regard only the trewe brethern to beare with them herin These thinges premised after this manner he applieth the whole doctrine of offences by the example of outeward thinges and ceremonies to oure time and state of Religion in these wordes As in oure time if a man would still dissimule or hide the liberty of owteward thinges which the visured chirch men by subteltie and tyrannie haue taken from christian people for th'obstinate enemies of the gospell sake who do abhorre and blaspheme all that doth come from vs seing they abhorre and blaspheme Christ and the gospell hit self hit shold not only not admēd those but rather shold more confirme them in euel and very much offend such which haue receaued Christ whilest the Minister preacheth vnto them trueth vtterly voyed of examples For they ar many which hardly can be perswaded that we haue all thinges in Christ whilest mens Inuētions are had in such price and estimacion Owte of question greate fault is here in nowe a dayes committed and that not of the rude and common sort of people But of the hed protestātes and chief gospellers I confesse in deede that all though all the ordinaunces against the liberty of owtward thinges were of Antechriste his bringing in as is difference of personnes meates daies places and infinite such other thinges yet for that the common people were born in hand that they all were commaundementes of the Chirch guided by gods spirite and so generally receaued of mē as thinges proceding from Gods will and apoinctment that therefore we shold vse the liberty purchased vnto vs by Christ circumspectly and warely euen now a dayes and with Paul many tymes circumcide Tymothe that is to say for oure partes vse well some ceremonies which other men abuse so as hit were seking occasion to preach Christ sincerely and purely Although in deede these deuises of Men can by no meanes be compared to Circumcision and such like orders of God But what is the cōmō practise Māny fearing forsoth the offence of the crosse and in vaine going abowte to please both men and God after long preaching of the word when wordes and talke requier nowe example and deedes pretēding other mēs infirmities when in deede they ar therin let with there own wekenes both them selues becam yet slaues to mennes tradiditions and cause other men also to be the like Oh saye they nothing is to be tempted rashely these thinges haue continued many yeares they cannot be put away sodenly regard must be had to the weake with hastie spede we shold not plant the gospell but ouerthrow hit I wold wish these men first considered Matth. 11. what that sentence meaneth The kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent catch hit vnto them Thē that these thinges are not hasted rashly but thē when they ar chaunged Christ not yet being once commended and withowt faithe and not when Christ is alredy preached and the nett of the gospell so long cast forth that hit hath in a manner taken as much as may be taken in that circuit or compasse of sea and now there remaineth nothing els but to confirme and bring creditt to wordes by exāple in doinges Surely the case thus standing workes also wherin men haue put there cōfidences more then in Christ are to be forsaken and men must remembre that there can be no fellowship had betwene Christ and Antechrist Againe hit is a thing very absurd and folish that because that falshod hath by littell and littel and of lōge time crept in and growen therefore to go aboute to prescribe longe time also to receaue the trueth in Christ otherwise shold Christ no more be estemed of vs then Antechrist Certainly if we shall not receaue Christ so sone as we knowe him we shall neuer enioy him Moses Samwel Elias Ezechias Iosias delt not after this sort But assone as they had restored the knowledge of the lawe to the people by and by they abolished and attonce all abhominations and restored the ceremonies of God Wherfore it is nothing worth that they saie who allawaies bragge that there ar greater thin ges to be vrged then reformation or admendment of ceremonies so become Patrones to Antechristes relictes As for ceremonies they ar cognisances or testimonies of oure Religion and therefore we also begin oure Religion with the ceremonie of Baptisme and if any be to be receaued againe by meanes of his repentaunce after that he is excommunicated for his wickednes he is straight reconciled to the chirch by the sacrament of the supper Wherefore they must nedes be vveake in the faith of Christ vvhich differre the remouing of Antechristes ceremonies and nevvnes of lyf vvill surely verie lately appere in them if euer hit appere at all And in dede vve se at this day cold and slack proceding in christian Religion and profession in those places vvhere Antechristes ceremonies be born vvithall and all thinges much more liuely and effectuall vvhere they be abolished and done avvay For if thei stay at any time this onely is the cause that the vvord of God either is not thouroughly credited or not estemed accordinglie For howe so euer those that suppose them selues to be strong in faith vse not these thinges where I praye yowe is there zeale for Christes glorie or there brethern wheras they still vse them so no doubt they do hit of weakenes of faith Certainly as there is no agrement at all betwene Christ and Belial so sincere and vnfained Christians can by no meanes abide any of Antechristes trumpery Although with this there zeale they endeauor them selues to purge the chirch here as the glory of Christ may therby chiefly be auanced yet to the weaker sort they will haue such respect as to do nothing rashely or owt of seasone but will teache the weak with gentelnes to wax stronger in knowledge Yet will they do there endeauour with examples to bring them forward not regarding the blindnes of a few who ar to much addicted to Antechristes ceremonies and perhaps no trew and vnfained brethern Offending there whilest verie many other weake ones continually thinck thus with them selues If these thinges vvere so euel they shold surely be abolished if either they vvere so good al men especially that reckon them selues Christians vvold in dede receaue and embrace them These men surely if they be elect shall at the lenght be confirmed all though all the world offend them and no man edifie them But woe in the meane time vnto them by whome they ar offended Wherfore as sone as trew godlines hath ben preached and professed of manny Antechristes ceremonies and rites must by and by be abrogated neither must delay be made till godlines be in all poinctes growen vp to perfectiō els shold that trash neuer be abolished and remoued These myld and toe toe moderate and sober Christians who can beare all Antechristian thinges in verie deede like vnto them at Corinth who knowing that an Idoll was nothing did
THE EXPOSITION OF certain partes of Scripture according to the mindes of the chieffe Doctors that in our time were in reformed chirches also of some old doctors wherin thow shalt se the trew doctrine of indifferent things of garments and of th'auctoritie that Princes Prelates haue to set owt rites and ceremonies Saincte Ambrose Byshop of Millane vppon the vij of the former Epistell of Sainct Paul to the Corinthians YEar bought vvith a priced be ye not made the bondmen of men It is trewe because we ar bought with so deare a price that we could not haue ben bought againe of any but only of Christ who is ritche in all thinges Therfore he that is bought with a price ought more to serue or to do his dewtie in th' office of a bondman that he may after a manner make recompence to his byer Thei ar bōd men that subdue thē selues to mens superstitions Therefore those that ar bought of God that is of Christe ought not to be boundmen of men But such ar bondmen of men that subdue them selues or obey mens superstitions THEOPHILAGTVS Archebyshop of Bulgaria vppō the vij chapiter of the former Epistel of Sainct Paul to the Corinthians and vppon thesame vvordes TH'apostel reasoneth not these matters only to slaues or bondmē but he speaketh them to those that ar free To execute euel cōmaūdements for mans sake is to become mans servant or he rather doth enstruct all sortes yea the Christians them selues that they do not any thing for mans sake or pleasure and that they do not execute or fulfill those commaundementes of men whiche ar naught for that were to serue men euen by such as ar raunsomed for a price And a littel after he hauing spoken of this vvordly and spiritual bondage vvriteth thus Therfore the Apostle hath prouided very well in bothe cases to wete first least vnder the pretence of God his seruice seruantes shold depart from there masters in whose power there bodies ar Secondly To please the bodely Master further then they ought is to becomē bōdmen least they shold fall from God when as they will serue there bodily Masters further thē becōmeth or that they ought to do ERASMVS ROTERODAMVS in his boke of annotations vppon the fift chapiter of the former Epistel of sainct Peter NEque ceu Deminium exercentes aduersus Cleros c. Neither shall ye be as exercisers of Lordsship against the people or parishes For he vnderstandeth by this worde Cleros not Dyacons or Elders but the flock which fell to euery man by chaunce B. ought as little to vse Lordship ouer the common people asouer there fellowe Elders to be gouerned least any man shold iudge that Byshops vvere forbidden to exercise any Lordship ouer clerkes but that hit vvas graunted them to be Lordes ouer others And here he calleth Elders Bishops for as yet there was not so huge a nombre of priestes but as many Elders as there were so many byshops there were This commaundemet of the Prince of the Apostells shold haue ben written in golden letters and set vp in all palaces of the Byshops Feade saith he the flock oppresse hit not pill hit not and do this not vnwillingly but of a sincere desier and mind as fathers neither for silthie lucres sake as though he had seen before that there vppon shold rise a plage or pestilence to the chirch To conclude not plaing Lordes after the māner of Kinges but fede with example and ouercome with goode deades Now a daies the cōmon sort of Byshops heareth nothing of there learned flatterers but Lordships Dominions Swordes Kayes and Powers Whervppon riseth in somme of them Some B. at pompous as Princes some more cruell then Tyrauntz more pompouse Pride then some Kings vse and more cruelnes then some Tyrauntes occupie Also in thesame vvork vppon xi chapiter of Sainct Mathevves Gospel SVrely Sainct Peter in thactes of th'apostelles doth opēly call the lawe of Moses which was laied for a time vppon the rebellious people of the Iewes an hard and a heauy burthen which neither we not oure fathers were liable to beare neyther can any mā doubt but that it is trueth which the trueth hath pronounced The yooke of Christ is in very dede pleasaūt and his burthen is light so that no mens traditions be laied vpon mens sholders beside or more then that thinge which he hath alredy appoincted and he hath commaunded nothing els but that one shold loue another and there is nothing so bitter but that Charitie will seasone make hit swete Whatsoeuer is according to Nature it may easely be born but there is nothing that agreeth more with Mannes Nature then Christes Philosophie which goeth abowt to do no other thing almost then to restore oure Nature that is fallen to her innocēcie and sinceritie againe But euen as the ordinances of men did make heauie the lawe being by hit self greuous enough for the Iewes The lawe of Man may make heauy the light yoke of Christ. Euen so must vve diligently take hede that the additions ordinaunces and doctrines of mē make not the lavve of Christ vvhich of hit self is pleasaunt and light heauy and hard to beare Which ordinaūces so at the first crept in as though they were small and ought not to be cared for or regarded or els they being commended with the shewe of Godlines be gladly receaued of them that ar more simple thē foresighted Those that ar once receaued by pecemele do growe and en crease vnto a huge quantitie do presse downe ouerthrowe mē whither they wil or no either by the help of custome whose violence is a certaine tyrannie or els Teinstrumentes of spirituall bondage by the aucthoritie of Princes which hold stistly hit that is rashely receaued abusing hit for there profit and gaines And a little after There ar some that knitt together either a cold sillogisme of a pece of scripture which they do not vnderstand or els make an article of faith of a mannes ordinaunce and of such men ar we iudged to be Christians or no Christiās which appertaine nothing attall to Christian Religion And a littel after The burthē of Mās ordinaunces and traditions What auaileth it to speak of the burthen of Man his institutions when as many yeares ago Saint Augustine in a certaine epistel to Iāuarius he is angry and be waileth th' estate of Christes chirche so to be burthened that the cōdition of the Iewes was almost more tollerable then the condition of the Christians what if he sawe the fre people of Christ snared with so many lawes and ceremonies and not only oppressed with a single tyrannie of prophane Princes but also of Byshops Cardinalles Popes Not only prophane princes But also B. ar oppressors of the chirch and most of all of there seruauntes who being disguysed with the visure of Religion go busily aboute the busines of there bellies The Iewes had no
certaine kind of apparaile forbidden thē more then that which was made of flaxe and wolle together howe many constitutions ar there made nowe for apparraile what superstition is there in garmentes and in coloures of thesame at this present tyme. ¶ Also againe in thesame vvork vpon the xxiij of Matth. SOme wrest this place so farre as Such B. we haue somme now a daies in England men ought to obey all manner of thinges whatsoeuer the Byshops Presidences or Rulers commaunde although they be vngodly and that for there aucthorities sake when as Christ did speak only of them which did teache rightly the lawe of Moses and not of such as did snarre men with there ordinaunces and constitutions Nowe peraduenture after thesame māner a Byshop might be heard which preacheth truly the gospell although he liue but a little according to thesame But who can abide that they shold occupie an open tyrannie against Christis doctrine and make lawes for there owne aduantage measuring all thinges according to there gaine glorious maiesties They that snare the people with rites and ordinances deuised for there profit and to fulfill there tyrannie do not sitt in the chaire of the gospell but in the chaire of Simon magus and Carphas Martine Buter vppon the first chapiter of S. Paulo to the Ephes AMongest the mebers of this chirch There is no member of the chirch that can be bul their is none in all the earth that is the hedde therof But the chirch hathe Christ hedd therof in heauen The princes in dede the Magistrates of all places may be called heddes but not in the ecclesiasticall body but in the politick bodie and in the politique gouernement And a littel aster he saieth Christ by him self is gouernor of the chirch yet notwithstanding he vseth the seruice of Angells and of men and yet for all that he is alwaies present with his chirch And a little aster Seing that the chirch hath Christ her hedde he surely as a good shepeherd with his word gathereth together his shepe that go astray and he cometh to open his father to his shepe and to drawe all thing to him to open there mindes that they by trew faithe may vnderstand the gospell by the which faith he iustifieth them This faith is mighty in working thorough Charitie which Charitie seketh not her owne wherfore there is a wonderfull vnitie and joyning together of the members as hit was saied in the primatiue Chirch They had one sowle and one hert in the Lord. Furthermore for as much as Christ is the Ruler and gouerneth hit in all thinges and Paul beareth witnes hereafter in the fiueth chapiter moniseth wemen that they shold be subiect or obedient vnto there husbandes as the chirch is vnto Christ He purgeth hit or maketh hit cleane with his bloode although he vse in hit diuers ministeries or seruices yet is he the chieff gouernor the first and the most strong and mighty ¶ And a little after Wherin standeth or consisteth the vnitie of the chirch Not in garmentes VVherin the vnity of the chirch consisteth Not in cerimonies not in Ceremonies as thow shalt se here after in the fourth chapiter in these wordes Indeauoring or laboring to kepe the vnitie of spirite in the bōde of peace c. Therfore the vnitie of the chirch standeth in the vnitie of the spirite of Charitie of the word of God of Christ of the sacramentes and in the communion of giftes that we may consent in one that we may agre in one thing that we may speake one thing that no mā shall rule him self but geue him self to be ruled vnto Christ the Spirite that we shold cōsent with the will of oure heauenly father that we shold allowe altogether thesame things and reproue also thesame for by the Spirite in thesame place he doth vnderstand the inward power of the spirite from whence come all oure counsailes and doinges which in all thinges ought to be thesame and like hit that is of God opened vnto vs in the worde There is one word one Scripture one Baptisme one death of Christ one Father one Religion and one Charitie one sacrament of thākes giuing and one laing oune of handes and one discipline and one consent of the Ministers and of those by the which these ar ministred To conclude all thinges that ar ordained to the buylding or profitt of the Chirch we must haue all those as one thinge But whatsoeuer is not declared in the word there is no necessarie vnitie in that but rather liberty c. ¶ Vpon thesame chapiter he vvriteth thus To the bylding of godlines Prelats ar become Tyruants in making lawes al thinges ought to be done in the Chirch and hit is commaūded that the Rulers of the Chirches shold teach those thinges that Christ hath commaunded wherfore they ought not to make thē selues Tyrauntes in exacting or requiring of mens cōsciences that vvhich Christ neuer commaunded Thesame BVCER in his commentaries on Matth vpon these vvordes Matth. 18. Luc 7. Wo vnto the vvorld for offences AN offence is what so euer we say or do by any meanes which riseth not of sound or perfect faith and is not ordered of sincere and trew loue promoting Godes glory and oure neighbours Saluation After that this Doctor hath spoken of offences generally and shewed them not to beseme Christians and hath also perticulerly amplified the matter in deedes of them selues not euel but done contrary to Charity with abuse of Christian liberty as Rom. 14.1 Cor. 8. This note first geuen that sainct Paul often with somme force repeateth this name A brother He cōcludeth that this is the Scope and drifte of all So to order and do all thinges that they may make to the edifiēg of oure Brethren so shall hit fall oute that sommetime liberty is to be vsed some time not for when as wordes ar to be cōfirmed with deedes then must saieth he the liberty that is preched nedes be confirmed with examples This he setteth owt with th'examples of Peter c. at Antioch Galat. 2. Commending his vsing of Christian liberty in meates and discommending his dissimulation and also of Paul in not circunciciding of Titus Galat. 2. Wherin he noteth thus 1 First if in this slippery place Peter caught a fall who is hit that ought not to be careful herin and to take heed 2 Secondly in reprouing of Peters dissimulacion he saieth To conclude for that we must alwaies prease to perfection and fulnes of faith greater respect was surely to be had to the gentiles which had alredy receued Christ * Plano plainly then to them which did lewdly stick yet to the * Elementio Mundi ceremonies of the world who in conclusion by long bearing with might be the more confirmed in there error 3 Thirdly we must further consider whether they be trew or false brethern which go aboute to infring or weaken Christian liberty for we must