which deliuereth by the bloud of Christ because he is blessed whose sinne is remitted pardoned Hierome n 390. ioyneth close vnto him and o Vpon Rom. 4. saith God iustifieth by faith onely the wicked man when he conuerteth and not workes which hee hath not And againe vpon p Vpon Gal. 3. these wordes Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse he saith so also vnto you onely faith is sufficient vnto righteousnesse And a little after Because that in the law c. because no man keepeth it therefore it is said that by faith onely the beleeuers are iustified S. Augustin a Anno 400. homil 6. Vpon these words loue your enemies standeth vp as it were with him and protesteth No man is made iust but of a sinner as wee haue often song blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen hee said not blessed are they which not committed sinne but blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen them For if thou aske who hath not committed thou shalt find no man Whereby then shall any man be blessed vnlesse he bee pardoned that he hath done and couered that hee hath committed And a little after Thinke not that by thy merites thou art made such an one because the grace of God hath made thee such an one The Milenitane councell doeth b Anno 420. close vp this faith when it will haue nothing giuen to mans will or workes but ascribeth all to the mercie grace of God as is shewed but a little before c Anno 450. sermo 30. Petrus Chrysologus expoūdeth this matter by the cause where he saith Non veni vocare iustos I came not to call the righteous but sinners he putteth not backe the iust but because that without Christ no man is counted iust in the earth I came not to call the righteous but sinners in so saying hee putteth not backe the righteous but because hee findeth all men sinners harken to the Psalmist The Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men that hee might see if there were any that vnderstood or sought after God all haue gone out of the way c. Let vs bee brethren let vs be sinners by our owne confession that by the pardon of Christ we may not be sinners Theophilact commeth d Anno 760. some pretie while after and yeeldeth to this veritie saying vpon e Vpon 3. vers 11. these wordes And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God c. he hath therefore shewed that men are made accursed by the law and are vnder the curse but the blessinges are heaped vp by faith Now he doth plainely shew that verie faith yea euen alone hath in it selfe the vertue of iustifying c. The ordinarie glosse vpon the bible ioyned with Lyra being of f Lyra wrote about 1320. later and more corrupted time by euidence of truth is drawne to the same confession g Vpon Rom. 3 4. saying Workes follow him that is iustified but do not go before him that is to bee iustified but by onely faith without workes going before a man is made iust And againe Vnto him who hath not time to worke if he beleeue onely faith is sufficient to righteousnesse Bernard h Bernardus Clarenallensis liued in Anno 1120. liuing some good time before this finding the same truth in Gods booke giueth like witnesse i Vpon Cantic sermon 22. saying Quisquis propeccatis compunctus esurit c. Whosoeuer being pricked for his sinnes doth hunger and thirst for righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee who dost iustifie the wicked being iustified onely by faith he shall haue peace with God Here the Christian reader may see that protestantes flourished in the primitiue church and that the ages after did not want witnesses of this truth Now if I be asked how the opinion of righteousnesse by workes came into the Christian societie and corrupted it I desire the reader to cast his eies vpon the matter it selfe consider with me that the way of saluation is Christ only he is made ours by faith for vnlesse wee learne beleeue in Christ we can not be saued The deuill therfore by all meanes hath laboured to keepe men from the knowledge of Christ first he drew away the wise learned of al nations many ages together that they thought themselues happie by their wisdome vertue lawes works with other deuises but knew not the true God and the righteousnes saluation which is by Christ yet God hauing an eye to his elect whom he called maugre the malice of sathan this was otherwise in the church of God And God called and taught Abraham a Gal. 3.8 the gospel namely that men should be righteous by faith onely Here the Deuil hath a new worke and in processe of time vnder colour of the righteousnes of the law he caused the church of the Iewes to fall from God by forsaking faith and seeking to bee iust by their workes for as Saint Paul witnesseth Rom. 9.31 Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse could not attaine vnto the law of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the law Heere God resisted Sathan and opened the way of life vnto all nations For in the fulnesse of time when the promise of the gospell vnto Abraham of iustifying the gentiles through faith was now to be accomplished God sent forth his sonne to be the light of the world and he his Apostles preached repentance to all nations and taught them righteousnesse saluation by faith in Christ onely And then as S. Paul also teacheth c Vers 30. The gentils which followed not righteousnesse attained vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnesse which is of faith Here the Deuil bestirreth himselfe and first euen in the Apostles time hee raiseth vp the Iewes who being d Act. 21.20 zealous for Moses fight eagerly for the law e Gal. 3.1.2.3 and that the workes of Gods commandements be ioyned vnto faith f 1. Thess 2.14 15.16 or to bee aduanced aboue faith Against which Saint Paule laboureth and writeth to the Romains and Galathians most strongly proouing that onely faith in Iesus Christ doth iustifie that God had so decreed it by his word c Act. 15. and the Apostles by a counsell determine that the Gentils are free from the law of Moses Afterward the diuel prepared diuers heretikes to this battaile who in diuers sortes assayled this faith some fighting against the person of Christ as Simon Magus and Arius and their followers some stroue for their owne perfection and righteousnes as Ebion Pelagious Donatus Cathari and such like Against all which God stirred vp learned valiant and faithful men who defended and maintained the faith by the sword of the spirit and kept it found many yeres so that the heretickes preuailed not But in this verie time
many moe seuerall braunches thereof But my second cause is more speciall and of greater wayght namely that God made choise of Abraham in calling of him to bee the father of all belieuers and that the same faith which hee receyued of God should bee the religion of all nations wherein and whereby they should bee saued to the end of the world Which thing Saint Paule teacheth when hee saith b Gal. 3.8 The scripture foreseeing that God woulde iustifie the gentilles through faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the gentils bee blessed Where we learne that the gospell which teacheth this religion that men should bee iustified by faith was preached to Abraham and namely for the vse of the gentilles that they should bee made of the same religion with Abraham and with him by faith onely bee iustified as hee saith in the next verse Vers 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham This did GOD signifie vnto Abraham when hee chaunged his name saying a Gen. 17.45 Behold I make my couenant with thee and thou shalt bee a father of many nations neither shall thy name any more be called Abraham but thy name shall bee Abraham for a father of many nations haue I made thee Hereof the Apostle teacheth that Abrahams seede is twofold b Rom. 4.16 not onely of the law which is meant of the Iewes but also that which is of the faith of Abraham that is the gentilles who not hauing the lawe are yet his seed through faith and therfore he addeth He is father of vs all that is both of Iew gentil which belieue alleadging this place for proofe saying as it is written I haue made thee a father of manie nations c. Whereby it is pregnantly proued that Abraham is made in regard of faith and religion a father both to Iewes and Gentils The Iewes are first admitted to be his children to walke in his religion and steppes of faith after we succeed in their roome to walk in the same steps of faith religion of Abraham they as the Apostle els where c cap. 11.17.18 saith being naturall braunches for vnbeliefe were cut off But we though braunches of the wild Oliue are grafted in by faith Now because it is here manifest that Abraham receiued the couenant for vs and the whole religion of God as well for vs as for the Iewes and that God wold not haue the Iews to haue one religiō the gentils an other the one to be saued by one faith the other by another but both to be of that faith and religion which was taught and found in Abraham and that Christ comming of his seed should bee sauiour both of Iewes and gentils d Luc. 2.32 A light to be reuealed to the gentils the glorie of Israel religion then being one the same one being the same only which was taught Abraham I thought it best to choose him and his storie because that neither the law nor the gospel could or ought to differ in religion and faith from that of Abraham that if our religion in Englande agree with that of Abraham then it might bee knowen to be the true auncient and catholike religion and faith no new broached religion or doctrine such as that is of the Church of Rome as in the processe of this booke shall be seene But for thy better help good Christian reader I will follow this order I will shew the seuerall points of religion which are most materiall one after an other as they are in nature first second and then in euerie part or article Abrahams faith first And secondly except some special reason draw me to alter this order I wil shew how our religion agreeth with his faith and lastly how Moyses the prophets and the new testament confirme the same And thus they follow The first Article of faith and religion concerning God 1. There is one true euerliuing Almightie God and three persons God the father God the Son God the holy Ghost which are not three Gods but one God THis Article hath two partes first of the vnitie of the Godhead and secondly the trinitie of persons The first God taught Abraham when in his calling he brought him to forsake the a Ioshuah 24.2 strange and many Gods of his fathers to embrace one and the onely true God shewing this perfect marke that he could set downe order what should become of b Gen. 12.3 cap. 15.13 cap. 17.1 cap. 18.14 all the families of the earth and particularly of his posteritie that hee was God all sufficient and that nothing was harde to him Therefore Abraham hauing learned this professeth it to be his faith and religion calling the Lord c cap. 14.22 The most high God possessor of heauen and earth and hee gaue him this d Rom. 4.18.19 glorie of God that although himselfe were an hundred yeare old Sarah his wiues wombe now dead yet did he beleeue Gods word concerning his seed being assured that he which had promised was also able to do it The second God taught Abraham when hee e Gal. 3.8 preached the gospell vnto him in these wordes f Gen. 28.18 In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed For by the seed being vnderstood Christ namely the son of God to be made man of the seede of Abraham God speaking in these words to Abraham concerning his son Abrahā must needs vnderstand the first person of the father in him that speaketh and the second person of the Sonne in him that is spoken of And of this second person in the knowledge and faith of Abraham speaketh Christ saying g Ioh. 8.56.58 Abraham reioyced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad And againe before Abraham was I am And as concerning the holy Ghost the third person Abraham vnderstood that in all the wordes because they are as the Apostle teacheth h Gal. 3.14 the promise of the spirit which thing you shall perceiue if you looke vpon Abrahams seed for it came not by the naturall vertue and power of man but by the holy Ghost as first Isaacke was borne when Abraham and Sarah were past age of the naturall begetting and conceiuing of a child by the vertue of the promise of God which being performed by the power of the holy ghost he is said sometime i Rom. 9.7.8 Gal. 4.23.29 to be borne by promise and sometime to be borne after the spirit Secondly Christ the seed of Abraham by whom all are made blessed is also borne a man without the seed begetting of any man onely of a virgin and conceiued by the holy Ghost as the k Luk. 1.34.35 Angell in Luke declareth Lastly all the faithfull which are the spirituall seed and children of Abraham and made blessed by this promise of Christ are no otherwise made partakers of this blessing
multiplie her seede Here Abraham entreated God for Ismael saying O that Ismael might liue in thy sight by occasion whereof God openeth his will more plainly and saith Sarah thy wife shal beare thee a son in deed and thou shalt call his name Isaack and I wil establish my couenant with him for an euerlasting couenant and with his seed after him And after d Cap. 18. appearing vnto him in Mamre he repeteth this manifestation of his wil saying I wil certainly come againe vnto thee according to the time of life and loe Sarah thy wife shal haue a sonne At which time Sarah laughed in her selfe as though it were a strange or impossible thing that she should haue a son being so old and Abraham also was verie olde And God rebuked her saying that Nothing was hard to God and for certaintie repeateth the promise At the time appointed wil I returne vnto thee and last of all when e Cap. 21. Abraham was one hundred yere olde Sarah in deed brought him forth a son at the season which God told him and he called his name Isaack And after when at the weaning of this his son Isaack hee made a great feast Sarah sawe Ismael the son of the bond woman which was now som 14. yeres old mocking her son Isaack therefore she saith vnto Abraham Cast out the bondwoman and her son c. and this greeued Abraham but God admonished him not to be greeued but to doe as Sarah spake because that in Isaack his seed should be called and so Abraham put the bond woman and her son Ismael out of his house This story sheweth the decree of god namly touching the saluation damnatiō of men that as Abraham and Sarah diuersly regarded Ismael and thought he might be the seed as appereth by his generation Abrahās intreaty griefe for him Sarahs laughing yet were they altogether deceiued of their mind and will but Isaack whom God decreed to be of Sarahs bodie and so promised became in deed to be the only seed in whō the couenāt should be established So therby is taught that no man is saued by chance constellation of stars or by mans wil choise or workes or any other way within the compasse of mans reache or wisdom but according as God hath ordained and fore appointed and they whom he hath not appointed to be saued shal neuer be saued This durst I neuer so interpret of mine owne head nor many other places of like sort in this treatise but that the holy ghost the same spirit wherby God taught Abraham hath opened it in the new testamēt as by the holy Apostle is plainly shewed where it is thus said a Rom. 9 6.7.8.9 c. Notwithstanding it cannot be that the word of God should take none effect for they are not all Israel which are of Israel neither are they al children because they are the seed of Abraham but in Isaack shall thy seed be called that is they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed For this is a word of promise in this same time wil I come and Sarah shal haue a son Neither he only felt this but also Rebecca when she had cōceiued by one euen by our father Isaack for ere the children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euil that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth it was said vnto her the elder shal serue the yonger as it is written I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau what shal we say then is there vnrighteousnes with God God forbid For he saith to Moses I wil haue mercy on him to whom I wil shew mercy and wil haue compassion on him on whom I wil haue cōpassion So then it is not in him that willeth not in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy which plainly telleth vs that both this preferment of Isaack before Ismael that of Iacob before Esau do proue teach that general doctrin which God spake vnto Moses namely that Gods mercy in sauing regardeth no mās works or wil but only his own holy wil and pleasure so that we may say here as Christ in the same case saith b Math. 11.26 It is so O father because thy good pleasure was such Agreeing to which the church of England describeth c Artic. 17. of predestination and election Predestination to life to be the euerlasting purpose of God wherby before the foūdations of the world were laid he hath constantly decreed to deliuer from the curse damnatiō those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind to bring them by Christ to euerlasting saluation as vessels made to honor c. Now Moses in his consent not onely openeth this point in that which we haue before seene alleadged by saint Paul but also where he entreating for Israel for their saluation wisheth his own damnation in these words d Exod. 32.32 Rase me out of the booke which thou hast written which book is Gods decree purpose touching the saluatiō of his elect as appeareth by that in the reuelation e Reuel 20.15 Whosoeuer was not found in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire Also that which is spokē in Moses touching Pharao a Exod. 9.16 For this cause haue I appointed thee c. which the Apostle b Rom. 19.17 expoundeth to be of Gods eternall purpose and such is that of Moses song c Deut. 32.8 When the most hie God deuided to the nations their inheritance when he seperated the sons of Adam he appointed the borders of the people according to the number of the children of Israel which sheweth gods decree prouidence touching deuiding of the nations and choosing Israel to be his church before all other which saint Paul expoundeth where hee saith that God d Act. 17.26 assigned the times which were ordained before and the bounds of their habitation So then Moses teacheth Gods eternal decree touching al things touching his church and elect and his prouidence effecting the same Now let vs see with what termes the prophets interpret this They say e Psal 135.6 33.11 Whatsoeuer pleased the Lord that did he in heauen and in earth in the sea and in all depthes The counsel of the Lord shall stand and the thoughts of his harte thorough all ages f Hier 27.4.5 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel c. I haue made the earth the man and the beast that are vpon the ground by my great power and by my stretched out arme haue giuen it to whom it pleased me c. whereby it appeareth that by Gods eternall counsel and will the prophets vnderstand that all things come to passe in all ages in all creatures and namely among men such as is the translating of
call his name wonderfull counseller the mightie God c. m cap 53.10 he shall make his soule an offering for sinne a Zach. 6.12.13 Behold the man whose name is the branch and he shall grow vp out of his place and hee shall build the temple of the Lord euen he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glorie and shall sit and rule vpon his throne and he shal be a priest vpon his throne and the counsell of peace shall be betweene them both And many other places where his godhead manhood mediatorship priesthood kingly office are expresly described But yet most abundantly and most euidently in the gospel where of his person it is said b Rom. 1.3.4 He was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh and declared mightely to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead c Rom. 9.5 Of the Israelites concerning the fleshe Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Touching both person and office When the fulnes of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law that we might receiue the adoption of sons d 1. Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered for sins the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God and was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit His kingly office thou hast where it is said e Eph. 1.20.21 God set him at his right hand in heauenly places far aboue all principalitie power and might and domination and euerie name that is named not in this worlde only but also in that is to come and hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be head to his church and his priestly office in these words f Heb. 7.24 This man because hee endureth for euer hath an euerlasting priesthood Wherefore hee is able perfectly to saue them which come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them O blessed harmony and sweet consent in so ioyfull a description of our louing God and sauiour Happie art thou O England who hast fellowship with Abraham Moses the prophets Apostles in so heauenly holy g 1. Tim. 3.16 great misterie of godlinesse Which God doth not reueile to all people but only to his h Colos 1.26 Saints All thanks therefore bee giuen vnto the most glorious name of our good God for his most excellent gift and rich grace Amen The sixt Article of the applying of Christ Faith onely iustifieth and who so euer beleeueth in Christ shal be saued THe meaning of this Article is that there is not in man either before or after hee beleeue any inherent righteousnesse or goodnes of mind neither any kind of workes done by him which can either deserue any thing at Gods handes or in any part satisfie his wrath wherby we should be accounted righteous in his sight but that Christ alone hath paid our ransome for our sinnes and wee are saued by the meere and free grace of God thorow his bloud and wee are then onely accounted iust and iustified before God made inheritors of saluatiō when by a true vnfained faith beliefe in Christ bloud wee acknowledge embrace and receaue this grace and fauour of God and this faith onely in this sort apprehending Christ maketh vs righteous and iustified before God And thus surely it befell vnto Abraham our father For first he was taught it Secondly hee found and felt it Thirdly God wrote it for euer with great and golden letters in the image of his house that all posteritie might reade it and learne it to their euerlasting comfort That he was taught it is apparant in that God finding him void of all goodnesse and righteousnesse as is before declared gaue him the promise that a Gen. 12.3 in him all the families of the earth should bee blessed This the Apostle interpreteth to bee meant that the nations should bee iustified by faith in Christ and not by works saying b Gal. 3.8 The scripture foreseeing that God wold iustifie the Gentils through faith preached before the gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the gentils bee blessed Where thou mayest obserue two thinges First that this vttering of this promise to Abraham was the preaching of the gospell Secondly that the summe of the gospell is Iustification is by faith onely And that all nations should haue no other but the same order of iustification which God taught Abraham namely by faith onely In the second place Abraham found and felt this when he c Gen. 15.2 mourned to God because he had no child and God shewed him the starres and said looke now vp into heauen and tell the starres if thou be able to number them and hee said vnto him So shall thy seede bee And Abraham beleeued the Lord and hee counted that to him for righteousnesse Which the Apostle doth interprete to be vnderstood that faith without workes doth iustifie not onely in the person of Abraham but also that it pertayneth to all other in the like and verie same manner to be iustified and in none other First of Abraham he saith a Rom. 4.1 What shall we say that Abraham our father hath found concerning the fleshe for if Abraham were iustified by workes hee hath wherein to reioyce but not with God For what saith the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnes In which wordes it is plaine that Abraham was iustified by faith onely and if hee had beene by workes hee had had no reioycing with God And as touching all other that it is the onely and perpetuall rule of iustification hee saith b Verse 23. Now it is not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse which beleeue in him which raysed vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead Thirdly the great and golden letters wherewith this doctrine is written in Abrahams house be Sarah his wife and her sonne Isaack and Hagar his bond seruant and her sonne Ismael in whom God hath set forth as in a wide open book the two couenants the couenant of works and the couenant of mercie the one of the law and the other of the gospell For Sarah representeth the couenant of mercie and the estate of the Church vnder the gospell and her sonne the true and faithfull beleeuers in Iesus Christ Read Gen. 16. 21. Hagar representeth the couenaunt of workes and the state of the Church vnder the lawe and her sonne Ismael such as seeke righteousnesse by their workes Now as Sarah being the free woman her sonne Isaack was the heire vnto Abraham and remayned in his house for euer so the couenaunt of mercie and the
time and with the preaching of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles is most comfortablie sealed vp and confirmed the Lords name be praised therefore The Lords name I say be praised who hath bin so mercifull and gratious vnto this little Ileland that passing ouer many greater richer and mightier nations hath set such an especial loue vpon vs as he hath vouchsafed to preferre and exalt our nation aboue many other to be of his holie and catholike church of the blessed communion of his saints and a true member of his visible people vpon whom his name is called That we may truely iustly and boldly say that the religion which we follow and the faith and doctrine which wee confesse is the faith of Gods elect the knowledge of the truth according to godlines vnder the hope of eternall life the verie true and onely way of saluation which God and not man teacheth Which he hath taught al the fathers before the law was giuen or any part of Gods woord written during the space of 2517. yeeres In the ende of that time Abraham our father euen the father of all beleeuers 430. yeeres before Moses when the world began to be corrupted receaued and professed for al nations which should be after him Which Moses and the Prophets proclaimed and maintained some 1445. yeeres vntill the blessed time of Christes holie incarnation And which the same Iesus Christ the glorious son of God euen the Lord of life preached in his owne person and his holie Apostles which heard him and saw al his great works did witnes and publish to all the gentils and was confirmed by gods holie testimonie from heauen with great signes and wonders and gifts of the holie ghost And which the same euerlasting God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ commanded to be taught vnto all people out of the holie Scriptures of Moses the Prophets and Psalmes and hath opened and made manifest by the holie inspired writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and left and commended vnto his Church for the saluation of his elect vnto the worlds end By which al gods people ar to be known by which God will be glorified in his saints and out of which no man hath been shall be or can be saued I say therefore againe the Lords name be praised for euer Amen CHAP. IIII. Where is declared First that antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession is no perfect marke of the church much lesse of the popish Synagogue which is but of yesterday 2. The measure order of the visible succession of the Church from Christs time forward is shewed by the Scripture 3. Therefore the papists do prooue themselues to be no church when they ground themselues on this false principle the church cannot erre 4. How the true religion hath shewed it selfe by manie witnesses from the Apostles time euen vnto our dayes THE Synagogue of Rome claimeth antiquitie vniuersality and succession visible from the time of Christs Apostles to be vndoubted markes of the church of God and so of the pure religion addinge thereunto as it were the sinewes and ioints to make them all holde together the faithfull and constant grace of the church visible vnder the ghospell namly this false principle that It cannot erre And therfore when they are convicted to haue fallen from the true christian religion and find themselues openly bewraied being tried by the perfect touchstone of Gods holie written woord to be lately vpstart and of a new deuised religion doctrine and faith brought forth into the world by the fanatical and superstitious humor of heretical prauitie and humaine follie and begotten by the cunning insinuations and coulorable suggestions of him which vseth all spirituall craftines and profoundnes of wisedom to bruse the heele of the womans seede and to darken the glorious light of the heauenlie faith of Gods chosen least happely they should not be found the very true Antechrist after the maner of him that trāsformeth him selfe into an angel of light they would beare downe the world with the vaine titles and goodly shew of antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession of the vnerring and vnchangeable persistance of the visible church in the truth and leaue out altogether that which is indeede the very nature and foundation of the church the true religion faith and doctrine of Apostles and Prophets of God But alas these are but the figge leaues of Adam which cannot couer their shame for as all men knowe that the serpent cannot proue himselfe a man by his auncient continuance and remaining in the world vnlesse hee had those essential properties of bodie and soule whereof euery man doth naturally consist So for so much as all these things antiquitie vniuersalitie c. are such as heretikes Ethnikes did and could claime from Caine and Cham or Iaphet as wel as Christians from Seth and Shem and that the true nature of the church cōsisteth in the fellowship of the true religion doctrine and faith the sygnogoge of Rome vnlesse it hold the true faith and religion cannot for these things be the true visible church of God For no antiquitie vniuersalitie or succession can make the whore of Babel to be the true and chast spouse of Christ And who knoweth not that Caine was before Sheth and that their two posterities were the two churches one which is of Caine called the children of men because their religion came of a runnagate man the other was called the childrē of God because their religion was giuen and taught them of God Likewise in the Apostasie of the time of Abraham the nations were almost setled vpon the dregges of their filthie idolatry when Abraham was now but newly called Ismael and Esaue which fell out of the church and house of Abraham became goodly states and monarkes before Iacob was established and the people of Israell were gathered into a knowen and visible floorishing forme of a church which was 430. yeeres after the calling of Abraham Lastlie the gentils continued in that apostasie and idolatrie ouerspreading all the world from the time of Abraham vntil Christ eighteene hundred yeeres when the Church was but in a little corner of the world the land of Canaan and of that a great space in the territories of Iuda and Hierusalem onely Because Caine Ismael and Esaie calling antiquitie and visible succession before Sheth and Isaack and Iacob is their religion the true religion or were they the true church or shall the Gentils iustifie thē selues to be the true worshippers of God or to haue the true God because they can brag ouer the Iewes christiās with al these termes of antiquity vniuersality succession visible c. therfore he that readeth the stories shall find how they scoffe at the Iewes christians euen as the papist do at vs because that although they haue no truth on their side yet they thinke these painted paper walles and leaden weapons of long continuance and open appearance and flowrishing in
all writings of Bishops prouinces and generall counsels as vncertain and vnperfect and such as may be amended but lifteth vp the scriptures and writings of the new and olde testament as the onely sure and sufficient truth b De baptism contra Donat. lib. 2. cap. 3. saying Who knoweth not that the holy scripture as well of the olde as of the new testament is contained within certaine boundes and the same to be preferred before all the letters of the bishops comming after as that there can be no doubt dispute of or about it But the letters of Bishops which haue bin written after the confirming of the Canon or are now written may be reprehended both by the speech perauenture more wise of any man more wise in the same thing and by the grauer authoritie of other Bishops prudencie of learned men and by counsels if perauenture any thing in them do erre frō the truth Also counsels which are holden in seuerall regions or prouinces are to giue place without any staggering to the authoritie of fuller counsels which are holden of all the Christian world and those verie fuller councels often the former may be amended by the latter when as by any experience of things that is made knowne which was hidden Cyrillus in that verie age sheweth himselfe in this matter a verie true protestant c Vpon Ioh. 20. cap. 68. saying All things which the Lord hath done are not written but those things which the writers haue thought sufficient as well for maners as doctrine that shining in a right faith and workes and vertue we may come to the kingdome of heauen through our Lord Iesus Christ And Theophilact one of the later writers of the Greekes condescendeth to this doctrine b Vpon 2. Tim. 3. and saith Nihil est quod nequeat scripturis dissolut There is nothing which cannot bee assoiled by the scriptures Here the Christian reader may see that the auncient Christian religion was the same of protestants holding the scripture for the onely Canon of faith the rule of righteousnesse containing all thinges necessarie to saluation most certaine and sure to discerne all truth and able to assoile all dobts and questions and that wee ought to follow no man because Bishops letters the most generall and fullest councels may be amended and that it is onely the holy scripture whereof there can bee no doubt or dispute so that it followeth that it is a new doctrine to say that the Churches authoritie is aboue the scripture or that the Church iudgeth the scripture and not the scripture the Church or that wee neede and must accept with equall reuerence traditions or vnwritten verities and canons of the church without disputing and such like blasphemies Gratian also the compiler of the decrees who c About Ann. 1160. liued in the chiefest growth of corruption did publish to all the world as an ecclesiasticall decree the soueraigntie of holy scripture For speaking of deuine lawes he sheweth the determination of ancient fathers to set the holy scriptures aboue all other lawes whatsoeuer And first aboue all customes in d Distinct 8. ca. Si solus Christus these wordes If Christ onely bee to bee hearde wee are not to regarde what any man before vs thought meete to bee done but what Christ who is before all hath first done For wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God seeing God speaketh by Esai the prophet and saith in vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching the commandements and doctrines of men Secondly that it is proper and peculier to the Canonicall scriptures e For so the glosse interpreteth the Canons of the distinction following of the olde and new Testament onely not to erre f Distinct 9. cap. Ego solit saying I haue learned to giue vnto those writinges onely which now are called Canonicall this reuerence and honour that I beleeue that none of them haue erred And againe g Cap. Noli frater Doe not desire brother to gather out of the writings of Bishoppes cauils against so many so excellent and vndoubted testimonies deuine c. Whether they bee ours or Hillarius or Cyprian and Agrippinus before the part of Donatus was seperated And first this kind of letters is to bee distinguished from the authoritie of the Canons for they are not so reade as though a testimonie were so brought out of them that it is not lawfull to thinke contrarie if in any place they vnderstood otherwise then the truth doeth require And againe Neither ought wee to account the disputations of any men whatsoeuer although Catholicke and reuerende men like vnto the Canonicall Scriptures that it shoulde not bee lawfull for vs sauing the reuerence due vnto these men to improoue some thing in their wrytinges and to reiecte it if happely wee shall finde that they thinke or imagine otherwise then the truth hath In the next age after Gratian I finde Bonauentura a Franciscan a man of great account in h De profect◠religiosorū cap. 6. He liued about Ann. 1280. his time with cleare tearmes to teach the doctrine of protestantes in these wordes Nam quod ratio nostra lippa facta est c. Whereas our reason is become as bleare eied our vnderstanding darkened through sinne that wee cannot finde the truth of our selues God came downe vnto vs least we should bee in error and gaue vs the knowledge of the truth in the scriptures which he would haue vs beleeue where we might find sufficiently and truely all thinges necessarie for vs vnto saluation that in them we should not follow our sence but humblie submit our sence vnto the rule of faith if we will not erre Nicholas Lyra in the a 1315. next age protesteth for the scripture in like maner b Vpon the Prouerb ca. 31. saying Sacra scriptura continet firmam c. The holy scripture containeth the firme and inuiolable truth as in a merchants shippe are caried diuers thinges necessarie for mans life so in scripture are contained all things necessarie to saluation But that I ouercloy not the reader with many testimonies for the authority of holy scriptures I wil now turne to the other side to trace the footsteps of the popish doctrine how it came vp that the scriptures hath lost their first authority and honour Surely by the witnesse of the papistes themselues not in 400. or 600. yeares after Christ For then saith the glosse vpon c Vpon distinct 9. cap. noli me 15. Gratian that about the times of Augustine Augustina scripta aliorū sanctorū patrum non erant autentica c. The writings of Augustine and of other holy fathers were not autenticall but d that is about Anno 1200. now they are commanded to be holdē to the vtmost Iod. And this Gratian e Distinct 15. cap. sancta Romana sendeth vs to Gelasius for the first founder of the authoritie of councels
1. § 21. there neuer was a greater scisme in the Church in the time of any heresie few men keeping themselues chaste some feyning continencie for gaine and boasting and many encreasing their incontinencie with periurie and diuers sortes of adulterie c Balaeus de Act. Rom. Pont. de Greg. Christianis It is recorded that Gregorie the first did among the first commaunde single life vnto priests but after finding that they did commit filthinesse secretly that thereof many children conceiued were murdred he did abrogate that commādement and said it was better to marry then to giue cause of slaughter For when on a time hee sent to fish in a ponde there were found in the same sixe thousand heades of drowned children which hee seeing to come of this constrained single life mourning and sighting from the depth of his heart did forthwith reuoke his decree Hee that readeth the liues of popes if it were onely in popish writers or could trauell and learne the guise of Rome or could but vnderstand what the commishioners of King Henry the eight of noble memorie found and saw in putting downe of Abbies hee would easily in this point beleeue the papist d Metropol lib. 9. cap. 34. Krantius where hee saith That in the cittie of Rome Continencie is more rare then a white Swanne among seculer men And this soare is growne grieuous that euerie where it is complained of So that their a Campegius reade Ioh. Sleid. coment lib. 4. verie champions and defenders are forced to confesse that the popish bishops doe not onely wincke at the beastly filthinesse of their priestes but also take money to suffer such wickednesse yea they are not ashamed to face it out with this whoorish boldnesse as to say Shrift foster father of filthinesse It is a much more grieuous sinne for a priest to haue a wife then to keepe many whoores at home This sinne of vncleannesse shall you also finde to bee nourished by shrift For beside many other things we b Histor tripart lib. 9. cap. 35. reade that Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople finding by experience how apt this confessing to a priest was to breed and nourish whoordome tooke it vtterly away in those Greeke Churches But in the Latine churches remaining still one example may suffice to shew what a rich and fatte dunging vnto a single life this shrift hath beene and is to bring forth such vncleane and beastly fruit We c Discouerie of the holy inquisition of Spaine printed at Londō 1569 reade of the Spanish inquisition that on a time it pleased the Lords inquisitors of the holy house to cause proclamation to bee solempnly pronounced in the prouince of Siuill that whosoeuer knew of their certaine knowledge or by report that any Monks or other religious or spirituall persons had abused their holy sacrament of confession to any such abhominable vse or that any ghostly father had dealt in any such sort with their shrift children they shall signifie it to the house of inquisition But this proued to be so great and plentifull an haruest to that holy house for so many so sundrie women of all sortes yea of the grauer matrons were touched in conscience to enforme the holie fathers as obedient children that they were faine for verie shame to leaue it of as they began and secreatly to hang vp these holie men which heard confession by their purses whom they durst not for the multitude call into open question for their adulterous and filthie liuing But this shrieft The greatest policie in the world did the pope compasse by the setling of auriculer confession if you marke it is not onely naturally fit to foster this kinde of filthinesse but also all treasons and sedition and all licence to euerie kinde of wickednes noisome to the common wealth For howe thinke you was the Pope able to wrestle with the Emperours and Kings of the worlde if hee had not all the ghostlie fathers at commaundement who vnder Benedicite might and did lead the people whither they list and who is it that being so easilie as by confession pardoned of all his sins which would not be encouraged to run after the like or greater exces Moreouer what thing could be kept secreat from his beastlie holines when his seruants were the princes confessors councellors To maintain theeues Sanctuaries for maintenance of euill doers murderers and traitors they haue sanctuaries cloisters and monasteries to hide keep them from the ciuil power Their imagery keeping their seruice in an vnknowen tong with conceiling of holy scriptures kept the people in such awe and motherly deuotion that they might easily carie the people not onely against their liege Lords on earth but euen against the Lord God of heauen Their holie daies and fasting daies grewe to such numbers that the meaner people could not tell howe to liue Their merites praiers for the dead oblations sacrifice of the masse and such like superstitions stale away the ritches of the comminaltie and made manie good heires begge a crust at their religious monasteries Of all these things not onely stories and experience Polydor verg hist Angl. li. 7. Lex ad Manumortua but also the Lawyers can certifie by the statutes that haue been made against incest buggerie appeales holie daies and dead mens deuotions But the thing that I will specially stand vpon is this that beside all these which doo naturally in that religion afflickt and keepe vnder the comely and honorable estate of the common wealth there are other things in the lordlynesse and spirituall preheminence of the prelacie and especially of the Pope that make the ciuill state as no state except as a meere slaue and they tread vnder foote all earthlie kingdoms First I obserue the popish doctrine as it was suffered by the Emperour Poperie ouerthrew the east Empire by his ouergrowing to haue wayed downe the imperiall authoritie namely by graunting to Boniface the third the title of vniuersall Bishop he lost his authoritie ouer the pope and cleargie as is before at large declared And when in the second Councell of Nice the Empire condescended to images it was presently so weake that it had no more power to holde out in Italie And lastlie when the Greekes agreed more generallie vnto poperie at the Councell of Basill The Turke by and by ouercame Constantinople and so the Empire of the East was vtterly abolished Secondly though Charles the great rose vp about that time Emperour in the West and so from thencefoorth the Pope hath seemed to allow and maintaine an Empire in the west yet all men knowe that the warres raysed against the Emperours by the Popes for the Primacie in their inuesting of Prelates and such like hath made it a verie poore thing for that it was in the daies of the said Charles For though poperie vse the ciuill sworde for her defence yet it suffereth not the glorie and power of the