forasmuch as we rede of an other church in the holy scrypture which is called Ecclesia malignanti um The churche of the malignaunt nough tye people And yet of late a great number of scismaticall persones being in very dede members of thys malygnaunt church haue vsurped to thē selus the name of the true churche I intende to gyue you sufficient instructiō to dyscerne and know the true churche of Chryst from all hereticall and scysmaticall congregations Fyrst this holye and true churche of Chryst is called in our Crede as it is in dede the catholyke churche That is to saye the vniuersall church bycause it is not lurkynge in any corner or anye one country but is in all countryes dyspersed neyther is thys catholyke churche hyd 〈◊〉 vs or inuisible or vnknowen but we maye ease ly dyscerne and know the same For christ doth cal it Ciuitatem supra montem A citie vpon an hyll And in the Gospell of Saynt Mathewe also teachyng the order of brotherly reconciliation he sayeth Yf thy brother trespasse agaynst the go and tel him his faute betwene hym and the alone but yf he hear not the yet take with the one or two yf he heare not them than tell the churche Oh Lorde howe shall he tell that churche yf it be not knowen as the euyll doo contende Lykewyse Saynt Paule speakyng to the preystes and elders at Ephesus doth warne thē to take hed to them selues and to all the flocke amonge whom the holy ghost sayth he hath placed you to rule the churche of God Thus playnely the scripture declareth that the catholyke churche is and ought to be manyfestly 〈◊〉 yet lest you should any thyng doute of the vnderstandynge of these scryptures heare I besech you how playnely Saynt August 〈◊〉 doth wryte hereof Sicut per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nonimus ubi sit plātatus paradisis sic per uerbi 〈◊〉 ubi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 didicimus As by the wordes of God we know wher paradyse was planted so by the wordes of Chryst we haue learned where the churche is Marke here good people that Saynt Austen in this place doth write agaynst an heretike beyng one of the donatyste secte who denying the catholyke churche dyd ascribe the fayth of Chryst and al saluation to them selues onely beyng a smale part of Aphrica lyke as al scismatical congregations in thys late tyme haue done some saying in germany here is Chryst here is the church some in Heluctia here is christ here is the churche other in Bohem here is Chryst here is the churche and we in Englande here is chryst and here is the churche Wher of euery one dyssentyng from an other and that in matters of great weyght doth declare that the spiryte of God which is the spirite of truth and vnitie promysed by Christ to the catholyke churche dothe not leade nor gouerne such sectes neyther oughte they to mayntayne and set furth false 〈◊〉 to the people vnder the name of the churche yet saynt Austen in the same place addeth hys or rather gods threatnyng saying Ab isto uniuerso ad partem quamlibit quis quis separat hominem ille diaboli filius homicida conuincitur whosoeuer doth separate one man frō this whole to any parte he is proued to be the sonne of the deuyl and a very manqueller Alas than in what heauye case are those that haue separate from the catholyke churche not one man onely but many thousandes surelye in heauye and miserable case vnlesse they doo speadelye and in due tyme repent and do penance Moreouer to knowe more manyfestly the catholyke churche of Chryst we ought to consyder what Saynt Paule wryteth of the foundation thereof For all scismati call congregations though they 〈◊〉 themselues apparantly vpon the holye scrypture yet haue they there profession seuerally taken of some noug hty man as saynt Augustyne sayth They ar called euery one by proper names which they dare not denye But the catholyke churche though heretikes haue named it papystycall yet receyued it neuer any other name but catholyke and christian but al mē that rede may se how gloriously some haue vsed the name of 〈◊〉 Ebion Arrianus Manicheus 〈◊〉 Donatus and in our tyme lykewise the name of Luther Zwinglius Carolstadius with thousandes such other which heretical fashion S. Paule doth rebuke in his epystle to the Corinthyans who were euen in lyke case and bostyng vpon men sayd Ego Pauli Ego apollo I hold of Paule and I of Apollo But the holy apostle rebuketh them saying As long as there is amonge you enuying and stryfe or 〈◊〉 are you not carnall So that euerye christen man and woman may playnely se by the scrypture that these hauing such diuision and sundrye sectes amonge them selues are by S. Paule accompted altogether carnal and farre vnworthy to vse the name of the churche which is the onely and chast spouse of Chryst. But of the catholyke church saynt Paule sayth Now therfore ye are not 〈◊〉 and foreyners but you are citisens with the sainctes and of the housholde of God and are builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles prophetes Iesus Chryst hym selfe being the heade corner stone And further bycause saynt Paule throughe the holy Ghost in hym did forsee that all heretykes would callenge to them selfes the aucthoritie of the Apostles prophetes that they 〈◊〉 without aucthoritie or knowledge wrast theyr wri tinges euery one to there owne sense therfore thys holy apostle in the same epystle telleth vs the order whych Chryst hath apoynted to be obserued in his churche for he saith that Chryst ascendyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dyd gyue gyftes to men and that he made some apostles some prophetes some Euangelystes some shepardes and teachers declarynge thereby that in the catholyke churche there are orders and offycers some hyer some lower whome the reste ought both diligently to heare and humbly to obey So did the same S. Paule before his death apoint Timothe to the offyce of a Bishoppe and also 〈◊〉 he dyd leaue in Creta that he shoulde ordeyne prestes in euery citie whiche preistes and Byshoppes should not be disdained or litle regarded as in this tyme of manye they are but they shoulde doynge there duetye haue double honoure and faythfully gouerne the church as S. Paule 〈◊〉 And writinge to Tite he byddeth him exhorte and rebuke with al seruentnes of commaūding by these places of the holy scrypture you maye easely se and vnder stand that in the catholyke churche there are and ought to be degrees and orders that whosoeuer doth breake contemne or deny the same he denieth and forsaketh the verye truthe and ordinaunce of Chryste and his Apostles Nowe further we oughte to consider that as S. Paule 〈◊〉 ordeyne Timothe and Tyte yea and other byshoppes and Preistes in his tyme ordeyne other delyuringe also to them the doctryne which they haue receaued of Paule and by contynual discurse of tyme
auncient and famous doctours of the churche and partly and moost especially in consyderation of the cōsent of the hole catholike church herin nothing to dout in thys matter but that that holy Apostle S. Pe ter was Christes vicar on earthe and had hygher and more authoritie generall then anye one of the Apostles els and that the special purpose why that Christ would haue such authoritie to be in one mā was is for thepreseruatiō of vnitie in his church whych church is but one and thus much for this time shal now suffice you In the next homely you shal here further of thys matter Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London An other Homelye of the Prymacye IT is wrytten in the. viii chapiter of the actes howe Si mon Magus dyd offer vnto Saynte Peter mony togiue him power that on whome soeuer he shoulde laye hys handes the same parson myght therby receiue the holy Ghost But being for this his most wycked request greuously reproued and fearyng withal to contynue any lōger in those parties that is to say in Sa maria so nighe thappostles he the sayde Symon Magus fled to Rome and there by hys enchaūte mentes dyd greatlye delude the people as Iustynus the martyr a verye auncient writer in hys second Apologie directed or sent to the Emperoure Antonius doth playnely testifye Ireneus also in his fyrst boke Contrahereses doth recorde the same And the said Simon Magus did so delude blind the people that they did esteme him for a God and dyd set vp his image in the Citye with this inscrip tion Simoni de sdncto That is to say To Simon the holy God But it was not longe after those 〈◊〉 played by Simon Magus thus seducing that 〈◊〉 ther but God sent his great 〈◊〉 saynct Peter thyther that is to say to Rome who both did confounde the sayd Simou Magus and dyd also conuert a great number of the people there vnto the fayth of Chryste as is at large set fourthe in the. xiiii chapiter and second booke of Eusebius 〈◊〉 historye Nowe this Apostle sayncte 〈◊〉 by the wyll and prouidence of God beynge brought to Rome did there continue bishop of that Sea xxv yeares and ther also did suffer a glorious martyrdome in the last yeare of the reygne of cruel Nero Themperoure whyche thynges Saynte Hierome in the verye begynnynge of hys worke De 〈◊〉 scriptoribus doth wytnes in thys maner Simon Peter the sonne of Ioannis of the prouince of Galile and of the towne of Beth saida the brother of Andrewe the Apostle af ter his byshopricke in 〈◊〉 and after his preching in Pōtus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asia and Bethinia to the Iewes which were dyspersed abrode in sondry contries came to Rome to ouer throwe Simon Magus and ther did kepe his sea fyue and twenty yeres until the last yere it is to wyt the xiiii yere of the reigne of Nero by whom he was crucified and so crowned with a crowne of martirdome his heade being turned downe to the grounde and his feete vpwarde bycause he sayde or accompted hym selfe vnworthy to be eruci fyed in such forme and maner as hys mayster Chryst was S. Ambrose in his lxr sermō speakyng of that matyrdome of saynt Peter and saynt Paule at Rome sai eth thus I thinke it not done without a gret cause that in one day in one place vnder on 〈◊〉 they bothe dyd suffer In one daye for that they should come to Christ together In one place that neither of them both shoulde be destitute of Rome and vnder one persecutoure that like crueltie shuld slaye them both The day was for their merite the place for theyr glory the persecutor for theyr vertue And in what place I praye you dyd they suffer martyrdome Euen in Rome which is the heade and cheyfe citye of the worlde to the intente that where the heade of superstition was ther shuld rest the head of holynes and where the prynces of the heathen did dwel ther the princes of the churche shoulde lye Thus sayeth saynt Ambrose whervnto agreeth Egesippus an auncient wryter in his thyrd booke of the distruction of Hierusalem and like wyse Dionisius the byshop of Corinth and Caius also which lyued in the daies of Zepherius the Bishop of Rome as more at large appeareth in the xxv Chapyter of the fore sayde seconde boke of Eusebius Ecclesiasticall hystory Now that we haue in the homely going next before this declared that our sauyour dyd appointe Sayncte Peter to a greater and hygher offyce then he dyd any other of his Apostles and haue in this homely intreated of the abode of saynct Peter and martyrdome at Rome we wyll consequentlye proue that the Byshoppes of Rome haue alwayes in the catholyke church bene estemed iudged and taken for saynt Peters successours euen in that his speciall and hyghest offyce and that to him and thē by the wyll of God doeth appertayne the gouernement of Chyst es hole stocke on earth And fyrst I wyll begyne wyth the 〈◊〉 Authoure 〈◊〉 who in the thyrde Chapiter of his thirde booke agaynst heresyes doeth say that the church of Rome is the greatest the eldest and the best knowen of al churches and that it was foūded by the most gloryous Apostles Peter and Paule that through the succession of the byshops of Rome frō samct Pe ter vntyll hys tyme the truth was deryued from hande to hande that it myght ther easely be foūd and had And herevpon he sayeth further these 〈◊〉 des 〈◊〉 hane enimecclesiam propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necesse est omnem conuenire ecclesiam hocest eos qui sunt ubique 〈◊〉 That is to say For vnto this church meaninge and poynting the sea of Rome for the more mighty principalty of it al that hole church of Christ that is to saye all the faythful wheresoeuer they be muste assemble or repayre vnto And saynt Augustyne agreably herevnto doth in his 192. Epystle saye that in the church of Rome the primacy of the Apostolyke Sea did euer florish And the same sainct Augustyne wrytyng agaynst one Petilianus whyche dyd blaspheme the sea of Rome as heretykes doo now a dayes doeth more ouer wrytte in thys maner 〈◊〉 al the byshops of the worlde were such men as thou dooest moost falsely report them to be what hath the sea of Rome hurted the where Peter did syt and nowe Anastasius syttethe or what hath the sea of Hierusalem hurted the 〈◊〉 Iames did sit and now at this presēt Ioan nes dothe sit wyth whome we are in the ca tholyke vnitie ioyned and from whome ye haue deuyded your selues in youre wycked rage or fury why doest thou call the Aposto like sea the sea of pestilence If thou do it for the mēs sake whō thou thinkest to preache the lawe and not to fulfil the lawe did our sauiour I praye the any such iniurye to the sea or
and ryghteousnes all the dayes of this our lyfe so that finally we may attayn to the life that neuer shal fayle but continue for euer which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye gooste preseruing our good kyng and queene in all ioye and felicitie longe to continue to theyr glory and oure comfortes Amen ¶ Concernynge fayth what it is and howe it is to be considered and taken here in this boke ACCOMPLISHINGE the promys made in my preface for as much as fayth is the fundation ground of all oure Christian religion I shal now intreate and speake thereof And knowe you that althoughe this worde fayth be diuersly taken both in prophane Aucthors and also in Scrypture sometymes signifying trust sometymes truth sometimes conscience sometymes 〈◊〉 sometimes credulitie sometymes credence sometimes promys sometymes profe sometymes helpe sometymes the gyfte or grace of God and such lyke yet here in this boke or processe there shall not be cheifely and principallye intreated or spoken of euery kynd of fayth as in eue ry way it maye be considered but onely of two kyndes or acceptions thereof And Fyrst do you vnderstand that fayth maye be considered by it selfe as it is a seuerall gift of god separate and distincte from hope and charitie and beinge so considered and taken it signifieth and importeth a perswasion and beleif wrought by god in mans harte whereby man assenteth graunteth and taketh for true not onely that God is which knowledge is taughte and declared by the maruaylous worke of the creation of the world as S. Paul saith in his epystle to the Romaynes but also that all the wordes and sayinges of God whych be releued and opened in the scrypture are of most certayne trueth and infallible veritie And not that these thyngs one ly are to be credyted and assented vnto but also that all thynges els which were taught by the Apostles and whych haue bene by a whole vnyuersall consent of the Churche of Chryste euer sythe that tyme contynually taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued accepted taken and kepte as a true and perfecte doctryne apostolique This then is the fyrst acception of fayth whyche man hath of God and wherein man doth not leaue to hys owne naturall knowledge whych is by reason but he leauethe to the knowledge attayned by fayth wythout whych faith man is ignoraunte and blynde and cannot vnderstande accordynge as the prophete Esay affirmeth in hys vii Chapiter saying Nisi credideritis non intelligetis That is to saye onlesse ye beleue ye shal not vnderstand This faith is the beginnyng the entry and the introduction vnto all Christian relygion Godlynes For as S. Paule sayeth in his xi Chapiter of his Epystle to the 〈◊〉 He that cometh to God must beleue that he is and that he is a rewarde vnto them whyche do seke to please hym And thys fayth although it be such a begynnynge such an entrye and such an introduction verye necessarye for the begynnyng of all ryghtousnes yet yf it do procede no farther adioynyng with it hope and charitie it is called in Scrypture a deade faythe be cause it is voyde and destitute of lyfe aud wantethe the helpe and efficacie of charitie And this much for fayth as it is considered in the fyrst acception Faythe as it is considered in the seconde acception maye not be alone but muste nedes haue hope and charitie annexed and ioyned vnto it And faythe so taken doth signify not onely the beleif and perswa sion whych was before mencioned in the fyrst acception and taking of fayth but also it signifyeth a sure confydence and hope to attayne all whatsoeuer god hath promised for Christes sake and it signifieth and comprehendeth also a hartye loue to GOD and an obedience to his commaundementes And faythe thus considered is a lyuely faythe and worketh in man a ready submission of hys wyll to Goddes wyll And this is the effectual fayth whiche worketh by charitie and whyche as S. Paule testifiet vnto the Galathians is of value strēgthe in Chryst Iesu. By this fayth Abraham not knowyng whyther he shoulde go went out of his countrye and dwelte in the lande of beheste or promyse as in a straunge lande lokyng and trustyng for a cytye founded and buylded by almyghty God By this fayth also Abraham when he was tempted was ready to offer vp his onelye begotten sonne 〈◊〉 in whome he loked for the promyse nothynge doubting but that God who made the promise was able to rayse hym vp agayne from deathe And in thys sorte and wyse faythe is taken in the moost parte of the examples which be recyted of S Paule in the. xi chap of hys Epistle to the Hebrwes And thys faythe so consydered and taken euerye Chrysten man doth promyse professe and couenaunt to kepe when he dothe receaue the Sacramente of Baptysme And here is to be noted and considered that all the promyses of god made at any tyme to man after the fall of Adam for Christes sake are not absolutely and puerly made but vnder thys condytyon that is to saye that man should beleue in God and with the grace of God geuen for Chryste endeuer hym selfe to accomplyshe and kepe the commaundementes of God so that yf man do beleue in God and wythe the sayde grace do endeuer hym selfe to the best of his po wer to kepe and accomplyshe the sayd commaundementes man maye iustlie then chalenge the sayd pro mises so graciously made vnto hym on goddes part and if on the other side a man wil not beleue in God and with the sayde grace endeuer hym self to the best of his power to kepe and accomplysh the sayde commaundementes then man can not iustly chalenge in any wyse the sayde promyses or the benefyte thereof in asmuche as he hath not fulfylled and kepte on hys parte the sayde commaundementes whyche were parte of the promyse and conuenante made no other wyse by God vnto man but vnder condytion as the Prophete Dauyd playnely declareth in the. lxxx and lxxxviii Psalmes aud Chryst in the. xix of Mathe w. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mandata That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes The Churche the refore according vnto the same intendynge that manne shoulde alwayes haue thys in good mynde that is to saye that the promises of god to man be made but vpon condycion and that with out kepyng of the condytyon no man is partaker of Goddes promyses hath taughte and ordeyned that men before they do receaue baptysme shall promyse and conuenaunt to fulfyll the sayd condytion and to forsake the Deuyll and the worlde and to serue only GOD. Of which promyse and specyall conuenaunte whereby man thus byndeth himselfe to God man is called in Latyn infidelis that is to saye Faythful And on the other syde yf he neuer made the promise or con uenaunt or after that he hath made it he doth renoūce and refuse it then that man in
in the whole body and canon of the sayde bible are so necessary to be beleued for mans saluation that whosoeuer wyll not constantlye beleue those thynges or wyll obstynately beleue the contrarye of them cannot in that state remaynyng be the true and verye members of Chryste and his espouse the Churche but eyther are very infideles or heretikes and members of the Deuyll with whome yf they repent not they shal be per petually dampned Thyrdely that al Christen people ought must not onely beleue mayntayne and defende al the sayde thynges as moste certayne and infallible truthes of Gods worde neuer by any contrary opinion or aucthoritie to be altred or conuelled but also must take and interprete all the same thynges accordyng to the same sence vnderstandyng and meaning which the Holy ghost hath geuen thereto and whyche also the approued Doctours of the Catholike Churche haue receaued and agreably defended Fourthlye that all true Chrysten people muste vtterlye refuse and condempne all those opynyons whych were of long tyme past condempned in the iiii holye Counsayles That is to saye in the Counsell of Nyce Constātynople Ephese and Calcedonense Fyftly and fynallye That althoughe all thynges as they are nowe pertyculerlye vsed in the catholyque Churche here in Earth are not so distinctly particulerly and expreslye in all wordes fashions cyrcumstaunces and poyntes set forth taught and expressed in Scrypture yet the pithe the substaunce the matter the foundation grounde with the effecte thereof in general wordes are not onely comprehended and conteyned in Scrypture but also by expresse wordes confyrmed by other sufficient aucthoritie And seynge the Catholyke Churche hath soo receyued beleued allowed and approued the sayde thynges time out of mynde therfore it shal be a very great presumption and an vncomely parte anye man to controll or contempne any such thinges so receyued beleued allowed and approued by the sayd catholique church and in so doyng the same is in dede not worthy to be taken or reputed for a faythfull membre or obediente chyld of the sayd Church but for an arrogant noughty and very wycked person ¶ Here foloweth the exposition or declaration of the fyrst article of the Crede which is I beleue in God the Father almightye maker of heauen and earth FOr the better and more playne vnderstandyng of this article ye muste knowe that this worde Beleue taken by it selfe generallye and symplye spoken is to haue fayth after the fyrste acception or takyng of fayth as it hath bene before already decla red and shewed vnto you but these wordes I beleue in haue a farther and more particuler vnderstandyng it is to wyt to haue fayth after the second acception maner or takyng of fayth And therefore when we are cōmaunded to beleue in God we must not onely assent graunte and take for true thys one thynge that God is which in dede the very deuiles them selues do acknowledge and confesse or this second that all the wordes and sayinges of God reueled in Scrypture are of moste certayne trouthe and vnfallible veritie or this third that al thinges whyche were taught by the Apostles and whyche haue bene by a whole vniuersall consent of the Catholyke Churche 〈◊〉 taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued and kept as a perfect doctrine Apostolyke But also we must haue a sure confidence and hope to attayne whatsoeuer God hath promysed for Christes sake and we muste also haue an hartye loue to God with obedyence to hys commaundementes then we do not onely 〈◊〉 God but also we do beleue in God This manner of 〈◊〉 that is to saye I beleue in we ought to haue on 〈◊〉 in God and not in any other creature of God els be it neuerso excellent And therfore in this crede the said maner of speakyng I beleue in is vsed only in ye. iii. articles which concerne the thre persons in trinitie that is the Father the Sonne and the holy ghoste for we do and ought to say I beleue in God the Father I beleue in God the Sonne and I beleue in God the holi gost we do not so saye in any thyng els as more at large shal be said whan it shal be spoken of the Catholyke Churche We muste further note that as by thys artycle we are bounden to beleue stedfastlye that both God is and that he is true in al his wordes and promises and as we are bounden to beleue lyke wise that god is omnypotent and creator of heuen and earth and that we must with this our beleif loue god cleaue onely to hym with al our harte and power continuynge and dwellyng styl with him in loue and obey inge vnto hys will aswell in al our inward thoughtes and affectiōs as also in our outward actes and dedes so must we abhorre and forsake all vice and noughtynes and not wysshe or desyre of God anye euyll or vngodly thyng And ouer this we must con stantly betake and commit our selues and all ours wholy vnto God and fixe all oure hole hope truste and confidence in God and we must quiet oure selues in him beleuyng perfitly and assuredly that he 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 shew no lesse goodnes loue mercy grace and fauoure vnto vs then he promysed by hys word to do wyth vs vsynge oure selues as afore is sayde 〈◊〉 we muste note touchynge thys article that God is a spirytuall and an inuisible substaunce or nature of infinite power eternall withoute begynnyng or endyng and of incomprehensible knowledge wysedome goodnes iustice and mercye We must also note for farther declaraiton of thys article that albeit ther be but one very true God beside or without whiche there is no other God yet there are in the Godhede three distincte persones the Father the Sonne and the Holy gooste and thoughe they are thre persons yet they ar not thre goddes but all oue God one nature one substaunce all one euerlastynge essence or beynge and all lyke and equall in might power wysedom knowledge ryghtuousnes and in al other thynges els belonginge to the deitie And moreouer we must knowe beleue that God the Father is the fyrst person in thys Trynitie godheadde yea and the Father of hys onelye begotten Sonne whych is the second person in Trinytie and that he the sayd Father dyd beget of hys owne substaunce the sayde seconde person by eternall generation that is to saye by generation that neuer had be gynnynge And where this article conteyneth farther that God the father is almyghty it is to be noted that thys worde almyghtye is as much to saye as that God the fathere maye do all thynges that he wyll in heauen and in earth and that nothyng to him is impossible and that his godly power and myght doth excell infinitelye and incomparablye all powers in Heauen earth and hell Soo that all other powers whyche be in Heauen earthe or hell be nothynge as of them selues but haue all theyr myghte force and strength of hym
requireth of vs and so prepare our selues and order our 〈◊〉 towardes God that we may be in a readines at all tymes whansoeuer it shall 〈◊〉 God to call sommon vs to appeare before hym in the sayde generall iudgement there by his mercye and goodnes to receaue the crowne which he promysed vnto all men that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and loue hym and walke in hys wayes This article the declaration thereofhath many and most manifest testimonyes bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe of whych amonge many other these places folowing may for thys presente suffyce Psal 92. Eccle. 11. Esa. 13. 51. Zach 14. Mala. 4. Soph. 1. Iohel 3. Math. 13 16. 24. 25. Mar. 9. 13. Luc. 9. 17. 21. Act. 1. 1. Corrinth 1. 2. Corin 〈◊〉 2. Tessa 1. 2. 1. Thesi. 4. Phil 4. 2. Pet 3. Heb. 10. Apo. 3. 22. ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the eyghte article of the crede which is I beleue in the holy ghost FOr the better vnderstandynge of thys article ye shal note that as there is in the Trynitie one 〈◊〉 son which is and so also called God the father and as the same Trynytye there is an other personne whyche is and so also called God the sonne soo in the same Trinitie there is a thyrd person whyche is and so also called God the holye Ghoste And knowe you also that it is not inoughe to beleue onely that there is an holy Ghost but we must also beleue in him likewyse as we do concernyng God the father and God the sonne for it is not ynough for vs onely to beleue that there is a God the father and that ther is a God the sonne But we must beleue in them al as is more specially and largelye declared before in thexposytyon of the first Article And this holye Ghost beyng the thirde personne in Trinitie is in dede very God and Lorde author and former of al thynges created and dothe procede bothe from God the father and from God the son of one with thē in nature and substaūce and of the same euerlastyng essence or being which the father and the sonne be of and is equall also vnto thē both in almyghtynes of power and in the worke of creation and in all other thynges pertaynynge vnto the deytie or Godhed wherefore he is also to be honored and glorified equally wyth them both This holy Ghost which is the spyryte of God is of his nature all holye yea holynes it selfe That is to say he is the onely Ghost or spyryte whych with the father and the sonne is was and euer shal be the author causer and worker of all holynesse purytye and sanctimonye and of all the grace comforte and spirituall lyfe whych is wrought and commethe into the harte of any man in so muche that no man canne thinke well or do any thinge that good is but by the motion ayde and assistence of this holye spirite neythere is it possible that the Deuyll or anye of those euel spyrites which do possesse and reigne in suche per sons as be subiecte vnto 〈◊〉 can be expelled or put out of them but by the power of thys holye spyryte neyther is it possyble that the harte of anye manne beinge once corrupted made as prophane by synne can be purged purified sanctified or iustified wythout the worke and operation of thys holye spyryte neyther is it possible for any man to be reconciled vn to the fauoure of God or to be made and adopted in to the number of his chyldren or to obtayne that in comparable treasure whyche oure sauioure Iesus Chryste 〈◊〉 purchased and layd vppe for mankynd oneles this holy spyryte shall first illumyne and lyghten his harte with the ryght knowledge and faythe of Chryst and stirre him by grace to haue dewe 〈◊〉 penaunce for his synnes shall also instruct hym gouerne hym aide hym dyrecte hym and indue him wyth such spiritual gyftes and graces as shal be requisite and necessary to that ende and purpose Moreouer thys holy spirite of God is of hys owne nature full of all goodnes and benignitie 〈◊〉 goodnesse it selfe from whome procedeth all and singuler graces gyftes of feare wysedome vnderstandyng counsell strength faythe charitie hope and all other whych be geuen conferred and distributed vnto vs mortall men here in the Earth at his owne wyll and dispensation and that no man canne purchase or obteyne ne yet receaue retayne or vse anye of them wythoute the operatyon of thys holy Spyryte whych gyftes neuerthelesse he geueth not nor dispen seth the same equally and to euery man a lyke but he deuideth them particularly and speciallye to euerye member of the Churche as is most necessarye for the hole body and in suche plentye and measure as vnto his Godly will and knowledge is thought to be most beneficiall and expediente for the same All whyche thynges he doth of his mere mercy and goodnes frely and aboue our deseruyng Furthermore this holy spirit is of his owne nature ful of charitie holy loue yea charitie it self frō whōe procedeth al charitye so by his godly operatiō is the bond knot wherewith our Sauioure Iesus Christ and his most dere espouse the Church whiche is also hys misticall body be vnyted knytte and conioyned together in such perfect euerlastinge loue and charitie that the same cannot be dyssolued or separated And ouer this is also the very bond and knot where by all and euerye one of the verye members of Chrystes Churche and Bodye be vnited coupled conioyned the one of them with the other in mutuall loue and charitie Also thys holye spyryte of God is the spyrite of truthe and the aucthour of all holye scripture conteined in the hole canon of the byble and dyd not onely inspyre and instruct all the holy patriarches and prophetes with all the other members of the Catholike Churche that euer were from the begynnyng of the worlde in all the Godlye truthes and verytyes that euer they dyd knowe speake or wrytte but also descended and appeared in the similitude and lykenesse of fyrye tonges and dyd lyghte vpon the Apostles Dyscyples of Chryste and inspyred them wyth the knowledge of all truth and replenyshed them wyth heauenly gyftes and graces and shal be contynually present in the Catholyke Church and shal teach and reuele vnto the same Church the secretes and mysteryes of all truth whych are necessarye to be knowen and shall also continuallye from tyme to tyme rule dyrecte gouerne and sauctyfye the same Churche gyue remyssion of synnes and all spirituall comforte aswell inwardelye by secret operations as also outwardelye by the open mynystratyon and effycacye of the worde of God and of the holy Sacramentes in the sayd Churche and shall endue it wyth all such spyrytual graces and gyftes as shal be necessarye for the same 〈◊〉 shall also note that albeit holy Scrypture dothe worthely attribute vnto the holy Ghost our sanctification our
And they are also most readye remedies agaynst synne and do farre passe those of the old law For they were the shadowes of thinges to come and as sygnes and fygures were abolyshed Chryst after his comming hauinge fulfylled them and they were therefore abolyshed because they were fulfylled But these of the new testament were instituted both as greater in vertue better in profyt easier in mynystration and fewer in number as beynge but seuen and that they shoulde not onelye signifye but purge and sanctifye also In euerye of whiche seuen sacramentes the minister or dispenser of the same doth not execute in his owne behalfe or name but doth represent the person of our sauiour Iesu Christ to whome be honoure and glorye Amen ¶ Of the Sacrament of Baptysme and the exposition or declaration thereof BEcause the Sacrament of Baptisme is in order the fyrst of al Sacramentes and the gate or entrye by whiche we must and doe entre into the churche and vnto the other Sacramentes thereof to obteyne remission of oure synnes and is a thynge so necessarye that withoute it no man can enter into the kyngedome of God as Christe in the thyrde chapiter of S. Johns gospell doeth playnlye testifie sayinge Nisi quis renatus 〈◊〉 ex aqua 〈◊〉 spiritu sancto non potest 〈◊〉 in'reg 〈◊〉 dei That is to saye Excepte one be borne agayne of water and the holye ghoste he can not entre into the kyngdome of God Therefore in this noumbre of vii Sacramentes the Sacrament of Baptysme for these respectes shal occupie the fyrste place For the better vnderstandynge whereof ye shall emongeste other thynges consyder and note foure poyntes Fyrste ye shall note that in the Sacrament of Bap tysine there are certayne formall wordes necessarye and requysyte to be vsed in the ministration thereof Seconde that in the sayd Sacrament of Baptisme besydes the sayde formal wordes there is requyred al so an outwarde visible thing or element to be concur runt therewith Thyrde is to be considered the vertue force and effecte of the sayde Sacrament And iiii is to be declared what rites solempnities or ceremonies are required for the dewe administration of the sayde Sacramente Nowe concernynge the fyrst of these foure thynges to be noted in Baptysme ye shall knowe that oure sauyoure Chryste when he dyd sende hys apostles to preach throughout the hole worlde he dyd saye vnto them as is testyfyed in the xxviii Chapiter of Sayncte Mathewes Gospell Data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra euntes ergo docete omnes 〈◊〉 baptizantes cos in nominc patris filij ci spiritus sancti That is to saye All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth go you therfore and do you teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the ho ly Ghost By whyche playnly appeareth that oure 〈◊〉 Chryste in hys commyssyon geuen vnto hys apostles dyd prescrybe certayne formall wordes vnto them whiche they in administration of Baptysine shoulde vse accordyng whervnto the minister of the Churche being therein the successoure of the apostles doeth and must vse in the administration of the Sacramente of Baptisme these formall wordes I doe Baptise thee in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holye Ghost and thys muche for the fyrste poynte For the seconde poynte consydered in Baptysme ye shall note the specyall wordes of our sa uyour Christ in the foresayde iii. Chapiter of Sainct Iohns Gospell where speakynge of regeneration or Baptisme he vseth these wordes Aqua et spiritu sancto say ing Nisi quis renatus fucrit ex aqud spiritu sancto non potest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regnum dei Wherby it is euident that water which is a visible element and an open thyng is a substancial part of baptisme must nedes be concurrēt with the formall wordes vsed in the administration of Baptisme Accordyng wherevnto we 〈◊〉 reade in the. viii chapter of the actes that when Philip which was one of the seuē deacons actes vi had conuerted vnto the fayth of CHRIST a certayne noble man being in greate aucthoritie and offyce wyth Candate the Queene of Ethiope he dyd baptyse the sayde noble man wyth water so that water is required in Bap tisme The lyke wherof appeareth the x. Chapiter of the actes where it is euidente that Saynte Peter the apostle baptysed in water one Cornelms a Centuryon and others with hym Touchynge the thyrd thynge to be considered in Baptysme whych is the vertue force and effect ther of ye shall knowe that the forgeuenes or remyssyon of synnes and the grace of the holye ghost is the vertue force and effecte of baptysme as is manyfeste in the seconde chapiter of the actes where the blessed apostle S. Peter sayeth thus Penitentiam agite baptizes tur unusquisque uestrum in nomine IESV CHRISTI in remissionem peccatorum uestrorum et accipietis donum spiritus sancti That is to saye Do you penaunce let euerye one of you be Baptised in the name of Iesu Christe in remission of youre synnes and ye shall reccaue the gyfte of the Holye Ghoste Thys effecte and grace hath thys Sacrament of baptisme by the vertue and workyng of almyghty God there in by his minister accordynge to his owne promyse annexed adioyned to this Sacrament as playnly appeareth in the. xvi chapter of S. Marke where Christe geuinge commission to his Apostles to goe in the whole world to preache the gospell sayth these wordes Qui credideret baptisatus fuerit saluus erit that is to say Who shall beleue and be baptysed shal be saued And as concernynge the. iiii thyng to be considered in baptysme ye shall note that albeit of late some haue vntruely preached and reported that the maner of baptysinge or christening nowe vsed in the Church is not the same whiche was vsed in the prymatyue Churche but hath ben of late yeares inuented and deuised yet the auncient fathers bothe of the Greke of the Latyn Churche haue in theyr workes declared the contrarye for profe whereof amonges many other ye shal reade Denyce the Areopagyte in his boke De ecclesiastica hierarchia in the tytle De perficiendis in baptismate of whose aucthoritie none nedeth to doubte seyng that S. Luke in the. xvii of the actes maketh mention of him ye may reade also S. Cyprian in his fyrst boke and. xii Epistle where he sayth thus 〈◊〉 uero mūdari sanctificari aquā prius a sacerdote ut possit baptismo suo peccat a hominis qui baptisatur abluere that is to say The wa ter must fyrste be made cleane sanctified of the priest that it may clense the synnes of him that is baptysed Reade also S. Ambrose in hys treatise De ijs qui initiantur misteriis and in his fyrste boke al so De sacramentis And if you list rede Chrisostome in hys Homely entituled of Adam Eue where
the holye Martyr Cypryan who in his v sermon entytuled de lapsis sayth thus Nec cesset in agenda poenitentia atque in domini misericordia 〈◊〉 canda 〈◊〉 quod minus esse in qualitate delicti uidetur in neglecta satisfactis one cumuleter which is Let not the synner cease in doing penaunce and callynge for the mercye of God least that whiche in the qualitye of the faulte it selfe doth seme to be lytle shoulde be accummulated or made greater in the neglectinge satisfaction Wherevpon he concludethe a generall lesson of all men easelye to be borne awaye in these wordes Confiteantur singuli quaeso uos sratres delictum suum dum adhuc qui deliquit in seculo est dum 〈◊〉 confessio eius potest dum satisfactio remissio facta per saccrdotes apud dominum grata est That is to saye I besech you brethren let euerye man make confession of his faulte whyle he that hath offended is yet here in this worlde and while his confession maye be admytted and while the satisfaction and remission gyuen by the preist is acceptable before GOD. 〈◊〉 he sayeth further Let vs conuerte vnto God with al oure mynd and expressyng our penaunce with true sorowes lamentynges for our synnes lette vs call for the mercye of God In which two breyfe sentences of this mooste excellent and famous Martyr ye do se comprised and conteyned the hole and penitente conuersation of man to God by contrition Confession satisfactyon which thre poyntes or partes must of necessitie be in the doer of true Penaunce so it is required of the said penitent as we before haue proued And the sacrament of Penaunce it selfe being the absolution pronoū ced by the preist vpō such true penitentes in the said sētēce of S. Cipriā is likewise comprehended ¶ Of the Sacrament of the Aultare wythe Thexposition or declaration thereof HAVINGE 〈◊〉 spoken of three notable Sacramentes instituted by Chryst and alwayes solempnely vsed in his catholike Churche it is to wit of Baptisme Confirmation and Penaunce hauing also fyrst entreated of the Sacramente of Baptisme whereby we haue a spirytual regeneration hauyng consequently and secondly spoken of the Sacramente of Confyrmation commonly succeding Baptisme and gyuing vnto vs a spirituall augmentyng and incresse of grace boldely to mayntayne and defende the professyon of oure fayth made at the tyme of our Baptisme and hauing thyrdely set forth the sacrament of Penaunce which purgeth and clenseth vs fallynge by synne 〈◊〉 oure baptysme and confirmation Mete and conueniente it shall nowe be that we do intreate of that excellent spirituall fode and noryshement whiche in the sayde catholyke churche is mynistred and gyuen vnto vs being so baptyzed confyrmed and pourged And because in the sacrament of the Aultar there is that excellent spirituall fode and true nonryshmēt that passeth all other it is to witte the most precious body and bloude of oure sauioure Jesus Christ there fore as was promysed in the preface of this boke here nowe shal be intreated of that moste excellente sacrament of the Aultare And in dede ryght conuenient mete it shal be to entreate diligently and fully of thys sacrament in asmuche as it bothe in worthynes and dignifie doeth greatly surmounte and passe al the other Sacramentes of the Churche as also for that of late yeres it hath most of all other bene assaulted and impugned and yet of no good manne but of the wretched sort alone And to begyn thys order in some respecte maye herein be thought conuenient fyrst to declare the institution of thys sacrament Seconde to set forth the vse of it And thyrdely to declare the notable or rather the vnspeakeable fruyte thereof And as concernyng the syrste thys emongest other is cheifelye to be mar ked that after oure Sauyoure IESVS CHRISTE had accordynge to the ryte and vsage of the olde lawe eaten with hys twelue Apostles the fyguratiue or tipical pascal lambe beinge risen frō 〈◊〉 had was shed his disciples fete he sittyng downe agayne dyd take bread into hys blessed handes giuing thākes dyd breake it and gaue it to hys Dyscyples sayinge Take and eate thys is my Bodye whyche shal be geuen or deliuered for you Lykewyse He toke the cuppe and gaue thankes gaue it vnto them saying Drinke ye al of this for thys is my bloude of the newe testamente whiche shal be shed for many to the remission of theyr synnes Do this in the remembrance of me These wordes being spokē by the mouthe of the sonne of Gob who is equall in Godheade wyth the father and the holye ghoste and testifyed also by hys holye Euaugelistes ouer and besydes the faythefull continual testimonye of Chrystes espouse the Catholyke church who is he that can with any good grūd of Scripture or lawefull aucthoritie saye but that whyche Chryste gaue to hys Apostles at the maundye was Christes very bodye and bloude yea that selfe same bodye and bloude whych was geuen and shed vpon the crosse the next day for them and al mākynde The veritie of whych Article the Catholyke Churche being ruled and gouerned by the holy ghost hath alwayes most constātly beleued and taughte declaring that in this sacrament of the Aultar there is by the omnipotencye of God and the vertue and force of hys word the very body and bloude of oure Sauiour Christ reallye truelye substantiallye and in dede AGREBLYE wherevnto that blessed instramente of God Saynt Paule beyng instructed by a secreat reuelation from God of the truth of thys his mistery and speakynge of thys most blessed sacrament dothe in the eleuenth chapiter of hys fyrste Epistle to the Cyrynthyans saye in thys maner Ego enim accepi ao domino quod et 〈◊〉 uobis Quoniam dominus Iesus in qua 〈◊〉 trade datur accepit panem et gratias agens fregit et dixit Accipite et manducate hoc est corpus meum quod pro nobis credetur hoc facite in meam 〈◊〉 similiter et calicem post quam caenauit dicens hic calix nenum testa mentum est in meo sanguine hoc facite quotie scunque biberitis in meam commemorationem That is to saye I in dede haue taken or receued of oure Lorde that whiche I haue deliuered vnto you that is to say That our Lorde Jesus in that nyght in which he was betrayed did take breade and geuing thankes dyd breake it and sayde Take ye and eate this is my body whiche shal be geuen or delyuered for you Do you this in my remembraunce Like wise also he did take the cup after he had supped sayinge This Cuppe is the newe Testamente in my bloude do you thys as often as ye shall drinke of it in my remembraunce Besides these moste playne wordes aswell of oure Sauioure hym selfe at the institution of thys sacramente as of S. Paule also in the wryttynge of hys sayde secret reuelation whych alone myght suffice to content and certifye any godly heart herein
no wyse escape the death nor ye maye not thereby vnderstande that after thys sacrament of extreme vnction no other Sacrament at any tyme els can be ministered vnto the person so anoyled For in dede this sacrainente maye be minystred in the entrye of the syckenes and also manye tymes ells whensoeuer anye greate maladye or peryllous syckenes shall come to anye man in soo muche that he who is daungerously sycke and there fore anoylynge and anoynted receyuing and vsynge this sacramente may yf he escape the daunger and after fall into it agayne or into any other suche lyke haue ministred vnto him agayne thys laudable and notable sacrament of extreme vnction whiche of it selfe is both iterable as Penaunce Euchariste and Matrymonye is and not alwayes mynystred in the catholyke churche that the sicke person so sone as he hath receyued it shoulde incontinentlye departe oute of thys worlde and want his lyfe But contrary wise that the sayde person both in soule and also in bodye maye yf it so be sene good vnto 〈◊〉 God recouer and gette healthe agayue And thys to be soo those notable prayers full of all godlynes and sauourynge antiquitie vsed nowe in the catholyke churche agreinge with the counsell and commaundemente of S. James in the last chapiter of his epystle do euidently and playnelye declare and shewe vnto vs. And although in oure wycked tyme smale is the nōber of them that do escape death hauynge receyued this sacrament of extreme vnction yet that is not to be ascrybed vnto the lacke or faulte of thys sacrament but rather vnto the wante and lacke of stedfast and constant fayth which oughte to be in those that shall haue this sacrament mynystred vnto them by which stronge fayth the power of almyghty God in the prymitiue churche did worke myghtely and effectuallye in the 〈◊〉 persones enoynted receyuynge thys holy and comfortable sacramente and nowe for the lacke of lyke fayth in our tyme dothe not worke after lyke sorte Accordyng where vnto we reade in the. vi chapiter of S. Marke after thys sorte Et non poterat ibi uirtutem 〈◊〉 nisiquod 〈◊〉 impositis manibus curauit 〈◊〉 propter incredulitatem 〈◊〉 That is to saye And he that is to saye Chryste could not do any miracle there sauing that he did cure a fewe sicke persones 〈◊〉 his handes vpon them and he dyd meruaile or wonder for the 〈◊〉 or vnbeleife of them This sacrament 〈◊〉 is not called the sacrament of extreme or last vnction for that that deathe alwayes dothe followe it or for that that no sacrament can be minystcred after to the person enoynted but for that speciallye that all other vnctions beinge vsed in the admynystratyon of the sacramentes do go before this vnction doth folowe them And here by the waye forasmuche as we doo speake of extreme vnction ye shall vnderstande that there are as the maister of the sentence in hys fourth boke and. xxiii distinctiou doth testifye three kindes or sortes of vnctions accustomed and vsed in the churche the first vnctiō in tyme is that where with yonglynges comming newly to be instructed and taught in the fayth and religion of Chryste called in Latyne Cathecumini are by the preiste to be anoynted wyth all vpon the breast and betwene the shoulders and this vnction is made onely with oyle olyue beynge fyrste sanctified or consecrated by the byshoppe and afterwardes vsed by the preist in mynystration The seconde vnction is that whiche is made or done notwith oyle alone as the former is nor wyth balme alone but it is made and done wyth Chrysme whych is made of oyle olyue and of balme and soo of two lyquors myngled and myxte together the oyle to signifye the clensinge purging of the conscience and the balme to sygnifye the swete sauor of good name same required to be in the partie that is there with to be anoynted And this vnction so made with chrysine is a principall and a cheyfe vnction and the holye ghoste pryncipally or chiefely is geuen in or by it And with thys 〈◊〉 the heades of kynges and bysshoppes are to be anoynted yea and the heades of the chyldrenne baptyzed are here wyth aboue they re foreheades by the preiste to be anoynted 〈◊〉 and finallye the chyldren whiche by laynge on of the byshoppes handes are by the sayde by shoppe to be confyrmed muste also by the sayde bishoppe be signed with the crosse and with the sayde Chrysme in theyr forehead be also by him anointed And the thyrde vnction of whyche we nowe haue to speake and to intreate vppon is that wherewith sycke personnes in the places accustomed are to be anoynted withall And thys vnction is made also of oyle olyue onelye beynge sanctyfied or consecrated by the by shoppe whiche commonly and customablye the sayde by shoppe accordyng to the olde tradition of the churche doth in dic coenae domini As Saynct Cypryan in hys sermen de unctione doeth testifye And Sayncte Dyonyse also in hys booke de 〈◊〉 hierarchia in the fourthe chapiter And nowe concernynge the institution of thys sacrament we doe reade Marci vi how Chryste callynge vnto hym hys xii apostles and sendynge them forthe by two and two dydde prescrybe vnto them a certayne forme of embassadge or message and dyd also geue vnto them a certayn power which they shoulde occupye and vse And we doe reade also there that the Apostles so goinge forthe dy preach vnto the people penaunce and that they dydde caste forth deuyles and also that they dyd anoynte 〈◊〉 oyle manye that were sycke who there by were healed and cured And we maye not here thynke as manye vayne folyshe persones folowinge theyr owne fansyes and dreames haue reported and sayde that these apostles of Chryst were in thys behalfe as commone chyrurgions and that by 〈◊〉 they dyd heale and cure the sycke for as ye shall perceyue anone by the testimonye of S. James thys healynge and curyng was many times bothe concernyng the soule and also the bodye wherefore the oyle where wyth the Apostles dyd anoynte the sycke per sons was sacramentall and mystycall sanctifyed oyle and therefore dyd so worke bothe in the body and also in the soule o the sycke personne And after thys sorte the catholyke churche euen from the begynnyng hath accepted and taken thys to be a sacramente of Chrystes institution and ordinaunce and so alwayes continuallye hathe reteyned and kepte it takynge for a testimonye of the foundation and grounde thetof the sayde vi chapter of Sayncte Marke so by the auncient fathers of the churche most learnedly and godlye expounded and interpretated where vnto is adioyned the testimonye of Saynct James in the last chapiter of hys canonicall epistle wher he being a blessed apostle clearely expressynge and vtterynge the maner and fourme of the administration of this Sacrament whiche he had receaued of Chryst and delyuered vnto the people to be of them obserued and kepte doth say thus Infirmatur quis
in uobis iudic at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orent super eum nugentes eum oleo in nomine domine et 〈◊〉 fidei saluabit infirmum 〈◊〉 eum dominus si in peccatis sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei That is to saye Is there any sicke emonges you lette hym brynge in 〈◊〉 priestes of the churche and let them praye ouerhym anoin ting him with oyle in the name of our Lord and the prayer of faythe shall saue the sycke and our Lorde wyll lighten or ease hym and yfhe be in sinnes they shal be remytted vnto him Which wordes of S. James doo manyfestlye declare this vnction or anoylynge to be a sacrament as hauinge a visible sygne and a promyse of grace annexed therevnto And yf ye besydes the thynges before rehearsed and expressed in scrypture be desyrous to haue the testimonyes also of the auncient fathers of the churche concernyng this sacramente of 〈◊〉 vnction as ye alreadye haue hadd in all the other ye shall heare certayne of them bothe of the greke and also of the latyn churche And fyrste I wyll begynne with S. Chrisostome who in hys iii. 〈◊〉 De sacerdotio and in the syxt chapyter therof entreating of the greate gyftes and graces gyuen by almyghtye God vnto his faythefull people by the ministerye of the preistes aswell in regeneration as also afterward in the 〈◊〉 of synnes doth incontinentlye for the profe thereof bryng in the saying of Saint James in the last chapiter of his sayde canonicall epystle saying Infirmatur inquit apostolus quis ex uobis c. Theophylacte also in his exposition made vpon the. vi chapiter of sainte Marke sayeth thus Quod 〈◊〉 oleo Apostoli solus Marcus narrae quod frater domini lacobus in Catholica 〈◊〉 dicit 〈◊〉 tur inquit quis in 〈◊〉 inducat c. That is to say That the Apostles did anoint with oile onelye Marke of all the euangelistes doth shew which thinge meanynge this holye anoylynge James the bro ther of our Lorde in his canonicall Epystle doth speake of sayinge Is any sycke amon gest you c. Whereby also appeareth this place of S. James and that 〈◊〉 S. Marke to be bothe vnder stande of thys sacrament of anoylynge And further in the same place he consequentlye declarynge the misterye of the visible and materyall oyle vsed in the ministration of this sacrament saith Estigitur oleum ad labores utile lucis fomentum hilaritatis 〈◊〉 fectiuum significatque misericordiam dei gratiam spiritus per quam a las bore liberamur lucem gaudium hilaritatemque 〈◊〉 aceipimus That is to saye For oyle beinge good agaynste laboure or wearynes being also the nourysshemente of lyghte and the cause or prouocation of gladdenes dothe signifye the mer cye of GOD and the grace of the holye ghooste by the whyche we are delyuered from laboure or wearynes and doo receaue lighte ioye and spiritual gladnes With which two places of Theophilacte Oecumenius also a greke aucthor fully doth agree To these foresayd auncient fathers of the greke churche shall nowe be adioyned also other of the Latyne Churche and fyrste saynt Hierome vpon the sayde vi of S. Marke doeth saye thus Cum ungebant oleo aegrotos infirmitatem fidei 〈◊〉 corroborant That is to saye When they meanyng the dyscyples sent fourth by Chryste dyd anoynte the sicke folke wyth the oyle they by the vertue of faythe dyd make them stronge Accordynge wherevnto Saynte Augustyne also in the. iiii chapiter of his second boke Deuisitatione infirmorum wryting to his Nephewe lyenge on his death bedde giueth him this counsayle saying 〈◊〉 praetermittendum est illud apostoli Iacobipraeceptum infirmatur quis in uobis inducat praesbiteros ecclesiae ut 〈◊〉 super eum ungentes eum oleo 〈◊〉 in nomine domini I E S V oratio fidei saluabit infirmum Ergo sic roges dete protefieri sicut dixit apostolus Imo per Apostolum suum dominus Ipsa uidelicit olei sacrati delibutio intelligitur spiritus sancti typicalis unctio That is to saye That commaundemente of Saynt James the Apostle is not to be omytted or ouerpassed of the. Is any man sicke emongest you let him bringe in the preistes of the churche that they maye praye ouet hym anointing him with the holy oyle in the name of our Lorde Jesus And the prayer of faythe shall saue the sycke There fore desyre thou that of the and for the soo it may be done as Saynte James the Apostle yea rather our Lorde by his Apostle dyd saye for surely the anointing with the consecrate oyle is vnderstand to be a typy call anointing of the holy Ghoste Hauinge nowe brought forth sondrye authorytyes both of scrypture and also of the fathers we shall to satisfye you so far forth as we can and for the plainer openyng of this sacrament of extreme vnction gyue vnto you heare the difinition of the same sacramente whiche is this The Sacramente of Extreme Unction is the dew annoylinge of the penitent sicke person doon by the preiste with consecrated oyle for the remedye or easyng of the sayd penitent in soule and for the recouery of corporall health if it be so thoughte expediēt to God In which diffinition when we saye the penytent sycke person we do meane thereby that thys sacrament is mynistred frutefully onely to those that be members of Chrystes churche and to such as beinge once fallen oute of the state of grace by deadelye synne haue been by penaunce restored agayne to the sayde grace and there vpon by thys sacramente are strenghethened and conforted in theyr agonye and fight agaynste the deuyll who in the tyme of syckenes and vexation of mannes bodye is moste busye to assaulte him And albeit that thys sacramente be of thys notable effecte yet no man oughte to conceyue thys vayne false hope of the effecte of the same that he hauing lyued in 〈◊〉 aud abhominable synne and not caryng to be from it delyuered by true penaunce shall by the onely mynystration of thys sacramente of extreme vnction haue all hys synnes forgyuen hym And where further in the sayde dyfinition is conteyned for the remedye or easynge of the sayde penitent ye shall note that concernynge the soule no man may doute but that at all tymes the infirmytye thereof in the sicke person duely repentinge maye the soner by the vertue of thys sacrament be eased according to the promyse of the holy Ghooste in the aboue rehersed wordes of Saynte James And as concerning the infirmitie of the body it also maye be hoped and loked for the soner by the worthye receyuynge of thys sacrament yf God who knoweth oure necessities and can and also will dispose all thynges swetely and also pleasauntly to the attaining of euerlasting comforte whiche all good men cheifelye desyre and praye for so thynke it expediente for the sycke person And here to knytte vp the matter where an ende is made of all the. vii
deus noster benignissimus remissione peccatorum mihi gratis largiatur quam ob causam historias imaginum illcrum honoro palā adoro hoc enim nobis a sanctis apostolis traditum nō est prohibendum sed in omnibus ecclesijs nostris eorum historias erigimus That is to saye Euen as we haue receyued of GOD oure Christian and inculpable faith as it were by right of inheritaunce so do I confesse it and abyde in the same I verelye do beleue in one God almyghtye God the father GOD the sonne and GOD the holy ghost these three beynge one God I adore and gloryfye I cōfesse also the hole dispensation of Chryste in carnate and next the holye virgin Marye of whome Christ toke fleshe and was borne I callyng her mother of God I reuerence also the holy Apostles prophetes and martyres whiche do make intercession to God for me that thorough their mediation oure mooste benigne god may be merciful frely graunte vnto me remissyon of sinnes For whyche cause I do honoure and openlye adore also theyr Images for this thinge beinge of the holy apostles deliuered vnto vs is not to be letten or bydden but in all oure churches we erecte or set vp their Images Besydes all these there was in the sayde 〈◊〉 generall counsayle alledged the aucthoritie of Germanus patriarche of Cōstantinople who sayde thus Non offendat quenquā quod ante sanctorum imagines lumina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accendūtur Simbolice enim ista fieri nō lignis aut 〈◊〉 bus sed in honorem illorum opinandum est quorum cum Christo requies quorum honor adipsum recurrit hoc ipsum testante sapiente Basilio quod ergo conseruos bonos honor erga ipsum dominum commune 〈◊〉 signum exhibet Sensibilia enim lumina 〈◊〉 sunt immateriales illius 〈◊〉 a deo datiluminis Aromatum autem incensio sincerum totum sancti spiritus afflatum in replitionem significat That is to saye Let it offende no man that before the ymages of Sainctes Candels and 〈◊〉 sauoutyng encence are brent For we must thynke that these thynges are done mysticallye not vnto the very wode or stones but in and for the honoure of thē whose reste is with Christ the honoure of whiche sainctes repaireth or commeth agayne vnto Christe the sage Basyll testifiynge the same and saying that the honour done to oure fellowe seruaunces being good doth geue or exhibit a common 〈◊〉 or signe of beneuolence to oure Lorde or maister hym selfe For the sensible lyghtes or candels are a sygne of that pure and immaterial lyght geuen of God And the burnynge of frankencense dothe sygnifye the pure and the ful or hole inspiration and 〈◊〉 of the holye ghost There was also in the saide assemble or counsayle an other testimonye or sayinge of the sayde patryarche Germanus and that is thys Deūsepe 〈◊〉 designasse mi racula hominibus qui admonitione imaginum argente ergadeum sanctos eius affectu commoti fuerint That is to say God oftentymes 〈◊〉 haue wrought or shewed wonderfull myracles to men who by the contemplation of Images haue with an ardent affectyon or loue to God and hys saintes bene moued and styrred And the sayde patryarche Germanus amongest very many myracles there by hym recyted both saye that in the ecclesiasticall hystorye of Eusebyus it is wrytten howe that in the 〈◊〉 Panneada called in the Gospell Cesarea Philyppi before the doore of that woman which had the bloudye 〈◊〉 was cured thereof by touchyng the hem of our sauiours garmet as Marke in hys v. chap. wytnesseth there was an ymage of brasse erected which was made according to the fourme and shape of Chryst wearynge a longe garment and that before the same ymage was sette direct ye the ymage of the sayde womā knelynge deuoutely and humblye holdynge vp her handes to the sayd ymage of Chryst and that at the fete of Chrystes ymage a certen vnknowen herbe of a straunge forme dyd growe and that euer as it came in growing to touche the hem of the sayde longe garmente of Chryst then had it the power and vertue to cure and remedy all maner of diseases Further the fathers at the sayde seuenth counsayle assembled doo in the actes and recordes of the sayde counsayle testify and re corde that thys matter of ymages was entreated of and debated in the syxt generall counsayle kepte and holden at Constantinople declarynge howe that in the sayde syxt generall counsayle it was defyned and determined that it was a chrysten vsage to haue the Image of the crucifixe to the intente that hereby we shoulde be broughte in remembraunce of Chryste whych toke awaye the synnes of the worlde And at length the sayde seuenthe generall counsayle concludyng doth saye that the honour and reuerence geuen to Images is not that kynde of honoure which is cal led Latria That is to saye Godes honoure whyche onely is due to God and muste of vs creatures be geuen to none other but onelye to our creature but it is another kynde of honoure done in remembraunce of theyr vertues godlynes and conuersation and for other godlye respectes before expressed And thys determination as concernyng Images wyth all other thynges then and there agreed vpon was of all and euery of the Patryarches and catholyke byshoppes then and there beynge aswell of the Greke as of the Latyne Churche beynge in all aboue three C. Bysshoppes besydes other degrees of the clergye wyth an vniforme consent well allowed gladelye receyued and earnestly and obedientlye obserued 〈◊〉 these premysses duely consydered and wayed al men oughte to conforme them selues to the vse of the Catholyke Churche herein and to folowe the rule and counsayle of Saynte Paule in hys thyrde chapyter of hys epystle to the Collossenses where he sayeth thus Omne 〈◊〉 facit is in uerbo aut in opere 〈◊〉 in nomine domini 〈◊〉 stri 〈◊〉 Christi gratias agentes deo patriper ipsum That is to saye Euerye thynge whatsoeuer ye doo in worde or in dede do ye all thynges in the name of oure Lorde Iesus Chryste gyuynge thankes to GOD and the rather by or throughe Chryste Whiche rule who that foloweth in the vse of these Images as the hole Catholyke Churche heretofore hath and no we doth can not iustlye nor ought not to be reprehēded or misliked nor rekoned to haue don a mysse or to breake thys seconde commaūdement For by the very wordes therein conteyned we be not forbydden to make or to haue similytudes or Images but onelye we be forbydden to make 〈◊〉 to haue them to the intente to gyue Goddes honoure vnto them or to take them as Godes as it appeareth in the. xxvi Chapyter of Leuiticus And therefore although Images of Chryste and hys saynctes be the workes of mennes handes yet they be not so prohibited but that they may be hadde and sette vp bothe in churches and in other places to the intente that we in beholdyng and lokynge vpon them as
the Lord of Lordes c. Of whose maiestie both heauen and earth also are fullye replenysshed ¶ Therposicition or declaration of the fourth Commaundement which is Remember that thou kepe holy the sabbot day FOr the better and more manyfest vnderstandynge of thys commaundement ye shall knowe that thys word Sabbotte vsed in the Englyshe toungue beinge referred to the interpretation or vnderstandinge and cō mon vsage of the Hebrues or Iewes dothe sygnyfye reste vpon the seuenth daye whyche we call Satur daye and 〈◊〉 Is to take reste vppon the sayde seuenth daye in whyche seuenth daye both they theyr chyldren there seruauntes and beastes dyd take reste and 〈◊〉 from all bodelye sernyle laboure that they were wonte to do Thys rest quiet nes with the sayde Hebrues or Iewes was but the rest of the body insomuch that yf an Hebreue or Iew dyd neuer so muche occupye or exercyse his mynde in carynge or thinkynge vpon worldely busynes yet yf he dyd not there with exercyse and occupye hys body with all he was accompted to kepe the letter of thys commaundement But wyth vs chrysten men there is requyred a greater perfection in thys behalfe for we muste besydes the due obsering of the sabbote in abstainyng our selues from bodily laboure haue also oure myndes quiet and free from all suche cares and gyue our sayde myndes intierly and holy vnto god the contemplation of godlye thynges not onelye prynatelye with oure selues but also publykelye 〈◊〉 duely to the churche and beynge godlie assembled with other there to heare the deuyne seruyce approued vsed and obserued in the catholyke church and withall to geue good eare to the word of GOD beyng there preached and to gyue thankes vnto god for hys greate benefyttes whyche to receyue we are mooste vnworthy consyderynge our noughty liuing and the abusynge of his sayde benefyttes And as in the churches we muste in the tyme of dyuyne seruyce on the sabbothe daye thus occupy oure selues deuoutlye So in all other places durynge the tyme of the sayde sabbothe day we absteining from bodely labour and other oure 〈◊〉 elye busynes by lawe not allowed muste occupye our selues in thought worde in dede as maye be to the glorye of God with the spyrytuall edifyinge bothe of our selues and also of oure neyghbours And emongest other thynges vpon the sayde sabbotte daye we muste visite the sycke persones and shewe and doo the workes of mercye to them other both bodely and ghostly euery one instructynge and teachynge his chyldren seruaunts and famyly in ver tue and goodes And albeit thys commauddemente when it was fyrste gyuen to the Iewes dyd fyrste bynde them and theyr successoures to kepe holye the Saturday beyng then taken and accepted for theyr Sabotte daye yet to vs chrysten men the Sondaye is oure Sabbote daye called in latten Dominica dies and so termed and named by Saynte Ihon in the fyrste chapyter of his Apocalypse or reuelatyon wher he sayeth 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 que appellatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uerbum dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesu fui in spiritu in dominica die c That is to saye I was in an Ilande whiche is called Pathe mos for the word of God and the testimony of Iesus Christ I was in spirite on the sonne day or the daie of our Lorde Of thys Sondaye or daye of our Lorde Saint Au gustyue in his 251. Sermon maketh a verye notable and godly processe as well concernynge the ryght vse of it as also of the altering of the sabbotte daye as it was vsed amongest the Iewes vpon the Saturday to the vse and kepyng of it vpon the Sonnedaye as emogest the chrysten people it is obserued and kepte And he the sayd Saynt Augustyne speakyng in his sayde sermon vnto the people sayeth thus Sciendum est fratris charissmi c. Whyche his sermon ther to auoyde superfluitie and tediousnes here in fyrste rehersynge the Latyn and then afterwardes puttinge there vnto the Englyshe we wyll onelye Englyshe faythfully translate here vnto you and moste worthy it is to be harde and learned And it is this Most derely beloued brethern it is to be knowen that therefore of our holye fathers it is ordened and commaunded to chrysten men that in the solempnyties of Saynctes and moste especiallye on the Sondayes the sayde chrysten men shoulde take reste and cease from earthlye busynes that they myghte be the more redyer and prompter to the dyuyne seruyce as not hauynge anye impediment or incommodytye whych myght staye or withdrawe them from it and myght leaue or forsake at that tyme earthlye care or thought to the intente that more easely they myghte take 〈◊〉 vnto or consyder the wyll of God of which thynge oure lorde hymselfe by hys prophet Psalmo 45 dothe saye Be you styll or quyet and do you consyder or see that I am GOD. But they who beyng entangled with diuerse cares and busynesses doo dyspyse thys sentence or sayinge of God and wyll not gyue or aplye them selues to dyuyne contemplation I feare me that in the iudgmente to come when they shall knocke at the gate of our lorde and requyre to be opened our Lord will aunswere and saye verelye I saye vnto you I knowe you not departe from me al you that do worke iniquitie And suche as nowe do neglecte to seke God are thē of hym to be refused Therefore my brethren let it not be paynefull or greuouse vnto you vpon the Sondayes and vpon the festyuall dayes of the Sayntes to gyue youre studye vnto the deuyne seruyce The apostles in dede and the apostolicall men dyd therefore decree or determyne the sondaye to be kept wyth deuout solempnitie for that oure redemer dyd vpon that daye ryse frome the deade And that day therefore is called in Latyn Dominicus That is to saye The daye of our Lorde That in it we absteyning from earthely workes and the enticemētes or flatterynge pleasures of the world may bende our selues to diuine seruyces onely giuing I saye to thys daye honoure and 〈◊〉 for the hope of oure resurrectyon whyche we haue in or by it For lyke as he our Lorde Iesus Chryste and sauyoure dyd ryse from the deade soo also we doo truste our selues to ryse at the laste daye And moreouer it appearethe euen in the holye Scryptures thys daye to be 〈◊〉 or highe for it is the fyrste daye of the worlde In it the elementes of the worlde were made in it Aungeles were created In it also Chryste dyd ryse from the deade 〈◊〉 it the holye Ghoste dyd from the heauens descend vpon the apostles and Manna also in the wyldernes was from heauen fyrste gyuen in it And by these figures and such lyke tokens thys daye of oure Lorde called Sondaye is notable And therefore the holye doctoures of the Church haue decreed or determyned to translate or brynge all the glory of the iudaicall Sabbote kept on the saturedaye into the sayde sonday that we myght celebrate in the veritie or truthe that whyche they
vnto God and lykewyse in the. xxiii of the same boke where it is commaunded that on the seuenth daye both the Oxe and the Asse shall cease from worke and the sonne of the bonde mayde and the straunger muste be refresshed And also of thys we haue in the. xxxi chapyter of the same boke where almyghtye God dyd by Moyses gyue commaundement to the chyldren of Israell to kepe the sabbotte and that so strayghtly that he commaunded the 〈◊〉 thereof to be put to deathe the 〈◊〉 whereof is expressed in the. xxxv of the sayde Exodus And for example thereof ye maye reade in the. xv chapiter of Numeri That a poore man hauyng gathered a fewe stickes vpon the Sabbotte daye was by the commaundement of God stoned to deathe and besydes these places ye haue a greate numbre of other places of scrypture but these here alreadye alledged are sufficiente for thys purpose to proue that the Sabbote daye or Sondaye ought to be kepte as is before declared But yet besydes the foresayde Sabbotte daye or Sonday Chrysten men haue always euen from the tyme of the Apostles vsed to kepe holye sondrye feastes aswell of our sauiour Chryst and of the blessed vyrgyn Mary his mother as also of othere saynctes in whyche feastes also men ought to cease frō worlde lye busynes and occupatyon yea and to spende the same in Goddes seruyce and contemplatyon of heanenly thynges doing such good workes as are mete and conuenient for the holy daye of whyche feastes you shal hea 〈◊〉 certayne auncient aucthorities of the ho ly fatheres for youre better instructyon herein And 〈◊〉 S. 〈◊〉 in hys 118. 〈◊〉 wrytten to Ianuatius sayeth thus 〈◊〉 autem 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custodimus qui quidem toto terraram orbe obseruantur datur intelligi 〈◊〉 ab ipsis Apostolis uel plenarijs 〈◊〉 quorum est in ecclesia saluberrima authoritas 〈◊〉 atque 〈◊〉 retincri sicutiquod domini passio resurrectio ascensio in coelum 〈◊〉 us de coelo spiritus sansti anniuarsaria solempnitate celebrantur That is to saye Concernynge those thynges whych we doo kepe or obserue not beynge wrytten but by tradition lefte vnto us beynge suche whyche in dede are kepte througheoute the whole worlde it is to be vnderstanded the same eyther of the apostles themselues or of generall coūsailes whose aucthoritie in the churche is moste holesome cōmended establyshed or decreed to be reteyned or kepte as that the passion of oure Lorde and resurrction and ascension into heauen and the commynge of the holye goost from heauen are 〈◊〉 anniuersarye or yearelye solempnitie celebrated And the same saynte Augustyne in hys 244. sermō De tempore Doth there not onelye declare moste mauifestly that the feastes of blessed martyres were in his tyme solempnysed and kepte holye but also that the people dydde on suche feastes with greate deuotyon repayre to the churche and for that theyr deuotyon he there doeth declare hym selfe hyghelye to haue reioysed sayinge Magnummihi gaudium facitis fratris charissimi dum insolempnitatibus martyrum tanta deuotione fidei ad 〈◊〉 cons 〈◊〉 That is to saye You mooste derelye veloued brethren make vnto me great ioye whiles you on the solempnities of the martyres with so greate deuotion of fayth doo come to gether to the churche And immediately after that he doth further instructe them and in them vs howe they should vse them selues on the festyuall dayes to the pleasure of God and theyr owne 〈◊〉 saying iu thys maner Sedsivultus deo auxiliante uestrum profectum nostrum gaudium spiritualiter adimplere ita 〈◊〉 uos pacem charitatem inspirante domino conseruare ut contra hominem nullum odium habeatis in corde probonis orate ut semper ad meliora proficiant pro malis assidue supplicare ut cito se corrigamt secundum ponceprum domini Quecunque uultis ut faciant nobis homines hee uos facite omnibus Tunc enim in veritate pax iustitia misericoraia custoditur 〈◊〉 non solum nullis hominibus malum facimus sed etiam vbicunque poterimus adiuuare contendimus 〈◊〉 go hec Christo adiuuante fidcliter agas mus beatos martyres in hijs quae supra diximus praecipius et preclaris operibus imitantis partem eum illis in eterna beatitudine habere proterimus Et tune pro nobis absque ulla dubitatione sancti martires intercedunt quando in nobis aliquid de suis uirtutibus recognoscunt That is to saye If ye by Gods helpe wyll spirituallye fulfyll or make perfecte bothe your owne profytte and also my ioye soo doe you amonge or be twene your selues kepe peace and charytye God inspiringe you that agaynste no man ye haue anye hatred in youre harte praye for the good men that they maye alwayes encrease to better and for the yll men make sup plications continuallye that they maye quic kely amende them selues and accordinge 〈◊〉 the commaundement of oure lorde Math. 〈◊〉 Whatsoeuerye would that men shoulde doe to you do you the same vnto al. For then in trueth or veritie is kepte peace iustyce and mercye when not onelye we doo not euyll to any man but when we indeuour oure selues or labour to helpe whensoeuer we maye So that yf we Christ helpyng vs do these thynges faythfully imitatinge or folowynge the blessed martyres in those principal and notable workes wherof we dydde speake before we maye haue part with them in euerlasting blysse And then with out anye doubte the holye martyres doo make intercessions for vs when as they doo perceaue or knowe anye of their vertues in vs. To the foresayde places of S. Augustyne we wil here for the same purpose nowe ioyne the testymonye of S Hierome who in his exposition made vpon the epystle ofs Paule to the Galathians and declaring these wordes written in the iiii chapyter of the same epystle Dies obseruatis mensis tempore annos That is to saye Ye obserue dayes and monethes and tymes and yeares doth wryte in thys maner Dicat aliquis si dies obseruare non licit menses tempora annos non quoque simile crimen incurrimus quartā sabbati obseruantes parasces 〈◊〉 diem dominicum et icunium quadragesimae paschae festiuitatem pentecoste lctitiam prouarictate regionum diuersa in honorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tempora constituta That is to saye Som maye peraduenture saye yf it be not lawfull to obserue daies monthes and times and yeres then we also meanynge Chrysten men runne into lyke faulte obseruynge the wednesday and the Frydaye fastyng dayes and the Sonday holy daye and the faste of Lent and the festiuitie of Easter and the ioyfull solemnitie of Whitsonday accordinge to the diuersitie of countryes diuers tymes appoynted in the honour of martyres By whiche obiection besides manye other notale thynges this is mooste euydente that no man was so lewde in those dayes but that he dyd obserue besydes
euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyll lyuer eternal death beleue he neuer so wel As S. Paule wituesseth in the. v. chapyter of his Epi stle to the Galathians where he sayth Walk af ter the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of that fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the flesh These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye would But and yf ye beled of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The de des of the fleshe ar manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry witchcrafte hatred variaūce 〈◊〉 wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkēnes glotteny and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in time past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heuē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Chryst these two poyntes are requisit of our behalfe the one to beleue rightlye that other to lyue vpryghtly whych two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to know except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche which catholike church oure sauioure Chryste hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for al men to come and repayre vnto to learne such truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerla styng life This catholike church and no other company hath that true vnderstanding of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluatiō To this churche Christ maketh promis in that xvi of Thō saying Whē that spirit of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this church also he maketh that other promis written in the xxviii of Mathewe where he sayth Behold I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholike church thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assured alwayes of Chryst him selfe neuer yet fayled frō that time of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fail to the worl des ende nether can it be deceued in any necessary truth 〈◊〉 as Chryst promyseth in the. xvi of Mathe we saying That hel gates shal not pre uayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catho lyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapter of his first epistle to Timothe calleth the catholike church the piller and ground of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a companye as among which the trueth is openly preached ells Chryste woulde not haue sayde as it is wrytten in the. v of Mathew A citie that is seton a hyl can not be hid ne ther do men light a candle and putit vnder a bushel but on all cādelsticke and it geueth lyght vnto al that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke church is an vnknowen church seinge it is that citie which our sauiour there mente that candell of which he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryst and refuse the doctrine thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in reading ofscripture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into errour and ignoraunce cuē as a mā that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour Saynt Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapter of his secōd epystle geueth vs a most certayne an sure rule which if we folow we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstand scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure word of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take 〈◊〉 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntil the day dawne and the daye starre arise in your harts So that you first knowe this that no prophecy in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For that scrip ture came neuer by the wil of man butholy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Here you se howe S. Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meaning of Chrystes church and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or company And in the thyrde chapyter of the same Epystle he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to he vnderstanded whyche they that are vnlearned vnstable do peruerte as they do also the other scriptures to theyr own destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be 〈◊〉 afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the erroure of the wicked fal from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S Peter telleth the 〈◊〉 cause why men my svnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knowledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignotaunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe priuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scryptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytynge to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Limothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge which S. Paule sayeth was committed to 〈◊〉 custodye was the truth of the catholyk fayth which he sayth some fell from by reasonne of new fangeled termes and by reson aiso that they tooke vpon them knowledg beynge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde epistle to Timothie he farther sayeth Contynue thou in that thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. I reneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapter of the same boke sayeth touchyng the catholyke churche in this maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rich tresury all truth the who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of life for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what yf a controuersy shoulde happen to ryse vpon neuer so 〈◊〉 a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the
Apostles were conuersaunt and ther learne the truth in that controuersy ye what yf the Apostles had lefte behynde thē no writyng at al must we then not haue folowed the order of tradition delyuered by them to such as they committid the churches vnto to which tradition manye barbarous nations beleuing in christ do giue credite with out any other wrytyng then that which is in their hartes wrytten Al this wryteth Irene us and within a lytle after he sayeth Yf to these barbarous nations any man 〈◊〉 preach in their owne language these inuentiōs of heretikes by and by they would stope their eares and 〈◊〉 as farre as they could frō him and not once here hys blasphemous talke thus sayth S. 〈◊〉 Now yf christen people at this 〈◊〉 would folow this trad which this blessed 〈◊〉 here speaketh of thē should no mārunne into heresy but al men shold cleue fast vnto that wholsome doctryne of the catholike churche abhor and detest whatsoeuer any precher would vtter to thē contrary to the same For whosoeuer precheth any doctrine not agreable to that general 〈◊〉 doctrie in the open knowen church he it is such as be like to him of whō our 〈◊〉 biddeth vs to 〈◊〉 sa yng in yt. vii of Mathewe Beware of false prophets which com to you in shepes clothing but inwardly they are rauenyng wolues Our sauior calleth them wolues for that they deuoure that soules of so many as giue credite vnto thē he sayeth farder of them that they come in lambes skins because they pretend the woord of God and therewith bleare the eyes of pore simple men and make them beleue that it is as they saye where in 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer is taught contraty to that that al 〈◊〉 openly teacheth and from tyme to tyme hath taught is false and cannot possible be true 〈◊〉 les we wold 〈◊〉 that christ hun selfe wer not true For he promyseth that hym selfe wil be for euer with the church and that the holy ghost shal for euer gouerne the same Forasmuch than as there is no other schole on the earth for men to learne theyr duety towards god and the worlde but the catholyke church nor no other doctrine auay leable to eternall lyfe but that which the catholyke church teacheth therefore all christē people are required to make a solēpne vow at theyr baptisme to beleue the catholyke churche And he that so doeth is in an assured trade 〈◊〉 saluation if in his conuersation he folowe the same but contrary wyse he that 〈◊〉 it not is in a moste certayne estate of euerlastyng dampnation 〈◊〉 that youe maye knowe what the 〈◊〉 churche dothe in all poyntes beleue there shal be hereafter particulerly set forth vnto you the seuerall matters requisite to be beleued practised of all Chrysten people that no man may haue iuste cause hereafter to pretende ignoraunce but al men beyng sufficiently instructed maye by folowynge such doctryne attayne to euerlasting lyfe whyche send vnto vs all the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the Sonne and the holy 〈◊〉 to whom be all honoure and glory 〈◊〉 without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London ¶ An homely of Christian loue or Charitie FOrasmuch as that pith and summe of al things which be contemed either in the lawe or in the prophets doth stād and cōsist in the loue of God and in the loue of 〈◊〉 neyghbour as our 〈◊〉 Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stifye in the. xxii Chapiter of saint Mathewe sayinge 〈◊〉 of the Pharises beyng a doctour of the lawe tēping did aske him and say maister what is the great cōman̄demēt in the law Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto him Thou 〈◊〉 loue thy 〈◊〉 God with al thy harte wyth all thy soule and with althy hole minde this is sayeth he the greateste and firste 〈◊〉 And the seconde is like vnto it Thou 〈◊〉 loue thy neig hboure as thy selfe and of these two commaundements al the lawe doth 〈◊〉 and the Prophetes And forasmuch also as we can not loue God well excepte we doo loue our neyghboure in a due order ne yet loue our neyghboure well excepte we doo 〈◊〉 God in that due order that we oughte to doo Sainct Jhon the euangelist so testifyeng and declaryng in the thyrde and fourthe Chapiters of his fyrst canonical Epistle And finally forasmuche as he that loueth not after this sorte is by the testimonye of the sayde sainct John in the sayd thyrd Chapiter iudged to be in death therfore it is ryght expediente and necessarye to haue alwyes thys loue whiche nowe in oure vulgare tonge and common talke is ofte named by the name of Charitie but ve ry megerly and coldely practised and set fourthe in dede as it shoulde be And of truthe yf we woulde iudge vpryghtly and well we ought to saye that of all thinges that be good to be taught vnto Christen people there is no thing more necessarye to be spoken of and daylye called vpon then charitie as wel for that al maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decaye thereof is the 〈◊〉 of the world the banysh ement of vertue and the cause of all vice And forasmuch as almost euery mā maketh frāeth to hym selfe a charity after hys owne appetyte and how 〈◊〉 so euer his lyfe be bothe vnto God and man yet he perswadeth with hymselfe styll that he hathe chatitye Therefore you shall here nowe a true and playne descryption of charity not of mens ymagination but of the very woordes and example of our sauioure Jesus Christe In whyche description euerye man as it were in a glasse may consider him selfe and see plai nely without error whether he be in the true Charitye or not charitie is to loue God with al oure harte withall our life with al our powers with al our strength Wyth all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynde studie be set to 〈◊〉 his woorde to trust in hym and to loue him aboue all other thynges whyche we doo loue best in heauen or in earthe Wyth all oure lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye and delite be sette vpon him and his honoure and our hole lyfe gyuen vnto the seruyce of hym aboue al thynges wyth hym to lyue and wyth 〈◊〉 to dye yea and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or doughter house or lād more 〈◊〉 me saith Christ is not worthy to haue me 〈◊〉 all oure powers that is to say that with our handes and feet wyth our eyes and eares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tongues and wyth all other parts powers both of body and of soule we shoulde be gyuen to the 〈◊〉 pynge and fulfyllyng of hys commaundementes This is is the fyrst and the principal part of chariti but it is not the whole For charitie is also to 〈◊〉 euery man good and 〈◊〉 frende and fooe And 〈◊〉 cause be gyuen to the contrary yet
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze
sayd to thē Ecce ego vobiseū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad cōsummationē seculi That is Behold I am with you at al tymes euen to the ende of the worlde Wherefore we maye playnly see that the holy ghoste beyng promised to the Apostles to abide for euer and to the very ende of the world was promised and giuen to them and to their successours in the churche where he doth and shal abide for euer Now forasmuche as the holye ghoste is the gouernour and ruler of the catholyke churche we ought there onely and in no other corner to searche the true vnderstandynge and discernynge of the scryptures And for thys cause the aūcient fathers were they neuer so godly so well learned yet woulde they neuer presume vpon theyr owne iudgements but euer referred them selues to the vnderstandyng and interpretation of the catho lykechurche before them Therfore the godly lerned and ancient father 〈◊〉 wrytyng agaynst schismaticall here syes sayeth thus Quid enim si qui de aliqua modica questione disceptatio esset nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias c. that is to saye but what and yf there were contention concerning some smal que stion were it not necessarye to returne to the mooste auncient churches and immediatly after he sayeth Quid autem sineque apostoli quidem scripturas relis quissent nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinem sequitraditionis quam tradiderunt hijs quibus committebant Ecclesias what sayeth thys holye father yf the Apostles had lefte to vs no scripture at all had it not bene necessarye to folowe the order of that tradytion whyche they delyuered to those to whome they dyd bequethe the churche Alas good people how farre are many in these dayes gone from thys olde and aunciēt rule this blessed martir here exhorteth or rather commaundeth that yf any smal dyscorde thoughe it be in a matter of lytle importaunce doo chaunce that we woulde not accordyng to our 〈◊〉 iudge therein but though we haue no scripture for the same yet saieth he we ought to folowe kepe and obserue the tradition of the auncient churches Where as in these late dayes the impudent 〈◊〉 baue taught the zely people that euery man should and maye be a iudge of controuersyes and that we oughte to obserue no tradition nor ceremo nye other than we fynde in the holye scripture Of such the same holy Ireneus dooeth speake thus after many other notable lessons to the same purpose Omnes autem hij decidunt a veritate et 〈◊〉 quidem alienum 〈◊〉 afferentes ad altare dei idest altenas doctrinas a celesti igne conburentur c. All these sayeth he doo fal from the trueth and the heretykes truelye bryngynge straung fyre to the aulter of God that is to saye straung doctrine 〈◊〉 brent with the heuenly fyre With such lyke thrratnynges in the same place to those that disobey the 〈◊〉 of the churche Lykewyse saynct Augustyne speakyng of the baptysine of chyldren and now that sacrament can profyt them seyng many die before they know the effecte of the same affyrmeth that the faythe of those that brynge the chylde to christenynge shall profyte the chylde that is brought but for his proba cion he bryngeth thus Hoc commendat ecclesie saluberrima 〈◊〉 thoritas This thing the mooste holsome aucthoritie of the churche doethe commende And euen wyth lyke reuerence the same saint Augustyne dooth many tymes submytte all hys iudgments and workes to the catholyke churche And fynally to declare hys iudgemene concernynge the aucthoritie of the catholyke church He sayeth hus Ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 nisi me catholicae Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye Truly I would not beleue the Gospel onles that the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche did moue me thereto And we ought here to consider that after the ascension of our sauiour Christe for the space of certayne yeares there was no gospell at all wrytten but all thynges concernyng the faythfull christians were 〈◊〉 and gouerned by the disciples of Christ being than the heades of the church Afterward we rede that dyuers of the dysciples of Chryste dyd wryght Gospelles as sainct Bartylmew Nicodemus and an other Gospel was called Euangelium Nazarcorum̄ But the aucthoritie of the church did onely admite those 〈◊〉 euangelistes which now the whole churche dooth retayne Whyche thing myght wel seme mar uelouse seynge that bothe sayncte Bartylmew and Nicodemus were present and dyd see the woorkes of Chryst and also dyd here hys doctryne where as sainct Luke dyd learne hys gospel of saincte Paule and other and so kewyse dyd S. Marke but hereby it doeth moost playnly appere that the catholike 〈◊〉 onely hath thys hye aucthorite to 〈◊〉 scriptures and that scriptures allowed by that church should not be refused of any particulare persons Nowe therfore seynge that the catholyke churche bothe hath delyuered to vs the scrypture and in all ages and times hath bene taken of al Godly lerned men for the true iudge therof I exhort and beseche all you good christen people that in all doutes 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ye would resort to that 〈◊〉 churche and there learne what the 〈◊〉 church hath beleued aud taught 〈◊〉 time 〈◊〉 time concerninge doutes or controuersies and 〈◊〉 wyth lowly and meke hartes ye wyll so doo surely the ho ly ghoste wyll instructe you he wyll comforte you and he wyll leade you into al trueth But yf in such case ye will fly from the catholyke church ask coū sell of your selues or of any that doth swarue from the sayde churche than for so much as the holy gost is not your gyde you shall fall from ignoraunce to errour and from doutyng and dysputing to plaine herely and so from one to another to the vtter con fusion of both body and soule Yet besides this gret authoritie of the churche whereof you haue hearde there is an other gyuen by God of moost hye excellencye that is power to forgiue and pardon the pe nitent synner and to punyshe and correct the obsti nate or fro warde synner which power and auctho ritie as it was fygured in the preesthode of the olde lawe as in Iudgyng of leprose persones and in punyshyng to death those that did not obey the preeste euē so is it giuen by our sauiour Christ in very dede in the 〈◊〉 to his Apostles and to all theyr succes soures For after that oure sauiour had rysen from death he came amonges hys Apostles and brethed vpon them and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum dimi seritis 〈◊〉 dimittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis 〈◊〉 sunt That is take you the holy ghost whose sinnes you shall forgyue they are forgyuen to them and whose synnes you doo retayne they are retayned Whyche authorite by 〈◊〉 woordes gyuen by Christ though some hath or doo contemne and set at noughte yet sainct Cyrill byddeth them cease to
lyfe and quietnes of conscience and yf at any tyme throughe our frail nes we hapen to fall we haue readye to rayse vs vpagayne the holye Sacramentes throughe the comfortable helpe whereof we be made sironge and so daye by daye more able to procede in al kynde of vertue and thus hauynge vpon earthe oure mother the holye churche which is the spouse of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God we maye be bolde to call vpon GOD our father and be assured that he wyl heare vs as hys dearebeloued chyldren and gyue vs the inheritaunce of heauen whyche is prepared for vs through our sauiour Iesus Christe To whōe wyth the father and the holy ghost be honour prayse and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homelye of the Primacy or supreame power of the 〈◊〉 gouernor of the militant Church AS in euery natu rall and polytyke 〈◊〉 so in the churche militāt whych is a misticall body superioritie and inferioriti must neds be amōgest that m mbers thereof or ells it cannot endure And for thys cause speciallye our Sauiour Chryste when he was here conuersaunte on the Earth dyd hymselfe appoynte hys Apostles Disciples and there successours to haue the ouersyght cure and hygh gouernement of hys church to the worldes edde And to the intente that no man should contempne theyr aucthoritie he dothe saye in the thyrtenth of Saynt Ihon Amen Amen Dico vobis quis accipit si quem misero me accipit Qui autemme accipit accipit eum qui me misit That is to say Uerely Uerely I saye vnto you who that receyueth hym whome I sende receyueth me And he that receiueth me receyueth hym that sent me And in the tenth of Luke he sath Quiuos audit me audit qui uos 〈◊〉 me spernit Qui autem me spernit spernit eum qui misit me That is to saye He that heareth you hearethe me and he that dispiseth yon dispiseth mee and he that dispiseth me dyspiseth hym that sent me Of the Apostles also and theyr successours and of theyr charge ouer Christes flocke doth Saynt Paule speake in the fourthe chapiter to the Ephesyans saying Ipse dedit quosdam quidem A postolos quosdam autem Prophetas aliouero Euangelistas alios autem pastores et doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerū in edifieationem Corporis Christi donec 〈◊〉 omnes in unitatem fidei agnitionis filii dei in uirum perfectum in mensuram etatis plenitudinis Christi ut 〈◊〉 non simus paruuli flue tuantes neque clicuferamur omniuento doctrine in nequitia hominum in asturia ad circumuentionem erroris That is to saye He meanyng Chryste hath gyuen or appointed some to be Ipostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some pastores and teachers to the perfytynge or consummating of the holyons to doo the worke of the mynistery to edyfye the body of Chryst vntyll we all come together in one vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto the estate of a perfecte man after the measure of the age of the fulnes of Chryst that from henceforth we should not be as babes waueryng neyther should we be caryed aboute with euery blaste of doctryne in the wicked nes of men in the wylynes of them who go aboute to deceyue vs. Thys place of Saynt Paule most playnelye setteth before our eyes the aucthority and gouernemēt whyche our sauiour hath apoynted to contynue to the ende of the worlde in his churche and howe the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Preachers and teachers are giuen of Chryst to hys pleple to gouerne them And therewyth al Saynt Paule in the sayde place she weth to what ende suche gouernement and authoritie is instituted it is to wytte for the spiritual edifieng of the hole body in the fayth for the defense of the hole bodye from the poyson of heresye And in dede no one thing can so muche suppresse heresye as yf the Anthoritie and gouernment 〈◊〉 be accordyngly therevnto estemed obeyed as 〈◊〉 Saynte Ciprian the blessed Martyr in hys fyrst boke and thyrd Epystle saieng Neque 〈◊〉 bereses obortae sunt aut 〈◊〉 sunt scismata 〈◊〉 lnde quod sacer 〈◊〉 dei non obtemperatur 〈◊〉 unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos 〈◊〉 tempus iudex uice Christi cogitatur cuisi sneundum magisteria diui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uniuersa nemo 〈◊〉 sacerdotem collegia 〈◊〉 moueret That is to saye Neyther other where or hy othere meanes are heresies 〈◊〉 vp and scisines rysen than hereof that obedience is not gyuen to the preiste of God Nor one is consydered or thought to be in that churche for the tyme the preist and for the time the iudge in Christes stede vnto which one yf the hole fraternitie dyd according to the heauenly commaundements 〈◊〉 no man woulde stirre or moue anye thynge against the Colleges or cōpanies of preistes Hereby you may perceyue that saynt Cypryans cōclusion or iudgemēt is that the gouernment Ecclesiasticall and especially of one to be caken and reputed as Christes vicar is the best meane to let and suppresse heresies and that such one gouernor is 〈◊〉 be o beyed of all chrysten people which thynge may be proued very playnely and euidently by the holye scriptures them selues For the scryptures doo witnesse that our 〈◊〉 appoynted S. Peter to thys hygh rowme and charge ouer his hole flocke and no one of the Apostles 〈◊〉 In the. xxi of S. John it is wrytten howe oure sauiour after his resurrection appearing at the sea 〈◊〉 Tiberias to certen of hys Apostles amongest whome was Peter dyd fyrste take breade and fyshe and gaue vnto them And when they had 〈◊〉 them selues he fayde vnto Peter Simon Iohannes diligis me plus hijs 〈◊〉 ei 〈◊〉 domine tu scis quia amore Dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as eagnos meos Dicit ei iterum Simon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligis me Ait illi Etiam domine tu scis quia amo te Dicit ci Pasce 〈◊〉 meos Dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amas me Contristatus est Petrus qui a dixit 〈◊〉 tertio amas me 〈◊〉 ci Domine tu omnia nosti tu scis 〈◊〉 amote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oues meas That is to saye Symon the sonne of Ioannes 〈◊〉 thou loue me more then these do He aunswered vnto him Yea Lorde thou 〈◊〉 that I loue thee He sayde vnto him Fede my lambes 〈◊〉 he spake to hym agayne and sayde Simon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me He aunswered yea Lorde thou knoweste that I loue thee Hesayde vnto hym againe Feede my lambes Then spake he vnto him the third tyme and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doest thou loue me Peter was sorie because Christ sayd vnto him now the thyrde tyme doest thou loue me and he aun swered and sayde Lorde thou knoweste all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee He sayde vnto him feede my shepe Thys processe of Scripture hath in it many
circumstaunces to be noted The fyrst is that other Apostles beynge than present and amongest them euē he of whom Chryst did euē make very much of that is to say S. Iohn yet our Sauiour Christ dyd dyrecte his speach and talke but to Peter onelye sygnifyenge the matter wherof he dyd speake to appertayne to Peter chieflye and pryncipallye and not in so speciall a sorte to anye one of the apostles els Another and seconde circumstaunce to be here considered is that oure sauioure dyd aske Peter moost earnestly whether he loued him more than did the other apostles And the thyrde cyrcumstaunce is in that Chryste dyd commytte both hys lambes and his shepe vnto hym These cyrcumstaunce I saye and other suche lyke well considered doo conuince and clearelye proue that the hyghe charge ouere all the church militant was especially committed to Peter 〈◊〉 sauiour Chryst had not intended to giue vn to Peter a speciall authoritie aboue the rest what nede was there to speake this seuerallye vnto Peter seing he had spoken it generallye to them all before 〈◊〉 what thing ment he els when in that pre sence of all the twelue he promised to giue vnto Pe ter the keyes of the kingdome of heauē sainge a spe ciall 〈◊〉 or prerogatiue to Peter Our sauiour through his heauenly wisedome perceyuynge that it is most necessarye one to be ouer a hole multitude specially being a multitude congregated of so infinite a number of people and of so sondry nations as is the catholyke churche dyd appoynte S. Peter to that offyce and Peter hauinge receyued such charge at chrystes handes did incontinently practyse and exercyse the same and al the rest of the Apostles dyd geue place vnto him And therfore in the first of the Actes it is wrytten hawe that after Chrystes ascension incontinently S. Peter rose vp in the myddest of the faithfull and 〈◊〉 them to goo to the election of one that should succede in Iu das rowme with offyce he vndoutedlye woulde not haue takē vpon him but that oursauiour Christ had Authorised him in such sorte as is before declared In the. ii of the Actes it is wrytten howe that in the presence of all the Apostles S. Peter tooke vpon him to speake in all their names to the people on whitsonday in the mourning streight after that they had receyued the holy Ghoste in the lykenes of clouē tunges In the third of the Actes it is writtē how that s. Peter healed a lame mā which was lame hys mothers wombe and that whē the people wōdred at so straunge a myrycle the sayd Peter made an oration vnto them In the fourth of the Actes and in the fyfte and syxt there is the lyke and in manye other places of the same booke All whyche places of scripture oughte to perswade euery godly harte to thynke that oure sauiour did giue vnto sainct Peter that aucthorite aboue all the rest of the Apostles vpon hys hoole church for an vnytie and good order to be kept in the same And yet for your better contentatiō here in you shall here the authorities of the auncient fathers in thys behalfe Origine a greeke wryter whyche was wythin two hundred yeares after Chryst in hys exposition made vpon the. vi Chapter of S Paules epistle to the Romaynes wryteth thus Petro cumsumma rerū de pascendis ouibu straderetur et super ipsū tan qsuper terr am fundaretur 〈◊〉 clesia nullius confessio uirtutis alterius nisi charitatis exigitur That is to say When the hyghest authoritie orfeedinge of chrystes sheepe was omitted vnto Peter and the churche was builded vpō hym as vpon a sure grounde ther was requyred or exacted of hym the profession of none other vertue saue onely of charitie The blessed martyr saynt Cyprian in many pla ces affyrmeth the same and amongest other in his epystle wrytten Ad inbalanum sayeth Manifestum est 〈◊〉 ct per quos remissio peccatorum dari possit 〈◊〉 dominusprimum petro su per quem edisicauit ecclesiam suam et vnde unit at is origenē institute 〈◊〉 ostendit potestatem istam dedit That is to say It is manyfest where and by whome remission of synnes maye be gyuen for oure Lord fyrste vnto Peter vpon whome he buylded hys churche and from whome he dyd ordeyne and shewe the begynninge of the vnitie to procede dyd giue that power or authoritie And in the same Epystle within a whyle after he sayeth Ecclesiam que una 〈◊〉 sundauit super unum That is to say He dyd founbe his chuche which is but one vpon one Sainct Basyl in his boke against Tauonius writeth thus Perhanc uocem intelligimus 〈◊〉 filiū qui fuit ex Bethsaida An dreae 〈◊〉 qui expiscatore in Apostolatus ministeriū uocatis est Qui quoniam fide prestabatecclesiae in se aedificationem suscepit That is to say by this voice we vnderstād the sonne of Jonas which was of Bethsaida the bro ther of Andrewe which son of Jonas was called from a fyther to the ministerye of the Apostleshyp and bycause he excelled in faith he had the church buy 〈◊〉 vpon hym Saint 〈◊〉 in his fourth sermon sayeth Petrus denique pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiarū petradicitur sicut ait dominus 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiammeam Petraenim dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 fidei fundamenta posuerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immobile to 〈◊〉 operis Christiani compagem 〈◊〉 cō tineat That is to say Fynallye or for a conclusion Peter for the soundenes or substācialnes of his deuotion is called ' the rocke of the churches as our Lorde sayeth Thou arte Peter or of a rocke vpon this rocke wyll I builde my churche In dede he is called a rocke bicause he was the fyrst that did laye the foundation of faith amongest the gentiles as a stone or a rocke that cannot be moued he docth conteine or kepe the frame and weight of the hole christen woorke S Augustyne hath the lyke in his syxe twenty sermon de sanctis and in his xvi sermon de tempore but moost notably in his 124. sermon de tempore wher he maketh a large processe of sainct Peter emōgest other thinges speaking of Peters denial of his mai ster he writeth thus of hym Totius corporus morbum 〈◊〉 capite cura ecclesie et in ipso 〈◊〉 componit membrorum omniū sani tatem That is to say He meanyng Chryste doeth cure in the very heade of the church mening Peter the dysease of the hole bodye in the very crowne or top of the head he frameth the healthe of all the members Here ommyttynge infynite other authorities of the auncient fathers touchyng the primacye or hyghest anthoritie ecclesiastical to haue beue geuen vnto sainct Peter of our sauioux Chryst himselfe I exhorte you in con sideratiō partely of these testimonyes some wherof are taken out of the very scrypture some out of the
chaire of the scribes and Phariscis of whome he sayeth They say but they do not c. Moreouer the holye Martyr saint Cipriane in the thyrd Epystle of hys fyrst booke speakynge against certayne whych dyd disobey 〈◊〉 Cornelius the byshoppe of Rome writeth in thys maner Neque enim aliunde heresis oborte sunt aut natasunt seismata q inde quod sacerdoti dei nō obtemperatur nec vnus in ceclesia ad tēpus sacerdo et ad tempus iudex vice Christi iudicatur Cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemperaret fraternitas uniuersa nemo aduersus sacerdotū collegium qule 〈◊〉 moueret That is to say Of none other cause are heresyes spronge vp or scysines ry sen than of this that the preiste of GOD meanyng Cornelius the byshopp e of Rome is not obeyed and one is not taken in the churche to be the hyghe preist for the tyme and for the tyme in Christes stede a iudge or Christes vicar vnto whome yf the hole fraternitye were accordyng to Goddes commaundementes obedient no man woulde any thing moue or styrre against the colled ge or company of preistes Saynt Augustyne also wrytyng agaynst the Epystle of a Maniche whych Epystle is intituled or called 〈◊〉 giueth to the sea of Rome a mer uaylous prerogatyue and doth buylde hys faythe amongest other thinges vpon the succession of the Byshoppes of Rome who after saynct Peter did fo lowe orderly euen to hys time whych was 300. yeres after Chryste And he wryteth in this maner Multasum que 〈◊〉 eccle sic gremio iustissime teneni Tenet me consensio populoru atque 〈◊〉 tenct authoritas mlraculis 〈◊〉 a sperinutria charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa sede perri A postoli cui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post resurrectionē suam dominus comm endauit usque 〈◊〉 present 〈◊〉 episcop 〈◊〉 successio 〈◊〉 That is to saye ther are many thinges which of very good reason doo kepe me in the lawes of the catholyke church The consent of so manye people and nations or countries doth kepe me the authoritie of the church begon 〈◊〉 myracles nouryshed with hope encreased with charitie and confyrmed with antiqui tye doeth kepe me the succession also of bysshoppes from saint Peter the Apostles seat or tyme to whome our Lord dyd after hys tesurrection commite his shepe to be fedde vnto this presēt Bishopricke meaning Rome doeth kepe me in the catholyke church Sainet Hierome also in his Epystle to Damasius doth set fourth very notably the premacye and supremitre of the byshoppe of Rome as beyng sainet Peters successours and amongest other thyngs he sayth thus Si quis cathedrae Petri iungitur meus est That is to saye Yf any man be ioyned to Peters chaire or hold of Peters seate meaning that sea of Rome he is myne and I receyue and ioyne wyth hym Saynt Ambrose also in hys thyrd boke of the sacramētes and in the fyrst Chapter doth say thus Ecclesia Romana hane consuetudinem non habet cuius tipum in omnibus Sequimur That is to say The churche of Rome whose forme or trade we doo folow in all poyntes hath no suche custome Other lyke auctorities of the auncyent fathers for the primacy and suprymacy of the Sea of Rome there are and that infinite But what nede many autorities ether of scripture or of the fathers in this behalfe seing very experience hath this thousande yeres proued that such as dysobeied the sea of Rome did fal sone after into abhominable heresye and therevpon into deui sion amongest them selues and 〈◊〉 to de structiō or els in processe of time were gladde and sayne to retourne to ther dwe obediēce againe Yf you be desyrouse to haue exāple in this matter loke but one those countryes and those parsons that nowe be in captiuitie vnder the gret Turke who in time past agreeing wyth the sea of Rome did florishe in christen religyon all welthe looke also vpon Germany take example thereby how they prospered amonges theym selues synce they declyned from that obedience of the sea of Rome And it is a world to see howe those whome they toke for theyr greatest doctours haue abused seduced and mocked them euen in thys matter of the prymacye for where as Luther especiallye and aboue all other was theyr ryngleader in thys matter yet when he was emon gest lerned men and shoulde talke of thys matter wyth theym he was so dryuen to the wal that opē lye in wrytynge to be shewed at thys daye he dyd in a boke of hys intituled Resolutio Latheriana super propo sitione sua 〈◊〉 de potestate 〈◊〉 confesse and saye playnelye as hereafter doeth folowe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro pontificem esse alijs omnibus quos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se pontifices gerere superiorum est 〈◊〉 voluntas dei quā in ip so 〈◊〉 uidemus Neque enim sino voluntate dei in haenc monarchiā inquam 〈◊〉 potuisset Ro pōtifex At uolūtas dei quo quo modo nota fuerit cū reuerentia sulcidienda est ideoque non licet temere Ro pontifici suo primaturesistere Hec autem ratio 〈◊〉 est ut si etiam nulla scriptura nul la alia causa esset haec tamensatis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium et 〈◊〉 sola ratione gloriosissimus martir Ciprianus permult 〈◊〉 epistolas cōfidētissime gloriatur cōtra omnes episcoporū quorū cunque ad uersorios sicut 3. Re. legimus quod decētribus Israel discesserūt a roboā silio Salomonis et tamen quia uoluntate dei sine au toritate factū est ratum apud deum fuit Nam et apud theologos omnes uoluntas signi quam 〈◊〉 operationem dei non minus quam alia signo uoluntacis dei ut prae 〈◊〉 prohibit c. metuenda est Ideo non uideo quomodo sint 〈◊〉 ascismatis reatu qui huic uoluntati contrauenienses sest a Ro pontifieis autoritate subtrahūt 〈◊〉 est una prima mihi in superabilis ratio 〈◊〉 subijcit Ro pontifici et primatū eius cōfueri cogir. that is to saye The first thing which moueth me to think or beleue the Romayue Byshoppe to be superior to all other whom at the leaste wyse we do knowe to accompte them selues for Byshoppes is the very wyll of God which we doo see euen in the very facte or matter For in dede without the wyl of God that Romayne Byshoppe coulde not at anye tyme haue commē to this monarchy or supreme rule and the wyll of God by what meane soeuer it be knowen is to be receyued or taken with reuerence and therefore it is not lawefull folyshly or hedelye to make resystence vnto the said Romayne Bysshope in his Bysshoppryke And this reason is soogreat or of suche force that althoughe noo scrypture nor no other cause were yet thys were sufficient ynoughe to brydle or kepe vnder the temeritie or madnes of them that make