of the world The same Rodolphus a little after in the same chapter CAuete a Scribis inquit Beware saith he of the Scribis in dede it is but A short sentence but such a one as many men doubtles thought vntollerab e. For he speaketh of them which for the space of many hundred yeres occupied the chiefe place in the Church To whom God had con mitted his lawe and the key of knowledge as it is sayde in another place which also sitting in the preachinge Stoole of Moyses gloried much that they did succede the old Priestes and Prophetes The people must depart and not acknowledge the Phareso for Paslors and occupied their places yet for all that Christ moueth his Disciples that they shold beware of them that is to say that they sholde not knovvledge them to be their Pastors but rather that they shold depart from them for so Sainct Peter the Apostle semeth afterwardes to expound these wordes when as he saieth to them of Ierusalem that axed counsell of hym separemini a generatione ista praua Loter might some auctor of scisme Seperate or depart your selues from this crooked and frow ard generation But what other thinge was this then to make A Scisme or sedition vnto them VVhen cōcord is euell and Vhen dissentiou is good which vntill that time semed to be knit together by A greable consent emongest them selues but as euery concord and agrement is not good so euery deuisiō or dissent is not euill and as they offende which agree together in it that is euell so they deserue no small praise which disturbe and breake vp such concorde and agrement that they may learne to cōsent vnto the trueth which before did conspire and agree together in lyes The same Rodolphus vvritynge also vpon the same Chapiter sayeth THe Pope calleth home againe from banishment not only the Iewish ceremonies but also the ceremonies of the Gentiles and he putteth them to death that desiar to enioy the christian lybertie And a little after he sayeth Euangelio omnis in religione imaginum vsus prohibetur quem simul in lege Propheris damnari certum est In religion all vse of Images is forbydden by the gospell whose vse also is condemned without all doubt in the lawe and the Prophets The same Rodolphus vpon the first Chap. of the Apostoles Actes THere ought nothynge to be preached Reformers of religion must uot bring in superfluous rites abolished or taught in the Church sauynge onely such doctrine as was deliuered by the holy Ghost for the Chirch or cōgregation is the howse of God in the which the voyce of the good man of the howse ought onely to be heard and all thinges ought to be ordered accordinge to his appoinctment And a little after he sayeth we do gather that the Kingdome of GOD ought to be set a broade and defended neither vvith carnall vveapons neither by the strength of the Princes of this vvorlde But with the preachinge of the word wherwith the spitit of Christ vseth for to worke strongly in meus mindes The same Gualterus vpon the xiiij Chap. of the Actes if that the Apostles durst not take vpon them such aucthoritie as to go away from Christes commaundement and to thrust new traditions vnto the Churches doubtles their rashnes and presumption can not in any wise be accused who at this tyme vnder their name and pretence dare so vnshamefastly do it The same Rodolphus vpon the 2. of Sainct Marcke THis is also to be marked that mans traditiones can neither be ioyned VVho are Destroyers of religion neither he made to agree with the gospell And they that go about that purpose do nothinge els but by litle endeauor to ouerthrowe all religion for emongest these there is great discord but where as Christ is allowed who is made vnto vs of God the right wisedome all the wisedome of man must nedes giue place with all his traditiōs And a litle furder he saith As in husbandry hit is conuenient A litle popish leauen mareth all religion that the thornes and brambles shal be first plucked vp by the rootes if thow wilt haue any sede to growe and to bringe forth fruite so except all thynges be taken away cuen at once it can neuer bringe forth worthie fruites For of small remnauntes that abide behinde we shall see greate heapes of errors to springe vp wherefore those commaundemētes that were giuen for the pulling downe of Altars breaking of Idoles in peces appeare yet still Which GOD wold so earnestly to be kept that he wold that the very golde which was sometime consecrated vnto Idoles shold be cast away and be burnt And in diuers places certaine Kynges are reproued and blamed which haue bestowed no euell or small labor in reforminge of doctrine religion because they leafte vnput downe or not destroyed the high places which some called Chapells which before their times were the Shoppes or worke howses of false worshippinge And wold to God there were not now exaples in this oure tyme whych sufficiently teache vs how ieperdous a thynge hit is that there do remaine som remnauntes of instrumentes of olde supersticion for they fetch from hence occasion to sinne whych vnder pretence of the gospell seke theyr owne profit Keapinge of olde rites maketh Boner and the wicked hope well Furthermore there is giuen hope to men that are supersticious that theyr supersticion shal be restored agayne Which wyth stand the reformation of the Church Therefore all Ministers and Magistrates ought diligently to take heede and marke this sentence of Chrȳst that wee go not about to sewe the n. we or raw cloth of thee gospell to supersticions whyche in dede are an olde and a rent garment but let vs vse greate diligencie and vnceaseable zeale to ouerthrowe them The same Gualterus vvrytynge vpon the 7. chap. of the Actes of the Apostles THe primitiue church as we see here had her diseases neyther are they lyght trespasses neyther small faultes which are here rehersed but horrible faultes they put difference betwene Nation and Natiō they are diuided with factions they occupie contention and that not preuely they bewray the bytternes of theyr mindes most wyckedly by theyr murmuryng Therefore we see that the primatiue Church was infected wyth that synne for the whych many thowsandes vnder Moyses were ouerthrowne in the Wyldernes The same Gualterus vpon the fyrst chap. of the Actes of the Aposties THerefore it is an vngodly and a tirannicall rashues of them whych thinke that they may make newe Articles of the fayth and to thrust into the Church traditiōs by the aduise of mans reason ¶ FINIS
vs that we shoulde receaue wycked doctrine And a litle after Christ aunsvvereth not vnto all the lyes that are made against him but leaueth them that are openly knowen But he answereth vnto the question of the kingdome graunteth that he is a Kyng Differenc of Christ king dome and maketh an open difference betwene the Kingdome of the worlde and his own Kyngedome whereof he beynge the Sonne of God is the King So the Chirche ought clearly to purge her selfe of the crime of Sedition and to say that she wolde geue all law full obedience in all politique matters vnto the Magistrate but concerning doctrine that she wold obey god as it is commaunded rather then man And here let all godly men consider the difference betwene the politique Kingdome and the euerlasting wherin the Sonne of God calleth vs vnto euerlasting Rytches and gyueth forgeuenes of sinnes vnto vs and lyfe euerlastinge And these Kingdomes ought not to be confounded Cōfounding of authoritie and myngled one wyth an other as the Pope vnder the pretēce of the mynisterye wylbe the Kyng of the worlde VVickednes of Pope Lorde ouer Kinges And after another manner the povvers are myngled togoyther vvhyleste the Emperor and Princes vvyll set oute a nevv doctrine rnto the Chirches For they have made the Interim and wyll stablish in the Chirch the Masse How lay Princes ar made Popes and Inuocatiō of Sainctes and such other lyke thinges and they wylbe Docters and Pastours when as they do not vnderstand the doctrine but are open enemies against it this is not to be allowed but let there be difference made betwene one office and another and let euery man labor faythfully in his office Pylate commaundeth Christ to be scourged and to be crowned wyth a Crowne of thornes Pylate graunteth that Iesus is innocent faultles and yet for all that he vexeth him wyth reproches and punishment euen as some now a dayes do whych kyll not Iesus and vtterly take not away thē that preache ryghtly because they cannot yet by manye signes they declare theyr hatred agaynst them for they despise the poore Preachers and suffer them many wayes to be trowbled the Pope all his Byshopes do scorge Christ whē as they set vp theyr Kyngdome they crowne Christ wyth thornes and put a purple garmēte vpon him that is to say they do worke much sorowe to Christe and to his trew Chrich by that false and wycked lordship whych they arrogantly take vnto them selues agaynst the wyll of God and the health of the Chirch Afterward Pylate is perswaded euen to kyll Christ when he hearde once these wordes sayde vnto hym thow arte not the Emperours frend yf thou do not crucifie him Euen such men are they which play wyth the wycked for although in the beginnyng they are not most cruell of all other Yet by lytle and lytle they wax worsse and worsse Therfore men had nede to take hede at the beginnyng according vnto the sayng of the scripture what fellow ship hath Christ wyth Beliall c. ¶ LET VS THINKE OF THESE HORRIBLE EXAMPLES AND LET vs flee such tryfling playeng and hearyng vvith out Enemies And let vs openlye confesse that vve do differ from them in doctrine And let vs not consent and agree vvyth them vvhen at they make their compositions IHon Alasco a Baron of Poleland by byrth in Kynge Edwardes dayes was called into Englād by the Prince at Master Cranmers the Archebishop of Cāterburies cōmendatiō councell vnknowen to the most parte of his contymen vnto whom was comitted by the King the chardg of the straungers Churches here whych the forenamed worthie Kynge Edward by his letters patentes in the fowrth yeare of his reign crected in London makyng this Ihon Alasco superintendet thereof and appoinctyng therto such other ministers as the sayd Ihon Alasco who was an earnest suter on the behalfe of the strangers thought mete for that rome he takyng this chardge vppon him so vsed him self therein vntyll the death of Kyng Edward that all the godly straungers and sondrye others had much ioye and cōfort of him the whole realme had a singuler treasure of him and the enemie had nothiug that he could iustly chardge hym wyth all Briefelye to say his singuler trauaile in the Lordes haruest in preaching and wryting both here and a broade his profound and depe knowledge of thynges his syncere iudgment in all poynctes of religion and hartye affection to the maintenaunce of Christes Kingdom against open enemyes and counterfait gospelers corruptyng the simplicitie of chrystian religion besides his vprightnes of lyfe godlye conuersation and other qualeties mete for such a personage causeth much lamentation for the lacke of him in the Church of Christ through out christendom at these dayes And wyll procure a continuall remembraunce of him wyth honor amōgest the godlye vnto the worldes ende This restimonye hath Kyng Edward of famous memorie vnder the greate seale of England giuen of him whych is in print at this daye extant in laten to be sene of all the world IHON ALASCO BORNE in Poleland a very famous and notable man both for his honest vpryghtnes and innocēcie of lyfe and behauiour and also for his rare and singular knowledge in learning c. ¶ The iudgement of Maister Ihon Alasco of remouing the vse of singular apparell in the Chirch ministerie vvrytten the 20. daye of September in the 5 yere of the raygne of Kynge Edvvard the sixth vvhich vvas as follovveth FYrst of all I affirme that in the Chirch of Christ there are some thinges to be obserued continually some thinges are indifferent and free other some thinges are by no meanes tollerable Such thynges as ought continually to remaine in the Church are the pure doctrine of the Prophetes Aposteles whych for the sustenaunce of the soule are to be diligētly proponed to the shepe of Christ by rhe Ministers of God where vnto are adioyned the sacramentes of baptisme and the Lordes supper ministred accordyng to the Apostolik order set forth in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles to the which may very fytlie be annexed Ecclesiasticall discipline I call those thynges ffree whatsoeuer they be that serue profitablye and commodiouslye to the ministerye of the worde and Sacramentes so they haue theyr originall ground in the Scriptures haue no commaundement against them cōtaine a manifest commoditie to the Chirch and be voyde of tyrannie byndynge mens consciences Of this fort are these to assemble to geither in the Church thys hower or that howre this daye or that daye to vse in the administration of the Sacramentes this kynde of prayer or that kynd the seuerall tymes in the yere to celebrate the supper of the Lord but ones or oftenar These thynges that are vttarly to be remoued from the church are of two sortes some haue so manifest impietie annexed to them that they cānot disceyue those that are but meanelye instructed in gods worde as are worshipping
ministerie for they desired rather to be Lordes in the chirch then to serue it And at this present time the most part of them which castinge away the tyrannie of the Byshoppe of Rome will seme to haue brought the Chirches ageine into the libertie which was purchassed by Christ ar assaulted with this temptation These beinge otherwayes good men O postillick B. that wold be woth proud Iordes and bumble Apolie and exercisinge faithfully and diligently the office of teachinge Suppose that by this meanes they shall profit the Churches if they deliuer the Ministry of the vvord from contempt and despicinge which hit suffereth now in all places and vvolde restore it to the old honor againe But on the other side there ar other not euell men but also well learned and workers in the word of God that stand vp against these Some men mark and some trie the Lorship what it is beinge afraid least through the studie and zeale of these men not beinge sufficientlie circumspect and ware the dooreshold be opened by litle and litle to brynge into the Chirch againe the olde Lord shippe that is least they by their aucthoritie which they haue of the Ministerie of the word might open the way to false vnfaithfull Ministers to abuse the power that is defended and brought in againe by them to the contrarie And they suppose that this feare is not in vaync whilse they consideringe the beginning of the popish Lord shippe call to remēbrance vnder how bewteous a pretence and by the zeale of great and holy men by and by after the time of the Apostelles it was brought into the Chirches And a litle after he saith It is plainly to be granted at the beginning that some power was giuen vnto the ministery of the word and to the dispēsation of the mysteris of God which is profitable and mightie to edification yea and necessarie for our saluation which is through Christe and that is ment by the way of a similitude of Christ him selfe when as in the xxiiij of Mathew he saithe who thinkest thow is a faithfull seruant and a wise Whom the Lorde hathe made Ruler ouer his housholde to giue them meate in time he meaneth that he wolde giue vnto his Disciples such power ouer his Chirch as they haue to whome the whole housho de is committed of the good man of the howse that they shold giue thē sufficient meat Marke r3 Euen as a man that goeth into a far countrey leaueth his Howse and hath giuen power vnto his seruantes and hath apoincted euery man his office and hath giuen chardge vnto the Porter that he shold watche Watch ye therefore c. VVheather was this cō missoon cōmitted vnto Princes only or only to the Disciples of Christ and their successors or no. Doubtles he spake these thinges vnto his Disciples to shew what sholde be their condition in the Howse of God after that he had departed from them to Heauen And a litle after amongest 3. powers there is one that is called potestas iuris that is the power of ryght whereby a man hath lordshippe ouer his owne substance whych is not subiect vnto an other mans ryght This power of ryght is giuen of God the Father vnto his sonne Christ for he sayth all power is giuen vnto me in Heauen and in Earth S. Petertaketh away all dominiō and lordshippe from the elders of the Church therfore he grāteth none neither to the P. neyther to any B of his making VVhoare iniurious to the maiestie of Christ ard to the libertie of the Chireq who perteyne vnto the kingdome of Antethrist Peter taketh away this povver from the Ministers of Christ vvhen he saythe exercisinge lordshippe 1. Pet. 5. and the Apostell Paule refuseth it saing we ar no Lordes of yowre faith and he exhorteth faithfull men that they submit not them selues vnto them which wyll exercise lordshippe ouer them when he sayth be ye not made the seruantes or bondmen of men wherfore they that chalenge vnto them selues this power in the howse of God for that end that they shall not be seruantes of Christ but Lordes of the Church ar eniuryous and do vvrong to the maiestie of Christe and also to the libertie of the Church As many as do this vtterly perteyne vnto the Kingdome of Antechriste vvhich occupienge the place of Christ in the Church and chalenging all his aucthorytie not onely for this cause that he is contrarie to Christe but also for that he thrust him selfe into the Church in stede of Christe is iustly called Antechrist that is the aduersarie and also the vycar of Christ for euen as he is called Antistrategos not only that is against the chefe Capitaine but he also that thrust him selfe by vsurpation vnto the souldiees to be theyr chefe Capitayne and braggeth of his office Rodolphus vpon the 22. Chapiter of Marke No greater hinderaunc to saluacion to faith thē the countersit aucthori tie of false Prelates THere is no strōger or greater hynderaunce vnto saluatiō and to fayth then is the counterfait aucthoritie of false Prelates confirmed by the prescriptiō of long time for by the reuerence that men haue vnto them hit is brought to passe that men dare not depart from them Loug tune is the maintainer of errors the word is the bewraer of them euen for the errors that all men spie in them because that the commune people dothe knowe that so manye hundred Years emongest all men of euery order and place haue had them in such honor and so greatlie regarded A litle after in the same Chapter THe Papistes do saye that they are not rashlie to be prouoked to angre whych are defended by the publique aucthoritie of Kynges Such as are made defen dors of the publicke health of the Chirch must not feare kinges whose angre to styrre vp against any man is very ieopardous but I answere that such men ought not to be afrayde of any perels whom God hath appoincted for to be Kepers and Defenders of the publique health or saluation And we do knowe that the false Prophetes haue euer had thys good Lucke that they haue had Kynges and Princes to be theyr Defendors and protectors And yet for all that neyther the Prophetes False Prophetes are euer defended trev v Prophetes but syldom nor the Apostles gaue any place vnto them because the commaundement of God droue them vnto this that they shold with ieopardye of their lyues stoughtly both wythstand them and theyr Patrones or Defendors And these wordes of God which he spake vnto Ieremie are well knowne Be not thow afrayd when thou seest them least I destroy the whylest they loke vpon thee for behold I make this day a well defended cytie a Pyiler of yron and a brasen wall againste the Kynges of Iuda against the Princes and the Priestes of the same Therefore there is no cause whye they that are gods officers shold feare the tyrnnnie