assisted mee but all men left mee alone God graunt it bee not layde to their charge c. If this Offerer his fellowes haue any eyes to sée they may sée that when the Apostle Paule being in prison in Rome did write this Epistle to Timoth. the Bishops and priests that then were in Rome were scarce worthy the name of Christians bicause they durst not stand to the profession of Christian Religion as S. Paule did but left him all alone betraying the Christian cause as much as in them lay Yea and hereof it may bée probably gathered that Peter was not then at Rome and consequently that hee was not Bishop of Rome for the space of xxv yéeres togither as the Romish Catholiques doo affirme that hee was Yea rather it may bée thought that hee neuer was Bishop of Rome for this Epistle was written in Rome the 13. yeere of the raigne of Nero which was the 35. yeere after saint Paule was conuerted to Christ But if hee were then Bishop of Rome hée was at that time either fled from Rome fearing the persecution or els being in that Citie hée durst not shew him selfe to bée of one minde with Paule and so by his example the rest that then were Christians in Rome withdrew them selues from Paule and left him all alone Thirteene yeeres before this the Apostle Paule had written to the Romaines being then at Corinth in the last yeere of the raigne of Claudius the Emperour And as it appeareth in the first Chapter of that Epistle the fame of that Church was such at that time that saint Paule wrote thus Primum quidem gratias ago Deo meo Rom. 1 per Iesum Christum pro omnibus vobis quia fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuerso mundo First of all I giue thankes to my God thorough Iesus Christ on the behalfe of you all for that your faith is declared through out the whole world The Church therefore or Congregation of Christians that then were in Rome were of the best sort of Christians And bicause that Citie was then the chiefe City that then was in the world therefore the fame of their faith was spred ouer all the world But yet as appeareth by that which is before alleaged they had their faults and infirmities which were seene in them more at one time then at another At the first when they receiued the doctrine of the gospell they were earnest professors and followers of the same as commonly men haue bin in our daies and are still but when persecution began to arise for the professing thereof they began to shew them selues to bee like that seede that being sowne fell in stony ground and yet being againe moystened with that dew of Gods grace which fell from aboue they tooke déepe roote and so became more fruitfull in the ende For many of that age gaue their liues for the testimony of the truth and were Martirs or witnesses of Iesus Christ as in the Church Histories dooth appeere But that these were the writers of the Scriptures appeareth not in any Histories for they were written before some by the Prophets and some by the Apostles and such bookes as were written after the time wherein the other Apostles liued were written by the Apostle Iohn which liued after all the rest As touching the especiall care that you say the Catholique Church hath from time to time had not only of preaching the word but also of preseruing the same c all learned Protestants doo know that no man could haue greater care to preach the woord to discerne the bookes of holy scripture from prophane writings and to preserue them from the corruption of the aduersaries then they that in the time of the tenne first persecutions professed the Catholique religion And amongst those Catholiques none were more forwarde therein then were they which then were dwelling in the City of Rome But what maketh this for proofe that the Romish Church hath alwaies bin and is still the keeper and preseruer of the scriptures The first Romish Church which was Catholique preached the gospell as the Apostles and Disciples of Christ had doone but that Romish church that now is and hath bin for the space of these last thousand yéeres almost being Antichristian dooth and hath all this while preached mens traditions is to bee noted with that saying that the Prophet Esay vsed in reprehending the Leuiticall Priestes of his time Esay 29. Esay 29. Cited by our sauiour Christ Math. 15. Math. 15. Populus hic labijs me honorat c. This people honour mee with their lips they draw nighe vnto mée with their mouth but their heart is farre from mée In vaine doo they worship mée in teaching the doctrines and commaundements of men c. The first Romish Church vsed the Sacraments that Christ had instituted religiously and to that end that our sauiour Christ had instituted them for but that Romishe Church which you call Catholique hath for the space of these 1000. yeeres almost and dooth still abuse those Sacraments namely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord commonly called the Sacrament of the body and blood of our sauiour Christ For that Church dooth minister that sacrament to Churches to Belles and to Ships that saile on the seas and of the other sacrament they make an Idole lifting it vp ouer their heads to bee worshipped setting it vpon their high alter or hanging it ouer the same burning incense before it and vsing iestures of diuine honour before it and carying it abroade in pompous maner compelling the people to doo diuine honour to it Yea they offer it vp to God as a sacrifice for the sinnes both of the quick the dead and in tempests of weather and in coniurations they make it a bug to feare the diuell withall The first Catholique Church in their exercise of Religion did vse as few Ceremonies as might bee for they knew that our sauiour Christ had broken downe that midle walle or particion which was the lawe of Ceremonies contayned in the lawe written and had through the flesh bin the occasion that discord whereby the nations of the worlde were so seuered from the people of Israell that they could neuer ioyne with them in one religion till our sauiour Christ had made it voyde and made of both the people 's but one new man making peace that he might reconcile both in one body And Ephe. 2. Ephe. 2. But your Romish Catholique Church hath reedified a new middle walle or particion of a law of Ceremonies not contayned in the law written but diuised by men And that particion they doo still maintaine and vphold enforcing all men that will beare the name of Christ and bée called Christians to allow of and to vse those Ceremonies and all such as doo refuse those Ceremonies they doo excommunicate and deliuer to the secular powre to bée consumed to ashes with fire or otherwise to bée tormented onely bicause they refuse to vse
yéeres euen as the tares doo springe vp amōgest the good graine before the time of Haruest yet the field remaineth still a corne field not a field of tares yet the church was still Catholike till the whole state did professe Antichristianisme began to persecute such as continued in the profession of the auncient true Catholike religion which is the same that wée doo now professe you and your sorte doo persecute These haue not bin the worke of cōuenticles priuate congregations as it pleaseth you to terme all the particuler churches of Christ that refuse to take the marke of the beast and to acknowledge your Antichristian church to bee the knowne Catholike church of Christ but they haue bin the fruits that haue spronge out of the same faith and religion that was taught by Christ him selfe by his immediate Apostles receiued belieued professed by the first Catholike christians and is still professed by vs and is fruitfull in vs when ability and oportunity dooth serue In the daies of king Edward the sixt of blessed memory who founded in London Christs Hospitall for the education of fatherles infants S. Bartholmews Hospitall in smithfield and S. Thomas Hospitall in Southwarke for the curing of diseased persons did not the protestant Catholikes make those charitable prouisions doo not they still maintaine the same This Offerer may remēber that his Antichristian catholikes did in the time of quéene Maries raigne attempt to ouerthrowe those foundations agayne Who were the founders of Christs Colledge S. Iohns Trinitie Colledge in Oxforde of Emanuell Marimagdalen Caius Colledge in Cambridge did they not beare the name of protestant Catholikes that founded them Many grammer Schooles also might be named diuers other prouisions that protestant catholikes haue made both for the maintenance and increase of learning and also for the succouring of the poore and néedy If any tares doo spring vp amogst this good graine that haue bin sowne by the enuious man it is no fruit that springeth out of that good faith religion that we professe If your word promise therfore be any thing worth thē I require you to doo the part of an honest man in yéelding recanting The foureteenth Offer Offerer Fourteenth Let the learned protestant name any one fellowship or company of belieuers in the whole Christian world that in all articles of faith and religion be in one vnity in one meaning and beliefe and contented also to captiue submit their seueral meanings to the iudgment of their prelats and spirituall gouerners and of one chiefe head pastor amongst them in all Ecclesiasticall things and causes let I say the learned protestant name any one company thus agreeing amonge themselues and thus humbly affected in Christian faith and religion sauing onely the holie and blessed fellowship of the common knowne Catholike church of Christ and I will then recant and not before Crowley Vnderstanding by the holy blessed fellowship of the cōmon known Catholike church of Christ as I am assured that you doo that Antichristian church that you are of I cōfesse that there cānot any one fellowship or cōpany of belieuers in the whole christian world be named that is such a fellowship or cōpany as you would haue the learned protestant name vnto you for in very déed there is not one fellowship or cōpany of belieuers in the whole world so foolish as to vēter the saluation of their foules vpon the iudgmēt of other men but only that fellowship whereof you are But I doo vtterly deny the fellowship to be the knowne Catholike church of Christ and am bold plainely to affirme that it is the malignant cursed church of Antichrist the filthy synagogue of satan The knowne Catholike church of Christ whereof wée hée dooth agrée in one vnity in one meaning beliefe in all the Articles of the christian faith religion Yea wée all with that whole Catholike church doo captiue submit our seueral meanings to that rule of religion that the holy ghost hath set downe in the scriptures which rule wée doo know to be so perfect that it néedeth no addition alteration or change that man can deuise And as for one chiefe head Pastor we acknowledge none amongst men being assured that our one onely head Christ Iesus that hath promised to be with vs continually euen to the end of the world neither is nor will be from vs but is and still will be with vs and dooth still and will by the working of his holy spirite instruct and leade vs in the true vnderstanding of that rule of our religion that he hath left vnto vs so that wée doo not neither shal we at any time stand in néede of any such chief heade or Pastor as this Offerer speaketh of As for Prelates spirituall gouerners we haue such as bée able to breake minister vnto vs the spirituall foode of our soules as well by preaching expounding vnto vs that rule of our religion as by ministring the sacraments that our sauiour Christ hath ordained commaunded to bée vsed in his Church To these wée giue credit so longe as wée sée that they swarue not from that rule that both they and wée are bounde to followe and they doo not desire to haue credit any further And as touching their example of life wée doo followe it so far foorth as wée sée that they followe Christ and no further For S. Paule did not wish the Corinthians to follow him further then they should sée that hée followed Christ If you bée not obstinately bent to stand to your takling against all reason and christian knowledge this that I haue héere written may suffice to mooue you to recant although hitherto you haue refused so to doo The fifteenth Offer Offerer Fifteene Againe I do demande of the learned protestant whether the Lutherans Zuinglians Illirians Caluinists Confessionists Svvinkfildians Anabaptists and such like be all of one church and congregation or no And if he be able to prooue these sects being of such diuersity in faith and religion to make one church and that euery one of them may giue saluation to their fellowes being so disagreeable one with another in high pointes of faith and religion or that I ought to belieue all those rather then the one true Catholike church of Christ or yet any of these more one then another all of them making such a bolde challenge of the truth of Gods word and gospell When the learned Protestant shal be able by good reason or drift of argumēt to satisfie these my requests then I shall yeelde and recant and not before Crowley If I did not knowe that this Offerer is past all shame I could not meruell enough to sée that he would demaunde of the learned Protestant a proofe by good reason and drift of argument that Luther Zuinglius Illiricus Caluin the Confessionists Swinkfild and the Anabaptists should bée members all
that body but only Christ Iesus alone Rom. 12. Rom. 12. and euen so doo wée Thus may you sée M. Offerer that wée are not departed from the Catholique church of Rome which was in the time of S. Iohn but from your schismaticall and Antichristian Ramaine church that did departe from that first Romaine church in the dayes of Phocas the Emperor Boniface the third your first Antichristian Pope And now the learned Protestant hauing sufficiently prooued that his sorte are not departed from the common knowne Catholique church neither from that faith and religion wherein they were baptized but doo still remaine in the profession of the same faith and religion that they did by baptisme first receiue you must needes by the drift of Argument and Reason graunt that this first signe and token of false Prophets Heretiques and Schismatikes was before spoken by the Apostle Iohn onely of you and of men of your sorte and not of the learned Protestant and of his companie For you are fallen from the fayth of the first Romaine Church in that you haue reposed trust in Creatures and doo repose trust in them still You doo call vpon them making prayers to them You make Images of them setting them vp in places of honor and you doo kneele before them yea you burne Wax and Incense before them c. You repose trust in your owne strength and persuade your selfe that you are able to fulfill the law of God and when you haue broken any parte thereof you persuade your selfe that you are able by penance that you suffer to satisfie to God for the breaking of his law c. Take to your selfe therefore this first signe and token of false Prophets Heretiques and Schismatikes wée will none of it It is not ours but youres and you shall haue it The second signe and token Offerer Second sure marke signe and token of false Prophets Heretiques and schismatikes is that they being thus departed from the Catholique church doo of them selues of their owne authority without warrant being not sent set vp a new gospell a new faith religion by preaching of a new doctrine to assemble and set vp a new church and congregation Of this signe and token and great presumption speaketh the Apostle Saint Paule Quomodo enim praedicabunt nisi mittantur Rom. 10. How shall men preach except they be sent And in his Epistle to the Hebrews hee saith Nec quisquam sibi sumit honorem nisi qui vocatur a Deo quemadmodum Aaron Let no man take vnto him selfe honor except he bee called of God like as Aaron was Certaine it is that Aaron was called vnto the Office and dignitie of a bishop ordinarily by Moses Exod. 4. and by externall and visible vnction Moses him selfe was ordinarily called and sent of God approoued by myracle as it appeereth in the fourth Chapter of Exodus And therefore the Apostle S. Paule nameth Aaron and not Moses to signifie that all extraordinarie vocations by myracies as Moses was are now ceased and wee must from henceforth bee ordinarily called by externall vnction as Aaron was When therefore the learned protestant shall be able to prooue their iust and due vocation ordinarily or extraordinarily to proceede of God and not onely of men I shall then yeelde and recant and not before Crowley In the first Period or perfect sentence of this sure mark as this Offerer dooth terme it hee chargeth vs vniustly with three crimes Whereof the first is A departing from the Catholique church The second is the setting vp of a new faith and religion And the third is the assembling of a new church and cōgregation I haue in mine answere to the first signe sufficiently prooued that not wée Protestants but this Offerer his fellowes bee guilty in these thrée points For they are departed from the true Catholique church they haue set vp a new faith and religion and they haue assembled and set vp doo still labour to assemble and set vp a new church and congregation In the rest of this sure marke of his hée wresteth far out of tune two sentences that Saint Paule hath written the one to the Romaines and the other to the Hebrews To the Romaines S. Paule hath written thus in the 10. Rom. 20. Chap. Quomodo c. How shall men preach except they bée sent And to the Hebrews hee saith thus Cap. 5. Hebr 5 Nec quisquam c. Let no man take vnto him selfe honor except hée be called of God like as Aaron was By these two places our Offerer will prooue the wee protestants haue no lawfull ministers in our Church bicause our ministers be not ordinarily called by outward visible vnction as Aaron was so sent foorth to preach and minister as their smered shauen Priests bée But I hope the indifferent reader shall plainly sée how violently this man dooth racke these sayings of S. Paule to make them séeme to serue his purpose In the 10. Cap. of his Epistle to the Romans S. Paule maketh it plain vnto them that God doth in mercy embrace all men that belieuing his promise doo call vpon him and thus he saith Non enim est distinctio Iudaei Greci nam idem Dominus omnium diues in omnes qui inuocant illum c. There is no difference of Iew Gréeke for one is Lord of all rich towards all that doo cal vpon him For euery one whosoeuer shal call vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued how therefore shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not belieued Or how shall they giue credit to him whom they haue not heard And how shal they heare wtout a preacher Esay 52. And how shal they preach except they be sent as it is written How glorious are the féet of them that preach peace and that preach good things Chrysostome in his 18. Homilie vpon the Epistle to the Romaines Chrysost in homilia 18. in 10. cap. Ad Rom. and expounding these very woords of saint Paule saith thus Obserua vero supra inquit dixit propheta quod quisquis inuocauerit nomen domini salnus sit futurus Sed dicet forte quisquam quomodo poterūt inuocare eum in quem non crediderunt Deinde post hanc obiectionē sequitur ipsius interrogatio nimirum quare non crediderint Post haec alia obiectio poterit enim omnino dici quomodo credent cum non audierint Atqui audierunt inquit Deinde alia rursus obiectio Et quo modo potuissent audire sine praedicante Cuius iterum subiungitur solutio Atqui praedicarunt multi ad hoc missi scilicet vnde manifestum quod isti sint missi illi Tum recte prophetam inducit dicentem Quam speciosi pedes annuntiantium pacem annuntiantiū bona Vides quo modo a praedicationis modo ipsos praedicatores declaret Circuibant enim nihil dicentes aliud quam ineffabilia
an ende And our Offerer woulde prooue by this place that all such immediate callinges such as the calling of Moses was wherein God vsed no meane are nowe ceased and that wée must from hencefoorth bee ordynarily called by externall vnction as Aaron was And what is this other then to set vp the carnall Priesthoode of Aaron againe and to disanull the spirituall and euerlasting Priesthoode of Christ directly contrary to the meaning of the Apostle in this place alleaged by this Offerer Wée doo not holde or teach that euery man may thrust himselfe into the ministery without orderly calling or that any man may take vnto himselfe the honor of the calling not being called of God as Aaron was but wée doo both holde teach that such as shall minister in the Church of Christ haue an inward calling from God and be outwardly admitted by man But that this admission must bée by outward vnction such as was vsed in Arons Préesthoode or such as the Antichristian Catholiques haue deuised and doo vse that wee doo flatlie denye because the Apostles neuer taught any such maner of admission S. Paule hath taught 1. Timoth 3. 1 Timot 3 That such onely are to bee admitted into the ministery as be qualified so as in that place he hath prescribed Yea none is admitted but such as do confesse that they are inwardly drawne there vnto and haue determined to continue the whole course of theyr life in that seruice of God and to imploy themselues wholy therein séeking to set foorth Gods glorie in the edification of his Church And then they are not admitted without inuocation and praiers made vnto God and imposition of handes and such other Ceremonies as haue some ground or foundation in the holy scriptures Which we vse not as thinges of necessitye that may not be altered or lefte but as thinges indifferent whych may bée vsed so long as the vse of them may edifie lefte when such as haue authority ouer vs shall sée the contrarie But your Antichristian vnctions wée can no skyll of Thus hauing prooued as I thinke sufficiently that we Catholique Protestants not béeing departed from the first Roomish catholique Church but continuinge in the same fayth and religion that was professed and holden by that catholique Church are not Schismaticall but catholique And haue our authoritie from Christ as that first Roomish catholique Church had doo by that authority call admit such ministers as by such outwarde tokens as saint Paule hath mentioned 1. Timoth 3. doo appeare or séeme vnto vs to bée called of God And haueing thus admitted them wée appoint them to minister in the church of Christ so nighe as possibly may bée euen according as Christ Iesus commaunded hys Apostles to minister hys worde and Sacramentes Now M. Offerer hauing thus prooued our iust and due vocation ordinarily to procéede of God I require you to yéelde and to recant as you haue promised to doo The third signe or token of false Prophets Offerer The third signe and token of false Prophets Heretickes Sismatickes is that they being first departed froÌ„ the Catholique Church secondarily not called do foorthwith all of themselues preach and teach contentiously and sediciously against the doctrine before time taught of the common knowen Catholique Church of Christ as against the Sacramentes of Christ his Church by a flat deniall of many of them against the reall presence of Christ his body in the holy Eucharist against the blessed sacrifice of the Masse propitiatorie bothe for the liue and deade against penaunce and the worthy fruites thereof by fastinge watch prayer and all straightnes of lyfe against vowes inuocation of Saintes prayer for soules departed and finally against the Church it selfe flatlie denying that Christ hath here vpon earth any spouse or visible Church here to bee heard speake perceiued or seene The Apostle S. Paule in admonition giuing vnto vs to bee ware of this signe and token sayth Hebr 13 Doctrinis varijs peregrinis nolite abduci Bee not you led and caryed away with these diuers and strang doctrines so termed of the Apostle S. Paule because they are not agreeing but contrary to the receiued and commoÌ„ knowen doctrine of Christ his catholique Church When therfore the learned Protestant shal be able to prooue that they and theyr congregations are not the raysers vppe of these contentions and strifes by theyr preaching of these straung doctrines but wee that are members of the Catholique Church then I wyll submit and recant and not before Crowley To the first parte of this signe or token this Offerer may thinke himselfe sufficiently answered already more then once Wée Protestant Catholiques are not departed from the true Catholique Church neyther are we without our ordinarie calling from God and by men Béeing ordinarily thereunto called wée doo preach not contentiouslye and seditiously but constantly and sincerely Not against that doctrine which in tyme paste hath béene taught in the commonly knowen Catholique Church of Christ but against the new doctrine of Antichrist preached in the commonly knowen Antichristian catholique Church Against the Sacramentes of Christ we preach not neither doo we flatly deny any of them but wée doo teache the right vse of them and we doo deny those other to be Sacramentes which your antichristian Church hath enforced vpon vs as Sacramentes which doo not agrée with the definition of a Sacrament As is already declared in the aunswer to the first and to the eleauenth offers Against the reall presence of Christes body in the holie Eucharist after that grosse and carnall manner that you do teach it to bée present we doo preach in déede and are by S. Augustine admonished so to doo Ad Dardanum Epist 57. August Epistle 57. Cauendum est c. Wée must take héede that wée doo not so builde vp the diuinity of the manhoode in Christ that wee doo take away the trueth of his bodie We doo knowe and we doo teach that our Sauiour Christ is present in the holy Eucharist and dooth therein exhibite himselfe to the worthy receiuer that is to the faithfull that hath by due examination prepared himselfe and so commeth to the Lords table receiueth that holy Eucharist And we teach the such a one so prepared receiueth as the faithfull Apostles dyd Panem Dominum that breade which is the Lord. But the vnfaithfull doo as Iudas dyd receiue Panem Domiâ—i contra Dominum The Lordes bread against the Lord. Augustine Tract in Iohn 59. Against the Sacrifice of the Masse which you doo call blessed August in Ioh Tract 59 and propitiatorie both for the liue and the deade we doo preach in déede and that not without iust cause For in the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Heberews Hebr 10 it is written That Christ Iesus hath by one Sacrifice made perfect as many as be made holy And that the deuine maiestie hath so blotted out the sins of his elected so made perfect
good consequence of all persons that are inferiour to these that whatsoeuer these Prelats shall appoint to be doone must of necessitie be doone by all men and women of euery degrée as though such Prelates onely and none other might be in the Latine called Praepositi and in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Latine and Gréeke wordes doo signifie all manner of superiours whether they be of the ecclesticall or ciuill state Yea and that dutie of watching as men that shall render an account for the soules of men is common to all those superiours of all sortes wherefore you haue dealt very iniuriouslie in that you haue restrayned that duety of watching to your Prelates onely Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Romanes the 13. Chapter writeth thus Omnis anima Rom. 13. potestatibus sublimioribus sub dit a sit Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. If you had séene and considered what Chrysostome writteth vpon these woords of Saint Paule I think you would neuer haue written as you haue done affirming that saint Paule hath commaunded all manner men without exception yea though they were Emperours Kings Quéenes or Princes so to obey your Prelates as to doo whatsoeuer they shall appoint them to doo Chrysost in Rom. 13. for Chrysostome wryteth thus Etiam si Apostolus sis si Euangelista si Propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris Neque enim pietatem subuertit ista subiectio Et non simpliciter dicit obediat sed subiecta sit Although thou shouldst be an Apostle an Euangelist or a Prophet or what maner of man soeuer thou shouldst bée For this subiection dooth not subuert pietie or godlines And hée dooth not simply say Let euery soule obay but hée saith Let it bee in subiection Thus much Chrysostome writing vpon the first words of the thirteenth to the Romaines And in the same Chapter that you cite out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes saint Paule seemeth to haue the same meaning that hée had when hée wrote to the Romaines For thus hée writeth to the Hebrews in the latter end of the thirtéenth Chapter Salutate omnes qui praesunt vobis omnes Sanctos Salute all them that are your Rulers and all the Saintes If these Rulers that saint Paule willeth the Hebrews to salute were such as you say they were when hée commaundeth them to obey that is to say Bishops Priests then was not this Epistle written to them but to the inferiour sorte amongst the Hebrews which is a thing too absurd to bée graunted For what ciuilitie honestie or wisedome may that man bée thought to haue that would write such an Epistle as this to the inferiours of any congregation of Christians and not to the superiours of the same congregation These Hebrews were Christians and dwelt as my bée thought in sundrie Cities within the Dominions of the Emperour of Rome As in Hierusalem or in any other of those Cities that had belonged to the kingdome of Israel or in any other kingdome or prouince And it is like that the Apostle being in Italy when hée wrote this Epistle had some occasion to admonish them of that opinion which commonly the posteritie of Abraham held which was that they ought not to liue in subiection to any rulers that were not of the same posteritie And therefore hée wrote vnto them as before Obedite c. Obey your Superiours and submit your selues vnto them And as in this place Salutate c. Salute all those that be in authority ouer you As though hée should haue said thus I know that you would gladly bée gouerned as you are Hebrews borne by such as bée Hebrews as you are and as you are Christians by Christians as your selues bée But sith you sée that God will haue it otherwise let such as God hath set ouer you haue their due honour at your hands Obey them honour them serue them giue them all tributes and customs due vnto them and pray to God for them that you may leade a peaceable and quiet life vnder them And that they may the rather bée mooued to bée fauourable to you salute them in my name and in like maner salute all saitns that is all Christians though they bée of the Gréekes that they may know that both I and you doo estéeme of them as of fellow members of that one body whereof Christ is the head This may bée the meaning of the Apostle in those woords that you haue cited and in the other that follow But it may bée that some of your sorte will say that in the seuenth verse of the same Chapter the Apostle hath written thus Hebr 13. Memores estote c. Bée mindefull of those your rulers that haue spoken vnto you the woorde of God and follow their faith considering what the end of their conuersation was Here you will say that these rulers must néedes bée preachers of the woorde I confesse that the Apostle dooth in these woords meane of such But shall wée therefore say that they were Bishops and Priests such as you haue affirmed them to bée It appéereth manifestly by the Apostles words that they were the same that had preached the gospell vnto them and had continued constant in preaching the same doctrine to the end of their liues and had sealed it with their blood For the Apostle saith thus Considering what the end of their conuersation hath bin which can not bée ment of any that did then presently gouerne or teach them Yea and how could the Apostle take vpon him to commaund Emperours Kings Quéenes and Princes to obey such Bishops and Priestes as the Hebrews being a simple sort of Christians could haue to rule and teach them The testimonies therefore that you alleage M. Offerer may right well bée denyed for they testifie not that which you would affirme by them For although the charge and gouernment of the Church of Christ the preaching of the doctrine of the gospell and the ministration of the sacraments of Christ were committed to the Apostles and Disciples of Christ and to their successours yet are not the same committed to your Bishops and Priests for they are not the successours eyther of Christ or any Apostle or Dysciple of Christ except you will néedes haue them the successors of Iudas Iscariot or of Simon Magus But now the learned Protestant that you make your offer vnto must either prooue by some such other like plaine testimonies of the Scriptures that our Sauiour Chryst did commit the chiefe charge and supreme gouernment of his Church to Emperours Kinges Quéenes Princes to plant Chrystian fayth and Religion in the same or else that some one of Chrystes Apostles or Disciples did conuert some one People Land or Countrey from their Idolatrie and Ethinke kinde of liuing to Christia◠faith and Religion by preaching the doctrine of the Protestants c. For Protestants to prooue by plaine testimonies of the Scriptures that our Sauiour Christ did
commit the chiefe charge and supreme gouernment of his Church c. Is altogither vnnecessarie for neuer did any of that sorte affirme that to bée true Wée doo all know that our Sauiour Christ did not call Emperours Kings Quéenes nor Princes to make them his messengers or Apostles but he called Fisher men and such other and made them able and méete to doo his message euen to Princes and Emperours and to all other the greatest personages in the world As saint Paule writeth 1. Cor. 1. 1 Cor 1 Quae stulta sunt mundi elegâ— Deus vt confundat sapientes c. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world that hée might confounde the wise and God chose the weake things of the world to confounde the stronge and the base and dispised thinges of the world hath God chosen yea and those thinges that bée not that hée might destroy those thinges that bée Yea and wée doo know that God did not prepare the hearts of the Princes and chiefe men of the world to receiue the doctrine of the gospell with the first so that the Apostle Paule had occasion to write thus to the same Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 1 Cor 1 Videte vocationem vestram c. Brethren consider your calling for there are not amongst you many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many of noble Parentage c. Yea in the daies wherein Saint Augustin cliued which was 400. yéeres after the ascention of our sauiour Christ it séemed a strange thing euen in the City of Rome that any man of any account in the world would become a Christian man For when Victorinus a famous Rhethorician in that City would professe the Religion of Christ and be baptized hée did it as Saint Augustine hath written Confessionum lib. 8. cap. 2. Mirante Roma gauâ—â—nte Ecclesia August lib 8 Cap 2 Rome meruelling and the Church of Christ in Rome reioyceing There is therefore no cause why you shoulde require the learned Protestant to prooue by plain Scriptures that our Sauiour Christ did commit the chiefe charge and supreme gouernment of his Church to Emperors c. But this the Protestants doo hold and are able to prooue by plaine places of the Scriptures that Emperors Kings Quéenes Princes Dukes and all other Potentates are the supreme gouernours of those peoples ouer whom God hath placed them whether the same people bée by profession Christians or Miscreants Yea and that the chiefe charge that euery of these Potentates haue from God is that they shall in their owne persons walke in the Lordes wayes and leade their people in the same And for that cause they are in the Scriptures called Pastores that is Shéepeheards as in the 44. Cha. of his Prophecies Esay 44 Esaie speaking in the person of God saith Qui dico Cyro Pastor meus 〈◊〉 omnem voluntatem meam complebis That is Which doo say vnto Cyrus thou arte my Shéepeheard and thou shalt fulfill all my will Cyrus was an Heathen prince and yet the Lord calleth him his Shéepeheard and commaundeth him to fulfill all his will and pleasure King Dauid being a Shéepheard in déede was taken from the Shéepefold and made king ouer all Israell that hée might féede that people of the Lord euen as a Shéepeheard féedeth his flocke And hée did rule them prudently with all his possible powre Psal 78. Psalm 78 And that these Potentates might bée able to discharge that duety that the Lord God hath appointed them to doo hée hath giuen vnto them the powre of the Sword as in the 13. Rom 13. Chapter to the Romaines it appeareth Principes saith Saint Paule non sunt timori boni operis sed mali c. Princes are not to bée feared of them that doo well but of them that doo euill Wilt thou bée without feare of the Potentate Doo well and thou shalt bée praised of him For hée is Gods minister to doo the good But if thou doo euill then feare him for hée beareth not a Sword for nought Hée is Gods minister to take vengeance on him that dooth euill c. At that time wherein the Apostle wrote those woordes to the Romaines there was not one Christian Prince as it may bée thought in all the world And yet hée dooth certifie the Romaines that euen those heathen Princes were ordained of GOD for the benefit of Christians as of all other sortes of men that world bend them selues to walke in hys wayes and not contynue in ignoraunce of lyfe And for the punishment of all such as should giue them selues to leade a dissolute life Yea and it belonged to the office euen of those Princes not onely to vse the powre of the Sword in defending Innocents and in punishing wicked doers but also to set foorth aduaunce and maintaine right and true Religion as in the holy Histories it dooth appeare that they did as often as by any occasion their hearts were touched with the feare of GOD As Darius the Persian Emperour when hee had séene the mighty powre of GOD in preseruing Daniell in the Lyons den did hee not write immediately to all his subiects commaunding them to feare to stand in awe of Daniels God confessing him to be the lyuing and euerlasting God that his kingdome powre is euerlasting and that it is hée that deliuereth and saueth worketh woonders both in Heauen in Earth Daniel 6. Daniel 6. The same Darius as it appeareth in the sixt Chapter of the first booke of Esdras coÌ„maunded that the Temple in Hierusalem which had bin destroyed by the Babylonians should bée reedified as king Cyrus had commaunded and that it should bée furnished with all things necessary and meete for the seruice of God 1. Esdras 1. 6. 1. Esd 1. 6 And amongst the good kings of Israell and Iuda Dauid not without a secret motion from God I am sure did cause the Arke of Gods couenant to bée brought to Hierusalem and placed in a Tabernacle which hée had prepared for it there yea and in his owne person hée vsed all such behauiour as might tend to the setting foorth of the glorie of God and abase him selfe in the sight of God and at his owne charges hée caused much sacrifice to bée offered to the Lord and afterward hée blessed the people of the Lord and gaue rewards of meate drinke to euery one of them as well the women as the men As appeareth in the sixt Chapter of the second booke of Samuell which you call the second of the kings 2. Reg. 6 And I pray you good M. Offerer who was hée whom God appointed to build his Temple in Hierusalem was it not Salomon the king And did not hée builde it in déed and furnish it according as the Lord had coÌ„maunded him Tertij Reg. 5. c. And who reformed Religion destroied the Idols that king Achas had caused to bee set vp in the Temple was it