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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07405	A godly and learned assertion in defence of the true church of God, and of His Woorde written in Latine by that Reuerend Father D. Philip Melancthon, after the conuention at Ratisbona, anno 1541 ; translated into English by R.R.	Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560.; Robinson, Richard, fl. 1576-1600.	1580 (1580)	STC 17790; ESTC S1632	66,768	154

to be gouerned and preserued not by ordinary succession S. Paule doth witnesse the same Ephes 4. Hee hath giuen giftes vnto men that the Apostles Prophets c For hee teacheth that that is properly the Church wherein Christ is effectuall woorker and giueth true Teachers Therefore when as the name of the Church and the authoritie thereof is obiected vnto vs Let vs first consider whether mention bee made of the true Churche eyther els of the multitude of Bishops and the politique succession thereof neyther let vs suffer our selues to be terrified or discouraged from the worde of God vnder a false pretence of the name of the Church Secondly after that wee haue declared which is the true Churche let vs nowe adde therevnto that this true Church which is but small and a cōpany of holy ones doth retein the true doctrine of the Gospel or the articles of the faith like as S. Paule calleth the same The seate of trueth But this selfe same true church hath her doctrine sometime more and sometime lesse pure manifest She hath also in her many weake and feeble members as the Apostles were the church but yet they vnderstood not before the resurrectiō of Christ what should bee the kingdome of Christ For Peter after the holy Ghoste was geuen did yet suppose that the rites and ceremonies of the lawe was needefull to be vsed but when he was admonished frō heauen he then knew that the kingdome of Christ was not a Iudaicall pollicy but spirituall and continual woorshipping of God Afterwards whē the Apostles begā to prech there did shine in thē a pure cleare doctrine yet notwithstāding in mean seasō there were many weake mēbers w c albeit they were true mēbers of the church held stil amōgst them the articles of the faith yet they added herevnto some error as they which obserued the ceremonies of the law did not sufficiently well vnderstand the abrogation of the law what was the true worshipping of God This was no small error brought in with it some obscurity to the articles of the faith so did christ foreshew as touching the churche in the latter age that there should happen great darknes which shoulde hinder the very electe ones of God Whereby they shoulde the lesse inioy amongst them the true doctrine Therfore yet remaineth the true Church in some place w c retaineth the articles of y e faith but now thē lesse pure obscured with some hurtful opinions which haue some error in thē And as yet I speake of the true members of the church of the holy ones not of others w c hauing lost the light of the word do leese y e holy Ghost follow the iudgment of reason when they thinke that they deliuer very godly things they yet say cleane cōtrary things and vngodly Like as euē at this day also ther are excellently learned of good conuersation and outwarde shewe of holinesse which seeme to themselues to speake most holy thinges when in deede they are farre of from the true light that is from the true vnderstanding of the worde of God Concerning such persons I speake not as yet but I onely make mention of the true members of the Churche which for the more parte are weake and infirme So therefore saith Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. No man can lay any other foundation then that which is already layde But some man buildeth vpon it Golde other wood and other straw or stubble c. By the foundation he meaneth The Articles of the faith that is to say the whole summe and scope of Christian doctrine and the doctrine of Christes benefites but hereunto saith be some shall adde profitable doctrine and interpretation and true spirituall honouring of God and these he calleth Golde Some other shall adde straw and stubble that is hurtful opinions and which are infected with some erroures Like as in the first age of the world ther were ordained ceremonies which brought with them false opinions As I do iudge S. Ambrose to be a true mēber of the Church And yet euen he thus speaketh of the Lent faste Caetera ieiunia sunt voluntatis hoc necessitatis est That is other fastings are voluntary but this is of necessity This opinion of Ambrose is straw stubble added to the doctrine of fayth So Basilius addeth Monkerie as straw and stubble and commendeth this kinde of life with immoderate and false commendations when as in deede hee was therefore reprehended of his owne Bishop Butch at it is no small faulte too ordeine newe woorshippings of God the Scripture warneth vs hereof and this one sentence sufficiently sheweth the same In vaine doe they woorship me with commaundementes of man Matth. 15. It is a grieuous sinne against the first commaundement to ordeine or allow woorshippinges not commaunded by God For the first precepte seeyng of forbiddeth there shoulde be any straunge Gods doth also forbid strange woorshippinges Cyprian vrgeth canonicall punishmentes which then was vsed and hee confirmeth opinions as though they were necessary that by reason of them sinnes might be forgeuen Sometime againe he saith that without thē absolution of sinnes is vnprofitable Peraduenture hee thought more conuenient heerein then he spake Notwithstanding these are no small erroures but very thicke stubble obscuring the doctrine of Christes benefites and of faith which we shoulde haue in him Furthermore oftentimes writers haue writtē more cōmodiously then they haue spoken because for the most part they were very negligent vnperfect in teaching borowed many sentences and methodes of the common people wherein cōsisted some kinde of errors As for example August borroweth the name of satisfactiō frō the vulgar sort yea although he doth openly reprehēd the errors of satisfactions He troubleth himselfe in the interpretation of this sentence that euery sinne is voluntary where he disputed of the sinne originall when notwithstanding the Sentence is a ciuill saying sette downe concerning external offences So cal they the supper of the Lord an oblatiō after the maner of the people whē it is not an oblation but Christ himselfe was the high Priest which offered his owne sacrifice And indeede in times past there was not made in the ceremony of the supper an oblation of the body and blood but before the consecration there was breade offered and other thinges and the Priest saide that he did offer vp prayers and thankesgeuing and all the seruice which was woont there to be done Although therefore the oblation was not vnderstood after one manner yet notwithstanding the name afterwardes was wrested vnto the oblation of the body wherevppon haue ensued great abuses Dionysius in that booke which containeth ceremonies of the Churche when hee doeth diligently describe the order of the Lordes Supper yet doth he not at all make any mention of the oblation of the Lordes body

Churche would consider the greatnes of these dueties Let them haue an eye vnto their posterity For whom as they haue a desire to leaue a well ordained common wealth so much more ought they deliuer true knowledge of God vncorrupte religion sincere doctrine of the Gospel and after this maner well gouerned Churches Like as Paule writing vnto Timothy saith thus commaunding him Faithfuly to kepe that which is committed vnto him that the same may come whole and vncorrupt vnto the posterity VVith this care nothing at al we see the Bishops of Rome either Bishoppes of theyr affinity either any Monkes or Chanons to be any way mooued but they contend touching worldly wealth and promotions which they woulde haue not touching Doctrine Therefore let others in schoole and gouernment of Cities take this care in hand This sacrifice especially dooth God require of all men as Peter sayth We are called to the ende we should celebrate the benefites of God towardes vs 2. Pet. 1. This ought to be the ende in all Councels and enterprises of wise men to set forth and aduance the glory of Christ For the performance of this duetie God himselfe promiseth great rewardes in this little verse Blessed shal they be which shall loue the Church Psal 120. Hee promiseth them sure defence good prosperitie and euerlasting felicitie which loue the true church With this voyce let the godly ones stirre vp their mindes to the care of aduauncing and adorning the church and not onely confirm them selues against the threatning of Tyrantes but also let them fortifie themselues as armed agaynst the sub till Sophystrie of those which falsely alleadge theyr testimonies of Antiquity and of the churche for the defence of their wicked opynions which to refute and vanquishe I haue somewhat here thought good to instruct the mindes of godly disposed persons Soli Deo Gloria ❧ Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vinetree by Thomas Dawson 1580. What the aduersaries do argue A wrong opinion touching the auctority of the church alleged by the aduersaries What the aduersaries do vnder a false collour of the name of the Churche Pantaleon testifieth that this Michael Seruetus for holding a new erronious opinion of the Trinity and of our Lorde Iesus Christ was afterwards put to death at Geneua Anno 1553. Examples of the fathers alledging the Church Tertullian his testimony Ireneus Basilius allegeth his nurse for her godlynesse Origen allegeth the Apostles Phil. Melancthons purpose in diffinition of the true Church of God Galat. 1. Hee sheweth who be the enimies of the true Chu●●●e What who bee the true Churche and where The Church 〈◊〉 the first age of the world before the deluge The Church i● the same age after the deluge The Chaldea●s and the Egipt●●ans vainly bo●●sted themselue● to be the chur●● and were not Anno Mundi 3970. Luc. 2. ●ros ● cap. 22. Regnante Octaui●● Augusto The churche in tyme of the prophetes Howe the church is to bee reputed accep●ed beleeued Enimies of the church of Esayas tyme. Enimies of the churche in Hieremyes tyme. Al Nations except Iuda onely had vtterly lost the knowledge of God A premonstration of the state of the churche after the Apostles tyme. Matt. 14. The Romish Synagogue reputed for the Church One probable testimony by the abuses of Masses c. The Church of the latter age The Churche ought in the la●ter age especial●ly to be cared for and preserued The Churche is not tied vnto ordinary succession of human● state but vnto the worde of God The true Churche Where and which S. Pau●● reputeth teacheth the Churche 〈…〉 No●● Authoritie of the Church obiected More touching the true church ●t retayneth the doctrine of the Gospel The Apostles ●●er the church but yet they ●either knew what the ●hurch was be●ore the resur●ection of Christ neither what manner ●ingdom Christes kingdome should be Example therof by Peter Many weake members of the Church in the Apostles time Christes prophesie of the Church in the latter age Mat. 24. The true Church remaineth in some one place or othen effectuall from time to time An inuincible grounde of the true Church mentioned by S. Paule And a weake ground of the wrong Church subiect to ouerthrowes Melanc●●on● opinion of the builders in both churches Fasting stubble added by Ambrose Monkery stubble added by Basilius Esay 29. ●9 Punishmentes by canonicall lawe Stubble added by Cyprian Errors of satisfaction reprehended The Supper of the Lorde called after the maner of the peoples oblate●n Dionysius his booke concerning ceremonies The multitude holding some one Church haue borne a great stroake with some persons Custome also hath done the like Examples of great personages apt to seduce the people into darknesse Ori●en a godly member of the church had his erroures Tertul an other had also his infirmities Many godly members of the Church being deceiued by the imagination of reason haue yet at length vene reclaymed The true Church may sometime haue her faultes Authoritie of the true church alleadged how to be prooued Writers of the Church In the Church are not al members likewell disposed Example in Hieremies tyme. The vngodly multitude firste embraced Masses The vngodly multitude decreed that marriages of priests shoulde vtterly be taken away Samosatenus Arius and Pelagius heretikes liuing about the yeeres of our Lorde Samosatenus 274. Arrius 320. Pelagius 435. Alleadging of Masses Bernarde condiscended vnto many errors The first autority being of the worde of God proueth that to be the true Churche which is agreeyng therwith Obiection if the autority of the Church bee refused Seruetus the he retique his opinion How the church is to be hearde Touching vnderstanding the worde to be the second person in trinity The first church of the Apostles touching dotrine and not mans traditions Auncient Fathers citing testimony of the Trinity How writers of former ages are to be heard Examples of the same wryters Opinion of an ancient father touching such as slyde away frō the church Examples How Syno●● or Councels ●re to be heard ●udicum cap. 14. ● comparison ●or triall too ●now where the ●●urch of God 〈◊〉 The godly must acknowledge that the fathers of the Churche haue wel deserued of their posterity Augustynes opinions touching the Church The Churche hath none autority to ordayne any thing contrary vnto the word of God Testimonies of Councels The common sort haue alwayes held antiquity in great estimation Concilium Neocesar vnder Coustantinus Anno. 315. Present thereat Germanus Leontius Basilius Longinus aliis Nicene Councel vnder Constantyne Anno. 324 Present there at 268. bishops Nicene Count. Policies for the gouernment of churches deuysed at the said Councel Ceremonial institutions were causes of superstitions Fathers faulty Canons of repentance The councel of Constantinople secundum Pantaleonem vnder Gratian. Anno 383. Present thereat 180. Fathers Controuersies Heretikes Pollicies The 3. Councel of Ephesus secund Pantal. Romanis ducibus

Apostles as touching baptising of infantes For he saith that in the 6. Chapter of S. Paule too the Romanes it appeareth that the Churches receaued their tradition from the Apostles that infants might be baptised These do rightly alledge the auctority of the churche Wherfore I wil orderly declare what the church is what Churche is too bee heard that wee must vse approoued testimonies And yet notwithstāding that the doctrin is to be iudged out of the woorde of God that the chief autority of Gods word may remain according to that saying If any man shal teach any other doctrine let him be holdē as accursed But first when I speake of the Churche I do not meane Popes Bishoppes and others which do allow their opinions in this behalf For these are the enimies of the true church some of them being Epicures and othersome of them manifestly giuen to Idolatry But I call the Churche the society of them which truely beleeue which haue the Gospel and Sacramentes and are sanctified by the holy Ghost as in the 5. Chapt. of S. Paule too the Ephes the Church is there described and as in Iohn 10. Where it is saide My sheepe heare my voyce And although it bee needful that this true church should be euerlasting bicause the kingdom of Christ endureth for euer it is writtē I will remaine with you vntil the ende of the world Mat. 28. Yet wee must vnderstand and know that this true church doth not alwaies florish togither in one place but oftentymes becommeth a very small Churche and afterwardes againe is restored by God when true teachers are sent therevntoo As in tyme of Noah the church was in a narrowe rowme a congregation of a fewe persons So after the deluge Melchisedech w c was the sonne of Sem the sonne of Noah reteined the true doctrine And whan Idolatry increased amongest the Chaldees that the true doctrine of God was almost extinguished euery where God by calling Abraham renewed his Churche Afterwardes the family of Abraham and a fewe of his ●earers became the Church when as in meane tyme the Chaldees and Egyptians boasted themselues too bee the posterity of the fathers that they reteined the examples of the fathers and manner of woorshipping God openly declared themselues to bee the people of God when they retained not Gods word amongst them although they had reteined ceremonies whervnto notwithstanding they deuised peruerse opinions and moreouer added Idolatry In the time of Achaz was the church extinguisht in Israel afterwards againe by Elias Eliseus it was encreased and yet after that did it decay againe When Christe was borne there was a very small Churche in Iury namely Mary Ioseph the family of Zacharias Symeon Anna the sheepeheardes and a fewe others In the meane time Ecclesiastical iurisdiction was in the dealing of the Pharisees and Saducees which were notoriously knowne a wicked people Also the Saducees were Epicures and yet notwithstanding challenged they the title and name of the people of God vnto themselues especially And so in time of the Prophetes the true church was but slēder as in Esay 1. Where it is testified Except that the Lord had left vntoo vs seede we shoulde haue beene made like vnto Sodom Gomorrha These wordes most grauely do admonish vs that we shold not think or iudge of the church as of a worldly gouernment neither that wee measure the same by succession of Bishops or by degree or seate of the Bishops of Rome but that we do acknowledge the church to bee amongst thē which retain the true doctrine of the gospel In this society there must needs be some true beleuers For vnto this society doo the promises pertain Therfore Esaias bereaueth the princes chief bishops in his time of that stately title saith That there was a small offspring in that selfsame people left which was called the people of God And in the time of Ieremy whē the kings Priests set thēselues against him the churche consisted not in the multitude of those priests but of them which beleeued the preaching of Ieremy Amoz 3. So and in such manner shal Israel bee deliuered That if the Sheepheards do take twoo legges or a peece of an eare out of the Lyons mouth c. And finally at the length there was a very smal church in respect of the multitude of the wicked ones when as all nations the people of Iuda onely excepted had vtterly loste the knowledge of God The Scripture also foresheweth that after the Apostles tymes there shoulde happen deadly persecutions vnto the Churche as in Math. 14. Many false Prophets shall aryse and shal deceaue many Again our sauiour Christ saieth When you shall see the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place c. Mat. 24. Here doth he signify that in the churche which is so called shall Idolatry aryse whereby true doctrine and true worshipping of God shall bee ouerwhelmed and there shal bee made a desolation of the Church that is too say a solitarines or suppression thereof And so indeede it hath come to passe For after that the abuses of Masses and superstitions of traditions did once aryse there haue followed darkenesse of true woorshipping God of fayth of inuocation in fayth and of functions in vocations too bee performed Bycause mans conscience beholding her owne merites is not able too vnderstande the forgiuenesse of sinnes nor comprehende the manner of true calling vppon GOD and the expecting for his diuyne helpe Moreouer it is saide They shall woorke signes and wonders that if it may be possible the very elect ones shall bee deceaued 2. Thess 2. There shall happen a departing from the fayth c. Also Luke 18. Thinke you that when the Sonne of man commeth he shal finde fayth vpon earth Againe in the 88. Psal Hast thou made al men for nought For it is a complaint vpon the decay of the Church in tyme to come These sayinges doe witnesse although it be needefull that the Churche bee preserued notwithstanding in the latter age especially that it is little or a companie of a few persons which are despised and abiect in this life as S. Paule saith Not many wise not many mightie men c. 1. Cor. 1. These testimonies haue I cited too that ende that wee may firste consider wwhat the Church is and that the minde bee withdrawen from carnall opinions which imagine that the Church is the pollicie or constitution of the Bishoppes and doe tie the same vnto the ordinary succession of Bishoppes as the states of gouernment doe consist in the ordinary succession of the Princes But it goeth otherwise with the Church For this is a multitude not tyed vntoo ordinary succession but vnto the woorde of GOD. There is the Churche renewed where God restoreth doctrine and giueth his holy spirite And that Churches are thus