we muste nedes beleue that the Churche which is inuisible to vs is to be seen with the eies of God only so are we commaunded to regarde thys Churche whiche is called a Churche in respecte of men and to kepe the communion of it Therefore so muche as behoued vs to knowe it the Lorde hath sette it oute by certayne markes and as it were signes vnto vs. Thys is in dede the singular prerogatiue of God himselfe to knowe who be hys as we haue already alleaged oute of Paule And truelye that the rashenesse of menne shoulde not crepe so farre it is prouided by the verye successe of thynges daylye puttyng vs in mynde howe farre his secrete iudgementes dooe surmounte oure vnderstandyng For euen they that seemed moste desperate and accompted vtterly paste hope are by his goodnesse called backe into the waye and they that seemed to stande fast in comparison of other doo oftentymes fall Therfore according to the secrete predestination of God as Augustine saieth there be many shepe without and many wolues within For he knoweth them and hath them marked that knowe neither hym nor theim selues But of those that openly beare his badge his onely eies doo see who be both holy without faynyng and who will continue euen to the ende whiche is the very chiefe poynt of saluation Yet on the other syde forasmuche as he forsawe it to be somedeale expediente that we should knowe who were to be accompted his children he hath in this parte applied himselfe to our capacitie And because the certaintie of Faith was not necessarie he hath put in place therof a certayne iudgement of charitie wherby we should acknowledge for membres of the Churche those that bothe with confession of Faith and with example of lyfe and with partakyng of sacramentes dooe professe the same God and Christ with vs. But as for the knowledge of the body therof howe much more that he knew it to be necessary for our saluation with so muche the more certayne markes he hath sette it out Loe herevpon groweth and aryseth vnto vs a face of the Church visible to our eyes For where soeuer we see the word of God to be purely preached and hearde and the sacramentes to be ministred accordyng to the institution of Christ there it is in no wise to be douted that there is some Churche of God forasmuche as his promise canne not deceiue Where soeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the middes of theim But that we maie euidently vnderstande the summe of this matter we must procede by these as it were degrees that is to say that the vniuersall churche is a multitude gathered together out of all nations what soeuer they be which beyng sundered and seuerally scattered by distances of places yet doeth agree in one truth of godly doctrine and is bounde together with the bonde of one selfe religion And that so vnder this are comprehended al particular Churches whiche are in all townes and streetes accordyng to the order of meÌ„s necessitie so that euery one of them may rightfully haue the name and authoritie of a Church And that all particular men which by profession of godlinesse are reckened among such Churches although they be in dede straungers from the Churche yet doo after a certain maner belong vnto it tyll by publike iudgement they be banished out of it Howbeit there is somewhat a diuers maner in iudgyng of priuate men and of Churches For it may fall in experience that such men as we shal thynke not to bee altogether woorthy of the company of the godly yet we muste vse like brethren and accompt them among the faithfull for the coÌ„mon consent of the Churche wherby they are suffered and borne withall in the body of Christe We dooe not by oure testimonie allowe suche to be membres of the Churche but we leaue them the place that they haue among the people of God till it be by orderly ryght of lawe taken away from them But of the very multitude we must otherwise thinke which if it hath and honoureth the ministerie of the Worde and the administration of Sacramentes it deserueth without doute to bee estemed and iudged a Churche because it is certain that those thyngs are not without fruit So we do also preserue to the vniuersall Church her vnitie whiche diuelyshe spirites haue alway trauailed to cut in sunder neither doo we defraude of their authoritie those lawful assemblies whiche are disposed accordyng to the fitnesse of places We haue sette for signes to discerne the Churche by the preachyng of the Worde and the obseruyng of the Sacramentes For these can bee no where but they must bryng foorth fruite and be prospered with the blessyng of God I doo not say that wheresoeuer the woorde is preached there by and by springeth vp fruite but I saie that no where it is receiued and hath a staied seate but that it bringeth foorth the effectualnesse therof Where the preachyng of the gospell is reuerently heard and the Sacraments are not neglected howe soeuer it be there for that tyme appeareth a not deceitfull not doutfull face of the Church wherof no man maye vnpunished eyther despise the authoritie or refuse the admonitions or resist the counsels or mocke at the correctioÌ„s much lesse to depart from it and to breake in sunder the vnitie of it For the Lorde so hyely estemeth the Communion of his Churche that he compteth him for a traiterous runne away and forsaker of Religion who soeuer shall stubbornely estraunge hymselfe from any Christian felowshyp so that it be suche a one as hath the true ministerie of the Worde and Sacramentes He so commendeth the Churches authoritie that when it is violate he iudgeth his owne diminished Neither is it of smalle importaunce that the Churche is called the pyller and strong staye of truthe and the house of God By whiche wordes Paule signifieth that to the ende the truthe of God shoulde not decay in the worlde the Churche is a faithfull keper therof because Gods will was to haue the preachyng of his worde kept pure and to shewe hym self vnto vs a Father of housholde by her ministerie and labour while she feedeth vs with spirituall nâ—urishementes and procureth all thyngs that make for our saluation It is also no sclender praise that it is said that she is chosen and seuered by Christ to be his spouse that shoulde be without wrinkle and spot the body and fullnesse of hym Whervpon foloweth that departyng from the Churche is a denyeng of God and of Christ. Therfore so much the more wee muste beware of so wicked disagreement For whyle we goe about so muche as in vs lyeth to procure the ruine of Gods truth we are worthy that he shoulde sende downe his lyghtenyng with the whole violent force of his wrath to destroy vs. Neither can there be imagined any faulte more haynous than with wicked breache of Faith to defile the
it is lyke vnto a corne fielde whiche beyng sowen with good graine is by the ennemies fraude scattered with tares of whiche it is not cleansed vntyll the croppe bee broughte into the barne floore Fynally let them heare that it is lyke vnto a floore wherein the wheate is so gathered together that it lyeth hydden vnder the chaffe tyll beyng clensed with fanne and syâ—e it be at length laide vp in the grainer If the Lorde pronounce that the Churche shall euen to the daye of Iudgement be troubled with this euyll to be burdened with mynglyng of euyll men they doo in vayne seeke for a Churche sprynkled with no spotte But they crie out that it is an intollerable thyng that the pestilence of vices so raungeth abroade What if the saying of the Apostle dooe here also answere them Among the Corithians not onely a few had gone out of the waie but the infection hadde in a maner possessed the whole body There was not onely one kynde of synne but many neither were they light offences but certayn horrible outragious doings it was not onely corruption of maners but also of doctrine What in this case saith the holy Apostle that is to say the instrument of the Holy ghoste by whoe 's testimonie the Churche standeth and falleth Doth he require a diuision from them Doth he banishe them out of the kingdom of Christ Doeth he strike them with the extremest thunderbolt of curse He not only doeth none of all these thyngs but he both acknowledgeth and reporteth it a Churche of Christ and felowship of sainctes If there remayne a Churche among the Corinthians where contentions sectes and enuious partakynges doo broyle where quarels and brawlynges be in vre with a gredynesse of hauyng where that wicked dooyng is openly allowed whiche were abhominable amonge the very Gentiles where Paules name is vniustly rayled at whome they ought to haue honoured as their father where some scorne at the resurrection of the dead with ruine wherof the whole Gospell falleth where the gracious giftes of God serue to ambition and not to charitie wher mâ—ny things are vncomely and vnorderly doone and if therfore there styll remayne a Churche because the ministerie of the word and of the Sacramentes is there not refused who dare take away the name of the Churche from them that can not be charged with the tenth part of these fauâ—es They that with so great precisenesse deale so cruelly against the Churches of this present tyme what I pray you wold they haue don to the Galathians which were almost vtter forsakers of the Gospel among whom yet the same Apostle founde Churches They obiect also how that Paule greuousely rebuketh the Corinthians for sufferyng in their company a man that was a hainous synner and then he setteth a generall sentence wherin he pronounceth that it is vnlawfull euen to eate breade with a manne of reprochefull lyfe Here they crie oute If it be not lawfull to eate common breade howe may it be lawfull to eate with them the bread of the Lorde I confesse in dede that it is a greate dishonour if hogges and dogges haue place among the children of God it is also a muche more dishonour if the holy body of Christe be geuen foorth to them And truely if they bee well ordred Churches they will not suffer wicked men in their bosome and will not without choise admitte bothe worthy and vnwoorthy together to that holy banket But forasmuch as the Pastors doo not alway so diligently watche yea and somtyme are more tender in bearyng with men that they ought to be or are hindered so that they can not vse that seueritie that they woulde it commeth to passe that euen they that ar openlye euyll are not alway thruste out of the company of the holy ones This I graunte to bee a faulte neyther wyll I dymynysshe it sithe Paule dooeth so sharpely rebuke it in the Corinthians But although the Churche be slacke in her duetie it shall not be therfore immediately in the power of euery priuate man to take vpon him selfe the iudgemeÌ„t to seuer him I do in dede not deny that it is the doyng of a godly man to withdraw himselfe from al priuate company of euil men to entangle himself in no willing familiaritie with them But it is one thing to flee the companie of euill men and an other thyng for hatred of theim to forsake the Communion of the Churche But where as they thynke it sacrilege to be partakers of the Lordes bread with them they are therin muche more rigorous than Paule is For where he exhorteth vs to a holy and pure partakyng he requyreth not that one should examin an other or euery man the whole Churche but that they should echone proue hym selfe If it were vnlawfull to comunicate with an vnworthy man then truely Paule would byd vs to looke circumspectly whether there were any in the multitude by whoe 's vncleannesse we might be defiled Nowe when he requireth onely of euery man the proofe of themselues he sheweth that it nothyng hurteth vs if any vnwoorthie doo thruste them selues in among vs. And nothyng els is ment by this whiche he saieth afterwarde He that eateth vnworthily eateth drinketh iudgement to him selfe He doeth not say to other but to himselfe And rightfully For it ought not to stande in the choise of euery particular man who bee to be receiued and who to be reiected The knowledge hereof belongeth to the whole Church which knowledge can not be had without lawfull order as hereafter shall be saide more at large Therfore it shoulde be vnryghtuous that any priuate man should be defiled with the vnworthynesse of an other whome he neyther can nor ought to kepe backe from commyng to it But althoughe by this vndiscrete zeale of rightuousnesse this tentation doeth sometyme also entre into good men yet this we shall finde that to muche precisenesse groweth rather of pride disdainfulnesse and false opinion of holynesse than of true holynesse and true zeale therof Therfore they that are bolder than other and as it were standerd bearers to make any departyng from the Churche for the moste parte doo it vpon no other cause but in despisyng of all men to boast them selues to be better than other Therfore Augustine saieth well wisely When godly order and maner of Ecclesiasticall discipline ought principally to haue regarde vnto the vnitie of Spirite in the bonde of peace whyche the Apostle commaunded to be kept by bearyng one with an other and whiche beeyng not kepte the medicine of reuenge is proued to bee not onely superfluous but also pernicious and therfore nowe to be no medicine at all those euill children which not for hatred of other mens iniquities but for affection of their owne contentions doo gredyly labour eyther wholly to drawe or at least to diuide the weake common peoples entangled with the bosting of their name swelling with pride madde with stubburnesse
sight theÌ„ in comparison therof the bryghtest thyng of all shal be darkened But howesoeuer the knowledge of God of our selues ar with mutuall knot lynked together yet the order of right teaching requireth that first we entreate of the knowledge of God and after come down to speake of the knowledge of our selues ¶ The .ii. Chapter ¶ What it is to knowe God and to what ende tendeth the knowledge of hym I Meane by the knowledge of God not onely that knowledge whereby we conceyue that there is somme God but also that wherby we learne so muche as behoueth vs to know of him and is profitable for his glory finally so much as is expedient For to speake properly we cannot say that God is knowen where there is no relygion nor godlynesse But here I dooe not yet touche that speciall kynde of knoweledge whereby those menne that are in theymselues reprobaâ—e and accursed dooe conceyue God the redemer in Chryste the mediatoure but I speake onely of that firste and symple manner of knowledge whervnto the very order of nature woulde haue ledde vs yf Adam hadde continued in state of innocencye For althoughe no manne sythâ— mankinde is in this ruine can perceiue God to be either a father or authour of saluacion or in any wise fauourable vnlesse Christ come as a meane to pacifie him towarde vs yet it is one thing to fele that God our maker doth by his power sustein vs by his prouideÌ„ce gouerne vs by his goodnes nourish vs and endue vs with al kindes of blessinges and an other thing to embrace the grace of reconciliacioÌ„ offered vs in Christ. Wheras therfore the Lord fyrst simply appeareth as well by the makinge of the world as by the general doctrine of the Scripture to be the Creator and then in the face of Christe to be the redemer here vpon arise two sortes of knowing him of which the former is now to be entreated of and then the other shal orderly folow in the place fit for it For although our minde cannot conceiue the knowledge of God but that it muste geue to hym some kinde of worship yet shall it not be sufficient simply to knowe that it is he onely that oughte to bee honoured and worshipped of all menne vnlesse we be also perswaded that he is the fountaine of al good things to the ende that we shoulde seke for nothing els where but in him I meane hereby not onely for that as he hath once created this worlde so by his infinite power he susteineth it by his wisedome he gouerneth it by his goodnes he preserueth it and speciallye mankinde he ruleth by his righteousnes and iudgement suffreth by his mercye and saue gardeth by his defense but also because there can no where be founde any one droppe either of wisedom or of lyght or of rightousnes or of power or of vprightnesse or of sincere trueth whiche floweth not from him or wherof he is not the cause to this ende verely that we shoulde learne to looke for and craue all these thinges at his hande and wyth thankesgeuing accompt them receiued of him For this felinge of the powers of God is to vs a meâ—e scholemaster of godlynes out of which springeth religion Godlines I cal a reuereÌ„ce of God ioined with loue of him which is procured by knowledge of hys benefytes For men wyll neuer with willing obedieÌ„ce submit themselues to God vntil thei perceiue that they owe all thinges to him that they are nourished by his fatherly care that he is to them the author of al good thinges so that nothyng is to be sought els where than in hym Yea they will neuer yelde themselues truly and with all their hart wholly to hym vnlesse they assuredly beleue that in hym is perfect felicite reposed for them Therefore they doe but tryfle with vaine speculations which in entreating of this question do make it their purpose to discusse what thyng God is where it rather behoueth vs to knowe what maner one he is and what agreeth with his nature For to what ende serueth it to confesse as Epicure doeth that there is a God whych doth only delyte him self wyth ydlenesse hauing no care of the world Finally what profiteth it to knowe such a God wyth whom we may haue nothyng to doo But rather the knowledge of hym ought to serue to thys ende fyrst to frame vs to feare and reuerence then that by it guydynge and teachyng vs we may learne to craue all good thynges at hys hande and to accompt them receiued of hym For how can anie thought of God enter into thy mind but that thou must therwithal by and by thinck that forasmuch as thou art his creature therfore thou art of right subiect and bonde to his authorite that thou owest him thy life that whatsoeuer thou enterprisest whatsoeuer thou doest ought to be directed to him If this be trâ—w then trewly it foloweth that thy life is peruersly corrupted if it be not framed to obeyng of him for asmuche as his will ought to be our law to liue by Againe thou canst not clerely se him but that thou must nedes know that he is the fountayn original of al good thyngs whervpon shulde grow both a desire to cleaue vnto him and an assured trust in him if mannes own corruptnes did not draw his mind from the right serching of hym For first of all the godly minde doth not as by a dreame ymagine to her selfe any god at aduenture but stedfastly beholdeth the only one and trew God and doth not falsely forge of him whatsoeuer her selfe lyketh but is content to beleue him to be such a one as he discloseth him self and doth alway with great diligence beware that with presumptuous rashnes she passe not beyond his wyll and so wander out of the way And when she so knoweth him bicause she vnderstandeth that he gouerneth al things she assuredlye trusteth that he is her safekeper and defendour and therfore wholly coÌ„mitteth her selfe to his fayth Because she vnderstandeth that he is the author of al good things therfore if any thing trouble her or if she want any thing by and by she flieth to him for succoure loking for helpe at his hande Because she is persuaded that he is good and mercifull therfore with assured confidence she resteth on him and douteth not in al her euils to fynde ready remedy in his mercifull kindnes Because she knoweth him to be her Lorde and father therefore she determineth that he is worthy that she shoulde in all thynges haue regard to his authoritie reuerence his maiestie procure the aduauncement of his glory and obey his commandementes Because she seeth that he is a righteous iudge and armed with his seueritie to punish sinnes therfore she alway setteth his iudgement seate before her eies and with feare of him withdraweth and restraineth her selfe from prouoking his wrath Yet is she not so afrayed with the felyng of his iudgement that she would conuey
God to bee suche a one of whome we shulde haue no feelyng Whereby we vnderstande that this is the rightest waye and fittest order to seeke God not to attempt to entre depely with presumptuous curiositie throughely to discusse his substance whiche is rather to be reuerently woorshipped than scrupulousely searched but rather to behold hym in his workes by whiche he maketh hym selfe nere and familiar and doothe in a maner communicate hym selfe vnto vs. And this the apostle mente when he sayd that God is not to be sought afarre of forasmuche as he with his moste present power dwelleth within euery one of vs. Wherfore Dauid hauyng before confessed his vnspeakeable greatnesse when he descendeth to the particular rehersall of his woorkes protesteth that the same wyll shewe foorth it selfe Therfore we also ought to geue our selues vnto suche a searchyng out of God as maye so holde our witte suspended with admiration that it may therwithall throughely moue vs with effectuall feelynge And as Augustine teacheth in an other place because we are not able to conceiue hym it behoueth vs as it were faintyng vnder the burdeyne of his greatnesse to looke vnto his workes that we may be refreshed with his goodnesse Then suche a knowledge ought not only to stirre vs vp to the worshyppyng of God but also to awake vs and rayse vs to hope of the life to come For when we consyder that suche exaumples as God sheweth bothe of hys mercyfulnesse and of hys seueritie are but begunne and not halfe full without doubt we muste thynke that herein he doothe but make a shewe aforehande of those thynges whereof the open disclosynge and full delyueraunce is differred vnto an other lyfe On the other syde when we see that the godly are by the vngodly greued with afflictions troubled with iniuries oppressed with sclaunders and vexed with despitefull dealynges and reproches contraryewyse that wicked dooers doo flourishe prosper and obteyne quiet with honour yea and that vnpunished we must by and by gather that there shall bee an other lyfe wherin is layde vp in store bothe dewe reuenge for wyckednesse and rewarde for rightuousnesse Moreouer when we note that the faythfull are often chastised with the roddes of the Lorde we may moste certaynly determyne that muche lesse the vngodly shall escape his scourges For very wel is that spoken of Augustin If euery synne shoulde nowe be punished with open peyne it woulde be thought that nothynge were reserued to the laste iudgement Agayne yf God shoulde nowe openly punyshe no synne it would be beleued that there were no prouidence of God Therfore we muste confesse that in euery particular woorke of God but principally in the vniuersall generalitie of them the powers of God are sette foorthe as it were in paynted tables by whyche all mankynde is prouoked and allured to the knowledge of hym and from knowledge to full and perfecte felicitie But where as these his powers doo in his workes moste bryghtly appeare yet what they principally tende vnto of what valoure they bee and to what ende we ought to waie them this we then onely atteyne to vnderstande when we descende into our selues and doo consider by what meanes God dooth shewe foorthe in vs his lyfe wysedom and power and dothe vse towarde vs his ryghteousnesse goodnesse and mercyfull kyndenesse For though Dauid iustly complayneth that the vnbeleuynge doo dote in folly because they weye not the deepe counsailes of God in his gouernance of mankynde yet that is also moste true whiche he sayth in an other place that the wonderfull wysedom of God in that behalfe excedeth the heares of our heade But because this poincte shall hereafter in place conuenient be more largely entreated therfore I doo at this tyme passe it ouer But with howe great bryghtnesse soeuer God doothe in the myrrour of his woorkes shewe by representation bothe hymselfe and his immortall kyngedome yet suche is oure grosse blockysshenesse that we stande dully amased at so playne testimonies so that they passe awaye from vs without profyte For as touchynge the frame and most beautyfull placynge of the worlde howe many a one is there of vs that when he eyther lyfteth vp his eyes to heauen or casteth them about on the diuers countreys of the earth doothe directe his mynde to remembraunce of the creatour and doothe not rather rest in beholdynge the woorkes withoute hauynge regarde of the woorkemanne But as touchynge those thynges that dayely happen besyde the order of naturall course howe manye a one is there that dooth not more thynke that menne are rather whyrled aboute and rowlled by blynde vnaduisednesse of fortune than gouerned by prouydence of God But yf at any tyme we be by the guidyng and direction of these thynges dryuen to the consideration of God as all menne muste nedes be yer so soone as we haue without aduisemente conceiued a feling of som godheade we by and by slyde awaye to the dotages or erronious inuencions of our fleshe and with our vanitie we corrupt the pure veritie of God So herein in dede we differ one from an other that euery man priuately by hym selfe procureth to hym selfe some peculiar errour but in this poynte we all are moste lyke together that we all not one excepted doo departe from the one trewe God to monstruous trifles To which disease not onely common and grosse wittes are subiect but also the moste excellent and those that otherwyse are endewed with singular sharpnes of vnderstandyng are entangled with it Howe largely hath the whole sect of philosophers bewrayed their own dulnesse and beastlye ignoraunce in this behalfe For to passe ouer all the rest whyche are muche more vnreasonably foolyshe Plato himselfe the most religious and moste sober of all the reste vaynely erreth in his round globe Nowe what myghte not chaunce to the other when the chiefe of them whoe 's parte was to geue lyghte to the reste doo themselues so erre and stumble Lykewise where Goddes gouernaunce of mennes matters doth so playnely proue his prouidence that it can not be denyed yet this doothe no more preuayle with menne than yf they beleued that all thynges are tossed vp and downe with the rashe will of Fortune so great is our inclination to vanitie and erroure I speake nowe altogither of the moste excellente and not of the common sorte whoe 's madnesse hath infinitely wandered in prophanynge the truthe of God Hereof procedeth that vnmeasurable synke of errours wherewith the whole worlde hath bene fylled and ouerflowen For eche mannes witte is to hymselfe as a maze so that it is no meruaile that euery seuerall nation was diuersely drawen into seuerall deuises and not that onely but also that eche seuerall man hadde his seuerall gods by hym selfe For sins that rashe presumption and wantonnesse was ioyned to ignoraunce and darknesse there hath ben scarcely at any tyme any one manne founde that dydde not forge to hym selfe an ydole or fansye in stede of
God Truly euen as out of a wide and large spring do issue waters so the infinite numbre of gods hath flowed out of the wit of man while euery man ouer licentiousely strayeng erroniousely deuiseth this or that concernyng God hym selfe And yet I nede not here to make a register of the superstitions wherwith the worlde hath ben entangled bycause bothe in soo dooynge I shoulde neuer haue ende and also thoughe I speake not one woorde of theym yet by so many corruptions it sufficiently appeareth howe horrible is the blyndenesse of mans mynde I passe ouer the rude and vnlearned people But amonge the Philosophers whiche enterprysed with reason and learnyng to pearce unto heauen howe shamefulle is the disagreement With the hygher wytte that any of theym was endewed and fylled with arte and scyence with so muche the more glorious coloures he seemed to painte out his opinion All whiche notwithstandynge yf one dooe narowely looke vppon he shall fynde theim to be but vanishyng false colours The Stoikes seemed in theyr owne conceipte to speake very wysely that out of all the partes of nature may be gathered diuers names of God and yet that God beyng but one is not therby torne in sonder As though we were not already more than enough enclined to vanitie vnlesse a manifolde plentie of gods set before vs should further and more violently drawe vs into errour Also the Egyptians mysticall science of diuinitie sheweth that they all diligently endeuored to this ende not to seeme to erre without a reason And it is possible that at the fyrst syght some thyng semyng probable might deceyue the symple and ignorant but no mortall man euer inuented any thing wherby religion hath not ben fowly corrupted And this so confuse diuersitie emboldned the Epicures and other grosse despisers of godlynesse by little and little to cast of al felyng of god For when they saw the wisest of all to striue in contrary opinions they sticked not out of their disagreementes and out of the foolishe or apparantly erronious doctrine of eche of theym to gather that men doo in vayne fondly procure tormentes to them selues whyle they serche for God whiche is none at all And this they thought that they myghte freely doo without punishement because it was better brefely to denye vtterly that there is any God than to fayne vncertayn Gods and so to rayse vp contentions that neuer shuld haue ende And to muche fondly doo they reason or rather cast a myst to hide their vngodlynesse by ignoraunce of men whereby it is no reason that any thyng shoulde be taken away from God But forasmuche as all do confesse that there is nothyng about whiche bothe the learned and vnlerned doo so muche disagree thervpon is gathered that the wittes of men are more than dull and blynde in heauenly misteries that do so erre in seekyng out of God Some other doo praise that answere of Symonides which beyng demaunded of kyng Hieron what God was desired to haue a daies respite graunted to studye vpon it And when the next day folowyng the kyng demaunded the same question he requyred two daies respite and so oftentymes doublyng the numbre of days at length he answered Howe muche the more I consyder it so muche the harder the matter semeth vnto me But grauntyng that he dyd wisely to suspende his sentence of so darke a matter yet hereby appearethe that yf men be only taught by nature they can know nothyng certainly soundly and plainly concernyng God but onely are tyed to confused principles to worshyp an vnknowen God Nowe we must also holde that all they that corrupt the pure religion as all they must nedes doo that are geuen to their own opinion do depart from the one God They wil boast that their meanyng is otherwise but what they meane or what they persuade them selues maketh not muche to the matter sith the holy ghoste pronounceth that all they are Apostates that accordyng to the darknes of their owne mynde do thrust deuyls in the place of God For this reason Paule pronounceth that the Ephesians were without a God tyll they hadde learned by the Gospell what it was to worshyp the true God And we must not thinke this to bee spoken of one nation onely for as muche as he generally affyrmeth in an other place that all menne were become vayn in their imaginations syns that in the creation of the worlde the Maiestie of of the Creatour was disclosed vnto them And therefore the scripture to make place for the true and one onely God condemneth of falsehod and lying whatsoeuer godhead in olde tyme was celebrate among the Gentiles and leaueth no God at all but in the mounte Syon where flourished the peculiar knowledge of God Truely among the Gentiles the Samaritans in Christes time semed to approche nighest to true godlynesse and yet we heare it spoken by Christes owne mouthe that they knewe not what they worshipped Whervpon foloweth that they were deceyued with vayne error Fynally althoughe they were not all infected with grosse fautes or fell into open idolatries yet was there no true and approued religion that was grounded onely vppon cōmon reason For all be it that there were a fewe that were not so madde as the common people were yet this doctrine of Paule remayneth certainely true that the princes of this worlde conceiue not the wisedome of God Nowe yf the moste excellent haue wandred in darknesse what is to be sayde of the very dregges Wherefore it is no meruayle if the holy ghoste doo refuse as bastarde worshippynges all formes fo woorshipping deuised by the will of men Bycause in heauenly misteries opinion conceiued by witt of men although it do not alway breede a heape of erroures yet is alwaye the mother of erroure And thoughe there come no worse of it yet is this no small fault at aduenture to worshyp an vnknowen God of whiche fault all they by Christes owne mouthe are pronounced guilty that are not taughte by the lawe what God they ought to worshyp And truely the best lawmakers that euer were proceded no further than to saie that religion was grounded vpon cōmon consent Yea and in Xenophon Socrates praised the answere of Apollo wherin he willed that euery mā shuld worship gods after the maner of the countrey and the custome of his owne citie But how came mortall men by this power of their owne authoritie to determine that whiche farre surmounteth the worlde or who can so reste in the decrees of the elders or common ordinaunces of peoples as to receaue withoute doutynge a God deliuered by mannes deuise Euery man rather will stand to his owne iudgement than yeld hym self to the wil of an other Sith therfore it is to weake feble a bonde of godlynesse in worshippyng of God to folow either a custom of a citie or the cōsent of antiquitie it remayneth that God him self must testify of him self from heauen In vayne therfore so many
song in the sanctuary because the vnbeleuers are deafe heare not al the voyces of God that resounde in the aire And in lyke manner in an other Psalme after that he had descrybed the terrible waues of the Sea he thus concludeth thy testimonies ar verified the beautie of thy teÌ„ple is holinesse for euer And out of this meaning also proceded that which Chryst said to the woman of Samaria that her nation and the rest did honor that which they knew not and that onely the Iewes did worship the true God For wheras the wit of man by reason of the feblenesse therof caÌ„ by no meane attaine vnto God but being holpen and lifted vp by his holy worde it folowed of necessitie that al men excepte the Iewes dyd wander in vanite and errour because they sought god without hys worde ¶ The .vii. Chapter By what testimony the Scripture oughte to be established that is by the witnesse of the holy gost that the authoritie therof may remaine certaine And that it is a wycked inuention to say that the erâ—â—yt therof doeth hangs vpon the iudgemente of the churche BUt before I go any further it is nedeful to say somwhat of the authoritie of the Scripture not onely to prepare mens mindes to reuerence it but also to take away al dout therof Now when it is a matter confessed that it is the worde of God that is there sette forth there is no maÌ„ of so desperate boldnesse vnlesse he be voide of all common sense and naturall wit of man that dare derogate the credit of him that speaketh it But because there are not daily oracles geuen from heauen and the onelye Scryptures remaine wherin it hath pleased the Lord to preserue his truth to perpetual memory the same Scripture by none other meanes is of ful credit among the faythful but in that they doe beleue that it is as verely come from heauen as if they heard the liuely voyce of God to speake therin This matter in dede is ryght worthy both to bee largely entreated of diligently weyed But the readers shall pardoÌ„ me if herein I rather regarde what the proporcion of the woorke which I haue begon may beare thaÌ„ what the largenesse of the matter requireth Ther is growen vp among the most part of men a moste hurteful erroure that the Scripture hath onely so much authoritie as by common consent of the churche is geuen vnto it as if the eternall and inuiolable trueth of God did rest vpon the pleasure of men For so to the great scorne of the holy gost they aske of vs who caÌ„ assure vs that these Scriptures came from God or who can assertaine vs that they haue continued vnto oâ—r age safe and vncorrupted who can perswade vs that thys one booke ought to be reuerently receiued and that other to be stryken out of the number of Scripture vnlesse the churche did appoint a certaine rule of al these thinges It hangeth therfore say they vpon the determinacioÌ„ of the churche both what reuerence is due to the Scripture and what bokes ar to be reckened in the canon therof So these robbers of gods honor whyle they seke vnder color of the church to bring in an vnbridled tyranny care nothing with what absurdities they snare both themselues and other so that they may enforce thys one thyng to be beleued among the symple that the churche can do al thynges But if it be so what shal become of the poore consciences that seke stedfast assuraunce of eternal lyfe if al the promyses that remayne therof stande and bee stayed onely vpon the iudgement of men â–ª When they receyue such answere shal they cesse to wauer and tremble Agayne to what scornes of the vngodly is our faith made subiect into how great suspicion with al men is it brought if this be beleued that it hath but as it were a borrowed credit by the fauoure of men But such babblers are wel confuâ—ed euen with one worde of the Apostle He testifieth that the churche is builded vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and Apostles If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the fundacion of the church then muste it nedes be that the same doctrine stode in stedfast certaintie before that the churche began to be Nether can they wel cauil that although the church take her first beginning therof yet it remaineth doutful what is to be sayed the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles vnlesse the iudgemente of the church did declare it For if the Chrystian church were at the beginning builded vpon the writinges of the Prophetes and preachyng of the Apostles wheresoeuer that doctrine shal be founde the allowed credyte therof was surely before the churche without which the churche it selfe had neuer ben Therefore it is a vaine forged deuise that the churche hath power to iudge the Scripture so as the certaintie of the scripture should be thought to hange vpon the wil of the churche Wherfore wheÌ„ the churche doth receiue the Scripture and sealeth it with her consenting testimonie she doeth not of a thyng doutefull and that otherwyse should be in controuersy make it autentike and of credit but because she acknowledgeth it to be the trueth of her God accordyng to her dutye of godlinesse without delay she doth honor it Wheras they demaund how shal we be perswaded that it came from god vnlesse we resort to the decree of the churche Thys is al one as if a man should aske howe shall we learne to knowe light from darkenesse white from blacke or swete from sower For the Scripture sheweth in it selfe no lesse apparaunte sense of her trueth than white and blacke thynges do of their color or swete and sower thinges of their tast I knowe that they commonly allege the saying of Augustine wher he sayeth that he would not beleue the gospel saue that the authoritye of the churche moued hym therto But how vntruely and cauillouslye it is alleged for such a meaning by the whole tenor of his writing it is easy to perceiue He had to do with the Manichees whiche required to be beleued without gainesaying when they vaunted that they had the trueth on their side but proued it not And to make their Manicheus to be beleued they preteÌ„ded the gospel Now Augustine asketh them what they would do if they did light vpon a man that would not beeleue the gospel it selfe with what maner of perswasion they would drawe hym to their opinion Afterwarde he sayeth I my self would not beleue the gospel c. saue that the authoritie of the church moued me therto Meaning that he himselfe when he was a straunger from the fayth coulde not otherwise be brought to embrace the gospel for the assured trueth of God but by this that he was ouercome with the authoritie of the church And what maruel is it if a maÌ„ not yet knowing Chryste haue regarde to men Augustine therfore doeth not there teache that the
fayth of the godly is grounded vpon the authoritie of the church nor meaneth that the certaintie of the gospel doth hang therupon but simplye and onely that there should be no assurednesse of the gospel to the infidels wherby they might be wonne to Chryst vnlesse the consent of the church did driue them vnto it And the same meanyng a litle before he doth plainly confirme in this saying When I shall praise that which I beleue and scorne that which thou beleuest what thiÌ„kest thou mete for vs to iudge or do but that we forsake such men as first call vs to come and knowe certaine truethes and after commaunde vs to beeleue thinges vncertaine and that we folowe theÌ„ that require vs first to beleue that which we are not yet able to see that being made strong by beleuing we may atteine to vnderstande the thing that we beleue not menne nowe but God himselfe inwardly strengthning and geuing lighte to oure minde These are the very words of Augustine wherby euery man may easely gather that the holy man had not this meaning to hang the credite that we haue to the Scriptures vpon the wil and awardemente of the churche but onely to shewe this which we our selues also do confesse to be true that they which are not yet lightened with the spirite of god are brought by the reuerence of the churche vnto a willyngnesse to bee taught so as they can finde in their hartes to learne the faith of Christ by the gospel and that thus by this meane the authoritie of the church is an introduction wherby we are prepared to beleue the gospel For as we see his minde is that the assuraunce of the godly be staied vpon a farre other foundacion Otherwise I do not deny but that he often presseth the Manichees with the consent of the whole churche when he seketh to proue the same Scripture which they refused And from hence it came that he so reproched Faustus for that he did not yelde hymselfe to the trueth of the gospel so grounded â–ª so stablished so gloriously renomed from the very time of the Apostles by certaine successions perpetuallye commended But he neuer trauaileth to this ende to teach that the authoritie which we acknowledge to be in the Scripture hangeth vppon the determinacion or decree of men But onely this which made much for him in the mater that he disputed of he bringeth forth the vniuersal iudgemeÌ„t of the church wherein he had the auauÌ„tage of his aduersaries If any desire a fuller proufe herof let him reade his boke concernynge the profit of beleuing Where he shall finde that there is no other redinesse of beliefe commended vnto vs by him but that which only geueth vs an entrie and is vnto vs a conuenient beginning to enquire as he termeth it and yet not that we ought to rest vpon bare opinion but to leane to the certaine and sounde trueth We ought to holde as I before sayd that the credit of this doctrine is not established in vs vntil such time as we be vndoutedly perswaded that God is the author therof Therfore the principal profe of the Scripture is coÌ„monly taken of the person of God the speaker of it The Prophetes and Apostles bost not of their own sharpe wit or any such thigs as procure credit to mâ—n that speake neither stande they vpon proues by reason but they bring forth the holy name of God therby to compell the whole world to obedience Now we haue to see howe not onely by probable opinion but by apparant truth it is euideÌ„t that in this behalfe the name of God is not without cause nor deceitfully preteÌ„ded If then we wil prouide wel for consciences that they be not continually caryed about with vnstedfast douting nor many wauer nor stay at euery small stop this maner of perswasion must be fetched deper then from either the reasons iudgementes or the coniectures of men euen from the secrete testimony of the holy ghoste True in dede it is that if we lysted to worke by way of argumeÌ„tes many thinges might be alleged that may easily proue if there be any God in heauen that the law the prophecies and the gospell came from hym Yea although men learned and of depe iudgemente would stande vp to to the contrary and would employ and shew forth the whole force of their wittes in this disputacion yet if they be not so hardened as to become desperatly shamelesse they woulde be compelled to confesse that there are seen in the Scripture manifest tokens that it is God that speaketh therin wherby it maye appeare that the doctrine therof is froÌ„ heaueÌ„ And shortly hereafter we shal se that al the bokes of the holy Scripture do farre excel al other writinges what soeuer they be Yea if we bring thether pure eies and vncorrupted senses we shal forthwith finde there the maiestie of God which shall subdue al hardnesse of gainesaying and enforce vs to obey him But yet they do disorderly that by disputacion trauaile to establishe the perfecte credit of the Scripture And truely although I am not furnished with great dexteritie nor eloquence yet if I were to contende with the moste luttle despisers of God that haue a desier to shew themselues wytty and plesaunt in febling the authoritie of Scripture I trust it should not be harde for me to put to silence their bablinges And if it 〈◊〉 profitable to spende labor in confuting their cauillations I would with no great businesse shake in sunder the bragges that they mutter in corners But though a man do deliuer the sounde word of God from the reproches of men yet that sufficeth not fourthwith to fasten in theyr hartes that assurednesse that godlynesse requireth Prophane men because they thynke religion standeth onely in opinion to the ende they woulde beleue nothing fondly or lightly do couet and require to haue it proued to them by reason that Moises and the Prophetes spake from God But I answere that the testimonie of the holy ghost is better thaÌ„ all reason For as onely God is a conueniente witnesse of hymselfe in hys owne worde so shal the same worde neuer finde credit in the hartes of men vntil it be sealed vp with the inwarde witnesse of the holy ghost It behoueth therfore of necessitie that the same holy ghost whiche spake by the mouth of the Prophetes do entre into our hartes to perswade vs that they faythfully vttered that which was by God commaunded them And this order is very aptly set fourth by Esay in these words My spirite which is in thee and the wordes that I haue to put in thy mouth and in the mouth of thy sede shal not faile for euer It greueth some good men that they haue not ready at hande some cleare proufe to allege when the wicked do without punishment murmure against the worde of God As though the holy ghost were not for this cause called both a seale and a
is vsed in priuate talkes For wee muste alway haue recourse to thys prynciple that of all the generall kyndes of vices one speciall sorte is sette for an exaumple wherevnto the reste maie bee referred and that that is cheefely chosen wherein the fylthynesse of the faulte is moste apparant All be it it were conuenient to extende it more generally to slaunders and sinister backebytinges where with oure neighboures are wrongefully greeued for that falshoode of witnessing whiche is vsed in iudiciall courtes is neuer withoute periurie But periuries in so muche as thei do prophaine and defile the name of God are already sufficiently mette withall in the thirde commaundement Wherefore the righte vse of this commaundement is that our tonge in affirminge the trueth to serue bothe the good name and profite of our neighboures The equitie therof is more than manifest For if a good name be more precious than any treasures what so euer they bee then is it no lesse hurte to a man to bee spoiled of the goodnesse of his name than of hys goodes And in learninge hys substaunce sometime false wytnesse dothe as muche as vyolence of handes And yet yt is marueylous wyth howe neglygent carelessnesse menne do commonly offende in thys poynte so that there are founde verye fewe that are not notably sycke of thys desease we are so muche delyted wyth a certaine poysoned sweetnesse bothe in searchynge oute and in dyscolynge the euells of other And lette vs not thinke that it is a sufficient excuse yf oftentymes wee lye not For hee that forbyddeth thy brothers name to bee defyled wyth lyenge wylleth also that it bee preâ—erued vntouched so farre as the truthe will suffer For howesoeuer hee taketh hede to hym selfe onely so that hee tell no lye yet in the same he secretly confesseth that hee hathe some charge of hym Butte thys ought to suffice vs to kepe safe our neighboures good name that God hathe care of yt Wherefore wythoute doubte all euell speakinge is vtterly condemned Butte wee meane not by euell speakynge that rebukynge whyche ys vsed for chastismente nor accusation or iudiciall processe whereby remedye is soughte for an euell nor publyke reprehension whyche tendeth to putte other synners in feare nor bewrayinge of faultes to them for whose safetie it behoued that they shoulde bee forewarened leaste they shoulde been in daunger by ignoraunce butte we meane only hatefull accusynge whyche aryseth of malyciousnesse and of a wanton wyll to backebyte Also thys commaundement is extended to this poynte that we couet not to vse a scoffinge kinde of plesauntnesse but myngeled wyth bytter tauntes thereby bytyngely to touche other mennes faultes vnder pretense of pastime as manye doe that seeke prayse of merry conceytes wyth other menes shame yea and greefe also when by suche wanton raylynge many tymes oure neyghboures are not a lyttle reproched Nowe yf wee bende oure eyes to the lawemaker whyche muste accordynge to hys ryghtefull authoritie beare rule no lesse ouer the eares and mynde than ouer the tongue truelye we shal finde that greedynesse to heare backebytynges and a hasty readynesse to euell iudgementes are no lesse forbydden For it were very fond if a manne shoulde thynke that God hateth the faulte of euell speaking in the tongue and doth not disalowe the faulte of euell maliciousnesse in the hearte Wherefore yf there be in vs a true feare and loue of God let vs endeuoure so farre as we may and as is expedient and as charitie beareth that we geue neyther oure tongue nor oure eares to euell speakinges and bitter iestynges leaste we rashely without cause yelde oure mindes to indirecte suspicions But beinge indifferent expositors of all mens sayinges and doinges let vs bothe in iudgemente eares tongue gently preserue their honoure safe The tenthe Commaundement Thou shalte not couet thy neighboures house c. The end of this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t is that bicause the lords wil is the our soule be wholi possessed with the affectioÌ„ of loue al lust is to be shakeÌ„ out of our mind that is contrarie to charitie The summe therefore shall bee that noe thoughte creepe into vs whyche maye moue oure myndes wyth a concupiscens hurtefull and tourninge towarde an others losse wherewyth on the other side agreeth the commaundement that whatsoeuer we conceiue purpose will or study vpon bee ioyned wyth the benifite and commoditie of oure neighboures But here as it seemeth ariseth a harde and combersome dyfficultie For if it bee truely sayde of vs before that vnder the names of fornication and thefte are conteyned the luste of fornication and the purpose to hurte and deceyue it maye seeme superfluously spoken that the couetynge of other mennes goods shoulde afterwarde bee seuerally forbydden vs. Butte the distinction betweene purpose and couetynge wyll easylye loose vs thys knotte For purpose as wee haue meante in speakinge of yt in the other commaundementes before ys delyberate consent of wyll when luste hathe subdued the mynde butte couetynge maye bee wythoute any suche eyther aduisment or assent when the mynde is onely prycked and tyckled with vaine and peruerse obiectes As therefore the Lorde hathe heretofore commaunded that the rule of charitie sholde gouerne oure wylles studyes and woorkes so hee nowe commaundeth the coÌ„ceptions of oure maynde to bee directed to the same rule that there bee none of them crooked and wrythen that maye prouoke oure mynde an other waye As hee hathe forbydden oure mynde to bee bowed and ledde into wrathe hatred fornication robberie and lyinge so hee dothe nowe forbidde vs to be moued therevnto And not withoute cause doothe he requyre so greate vprightenesse For whoe canne denye that it is ryghteous that all the powers of the soule bee possessed with charitie Butte if any of them do swarue from the marke of charitie whoe canne denye that it is dyseased Nowe whense commeth yt that so manye desires hurtefull to thy neighboure do enter into thy hearte butte of thys that neglectynge hym thou carest onely for thy selfe For yf thy mynde were altogether throughlye soked wyth charitie no percell thereof shoulde bee open to suche imaginacions Therefore it muste needes bee voyde of charitie so farre as it receyueth concupiscens Butte some manne will obiecte that yet yt is not meete that phantasies that are wythoute ordre tossed in mannes wytte and at lengthe doe vanyshe awaye shoulde bee condemned for concupiscence whose place is in the hearte I aunswere that here oure question is of that kynde of phantasies whyche whyle they are present before oure myndes do together byte and strike oure heart with desire for asmuche as it neuer commeth in oure mynde to wyshe for any thyng butte that oure hearte is styrred vp and leapeth wythâ— all Therefore God commaundeth a marueylous feruentnesse of loue whyche he wylleth not to bee entangled wyth neuer so small snares of concupiscence Hee requyreth a marueylouslye framed mynde whyche che hee suffereth not so muche as wyth slyghte prouociatons to bee any thynge styrred agaynste the lawe of
church And we se what a maze thei haue framed with this their hidden implication that any thinge whatsoeuer it be wythoute any choise so that it bee thrust in vnder title of the Church is gredy receiued of the ignorant as it wer an oracle ye sometime also most monsterous erroures Whyche vnaduysed lyghtnesse of beleefe wheras yt is a mooste certayne downefall to ruyne is yet excused by them for that yt beleueth nothynge determynately but wyth this coÌ„dition adioyned yf the faith of the Church be suche So do they faine that truth is holden in erroure light in blindnes true knowledg in ignorance But bicause we wil not tarry long in confuting them we doe only warne the readers to coÌ„pare their doctrine wyth oures For the very pleanesse of the trueth it sefe wil of it selfe minister a confutation ready enough For this ys not the question among them whether fayth be yet wrapped wyth many remnauntes of ignoraunce but they definitiuely say that thei beleue aryght which stande amased in their ignorance yea and doe â—â—atter them selues therein so that they doe agree to the authoritie iudgement of the Churche concerning things vnknowen As though the Scripture did not euerywhere teache that with fayth is ioyned knoweledge But we do graunt that so longe as we wander from home in thys worlde oure faith is not fully expressed not onely bicause many things are yet hidden from vs but bicause being compassed with many mistes of erroures wee atteine not all thinges For the hyghest wysedome of the moste perfect is thys to profite more and proceede on further forwarde with gentill willingnesse to learne Therfore Paule exhorteth the faithfull if vpon any thinge thei differ one from an other to abide for reuelation And truely experience teaceth that till we be vnclothed of oure fleshe we atteine to knowe lesse than were to be wisshed and dayly in reading we light vpon many darke places whiche do conuince vs of ignorance And with this brydle God holdeth vs in modestie assigning to euery one a measure of faith that euen the very best teacher may be ready to learne And notable exaumples of thys vnexpressed faithe we may marke in the Disciples of Christ before that thei hadde obteined to be fully enlightned We see how thei hardly tasted the very fyrste introductions how thei did sticke euen in the smallest pointes howe they hanginge at the mouthe of their maister did not yet muche proceede yea when at the womens information they ranne to the graue the Resurrection of their master was lyke a dreame vnto them Sithe Christe dyd before beare wytnesse of theyr faythe we may not saie that they were vtterly without faith but rather if they dad not been perswaded that Christe shoulde ryse agayne all care of him wold haue perished in them For it was not superstition that dyd drawe the women to embalme with spices the corpes of a deade man of whome ther was no hope of life but although thei beleued his words whome thei knewe to be a speaker of trueth yet the grosnesse that styll possessed their myndes so wrapped theyr faithe in darkenesse that thei were in a manner amased at it Wherevpon it is saide that thei then at the last beleued when thei hadde by tryall of the thinge it selfe proued the truethe of the wordes of Christ not that they then beganne to beleue but bycause the seede of hidden fayth whiche was as it were deade in their heartes then receiuing liuelynesse dyd sprynge vp There was therefore a true fayth in them but an vnexpressed faythe bicause they reuerently embraced Christe for their onely teacher and then beynge taught of him they determined that he was the author of their saluation fynally they beleued that he came from heauen by the grace of his father to gather his Disciples to heauen And we neede not to seke any more familiar poofe hereof than this that in al thinges alway vnbelefe is mingled with faith We may also call it an vnexpressed faithe whiche yet in deede is nothinge but a preparation of faithe The Euangelistes do reherse that many beleued whiche onely beinge rauished to admiration wyth myracles proceded no further but that Christe was the Messias whyche had ben promysed albeit thei tasted not so much as any sclender learning of the Gospell Such obedience which brought them in subiectioÌ„ willingly to submitt them selues to Christe beareth the name of faith where it was in deede but the beginning of faithe So the courtieâ— that beleued Christes promise concerninge the healinge of his sonne when he came home as the Euangelist testifieth beleued againe bycause he receiued as an oracle that whiche he hearde of the mouthe of Christe and then submitted hym selfe to his authoritie to receiue hys doctrine Albeit it is to be knowen that he was so tractable and ready to learne that yet in the fyrste place the woorde of beleninge signifieth a particular beleefe and in the seconde place maketh hym of the numbre of the Disciples that professed to bee the scholers of Christe Alyke exaumple dothe Ihon sette forthe in the Samaritanes whiche so beleued the womans reporte that they ranne earnestly to Christe whiche yet when they hadde hearde hym saide thus Now we beleue not bycause of thy report but we haue hearde him and we know that he is the sauioure of the worlde Hereby appeareth that they whyche are not yet instructed in the fyrste introductions so that they be disposed to obedyence are called faithfull in deede not proprely but in thys respect that God of hys tender kyndenesse voutchesaueth to graunte so greate honoure to that godly affection but this willingnesse to learne with a desire to procede further differeth farr from that grosse ignorâ—â—ce wherein they lye dull that are content wyth the vnexpressed saith suche as the Papistes haue imagined For if Paule seuerely condemneth them whiche alwaie learning yet neuer come to the knowledge of trueth howe muche more greuous reproche do they deserue that of purpose stadie to know nothing This therfore is the true knowledge of Christ if we receiue him such as he is offered of his Father that is to saye clothed with his Gospel For as he is appoynted to be the marke of oure faith so we can not go the right waie to him but by the Gospell going before to guide vs. And truely ther are opened to vs the treasures of grace which being shut vp Christ should litle proâ—ite vs. So Paule ioyneth faithe an vnseparable companion to doctrine wher he saithe Ye haue not so learned Christ for ye haue been taught what is the trueth in Christe Yet do I not so restraine faith to the Gospell but that I confesse that there hath been so much taught by Moses and the Prophetes as suffised to the edification of faith but bicause ther hath ben deliuered in the Gospel a fuller opening of faith therefore it is woorthyly called of Paule the doctrine of saith For which cause also
implication as yf he had saide Whoso are righteous by true faithe thei doe proue their righteousnesse with obedieÌ„ce good works not with a bare imagelike visor of faith In a suÌ„me he disputeth not by what meane we ar iustified but he requireth of the faithful a working righteousnesse And as Paule affirmeth that meÌ„ be iustified wtout the help of works so Iames doth here suffer theÌ„ to be accoÌ„pted righteous which want good workes The coÌ„sidering of this end shal deliuer vs out of al dout For our aduersaries are hereby chefely deceiued that thei think that Iames defineth the maÌ„ner of iustifieng wheras he trauaileth about nothing els but to ouerthrowe their peruerse carelesnes which did vainly pretend faith to excuse their despisinge of good workes Therefore into howe manye waies soeuer thei wrest the words of Iames thei shal wring out nothing but two sentences yâ— a vaine bodilesse shewe of faith doth not iustifie that a faithful man not coÌ„tented with such an Imaginatiue shew doth declare his righteousnesse by good workes As for that which thei allege out of Paul the same meaning that the doers of the law not the hearers ar iustified it nothing helpeth them I will not escape away with the solutioÌ„ of Ambrose that that is therfore spokeÌ„ bicause the fulfilling of the law is faith in Christe For I see that it is but a meare starting hole which nothing nedeth where there is abroad way open There the Apostle throweth down that Iewes froÌ„ folish coÌ„fidence whyche boasted theÌ„selues of the only knowledg of the law when in the meane time thei were the greatest despisers of it Therfore that thei shold not stand so much in their own conceite for the bare knowledg of the lawe he warneth theÌ„ that if righteousnesse be sought out of the law not the knowledg but the obseruing of it is required We verily make no doubt of this that the righteousnesse of the law standeth in workes nor yet of this also that the righteousnesse coÌ„sisteth in the worthinesse merites of works But it is not yet proued that we are iustified by works vnlesse thei bring forth some man that hath fulfilled the lawe And that Paul meant none otherwise the hanging together of the text shal be a sufficient testimonie After that he had generally coÌ„demned the Gentiles the Iewes of vnrighteousnesse then he descendeth to the particular shewing of it saith that thei which sinned wtout the Law do perish wtout the law which is spoken of the Gentiles but thei whiche haue sinned in the law are iudged by the law which perteineth to the Iewes Now bicause they winkinge at their own trespassinges proudly gloried of the onely law he adioyneth that whiche most fitly agreed that the law was not therfore made that meÌ„ shold be made righteous by only hearing of the voice therof but then not til then when their obeied as if he shold say Sekest thou righteousnesse in the law allege not the hearing of it which of it self is of small importaÌ„ce but bring works by whiche the maiest declare that the lawe was not set for thee in vaine Of these workes bicause thei were all destitute it folowed that thei wer spotled of glorieÌ„g of the law Therfore we must of the meaning of Paul rather frame a contrary argument The righteousnes of the law consisteth in the perfectioÌ„ of works No man can boast that he hath by workes satisfied the law Therfore there is no righteousnes by the law Now thei allege also these places wherin the faithful do boldly offer their righteousnesse to the iudgmente of God to be examined require the senteÌ„ce be geueÌ„ of them according to it Of which sort are these Iudge me O lord according to my righteousnes according to my innocence which are in me Again Heare my righteousnesse O God Thou haste proued my heart hast visited it in the night there was no wickednesse founde in me Againe The Lorde shall rendre to me according to my righteousnesse he shal recompense me according to the cleannesse of my hands Bicause I haue kept the waies of the Lord haue not wickedly departed froÌ„ my God And I shal be vnspotted shal kepe me froÌ„ my iniquiâ—ie Again Iudge me Lorde bycause I haue walked in mine innocence I haue not sit with lieng men I wil not entre in with theÌ„ that do wycked things Destroy not my soule with the vngodly my life with men of blood in whose hands ar iniquities whose right hand is filled with giftes But I haue walked innocently I haue aboue spokeÌ„ of the affiance which the holy ones do seme simply to take to theÌ„selues of works As for these testimonies that we haue here alleged thei shal not much accoÌ„bre vs if they be vnderstaÌ„ded according to their compasse or as thei coÌ„monly call it their circumstance Now the same is doble For neither would thei haue them to be wholy examined that thei shold be either coÌ„deÌ„ned or acquited according to the continual course of their whole life but thei bringe into iudgment a special cause to be debated Neither do thei claime to them selues righteousnes in respect of the perfectioÌ„ of God but by comparison of naughty wicked meÌ„ First when the iustifieng of man is entreated of it is not only required that he haue a good cause in some particular mater bâ—t a certaine perpetual agreement of righteousnesse in his whole life But the holy oâ—es when thei cal vpoÌ„ the iudgmeÌ„t of God to approue their innocencie do not offer theÌ„selues free froÌ„ al giltinesse in euery behalfe faultlesse but verily wheÌ„ thei haue fastned their affiance of saluation in his goodnesse onely yet trusting that he is the reuenger of the poore afflicted against right equitie thei coÌ„mend to him the cause wherein the innocent are oppressed But when thei set their aduersaries which theÌ„ before the iudgment seate of God thei boast not of such an innocence as shal aunswer to the pureueise of God if it be seuerely searched but bicause in coÌ„parison of the malice obstinancie suttletie wickednesse of their aduersaries thei know that their plainnes righteousnes simplicitie cleanes is knoweÌ„ pleasing to God thei feare not to cal vpoÌ„ him to be iudge betwene theÌ„selues theÌ„ So when Dauid said to Saul The lorde rendre to euery maÌ„ according to his righteousnesse truth he meant not that the lord shold examine by himself reward euery man according to his deseruings but he toke the lord to witnesse how great his innoceÌ„cy was in coÌ„parisoÌ„ of the wickednes of Saul And Paul himself wheÌ„ he bosteth with this glorieng that he hath a good witnesse of coÌ„science that he hath trauayled with simplicitie vprightnesse in the Churche of God meaneth not that he staÌ„deth vpoÌ„ such glorieÌ„g before God but being coÌ„pelled with the sclauÌ„ders of the wicked he defeÌ„deth his faithful honest
and singular to himselfe Therfore when he glorieth of this he doth not onely bost that he hath that which belongeth to a true and lawful Pastor but also bryngeth fourth the signes of his Apostleship For whē there were some among the Galathians which trauailing to diminishe his authoritie made him some meane disciple put in office vnder them by the principal Apostles he to defende in safetie the dignitie of hys preaching which he knew to be shot at by those suttle deuises neded to shewe himselfe in al pointes nothing inferior to the other Apostles Therefore he affirmeth that he was chosen not by the iudgement of men lyke some common Byshop but by the mouth and manifest Oracle of the Lorde himselfe But no man that is sober wil deny that it is according to the order of lawful calling that Bishops should be appointed by men forasmuch as there are so many testimonies of the Scripture for profe therof Neither doth that saying of Paul make to the contrary as it is said that he was not sent of men nor by men forasmuch as he speaketh not there of the ordinary choosing of ministers but chalengeth to hymselfe that which was special to the Apostles Howbeit God also so appointed Paule by hymselfe by singular prerogatiue that in the meane tyme he vsed the discipline of Ecclesiastical calling For Luke reporteth it thus whē the Apostles were fastyng and praying the Holy ghost said Seperate vnto me Paule and Barnabas to the worke to whiche I haue seuerally chosen them To what purpose serued that seperatiō and putting on of handes sith the Holy ghost hath testified his own election but that the discipline of the Chirche in appointing ministers by men might be preserued Therfore the Lord could by no playner example approue suche order than he dyd when hauing firste declared that he had ordeyned Paul Apostle for the Gentiles yet he willeth him to be appointed by the Chirch Which thing we may see in the choosyng of Mathias For because the office of Apostleship was of so greate importance that they durst not by their own iudgement choose any one mā into that degree they did set two men in the middes vpō the one of whom the lot should fall that so both the election might haue an open testimonie from heauen and yet the policie of the Chirch should not be passed ouer Nowe it is demaunded whether the minister ought to be chosen of the whole Chirche or onely of the other of the same office and of the Elders that haue the rule of discipline or whether he may be made by the authoritie of one man They that geue thys authorytie to one mā allege that whiche Paule sayeth to Titus Therefore I haue lefte thee in Creta that thou shouldest appoynte in euery towne Priestes Again to Timothee laye not handes quicklye vppon any manne But they are deceiued if they thinke that either Timothee at Ephesus or Titus in Creta vsed a kingly power that either of them shoulde dispose all thinges at his owne will For they were aboue the reste onelye to goe before the people with good and holsome counsells not that they onely excludyng all other shoulde doe what they lysted And that I may not seme to faine any thing I will make it playne by a lyke example For Luke rehearseth that Paule and Barnabas appoynted Pryestes in dyuerse Chirches but he also expresseth the order or manner how when he sayeth that it was done by voices ▪ ordeining Priestes sayeth he by lifting vp of handes in euery Chirche ▪ Therefore they two did create them but the whole multitude as the Grecians maner was in elections did by holding vp their handes declare whom they would haue Euen in lyke maner the Romaine hystories do oftentimes say that the Consul which kept the assemblies created newe officers for none other cause but for that he receiued the voices and gouerned the people in the election Truely it is not likely that Paule graūted more to Timothe and Titus than he toke to himselfe But we see that he was wonte to create Byshops by voices of the people Therefore the places aboue are so to be vnderstanded that they minishe nothing of the common ryght and libertie of the Chirch Therfore Ciprian sayeth well when he affirmeth that it commeth from the authoritie of God that the Priest should be chosē in presence of the people before the eyes of all men and should by publike iudgement and testimonie be allowed for worthy and mete For we see that thys was by the commaundement of the Lord obserued in the Leuiticall Priestes that before theyr consecration they should be broughte into the sight of the people And no otherwise is Mathias added to the felowship of the Apostles and no otherwyse the seuen Deacons were created but the people seing and allowing it These examples saieth Ciprian do shew that the ordring of a Priest ought not to be done but in the knowledge of the people standyng by that the orderyng may be iuste and lawfull which hath been examined by the witnesse of all We are therfore come thus farre that this is by the worde of God a lawfull callyng of a minister when they that seme mete are created by the consent and allowaunce of the people And that other Pastors ought to beare rule of the election that nothing be done amisse of the multitude eyther by lightenesse or by euil affections or by disorder Now remaineth the forme of ordering to which we assigned the laste place in the callyng It is euident that the Apostles vsed no other Ceremonie when they admitted any man to ministerie but the laying on of handes And I thynke that thys vsage came from the maner of the Hebrues which did as it were presente vnto God by laying on of hāds that which they would haue blessed hallowed So when Iacob was about to blesse Ephraim and Manasse he layed hys handes vpon their heds Which thyng our Lorde folowed when he prayed ouer the infantes In the same meaning as I thynke the Iewes by the ordināce of the law layed handes vpon the Sacryfices Wherefore the Apostles by layeng on of handes did signifie that they offered hym to God whō they admitted into the ministerie Albeit they vsed it also vppon them to whom they applyed the visible graces of the Spirite Howsoeuer it bee thys was the solemne vsage so ofte as they called any man to the ministerie of the Chirche So they consecrated Pastors and teachers and so also Deacons But although there be no certayne commaundemente concernyng the laying on of handes yet because we see that it was continually vsed among the Apostles their so diligente obseruing of it ought to be to vs in stede of a commaundemente And truely it is profitable that by suche a signe both the dignitie of the ministerie should be commēded to the people and also that he which is ordered should be admonished that he is
Athanasius the chief defendour there of the true faith was driuen out of his see such calamitie cōpelled him to come to Rome that with that authoritie of the see of Rome he might both after a sort represse the rage of his enemies and confirme the godly that were in distresse He was honourably receiued of Iulius then Bishop and obteined that the Bishops of the west toke vpon them the defence of his cause Therfore when the godly stoode in great neede of foreyn aide and sawe that there was very good succour for them in the Chirche of Rome they willyngly gaue vnto it the most authoritie that they coulde But all that was nothyng els but that the cōmunion therof should be hiely estemed it should be compted a great shame to be excommunicate of it Afterward euill and wicked men also added much vnto it For to escape lawfull iudgementes they fledde to this sanctuarie Therfore if any priest were condemned by his bishop or any Bishop by the Synode of his prouince they by and by appelled to Rome And the Bishops of Rome receiued suche appellations more gredily than was mete because it semed to be a forme of extraordinarie power so to entermedle with maters farre and wide aboute them So when Eutiches was condemned by Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople he complained to Leo that he had wrong doone vnto hym Leo without delay no lesse vndiscretely then sodeinly toke in hande the defence of an euill cause he greuousely inueyed againste Flauianus as though he had without hearyng the cause condemned an innocent and by this his ambition he caused that the vngodlynesse of Eutiches was for a certaine space of time strengthned In Affrica it is euidēt that this oftentimes chaunced For so soone as any lewde man had taken a foile in ordinarie iudgement he by and by flewe to Rome and charged his contreemen with many sclaunderous reports and the see of Rome was alway ready to entermedle Whiche lewdnesse compelled the Bishops of Affrica to make a lawe that none vnder peyn of excōmunication should appelle beyond the sea But what soeuer it were let vs see what authoritie or power the see of Rome then hadde Ecclesiasticall power is conteined in these fower pointes orderyng of Byshops summonyng of Councels hearing of Appealles or iurisdiction Chastisyng admonitions or censures All the olde Synodes commaunde Bishops to be consecrate by their owne Metropolitanes and they neuer bid the bishop of Rome to bee called vnto it but in his owne Patriarchie But by litle and litle it grewe in vse that all the Bishops of Italie came to Rome to fetche their consetration except the Metropolitans which suffred not themselues to bee brought into suche bondage but when any Metropolitane was to be consecrate the bishop of Rome sent thether one of his priestes whiche should onely be present but not president Of whiche thyng there is an example in Gregorie at the consecration of Constantius Bishoppe of Millain after the death of Laurence Howbeit I dooe not thinke that that was a very auncient institution but when at the beginning for honor and good willes sake they sent one to an other their Legates to be witnesses of the cōsecration and to testifie cōmunion with them afterward that whiche was voluntarie beganne to be holden for necessarie Howe soeuer it be it is euident that in olde tyme the Bishop of Rome had not the power of consecratyng but in the prouince of his owne Patriarchie that is to say in the Chirches adioynyng to the citie as the canon of the Nicene Synode sayth To the Consecration was annexed the sendyng of a Synodicall Epistle in which he was nothing aboue the reste For the Patriarches were wont immediatly after their consecration by solemne writyng to declare their faithe whereby they professed that they subscribed to the holy and catholike Councelles So rendryng an accompt of their Faith they did approue them selues one to an other If the Bishop of Rome had receiued of other and not him selfe geuen this confession he had thereby been acknowleged superior but when he was no lesse bounde to geue it than to require it of other and to be subiect to the common lawe truely that was a token of felowship not of dominion Of this thyng there is an example in Gregories epistle to Anastasius and to Cyriacus of Constantinople and in other places to all the Patriaches together Then folowe admonitions or censures whiche as in olde tyme the Bishops of Rome vsed toward other so they dyd agayne suffer them of other Ireneus greuously reproued Uictor because he vndiscretely for a thyng of no value troubled the Chirche with a pernicious dissention Uictor obeyed and spurned not against it Such a libertie was then in vre among the holy Byshops that they vsed a brotherly authoritie toward the Bishop of Rome in admonishyng and chastisyng hym if he at any tyme offended He agayn when occasion required did admonishe other of their duetie and if there were any fault rebuked it For Cyprian when he exhorteth Stephen to admonishe the bishops of Fraunce fetcheth not his argument frō the greater power but from the cōmon right that priestes haue among themselues I beseche you if Stephen had then ben ruler ouer Fraunce would not Cyprian haue saide Restraine them because they be thyne but he saieth farre otherwise This saieth he the brotherly felowshyp wherwith we be bounde one to an other requireth that we should admonishe one an other And we see also with how great sharpnes of words he being otherwise a mā of a mild nature inueyeth against Stephē himself whē he thinketh him to be to insolēt Therfore in this behalfe also there appereth not yet that the Bishop of Rome had any iurisdictiō ouer them that wer not of his own prouince As concernyng the callyng together of Synodes this was the office of euery Metropolitane at certaine appointed tymes to assemble a Prouinciall Synode There the Bishop of Rome had no authoritie But a General coūsel the Emperour only might sūmō For if any of the Bishops had attēpted it not only they that wer out of his prouince would not haue obeyed his callyng but also there would by and by haue risē an vprore Therfore the Emperour indifferētly warned them all to be present Socrates in dede reporteth that Iulius dyd expostulate with the bishops of the East because they called hym not to the Synode of Antioche whereas it was forbidden by the Canons that any thyng shoulde be decreed without the knowledge of the Bishop of Rome But whoe doeth not see that this is to be vnderstanded of suche decrees as bynde the whole vniuersall Chirche Nowe it is no meruayle if thus muche be graunted bothe to the antiquitie and honor of the citie and to the dignitie of the see that there should be no generall decree made of religion in the absence of the Bishop of Rome if he refuse not to bee present But what is this to the
Bishop which may beare these priuileges of dignitie Admit therfore al those things to be true which yet we haue already wroong from them that Peter was by the mouth of Christe appointed hed of the vniuersal Chirche and that he left the honor that was geuen hym in the see of Rome that the same was stablished by the authoritie of the auncient Chirch and confirmed with long continuaunce that the Supreme power hath been alway by one consent geuen of all men to the Bishop of Rome that he hath ben the iudge of al both causes and men and himselfe subiect to the iudgement of none let them haue also more if they wil yet I answere in one word that none of these things auaile vnlesse there be at Rome a Chirch a Bishop This they must nedes grauÌ„t me that it can not be the mother of Chirches which is not it selfe a Chirche that he can not be chiefe of Bishops which is not himselfe a Bishop Will they therfore haue the see Apostolike at Rome Then let them shewe me a true and lawfull Apostleship Will they haue the chief Bishop Then let them shewe me a Bishop But what where will they shewe vs any face of a Chirch They name one in dede and haue it oft in their mouth Truly the Chirche is knowen by her certaine markes and Bishoprike is a name of office I speake not here of the people but of the gouernemente it selfe which ought continually to shine in the Chirche Where is the ministerie in their Chirche such as Christes institution requireth Let vs cal to remembrance that which hath before ben spoken of the office of Priestes and of a Bishop If we shall bryng the office of Cardinals to be tried by that rule we shal confesse that they are nothyng lesse than Priests As for the chief bishop himself I would faine know what one thing at all he hath bishoplike First it is the principal point in the office of a Bishop to teach the people with the word of God an other and the next point to that is to minister the sacraments the third is to admonish and exhort yea and to correct them that offend and to hold the people together in holy discipline What of these thyngs doeth he yea what doeth he faine himselfe to doo Let theim tell therfore by what meane they would haue him to be compted a Bishop that doeth not with his little fynger no not ones so muche as in outewarde shewe touche any part of a bishops office It is not so of a Bishop as it is of a king For a king although he do not execute that which beloÌ„geth to a king doth neuerthelesse retein the honor and title But in iudging of a bishop respect is had to Christes comauÌ„dement which alway ought to be of force in the Chirche Therfore let the Romanistes lose me this knot I denye that their hye Bishop is the chiefe of Bishops forasmuche as he is no Bishop They must nedes proue this last point to be false if they will haue the victorie in the first But howe say they to this that he not onely hath no propertie of a Bishop but rather all thinges contrarie But here O God where at shall I begynne at his learning or at his maners What shal I say or what shall I leaue vnsayde where shall I make an ende This I saye that whereas the worlde is at this daye stuffed with so many peruerse and wicked doctrines full of so many kyndes of superstitions blynded with so many errors drowned in so great idolatry there is none of these any where that hathe not either flowed from thense or at least bene there confirmed Neither is there any other cause why the Bishops are caried with so greate rage against the doctrine of the Gospell newly springing vp agayne why they bend all their strengthes to oppresse it why they kindle vp kings and princes to crueltie but bicause they see yâ— their whole kingdom decaieth falleth down so sone as the Gospel of Christ cometh in place Leo was cruell Clement was bloudie Paul is a fierce murtherer But nature hath not so much moued them to fight against the truthe as for that this was their only meane to mayntain their power Therfore sithe they can not be safe till they haue driuen awaye Christ they trauaile in this cause as if they dyd syght for their religion and contrees and for their owne lyues What then Shall that bee to vs the see Apostolike where we see nothyng but horrible Apostasie Shall he be Christes vicar which by persecuting the Gospell with furious enterprises doth openly professe him self to be Antichrist Shal he be Peters successour that rangeth with swerd and fyre to destroy all that euer Peter hath builded Shall he bee hed of the Chirch that cutting of and dismembryng the Chirche from Christe the onely true head therof doeth in it selfe plucke and teare it in pieces Admitte verily that in the olde time Rome was the mother of all Chirches yet sins it hath begon to be the seate of Antichriste it hath cessed to be that which it was We seme to be to muche euill speakers and railers when we call the bishop of Rome Antichrist But they that so thinke doo not vnderstand that they accuse Paule of immodestie after whom we so speake yea out of whoe 's mouth we so speake And least any man obiecte that we doo wrongfully wrest against the bishop of Rome these words of Paul that are spoken to an other intent I will brefely shew that they can not be otherwise vnderstanded but of the Papacie Paule writeth that Antichrist shal sit in the temple of God In an other place also the Holy ghost describyng his image in the person of Antiochus sheweth that his kingdome shall consist in hautinesse of speche and blasphemyngs of God Hereupon we gather that it is rather a tyrannie ouer soules than ouer bodies that is raised vp against the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Then that it is suche as doeth not abolish the name of Christ and the Chirch but rather should abuse the preâ—ence of Christ and lurke vnder the title of the Chirche as vnder a disguised visour But although all the heresies and sectes that haue ben from the beginnyng belong to the kingdome of Antichrist yet where as Paule prophecieth that there shal com a departing by this description he signifieth that that seate of abhomination shal then be raised vp when a certain vniuersall departyng shal possesse the Chirche howsoeuer many membres of the Chirch here and there continue in the true vnitie of Faith But where he addeth that in his time he began in a misterie to set vp the worke of iniquitie which he would afterward shew openly therby we vnderstand that this calamitie was neither to be brought in by one maÌ„ nor to be ended in one man Now wher as he doeth set out Antichrist by this marke that he should plucke awaye from God his
with no distrustfulnesse or doutyng but shall reste with great assurednesse and stedfast constancie So also trusting vpon the largenesse of those promises that she hath she shal haue whereupon aboūdantly to susteine her fayth that she maye nothyng doute that the best guide of the righte way the holy Spirite is alwaye presente with her but therewithall she shall kepe in memorie what vse the Lord would haue vs to receiue of his holy Spirite The Spirite sayth he which I wil send frō my Father shal leade you into al truth But how◠because sayeth he he shal put you in minde of al those thinges that I haue tolde you Therfore he geueth warning that there is nothing more to be loked for of his Spirite but that he should enlightē our mindes to perceiue the truth of his doctrine Therfore Chrisostome saieth excellently well Many sayeth he do boste of the holy Spirite but they which speake their own do falsly pretēde that they haue him As Christ testified that he spake not of himselfe because he spake out of the law the Prophetes so if any thing beside the Gospel be thrust in vnder the title of the Spirite let vs not beleue it because as Christ is the fulfilling of the law the Prophetes so is the Spirite of the Gospel These be his words Now it is esy to gather how wrōgfully our aduersaries do which bost of the Holy ghost to no other ende but to set fourth vnder his name strāge and foreine doctrines from the word of God wheras he wil with vnspeakable knott be conioined with the worde of God thesame doth Christe professe of him when he promiseth him to his Chirch So is it truly What sobrietie the Lord hath ones prescribed to his Chirch the same he wil haue to be perpetually kept But he hath forbidden her that she should not adde any thing to his worde nor take any thing frō it This is the inuiolable decree of God and of the Holy ghost whiche our aduersaries goe about to abrogate when they faine that the Chirche is ruled of the Spirite without the worde Here againe they murmure against vs say that it behoued that the Chirch shold adde some things to the writinges of the Apostles or that they thēselues should afterwarde with liuely voice supply many thinges which they had not clearly enough taught namely sith Christ said vnto them I haue many thinges to be said to you which you can not now beare and that these be the ordinances which wtout the Scripture haue ben receiued only in vse maners But what shamelessenesse is this I graūt the disciples were yet rude in a maner vnapt to learne whē the Lord said this vnto them But wer they then also holdē with such dulnesse whē they did put their doctrine in writing that they afterward neded to supply with liuely voice that which they had by fault of ignorāce omitted in their writinges But if they were already led by the Spirite of trueth into al trueth whē they did set fourth their writinges what hindred that thei haue not therin conteined left written a perfect knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospell But goe to let vs graunt them that which they require Only let them point out what be those thinges that it behoued to be reueled without writing If they dare enterprise that I wil assaile them with Augustines wordes that is When the Lord hath saied nothing of them which of vs dare say these they be or those they be or if any dare say so wherby doeth he proue it But why do I striue about a superfluous mater For a very childe doeth knowe that in the writinges of the Apostles which these men do make in a maner lame and but half perfecte there is the frute of that reuelation which the Lorde did then promise them What say they did not Christ put out of controuersy what soeuer the Chirche teacheth decreeth when the cōmaundeth him to be taken for a heathen man and a Publicane that dare saye against her Firste in that place is no mentiō made of doctrine but only the authoritie of the censures is established for correcting of vices that they which haue ben admonished or rebuked should not resist her iudgement But omitting this it is muche maruell that these losels haue so litle shame that they dare be proude of that place For what shal they get therby but that the consent of the Chirche is neuer to be despised whiche neuer consenteth but vnto the trueth of the worde of God The Chirch is to be heard say they Who denieth it forasmuch as it pronounceth nothing but out of the worde of the Lorde If they require any more let them know that these wordes of Christ do nothing take their part therin Neither oughte I to be thought to muche contentious because I stande so earnestly vpō this point That it is not lawful for the Chirche to make any new doctrine that is to teach and deliuer for an Oracle any more than that which the Lorde hath reueled by hys worde For men of sounde witt doe se how great daūger there is if so great authoritie be ones graūted to mē They se also howe wyde a wyndowe is opened to the mockynges and cauillations of the wicked if we saye that that whiche men haue iudged is to be takē for an Oracle among Christians Beside that Christ speaking according to the cōsideratiō of his own time geueth thys name to the Sinagoge that his disciples should afterwarde learne to reuerence holy assemblies of the Chirche So shoulde it come to passe that euery citie and village should haue egall authoritie in coyning of doctrines The examples which they vse do nothing helpe them They say that the Baptising of infantes proceded not so much from the expresse commaundement of the Scripture as from the decree of the Chirche But it were a very miserable succor if we were compelled to flee to the bare authoritie of the Chirche for defense of the Baptisme of infantes but it shal in an other place sufficiently appeare that it is farre otherwise Likewise whereas they obiecte that that is no where founde in the Scripture which was pronounced in the Nicene Synode that the Sōne is cōsubstantial with the Father therin they do great wrong to the fathers as though they had rashly cōdemned Arrius because he would not sweare to their wordes when he professed al that doctrine which is cōprehended in the writinges of the Prophetes Apostles This word I graūt is not in the scripture but whē therin is so oft affirmed that there is but one God againe Christ is so oft called the true eternall God one with the Father what other thyng do the fathers of the Nicene councell whē they declare that he is of one substance but simply set out the naturall sense of the Scripture But Theodorite reporteth that Constantine vsed this preface in their assemblie
maistresse 7 By what testimonie the Scripture ought to be stablished that is by the witnesse of the Holy ghost that the authoritie therof maye remaine certaine And that it is a wicked inuention to say that the Credit therof doth hang vpon the iudgement of the Chirche 8 That so farr as mans reason may beare there are sufficient proues to stablishe the credit of Scripture 9 That those phanaticall men which forsaking Scripture resort vnto reuelation doe ouerthrowe al the principles of godlinesse 10 That the Scripture to correct all superstitiō doth in comparison set the true God against al the gods of the gentiles reckening him for none of them 11 That it is vnlawful to attribute vnto God a visible forme and that generally they forsake God so many as doe erecte to themselues any images 12 That God is seuerally discerned from idols that he may be only and wholy worshipped 13 That there is taught in the Scriptures one essence of God from the very creation which essence conteineth in it three persons 14 That the Scripture euen in the creation of the world and of all thinges doth by certaine markes put difference betwene the true God and fayned gods 15 What a one man was created wherein there is entreated of the powers of the soule of the image of God of free wil and of the firste integritie of nature 16 That God by hys power dothe nourishe and mainteine the worlde which himselfe hath created and by hys prouidence doeth gouerne all the partes therof 17 Where to and to what ende this doctrine is to be applied that we may be certaine of the profit therof 18 That God doth so vse the seruice of wicked men and so boweth their myndes to put his iudgement in execution that yet styll hymselfe remaineth pure from all spott ¶ In the second Boke which intreateth of the knowledge of God the Redemer in Christ which knowledge was first opened to the fathers in the tyme of the lawes and then to vs in the Gospell Are conteyned XVII Chapiters 1 THat by Adams synne and fallyng away mankynd became accursed and did degenerate from his fyrst estate wherin is entreated of Originall sinne 2 That man is nowe spoyled of the freedome of will and made subiect to miserable bondage 3 That out of the corrupt nature of man procedeth nothyng but damnable 4 Howe god worketh in the hartes of men 5 A confutation of the obiections that are wont to be brought for the defence of Free will 6 That man beyng loste must seke for redemption in Christe 7 That the lawe was geuen not to holde still the people in it but to norishe the hope of saluation in Christ vntill his commyng 8 An exposition of the morall lawe 9 That Christ although he was knowen to the Iewes vnder the law yet was deliuered onely by the Gospell 10 Of the likenesse of the olde and newe testament 11 Of the difference of the one testament from the other 12 That it behoued that Christ to performe the office of the Mediator should be made man 13 That Christ toke vpon him the true substance of the fleshe of man 14 Howe the two natures of the Mediator do make one person 15 That we may knowe to what ende Christ was sent of his Father what he brought vs three thinges are principally to be considered in him his Propheticall office his Kingdome and his Priesthod 16 Howe Christ hath fulfilled the office of Redemer to purchase saluation for vs wherin is entreated of his Death and Resurrection and his Ascendyng into heauen 17 That it is truely and proprely said that Christ hath deserued Gods fauor and saluation for vs. ¶ In the thirde Boke whiche entreateth of the maner how to receiue the grace of Christe and what fruites come therof to vs and what effectes folowe of it Are conteyned XXV Chapiters 1 THat those thynges which are spoken of Christ do profite vs by secrete workyng of the Holy ghoste 2 Of faith wherin bothe is the definition of it and the propreties that it hath are declared 3 That we are regenerate by faith wherin is intreated of repentance 4 That all that the Sophisters babble in their schooles of penance is farre from the purenesse of the Gospell where is intreated of Confession and Satisfaction 5 Of the supplyings which they adde to satisfactions as Pardons and Purgatorie 6 Of the life of a christen man And firste by what argumentes the Scripture exhorteth vs therunto 7 The summe of a Christian life where is entreated of the forsaking of our selues 8 Of the bearyng of the Crosse whiche is a parte of the forsakyng of our selues 9 Of the meditation of the life to come 10 How we ought to vse this present lyfe and the helpes therof 11 Of the Iustification of faith and first of the definition of the name and of the thyng 12 That to the ende we may be fully perswaded of the free iustification we must lift vp our myndes to the iudgement seate of God 13 That there are two thynges to be marked in free iustification 14 What is the beginning of iustificatiō the cōtinuall proceding therof 15 That those thynges that are commonly bosted concernyng the merites of workes doo ouerthrowe aswell the praise of God in geuyng of ryghteousnesse as also the assurednesse of saluation 16 A confutation of the sclanders wherby the Papistes goe aboute to bryng this doctrine in hatred 17 The agreement of the promises of the Lawe and the Gospell 18 That of the rewarde the righteousnesse of workes is ill gathered 19 Of Christian libertie 20 Of Prayer which is the chefe exercise of faith and wherby we daily receiue the benefites of God 21 Of the Eternall election whereby God hathe predestinate some to saluation other some to destruction 22 A cōfirmation of this doctrine by the testimonies of the Scripture 23 A confutation of the sclanders wherwith this doctrine hath alway ben vniustly charged 24 That Electiō is stablished by the calling of God that the reprobate do bring vpon thēselues y◠iust destructiō to which thei ar apointed 25 Of the last Resurrection In the fowerth Boke which entreateth Of the meanes or helpes wherby God calleth vs into the felowshyp of Christ and holdeth vs in it are conteined XX. Chapiters 1 OF the true Chirche with which we ought to kepe vnitie because it is the mother of all the godly 2 A comparison of the false Chirche with the true Chirche 3 Of the teachers and ministers of the Chirch and of their election and office 4 Of the state of the olde Chirch and of the maner of gouernyng that was in vse before the Papacie 5 That the olde forme of gouernement is vtterly ouerthrowen by the tirannie of the Papacie 6 Of the supremicie of the See of Rome 7 Of the begynnyng and encreacyng of the Papacie of Rome vntill it aduaunced it selfe to this heyght wherby bothe the libertie of the Chirche hath been oppressed and all