sinne to eate flesh that wine was the gall of the Prince of darkenesse that mariage was an euill thing and a meane to bring in captiuitie a parte of the substance of the good God namely the soule within the bands of the substance of the prince of darkenesse that is within the body hath the Spirit of God I say foretolde nothing of these vile heresies in this prediction I answere That the Spirit hath both foretolde the hypocrisie of some and the open blasphemie of others And this is insinuated in these wordes For eue◅y creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be receiued with tha◅kesgiuing Truely in these words the Apostle would turne our harts both from blaspheming Manicheis and from hypocrite Papists The Manicheis say that it is neuer lawfull to eate flesh and that the doing of it aduanceth the kingdome of the prince of darknesse The Papists againe say that the eating of flesh on Eryday is a grieuous sinne but what saith the Apostle guided by the Spirit Euery creature is good and nothing to be refused so that both the Manicheis speake blasphemously and the Papistes hypocritically both willing to abridge Christian libertie the Manicheis by their opinion the Papistes both by their opinion and authoritie The Manicheis will needes haue some creatures of God vncleane at all times the Papists wil needes haue men polluted by eating of flesh at sometimes both these opinions are cut off in this word Euery creature of God is good Marke that in this diuersitie of opinions of Manicheis and Papists both of them shoot at one marke to wit that Christ Iesus shall not be the onely Lawgiuer in his Church but something shall be abridged of that libertie that Christ hath giuen to his Church Now the aiming and shooting at one marke is more forcible to proue the vnitie of Manicheis and Papistes then the diuersitie of opinions whereby either of them laboureth to attaine to their intended purpose can proue their diuersitie and therefore let the reader the lesse offend with this fellowship of Manicheis and Papists These two diuerse opinions shooting at one marke as said is are both to bee damned but chiefly that opinion that with greatest subtiltie and craft would thrust God out of his chaire and spoile him of his glory not to bee counted the only Lawgiuer in his Church And I do confidently compare Manicheis and Papistes as AVGVSTINE compare◅h APOLLO and HECATE lib. 19. de civit Det cap. 23. disapproouing both of them because both shot at one marke to hinder people from Christianitie but HECATE more then APOLLO because in praising of Christ as a just man whom APOLLO dispraised as an vnrighteous man justly cōdemned to death by the Iewes yet she called him onely a man not God hindering people after a more subtle maner from adhering to Christianitie then APOLLO did And truly the Manich is by damning flesh at all times as a creature in it selfe vncleane did not so great hurt to the Kingdome of God as the Papists who grant that both flesh and wine are the good creatures of God and yet they dare be bold to set out lawes commanding men vnder the paine of cursing and condemnation that they taste not flesh at some times If these times were times of a publicke calamitie whereinto God by a secret voyce latent in the trouble did cali vs to fasting mourning abstinence frō fish flesh wine Isa. 22. ver 13. then no new or vncouth yocke should be presented 10 mens consciences but Christs owne yocke which we are commanded to beare Mat. 11-but to appoint certaine daies of fasting and abstinence from this meate and not from anothe◅ meace is a noueltie vnder the Gospell and not the yocke of Christ but of the Antichrist Whereas mention is made of thankesgiuing the Apostle will not haue vs to set our hearts vpon the creature vpon the gift but vpon the Creator the giuer Whatsoeuer delite we haue in the creature there is infinitly greater delite in the face of the reconciled Creator and therefore lift vp our harts let our tongues be loosed to praise his blessed name from whose hands we haue receiued the vse of his creatures This if wee doe we haue both the gift the giuer and the presence of the giuer shall not onely sanctifie the gift to our vse but also shall turne our water into wine Iohn 2. when as by the contrarie if wee deuoure and glut vp the benefites of God without thanksgiuing we haue the gift without the fauour of the giuer eating of Gods creatures as the carnall I◅wes eated Quailes in the wildernesse Numb 11. ver 33. and the wrath of God was kindled against them and assuredly those who haue the gift without the giuer some day their wine shall be turned into water But there is not great controuersie in this point and therefore I passe it ouer in fewer words In end the Apostle leadeth vs vnto a sure ground that may quiet our consciences so that we shall not be troubled with the commandements of men for bidding vs to eat of meats which God hath created for our vse namely this thatGod hath sanctified his creatures to vs by his word Gen. 9. ver 3. And incase we joyne with this sanctification of them prayers proceeding from faith that we also may be sanctified receiueGods creatures with a good conscience there is not great peril whether we eat this or that meat moderatly Here marke that the Apost in the very matter of meat drinke corruptible food will haue vs to depend vponGods word to think that we haue not liberty to put one morsel of meat in our mouthes but so farre as God giueth vs allowance in his word how much more in matters pertaining vnto eternall life we are to depend absolutely vpon the vndoubted assurance of Gods written worde In all this discourse it may seeme that we loose the raines to licentious liuing to eating drinking marying and liuing wantonly as the original worlde did when they were drouned with waters but it is not so indeed Only in maters of religion we would haue the yocke of the cōmandements of men taken off mens cōsciences to the end that the yock of Gods commandements only may ly vpon the conscience according as Christ speaketh Take vp my yock vpon you Mat. 11. ver 29. Yea in the very mater of meats mariage there is a time wherinto God calleth vs to mourning lamentation baldnesse and sackcloth Isa. 22. ver 12. and to abstinence from eating of flesh and drinking of wine Yea the very bridegrome must come out of his chalmer fast and lay aside his costly apparell to the end hee may mourne with the humbled societie of Gods people loel 2. ver 16. And this commeth to passe whensoeuer the heauie hande of God is laide vpon a familie vpon a towne or vpon a countrie in the
25. Therfore on this sure rocke and holy mountaine let vs repose with assured confidence of faith Now I come to the wordes of the Apostle PETER a faithfull interpreter of the words of the Prophet ISAIAH Hâ—…e calleth Christ A liuing stone refused of men but chosen of God and precious 1. Pet. 2. ver 4. Hee is a liuing foundation not so much in respect of our naturall life where of also he is the author For in him We liue we mooue and we haue our beeing Acts 17. ver 28 as in respect of our spirituall life where of also he is the author and where of the Euangelist IOHN speaketh In him was life and the life was the light of the world Ioh. 1 ver 4 Christ is the authour of that life that consisteth in the true knowledge of God And this is life euerlasting that they know thee and whome thou hast sent Jesus Christ Ioh. 17. ver 3. What is the life of a man without the true knowledge of God reconciled to him in Christ but spirituall deadnes yea deadnesse more miserable then the deadnesse of dogges killed in their mothers belly miserable for this that they neuer sawe the light and more miserable because the light neuer saw them And these who haue not seene by the eyes of faith God reconciled to them in Christ they are double miserable neither haue they seene the true light neither hath the true light euer looked vpon them but in anger and wrath This liuing foundation saith the Apostle was disallowed of men but chosen of God and precious But I pray you wherefore did men disallow him Because hee appeared in the similitude of a servant because he was like vnto a root in a dry ground because he was a man ful of sorowes had experience of infirmities because hee was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities and because of his chastisments and his stripes Ifa 53. So miserably is our corrupt nature disposed that not onely we erre anent persons despising them whome we ought to reuerence but in despising them for the selfe-same cause for the which they should most reuerently be regarded Christ is to be regarded of vs for many causes chiefly for this that hee humbled himselfe to the end he might exalt vs and hee was content to be wounded to the end we might be cured by his stripes Ifa 53. In the next wordes the A postle admonisheth vs that all the attempts of men against the souerainitie of Christ are foolish and vaine because he euer is and shall be the very elect and precious stone whereupon the house of God is builded The gainsayings of men against Christ are liâ—…e vnto the tempests of winde that are mooued in the aire whereby men and beastes and trees and ships are mightily troubled and shaken but the sunne moone and stars are so highly eleuate aboue the aire and the region of the winds that they cannot perturbe nor trouble those câ—…stiall creatures Euen so the contempt of men done against Christe cannot impaire one jote of his most excellent honour He is chosen of God and a precious and a worthie foundation albeit all the whole world should grind their teeth and speake in the contrarie To this foundation so viuely described both by the Prophet Isa. 28. and by the Apostle PETER 1. Pet. 2. wee are exhorted to draw neere to wit by faith For like as infidelitie separateth the heart from Christ euen so faith coupleth the heart to Christ. The Apostle saith Take heede lest at any time there bee in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe that departetâ—… from the liuing God Heb. 3. ver 12. An vnbeleeuing heart departeth further from the Lord then the East is distant from the West For the vnbeleeuing heart in doubting of the veritie of the promises of Christ would make Christ no Christ. If he who promiseth to saue vs do not saue vs then is hee no Sauiour indeede but in worde onely But the faithfull and beleeuing heart draweth neere to Christ toucheth the hemme of his garment draweth vertue out of him yea Hee that 〈◊〉 hath receiued the testimonie of God and sealed up that God is true Ioh. 3. ver 33. Of all hand-writes the hand write of the heart is the principall God deliteth to Write his couenant in our hearts Ier. 31 ver 33. Euen so in like maner God deliteth to haue his Couenant sealed and subscribed with our heart blood which no man can do but he that beleeueth in Christ. To conclude this shorte treatise after that the ground of the house of God is so clearely knowne by the very demonstration of the finger of God to them who will not beleeue that may justly be said which Christ spak to the vnbeleuing Iewes Doe not thinke that I will accuse you to my Father there is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whome yee trust For had yee belecued Moses yee would haue beleeued meeâ—… for he Wrote of me Iohn 5. ver 45. 46. The like I say to the Papistes in our dayes they shall not want an accuser for the Apostle PETER shall be their accuser who sending vs from himselfe to Christ the elect and precious sure foundation of the Church conuicteth all those who adhering to the person of the seruant misregardeth the honor due to the Soueraigne Lord Master The Lord worke true faith in vs that we cleauing fast to Christ haue neuer need to be ashamed Amen CENTVRIE II Chap. 1. Traianus TRAIAN the adoptiue sonne of NERVA was the first stranger who obtained that honour to be king of the Romaines Hee reigned 19. yeeres 6. months Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 4. cap. 3. A man so exceeding wel beloued of the Senat people of Rome that after his dayes whensoeuer a new Emperour was elected they wished vnto him the good successe of AVGVSTVS and the vprightnesse of TRAIANVS Notwithstanding of this he was a cruell persecuter of Christians And this third persecution is justly counted greater then the two preceeding persecutions To other afflictions now is added contempt and shame It was no great dishonour to be hated of NERO and DOMITIAN wicked men and haters of righteousnesse but to bee hated and persecuted by TRAIAN a man counted a patterne of vpright dealing this was a great rebuke Notwithstanding Christians looked to Iesus the Author and finisher of their faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hande of the throne of God Heb. 12. ver 2. Many haue more patiently endured paine in their flesh then shame and contempt in the world but Christs true disciples must resolue to be a gazing stock to al the world to be countedthe off-scourings of the earth as the holy meÌ„ ofGod did in the daies of the Emperour TRAIAN These were citizens of heauen liuing in earthly tabernacles liuing vpoÌ„ the earth but not
his Godheade was approoued by the Senate of Rome Euseb. eccles hist lib 2. cap. 2. The words of the Apostle PAVL had performance in the Romaine Senat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse when they professed themselues to bee wise they became fooles Rom. 1. ver 21. 22. The verie smoke that riseth from the fornace seemeth to be somewhat at the first but when it mounteth vp into the aire the hier it ascendeth the more it scattereth the sudden disparition of it declareth it is but a vaine thing Such was the wisedome of the Romaine Senate when they mounted vp so hie as to judge of diuine things far surpassing the reach of the naturall vnderstanding of man they proued starke fooles and people destitut of true vnderstanding and PILAT himselfe ouerladen with many heauie calamities in the dayes of CAIVS put handes into himselfe and so ended his wretched life Euseb. lib 2. cap. 7. Caius Caligula CAIVS CALIGVLA successour to TIBERIVS reigned three yeeres and nine months Euseb. lib 2. cap. 8. He was a proud tyrant enemie to all righteousnesse the verie childe of the deuill I insist only vpon Church matters Hee was an hatefull enemie to the Iewes dwelling at Ierusalem and at Alexandria For one and the selfe-same cause were they both despised and hated of CAIVS because they would not giue vnto him diuine honours by building Temples and altars and offering sacrifice to new IVPITER CAIVS and swearing by his name First concerning Ierusalem he had sent PETRONIVS to be Deputie in Judea with commandement to dedicat the Temple of Jerusalem to IVPITER CAIVS and to set vp his image in the Temple Euseb eccles hist. lib. 2. cap. 6. Ioseph antiq lib. 18. cap. 11. The Iewes were more willing to die then to see the Temple of their God polluted PETRONIVS aduertised the Emperour of the grevance of the Iewes but before his letters came into the hands of CAIVS somewhat interueened that both disappointed the purpose of CAIVS and also incensed his heart with furie and rage against his Deputie PETRONIVS At that time HEROD AGRIPPA was at Rome whome afterward the Angell of God smote at Casarea so that he was consumed with wormes Acts 12. he was exceedingly beloued of CAIVS because in the daies of TIBERIVS he had bene cast in prison and bound with bands for the loue he caried to CAIVS in so farre that CAIVS inuited AGRIPPA vpon a certaine time to a banquet and bade him aske what he pleased and it should be granted AGRIPPAES petition was this that CAIVS would suffer the nation of the Iewes to liue according to their own law CAIVS was moued somewhat with this vnexspected petition yet partly for his excessiue loue toward AGRIPPA also lest he should seeme to them which sate at table to be a promise-breaker the petition is granted But the venome of his indignation against the Iewes he poured out against PETRONIVS because that by lingring in executing his commandement occasion was offered to AGRIPPA to present this foresaide petition The letter of CAIVS sent to his Deputie was cruel and bloodie the like whereof was seldome heard because hee fulfilled not the Emperours desire hee is commaunded to giue out a sentence of death against his owne life and to be both judge burrio to himselfe Ioseph antiq lib. 18 cap. 11 Such mercie was in this new IVPITER CAIVS Before I writ anything of his crueltie against the Iewes that dwelt in Alexandria it is a meete place to admonish the reader of the hypocrisie counterfaitholines of HEROD AGRIPPA who seemed both in the dayes of CAIVS and also in the dayes of the Emperour CLAVDIVS to be a paterne of godlinesse preferring at the banquet of CAIVS the libertie of the people of God the inviolable obseruation of the law of God to all the riches that the liberalitie of an affectioned Emperour could be able to afford In CLAVDIVS dayes he sailed from Italie to Judea he acknowledged God to be the author of his deliuerance from prison bands offered a chaine of gold to be hung vp in the Tēple of Ierusalē in testimonie that he receiued that benefit with a thankfull minde out of Lords hands Ioseph antiq lib 19. cap. 5. In outward things he was a builder of the wals of Ierusalem vntill the emulous enuy of MARSVS or enuyous emulation the hinderer of all good workes compelled him to desist to leaue the worke imperfited Ioseph antiq lib. 19. cap 7. For all this outward shew of holines the lessons of CAIVS whom he loued beyond all things neuer left him till his last breath CAIVS desired to be counted a god so did AGRIPPA in Caesarea delite when his oration was called the voyce of God not of man Acts 12. CAIVS persecuted the Iewes without a cause so did HEROD AGRIPPA the Christians Acts 12. CAIVS the higher hee aduanced himselfe the greater was his fall the like also happened to AGRIPPA So pernicious a thing is vngodly companie burning their associats with their fire or els blecking them with their smoke and hurtfull euery maner of way In the towne of Alexandria the Grecians contended against the Iewes both parties sent ambassadours to Rome the Grecians sent APPION the Iewes sent PHILO a very prudent and learned man APPiON with flattering words insinuated himselfe in the fauour of the Emperour CAIVS and accused the Iewes that they neither builded temples nor offered sacrifices to the honour of CAIVS as the Grecians did PHILO was readie to answere but CAIVS ruled with affection rather then with reason caused PHILO to be thrust out of his palace and would not hearken vnto him Ioseph antiq lib. 18. cap. 10. Euseb. lib. 2. ecles hist. cap 5. In these two mirrours we may see the cruell disposition of this Emperour whose dependers were persecuters of Christians like as hee himselfe was a persecuter of the Iewes If any good turne fell into his hand it was rather by accident then of purpose to glorifie God or to punish sinne hee banished HEROD ANTIPAS who beheaded IOHN the Baptist and his wife HERODIAS that incestuous harlot who ended their lifes in penuritie and miserie in Lyons of France Euseb. eccles hist. lib. 2. cap 4. But all this was done for fauour of AGRIPPA Ioseph antiq lib. 18. cap 9. but not for detestation of murther and incest In ende CAIVS was slaine by his owne seruants CHEREAS and LVPVS whom the Emperour CLAVDIVS afterward punished vnto the death Ioseph antiq lib. 19 cap. 3. This new IVPITER I count him to haue bene in worse case then old IVPITER the sonne of SATVRN albeit both of them died yet the one after his death was counted a god but the other after his death was counted a deuill Claudius CLAVDIVS reigned thirteene yeeres eight months Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 19. Hee ratified the gift of the kingdome
vnto him In Scripture we reade of many great vials of the wrath of God powred downe vpon vnrighteous men but these are greatest that resemble by most viue representation the great condemnation of the wicked at the last daye such as the flood of NOE the ouerthrow of Sodom and destruction of Ierusalem The flood of NOE was vniuersall and sudden so shall be the condemnation of vngodly men at the last day Mat. 24 37. 38. 39. The ouerthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha was a destruction vnsupportable and the more meete to be an example of the vengeance of eternall fire epist. Iud. ver 7. The destruction of Ierusalē the forerunning tokens therof are so mixed with the tokens preceeding the condemnation of the great day that it may be clearly perceiued that God hath appointed the one to be a type and figure of the other Mat 24. So ost as wee call to remembrance the flood of NOE the ouerthrowe of Sodom and the destruction of Ierusalem let vs feare and stand in awe to fall into the condemnation of vngodly men because all the terrors of these judgements concurre and are massed together in the judgemēt of the last day What are the deep Weeles of water what are the shoures of fire and brimstone what is famine pest and sworde both intestine and forraine in comparison of that worme that neuer dieth and that fire that shall neuer be quenched the blacknesle of darknesse with weeping and gnashing of teeth c. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Concerning the number ofthem that were slaine in Galile Trachonitis Samaria Iudea chiefly in the Metropolitane towne Ierusalem ouer and beside those that were sold to be siaues and those that were deuoured by wild beastes in the triumph of FLA. and TITVS at Rome reade Ioseph d◅ bello Iud. lib. 6 cap. 45. Titus AFter FLAVIVS reigned TITVS VESPASIAN his sonne two yeeres two months twentie dayes Bucolc index Chron. The nation of the Iewes being nowe subdued there was great peace in all parts of the Romaine dominions both by sea and land and the temple of IANUS in Rome was closed and locked vp againe Bucolc Domitian FLAVIVS DOMITI AN was associat to his brother TITVS in gouernement during his lifetime and after his death was his successor hee reigned 15. yeeres Chytr chron He was proud like NERO persecuted innocēt Christians as he did so prone bent is our corrupt nature to sin to follow euill examples Now againe the Church of Christ militant vpon the earth must learne obedicnce by suffering must giue a proofe before the world that the Couenant of God is written in the tables of her heart and so deepely ingraued by the finger of God that no tribulation anguish persecution famine nakednesse nor death it selfe can separate her from the loue of Christ. The members of the Church were the good marchants of whom Christ speaketh Mat. 13. who hauing found a pearle of vnspeakable value were content to sell all that they had for loue of gaining it they had tasted of the Well of water springing vp into eternall life and thirsted not againe for the water that cannot satisfie the heart of man with full cōtentment Ioh. 4. 14. In this second great persecution the belooued disciple of Christ the Apostle IOHN was banished to the Isle of Patmos for the worde of God Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 3. cap. 18. FLAVIA DOMICILLA a woman of noble birth in Rome was banished to Pontia an Isle lying ouer against Caieta in Italie Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 3. cap. 19. PROT A'SIVS and GERV ASIVS were martyred at Millain Chytr Chron. concerning the miracle wrought at their sepulchres God-willing wee shall speake in the thirde Centurie and in the treatise of reliques CHYTRAEVS writeth that the Euangelist TIMOTHIE was stoned to death at Ephesus by the worshippers of DIANA and that DIONYSIVS AREOPAGITA was slaine by the sword at Pareis DOMITIAN had heard some rumours of the Kingdome of Christ and was afraid as HEROD the great had beene after the Natiuitie of our Lord but when two of Christs kinsemen according to the flesh the Nephewes of the Apostle IYDE were presented before him and hee perceiued them to bee poore men who gained their liuing by handie labour and when hee had heard of them that Christes Kingdome was not of this world but it was spirituall and that he would come at the latter day to judge the quicke and the dead hee despised them as simple and contemptible persones and did them no harme Euseb. eccles hist. lib. 3. cap. 20. In ende as the life of DOMITIAN was like vnto the life of NERO so was he not vnlike vnto him in his death for his owne wife and friends conspired against him and slew him his body was caried to the graue by porters and buried without honour The Senat of Rome also decreed that his name should be rased and all his actes should bee rescinded Sueton. in Domit. Ierom. catal script eccles Nerva COCCIVS NERVA after DOMITIAN reigned 1. yeere 4. months Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 21. Bucolc And hitherto all the Emperours that ruled were borne in Italie from this foorth strangers doe rule for TRAIAN the adoptiue sonne of NERVA his successor was borne in Spaine NERVA redressed many things that were done amisse by DOMITIAN and in his time the Apostle IOHN was relieued from banishment and returned againe to Ephesus where hee died Euseb. cccles hist. lib. 3. cap. 21. CENT I. Chap. 2. AFter the Lordes resurrection his twelue Apostles were indued with grace from aboue and sent foorth to conqu◅sse all people to the obedience of Christ whose trauailes the Lord so wonderfully blessed that within a short time many thousands of all nations languages whom God had appointed to eternal life were conuerted to the faith of Christ. This conquest that Christ made by the ministerie of 12. poore and contemptible men is more worthy to be called a conquest then all the valiant exploites of CYRVS ALEXANDER CAESAR and other conquerours For he made this conquest by a small handfull of poore and infirme disciples also he conquessed not only the bodies of men but also their hearts to his obedience finally hee made this conquest not by shedding of peoples blood but by preaching of his owne death and blood shed for the redemption of many Neither conquessed hee free men to make them slaues as other conquerours had done but they who were slaues indeede to Satan vnto thē he gaue the libertie of the sons of God Now these 12. Apostles the more faithfully they laboured in the worke of their ministery the worse were they intreated by the vnthankfull world according as Christ had forctold Iohn 16. The most part of them were put to death the rest were not free of many painfull sufferings rebukes which they willinglysustained for the Name of Christ. PETER PAVL are supponed to haue beene
to him in these wordes Sic igitur corum peccata compesce ut sint quos poeniteat peccasse that is to say Therefore so subdue their faultes that they may be afore hand to repent that they haue faulted Epist. 127. But in another Epistle written to GLORIVS and ELEVSIVS he thinketh that Schismatikes and Heretiques such as the Donatists were deserued greater punishment then Idolaters themselues for hee saith Qui fecerunt idolum usitata gladii morte perempti sunt qui verò sâ—…hisma facere voluerunt hiatu terrae principes devorati turba consentiensigne consumpta est that is These who made an idole were staine with the accustomed death of the sword but these who endeuoured to make a schisme their princes were deuoured by the gap of the earth and the people that consented to them were consumed by fire Epist. 162. In these two foresaide Epistles AVGVSTINE in the one is very gentle in the other very rigorous Nowe heare the thirde opinion ofâ—… AVGVSTINE in these wordes Non solùm mansuete verùm uiam utiliser salubritérque plectantur habent enim quod corpore incolumes vivunt hubent unde vivunt habent unde male rivunt duo prima salva sint ut quos poeniteat sint hoc optamus hoc quantum in nobis est impensa opera instamus Tertium vero si Dominus voluerit tanquam putre noxiúmquc resecare valde misericorditer puniet that is Let them be punished not onely meekely but also profitably and wholsomely they haue whereupon their bodies are healthfully intertained they haue whereupon they liue they haue also whereupon they liue wickedly Let these two former partes safely remaine vnto them that penitent men may be to the fore this we wish and wee earnestly endeuoure so farre as in vs lyeth that it may be brought to passe but the third part as rotten and hurtfull if it were cutted away they were very gently punished Epist. 254 this epistle is written to NECTARIVS Wherin it is euident that AVGVSTINE himselfe was not setled in one constant opinion howe Heretiques should be punished by magistrats But what shall we say When Nilus and Danube haue wandred long in end they powre their waters into the sea and when AVGVSTINE hath beene sometimes in one opinion and sometimes in another in ende hee is compelled to say Amen to that which God hath said in his worde that is that a false prophet should be slaine Deut. 13. I speake of deceiuing teachers but not of deceiued people As touching the people the weaker they are the wiser they should bee not exponing their weakenesse to the hazard of strong tentations but following the counsell of the Apostle writing to the elect Lady ver 10. 11. If there come any vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither bidde him God speede for he that biddeth him God speede is partaker of his euill deedes But seeing a blinde man may bee shoueled out of the way and poore simple people may bee soone bewitched Galat. 3. therefore it is expedient for the people to acquaint themselues well with the 12. Articles of their faith and so firmly to adhere to them that in no case they sufferthem selues to be miscaried from that short summe of Christian faith For EPIPHANIVS when he had written a Catalogue of heresies that sprang vp before his own time he thought it expedient also to write another booke called Anchoratus which booke containeth a declaration of the true and right faith according to the writings of holy Scripture which faith if it bee firmely kept it shall bee like vnto an ancre that stablisheth a ship that it bee not drowned in the tempest of the raging sea euen so the fast gripping to the heades of our faith and right vnderstanding of them saueth vs that wee bee not miscaried with the tempest of hereticall doctrine Also the counsell of AVGVSTINE is not to be misregarded In reading of Scripture if wee can not take vp the very genuine sense and meaning of the place at least let vs not expone that place of Scripture in a sense repugning to the analogie of faith So shall we be like to a man who hath aberred from the direct way yet he wandereth in the fieldes leading to the towne whereat he would be Augustin de doctrina Christiana lib. 1. cap. 37. Aboue all things let not the people hearken to those teachers who would inforce the wordes of Scripture and wrest them to a sense flatly repugnant to the principall purpose intreated in that passage of Scripture for wordes are inuented for to expresse the purpose but the purpose is not deuised for the wordes A cleare example we haue in the sixt of IOHN his Gospell Our master Christ is speaking in that Chapter to a carnall fleshly hearted people who were offended at his doctrine for remedie wherof our Lorde teacheth them that his doctrine was spirituall and consequently was not to be receiued with fleshly eares and heartes saying vnto them It is the Spirit that quickneth the flâ—…sh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake vnto you are spâ—…rit and life Ioh. 6. ver 63. That is as S. AVGVSTINE writing vpon this place doeth expound my words should be spiritually vnderstood Nowe therefore whosoeuer will expone the words of Christ spoken in the sixt of IOHN except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yo haue no life in you ver 53. into a corporall and carnall sense I say people ought to beware of such a teacher because he wrests Christs wordes to a sense flat repugnant to the purpose that Christ hath in hand at that time And the counsell giuen by the Apostle to TITVS although it be giuen to Bishoppes yet it is necessarie also for people in these words Holding fast the faithfull word according to doctrine Tit. 1. ver 9. Marke well the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth not onely an adherence but also a firme adherence The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so generall that we are tolerated to haue many things but in such way as wee had them not 1. Cor. 7. but the compound words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to possesse firmly to keep are to be restrained only to Christ who is our portion and to his faithfull word wher vnto we ought so firmly to adhere that we will rather be separated from our liues then from that faithfull word And to this faithfull worde ALAMANDARVS Prince of Saracens vnseparably adhering deluded the Eutychian Bishops sent from SEVERVS Anno 512. So I conclude that there is nothing so expedient for Gods people as clearely to know the summe of their faith and firmly to adhere vnto the same Of the foundation of the Church SEeing that the Church is counted the Lordes citie builded vpon his holy mountaine Psal. 87. ver 1. And that house that is builded on a rock so firmly that
the martyrdome of PETER and PAVL LINVS ANACLETVS and CLEMENS were teachers of the Romaine Church In the second Centurie followe EVARISTVS ALEXANDER 1. XISTVS 1. TELESPHORVS HYGINVS PIVS 1. ANICETVS SOTER ELEVTHERIVS and VICTOR This VICTOR must needes bee called the 13. Bishop of Rome if ELEVTHERIVS be the 12. according to the computation of IRENEVS lib. 3. cap. 3. ONVPHRIVS according to his own custome giueth more credite to olde parchments that he hath found in the Vatican bibliotheke then to any ancient father He beginneth earely to distinguish CLETVS from ANACLETVS that by taking libertie to thrust in one moe in the first Centurie he may haue the greater boldenesse to thrust out another of the feminine sexe in another Centurie For it grieueth him to the heart to heare this thing so vniuersally affirmed and to see the penne of PLATINA blushing when hee writeth of IOANNES the eight hee maketh litle contradiction to that settled and receiued opinion of the feminine Pope But I leaue ONVPHRIVS sporting with his owne conceits as a Pleasant doth with his owne fingers when no other body will keepe purpose with him EVARISTVS finished the course of his ministration in 8. yeres ALEXANDER who is in expresse words called the fist B. of Rome after the death of PETER and PAVL Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 4. cap. 1. gouerned 10. yeeres and suffered martyrdome in the dayes of ADRIAN as PLATINA writeth After him XISTVS 1. continued 10 yeeres Euseb. lib. 4 cap 5 and died a martyr Platin. TELESPHORVS the 7 Bishop of Rome after the daies of the Apostles liued in that ministration 11. yeeres and was honoured with martyrdome Euseb. lib. 4. cap 10. HYGINVS An. 4. And PIVS the 1. ministred 11. yeeres These two suffered not martyrdom because their lot was to liue in the calme dayes of a meeke Emperour ANTONINVS PIVS ANICETVS ministred in that office 11. yeeres with whome POLYCARPVS B. of Smyrna conferred at Rome anent the obseruation of the festiuitie of Easter day He concluded his life with the glorious crowne of martyrdome Euseb. eccl hist lib. 4. cap 14. To him succeeded SOTER An. 9. After him ELEVTHERIVS An. 15. In whose time LVCIVS King of the Britons desired that he and his people should be baptized receiâ—…ed into the fellowship of Christians to whom ELEVTHERIVS sent FVGATIVS and DAMIANVS who satisfied the desire of the King his people so they were baptized and counted Christians Platina de vita Eleutherii After him VICTOR An. 10. He intended to haue excommunicat all the Churches of the East because they kept not the festi uitic of Pasche day conforme to the custome of the Church of Rome but rather vpon the day wherinto the Iâ—…wes were accustomed to eat their Paschal lamb But this rashnes of VICTOR was somewhat abated by the graue prudent counsell of IRENEVS B. of Lions who admonished VICTOR that there was no lesse discrepance of customes anent keeping of Lent then was anent the keeping of Easter day yet was not the vnitie of the Church violated nor rent asunder for this discrepance And when POLYCARPVS B. of Smyrna came to Rome in his conference with ANICETVS neither of them could persuade the other to change the custome of keeping of daves which they had receiued by tradition of their predecessours Notwithstanding they kept fast the bande of Christian fellowshippe and ANICETVS admitted POLYCARPVS to the communion of the Romaine Church and they departed in peace one from another Euseb. eccl hist. lib 5. cap. 26. QVADRATVS B. of Athens liued in the dayes of ADRIAN This Emperour vpon a certaine time wintered in Athâ—…ns went to Eleusina and was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say initiat into all the mysteries of Grecia This fact of the Emperour gaue encouragement to those who hatâ—…d Christians without allowance of the Emperoures commandement to vexe the Christians Concerning his apologie for Christians giuen in to the Emperour together with the apologie of ARISTIDES a learned Philosopher and eloquent Orator in Athens we haue spoken already in the description of the life of ADRIAN Ierom. Catal script ecâ—…l AGRIPPAS CASTOR a very learned man answered to the bookes of the Heretique BASILIDES who with the noueltie of barbarous and vncouth wordes troubled the hearts of rude and ignorant people talking of a god whome hee called ARBRAXAS and of his prophets BARCAB and BARCOB words inuented by himselfe to terrifie simple people Euseb. lib 4 cap. 7. Such delusions of Satan Quintiâ—…sts in our dayes an ignorant race of braine-sicke fellowes haue vsed And so the blind led the blind and both fell into the ditch In this age HEGESIPPVS of the nation of the Iâ—…wes was connerted vnto the faith of Christ and came to Rome in the dayes of ANICETVS and continued vntill the dayes of ELEVTHERIVS Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 11. But for what cause he came to Rome or in what part of the world hee bestowed the trauels of his ministrie no mention is made neither by EVSEBIVS nor by any other ancient writer no not by IEROM himselfe a man most accurate explorator of all antiquities MELITO B. of Sardis a famous towne in Lydia wrote an apologie for the Christians to the Emperour ANTONINVS Philosophus whome EVSEBIVS calleth MARCVS AVRELIVS VERVS Euseb lib. 4. cap. 13. His apologie was written with Christian freedome and courage for he is not afraid to declare to the Emperour what good successe AVGVSTVS CESAR had in whose dayes Christe was borne and what vnprosperous â—…successe NERO and DOMITIAN had who persecuted the Christians hist. Magdeburg EVSEBIVS calleth him an Eunuch lib. 5. cap. 24. In the fourth persecution died IVSTINVS MARTYR accused and delated by CRESCENS He was conuerted to Christs religion by the trauels of an olde man whome he supponed for his grauitie to haue beene a Philosopher but hee was a Christian. This ancient man counselled IVSTINVS to be a diligent reader of the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles who spake by diuine inspiration who knew the veritie and were not couetous of vaine glory neither were they dashed with feare whose doctrine also was confirmed with miraculous works which God wrought by their handes Aboue all things willed him to make earnest prayers to God to open vnto him the portes of true light because the trueth cannot be comprehended except the father of light his sonne Christ Iesus giue vnto vs an vnderstanding heart Iustin. dialog cum Troph Hee wrote two bookes of apologie for Christians to the Emperour ANTONINVS PIVS and to his sonnes and the Senat of Rome In the second booke of his apologie he declareth that Christians were put to death not for any crime they had committed but onely for their profession In witnesse whereof if any of them would denie his Christian profession straightway hee was absolued because there was no other thing wherewith he was charged Iustin. apol 2. In this same persecution also suffered
the holy martyre of Christ POLYCARPVS B. of Smyrna He was willing to haue remained in the towne of Smyrna but by the earnest supplications of friendes was mooued to leaue the towne lurke secretly in the countrie Three dayes before hee was apprehended by his persecuters he dreamed that his bed was set on fire and hastely consumed which hee tooke for a diuine aduertisement that hee behooued to glorifie God by suffering the torment of fire His conference with the Romane Deputie and how he refused to deny Christ whom he had serued 80. yeres and euer found him a gratious Master also how he refused to sweare by the fortune of CAESAR and how patiently he suffered death for the Name of Christ this historie is set downe at length by Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. 16. IRENEVS B. of Lions in France and successor to PHOTINVS a martyr disciple of POLYCARPVS in his youth Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 5. flourished in the dayes of the Emperour GOMMODVS whose meeke conuersation peaceable cariage answering to his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is peaceable made his name to be in great account amongst Christians How he pacified the furie of VICTOR B. of Rome and the pernicious schisme springing vp in the Church of God vpon very small occasioÌ„ it hath bene alreadie declared He lacked not his own infirmities errours euen in doctrine He was intangled with the errour of the Chiliasts lib. 5. contra Valentin He supponed that as Christ being 30. yeere old was baptized so likewise he began to teach when he was 40. yeere olde and suffered when he was 50. because he came to saue all therefore he wold taste of al the ages of mankind Iren. lib. 2. cap. 34. Yet is this opinioÌ„ repugnaÌ„t to the narratioÌ„ of the 4. Euangelists CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS liued in the dayes of the Emperour COMMODVS He was the disciple of PANTENVS These two seeme to be the authors of Vniuersities and Colledges For they taught the grounds of religion not by sermons Homilies to the people but by catechetical doctrine to the learned in the schooles Bucolc Chron. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 11. This CLEMENS esteemed too much of tradition like as PAPIAS did of whome we spake in the former Centurie wherby it came to passe that he fell into many strange absurde opinions directly repugnant to the written word of God affirming that after our calling to the knowledge of the truth possibly God may grant to them that haue sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if we sin ofter then once or twise there is no more renuing by repentance or pardon for sinne but a fearful expectation of judgmeÌ„t Strom. li. 2. And in his 4. book of Strom. as it were forgetting his owne rigorous sentence against these who sin ofter then once or twise after their illuminatioÌ„ with the light of God he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say whether here or else where viz. creatures doe repent for no place is void or the mercy of God In which words he wold in sinuat that these who repeÌ„t either in this world or else where that is in the world to come may possibly obtaine fauour at Gods hande nothing can bee written more repugnant both to the word of God and also to his owne fore-mentioned opinion Many other worthy preachers and learned men flourished in this Centurie whose names of purpose are pretermitted In Athens PVBLIVS and ATHENAGORAS In Corinth PRIMVS DIONYSIVS and BACCHILVS In the Isle of Candie PHILIPPVS and PINYTVS In Anticchia HIERON THEOPHILVS MAXIMVS SERAPION hist Mâ—…gdeburg In Jerusalem before the dayes of the Emperour HADRIAN the Bishoppes of Jerusalem were of the nation of the Iewes But after the dayes of HADRIAN who banished the Iewes from their natiue soile Christian preachers of other nations were bishops in Jerusalem such as MARCVS CASSIANVS PVBLIVS MAXIMVSIVLIANVS CAPITO VALENS DOLICHIANVS NARCISSVS Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 12. the most part of all these liued in this Centurie but NARCISSVS with some others are knowne to haue liued in the dayes of SEVERVS the fift persecuter and some space after him Euseb lib. 6. cap. 9. But to write of all other worthy preachers and doctours in particular it were an infinite labour and far surmounting the habilitie of these ecclesiasticke writers who wrote in ancient times and much more our habilitie who liue in a posterior age Chap. 3. IN this second Centurie Satan inuying the propagation of the Gospel sent foorth a pernicious swarme of Hetiques such as SATVRNINVS of Antiochia and BASILIDES of Alexandria the one of them through Syria and the other through Egypt dispersed the venome of their hereticall doctrine To whome EVSâ—…BIVS addeth CARPOCRATES most properly counted the father of the Heretiques callâ—…d Gnostici Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 7. They receiued this name because they profesled a knowledge of darke hid mysteries The golden age of the Apostles and Euangelists was now spent and false teachers tooke the greater incouragement to teach a doctrine of deuils disallowing mariage commanding fornication and practizing abominable and filthie things which mine heart abhorreth to thinke vpon What necessitie drone EPâ—…PHANIVS in particular to manifest to the worlde the detestable and execrable mysteries of those Heretiques I cannot tel One thing I know that it shuld not be comely in my person to offend the chaste eares of Christians by renuing the memorial of that beastly vncleannes wherof EPIPHANIVS expresly writeth Epiph contra haerâ—…s They were justly called Borboritae or Caenosi because they were filthily polluted in the mire of vncleannesse August index hares Ad Quodvultdeum The followers of CARPOCRATES had in secrete places images of golde and siluer which they called the images of Iesus and therewithal the images of PITHAGORAS PLATO and ARISTOTLE and they worshipped them all Epiph. contrahaeres So that the worshipping of images and the adoration of the image of Iesus himselfe is not a custome borrowed from the ancient fathers of the first three hundreth yeeres but rather a custome borrowed from olde Heretiques such as CARPOCRATES and his follower MARCELLINA By their vnhonest and filthie conuersation it came to passe that the true professours of the Gospell were vilely slandered by persecuting Pagans objecting to Christians the bankets of THYESTES the chamberiug of OEDIPVS Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 7. This superlatiue degree of excessiue vncleannesse could not endure long because euery one of these Heretiques SATVRNINVS BASILIDES and CARPOCRATES with augmentations of new inuented absurdities changed the fashion and countenance of their error and so in ende it euanished But the beautie of the true Church of Christ euer like vnto it selfe in gravitie sinceritie libertie temperancie and holinesse of vnreprouable conuersation brightly shined among the Gâ—…ecians and Barbarians Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 7. The countrie of VALENTINVS was vnknown to EPIPHANIVS Hee was brought vp in learning in the schooles of Alexandria In his foolish opinions
owne infirmitie but onely for our sake who are sheepe of the sheepfold of Christe to guide vs by it to correct our wandering wayes and to holde vs in decent order Therefore of all things in the worlde let vs count Scripture a thing most pertinent to vs according to the saying of MOSES the secret thinges belong vnto the Lorde our God but the things reueiled belong to vs and our children for euer that wee may doe all the wordes of this Lawe Deut. 29. ver 29. to wit the Lawe written as is clearely declared Deut. 27. ver 2 and 3. When thou shalt passe ouer Iorden into the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shtli set up great stones and plaster them with plaster and Shelt witte upon them all the wordes of this Lawe c. Now if the writteÌ„ word be that very portion that belonged properly to our fathers to vs to our children we should sticke as fast to it as euer NABOTH did to his vineyarde remeÌ„bring euer these words of MOSES Things that are reuei led to wit in writ pertaine to vs to our children for euer According to the patterne of this written word were al reformations of religion made not according to the vncertaine report of traditions IOSIAS made reformation according to the booke of the couenant that was founde in the house of the Lord 2. Reg. cap. 23. ver 2. And therefore this worde of God ought diligently to be kept as the very patterne of all true reformation in religion if any abuse fall out at any time In our natiue countrie men are not so careful by diligent custodie to keep other measures as the measure whereby all other measures in the lande are measured one towne hath the weightes another hath the jug the third hath the furlot another hath the el-wand these are diligently kept because that bythem all faulty measures are corrected and reformed so aboue all things in this worlde the holy Scriptures should be most diligently kept Now before I speake of humane traditions the very end wherefore the Apostles committed to write the summe of their wholesome doctrine is a sore prejudice to tradition For some persons who hearde the Apostles preach went from Ierusalem to Antiochia and troubled the hearts of the Gentiles saying that they behooued to be circumcised and keepe the Law of MOSES to whome the Apostles gaue no such commandement Actes 15. Therefore the Apostles tooke occasion to put in write the summe of their doctrine Nowe if tradition was not a faithfull keeper of the Apostolicke doctrine in the very dayes of the Apostles and in the mouthes of them who heard the Apostles preach with their owne eares howe shall wee leane vnto the vncertaintie of traditions after the issue of sixteene hundreth yeeres The generalitie of the worde tradition is an occasion of errour to many for so soone as this word soundeth in their eares incontinent they thinke that all things necessarie vnto eternall life is not contained in Scripture but the want of Scripture must be supplied by traditions yet the Apostle calleth the very articles of our faith traditions namely that Christ died for our sinnes that he was buried and that he rose the third day againe 1. Cor. 15 ver 3. The Papistes take good heede to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and say here mention is made of tradition but they obserue not so diligently the subsequent wordes albeit they be twise repeated by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to Scriptures If they will needs obtrude vnto vs traditions at the least let them be agreable vnto Scriptures and then the controuersie will cease For I may boldly speake of Popish traditions that which CLEMENS speaketh of the Philosophie of the Grecians comparing it vnto a nut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all the nut is not meet to be caten the kirnell is for eating but the hard shels whereinto the kirnell is enclosed are not nourishing food euen so saith CLEMENS not all the Grecian Philosophie is to bee embraced and credited The like I say of Romaine traditions that we must not glut ouer their traditions shels and kirnell altogether but those that are agreable to Scriptures we receiue but traditions repugnant to Scripture such as worshipping of images which DAMASCENE granteth to be an vnwritten tradition we vtterly detest and abhorre The place of PAVLS Epistles that seemeth to fauour vnwritten tradition is this Therefore brethren stand sast keep the instruction which yee haue beene taught either by worde or by our epistle 2. Thess 2 ver 15. Heere I affirme that like as they who rehearsed Christs wordes and wrested the true sense and meaning of them they are called false witnesses against Christ Math. 26. ver 61. Christ spake these words indeede Destroy this Temple and within three dayes I wâ—…ll build it vp againe but not in that sense that the false witnesses reported Euen so they who cite a testimonie out of the Epistles of PAVL in another sense then PAVL writeth it they are false witnesses against PAVL for PAVLS tongue in preaching was guided by the holy Ghost and PAVLS hand and pen in writting was guided by the holyGhost that same selfe trueth he preached that same selfe trueth he committed to write to the ende that the faith of the Thessalonians might be the better confirmed and strengthened If they will obstinatly contend that the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is disjunctiue I will constantly affirme with the most learned ANTONIVS SADEEL that in this place it is copulatiue in this sense Keepe that instruction which yee haue receiued both by word and epistle And in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken 1. Cor. 13. ver 8. Whether prophecying shall be abolished or tongues shall cease that is both prophecying shall be abolished and tongues shall cease Stand fast and keepe the instruction 2. Thess. 2. ver 15 It is not the purpose of the Apostle in these wordes to exhort any man to wilfulnes and obstinacie but vnto constant adherence vnto the veritie of God For the Apostle PETER describing the qualities of false teachers calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men presumptuous standingon their own conceits 2. Pet. 2. ver 10. Wherfore a difference is to be noted betwene obstinat men constaÌ„t men It is obstinacie when a man walketh in his own wayes will not be corrected by the wisdome of God but it is constancie when a man walketh in the wayes of God and will not depart out of them for the fauour or feare of men CAIN was obstinat Gen 4. PETER and IOHN were constant Also to keepe fast the doctrine whereby they were taught both by word and Epistle is not onely to keepe it in memorie and to keepe the volume wherein scriptures are written but to keepe it indeede by the obedience of faith For men are thrise
authoritie to forbid to eate meates that are created by God to the vse of men they vsurpe authoritie ouer the conscience of men binding where God hath loosed loosing where God hath bound and mixing heauen and earth through other as if men on earth should haue such absolute soueraignitie ouer the conscience euen as the God ofheauen hath This is called an apostasie from the faith not because all defection is finished in this but because all defection is grounded in this one point to set a mortal man in the chaire of God to attribut vnto him such absolut souerainitie ouer ourcoÌ„science as God had ouer the conscience of ADAM Gen. 3. as miserable experience hath clearely manifested in the Popedom Doth not the Apostle PAVL craue that the seruice that we offer to God should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a reasonable seruice Rom. 12. ver 1 But when we are led away either with the conceits of our owne hearts or yet when we cast off the yocke of God and stoupe downe the necke of our conscience vnder the lawes of mortall men in matters of religion what equitie of reason is kept in such doing to match and equall our selues or others to God Moreouer the A post PAVL foretelleth that these backsliders froÌ„ the faith should speake lies in hypocrisie hauing their conscience seared with an hot yron 1. Tim. 4 ver 2. These words cannot be properly applyed to the old Heretiques of whoÌ„ we haue spoken who ascribed the institution of matrimonie to Satan the creatioÌ„ procreatioÌ„ of mankindvnto the deuil because they spak not falshood in hypocrisy but in opeÌ„ blasphemy therfore they might haue bene easily discerned auoided yea in other heades of their doctrine concerning the natiuitie and death of Christ they were so blasphemous that in the worde putativé natus mamfestatus mortuus they were the very aduocats of the deuill lren lib 3. advérsus Valent. cap. 20. 39. But in the Popish church the lawes forbidding mariage to some men and meates at sometimes are so coloured with appearance of holynes that the forgers of such lawes in hypocrisie had neede to be pointed out by the finger of God in his worde to the ende that no maske nor visard put vpon vngodlinesse should peruert the vnderstanding of men But the more subtle hypocrisie that should be vsed the more vigilant and wakrife should the Lordes forewarned people be that they were not deceiued by lies spoken in hypocrisie Likewise the Apostle foretelleth that these deceiuers should haue their ' consuence seared or cut off with an hote yron In which wordes the Apostle alludeth to members of a body first feastered next senslesse and thirdly cut off with an hot yrone So are the conscience of those deceiuers fâ—…st cankered with errour next past feeling albeit wholesome admonitions be vsed for reclaiming them from errour last of all their conscience is a rotten thing and vtterly cut off Wherein it is to be marked that feeling of all senses is most necessarie a most vnseparable companion of the life begunne when the sensitiue life beginneth and ending when it endeth so that to be past feeling is all one as to be vtterly dead in body or conscience But let vs see to whom this can be justly applyed If we call to mind the obstinacie of the old Heretiques true it is that they were sensâ—…sse men of whom IRENEVS justly said that they counted themselues not ouercome by the power of the trueth so long as they adhered fast vnto their errour As if an impudent fellow who wrestleth and is ouerthrowne and is lying on his backe on the ground yet hee would denie that he is ouerthrowne because hee sticketh fast by the grip of his aduersaries garments Iren. lib. 5. adversus Valent. But apply this to the Papists of our dayes and we shall finde them tenfold more senslesse obstinat then the old Heretiques were for they haue found out meanes to harden their harts in error that when they are a thousand times conuicted by the clear shining light of the Gospell then the authoritie of their Church and opinion that it cannot erre doth locke them vp so fast in the bands of the deuill that all the trauell taken vpon them is spent in vaine they remaine senslesse hauing their conscience seared with the hote yron of Satan as the Apostle speaketh In particular the Apostle pointeth out two heades of doctrine that deceiuing teachers should maintaine to wit they should forbid mariage and they should command to abstaine from meates Marke these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is forbidding and commanding The word commanding is not in the Greeke text but EPIPHANIVS thinketh this ellipsis must be supplyed by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is commanding to abstaine from meates both these wordes are imperious and pointing out men in authoritie and practising their soueraignitie in all things wherinto the eminent power of a Soueraigne is manifested hee biddeth forbiddeth hee maketh lawes and constitutions the disobedience whereof bringeth the contraueeners vnder feare of great punishment euen so the deceiuers of whom the Apostle speaketh in matters of mariage meats should not be content to tell their opinion to allure by persuasiue reasons others to embrace their opinion but being mounted vp in high authoritie they should command to abstaine from meates and they should enterdite mariage to some persons with authoritie adding paines to the commandement that the contraueeners should be deposed from their office they should be counted Heretiques they should be condemned to hell beside all other ciuill punishments which magistrates addicted to their authoritie could inflict These wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is forbidding and bidding cannot be applyed to Gnostici Encratitae nor yet to the Manicheans of the next Centurie because they had no soueraignitie nor power to command Yea MANES himselfe was excoriat and put to death by the king of Persia as SOCRATES writeth lib. 1. cap. 22. and that for a light cause by reason hee could not cure his diseased sonne But the words of the Apostle clearely declareth that hee speaketh of men furnished with authoritie to bid abstaine from meates and to forbid mariage and this agreeth well with the Romaine Antichrist and his vsurped authoritie Notwithstanding of all these lawes made in the Romaine church and straite prohibition of mariage to the clergie we ought to follow the example of Christs disciples who after that they knew that celestiall voice that sounded from heauen in time of Christs Baptisme This is my welbeloued Sonne in whwÌ„ I am wel pleased heare him Mat. 3. They closed their eares and locked vp their hearts from hearkning to any voyce in the earth that spake the contrarie some said that he was ELI AS other said that hee was IEREMIAS or some of the olde Prophets but the disciples hearkning to the voyce that came downe from heauen said that he was
very calamitie hinging ouer their heades there is a secret voyce of God calling them to humiliation and repentance with fasting and abstinence from all lawfull pleasures when the Priest bloweth the trumpet in Sion and sanctifieth a fast vnto the Lord he layeth not the yocke of mens commandements vpon the consciences of men but the yocke of God's commandements For the Prophet bringeth in the Lord saying that he calleth them to mourning lamentation and to abstinence The Lord is our Soueraigne commander and Lawgiuer hauing power to bid to forbid at his blessed pleasure Vnder this yocke will we gladly stoupe but the yocke of bondage that men would lay vpon our consciences the Apostle PAVL expresly forbiddeth vs to admit but to stand to our libertie Galat. 5. ver 1. And so I conclude this treatise misliking disaprouing the loose raines of fleshly wantonnesse but wishing from my heart that the bit of the Lord may bee cast in our jawes to turne vs from the delite of earthly pleasures to the delite of that celestiall citie that hath a foundation and whose builder is God Amen Of Succession IT hath bene the custome of godly men in all ages who were descended from the loynes of godly fathers not to brag of their parentage but to be so much the more ashamed of sinne that the vnreproouable liues of their predecessors were a great testimony cóuicting them of some piece of defection Therefore the Prophet ISAIAH bringeth in the Lordes penitent people in humble maner acknowledging that they were not worthy that ABRAHAM and ISRAEL should once knowe them to be their posteritie but they entreat the Lord by a free forgiuenesse of sinnes to become their father Isa. 63. 16. But on the other part a wicked generation descended from godly parents could boast of their parentage ' and say to Christ himselfe ABRAHAM is our father Iohn 8. ver 39. and againe We are not borne of fornication wee haue one father which is God ibid. ver 41. Notwithstanding of all this confident bragging of their parents the Lorde Iesus who judgeth righteously saith to carnall Iewes Yee are of your father the deuill and the lusts of your father ye will doe He hath bene a murtherer from the beginning abode not in the trueth because there is no trueth in him When he speaketh a lie then speaketh hee of his owne for hee is a lyar and the father thereof Iohn 8. ver 44. This place of scripture will clearely prooue that God will nothing regard the vaine ostentation and vaunting speeches of men who brag of their descent from godly parents and their succession to godly preachers yet the dissimilitude of their faith and maners from the faith and maners of their predecessours declareth that they are the very children of the deuill In this age I find succession whereof the Romanes bragge so much to be in some reuerent regard For IRENEVS Bishop of Lions in France reasoning against VALENTINVS MARCION whose errours haue beene before declared to confute these Heretiques hee bringeth in the succession of the Romaine Bishops After PETER saith he were LINVS and ANACLETVS and CLEMENS and EVARISTVS and ALEXANDER and SIXTVS and TELESPHORVS and HYGINVS PIVS and ANICETVS and ELEVTHERIVS the twelfth from the Apostles Now saith IRENEVS these receiued the wholesome doctrine from the Apostles and deliuered it faithfully to others yea some of them also sealed it vp withtheir blood Yet none of them spake such things concerning God the father his sonne Christ Iesus as VALENTINVS MARCION and BASILIDES haue spoken Therefore he condemneth their doctrine to be false and hereticall Iren lib. 3. cap. 3. contra Valent. Now the followers of the Romaine church demand why we do not as reuerently esteeme of the succession of Romane Bishops now as IRENEVS did of old why do we not count them to be Heretiques who bring in a new doctrine not agreeing with the doctrine of the B. of Rome as IRENEVS counted VALENTINVS MARCION and BASILIDES Heretiques because they vttered a strange doctrine which the B. of Rome had not receiued from the handes of the Apostles To this I answere that we count reuerently of al the Bishops of Rome who kept faithfully that forme of wholesome doctrine which they receiued from the Apostles Yea and we count them Heretiques also who departe from that veritie which LINVS ANACLETVS CLEMENS and the rest receiued from the Apostles But the question standeth in this whether these holy fathers of whom JRENEVS maketh such reuerent record receiued from the mouthes of the Apostles preached to the world such heades of doctrine as are now sounded in the Romaine church that is inuocation of Saints worshipping of images pluralitie of mediators of intercession purgatorie and infinite other things As concerning the Apostles the summe of their doctrine is contained in their writings they taught not LINVS ANACLETVS CLEMENS otherwise then they taught the rest of the Romaines the Corinthtans Galatians Ephesians the inhabitants of Pontus Cappadocia Asia Bithynia 1 Pet. 1. And in all their writings there is no mention of inuocation of Saintes worshipping of images c. The cause wherefore godly father 's rejoyced in the succession of the Bishops of Rome was this because they were nearest to the danger of persecuting tyrants and kept the faith of Christ most inviolablie Many of them were martyres such as ALEXANDER SIXTVS TELESPHORVS and ANICETVS Others were Confessours who suffered prisonment pouertie and diuerse other rebukes albeit they were not put to death for the Name of Christ. And what marucll was it that these who loued Christe had their hearts inflamed with a loue of this holy succession whose commendation was puritie of wholesome doctrine receiued from the Apostles whose glory was sufferings and whose preeminence was examples of constant continuance in the true faith And like as the dayes of MOSES and IOSVA were happie dayes they had among them the Tabernacle of God and therewith also the Arke and propitiatorie which was the glorious ornament of the Tabernacle so were the dayes of these holy fathers happie dayes hauing personall succession from the Apostles and therewith succession of true doctrine the glorious ornament of personall succession As concerning the decretall Epistles falsly ascribed to them wee shall speake hereafter in the heade of supremacie Godwilling But when all these things are inlacking for which the succession of the Romaine Bishoppes was regarded in this Centurie and men erring in the true faith of a long time possessed the chaire of Rome what auaileth it to glorie of that olde commended succession when the glory of true doctrine patient suffering constant perseuerance in the Apostolicke doctrine is vtterly lost among them so that the succession whereof the Romaine Church now glorieth is not vnlike their transubstantiation wherein are accidents without a subject in their succession are persons of men succeeding one to another without puritie of doctrine In Scripture we finde succession
it that is vile and filthie as hee did vnto the Priests of the succession of AARON If any man wil obstinatly contend that the promise made to the Apostles and their successours was absolute and not conditionall consider the inconuenients that will follow Seeing this promise was not made to PETER onely but also to all the rest of the Apostles and their successours then as none of the Romaine Bishops can erre in religion because they are the successours of PETER as they alledge so in like maner the Bishops of Ierusalem Alexandria Antiochia Ephesus Philippi Thessalonica Corinth diuerse other places are all exeemed from errour because the Apostles and Euangelists preached and constitute Churches in all-these places they are successours to the Apostles in that same sense that the Bishops of Rome are successours to PETER And if none of all these can erre what priuiledge hath the church of Rome aboue all other Churches Or how can that be performed which was foretolde by the Apostle concerning apostasie that should fall out the reuelation of the man of sinne childe of perdition 2. Thess. 2 For all the successours of the Apostles beeing exeemed from error what place could be giuen to the Antichrist or what doore could haue bene opened to MAHOMET by whose delusions the Orientall Church hath bene so miserably abused But seeing the Apostles had some extraordinarie things such as calling gifts and prerogatiues They were called immediatly by Christ and were taught immediatly by his Spirit and mouth Gal. 1. They receiued from heauen the gift of tongues and languages to vtter this celestiall knowledge to all tongues nations Act. 2. They had power by imposition of hands to conferre to others the gift of the holy Spirit Act 8 With these extraordinarie giftes they had also extraordinarie prerogatiues that in teaching the doctrine receiued from Christ they should not erre Now these who cal themselues successors to the Apostles they dare not clame to the Apostles immediat calling nor yet to their extraordinarie gifts but that which of all the rest was most extraordinarie to the Apostles viz. to be exeemed from errour in teaching and writing that is so fast adhered vnto that it is one of the principal grounds of the Romaine faith in our dayes that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre in faith and religion Yea so infortunate are the Bishoppes of Rome of late dayes that they would climme vp to the highest top and preeminence of Apostolicke dignitie to be exeemed from errour when as in things of lesse importance they cannot attaine as we speak to the Apostles garters This proud conceit of Apostolick succession with power of binding and loosing exemption from errour made some of the Bishops of Rome so high minded so vaine and ridiculous that learned fathers conueened together in Councils thought their pride more worthie to be receiued with scoffing wordes then with prolixe refutations Example whereof wee haue in a Councill gathered at Rome in the time of the Emperour OTTO the first about the yeere of our Lord 956. In which Councill IOHN 13. Others write Pope IOHN the 12. hee fled for feare of the Emperour OTTO Many grieuous accusations were giuen in against him such as incest murther saeriledge playing at dice and drinking to the deuill admitting of boyes to be Bishops for money with many other villanous things ouâ—…r and beside his perfidie in assisting BERENGARIVS and his sonne ALBERTVS against the Emperour OTTO contrarie to his promise and oath made before to the Emperour Libertie being granted to Pope IOHN to compeare without feare to answere to the accusations objected against him he beeing conuict in conscience would not compeare but he sent a short letter to the Council bearing that he was PETERS successor and had power of binding loosing by vertue of this power hee band them vnder paine of cursing that they should not proceede to his deposition To this proud letter the Councill gathered at Rome returned this answere that Christ gaue power of binding loosing to all his disciples as well as to PETER but one of them to wit IVDAS by abusing his power lost his power only he retained some power of binding to wit he had libertie to binde his owne necke to the gallous In which wordes they call him IVDAS and biddes this vile beast goe and hang himselfe if he lift Hist. Magdeb urg Cent. 10. cap. 9. PLATINA callâ—…th IOHN 13. homo sceleratissinus a most wicked man ONVPHRIVS the aduocate of all wicked causes blusheth and dare not stand at the barre to pleade the cause of IOHN 12. the predecessour of LEO the eight for both are one man he whom PLATINA calleth 13. and he whome ONVPHRIVS counteth 12. The Bishops of Rome might haue bene admonished by this one example if there were no mo not to be high minded not to cum to the supreame top of Apostolicke preeminence In a worde the Bishops of Rome of late yeeres are moâ—…e like to the successours of CAIAPHAS who would needes haue Christe to stand before his judgement seat judge of Christ his doctrine disciples Ioh. 18 ver 19. then they are like to the successours of PETER for I can see no inexcusable boldnes in CAIAPHAS damning Christs doctrine but I grope the like in the Romaine church that vsurpeth authoritie ouer the written word ouer Councils and consequently ouer Christ himselfe To conclude this treatise I will compare succession wherof the Romaine church braggeth so much to the way that lay betweene Samaria and Jerusalem this way led the people of Ephraim Manasse Jssachar Zabulon Nephthali and Aser to Jerusalem when they set their face Southward when they went vpward but the same way againe led them from Jerusalem when they turned their faces Northward when they went downward Euen so if a man set his face toward heauenly Ierusalem he shal finde a number of holy successors of the Apostles in puritie of doctrine honestie of conuersation patience in suffering that shall leade him to Christ to heauenly Ierusalem but againe it is as certaine if a man will set his face Northward to defection to backsliding and to preferre the traditions of men to the ordinances of God there shall not inlacke a number of guiders in the roll of personall successours as they call it to the Apostles who shall lead him from Jerusalem to Samaria from the mountaine of God to the valley of Benhinnon Therefore while we are in the way take heed what way our faces are set whether to Ierusalem or to Samaria and if they be set to Ierusalem let vs followe these sure guides who were true successours to the Apostles and they shall indeede leade vs to Christ to heauenly Ierusalem and to the glory which in heart and minde we waite for whereunto God lead vs for his Christs sake Amen CENTVRIE III. Chap. 1. Seuerus AFter PERTINAX and IVLIAN SEVERVS gouerned 17 yeeres 8. months
MAZABANES HYMENEVS LEBDAS THERMON all these followed ALEXANDER Euseb lib 7. cap. 14 Func chronol In Alexandria to PHILETVS and DEMETRIVS succeeded HERACLAS the 12 Bishop of that towne He was the disciple of ORIGEN and a fellow-labourer with him in gouerning the schoole of Alexandria in ende he was chosen to be Bishop of Alexandria whose successour was DIONYSIVS 13. Bishop whom God deliuered miraculously from the hands of persecuters in the dayes of DECIVS by the sudden onset of a number of people who had beene at a mariage feast When they heard that DIONYSIVS was taken by souldiers and led away to Taposiris they arose from table and followed with a speedie pace and with a tumultuarie voyce so that the souldiers who had DIONYSIVS in keeping were afraid and fled and so DIONYSIVS by the great prouidence of God was deliuered out of the hands of his enemies Euseb lib 6. cap. 40. After him MAXIMVS THEONAS PETRVS a martyre vnder DIOCLETIAN and ACHILLAS were Bishops of Alexandria Func Chron. After SERAPION succeeded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Antiochia of whome ALEXANDER B. of Ierusalem beeing the prisoner of Christ in Casarea wrote vnto the people of Antiochia that it was a comfort to him and it made his imprisonment and bandes the more easie that hee heard it reported that ASCLEPIADES a man well exercised in the true faith by the prouidence of God was made Bishop of Antiochia Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 11. PHILETVS was the 10 ZEBENVS the 11. and BABYLAS was the 12. Bishop of Antiochia of whom EVSEBIVS recordeth that he died in prison like as ALEXANDER B. of Jerusalem ended his life in prison both the one and the other suffered such kind of martyrdome vnder the persecution of DECIVS Euseb. lib. 6 cap. 39. In the catalogue of Emperours catholick Bishops and Heretiques subjoyned to the eccesiasticall historie of THEODORETVS wee reade that BABYLAS B. of Antiochia would not suffer DECIVS to enter into the Temple whereinto Christians were conueened and that before hee was beheaded he gaue direction to burie into the sepulchre with his deade body the chaine also wherewith his body had bene bound as a funerall ornament of his buried body But EVSEBI VS deserueth best credite who affirmeth that he died in prison and maketh no mention of his beheading Some imagine that he who died in prison and he who was beheaded were both Bishops of Antiochia but liuing in different ages yet seeing the catalogue foresaid speaketh of this suffering vnder the Emperour DECIVS it is more probable that there is some ouersight in the writer of the catalogue To BABYLAS succeeded FABIVS He was entangled with the errour of NOVATVS but was reclaimed againe by the vigilant trauels of DIONYSIVS B. of Alexandâ—…ia Euseb. lib. 6 cap. 44. DEMETRIANVS a maried man was successour to FABIVS PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS a pestilent Heretique was the 15. Bishop of Antiochia DOMNVS the sonne of DEMETRIAN the 16. TIMEVS the 17. CYRILLVS the 18. and TYRANNVS the 19. Bishop of Antiochia The names of the Bishops of Rome Alexandria and Antiochia were the more accuratly obserued and registrat after the Councill of Nice albeit I recite them before because it hapned in that generall Councill that for timous suppressing of heresies the Bishops of these places were called Patriarches and had power to convocat Councils within their owne boundes for suppressing of Heretiques Alwayes it fell out far contrarie to the expectation of holy fathers for the Patriarches were the chiefe protectours of heresie as the historie of the subsequent Centuries euidently declareth Neuerthelesse in this Centurie beside those men of God aboue mentioned nothing inferiour in spirituall graces to the Bishops of Rome Alexandria Antiochia and Ierusalem there were many worthy men in other places such as FIRMILIANVS B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia a man familiarly acquainted with ORIGEN GREGORIVS and ATHENODORVS brethren and Pastours in Pontus HELENVS in Tarsus and NICOMAS in Iconium THEOTECT VS in Caesarea Palestinae MAXIMVS in Bostra Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 28. EVSEBIVS and ANATHOLIVS Bishops of Laodicea QVIRINVS B. of Scesiana or as others call it Scescania a worthy martyr about whose necke a milstone was hanged as hath bene before declared Func Chron. I make an end of this second head with the greater gladnesse that I perceiue the litle stone hewed out of the mountaine without handes to be waxing and growing to the bignesse of a great mountaine replenishing the whole earth euen in the time of most horrible persecutions Dan. 2. CENT III. Cap. 3. Of Heretiques IVstly did EPIPHANIVS compare an Heretique to a modiwart a beast in quantitie litle lurking in subterraneall holes and yet working great harme to well laboured ground Neuerthelesse when it hapneth that this noysome and blinde beast creepeth out of her hole and runneth vpon the superfice of the earth she is a ridiculous wandering and feeble beast shee cannot see the hole out of which she hath crept forth she is easily taken and slaine Euen so Heretiques so long as they lurke in secret they peruert the heartes of many simple and ignorant people but when they set out their heades and their-doctrine is examined by the light of Gods euerlasting word they are found to be ridiculous and feeble beastes In the former Centuries by way of preterition I passed by many obscure heresies The like order I intend God willing to keepe in this Centurie also The Heretiques called Artotyritae who added vnto the administration of their sacrament cheese vnto the bread Alogi who rejected the writings of the holy Apostle IOHN and said they were written by CERINTHVS Albeit the Euangelist IOHN of purpose wrote the historie of his Euangell against EBION and CERINTHVS Adamiani who had their conuenticles in subterraneall places called Hypocausta because that vnder the place of their meetings a fornace of fire was kindled to warme the place of their conuentions for they vnclothed themselues when they entered into it and stood naked both men and women according to the similitude of ADAM and EVA before their fall Theodotiani who denied the diuinitie of Christ taking the name of their sect from a miserable man in Constantinople called THEODOTVS who in time of persecution for loue of temporall life denied the King of glory Iesus Christ and when this filthie deniall was objected to him as a reproche of a cowardly heart hee answered that he denied not God but man by this answere signifying that Christ was man onely and not God manifested in our nature Melchisedeciani magnified MELCHISEDECK aboue Christ. Bardesianisiae were but a branch of the heresie of the Ualentinians and Gnostici who denied the resurrection as is already declared in the second Centurie Valesii who gelded themselues Angelici whose name was better knowne to EPIPHANIVS then the originall of their sect Apostolici who would haue no possessions but rejoyced in voluntarie pouertie detested mariage giuing out a sentence against themselues that they were
no mention of the fornication of Athanasius of the hande of Arsenius of the Table Cuppe and bookes aboue mentioned but they forged newe accusations against him whereunto the Emp. gaue too hastie credite and banished Athanasius to Triere Immediately after the Councill of Tyrus many bishops were assembled at Hierusalem for the dedication of the Temple which the Emp. Constantine had builded at the place of the LORDS sepulchre Anent the Councill of Antiochia wherein the Arrians deposed Eustatius and the Councill of Arles wherein Cecilianus was absolued from the accusation of the Donatists no further discourse is needefull then is conteined in the historie of the liues of these two Bishops Gangra is a towne of Paphlagonia In this towne were assembled certaine Fathers to the number of 16. about the yeere of our LORD 324. The occasion of their meeting was the Heretique Eustatius who admiring the Monasticke life or as others affirme fauouring the Heresie of Encratitae and the Manicheans he spake against Marriage against eating of fl◅sh he damned the publicke Congregations of GODS people in Temples and said a man could not be saued except he forsooke all his poss◅ssions and renounced the wo◅lde after the forme of monkish doing These opinions were damned in the Councill of Gangra The subscriptions of the Fathers of this Councill after their Canons are worthie to be remarked These things say they haue we subscribed not vituperating them who according to Scripture chooseth vnto themselues an holy purpose of a continent life but them onely who abuseth the purpose of their minde to pride extolling themselues against the simpler sort Yea and damne and cut off all those who contrary to Scripture and Eccl◅siasticall rules bring in new Commandements But we admire humble Virginity and wee approue continencie that is vndertaken with chastity and Religion And wee embrace the renounciation of seculare businesse with humilitie And we honour the chast band of Mariage And we despise not riches joined with righteousnesse and good workes And we commend a simple and cou◅se apparrell used for couering the body without Hypocrisie Likewise wee reject loos and dissolute g◅rments And we honour the houses of GOD and assemblies that are in them as holy and profitable Not debarring men from exercises of pietie in their owne priuate houses But places builded in the name of the LORD wee honour and Cong◅egations assembled in the same places for the common utilitie we approue And good workes which are done to poore brethren euen aboue mens habilitie according to the Ecclesiasticall traditions we blesse them And we wish all things to be celebrated in the Church according to holy Scriptures and the ordinances of the Apostles In the time of the reigne of Constantine in Eliberis a towne of Spaine were assembled 19. Bishops and of preaching Elders 36. The ende of their meeting was to reforme horrible abuses both in Religion and maners which in time of the tenne Persecutions had preuailed in Spaine And nowe in time of peace such enormities and festered maners co◅lde hard◅ly bee amended Manie Ecclesiasticall Canons were made in this Synode to the number of 81. Whereof wee shall rehearse but a fewe and such as clearely pointeth out the principall ende of their meeting They ordained that Heathnicke sacrificing Priests called of olde Flamines if they were content to absteine from sacrificing to Idoles and to learne the groundes of Christian R◅ligion after three yeeres repentance they shoulde bee admitted to baptisme Likewise they ordained that Christian Virgines shoulde not bee giuen in marriage to Pagans lest in the flou◅e of their youth they should bee entangled with spirituall whoredome In like maner that Bishops should receiue no rewarde from men that did not communicate with the Church They ordained that nothing that is worshipped shoulde be pictured on the wall And that in priuate houses no Idoles should be founde And incase the maisters of houses were afraide of the violence of their s◅ruantes at least they should keepe themselues pure and cleane which if they did not they shoulde bee counted strangers from the fellowship of the Church And that if any man happen to bee slaine in the action of breaking downe images his name shall not bee enrolled in the catalogue of Martyres because it is not written in the history of the Gospell that the Apostles used any such forme of reformation whereby they sig◅isie that by wholsome doctrine images should be castē out of the hearts of mē rather then broken with popular violence with the tumultuary attempts of priuate men Any judicious man may perceiue by these Canons both the time when and the cause wherefore this Council was assembled They who count the first Councill of Carthage to bee that Councill whereinto Cyprian with aduise of many other bishops of Numidia Lybia and other partes of Africke ordained men who were baptized by Heretiques to bee rebaptized againe they commit a great ouer-sight to recken the first Councill of Carthage to bee holden vnder the reigne of Constantine whereas it is certainely knowne that Cyprian was martyred in the dayes of Valeriane the eight persecuting Emperour But the first Councill of Carthage that was kept in CONSTANTINES dayes was that Councill whereinto the Donatistes condemned Caecil◅anus Bishop of Carthage whose innocencie afterwarde was tryed by manie Iudges In it there was no matter of great importance concluded and therefore I ouer-passe it with few wordes as an assemblie of li◅tle account All these Councils aboue mentioned were assembled in the dayes of CONSTANTINE the Great Now followeth Councils gathered in the dayes of his sonnes The cause pretended for the gathering of the Councill of A◅t ochi◅ in the dayes of Constantius the sonne of Constantine was the dedication of the Church of Antiochia which albeit C◅nstantine had builded yet fiue yeeres after his death and in the seuenteenth yeere after the foundation of this Temple was laide CONSTANTIUS his sonne finished and perfected the worke And vnder pretence of dedication of this Temple as saide is this assemblie of Antiochia was gathered ANNO 344. but indeede of purpose to supplant the true Faith To this Assemblie resorted manie Bishops to the number of 90. But Maximus Bishop of HIERUSALEM and ◅ulius Bish◅p of Rome neither came they to the Councill neither sent they any me◅enger in their name fearing as the trueth was that they were gathered for euill and ◅ot for good At this time Placitus the s◅ccessour of Euphronius gou◅rned Antiochia Now when they were met together many accus◅tions were heaped vp against Athanasius First that hee had accepted his place againe without aduise of other Bishops Secondlie because at the time of his r◅turning backe againe to ALEXANDRIA there fell out great commotion amongst the people and some were slaine others were contumeliouslie beaten and violently drawne before justice seates Mention also was made of the decrete of the Councill of Tyrus against
Malachie who saieth Cursed bee the deceiuer which hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth vnto the LORD a corrupt thing This grounde being first laide that the principall purpose where â—…t the Prophet aimeth is not vnknowne it is the more eâ—…sie to step toâ—… to the wordes The Prophet bringes in the Lord saying Call vpon mee in the dry of thy trouble c This presupponeth that wee shall bee exercised with manifolde troubles as our maister CHRIST IESUS was crowned with thornes before hee was crowned with glorie yea and that wee shall bee so dashed with the vehement tempest of troubles that except wee bee well taught in the Schoole of GOD wee shall not know what hand to turne vs vnto as the ship-man did who sailed with Jonas euery man prayed to his owne GOD onely Ionas who was taught in the right Schoole directed his prayers to the liuing GOD who made the Heauen the Earth and was heard when he prayed out of the Whales bellie Nowe seeing that GOD inuiteth vs to bee his Disciples and hee will teach vs to whom and in what maner wee should pray in time of our troubles let vs lend our eare to our great School-maister not be ashamed to opeÌ„ our eâ—…re and to bind vp our mouth with silence when the LORD speaketh and count all the speeches of Fathers that repugne vnto this great Oracle of GOD to be like vnto eares of corne withered thinne and blasted with the East wind wherein there is no nourishing food In the second part of this Treatise it is to bee proued that Prayer is a spirituall sacrifice onely to bee offered to GOD and to none other neither in Heauen nor in earth for three principall reasons First in Scripture wee are taught to pray to him onely in whom wee trust and consequently to pray onelie to GOD. The Apostle Paul saith But howe shall they call on him in whom they haue not belâ—…eued Yea and the Prophet Ieremie saith Cursed bee hee that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his ariâ—…e and with-dr weth his heart from the LORD GOD is the just proprietare and owner of our soules for hee hath bought and purchased them with his owne blood and the LORD wil part stakes with no man neither can hee admit a corriual in points of his honour as the naturall mother coulde not abide to see her sonne diuided because hee appertained totally and wholly vnto her selfe so can not GOD abide that his glory be giuen vnto another or yet that any part of that thing that is once dedicated to GOD should bee conuerted to another use In holy Scripture wee reade of three moste abominable Altars to wit of the Aâ—…tar of Damascus and the Altar of Bethel and the Altar at Athens to the vnknowne GOD. The Altar of Damascus was abominable because it was builded to the worship of a false god The Altar of Bethel was abominable because on it the true GOD was worshipped in a forbidden maner And the Altar of Athens to the vnknowne GOD was abominable because they neither knew whom they worshipped nor yet the right maner of his worshipping Therefore in the matter of the worshipping of GOD let vs set our compasse right lest a little aberration procure a great ship-wracke and in the matter of Prayer let vs call vpon him onely in whome wee trust as wee are taught by the holy Apostle And let vs offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to GOD through IESUS CHRIST The seconde argument whereby I proue that our prayers should bee made onely to GOD is this Wee should pray only to him who is Omnipotent and can support vs in al our distresses ergo wee ought to pray onely to GOD. The antecedent of this argument is euident by the latter part of that short prayer indited by CHRIST to his Disciples For thine is the Kingdome and the Power and the Glory for euer In that short forme of perfect prayer the first words leadeth vs to a consideration of the loue of GOD toward vs who is content to be our Father in IESUS CHRIST In the last wordes his power is described to bee infinite such as becommeth him who is King of Heauen and Earth who like as hee hath made all thinges so likewise hath hee an absolute Souereignitie ouer all thinges both in Heauen and in Earth Now that Omnipotencie is an attribute onely belonging to the diuine nature the very Gentiles could not denie it who attributed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onlie to God And it is certaine that all the Angels of Heauen could not haue supported the disasterous estate of man after his fall if God himselfe had not put hande to worke who onely knew the way howe his justice and mercy coulde kisse one another in the person of the Mediator Therefore seeing God onely is Omnipotent and none but hee what fooles are wee to put our trust vnder the shadow of the bramble as the Sichemites did and not to dwell in the secrete of the moste High and abide in the shadow of the Almightie I doe no wrong to the Angels in Heauen when I compare them to brambles in comparison of the eternall God their power is finite and bounded thâ—…ir prouident care ouer vs hath a beginning namely the time of their employment whereinto GOD appointed them to attend vpon vs but the power of GOD is infinite in his prouident care he appointed a kingdome for vs before the foundation of the worlde was laide Let vs therefore trust vnder this shadow of the Almighty and call vpon him in whom we trust Thirdly it may bee proued that wee should pray to GOD onely and to none other because their is neither commandemeÌ„t nor example nor promise to be heard in Scripture except that prayers bee made to the Creator onely and not vnto the creatures of GOD. And in this argument I find that some learned Papists giue ouer reasoning in the contrary and they render reasons wherefore there is no example in the old or new Testament of Inuocation of Saints namely this that in the old Testament the-Patriarchs and Prophets who departed this life went not presently to Heauen and had not the fruition of the presence of GOD incontinent but they went to Limbus patrum where their soules remained vntill CHRIST died and arose againe from death and then hee carried their soules to Heauen And this is the cause say they wherefore there is no example found in the old Testament of Inuocation of Saintes Likewise they say concerning the new Testament that if the Apostles had set downe any precept concerning Inuocation of Saintes it woulde haue seemed vnto the people that they were desirous that this honour should bee done vnto themselues after their death These are the foolish conjectures of Eccius Neuertheles the places that Papists cite out of Scripture to proue inuocation of Saints declare with what
they craued that others shoulde make supplications to God for them But hee who is Mediator of intercession he prayeth for vs and hath no neede that any man should pray for him In like maner Châ—…ysostome writing vppon these wordes of the Apostle For there is one GOD and one Mediator of GOD and man the man CHRIST IESUS plainely affirmeth that the Mediator of our intercession must bee partaker both of the diuine and humane nature And consequently there is no Mediator of intercession except Christ onely who is both God and man In like maner speaking of the Cananâ—…tisb woman hee saith that shee went not to Peter nor to Iames nor to â—…ohn but shee went directly to Christ bringing with her repentance as an aduocate and beeing moued with vnspeakeable admiration of the goodnesse of Christ hee saith O admirandares sursum tremor Deorsum fiducia miserere mei non opus habeo mediatore that is O admirable thing there is trembling aboue and confidence belowe haue mercie vpon mee I haue no neede of a mediator to wit betwixt Christ and mee Thus wee see that when ancient Fathers spake of a mediator of intercession they spake of a mediator betwixt God and vs and not betwixt Christ and vs. But now let vs take vp out of groundes of holy Scripture a true description of the mediator of intercession Out of two principal places of Scripture the description shal be grounded In the Gospell of Matthew it is saide This is my Well-beloued Sonne in whom I am Well pleased And in the Epistle of Peter we are warned to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Of these two places of Scripture I gather a description of a mediator of intercession in this maner Hee for whose sake onely our persons are in fauour with God and for whose merites onely our prayers are acceptable to God hee is the onelie mediator of our intercession But so it is that in Christ onelie God is pleased with our persons and for his sake onelie God accepteth our prayers ergo Christ is the onely mediator of our intercession The similitude that is vsed by Papistes in stead of an argument is to bee discussed Like as subjectes should not step rudelie to the King but by mediate persons who are in fauoure and credite present their sutes vnto his Highnesse Euâ—…n so say they wee shoulde not bee so bolde as to present our prayers to Christ at the first instant without the intercession of Saints To this similitude Origen himselfe albeit the first inuenter of the seminarie of this error hee answereth by another similitude That like as the shadow doeth follow the bodie in moste absolute maner so that if the bodie be moued the shadow also moueth and if the bodie rest the shadow also resteth Euen so if 2 man can bee in fauour with the eternall God then shall he also be in friendship with all the creatures of God And this agreeth well with the wordes of holy Scripture That the stones in the fielde shall bee in league with us and the beastes of the fielde shall bee at peace with vs to wit when wee are reconciled to our GOD. To this same similitude both used of olde by some and rejected by the learned S. Ambrose giueth this answere writing vpon the words of Pâ—…l They serued the creature forsaking the Creator who is blessed for euer Vpon these wordes hee writeth that men who haue neglected praying to GOD they defende themselues with a miserable excuse saying that by Saintes they may haue accesse to GOD like as by noble Courteours accesse vnto the King is purchased but go toe saith hee is any man so foolish or so vnmindfull of his owne safetie that he dare giue vnto the fore-saide noble Courteour that honour which is due to the King for if any man bee found trafficking about such businesse hee will bee justly condemned of treason Yet these men count them not guiltie who giue the honour due to GOD vâ—…to a creature and forsaking GOD they worship their owne fellow-seruantes as if there were anie greater seruice that coulde bee exhibited to GOD to wit then Inuocation of his blessed NAME For this cause saieth hee men procure accesse to the King by Nobles and Tribunes because the King is but a man and knoweth not to whom hee shoulde concredite the affaires of the kingdome but to purchase the fauour of GOD to whom nothing is vnknowne because hee knoweth the deseruinges of all men there is no neede of suffragantes but of a deuote minde And in his booke written of Isaac and the soule he writeth of CHRIST very holily and according to Scripture CHRIST is oâ—…r mouth by whom wee talke with the Father hee is our eye by whom wee see the Father he is our right hand by whom wee offer our selues vnto the Father who if hee intercide not for vs neither wee nor the Saints haue any thing to do with GOD. Albeit it may bee sufficiently prouâ—…d that euen Ambrose himselfe was somewhat intangled with the errour uniuersally ouer-spred amongst the common people for they were so fonde vpon Inuocation of Saintes that learned Preachers yeelded somewhat to the madnesse of an â—…uill disposed people as Aaron did to the carnall Iâ—…wes when they worshipped the golden Calfe Neuerthelesse any man who readeth the fore-mentioned places of Ambrose may perceiue that in heart and mind hee disliked the Inuocation of Saints The more particularly that wee descend into this argumentâ—… the trueth shall bee the more clearely manifested Let vs therefore search out whether or no it was counted lawfull of olde to pray to the Angels to worship the Virgine Marie and to inâ—…ocate the Saintes In holy Scripture wee find that vnder colour of humilitie some did worship the Angels and pray vnto them But the holie Apostle Paul who was taught immediately by CHRIST calleth this forme of deuotion rashnesse and the conceit of an heart puffed vp with a fleshly minde There is no pride comparable to the pride of a foole hee will speake of thinges hee neuer saw nor heard and of thinges whereof he can render no reason The Angell who reuealed great mysteries to the Apostle Iohn woulde not bee content to bee worshipped by him but rebuked him at two diuerse times for presuming to worship him said at both times he should worship GOD. And the Council of Laodicea damned the worshipping of Angels as Idolatrie and a forsaking of CHRIST The Angell who blessed Iaakob was not one of the ministring Spirites but the great Angell of the Couenant of GOD euen CHRIST IESUS to whom all knee should bee bowed Concerning the adoration of the blessed Virgine the mother of our LORD it is grounded vpon the fabulous narratâ—…on of her assumption written by Nicephorus whereunto the lesse credite is to be giuen because in it the glory onely due to CHRIST is giuen to the Virgine Marie namely
his treasures can keepe them Concerning the merites of CHRIST they say that there was such precious vertue in his blood that one droppe of it was sufficient to redeeme all the world now say they what shall become of all the rest of his blood which he shâ—…d in great abundance shall all this precious blood be lost and where can it be better kept than in the treasures of CHRISTS Vicar to be dispensated to the vtilitie of sinners when need requireth To this vaine assertion of Papistes I answere that the LORD nâ—…uer dealt sparingly neither with our bodies nor soules The LORD hath prouided greater abundance of aire for the refreshment of our bodies than all the breathing senses of men and beasts is able to draw in The LORD rained downe MANNA from heauen in greater plentie than might haue sufficed the people of the Ieweâ—… in the wildernesse euen so when the LORD is content to shed grâ—…at abundance of his precious blood he hath done it to set foorth the great riches of his mercie toward our soules but not to make a mortall man a dispensator of one drop of his blessed blood The chiefe questions betwixt vs the Romane Church anent Originall sinne are two First whether or no concupiscence which remaineth in the godly after their baptisme be in a proper acception called sinne or not for the Romane Church saith that it is called sinne by the Apostle because it came of sinne and it tendeth to sinne but not because it is sinne is a proper acception And the Council of Trent pronounceth an anathema against them who thinke otherwise than they haue determined The second controuersie is whether or no the naturall concupiscence mouing vs to euill can be called a sinne before wee giue the consent of our mind to it The Romane Church thinketh it no sinne vntill we yeeld the consent of our hearts vnto it The third question anent sinnes coÌ„mitted before after baptisme what way they are remitted because this question pertaineth more properly to another treatise I shal oueâ—…passe it at this time Now anent the first question I affirme that the Apostle Paul when he calleth concupiscence sin hee calleth it sin in a proper acception of the word sin Many names are giuen to sin in Scripture which expresseth what it is properly but especially these 3. names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concupiscence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a transgression of the Law as the Apostle manifestlly witnesseth when he sayeth I had not knowne lust except the Law had saide Thou shalt not lust therefore concupiscence is sinne in a proper acception In like manner concupiscence or originall sinne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an aberration to wit from the Lawe and Commandement of GOD and in exprâ—…sse wordes the Apostle speaking of Originall sinne sayeth Wherefore as by one man sinne entered into the worlde and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned c. In this place concupiscence is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an aberration from the Commandement of GOD and consequently a sinne in a proper acception of the worde sinne Remember also that the Apostle is speaking of all men yea and of himselfe also in the estate whereinto hee was presently when he wrote this epistle that is after he was baptized Then let vs marke the third word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a snappering and a falling to wit from the Lawe and Commandement of GOD and this word also is attributed vnto Originall sinne in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is through the offence of one man many bee dead so that all these three wordes concurring in one doe declare that concupiscence euen after baptisme in a proper sense is sin because it is a breaking of the Lawe an aberration from the Lawe and a falling from the Lawe Nowe the curses of the Councill of Trent which they cast out so prodigally against vs are not worthie one figge because they are not grounded in reason but are expresly repugnant to the written worde of GOD. The second question is this whether or no is concupiscence a sinne before we yeeld the consent of our heart vnto it To this I answere that if they vnderstood by concupiscence a bad inclination it is sinne euen in infants who doe not knowe what it is to consent either to good or euill but if they meane of the first motion or cogitation of sinne presented vnto the soule apparently this question belongeth rather to actuall than to originall sinne but whether it belongeth to the root of sinne or to the branches of sinne I shall produce three reasons wherfore the first motion of sinne is sinne euen before we yeeld vnto it the consent of our heart First because a consent is an indifferent thing called good or euill according to the nature of that thing whereunto we giue our consent and consequently the consent is euill because that motion of sinne whereunto wee consented was euill and if it had not beene euill in it selfe the consent of our heart giuen vnto it had neuer beene called euill Secondly Fathers from whome Papistes haue learned this Theologie that in them who are regenerated concupiscence is not to bee counted a sinne vntill a man giue the consent of his heart vnto it these same Fathers I say after they had pierced deeper into this question they corrected themselues as clearely appeareth by the wordes of Augustine against Iulâ—…anus a Pelagian saying Desiderium mali malum est etiamsi ci non consentiatur donec co perveniamus ubi nec habeatur that is the desire of euill is euill albeit consent be not giuen vnto it vntill wee attaine vnto that estate whereinto we shall be free of it Thirdly the Apostle IAMES when he damneth actuall sin he agreageth it by three circumstances to wit by the conception of it the birth of it and the punishment of it the conception of it is by concupiscence and this the Apostle setteth downe as the first circumstance of the amplification of sinne and not as a thing indifferent vntill wee giue consent vnto it how beit it is true that actuall sinne is not committed vntill consent be giuen to concupiscence yet in it selfe it is a sinne and the conception and root of sinne as the Apostle speaketh It is no point of wisdome to extenuate or to obscure and hide our sinnes for GOD can set them all in order before our face as the psalmist speaketh and if this bee all the gaine and aduantage wee haue by denying and obscuring a part of our sinnes it were better to lay all open before the great Phisitian of our soules to the end that in due time we may be cured by his medicinall plasters Augustine maketh rehearsall of three medicinall cures against concupiscence in these wordes In corpore mortis
like obedience the Rom. Antich demandeth to all his lawes ordinanâ—…es euen to such as are repugnant to the law of God as namely to inuocation of Saincts worshipping of images c. therefore he is justly counted the principall aduersary of Christ. The Antichrist is said to exalt himselfe against all that is called God or is worshipped because he taketh vpon him to dispense against the law of GOD which argueth that he arrogateth vnto himselfe authoritie aboue the lawe-maker for no lawe as I haue declared alreadie can bee dispensed withall but either by the same authority by which it is made or by a greater Against Christes Kinglie Priestlie and Propheticall offices hee aduaunceth himselfe in abrogating the institution of Christ concerning the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament of the Supper vnder both formes of bread and wine In prohibition of marriâ—…ge and meates and in setting vp a newe propitiatorie sacrifice in the Church as it were protesting the insufficiencie of the sacrifice of Christ once offered Let vs in this point marke the degrees of the defection of the visible Church not vnlike vnto the decaying estate of a diseased man First his naturall sappe and moysture decayeth Secondly corrupt humours doe abound Thirdly his blood is inflamed perilous feuers seazing vpon his bodie doe threaten death Euen so in the Church when holy exercises of prayer and preaching are intermitted this is a biginning of euill Next when superstitions rites and ceremonies seruing to no profitable vse doe abound in the Church as vitious humours in the bodie then is the defection increased But when the visible Church admitteth another Law-giuer than Christ and stoupeth vnder the yoke of his obedience then is the defection from the faith come vnto a ripenesse and the Antichrist then siueth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God and if the Lord had not kept vnto himselfe a remnant by his gracious election the visible Church had beene like vnto Sodome and Gomorrha In the 5. verse hee saieth Remember yee not that when I was yet with you I tolde you these thinges This verse is not superfluously casten in to admonish the Thessalonians that the comming of the Antichrist was a matter of great moment and tending to the hurt of manie mens soules therefore it was needefull that timous premonition shoulde bee made vnto the Saincts to eschew the danger to come This is the Lordes customable dealing in matters graue weightie and serious to giue aduertisementes proportionallie agreeing with the nature of the thing fore-tolde But what shall wee speake of the lethargie and securitie of the worlde wee neuer read that men were so sluggishe and ouer-laide with so deepe securitie as when they were fore-warned of great thinges to come as if the loude sounde of the trumpet of God serued to none other vse but onelie to lull men into a heauie sleepe The deluge of waters the first comming of Christ the destruction of Hierusalem the comming of the Antichrist and the great tempest of the wrath of God that shall be reueiled at Christes second appearance all these things I say haue bene fore-tolde but the contempt of the warnings of God haue procured and will procure the heauie weight of Gods indignation Wee reade of Christes Disciples that when they sawe their master walking vpon the waters they supposed hee had beene a spirite or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a fantasie and delusion this they did onely at one time in fâ—…are and weaknesse but the wicked at all times and in the obstinacie of their vnbeleeuing heartes call both the promises and threatninges of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fantasies and delusions For this cause the Apostle both by worde and writ inculcateth this prophâ—…sie of the coÌ„ming of the Antichrist into the eares of the Thessalonians to the ende they should not lightlie regarde the fore-warnings of God as the sonnes-in-law of Lot did in Sodome Now follow the 6. and 7. verses with the beginning of the 8. verse And now yee know what with-holdeth that he might beercueiled in his owne time for the mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke onlie he who now with-holdeth shall let till he bee taken out of the way and then shall the wicked man be reueiled The naturall order requireth that in these wordes three things should bee entreated First howe the mysterie of iniquitie beganne to worke in Paules dayes Secondlie who is this that should bee a let and hinderance to the Antichrist And thirdlie when was it that hee was made out of the way so that he could hinder the Antichrist no longer The mysterie of iniquitie began to worke euen in the dayes of Paule because some Heretiques sprang vp at that time who denied the diuinitie of Christ such as Ebion and Cerinthus these appertained to the kingdome of the Antichrist because they were his fore-runners beginning with entising speaches to seduce men from the trueth of God And what was wanting in them except power and vncontrolled authoritie to bring to a full ripenesse the worke of defection alreadie begunne So Heresies and the doctrine of lies is the very first foundation of the kingdome of the Antichrist And like as an Eagle that buildeth her nest in the face of a steepie rocke the first sticke that shee carrieth to her nest belongeth to the masse thereof Euen so without all controuersie the Heretiques who prepared a way to the kingdome of the Antichrist they are members of the bodie of his kingdome If any man shall object that the chaire of Rome damned the olde Heresies of Ebion Cerynthus and of the Manichies and therefore such men cannot bee justlie reckoned to appertaine to his kingdome whome hee separated from his fellowship by detesting their opinions To this I answere That like as the golde and siluer the brasse and yron and likewise the claye of the great image which Nebuchadneser sawâ—… in his vision had no agreement one with another yet in this they agreede to constitute one stately image opposite vnto the little stone hewne out of the rocke without handes euen so heresies are repugnant one vnto another yet all belong vnto the kingdome of darknesse and to the throne of the Antichrist set vp against the glorious throne of the kingdome of Christ Yea and these Heretiques who impugned the true doctrine of the person of Christ they brake the yce as it were gaue example to others to impugne the doctrine of his office also In the second place by him that letteth Chrysostome vnderstandeth the Romane Empire which consisting into its owne integritie with vndiminished and vnbrangled authoritie the Romane Antichrist durst not attempt high things and thinges farre surmounting the modest carriage of subjects And heere by the way it is to bee marked that like as the Apostle by him who letteth and hindereth vnderstandeth not one particulare Emperour onely but an Empire wherein one Emperour succeedeth to another Euen so by him that is letted hee
a sufficient number of odious names Hee is called the Antichrist an aduersarie to God the man of sinne the childe of perdition and in other places the false prophet the beast that is worshipped great Babylon the mother of whoredomes which stile albeit they transfeâ—…re it vnto the Romane chaire when the tenne persecuâ—…ing Emperours compelled men to worship heathen gods yet the holy Scripture referreth it to that whore who braggeth that she is married to wit to Christ and shee is not a widowe Apocal. cap. 18. verse 7. And this agreeth better with the chaire of Rome wherein Popes doe sit than with the chaire of Rome when persecuting Emperours sate into it Besides all these odious names the Apostle addeth another hatefull name calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that lawlesse man who will bee subject to no lawe neither diuine nor humane but hee will bee aboue all lawes hee will judge all men and bee judged of no man what regarde hee hath of the lawe of GOD it maye bee knowne by this That the breaking of the Popes lawe is counted a greater sinne than the breaking of the Lawe of GOD for in matters of marriage and meates if the Popes lawe bee transgressed foorth-with a man is counted an Heretique But when the Lawe of GOD is broken for a small summe of money a pardon may be purchased Yea further I am bolde to saye that the moste discrepant Idiomes of the GREEKE language such as the ATTICKE and IONICKE Idiomes they differ not so farre as the lawes of CHRIST and ANTICHRIST differ one from another Albeit the Atticke Dialect delighteth in contractions and the Ionicke in resolutions yet notwithstanding one and the selfe same thing in substance and matter maye bee vttered in both these discrepant Idiomes But the Lawes of CHRIST and Antichrist are so opposite in matter and substance that they cannot both consist and stand namelie when the Lawe of CHRIST biddeth alloweth and approoueth and the lawe of the Antichrist in that same subject forbiddeth disalloweth and disapprooueth The Lawe of GOD Exod. 20. counteth worshippers of Images haters of GOD The lawe of the Antichrist counteth them good Catholiques The lawe of CHRIST in the doctrine of Faith Inuocation and Mediation sendeth vs onelie to the Creator The lawe of the Antichrist sendeth vs to the creatures also so that the Antichrist is justlie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a lawlesse man in respect hee will not bee obedient to the Lawes of CHRIST Concerning humane and ciuill ordinances Hee who dare assoyle subjectes from the oathe of alleadgeance to their soueraine lordes hee vndoeth all ciuill gouernement policie and lawes from the verie foundation I superceede to write further in this point In the second place let vs consider the time wherein the Antichrist shall bee reueiled pointed out in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and then shall the wicked man bee reueiled which wordes beeing relatiue to that which immediatelie passed before importeth that the Antichrist shoulde bee reueiled at that same time when the mightie Monarchie of the Romanes was trodden vnder his feete Then it seemed that all the nations of the worlde should adore and worshippe the beast continuallie and that the tongues of men shoulde haue bene locked vp in silence so that no man euer shoulde take boldnesse to speake one word against the whore of Babylon yea and the Holy Apostle describeth the great securitie of the mother of whoredomes saying in his heart I sit being a Queene and am not a widow and shall see no mourning Apocal. 18. 7. At this same time the vnchangeable decreet of the Almightie God appointed that this wicked one should first be reueiled and afterward should be destroyed Wherin it is to be noted with what patient expectation wee shoulde attende vpon the times and seasons wherein it should please the Lord to performe his owne works for like as Christ thought it more expedient more teÌ„ding to the aduancement of His owne glorie to raise Lazarus out of his graue Ioan. 11. rather than out of the bedde of his infirmitie Euen so the Lord thought meet to suffer the Antichrist to mount vp vnto the top of all his desired prehemineÌ„ce then the Lord put hand to work both to discouer to destroy him to the further manifestation of his own vnspeakeable power wisdome In the third place the meanes are to be considered whereby the Antich should be discouered namely by the sincere preaching of the Gospel by the mouthes of men holy zealous Apoc. 11. 3 in gifts not vnlike vnto Henoch Helias Now seeing the man of sin is to be discouered by the sincere preaching of the Gospell let vs consider what benefite redoundeth to vs by the true and sincere preaching of the Gospell of CHRIST it is like vnto the light of the daye which manifesteth euerie thing in its owne coloures The thing that is beautifull is seene to bee bee beautifull and the thing that is euill fauoured is seene to be such as it is where of the madnesse of some Heretiques such as Gnostici and Mâ—…nichet is clearly perceiued who rejected the Scriptures of God because in them is contained a commemoration of the faultes of the Patriarches Shall the light be despised because it manifesteth both beautie and desormitie both strength and debilitie both the perfection of a complete body and the imperfection of a dismembered and mutilate bodie In like manner the Holy Scriptures are to bee had in the more reuerende regarde when they describe euery thing in their own colours and manifesteth on the one part the riches of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ and on the other part the falsehood subtiltie hypocrisie and pride of the Antichrist to the end that Gods people maye eschewe the Antichrist and rejoyce in the sweete saluation of Christ Iesus This discouerie of the Antichrist in some weake measure began about the yeere of our Lord 1300. at what time learned men fearing the tyrannie of the Emperour of the Turks fled to Italie and restored the Grieke and Latine languages to their own puritie This vindicating of languages from the grosse barbaritie of those times opened a doore of knowledge and a desire of reading with a judicious consideration of that which was read whether or not it were a suppositious worke More-ouer God annointed the eyes of many learned men with the eye-salue of vnderstanding whose sight increasing by degrees in end manifested to the worlde that the chaire of Rome was the seate of the Antichrist Marsilius Patavinus in his booke called Defensor Pacis writeth that the Clergie of Rome is a denne of thiâ—…ues and that the doctrine of the Pope is not to bee followed because it leadeth vnto eternall death Franciscus Petrarcha a man famously learned calleth Rome the whore of Babylon the Schoole and mother of errour the temple of Heresie the nest of treacherie growing and increasing by the oppression of others
argumentes whereby the seconde Councell of Nice endeuoured to approue the adoration of images are all refuted in the Councell of Frankford as I haue declared alreadie in a Treatise concerning worshipping of Images Concerning the argument taken from the authotitie of Epiphanius who in his booke called Panarium reckoneth not the worshippers of images in the roll of Heretiques it is answered by the Councell of FRANKFORD that incase Epiphanius had counted the haters of the worshippers of images Heretiques hee had likewise inferted their names in the catalogue of Heretiques but seeing hee hath not so done the Councell of Nice had no just cause to triumph so much in this friuolous argument which maketh more against them that it maketh for them More-ouer in the Councell of FRANKFORD the Epistle of Epiphanius written to Ihonne bishop of Hierusalem was read wherein hee disalloweth the verie inbringing of images into Churches and this Epistle was translated out of Grieke into the Latine language by Ierom. The Epistle is worthie to bee read Reade it in the Magdeburg Historie Cent. 8. Chap. 9. TREATISES Belonging to the VIII CENTVRIE A TREATISE Of Transsubstantiation SATHAN is a vigilant enemie setting himselfe in most opposite manner against euerie thing that is a comfort and refreshment vnto the sheepe-folde of God Now the principall comforts of the sheepe of God are the pastures wherein they feede and the waters wherewith they are refreshed Doubtlesse these two comforts are the preaching of the word and the ministration of the Lordes holy Sacraments If Sathan by any meanes can hinder the true preaching of the worde and the right ministration of the Sacramēts then his malice against Gods people is descried as the malice of the Philistimes of olde against Isaac and his cattell was manifested when they stopped with earth the foūtaines of water which Abraham had digged whereof the cattell of Isaac were accustomed to drink It cannot bee sufficiently expressed in words what malice Sathan hath born against the true preaching of the word of God the right ministration of the Sacraments The sixt persecution of Ethnick Emperoures was so directly set against the Preachers of Gods worde as the worlde might easily discerne that the intention of Maximinus was to vndoe the sheepe-folde of God for lacke of pastures and of refreshing waters For this cause let not our cogitations be rauished with admiration when we heare or reade that manie questions haue beene mooued concerning the holie Sacrament of the Lords Supper If there were not plenty of spirituall consolation to bee receiued by the right participation of this holy Sacrament Sathan had neuer busied himselfe so earnestly against it as if the throate of his kingdome were cut if this Sacrament be rightly ministred by the Preachers rightlie receiued by the people Let the Christian Reader remember that of olde vnder the tenne persecuting Emperoures the receiuing of the holy Sacrament of the Lordes Supper was called the banquet of Thyestes This proceeded from none other ground but from the malice of the Deuill hating the Lords holy banquet Secondly the Manichean heretiques so peruerted the Lords holy Sacrament that Augustine to whom their secret mysteries were not vnknowne was compelled to call their Communion Execramentum and not Sacramentum that is an execrable thing and not a Sacrament Thirdly the Donatists in ministring the Lords Sacraments were in an opinion That the Sacrament was onely effectuall when it was ministred by one of their owne number But seeing the malice of Sathan is an infinite thing and hath not a period wherein it endeth For defacing of the right vse of the holy Sacrament Sathan filled the heart of an hereticall Monke called Damascene with a lewde opinion to affirme That the bread in the holy Sacrament was transsubstantiate into the body of Christ and that the wine was transsubstantiate into His blood Which opinion I may justly call a Noueltie because it was neither in worde nor writ hearde before the seuen hundreth yeere of our Lord. But it is the custome of Papists to follow Nouelties and in the meane time to bragge of Antiquitie What abuses of the holy Sacrament followed after the seuen hundreth yeere of our Lord God willing shall bee declared in its owne time for the present thus much I say That vpon a time I saw the images of Cain and Abel pictured by an vnlearned painter with such habite as the Germanes are appareled with in our dayes These pictures made mee not to thinke that the Germane habite was in vse in the dayes of Cain and Abel but rather that the painter was a foolishe man destitute of vnderstanding Euen so when I reade the works of Damascene albeit I was at that time but young in yeeres yet I thought not that the opinion of Damascene was agreeable to Apostolicke doctrine but rather that Damascene was a foolishe and doating Monke and somewhat ambitious also desiring to be coūted the author of some new opinion which no man had maintained before him IN this TREATISE I shall first declare God willing what it is that they call Transsubstantiation secondly howe absurde an opinion it is and thirdly with what relùctation it was insinuated into the bosome of the Latine Church but euer vntill this daye was rejected of the Grieke Church Nowe Transsubstantiation as they saye is an euanishing of the substance of bread and wine after the wordes of consecration and a substitution of the bodie blood of Christ in place of the euanished substance of bread and wine the accidents of bread and wine alwayes remaining without inherence into anie subject Albeit the worde Transsubstantiation seemeth to import a change of one substance into another and the moste part of them define it to bee a chaunge of the substance of bread into the substance of Christes bodie yet some of them doe forsee a great inconueniencie if Transsubstantiation be defined to a chāge of the substance of bread into the substance of Christes bodie namely this that Christes bodie in heauen cladde with a most glorious and celestiall brightnesse and Christes bodie in earth ouershaddowed with the accidentes of bread and wine shall not bee counted one and the selfe same bodie in respect that the bodie of Christ that is in heauen was formed by the holy Spirit of the substance of the Virgine Marie and the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament woulde bee founde to bee made of the substance of bread This is the cause wherefore they who are more subtile than the rest abstaine from the grosse definition afore-saide Howsoeuer concerning the word Transsubstantiation I admonish the Reader that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an euanishing or disparition hath no affinitie with Damascenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a change of one thing vnto another thing that is better so that there is no good agreement amongst themselues concerning the signification of the word Transsubstantiation Concerning consecration of the elementes there are diuerse opinions The
commanded to confesse his faults to his neighbour whome hee hath offended Luke 17. 4 And it belongeth nothing to auricular confession except Popish Priestes would confesse in particular all their sinnes to the people like as the people confesseth all their secret sinnes in particular to the Priestes And our Lord and Master Iesus Christ when hee receiued a particular confession of secret sinnes from the Samaritan woman hee sent away his Disciples to Samaria to the ende the weakenesse of a poore penitent sinner should not bee troubled by a particular confession of secret sinnes before them who knewe not thinges which were done in secret But let vs confesse secret sinnes to God who knoweth things that are done in secret But sinnes whereby the Church of God is openly slandered let them also bee openlie confessed Seeing that auricular confession hath no testimonie in Scripture it followeth to search out by diligent examination whether or no it had place after the dayes of the Apostles in the first three hundreth yeeres of our Lord. Wee reade of the first Christned Emperour Philippus who slewe Gordianus and was slaine by the Emperour Decius anno 250 that hee was desirous about Easter time to bee admitted vnto the participation of the holy Sacrament but this benefit was refused vnto him vntill the time that he made his publicke repentance and vntill hee stood in the place where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were accustomed to stand They were so called because they were demaunded concerning the sinnes which they had committed and the sense and feeling of griefe that God had wrought in their heartes for their preceeding offences This was not a secret and auricular confession but an open confession of publike sins in sight open audience of the people So we see that for the space of two hundreth and fiftie yeeres after the Lords ascension auricular and secret confession of sinnes to the Bishop or Presbyter was vnknowne in the Church Nowe if at any time open confession of sinnes shoulde haue ceassed and giuen place to secrete and auricular confession it was in time of the tenne Persecutions because that Christians were drawne continually before the judgement seates of vnbeleeuing Iudges from whom the weaknesse and faultes of Christians might haue beene obscured if auricular confession had beene in vse at that time But the Fathers who liued in that age were so carefull to purge the Church from slander that they preferred the puritie of the Church vnto their owne liues True it is that euen before the ten Persecutions had an ende some good Christians woulde consult with their Pastors wâ—…ether it was expedient to confesse their sinnes openly before the people to the edification and good of the Church or secretly onely to God But this secrete consulting with the Pastor what was most needfull to bee done was not an auricular confession to him of all secret sinnes but rather an aduisement concerning some sinnes whether the sinner himselfe and the Church might receiue greater benefite by open confession before the people or by secret confession to God onely The wordes of Origen very pertinently cited by Chemnisius are these Consider circumspectly to whom thou shouldest confesse thy sinne Trie first thy Physition if hee vnderstand and fore-see thy disease to bee such as should bee confessed in the Congregation of the whole Church and so be cured whereby possibly others may be edified and thou thy selfe may bee easily healed then saieth hee make haste to vse the counsell of thy Phisition If the custome of the Primitiue Church were proponed in simplicitie and sinceritie it shoulde bee founde that the newe toye of auricular confession cannot bee shrowded vnder the vaile of great Antiquitie Whatsoeuer a fewe men wounded more deepely with a sense of sinne than others they did voluntarily in powring out their sinnes in the bosome of their Pastors albeit they had neither sacrificed vnto Idoles nor yet giuen vp their names in the Romane deputies rolles promising conformitie but only they confessed other faults of lesse moment to their Pastors with dejected and humbled mindes seeking comfort to their afflicted soules This is a matter rarely contingent wherewith wee are acquainted in our dayes as familiarly as Cyprian was in his time Yet was there no mandate and Church commandement ordaining people so to doe in Cyprians dayes And people likewise who powreth out the dolour of their wounded coÌ„sciences for secret sinnes in our bosome they doe it voluntarily and vncoacted hoping for some mitigation of their griefe through vnburthening of their heart by confession as Nazianzenus writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is It is some medicinall cure of heart griefe to powre out our words into the verie aire After the three hundreth yeere of our Lord and after the tenne Persecutions ceassed the discipline of making open repentance for open sinnes continued in the Church as is euident by the Act of the Councell of Nice in the 11. Canon in the which a forme of Publicke satisfaction is prescribed vnto them who in time of the Persecution of Licinius had sacrificed to Idoles But concerning a particulare confession of secrete sinnes to the Pastor there is no mention in the Councell of Nice The Historie hath declared that auricular confession had place in the East Churches in the dayes of Nectarius bishop of Constantinople whose Ministerie was vnder the reigne of the Emperour Theodosius Here two thinges are to bee noted First that the discipline of the East and West Churches was different and in the West Church there remained a publicke confession of notorious and publicke sinnes in so much that the Emperour Theodosius himselfe confessed his fault openly and in sight of the people at Millane for the slaughter of the innocent people of Thessalonica Secondly it is to bee marked that Nectarius in abolishing the custome of auticular confession he acknowledged it to bee but an humane and not a diuine constitution for who dare abolishe either in doctrine or discipline the constitutions and ordinances of God Lindanus a man in the Latine Language more eloquent than godly cannot suffer that it shall be thought that Nectarius abolished auriculare confession but rather that hee abolished the custome then in vse that one shoulde onely bee Presbyter Poenitentiarius to whome secrete sinnes shoulde bee confessed and that in time to come a man should make choise of any presbyter whom he pleased to be his father Confessor But let the historie bee judge Socrates saith that Eudaemon gaue councell to Nectarius to abrogate presbyter poenitentiarius to remit euery man to the triall of his owne conscience when he approached to the participation of holy mysteries Satisfaction in the Romane Church is an obedience to the injunctions of the Priest by performance wherof they are in hope to obtaine forgiuenesse at the handes of God for sinnes committed after Baptisme But besides the Nouelâ—…y that is in Popish Satisfaction it is also a blasphemous opinion
opposition is made to the Councell of Frankâ—…ord neither was the adoration of Images auowed in any of thâ—…se Councels So much auaileth the authoritie of a Prince for suppressing of false doctrine heresie In this CouÌ„cel at Rhemes Wulfarius archbis was presideÌ„t 44. canons are rehearsed in the 2. Tome of Councels made in this Councell In the 1. Can. it was concluded That euery man should diligently acquaint himselfe with the Articles of his Faith 2. That euery man should learne the Lords Prayer and comprehend the meaning thereof 3. That euery man promoted to Ecclesiasticall orders shall walke worthily conforme to his calling 4. The Epistles of Paule were read to giue instructions to sub-deacons howe they should behaue themselues Yet is there not one worde in all the Epistles of Paule of a subâ—…deacon 5. The Gospell was read to giue instruction to Deacons to minister condingly in their office 6. Ignorant Priestes are instructed to celebrate the Seruice with greater vnderstanding 7. In like manner they are instructed howe to prepare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sacrament of Baptisme 8. The holy Canons were read out of the Decretall of Innocentius for ordering the life of Chanons 9. The rule of Sainct Benedict was read to reduce Abbots and their Conuents to a remembrance of their order 10. The Pastorall booke of Gregorius was â—…ead to admonish Pastors of their duetie 11. Sentences of diuerse ancient Fathers were read to admonish men of all â—…aÌ„ks both Prelats subjects to bring forth the fruit of a good conuersation 12. These things being done they set down a forme of receiuing of confessions prescribing of pennance according to the Canonicall institution 13. They reasoned about the eight principall vices to the ende their diuersitie beeing distinguished euerie man might know what vices hee should eschewe and teach others to beware of the same 14. That Bishops should take heed to the reading of the bookes of the Canonicke Scripture and the bookes of Fathers should attend vpon the preaching of the word of God 15. That bisshops should preach the Sermons and Homilies of H. Fathers in such sort as all the people might vnderstand them The 16. can is coincident with the 12. 17. That bishops abbots permit no man to solace the company with filthy gesting in their preseÌ„ce but let poore indigent people be refreshed at their tables with lecture of diuine Scripture and praysing of God according to the Precept of the Apostle that whether wee eate or drinke let all thinges bee done to the glorie of God 18. Gluttonie and drunkernesse for bidden to bishops and the Ministers of God 19. Let not bishops bee rash to judge in thinges secret which are to bee referred to the judgement of God who can manifest thinges hid vp in darknesse discouer the secrets of the heart 20. Presbyters shall not transport themselues from a lowe place to a greater 21. Whosoeuer by money-paying procureth a preferment in the Church shall bee deposed 22. No Church man shall cohabite with a woman except it bee with his mother or sister or such like persons by whose companie no suspition of vncleannesse can arise Precepts giuen to Monkes and Nunnes I passe by as I did in the former Councell Can. 35. The Sabboth day shall be kept holy and in it no seruile worke shall be done according to the Lords Commandement 36. Let no man bestow vpon the Church that thing which by vnlawfull meanes hee hath fraudulently with-drawne from others 37. nor yet by lies and deceitfull meanes withdraw any thing duely beloÌ„ging to the Church 38. Let tythes be precisely payed 39. Let no man presume to receiue rewards for his decreet and sentence 40. Let Prayers Oblations be made for the Emperour and his noble rase that it woulde please God to preserue them in all happinesse in this present life vouchsafe vpon them Celestiall joyes in companie of the Angels in the life to come In the 41. Canon mention is made of a certaine rent left by king Pipinus of good memorie which they wish the Emperour Charles Pipinus sonne shoulde not alter nor transferre into another summe in respect that by so doing manie perjuries and false testimonies might ensue 42. And that no man should bee remooued from his mansion to whome the Emperoures Almes is distributed 43. And that the statute may bee confirmed by his Highnesse allowance whereby all contentions and strifes are ordained to haue a decision end 44. And that the statute made in Bononia concerning false witnesses maye bee ratified and confirmed with augmentation if neede require for eschewing of perjuries false testimonies and many other inconueniences IN the yeere of our LORD 813. and at the commaundement of the Emperour Carolus Magnus a Councell of manie Bishops and Abbots was assembled about establishing of Ecclesiasticall Discipline in the Towne of Towrs In the 1. Canon all men are admonished to bee obedient to the Emperour Charles the Great and to keepe the oath of alleadgeance made vnto him and to make prayers and supplications for his prosperitie and well-fare 2. All Bishops shall diligently reade and frequently peruse the bookes of holy Scripture the histories of the Euangell and the Epistles of Paul together with the bookes of ancient Fathers written thereupon 3. It is not lawfull for any Bishop to be ignorant of the Canons of the Church and of the Pastorall booke of Gregorius in the which euery man as in a viue mirrour might see himselfe 4. Let euery Bishop feede the flocke committed vnto him not onely with doctrine but also with examples of a good conuersation 5. A Bishop must not bee giuen to sumptuous banquets but be content with a moderate diet lest hee should seeme to abuse the counsell of our Lord saying Take heede that your hearts be not surfetted with gluttonie or drunkennesse but let holy lecture be at his table rather than the idle wordes of flattering fellowes 6. Let strangers and indigent people bee at Bishops tables whome they maye refreshe both with corporall and spirituall repaste 7. The delicate pleasures of the eare and the eyes are to bee eschewed lest by such pleasures the minde bee effeminate and inchaunted 8. Let not the Lordes seruantes delight in vaine jesting nor in hunting nor halking 9. Let Presbyters and Deacons followe the foot-steps of their Bishops assuring themselues that the good conuersation enjoyned vnto their Bishops is also enjoyned vnto them 10. Let Bishops haue a great sollicitude and care towards the poore and be faithfull dispensators of Ecclesiasticall goods as the Ministers of God and not as hunters after filthie lucre 11. It is lawfull for Bishops with consent of Presbyters Deacons to bestow out of the Church treasure support to indigent people of that same Church 12. A Presbyter is not to bee ordained vntill hee bee 30. yeeres olde 13. Let the B. make diligeÌ„t inquisitioÌ„ in his own Paroch Church that no Presbyter coÌ„ming from any
their constitutions to bee so vilepended that they are not worthie of an answere and namely when they saye that the Church hath power to dispense with the degrees of consanguinitie forbidden in the eighteenth CHAPTER of LEVITICVS and for to appoint moe degrees impeding the binding vp of Marriage than are contained in that CHAPTER of LEVITICVS What answere shall bee giuen to such Apostates from the trueth of GOD They make so great account of the Canons of their Councels that they accurse all them who dare contradict anie of them and on the other part they make so light account of holie Canonicke Scripture that euen when they adde to the Scriptures of GOD or diminishe anie thing from them they are worthie to bee hearde and to bee regarded But HENRIE the eight King of ENGLAND when hee sought resolution in this question at the moste part of the Vniuersities in EVROPE if it were lawfull for the Bishop of ROME or for a Councell to dispense with the degrees of consanguinitie forbidden in the eighteenth of LEVITICVS hee receaued a negatiue answere That it was not lawfull so to doe The prohibition of Marriage in moe degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie than are contained in the XVIII of Leuiticus is a wicked inuention to make the Law of GOD of none effect For like as Cyrus when hee caused manie channels to bee made wherein the water of the Riuer Gyndes should bee deriued What intention had hee but to drie vp the Riuer Gyndes and to make it ebbe of water that young boyes girles should not bee afraide to wade thorowe it Euen so prohibitiue degrees added to the Lawe of GOD tended to none other purpose but to vndoe and make of none effect the blessed Lawe of GOD. And this appeareth the more manifestlie because in that same Canon in the which they claime libertie to adde moe degrees of prohibition of Marriage to the degrees forbidden in Leuiticus they claime also a libertie to dispense with the degrees forbidden by GOD. But GOD confoundeth the counsels of men which are opposite to His diuine institution and turneth them all to follie And the prohibition of Marriage vnto the seuenth degree was retrenched in the Councell of Laterane anno 1215 and reduced to the fourth degree of consanguinitie So men who woulde correct the ordinance of GOD they are like the Serpent whereof Epiphanius writeth contra heres which for hunger is compelled to gnaw his owne taile and to procure his owne death More-ouer the prohibition of Marriage with spirituall sisters that is with them to whome they haue beene witnesses in the Sacrament of Baptisme or Confirmation it is a constitution neither countenanced by Scripture nor knowne to Antiquitie but onelie leaning vpon the authoritie of the ROMANE Church and therefore the people and nations in our time who acknowledge CHRIST to bee the onelie Lawe-giuer in His owne Church they haue giuen this Antichristian lawe as the ashes that are casten to the dongue-hill Their constitution concerning diuorcementes that it is not lawfull for the innocent partie to marrie so long as the other partie is aliue with whom he was once married is partly conceaued vpon wrong interpretation of Scripture and partly vpon the opinion of ancient Fathers who misconceauing the right meaning of holy Scripture haue giuen to others occasion of stumbling and erring True it is that the Apostle Paul saith Let not the wife depart from her husband but if shee depart let her remaine vnmarried or be reconciled vnto her husband and let not the husband put away his wife 1. Cor. 7. 10. 11. In this place the Apostle is speaking of such alienation of minds as falleth out betwixt man and woman and separateth their cohabitation for a time but hee is not speaking of diuorcements justly made for fornication for like as death cutteth insunder the bandes of Matrimonie giueth liberty to the liuing party to marry in the Lord Rom. 7. 2. 3 Euen so fornication cutteth insunder the matrimoniall bande and giueth libertie to the innocent partie to marrie another in the Lord. Matth. 5. 32. The billes of diuorcement giuen to honest women in the old Testament after the receauing whereof they married other husbands as clearly appeareth in the booke of Deuteronomie cap. 24. vers 4. this custome I saye is no sufficient grounde to prooue that the innocent partie may marrie after diuorcement for such diuorcementes were rather tollerated for the hardnesse of the Iewes heartes than commaunded or allowed and because they were made without anie triall of fornication they are damned by Christ as occasions of adulteries Matth. 19. 9. But the exception that Christ maketh in expresse words of fornication declareth that the diuorcement made for fornication is a lawfull diuorcement and consequently giueth libertie to the innocent partie to marrie as death interuening giueth libertie to the partie liuing to marrie The opinion of Augustine concerning the exception of fornication made by Christ in the question of diuorcement Matthew 19. 9. hath so blinded the eyes of Lindanus and manie others of the Romane Church that they suppose the meaning of the words of Christ to bee this That a man who putteth awaye his wife for fornication and marrieth another hee sinneth not so grieuouslie as hee who putteth away his wife vngrieued with anie such transgression on her part Alwayes both the one and the other sinneth saieth hee if they marrie another during the life time of the first bedde-fellowe But with Augustines fauour exclusine wordes such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is cannot bee expounded by Magis and Minus but the meaning of Christs words is euident That except fornication cutte the matrimoniall band the husband should not repudiate his wife and hee who marrieth a woman who is not diuorced for whordome committeth adulterie TO conclude this TREATISE let no man bee mooued by the honour which the Romane Church seemeth to giue vnto Marriage when they call it an holy Sacrament neither bee much troubled when they speake vnreuerently of Marriage for in the Courtes of Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate Christ was scornefullie honoured and seriously mocked and buffetted Mat. 27 Euen so when the Romane Church speaketh honourably of Marriage they are onely sporting and delighting themselues with conceits and discourses but when they abhorre Marriage and speake vnreuerently of it then they speake seriously and from their heart But the LORD in His owne time will stoppe the mouthes of them who teach a doctrine of Deuils from whose deceitfull doctrine the LORD make His Church free to whome bee all praise power and dominion both nowe and euermore AMEN FINIS Apoc 4. 10. Acts 20. 32. Euseb. lib. 2. Cap. 12. loseph antiquit lib. 20 cap. 2 Genes 85 Zach. 3. Ioan 8. 36. 1. Sam 2. 14. Christ Was borne when the scepter was apparently sliding from Iuda Christs kingdome is euerlasting The vncertainty of tradition Romaine Deputies in Iudea The priestly garments Christ crucified in the 18
mariage and affirmed that PAVI gaue libertie to widowes to marie because hee knewe the will of God but onely in a part August Index hâ—…eres Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 14 16. I purposely passe ouer that rable of obscure Heretiques whome I compared in the treatise of heresies to abortiue births such as Opbitae Caiani Sethiani and such like of whom notwithstanding EPIPHANIVS vouchsafeth to writ at leÌ„gth no doubt to manifest the corruption of mans nature stouping sometimes so basely that not onely they hearken to the counsel of the old serpent the deuil but also they wor ship the very instrument of the Deuil viz. the serpent as these Ophitae did Againe some Heretiques magnified CAIN and called him their father And others gaue to SETH the honour due to Christ. So it commeth to passe that men destitute of the grace of God that commeth from aboue are like vnto drunkards staggering on the right hande and on the left hande and falling on their faces and beating out their owne braines Sometimes they extoll wicked men like vnto CAIN and fall at the left hande at other times they praise good men like vnto SETH with excessiue prayses with derogation of the glory of Christ and fall at the right hand And at sometimes are so benummed that they spare not to set the very deuill and his instruments in the chaire of God and fall like drunken fooles on their faces and knocke out their owne braines Let no man maruell wherefore the names of AQVILA a man of Pontus and THEODOSION of Ephesus are not reckened in the rolle of Heretiques in this age True it is that they once professed the faith of Christ made defection againe but this defection made not a diuision into the Church which is the body of Christe because they joyned themselues to the vnbeleeuing Iewes who vtterly denied the diuinitie of Christ and therefore of Christians became infidels rather then Heretiques Like as no man calleth the Emperour IVLIAN an Heretique but an apostate so AQVILA and THEODOSION were notable apostats from the faith of Christ. Howe they laboured to peruert by sinistrous translations of places of Scripture giuing cleare testimonie to Christ who was borne of a virgin EVSEBIVS declareth lib. 5. cap. 8. The translation of the Septuagints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Behold a virgin shall conceiue Isa. 7. was translated by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold a young woman shall conceiue But this bad translation of Apostat christians and Proselites of the Iewes so well liked of the Iewish nation could neuer take place in the Church of Christ because the Prophet ISAIAH in that chapter is speaking of a miraculous signe which God will giue vnto his people to confirme their faith such as is the birth of a maide which indeede is a mitaculous worke but the birth of a young woman clad with an husband is no miracle Of Scripture and Tradition IN the first Centurie PAPIAS deceiued by tradition sell into the errour of the Chiliasts In the second Centurie CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS stumbling at the same stone fell into diuerse errours as hath bene alreadie spoken This presenteth vnto vs manifest occasion to speake of the certaintie of Scripture and the vncertaintie of tradition Scripture dited by diuine inspiration as the Apostle speaketh of it 2. Tim 3. is such a sacred and holy thing that to doubt of the perfection puritie vtilitie and operatiue vertue of it is notable blasphemie and a manifest contradiction to the spirit of God speaking by his seruant DAVID Ps. 19. from the 7. verse to the 11. verse So that these barking dogges who speake vnreuerently of the Scripture are more worthy of a whip wherewith dogs are driuen out of Churches then of an answere This is the incorruptible seede wherby we are begotten to be Gods children 1 Pet. 1. the sincere milke whereby we are nourished in Gods house 1 Pet. 2. this is the wine and milke that God hath giuen vs without money Isa. 55. ver 1 wine fine and purified Isa. 25. ver 6. This is a mirrour wherein we see the glorious image of Christ into the which we should be transformed 2 Cor. 3. ver 18. This is a lanterne to our feet a light to our pathes Psal. 119. ver 105. and a very diademe to the heade of the woman that trauaileth in birth to bring forth children to God Apoc. 12. The holy Scriptures are like vnto the authour of holy Scriptures of whome MOSES saith that God is fearefull in praises Exod 15. ver 11 When wee prayse a mortall man it is to be feared lest wee giue too much honour vnto him but when wee praise the immortall God it is to bee feared lest wee holde backe a part of his due honour And truely the worde of God in this point is like vnto God himselfe When a man entreth into a commendation of the Scriptures of God he hath nothing to feare but this one thing that he speake not so reuerently of it as becommeth him to doe It is the witnesse of Christ Iohn 5. It is the candle of God shining in a darke place 2. Pet 1. It is the sword that the spirit furnisheth vs to fight against spiritual wickednesse Ephes. 6. ver 17. In a word let vs be wise like men who finde precious stones they goe to the Lapidars to trie the value vertue of the stones that are found for euery man hath not skill to judge of such precious things so let vs consider diligently what the Prophets and Apostles the very pen-men of the holy Ghoste haue spoken anent the written Worde of God and wee shall finde it a pearle of infinite value Matt. 13. This volume of the booke of the Worde is one of the two principall bookes wherein wee learne to knowe God as the Prophet declareth Psal. 19. In the booke of the workes we know the power diuinitie of God Rom. 1. but in the booke of the written worde of God we know the will of God and his fauour toward vs in Christ lesus and therfore the Prophet saith that the statutes of the Lord rejoyce the heart Psal. 19 ver 8. Satan knowing what profitc commeth to men by joyning these two volumes together hath laboured to separat them to the ende that men seeing the beautie of the creature should worship it in stead of the Creator And like as a ship that is spoiled of a prudent Pilot or shipmaster it is drowned in the sea euen so the worde of God when it directeth not the knowledge that men haue by the looking vpon the creature then men mal e shipwracke of their saluation and worshippe the creature in place of God the Creator of all things Another artifice of Satan is to separat the word and the Spirit which God hath joyned together as two vnseparable meanes to set vp the Kingdome of God in our hearts as the Prophet ISAIAS saith And I will make this
my couenant With you saith the Lord my Spirit which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede saith the Lord from henceforth and for euer Isa. 59. ver 21 But the Anabaptists in our dayes brag of the reuelations of the spirit which reuelations notwithstanding agree not with the written word of God and therfore it is certaine that their reuelations are but fantasies and toyes of brain-sicke men This written word of God is to be read in the bookes of MOSES and the Prophets of whome Christ said Search the Scriptures for they beare testimonie of me Ioh. 5. And in the bookes written by the Apostles and Euangelists whome Christ commanded to tarie at Jerusalem vntill they were endued with power from aboue Actes 1. ver 8. This power wherewith they were endued from aboue was double First a power to knowe the sense and meaning of the Scriptures of God Secondly power to vtter boldly and couragiously in all languages and to all nations the trueth which they knewe This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinguisheth the writings of the Prophets and Apostles from all other writings as THEODORETVS prudently hath noted de principio Serm. 2. The will of God saith hee is not to be sought in the bookes of PLATO who like as he knewe litle in matters concerning God so likewise hee was timorous and durst not vtter vnto the worlde boldly that litle sponke of knowledge which he had Hee knew there was onely one God but in his letters written to DIONYSIVS if they were serious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the beginning of the letter thâ—…t is oâ—…e God but if the letter was not serious nor dited froÌ„ the â—…ound of his heart then the beginning of the letter was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pluralitie of gods Who can giue vndoubted credite in maters pertaining to God to such men as know but a litle and the litle thing that they know they dare not presume to tell it to others But the Apostles were indued with strength from aboue they were taught by the Spirit of Christ in al trueth Iohn 16. they were not dashed with feare of the countenances of men Acts 4. but couragiously preached the truth of God to the great admiration of their hatefull aduersaries The word of God written by MOSES was so perfitly written that it was not lawfull to adde any thing vnto it nor to paire any thing from it Deut. 4. 12. Neither did the Prophets or Apostles adde any thing vnto the writings of MOSES but they were faithfull interpreters of MOSES bookes and vttered that same thing more clearely which was somewhat darkly shadowed into the ceremonies of the Law For like as a marchant man who hath fine cloth rolled vp in his shop if he shall lay it out in breadth and length vpon a table it remaineth the selfe same cloth it was before but it is better seene and knowne then it was before euen so the Apostles haue vttered the mysteries of the Kingdome of God more clearely then MOSES did but they haue said no more anent the saluation of man then MOSES saide before them This pure and perfite word of God should not be mixed with humane traditions for by this mixture three injuries are done to the written worde of God First by this meane the reuerence due vnto the written worde of God is impared and diminished Secondly traditions by time are equalled vnto the written worde of God and thirdly traditions are preferred vnto the written word of God And this beeing the last period whereunto the reuerence of humaine traditions tendeth to make the writâ—…n commandementes of God of none effect by their traditions as Christ clearely testifieth Mat. 15 ver 6. humane traditions are the lesse to bee regarded of all true hearted Christians to the end the written word of God may haue the owne due honour and reuerence Many false imputations against sacred Scriptures are forged by Papistes to transport the hearts of people from the perfite reuerence of scripture calling it imperfite vnsufficient and that it is obscure and that it is perillous to Laicke people to reade it lest they fall into errour The first accusation of Scripture is the vnsufficiencie of it The Bishop of Enereux that blasphemous man was bold to write a booke of the vnsufficiencie of Scripture and the greatest argument hee vseth if it were granted yet prooueth it not his purpose for he thinketh that wee haue not sufficiently by Scripture conuicted the Anabaptists who deny that children should be baptized till they be of perfite yeeres to giue a confession of their owne faith Wee suppone that all this were true yet it prooueth not vnsufficiencie in scripture but rather insufficiencie in vs to whome the mysteries of the booke of God are not sufficiently knowne There is a place of Scripture Exod 3. I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. In this place I say is an argument secretly latent and prooning the resurrection as Christ clearely declareth disputing against the Sadduces Mat. 22 ver 31. 32. yet no man before the manifestation of Christ himselfe euer perceiued that this argument was lurking in these words shall it be saide this argument was not in scripture because it was not perceiued by weake men to bee in scripture Truely it were good for this Bishop to follow the example of the Iudges that are in this Isle of Britaine when an act of Parliament is made and ratified the Iudges of our countrie decerne all causes according to the Acts but giue not out rash sentence against the Actes but when the Couenant of God is made and ratified by the bloode of Christe it were better to judge according to it then to giue out rash sentence against it Let vs consider what is written of the three bookes that shall be opened at the day of Iudgement and whereby the worlde shall be judged One of the three bookes is expresly nominat to wit the booke of life Apocal chap. 20. ver 10 the other two no man can denie to bee the Booke of the Lawe and the booke of the conscience because the Booke of the Lawe declareth all that wee should haue done and the booke of the conscience beeing opened manifesteth all that wee haue done whereupon the righteous Iudge of the worlde groundeth a just sentence of condemnation against vngodly men in this maner The booke of the Lawe manifesteth what yee should haue done the booke of your owne conscience manifesteth that yee haue done the contrarie and moreouer also your names are not found written in the Booke of life Therefore departe from mee into the fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels Nowe I demaund of Papistes concerning these three bookes that shall bee opened is any of them imperfite Is there any elect person whose name is not written in the booke of