it is not of the willer nor of the runner but that we be saued it is of God which hath mercie Tenthly to confesse that pardon is geuen to them that aske according to the grace and mercie of God not according to their merites seeing the Apostle sayth that repentance it selfe is the gift of God where he saith of certaine men least God should giue them repentance which catholike faith is contrary to the new religion of Rome in those things First for the preparation vnto grace and workes of condignitie for they say then grace were no grace Secondly for the concurrence of free will to worke with the grace of God so to merite for they giue all to Gods grace and all pardon and saluation to Gods free mercie Loe here christian reader thou seest that the papists can tell vs of the particuler originall of the most part of their trumperie that the old christian churches in their counsels determinations were protestants touching the authoritie of Bishops and prouinces touching mariage eating of flesh priuate masse and receiuing the communion touching the holie scriptures and the reading of them touching weomens Baptisme and appeales to Rome and touching the grace of God freewill and merite therefore the heresie of the church of Rome being gathered since those primatiue times must needs be of a new generation lately sprong vp and come abroad into the worlde 5 And that thou maist yet further see Poperie hath lost the life breath of christianitie how they haue lost the verie life and breath of all religion and so are cleane fallen away from being any member in Christs church and to haue no part in the communion of Saints as in any sort to be called Gods visible people I wil shew thee fiue other points which are fundamentall and so farre of the foundation of christian religion that without them no man can be a mēber visible nor inuisible of the catholike church wherein thou shalt see that the protestant was the ancient true primatiue christian church of God Fiue fundamental points of christianity rased by poperie the papist a verie apostata comming in deed of a contrarie race euen of the very stocke of antechrist The first is of adoring God only the second of the condition of the couenant with God on our behalfe the third of the seales of the couenant the fourth of the writings of the couenant the fift of the soueraigntie and headship of Christ ouer his church And that these are foundamental consider with me that in the * 2. Idolatrie first they breake the spiritual wedlocke with God which giue his worship and honor to idols and images as thou mayst see God in a Cap. 16. Ezechiel complaining and saying Thou hast taken thy faire Iewels of my gold and of my siluer which I had giuen thee and madest to thy self images of men and diddest commit whooredom with thē c. * Merits of workes 2. In the second when they ioine workes and the fulfilling of the commandements with faith for they shut themselues from the righteousnes in the couenant whereby they should reioice with God as the Apostle saith b Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioice but not with God yea they abrogate the grace of God and make Christ die in vaine as the same Apostle teacheth saying c Gal. 2.21 I doo not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without a cause * 3. Sacramēts In the third they annihilate and ouerthrow Christs institution in the seales of the couenant by their transubstantiation and vnbloudie sacrifice adored and make but a fanatical body of Christ and an imaginatie manhood where as Christ saith d 1. Cor. 11.24.25.26 Doe this in remembrance of me and Saint Paul expoundeth it saying As often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lords death till he come For if he bee contained in heauen as Saint Peter e Act. 3. 21. saith till the restoring of al things and that this sacrament is to remember and shewe his death till hee come what is it but a newe institution when they say it is turned into his person and adore him as present and what can that bodie or manhood which is in heauen bee in the sacrament really and corporally any otherwise but in fansie and imagination seeing in the same till he come to iudgement he is in heauen In the * 4. Scriptures fourth they blot out the writinges of the couenant when as Christ a Mat. 15. sayth They make the lawe of God of none effect by their traditions while they equall their own deuises with the written word of God make it in sufficient to saluation and set the church which shoulde bee ruled by it and obedient to it to be aboue it the people aboue the lawe and the ladie vnder the handmaide * 5. Supremacy Lastlie they commit treason against the person of Christ when they set the pope in his place without his assignement that a mortall man shoulde bee head of the vniuersall Church and bodie of Christ For Christ onely is called b Eph. 1.22.28 1. Cor. 3.11 The head in all thinges ouer his Church and the foundation thereof excluding all other Nowe then seeing that there can bee no foundation of Christianitie nor Church of God where the couenant is broken by spirituall whooredome and where there is no reioicing with God and the grace of God and Christ death is made vaine and where the seales of Gods letters patentes and his glorious image which is Christ is defaced and his holie writinges blotted and abased and man aduanced in the chaire of the son of God and office of Christ it must needes followe that they being guiltie in these thinges there cannot bee any part of the visible Church of Christ amongest them I thinke it therefore good to take some more paines in these fiue points that thou maist see howe that in the first primatiue ages the Catholike truth was to be founde amonge the Christian protestants and that the popishe heresie in these pointes came vppe afterwardes to bee openlie seene and closelie grewe vnder them Consider therefore good Christian reader what I say and the Lord giue thee the spirit of true discretion and wisedome in all that thou readest First in the question of adoring God the papist thinke they doo not commit fornication because they haue a fine shift to say they doe not adore the image as to account it their God to put their trust in it but onely reuerence it as a representation of God by bowing before it kissing it praying before it c. they adore him which the image representeth And they thinke themselues verie wel discharged from idolatry seeing their images are not dedicated vnto diuels and false Gods but vnto the true God Christ and his Saints
clay If we reade the warres sedition tumults bonefires massacres rebellions treasons murders and all manner of hurly burly betweene Pope and pope Cardinall and Cardinall betweene pope and Cardinals Emperors kinges and people betweene citie and citie subiect against their Lords and one nation against another From the first arising of Hildebrands fire which he brought from hell vntill our time which haue beene raised procured maintayned and continued by that wicked generation wee may well say of them as the prophete Esay speaketh of the wicked b Cap. 57.20 The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt But he that would reade Clemangis Sigebert Aeneas Siluius Sigonius Mathie Parrisius and other such writers which liued in those times shall find a great many more monsters new borne in the church of Rome then in this shorte treatise I am able to set downe yet for the further helpe of the reader I will leade him a worde or twaine from these storie writers to the Counsels If happely wee may finde some of this new broode of poperie by them The c Canon 6. Anno 330. The primacie of Bishops Nice councel summoned by Constantin the great consisting of 318. Bishops out of all the parts of the world ordained according to the custome of the church in those daies that the Patriarch of Alexandria and of Antioch shold haue the like authority in their Bishoprickes as the Bishops of Rome in his This was as Gratian saith the first generall counsell Therefore when the pope is gotten to an higher presumption he is in this respect of a new religion About this time the counsell of Ancyra d Canon 14. eating of flesh condemned those ministers that did account flesh vncleane and abominable And the counsell of e Canon 2. Gangrena a little after calleth them Anathema acursed which condemne a man for eating flesh in faith But this late counsell of Trent and Synagogue of Rome doe commaund abstinence from flesh vpon rewarde or vengeance of God and their practise of seueritie in punishing such for heretickes as eat flesh in daies by them deuised and canonized we well know and remember The same councell of Gangrena f Canon 4. 9 10. single life doth accurse whomsoeuer that put difference between a maried prieste or any other touching the seruice in the ministerie and also such as for virginitie sake iudge mariage abhominable But all men know that the Romish Harlot is of a new learning putting more holinesse in single life and vowes of chastity especially in their priests then in honest and honorable wedlock A counsel at Antioch somwhat after a Canon 2. the sole communion ordained such to bee cast out of the Church which entred the Church and heard the scriptures and did not tarrie to receiue the communion with the rest of the people And the like you may finde to be the order of the church in ancient time b Anno 480. Canon 18. in the counsell of Agatha a citie of Fraunce But now our new sinagogue hath deuised a priuate masse that the priest should blesse the people with the cup make them to worship his idoll and he himselfe eate all alone A councell at Laodicea c An. 368. Canon 16. 59. iudged that the gospels and other scriptures were to bee read on the Sabbaoth daies and that of the vnlearned there ought not to be said in the Church Canonicall scriptures only to be read in the church psalmes made and vulgar which as I iudge were balads neither to reade books which are out of the canon but onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament and there they reckon vp the bookes which we hold for canonicall But wee know that the Romish Apostasie hath afterward brought in legends and other Apocrypha writings to iustle out the holy scriptures of God keeping them secret in an vnknowen tongue The 4. counsell of Carthage saith Mulieres baptizare c. Let not women presume to baptize Women bapt But we know by what deuise the sea of Rome haue brought in women to baptise In the sixt counsell of Carthage Anno 430. Appeales to Rome wherein was S. Augustine Bishop of Yppo and Legate of the prouince of Numidia it was tried and found out that it was not as Bonifacius Bishop of Rome would haue vsurped lawful by the councell of Nice to appeale to Rome out of other Bishops prouinces Epist Concil Africk ad lestinum but that they saw most wiselie and iustly that all busines was to bee ended where it was begun neither should the grace of the holie spirit be wanting to any prouince whereby equitie might be wisely seene of Christs priests and constantly holden And after that the Mileintane counsell a Canon 22. forbad all people to appeale ouer the sea out of their prouince but only to the counsel of Africk the primates of their prouinces and who so did otherwise shold not be receiued to the cōmunion in al Africk But we know that since that time the pride of that wicked whore of Rome hath vsurped iurisdiction ouer al lāds that by any means they cold bring vnder their feet receiue appeals from whom soeuer insomuch that we b Polydor hist Ang. li. 20 Rich. 2. read of a Synode in England An. 1391. which because many were vexed for causes which could not be knowen at Rome ordained that the authority of the pope of Rome should stretch no farther then to the Ocean sea that who so appealed to Rome beside excōmunication shold be punished with losse of all their goods perpetual imprisonment In the same counsel of Mileintane Anno 420. c Canon 5.6.7 It was decreed against Pelagius that without the grace of Christ we can do nothing and that euerie man should know he hath sin in him Free will and iurisdiction by workes as saith Saint Iohn Epist 1. cap. 1. and that in many things wee sin all and that we must confesse with the Psalme enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shal no mā liuing be iustified which thing is opened by an d Epist 72. Epistle of Aurelius B. of Carthage vnto the Bishops of the prouince of Bizanzena and Arzignitanta where hauing shewed the error of Pelagius he declareth the faith of the Catholikes to be thus Sixtly to confesse the grace of God and his helpe to be giuen vnto all singuler acts and the same not according to our merits that it may be true grace that is freely giuē by his mercie who said I wil haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie c. And ninthlie to confesse when wee fight against tentations and vnlawfull concupiscences although we haue there euen our owne will yet not by that but by the mercie of God we haue our saluation because otherwise it shall not be true which the Apostle saith
which deliuereth by the bloud of Christ because he is blessed whose sinne is remitted pardoned Hierome n 390. ioyneth close vnto him and o Vpon Rom. 4. saith God iustifieth by faith onely the wicked man when he conuerteth and not workes which hee hath not And againe vpon p Vpon Gal. 3. these wordes Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse he saith so also vnto you onely faith is sufficient vnto righteousnesse And a little after Because that in the law c. because no man keepeth it therefore it is said that by faith onely the beleeuers are iustified S. Augustin a Anno 400. homil 6. Vpon these words loue your enemies standeth vp as it were with him and protesteth No man is made iust but of a sinner as wee haue often song blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen hee said not blessed are they which not committed sinne but blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen them For if thou aske who hath not committed thou shalt find no man Whereby then shall any man be blessed vnlesse he bee pardoned that he hath done and couered that hee hath committed And a little after Thinke not that by thy merites thou art made such an one because the grace of God hath made thee such an one The Milenitane councell doeth b Anno 420. close vp this faith when it will haue nothing giuen to mans will or workes but ascribeth all to the mercie grace of God as is shewed but a little before c Anno 450. sermo 30. Petrus Chrysologus expoūdeth this matter by the cause where he saith Non veni vocare iustos I came not to call the righteous but sinners he putteth not backe the iust but because that without Christ no man is counted iust in the earth I came not to call the righteous but sinners in so saying hee putteth not backe the righteous but because hee findeth all men sinners harken to the Psalmist The Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men that hee might see if there were any that vnderstood or sought after God all haue gone out of the way c. Let vs bee brethren let vs be sinners by our owne confession that by the pardon of Christ we may not be sinners Theophilact commeth d Anno 760. some pretie while after and yeeldeth to this veritie saying vpon e Vpon 3. vers 11. these wordes And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God c. he hath therefore shewed that men are made accursed by the law and are vnder the curse but the blessinges are heaped vp by faith Now he doth plainely shew that verie faith yea euen alone hath in it selfe the vertue of iustifying c. The ordinarie glosse vpon the bible ioyned with Lyra being of f Lyra wrote about 1320. later and more corrupted time by euidence of truth is drawne to the same confession g Vpon Rom. 3 4. saying Workes follow him that is iustified but do not go before him that is to bee iustified but by onely faith without workes going before a man is made iust And againe Vnto him who hath not time to worke if he beleeue onely faith is sufficient to righteousnesse Bernard h Bernardus Clarenallensis liued in Anno 1120. liuing some good time before this finding the same truth in Gods booke giueth like witnesse i Vpon Cantic sermon 22. saying Quisquis propeccatis compunctus esurit c. Whosoeuer being pricked for his sinnes doth hunger and thirst for righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee who dost iustifie the wicked being iustified onely by faith he shall haue peace with God Here the Christian reader may see that protestantes flourished in the primitiue church and that the ages after did not want witnesses of this truth Now if I be asked how the opinion of righteousnesse by workes came into the Christian societie and corrupted it I desire the reader to cast his eies vpon the matter it selfe consider with me that the way of saluation is Christ only he is made ours by faith for vnlesse wee learne beleeue in Christ we can not be saued The deuill therfore by all meanes hath laboured to keepe men from the knowledge of Christ first he drew away the wise learned of al nations many ages together that they thought themselues happie by their wisdome vertue lawes works with other deuises but knew not the true God and the righteousnes saluation which is by Christ yet God hauing an eye to his elect whom he called maugre the malice of sathan this was otherwise in the church of God And God called and taught Abraham a Gal. 3.8 the gospel namely that men should be righteous by faith onely Here the Deuil hath a new worke and in processe of time vnder colour of the righteousnes of the law he caused the church of the Iewes to fall from God by forsaking faith and seeking to bee iust by their workes for as Saint Paul witnesseth Rom. 9.31 Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse could not attaine vnto the law of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the law Heere God resisted Sathan and opened the way of life vnto all nations For in the fulnesse of time when the promise of the gospell vnto Abraham of iustifying the gentiles through faith was now to be accomplished God sent forth his sonne to be the light of the world and he his Apostles preached repentance to all nations and taught them righteousnesse saluation by faith in Christ onely And then as S. Paul also teacheth c Vers 30. The gentils which followed not righteousnesse attained vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnesse which is of faith Here the Deuil bestirreth himselfe and first euen in the Apostles time hee raiseth vp the Iewes who being d Act. 21.20 zealous for Moses fight eagerly for the law e Gal. 3.1.2.3 and that the workes of Gods commandements be ioyned vnto faith f 1. Thess 2.14 15.16 or to bee aduanced aboue faith Against which Saint Paule laboureth and writeth to the Romains and Galathians most strongly proouing that onely faith in Iesus Christ doth iustifie that God had so decreed it by his word c Act. 15. and the Apostles by a counsell determine that the Gentils are free from the law of Moses Afterward the diuel prepared diuers heretikes to this battaile who in diuers sortes assayled this faith some fighting against the person of Christ as Simon Magus and Arius and their followers some stroue for their owne perfection and righteousnes as Ebion Pelagious Donatus Cathari and such like Against all which God stirred vp learned valiant and faithful men who defended and maintained the faith by the sword of the spirit and kept it found many yeres so that the heretickes preuailed not But in this verie time
then the gospel adopteth vs into Abraham to be his children and the same religion faith way of saluation which the new Testament teacheth is the summe of the law and prophets and of the fathers before the law namely of Abraham who is the i Rom. 4.16 father of vs all 5. But it may bee obiected that the religion of Gods church did differ and alter namely that before the law from that which was after that of the law from that which is now vnder the gospel For the first age had not the law of Moses the second were altogether subiect to that law and we after the law are ruled by the gospel are free from that law For the ease of which scruple we are to consider that as in material things there are somthings of the substās essence which cannot be altered except the thing it selfe perish somthings are adioined as it were hanging vpon the thing as moueable properties accidents or ornaments as in a man the bodie soule vnited are so farre off the substance that if these or either of these faile he is not a man there be also ioined to a man his outward countenance apparel stature age these make a man in outward shew to differ much from himselfe yet is he one and the same man stil So is it in the case of religion there are som things of the same nature that if they be absent there can be no religion at all such is faith and loue some thinges are seruants and dependances vpon these as ceremonies and manner of gouernment and these differ according to the time and change not the nature of religion For as a childe is a true naturall man though hee haue not the same stature or countenance of face as when hee is olde and growne vp and howsoeuer hee change his apparell yeeres stature or countenance yet is hee the same verie man hee was before So in religion ceremonies and maner of gouernment haue altered in their times and yet make no alteration or change of religion but doe further garnishe and beutifie it more or lesse according to their seasons which similitude I vse because the holie ghost hath the like comparison Gal. 4.1 shewing the state of religion vnder the law to be as a child that although he be heire yet is vnder tutors c. So God appointed the fulnes of time vnder the gospell when hee woulde beutifie religion which such ornaments that it shold be like the freedome of an heire when he enioyeth the possession of his inheritance the like wee finde in an other place where he compareth this life vnto the life to come by these wordes k 1. Cor. 13.11 When I was a child I spake as a child I vnderstood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things And hee expoundeth this case where hee saith l Gal. 3.17 The lawe which was 430. yeeres after cannot disanull the couenaunt that was confirmed before of God in respect of Christ that it shoulde make the promise of none effect Whereby he sheweth that the law came not as a new religion faith or doctrin of saluation that the religion before the law should be abolished the law as a new come in the roome therof But that it had some other vse as an accidentarie ornament or seruant to that former religion which God had taught Abraham shold belong vnto all nations as after he sheweth that the law was added because a 16. ver 19.23.24 of transgressions we were shut vp vnder the law and the law was our schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous thorow faith wherby it appeareth that the giuing of the law altered not the religion faith and doctrin of saluation but was as an helping seruant to further the same as a prison or schoolemaster to driue vs to the true and pure religion of Abraham that by faith in the promise concerning Christ we are iustified and saued as Abraham was 6 But that you may the better vnderstand what is now in hand I will open vnto you what I meane by faith and loue and what by ceremonies and maner of gouernment By faith I vnderstād the doctrin of the couenant of mercy and grace which is so called because it is apprehended by faith as in these words b Gal. 3.2 Receiued ye the spirit by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith In which doctrine wee beleeue the trinitie and vnitie of God the person and office of Christ the creation and fall of man his corruption redemption iustification resurrection of the dead eternall life and such like For all these depende one vpon an other as in the first eleuen chapters to the Romanes to the discreete and attentiue reader may appeare By loue I vnderstand all the duties in the morall law both to God and man as they are the fruites of faith and as it is expounded by our Sauiour Christ saying c Math. 22.37 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with al thine hart with all thy soule with al thy mind this is the first and greatest commandement and the second is like vnto this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe By ceremonies and maner of gouernment I vnderstand all outward rites and ordinances with the manifestation of the spirite which serue for the furtherance beautifying and more fit expressing and exercise of these two aforesaid And ceremonies I find to be of two sorts some which are for the time maine parts of Gods worshippe and such are all Sacraments as the sacrifices and circumcision before the law the passeouer al sacrifices commanded by the law by signes and figures of Christ to come such are Baptisme and the Lords supper now vnder the gospel The other ceremonies concerne the time and place of the Church meeting and the maner order in the decent vsage of all the partes of Gods worshippe which before the law is said a Gen. 21.33 to bee in groues and as for other circumstances there is little mention as matters of no great moment vnder the law they b Luc. 4.16 Act. 15.21 had sinagogues and appointed ministers for the same and the reading of the law with preaching euerie Saboath day in the gospell touching all such thinges wee haue this rule c 1. Cor. 14.4 Let all things be done honestly and in order The ordinaunces with the manifestation of the spirit be conteined in the persons their offices degrees and dignities their excellencie and power in their giftes and the order of adiministration As before the law the d Gen. 12.7 cap. 17.23 father of the family e Exod. 24.5 Numb 3.40 or the first borne was the person by whom the word holy thinges of God were administred Their degrees dignities c. are not much spokē of saue only they are cald f
Gen. 20.7 cap. 49 1. prophets did tel of things to come ordred the church in the families as they were g 2. Pet. 1.21 Gen. 15. 17. 21. c. guided by the spirite of God in prophesie or receiued commandement by vision or dreame from God Vnder the law there is the h This is taught in Exodus Numbers Leuiticus expounded in Deuteronomy all the prophets priesthood in the house of Aaron the Leuites vnder thē attend vpon the holy administration by diuers orders and ordināces keeping the people vnder the pure religion of faith loue Vnder the gospel there be also diuers i 1. Cor. 12.4.5.6 c. Mat. 28.19 Ephes 4.11 Rom. 15.18.19 administrations giftes and works set in the church to rule and feede the flocke of Christ to make them obedient to the faith in worde and deed And the k Math. 13.17 cap. 11.11 2. Cor. 3. manifestation of the spirit is more excellent abundant in the latter times then in the former Now in these three times you may see touching these ceremonies and maner of gouernment great difference and that the word of God doth not esteeme of these outward thinges as of the substance of religion vnchangeable as he doth of the inward and spirituall namely faith and loue And first as touching the time before the law Christ teacheth that the Iewes could not be Abrahams children l Ioh. 8.39 because they did not the works of Abraham which workes are not in ceremonies and maner of gouernment for they were two curious in those things and therefore Christ saith in another place m Math. 9.13 Go and learne what this meaneth I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Thereby declaring the morall duties of loue to be substantiall in a religious profession not ceremonies as sacrifice washing tithinge c. And S. Paul on the other side saith thus a Rom. 4.10.11.12 Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnes before hee was circumcised and that after he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should bee the father of all them that beleeue Where hee sheweth that Abrahams religion whereby hee was iust before God was his faith and that was before hee was circumcised and without circumcision then his circumcision was onely a signe and a seale to strengthen his faith in sealing vp of his righteousnesse but not of the matter or substaunce of his righteousnesse Secondly that this was so deuided that the gentilles which were not circumcised might bee iustified through the same faith without the obseruing of the lawe and the Iewes though circumcised were not iustified except they walked in the steppes of Abrahams faith So that herein consisteth Abrahams religion euen in his faith and walking in the steppes thereof the ceremonies were onely ornamentes and outward helpes to the same After which manner the prophetes also do interprete the law For when the people preferred the ceremonies and maner of gouernment before the morall dueties and faith Esay saith vnto them b Esai 1.10 Heare the word of the Lord O princes of Sodom herken vnto the law of our God O people of Gomorrah What haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord c. Where he calleth thē frō the foolish and curious obseruation of ceremonies and maner of gouernment c vers 16. Repentance and the fruites thereof according to loue and of faith in the consent and obedience to Gods word and mercy d vers 19. And in another place he saith that e cap. 66.1.2 God esteemeth neither temple nor sacrifice but the humble and contrite heart who trembleth at his word Hereof Hieremie f Hier. 7.3.4 Amend your waies and your works I will let you dwell in this place trust not in lying wordes saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord c. For this cause the Psalmist sheweth that the end g Psal 78.5.7 why God gaue Israel his law that they should teach it there posteritie was this That they might set their hope on God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements And the cause of all the plagues was not in regard of ceremonies or maner of gouernment for he saith h Psal 50.8 I wil not reproue thee for thy sacrifices but for their falling away from faith as it is written a Psal 106.13.14.24 They forgat his workes waited not for his counsell but lusted with concupiscence c. and beleeued not his worde And therefore it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes b Heb. 3.2 The word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it So likewise in the whole tenor of the gospell what is the principall aime of the holy Ghost to make men religious are not these two namely faith and loue is not the summe of the gospel in these two c Marc. 1.15 Repent beleeue the gospell Did not Paul say that when he taught the Ephesians all the counsell of God that he taught them d Act. 20.20.21 Repentance towardes God faith in Iesus Christ and what is this els but that wee should leaue the wickednesse of our heartes and liues and walke in all dueties of loue to God and man and hold fast his holy couenant by a true liuely faith Therefore he saith els where that e Gal. 5.6 in Iesus Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Where by circumcision he meaneth the ceremonies and maner of gouernment of the law as hee expoundeth it verse 3. and so contrarily vncircumcision signifieth the order and maner of the gentils Therefore these outward thinges are not the maine substance but onely faith and loue Hereof it is that the spirite of God commendeth the f Eph. 1.15 Coloss 1.4 1. Thes 1.3 churches for their faith and loue hope and patience and Saint Paul speaking of himselfe sheweth how hee became a religious Christian saying g 1. Tim. 2.13 Before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie c. but the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus Whereby you see that a wicked life and vnbeliefe make a prophane and irreligious person but faith and loue a true and religious Christian And hereof followeth the difference betweene an hipocrite and a true Christian the one is altogether superstitious in outward thinges h Mat. 23.5 labouring by such obseruations to appeare righteous religious vnto men but within is full of hipocrisie and iniquitie the other hath i 1. Tim. 1.5 loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience of faith vnfained And this is the cause that
the Corinthians k 1. Cor. 10.1.2 3.4.5.6.7 c. are threatened with the feareful examples of the Israelites in their abode in the wildernesse that hauing the word of God and his holy sacramentes they walked not faithfully with God and therefore were punished So the Corinthians ought not to put their trust in their sacramentes and liue contrarie to faith and loue for thē they are like to be punished as the Israelits were So thē you see what is substātial perpetual what is changeable according to times 7 Howbeit here is to be vnderstood that those ceremonies outward things in the maner of gouernment are necessarie and in their times religiously to bee obserued though not so highly esteemed as the parts of the vnchangeable substance of religion but being the cōmandemēts of God by which he wold for the time be outwardly worshipped or els teach seal his couenant to his people that they might be steadie increase in faith loue that all things in the vse profession exercise of their faith might be done comely seemly orderly cōmendably according to his worde whosoeuer offended in any of these were subiect to punishment not onely that he which a Heb. 10.28 Deut. 19.17 dispised Moses law should die without mercy vnder two or three witnesses but b Heb. 2.2 also euery trāsgression disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward c Leuit. 10.1 As Nadab Abihu the sons of Aaron for offering strange fire that is such as God had not appointed were deuoured with fire which came frō the Lord. d 2. Sam. 6. Vzzah was smitten with sodain death for holding the Arke vnto which he had no office calling e 2. Cron. 26.19 And Vzziah king of Iudah was striken with a leprosie for vsurping the priests office Therfore in their times and during so long time as God appointed these ceremonies and maner of gouernment to be vsed in his church they were to be obserued with all care conscience because of the commandmēt of God only taking heed that no affiance should be put in thē aboue their proper vse but only make them helpes and ornamentes to the more substantiall pillars of faith loue And when the time was come that they should bee abolished then was the church free from such ordinances for they were as the holy Ghost f Heb. 9.9 saith figures for the time present vntil the time of reformation g Cap. 10.11 they were shadowes of good things to come not the very image or substāce of the things themselues Namely in as much as Christ by the oath of God became a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck to make perfect that which the Leuiticall priesthood could neuer accomplish the priesthood of Aaron al the law of Moses were changed and the seruant gaue place to him that was Lord of the house as is at large disputed in the h Cap. 3.7.8.9.10 epistle to the Hebrewes Hereof it came to passe that all the sacrifices before the law circumcision which were of the fathers and all the ministerie of Moses gaue place at the comming of this great high priest the sonne of God the Lord head of the Church Iesus Christ And he i Dan. 9.27 confirmed the couenant and caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease he a Eph. 2.14.15 brake the stop of the partitiō wall abrogating through his flesh the law of cōmandemēts standing in ordināces that aswell gentils as Iewes might haue accesse vnto God by his spirit b Gal. 5.1.2.3 he hath set vs at liberty frō the yoke of bondage which was by the low so that now c Ioh. 4.21 we are not tied to Hierusalē to worship the father but that we d 1. Tim. 2.8 may pray euery where lifting vp pure handes And e Act. 15.9 God putteth no difference betweene men for these ceremonies and maner of gouernment when their heartes are purified by faith yet is it not his diuine wisedome and goodnesse that we should be altogether without ceremonies gouernment For in stead of the priestes Leuites he hath f 1. Cor. 12.18 Eph. 4.11 set in his church Apostles Prophets Euangelists pastors and teachers to teach vs guide vs in the pure religiō of faith knowledge of the son of God for our further help we haue in stead of all sacrifices before and vnder the law the sweet preaching of Christ only sacrifice by which they were ended accōplished to assure our consciences that he is g Heb. 7.25 ca. 9.28 10.18 able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him and that by one sacrifice once made hee did so fully take away sin that there is now no more offering for sin And h 1. Cor. 5.7 cap. 11.23 in steade of the passeouer which was a figure of Christ to come wee haue the holy supper of the Lord to shew forth his death til he come again And i Colos 2.11 Tit. 3.5 Math. 28.19 for circumcision which signified the putting of the sinfull flesh by the bloude of Christ which was to come now Christ is come wee haue baptisme for the washing of the new birth renuing of the holy Ghost to enter vs into his holy church And generally we are taught by the gospell k 1. Cor. 14.26.33 to doe all things in the church vnto edification without confusiō And all those euangelicall ordinances l Ibi. ver 37. 1. Tim 6.13.14 are the commandements of God to be kept vnblameable vnchangeable vntill the comming of Christ CHAP. 2. How God hath gouerned his church in one religion in all ages which is declared before and after the fall of Adam 2. And by the dispensation of times since the promise of Christ first giuen to Adam which is in three sorts the fathers before the law the Iewes vnder the law the Gentils vnder the gospel 3. In all these three times was there a differēce in the outward face of gouernment but not in substance of religion 4. Which by Gods iudgements manifestation of his spirit hath bene alwaies maintained preserued 5. And this will be a witnes of our religion now professed in England against all Atheistes Papistes and other wicked men in the day of Christ Iesus NOw this foundation being layed because my purpose is to shew that God alwaies set foorth and allowed but one faith and religion I will in the next place briefly shew howe God hath administred his church from the beginning of the world namely in what order he hath gouerned his people a Psal 37.12 48.3 Hier 10.25 Whom hee chose to himselfe to know him and call vpon his name First we are to remember that the world hath bin in two estates and a third we looke for For before the fall of Adam when mans hart was vpright being made after
when he could point out his verie person saying i Ioh. 1.36 Behold the lambe of God Howbeit that grace of reuelation which was in the Apostles excelled all the rest for the verie a 1. Pet. 1.12 Ephe. 3.10 Angels admire the manifolde wisedom of God as it is now taught in the church of God by their doctrin and therefore in comparison of the clere manifestation of the gospel now in these last times to the more obscure reuelation of the former ages it is called b Colos 1.26 Eph. 1.8 a mistery had since the worlde began and from al ages but now is made manifest to his saints and this most abundantly in all wisedome and vnderstanding And this was of such power that neither the malicious gainesaying and tumultuous resisting of the Iewes nor the furious outragious persecutions of the gentils for 300. yeares nor the subtill vndermining of wilie hereticks nor the smoking darkenes of Antechrist could stand before the wisedome of the spirit but that the idols of the heathen and the foolish rudimentes of the world were scattered before the preaching of the faith and religion of Christ as the smoke or clouds are driuen before the wind And when all the c Dan. 3.35.44 1. Pet. 2.6 monarkes of the world were broken became like the chaffe of the sommer flowers whom the winds carieth away this Iesus Christ as a stone cut without hands although he were refused of the builders is not onely become the heade of the corner but also filleth the whole earth and groweth to a kingdome that neuer shall haue end so long as Sun Moone endureth And as this religion so the ceremonies and maner of gouernment ordeyned by Christ are to remaine vntill the end of the world for so saith Christ when hee gaue cōmission for d Math. 28.19.20 the preaching baptizing teaching of all his cōmandements Loe I am with you alway vnto the end of the world the Apostle affirmeth that the Lordes supper is to e 1. Cor. 11.26 shewe the Lordes death till hee come f Eph. 4.12.13 and his ministers are to gather together the saintes till we all meete in the vnitie of faith and he must g 1. Cor. 15.24.25 raigne till all his enemies bee put vnder his feete and in the ende deliuer vp his kingdome to his father and then God shall bee all in all 5 All which things if the Atheistes of our time and such as bee of no religion or of the popish and hereticall superstition could see and consider they would come home to vs and cast themselues downe before Christ and say God is with you of a truth But this continuance of one vnchangeable truth in religion by the administration of Gods iudgements manifestation of the spirit being found with vs in this realme of England as hereafter in this treatise doth euidently appeare shal be a witnesse against all such in the day of iudgement when they should remember that they in their liues time willingly wold not know nor obey the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse I pray God open our eyes that while the light is among vs we may beleeue it loue it and walke in it as the children of light to the glorie of God and our owne comfort euerlasting saluation in Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen CAP. III. Heere is more largely shewed the vnitie of faith in all ages that the religion openly professed at this present in England is the same ancient onely Catholike faith of Abraham Moses the prophets which Christ and his Apostles preached and taught Where 1. is declared that Abraham receiued it of God both for the Iewes also for all other nations 2. The particulers are compared in 15. seuerall articles of the most waightie points of doctrine HAuing entred thus far that the Christian reader may as in a glasse in some reasonable sort behold in his conscience that from the beginning of the world there hath beene but one religion in which a man could euer be saued one law of faith one law of loue taught and allowed by God in his Church catholike and vniuersall for all places times to remaine vnchangeable vnto the worlds end Now will I through the mercifull assistance of the same my gracious God more largely and particularly shew the verie same thinges and that the same is the religion which in this our time is now by publike authoritie professed preached taught defended in this realme of England by and vnder the most happie raigne golden dayes and peaceable gouernment of the Lordes annointed and blessed handmaid and seruant our dread soueraigne deare nurse-mother faithfull and elect Ladie and Queene Elizabeth for whose heauenly ioy Christian honour long and prosperous life in wealth and godlinesse all true hearted Christians and faithfull subiectes continually and instantly do pray Here thou shalt see God willing what God taught Abraham what Moyses sent of God taught Israel what the prophetes inspired of God taught in Iudah what Christ his Apostles taught the primitiue Church and that all these differ not in the doctrine of faith and loue but being all one and the same way of saluation the same true and vndeceiuable religion the same euerlasting God and Sauiour And thou shalt plainely and clearely see that the verie same and none other hath our most louing God of his free and kind mercie now aboue fortie yeares together taught vs English men and his heauenly wisedome in our streetes and high places and assemblies by his faithfull ministers hath called vs thereunto So that we to the stirring vp of our thankfull hearts to praise our good God may say with the Psalmist a Psal 147.20 He hath not dealt so with euerie nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements And in this treatise concerning the first of the three times of the world which was of the fathers before the lawe or any part of Gods worde was written I make speciall choise of Abraham for two causes First because that in the historie of the fathers before his time which containeth some 2083. yeares the holy Ghost is verie briefe and therefore not so full and plaine in diuers pointes as after in the story of Abraham Howbeit thou shalt find in the same the doctrine of one God the trinitie promise of Christ and saluation to come by faith in him Baptisme of the arke sacrifices for the latter sacrament seales of the couenant and of dueties diuers examples in Abell Sheth Enoch Noe and great punishments for the contrarie so that the substance is one and the same though that it be after more largely and particularly taught in the storie of Abraham But because my purpose is to shew that the particular partes of the doctrine of our religion bee most auncient and catholike I finde it more fitte to take the patterne from Abraham in whose storie I may gather these thinges more plainely and also
to worship God onely and namely to praie to him alone THis article is plaine needing no explanation And we may see it clerely in the story of Abraham that he being called from the b Iosh 24.2.3 woorship of strange Gods for euer after woorshipped the onely true and liuing God c Gen. 12. ver 14. 15. 17. c. to him he made his alter and called vpon his name swore by his name and in all religious woorship as sacrifice circumcision and vowes he did stil keepe himselfe alwaies to worship God onely Such is the minde of the church of England For we say d Artic. 22. of purgatorie The Romish doctrine concerning purgatorie pardons worshipping and adoration as well of images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saints is a fond thing vainely fayned and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God For hereby we vnderstande that the Scripture teacheth that wee should worship God onely and pray to him onely and therefore we condemne al woorship and praiers which are not made giuen and directed to God onely and therefore we commaunde the ten commandements to be read in our churches to teach men to acknowledge one god and him onely to worship Moses also if we will heere him sheweth the same truth First in the affirmatiue he saith e Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and sweare by his name which wordes our Sauior Christ f Matth. 4.10 alleaging in their meaning sheweth that they commaunde vs to worship and serue God onely And in the negatiue Moses a Deut. 4.14 c. cap. 12.2.3 c. cap. 13. 21.8 Num. 6.24 testifying that God shewed the people no image of the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer forbiddeth them the making of all images of the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer and the worshipping of any such image or likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer directing them in all causes to turne to him to pray to him and to blesse in his name To this also accorde the Prophets in whom God speaketh on this maner b Psal 50.15 Call vpon mee c. c Esai 42.8 I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue vnto an other neither my praise to carued images d Cap. 45.23 I haue sworne by my selfe the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnes and shall not returne That euerie knee shall bow vnto me and euerie toonge shall sweare by mee And therefore on the one side hee reprooueth them e Zepan 1.5 which woorship and sweare by the Lord and Malcham that is doe any way communicate Gods worship to others and on the other side teacheth vs to pray onely to God as it is written f Psal 62.8 Trust in him alwaie yee people power out your hartes vnto him for GOD is our hope g Psal 95.6 Let vs vvorship and fall downe and kneele before the Lorde our maker And this is also the rule of the Gospell as where our Sauiour teacheth vs to pray h Matth. 6.9 Our father which art in heauen c. saying when yee pray pray after this maner there you may perceiue all other excluded For wee cannot say to any other Our father which art in heauen or Thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie therefore if this be the maner of prayer wee must pray to none other but to God And the Apostles in their doctrin i Act. 14.15 1. Thess 1.9 called men from dumme idols to worship and serue the liuing God And that I may not vse many wordes in so manifest a matter I onely obserue this that this phrase k Reuel 19.10 22.9 Act. 10.25.26 Rom. 1.23.25 Worship GOD in the newe Testament shutteth out all creatures men and angels from all maner of religious worship which seruice being due to him should bee giuen or done to none other And so it is verie apparant that in this article wee are of the most auncient and Catholike faith with Abraham Moses c. The twelfte article of certaine speciall exercises of religion and markes of the church that is the Sacraments 12. A Sacrament is a signe and a seale ordained of God to assure vs of the couenant of mercie which is in Christ Iesus And there be two Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. The first is a signe and a seale of our first entrie into the fellowship of God and his church and of our adoption and regeneration The seconde is a signe and a seale of the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ continually strengthning vs and confirming vs in all the graces of God vnto eternall life IN handling of this article if I declare two things First that these three times of the fathers of the law of the gospel agree in the description of the nature of a sacrament and herein that these two Baptisme and the Lords supper are only for the new Testament and namely according as they are here described no otherwise And secondly that herein the church of England agreeth with the holie scriptures of all these times as a true obseruer of Gods woord therein I shall sufficiently prooue that the church of England holdeth the most auncient true and catholike faith In the first there are three things to be shewed the nature the number and the special difference of the sacraments In the nature wee see what is general and common to all Sacraments and this is in two points who made them and whereof they consist the first is they are ordained of God and this is so farre off the nature of a sacrament that none can be so without God be the author for who can giue man a special signe and seale of Gods fauor c. but God himselfe amongst men he is guilty of treason that will make a seale of a princes letters patents in the kings name except he haue the seale deliuered him by the prince for that purpose So and much more for so much as God is more excellent and honorable then any prince of the earth and his will more vnsearchable and the freedom and glory therof more hie and heauenlie no man may or can ordaine a sacrament to assure vs of Gods good will whereof he hath no warrant or authority from God For if as the Apostle saith No man doth knowe the things of God 1. Cor. 2.11 but the spirit of God surely much lesse can any man ordaine a Sacrament which is such a thing as by it we may be assured of Gods free grace and mercie in Iesus Christ Therefore you shall find that in all times the church so long as it was obedient and not idolatrous neuer aduentured to make a Sacrament as you may see in Abraham who had sacrifices and circumcision although we may be assured that by the spirit of prophesie he was instructed in these things yet shall
and that vnawares a thing that Christian men suspected not the diuell had vnder hande a more cunning and sure way to ouerthrow the faith namelie he draue men into the wildernesse and solitarie places which partlie happened by persecution and partlie by a blinde deuotion and so sowed the seeds of munkerie in the Church of Christ which as farre as I can d Polydor virgil de inuent rerum lib. 7. cap. 1. cap. 3. Histor Ecclesiast tripertit lib. 1. cap. 11. About Anno 300. read first e began in the deserts of Aegyt These men gaue them selues to holie meditation and religious contemplation of Gods workes and leauing the perfect booke of God written in the holy scriptures they read in an other booke like the heathen as nature and reason which is blinde in Gods causes did lead them and made a newe Philosophie hauing this principle Veram beatitudinem in cultura dei legum eius obseruatione that is True happinesse to consist in the seruice of God and keeping his commandements which while men perceiued not howe it beat vpon the foundation they began to cast their eies vpon themselues and by little and little because by nature we are prone to thinke too wel of our selues and as men fond of their owne children we admire our deuises christians fel in loue with this new trade of life the pearcing reflex of the glittering beams of their great and rare holines and new religious deuotion daseled the eies of all sorts of men Insomuch as very excellent men and great clearkes Basilius magnus Hierom and Augustine diuers other leaned toward this new religion and began to make rules for the same And so the diuel comming as an angel of light made his first entrance and their priuelie stale in this iustifying by workes vn espied For these and other godly fathers in plaine and euident places of scripture being by their conscience constrained they frankly acknowledge the truth of Christ Iesus and auow it against heretikes yet oftentimes their eies looking backwarde like the peacocke vpon their owne goodly rules and obseruations doe with the left hand robbe Christ of that which they so thankfully ascribe vnto him with the right Yet this meriting by workes was not so bolde and brauely attired in the first six hundred yeres to assume and take such open authority and hie glory in the church as it was afterwarde when peace and wealth made men by wantonnes to seeke many deuises Some as the climing popes set vp decrees and decretals and made themselues men of renown some by the knowledge of lawes and canons stroue for the lawrell crowne of glory some by schoole learning made themselues admirable who drawing in Aristle and Philosophie to make grounds in diuinitie taught the reasonable way of righteousnes by workes and the congruitie and condignitie of freewil some as fryers and cloysters by rules and orders made new religions and waies of saluation here commeth vp purgatorie pardons pilgrimage praiers for the dead and a thousand new things of rare holines meritorious deuotion By all these did the diuel make vnto him selfe many mightie legions of resolute warriers to face wearie out Christ that he might leaue the church that he by his eldest sonne Antechrist might raigne and rule alone and so he easily thrust out faith onely for righteousnes and the true way of saluation And brought in infinit traditions vnwritten verities obseruations customes mysteries deuotions and reuelations If you would read Guillerimus Durandi rationale diuinorum with Guido manipulus curatorum Bonauentura de profectu religiosorum Hieremias Buchius of the conformities of S. Frauncis with Christ with such like and ioine there vnto the counsell of Trent with their masse and all the bookes appendents in seruice to their Ladie and Saints and heape vnto them the thousands of commandements of the church in decrees decretals and canons brought in by popes scholemen canonists ciuilians it would make a mans hart to bleed to think how little regard is had of Christ and of his righteousnes wisedome sanctification redemption name glorie And that the christian reader may the better perceiue these things let him marke but this one thing which is yet fresh in memorie When Luther stoode vp for the gospell and tooke into his hand the spiritual sword of Gods word and stroke and hewed at one of the last growing sproutes of this new way of righteousnes namely pardons and indulgencies and finding great resistance by the warriers before named hee began to arme himselfe with the armor of God and by little and little both learning and teaching the article of iustification by faith onely in Christ by and by all this braue baggage and counterfeit galantnes and earthlie glorie of righteous by mens doeings like a thicke mystie cloud couering the aire did vanish away in the conscience of many thousands by the bright shining power of the true sunne of righteousnes Iesus Christ in and by faith alone And of this we haue had almost one hundred yeres experience that as a 1. Sam. 5. Dagon of the Philistims could not stand before the arke of God So all the whoorish deuises of Romish Babilon could not stande before the doctrine of faith onely in Iesus Christ the Lord be praised 3. of the Sacraments Now looke we on the third point of the sacraments and seales of the couenant of mercie and let vs here whether the auncient fathers of the primatiue church were not protestants First Tertullian offereth him selfe a verie b He liued about Anno 230. auncient father hee telleth vs c Contra Martiō lib. 4. onely of two sacraments and of the Lordes supper d lib. 1. hee saith Non reprobauit panem quo ipsum corpus suum representat he refuseth not bread whereby he representeth his bodie Loe Tertullian an auncient protestant in the matter of the sacraments Cyprian likewise sheweth him selfe a protestant e De caena domini saying Mansio nostra in ipso c. our abiding in him is eating and drinking and as it were a certaine incorporation c. and a little after That which meat is to the flesh this faith is vnto the soule that which is meat to the bodie that is the woord to the spirit and in his conclusion hee addeth As oft as wee doo these thinges wee doo not wheat our teeth to byte but with a sincere faith wee breake the holie bread and deuide it while wee distinguish and seperate that which is deuine and that which is humaine c. Origen steppeth in betweene them both and protesteth with vs f vpon leuit homil 7. saying There is also in the newe Testament a letter which killeth him who marketh not those thinges which are spoken spiritually For if thou according to the letter followe this same which is said vnlesse you eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud this letter killeth Saint Augustine followeth after and sheweth him selfe
Bishops through euery prouince shoulde receaue of him their inuesting and vnles the Bishop be inuested of the King he should be consecrated of no man and this decree was established with a curse confiscatiō of goods b 18. tit 16. ca. 1. An. 1070. Gregory 7. hauing shuffled away the emperor in the election of popes by a contrarie Synode of an hundred and ten Bishops did accurse all ecclesiastical persons which receiued their inuesting by the hand of any seculer person c Platina in vita Pascalis c. An. 820. Pascal the first being chosen pope without the Emperours consent humblie excused himselfe and craued pardon And Gregorie the 4. as Platina saith was of so great prudency and modestie that he would not occupie the pontificall dignitie although he were chosen of all vntill he were confirmed by the Emperor which was then Lodouicus king of France But in a a Anno 865. while after pope Nicholas the first obtained of an other Emperour that no seculer Prince or Emperour should thencefoorth be present in the counsell of the Church vnlesse in question of the Christian faith And b Anno 1115. Alber. Krant Saxon. lib. 5. cap. 37.38 in time it came to passe that Pope Paschal the 2. was faine to excuse himselfe from the staine of heresie for graunting by constraint to the Emperor Henry the 5. his right in this cause In this verie time god stirred vp the eloquent learned pen of Bernhard to admonish the Pope how far he was fallen from God amongst many other things with these wordes where speaking of wealth ritches and goods hee sayth to the c Ad engeniū pontif maximi de consideratione About Anno 1149. Pope vsus tamen horum bonus c. yet the vse of those things is good the abuse euill the care worse and the gaine more dishonest be it that thou maist challenge these things by any other way or reason whatsoeuer but not by the apostolicall right For hee could not giue vnto thee that which hee had not that which hee had that he gaue euen the care as I said ouer the Churches What did hee giue Lordship heare him selfe speake not being Lords hee saith in Gods heritage but being made an ensample to the flocke and least thou shouldst thinke it spoken onely for humilitie and not also for truth there is the voice of the Lord in the gospel The kings of the nations do raigne ouer them and they which haue rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes and hee doth inferre but you shall not be so It is plaine that the Apostles are forbidden Lordship Go thou then dare thou to vsurpe to thy selfe either a Lordly Apostleship or an Apostolicall lordship Thou art plainely forbidden both if thou wouldest haue both alike thou shalt loose both otherwise thinke not thy selfe exempted from the number of them of whom God complaineth They haue raigned not by me they were princes and I knew them not Now if it please thee to raigne without God thou hast glorie but not with God And the addition vpon a Vpon Reuelat cap. 13. Lyra not a few yeares after affirmeth that it is manifest that in the primatiue Church from the time of the Apostles vnto the time of Syluester the Pope when the faithfull had no worldly power then did the Church flourish most of all in spirituall thinges And a little after But when in processe of time the faithfull obtained great secular power these vertues meaning faith hope and charitie and if by the mercie of God they did not wholy decay yet are they not commonly found to haue the same power as they had in the primatiue But behold a maruellous chaunge b De moribus Germaniae Aeneas Syluius affirming Power riches and strength to bee farre better in the Apostolical sea then in any other seculer throne whatsoeuer And he calleth the Pope of Rome as Emperour of the Christian armie and a wise king saith That the Senate of the Cardinals doe beare the roome of the world And again he saith Christ appeared poore humble not that wee should bee poore did he it but that by that meanes hee might redeeme vs c. And a little after Now the prelates of Rome ought to be rich men potentates after the same maner for our saluation therfore hee is bolde to set foorth the earthly maiestie of the Pope aboue the glorie of all princes saying And if thou didst see the Bishop of Rome to celebrate or to heare the diuine seruice thou wouldest truely confesse that there is no state nor glorie and maiestie but onely the Bishop of Rome when thou seest the Pope sitting on high in his throne the Cardinalles sitting at the right hand the great Prelates Bishoppes and Abbots and protonotaries standing at the left hand and the Orators of kings haue their place the great states theirs There the Iudges and heere the Clearkes of the chamber there the deputies of the states and heere the Subdeacons and Accoluthes and the other multitude doe sitte on the ground Truely thou wouldst say the court of Rome to bee like an heauenly Hierarchie where all thinges are honourable and all thinges set in order by a prescribed and setled manner Loe heere thou seest a glorious throne but not of God For which Steuen the fift prouideth a square stone whereon it might bee set when he ordained Anno 890. a Gratian. decret distinct 19. cap. enimuero That the lawes and decrees of the Church of Rome should be for euer and without dispute to bee obserued b Anno 1300. Reade Iohn Baleus de act Rom. Pontif. Clement the fift prouideth a stay for this throne in that hee decreeth that they which were dissigned in Germanie to bee Caesars although they had the name of the King of the Romanes yet shoulde they receiue of the Pope the right and name of the Empire And c Anno 1338. Platina Balaeus Benedict the twelfth prepareth both matter and money for on the one side he challengeth the Emperiall power in the vacancie of the Emperour till a new bee chosen and on the other side vsurpeth to himselfe and his successours the bee stowing of Bishoprickes prelacies and beneficies 6. But see there ouergrowinges for heere they stay not For they make the d Grat. distinct 12 cap. non decet cap. preceptis Church of Rome mother and head of all Churches and confirmer of all religions and vnder this power e Pars 2. causa 12. Quest 1. Cap. dilexissi Allow mens wiues to bee common And are not ashamed of this blasphemie as by decree to say f Distinct 40. cap. Si papa Though the Pope draw with him innumerable soules into hell no mortall man may presume to reprooue him who is iudge of all men and to be iudged of no man g Decret Greg. lib. 1. tit 33. cap. 6. So much difference as there