1215. And I will not héere tell howe gréeuously the consciences of the godly were by this Romishe and Papisticall confession troubled and howe they learned more euill thereby than good and howe horrible and fylthie factes were in this confession committed and howe the same serued to vpholde the power pryde errours and disceiptes of that vnspirituall spiritualtie as they call them selues But it is no small fortresse or foundation of their kingdome and therefore no maruell thoughe they so earnestly and busely labour to defende and kéepe the same But all these things thanks bée vnto God are made manyfest vnto the whole worlde The. Lj. Question Whether those things which the Priest dothe enioyne vs to do for our sinnes which we haue confessed are not to be done as the punishments and deedes of tepentaunce â–ª and whether this our satisfaction be hurtefull or contrary to the satisfaction of Chryste The Answere NEyther the confession whiche is done to the Priest neither yet the payne or penance which is ioyned for the same haue any authoritie froÌ„ the holy Scrypture but are onely grounded vppon the authorities of a fewe fathers And therfore I answere that the faythfull are not bounde by the word of god to do that penaunce which they call satisfaction neither I say to require or doo them For there is one eternall satisfaction that is to say a price reconciliation redemption from our sinnes to wit the death passion of Chryst by meanes wherof al our sins â—ffences and punishments deserued for the same are clerely forgiuen and wyped away And this is confirmed by Esai 53. the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles and chiefly of Paul to the Romanes the thirde and fifth chapters and 1. Cor. 1. c. If therefore by our workes and penaunce which we suffer that is to say if we attribute to our satisfaction which consisteth in the correctioÌ„ of our body fasting prayer almes other such like workes the remission of our sinnes the punishment due therefore or if wée suppose that by this satisfaction we satisfie and requite all those things for the which we were gilty before God then truely this satisfaction is directly coÌ„trary and striueth agaynst the satisfaction of Chryst. Or else must they say that Paule in the like case reasoned not aright when he sayd For if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then is Chryst dead in vayne For euen after the same maner doo wée also reason saying If wee our selues can make satisfaction for our sinnes what neede then had Chryst to dye Wherfore the Chuche kéepeth still that one eternall satisfaction euen the death of Chryste and héerewith doo all the faythfull content them selues iudging their works not to bée so perfecte or worthy that by them their sinnes should be forgiuen and that God by them should bée satisfyed and eternall lyfe bée purchased Here also is to be noted that the faythful which acknowledge Chrystes death to be their onely satisfaction and redemption and are delyuered by hym doo earnestly and diligently auoyde sinne and willingly suffer whatsoeuer God layeth vpon them and yet not to make any satisfaction therby bycause Chryste already hathe fully satisfied but bycause it pleaseth God so to exercise them and call them from their sinnes shewing howe gréeuously the same offende him and by this meanes exerciseth their fayth and maketh them partakers of the afflictions of Chryst. And therefore when GOD receyued Abraham and Dauid into fauour for Chrystes sake and had forgiuen theyr sinnes yet dyd he exercise them in this lyfe with the mortification of their fleshe Chryste also in the Gospel sayth vnto the man which he healed Behold thou art made whole see thou sinne no more least some worse thing happen vnto thee And therefore wée vse commonly to say to doo the same offence no more is a great punishment but yet the beste punishement And out of thys penaunce and satisfaction whiche standeth by no warrant of the Scripture is farrowed all the Whelpes of Romishe indulgences For after they had layde moste gréeuous penaunces and punyshments vppon the poore Penitentiaries for which they must make satisfaction for their mortall sinnes as by fasting many yeres togither then by their Indulgences they mitigated the same agayne and so by this meanes heaped vy huge heapes of money and so of Gods house they made an house or shoppe of Marchaundise yea rather a very denne of théeues and therefore doubtlesse God will shortly whip them out of his house The thirtenth Common place Of the authoritie or power of Priestes The. Lij Question Whether Priests haue power and authoritie to forgiue or retayne those sinnes for the whiche wee bee sory and confesse our selues The Answere THe power which Christ hathe giuen to the Ministers of the Churche is rather an office than a power for power belongeth to Christ alone And that power or Office which the Ministers or Priests haue receyued is to edifie and not to destroy as Paule manifestly teacheth 2. Cor. 10. And the keyes of the kingdome of god are giuen in déede vnto the Ministers of the church For our Lord promised them to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Math. 16. with these words I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt lose in earth shal be losed in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth shal be bound in heauen the same he gaue to all the Disciples John. 20. saying Euen as my father sent me so sende I you who soeuers sinnes you shall remitte they shall be forgiuen and whose sinnes you shall retayne they shall be retayned Therefore to lose is to forgiue sinnes and to binde is not to forgiue or to retayne sinnes But bycause no man can remit or forgiue sinnes but God onely therefore the Ministers of God by his commaundement preaching the Gospel doo declare that god forgiueth their sinnes and remitteth all punishmente if they beléeue in Chryst and that on the other side their sinne remayneth and that they shall bée punyshed for the same if they beléeue not in Chryst and therfore for this cause dothe the Scripture say that the Minister doth bind or lose forgiue or retaine sinnes And as the minister doth truly preach this so doth it vndoutedly come to passe both on the faithfull and vnfaithfull For God being in heauen performeth that which his ministers héere doe promisse on the earthe By this we may easily gather that the keyes are nothing else but the preaching of the gospel and not a peculiare iurisdiction or power as oure aduersaries reache For euen as a maister of some house giueth his keyes vnto his seruaunt to open and shut the house to let men bothe in out So is the church the house of God in the which who so euer abideth is an inheritor of the kingdome of heauen those which through infidelitie are not in the churche haue no portion in the
beleue the remission of sinnes the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Secondly it is called the Communion or felowship of Sainctes that is to say of the faithfull for as appeareth by the Epistles of S. Paul the Apostles and other blessed Fathers called the faithful or Christians Sainctes Bicause as I said before they are sanctified by Christ in his blud through the holy Ghost But bicause the church is a congregation or companie peraduenture therfore it is called in our mother tong Kuch by this letter L and not as some other Germanes do sound it by the letter R. For in the Hebrewe tonge the people or churche of God is called Kâ—haâ— and Kehâ—â—aâ— whereuppon the Germanes say Kilcha But whether it be deriued from the Hebrue or from the Gréeke it is all one For ech of those wordes signifie the congregation or felowshippe of Gods people euen as this worde Ecclesia amongest the Latines dothe also signifie which worde is borowed of the Grecians And although the vniuersall Churche of God in thys earth can not be brought into one company or felowshippe before the last day yet notwithstanding is the same neuerthelesse a spirituall and inuisible body perfectely compacte vnder one heade Jesu Chryste euen as diuers members hauyng sundry operations are ioyned in one body The vniuersall Churche of Chryst is deuided first into the congregation of them whych hauing finished the course of this their lyfe and passed ouer all corruptible things do now reioyce with christ their head in heauen prayse God for euermore Secondely it is deuided into the congregation of those which do yet liue here on this earthe in dayly battell in the Churche of Chryst and haue thys hope that at the time appointed by god they shall come to Chryst their heade and the felowship of their elect brethreÌ„ And in this coÌ„gregation there are some which haue true faythe and therefore are the liuely members of the Church vnder their head Chryste some lacke that liuely fayth and therfore are hypocrites being yet numbred in the visible Churche so long as their wickednesse springeth not foorthe nor they bewray theÌ„selues Touching these S John writeth thus They went out from vs by this it appeareth they were reckned in the Church for else could they not haue gone out theÌ„â—e but they were not of vs that is to say they were not the liuely members of the church true beleuers for if they had ben of vs they wold haue remained with vs. And herevpon it commeth to pas that many deuide the church into the inwarde and inuisible and into the outwarde and visible Churche Yea furthermore it is deuided into the congregation of those which haue liued froÌ„ the creation of the world vnto the coÌ„ming of christ into the coÌ„pany of those faithful which haue ben since the tune of christ and shal be to the end of the world And euery congregation of eche these parts are called the Catholike or vniuersall church yea eche of those churches which are scattered in this worlde haue but one spirite or faithe hath eche the name of vniuersall churche For in the scriptures there is mention made of particulare churches in this earthe as that Paule wryteth to the church of Rome Corinth Ephesus and suche others And therfore eueÌ„ as many Cities and Prouinces are contained in one kingdome and of many members is made one perfect body so also those churches which are dispersed vpon the face of the earth make but one church one kingdom and one spirituall body of Christe be being the head therof The fourth Question Whether they beleeue that the vniuersal church of Christ be guided ruled and gouerned by the holy Ghost The Answere GOd hathe alwayes euen froÌ„ the beginning of the world bene present with his people and churche gouerning the same by the ministerie of the Patriarkes Prophetes and Apostles and that throughe the holy Ghoste For oftentimes God speaketh in the old Testament saying Beholde I am alvvayes vvith you I vvill guide and defende you c. And in the new Testament our Lord Christ saith Beholde I am vvith you for euer vntill the ende of the vvorlde And againe I vvill giue my spirite vnto you that he may abide vvith you for euer And againe vvhere tvvo or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them But the purpose of this Question is to bring the godly and simple into perplexitie and doubte For when they confesse that god gouerneth his church by his holy spirite forthwith the popish bishops conclude therof that the churche neither hathe nor can erre and héereby they suppose that all other things are sufficiently proued to wit that what soeuer they vnder the tytle and name of the Church shal thrust vppon men are bothe good and enspired by the holy Ghost But vnto these mates we answere Firste that we doo not acknowledge that church whereof they bragge to be the true primatiue apostolike church as hereafter we shal proue Secondely we dâ—â— not confesse that the Churche can not altogither or in all points erre For so long as she is gouerned by the holy ghost and onely harkeneth vnto him dooing nothing but by his motion and worde she neither doth nor can erre But if she swarue at any time from the gouernement of the same spirite and gouerneth after hir owne luste then truely shée not onely may but also dothe erre But if any wyll aske whether the Church may swarue from the direction of Gods spirite I answere that it is euident and may in no wyse be denied that the Churche of God héere vpon this earthe often times vnder Moses the Iudges and the Kings of Israell and Iuda hath erred Yea and that the Disciples of Chryst who yet neuerthelesse were the church of christ did erre and had their falles For who is ignoraunt what happened to Dauid Aaron Peter and other the holy Sainctes and Disciples of Chryst Yea wée must note that the Church is gathered not of Angels but of men Wherefore although it be inspired and gouerned by the spirite yet it is not thereby turned into the spirite for it keepeth still hir fleshe and the infirmities thereof yea euen vnto death Who is ignoraunte of those writings which Sainte Paule hathe generally vttered touching the battell betwéene the fleshe and the spirite and that not in the vngodly and vnbeléeuers onely whiche are not of the Churche but euen in the faythefull also and members of the Church And this battell is so vehemente and sharpe that euen thereby the godly are forced not to doo that good and iuste thyng whyche they knowe but to doo that which they ought not to doo Read S. Paules fifth chapter to the Galathians also the seuenth to the Romanes Yet neuerthelesse the same Apostle calleth the Galathians and Corinthians the true church of Christ as purified by his bloude and gouerned by his
but at Rome and that churche whiche agréed not therewith to bée excluded from Chrystes churche And therefore they haue excommunicated the Grecian and Easte churches and haue herevppon stirred vp gréeuous troubles offences and braulings in the whole vniuersall churche of Chryste But to this Question we aunswere thus Bicause the churche of Chryste is catholike or vniuersall it can not be bound tyed or shutte vp into one certayne place for how can it otherwyse be called the catholike or vniuersall church Therefore if it continue to bée catholyke as the vndoubted Truthe dothe testifie then it both hath bene in times paste and is nowe also in those places where the true members of Chryste are for those onely are they which beléeue in him call on him worshippe and honour hym for their onely Pastor and Sauiour and haue those principall tokens whereof I haue spoken before And thus haue I shewed you the place wherein the true and vniuersall Churche of Chryste hathe héeretofore bene and is yet to bée founde And wée speake of the vniuersall Churche whyche is on thys earthe and not of that whiche is in heauen bycause the place thereof is knowen and manyfest vnto the faythfull But what aunswere wil these Prelates make to that that there was a glorious and scattered church of Christ throughout the worlde before there was any Church of Chryst at Rome the whiche was not called the Churche of Rome but the Churche of Chryste and was in euery place where any faythfull were For the Popish Prelates them selues doo confesse that Saint Peter came to Rome the second yere of Claudius the Emperour and that was tenne yeres after the ascention of Chryste and that there he dyd beginne and preache the Gospell For the gospel sprang not vp first at Rome but it dyd spread from Hierusalem to Rome and so into the whole worlde wherevppon some haue called Hierusalem the mother Churche Therefore the Romishe Churche hathe ouer soone and to quickly desired the gouernment of other Churches and for that cause hathe stirred vp turmoyles and discordes no smal confusion and trouble to the vniuersall Church Furthermore not onely in Grecia but also in the south and in the east there are many faythfull whiche not onely doo confesse Jesus Christ but also worship cal vpon him serue him and doo vndoubtedly appertayne to the kingdome of Chryst although they be subiect to the ciuill gouernement of the tyrannous Lurke and such like tyrants Yet none of all these men care any whit at al for the Byshop of Rome the church thereof or for any customes or Ceremonies by the same Churche deuised or ordeined beeing contrary to the worde of God I say they esteeme them no more than we in this our age and in this our countrey esteeme them And doo they not nowe therefore appertayne to the Churche of Chryste Wherfore it is euident that Chryste hathe his church yea euen in those Countreys But when as in tymes paste the Byshop of Rome desired certayne of those Nations to submitte them selues vnder the Churche of Rome they as the Storie testifieth aunswered VVee knowe your power and your pride we can not satisfie your couetousnesse nor wyll suffer your tyrannie and vnlawefull luste and therefore as wee are so wee wyll remayne And yet these godly men refuse not to obey the Chrystian Churche but onely they doo refuse to obey the vnlawefull luste of these pontificall Prelates and yet notwithstanding loue and serue Chryste yea so muche the more for that they submitte not them selues to the Byshop of Rome The. ix Question Whether they do beleeue that without the Churche of Rome there be no saluation or remission of sinnes and whether they doo also beleeue that all those which separate thēselues willingly from that church are to be condemned as Heretikes and Schismatikes The Answere LEt vs make some difference betwéene these questiōs whether there be any saluation or remission of sinnes without the churche of Rome Or again whether there be any saluation or remission of sinnes without the Christian church For thus truely we suppose say that there is no more saluation to be looked for without the christian church than there was health to be loked for in the floud without the arke of Noe. For our sauiour Chryst Jesus the remissiō of sinnes and al other good gifts of God that are declared vnto vs by the preaching of the gospel are written in our herts by the holy ghost vnto eternall lyfe are only to be founde in the communion or felowship of saincts For without the Churche there are many erroures in this world as of the Gentiles Jewes Mahomets diuers other Heresies yea the lawes and superstitious constitutions and Ceremonies of the Popes which all are vnknowne and repugnant to the churche of Christe Wherfore we say that saluation and remission of sinnes may very well be had withoute the churche of Rome For the faithfull which beléeue Christes woorde and féele the power of faith and redemption of Christ and in the meane while beholde what is done in the church of Rome wherein Heauen remission of sinnes and all other holy things are set out to sale and are bidde to be redéemed with oure vnrighteous riches as by the shamefull mart of their indulgences it appeareth doe not long abide in suche a churche nor studie not to be pertakers of these knackes but flée with a quiet and faithfull harte without money to the onely grace of God bicause Esaie in hys 55. Chapter sheweth that euen for thys cause the Lorde speaketh vnto and reproueth men for that they come not to him but lay oute their money for those things which profitte nothing to theyr saluation Let therefore euery man I beséeche you reade the fiue and fiftie chapter of this Prophet And how suche buying and selling in the churche displeaseth bothe Christe yea and Peter of whome the churche of Rome dothe so busily but yet without cause bragge Christe himselfe declareth by his example in that he draue twise out of the Temple the buyers and sellers yea euen with whippes Iohn 2. Matth. 21. In the Actes of the Apostles also it is wrytten That when Simon Magus sawe the holy Ghoste was giuen of the Apostles by laying on of their handes he broughte money vnto them saying Geeue mee also this povver that on vvhome so euer I lay mine hande hee may receiue the holy Ghost but Peter answered him Let thy siluer perishe togyther vvith thee or as some doe interprete it Let thy mony be vvith thee into perdition vvhich thinkest the gift of God may begotten vvith mony For thou hast neyther parte nor felovvship in this doctrine for thy hart is not right before god Act. 8. And bicause God héere by Peter cursseth all those which are not of an vprighte harte and pronounceth them to haue no parte or fellowshippe wyth Goddes electe which make marchandise of his grace and other giftes amongste whome saluation
and the remission of sinnes are the cheefest And for that the churche of Rome cannot cléere hir selfe of this fault therfore the faithfull séeke not saluation or remissions of sinnes in her but flée from her vnto Christe our Lorde and of him by true faithe they craue saluation and remission of their sinnes But the defenders and preachers of this pontifical church do obiect against all these as by the same to bring vs into an infamie amongste the people and say if saluation and remission of sinnes be not obtained in the church of Rome onlye then should none of oure forefathers be saued sith they acknowledged none other but the Churche of Rome Truely we haue a good hope of oure forefathers touchyng their saluation but yet not for that they liued in the Romishe churche and were subiect vnto the tirannie thereof but bicause they kept and helde truely and sincerely the chéefe summe and argument of the doctrine of Christes churche to witte the xij Articles of our Christian faithe the x. Commaundementes of God and that holy Prayer geuen vs by Christe commonly called the Lordes Prayer which Principles of Doctrine togither with Baptisme are not found or inuēted by the Romish church but procéede from the holy Apostolike doctrine and haue remained cōtinually in the church euen vnto this time God by his mercifull prouidence so gouerning the matter that amongst so many lawes Decrées and Ceremonies of the church of Rome yet these chefe principles might be preserued pure and vntouched Yea also God so gaue hys grace vnto the godly that in most extréeme necessitie and in the very houre of death they for the moste parte haue despised and contemned all the superstitions of the Romishe bishops and haue wholely committed them selues to the grace of god and to the death of Christe and haue so remained euen vnto deathe in the confession of the Articles of the Faithe and making their petitions onely by the Lords prayer For although in al ages men haue bene oppressed with the errors and superstitions of the Bishops yet hath God euen in the very houre of deathe moste mercifully vouchsafed to bestowe his grace as we may sée by the théefe on the crosse and therefore he did not reiect them bicause of the vnhappie state of the papacie Furthermore in al ages there hathe euer bene some godly men which neuer liked wel of the citie of Rome the Pope their Priestes nor manner of life but haue maruellously complained from time to time of theyr greuous burthens Yea furthermore in euery age and chefely in the extréemest tyrannie and most pride of the Romish churche God hath euer stirred vp learned mē which haue instructed the godly and preached oute of the woorde of God the true saluation in Christe and haue reuealed the Hipocrisie of those which were called the spiritualtie And althoughe the moste parte of those godly menne were put to deathe euen as Christe the Prophetes and Apostles did foreshewe yet their Doctrine hathe continued to the comforte of the electe so as thereby God hathe in all times yea euen in the middest of moste wicked Papistrie had his electe So euen then as likewise nowe it happened as it did in the time of Elyas For when he thoughte him selfe onely to be lefte alone of all the faithfull and that the churche was quite ouerthrowne God answered vnto him saying I haue seuen thousand men vvhich neuer bovved their knees vnto Baal It is therefore withoute all doubte that Christe hathe his electe at all times who neuer bowed their knées vnto papistrie neither yet heereafter will yea and that bicause in the Reuelation of Jesus Christe vnto John it was shewed that after manye and gréeuous daungers whiche shoulde happen to the Churche there was sealed many thousandes yea an infinite number of menne to whome these troubles should be nothing hurtfull But althoughe many of oure forefathers did more earnestly cleane vnto the Papisticall Doctrine than was méete for their saluation to be done as I haue saide alreadie bycause there was Prophesied a greate myserable departure from the Faithe yet héereby it followeth not that the Churche of Rome shoulde be the onely Catholicke Churche no more than it shoulde followe that the Churche of Jeroboam shoulde be the true Churche of God bicause the greatest number of the Israelites did a long time cleaue vnto it Yea euen in this time there were a greate number in Israell which were not foorth with condemned bicause the kingdome was wickedly gouerned by Jeroboam For God hath his electe in all ages for whose sakes chéefely he sendeth his Prophettes to detecte the erroures and teache the truthe Furthermore we thinke they may lawfully be counted for Schismatikes and Heretikes which with a sette purpose followe their owne minde and separate them selues wickedly and peruersly from the holy catholike churche of Christe To separate him selfe or to be a Schismatike or to holde an Heresie we take to be all one thing For in the Germane tong an Heretike is called Kaetzer deriued from the Hebrew woorde Kazar ▪ which signifieth to cutte or to separate And therfore in the Germane tong we call a torne clothe or fleshe that is cutte into péeces Zerkaetzeret that is seperate cutte or torne Wherefore this woorde Schismatike which is also an Heretike signifieth an author of Schismes factions and discordes and not one that defileth hym selfe with lust contrary to nature and is to be punished with fire And althoughe the Germanes doe name him that defileth him selfe with luste contrary to nature Katzer ▪ bicause he hath violated and broken the league and order instituted by god wherof the scripture testifieth that whē all liuing creatures wer brought before Adam there was not one found like vnto him with whom he might haue companie and be coupled wherfore God framed the woman out of the side of man and ordained that they shuld be ioyned together in marriage and so to be made one bodie But the Latines deriue these words heresie and Heretickes from this word Election or chusing For God hathe moste diligently and plainly prescribed by his Prophetes and Apostles in hys holy woorde what we ought to beléeue and to doe and therfore sayth yee shall do vvhat so euer I commaund yee neither shalt thou adde any thing thereunto nor take any thing therefrom Neyther shall ye do euery man vvhatsoeuer seemeth good in your ovvne eyes but vvhat I command you that shal ye doe Whosoeuer therefore is disobedient deuiseth and chuseth such things which God by his word hath not cōmaunded and héereby separateth himselfe frō the word of God the true folowers therof applieth vnto him selfe a peculiare way and order alluring also others to folowe the same and is arrogant obstinate contentious and disobedient and thoughe he be diuers and sundry times admonished doth yet neuerthelesse perseuere and abide therin such a one doth the fathers call an hereticke For the Latines interprete this woorde heresie by
kingdome of heauen but are euen as it were in hell and the ministers receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen from Christe that is to say the preaching of the Gospell that therby they might open shut Therefore they open when they teache true faithe promisse eternall life and exhort all men to come vnto Christe that they may be saued And they shutte vp the kingdome of heauen when they threaten eternall damnation against the vnbeléeuers wicked men and suche as do not repente testifying vnto them that they are excluded from the kingdome of god But the power or effecte to perfourme appertaineth onely vnto the Lorde like as Paule compareth the ministers of the Churche to husbande men saying Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he vvhich vvatereth but God vvhich giueth the increase VVhat then is Paule or vvho is Appollo are they any other but Ministers by vvhome you haue beleeued euen as God hathe giuen the gifte vnto euery one Therefore it is God onely that dothe forgiue or not forgiue ours sinnes and the ministers which haue receiued the keyes are onely the publishers of this deliueraunce or captiuitie Wherefore some of the Fathers haue vsed in this case a certaine distinction saying that Christe gouerneth in the Churche by his owne proper power and the ministers as seruauntes onely And héereby it manifestly appeareth that these Romishe champions which after so straunge a manner claime vnto them selfe the power of the keyes and persuade the simple people that by the authoritie of them they haue obtained I knowe not what wonderfull power are like those vnthriftie and vntrustie seruauntes who hauing receyued some certaine and limitted office not being therewith content doe vnder the pretence thereof vsurpe the power and authoritie of their Lorde and maister So these good fellowes conuerte the vse of the keyes which they haue receyued to the accomplishing of all that them selues do like off For of the keyes which in déede is the office of preaching these Popish prelates frame vp great and maruellous matters for by them they doe aduaunce and lifte vp them selues and their authoritie aboue Kings Emperors yea ouer the soules of men their dignities goodes and bodyes Furthermore vnder the pretence of these their keyes they heape vp great treasures searche out the conseiences of men and mainetaine theyr purgatorie of which muche mighte be spoken that we heere willingly ouerpasse But we knowe that the office giuen to the priestes and ministers of the church was to preach the word of God and to giue good examples of life to the congregation administer the Sacraments to féede and preserue the flocke of God as S. Paule teacheth bothe to Timothe and Titus And as touching any other greater power which the Romishe prelates chalenge in the churche there is not one woorde spoken in the Scripture sauing that in an other respect there is somewhat written thereof in the Reuelation of S. John the. 9. 11. 13. 17. and 18. chapters The. liij Question Whether mē by this retaining of sinnes are by excommunication seperated from the churche of Christe and are deliuered to the power of sathan And whether he be to be iudged a Publicane or Heathen which will not heare the church The Answere IN good soothe I maruell that these mē dare make once mention of that kinde of excōmunicatiō which the Scripture speaketh of for it it were in vse and mighte haue his force then should them selues be firste excommunicated For euē in the same place wher Paule commaundeth him to be deliuered to Sathan which had committed incest with his mother and that to be don to the destruction of the fleshe euen there also dothe he forbidde the faithfull to haue any company with whooremaisters couetous oppressers drunkardes idolaters c. And in déede we bothe knowe and confesse that the churche of Christe hathe power to admonishe exhorte punishe correcte and to Excommunicate all those who liue in sinnes wickednesse slaunders and Idolatries hauing no regarde to repentaunce and amendment of life But howe I beséeche you haue oure Romish spiritualtie as they call them vsed excommunication in their church who are they whome they haue excommunicated For they neuer vsed the same to the rooting vp of vice and vngodlynesse but to the aduauncing and setting vp of theyr owne glory and couetousnesse yea héereby as with a bridle they haue helde in the godly to be subiecte to theyr Tyranntcall power And therefore diuers Popes and Bishoppes by meanes of this Excommunication haue not onely Excommunicated but also persecuted Kings Emperoures Princes whole Common weales and sundry honest menne yea héereby setting them together by the eares and that onely to the ende this proude spiritualtie might beare the sway alone and purchase to them selues all the authoritie and power giuen by God to the magistrate and so make Kings and Princes subiecte to them Reade the Histories of Gregorie the seconde of Gregorie the thirde and Gregorie the seuenth of Paschalis Gelasius Innocentius Alexander Bonifacius and other Popes what they did to Leo the thirde Henrie the fourth and Henrie the fifthe to Phillip and Fredericke what they did to the Princes and kings of Germanie and France with diuers others whome these Popes moste miserably bothe against the lawe of God and man excommunicated and vexed with their whole kingdomes In like manner we confesse that all those which will not heare the Church according to the woordes of oure Lorde and Sauioure Jesus Christe in the eightienthe Chapiter of Mathewe are like vnto the Publicanes and heathen But what I pray yée is this vnto the Papistes Doe they thincke that all those which speake and doe against the Church of Rome are Publicanes and Heathen Lette them selues firste become the Churche of Christe and then shal they be Publicanes and Heathen that will not heare them But if these Romishe sorte be Publicanes and Heathen themselues then shall all those be called and be in very déede true Christians which sette themselues againste their churche To conclude admonition exhortation reprouing correction and punishment ought to be in the churche of Christ and must be applied as cause requireth to edifying and therefore who so euer resisteth this good order doth gréeuously offend The. xv Common place Of Matrimonie Vowes and Chastitie The. liiij Question Whether mariage be lawfull and free for all men The Answere OUr Lord Christ after he had in the. 19. of Mathewe taught that a man mighte not put away his wife for euery cause and there vppon the disciples had said If the matter bee so then is it better not to marie He answereth All men cannot receiue thys saying saue they too whome it is geuen and then making mention of thrée sorts of chast addeth Hee that is able to receiue this let hym receiue it By which wordes in déed he testifieth and manifestly teacheth that the gifte to liue chast and without mariage is not common or giuen to all mē