wherby we must be saued but the name of Christe in whome truely whosoeuer deliteth and taketh pleasure they séeke nothinge without his helpe How be it we contemne not the Sainctes nor thinke of them as we doo VVhat honour is to be giuen to Sainctes of the common people for we acknowledge them to be the liuely Images of Christe the louers of God who haue ouercome the fleshe the worlde with glory we loue them therefore as our bretherne and honour them also but not with godly honour but haue them in honorable estimatiō and geue them their due and iust prayse we imitate also their good steppes for we moste earnestly desire and wishe that we beinge folowers of their faith and vertues may be made with thē partakers of eternall life and maye dwell together with God for euer In this behalfe we like the sentence of S. Augustine of true Religion sayinge Let vs not thinke it any Religion to woorshippe dead men Yf they haue liued godly they are not thought to be suche as require of vs that honour but rather suche as would haue vs to woorshippe God and reioyce when the eies of our harte be opened throughe his mercie wherby we are made felowseruantes of their rewarde They are therefore to be honored for imitation not to be adored for Religion Much lesse doo we beleue that the Reliques of Sainctes are Reliques of Sainctes to be woorshipped The holy Sainctes in olde time thought that they had sufficiently honored the dead if they had Honoringe the dead honestly and comely committed their Reliques to the earth whē their soules were ascended into Heauen And they estéemed the vertues learninge and faithe of their forefathers to be moste precious reliques of all other whiche giftes of God as they extolled when they praysed the dead so they indeuored to expresse in their owne déedes while they liued here on the earth The selfe same olde auncient holy men To svveare by the name of God onely Deut. 10. Exod. 23. swoore not but by the name of the onely God Iehouah according to his law by the whiche lawe as it is forbidde to sweare by the name of straūge Gods so we take no solemne Othes required in the Sainctes name we reiecte therfore in all these poinctes the doctrine that attributeth to to muche honour to the Sainctes whiche be in Heauen ¶ Of Gods Prouidence Cap 6. WE beleue that all thinges in All thinges are gouerned by God his Prouidence Heauen in Earth and all his creatures are preserued and gouerned by the Prouidence of this wise eternall and omnipotent God For Dauid testifieth saying The Lord is high aboue all nations and his glorie aboue the Heauēs who is like vnto the Lorde our God that hath his dwellinge Psalm 113. on high who abaseth himselfe to beholde thinges in Heauen in earth Againe he saieth Thou hast foreséene all my waies for there is not a woorde in my tounge but lo thou knowest it Psalm 139. wholly O Lorde Paule also witnesseth in him we liue moue and haue Act. 17. our beinge Rom. II. Of him and thorowe him and for him are all thinges Most truely therfore and according to the Scriptures hath Augustine in his booke De agone Christi Cap. 8. pronoūced The Lorde sayde are not two sparowes solde for a farthinge and one of them shall not lighte on the grounde without your father By which woords Rom. 10. he woulde declare vnto vs that euen that whiche men thinke moste vile is gouerned by the omnipotent powre of the Lorde For so speaketh the trueth himselfe the fowles of the ayre are fedde by him and the Lilies of the Mat. 6. fielde were clothed of him and the heares of oure head are numbred Wée condemne therefore Epicures Heresies Epicures whiche denie the Prouidence of God and al those which blasphemously say that God is occupied about the whéeles of Heauen and neither seeth nor yet careth for vs and our matters Dauid also the kingly Prophete accuseth thē sayinge Lorde howe longe shall the Psalm 94. wicked triumphe They say the Lorde shall not sée neither will the God of Iacob regarde it Vnderstande ye vnwise amonge the people and ye fooles when will ye be wise he that planted the eare shall he not heare or he that formed the eye shall he not sée How be it we dispise not the meanes as vnprofitable whereby the diuine prouidence VVe ought not to dispise lavvfull meanes to bringe thinges to passe woorketh but we teach that we should so farrefoorth vse them as they are cōmended vnto vs in Gods woorde Wherefore we disalowe theyr rashe woordes whiche saye If all thinges be gouerned by the woorde of God doubtles our indeuours and studies be in Obiection vaine it shall suffise if we committe al thinges to the gouernaunce of Gods prouidence neither is there cause why we shoulde be more carefull for any matter or doo any thinge els For although Solution Paule did acknowledge that he sayled by the prouidence of God who saide to him Thou muste beare witnesse of me at Rome also who more Act. 23. ouer promised sayinge No man shall be loste neither shal there an heare fal Act. 27. from the head of any of you yet notwithstandinge the selfe same Paule auouched to the Centurion and Souldiers except these abide in the shippe ye can not be saued For God whiche hath appoincted an ende for euery Note thing euen he hath ordeined also both the beginninge and meanes by the whiche he may come to the ende The Ethnickes ascribe the gouernment of To fortune vve ought not to attribute thinges Iam. 4. thinges to blinde Fortune and vncertaine chaunce but S. Iames will not haue vs say to daye or to morowe we will goo into suche a Citie continue there a yere and bie and sell and gette gaine but addeth for that we ought to saye if the Lorde will if we liue we wil doo this or that And Augustine showeth in 148. Psal all thinges in the worlde which vaine men thinke to be done by chaunce are not done but by Goddes woorde because they are not brought to passe without his cōmaundement So it semed that it was done by chaunce or fortune that Saull séeking his fathers Asses should light vpō the Prophets Samuell But God said 1. Sam. 9. before the Prophet To morowe I will sende to thée a man of the tribe of Beniamin c. ¶ Of the Creation of all thinges of Angels of the Deuell and of Man Cap. 7. THis good omnipotent God hath God made all thinges created by his eternall woorde al thinges both visible vnuisible and preserueth thē by his euerlastinge spirite as Dauid witnesseth sayinge By the woorde of God the heauēs were made and all the hoste of them by the Psal 33. breath of his mouth all thinges that God made were very good created for
the olde Testament to bee youth should be instructed in godlines verie diligent in instructyng a right their children euen from their infancie and gaue expresse cōmaundmente in his lawe to teache them and to expounde vnto theim the misteries of his Sacraments Seeyng then it is euidente by the doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles that God hath no lesse care for the youthe of his people with whom he lefte his newe Testamente when he openly witnesseth saiyng Suffer little children to come Mar. x. vnto me for to suche belongeth the kyngdome of heauen doubtlesse those ministers of churches doe moste wisely whiche betyme diligently instructe the youthe laiyng in theim the firste foundacions of faithe and faithefully teachyng the first principles of our religion expoundyng to them Gods cōmaundementes the Crede and the Lorde his praier the vse of his Sacramentes with suche other like firste instructions and chief poinctes of our religion Lette the congregacion shewe theim selues faithfull and diligent in bryngyng their children to be taught desiryng reioysyng that their youth maie be well instructed For as muche as menne are neuer more greuously tempted then whē thei be weake and sicke sore broken with diseases of the Visiting of the sicke mynde and bodie the Pastours of the Church doubtles ought at no time to be more watchfull and carefull to saue his flocke then in suche sickenesse and infirmities Let theim therefore visite the sicke betymes and let the diseased sende for theim without delaye if the cause so require Let the ministers cōforte The ministers duene and confirme theim in the true faithe arme them againste the pernicious suggestiōs of Sathan let theim say praiers in the sicke mannes house and if nede require let theim praie for his recouery bothe of bodie and soule in the Churche also And let theim do their indeuour that he maie depart out of this worlde in blessed state The Popishe visityng of the sicke Popishe visiting the sicke with their extreme vnction or ennoylyng we saied before that we allowed not because it containes many foolishe and odious thynges not approued by the Canonicall scripture ¶ Of buriyng the faithfull and care whiche men ought to take for the dedde of Purgatorie and thapperyng of spirites Cha. 26. THe scripture commaundeth to burie honestly and without Burying cōmaunded in scripture supersticion the bodies of the faithfull as the temples of the holie ghoste whiche we beleue shall rise again in the latter daie Also to make mencion after a comelie forte of theim who died Godlie in the what care we shoulde take for the dedde Lorde and to be ready to helpe and releue those whom thei haue left behind theim as widdowes and fatherlesse children We teach men to take none other care then this for theim that bee dedde Wée therefore muche disalowe the heretikes called Cynici who despised dedde bodies or very negligentlie Heretikes and contemptuously hurle theim into the yearth neuer speakyng so muche as a good woorde of them nor caryng any thyng at all for those whom they left behinde thē Now on thother side wee like not those that are to muche and to ouerthwertly seruicable to the dead howlīg like Ethnikes for their friendes departed saiyng or hearyng Masse for their soules and mummelyng for pence certaine praiers to deliuer them by this their deuocion from tormentes wherewith thei suppose that thei are after their death tormented yet so that by their lamentable sōges and Diriges thei are released of their paines Hobeit moderate mournyng whiche the Apostle j. Thes iiij Moderate mornynge is cōmendable graunteth we discommende not iudgyng it an vnnaturall parte to be nothyng greued in suche a case Wée beleue that the faithfull goe straight too Christe after their bodily death and therefore neede not the Suffrages or whether mē◠soules go after their departure praiers of the liuyng Wée beleue also that Infidelles are without delaye caste doune hedlonge into helle from whence no seruice of the liuyng is able to deliuer them The doctrine whiche some teache concernyng the fire of Purgatorie is Purgatorie contrary to our Christian faithe I beleue the forgeuenes of sinnes and the life euerlastyng and contrary to our cleane purgyng from all our iniquities by Christe Neither agreeth Purgatorie with these saiynges of the lord Christ Verely verely I saie vnto you Iohn v. he that heareth my woorde and beleueth in hym that sent me hath euerlastyng life and shall not be condemned but hath passed from death to life Againe Ihon. xiij He that is wasshed needeth not saue to wasshe his feete but is cleane euery whitte and ye are cleane Moreouer as touchyng their doctrine The appearig of spirits is disceate of the deuyll of spirittes or dedde mennes soules some tymes apperyng to thē that liue and desiryng them to dooe somewhat wherby thei maie be deliuered we esteme suche visions or sightes as mockynges craftes and disceiptes of the deuil Who as he can trāsfigure hym self into an Angell of lighte so is he busie to ouerthrowe and bryng in doubte the true faithe The Lorde forbadde in the olde Testamente to aske counsaille of the dedde or to haue any Deut. xviii thyng to doe with spirites It was denied to the riche glutton who laie tormented in hell fire as Christe the aucthour of all truthe in the Gospell declareth that Lazarus should retourne to his brethren God by the mouthe of Abrahā pronoūcyng and saiyng thei haue Moses and the Prophettes let them heare them if thei hear not Moses Luc. xvi and the Prophettes neither will thei bee perswaded though one rise againe from the dedde ¶ Of rites ceremonies and indifferent thinges Chap. 27. CEremonies were in tyme why ceremonies were geuen paste deliuered to the people in the olde Lawe as a certaine scolynge to them who were kepte vnder the lawe as it were vnder a scholemaister and tutor But when Christ came our deliuerer and had taken awaye the ceremoniall Ceremonies remoued by Christ lawe we that beleue are no more vnder the lawe nor yet boūde to obserue those ceremonies which at our Messiascōming vanished away which the Apostles were so farre from kepynge Ceremonies not kepte of the Apostles or renewynge in Christe his churche that they openlye affirmed that they would laie no suche yoke nor burthen vpō the churches necke Wherfore we might séme to bryng in or restore Iudaisme if in the Churche of Christ we Increase of Ceremonies to Iudaisme should heape vp ceremonies vpon Ceremonies after the maner of the olde churche Wherfore we bée not of their mindes who thought it good that Christ his churche should be kepte vnder as with a certain scoling with many and sundrie rites For if thapostles would not burthen Christian people with ceremonies why multitude of Ceremonies is not allowed which were firste ordained and apointed by God hymselfe who I praye you being well in his wittes woulde violently thruste
come whome I will Ioh. 15. sende vnto you from the Father euen the spirite of truthe whiche procéedeth of the Father he shall testifie of me to be shorte we receaue and allow the Apostels Créede whiche teacheth vs the true faith We condemne therfore the Iewes with al blasphemers of the holy Trinitie whiche we ought to honour We condempne also all Heresies and Heretikes teachyng that the Heresies Sonne and the holy Ghoste is God by name onely Also that there is in the Trinitie a thinge created and seruing or subiecte to the other to be short that there is in it any inequalitie of more or lesse or that the Trinitie hath one bodie or is facioned like a bodie differinge in maners or will or confuse or solitarie as though the Sonne and the holy Ghoste were nothinge else but the affections and proprieties of one God the Father as Monarchici the Nouatians Praxeas Patripassians Sabellius Samosatenus Aetius Macedonius Anthropomorphitae Arius and such like did thinke ¶ Of Idolles or Images of God of Christe and of Sainctes Cap. 4. BEcause God is an inuisible spirit Images of God the Father of an infinite essence truely he cānot be expressed or represented by any Image or any māner of Science In consideration wherof we feare not to call the images of God as the Scripture doth mere lies We reiecte therefore the Idols not of the Gentils onely but the Images of Christians also For albeit Christe did take vpon him our humaine nature yet he toke it not Images of Christe for that intent to geue a paterne to caruers and painters He denied that Math. 5. he came to breake the lawe the Prophetes but by the lawe and Prophets Deut. 4. images be forbidden He deuied that his corporal presence should profite his Esay 40. Church he promised that he would be alwaies with vs by his spirite who then would thinke that the shadow or Ioh. 16. image of his bodie shoulde profite the Godly any maner of waies And seing that he abideth in vs by his spirite we 2. Cor. 3. are doubtles the temples of God But what agréemēt hath the temple of God with Idolles And seing that the blessed 2. Cor. 6. Images of Sainctes Act. 3. 14. Apo. 14. 22. spirites heauēly Sainctes would in no wise be woorshipped and were against Images while they liued here vpon earth is it like that they beynge nowe Sainctes in Heauen and Aungelles are pleased with their Images to the which men boowe their knée put of their cappe and otherwise honour To the ende that men might be instructed in Religion and put in minde of diuine matters and their saluaciō Christ hath commaunded that his Gospell should be preached he hath not licensed Marc. 16. Images are not Lay mens bookes vs to painte Images to teach Lay mē with pictures he ordained his Sacramentes also but hath no where appointed Images to be erected Moreouer whether so euer we turne our face the liuely true creatures of God are before our eies whiche beyng well marked as it is meete they shoulde doo much more moue the beholder then all the Images or vaine immoueable rotten and dead pictures of al the men in the worlde Of these the Prophete spake full truely They haue eies and sée not c. Therefore we allowe the Psalm 115. Lactantius iudgement of Lactantius that auncient Doctor saying There is no doubt but that there is no Religiō where so euer an Image is We affirme also that Epiphanius that blessed Bishop did wel Epiphani ' Ierome whiche findinge in a Churche porche a vealle wheron was painted the image as it were of Christ or of some Sainct cut it in péeces carried it away with him because contrary to the auctoritie of the Scripture as he saide he sawe the Image of Christes humaine nature hange on the Crosse wherfore he cōmaunded that no more such vealles should euer after be hāged in Christes Churche as be against our Religion quoth he but rather that that scrupulositie should be taken away whiche is vnwoorthie of the Church of Christe not méete for faithful people Furthermore we approue this sentēce pronoūsed of S. Augustine of true Religion Augustine cap. 55. Let vs not compte it Religiō to woorshippe the woorkes of mens handes for the craftes men that forge such things are muche more excellent then their handie woorkes whome not withstandinge we ought not to adore or woorshippe ¶ Of Adoration seruinge and callinge vppon God by our onely mediator Iesus Christe Cap. 5. WE teache menne to honour and woorshippe the true God God onely is to be adored and vvoorshipped Mat. 4. onely We geue this honour to none other accordinge to the commaundement of the Lorde Thou shalt honour the Lorde thy God and him alone shalte thou serue Verely all the Prophetes haue vehemently inuaide agaynst the people of Israell bicause they woorshipped strange Gods and not the onely true God But we teache that God is to be woorshipped as he himselfe hath taught vs to serue him that is in Spirite and trueth and not with any superstition but with sinceritie of hearte accordynge Esay 66. to his woorde least he saye to vs at Ierem. 7. any time Who required this at your handes Paule auoucheth that God is Act. 17. not woorshipped with mens handes as though he néeded any thinge We call vppon him onely in all daungers and affayres of our life and that by God onely is to be called vppon for Christes sake alone Psalm 50. the intercession of our onely mediator Iesus Christe for we are thus expresly commaunded Call vppon me in the daye of trouble and I will deliuer thée and thou shalte glorifie me Moreouer the Lorde hath moste bountifully promised vs sayinge Whatsoeuer ye Ioh. 16. shall aske of my Father he will geue it you Againe come vnto me all ye that Math. 11. labour and are heauie laden and I will refreshe you And againe How Rom. 10. shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beleued we then that beleue in God onely call vppon him onely and that for Christes sake onely For there is one God saieth the Apostle and one mediator betwixt God 1. Tim. 3. and man Christe Iesus And againe If any man sinne we haue an Aduacate 1. Io. 2. with the father Iesus Christe the righteous wherfore we neither Adore the Sainctes in Heauen neither woorshippe Sainctes should not be Adored or called vppon neither call vppon them ne yet acknowledge them to be in Heauen as our intercessors or mediators to God For God suffiseth vs our onely Mediatour Iesus Christe wherefore we geue not to any other the honor due to God and his Sonne because he hath plainely saide I will not geue my glorie Esay 43. Act. 4. vnto an other And Peter teacheth Amonge men there is geuē none other name vnder Heauen
mercie then by our owne accorde And as Paule saieth What i. Cor. iiii hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receiued it And as out of that place the holy martire Cyprian Cypriā gathereth We must glorie in nothyng because wee haue nothyng Heresies of our owne Wee condemne therefore these who in suche sorte defende mennes merites that thei diminishe the grace of God ¶ Of the holie catholike churche of God of the one onely hedde of the Churche Chapi 17. SEyng that God from the beginnyng The churche euer was euer shal be would haue manne saued and come to the knoweledge of the truthe it muste nedes bee that euer there was and now is and to the ende of the worlde there shal bée what the churche is a Churche that is to saie a companie of the faithfull called and gathered out of the worlde a companie I saie of all the Sainctes to witte of them whiche doe truly knowe and rightly worship the true God in Christe their sauiour accordyng to his worde and by the aide of the holie Ghoste to bee shorte whiche are made partakers of al goodnes offered fréelie vnto them through Christe by faithe All these be citezens of one Citie liuyng vnder one Lorde vnder one kinde of lawes being alike partakers of all good thynges For so the Apostle calleth them fellowe citezeins with the Sainctes and of Gods housholde folke namyng them sainctes who abidyng in the yearth are faithfull sanctified by the blood of gods soonne Of whom this article of our Ephe. ii 1. Cor. vi beleife speaketh wherein it is saied I beleue the holie catholike church The Communion of Sainctes And seyng that there is alwaies one onely God one mediatour betwene God and mā Iesus our Messias and one shepherde There was neuer but one true churche of the whole flocke one hedde of this bodie to conclude one spirite one saluacion one faithe one Testamente or couenaunte it followeth necessarilie that there is one onely Churche also Whiche therefore we call Catholike Why it is called catholike because it is vniuersall is dispersed throughout all the partes of the world and extendeth it self to all tymes beyng limited and inclosed in no place or tyme. We condemne therefore the Donatistes who straightlie enclosed Heretikes tiyng the churche to certain places and times the churche in I knowe not what corners of Aphrike Neither dooe wee allowe the Romishe Clergie who bests that almoste the onely Romishe churche is the catholike Churche The Churche is distributed into tiuers Diuers partes of the churche partes not that it is seuered or torne in peeces in it self but rather by reasō of the diuersitie of the members that be therein For there is one churche The Militant churche called Militant an other Triumphant that is militante whiche being as yet on the yearth wageth battaile and fighteth with the fleshe the world and the Prince of this worlde the deuill also with synne and death Whē this Churche is discharged of attendaunce here it triumpheth in heauen for the victorie ouer all those her enemies reioysyng before the Lorde albeit these twoo Churches are still vnited or knitte together The militant Churche remainyng Particuler churches on the yearth hath alwaies had many particuler Churches yet all thei are referred to the vnitie of the catholike Churche This Churche was otherwise gouerned before the lawe emōg the Patriarkes otherwise vnder Moises by the laws otherwise of Christe by the gospell Cōmenly also there are compted twoo kinds of people the Israelites and the Gentiles or a people consistyng of the Iewes and Gētiles gathered together in the Churche There be twoo Testamentes also the old and the newe Yet of all these people there was and is one societie one saluacion by one Messias in whom as members of one bodie vnder one hedde all are knitte together in one faithe all are partakers of one spiritual meate and drinke Howbeit here we acknowledge that there were sundrie tymes diuers signes or Sacramentes of our Messias both promised giuen also to vs of his father that the ceremonies remoued a brighter light now shineth vnto vs that we receiue larger giftes inioy greater libertie thē our forefathers had before the commyng of Christe This holie Churche of God is called the house of the liuyng Lorde built The names of the church of liuing and spiritual stones and sect vpon an vnmoueable rocke vpō suche a foundaciō that there can none other foundaciō be laied then it And in that i. Timo. iii. respecte it is also called the piller and ground of truthe It erreth not as lōg when the church erreth as it testeth vpon Christe the Rocke and foundacion of the Prophettes and Apostles But no meruell if it erre as often as it forsaketh hym who onely is the truthe The Churche also is called the virgine and spouse of Christe and the onely and welbeloued spouse of Christe For the Apostle saieth I ii Cor. xi ioigned you to one housbande to presente you as a pure virgine to Christ It is also called the flocke of shepe vnder one shepherde Christe bothe in the xxxiiij Chap. of Ezech. and. x. of Ihon. And it is named Christe his bodie because the faithfull are the liuyng mēbers of Christ vnder Christ their hed The hedde is that whiche hath preeminence and the higheste roume in the bodie geuyng life to it and ruling it so in all thynges with the vitall spirites comming from thence that it increaseth groweth thereby There is also but one hed of that bodie wherewith it doeth wel agree For the churche There is but one hedde of the churche Christe Iesus can not haue any other hedde then Christe and as the Churche is a spirituall bodie so it is meete that it haue a spirituall hedde agreablie Neither cā it be ruled by any other spirit then by Christe his spirite Paule writeth he is the hedde of the bodie of the churche He is the beginning first borne Col. 1. of the dedde that in all thynges he might haue the preeminence Againe Christ is the hedde of the churche and Ephe. v. Ephe. i. the same Christe is the sauiour of his bodie And again he saieth Which is the hedde of the churche whiche churche is his bodie euen the fulnesse of hym that filleth all in all Moreouer Ephe. iiij Let vs in all thinges growe vp into hym whiche is the hedde that is Christ by whom al the body beyng coupled and knitte together by euery ioynte receiueth increase We allowe not therfore that doctrine of the Romishe Clergie makyng their Romishe bisshoppe an vniuersall Shepeherde the The Pope chief hedde yea and Christes true vicare of his catholike militante churche in the yearth wherein he hath fulnesse of power and supreme dominion as thei saie For we teache that Christ is
minister by the name of priest For our Lorde hymself ordained not Christ made no priestes but Ministers any priestes of the news Testamente in his Churche who beyng aucthorized of the Suffragane might offer daielie Sacrifice I meane the verie fleshe and bloud of the Lorde for the quicke and the dedde But he ordained suche as should teache the people and minister his Sacramētes For Paule simplie and brieflie declaryng what wee ought to thinke of the ministers of the newe Testamente or of the Christian churche and how we ought to esteme theim saieth Let men so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God Therefore i. Cor. iiii the Apostle would that we iudge of ministers none otherwise then as of ministers He verely hath called ministers vnderrowers who haue yte onely to the shipmaister men not liuyng to pleace them selues and to doe what them liste but apoincted to pleasure others that is to saie their maisters at whose commaundement only thei be For a minister of the churche in all thinges belongyng to his office is bidde not to please his owne fantasie but to doe that onely whiche his maister cōmaundeth him And in the saied Chapiter it is expressed Who i. Cor. iiii is the Lord or maister euen Christ to whom ministers are bounde as seruauntes to do all businesse belonging to the ministerie be addeth further to declare more plainlie what the ministerie is that thei are bailifes or disposers of gods misteries Whiche misteries are called in many places chefly Ephe. iij the gospel of Christ as in olde tyme. Christe his Sacramentes why they are called ministers were called misteries wherefore thei are named ministers of the Churche bicause thei should preache the Gospel of Christ to the faithfull and minister the Sacramentes In an other place Luke xii of the Gospell we reade of a faithfull and wise seruaunte whom his Lorde appoincted ouerseer of his household to geue meate to theim in due season Againe wée reade that a man takyng his iourney into a farre countrey cōmitted the gouermente of his house to his seruauntes and gaue them auctoritie to ouersee his gooddes and appoincted euery man his woorke Here haue wée occasion ministered to speake somewhat of the aucthoritie and office of churche ministers wherin The auctoritie of ministers some haue with muche labour disputed and haue made subiecte vnto their power all the chiefest thinges in the yearth cleane contrary to the commaundemente of the Lorde whiche forbad his disciples to striue for chiefe rule and highlie commended humilitie Luke xxii Mat. 18. 20. In déede there is an absolute aucthoritie whiche is called Iuris aucthoritie by right of prescripcion whereby The true auctoritie and powre God kepeth to him selfe Math. 28. Apoc. ii iii. all thynges are subiecte to Christe the Lorde of all as he testifieth saiyng Power is geuen to me in heauen and in yearth And againe I am the firste and the laste beholde I liue worlde without ende and haue the Keyes of hell and of death Also he hath the keis of Dauid whiche openeth and no mā shutteth shutteth and no manne openeth This power the Lorde kepeth to himself and geueth to none other that he might stande idley beholdyng his ministers while thei doe woorke For Esaie writeth I will laye vpon his Esa 9. 22. shoulder the keye of the house of Dauid And againe whose rule shall remaine vpon his shoulders but he reserueth and still vseth his power rulyng all Moreouer there is an other power belongyng to the office or ministerie what powre god geueth to ministers limited of hym who hath full and absolute aucthoritie that power is rather to be likened to seruice then to rule For some lorde geueth to his steward power ouer his house and therwithal A pretie similitude he geueth his keies also wherwith he maie let in or shutte out of the house whom the Lorde will either to be lette in or shutte out Accordyng to this power the minister dooeth by his office that whiche he is commaunded to doe of his Lorde who ratifieth and alloweth his dooynges and will haue his ministers deede to be estemed and acknowledged as his owne And this is the meanyng of those sentences in the Gospell I will geue thée the keies Math. xvi of the kyngdome of heauen what soeuer thou shalt binde or lose in yearth shal be bounde or loosed in heauen Ihon. xx Also whose synnes ye remitte thei are remitted vnto theim and whose synnes ye retaine thei are retained But excepte the minister shall doe all thynges as he is commaunded of his Lorde if he passe the limites of faithe truely God disaloweth his dooynges Therefore the Ecclesiastical power of Churche ministers is that function whereby ministers dooe in deede rule the Churche of God but yet dooe all thinges therein as the Lorde hath appoincted in his woorde And beyng so dooen the faithefull accompte then as doen of the lorde hymself As touching the keyes we haue spoken muche before One equall power or functiō is geuen to all ministers of the Churche Equall power is gyuen to the ministers Doubtles in the beginnyng Bisshops or Elders ruled the churche alike one helping an other none preferring him self before other or vsurpyng greater aucthoritie or dominion ouer their felowe Bisshops For thei were myndfull of their maister his woordes He that will emong you be chief let hym be your seruaunte Thei kepte theim selues in humilitie and helped one an Luke xxii other in gouernyng and preseruyng the Churche Howbeit for order sake Howe whē one minister is preferred before other ▪ some one appoincted of the ministers sommoned their conuocacions and in their assemblies proposed thynges to bee deliberated vpon gathered also other mennes myndes and to be short did what in hym laye to prouide that matters should not be handled confusely and without order So wee reade that sainct Peter did in the Actes of the Apostles who notwithstandyng was not extolled aboue other nor of greater aucthoritie then the residewe For right well Cyprian the martyre affirmeth Cyprian in his booke of the simplicitie of the Clergie Such wer the other Apostles as Peter was of like felowship of like honour and power But the beginnyng betwene theim procedeth of one vnitie to the ende that wee maie knowe that there is but one Churche S. Ierome also writeth not muche vnlike Ierome wordes in his commentarie vpō the Epistle of Paule to Titus saiyng Before that by the Deuils intisemēt there was strief in religion Churches were gouerned by the common counsaile of thelders but after eche maner thought those whom he baptised to bée his owne and not Christes it was decréed that one of the Elders should bée chosen and preferred aboue the other to whom all the care of the Churche should appertain and by whose wisedome all occasions of schismes might bée taken awaie Yet Ierome boasteth not of