beléeued than the worde of God it selfe But if it be otherwyse then is there no aucthoritie of any Councell to bée accepted agaynst the truthe of the holy Scriptures Constantinus the Emperoure in the firste generall Counsell holden at Nâ—câ— offered vnto the fathers there béeing lawfully assembled the Bookes of the olde and newe Testamente commaunding them thereby so iudge and determyne all controuersies The seconde Question is VVhether that Counsels haue erred But their Question is so demaunded as thoughe they mighte neuer erre But bycause all the Councelles that haue béene héeretofore as also those whiche are now were gathered from men and and that men doo and may erre like as in times past they haue often erred for Dauid sayth God is true but euery man is a lyar and saint James sayth In many things we sinne all It foloweth therfore that couÌ„cels may erre On the other side if they folow god his word they caÌ„ not erre as we before haue sufficiently declared That councels haue erred and therby often haue bene quite coÌ„trary one to an other coÌ„demning one an other dothe manyfestly appeare by Hystories For it is not néedefull at large héere to discourse them all sithe I haue onely determined to aunswere the Questions aforesayde briefly The thirde Question is VVhether those thinges whiche are well and sufficiently decreed vppon once in some generall Councell oughte to bee called into question and to bee disputed on agayne To this question I aunswere thus Those thinges whereon the Counselles haue rightely and truely decréed by the woorde of GOD to those muste wée submitte our selues neyther are they to be called into question As the firste generall Counsels holden at Nice Constantinople and Ephesus dyd well and rightely decrée touching the holy Trinitie the Deuine and Humane nature of Chryste the holy Ghoste and of suche thinges whiche dydde héerevnto appertayne They nowe therefore offende not agaynst GOD whiche dispute and set them selues agaynst those that call these thinges agayne into question and make doubte of them but they whych are the causers and authors of these Disputations offende as namely Seruetus the Spaniarde in our age and diuerse others whiche haue done the lyke by their open workes and wrytings We also confesse that the lawes of the godly Emperours and Kinges were and are ryghte profitable and necessarie wherein blasphemouse and wycked disputations are forbydden But the Popishe Prelates can not by this tytle defende or shielde them selues as that nothing ought to bée written or disputed agaynst their late newe holden Counselles whiche thyng in déede they greately desire bycause they knowe them selues giltie of infidelitie For it is tootoo manyfeste and can by no manner of meanes bée denyed that in their Counsels they haue ordeined and decréed many thinges contrary to the custome of the Primatiue Churche and the manyfeste testimonies of the holy Scriptures which by their leaue wée may not leaue vntouched Wherevppon within these fewe hundred yeares many holy learned faythfull valyaunte and sincere Ministers of GOD haue cried out saying that the church of Rome is fraught and full stuffed with all abuses errors sinnes wicked and horrible factes and offences and therefore hathe néede of greate and earneste reformation But these men woulde that all these thinges shoulde bee couered and smered ouer and therefore they say It is not lawefull agayne to speake of or dispute agaynst those things which were once decreed and establyshed by generall Councels But whether this bée righte and iuste before God and men the wyse may easily perceiue Touching this matter Saincte Augustine dothe very well instruct vs for he commaundeth vs without all doubt to beléeue the Scriptures of the holy Bible and to beléeue the writinges of the fathers so farrefoorthe as they bee confirmed and proued by the witnesse of the holy Scripture Epistle 19. 111. 48. agaynst Cresconius Lib. 2. Capitu. 32. ni his Booke De peccatorum meritis remis cont Pelag. Li. 3. Ca. 7. De vera regione Cap. 10. Contra Epist. Pelag. ad Bonifac. Lib. 4. Cap. 8. And in his third Booke agaynst Maximinus he saythe But nowe neyther oughte I to bryng the Councell of Nice nor thou the councell of Arimineus as to be preiudiciall one to an other but let vs dispute by the authoritie of the Scriptures And in his seconde Booke agaynst the Donatistes and thirde Chapter he submitteth Councelles to the authoritie of the Scriptures and saythe that it often commeth to passe that the former Councelles may bée amended by those whiche are holden after Agayne De Vâ—itate Ecclesiae in hys sixetéenthe Chapter he sayth That the Scripture is the foundation and Pyller of the Churche and of all that is therein The. xiij Question Whether that Paule Peter James and the rest of the Apostles in the first Counsell holden at Jerusalem did take into theÌ„ the Heretikes which vrged Circumcision and the obseruing of Moyses lawe vpon the godly or the lay men which were of that secte The Answere THe whole scope and drift of this question is this that if there chance a frée conference or disputation in any counsel wherin they are required to render a reason of their fayth and Religion and so may not refuse the same that then they may haue at the leaste some kinde of prerogatiue to the ende that nothing may bee decréed agaynst theÌ„ that they may not be drawen froÌ„ their sinnes errors other abuses to a vertuous acceptable life before god Therfore séeke they by al meanes that them selues onely may be placed in thâ— councels and that they may not be constrained to admit any lay man or suche as are not of their stampe amongste them but that they alone may haue ful power and aucthoritie to accuse to be witnesses to determine and to iudge and that by this meanes nothing may be done but as it listeth them And eueÌ„ in this sorte haue some of their forefathers nowe a great while holden councels being the readye waye as they thought to prouide for them selues But whether this were acceptable before God vpright before men or profitable to the church the time it selfe the oppressing of the truthe the slaughters of moste godly men and the miserable gouernement of the thurche dothe euidently declare yea and all faithfull and wise men may easely iudge Of this question there is two partes The first is vvhether the Apostles in the firste councell at Ierusalem did take into the same those heretickes which wente about to thrust vpon the godly circumcision and the lawe of Moses Now héere they suppose we must néedes denie the same whereuppon they will conclude that bicause we are Heretickes we neither oughte to be heard nor be admitted into the councel But althoughe there were no place nor licence giuen to the heretickes in the councell at Jerusalem to speake yet it foloweth not that we ought not to be heard or ought not to be admitted into
which were â—ut menne In lyke manner John the Baptiste than the which there was neuer any holyer amongste men whome Christe also commeÌ„deth sent his disciples from himselfe vnto Christe as to the true sauioure yea he rebuked them bycause they attributed more vnto him than was conuenient althoughe they yet attributed vnto him nothing so muche as these men nowe adayes attribute to the Sainctes Reade the first and seconde Chapter of S. John his gospel Wherfore sith it is moste sure that the Sainctes in heaueÌ„ haue not altered their minds then is it withoute all doubt that God is to be called vppon and prayed vnto through Christ only and that from him all things necessary are to be asked for and not from any Saincte The seuenth Common place Of the relikes of Sainctes images such like things The. xxxj Question Whether they beleeue that the going on Pilgrimage to the bones churches of the saincts be not a godly thing The Answere THis question compriseth in it three others First what we thinke of Pilgrymages that are taken in hande for religions sake Secondly what we thinke of the reliques and bones of the Saincts Thirdly what wée thinke of their temples To these wée aunswere All those things are godlie which men do being therevnto comauÌ„ded of God by his worde Wherfore if you wil haue vs iudge these Pilgrymages godlie then shew vs out of the scriptures where they were instituted and commanded of god For we can finde no one letter or title of holy Scripture where any mention is made of these pilgrymages but most perfectly know that our Lorde hath taught vs not to estéeme one place in this earth better than another nor to gadde hither and thither for the obtaining of grace For God is present and mercifull wheresoeuer the faithful haue néede of his grace and call vppon him with a true fayth Psalm 107. and. 145. Amos. 5. Jere. 7. 23. John. 4. 1. Timothe 2. and many other places Againe sithe in the Questions before going we haue alreadie shewed that the Sainctes sende vs from them selues to God and to his sonne Jesus Christe it is euidente that they allowe not of these Pilgrimages and that they are not profitable nor healthfull for those which take them in hand and therefore we ought not to doe them Touching the bones and Relikes of Sainctes there is thrée sortes of them Either they are their wrytings containing theyr Doctrine or some partes or menibers of theyr bodyes Or some exterioure things which they vsed as their garmentes and suche lyke Their wrytings therfore which containe their Doctrines are the right Relickes yea the vnspeakeable treasure of all good Christians which ought therfore to be had in moste great honor Againe the bones and bodyes of the Sainctes are worthy of their honoure as hauing parte in the Resurrection of the deade for the which they looke and were bisides the houses of that moste excellent spirite with which they were fulfilled But euen as the bodyes of the Patriarkes of Moses Aaron Josua the Kings Prophetes and the holy bodie of Christe of John Stephen and other the Apostles were moste honourably buried So are the bones of the Sainctes coÌ„mitted to the earthe vntill the day of iudgemente and are not to be digged vppe nor sette to be worshipped of the Christians in their churches as Athanasius hathe taughte in the life of blessed Anthonie Furthermore if we haue oughte which we knowe the Sainctes vsed in the time of theyr life yet oughte we not to woorshippe it For as the aunciente Fathers haue taughte vs suche woorshipping is superstition and displeaseth bothe God and the Saincts as before it is said what thing else may be said touching Relickes I héere omitte bicause theyr deceites are euidently knowne For oftentimes it happeneth that the heade arme or some one or other meÌ„ber of a saincte is found to be in two or thre places as though he had had thrée heades or thrée armes more than any other man Againe in the stead of Reliques fonde and foolishe things are offered vnto men to be woorshipped by meanes wherof the sainctes are rather dishonoured than honoured yet in this their marchandise they so shamefully behaue themselues that those whiche haue in them any sparke of honesty although they delighte in Papisticall doctrine yet are they dyspleased hereat Lastely Temples and Chappels are not to be dedicated and built vnto sainctes which now are in heauen but they only ought to haue sepulchres or graues as becommeth mortal men Wherfore although it may be supposed that our elders for some good intent did build temples vnto the saincts yet is it euident that it displeseth both god the saincts For temples are not to be built in the names of sainctes nor congregations oughte to be collected in their names for that honor is due to the creator onely as it may easily be proued by diuers authorities bothe of the scriptures of men which héer for breuities sake I do omit Wherfore we iudge that the christians haue néede of churches to be built to the honor of god of our lord Jesus Christ in the which his word ought to be preached publike prayers to be made the sacramentes ministred almes to be bestowed And of these churches we think very honorably and therfore gladly cal them the churches or houses of god of Christe and ought in no wise to be prophaned as I haue already else where sufficiently taught The. xxxij Question Whether they beleue that it is good and godly to light vp candels before the sacrament of the altare and the images and relikes of sainctes The Answere THe vse of candels is necessary in the churches in the nighte times by reason of the darknesse as in the morning before day c. And after this sorte did the apostles vse candels in the church or congregation Actes 20. But to set vp light in stead of a sacrifice to the woorshipping of sainctes or for the saluation of soules this is cleane contrary to the holy scripture and therfore condemned by Lactantius a most auncient wryteâ— Our hartes must be kindled vnto God in the Newe testament and we muste giue light by our good woorkes and that shal be an acceptable sacrifice vnto god And bicause the Lord commaundeth vs to take and eate the sacrament it is not lawful for vs to kéepe it and shut it vp but we must eate it and therfore there is no neede to set lightes before it But let them rather which are partakers of that sacrament prouide that the bright and shining light of true fayth may bée in their hartes for this setting vppe of lightes before the Sacrament is a new deuise found out of late and vtterly vnknowne to the Primitiue Church And as touching Images this is our iudgement First God hath forbiddeÌ„ to make Images to worship them as appeareth in the seconde Commaundemente Againe in the wrytings of the lawe the
sufficientlye proue that this their enoyling was neuer ordained by the Apostles And what shall I say of that which they vse to speake in this their enoyling when they say In the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghoste I annoynt thee vvith this holy oyle that thereby thou maiste receiue remission of al thy sinnes What ground or forme of institution of this haue yée in all the holy scriptures of Christe and his Apostels The Apostles taught that ful remission of sinnes was to be soughte in the bloude of Christe and not in Oyle And therefore euen by this one pointe it may euidently appeare to the faythfull that for good consideration we vse not this Ceremonie Furthermore when wée beléeue that one baptisme which we haue once receiued wherein we were once Baptized with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and of the holye Ghoste is effectuall by the operation of the holy Ghoste euen all oure life long vnto death we thinke it not néedefull to be againe at the pointe of deathe rebaptized of a Baptisme deuised by man for they call this their annointing the laste Baptisme But we according to Christianitie visite the sicke instruct them admonish them exhort them cōfort them strengthen them and pray with them and charitably looks vnto them c. The seuententh Common place Of the Magistrate and lawful obedience The. lx Question Whether the spirituall and ciuill magistrate ought not to be obeyed chiefly when the things that they commaund are not agaynst God The Answere WE wyll héere make a difference betwene the Ciuill and the spirituall Magistrates For the teachers and gouernors of the Church are ministers and not Lords to exercise a gouernement lyke kings prynces or noble men and we ought to obey them as the Ministers of Chryste so long as they bée hys preache hys worde and execute the Christian ministerie And so Paule teacheth with these wordes VVee beseeche you brethren that you will know them which labour amongest you and take the charge ouer you in the Lorde and instruct you that you honor them throgh loue for their works sake and haue peace with them And againe Obey those which haue the ouersight of you and submyt your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accountes that they may do it with ioy Likewyse Chryst sayth to his Apostles He that heareth you heareth me And he manyfestly forbiddeth his Apostles to rule as Ciuill Magistrates John. 13. Reade more of this Math. 18. and. 20. Luke 22. where you shall manyfestly finde that our Lorde saythe The kings of the Nations reigne ouer them and those which exercise authoritie ouer them are called gracious lords but it shal not be so with you And therfore the ciuil power which the Bishops and gouernors of the Churche exercise hath no groūd or authoritie in the word of god neither hath Chryst at any time commaunded them to vse bothe the swordes Saint Peter in the sixt of the Actes speaketh of him self and the other Apostles thus It is not conuenient that we should leaue the worde of God and serue Tables that is to say giue ourselues to the féeding of the poore c. And yet it is more lyke that the Apostles woulde take charge care for the poore than to take vpon them gouernemente and ciuill authoritie onlesse they had knowen the same to bée agaynst the commaundement of god And therfore doubtlesse if suche power had ben offered vnto them they would neuer haue receiued it And besides this experience teacheth vs nowe in our age that these two can not be ioyned togither Yet let the christians submit thēselues to these magistrates so long as they cōmaunde not things contrary to god yet if they do they may not therfore stir cōmotiōs but do that which god hath cōmaunded Touching the Ciuil power as kings Emperours Princes Counsellors Magistrates and all other lyke which exercise any publique office by what name soeuer they bée called wée are bound to obey them by the worde of God in all things that are not contrarie to God yea God threatneth vengeaunce agaynst all those that are disobedient stubborne and rebellious agaynst the Magistrates Moreouer wée are taughte by Gods worde that the Magistrate is ordeyned of God and is for hys sake to be honored and to be acknowledged in hys Ministers ordeined for the wealth of good men but for the punishment of euill men and that wée muste loue them as fathers geuing vnto them their due honor tribute loyaltie faythfulnesse and other bodily seruices which appertayne vnto thē and that with a good hart and wil faithfully And thus are we taughte by the worde of God Math. 17. and 22. and 1. Peter 2. Romanes 13. and Titus 1. And in the Epistle to Timothe Paule commaundeth that wée make faythfull prayers vnto God for those which haue the gouernemente ouer vs And euen as the Apostles for Gods cause were obediente vnto the Magistrates so is it méete that Byshoppes and those which gouerne in the Churche as teachers and preachers bée obedient to the Ciuill Magistrate also like as Jeremie in his firste Chapter teacheth but yet in suche sorte as they teache the worde of God fréely But if any wyll not thus doo then let them reade the seconde Epistle of Sainct Peter the seconde Chapter and the Epistle of S. Jude and sée what the Apostles doo thinke and iudge of suche And agaynst those which resiste their Magistrates and so become worse than théeues or murtherers many sharpe thinges are written in the holy Scripture and in the Prouerbes of Salomon The. Lxj. Question Whether the magistrat ought to bee obeyed if he publishe set foorth or commaund any thing contrary to the vniuersal church of Chryst The Answere WE muste héere agayne make a difference betwéene the true Christian Churche and the false bearing onely the name and tytle therof For that Churche which is called and is in very déede the true vniuersall Church of Chryst is that company of the faythfull whiche rightly beléeue in Chryste putting all their trust in God throughe Chryste geuing eare onely to him in his holy worde séeking all things in hym and seruing him in holynesse and righteousnesse And agaynst this Churche can no Magistrate decrée any thing but if they chaunce to doo then doo the faythfull knowe that it is better to obey God than man In déede at the beginning and in the tyme of the Primatiue Churche Kinges and Emperours concluded set foorth many gréeuous things against the Christians but thē they which otherwise in al bodily seruices were contente to bée obedient vnto their Magistrates dyd in déede disobey them in the things which appertayned to their faythe for they would neither woorshippe their Idols nor doo sacrifice in their Temples or communicate with them in their Religion and for thys cause many of them were put to death Yet GOD in the ende maruellouslye punyshed