yet a lawfull succession remayned as it was done against the Donatistes or againste them whiche brought forth new bookes of our religion as were in the beginning almost an infinite nūber as [a] I suppose that he speketh here of Simō Magus mentioned in Act. 8. of whom many thinges are writtē in the old writers specially he affirmed that Christe was not come neither suffered any thing of the Iewes but that he himself was Christ Simon [b] He amongst other things taught that Christ the sonne of God tooke not mans flesh of the virgin but that he had a spirituall or heauēly body which passed thorow the virgin Marie as water thorovv a pipe or Conduit He vvas about the yeere 150. Valentine [c] He affirmed that Christ appeared not in the substance of flesh but in a phantasticall body that one Simon vvas crucified in his steede about the yeare 124. Basilides [d] He taught that Christe vvas not very man and that he ascended into heauen vvithout his flesh and first made lavves for abstinence from meates and marriages hee vvas in the yeare 180. Montane to conclude the whole troup of most shamelesse men After this sort the Fathers of right iudgement gathered and reserued against these Such as pretended to be inspired vvith reuelations The Messalian heretiques vvere so called who affirmed that baptisme and the Lords supper did neither profit nor hurt but that those whiche gaue themselues to prayer onely or sleeping should be inspired vvith the spirite vvhich being once receyued aftervvards they had no need of the word or any other exercise of godlines but that he that vvas so inspired vvas altogether vvithout sinne and did foresee thinges to come and did sometimes behold God with their eies Enthusiasts saying If your doctrine be true eyther there hath not beene euer yet anye churche or the doctrine which you alleage is old and ancient But that both these thinges are false appeareth by that both because the apostles haue gathered together the churche of Christe and you teach your doctrines as taken not out of the writings of the Apostles but as newely reuealed vnto you by the holy ghost And agayne sayd the fathers both these things appeare by that that we count the beginnings of our churches by ascending vpward euen to the Apostles themselues but you could not haue receiued from the Apostles your thinges which ye first deuised Here remained one thing which the moste subtile of those moste fantasticall persons obiected to wit that all things were not reuealed to the apostles and therfore that men ought to beleeue their reuelations also But Tertulian whom I maruail could afterward be deceiued which Montanus holy ghoste most plentifully and strongly confuteth this prescription shewing that the Lord hath neither kept backe any thing from the apostles the chiefe builders of his church nor agayn that the apostles haue concealed any of those things which they had receiued of Christe After this sort I say the fathers vsed the argument of the succession of persons agaynste those heretiques altogether by demonstration as it were But they vsed it not in like sorte against the [a] So called of Paulus Samosatenus vvho denied the sonne of God to haue descended from heauén but that Christ did proceed from Marie in the earth hee was about the yeare 372. Samosatans [b] So called of one Sabellius who taught that there was but onely one person in the godhead confessed that the trinity was distincted in respect of names only not in respecte of persons He was about the yeare 320. Sabellians [c] So called of one Arrius who affirmed that the Son was not truly naturally God neither coeternall with the father but to haue had a beginning to be made of nothing he was about the yere 320 Arrians [d] So called of one Pellagius who held free will and that euery man might obtayne saluation by his owne workes that infants were borne vvithout originall sin and that Adam hurt himselfe onely by his fall He vvas about the yeare 466. Pelagians to be short againste anye with whome the questyon was not of the very bookes but of the meaning because this had beene verie foolishe Briefly therfore I answere these two thinges that the auncient Fathers whose authoritie these men shameleslie abuse haue neither at any time seperated the succession of their bishops from the succession of the Apostolical doctrine nor haue set this succession against any other heretiques but against those of whom some new reuelation was pretended As at this day of the [a] They mayntaine amongest other errors reuelations and take avvay the baptisme of infants Anabaptistes [b] They casting a side all feare of God vvhat so euer hold that men may lyue as they list Libertines [c] So called of one Casper Svvingfeldius vvho held the same matters that the Anabaptistes do Swingfeldians And therefore for as muche as now the controuersie is betwixt the Romanistes and vs for two thinges onely to wit for the interpretation of the Scripture and whether the wrytinges of the Prophetes and Apostles doe most fully contayne what so euer we ought to beleeue it is prooued that they in the first point impudently abuse the example of the fathers in alleadging against vs the argument of succession and in the other is ministred vnto vs a sure weapon to confute them And that this succession also was alleadged against the Donatistes as Schismatickes this nothing toucheth vs whom these men account not properly for Scismatickes but for heretiques of which thing notwithstanding we will say some thing in his proper place a That the false church of Rome is not onely not propped vp by the argument deriued frō the personal succession of the apostles but also ouerthrown although the questiō be not of the doctrine But go to let vs gratify them a litle and which thing may be done without any preiudice of the trueth Let vs graunt vnto these men how much force soeuer they can imagine of that their personall succession What shall this I besech you help their cause b That there vvas neuer any Apostolicall vniuersall ministeriall head and therefore that his succession is not Apostolicall For that we may begin at the highest step of their Hierarchie or priestlike gouernement as they call it that is at that vniuersall mynisteriall head vnto whome they afterwarde appropriated the name of Pope which before was common to all Bishoppes they shal as easely finde the Diuell him selfe in the kingdome of God as any such head either in the bookes of the◠newe Testament or in the auncient church For verie children know this how false folish and absurd arguments they be whatsoeuer they bring out of the scriptures to proue the same And as concerning the history of that auncient purer church that is to say in this behalfe verelie euen to the tymes of that manslaier Phocas they shall finde
vvorlde in these our daies for true knovvledg and vnfayned godlines vvhatsoeuer the papists doe lyingly and slanderously babble to the contrarie And as touching the matter it is that vvhich ought to be of greatest accompt amongest men and vvhich euen in respect of the bare name and title of it is verie glorious and excellent much more in respect of the substance thereof it selfe And for the manner of handling the things propounded it is short for auoiding of tediosnes it is plaine euen for the capacitie of the simple it is sound in respect of the truthe it propoundeth And it is sufficient not onely to instruct God his childrē but also to stop vp the aduersaries mouths in this matter and vvhat then vvanteth or vvhat can be more acceptable profitable vvherefore I doubt not but it shall haue good entertainment as amongest all the godly generally so particulerly of your vvorship vvho I knovv doth hartely loue the Church and carefully like and tender the causes therof vvhich also hath beene the principall matter mouing me to vndertake this trauaile and to dedicate the same vvhatsoeuer it be vnto your vvorshippe vvhome for sundry good graces that God hath bestovved vpon you I do vnfaynedly loue and reuerence in Christe Humbly praying and earnestly exhorting you according to your measure of light and knovvledge receiued from the Lorde to enforce your selfe to the vttermost of your habilitie euery maner of vvay to the preferring and promoting of these excellent matters and namely those that concerne the reformation of such corruptions as yet remaine amongest vs either touching the ministerie or the discipline of the Church for to this ende hath God endued you vvith all the graces that you haue presently receiued or may hereafter thorovv his goodnesse attaine vnto eyther of vvit vvealth learning credit countenance byrth office honor or vvhatsoeuer els vvherevnto I vvill thorovv God his grace not onely styrre you vp by all the holy and lavvfull meanes I can but also further you in my poore prayers to almighty God in that behalfe that you may daily encrease and continue in the sounde knovvledge of his truth in the stedfast faith of his promises in the sincere zeale of his glorie in vnfained loue of his holy vvord and the exercises thereof and in care and conscience to put in practise those good thinges that are enioyned you therein that your vvhole life maye tende to the glory of God the good of the Church and common vvealth and the faithfull seruice of her maiestie and your death be comfortable to your selfe as beeing the speedy passage to eternall life and profitable vnto others vvhile they be by your example instructed both to liue and die vvell vvhich God graunt for his crucified Christ his sake To vvhose gracious gouernement and good direction I doe humbly commend your vvorship and all yours both novv and for euer London the 16. of this Nouember 1582. Your worships alwaies ready in Christ Jesus T. W. the Lorde his vnworthy A TREATISE OF THE TRVE AND visible Notes of the Catholique Church MEN demaunde at this daie concerning the markes and authority of the church the question beeyng raysed by those who when they see their erroures to bee refelled by the worde of God obiecte vnto men that are vnskilfull of these matters the sacred name of the Church and by heaping vp the disputations of auncient fathers against Heretiques they bring vs into hatred as though we had corrupted both the bookes of Gods worde and also as though by violating all authority of the church we had after the example of the [a] They were so called of one Donatus who baptized such as imbraced his opinions though they were baptized before and made a schisme in the Church about the yeere 334. Donatistes set vp altar against altar to be short as though because wee haue shaken of the yoke of Babilon we had forsaken the Church without the which notwithstanding euen as we our selues confesse there is no saluation And neither doth this subtle kinde of reasoning dryue away the vnskilfull onely from the knowledge of the truth but also causeth some euen amongest them which séemed most stedfast to wauer Furthermore by this occasion very many take counsell betwéene both sides and as in opinions they indeuour to mingle light with darknesse so also in discerning of the true Church they labour to mingle the bastardly or false marks with the true and proper marks therof But except men would willingly be deceiued the deceit of these men might be very easely perceiued and auoyded Men must first define the Church before they enquire any thing of the authoritye thereof For first men should demaund what that Church should be before they determine of the boundes of hir authoritie which order they that doe not follow commit truely that grosse error and worthy of stripes which they call [a] That is the begging or taking of that as granted which is in cōtrouersie Petitio principij Go to then let vs sée what these men meane by the Catholique Church These men holde what so euer they dissemble that the Church in which we ought to abide That the Catholique Church is not rightly called euery congregation in which is a succession of Bishops if we will be saued is an assemblie of Bishops whose calling and names may bee fet from the Apostles them selues We say that this succession which is meerely personall neyther is the Church neither any whit at all pertayneth vnto those that alleadge the same That it is not the church may appear euen vnto very children first by this The order of Bishops is not the church that vnder the name of the church properly taken it is certain that not only the Pastors but also the flocks are comprehended Now it is altogether ridiculous to define a part as the whole it selfe because by that meanes the whole and the parte shoulde be one and the selfe same thing They reply The consent of a byshop and of a flock is not alwayes a note of a true church that they vnderstand together with the Pastors the very flocks them selues cleauing vnto them But this thing is also ridiculous séeing that both hereticall and backesliding Pastors may succeed Pastors of sound iudgement and hereticall flockes true sheepe and some times in deed the Pastors are hereticall and the sheep true contrary wise true pastors may haue hereticall sheepe When that thing falleth out to wit that both the Pastors and the flockes are heretticall the very aduersaries them selues dare not deny but that such a whole Church although it haue had auncestors in deed Apostolicall both the Pastors and the flocks do agree amongst themselues in falling away is yet notwithstanding altogeather a false Churche vnlesse they will take these speeches to wit to be hereticall and vniuersal for one and the selfe same thing But in the latter case at least wise in one part there is found
part which the same Apostle speaketh to wit That the Church is builded vppon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles And that which he witnesseth of the holy scriptures 2. Timot. 3.16.17 Moreouer that shall be false to which the same Apostle saith That the Churche is the piller of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Vnlesse all truth beeing ingrauen in that piller should be manifest Other some more shamelesse suppose there is left vnto these men whom they call the successours of the Apostles I know not what excellent thing and that they doe affirme so assuredly that they hold they can not be deceiued in that matter whose opinion I suppose néedeth not at this time amongst men of sound iudgement any confutation But in the ouerthrow of these two latter and especially of the last point I perceiue that all these men VVhat we ought to think of the vnwritten word are altogether of one opinion against vs. For they vrge I knowe not what vnwritten worde which they call Apostolicall traditions And verely I do not vnwillinglie graunt vnto them that all thinges were not seuerally put downe in wryting according to the circumstances of times place and persons which were obserued either by the Apostles or by their consent in the very forme and order of the seruice of God But who wil graunt that we must thinke the same of the decrees of the verie doctrine it selfe Finally when the aduersaries are bidden to bring forth what these pointes be then that lying spirit bewraieth himselfe because those thinges which they will haue deliuered from hand to hand could neither by word nor writinges haue bene deliuered by the Apostles but they should dissent from themselues But euen al the fathers of sound iudgement haue iudged farre other wise of the most excellent and moste sound perfection of the holy scriptures with whose testimonies being a thousand times alleadged I thought it not good now to fill these leaues There remayneth the question to be handled The interpretation of the vvritten vvord is not else vvhere to be fet then from the vvorde it selfe to wit by comparing of the places one vvith another and out of the analogie or proportion of the articles of our fayth touching the interpretation of the scripture Which truely is so tossed to and fro by these men that they cannot eschew the sinne of blasphemie There be I confesse some places of the scripture partly through the ignorance of tongs partly also throgh other faults of our owne so dark vnto vs euen vntil this day that as yet euen the most learned interpreters and such as be of best cōscience cannot thoroughly agrée what should be the proper natural meaning thereof There be some thinges also in the holy scriptures so profoundly spoken that euery one maye not lawfullye procéede so farre To be short there be some things also written in such terms that as Augustin saith it shold appeare the holy ghost would whet our diligence in the serching and meditating of them And vnlesse the necessarie points of doctrine and Christian religion were so playnely and clearly to be short so familiarly declared in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles that they may be the holy ghost being presēt amongst them whereby God lightneth all his sayntes manifestly vnderstoode in the Church to what end shoulde the Lorde haue sent his hearers to the scriptures Yea that more is to what ende haue both the Prophets and Christe himselfe also and the Apostles spoken if they would not haue these thinges to be vnderstood which all ought to know I will speake something more boldly which yet I hope I can proue VVe cannot by naturall vnderstanding knovv vvhat the pointes of Christian religion are but by the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles That we may consent vnto the points of Christian religion as vnto true groundes and muche more that wee may applye them vnto our selues it behooueth surely that wee shoulde haue our eares elsewhere opened a fleshly bea rt giuen vs to be short that we should elsewhere be taught tban of flesh and blood because the church is the congregation of them that must be taught of God to whome the arme of the Lord is reuealed Esai 53.1 and that men may vnderstand what the Prophetes and Apostles haue briefly thought and taught concerning euery article of our religion they haue neede not onely of a wit in some measure sharpened but also of the knowledge of tongues and of careful and diligent reading For it is one manner of thing to vnderstande what this or that man sayth then so to vnderstand the things which thou doest perceiue that thou also approue of them Comprehension knowledge and full perswasiō must be distinguished in the holy scriptures of which that to wit comprehension is naturall the other is in deede spiritual but also commō to many reprobates The third is proper to the children of God and not onely that thou vnderstand what the thing is but also wherefore it is and comprehension is another thing than knowledge euen in prophane matters and agayne in matter of diuinity this knowledge is another thing than full perswasion therefore comprehension belongeth vnto all men that are endued with some iudgement and vnto knowledge there is required also an outwarde lightning of Gods spirite by reason of the blindenes of mans iudgment which gift notwithstanding is common as well to many euil as to many good men But ful perswasion doth seperate the chosen children of God from the castawayes and is the proper riches of the Saintes Therefore we require In what points we doe at this day dissent when the question is demaunded touching the interpretation of Gods word the exposition of the worde of God not onely as profitable but also as necessary yet not for the same cause as these mē thinke neither yet wil wee fet it from the place frō whome these men suppose we wil take it for they think that that worde is so darkly deliuered that as thogh it were some darke thing it should neede light fetcht elsewhere then from it selfe and when we demand of them from whence at the length this light should be fet thē they lay vnto vs the vizard or bare shewe of the Catholique Church vnder which name somtimes they lay before the ignorant these or those of the Fathers sometimes the fragments of particular or general counsels to bee short they lay before them very often long custom for an argument that cannot bee refused to which thinges if a man doe not forthwith consent he is now layde open to the slaughter of the outragious people no knowledge of his cause beeing had before as thogh he were guilty of some haynous crime committed against God or man wheras in times past he was condemned to bee burned vnder some certaine colour of law And in deede this is now their zeale But we that we may in one word declare all thinges which belong to this