluine hath well sufficiently declared in his Institutions Secondly if S. Peters abode at Rome hath giuen this authoritie to the Romish Bishops to the heads of the Church and vniuersall Bishops from whence commeth it Concil Nic. Can. 6. Concil Antioch Can. 13. that the Councels haue limitted to all the Patriarches who were many diuers yea euen after that thei were brought to foure their seueral charges making them Metropolitanes euerie one in his own prouince the Bishop of Rome hauing no more authoritie ouer others than others ouer him For at that time the Bishop of Rome might verie wel haue alledged S. Peters seate and the other Bishops Councels would very wel haue confessed and allowed the same if it had bene true and if the same could rightly haue giuen the title of primacie to the Bishop of Rome On the other side what an argument is this S. Peter was Bishop of Rome there suffered martyrdome therfore it followeth that this Church is the mother and mistresse of al the rest and that the Bishop therof is the vniuersall and general head of all Christendome Verily if in this respect the question be to establishe and set vp a primacie it ought rather to be placed at Ierusalem than at Rome For Saint Peter preached there Act. 2.14 Act. 2.12 yea the first after Christes ascention where he together with his fellowes and brethren builded vp the Church Act. 4.3 did great miracles was imprisoned Act. 5.18 and sundrie times persecuted The Prophets likewise preached there and all the Apostles yea which is more Iesus Christ him self Ioh. 2.13 7.14 8.2 c. 18.20 died there and rose againe and from thence ascended vp into heauen There also was the first Synode that euer was held in the Christian Church assembled of all the Apostles There also Iesus Christ sent downe his holie spirit vpon his Apostles and disciples Act. 15.6 c. Act. 2.1 c. And to be short from thence it was that the doctrine of saluation should come foorth to be spread abroad throughout al the world Isai 2.3 Michah 4.2 euen as the Prophets had before told which
August ad Ianuarium There is no better rule in this behalfe saith hee than a wise and sober Christian himselfe which will frame himselfe to that custome which he shall see vsed in that Church wherein he liueth For that which is not established against faith or against good manners must bee helde for indifferent But the Church alloweth not that which is against faith and good life yea she dissembleth it not neither doeth it To be shorte then for so much as wee cannot be present at the seruice and ceremonies of the Romish Church without defiling our selues in their manifest idolatries you may see wherefore we doe wholy and altogether renounce and forsake the same And in this deede of ours wee followe the example of the Prophets For in the kingdome of Israel in the dayes of Ieroboam Circumcision was administred and there they offered sacrifices yea the lawe was esteemed there amongst them as holie and which is more GOD him selfe was called vpon and prayed to there yet notwithstanding by reason of their superstitions and ceremonies which men had deuised and set vp against the ordinance of God all that seruice was reiected and condemned neither can any man shewe that Elijah or any other whether he were a prophet or of any other calling did at any time worship or offer vp sacrifice in Bethell But see more largely touching this matter in that which M. Caluine hath written thereof in the fourth booke of his Institutions Chap. 2. sect 1.2.3.4.5 Caluin lib. 4 Instit ca. 2. sect 1.2.3.4.5 c. c. Moreouer when we doe thus separate our selues from the Romish Church we breake not the vnitie of the Church bicause that in the Romish Church there is no true vnitie For first of all it is not at vnitie in it selfe as appeareth by the seuerall sects and rules which are amongest them one saying I am of the order of S. Augustine an other I am of Saint Dominicke his order and other I am of S. Frauncis an other I am a Iesuite contrarie to that which S. Paul writ to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1.11.12.13 in the first Chapter Secondly that Church is not vnited with God which vnion or vnitie is necessarily ioyned with the former 1. Ioh. 1.3 as S. Iohn declareth it And that this is true that it hath not any vniō or felowship with God it is sufficiently plaine by this only reason that he that hath vnion or fellowship with God ought by the testimonie of the holie spirit and by faith to be assured hereof that God dwelleth in him and he in God euen as the scripture teacheth vs. But the faith of Papists is this that we must alwayes doubt whether we be in the grace and fauour of God wherefore they can not haue vnion or fellowship with him Furthermore this is to be marked that there is no vnion or agreement betweene the doctrine of Papistes and the word of God wherevpon it followeth that they are not at all vnited with him Which being cōsidered to what end and purpose would they haue vs to remaine and abide in the vnitie of the Romish Church seeing there is not in it any vnitie I meane holie vnitie and such as agreeth well to good Christians and the true members of Iesus Christ They will obiect further you hold indeede that baptisme ministred in the Romish Church is true baptisme why then doe you not hold this Church for the true Church I aunswere that this reason is verie weake For we doe not acknowledge the assemblie of heretikes for the true Church although we cease not to allowe the baptisme ministred amongest them for true and profitable euen as the Councel of Carthage decreed the same bicause that baptisme is alwayes the baptisme of Christ and not of heretikes although it be ministred by heretikes who haue notwithstanding some vocation and allowance of the people Wherein let vs heare Saint Augustine August lib. 3 cont Donatist cap. 10. The water saith he ouer which the name of God is called vpon is not bastardly for neither the creature nor the name is prophane or bastardly Wherefore the baptisme of Christ being sanctified and hallowed by the words of the Gospell is holie among the adulterous and in the adulterous although they thē selues be shamelesse and vncleane And in an other place Aug. cont Crescent li. 3. cap. 6. The baptisme is such as is he by whose vertue it is administred and not such as he by whose handes it is administred August de fide ad Pet. cap. 36. Also bicause it is manifest that in what so euer place where baptisme is administred it ought to be but once ministred this is to be marked that though it be administred by heretikes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost it ought to be reuerently receiued and at no hand reiterated Wherefore we esteeme and take the baptisme of the Romish Church for true baptisme bicause it is ministred not in the name of the Pope but in the name of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost and confesse that the infants which receiue it are truely baptised euen as they which were circumcised in the time of Ieroboam and of Caiaphas were helde for true circumcised persons although at that time the state of the Church was almost altogether peruerted and corrupted But yet this remaineth that albeit we haue receiued baptisme in the Popish assemblie and that we hold the same for true baptisme yet we are farre off from holding or accounting that assemblie for the true Church Caluine hath sufficiently answered this difficultie or doubt whose wordes I will bring in place here Caluin lib. 4 Inst cap. 2. sect 11.12 contenting my selfe therewith As in the time of Ieroboam saith he there were certaine prerogatiues belonging to the Church which remained amongest the Iewes although at that time the seruice of God was very much corrupted so we denie not but that the Papistes haue at this day some steppes pathes of the dissipation or scattering of the Church which through the grace of God haue remained with them For as Circumcision could not be so defiled by the vncleane handes of the Iewes but that it was alwayes a signe and a sacrament of the couenant of God for which cause God called the infants or children which were borne of this people his which could not any manner of way belong vnto him but by a certaine speciall blessing and priuiledge After the same maner also bicause he hath once placed his couenant in Fraunce in Italie in Germanie and other countreyes although that all that was afterwards oppressed by the tyrannie of Antechrist yet to the end that his couenant might remaine amongest thē inuiolable and vnbroken it hath pleased him that baptisme shuld there remain for a testimonie witnesse of that couenant which bicause it is ordained and hallowed by his owne mouth retaineth and keepeth her owne
commonly hath more wisedome more experience and grauitie But yet it doth not alwayes fall out that white or grey haire maketh men wise yea sometimes we shall finde yong men which are farre more fit to exercise and execute the charge and office of a Pastour such a one was Timothie than those that be of greater yeares It is true that there are two sorts of Elders that is to say Ancients One sort haue charge and office to minister the worde of GOD and sacraments and to watch ouer the discipline and ouer the whole Church The other are ioyned vnto these to ayde them in the exercising and execution of discipline without medling any whit at all in the preaching c. Saint Paule setteth out this order when he saith to Timothie 1. Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine For in that he maketh mention of bearing rule he giueth vs well to vnderstand that those whome he nameth Elders or Auncients that is to say the Pastours and such as are ioyned vnto them are chosen to haue charge and office in the Church ouer the people And in that he more commendeth those which minister the word and doctrine than the other he euidently declareth that al haue not one and the selfe same charge We may behold this order euen at this day obserued in the reformed Churches Deacons The Apostle maketh mention likewise of Deacons which word is taken in holie scripture in two senses or sortes Somtimes generally for euerie minister or seruitour In which sense S. Paule calleth the Magistrate the Deacon of God that is to say Rom. 13.4 Ephe. 3.7 Rom. 15.8 the seruaunt or minister of GOD and hee nameth himselfe the Deacon that is to say the minister of the Gospell as also he calleth Iesus Christ the deacon of Circumcision that is to say the minister thereof Wherefore being so taken and referred to the estate calling of the pastor it is commonly translated and turned by this worde minister or seruaunt Coloss 1.7 1. Cor. 3.5 as in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians and the third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians But sometimes it is taken more straitely for thē which haue a charge and office to gather the almes to dispense or bestow thē among the poore The first occasion that was giuē to chose these deacons in the Church was this because the Apostles could not verie wel prouide for our furnishe both the charge of preaching the worde and of distributing the goods of the poore And for this cause were the seuen Deacons chosen Actes 6.2 of whom is spoken Actes 6. And the conditions and qualities which ought to bee in the Deacons that men will chose are there described and set out and also in the third chapter of the first Epistle to Timothie 1. Tim. 3.8 c. These are the degrees of the Church or ecclesiastical orders which Iesus Christ him selfe sette vp and his Apostles after him established for the regiment and gouernment of the Church which order was afterwardes in the Popedome by litle and litle not onely corrupted but vtterly ouerthrown For in that tyrannous king dome after that corruption had once craftilie ouertaken or stolne vppon the doctrine of the Church they diuised and forged a stewardshippe dispensation and bestowing of ecclesiasticall offices and charges which was altogether farre of and estraunged from the former simplicitie plainenes whereof we haue spokē Wherin first they made a sacrament without the warrant of Gods worde of the orders and degrees of ministers Afterwards they diuised a certaine kinde of creame or oyle to anoint thē as they say but indeed it is to grease or smeare them fetching that though a false zeale from Aaron and that which was done in olde time vnder the lawe Also shauing or sheering specially of the crowne of the heade against the custome both of the Apostles and of the primitiue Church Actes 18.18 It is true indeed that S. Paul did once cause his heade to be shorne in Cenchrea after the manner of the Iewes but it was by reason of a vow which he had made and not that he was then ordeined into some ministery but a great while after his calling And in that hee caused himselfe to be shorne he did it not for any other purpose but to applie himselfe thereby to the Iewes who were as yet verie rude and not well instructed 1. Cor. 9.20 as hee himselfe protesteth in the Epistle to the Corinthians That of his owne accorde and willingly hee became vnder the Lawe although hee were deliuered therefrom to the end he might winne the Iewes Orders of the Romish Church Next they established or made seuen orders of the Church the first Porters or doore keepers the second Readers the thirde Exorcistes or in playne english Coniurers who as they faine had power giuen them to lay their handes vpon mad men and men possessed with diuels and to heale them the fourth Acoluthes that is to say followers who waited vpon the Bishop in his houshold seruices and did continually accompany him first for honours sake and then that no suspicion should arise of them the fifth Subdeacons or vnderdeacons the sixt Deacons and the seuenth Priestes of which last sort they haue made many degrees whereof they call some simple or single Chaplaines Others Curates and Vicars others Bishops others Archbishops or Metropolitanes other some Cardinalls And afterward they came to the foure Patriarches and lastly to the Pope himselfe But from whence commeth this goodly hierarchie or order of Priests who hath established it set it in nature or being Did Iesus Christ or his Apostles the scripture maketh no mentiō therof But let vs discourse a little vpon the fountaine and beginning of these goodly degres I say and meane onely of those which they conteine vnder the name Priest For the others keepe not the place of true Bishops and pastors of the Church as these would seeme to doe And yet notwithstanding hee that will heare speach thereof Theod. Beza lib. Confe Punct 7. cap 11. let him reade the confession of Theodorus Beza As concerning Chaplaines Durandus in his booke called Rationale diuinorum offic alleageth two reasons to shew why priests were so called The one is because the kings of France in time heretofore when they went to warre were wont to carrie with them Saint Martins capp or hoode which they kepte vnder a tent which of the cap kept in it was named Capella that is Chappel and the Clerkes or Priestes that had the keeping of this Chappel were called Chaplaines and afterwardes in continuance of time this name was in some countries giuen generally to all Priestes And these litle Cabbines or corners or rather high places which were in the Popishe Temples wherein the Chaplaines saide their masses were called Chappels The other reason
is that when in old time they were to set out an armie or to doe some exploite by souldiers they had in the Campe certaine speciall tentes to say masse in which tentes were couered ouer with goates skines Nowe a Goate in latine is called Capra or Capella that is to say according to the portuise of the Priestes which are at this day Chappel Wherefore because these tentes were couered with goates skinnes they were named Chappelles and the Priestes which had the keeping of them and who did therein singe their masses were called Chaplaines Behold verilie two reasons to shewe from whence this name Chaplaine is taken which reasons are verie high and full of great speculation or insight conteining verie great mysteries and such as are maruellously deepe but we leaue them to be meditate or looked into diligently to the priestes which are the Popes Chaplaines to the ende that they shoulde aduise take counsell to see whether they can bee willing that their reuerende name should be fet and drawen from the base beginnings Curates Curates haue an other fountaine In olde time according to the order established by Iesus Christ the pastors were ordeined and placed distinctly and without confusion in seuerall Churches For to the ende that euerie pastor might knowe his owne charge and be able to yeelde a better account of his flocke and that one should not any whit at all incroch vpon or intermeddle with others also to the ende that the flocke sheepe might know where they might seeke for and finde their owne pastors they deuided the people into certaine circuites and countries or rather parishes indeede whereof some were committed to the charge of certaine pastors othersome to the charge of certaine other pastors From thence came the name Curate although some would haue it deriued from Cura that is to say from the care that the pastors ought to haue ouer their flocks which were giuen committed vnto thē in charge And the abuse comming on growing vp more and more they called the benefice or renewe that was assigned thē to maintaine themselues vpon for the doing of their office by the name of cure And from thence it commeth that when any one goeth about to get such a benefice they diligently enquire of the value thereof and that whereof they seeme to haue the greatest regarde is to know how much the cure is worth As concerning Bishoppes and Elders Bishops and Elders or according to Papistes Priestes or as they call them priestes we haue before shewed and seene that these two names signifie one and the selfe same office or charge Hierom. ad Euagrium And Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Euagrius witnesseth that in the time of the Apostles there was no distinction or difference betwene these two degrees but afterwardes whiles schismes were in the Churche one was chosen from among the Elders and placed in the highest roome and called Bishoppe because hee differed from the Elders onely for the executing of order Now by these words wee may easily know and gather that this difference beganne in the Church about that time and in that the office of a Bishoppe is helde and accounted for a more high or more excellent office thā the office of Elder or as they terme them priestes it was not don by the institution ordināce of God but rather by mans authoritie and that for the maintenāce as they suppose of order and discipline Archbishop or Metrapolitanes The names of Archbishoppes and Metropolitanes which were taken for one and the same estate were vnknowne to the Apostles and to the olde auncient Churches but marke howe they were brought in Princes hauing put certaine degrees betweene their Cities and townes and making a difference betwene some of thē in respecte of dignities priuiledges they called those which they woulde establish aboue the reste Metropolites as if you woulde say Concil Calcedon Canc. 12. Mother cities as wee may gather out of manie histories and namely expressely out of the Councel of Calcedonia where it is saide that they ought not to account any townes or Cities for Metropolites but onely vnto those to whom Kinges and Princes haue shewed giuen this honour by their Edictes and statutes Nowe as princes lifted vp their Metropolitane cities to beare rule ouer others vnder their obedience so the Bishops placed in those cities vsurped iurisdiction and authoritie ouer others they being fauoured by their princes and magistrates who easily accorded and consented to this that their Bishops should be placed in authoritie aboue others For this cause the Bishops of those places Conc. Nice can 6. Conc. Calc can 8. were named in the Councel of Nice Metropolitanes and their seats were called in the Councel of Calcedon the first seats You see then what was the fountaine beginning of Archbishops or Metropolitanes who at the beginning were lifted vp to such a degree for a good end purpose in outward shew for they were so placed and established as it were Ecclesiastical presidents and rulers in their prouinces to the end they might guide gouerne the affaires of the Churches and direct and cal Synods in good order and without cōfusion when there was neede therof yet none among them had any authoritie one ouer an other Conc. Nice can 6. Conc. Anti. can 13. For that effect and purpose the Councels ordained that al Metropolitans should haue like power and equall authoritie Conc. Sardi can 19. Conc. Constantinopolita can 2. euerie one in his owne prouince that the Bishop of Rome who was also Metropolitane had at Rome in the Churches which were vnder his charge Whereby it appeareth that the Bishop of Rome was not then Pope and vniuersall Bishop ouer all Churches but that he had his charge limited and bounded hauing no more authoritie and iurisdiction ouer other Metropolitanes than the other had ouer him Cardinals Touching Cardinals I knowe not what we may speake of certaintie bicause there is not so much as one onely authour who liued or writ while the church was in some puritie that maketh any mention therof at all Yet we cannot be deceiued in speaking of that which we find touching it We read in Nauclerus Nauclerus that in the time of Pontianus Bishop of Rome who was about the yeare of Christ 235. there was at Rome 36. Priestes Cardinals that is to say principall and chiefe among the rest Volateran lib. 22. Antropolo For as Volateranus saith in his Antropologie the name Cardinal was in olde time taken to signifie as much as principall and was saith he giuen to the Priestes as they call them and Deacons of the Church of Rome bicause that as the Bishop of Rome was helde and taken for the principall chiefe of Bishops bicause he was in the principal citie of the Empire so the Priestes as they call them and Deacons of that citie were helde and
taken for Cardinals that is to say for principall and chiefe among other Priestes and Deacons Wherevpon he addeth some examples There is a certaine epistle saith he of Gregorie the first to them of Peloponezus who demaunded a Priest to minister the sacraments vnto them wherein he saith we send vnto you our beloued sonne A priest Cardinal Also there is amongst the auncient Charters in the Church of Aretinum a donation or gift of a certaine Romane Senator named Zenobius which was made vnto the saide Church in the time of Damasus the high Bishop wherein there is contained this subscription And I Io. S. R. E. Deacon Cardinall doe on the behalfe of the high Bishoppe Damasus approue and confirme c. And of these Priestes or Deacōs Cardinals Marcellus Bishop of Rome ordained fifteene to baptise children Petr. de Nat. lib. 2. cap. 83 Polydor. lib. 4. cap. 9. and to burie the dead about the yere of Christ 301. If the Cardinals of these dayes would take their beginning from these let them marke then what is their charge and calling without taking that vpon thē which belongeth not vnto them But we knowe what great differēce there is betwene their estate these bicause at this day we may in euerie place behold it to be an estate or calling of honor not of office charge as it was then Beside when was it that they were so lifted vp and by whom A thousand yeares and more were spent before that the Church was burdened with such Cardinals as we haue at this day hauing benefices without exercising or executing offices It is affirmed that Pope Innocentius the fourth of that name about the yeare of Christ 1244. did so exalt their estate and calling that he commaunded by Edict that from that time foreward they should goe on horsebacke and should weare a red cap or hat a scarlet robe for a signe and witnesse that they ought to be always readie and prepared to suffer and shead their bloud for the defence of Christian religion And Paule the second about the yeare 1470. hath ratified the same Edict and in some point augmented and inlarged it But some will set vp him selfe and say that these Priestes and Deacons of Rome which were called Cardinals obtained that name bicause at that time they were such as the Cardinals at this present are that is to say hauing authoritie and iurisdiction ouer all other Bishops and Priestes I aunswere that the case goeth not so For we find this that the Priests and Deacons of Rome were in times past much lesse and inferior to the Bishops in steede whereof at this day they goe before them in honour and dignitie And that so it is we read that whē the Bishop of Rome sent two Embassadors or Legates to the Councel of Carthage whereof one was a Priest of the Church of Rome he was set the last of all Also that in the Councel which S. Gregorie held the Priestes of the Church of Rome were set last and made their subscription apart by them selues and the Deacons had not so much credite as to subscribe Touching the foure Patriarches Patriarches we haue spoken thereof in the beginning of the 7. Chapter Nowe we must vnderstand that the names of Patriarch and Metropolitane wer in time heretofore takē for one charge or office as appeareth by this Socrates lib. 5. cap. 8. that Socrates the historiographer speaketh of the Coūcel of Constantinople wherein mention is made of Metropolitanes These Patriarches then or Metropolitanes being lifted vp in degree of honour aboue all the rest of the Bishops in processe of time thrust on foreward with ambition haue so incroched one of them vpon an other that at the last they haue brought all the Patriarches euen to the number of foure as we haue named and described them in the aforesaid seuenth Chapter And this hath principally come to passe bicause that either for the antiquitie of the Churches or for the renoune of the cities and excellencie also of the Bishops men haue reuerenced and honoured Rome Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch aboue all other cities and by consequent the Bishops of those places as those that were the principall or chiefe The Pope Nowe these foure Patriarches haue yet in such sort so robbed one an other that the Patriarch of Rome and he of Constantinople haue quite and cleane taken away the roome and place of the other two And as touching the two of Rome and Constantinople we knowe what iarre and contention there hath bene betwixt them which is not as yet well compounded or ended In the time of Gregorie the firste of that name about the yeare sixe hundred and two there was great controuersie and stirre for the primacie of the Church For Iohn Bishoppe of Constantinople was declared and published in a ful and solemne Synode of the Grecians vniuersall Patriarch and the Emperour Mauritius commaunded Gregorie to obey the said Patriarch of Constantinople But Gregorie would not indure or suffer this presumption that any Bishop should be an vniuersall Bishop ouer all the rest and in his Epistles he yealdeth reasons thereof First he saith Greg. lib. 6. epist 76. If he fall that is called the vniuersall Bishoppe the whole Church falleth from her estate Secondly None of my predecessors hath euer desired to haue or vse this prophane worde For if there be one Patriarch that is called vniuersall the name of Patriarch shall be taken from all the rest To consent to this execrable and accursed name is no other thing but to betraye the faith and to destroy Christianitie Thirdly Greg. lib. 7. epist 196. I speake freely and boldly that who so euer calleth him selfe vniuersall Bishoppe or desireth to be called by that name the same is in his pride the forerunner of Antichrist bicause that by his pride he preferreth him selfe before all This controuersie being betweene these two Patriarches of Rome and of Constantinople it fell out and was agreed that the Patriarch of Constantinople was appointed head of the Churches of the East and the Patriarch of Rome head of the Churches of the West and this latter was afterward so established and lifted vp by Phocas about the yeare 604. as we haue declared in the seuenth Chapter that he was created Pope and vniuersall Bishoppe of all Churches And as touching the name Pope it hath bene heretofore generally attributed and giuen to all Bishops as may be proued by these testimonies Aurelius Bishop of Carthage is called by this name Pope in the beginning of the Councel holden at the saide Carthage of which Councel he was President In the hundreth fiftie and one Chapter of the same Councel Innocentius Bishop of Alexandria is called Pope Saint Cyprian in certaine Epistles which he writ to the same Bishop calleth him Pope The Elders and Deacons of Rome Cyprian li. 2 Epist 7. called Cyprian Pope in their Epistles Saint Ierome oftentimes calleth Augustine Pope in
his neighbour Iere. 31.34 and euery man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest of thē This promise must be referred to the state of the Church vnder the new Testament therfore it followeth that the ministerie of the worde ought not any more to haue place now in the Church I answere that the application of the place of Ieremie is altogether contrarie to the meaning intent and purpose of the holie Ghost For first formost the Lord making comparison betwene the old people and the newe meaneth not any other thing but that vnder the Gospel he would send vnto his people so great a light by the means of Iesus Christ his sonne that his knowledge should be common familiar to all whereas vnder the lawe he manifested declared him selfe darkly that vnder certaine shadowes figures As indeed the ancient people that is to say they which were in the time of the olde Testament were not so familiarly plainely and perfectly taught as we be at this day by reason whereof also the Prophet Malachie calleth Iesus Christ the sonne of righteousnesse Malach. 4.2 signifying therby that the fathers vnder the law had indeed som light but yet not such a light as we through his goodnes haue at this day Furthermore we must marke that the Lord doth not say simplie They shall teach no more euery man his neighbor euery man his brother but he addeth saying Know the Lord. By which restriction or strayning it into a narrow roome he plainly declareth that he promiseth to his children such a knowledge that they shal not be any more learners of the A.B.C. neither young scholers in the doctrine of saluation For these words Know the Lord denote point out the first rudiments or instructions of faith and of the heauenly doctrine And indeed if we wel weigh mark how rude grosse and ignorant the old fathers were we shall finde that they were as it were little children Gal. 4.1 c. euen as Saint Paule saith and as yet in their A.B.C. But God hath shewed vnto vs a farre greater grace bicause that we haue a more manifest cleare and shining light to leade vs to the knowledge of God and of the mysteries of our saluation For this cause Iesus Christ saide Matth. 13.16.17 Luk. 20.23.24 Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare For verily I say vnto you that many Kinges Prophetes and righteous men haue desired to see those thinges which ye see and haue not seene them and to heare those thinges which you heare haue not heard them In summe the Lorde promiseth here that his people shal not be found grosse and ignorant vnder the newe couenant or testament that they shall haue neede of the principles and beginnings of Christian doctrine But if we would not take this place in this sense how shal we expound an other of Isaiah Isai 2.2.3 which seemeth to be contrarie to this He saith It shall be in the last dayes that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the toppe of the mountaines and shall be exalted aboue the hilles and all nations shall flowe vnto it and many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iaacob he will teach vs his wayes It is certaine that he prophecieth euen as Ieremiah of the grace of God which should be made manifest through Iesus Christe in the time of the Gospell Nowe one of them saith Euerie one shall not teach his neighbour for they shall all knowe the Lord The other saith The people shall runne together and say Come Let vs goe vp to the mountaines of the Lord and he shall teach vs his wayes How shall we make these two places agree seeing that both of them prophecie of one and the selfe same thing Verily Ieremiah meaneth that the people of God shal be in such sort lightened vnder the new Testament by the light of the Gospel that they shal haue no more neede of the rudimēts or first instructions of religiō neither to be so taught as the olde people were by the shadowes ceremonies of the law And as touching Isaiah he meaneth that vnder the same newe Testament the people shal though they be wel aduanced and instructed in the points of christian doctrine notwithstanding diligently indeuour more more to aduance them selues grow forward therin and that for that purpose they shall continually exhort one an other to the end they may better profite in the knowledge of the lawe Ioel. 2.28.49 The fourth argumēt It is written in Ioel At that time that is to say in the time of the new Testament I will poure out my spirit vpon all flesh saith the Lorde and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions And also at that time I will poure out my spirit vpon the seruants vpon the maids Nowe by this promise the charge office to teach is without any difference laid vpō al vpon fathers children vpon sonnes vpon daughters vpon olde folke and vpon yong vpon seruants and maides wherefore it followeth that the ministerie of the word is not necessarie in the Church I aunswere that there is nothing in this argument or reason but a meere cauil It is true that this prophecie ought to be referred to the kingdome comming of Iesus Christ that the gift of prophecying should then be common both to men women to old and yong to be short to all estats But in the first place this is to be marked that the prophet speaketh here by comparison vsing a figure commonly called Hyperbole that is to say a maner of speach very excessiue because of our wearisomnes slacknes and negligence for hee doth not presently promise that all vnder the Gospell frō the first to the last shall bee partakers of this gifte but in respecte of the olde people vnder the lawe For if wee compare the estate condition of the old Church with the singular treasures which God hath powred out and giuen vnto his people after the manifestation and reuealing of Iesus Christ we shall finde that in this latter time the Lorde hath spread abroad and powred out the giftes of his spirite vpon all fleshe that is to say almost vpon all men when as vnder the lawe a verie smal number was partakers therof Wherfore when he saith That the Lord will powre out his spirite vpon all fleshe this particle or worde all is not here taken in his proper signification as though it were simply and altogether vniuersall but is indefinite and must be referred to all estates and conditions of people and not to euerie singular person as in this sentence of S. Paul where it is saide
is not at any time perfecte so long as shee trauelleth and fighteth in this worlde whiche maior I prooue thus First if the Church were without spot in this worlde in vaine hath our Sauiour Christe taught it alwayes to pray Matth. 6.12 forgiue vs our trespasses and sinnes But the Lorde Iesus hath not without good cause giuen vs such doctrine and instruction wherefore it followeth that the Church is not in this worlde without spotte yea rather that shee hath continuall neede alwayes for to praye vnto GOD that shee may bee more and more sanctified and obteyne the forgiuenesse of all her sinnes Secondly those which are with out spot and wrinckle haue nothing to doe with any washing because they haue no neede thereof But the faithfull although they be washed haue notwithstanding need yet of washing still as Iesus Christe himselfe declareth it vnto vs Iohn 13.10 when hee saith Hee that is washed needeth not saue to washe his feete For by the washing of the feete hee meaneth a continuall sanctification It followeth then that the faithful are not in this world without spot 1. Cor. 1.2 Thirdly Saint Paul ceaseth not to adorne and bewtifie the Corinthians with the title of the Church who notwithstanding greeuously abused the holy supper of the Lorde and had amongest them diuisions and partakinges which are not smal faultes yea indeede they were in doubte also touching the resurrectiō of the dead Also he nameth the assembly of the Galathians Galat. 1.2 the Church although that poore people were deceaued by false Prophetes and caried away to an other Gospell contrarie vnto that which hee had preached vnto them These places doe manifestly declare that the Church is neuer so pure and perfect in this world but that it hath always need to be more more purged sanctified which thing S. Paul sheweth yet more plainly openly whē he writeth vnto the Thessalonians For he calleth thē the Church 1. Thes 1.1 1. Thes 5.23 and yet he prayeth vnto God for them that he would sanctifie thē through out True it is that the Nouatians Donatistes and Anabaptistes who doe not agree with vs in this point are not without their replies For first they alledge vnto vs that which S. Paul writeth vnto the Ephesians Ephe. 5.25.26.27 That Iesus Christ gaue himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it that he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle but that it shoulde be holy without blame But wee want not an aunswere also Saint Paul considereth the Church not in her selfe but in Iesus Christe her heade which shee taketh holde of by faith So shee is saide to bee without wrinckle and vnblameable by reason not of her owne righteousnesse but of Iesus Christes righteousnesse whereof shee is made partaker because it pleased God to impute and reckon the same vnto her for which cause also it is in an other place 1. Cor. 1.30 that Iesus Christe is made of God the father vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Moreouer wee might say that Saint Paul speaketh of sanctification or holinesse promised and which is not yet fully accomplished as though he called saide the Church to bee without spot not that it is so here belowe on the earth but because that one day it shall so bee aboue in heauen Augu. lib. de nuptiis Concupise cap. 34. And after this sorte Saint Augustine vnderstandeth it Iesus Christ saith hee cleanseth his Church by the washing of Christians to make it vnto himselfe without spott or wrinckle not in this world but in the world to come They alledge moreouer that which Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.6.9 whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not Wherevnto I aunswere by a distinction Those that are borne of God that is to say the faithfull sinne not that is to say serue not sinne or rather sinne doth not raigne in them because they do withdraw themselues as much as they can or are inabled from sinne and with all their heart giue themselues to holinesse of life that they may glorifie God And in this sense Saint Iohn taketh it and speaketh it Againe they that are borne of God sinne that is to say can not liue so holily but that oftentimes they stumble and fall into sins For although they be sanctified yet for all that by reason of the reliques and remnauntes of nature corrupted which yet resteth and remaineth in them euery day they turne aside from the righte waye and sinne In this sense S. Iohn ment not that which he saith that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for so he should speak against him selfe hauing before saide If we say we haue no sinne 1. Ioh. 1.8.10 wee deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs yea wee make God a lyer and his worde is not in vs. So it is then that though there seeme to bee some contrarietie betweene these two to say that we are sinners and sainctes both together yet all agreeth together verie well for euerie man if we consider him in his owne nature according to which he is called the childe of wrath he is a sinner worthie of death and eternall damnation but if we consider him in Iesus Christ as a Christian and faythfull man hee is holy so that he sinneth not that is to say serueth not sinne and his imperfections are hidden and couered because that they are not imputed vnto him and moreouer the Lorde Iesus maketh him partaker of his righteousnesse And so being a sinner in respect of his owne nature he is notwithstanding reputed and accounted holy iust before God But that which we haue hitherto spoken toucheth or concerneth the members of the Church particularlie Wee may also well say touching the Church considered in her owne bodie that it shall neuer here be purged from al filthinesses because that so long as shee shall bee on earth there shall be in her wicked ones mingled with good ones Which thing Iesus Christ hath declared in the Gospell by two similitudes Matth. 13.24.25 c. In the first he saith that the kingdome of heauen that is to say the Church is like vnto a man which sowed good seede in his feeld but while men slept there came his enemie sowed tares amongest the wheate and went his way And when the blade was sprong vp and had brought foorth fruit then appeared the tares also Then came the seruauntes of the housholde and saide vnto him Master sowedst thou not c. and woulde presently haue gone and gathered them vp but the Lorde woulde not suffer them least while they went about to gather the tares they plucked vp also with them the wheate Therefore he willed that they might both growe together vntill the haruest and in the time of haruest the reapers shall gather the tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them but they shal gather the good
to proue the contrarie The Romish Catholikes thinke that the Church can not erre although she doe and appoint any thing without the worde of GOD for being guided by the holie Ghost she may goe and walke without the order and direction of the word and although she goe and walke yet she can not erre or goe astray But they separate that which ought alwayes to remaine and abide ioyned together for if the Churche followe not the word of God it is impossible to keepe her from error as on the other side if she followe it therein she doth well and can not erre The reasons wherby they would persuade men that the Church can not erre are these following The first is this Iesus Christ doeth not at any time forsake his Church which is his spouse or wife Wherefore it followeth that it can not erre I aunswere by a distinction So farre forth as the Church foloweth Iesus Christ it can not be forsaken of him and can not erre but in as much as it liuing in the world doth stray from Christ and goeth aside from Gods commaundements it is forsaken of him and doth erre The second reason The Church is called The piller and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Wherfore it can not erre I answere that there is in this argument a double error the one touching the word Church For Saint Paule meaneth the Catholike Church not any particular one The other is concerning the meaning of the Apostle For he calleth the Church the piller and ground of truth not that it is so simplie and indeede of it selfe but in respect of vs bicause that the trueth of God hath not place in the world saue onely in the Church For as much therfore as God maintaineth his trueth amongst men and maketh it alwayes to goe it right course Chrysost in 3. cap. 1. ad Timothae by the ministerie of the Church therefore is the Church called the piller and ground of the truth To be short bicause that God him selfe commeth not downe from heauen and doth not euerie day send his Angels to maintaine his trueth among mē to publish it to the world but vseth the ministerie of the Church for this effect that is to say the preaching of the word for this cause it is called the columne or pillar of trueth because that by the preachinge of the worde it is reteined amongest men countergarded to the ende that it decaie not or perish from the memory or remembrance of men The thirde reason The Church is gouerned and guided by the holy ghoste how then can it erre I aunswere that so farre foorth as the Church is gouerned by the holy ghost suffering it selfe to bee guided by him and obeyeth him shee can not erre but if shee doe the contrarie she may erre and doeth erre The fourth reason In the kingdome of heauen no error can haue any place Matth. 13.24.16.19 For trueth reigneth therein but the Church is the kingdome of heauen it followeth then that in the Church no error can haue place All this is true of the Catholike Church yea and of particular Churches also so far foorth as they shew themselues to be the kingdome of heauen and not the kingdome of this worlde and of the fleshe that is to say so farre foorth as they are assemblies subiect in al things to Iesus Christ the king of heauen But were is that particular Church so obedient to Iesus Christ the king of heauen that it erreth not faileth not in any points particular duties The fifth reason Councelles cannot erre but the Church consisteth of Councells therefore the Church cannot erre This Syllogisme pretendeth and laboureth to proue an vncertayne thing by another thing yet more vncertayne For many examples doe plainely testifie that the Councelles may erre as indeede they haue oftentimes erred And touching the first the Councell that Ahab assembled of foure hundred prophets did not it erre It is written that they being come to this wicked king to flatter him 1. kings 22.6 c. Sathan was sent out by and from God to be a lying spirite in their mouths so al of them with one consent condemned the trueth Michaiah alone withstanding them who was reproued as an heretike beaten put into prison Iohn 11.47 The Councell which the high priestes and Pharisees assembled in Ierusalem against Iesus Christ did not it erre wee see how they condemned Iesus Christ litle regarded yea much dispised his doctrine And what shall wee say of the Councelles and Synods which were helde kepte after the death of the Apostles euen vnto our age whereof some haue reproued and vndone that which was established and done by others for of necessitie either the one or the other haue erred they beeing repugnant and contrarie one of them to an other Examples hereof The Councell of Carthage in whiche Saint Cyprian was president did decree Con. Carthag that those which were baptised by heretikes shoulde bee baptised agayne Which decree was broken and ouerthrowen Concil Carthag by an other Councell of Carthage holden after The seconde Synode of Ephesus Synod Eph. consented to Eutyches his error and imbraced the same and receiued it in this that hee confessed in Iesus Christ but one onely nature that is to saye the diuine nature which error was afterwardes confuted and caste downe to the grounde Conc. Chalcedo by the generall Councell of Chalcedonia The Councell of Constantinople Conci Constant called by the Emperor Leo about nine hundred yeares agoe ordeyned that men should throw down breake in peeces al the images that were in Churches which ordinaunce the Councell assembled at Nice Con. Nicen. by the commaundement of Irene the Emperors mother was immediately after broken and cracked and commaundement giuen that Images shoulde be set vp againe Con. Neoce Con. Maien Con. Carthag 2. The Councel of Neocesaria and of Maience the second Councel of Carthage did forbide mariage to the Ministers and Elders of the Church The Councell of Nice decreed the contrarie Con. Nicen. permitting ministers to marie Con. Braca Con. Tole 3 Con. Roman The Councell Bracara did pronounce curse against those that abstiened from eating fleshe and this decree was confirmed by the thirde councell of Toletum but the councell of Rome ordeined the contrarie forbidding the vse of the fleshe vpon certaine dayes of the yeare August lib. 2. de Baptis contra Donatist cap. 3 To be short S. Augustine plainely declareth that which I speake to wit that coūcels may erre for hee expressely saith that the letters and Epistles of particular Bishoppes are corrected by prouinciall Councels and the prouinciall Councells by vniuersall and the former vniuersall Councells annihilated and disanulled by the latter when by some certaine experience of thinges that which before was secrete is opened and that which was hiddē is made euident and plaine neither shall it stād thē in
any steed at al to say that any this place of Augustine ought to be vnderstod of outwarde and indifferent thinges for Saint Augustine disputeth there of a point of doctrine that is to say of the opinion of Saint Cyprian of the Councell of Affrica touching rebaptisation or baptising againe Now then in so great diuersitie gainsaying one of an other what shall we say To which Councell shall we giue greater faith and credit for this we perceaue clearly and plainely that they thus crossing and contrarying one an other did not all consent and speake according to the truth that therefore wee must of necessitie conclude that some of them haue erred and that by their false and erronious determinations they haue degenerated and gone astray from the right way of the word of God Certainly it is verie meet and requisite An admonition touching Coūcels and Synods that we should be wise and verie well aduised when the question is either to set out or to receiue that which shall bee determined by councells and Synods For it is altogether manifeste and plaine that Councels and Synodes may be deceiued And therefore as touching their decrees and determinations this is that wee haue to say that we must bring the weight of them and make it subiecte to the balance that is to say we must try and examine thē by the worde of GOD which is indeede the balance Gala. 1.8 whervnto not onely men are subiect but also the Angels as Saint Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Galathians Wherefore whatsoeuer wee shall finde in them conformable and agreeable to the proportion of faithe and agreeing with the authoritie of the holy Scriptures wee ought to receiue the same without any scruple or doubte But if they propound vnto vs and set out things contrarie to that we ought and we may without any difficultie or daunger reiecte and refuse them as suspected and daungerous doctrines For as Saint Ierome hath somtimes saide Hierom. in 9 cap. Ierem. we ought not to followe the errors of our fathers and predecessors but the authoritie of the scriptures and the commandement of God who teacheth vs. Wherevppon also Gerson Gerson par 1. de exam doctrin Abbas Panormita Epist de electi one elect potest cap. 5 and Panormitan haue concluded that in matters which concerne faith the Pope and his Bishoppes may not determine and decree any thing against the worde of God and that if a generall Councell should come so farre as to decline and goe aside either through malice or through ignoraunce of the Gospell a simple man alleadging in that coūcell the worde of GOD ought rather to bee hearde and yealded vnto then all they Let vs enter or come nowe to our aduise and let vs bring forth and alledge our reasons to prooue that the Church may erre The first reason is this That great companie of the people of Israel which was in the wildernesse with whome GOD had made a couenant and had made them bounde vnto him by an infinite number of benefites and good turnes and had giuen vnto them sacramentes and ceremonies which were as it were visible signes of his grace that great company I say was a verie goodly a verie excellent Church But they were vilely deceaued and erred fowly when forsaking the commaundement they made vnto themselues a golden calfe offering and giuing vnto it that honour which was due to God alone yea and Aaron himselfe the high priest did not so constantly and boldly withstande them as he ought but rather consented thereto indeede wherefore it followeth that the Church may erre and be deceiued The seconde reason The Church in old time did offer and giue the holy supper to litle infants staying and grounding themselues vpon the place of Saint Iohn Except yee eate the fleshe of the sonne of Man Iohn 9.53 drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you And this custome was in vse in the time of Pope Innocent Saint Cyprian and Saint Augustine as it appeareth by their writinges But nowe this is not any more vsed for children which can not prooue and examine themselues are not at this day receiued to the partaking of the sacrament Wherefore the Church in olde time hath erred or else it erreth now But if we wold answere that the Church hath power and authoritie to chaunge such customes and manners I replie to the contrarie for now the question is not here of a thing indifferent in the vse but of the word of God which is alwayes constant and not subiect to any change as to say that to day it hath one sense and vnderstanding and to morrowe an other wherefore if the place of S. Iohn commaund to giue the supper to little infantes of necessitie as the forenamed auncient fathers haue vnderstood and expounded the same the Church hath done well in time heretofore to followe that commaundement and at this time it erreth in not folowing it any longer Or else if the said place be not to be referred properly vnto the holy supper neither commandeth to distribute and giue the sacrament to infants but it is of necessitie required that he to whome we must administer the saide sacrament 1. Cor. 1.2 haue knowledge to trie examine him selfe according to S. Pauls doctrine as in deede this is the pure and only trueth it followeth then that the Church hath in former time erred to admit little infants to the holie supper and that at this day it doth well to practise the contrarie The third reason If the Church could not erre Saint Paul had without cause feared 1. Cor. 11.28 least the Corinthians whome he calleth a Church should through the subtiltie of the serpent be corrupted 2. Cor. 11.3 and turned away from the simplicitie that is in Christ. And indeede in vaine should he haue called the assemblies of the Corinthians and Galathians Gala. 1.2 Churches which yet notwithstanding erred in doctrine in faith in manners and in life But Saint Paule did nothing of al this without cause or in vaine otherwise Saint Paule himselfe should haue bene deceiued wherefore it followeth that the Church may erre The fourth reason Those that can not erre haue no neede of the forgiuenesse of sinnes but the Church hath neede of the forgiuenesse of sinnes for Iesus Christ giuing it a forme of praier hath commanded it to demaund aske of GOD forgiuenesse of their sinnes Matt. 6.12 Wherefore it foloweth that the Church may erre The fifth reason The Church which was in olde time in Ierusalem was oftentimes reproued of error by the Prophetes which thing declareth that the Church is not in this world without will and deede to erre But to the end I may not be ouerlong in recyting by peecemeale and as it were one by one all the sentences which make mention of the falles of the Church let men reade that which is written thereof in these places Touching
me thereto Wherefore it is certaine that the Gospel taketh his authoritie from the Church I answere that the consequence is starke naught for that which S. Augustine speaketh to one purpose or in one respect is applied to another end This holie Doctor speaketh so as hauing regard to that he was then when he tooke the part of the Manichees as it were disputing against them Now the Manichees would that the Epistles of Manicheus their author which they called Fundamentall containing in it all their false opinions should be of like equall authoritie which the Apostles Epistles Beside they allowed one part of the Gospell and disallowed an other and that not by the aduise and iudgement of the Church but of their own proper and particular authoritie Saint Augustine hauing taken in hand to confute the saide Epistle in the beginning speaketh thus The Epistle beginneth after this manner Manicheus the Apostle of Iesus Christ by the prouidence and appointment of God the Father I aske who is this Manicheus you will aunswere the Apostle of Iesus Christe I beleeue it not What wilt thou say thereto Perhappes thou wilt bring foorth the Gospell and thereby thou wilt lift vppe and establish the person of Manicheus But what if thou haddest to doe and deale with a man who doth not yet beleeue the Gospell what wouldest thou doe when he should say vnto thee I beleeue not the Gospell For as touching my selfe I would not beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie of Catholike Churche did not moue me thereto Beholde Saint Augustines wordes by which it is altogether manifest that he mindeth not to infer that the Gospell hangeth vpon the allowance and authoritie of the Church but only that the Church hath great weight to induce and moue the miscreants and vnbeleeuers to beleeue the Gospell This holie Doctor then speaketh not of the foundatiō of his faith but of the beginning thereof that is to say of the occasion and outward means by which he was prouoked stirred vppe to beleeue the Gospell when he was a Manichean heretike and not as yet a Christian to wit bicause he sawe the good accord consent and agreement of the Church in receiuing the Gospell In the fourth Chapter he confessed that in former time he maintained the Manichees part that he was verie eger and sharpe therein and blinded in the doctrine of their sect Nowe he speaketh thus Howe wilt thou proue that Manicheus is an Apostle of Christ shall this be by the Gospell But if some one that beleeueth not the Gospell would say vnto thee I beleeue not the Gospell what hast thou to replie As if he should say wouldest thou not purpose put downe and shewe vnto him the authoritie and testimonie of the Church For as touching my selfe in the time that I was a Manichean I had not beleeued the Gospel if the authoritie and testimonie of the Catholike church had not driuen me thereto As if againe he should say For as concerning my self when I was of your faction and sect I was so settled and staied in your opinions and had heard them so attentiuely and diligently yea I beleeued them so stedfastly and did maintaine them with such courage stomake this is that which he speaketh in the fourth Chapter that verie hardly I had euer forsaken and renounced them to beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie and testimonie of the Church had not induced moued and prouoked me thereto The fourth reason He that hath authoritie and power to take away or to change some thing in the word of God hath also authoritie ouer it But so it is that the church hath authoritie and power to take away or to change something in the word of God It followeth therefore that the Churche hath authoritie ouer and aboue it They thus proue the assumption which is the second proposition or sentence of of the reason Saint Peter had authoritie and power to take away and to chaunge some thing in the word of GOD for he changed the forme of baptisme prescribed by Iesus Christ as it appeareth by this that Iesus Christ hauing commaunded to baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne Matt. 28.19 and of the holie Ghost Act. 2.38 Saint Peter changing this forme hath enioyned and commaunded men to be baptised in the name of Iesus Christ onely As it is written in the second of the Actes verse 38. Nowe if Saint Peter haue had this authoritie and this power why also should not the whole Churche haue it as wel as he I answere first for the consequence that it is not necessarie and good For who is he that will yelde to this that all that which was in former time permitted to the Apostles should nowe be permitted to the Pastors and ministers of the Church who are their successors Secondly I say that that which is taken from Saint Peter as true and right is false For Saint Peter did in no case chaunge the forme of baptisme and in the place of the Actes before alledged it is not saide that they must be baptised in the name of Iesus Christ onely Act. 2.38 but simplie saide thus and be baptised euerie one of you in the name of Iesus Christ. Petrus Lombard lib. 4. dist 3. sect B. hab de Consecrat dist 4. cap. in Synod c. But let vs see how Peter Lombard the master of the sentences expoundeth this place If any saith he be baptised without inuocatiō of the Trinitie he is not a perfect Christian vnlesse he be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost yet we reade in the Actes of the Apostles Act. 8.12 that the Apostles baptised in the name of Christe Act. 10.48 but vnder this name Ambr. lib. 1. de spi sanct cap. 3. as S. Ambrose expoundeth it is vnderstood the whole Trinitie for when a man nameth Christ these are vnderstood to wit the father of whom the sonne was annoynted and the sonne which was annoynted the holie Ghost by whom or with whom he was annoynted Beholde the aduise and iudgement of the master of the sentences who doth not altogether satisfie vs though he speak much for vs. For whether we regard the substance of the sacraments or else the forme thereof we holde that the Lords ordinance ought to be retained and folowed in the whole and through the whole and that it doth not belong to any particular person no not to the Church it selfe to alter or chaunge any thing therein And indeede as I haue alreadie saide Saint Peter did not chaunge the forme of baptisme But marke this His intent purpose was to teach that the foundation accomplishment and fulfilling of baptisme is in Iesus Christe alone For to be baptised in the name of Christ is taken and vsed by S. Peter for to be receiued to grace and fauour in baptisme by the name of Iesus Christe So that
are vsually to be found and had as well to make publike praier as to giue aduice and counsell touching that which ought to be done In the assemblie or companie which haue care of the poore they take aduise and order for collections and distributions for aide assistance to be giuen to the poore and that the sick and diseased may be holpen and succoured And then are present with the Deacons so many of the Ministers and Elders yea and of other citizens and towne dwellers or parishioners as occasion and necessitie requireth The Consistorie is composed made and consisteth of the Pastors and Elders whervnto also are admitted and receiued the Doctors and Deacons so farre foorth and in as much as they shall iudge it to be expedient and profitable to aduise giue coūsell and consider of the Censures and of that which is requisite and necessarie for the guiding and gouernment of the Church Therefore of this companie is it that we speake to which we say appertaineth the spirituall gouernement of the Churche And indeede it appeareth that the primitiue Church was gouerned and guided after this manner by the Apostles accompanied with the Elders who altogether assembled and met together so often as there was neede of such an assemblie to be had Act. 15.2 For it is saide in the Actes of the Apostles that the Church of Antioch being desirous to haue aduise and iudgement in a difficult and hard question concerning doctrine Act. 21.18 did send to the Apostles and Elders of the Church of Ierusalem and that they assembled and met together Also that the Elders of Ierusalem were assembled and met together when Iames was to take counsell of that which Saint Paule had to doe touching the purging and clearing of himselfe from the slaunders that were laid vpon him and giuen out against him And we see also whither Iesus Christe sendeth the offenders who are stiffe not yelding to a confession of their fault Matt. 18.17 when he saith Tell it vnto the Church For by the Church there hee meaneth no other thing but the Consistorie that is to say the gouernours and guiders of the Church euen as Chrysostome hath expounded it as wee haue before obserued it and put it downe in the first Chapter To be short it is verie manifest and plaine that there must be in the Church Auncients or ouerwatchers appointed to this end to watch ouer the manners of the people and who also together with the Pastors must looke to the exercise and execution of discipline that the Church may be well guided and gouerned The fourth head or point is Of the corrections and censures of the Church touching the corrections and censures of the Churche we haue saide that in euerie Church there ought to be a Consistorie to exercise and execute the discipline Nowe we adde that this ought to be found true and declared specially in the corrections and censures Wherevpon we haue certaine considerations to be obserued and marked The first is that we must make a differēce betwene secret faults and those which are publike and open that we may applie thereto meete and conuenient censures I call them secret faults which are knowne to one alone or to verie fewe persons And I call them publike and open faults which are notorious and manifestly knowne of euerie one or else of verie many men If then the faultes be secrete we must follow in the correction and amendment thereof the rule which is prescribed by Iesus Christ in Matth. 18. Matt. 18.15 where it is saide If thy brother offend or sinne against thee goe tell him therof betweene thee and him alone c. But if the faults be publike and open we must folow the commandement and example of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 5.20 His commaundement is this Such as offend reproue openly that the rest also may feare His example is in that when S. Peter had committed an offensiue fault he did not warne him thereof apart Gal. 2.14 or by him selfe but did reproue him openly and that before the Church The second consideration is that among open faultes and offences there are some which are lesse than other some are and therefore discretion and iudgement ought to be vsed in the censuring thereof But all the circumstances cannot be easily expressed wherefore the Consistorie ought to be wise and of good iudgement to practise the admonition and warning of S. Iude de 22. 23. when he saith Haue compassion of some in putting difference and other some which feare pulling them out of the fire For amongest faults some deserue but simple or bare admonition alone othersome suspention frō the holie supper others excommunication and other some other censure But we can not be deceiued in this what so euer it be in following doing that which the word of God commaundeth vs that is to say to cut off from the Church rebellious and impenitēt persons also faultie persons Matt 18.17 1. Cor. 5.3.4 Tit. 3.10 which stand stiffe in their faultes and consequently heretikes The thirde consideration is that when the question is of censures and namely of cutting off from the vse of the supper or of excommunication one alone should not take vpon him the knowledge thereof but it is necessarie and meete that the iudgement of the Church should be interposed or come betweene For one man alone what so euer graces he hath receiued from God cannot or ought not to attribute vnto him selfe such an authoritie And therefore S. Paul being willing to excommunicate the incestuous person saith thus 1. Cor. 5.3.4.5 I verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue determined alreadie as though I were present that he that hath thus done this thing when ye are gathered together and my spirite in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that such a one I say by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ be deliuered vnto Sathan c. Although hee was an Apostle yet he alone and of his owne authoritie doth not cut off from the Church this incestuous person but communicateth his aduice order to with the Church to the ende that the matter might be done by common authoritie consent And indeed in old time this was the common vsual maner to wit that the Ecclesiastical censures should be executed by the Consistorie For as it appeareth by the Apologetike Tertul. Apologeti cap. 39. or defensiue writing of Tertullian if question shoulde bee had touching them that ought to be excommunicated or of them that had committed certaine faultes whether they ought to be receiued or no this authoritie appertained to the Ministers and Elders of the Church who ordinarily and commonly assembled and met together for that purpose and matter But the denouncing or publishing of the excommunication or the casting of one out or the publike receiuing of him againe before the Church was done by the Pastour In this sort Origen ordaineth
Origen in Iohan. Hom. 7. that hee whiche hath bene three times admonished and yet afterwards amendeth not should be cut off from the bodie of the Churche by the gouernours of the Churche And Saint Cyprian Cypr. lib. 3. epist 10.14 27. making mention of the custome and manner vsed in his time touching the publike and open censures of the Churche saith that nothing at all was done by the Bishoppe without the counsell of the Cleargie and the consent of the people Wherefore the Pope of Rome declareth him selfe to bee a false dealer and indeede a tyrant when snatching away and that by violence from the Churche the right and power that belongeth thereto hee arrogateth to him selfe and to his power and authoritie to cut off from the Churche and to excommunicate whome so euer hee or any of them shall thinke good The fourth consideration is touching the ends which men ought to set before them in the corrections of the Church and namely in excommunication Nowe there are three speciall ends thereof The first is that those which be of wicked life and conuersation may not haue any place amongest true Christians to the contempt of Gods name The second is that good people may not be corrupted by the conuersation of the wicked 1. Cor. 5.6 for a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The third is that they which haue fallen and offended may be confounded and ashamed in them selues and afterwardes lifted vp againe comforted and reconciled to the Church 2. Thes 3.14 That is it which S. Paul setteth out and meaneth when he saith If any man obey not our saying note him by a letter and haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed 1. Cor. 5.5 Also speaking of the incestuous person I haue determined saith he that he should be deliuered to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus These three ends are verie largely laid out at length discoursed vpon in the fourth booke of M. Caluines Institution Cap. 12. Sect. 5. Calu. lib. 4. Inst cap. 12. sect 5. Whereof the summe is that in corrections and censures men must regard and looke to three endes that is to say the glorie of God the edification of the Church and the repentance and conuersion of sinners The fift consideration is that men in the reprehensions and censures of the Church looke well to this that they haue not such cōsideration regard or respect to the outward appearance and shewe of mens persons that they tread the little ones or poore people vnder their feete and support aide and hearten the great and rich Deut. 10.17 Gal. 3.28 For as God accepteth no mans person and in the Church there is neither Iewe nor Grecian bond nor free male nor female but all are one in Iesus Christe so the gouernors of the Churche ought alwayes to walke with an vpright and equall foote without turning aside any manner of way in receiuing and allowing some and in refusing and disallowing others It is verie true that corrections ought alwayes to be tempered measured and accompanied with gentlenesse softnesse and courtesie to the end as Saint Paul saith that he that is reproued or blamed 2. Cor. 2.7 may not be swallowed vp with ouer much heauinesse For otherwise we shall turne the the remedie into poyson and hurt And therefore the same Apostle doth exhort vs Gal. 6.1 That we should restore with the spirite of meekenesse such as be fallen into or ouertaken with some fault 1. Tim. 5.12 And againe Rebuke not saith he an Elder vnreuerently but admonish or exhort him as a father the young men as brethren the elder women as mothers the younger as sisters with all purenesse and chastitie We must therefore moderate with gentlenesse and meekenesse the rigour or hardnesse of the discipline least we hurt rather then profite But so farre off is it that they ought to spare any man that the corrections must be equally and indifferently applied and administred to all them which shal haue neede thereof whether they be men or women whether they be great or small whether they be masters or seruantes whether they be Gentlemen or of the common sort We knowe with what earnestnesse and heate Chrysostome was angrie against the Pastours in his time who for feare of great and rich men durst not reiect or put from the supper any of them when they offred them selues thereto nor before they were admitted thereto Chrysost Hom. 3. in Matth. The bloud saith he of these men shall be required at your handes If you feare mortall men for their greatnesse and riches verily men shall mocke you but if so be that you feare the liuing God he will bring to passe that euen men them selues shall haue you in honour and estimation And those which are lifted vp in dignitie An admonitiō to great men not to reiect or despise the discipline ought not to refuse to submit them selues and to make them selues as it were subiect to the discipline and they ought not to refuse the corrections of their Pastours and Elders seeing that by this meanes the Lorde will set them againe vpon their feete after they are fallen There is I knowe not what manner of pride in many which hindereth them from submitting them selues vnto the discipline There is besides I knowe not what maner of foolish and filthie shame which when it hath once seised or taken holde of them they loue rather to continue in their vices than to be aduertised or admonished thereof to the end that they may keepe them selues there from But the Emperor Theodosius was better aduised and of a more godlie minde For we reade Ambr. lib. 1. epist 3. in oratio Theodosij that when Saint Ambrose had excommunicated him by reason of much innocent bloud which was spilt and shead at his commaundement he tooke such a censure in good part and so farre off was it that he was stubborne and selfe willed against his Pastor and his Elders to recoile backe againe or to withdrawe him selfe from the Church that on the other side approuing the same correctiō and censure he vnclothed him selfe of his kingly ornaments and openly bewailing his sinne in the Church he did with teares gronings and sighes demaund and aske forgiuenesse thereof Certainly this is not in vaine that Iesus Christ hath said to the Pastors of his church What so euer ye shall bind or loose in earth Matt. 18.18 shall be bound or loosed in heauen For thereby he hath authorised his Church in the vse of the keyes by the word of God to condemne the peruerse stubborne and vngodlie and by the same word to reconcile and receiue to mercie all true penitent sinners Which authoritie of the Church is not restrained or hedged in to be exercised and executed among the common people only but also vpon Lordes and Magistrates Whereupon it
There is none but God alone that can institute and ordeine a lawfull seruice which may be agreeable to himselfe and acceptable in his sight for this cause he him selfe saieth Deut. 12. 8.32 Yee shall not doe after all these thinges that yee doe heere this day that is euery man whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eyes but whatsoeuer I commaund you take heed yee do it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom And in Ieremiah Ier. 7.22 23 I spake not saieth he vnto your fathers nor commaunded them whē I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices but this thing I commanded them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and yee shal be my people and walke yee in all the wayes which I haue commaunded you that it may be well vnto you He saieth also by his Prophet Samuell 1. Sam. 15.22 Thinkest thou that the Lord hath as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when his voice is obeyed Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fatte of Rammes Wee may read many such or the lyke sentēces but specially this is notable and excellent that the sonnes of Aaron were horribly burned and consumed with the fire which was sent out from the Lord Leuit. 10.1 c. because they offered straunge fire and which in deede was not commaunded them But wee adde that the lawes which concerne doctrine and by which mens consciences are tied apperteine to the seruice of God And therfore it foloweth that there is none but God alone which can make and establish such lawes The third reason Lawes concerning doctrine and such as binde mens consciences ought to bee vnto vs a testimony pledge of the wil of God But God alone by his word can giue vnto vs this testimony and at no hand or by no meanes men as of them selues Isaiah 40.13 c. Rom. 11.34 For who hath instructed the spirite of the Lord or was his Counsellor or taught him as the scripture saith It followeth thē that God alone may make establish lawes concerning doctrine and which shal serue to binde mens cōsciēces The fourth reason If it belong to the Church to make lawes concerning doctrine the seruice of god this must needs be that she hath receiued the prerogatiue and authoritie from God him self for mē haue not here in their life any power so to doe But so it is that the Church hath not receiued from God this prerogatiue authoritie For cōtrariwise God hath expresly plainly forbidden them to ioyne or adde any thing to his lawe Deut. 4.2.12.32 Wherefore it followeth that it doeth not apperteine to her to make lawes touching doctrine and the seruice of God The fift reason It is necessary that they which make lawes shoulde haue Lordship rule authoritie ouer thē to whom they giue those lawes But the church hath no Lordship or rule ouer the consciences of the faithful 1. Pet. 5.3 for S. Peter speketh with a loud voice plainly That the Pastors Bishops haue not any Lordshippe ouer the Lordes inheritance that is to say ouer the faithful of whō the church is composed made 2. Cor. 1.4 And S. Paul plainly protesteth touching himself that hee hath not any dominion ouer the faith of the Corinthians Wherefore it followeth that the Church may not make or establish lawes to binde the consciences of faithfull people Mat. 15.9 The sixt reason The Lorde saieth In vaine they worship mee teaching for doctrine mens precepts and commaundements 1. Tim. 4.1 c. And S. Paul calleth lawes traditiōs touching forbidding of marriage and vse of meats the doctrine of Deuils Collos 2.16.18 Also he saieth Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an holy day c. Let no mā at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of minde and worshipping of Angels By these sentences it is most plaine and euident that the Church ought not nor may not establish any such lawes to binde tye or restraine mens consciences The seuenth reason The lawes which take away from vs that Christian libertie which Christ hath gotten and purchased for vs ought not in any case to be established or tollerated For S. Paule exhorteth vs Galat. 5.1 to stande fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and that we should not be intangled againe with the yoke of bondage But the lawes giuen by men not from God him selfe touching matters which are commended vnto vs with an opinion of necessitie which are required of vs as workes meritorious or as the seruice of God take away frō vs the christian libertie and freedome which Christ hath purchased for vs of this sort are the lawes made touching the obseruatiō and keeping of lent celebration or keping holy of certaine feasts not to eate flesh vpon Friday Saturday and certain other dayes such like things Wherfore it followeth that such lawes ought not in any case to be established set vp tollerated or borne withall But wee wil make or put an end to this Chapiter with two sentences which make altogether for vs Tho. Aquin. in summa part 3. in additio 46. Artic. 6. are altogether against the Romish Catholikes The one is Thomas of Aquine his owne saying thus Because that the church is founded alreadie and grounded in the faith in the Sacraments it doth not belong to the Ministers of the Church to make newe Articles of faith or new Sacraments or to take away those which are alreadie made and established For this is the excellencie and power which belongeth onely vnto Iesus Christ who is the foūdatiō of the church The other sētēce is of Alphōsus de Castro his own conteining these wordes Alphons de Cast aduersus omnes bareses lib. 1. Cap. 8. It may not at any hand bee either done or suffered that the church should establish a new article of faith but that which was in former time the true faith and which notwithstanding was hidden from vs the Church bringeth to passe by her testimony and witnes that the same is made knowne vnto vs And the Abbot is verie much deceiued in the decretals expounding the Chapiter which beginneth Cum Christus that is when Christ c. in the title of Heretikes when he saieth That the pope may make newe articles of faith Hee knew not nor vnderstood not what it was which hee spake and therefore erred and was deceiued as a Shoomaker should be if hee would take vpon him some matter ouer and besides his occupation The sixteenth Chapter Of the afflictions and persecutions of the Church THere are diuers which woulde faine haue a Church of sugar or of veluet as you wold say that is to say that in seruing God they might be exempted from all afflictions Suche were Zebedeus his sonnes Iames