soueraigne medicine in Gods church is the punishment of the conscience not of goods nor of the body otherwise then by some shame reproch which waites vppon our separation from the Churche of God and so are S. Paules wordes of the destruction of the fleshe 1. Cor. 5. to be vnderstanded therefore they which haue purposed since the Popes excōmunication against her maiestie eyther to hurt her royall person or to depose her from her kingdome as they haue passed the listes and boūds of al excōmunication so their sinne is very grosse exāple very dangerous 3 The preaching of Gods word the sincere administration of the Sacraments are the essential markes of Christes Churche and where these markes are there vndoubtedly the true church is though there bee otherwise in that Church some blemishes IF the Church be the assemblie of the faithful Rom. 10. and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God it is a cleare case that the preaching of the worde belongeth to the essence of the visible Church We are taught in Gods booke Mat. 28. that the Sacraments instituted of Christ are the seales of Gods word therfore the Sacraments pertayne to the essence of the visible Church The Churches of Israel and Iuda were therefore Gods Churches because they had Gods law preached circumcision the passeouer which were their Sacramēts administred amongst thē Iosias 2. Chron. 34. 35. chap. that he might plāt Gods Church aright caused the booke of the lawe to be published and a passeouer to be proclaymed Nehem. 8. Ezra 7. Ezra after his returne from Babylon expoundeth Gods law to the Israelites restoreth the true vse of the Passeouer S. Luke setting down the estate of the Primitiue Churche in orient coloures Acts 2. saith that they continued in the Apostles doctrine which is the life of the Church and felowship that is in performing of Christiā dueties one to another breaking of bread that is in the administratiō of the holy supper prayers that is publike prayers in which consisteth the profession of our religiō This excellēt Church had the Apostles doctrine and the holye communion therefore it was the church of Christ If any saye that the Sacrament of baptisme is not here mentioned I aunsweare in a worde that Saynt Luke needed not to mention Baptisme seeyng he speaketh of such as were alreadie baptised 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Galat. 1. The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had great blemishes in them yet because they had Gods truth sacramēts among them they are accompted by S. Paule the Churches of God If the sound preaching of the worde and the administration of the sacramēts are the essentiall marks of Gods church then learned ministers are necessarie for they blow the Lords siluer trumpets Num. 10. put their handes to the framing of the siluer vessels of the temple If Godlie and learned ministers are necessarie and singuler ornaments in the Church of God then schooles of learning and Vniuersities wherein students are made fitte to serue Gods Church are especially to be regarded 1. Sam. 19. 2. King 2. 22. chap. Suche schooles of learning were at Nayoth in Samuels time at Iericho and Bethel in Elizeus time at Ierusalem in Iosias time Caluin in 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 32. at Corinth in S. Paules time and such are now with vs in Cambridge and Oxeforde If these be vpholden religion flourisheth and consequently Gods blessings increase in the land If these goe to wracke farewel religion and the good estate of the commō wealth But Vniuersities and schooles of learning must needes decay when the students are not prouided for imployed accordingly and preferred and imployed they cannot bee if either the Churches maintenance be pulled away or Church liuings be bought and sold for money or pensions 4 Godlie and learned Ministers must bee freely and bountifully prouided for BEware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vppon the earth Deut. chap. 12. ver 19. Almighty God commanded the Israelites to haue especiall care of the Leuite therefore they might not vse him like a drudge or send him a begging If the Leuite must be excellently vsed greater regarde must be had of the minister of the Gospell whose calling because it is greater then Iohn the Baptistes Mat. chap. 11. ver 11. is farre aboue the Leuites Gods Church is the piller ground of truth 1. Tim. cap. 3. ver 15. because by the ministery of the word Gods truth is preserued in the Church If the ministerye of the word preserues this precious iewel in the church as the priests did the fire vpon the altar in the time of the law thē they Leuit. chap. 6. which hinder Gods ministery doe robbe Gods Church of inestimable treasure hinder the ministery do they which discourage the learned ministers by powling thē of the churches prouision But if Dauid sending his seruaunts to comfort the king of Amon after his fathers death 2. Sam. 10. tooke in great dudgen the shauing of his seruantes beardes cutting of their garmēts will almighty God take it in good part that his seruants whom he hath furnished with excellent gifts for the cōfort of his church are polled shauē of their maintenance stripped as it were into their shirts and handled as dishcloutes Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost Who plāteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit therof Or who feedeth a flocke eateth not of the milke of the flocke 5. Cor. chap. 9. ver 7. If they whom S. Paule mentions in this verse are prouided for either of the common charge as the souldier or by the fruit of the vine as the husbandman or by the mylke of the flocke as the shepheard It is most equall that learned ministers should haue large allowance of the churches charge for their warfare vineplanting sheepfeeding doeth as farre passe the others as the precious diamond doth the peeble stone We beseech you brethrē that you know that is haue regard of thē which labor amōg you that ye haue them in singuler loue for their works sake c. 1. The. cap. 5 ver 12 13. If learned ministers must be especially fauoured they may not bee kept from their owne if they must be singulerly loued for their works sake they may not be trodē vpō as the mire in the streets nor spoiled by graceles mē of the churches maintenāce But churchpollers loue churchmē as Philippides did his father when hee cudgeled him Aug. epist 168. and as a rufler in Augustines time did his mother whom hee vsed in like sort most vnnaturally Balthasar the king of Babylon in the middest of a great feast called for the golden vessels which were brought from the temple of Ierusalem they were brought vnto him by his seruauntes The king his princes his wiues his concubines did drinke wine
peece of their study not to benefite the Church which is euery mans duetie but to spoyle the Church of that maintenance which belongs of duety to learned Teachers If the good estate of the ministery be the strength of the land what do they deserue which wil very hardly allow it any good place in the lande If it bee the life of the Lande what friends are they to the Lande which for vyle bribes and cursed pensions preferre corrupt menne whiche for want of sound learning are vnfitte to teache and for want of Godly wisedome are vnfitte to gouerne It may be truely sayd that since the raygne of our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth manye Studentes in Cambridge and Oxeforde are come to excellent proofe If their learning soundnesse in Religion and other vertues bee regarded they are singuler if their wits they are I am sure equal at the least to other mens what seruice they are able to do would easily appeare to Gods glory the great good of the lande if they were employed according to their giftes I meane not siluer and golden gifts which are the best Logicke and surest Rhetoricke to perswade corrupt menne but Gods notable graces and gifts for the which Pharao preferred Ioseph in Egipt Gen. 41. Dan. 6. Darius preferred Daniell in Babilon Is it not a straunge case that in Trinitye and Saint Iohns Colledges in Cambridge whiche are two of the greatest Colledges wee haue not one fellowshippe falles voyde sometimes in a yeere and more Doeth not this speake yea rather cry very lowde that there is little hope of places for younger students that fitte men are not prouided for Possid in vita August 10. cap. 24. A noble man of Hippo in Afrike which liued at Carthage gaue a possession of his owne accorde to the Churche of Hippo where Augustine was Byshop he sealed his deede of gift sent it to Augustine for the Churches behoofe onelie he reserued for his life time the vse and profit but not the proprietie of that possession Augustine receiued the writinges and commended the giuer After a few yeeres this noble man desired his deed of gift againe but sent fiue poundes for the poores reliefe Augustine seeing the noble mans inconstancie was mightely grieued yet without delay deliuered the writinges but refused his almes and by letters tooke him vp roundly for his hypocrisie and exhorted him to earnest repentance c. If Augustine dealt sharply with the noble man of Hippo for calling backe his owne deede of gift how would he shake those cormorants if hee were nowe aliue whiche spoyle the Church of other mens deeds of gift If Augustine refused 5. pounds sent by this noble man of Hippo for the benefit of the poore what accompt would he make of their almes whiche poll the Church and Churchmen would he put it into the poore mans boxe It is certayne he woulde not least he shoulde bee guiltie of giuing countenance to gracelesse men and of giuing Gods religion a grieuous blowe Gods enimies Aug. lib. 8. Confes cap. 5. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 12. when they woulde ouerthrow religion gaue streight charge that the Christians should not be trained vp in learning so did Iulian the Emperour If I should say that they whiche either poll the Church liuings or for money preferre corrupt men are of Iulians stampe it might seeme a hard speech but it is neither so hard nor strange as their dealinges are For is it possible for schooles to thriue if the vniuersities decay And can the Vniuersities prosper when the learned studentes are not furnished with maintenaunce The Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxeford are the frie of the ministerie and the seede of religion in England If the good studentes which are worthy of preferment be not prouided for what place shall the younger students haue How shall they grow in studie when for want of conuenient encouragement in the Vniuersity they are fayne to leaue their studies before they be rype and so become pettye schoolemaisters or seruing men or vntimely ministers yea to speake more plainly who sees not if he bee not starke blynd that the want of encouragement for ours the bountifull prouision by the Popish sort for theirs is as a great bel to cal many to their seminaryes at Rome in Italy at Rhemes in France And who is there if he set not Gods feare before his eyes that is not easily moued to preferre wealth before want good maintenance before beggery I confesse their fault is great Exod. 16. which preferre the fleshpots of Egypt before the Lords Manna in the wildernesse Gen. 25. as the Israelites did and which sell their birthright for pottage as Esau did But woe to those Cormorāts whose Churchpolling and brybery is the great hurt of the Church and the spoyle and vndoyng of many a goodly witte But that I may somewhat comfort such studentes as are almost discouraged may it please them to call to mynd two Christian lessons first that Dauid and Moses which were excellent personages chose the one Psal 84. rather to be a doore keeper in the Lordes house then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse the other rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God Heb. 11. then to be called the sonne of the king of Egypts daughter Secondly that our life is more woorth then meate and our bodies then rayment Math. 6. that the foules of the ayre are fed that Lilies of the field are by almighty God more beautifully cloathed then Salomon in all his glory was therefore he will haue great care of godly studentes in such sort and time as shall make most for his greate glorye and their singuler comfort Bonus Dominus qui non tribuit saepe quod volumus vt quod malimus attribuat Aug. Epist 54. 5 Wee may not forsake Gods Churche though there be euill men or blemishes in it THE Apostle giueth streight charge not to forsake the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues Heb. chap. 10. ver 25. as the manner of some is Because forsaking of the Churche was a disease in that time the Apostle giueth them a medicine for it Esay 1. The Church of Ierusalem was greatly out of temper in Esaias time so it was in our Sauiour Christes religion was fowlly stayned and there was great corruption in their manners Notwithstāding the Prophets did neither erecte for themselues eyther new churches or new altars but offered vp prayers in the temple of Ierusalem which they would not haue done if it had byn lawful to haue departed from that Church 1. Cor. 3.5.6 12.15 cap. In the Church of Corinth contention was ryfe the incestuous man was tolerated the article of the resurrectiō was shrewdly shaken and Gods giftes were made to serue the ambition of men not the profie of the Church yet Paule willeth not anye man to departe from that Church Almighty GOD resembleth his Church to a vine
Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 1. may bee said to be without spot because it is washed and purged by the blood of Christe and without wrinkle because it is clothed with the righteousnesse of Christe by the imputation of whose righteousnesse wee are at Gods handes both absolued and sanctified 24 The Church of Rome hath and may erre BEholde the bountifulnesse and seueritie of GOD towardes them Rom. cha 11. verse 22. whiche haue fallen seuerytye but towardes thee bountifulnes if thou continue in his bountifulnes or else thou also shalt be cut off If the Churche of Rome could not erre why should Paul write this Lib. 1. cont Marcionem Tertullian makes mention of alters dedicated to vnknowen gods which he calleth the Idolatrie of the Athenians and to vncertaine gods which he calleth the superstition of the Romanes Hormisda a Bishoppe of Rome in a writing of his to the Bishops of Spayne maketh this matter very cleare The sum of his wordes is this Dearely beloued let vs pray without ceasing that we may cleaue soundly vnto Christ and not forsake him least we be iustly forsakē of him If Saint Pauls doctrine in the Epistle to the Romaines be sounde whereof none that feare God doth make any question then the popishe Church whiche holdes many thinges disagreeing from that Epistle is not free from errour Let the questions of iustification election freewill obedience to the Magistrate be considered Besids their spoyling Christ of his priesthood and Gods people of the cup in the Lordes supper their transubstantiation a number of grosse absurdities which they hold are manifest demonstrations of the erring of the Popishe Church 25 They may not bee accompted Schismatikes which forsake the Church of Rome If any Church giue ouer the trueth of Gods religion wee must forsake that Church that we be not infected with that leprosie and yet wee may not be accompted Schismatikes for men are then Schismatikes when they depart from the true Church and doctrine not when they returne from errour to trueth He is a Schismatike whiche is the cause of schisme and not hee which beginneth the separation euen like as he whiche denieth the lawe is the cause of the processe and not he which first began The Protestantes haue not forsaken Siō but Babylon not Bethel but Bethauen they haue not erected Alter against Alter Aug. epi. 162. as Ieroboam and the Donatistes did but they haue cast the Alter of Damascus out of the Lordes house and haue restored the true worship of God 26 The Church must bee built vpon the word of God Ephe. chap. 2. verse 19.20 NOwe therefore yee are no more straungers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saintes and of the housholde of GOD and are built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christe him selfe beeyng the chiefe corner stone c. If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the foundation of the church howe can the Church stande if the doctrine be remoued and howe can the doctrine continue without sounde teachers and what hart canne they haue to teache when they want maintenance Shal they which bee noble mens and gentlemens gardiners huntsmen be bountifully prouided for of their Lordes and Maisters charge and shall not they which are fitte to attende vpon the Lords vine field garden orchard haue allowance of the churches charge If this soare be not looked vnto many students of diuinitie must of force betake them selues to some other course for men must liue and to go a begging is a point next the worse and a very vnfit occupation for a learned student in diuinitie The Gospell and spirite of life Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1.11 is the foundation and piller of the Church They which wil build Gods Churche without the foundation of the word build with vntempered morter for Gods word is the life of the Church Obiection The Church was before the worde of God therefore it is not built vpon the word of God Answere The argument followes not I confesse that Gods Church in the beginning as for example Adam Abel Enos Noe Sē Abraham and many other of Gods children was before Gods word was put in writing but Gods church was not before Gods word For if the Church be an assemblie of the faithful the mē cānot be called faithful wtout faith that faith cannot consist without the woorde of God it is a necessarie consequent that Gods woorde was before Gods Church Gene. 4. Heb. 11. Abell sacrificed vnto almightie God by faith Therefore Gods expresse woorde was his direction for faith hath relation to no other thing The difference of cleane and vncleane beasts is mentioned in Genesis before the flood Gece 7. but this difference could not bee vnderstanded but by the voyce of almightie God Noe after his comming out of the Arke offered a burnt offering this sacrifice of Noe pleased God therefore it is a good consequent that Noe had Gods worde to direct him for no wilworshippe did euer please God Obiection 1. Tim. 3. verse 15. The Church is the piller and grounde of trueth therefore the worde is not the foundation of the Church Answere It followes not and the Church is therefore called the piller and grounde of the trueth because amongst men it vpholdeth and retayneth Gods trueth 17 The Church is knowne by the worde of God SEarch the Scriptures Iohn chap. 5. ver 39. they testifie of mee saith Christ We knowe Christ by the Scriptures therefore we knowe the Church by the Scriptures This consequent is very good and is framed thus by Augustine In the Scriptures wee haue learned Christ Epist 166. saith Augustine in the Scriptures we haue learned the Church And a little after where we haue knowne Christ meaning in the scriptures there we haue knowen the Church which sentence he repeateth very often in that epistle The Donatists said that Christs church remained only in Africke Epist 166. but Augustine telles them that their warrant is not taken out of the lawe or the Prophete or the Psalme or the Apostle or Euangelist but out of their owne heartes and cauils of their progenitors by which words it is euident that the Churche is knowne and must be shewed by the worde of God We seeke the Church in the holy scriptures Aug. devnita Eccle. cap. 2. Epist 48. and in the same scriptures we doe manifestly knowe the Church 28 Iesus Christ alone is the foundation of his Church OTher foundation can no man laye then that which is laid 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. which is Iesus Christ Thus saith the Lord God behold I wil lay in Sion a stone Esai 28. ver 16 1. Pet. chap. 2 verse 6. a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation that is Iesus Christ so doth the Apostle Peter expounde it Yee are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophetes Ephe. chap. 2. ver 20. Iesus Christ himself being
time popish darknes more then that of Egypt couered the face of the earth But in many kingdoms dominions thanks be to God Moses rodde hath eatē vp the roddes of the Egyptian sorcerers the Lords Arke hath cast the Philistines Dagon to the ground the sound preaching of the Gospel hath broke the necke of Popery Because Gods Church is not alwaies so visible it is wel compared to a bunch of grapes hanging vnder a fewe vine leaues after the grape gathering to an oliue remaining vnder the leaues after the oliue tree is shaken to an eare of Corne standing after haruest to the sun vnder a blacke clowde Esay chap. 49. ver 21. Gods Church is called desolate and barrē not because it is forsakē of almighty GOD but for that it appeares not alwayes in the world yet Gods church both hath shal be alwaies visible as it consists of true visible members for it is not an imaginary thing Obiection My spirit which is vppon thee my words whiche I haue put in thy mouth Esay chap. 59. vers 21. shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seede saieth the Lorde from hence foorth euen for euer Therefore Gods Church shal be alwaies apparantly visible in the world Answeare The argument folowes not and is like vnto this The scepter shall not departe from Iuda Gen. chap. 49. vers 10. vntill Silo that is the Messias come therefore there was no interruption of that visible Scepter This is a weake argument yet it is as strong as the other My reasons are these The Scepter of Iuda was not visible conspicuous when the Israelites were in captiuity seuentie yeeres at Babylon After their returne from that captiuity the Asmonits which were not of the tribe of Iuda translated the kingly authority to themselues Where was all this while the visible succession of the scepter in the tribe of Iuda Wee must aunsweare that the reliques of the Scepter of Iuda was in the stocke of Isay Esay chap. 11. vers 1. though it seemed for a time to be altogether withered In like sort it may be truely sayde that although the face of Gods Church hath byn obscured and the visible succession interrupted that Esayes Prophesie stands sure true For a thing may not be said therefore not to be at all because it is not after this or that sort Question Where was the Protestants Church two hundred yeeres agoe Answeare It was hidden in the Papacie as wheate vnder a great deale of chaffe For of that little seede is growne vp a goodly haruest and of a few sparkes a comfortable fire thanks be to God hath appeared It was in the handes of wicked husband men which killed the Lords seruants cast the sonne and heyre out of the vineyarde and did their best to kill him Besides who knowes not that there should be a departing from the faith and that Antichrist should sitte as God in the temple of GOD and deceiue all the world 2. Thess 2. This Antichrist we take to be the Byshoppe of Rome not meaning any one singuler man but the succession of Bishops there since their Apostasie from Gods religion and this interpretation is substantially proued by some excellēt men of our side during all this time of darkenesse and tyranny coulde Gods church appeare beautifully in the world Was it not with the woman in the wildernesse Apoc. 12. Mat. 2. 1. King 19. and with Christ and his parents in Egypt Elias did thinke that himselfe remayned alone of all Gods children in the time of Achab and Iezabel but there were seuen thousād besides which bowed not their knees to Baal If Elias which was a holy prophet was farre shorte and wyde in this reckoning and account of Gods seruants is it not both possible likely that the enemies of our Churche are greatly ouerseen in the numbring of our Churches 12 The visible Churche must not bee tyed to any place or persons 1. Sam. 4. ALmighty God was serued in Silo vntill the death of Heli but when Gods religion was defiled by the wickednes of the priests vnthankfulnes of the people Silo was destroyed Iere. 7. The children of Israel saith Hoseas shall sit many dayes without a king Hos 3. ver 4. and without a Prince without an offring and without an altar and without an Ephod That is to say they shal haue neyther king to gouerne them nor priest to teach thē Gods religion If the Churche were tyed either to place or persons no such thing had fallen out amongst them Bethel was Gods house but after that it was defiled with idolatry superstitiō it was called Bethauen that is the house of iniquity Ierusalem was a famous Church and enriched with heapes of Gods benefites it was Gods sanctuary and the seat of the kingdome priesthood which were most precious iewels it was the fountayne of Gods religion as it were the starre of the world The Lord had so great delight in Ierusalem that he did as it were bynde himselfe to it Psal 132. ver 14. this is my rest saieth the Lord for euer here will I dwell for I haue a delight therein But because they of Ierusalem dishonoured God trode his religion vnder their feet liued mōstrously went about to quenche the doctrine of the prophets with the blood of the prophets almighty God did set them at nought gaue them ouer as a pray to their enemies For Ierusalem was taken ouerthrown their stately temple was destroied according to the prophesies of Christ and Ieremy Math. 24. Iere. 26. by Titus the sonne of Vespasian so that Ierusalem which was sometimes a goodly Theatre of Gods glory is at this day a notable monument of his iudgements The Churche of Rome was sometimes a famous Churche in the West Rom. 1. 6. 16. chap. and was greatly commended by Saynt Paule in the Epistle to the Romaines but nowe it is an enimye to the weighty poyntes of religion contayned in that Epistle The Church of England is a goodly Church It hath pleased God to powre his blessing vpon it with a full horne The particulers of Gods fauour are written in so great and faire letters that he that runnes may reade them If our thankfulnesse to his Maiesty appeare in our liues he will multiply his blessings vpon vs. If we faile in performing this duetie that is to say if we professe religion only for a fashion and vse it as a cloake to couer our Church polling oppression and other foule actions GOD will sweepe vs with the besome of destruction If we thinke that the viserd of godlinesse and religion will serue the turne and stand as a wall between vs Gods heauy iudgementes wee are in a grosse errour For if Moūt Sion and the temple of Ierusalem coulde not deliuer the Israelites from
Christ Cont. Cresc Gram. lib. 2. cap. 21. and the member of the Diuel God forbid that these monsters Augustine speakes of wicked men shoulde be accounted eyther amongst the members of the only doue that is Gods church or enter into the inclosed garden I confesse that the reprobates are may be many times in the Church that is in the assemblies of Gods seruants but of the Church they neither are nor can be truly accounted 16 Succession of Bishops is not an infallible argument of Gods Church IF personall succession not hauing the succession of doctrine ioyned to it as the foūdatiō therof were an infallible marke of the true Church then must we confesse that Gods grace and spirite are tyed to seates and countries which is a grosse absurditie 2. Thes 2. Ordinary and visible succession in the Church may be interrupted For Paul did foretell that there shoulde be a departing from the faith Apostasie and succession can no more stand together thē the Arke and Dagon then Christ and Antichrist Besides the ordinary succession of priests was interrupted in the Israelites church and yet God had his Churche there 1. King 19. I meane them whiche retayning Gods trueth did not bowe their knees vnto Baal When Christ came into the worlde to be our mediatour was Gods Churche to be measured by the visible succession of Bishops Hereticall Bishops might vaunt of succession in very famous Churches Paulus Samosatenus which was a mōstrous Heretike succeeded Godly Bishops in the Church of Antioch diuers Arians succeeded Athenasius in the Church of Alexandria The succession of Bishops both was is continued in the Greeke Church and yet the popish sort wil not allow the churches of Grecia to be Christes Churches because they dissent from the Church of Rome The auncient writers Tertullian Tertul. de praescrip Ireneus when they would confute Marcion and Vallentinus proued that not those Heretikes Iren. li. 3. ca. 2. but themselues had the succession of Gods truth amongest them Whē these godly fathers had made that cleare they set downe the succession and row of Bishops as badges of their victory so that the succession of faith and religion may be truely accounted as the life and soule and the succession of Bishops as the body If personall succession be without the successiō of Gods truth it wants life is a dead and vnprofitable carcase I confesse that the succession of Bishops as a goodly and beautiful building is of great force to allure thē which are alients from the Church to looke into to behold the inward beauty of the church but if the precious iewel of Gods word be wanting the personal succession is like a costly tombe which is beautifull without but is full of dead mens bones within Lib. 4. cap. 43. 45. Ireneus ioyneth together the succession of persons and doctrine If the Papists which haue not succession of Gods truth bragge of successiō of Bishops we may say to their Bishoppes as Tertullian said to Marcion the Heritike Tertul. lib. 1. cont Mar. who are ye when and from whence came yee The succession of Bishops without succession of Gods truth is like a paire of popish beades which hang by a long but yet by a sclender threed That is the true and lawfull succession of Bishops when as lawfull Bishops succeeding one another doe exercise the worke of their ministery 17 Antiquitie is no sure argument of Gods Church THe Iewes consenting that the Messias is not yet come is of greater continuance then popery is but continuance of time cannot make that good in religion which was bad at the first Antiquity if it haue not the salt of Gods word to preserue it doth argue rottennesse and giues an euil sent Your iniquities Esay chap. 65. ver 7. the iniquities of your fathers shal be together saith the Lorde which haue burnt incense vpon the mountaines and blasphemed me vpon the hilles therfore wil I measure their olde worke into their bosome If antiquitye woulde haue serued the turne of the Israelites almighty God might haue bin challenged for punishing their aunciēt idolatry and superstition Ye haue heard that it was saide vnto them of old time thou shalt not kill For whosoeuer killeth shall bee culpable of iudgement But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angrye with his brother vnaduisedly shal be culpable of iudgement Mat. 5. ver 21.22 The pharisies cleared him of murder which had not killed a mā with his hand because the Pharisies alleaged antiquity for their errour our Sauiour Christ refutes them by his owne authority But I say vnto you c. ver 22. There were ill buylders in Pauls time 1. Cor. 3. and such abuses crept into the Lords supper in Corinth 1. Cor. 11. that the Apostle was compelled to say this is not to eat the Lords supper They which reason thus suche a religion is olde therefore it is good may be answered that this argumēt is as cleere as midnight the enchantmentes of Simon Magus Acts 8. 19. chap. the image which came down frō Iupiter the religion of Rome are of great antiquity yet Gods religion is more ancient then any of these Tertul. lib. 1. cont Mar. ◠for truth is older then heresie When we heare any Papist saye I haue byn brought vp in the religion of Rome therfore I will continue in it and will not be wonn frō it we may answere him that wise men haue their seconde thoughtes Euripides in Hippol. Cyp. ad Iubaian ad Quin fratrem de lapsis and that we may not erre alwaies because somtimes we erred that we are not ouercome but instructed whē better things are offred vnto vs that he is not ioyned to the Church which is separate frō the gospel Some of the Popishe sort haue bin cōtent to say if the Church of Rome woulde allow the religion wee haue in England that they would like of it Tichonius a Donatist said of himselfe his fellow Donatists that Aug. Epist 48. which wee wil is holy Tiberius the Emperour put vp a grace in the Senate house of Rome Euseb lib. 2. cap. 2. that Christ might be a God because the Senate denied that grace it is set downe a little after in that Chapter vnlesse God please man he is not allowed for a God In like sorte if our religion had the Popes hande and seale vnto it the Popish sort would allow it because it hath not his holinesse warrant they refuse it Question How can it be that God shoulde suffer his Church to erre so many yeeres Answerre God suffered not his Church to erre so lōg a time but he suffered wicked mē euē by his iust iudgement which beleeued not the trueth that they might be saued to beleeue lyes and haue pleasure in vnrighteousnesse that they might bee damned 2. Thessal 2. ver 10.11.12 18 Euery vnity is not a sure argument of