circumstaunces to be noted The fyrst is that other Apostles beynge than present and amongest them euē he of whom Chryst did euē make very much of that is to say S. Iohn yet our Sauiour Christ dyd dyrecte his speach and talke but to Peter onelye sygnifyenge the matter wherof he dyd speake to appertayne to Peter chieflye and pryncipallye and not in so speciall a sorte to anye one of the apostles els Another and seconde circumstaunce to be here considered is that oure sauioure dyd aske Peter moost earnestly whether he loued him more than did the other apostles And the thyrde cyrcumstaunce is in that Chryste dyd commytte both hys lambes and his shepe vnto hym These cyrcumstaunce I saye and other suche lyke well considered doo conuince and clearelye proue that the hyghe charge ouere all the church militant was especially committed to Peter 〈◊〉 sauiour Chryst had not intended to giue vn to Peter a speciall authoritie aboue the rest what nede was there to speake this seuerallye vnto Peter seing he had spoken it generallye to them all before 〈◊〉 what thing ment he els when in that pre sence of all the twelue he promised to giue vnto Pe ter the keyes of the kingdome of heauē sainge a spe ciall 〈◊〉 or prerogatiue to Peter Our sauiour through his heauenly wisedome perceyuynge that it is most necessarye one to be ouer a hole multitude specially being a multitude congregated of so infinite a number of people and of so sondry nations as is the catholyke churche dyd appoynte S. Peter to that offyce and Peter hauinge receyued such charge at chrystes handes did incontinently practyse and exercyse the same and al the rest of the Apostles dyd geue place vnto him And therfore in the first of the Actes it is wrytten hawe that after Chrystes ascension incontinently S. Peter rose vp in the myddest of the faithfull and 〈◊〉 them to goo to the election of one that should succede in Iu das rowme with offyce he vndoutedlye woulde not haue takē vpon him but that oursauiour Christ had Authorised him in such sorte as is before declared In the. ii of the Actes it is wrytten howe that in the presence of all the Apostles S. Peter tooke vpon him to speake in all their names to the people on whitsonday in the mourning streight after that they had receyued the holy Ghoste in the lykenes of clouē tunges In the third of the Actes it is writtē how that s. Peter healed a lame mā which was lame hys mothers wombe and that whē the people wōdred at so straunge a myrycle the sayd Peter made an oration vnto them In the fourth of the Actes and in the fyfte and syxt there is the lyke and in manye other places of the same booke All whyche places of scripture oughte to perswade euery godly harte to thynke that oure sauiour did giue vnto sainct Peter that aucthorite aboue all the rest of the Apostles vpon hys hoole church for an vnytie and good order to be kept in the same And yet for your better contentatiō here in you shall here the authorities of the auncient fathers in thys behalfe Origine a greeke wryter whyche was wythin two hundred yeares after Chryst in hys exposition made vpon the. vi Chapter of S Paules epistle to the Romaynes wryteth thus Petro cumsumma rerū de pascendis ouibu straderetur et super ipsū tan qsuper terr am fundaretur 〈◊〉 clesia nullius confessio uirtutis alterius nisi charitatis exigitur That is to say When the hyghest authoritie orfeedinge of chrystes sheepe was omitted vnto Peter and the churche was builded vpō hym as vpon a sure grounde ther was requyred or exacted of hym the profession of none other vertue saue onely of charitie The blessed martyr saynt Cyprian in many pla ces affyrmeth the same and amongest other in his epystle wrytten Ad inbalanum sayeth Manifestum est 〈◊〉 ct per quos remissio peccatorum dari possit 〈◊〉 dominusprimum petro su per quem edisicauit ecclesiam suam et vnde unit at is origenē institute 〈◊〉 ostendit potestatem istam dedit That is to say It is manyfest where and by whome remission of synnes maye be gyuen for oure Lord fyrste vnto Peter vpon whome he buylded hys churche and from whome he dyd ordeyne and shewe the begynninge of the vnitie to procede dyd giue that power or authoritie And in the same Epystle within a whyle after he sayeth Ecclesiam que una 〈◊〉 sundauit super unum That is to say He dyd founbe his chuche which is but one vpon one Sainct Basyl in his boke against Tauonius writeth thus Perhanc uocem intelligimus 〈◊〉 filiū qui fuit ex Bethsaida An dreae 〈◊〉 qui expiscatore in Apostolatus ministeriū uocatis est Qui quoniam fide prestabatecclesiae in se aedificationem suscepit That is to say by this voice we vnderstād the sonne of Jonas which was of Bethsaida the bro ther of Andrewe which son of Jonas was called from a fyther to the ministerye of the Apostleshyp and bycause he excelled in faith he had the church buy 〈◊〉 vpon hym Saint 〈◊〉 in his fourth sermon sayeth Petrus denique pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiarū petradicitur sicut ait dominus 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiammeam Petraenim dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 fidei fundamenta posuerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immobile to 〈◊〉 operis Christiani compagem 〈◊〉 cō tineat That is to say Fynallye or for a conclusion Peter for the soundenes or substācialnes of his deuotion is called ' the rocke of the churches as our Lorde sayeth Thou arte Peter or of a rocke vpon this rocke wyll I builde my churche In dede he is called a rocke bicause he was the fyrst that did laye the foundation of faith amongest the gentiles as a stone or a rocke that cannot be moued he docth conteine or kepe the frame and weight of the hole christen woorke S Augustyne hath the lyke in his syxe twenty sermon de sanctis and in his xvi sermon de tempore but moost notably in his 124. sermon de tempore wher he maketh a large processe of sainct Peter emōgest other thinges speaking of Peters denial of his mai ster he writeth thus of hym Totius corporus morbum 〈◊〉 capite cura ecclesie et in ipso 〈◊〉 componit membrorum omniū sani tatem That is to say He meanyng Chryste doeth cure in the very heade of the church mening Peter the dysease of the hole bodye in the very crowne or top of the head he frameth the healthe of all the members Here ommyttynge infynite other authorities of the auncient fathers touchyng the primacye or hyghest anthoritie ecclesiastical to haue beue geuen vnto sainct Peter of our sauioux Chryst himselfe I exhorte you in con sideratiō partely of these testimonyes some wherof are taken out of the very scrypture some out of the
And they are also most readye remedies agaynst synne and do farre passe those of the old law For they were the shadowes of thinges to come and as sygnes and fygures were abolyshed Chryst after his comming hauinge fulfylled them and they were therefore abolyshed because they were fulfylled But these of the new testament were instituted both as greater in vertue better in profyt easier in mynystration and fewer in number as beynge but seuen and that they shoulde not onelye signifye but purge and sanctifye also In euerye of whiche seuen sacramentes the minister or dispenser of the same doth not execute in his owne behalfe or name but doth represent the person of our sauiour Iesu Christ to whome be honoure and glorye Amen ¶ Of the Sacrament of Baptysme and the exposition or declaration thereof BEcause the Sacrament of Baptisme is in order the fyrst of al Sacramentes and the gate or entrye by whiche we must and doe entre into the churche and vnto the other Sacramentes thereof to obteyne remission of oure synnes and is a thynge so necessarye that withoute it no man can enter into the kyngedome of God as Christe in the thyrde chapiter of S. Johns gospell doeth playnlye testifie sayinge Nisi quis renatus 〈◊〉 ex aqua 〈◊〉 spiritu sancto non potest 〈◊〉 in'reg 〈◊〉 dei That is to saye Excepte one be borne agayne of water and the holye ghoste he can not entre into the kyngdome of God Therefore in this noumbre of vii Sacramentes the Sacrament of Baptysme for these respectes shal occupie the fyrste place For the better vnderstandynge whereof ye shall emongeste other thynges consyder and note foure poyntes Fyrste ye shall note that in the Sacrament of Bap tysine there are certayne formall wordes necessarye and requysyte to be vsed in the ministration thereof Seconde that in the sayd Sacrament of Baptisme besydes the sayde formal wordes there is requyred al so an outwarde visible thing or element to be concur runt therewith Thyrde is to be considered the vertue force and effecte of the sayde Sacrament And iiii is to be declared what rites solempnities or ceremonies are required for the dewe administration of the sayde Sacramente Nowe concernynge the fyrst of these foure thynges to be noted in Baptysme ye shall knowe that oure sauyoure Chryste when he dyd sende hys apostles to preach throughout the hole worlde he dyd saye vnto them as is testyfyed in the xxviii Chapiter of Sayncte Mathewes Gospell Data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra euntes ergo docete omnes 〈◊〉 baptizantes cos in nominc patris filij ci spiritus sancti That is to saye All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth go you therfore and do you teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the ho ly Ghost By whyche playnly appeareth that oure 〈◊〉 Chryste in hys commyssyon geuen vnto hys apostles dyd prescrybe certayne formall wordes vnto them whiche they in administration of Baptysine shoulde vse accordyng whervnto the minister of the Churche being therein the successoure of the apostles doeth and must vse in the administration of the Sacramente of Baptisme these formall wordes I doe Baptise thee in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holye Ghost and thys muche for the fyrste poynte For the seconde poynte consydered in Baptysme ye shall note the specyall wordes of our sa uyour Christ in the foresayde iii. Chapiter of Sainct Iohns Gospell where speakynge of regeneration or Baptisme he vseth these wordes Aqua et spiritu sancto say ing Nisi quis renatus fucrit ex aqud spiritu sancto non potest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regnum dei Wherby it is euident that water which is a visible element and an open thyng is a substancial part of baptisme must nedes be concurrēt with the formall wordes vsed in the administration of Baptisme Accordyng wherevnto we 〈◊〉 reade in the. viii chapter of the actes that when Philip which was one of the seuē deacons actes vi had conuerted vnto the fayth of CHRIST a certayne noble man being in greate aucthoritie and offyce wyth Candate the Queene of Ethiope he dyd baptyse the sayde noble man wyth water so that water is required in Bap tisme The lyke wherof appeareth the x. Chapiter of the actes where it is euidente that Saynte Peter the apostle baptysed in water one Cornelms a Centuryon and others with hym Touchynge the thyrd thynge to be considered in Baptysme whych is the vertue force and effect ther of ye shall knowe that the forgeuenes or remyssyon of synnes and the grace of the holye ghost is the vertue force and effecte of baptysme as is manyfeste in the seconde chapiter of the actes where the blessed apostle S. Peter sayeth thus Penitentiam agite baptizes tur unusquisque uestrum in nomine IESV CHRISTI in remissionem peccatorum uestrorum et accipietis donum spiritus sancti That is to saye Do you penaunce let euerye one of you be Baptised in the name of Iesu Christe in remission of youre synnes and ye shall reccaue the gyfte of the Holye Ghoste Thys effecte and grace hath thys Sacrament of baptisme by the vertue and workyng of almyghty God there in by his minister accordynge to his owne promyse annexed adioyned to this Sacrament as playnly appeareth in the. xvi chapter of S. Marke where Christe geuinge commission to his Apostles to goe in the whole world to preache the gospell sayth these wordes Qui credideret baptisatus fuerit saluus erit that is to say Who shall beleue and be baptysed shal be saued And as concernynge the. iiii thyng to be considered in baptysme ye shall note that albeit of late some haue vntruely preached and reported that the maner of baptysinge or christening nowe vsed in the Church is not the same whiche was vsed in the prymatyue Churche but hath ben of late yeares inuented and deuised yet the auncient fathers bothe of the Greke of the Latyn Churche haue in theyr workes declared the contrarye for profe whereof amonges many other ye shal reade Denyce the Areopagyte in his boke De ecclesiastica hierarchia in the tytle De perficiendis in baptismate of whose aucthoritie none nedeth to doubte seyng that S. Luke in the. xvii of the actes maketh mention of him ye may reade also S. Cyprian in his fyrst boke and. xii Epistle where he sayth thus 〈◊〉 uero mūdari sanctificari aquā prius a sacerdote ut possit baptismo suo peccat a hominis qui baptisatur abluere that is to say The wa ter must fyrste be made cleane sanctified of the priest that it may clense the synnes of him that is baptysed Reade also S. Ambrose in hys treatise De ijs qui initiantur misteriis and in his fyrste boke al so De sacramentis And if you list rede Chrisostome in hys Homely entituled of Adam Eue where
amongeste diuerse other his notable sayinges ye shal fynde these wordes folowinge Illud etiam quod circa baptizandos in unluerso mundo sancta ecclesia siue sunt paruulisiue iuuenes uniformiter agit non ocioso contemplemur intuitu quod cū ad regenerationis ueniunt sacramēium non prius fontem uite ingrediuntur quā exorcismis et exufflacionibus clericorum spiritus ab eis immundus abigatur That is to saye This thyng also whiche the holye Churche through the hole worlde uniformelye dothe practyse in persones that are to be baptyled whether they be litle children or yong folke let vs not with idell consideration beholde howe that when they do come to the Sacra ment of regeneration or baptisme they doo not enter into the funt of lyfe before that the unclene spirite be dryuen awaye by the exorcisines and exsufflations of the clerkes or mi nisters Agreable wherevnto S. Austyne in his second boke De gratia Christi And in hys xl chapiter doth say thus Ipsa sancte ecclesie sacramenta que tam prisce traditionis authoritate concelebrat satis indicant paruulos a partu etiam recētistimos per gratiam CHRISTI de diaboliseruitio liberari excepto enim quod in peccatorum remissionem non fallaci sed fidcli misterio baptizantur etiā prius exorcizatur in eis et exufflatur potestas contraria cui etiam uerbis eorum a quibus portantur se se renunciare respondent that is to say The very Sacramentes of the holy Church which she by so olde or auncient tradition to gether with other doth celebrate sufficiently do declare yonge chyldren euen most newly or freshely cummen from byrthe to be by the grace of Chryst deliuered from the seruyce of the deuyll For besides that they be baptised not with the deceatefull but with the true misterye there is also fyrst in them exercised and exufflate the contrary power meanynge there by the Deuyll which contrary power the childre by the wordes of them that did bere thē make aunswere that they do renounce it The same S. Augustine also in the. iiii boke xxiiii Chapyter of his worke intituled De baptismo contra Dona tistas wryteth in this maner Et sicut in illo latrone quod exbap tismi sacramento defuerat compleuit omnipotentis benignitas quia non 〈◊〉 perbia uel contemptu sed necessitate defuerat Sic in infantibusqui baptiza timoriuntur eadem gratia omnipotētis implere credenda est quod nō exa impiauoluntale sed ex etatis indigentia nec corde credere ad institiā possunt nec ore confiteri adsalutem ideo aliipro eisrespondent ut impleatur erga eos celebratio sacramenti ualet utique ad eorum consecrationem quid ipse respondere non possunt That is to saye And as the be nignitie of the almyghtye dyd fulfyll in the these specyally mentioned in the xxiii of S Luke that thyng which wanted as touchyng the sacramente of Baptisine because it wanted not of pryde nor of contempte but of necessitie So the same grace of the almighty must be beleued to fulfyll that thyng in infantes who do dye beyng baptised which they not of wycked or noughtye wyll but of lacke of age neyther with hert were able to beleue to iustice nor with mouth confesse to saluation by reason wherof other do aunswer for them that the celebration of the sacrament meaninge Baptysme maye be fulfylled towardes them whiche in dede is auaylable to theyr sanctification because they cannot aunswere Nowe thys sacrament of Baptisme being instituted and ordeyned by oure Sauiour CHRISTE in the newe testament and the effecte and vertue of the same being the forgeuenes of synnes and it hauinge with it the grace of the holy ghoste and fynally it not onely apparteynyng to all such as haue the vse of reason who thereby haue all kynde of synnes both originall and actuall committed and done before they re baptysine clearelye taken awaye from them but also ap pertaynynge and beinge offered vnto infantes who being borne in originall synne haue nede to be chrystened and beinge offered in the faythe of the churche do both receue the forgeuenes of theyr synne and also such grace of the holy ghost that yf they dye in the state of theyr infancy they shall by the sayd baptisme be vndoutedlie saued Ye shall note touchynge thys oryginall synne in infantes that as the said infantes do take of theyr parentes theyr original and natural qualities euen so they receyue from them oryginall synne by whyche they are made the chyldren of the yre of God and by the same haue a natural inclinati on to synne by lustes and desyres whyche in fnrther age and tyme sensibly doo moue and styrre them to wyckednes For althoughe the parentes be neuer so clene purged and pardoned of theyr oryginall synne by baptisme and grace geuen in the same yet neuerthelesse the chyldren of them begotten be conceyued and borne in original synne Example we maye take of corne whiche thoughe it be neuer so cleane wynowed and purged from the chaffe yet if it be caste into the grounde and sowen the newe whiche spryngeth of it is ful of chaffe againe vntyl it be also winowed and cleansed So likewise the children of christen mē be ful of the chaffe and corruptyon of originall synne vntyll that by baptysme they be washed clensed and purged from the same as their parentes were AND althoughe certayne heresies haue rysen vp and spronge in our dayes agaynst the Chrystenynge of infantes yet as the auncient fathers and holy 〈◊〉 of the church do testify the vniuersal consent of the churches in all places and of all tymes vsynge and frequentynge the Chrystenynge of infantes is a sufficient witnesse and profe that thys custome of the Churche in baptyzing of infantes was vsed by Chrystes Apostles them selues and by them geuen vnto the churche and in the same hath been alwayes continued euen vnto these daies And this custome and perpetual vsage of the churche euen from the begynning is agreable with the saying of S. Paule Ephe v. Chryst loued his Churche and hath geuen hym selfe to the deathe for his Churches sake to sanctifye her and make her holye in cleansynge her by the fountayne of water in hys worde c. So that no man is nor canne be of thys Churche but he whych is clensed by the Sacrament of Baptysme Lyke as the texte before alledged sheweth where Chryste sayethe Whosoeuer is not borne againe of water and the holy Gost shall not enter into the Kyngedome of Heauen Wherefore seing that out of the churche nether infantes nor no man els cā be saued they must nedes be christened and clensed by baptysme and soo incorporated into the Churche And as the infancy of the chyldren of the Hebrues in the olde testamente dyd not let but that they were made participant of the grace and benefytte geuen in Circumcision Euen so in the newe Testament the infancye of Chyldren doth not let but that
stande in Who is there almoost emongest vs but that vncharitably calleth hys neighbour fole or som like euyl name yea who is ther in maner that doth not far passe thys degree of vncharitablenes And yet our sauiour nameth no mo degrees partely bicause the payne of thys thyrde degree beinge hell fyre no greater payne coulde be named for suche as should passe the same degre partly because the Chrystyan man should at the least be soo wary circumspecte in kepyng brotherlye loue and charitie that thoughe he dyd perchaunce so farre forgette hymselfe as to call hys brother foole vucharitably yet fardar than so he should not so much as thinke thoroughout his whole lyfe It is written of one Solon an infidell but yet a very polityke man howe when he made lawes for the gouernmēt of that famous citie of Athēs he in all hys lawes appoynted no punyshment for a parricide that is for suche a one as shoulde kyll hys father or mother and when he was demaunded why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he verely thought and beleued that no one beynge brought vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at any tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speketh but of those fore saide three degrees of 〈◊〉 for that it is not lykely chrysten men beinge traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at any tyme proced in the violatyng of 〈◊〉 charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauioure hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise anye man may soo doo but therby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For answere to thys questiō it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs al kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els For asmuch then as in that third of Mathewe S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scribes and pharisies adders brode and S Paule calleth the Galathians fooles and men without vnderstā ding in the second chapyter of his epistle writtē to them yea Chryst hymselfe in the. xxiiii of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and 〈◊〉 of belefe and the thing which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must say that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassoures offenders therby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that this kind uf rebuking is lawfull and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst. But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth ne good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wyshed hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharita ble mynde doth thou hym or tush at him or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him fole ideot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs let al accustomed tancour and malice from henceforth be vtterly banyshed from emongest vs that we dwelling in cha ritie may dwell in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen wyth hym for euer which graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghoste to whome be all honor and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London 〈◊〉 An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce that inestimable good nes of almyghtye God and his inesti mable mercye towards vs nothing deseruing the same yf there be any spot of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankfulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fall downe in body soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his trāsgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of god you haue a sufficiente and moste euident declarati on in these godly and deuout homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation redemption of man Neuerthelesse for your further instruction gostlye comfort in this behalfe I haue thought good to lett you vnderstand an other hye benefytte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauyng perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenly benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whi che our deare and dreadefull Sauiour both before and after his paynefull deathe dyd ordeyne and ap poynt to be for euer to vs a moost louinge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyller of truth in all our doutefull daungers Which churche forsomuch as he hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that manye more is the pitie had separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue rune astray beynge ledde and caried with euerye waue and wynde of newe lerning I purpose by Godes grace to open shortly to you what this churche is what maner of church it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professyng one faith of God and one vse of all the holy sacraments whi che churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauioure Iesus Christe it is most derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent na mes as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum celorum c. that is to say The body misticall of Chryste the spouse of Chryst the kyngdome of heauen For S. Paule speakyng of Chryste sayeth That he hath appointed sundry officers to maintaine the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the bodi of Christ. And kyng Salomon taught by the holy ghost dyd forsee the dignitie and beutye of his holye Churche and sayde in the name of GOD thereby 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 mea perfectamea That is to saye One is my doue and my perfyte one Wyth many other such louing words as my sister my spouse c. And Saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue theyr wyues euen as Chryst loued the church Lykewyse in the holy Ghospell our sauiour Chryst doth compare the 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 thinges vnder the name of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as vnto a kyng whych made o mariage for his sonne somtimes to tenne Uyrgynes and many such other by al which names callings we may learne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and derely beloued to almyghty God who for his churche sake did gyue hys onely sonne to most vyle death for that whiche also he hath prepared the kingdome of heauen Nowe
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze