inuocation prayers holy dayes fasting dayes gyftes sacrifices almes dedicating of Churches lyghting of Candles and such lyke then saye wée that God alone is to bée worshipped inuocated and honoured and not the Sainctes Yea the Sainctes wyll not bée worshipped and serued in this sort But if this worshippe signifie to reuerence and honestly and reuerently to thynke of them and acknowledge them prayse and commende them as the deare frendes of God and to imbrace them as the singular Ministers and members of Chryste then doo wée gladly beléeue and truely confesse that all the godly the blessed virgin Mary the Angels Apostles Martyres and all other Sainctes oughte by good right to bée worshipped Furthermore wée condemne all those which contemptuously thinke any thing of the Sainctes whiche lyue in heauen And chiefly we confesse that the blessed virgin Mary is woorthy all prayse and that shée is a pure vndefyled virgin bothe before in and after the birthe of Chryste and that shée is blessed aboue all other women and that of hir wombe was borne the sonne of God and therefore may very well be called the mother of god Yea wée also acknowledge and confesse that shée was the dearely beloued handemayden of God who for hirâ—faythe loue puritie lowlinesse holynesse pacience hope and suche lyke vertues can neuer bée sufficiently praysed and that shée was aboue all others beautified with moste singular gifts of grace and therfore we ought to thinke moâ—e reuerently of hir And as touching the Apostles of our Lorde Jesus Chryst we acknowledge them to bée the chosen and singular frends and seruaunts of God indued with most excellent giftes by whom it was his pleasure that the gospel should bée preached vnto vs that thereby the worlde mighte receyue lighte and wée bée delyuered from the mouthe of Sathan and adopted in Chryste into the number of the children of god Yea wée defende the doctrine faythe loue vertues and example of lyfe bothe of the Apostles Martyres and all other the godly agaynst all the enimies of GOD and of the Sainctes yea wée prayse God in them and loue them as the very members of the selfe same body with vs vnder our onely heade Chryste wée studie to followe the example of their lyues and faythe that wée may togither with them after this lyfe haue the fruition of eternall ioyes with god Furthermore whatsoeuer the holy Scripture teacheth or God commaundeth to bée done vnto them we muste readily and willingly yéelde it vnto them But nowe why wée doo not attribute and giue vnto them those honors which the Papists require that is to aske séeke helpe of them in time of trouble as from our intercessors sauiors I wil héere bréefly render the reasons and further also shew why we so earnestly teache and affirme that god alone ought to be worshipped called vppon and serued our lord Jesus Chryst to be acknowledged the onely euerlasting mediator and intercessor before god the father in heaueÌ„ First we haue a manyfest commandement that in all necessities God only is to be prayed vnto and called vppon and that he alone is sufficient for vs and that he bothe can and will giue vnto vs all things necessarie bothe for our bodies and soules for he him selfe calleth vs vnto him and promiseth vs all good things and is displeased so often as wee seeke vnto others and not vnto him and therfore when we come vnto him we greatly delight him and thereby worshippe him Secondely by the examples of all Sainctes and in the Psalmes also wée are taughte that God alone in all cases is to be called vpon and to be thanked for those benefites whiche we receiue what so euer they be Thirdely that common and holy prayer called the Lordes prayer can onely be sayde and offered to God the father and to no maner of creature Wherefore if we had no other thing but this prayer of our Lorde yet might wée thereby sufficiently knowe that none other is to be called vppon but God only Last of all S. Paule saith he ought to be called vppon on whome we doe beléeue but we doe beléeue in God only and therfore we ought to call vpon him only as he who alone knoweth is able and will helpe vs And yet we do not reiecte the intercession of Christ neither say we that we haue néede of no intercessor with god But like as God alone is to be called vpon so ought we to vse none other intercession nor any other aduocate or intercessor before God than Christe Jesus onely bicause the father hath appoynted him alone to this function therefore in him he heareth and receiueth oure prayers as I haue héeretofore sufficiently preued Wherfore if we would doe obedient seruice to the Sainctes then should we content oureselues with God and Christ our sauioure only For vnto this marke haue the Sainctes alwayes sent all menne and would not suffer themselues to be worshipped or called vpon Wherfore if they suppose that the saincts did not send men to Christe alone but to others also then let them shewe vs who they were to whom they sent theÌ„ For we haue our opinion confirmed by the manifest scriptures For when S. John twice as appeareth in the Reuelation 19. 22. fel downe before the Angell to worship him the Angell answered Take heede thou do it not for I am thy fellovve seruaunte and of thy brethren the Prophets worship thou God. Againe at the mariage in Cana a citie of Galelei when there lacked wine the mother of Jesu saide vnto him They haue no vvine Iesus ansvvered vnto hir and sayde vvoman vvhat haue I to doe vvith thee mine houre is not yet come His mother said to the seruaunts vvhat so euer he sayth vnto you doe it And this is the only will of the virgine Mary that what so euer hir sonne commaundeth we should do it And bicause he commaundeth vs to come vnto him to cal on him to pray in his name doutlesse the blessed virgin wold haue vs so to do to serue him and not hir which thing we do when we call vpoÌ„ hir son not vppon hir In the Actes also it is written of Peter and John that when they hadde healed the lame at the gate of the Temple the whole multitude being amazed ranne vnto them but the Apostles sent the people from them selues vnto Christe saying vvhy meruell you at this Or vvhy looke you so on vs as thoughe by our povver or vertue vve had caused this man to vvalke God hathe in this sorte glorified hys sonne c. Likewise Paule and Barâ—abas when they had healed the man that was as is wrytten in the foure twentienth of the Acts of the Apostles and that the menne of Lystra woulde haue done Sacrifice vnto them Paule refused it as a thyng horyble in the sighte of GOD and so renting hys garmentes diligently taughte them that God onely was to be woorshipped and not the Apostles
the name of sectes and these woords sectes and sectaries are vsually receyued in common spéeche But bycause they are deriued from the Latine tong many simple people doe not perfectly vnderstande them These woords sectes and sectaries are deriued from the woorde which signifieth to cut as when an whole péece of wood is hewen or cut into diuers partes or when those which were first of one minde doe nowe disagrée and are deuided into sundry opinions so as almost euery one hath a seuerall opinion with him selfe and so these partes being thus separated are called sectes euen as amongste the Philosophers were sundry sectes as of the Epicures Stoickes and Peripatetickes amongst whome eche secte had his peculiar or proper opinion Yet notwithstāding the fathers doe make some difference betwéene these words heresie and schisme of which difference there is no néede héer to speake sauing only to note that euery schisme is not heresie For when the Apostles begā first to preach and builde the churche that is to say to bring a peculiare people bothe of the Jewes and Gentiles vnto Christe and that they might seeke al things in him their Doctrine was called heresie as plainly appeareth Acts. 24. And bicause the Doctrine of the Apostles did differ much frō the doctrine which héeretofore had bene taught amongste the Jewes they called it heresie supposing it to be a defection or separation from that which they iudged to be the true faith Wherfore whersoeuer any discord schisme or heresie is begonne it muste néedes followe that there was first an vnitie which is nowe deuided by the Heretickes wherupon wée must perfectly know what that vnitie is which the Heretickes so deuyde by meanes whereof they take thys theyr name true church of Christ which putteth hir trust only in god the father through our lord Jesus Christ his son by the power of the holy ghost Yea also the sacramēts of ▪ Christ Baptisme the Supper of the Lord serue to this purpose by which the godly binde them selues to God mutually knit thē selues together in loue And this therfore is that whole summe or vnitie which being separated maketh heretickes And we haue exāples héereof in the auncient people of God to whō God gaue in cōmaundement that they should loue him with al their hart with all their soule with all their strength and therfore he included them into one churche gaue them one lawe made one couenaunt with them instituted amongste them one Tabernacle or Temple one arke of couenaunt one altare Sacrifice and Priesthoode Yea their sacramentes that is to say Circūcision and the Passeouer serue also to this vnitie teaching them that they were all one people vnder one God in one faithe And therefore he forbad them to worship or serue strāge gods that is to say to haue in steade of God or of a sauior any thing whatsoeuer besides him selfe who is the true and liuing god He also forbad them to hearken after strange religions or to worship him or offer Sacrifices vnto him in any other place but in that only yea and after that sort which himself had ordained But Jeroboam king of Israel did first manifestly cōtrary to the ordinances of god For first he separated the vnitie of the church into diuers parts and brought x. tribes frō the only temple altars priesthoode sacrifice brue them frō the appoynted written seruice of God built two tēples after his owne minde in which he placed idols built altars chose priests after his own wil wherof we mai read in the first of Kings in chap. 12. 13. And this was the chefest heretike or deuider of gods church ▪ for the which oftētimes he was moste sharpely reproued by the word of god Then after this mā came King Achab who besides this added héerunto the worshipping of Baal and so ledde the people yet further from the true right way wherfore God rooted out bothe them and all their posteritie Againe after that the blessed Apostles had preached Christe and all saluation of man to be contained in him and on this foundation haue builded the churche in this worlde lefte their wrytings and the bookes of the Prophetes wherin is contained the fulnesse of all good doctrine vnto the same they foreshewed in their wrytings that there should come suche which would deuide or tear their doctrine faith and church And in shorte space after suche entred into the churche and haue daily encreased Of whome some denyed the Trinitie some the deuine and some the humane nature of Christe Other some of them did extenuate or take away the corruption of manne or as some call it Originall sinne and some did attribute righteousnesse and saluation of man to mannes owne power and frée wil to the workes of the lawe and merites of men and that cleane contrary to the frée grace of god And eache of these most lamentably haue torne and rent the holy scriptures and the church to the ende they might establishe some peculiar opinions and by those crooked sleightes to seduce the foolish and leade them from the onely way and Apostolike churche to their vtter destruction which sleightes and péeuishe opinions they either haue deuised of their owne braynes or else receiued them frō other traditions without the warrant of the holy Scriptures and hauing thus receiued them they moste obstinately defende and teach them And therfore the auncient fathers haue righte worthely counted and estéemed them for Schismatikes and Heretikes Wherfore if any nowe in these our dayes doo rayse vppe or renue any of the aforenamed Heresies of sedicious opinions or deuise any thing of them selues contrary to the Scriptures or doo otherwyse rent and deuide asunder the scriptures and the holy christian Church and attribute that vnto them selues whereof they haue spoyled Chryst and béeyng neuerthelesse better instructed oute of the worde of God wil not reuoke their foresayde errours but preache vnto them selues an other God an other Gospell an other Chryst renting the hearts of the faythfull teaching them not to loue one god with al their harts but other Gods also not to pray vnto God onely but to other creatures to serue them worship them pray vnto them Agayn they teach not al saluatiō and health to be in Chryst alone but to be in other creatures also that christ is not in the holy scriptures so called a pastor head chéefe bishop aduocate and intercessor sacrifice for sinnes the righteousnesse redemption of the faithful as thoughe these were so proper vnto him that to this end none other things might be ioyned to him Furthermore if they vse the Sacraments for any other purpose than for the conseruation and increase of the vnitie of the Church If I say either euen wée our selues or any other doo the things wherof I haue spoken they are vndoubtedly to be suspected of Heresie as the authors of sectes and discordes in faythe and the true Churche of Chryste
of the righteous and punishment of the vngodly which rewarde is not referred to the deseruing of oure woorkes but to the free mercie of God and therefore when the faithful doe any thing for the which God giueth them a rewarde they receiue not the same as of duetie but as giuen them fréely by grace And thys same dothe the Scripture manyfestly teache for Paule saythe The revvarde of sinne is deathe but eternall life is the gifte of God throughe Iesus Christ our Lorde Wherefore it is manifest that oure sinne deserueth deathe but oure righteousnesse deserueth not eternall life For it is the frée gift of God which Christe hathe deserued for vs and is therefore freely giuen vnto vs Wherefore the Apostle sayth For I counte not the afflictioÌ„s of this present time vvorthy of that glory vvhich shall be shevved on vs in the life to come Yet neuerlesse these men go about to persuade with all men that we deserue so great things by our owne woorkes and so wilfully sette them selues againste the faithfull Doctrine of our Lorde who saythe So you likevvise vvhen you haue done all that you can yet say that you are vnprofitable seruauntes vvee haue done that vve oughte to haue done And againste this saying of Augustine God revvardeth his ovvne giftes and not thy merites Againe If thou vvilt be an abiecte from grace then bragge of thy merites The. xxiii Question Whether that Marie Magdalenes sinnes were not forgiuen for the earnest loues sake which she bare vnto Christe The Answere IF that sinnefull Maries sinnes were forgiueÌ„ hir for the loue which shée bore to Christ then shée recompenced thys hir forgiuenesse and therefore it was not the frée gift of God neither wer hir sinnes remitted by grace But the Gospell teacheth that shée had remission of hir sinnes without any desert For the Lorde sayth There vvas a certaine man vvhich had tvvo detters and vvhen they vvere not able to paie him he forgaue bothe of them the dets Wherfore if hir det were forgiuen and pardoned then did shée not purchase or deserue it by hir loue Furthermore the wordes of the gospel plainly teache that Maries loue sprang from the forgiuenesse of hir sinnes and not the forgiuenesse of hir sinnes from hir loue for so is it written Of these tvvo therefore that is to say of the two detters which were pardoned tell me vvhiche vvill loue him most Simon answered saying I thinke him to vvhome moste vvas forgiuen And he said to him thou hast iudged right And therefore he afterwarde telleth with what great loue Marie embraced him and that bicause he had forgiuen hir many sinnes Yet notwithstaÌ„ding these men dare manifestly affirme the contrary to wit that â—ure Lord forgaue hir hir sinnes that for hir loues sake But yet they obiect that Christ sayd Many sinnes are forgiuen hir for shee loued much To that I answere that it is all one as if he should haue sayd many sinnes are forgiueÌ„ hir â–ª and therfore shée loueth much And that this is the true meaning of our Lordes words the things which go before and the things which folow after do manifestly teache For euen immediatly after these words he saith To vvhome a little is remitted he loueth a little Then knitteth he vp his words thus Thy fins are forgiuen thee Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace Sée therfore what saued hir first the free grace of our Lord by which hir sinnes were forgiuen secondly faith by the which shee receyued the mercy or grace of god and committed hir selfe wholely to him And héere hence it came that shée obtained quietnesse and faithfully loued him The. xxiiij Question Whether Christe did not reiect those which beleued in him and cast out deuils in his name and did not good workes and whether he will not call all those to eternall life which haue done good works whether he will not condemne al those at the last day which are workers of iniquitie The Answere IT hath bin euer known that the faith to woorke miracles is distincted from the faith in christ Wherfore it followeth not that bicause the faithe to woorke miracles saueth not those which doe them therfore true faithe in Christe saueth not Like as it foloweth not as we haue said before The deuil beléeueth and yet is not saued therfore faith saueth not For there is one faithe of the deuels an other of the faithfull wherby they trust in the grace and promisse of god Furthermore Christ shal iudge in the laste day after the manner of men for they iudge of things manifest and known and so also shall Christ do But bicause faith is the gift of God spirituall and inuisible yet notwithstanding sheweth it selfe by workes so that therby is made manifest who are faithful and who not therfore the Lord iudgeth according to works But let vs heare the sentence of the iudge Come saith he you blessed of my father possesse the inheritance or kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world And in whom are we blessed but only in christ Gal. 3. Wherfore if the kingdome come by inheritance theÌ„ is it of grace Furthermore if it be prepared before the foundations of the worlde then was it prepared before we were borne or could doe good woorks Of this matter Paule speaketh more Ephesi 1. Thus much haue we spoken of faith and good woorkes which we do not condemne or despise as our aduersaries do falsly accuse vs but this is it we onely séeke that we wold not haue that to be attributed to good woorks which only is due vnto christ For otherwise we exhort all meÌ„ to the doing of good woorks and that not such as we faine or deuise of oure selues but suche as God hathe commaunded to be done throughe true faithe and not to make marchandise of them Yea we testifie vnto all those churches which we teach that they are greatly reproued and coÌ„demned if they brag of faithe and declare not the samâ— by good woorkes The sixth Common place Of Intercession Inuocation and woorshippyng of Sainctes which now liue in heauen The. xxv Question Whether they doe not beleeue that Christe and his members that is to say the Angelles and Sainctes which liue in heauen doe pray vnto God for the vniuersal church of Christ The Answere IT is bothe faithfully manifestly taughte in the gospell the wrytings of the Apostles that Christ doth pray for his vniuersall churche and for all faithfull and is their only intercessor aduocate and mediator to God his heauenly father For Christe himselfe in the Gospell saythe Verely verely I say vnto you vvhat so euer you shall aske of my father in my name he vvill giue it you Hitherto you haue not asked any thing in my name novve aske and you shall receiue it And again Come vnto me all you that doe laboure and are heauy loden and I vvill refreshe you These woordes therfore of Christe
doe all the faithfull in the vniuersall church beléeue acknowledge Christe to be their onely intercessor to God the father therefore come they vnto him onely For they stedfastly beléeue that he is the Christe that is to say the annoynted and ordained King and Priest at the righte hande of God who hathe deliuered vs and hath ascended into the heauens euen vnto the righte hande oâ— God that he mighte alwayes appearâ— before his heauenly father for vs likâ— as Paule saythe that Christe is entreâ— into the heauâ—s that he might appearâ— in the sâ—ght of God and make intercession and pray for vs. But bicause Intercession or Prayer is reckened amongste the chéefest partes of the office of a Prieste or Bi â–ª shop and that there is but one Priest hoode yea and that so vnited that it cannot be translated giuen or imparted tâ— any other whereby it is called eternal and immutable therefore the faithful séeke not any other Bishop aduocate or intercessor besides Christ no not vnto the Angels or sainctes liuing in heauen But content them selues with Christ alone and vse him their onely aduocate and intercessoure to God as he which is best accepted with his father and can moste faithfully readily excellently effectually and wisely do this office For the Angels and Sainctes can in no wise be compared to Christe Furthermore he bothe can and will performe those things which we craue knoweth our want and calleth vs vnto himself neyther can we héereby wearie him and knoweth what is profitable for vs and howe all things may be done most commodiously for vs And all these did he confirme while hée lyued héere in this worlde bothe with his woords and déedes For he readily gaue care to all menne yea he knewe their necessities better than they could expresse them by their wordes was neuer wearyed but healed all diseases holpe all menne hadde euer inoughe for them and althoughe he cured many and gaue maruellous giftes yet had he still asmuche grace helpe other giftes as he had before Yea and when his disciples wold oftentimes haue put men off he tooke it not in good parte but how muche the more they thronged vnto him and craued many things of him so muche the more declared he his power ofteÌ„times exhorting them that they should continually come vnto him c. Wherby the faithfull receiue this comforte that euen this oure Lord Jesus Christe being nowe at the righte hande of God iâ— heauen is no lesse gentle willing ready and able to helpe all those whichâ— put their trust in him And therefore iâ— all their néedes they contente them selues with the intercession and medâ—ation of Christe And that chéefely sithâ— Paule sayth in the first Epistle to Tâ—mothe and the seconde Chapter Theâ— is one God and one mediator between God and manne euen the manne Iesu Christe vvhich gaue him selfe for thâ— redemption of all menne And S. Jhoâ— saith If any man sinne vve haue an adâ—uocate with God the father Iesus Chriâ—â— the righteouse and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde Touching the intercession of our Lorde Jesus Chryste in heauen we haue the manyfest and inuincible testimonies of the holy Scriptures but as touching the intercession of Angels and Saincts which are in heauen we haue no testimonie thereof and therefore the godly care not for it Yea those whiche beléeue the worde of God in which we haue taught vs but one onely intercessor Chryste in heauen they â—éeke for none other intercessor there â—ycause they haue the same full and â—erfectly in Chryste But they whiche â—oo not beléeue nor acknowledge Christ â—or their onely and perfecte intercessor â—nd aduocate those Infidels shall neâ—er be holpen with any prayers of Anâ—els or Sainctes althoughe they dyd â—ray for them The .xxvj. Question If Chryste be our onely interâ—ssor why did he then teach vs this prayer which we call the Lordes prayer which was also vsed of the apostles and so with one accord continued in prayer as it is written in the first Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles The Answere YT may very easily appeare by this question that those wicked men whiche were the authors of these questions did neuer rightly vnderstande this holy Prayer common vnto all men and commonly called the Lords prayer For they speake thereof as though wée dydâ—e pray the same of ourselues without Chryste when as muche rather it is the prayer of Chryste and is so named not onely for that he made the same but also for that wée nowe pray the same as euen by his mouthe For when wée say the Lords prayer we then with those wordes pray euen as it were with Chrysts owne mouth therefore the father who loueth hys sonne acknowledgeth his wordes and prayer and those are moste acceptable vnto him therefore euen for his sons sake he heareth vs And therfore in the Lords prayer Chryst is made the only intercessor and although wée pray the same with the Apostles yet are we not herd for their sakes but for Christs for euen their prayers are made effectuall acceptable vnto god through Chryst. In the Acts they require the gift of the holy ghost of whoÌ„ the Lord before had spoken in the gospel saying that his father would send him in his name and therfore it euery where appeareth that Chryst is the true aduocate and intercesser of all the faythfull And it were not a little to be wondred at why these men shoâ—â—â— more set by and regard the intercession of saâ—â—câ—s than of Chryst on lesse they did manâ—festly declare theÌ„ selues to be of that number of whome Paule speaketh in the â—â—â—ste Chapter to the Romanes saying which worship and serue the creatures more than the creator c. The .xxvij. Question Whether the charitie and loue of the Angelles and Sainctes whiche are nowe in heauen bee cleane put out and taken away from vs when as Paule yet sayth that Charitie neuer fayleth The Answere CHaritie or loue can neuer in heauen nor yet in earth bring to passe that the Saincts should chaleÌ„ge that vnto them selues which is onely due to Chryst that is to say his priesthoode and the office of a mediatour to make intercession to God the father Furthermore in the Saincts all things are purged and perfected after they bée departed out of this lyfe and fleshe vnto eternall felicitie and therefore Charitie which in this life reioyceth not in the miserie of the vngodly is not in the lyfe to come troubled nor sorroweth not for their damnation And bycause that God in heauen is all in all and that the saincts haue giuen them selues all wholly ouer vnto the will of God so as his will is their chéefe felicitie or ioy and therefore wée pray thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen therfore no kinde of charitie moueth them to make intercession For why they perfectly knowe that
sufficientlye proue that this their enoyling was neuer ordained by the Apostles And what shall I say of that which they vse to speake in this their enoyling when they say In the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghoste I annoynt thee vvith this holy oyle that thereby thou maiste receiue remission of al thy sinnes What ground or forme of institution of this haue yée in all the holy scriptures of Christe and his Apostels The Apostles taught that ful remission of sinnes was to be soughte in the bloude of Christe and not in Oyle And therefore euen by this one pointe it may euidently appeare to the faythfull that for good consideration we vse not this Ceremonie Furthermore when wée beléeue that one baptisme which we haue once receiued wherein we were once Baptized with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and of the holye Ghoste is effectuall by the operation of the holy Ghoste euen all oure life long vnto death we thinke it not néedefull to be againe at the pointe of deathe rebaptized of a Baptisme deuised by man for they call this their annointing the laste Baptisme But we according to Christianitie visite the sicke instruct them admonish them exhort them cōfort them strengthen them and pray with them and charitably looks vnto them c. The seuententh Common place Of the Magistrate and lawful obedience The. lx Question Whether the spirituall and ciuill magistrate ought not to be obeyed chiefly when the things that they commaund are not agaynst God The Answere WE wyll héere make a difference betwene the Ciuill and the spirituall Magistrates For the teachers and gouernors of the Church are ministers and not Lords to exercise a gouernement lyke kings prynces or noble men and we ought to obey them as the Ministers of Chryste so long as they bée hys preache hys worde and execute the Christian ministerie And so Paule teacheth with these wordes VVee beseeche you brethren that you will know them which labour amongest you and take the charge ouer you in the Lorde and instruct you that you honor them throgh loue for their works sake and haue peace with them And againe Obey those which haue the ouersight of you and submyt your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accountes that they may do it with ioy Likewyse Chryst sayth to his Apostles He that heareth you heareth me And he manyfestly forbiddeth his Apostles to rule as Ciuill Magistrates John. 13. Reade more of this Math. 18. and. 20. Luke 22. where you shall manyfestly finde that our Lorde saythe The kings of the Nations reigne ouer them and those which exercise authoritie ouer them are called gracious lords but it shal not be so with you And therfore the ciuil power which the Bishops and gouernors of the Churche exercise hath no groūd or authoritie in the word of god neither hath Chryst at any time commaunded them to vse bothe the swordes Saint Peter in the sixt of the Actes speaketh of him self and the other Apostles thus It is not conuenient that we should leaue the worde of God and serue Tables that is to say giue ourselues to the féeding of the poore c. And yet it is more lyke that the Apostles woulde take charge care for the poore than to take vpon them gouernemente and ciuill authoritie onlesse they had knowen the same to bée agaynst the commaundement of god And therfore doubtlesse if suche power had ben offered vnto them they would neuer haue receiued it And besides this experience teacheth vs nowe in our age that these two can not be ioyned togither Yet let the christians submit thēselues to these magistrates so long as they cōmaunde not things contrary to god yet if they do they may not therfore stir cōmotiōs but do that which god hath cōmaunded Touching the Ciuil power as kings Emperours Princes Counsellors Magistrates and all other lyke which exercise any publique office by what name soeuer they bée called wée are bound to obey them by the worde of God in all things that are not contrarie to God yea God threatneth vengeaunce agaynst all those that are disobedient stubborne and rebellious agaynst the Magistrates Moreouer wée are taughte by Gods worde that the Magistrate is ordeyned of God and is for hys sake to be honored and to be acknowledged in hys Ministers ordeined for the wealth of good men but for the punishment of euill men and that wée muste loue them as fathers geuing vnto them their due honor tribute loyaltie faythfulnesse and other bodily seruices which appertayne vnto thē and that with a good hart and wil faithfully And thus are we taughte by the worde of God Math. 17. and 22. and 1. Peter 2. Romanes 13. and Titus 1. And in the Epistle to Timothe Paule commaundeth that wée make faythfull prayers vnto God for those which haue the gouernemente ouer vs And euen as the Apostles for Gods cause were obediente vnto the Magistrates so is it méete that Byshoppes and those which gouerne in the Churche as teachers and preachers bée obedient to the Ciuill Magistrate also like as Jeremie in his firste Chapter teacheth but yet in suche sorte as they teache the worde of God fréely But if any wyll not thus doo then let them reade the seconde Epistle of Sainct Peter the seconde Chapter and the Epistle of S. Jude and sée what the Apostles doo thinke and iudge of suche And agaynst those which resiste their Magistrates and so become worse than théeues or murtherers many sharpe thinges are written in the holy Scripture and in the Prouerbes of Salomon The. Lxj. Question Whether the magistrat ought to bee obeyed if he publishe set foorth or commaund any thing contrary to the vniuersal church of Chryst The Answere WE muste héere agayne make a difference betwéene the true Christian Churche and the false bearing onely the name and tytle therof For that Churche which is called and is in very déede the true vniuersall Church of Chryst is that company of the faythfull whiche rightly beléeue in Chryste putting all their trust in God throughe Chryste geuing eare onely to him in his holy worde séeking all things in hym and seruing him in holynesse and righteousnesse And agaynst this Churche can no Magistrate decrée any thing but if they chaunce to doo then doo the faythfull knowe that it is better to obey God than man In déede at the beginning and in the tyme of the Primatiue Churche Kinges and Emperours concluded set foorth many gréeuous things against the Christians but thē they which otherwise in al bodily seruices were contente to bée obedient vnto their Magistrates dyd in déede disobey them in the things which appertayned to their faythe for they would neither woorshippe their Idols nor doo sacrifice in their Temples or communicate with them in their Religion and for thys cause many of them were put to death Yet GOD in the ende maruellouslye punyshed