And yet doth Irenaeus confute the same Heretiks by those bokes of holy Scriptures which they themselues allowed Now as it was necessary in this case for those fathers for trial of truth to resort to the Succession of the Apostolicall churches that the scriptures in them reserued from the Apostles time mighte bee of more authoritie among them that beleeued not the scriptures So it is not necessary so to deale agaynst them which willingly and gladly submit themselues to all the partes of the Canonicall scriptures Neither do those Fathers stay vpō these churches because of their ordinary Successiō as the patrones of the church of Roome now doe but because in that ordinarye Succession the Doctrine of the Fathers was still kept inuiolable according to the word of God Whiche thing if the Church of Roome were able to prooue wee would willingly yeelde vnto it That those learned Fathers did this it shall euidently appeare vnto you by the verye same places whiche they alleadge for their purpose Irenaeus sayth Presbyteris obaudire oportet qui successionem babent ab Apostolis i. We must heare or giue eare to the ministers which haue their suc cessyon from the Apostles But he sayeth not so onelye but immediately addeth Et cum Episcopatus Successione charisima veritatis certum secundum placitum patris acceperunt i. And together with the Succession in their Bisho pricke haue receaued also the certaine grace of true Doctrine according to the will of the Father And in the very next Chapter agayne after he had giuen certayn Markes of ill teachers much agreeing to the course of the Church of Roome at these dayes he addeth Of all suche persons we must beware and cleaue to them which as I haue sayde before both keepe the Doctrine of the Apostles and togither with the order of Priesthood shew wholesome and true teaching with honest conuersation of life Neither doth Irenaeus onlye thus replye vpon the Doctrine of the Apostles but the residue also of those Fathers whome they alleadge for the authoritye of Succession Tertul. sayth as he is alleaged by them Let them shew the beginninges of their Churches Let the Heretikes deuise some such Succession c. But marke I pray you what immediately followeth For their Doctrine being cōpared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersity and contrarietie thereof wil euidently shew it selfe to be the doctrine neither of any Apostle nor any Apostolicall man Doth he not in playne words shew y ◠Succession without the Doctrine of the Apostles is nothing worth S. Augusti likewise against the Epist Fūdamentum c. when he hath reckoned vp those things which moued him to remayne in the church among which Successiō is but one He addeth No such thing is with you where is only a promise of persons teaching the truth which truth if it were so euidently declared that we might not iustly doubt of it it were to be preferred before all those thinges with whiche I am kept in the Church c. What can be more euident then that S. Aug. doth attribute more to truth of doctrine manifestly proued by the word of God then to Succession or any other token that can be alleaged Succession with continuance of Apostolical Doctrine ought to be of great authoritie but without it nothing It is notable that Tertullian hath in the Boke before alleaged How commeth it saith he that Heretikes are straungers and ennimies to the Apostles but only by the diuersity of their Doctrine which they deuise of their own brayn agaynst the Apostles Wherfore the corruption of scriptures and the exposition thereof is to be thought to be among thē where diuersitie of Doctrine contrarye to the Apostles is founde This is a notable witnesse agaynst the church of Roome whose Doctrines be so diuerse from the doctrine of y ◠primatiue church The sonnes of Aaron had more allowable Succession from Aaron than the Bishops of Rome haue from Peter and yet because they brought straunge Fyre into the Temple of God they were reiected and perished Euen so sayth Cyprian Those which in the Churche of God do imitate them and contemning the truth deliuered by God desire strange doctrines and bring into the church the instruction of humain ordinance them Christ sharpely rebuketh in the Gospel saying You cast away the commaundement of God that you may place your own deuises c. Annas and Cayphas had full Succession from Aaron yet were it hard therevpon to conclude that they had the righte of the true Churche and Christe and his Disciples to be Seismaticks Though they pretend to haue the ordinary Succession of Bishoppes in their Seas sure wee are that wee haue the Succession of the sincere Doctrine of our saluation which they haue not For if their Doctrine be cōpared with the Doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitye contrarietie thereof it will appeare that it is the Doctrine neyther of the Apostles nor of anye Apostolicall men The Doctryne of the Apostles is that Christe is not onelye GOD Eternall with the Father but that hee is Manne also taking fleshe of the blessed Virgine in all thinges like vnto vs sinne only excepted and that in his humanitie hee is nowe ascended into Heauen and sitteth perpetually at the right hand of the father But the Doctrine of the Church of Roome telleth vs that the humanitie of Christ and his very naturall body and blood are really and carnally not in heauen alone but in tenne thousande places also on the earth at one instante the whiche propertye is peculier to God alone For nothing but God can be in moe places but one at once As the whole scriptures declare The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is by God appoynted to be our only Mediatour Reconciler Aduocate and intercessoure to make attonemente betweene God and vs so often as our sinne shall seuer vs from him and that to that end he sitteth now at the right hande of God that he may appeare before him for vs. But the doctrine of the Church of Roome putting Christ out of office teacheth vs that beside Christ we haue an infinit number of Mediatours and Intercessours to procure vs fauoure and to make reconciliation betweene God and vs that is the whole number of the Aungels and Saintes in Heauen The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our only Redeemer and sauyoure and by the price of his blood hath purchased for vs full and perfite remission of sinne But the Doctrine of Roome is that we haue remission of sins not onely by Christe but by the merites and prayers of saynts by our own good workes by Masses by Pardons by Purgatory by holy water a number of other things so that not without note of blasphemye they matche the vayne deuises of men for the remission of our sinnes with the Blood of the sonne of God the most excellente price of our
it must not adde diminish alter or change or otherwise by wrested interpretatioÌ„ draw it to another meaning then the Analogie of our fayth and the conference of one place with another place of it in it self may warrant And therefore it is strangely written of Hossius that if a man haue the Interpretation of the Sea of Roome vppon anye place of the Scriptures though he knowe not nor cannot vnderstande howe it can possibly agree with the wordes of Scripture yet is it sayeth hee the moste certaine worde of GOD. Yea they say that the interpretation of the scripture Varyeth with the practise of the Church so that as that changeth the interpretation of the Scripture chaungeth also Of this Vsurpation of authoritie ouer the worde of GOD and of this discrediting of the scriptures it commeth not onelye that they make in manye places Interpretations repugnant to the Text as when they interprete Datur for Offertur and Facite for Sacrificate But also that the moste parte of their Doctrines are contrarye to the expresse wordes of GOD and the Analogie of oure fayth As by example of a fewe you shall take the measure of the residue As for interpretations when Christ sayth in the matter of the Sacrament This is my body that is say they this is Transubstantiated or hath the substance of it turned into my Body contrary to all writers and the nature of al tongues expounding est the Verbe substantiue is by Transubstantiatur Let them shew eyther any auncient Father yea or anye latine writer that euer did the like and let them take the victorie Agayne where Christ sayth This is my body that is Giuen for you that is say they that is Offered for you So that that which he meÌ„t to be giuen to death vpon the crosse as al good christians vnderstand the place they to mayntayne their Sacrifice of the Masse drawe it to this that Christ then presently in the time of the Ministration offered his body to God the Father in waye of a Sacrifice And so for to mayntayne a deuise of their owne they doe robbe the people of God of that sweete promise and comfortable legacie wherein Christe in his last will assureth them that his body shoulde be giuen to Death for their redemtion In like manner when christ sayth Do this in remembraunce of me that is say they Sacrifice this in my remembraunce Wherein with as great absurditie as before they doe peruerte the meaning of Christ For where his purpose was to giue a warrante to all christian people to vse and celebrate this Sacrament in remembraunce of his death they bring it to bee spoken to Priestes only wringing them vtterly contrary to that exposition of Christes wordes whiche S. Paule maketh 1. Cor 11. saying So often as you eate this bread and drinke this Cuppe you shewe the Lordes death vntill he come Nowe as touching their Doctrines repugnaunte to Gods word you shall â—â—te these few examples in steede of many mo The Scripture teacheth that we haue redemption and iustification by fayth in Christes blood onelye without the helpe of our owne Vertues and good workes For S. Paule saith Therefore we gather that a man is iustified by faith without the deedes of the lawe And to the Ephe. 2. Ye are iustified by grace and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast And yet if wee beleeue not that our workes doe helpe vs to our iustification and remission of sinnes the Churche of Rome will condemne vs as Heretikes The scriptures teach vs that Christ By once offering himselfe on the Crosse made perfect all them that are sanctified For so saith S. Paule to the Hebr. And yet by the Churche of Rome are they horrible heretikes that say there is not daylye sacrifice propitiatorie for our sinnes in their Masse The scriptures teach vs y t Christ is ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the Father and from thence and no place else he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead yet contrarie to this article of our faith and contrarie to the nature of Christes humanitie if wee beleeue not that Christ euen in his fleshe is still in earth with vs yea and that in a. 1000. places at once we must be pronouÌ„ced detestable heretikes The scripture saith in the vse of the Lordes Supper Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this The Churche of Rome saith it is heresie to affirme that y e lay people should drinke of the Lordes Cuppe The scriptures say Thou shalt make thee no grauen image nor thou shalte not bow downe to worship it The Church of Rome saith it is godlye to haue the churche full of Images to kneele downe before them to set vp candels to them and with incense to honour them The scripture saith In the Church it is better to speake fiue wordes vnderstanded to edifie than to speake tenne thousande in a tongue not vnderstanded yet you knowe the churche of Rome hath defined it that it is more fruitfull and godly to haue all the diuine seruice in a straunge and vnknowen tongue Wherefore howe truely they can claime to haue this first marke of Christes churche I doubte not but those consciences that haue the feare of God can easily perceiue As for the sacraments it is not onely sufficient to haue them but to haue those that Christ appoynted and to vse them accordyng to hys institution Saint Ambrose sayth verie notablye Qui aliter presumunt accipere quam Christus instituit deuotus esse non potest i. Hee that presumeth to receaue it he meaneth the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ after another sorte then Christ hath ordained can not be accounted to be truely deuoute But howe they haue altered the Sacraments both in number and in the right vse of them no man almost can bee ignoraunt Where the Scriptures mention but two they haue appointed seuen I will not now stand vpon the number of sacramentes I will speake only of those which both parts agree to be sacraments Baptisme the Lordes Supper First as touching Baptisme we teache not onely as some falsely father vppon vs that it is signum Initiale a Signe wherby we be first consecrated Christians but wee adde also that we by faith and the operation of the holy Ghost doe put on Christ as a garment that is that wee haue him so fastened and appropriated to vs that he is ours and wee his and that he hydeth and couereth our nakednesse according as S. Paule saith As many as are Baptized haue put on Christ We beleeue and teache that Baptisme is to Christians the Fountaine of life whereby our sinnes are washed away So saith S. Peter Baptizetâ—r vnusquisque vestrum in nomine Jesu in remissionem peccatoruÌ„ i. Let euerie one of you
of God vnfruitefull â—â—ggetrees making shewe of Christianitie with the faire greene leaues of hearing Gods worde commyng to the Church vsing of the Sacramentes talking oftentimes of the Scriptures c. But the sound and true fruites of godly conuersation we shew not For if we remaine such vnprofitable trees we shall be cut downe cast into the fire and haue our partes with hypocrites where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth c. The next note of this text is that when God punisheth and plagueth wicked naughtie men for doing contrarie to his will it is not done onely for them vppon whom the particular punishments light but for the example of other also in al ages times These things saith S. Paul are examples for vs c. And afterward All these things came to them as ensamples were written to admonishe vâ— vpon whom the endes of the world are come The better to vnderstande this I will first declare vnto you two pointes the one that all things that come to man coâ—e not by fortune by chaunce or by natural course onely but by y â— certaine prouidence appointment of God secondly for what causes God most commoÌ„ly sendeth such plagues vpoÌ„ men And then will I adde y â— conclusion y â— Christians must make applicatioÌ„ of such examples to themselues and how y â— is to be done As God of his vnestimable goodnes made the world all that therein is for the benefite commoditie of maÌ„ that he might vse all the inferiour creatures to Gods glory so doth the same Lord maker by his almightie power infinite wisedome continue preserue y â— same My father yet still worketh faieth Christ and I worke By him onely we moue liue haue our being as Saint Paul saith as Dauid in sundry Psalmes witâ—esseth wheÌ„ thou hidest thy face they are troubled wheÌ„ thou takest away their breth they die are turned into their dust wheÌ„ thou lettest thy breath go foâ—th they shal be made thou shalt renew the face of the earth That wee call and esteeme nature is nothing but the very â—inger of God working in his creatures much more the alteration of natural courses things done extraordinarily As god made clouds at y â— beginning to water y â— earth so doth he preserue them by his mightie power holdeth them houering in y â— aire y â— they fal not downe immoderatly to drowne y â— earth but shedde theÌ„selues temperatly by drops sweet showers to season y â— same Wherefore wheÌ„ raine falleth excessiuely to hurt y â— earth or hinder mankinde as it did in the time of Noah or wheÌ„ the clouds be cleane dried vp that there is no raine at al as it fell out in y â— time of Achab it is most euident to be y â— worke of God according to his iustice punishing y â— breaking of his law vnthankfulnesse of his people So likewise as God made y â— aire so it is he y â— for lyke causes keepeth it in seasonable maner somtime moist somtime dry somtime weate sometime colde somtime wholesome somtime infectious dauÌ„gerous whervpoÌ„ followeth sicknes death of men murrens of cattle c. In like maner I might speake of y â— earth y â— water y â— Sonne y â— Moone residue of the starres planets In all euerie of which as it is the finger of God that keepeth theÌ„ in their natural order so it is his power y â— doth alter chaunge the same for causes to his wisdome knoweÌ„ bringeth out such effects as be hurtfull rather then beneficiall vnto man Therfore wheÌ„ we see infections sicknesses disseases deathes murraines losse of corn or hay destructioÌ„ of cattle great fluds burnings blastings a noÌ„ber of such like we must looke further then into y â— course of nature vnderstand y â— there is a God an ouerruler of nature y â— doth those things This is not true only in these things y â— appertaine to nature but in those also y â— be done by the will of man or as we say prophanely by chaunce or fortune For in deede there is no chaÌ„ce or fortune And therfore y â— good father Aug. doth renouÌ„ce those heathenish names repeâ—ted that euer he vsed theÌ„ That which we call fortune is nothing but y â— hand of God working by causes for causes that we knowe not ChauÌ„ce or fortune are gods deuised by man made by our ignorance of y â— true almighty euerlasting God Are not two sparrowes solde for a farthing one of them falleth not to the ground without your father yea all the heires of your head are nuÌ„bred feare you not therefore you are more worth then many sparrowes The sense of these words is y â— the prouidence of God erteÌ„deth it selfe to al creatures so y â— there is nothing so base or simple eyther w tout man or w tin him which he neglecteth or is ignorant of Of those things that be without man nothing almost is of lesse value or lesse esteemed than a poore sillie sparrow yet one of them falleth not to the grounde without our heauenly Father Of such things as appertaine to maÌ„ nothing is of lesse price than a heare yet one of theÌ„ perisheth not but by Gods prouidence This doctrine maketh greatly to the aduauncement of the true knowledge of God For it teacheth vs as I haue sayd before not onely that he is y â— maker of heauen earth of all y â— creatures in them contained but also that he doth gouerne and dispose them all preserue them that they may continue so long as to his blessed will shall seeme conuenient The scriptures in sundry places witnesse the same both in the course of his doing in sundrye Histories of Ioseph of Iob of Saule of Dauid and in particuler testimonles of sundrye Godly men and holy Prophets but noue more euidently and zealously than Dauid in many Psalmes but principally in the 104. 107. Vnto which places I referre the Godly hearer for this time would not serue if I sholh but meanely declare vnto you the wholesome instructions and assured comfortes that are to be gathered both by the examples and particular testimonies Christ in the words before recited extendeth the carefull prouidence of God to Sparrowes and to the heares of oure heades to the end no man should thinke or imagine that it is onelye a generall prouidence as many doe in these days which as they dare not deny that the world is gouerned by the wisedome and power of God so they thinke it an absurde thing to teach that God is occupied about all particular Creatures and specially them that be of the meanest sort Therefore they expound chose wordes that Christe vseth here or the scripture in other places to be spoken by Hiperbole that is a manner of
the Pigges of Epicures stie Edamus bibamus c. â— Let vs eate let vs drinke and be merie for to morow we shall die and after death is no pleasure nor paine Marke I pray you howe wisedome vttereth their cogitations and maketh them to speake in this wise Our time is as a shadow that passeth away after our end there is no returning come therefore and let vs enioye the pleasures that are present and let vs fill our selues with costly vvine and ointments and let vs cheerefully vse the dâ—eatures as in youthe and let not the flower of life passe by vs. Let vs all be partakers of our wantonnesse let vs leane some token of our pleasure in euerie place For that is our portion and this is our lot Let us oppresse the poore that is righteous oh let vs not spare the widowe nor reuerence the white heares of the aged Let our streÌ„gth be the law of vnrighteousnes Let vs defraude the righteous and godly for he is not for our profit he is contrary to our doings he checketh vs for offending against the law blameth vs as transgressors of discipline Out of this schoole they came that iest at Preachers be angrie with them for inueighing against the vanities of this life putting them in minde of God and of heauen for they thinke that to bee a bitter saying to their pleasant life For there is none so heathenish but God sometime sendeth to his minde a gnawing corsie remorse of conscience to trouble him Out of this schole came those scorners which S. Peter prophesied shuld rise in the latter dayes liue after their owne lust when they should be taught by Preachers that y â— worlde shoulde haue an ende they be brought before the iudgement seat of God to aunswere for their wickednes would with derision and mocking say Oh where is the promise of the Lordes comming to iudgement and of the end of the world for since the fathers died all things continue a like froÌ„ the beginning of the creation Of the same sort are they that Esay speaketh of When they be tolde that God will punishe plague them not in the world to come but in this world also with some notable examples of hys iustice as he did to Sodom and Gomorra and others c Oh say they in derision Let God make speede let him hasteÌ„ his worke that we may see it and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel drawe neare and come that wee may knowe it Or at least they speake as they doe in Ieremie that denie the Lorde God and say Tushe it is not hee those plagues of sworde and famine shall not come vppon vs It is vaine that the Preachers teache these myseries and plagues shal fall vpon themselues I would to God there were not too many of this sorte in Englande whose like contempteous voyce did ring in many mennes eares beside the great number of them that secretely saye in their heart There is no God and openly shew the same in the whole course of their life For if they beleeued there were a God they would neuer so reprochfully and so obstinately reiect cast aside the word of the eternall and euer liuing God I aske these godlesse Epicures whether they thinke there is a God or no If they will saye Yea why then the same must be a iust God for without iustice there can be no Godhead and if he be a iust god then he must detest hate sinne and accordingly punishe it For it is the part of iustice to giue to euery one that he deserueth reward to the good punishment to the wicked and by this can they not in iustice escape his punishment due to their lewdnesse If they will say with their Maister Epicure that there is a God but he regardeth not the affaires of the world the doings of meÌ„ that must then be either because he cannot or because he will not By the one he sheweth himselfe an impotent God and therefore no God by the other a negligent or a malicious God and for that also no God For such passions and imperfections can not lyght into the nature of a Deitie or Godhead If they will flatly thinke or saye There is no God I must speake vnto them as S. Paule doth to lyke heathenish harts mindes and I must will them to open their blinde eyes and behold the goodly beautifull and maruailous frame and workemanship of the world the Suâ—â—e the Moone the Starres the Planets the goodly order the constant course y â— wonderfull effectes the notable varietie of times and seasons to the benefite of mans life I must byd them looke into the ayre and consider what it is that holdeth vp that huge heape of Cloudes houering without any proppe or staye and in conuenient time so sweetely sheeding downe themselues to moist season the earth which if they should fall downe at once woulde ouerwhelme and drowne the whole earth I must further wyst theÌ„ to consider y t since the naturall place of water is to be aboue the earth as verye reason and their owne heathenish Philosophers teache who or what it is that holdeth the Sea within a banke of sande that it doth not breake ouer to surrounde the earth and occupie his owne place Or what it is that causeh the dead and dirtie earth to bring for the so beautifull flowers so faire greene grasse so exceedyng varietie of Beastes Hearbes Trees Fruites Metalls and all other things either breeding in the bowells of the earth or shewing themselues vppon the vtter face thereof Who it is that created them or gaue them a beginning that preserueth and continueth them in their kindes that maketh them at some seasons of the yeere to die at another to spring and growe againe Thou wilt say happily all these things be by a certaine course of nature and the ordinarie effectes thereof Why and what is that which thou callest nature Is she a goddesse or is she a Creature Hath she a beginning of hir selfe or hath she hir beginning of an other Seneca an Heathen Philosopher could say Nature is nothing but God working in these thinges that wee call naturall But if thou be worthy the name of a man looke into thine owne body which is called Microcosmos A little world because of marueilous workemanship thereof weigh how it commeth to passe that in thy mothers womb two or three droppes of licour shoulde frame it selfe to skinne to fleshe to bones to sinewes â—o veines to arteties to the principall partes of thy liuing body the braine the harte the stomacke the lyuer the splene the guttes and others howe the spirites bee ingendred in the braine the hart the lyuer which bee the instrumentes whereby thy soule worketh life and mouing â—â—rishing increasing and growing sense will and vnderstanding Consider the other outward partes of thy body and