disputatiō is not properly of the auncient Church which was before Christs time but of that which ensued the promulgation of the Gospell till this our present age whereof Christ sayth Vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For albeit the Church hath beene alwayes visible euen frō the beginning of the world till the cōming of Christ as Paulus Orosius Eusebius haue out of the holy Scriptures in euery age declared In this our age also Genebrard Sanders and Coccius haue briefly demonstrated the same Yet notwithstanding before the comming of Christ the whole Church of God was in a manner concluded into greater straits of persons and place according to those words of the Prophet Dauid God was knowne in Iury againe He hath not done thus to euery Nation and he hath not manifested or made knowne his iudgment vnto them But amongst the Gentils there were but a few who acnowledged and rightly worshipped God Wherefore the true Church was often reduced vnto a few persons in number but notwithstāding euer visible those very eminent in sanctity and holynesse as is declared by S. Augustins words already alledged But the state and condition of the Church of Christ is farre differēt after the promulgatiō of the Gospell frō that other for now that blessed seed of Abrahā is come wherin all the Natiōs of the earth were to be Blessed Now those prophecies of Christs inheritaūce and Kingdomes are fullfilled Aske of me thee I wil giue all Nations for thy inheritaunce and the bounds of the whole earth for thy possession Also He shall gouerne and reigne from sea to sea and from the ryuer to the end of the whole world And againe All the Kings of the earth shall adore him and all Nations shall serue him Moreouer our Lord hath prepared his holy arme in the eyes of all Nations and all the limits of the earth shall see the saluation of our Lord and God When S. Angustine had alledged this place among others against the Donatists admiring their great madnesse and ignorance who affirme the Church to be eyther inuisible or to ly lurking in some od place only brake forth into these most true words worthy of so great a Doctor who is sayth he so deafe who is so mad and who is foolish to contradict these so cleare euident testimonies but he which knoweth not what he speaketh And truly that the Church of God was farre more knowen and spread ouer the whole world after the promulgation of the Gospell euen in the Apostles tyme then it euer was in the tyme of the law those words of the Apostle do sufficiently declare But Isay haue they not heard And certes into all earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the ends of the whole world the wordes of them And againe speaking vnto the Romā Church he sayth I giue thankes to my God through Iesus Christ for all of you because your fayth is renewed in the whole world 7. Moreouer from the Apostles tyme till this our present age the Church of Christ hath byn not only visible but also spread abroad knowne and most famous throughout diuers Kingdomes of the world as many historiographers as well Ecclesiasticall as prophane doe testify and the worthy Cardinall Caesar Boronius hath euidently declared and that not only throughout all ages but also euery yeare in so much that those who do not consent and agree heereunto are not only to be accounted Insidels but as S. Augustine speaketh very fitly and truely men out of their wittes CHAP. VI. Other arguments of our Aduersaries against the visible Church are confuted THE third argument of our Aduersaries wherby they impugne the visible Church is this the holy Scripture compareth the Church to the moone but the moone doth often tymes not appeare as it hapneth in the new moone and in the Ecclips I answere that we must not seeke for a similitude or likenesse in all thinge◠betwixt the Church and the moone for otherwise the Church of Christ should neyther see nor vnderstand nor belieue and it should be altogeather without life as the moone is But in this matter that similitude or liknesse betwixt the Church and the moone is only to be sought out in which the Scripture compareth the Church to the moone but the Scripture doth not compare the Church to the moone as she is a mutable planet but as she is beautifull in her selfe Beautifull saith Salomon as the moone but in mutability the Scripture compareth a soole to the moone but not the Church A foole saith the Wisemen is changed as the moone Moreouer the Church of Christ is not compared to euery moone but only to the moone when she is in her fulnesse perfection yea to the moone which is neuer diminished nor fayleth hēce are those words of the Prophet Isar which Caluin acknowledgeth are to be vnderstood of the Church Thy sunne shall neuer more be set and thy moone shall not be diminished or as Caluin translateth it shall not be hidden Lastly S. Iohn saith that the moone is vnder the feete of the Church that therby we may vnderstād that the Church of Christ by the vertue of the sunne to wit Christ himselfe where withall she is wholy inuested and adorned is free from all mutability in matters of faith 2. The fourth argument Those thinges which we belieue by faith are inuisible but by faith we belieue there is a Catholike Church as appeareth by the Apostles Creed therefore the Catholike Church is inuisible and not visible I answere that this is a weake argument albeit Caluin also vseth it For if it were not it would proue that the holy Scripture were also inuisible because we belieue also the holy Scripture by faith yea it would also proue euen our Aduersaries Church to be as yet inuisible for they as yet belieue their Church by faith and yet they cōfesse that their Church is now visible And truely if their Church had remayned still inuisible they had neuer caused so many tumults in the Christian Common-wealth But certainly euen as in the holy Scriptures we see one thinge and belieue another we see the letters characters the which the Infidels also see but we belieue that the Scripture is most true in all thinges the which they do not belieue so we se that the Church of Christ is extant the which also the Infidels do see for Turkes Iewes do very well know that there is a Pope and that there are Bishops Princes and Christian Nations but we belieue that this Church which we see is an holy Church is gouerned directed by the holy Ghost and that she cannot erre in matters of faith all which the Infidels do not belieue 3. The fifth argument None is in the Church but by faith but faith is inuisible therfore the
which consisteth in a right fayth and a good explication of the doctrine thereof could proceede from the militant Church only and not rather from a most perfect cause to wit from the holy Ghost who continually gouerneth the Church and as the Apostle sayth helpeth her infirmity and imperfection 18. Lastly when our Aduersaries can by no places of Scripture nor other reasons proue that the Church hath erred they goe about to perswade it by many examples And heere they begin a discourse froÌ„ our first Father Adam till these our dayes For first they say that Adam â—ost his fayth and so lyke wyfe his wyfe Eue when they both eate of the forbidden fruit consequently the whole Church then erred in fayth Then they runne through all the old testament till Christs tyme and heap togeather many places which say that those who liued in the tyme of the Naturall Mosaycall Laws forsooke God Lastly out of some Historiographers who haue writteÌ„ since Christs tyme they scâ—â—pe togeather all such testimonies as seeme to serue to this purpose in any sort 19. But they labour in vayne For if these kinds of argumeÌ„ts were good they would also proue that the Church it selfe also wholy perished and was not to be found in any place as in tymes past the Donatists contended the which euen our Aduersaries themselues acknowledge to by very absurd and against the holy Scriptures as hath beene declared before For if all haue lost their fayth then indeed the true Church could no longer be which without fayth cannot consist and thus the whole Church had perished 20. But that which they affirme of AdaÌ„ and Eue to wit that they lost their fayth by sinning is of no moment at all For to omit that they do not so much proue by that argumeÌ„t that they lost their fayth then that after their sinne there remayned neyther any fayth nor Church in the world it is truly manyfest inough that this belongeth nothing to this disputation we now handle For neyther do we heere disput of the Church of Angells nor of that which was in Paradise before the fall of our first pareÌ„ts but of that only which ensued that promise made vnto all mankind after the sinne of Adam wherein God foretould that there should be perpetuall enmity betwixt the woman and the serpent that is to say betwixt the Church of Christ and Satan And wherein also God foretould that the Church should alwayes haue the victory ouer Sathan as we haue declared more at larg before Wherfore our Aduersaries must needes shew this promise to be frustrate if they desire to conclude any thing against vs. 21. But those examples which they alledge out of the old Testament are the very arguments of the Donatists and other auncient Heretikes who by them went about to proue that the true Church wholy decayed and perished wherunto we haue also sufficiently answered out of S. Augustine 22. And lastly those thinges which they haue takeÌ„ out of those Authors who wrote after Christs tyme are eyther corrupted by our Aduersaries or taken out of apochriphall Authors and such as are not worthy of credit as the worthy Cardinall Baronius declareth manifestly in euery age in his Ecclesiasticall histories and the same hath Bellarmine donne before him more briefly vnto whome we refer the Reader because they do not appertaine to this present question but rather vnto that which is of the continuall duration of the Church the which now almost euery one doth acknowledge and which we haue sufficiently declared before wherefore these arguments are of so small worth that they need no longer a confutation CHAP. VIII That there is no lawfull calling of Preachers or Pastours of the Church but by the visible Church ONE of the offices of the true Church is to appoint lawfull preachers of the Ghospell and true administers of the Sacraments But because there is no small Controuersy now a dayes concerning this office we will briefely dispatch it But to the end that which is in Controuersy may the better be vnderstood heere are three thinges to be determined First that the calling of God is necessarily required to the end one may become a lawfull preacher or administer the Sacraments For those words of the Apostle are very cleare and manifest How shall they preach vnlesse they be sent And againe Neyther doth any man take the honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron So Christ also did not glorify himselfe that he might be made a high Priest but he that spake to him My sonne art thou c. Wherefore he who without this lawfull calling and mission dareth presume to intrude himself to meddle with these diuine offices preferreth himself before Christ our Lord. For Christ came not to these offices but called and sent by his eternall Father Lastly if in humane and wordly matters none dare meddle with the affaires or busynes of a Prince without his licence and consent much lesse must any deale with these supernaturall and diuine offices vnlesse he be called and sent for that purpose by God himselfe 2. The second is that there are two kinds of callings by God the one extraordinary the other ordinary The extraordinary calling is when God immediatly by himselfe calleth any in this maÌ„ner God called Moyses the other Prophets Christ called his Apostles This is called extraordinary because it seldome hapneth It is tearmed also an immediate vocatioÌ„ because it is done immediatly by God himselfe The ordinary vocation is that which coÌ„tinueth alwaies in the Church and is done immediatly by the Pastors of the Church and of God only by their meanes Hereupon also this is called a mediate vocatioÌ„ to wit in respect of God This diuision is taken out of S. Paul who writeth himselfe to be an Apostle not of men neyther by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father For by these wordes he sheweth that some which are in the Church are called to the diuine offices by meâ— and some by God himselfe 3. The third is that those who are taken to Ecclesiasticall offices by the ordinary vocation they receyue their calling and authority from the Church For this ordinary vocation is not done but by the ministers of the Church But the whole Controuersy is of the extraordinary vocation For those who in this age haue brought in new opinions seeing themselues destitute of the ordinary vocation they fly vnto the extraordinary the which say they must not be subiect to the censure and approbation of the Church wherof they know themselues to be destitute But we of the other side affirme that the extraordinary vocation also must necessarily be confirmed and approued by such as haue ordinary vocation in the Church of God And we know very well that our Aduersaries haue not truly this extraordinary vocation as afterward we will declare more at large But suppose we graunt
them to haue this extraordinary calling neuerthelesse by these ensuing arguments we will manifestly proue that it must needs be confirmed and approued by those who haue their ordinary vocation in the Church of God 4. The first argument S. Paul was immediatly and extraordinarily called by God as he writeth himselfe and yet he was sent to Anainas who had the ordinary vocation that by him he might be instructed and baptized And afterwards together with S. Barnabas he was ordained by the imposition of hands by those who were the ordinary Pastors of the Church Lastly he writeth that according to the reuelation which he had he went to Ierusalem and conferred the Gospell which he preached with the visible Church and ordinary Pastors of the same least he might seeme to haue runne or laboured in vaine they therefore who refuse the approbation of the visible Church albeit they be neuer so extraordinarily called therunto they doe but labour in vayne 5. The second argument We mâ—st not easily beleeue euery one who affirmeth himselfe to be extraordinarily sent by God according to that admonition of S. Iohn Belieue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world But this proofe or triall cannot be better done then by Christs Church which is as S. Paul writeth the pillar and ground of truth The which also S. Iohn clearly sheweth by the words following when he sayth he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error It is therefore a most certayne rule whereby this extraordinary vocation is examined to demaund whether it will submit it selfe to the approbation of the visible Church and will heare her or no For he who heareth the Church hath the spirit of truth and the true extraordinary vocation but he who will not heare the Church hath the spirit of error and the false extraordinary vocation 6. The third argument The holy Ghost neuer contradicteth himselfe for otherwise which God forbid he should not be the spirit of truth but of falshood for truth is neuer repugnant to truth but to falshood seeing that therfore it is manifest that the ordinary vocation is from the holy Ghost that extraordinary cannot be opposit vnto it which is truly from the holy Ghost For otherwise God should be opposit vnto himselfe which were impiety to thinke wherfore it necessarily followeth that the extraordinary vocation must agree with the ordidinary and be subiect vnto it as also it must establish and confirme but not impugne it Hereupon sayth the Apostle the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets if they be subiect to the Prophets much more to the whole Church of Christ. 7. The fourth argument There would arise a greate confusion in the Church of God if euery one were permitted to preach and administer the Sacraments that should affirme himselfe to be extraordinarily called without any other examine or approbation of the Church For so euery phantasticall fellow might freely bragge and affirme himselfe to be extraordinarily called by God And vnder that pretence and title might preach administer the Sacraments and exercise all other Ecclesiasticall offices 8. By these arguments some more learned amongst our Aduersaries being conuinced do acknowledge that all extraordinary vocation should be examined and approued by the ordinary Pastors of Christs Church But they adde moreouer that this is true when the Church it selfe followeth the word of God and as long as the ordinary vocation remaineth in her But in vayne do they adde these conditions because we haue already proued that the true Church alwayes followeth the word of God nor can departe or decline in any sort from it For otherwise she were not the true Church of God but the Sinagogue of Satan And the Apostle also expresly saith that the ordinary vocatioÌ„ of Pastors their continuall successioÌ„ shall remayne alwayes in the Church of God vntill we meete all with Christ in the end of the world By which wordes of the Apostle Caluin also and Beza being conuinced do confesse that there must alwaies be Pastors and Doctors in the Church of God and that the said Church cannot consist without them The same also their confession made at Rochell acknowledgeth in the 25. article 9. Some of our Aduersaries doe heere obiect vnto vs the example of Christ and his Apostles for say they their doctrine was neuer approued by the auncieÌ„t Church of the Iewes whereas notwithstanding it was extraordinary But this is a very friuolous and odious comparisoÌ„ of Christ and his Apostles with their ministers For it was expressely foretould by the Prophets that Christ was to abrâ—gate the old Law and the carnal vocation and succession thereof and that he was to ordayne another more excellent and spirituall the which he effected indeed Wherefore seing that now the Apostles had another farre more excellent vocation instituted by Christ there was no reason they should aske any vocation from Moyses But we read no where that the vocation ordayned by Christ was to be abrogated by any other whosoeuer but contrarywise the holy Scriptures do plainly teach that the vocation ordayned by Christ should endure till the end of the world wherefore our Aduersaries can proue nothing by this argument vnlesse they will bring in and establish another Messias and a new Law-maker who hath authority to abrogate and chaunge the law and vocation of Christ which is the blasphemy of both Turkes and Iewes FINIS 1. ad Tim â— v. 6. 7. Osâ—e â— 19 20. Isaiae 62 v. 5. Cant. 4. v. 8. Ioan. 3. v. â—9 2. ad Cor 11. v. 2. Apoc. vlt. v. 17. ad Rom. 12. v. 5. 1. ad Cor. 1â— v. 27. 1. ad Ephes. 1. v. 22. 23◠〈◊〉 4â— v. 7. Luc. 1. v. 33. Luc. 17. v. 21. Psalm 2. v. 8. Psalm 27 vel 28. v. vlt. Psal. 32. vel 33. v. 1â— Psalm 86. vel 87. v 3. Psalm 45. veâ— 46. v. 5. Matth. 5. v. 14. ad Hebr. 12 v. 22. 2 ad Cor. 6. v. 16. 1. Tim. 3. v. 15. ad Gal. 4. v. 26. â—d Ephes. 4. v. 13. Marc. vlt. v. 15. Ad TituÌ„ vlt. v. 5. Ioan. 6. v. 57. 58. Matt. vlt. v. 19. Mart. vlt. â— 16. â— Luc. 22 v. 1 â— 1. Cor. 3. v. 2. ad Hebr. 5. â— 12. 14 Hebr. 5. 〈◊〉 12. 14. Act. 20. v. 28. Matth. 10. v. 32. 33. Genes 5. v. 15. Isay 54. v. vlt. Matth. 16 v. 18. Ioan. 16. v. vlt. Isaiâ— 6â— v. 12. Ad Ephes. 5 v. 31. 32. Cant. 6. v. 8. S. Cypr. in tract de vnitate Eccles. S. Aug. Tom. 9. de Symbol ad Cathec lib. 4. cap. vlt. Ad Rom. 8. v. 9. S. Aug. Tom. 9. tract 26. in Ioan. S. Aug. Tom. 7. de vnitat Eccles. c. 19 Calu.
of the Church 14. The fifth office of the Church is to defend her children For this cause she opposeth her selfe against the Aduersaries of Christ. She professeth publickely her faith she fighteth coÌ„tinually with the serpeÌ„t and his seed she suffereth much yet alwaies getteth the victory No weapon saith the Propet Isay that is made against thee shal proceed or leuel right And Christ saith VpoÌ„ this rocke I wil build my Church the gates of Hel soal not preuaile against it And in another pâ—ace You shall suffer trouble and pressure in this world but be of good cheere I haue ouercome the world By these propertâ—es and offices of the Church if they be well considered all the errors of our Aduersaries may easily be confuted as by that which followeth will manifestly appeare CHAP. II. That out of the true Church of Christ there is no saluation THE first error is of certaine Sectaries of this tyme who promise men saluatioÌ„ out of the Church But this error is easily refuted by the Scripture For that is most cleare and euident which Isaias the Prophet sayth speaking vnto the Church in the person or name of God That Natiâ—n and Kingdome saith he which hath not serued thee shall perish 2. The same also to be an errour is conuinced by the properties and offices of the Church before alleadged For first Christ hath but one spouse and acknowledgeth no other They shal be two in one flesh but I sayth the Apostle speake in Christ in the Church So also Christ speaketh of the Church my doue and my perfect is one Christ is not an adulterer neyther doth he beget any children of an adulteresse For this cause saith S. Cyprian the spouse of Christ cannot be an adulteresse she is not corrupted and she is chaste And a little after whosoeuer being separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulteresse he is separated from the promises of the Church Nertheâ— shall he euer attaine to the rewards of Christ who teares the Church of Christ. He is an aliene he is prophane he is an enemy he cannot now haue God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother These he which last words S. Augustin repeateth out of him 2. Secondly he that is without the body of Christ cannot receiue the spirit of Christ nor be partaker of the lyfe and merits of Christ. But he who hath not the spirit of Christ is not his as witnesseth the Apostle S. Augustine declareth this very well by the example of a mans body whose members cannot liue vnlesse they be ioynâ—d to the body Another reasoÌ„ also S. Augustine alledgeth taken from the foresaid property of the Church None sayth he obtaineth saluatioÌ„ euerlasting lyfe but he who hath Christ to be his head But none can haue Christ to be his head but he who is in his body which is the Church So sayth S. Augustine 4. Thirdly the Name only of a Mother doth proue this sufficiently For none can be conceyued nor borne without a mother and the child which is borne if it leaue to sucke the mothers breasts will perish for hunger By which argument euen our wisest Aduersaries are convinced For both Caluin and Beza doe confesse this that euen the name only of a mother doth conuince that which we haue sayd to be true yea also the Scripture doth ofteÌ„ testify that out of the boosome of the Church we cannot hope for the remission of our sinnes nor euerlasting saluation and that the goyng out of the true Church was alwaies-hatefull And hence it commeth to passe that in the Creed of the Apostles first we beliue the holy Catholike Church and then the remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting because indeed without this Church none can obtaine eyther remissioÌ„ of their sinnes or life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the Church of Christ is to continue for euer THE second error of our Aduersaries is that many of them affirme that the Church of Christ hath not continually endured but that it sometymes fayled This error may also be easily refuted by the foresayd propertyes offices of the Church For first the Church is the spouse of Christ of which he speaketh by the Prophet I will betroth thee vnto me for euer Christ therfore did not betroth his Church vnto him for a few yeares only 2. Secondly the Church is the Body of Christ but Christ cannot be without his body and truly it were a monstrous thing to see a liuing head without a body 3. Thirdly the Church is the Kingdome of Christ but the Scriptures doe teach in many places that this Kingdome of Christ shall continue for euer as Micheae 4. v. 7. Daniel 2. v. 44. Ierem. 33. v. 20. 21. Luc. 1. 22. 33. Lastly Christ sweateth in his Holy One that is to say by his Holines that the Kingdome of Christ shall last for euer Wherefore they endeauour to make Christ himself periured who affirme that the Kingdome of Christ sometymes perished 4. Fourthly the Church is the house of Christ the which he built vpon a rocke against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile 5. Fifthly this same is proued by the offices of the Church The Church shall shew the death of our Lord vntil he come God also gaue some as Apostles and Doctors who should teach and rule the Church vntill we meet all in Christ in the end of the world WheÌ„ Christ also sent his Disciples to teach all Nations and to administer the SacrameÌ„ts he added this promise Behould I am with you all dayes euen to the consuÌ„mation of the world By which words as S. Hierome wel noteth he sheweth that they are to liue alwayes and that he is neuer departed from the faithfull belieuers 6. Lastly our Aduersaries themselues being coÌ„uinced with the truth of this matter do acknowledge that the holy Scriptures do testify this in many places For Caluin and Beza to omit many others do acknowledge and proue this out of the Scriptures Seing that sayth Beza the Kingdome of Iesus Christ is continuall it necessarily followeth that there haue alwaies bin some to be found who did acknowledge him for their King CHAP. IIII. That this Church which hath alwaies continued hath alwaies byn visible THE third error of our Aduersaries is that they deny the Church of Christ to haue byn alwayes visible For seing that they cannot deny but that the Church of Christ hath alwayes continued as we haue declared in in the precedent Chapter and wheÌ„ we demaund of them where their Church was for the space of a thousand yeares and more they fly vnto a certaine inuisible Church which they say lay hidden for many yeares But this error also is easily refuted by the soresaid properties and offices of the true Church 2. For first the Church is the body of Christ but this body of Christ was
only vnto God according to that saying of the Apostle God knoweth who are his For our Aduersaries will haue the predestinate only to belong vnto this their inuisible Church as we haue now declared who are only knowne vnto God and vnknowne vnto all others 11. Hither also it belongeth that those could not be Saints predestinated who haue byn for these many ages past in that inuisible Church of our Aduersaries For these if peraduenture there were any neyther durst publikely professe Christ nor preach openly the Ghospell but terrified with humane feare haue done all thinges by dissimulation and hypocrisy â—east they might be bewrayed and made knowne vnto others for otherwise they should haue byn visible not inuisible But Christ saith that he that shall be ashamed of me and that which I teach him the sonne of man wil be ashamed of when he shall come in his Maiesty 12. Lastly our Aduersaries being vrged with so many and inuincible reasons see well inough especially the wiser sort of them how absurd the doctrine of their inuisible Church is And therfore many of them now adayes acknowledge the Church of Christ to haue byn alwaies visible and moreouer that this visible Church remayned still in the Popedome as they speake For they caÌ„not assigne any other visible euer continuing Church besides that of Rome but least they be conuinced of falshood by the authority of this visible Church they seeke out some other euasion for they say this visible Church may yea hath often erred in matters of faith The which error we will confute a little after assoone as we haue answered the arguments obiected by our Aduersaries against this Chapter CHAP. V. The arguments against the visible Church are confuted MANY of our Aduersaries reasoÌ„s do not so much proue that the visible Church hath perished decayed as that it hath erred in fayth the which therefore shal be confuted afterward when we declare that the Church cannot erre in matters of fayth The rest of their arguments are almost all one with the old reasons of the Donatists For they in tymes past affirmed that the Church of Christ perished throughout the whole world but only in Africk Vnto whom S. Augustine answereth very well in many places But we will only heere briefly examine the more probable arguments and now a dayes more vsed by our Aduersaries 2. The first argument is taken out of those words of the Prophet Elias I am left alone and they seeke my lyfe I answere that this argument is of no moment albeit our Aduersaries Caluin and Beza do often vse it For Elias doth not speake of the whole Church but only of the Kingdome of Israell wherein the wicked King Achab then reigned albeit in it also there were seauen thousand men who did not adore Baal and who made a visible Church Moreouer at that very time Iosaphat a very pious and goodly King reigned there was also the temple of God and Priests and Sacrifices as also publike solemne and daily seruice of God yea out of the second book of ParalippomenoÌ„ we gather that King Iosaphat laboured very much to conserue and increase the honour and worship of God neyther was the number of them litle who professed publikely the true Religion For in the same booke are accounted and numbred more then eleauen hundred thousaÌ„d strong souldiars besides women and others lesse fit for warr by which it appeareth that the Church of God was not inuisible in Iosaphats Kingdome but rather very visible and coÌ„spicuous But Elias only complayned of the Kingdome of Israel they to wit the children of Israel and not the children of Iuda haue forsaken thy Couenant Neyther do we deny but that in some one or other Kingdome there might sometymes peraduenture haue byâ— few or no Christians whils in farre more places the Church of God was very manyfest and visible But that the Church of Christ was no where to be fouÌ„d in the whole world is most absurd and expresly against the holy Scriptures 3. The second argument is taken out of many places of Isay Ieremy wherin those Prophets complayne that all the Iewes did transgresse the Couenant made with God Moreouer they obiect the small number of those who were sometymes in the ancient Church before Christs tyme or euen in Christs tyme before the Gospell was promulgated and heere they make many disgressions to Noë and Adam himselfe The very same argument the Donatists also vsed as the words of Bishop Petilian â—estify related by S. Augustine But S. Augustine answereth very well to those generall complaints of the Prophets that the holy Scripture hath a peculiar phrase or manner of speaking who so reprehendeth the euill as though euery one of that company of people were wicked men so coÌ„mendeth the good as if they were all such and this S. Augustine proueth in the same chapter out of diuers places of the holy Scripture 4. Our Aduersaries also who would seeme skillfull and cunning in the Hebrew and Greeke language should call to mind that as well the generall particle amongst the Hebrews called col as that other which answereth vnto it in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often vsed in holy Scripture not generally for euery thing without any exception but for that which commonly is wont to be done as also non prosingulis generum sedpro generibus singulorum the which not only the Hebrew Lexicons written by our Aduersaries themselues doe playnly demoÌ„strat but also their chiefe principall ringleaders Caluin Beza The later wherof addeth also that we haue obserued that a generall particle is almost in every leafe of holy Scripture vsed indefinitely It is therfore most true which S. Augustine sayth that this word all in these kind of places is taken for many or for that which was common euery where as Caluin and Beza say for otherwise it is well inough knowen that in the tyme of the Prophet Isay there were some holy Kings as Ozias and Ezechias in Iury as also those Prophets Ozeas Amos and Micheas moreouer in the time of Ieremy there liued the good King Iosias and the good Prophets Ezechiel Daniel and Sophonias Therfore those things which Isay and Hieremy do say cannot be vnderstood of all vniuersally 5. The other places which our Aduersaries alleadge do proue that there are at sometymes but a few in the Church but they do not proue that the sayd Church was inuisible Yea as S. Augustine disputing against the Donatists well obserueth when the Church of God is most vexed with the persecutions of the wicked and seemeth to be almost oppressed therewith then is she most diuine in such her members as are renewed for courage and constancy for fayth and obedience towards God was more eminent in one Noë or Abraham then in ten thousand others 6. Lastly this our