tranquilitie doe preserue fellowly societie among men doe defend the good bring inordinate persons into better order and lastly doe not make a little onely to the setting for warde of religion but doe also abrogate euill customes and vtterly bannish vnlawfull mischiefes Hereof we haue examples in the déedes of Nabuchodonosor Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes and other Princes more But touching the Magistrates power his lawes and office I will speake of them in an other place Ecclesiasticall lawes are those which being taken out of the worde of God and applyed to the state of men times and places are receiued haue authoritie in the church among the people of god I call these ecclesiasticall lawes and not traditions of men bycause being takeÌ„ out of the holy scriptures and not inuented or brought to light by the wit of man they are vsed of that Churche which heareth the voyce of the shéepehearde alone and knoweth not a straungers tong The congregation commeth together to heare the word of God and vnto common prayers at Morning at Euening and at such appointed houres as are moste conuenient for euery place and euerie people and that the church holdeth as a lawe The Church hath solemne prayer times holy dayes and fasting dayes which it doth kéepe by certaine lawes The Church at certaine times in a certaine place and appointed order dothe celebrate the Sacraments according to the lawes and receiued custome of the Church The Churche baptiseth infantes it forbiddeth not women to come to the Lordes Supper and that it holdeth as a lawe The Churche by Iudges conueniently appointed doth iudge in causes of matrimonie and hath certaine lawes to direct them in such cases But it deriueth these and al other like to these out of the Scriptures and doth for edification apply them to the estate of men times and places so that in diuers Churches ye may sée some diuersitie in déede but no discord or repugnancie at all Furthermore Ecclesiasticall lawes haue their measure certain marks beyond which they may not passe to wit that nothing be done or receiued contrarie or differing in any iote from the worde of God sounding againste charitie and comelinesse either in little or muche that lastly this rule of the Apostle may be effectually obserued Let all thinges be done decently according vnto order and to the edification of the Church If therefore any man shall goe about vnder a coloured pretence of ecclesiastical lawes tobring in and pop into the mouthes of the godly any superstitious busie and vnseemely traditions of men whiche withal do differ from the Scriptures their part shall be first to trie that deceipt of theirs by the rule of Gods worde and then to reiect it There remaine nowe the traditions of men whiche haue their beginning are made and inuented of men at their owne choyce of some foolishe intent or some fonde affection of mankinde contrarie or without the holy Scriptures of which sorte you shall finde an infinite number of examples I meane the sectes the dominion and single life of spirituall men the rites and sundry fashioned customes vsed in their Church Touching all which the Lorde in the Gospell citing the Prophet Esaie sayth Why transgresse ye the Lords commaundement for your own traditioÌ„ ye hypocrites rightly did Esaias prophesie of you where he saith This people commeth nigh vnto me with their mouth and with their lippes they honour me but their heart is farre from me but they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines the precepts of men The blessed Martyr Cyprian alluding to these wordes of Christ Epistolarum lib. 1. epi. 8. saith It is corrupt wicked and robberie to the glory of God what soeuer is ordeyned by the giddie madnesse of mens heads to the violating of Gods disposition Depart as farre as may be from the infectiue contagiousnes of such fellowes and seeke by flight to shunne their talke as warely as an eating cancker or infecting pestilence for the Lorde forewarneth and telleth you that they are blinde leaders of the blinde Paule also in his Epistle to Titus sayth Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth not taking heede to Iewishe fables and commaundements of men turning from the trueth I doe of purpose here let passe the words of Paul in his second chapter to the Colossians bycause the place is knowne of all men I will not trouble you dearely beued with too large and busie an exposition hereof For I suppose that this little that I haue sayde touching the lawes of nature and of men I meane lawes politique Ecclesiasticall and méere traditions of men are sufficient to the attentiue and faythful hearers who at their comming home do more diligently thinke of euery point by theÌ„ selues and also reade the places of Scripture often cited by me and deuoutly expounded The Lord for his mercy graunt that we doe neuer despise the admonitions of natures lawe graffed in our heartes nor yet be intangled in mens traditions but that we in walking lawfully in vpright politique lawes and holy Ecclesiasticall ordinaunces maye serue the Lord To whom be all glory honour and dominion for euer and euer Amen Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first Table ¶ The second Sermon THE lawe of God openly published proclaimed by the Lord our God him self setteth downe ordinarie rules for vs to knowe what we haue to doe and what to leaue vndone requiring obedience and threatning vtter destruction to disobedient rebels This lawe is diuided into the Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall lawes All whiche partes and euery point whereof Moses hath very exquisitely written and diligently expounded The Morall lawe is that which teacheth men manners and layeth downe before vs the shape of vertue declaring therewithall howe great righteousnesse godlinesse obedience and perfectnesse God looketh for at the handes of vs mortall men The Ceremoniall lawes are they whiche are giuen concerning the order of holy and Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies and also touching the ministers and things assigned to the ministerie and other holy vses Last of all the Iudiciall lawes giue rules concerning matters to be iudged of betwéen man and man for the preseruation of publique peace equitie and ciuil honestie Touching the two latter of these I will speake of them in place conuenient At this time I meane to discourse vpon the Morall lawe First of all therefore let no man thinke that before Moses time there was no lawe and that the lawe was by Moses firste of all published For the selfe same especiall pointes of the Morall lawe whiche Moses setteth down in the ten Commaundements were very well knowne to the Patriarches euen from the beginning of the world For they worshipped the one â—rue God alone for their God whome they reuerenced and called vpon him Iacob tooke away with him the Syrian Idolles of Laban out of his house and hid them in Bethel vnder an oke or Terebinth trée which was nigh to
Father and the Sonne and name them the Trinitie teach that the man whiche God the Word tooke vppon him is to be accompted perfecte man not in body onely but in soule also euen as the auncient doctours of the Church did also thinck But forbeecause the question about Ousia and Hypostasis did trouble the Churches that there were sundrie contentions disputations concerning the differēce betwixt them they seeme to me to haue determined very wisely that those names should not at the first presently bee vsed in questions of GOD vnlesse it were that when a man wente about to beate downe the opinion of Sabellius hee were compelled to vse them least by lacke of words he should seeme to call one the same by three names when hee should vnderstand euery one peculiarly in that threefold distinction Socrates in the 7. Chap. and thirde booke of his historie addeth But they did not bring into the Church a certeine newe religion deuised of themselues but that whiche frō the beginning euen till then the Ecclesiasticall tradition taught and prudent Christians did euidently set foorth And so foorth Therefore awaye with the Popes champions to the place whereof they are worthie which when wee teach y all pointes of true godlinesse and saluation are fully conteyned and taught in the Canonicall Scriptures by the way of obiection do demaund in what place of the Scripture we find the names of Trinitie Person Essence and Substance and finally where we find that Christe hath a reasonable soule For although those very words consisting in those syllables are not to bée found in the Canonicall bookes which were by the Prophets and Apostles written in an other and not in the latine tongue yet the thinges the matter or substaunce which those woords doe signifie are most manifestly conteined and taught in those books whiche thinges likewise all and euery nation may in their language expresse for their commoditie and necessitie speake and pronounce them Away also with all Sophisters which thinke it a great point of learning to make the reuerend mysterie of the sacred Trinitie darcke and intricate with their straunge their curious and pernicious questions It is sufficient for the godly simplie according to the Scriptures and the Apostles créed to beléeue and confesse that there is one diuine nature or Essence wherin are the father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste Neither is it greatly materiall whether ye call them substances or subsistences or persons so that ye do plainly expresse the distinctiō betwixt them and eche ones seueral properties confessing so the Vnitie that yet ye confound not the Trinitie nor spoile the persons of their properties And héere now it will do verie wel out of the Scriptures to cite such euident testimonies as maye euidently proue the mysterie of the Trinitie with the distinction and seuerall properties of the thrée persons The Lord in the Gospel after S. Matthew saith All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth goe ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Tertullian alledging those wordes against Praxea sayth He did last of all commaund his disciples to baptise into the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost We are baptised not into one nor once but thrice at euery name into euery seuerall person Thus much Tertullian Nowe as euery seuerall person is seuerally expressed so the diuinitie of them all is therein singularely taught to be one and common to them all because hee biddeth to baptise not onely into the name of the Father but also of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste The Apostle and elected vessell Paule doeth flatly denie that any man either ought to be or euer was baptised into the name of any man whiche is nothing else but méere man Were ye sayeth hée baptised in the name of Paule So then the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is GOD into whose name wée are baptised The same Lord in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayeth When the comforter commeth whome I will sende vnto you from the father that is the spirite of trueth he will lead you into all trueth He shal not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake He shall glorifie me for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All things that the father hath are mine therefore said I vnto you that hee shall take of mine and shewe vnto you In these wordes of the Lords thou hearest mention made of the person of the father from whome the spirite is sente of the person of the Sonne whiche sendeth him and of the person of the holy Spirit which commeth vnto vs Thou hearest also of the mutual and equall communion of the Diuinitie and all good thinges betwixte the thrée persons For the holy Ghost speaketh not of himselfe but that which he heareth He shall sayeth the Sonne take of mine And againe All things that the father hath are mine And therfore what things the Sonne hath those are the fathers the diuinitie glorie and Maiestie of them all is coequall With these most euident speaches doe these two manifest testimonies of Iohn Baptist agrée First he sayth He whom God hath sent doth speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him The Father loueth the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his hand He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. Loe héere againe in the one Godhead thou hearest the three persons distinguished by their properties For the Father loueth sendeth the Sonne and giueth all things into his hand The Sonne is sent and receiueth all thinges but the holy Ghost is giuen of the Father and receiued of the sonne according to fullnesse Then againe the same Baptist crieth the second time and sayeth I sawe the spirite descending from heauen like vnto a Doue and it abode vppon him And I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water the same said vnto mee vppon whom soeuer thou shalt see the Spirite descending and tarying still vppon him the same is hee whiche baptiseth with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and bare record that this is the Sonne of GOD. Héere againe are shewed vnto vs as clearely as the day-light the thrée persons distinguished not confounded For he that sendeth Iohn is the Father The holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but appeareth vpon the head of Christ in the likenes of a doue And the Sonne is the sonne not the Father and that too the sonne of the Father vpon whose head the holy Ghost did abide And now to this place doth belonge the testimonie of the Father vttered from heauen vppon his Sonne Christ For he sayeth This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am wel
of prayer for the â—eade For that whichsome albedge out of â—he second booke of Machâ—beiâ— proueth thing For that booke is not canonicall Which thing it behooued them to haue learned long since euen out of Hierome They adde that prayer for the deade is an vnwritten tradition of the Apostles I heare them But I knowe well enough that the vnwritten traditions of the apostles are not contrarie to their writtâ—n doctrines I knowe well enoughe that the written doctrines of the apostls no where commaunde prayers for the deade and in no place allowe them When Paule the Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians to moderation in lameâ—ting for the dead the time being then verie fitte and most 〈◊〉 to giue commaundement concerning offering of prayers for the soules of the deade if he had thought them any whit profitable and necessarie yet notwithstanding he maketh no manner mention of them yea rather he simply teacheth what they ought to beléeue touching the fouâ—es of the faithfull being separated from their bodies namely that they liue in euerlasting blessednesse with Christ wayting and looking for the reâ—urrection of their bodies But who can not sée that this certeintie and plainnesse of the Apostles doctrine is intangled and perilously shaken with this feigned Apostolique tradition For if we beléeue in Christ let vs beléeue his wordes and promises He him selfe saide that he is the resurrection and life of the faithfull and that the soules of the beléeuing euen immediately 〈…〉 death of the body 〈◊〉 escape and 〈◊〉 into liâ—â— â—f I say we 〈…〉 of the Lord why then doe we aâ— yet being 〈◊〉 for the saluation of the 〈◊〉 of the deade prays and make supplicatioÌ„ for them as though they had not yet obteyned saluation â–ª By these our prayers truely we giue a manifest proofe that we dout of our faith hope not after that as concerning the saluation of our fouls which wedge â—â—th professe with tâ—ung and which also the wordes of Christe and the Apostles commaunde vs to hope after The stedfast faith truely and assured hope of those that beléeue and stay them selues vppon the promises of Christe dâ— forbid vs here to take and weare blacke mourning garments in offerings for the dead whose souls we beléeue to haue already put on white garmentes they forbid vs to giue occasion eyther to vnbeléeuers or to weaklinges in fayth of repreheâ—â—ing vs worthily bycause we 〈◊〉 and lament for them who 〈◊〉 say do liue with God as if they were â—ast into hell fire and busily set our selues a worke with making humble prayers vnto God to deliuer the miserable souls out of torments that is to say bycause the faith which we professe with tong and voyce we condemne by the testimonie of â—ure heart and mynd yea and of our outwarde workes If we goe on after this sorte truely we are double dealers in our hope and in our faith The things whiche we speake séeme to be dissembled false and feigned For it auayleth nothing in words to â—â—â—nt of vertue and with déedes to destroye trueth Therfore let him that wil receiue this 〈…〉 as they caâ—â— it of the Apoâ—â—les touching the offering of prayers for the faithfull departeâ— as for me I meane to receiue nothing repugnant to true â—ayth and 〈◊〉 from the apoâ—â—les doctriâ—e 〈◊〉 doe I persuade any man to receâ—â—â— such â—anitie This also I can not choose but tel you that that which they call the tradition of the apostles S. Augustine calleth the tradition of the fathers reâ—â—iued of the Churche For in his 〈◊〉 〈…〉 apostâ—li 32. he sayth This which the fathers deliuered the whole Church obserueth to wit that prayers shoulde be made for them in the communion of of the body and bloud of Christ wheÌ„ they in their own place are reheâ—â—â—ed at the verie sacrifice and the same is mentioned to be offered for them also And againe 〈…〉 gerendâ— Cap. 4. he saith Supplications or prayers for the soules of the dead are not to bee neglected whiche the church hath receiued to be made for all that be departed in the Christian brotherhod not rehearsing them by name but in a general remembrance of them altogether Thus saâ—e he â–ª Who though in some place he 〈◊〉 the traditioÌ„s of the apostles very say yet by these words this séemethmore expresly to be his meaning y this 〈◊〉 or order of praying for the dead was deliuered to the churche by the fathers and doubtlesse many yeares after the Apostles time was receiued of the church The same August defendeth in more places than one that the receiuing of the Eucharist or sacrameÌ„t of the Lordes supper is as necessarie for infants being newe come forth of their mothers wombe to y attaining of saluation as the sacrament of baptisme The chiefe and notable places wherein â—e hand â—â—th 〈…〉 in his first booke against 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 against y Pelagians Nether doth he 〈◊〉 that opinion with lesse 〈…〉 than the tradition â–ª bicause that 〈…〉 and very vsual in the church in y age But who at this day receiueth y ceremonie as Apostolical Who séeth not that those good fathers otherwise most faithfull pastours in that thing suffered some inuention of man The written doctrine of S. Paule deserueth at this day more to be estéemed than that auncient tradition of the church Paul writeth Let euery man 〈◊〉 himselfe and so let him eatâ— of this â—â—eade and drinke of this cap. Whâ—reby al men vnderstand that y Eucharist or sacrament of the Lords supper is for them to receiue that are of perfect age not 〈…〉 For y cauâ—â— it 〈…〉 for our elder to forsake y tradition and to draw more neare to the scripture Let theÌ„ therefore in this mâ—tter giue vs 〈◊〉 also to depart froÌ„ the vncertein tradition of the fathers to cleane to the moste 〈◊〉 faith doctrine of the apostles But 〈◊〉 say they was condeÌ„ned for this cause for that he beléeued prayers were vnprofitable for the dead I 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 y Aerius was coÌ„deÌ„ned neither do I take vpon me to defend him whom â—hylastrius Epiphanius Augustine do make mention to haue 〈…〉 Arian a man polluted with other â—oule errors But touching prayers for the dead whether they be profitable or vnprofitable there is no doubt that they are catholiques notheretiques who beléeue that which is deliuered â—et downe in the apostles créed For according to the tradition of this créede we beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes 〈…〉 life euerlasting They which beleèue these things â—â—tein vndoutedly what soâ—â—er they beléeue For the Lord said to the Contâ—â—ion Go thy way and as tho◠〈…〉 so be it done vnto thâ—â— Therefore who so euer beléeueth forgiuenes of sinâ— life euerlasting hath obteyned forgiuenesse of sinnes surly he shal liue in euerlasting life Which thing if y be true as it caÌ„not be false whith is deliuered vnto vs in the apostles créede what place I pray you shall prayers
Paule baptised as a minister not as one that had power of himselfe but the Lord baptised as he that had power of himselfe Behold if it had pleased him he could haue giueÌ„ this power to his seruants but he would not For if hee should haue giuen this power vnto his seruaunts that it should also haue beene theirs which was the lords then there should haue beene as many sundrie baptismes as seruaunts c. In the Church Christ reserueth that absolute power to himselfe For he continueth the head king bishop of the Church for euer neither is that head whiche giueth life separated from his body at any time But that limitted power he hath giuen vnto the Church Whiche thing it ought to acknowledge to wit an Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hemmed in with certeine lawes whiche procéedeth from God and for that cause it is effectuall and therefore in all thinges ought to haue chiefe regard vnto God and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is for that purpose giuen vnto the church that it might be put in practise for the profite of the Church For S. Paule sayth The Lord hath giuen vs power to the intent we should edifie not for the destruction of the Church And therefore that power whiche tendeth to the hinderance and destruction of the Church is a diuelish tyrannie and not an ecclesiasticall power procéeding from god And it behoueth vs diligently to marke and reteine this ende of Ecclesiasticall power But the limitted power of the church consisteth verie néere in these points to witt in ordeyning of the ministers of the Church in doctrine and in the discerning betwéene doctrines and finally in the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters Of euery one of which pointes in their order we will speake a litle declaring what manner of authoritie the Church hath and howe farre it is limitted in euery part thereof The Lord himselfe appointed the chiefe doctours of the Church whiche were the Apostles that all men might vnderstand that the Ecclesiastical ministerie is the diuine institution of God himselfe and not a tradition deuised by men And therfore after that the Lord was ascended into heauen S. Peter calling the Church together speaketh out of the scriptures of placing an other Apostle in the stéed of the traytour Iudas by that very facte shewing that power was giuen vnto the Church by God to electe ministers or teachers The same Church also not longe after by the persuasion of Peter and the Apostles so persuading vndoubtedly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost choose seuen deacons The Church of Antioche being manifestly instructed by the holy Ghoste doeth ordeine and sende Paule and Barnabas althoughe they were longe before that time assigned to the ministerie It is read also in the Actes of the Apostles that the churches by the commaundement of the Apostles did ordeine doctours for the holy ministerie as often as néede required And yet notwithstanding they did not ordeine euery one without choice but such onely as were fitt for that office that is to say such as afterward by expresse lawes they themselues did describe to witt If any man were faultles the husband of one wife watchfull sober c. The rule set downe by the Apostle is sufficiently knowen as appeareth in the 1. to Tim. 3. Cap. But as touching the ordeyning of ministers God willing wee will speake in the third sermon of this Decade But if the Church haue receiued power to appoint fitt ministers for the Church I thincke no man will denie that the Church hath authoritie to depose the vnworthie wicked deceiuers and also to correct and amende those thinges whiche being lacking may séeme necessarie for this order And forasmuch as ministers are chosen chiefly to teach it must follow that the Church hath power to teach to exhort to comfort and such like by her lawfull ministers and yet no power to teach euery thing but that onely which she receiued being deliuered vnto her from the Lord by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Teach them sayeth the Lord that whiche I commaunded you Go ye and preach the Gospell to all creatures And S. Paul sayth I am put a part to preach the Gospell of God which he promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures But this ministerie office of preaching is nothing else but the power of the keyes whiche the Church hath receiued The office I saye of binding and loosing of opening shutting heauen In another place also the apostles receiued power from the Lord ouer all ouer all I say not absolutely but ouer all diuels and not ouer all Angels and men and yet that authoritie and power they receiued ouer diuels they receiued it not absolutely for it is added vnto it that they should expell and cast them out And therefore they could not deale with diúels after their owne fancie but that onely so farre forth as he would haue them to dâ—e who hath absolute power ouer all diuels and that they might cast diuels out of men but not to sende them into men thoughe they would haue desired it neuer so much And so also as touching diseases they could not doe what they would else would not S. Paule haue left Trophimos sicke at Miletum who might so greatly haue béene profitable vnto him in the holy ministerie The two disciples if they had béen able to haue done what they would would haue commanded fire from heauen to haue fallen downe vppon Samaria and so would haue taken vengeaunce of the vncourteous and barbarous people of Samaria for that they denied to harbour the Lord Christ In like manner those same Apostles receiued keyes that is to saye power to binde and to lose to open and shutt heauen to forgiue and to reteine sinnes but perfectly limitted For they could not lose y which was bound in hell neither bind them that were liuing in heauen For he said not What soeuer ye binde in heauen but whatsoeuer ye binde vppon earth Neither said he Whatsoeuer ye lose in hell but what soeuer ye lose vppon earth Againe they were not able eyther to binde or lose whom they would not so much as vpon earth For they were not able to lose that is to say to pronounce a maÌ„ frée from sinne that was without faith Againe they could not binde that is say pronounce condemned him that was lightened with faith was truely penitent And surely such as teach other doctrine than this touching the power of the keyes deceiue the whole world of whiche wee will more largly intreat in place conuenient Likewise the Church hath receiued power from Christ to administer the sacraments by ministers but not according to her owne will and pleasure but according to Gods will and the forme and manner sett downe by the Lord himselfe The Church cannot institute sacraments neither yet alter the ends vse of the sacraments Finallie that the Church hath
of godlinesse and in daylie prayers though they sing not yet remaine they neuerthelesse the sonnes of god Neither yet doth all singing and in euery place edifie neither are all Churches fitt to singe Doeth not Rabanus saye in the same place that I euen nowe cited For fleshly minded mennes sake not for such as are guided by the spirite the custome of singing is instituted in the Church that they that are not moued by wordes may bee allured with the sweetnesse of the melody c. But the singing about which there is controuersie at this day is not that auncient singing but that more is both in matter and tune for the most parte it is cleane contrarie to the olde The common sort call it Gregories singing doubtlesse not of that great Gregorie who séemeth not to haue béene very fréendlie to singing as it appeareth by his constitution whiche is read in the Registre in the fifte parte thereof Cap. 44. Wee shall therefore séeme to iudge more truely if we referre it to Gregorie the fifte which is said to haue béene enthronized aboute the yéere of our Lorde 995. and moreouer to haue vsed the healpe of I knowe not who one Robertus Carnotensis Yet there are some whiche ascribe it to Vitalianus some to Gelasius It yrcâ—eth mee to rehearse what Durandus hath patcht together of this matter in his Rat. Diuin lib. 5. For I little weigh it There are manie thinges in this kinde of singing to be discommended For first of all many things yea the most are soung contrarie to true godlines neither are all thinges that are sounge taken out of the holie Scriptures but out of I knowe not what kinde of Legendes and out of the traditions of men And those things whiche are soung out of the Scriptures are for the moste parte so wrested and corrupted that there remaineth no parte of the heauenly sense or meaning Creatures and deade men are called vpon Moreouer this kinde of singinge is commaunded and they singe not of their owne accorde or good will but vpon constrainte yea they singe for money and to th' end that they may get an Ecclesiasticall benefice as they terme it Onely Clearkes hyred for that purpose doe nowe a dayes singe not the whole Churche of Christe as in time paste hath béene accustomed Neither is there any ende or measure in their singinge They singe day and night And to this foolishe and vngodly kinde of singinge as to a heauenlie or meritorious worke there is more attributed than true faith doeth allowe A man maye well say that it is that much babbling which the Lorde in Matthewe forbiddeth and condemneth as an Heathenish superstition They singe moreouer in a straunge tongue which fewe doe vnderstand and therefore without any profite at all to the church There is hearde a longe sounde quauered and streyned to and fro backewarde and forewarde whereof a man can not vnderstand one worde Often times the Singers striue amonge themselues for the excellencie of voyces whereby it commeth to passe that the whole Churche ringeth with an hoarse kinde of yellinge and through the strife that riseth about their voyces the hearers little vnderstande what is sounge I say nothing at this present of their musicke which they call Figuratiue and of their musicall instrumentes all whiche are conteined in a manner in their Organes as they terme them I saye nothinge of their Diriges or prayers for the deade Of which I haue also intreated in an other place But these and such other like so occupied the whole time of diuine seruice in the Churche that verie little or none was lefte for true prayers and for the holie and heauenlie preaching of the worde of god Therefore for moste iuste causes they that beléeue the Gospell doe neither vse such singing neither suffer it in the Church of god And they séeme to deale verie deuoutly and in like manner moste wisely whiche bestowe the beste parte of the time or euen the verie whole time of ecclestasticall assemblies in feruent and quiete prayers and in the wholesome preachinge of the worde of God omitting that singinge especially since it is a harde thinge so to limitte or restraine singinge which otherwise is tollerable leaste at some time it excéede and go beyond the appointed boundes Furthermore that our auncient predecessours had certeine and appointed houres wherein they prayed bothe priuately in their houses and publiquely in assemblies all the holie Scripture witnesseth in many places Dauid more than once in his Psalmes sayeth that he will goe vnto the Lord in the Morning and Eueninge Daniel prayed vnto the Lorde at thrée seuerall houres or times of the day Againe Dauid saith Seuen times in a day doe I praise thee But by seuen times he vnderstandeth many times For so else-where we reade written I will smite you for your sinnes seuen times And againe The iust man falleth seuen times and riseth vp againe And also If thy brother sinne seuen times in a daye and turne seuen times in a day vnto thee c. Seuen times therefore in diuerse places as also in this of Dauid is put for many times And Christe our Lorde hath tyed the priuate prayers of the faithfull as wee haue also tolde you before neither to place nor yete to time he hath not taken away publique prayers For he is the Lord not of confusion but of order But his Disciples when they were in the land of Iurie did them selues also obserue the accustomed houres of praying whiche that nation kept at libertie not of necessitie and specially for the assemblies sake For Peter Iohn goe vp into the temple at the ninth houre of prayer In the day of pentecost all the Saincts with one accorde were gathered together receiued the holy Ghost at the thirde houre of the day And it is also read that Peter priuately went vpp into the vpper parte of the house aboute the sixt houre The Temple béeing destroyed and the Iewes scattered abroade the Churches gathered out of the Gentiles did not obserue like houres of gatheringes together or of assemblies but at their owne libertie as to euery church it séemed most méete and conuenient Of which diuersitie truely the Ecclesiasticall historie also makethe mention yet for the most part there were houres in the morning and euening vsed for assemblies S. Hierome in his Epitaph vppon Paula expounding not the rite or order of the vniuersall church what it should doe in holie assemblies but what the companyes of solitarie virgins are woont to doe of their owne accorde sayeth In the morning at three sixe and nine of the clocke at euening at midnight they did sing the Psalter by order Onely vpon the Sunday they went vnto the Church neere vnto the whiche they dwelt c. So it perteineth to priuate institution which of the same sorte is read writen to Laeta touching the institution of her daughter and to Demetriades De custodienda virginitate
for that the Churches bothe oures and youres do beleeue agreeably to the Scriptures of God and tradition of the holie fathers ¶ A Confession of faith made by the Counsell of Chalcedon taken out of the booke of Isidore AFter the rehearsall of the Creeds set foorth by the Synodes of Nice and Constantinople with a fewe wordes put betweene streight way the holie Counsell of Chalcedon doeth prescribe their Confession in these words We therfore agreeing with the holie fathers doe with one accorde teache to confesse one the same sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and him to be perfect GOD in the deitie and the same also verie man of a reasonable soule and bodie touching his Godhead beeing of one nature with his Father and the same as touching his manhoode of one nature with vs like to vs in all thinges excepte sinne Touchinge his Godhead borne of his Father before the worldes and the same in the latter dayes made man for vs and for our saluation Wee teache to consider that hee is the one and the same Christe the sonne our Lorde the onely begotten sonne in two natures nâ—ither confounded nor chaunged nor diuided nor separated and that the difference of the natures is not to be taken awaye because of the vnitie but rather the propertie of bothe his natures remaining whole and meeting together in one person and one substance that he is not parted or diuided in two persons but is one and the same Sonne the only begotten sonne God the worde Our Lord Iesus Christe euen as the prophets from the beginning haue witnessed of him as he himself hath instructed vs and the confession of the fathers hath taught vs These thinges therefore being ordered by vs with all care and diligence the holy and vniuersal Synode doth determine that it should not be lawful for any man to professe any other faith or else to write to teache or speake to the contrarie That the Decree of the Synode of Calcedon is not contrarie to the doctrine of the blessed bishop Cyrill taken out of the fifte Booke of the holy Martyr Vigiluis against Eutyches BVt nowe let vs consider the last article in the decree of the Synode of Calcedon We confesse that Christ our Lord the onely begotten Sonne is to be vnderstoode to bee one and the selfe same in his two natures neither confounded nor chaunged nor diuided nor separated not making voide the difference of the two natures because of the vnitie but keeping sound the propertie of both natures comming together into one person and substance not as beeing diuided or separated but as beeing one and the same onely beegotten Sonne God the word our Lord Iesus In this article this displeaseth them because they saide The propertie of bothe natures remaining sound Or The difference of the natures not beeing made void And that they may persuade vs that those things which they mislike are assuredly so they vsing their accustomed largenesse of wordes and vaine assertions doe bring in many testimonies out of the articles of Cyrill wherein he denyeth not the two natures in Christe but teacheth that there is but one person To the intent therefore that we maye not confute them with our disputation alone let vs set downe also the wordes of Cyrill that euen as they leane to the testimonie of Cyrill so by the testimonie of Cyrill they may be ouercome In the Synodall epistles of Cyrill to Nestorius thus it is writteÌ„ For we do not affirme saith he that the diuine nature is turned or chaunged into flesh nor yet that it is transformed into the whole man which consisteth of bodie and soule but wee say rather that the reasonable soule hath coupled to it selfe the substance of liuing flesh that it is vnspeakablie and vnconceiuably made man and is also called the sonne of man not of bare will alone nor by the onely taking on of the person but because the two natures doe after a certeine maner come together in one so that there is one Christ and one Sonne of both the natures by ioyning them in one not in making void or taking away the difference of the natures but because they that is the Godhead and the manhoode together by that hidden and vnspeakeable knitting to the vnitie haue made to vs one Lorde and one Christe and one sonne What could be spoken more plainely than this What could be shewed more cleerely out of the Epistles of Cyrill to agree with the determination of the Counsell of Calcedon For see neither are wordes to wordes nor sentence to sentence any thinge contrarie but euen as they had one meaning of faithe so vse they in a manner the selfe same wordes The holie Synode said The difference of the two natures beeing no where made voide Saint Cyrill sayde The difference of the natures not beeing made voyde or taken away by ioyning them together The holie Synode said Bothe the natures meeting together in one person S. Cyrill saith Not of a bare will onelie nor yet by the onlie taking on of a person but because the two natures after a sorte doe meete together in one The holie Synode said Not beeing diuided into two persons but beeing one and the same Christe S. Cyrill said So that of two that is to say of two natures is one Christ the sonne And again Because they that is the Godhead and the manhood together haue made to vs one Lorde one Christe and one Sonne c. The Creede of the first Counsell held at Toledo when Honorius and Arcadius were Emperours taken out of the booke of Isidore WE beleeue in one verie God the father allmightie and the sonne and the holie Ghoste maker of thinges visible and inuisible by whome all things were made in heauen and in earth We beleeue that there is one God and one trinitie of the diuine substance And that the father himself is not the sonne but that he hath a Sonne which is not the father That the sonne is not the father but that the sonne of God is of the nature of the father And also that the holie Ghoste is the comforter which neither is the father him selfe nor the sonne but proceeding froÌ„ the father and the sonne The father therefore is vnbegotten the sonne begotten the comforter not begotten but proceeding from the father and the sonne The Father is hee from whome this voice was hearde out of Heauen This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him The Sonne is he whiche saide I went out from the Father and came from GOD into this worlde The comforter is the holie Ghoste of whom the sonne said Vnlesse I go away to the father the coÌ„forter shal not come We beleeue in this trinitie differing in persons but all one in substance not diuided nor differing in strength power and maiestie and we beleeue that beside this there is no diuine nature either of Angel or of spirit or any power which may be beleeued to be God. We therefore
not absolutely perfect As for those whiche doe earnestly affirme that all pointes of godlynesse were taught by the Apostles to the posteritie by worde of mouth and not by writing their purpose is to set to sale their owne that is mens ordinaunces in steade of the worde of God. But against this poyson my brethren take this vnto you for a medicine to expell it Conferre the things whiche these fellowes set to sale vnder the colour of the Apostles traditions taught by worde of mouthe and not by writing with the manifest writings of the Apostles and if in any place you shall perceiue those traditions to disagrée with the scriptures then gather by and by that it is the forged inuention of men and not the Apostles tradition For they which had one and the same spirite of trueth lefte not vnto vs one thing in writing and taught an other thing by worde of mouthe Furthermore we muste diligently search whether those traditions do set forward the glory of God rather then of men or the safetie of the faythfull rather then the priuate aduauntage of the Priestes And we muste take héede of mens traditions especially since the Lorde sayth In vaine doe they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men So that nowe the surest way is to cleaue to the word of the Lorde lefte to vs in the Scriptures whiche teacheth aboundantly all thinges that belong to true godlynesse It remayneth nowe for me to tell in what manner of sorte this perfecte doctrine of godlynesse and saluation I meane the very word of God ought to be hearde of the faythfull to the intent it may be hearde with some fruit to profite them aboundantly I will in fewe wordes containe it Let the worde of God be hearde with greate reuerence whiche of right is due to God him selfe and godly things Let it be hearde very attentiuely with continuall prayers betwéene and earnest requestes Let it be hearde soberly to our profite that by it we may become the better that God by vs maye be gloryfied and not that we go curiously about to search out the hidden counselles of God or desire to be counted skilfull and experte in many matters Let true fayth the glory of God and our saluation be appointed as the measure and certaine ende of oure hearing and reading For In Exodus Moses the holy seruaunt of God is commaunded to sanctifie the people and make them in a readinesse to heare the sacred Sermon whiche God him selfe did mynd to make the next daye after Moses therefore commeth and demaundeth of the whole people due obedience to be shewed as well to God as to his Ministers Then commaundeth he them to washe their garmentes to abstaine from their wiues After that he appointeeh certaine limites beyonde whiche it was not lawful vpon paine of death for them to passe By this we plainely learne that the Lorde doth require suche to be his Disciples to heare him as doe especially shewe obedience and reuerence to God in all thinges For he being God speaketh to vs men all we men owe vnto God honoure and feare A man vnlesse he become lowly humble and obedient to God is altogether godlesse Then is it required at the handes of those whiche are méete hearers of the worde of God that they lay aparte worldly affaires whiche are signified by the garments to treade vnder foote all filthynesse and vncleannesse of soule and bodye to refraine for a season euen from those pleasures whiche are lawfull vnto vs The holy Ghost dothe loue the myndes that are purely cleansed whiche yet notwithstanding are not cleansed but by the spirite of god Néedefull it is to haue a sincere beliefe in God and a ready good will and desire to liue according to that whiche is commaunded in the word of god Moreouer we muste be wise to sobrietie Ouer curious questions must be set aside Let things profitable to saluation only be learned Last of all let especial héede be takeÌ„ in hearing and learning For saythe Solomon If thou wilt seeke after wisdome as after golde thou shalte obteine it Againe he sayth The searcher out of Gods maiestie shall be ouerwhelmed by his wonderfull glory And againe he sayth Seeke not things too highe for thee neyther goe about to searche out things aboue thy strengthe but what God hath commaunded thee that thinke thou always on and be not ouer curious to knowe his infinite workes for it is not expedient for thee to see his hidden secrets with thine eyes Wherevpon the Apostle Paul sayth Let no man thinke arrogantly of him selfe but so thinke that he may be modest and sober according as God to euery one hath giuen the measure of fayth And hereto belongeth that which the same Apostle saythe Knowledge puffeth vp but charitie doth edifie But chiefly we muste beware of those plagues which choake the séede of the worde of God and quenche it without any fruite at all in the hearts of the hearers Those plagues and diseases hath the Lorde rehcarsed or reckoned vp in the parable of the sower For first of all wanton and vaine cogitations whiche alwaies lye wide open to the inspirations of Satan and talke of naughtie men are plagues to the word of god Also voluptuous and deintie louers of this world who can not abide to suffer any affliction for Christ and his Gospell do without any fruite at all heare Gods worde although they seeme to giue eare vnto it very ioyfully Furthermore the care of this worlde and the deceit of riches are moste pestilent diseases in the hearers of the worde of god For they doe not onely hinder the séede that it can not bring soorthe fruite in their heartes but also they doe stirre vp and egge men forwarde to gaynesay the worde of God and to afflict the earnest desirers of Gods worde Here therefore we muste take héede diligently leaste being infected with these diseases we become vaine and vnthankfull hearers of the worde of god We must praye continually that the bountifull and liberall Lorde will vouchsafe to bestowe on vs his spirit that by it the séed of Gods word may be quickned in our heartes and that we as holy and right hearers of his worde may beare fruite aboundantly to the glory of God and the euerlasting saluation of oure owne soules For what will it auayle to heare the worde of God without fayth and without the holy spirite of God to worke or stir inwardly in our hearts The Apostle Paule sayth He whiche watreth is nothing nor he whiche planteth but it is God whiche giueth increase We haue néede therefore of Gods watering that the word of God may growe to a perfect age may receiue increase yea and may come also to the bringing foorthe of ripe fruite within our mindes The same Aposâ—le Paule saythe To vs also is the worde of God declared euen as vnto our fathers But it auayled them nothing to heare the worde bycause it was not ioyned with
Fayth in them that hearde it For they dyed in the desarte And immediately after he sayth Let vs therefore doe our best to enter into that reste so that no man dye in the same example of vnbeliefe If therefore that the worde of God doe sounde in oure eares and therewithall the spirite of God doe shewe foorth his power in our harts and that we in fayth doe truly receiue the word of God then hath the worde of God a mighty sorce and wonderful effect in vs For it driueth away the misty darknesse of errors it openeth our eyes it conuerteth and inlighteneth our mindes and instructeth vs most fully and absolutely in truth and godlines For the Prophet Dauid in his Psalmes beareth witnes sayth The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimony of God is true and geueth wisedome vn to the simple The commaundement of the Lord is pure and geueth light vnto the eies Furthermore the word of God doth féede strengthen confirm and comfort our soules it doth regenerate clense make ioyfull and ioyne vs to god yea and obtaineth al things for vs at Gods handes setting vs in a most happy state in so much that no goods or treasure of the whole worlde are to be compared with the worde of god And thus much do we attribute to the worde of God not without the testimony of Gods worde For the Lord by the prophet Amos doth threa ten hunger thirst not to eate bread and to drinke water but to heare the worde of God. For in the olde new testaments it is sayd that man doth not liue by bread onely but by euery worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of god And the Apostle Paul saith that all things in the scriptures are written for our learning that by patiēce and comfort of the scriptures we might haue hope Also Peter saith ye are born a new not of corruptible seede but of incorruptible by the word of god which liueth lasteth for euer And this is the worde which by the gospell was preached vnto you The Lorde also in the gospell beareth witnesse to the same and sayth Now are ye cleane by the worde which I haue spoken vnto you Againe in the gospell he crieth saying If any man loueth me he will keepe my saying and my father will loue him and we will come into him and make our dwelling place in him Ieremie saith also Thy word became my comfort And the Prophet Dauid saith The statutes of the Lorde are right and reioyce the hart Wherunto adde that saying of the Lordes in the gospell If ye remaine in me and my wordes remaine in you aske what ye will and it shal be done for you In an other place also the Prophet crieth saying If ye be willing and will hearken ye shall eate the good of the land but if ye wil not heare my word the sword shall deuoure you Moreouer Moses doth very often and largely reckon vp the good thinges that shall happen to them which obey the worde of God Leuiticus 26. Deutero 28. Wherefore Dauid durst boldly preferre the word of God before all the pleasures and treasures of this world The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgementes of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they thē gold yea then much fine golde sweeter also then hony and the dropping hony combes For by them thy seruaunt is plainely taught and in keeping of them there is great aduantage Therfore is the lawe of thy mouth more precious vnto me then thousands of siluer and golde Vnlesse my delight had been in thy lawe I had perished in my miserie To this now doth appertaine that parable in the gospell of him which bought the precious pearle and of him also which solde all that he had and bought the grounde wherin he knewe that treasure was hidde For that precious pearle and that treasure are the gospell or worde of God which for the excellencie of it is in the scriptures called a light a fire a Sworde a Maule which breaketh stones a Buckler and by many other names like vnto these Dearely beloued this howre ye haue heard our bountifull Lorde and God who would haue all men saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth how he hath reuealed his word to al men throughout the whole world to the intent that all men in al places of what kinde age or degrée so euer they be may know the trueth and be instructed in the true saluation and may learne a perfect way how to liue rightly well and holily so that the mā of God may be perfect instructed to all good workes For the Lorde in the worde of trueth hath deliuered to his Church all that is requisite to true godlinesse and saluation Whatsoeuer thinges are necessary to be knowne touching God the works iudgments will and commaundements of God touching Christe our faith in Christe and the duties of an holy life all those thinges I say are fully taught in the worde of god Neither néedeth the Church to craue of any other or else with mens supplies to patch vp that which seemeth to be wantinge in the worde of the Lorde For the Lord did not onely by the liuely expressed voice of the Apostles teach our fathers the whole summe of godlinesse and saluation but did prouide also that it by the meanes of the same Apostles shoulde be set down in writing And that doth manifestly appéere that it was done for the posterities sake that is for vs and our successours to the intent that none of vs nor ours should be seduced nor that false traditiōs should be popt into any of our mouthes in stéede of the truth We must all therfore beware we must all watch and sticke fast vnto the worde of God which is left to vs in the scriptures by the Prophetes and Apostles Finally let our care be wholy bent with faith and profite to heare whatsoeuer the Lord declareth vnto vs Let vs cast out and treade vnder foote whatsoeuer by our flesh the world or the deuill is obiected to be a let to godlines We know what the diseases plagues of the séede of Gods worde sowed in the hartes of the faithful are We know how great the power of Gods worde is in them which heare it deuoutly Let vs therfore beséech our Lorde God to powre into our mindes his holy spirite by whose vertue the séede of Gods word may be quickened in our harts to the bringing forth of much fruite to the saluation of our soules and the glory of God our father To whom be glory for euer Of the sense and right exposition of the worde of God and by what maner of meanes it may be expounded ¶ The thirde Sermon DEarly beloued brethren I doe vnderstande that by meanes of my doctrine of the worde of God ther are risen sūdry thoughts in the hartes of many men yea and that of some there
earthly Gods he shall not doo amisse considering that for the nighe affinitie betwixt vs thei ought to be if it be lawful so to say more to be honored of vs thē the Gods thē selues And it is necessarie to be persuaded that we must with a continuall readinesse of minde doe our indeuour to repay the benefites receiued at their handes with the like again And although we shal do very much for them yet notwithstanding all will be too litle in comparison of that we ought to doe And so foorth as followeth For sooner will the time faile me then that I can conueniently rehearse this and the like belonging herevnto out of heathen writers neyther did I purpose to reckon vp all Against murder wrong and iniurie very seuere lawes haue ben made by the Gentiles From them also came the lawe called Lex Iulia against adulterie and detestable buggerie They ordained excellent lawes for the contracting obseruing of Matrimonie And the worde of truth doth expresly declare that the Chananites were wiped away bycause of their incest in marriage and horrible lustes Leuit. 8 Lycurgus also Solon and the Romans did publishe lawes for the restraint of outragious expences in riotous persons And here of purpose I ouerpasse that which is naturally ingraffed in all men the begetting I meane and nourishing of their issue and ofspring Against thefte deceipt and vsurie for the lawfull getting and possessing of goods for the distributing of riches and for bargaining the Gentiles haue very commendable lawes That saying of Ausonius is notably knowne If greedie gaping after gaine to get another groate Makes vsurie dispatch apace to cut the poore mans throate All the Gentiles in their writings do worthily commend the truth and do by all meanes they can crie out on and condemne lying slaundering and all such kinde of knauerie The lawe of the twelue tables is that a false witnesse shoulde be cast headlong downe from the top of Tarpey Charondas Catanaeus among other excellent sayings of his owne hath this also Let euery one saith he loue honestie and truth and hate dishonestie and lying For they are the markes wherby vertue is knowne from vice We must therfore beginne with children while as yet they are litle ones inure our selues to chastise them if they delight to lye and to make muche of thē for telling the truth that thereby the best and fruitfullest braunche of vertue may be graffed in euery seuerall mynde so be turned as it were into their nature The wiser sorte of the Gentiles doe vtterly condemne concupiscence and euill affections whiche the Poet in his Satyres blameth as the root of all mischiefe where he saith Frō thence almost comes euerie cause of mischief for no vice That reigns in man so many times could franticke heades intice To mingle poyson priuily to stop anothers breath Or else in armour openly to worke his riuals death As beastly raging lust hath done So then by all this we may easily gather that euen in the Gentiles mindes also were grauen a certaine knowledge of God and some precepts whereby they knewe what to desire and what to eschue whiche notwithstanding they did corrupt and make somewhat mystie with the euill affections and corrupt iudgements of the flesh For whiche cause God also beside the lawe of nature did ordeine other meanes to declare his will I meane the liuely tradition of the Fathers the aunsweres of Angels the voices of Prophets wonderfull miracles and written lawes which he published by wise and very deuout Patriarches All these did God ordeine to be a helpe to the law of nature What soeuer therefore is to be found among the Gentiles agréeable to trueth and honestie that is to be referred to God the author of all goodnesse and on the other side whatsoeuer is contrarie to the trueth that must be attributed to the corrupt nature and euil affections of mankinde In all this that I haue sayde ye haue to note especially that here I speake of knowledge and not of abilitie The knowledge of the lawe is after a sorte manifest in the Gentiles but the consent the will and abilitie to fulfill the law is weake and not easie to be foūd in them Wherefore as we affirme that the vnderstanding of the law must be inspired from heauen so also we say that abilitie to fulfill the lawe muste of necessitie be giuen of God aboue Nature without grace is herein without force and effect But whereas some of the Gentiles beare the name and praise of righteousnesse as Melchizedech Iob Iethro other more they haue that not of their own abilitie but of the grace of God as by the hystorie of Iob we may euidently gather by probable argumentes Wherefore if any of the Gentiles be saued then are they saued not by the workes of nature or their owne desertes but by the mercy of God in our Lorde Iesus Christe Moreouer the lawe of nature is not graffed of God in man to the intent that it without grace and Christ should worke mans saluation but rather to teache vs what is good and what is euill thereby to conuince vs to be sinners and without excuse before the Lorde Paule verily prouing that the Gentiles by the lawe of nature are guiltie of sinne as well as the Iewes by Moses lawe doth shew that in Christ alone the sonne of God is iustification life and all good else Thus farre touching the law of nature The lawes of men for my promise was that in my seconde part I would speake of them are those which are by men ordeined published to the preseruation of the common weale and Church of god Touching these they are of diuers kindes For there are politique lawes there are ecclesiasticall lawes and mens traditions Politique lawes are those which the magistrate according to the state of times places and persons doth ordeine for the preseruing of publike peace and ciuilitie Of this sorte there are an innumerable company of examples in the ciuil lawe and constitutions of the Emperours especially of Iustinian All which ought to come as neare as may be to the lawes of God and Nature and not to be contrarie to them or to haue any smacke of impietie or cruell tyrannie To such lawes Saint Peter willeth vs to obey where he sayth Submit your selues vnto al maner ordinaunce of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as they that are sent by him for the punishment of euill doers but for the praise of them that doe well For although the Apostle by ordinaunces or mens constitutions doth inclusiuely meane the kings and magistrates them selues as in the seconde clause of the sentence he doth immediately declare yet notwithstanding he doth bid vs therefore obeye good lawes and iust bycause by them the Magistrates support and rule the common weale Moreouer iust and honest politike lawes are an helpe to loue and
priest hath consecrated all the faithfull to be Kinges and Priestes vnto himselfe And yet notwithstanding he doth ordeine ministers of the Church by doctrine and examples to instructe the Church and to minister the sacraments I meane not those old auncient ones but those which the Lord hath substituted in steed of the old ones What doctrine they must teach hée doth expressely declare The mysticall attyre and garmentes of the priesthood hee neither did commend to his Apostles nor leaue to his Church but toke them away with all the Ceremonies that are called the middle wall betwixte she Iewes and Gentiles The Lord himselfe and his Apostle Paule will haue the pastours of the people cladd with righteousnesse and honestie and do precisely remoue the ministers of the Church from superioritie and secular affaires They doe also appoint stipendes for the ministers to liue vppon yet not those which the law allowed them but such as were most tolierable and conuenient for the state and condition of euery Church The Lord left the place to serue and worshipp God in frée without exception or binding to any one prescribed or peculiar place when in the Gospel after Iohn he said The houre shall come and is alreadie when the true worshippers shall worshipp the father neither in this mountaine nor at Hierusalem but in the spirite and in truth For such the father requireth to worship him God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and in truth The Apostle followed the Lord in this doctrine and said I will that men pray in euerie place lifting vp pure hands without anger Neither did the Lord in â—aine as I shewed you eueÌ„ now sufâ—â—r the temple to bee vtterlye ouerthrowne considering that at his death hée had rent the vaile therof And yet for all that the Ecclesiasticall assemblies are not thereby condemned Of whiche I spake in the exposition of the 4. precepte RemeÌ„ber that thou keepe holy the sabboth day Verily y tabernacle the temple bare the type of the catholique Church of God out of which there are no prayers noroblations acceptable to the lord But the Church is exteÌ„ded to the very ends of the world And yet it followeth not theruppon that all are in the Church which are in the world they alone are in the Churche whiche thorough the Catholique faith are in the fellowship of Christ Iesus and by the agréement of doctrine by charitie by the participation of the Sacramentes vnlesse some great necessitie hinder them are in the coÌ„munion of the holy Sainctes But they burne incense sacrifice in highe places whosoeuer séek after any other sacrifice than the one and only oblation of Christ Iesus or looke for any other to offer their prayers to God the father than Christ alone as they are taughte by the mouth of the Pastour sincerely preaching the word of god Moreouer the Church of God hath no néed now of any arke any table any shewbread any golden candlestick any altar either of incense or burnt offeringes nor yet of any braseÌ„ lauer for Christ alone is all in all to the catholique Church which Church hath all these things spiritually and effectually in Christ Iesus and can séek for nothing in any other creatures insomuch that if it perceiue any man to bring in againe either these or such like Ceremoniall instruments it doth sharpely rebuke bitterly curse him for his vnwarranted rashenesse blasphemous presuÌ„ption in the church of Christ For what néede hath the churche of shadowes and figures when it doeth nowe enioye the thing it selfe euen Christ Iesus whose shadowe and figure the ceremonies bare Moreouer the church hath signes enough in that it hath receiued of Christ two Sacramentall signes wherein are conteined all the things which the old church did comprehend in sundrie and verie many figures Furthermore he hath leaft the holy time to worship God in frée to our choice who in the Gospel saith The Sabboth was made for man not man for the Sabboth therefore the sonne of man is Lorde also of the Sabboth And the Apostle Paule saith Let no man therefore iudge you in meate or drinke or in parte of an holie daye or of the new moone or of the Sabbothes which are the shadowes of things to come but the bodie is of Christ Of the Christian Sabboth I spake in the exposition of the fourth Commaundement As for the newe moones they are not solemnized by the churche of Christ in so much as it is taught by Christ to attribute to God not the beginning of Moneths onely but the whole yeare also and the commoditie thereof with the light of the Sunne the Moone and all the starres in heauen Moreouer the Christians do celebrate their passeouer more spiritually then bodily euen as also they doe solemnize their Pentecoste or whitsuntide For as he sent his spirite vppon his disciples so doth hee daily sent it vppon all the faithfull And that is the cause that in the faithfull the alarme is striken vpp to incourage them as souldiours to skirmish with their enimies For the fleash lusteth against the spirite and the faithfull are daily assaulted and prouoked to battaile by the world and by the deuil the prince of the world Furthermore the feast of propitiation being once finished vppon the crosse endureth for euer neither do the Sainctes any more sende out a scape goats to beare their sinnes into the desarte For Christ our Lord came once and was offered vp and by his sacrifice tooke awaye the sinnes of all the worlde Finally since the faithfull doe daily consider beare in their mindes that they haue no abydinge place in this transitorie worlde but y they looke after a place to come they néede not as the Iewes did once a yere to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles In like manner the faithfull do no more acknowlege any yeare of Iubilie For Christe came once and preached vnto vs y acceptable yeare euen the Gospell whereby it is proclaymed that all our sinnes and iniquities are clearely forgiuen vs For so doth Christ himselfe interprete it in the fourth of Sainct Lukes gospell takinge occasion to speake of it out of the sixth Chapter of Esaies prophecie And thus the holy time and festiuall dayes are abrogated by Christ in his holy Church which notwithstanding is not leafte destitute of any holy thing or necessarie matter But nowe because this present yeare wherein this booke is firste of all printed is the yeare of Grace one thousand fiue hundred and fiftie and according to the Romish traditioÌ„ is called the yeare of Iubilie I am therefore compelled as it were of necessitie to make a little digression speake somewhat of the Romish Iubilie I do therfore call it the Romish and not the Christian Iubilie because as I shewed you euen now the church of Christe after oure redemption wrought by Christ and preached by the gospel doth neither acknoledge nor receiue any
true Temple the true highe priest the true altar of incense and burnte offeringes euen Christe Iesus the Lord and Sauiour they haue the true worshippe whiche was of olde prefigured onelye in those externall Ceremonies As I haue alreadie declared vnto you in that place where I handled the Iewishe Ceremonies The Gentiles are out of euerie quarter of the world called vnto Christe Iesu All the promises touching the calling of the Gentiles haue béene hetherto most aboundantly fulfilled and are euen at this day Nowe are wee the chosen flocke according to the doctrine of Saincte Peter We are the royall priesthood an holie nation a peculiar people being called hereunto that wee should preach the power of him which hath called vs out of darckenesse into his meruailous light Therefore let the vnhappie Iewes vnlesse perhappes they had rather to bee intangled in greater errours to bée vexed dailye with endelesse calamities and so at laste perishe eternally turne vnto Christ by faith and together with vs beginne to worshippe him in whome their fathers hoped and in whome alone is life and saluation For that I may with the Apostles woords conclude this place GOD is made manifest in the fleshe iustified in the spirite seene to the Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeued in the world and receiued in glorie And euerie one that beleeueth him shal liue eternallie and neuer be confounded Wée haue nowe behinde the last part to expounde the contents whereof are that God the father who before was angrie with the world is pleased nowe in his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ oure lord First of all therefore I haue to shewe you that God was angrie with the world whiche is no hard matter to proue For God is angrie at sinnes But the whole world is subiecte to sinne therefore it must of necessitie be that the most iust God is mightilie angrie with all the world And Paule sayeth The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse vnrighteousnesse of men Againe the same Apostle sayeth that all men are subiecte vnto sinne for confirmation whereof hee citeth these sentences of the holy Scriptures saying There is none righteous no not one there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throate is an open sepulchre they haue vsed their tongues for to deceiue the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes Whose mouth is full of cursing bitternesse their feete are swift to shedd bloud Hartes greefe and miserie are in their wayes and the waye of peace haue they not knowen There is no feare of God before their eyes Nowe least the Israelites should aunsweare that these thinges doe not perteine to the people of GOD but to the heathen and vngodly alone hee addeth Wee knowe that whatsoeuer the lawe sayeth it sayeth it to them which are vnder the lawe that euerie mouth may bee stopped and that all the world may bee endaungered to God. No man is here excepted For to the Galathians the same Apostle sayeth Hee hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that hee may haue mercie on all It followeth therefore that all the world was subiect to the wrath or indignation of the most iuste and righteous God as is at large proued in the second fourth and fifte Chapiters to the Ephesians But the heauenly father is appeased or recōciled to this wicked world thorough the onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christe And this I hope I shall aboundantly proue by the onely testimonie of God himselfe For the father by sending downe a voyce from heauen vnto the earth vppon Christe first ascending newely out of the water after his baptisme and then againe at his transfiguration in the sighte of his disciples did significantly saye This is my beloued sonne in whom I am delighted pleased or reconciled heare him This testimonie is read to haue béene foreshewed in the 42. Chapiters of Esaies Prophecie And Peter the Apostle repeateth the same in the first cap. of his second Epistle Paule also did as it were expound this and saye It pleased the father that in the Sonne should dwell all fulnesse and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe since he hath sett at peace thoroughe the bloud of the Crosse by him both the thinges in earth and the thinges in heauen In heauen is God and wée men heere vppon earth Nowe Christe is the mediatour which goeth betwixte vs and reconcileth vs vnto his father so that nowe we are the beloued of the father in his beloued sonne For in the Epistle to the Ephesians the same Apostle sayth He hath made vs accepted in the beloued in whom wee haue redemption thorough his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace All this shall be more fully vnderstood by that which followeth For nowe I must proue that God the father hath in his sonne giuen vs al things that are necessarie to a happie life and eternal saluation I name héere two thinges a happie life and euerlasting saluation By a happie life I vnderstand a holy and godly life whiche wee liue and lead quietly and honestly in this present world Eternall saluation is that felicitie of the life to come whiche wée with assured hope doe verilie looke for Nowe we haue in Christ a most absolute doctrine of a happie life taught vs by the Gospel wherein also wée doe comprehend the example of Christ his owne trade of life Verily our heauenly father hath made him oure teacher in saying Heare him And he himselfe in the Gospel after Sainct Matthewe sayeth Bee ye not called maisters for ye haue one master euen Christ who in the Gospel after S. Iohn is called The light of the world In an other place also he testifieth that his doctrine is conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherevppon it commeth that hee referreth his disciples to the diligent reading of the holy scriptures Touching which Scriptures Paule the teacher of the Gentiles and the vniuersall Church of Christ doth say All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction whiche is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfecte instructed in all good workes Wherefore althoughe the whole world bee madd and that the obstinate defenders of the traditions rather than the Scriptures do whet their téeth for anger yet maugre their heades the word of the Apostle shal abide most firme wherein he testifieth that the doctrine of the scriptures otherwise called the Christian doctrine is in all pointes most absolute and thoroughly perfecte Touching whiche matter because I haue alreadie spoken in the first Sermons of the first Decade I am therfore here a great deale the briefer Nowe concerning the eternall saluation fully purchased for vs by Christe thus ye must thincke Eternall saluation is the séeing and enioying of the eternall God and so consequently an
their faults they could not choose but feare the priestes And so it came to passe that they did not so strongly as they might sett them selues against the extreme corruption and lust of the priestes that was otherwise not to be suffered They haue béene hearde to saye I haue lerned by confessions know at my fingars endes what kinde of men of women and of maydens are in this citie I knowe howe to handle euery one according to his disposition They do all feare and stand in awe of mee because they knowe that I am priuie to their most secrete deedes and thoughtes of their mindes The secretes tolde in confession are many times foolishely blabbed abrode with the peril of the sillie soule y firste confessed them By the meanes of confessions no small and many treasons are hatched vpp and put in practise And surely it is a goodly matter when we for the feare or carnal blussâ—ing that wee haue by the meanes of one man I meane as some terme him of our ghostly father wee shall ceasse to sinne rather then for the sincere feare that we haue of God when as in deede we doe not blushe at all to thinke that hee shal bee a wittnesse againste oure conscience nor yet doe feare the seueritie of his iudgement that shal lighten vppon vs What may be sayde to this moreouer that by this auricular confession once established in the Church nothinge else is wrought but that the word of god should bee the lesse regarded throughe our traditions and we made the slacker to confesse our sinnes to hun to whome of right wee ought for to confesse them For so often as we remeÌ„ber our sinnes we doe carelessely put them off againe vntill the time of coÌ„fession come And when it is come then whoe I praye you goeth to it with a chéerefull minde Let wise men therefore iudge what kinde of discipline this is and howe well it pleaseth God. That which they alledge of priuate absolution is a meere deuise of mannes inuention which hath not in the sacred Scriptures any precept or example to backe it selfe withall For in verie deede none doeth absolue vs men from sinne blame and punishment but God alone to whome alone that glorie doth belong The minister by the preaching and consolation of the Gospell doeth pronounce and testifie that to the faithfull their sinnes are forgiuen Therefore this preaching of forgiuenesse beeing fetched from out of the mouth or woorde of God is the absolution wherewith the minister absolueth Neither is that absolutioÌ„ made any whit that more effectuall if the minister doe priuately whisper it into the sinners eare The publique preaching of the gospel as it is instituted by Christ our Lorde doth satisfie a faithfull minde whiche doth not so muche respect the demeanour of the minister as he regardeth the trueth of him in whose name the minister doth it But if a sinner saye they doe heare priuately sayde vnto him I absolue thée from thy sinnes and that by the vertue of the keyes hee dothe farre better vnderstand that his sinnes are remitted than when forgiuenesse of sinnes is generally preached and publiquely pronounced But wee doe in this case set againste them the Apostles example whome when the men of Hierusalem had heard to preache they were pricked in hearte and saide Men and brethren what shall we doe To whome Peter aunswered Repent and be baptised euerie one of you in the name of Christe Iesus vnto the remission of youre sinnes c. And there were added to the church that same day about 3000 soules Nowe who vnderstandeth not that vppon so greate a multitude baptisme was at once bestowed and the remission of sinnes vniuersally preached vnto them all and not that euery one had this saying or the like whispered seuerally into his eare brother thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And verily a godly mynded man may learne true faith in Iesus Christe through which his sinnes are forgiuen him as well by the publique preaching of the Gospell as by the priuate whisperinges of priuie penitentiaries and absoluinge confessours namely since that publique preaching doth conteine the commaundements of God when as those whisperinges do nothing so and finally since that the publique preaching of the Gospell doth apply to euery one the grace of God and that the Sacraments do testifie the remission of sinnes and the heauenly giftes prepared for all them that do beléeue in Iesus Christe And yet I saye not this because I thinke it amisse when occasion serueth so to doe if the minister do preache priuatly to one or two the Gospel of our Lord or else in the wordes of Christ do promise remission of sinnes to him that beléeueth but I doe here dispute against them which doe suppose that publique and generall preaching as it was vsed of the Apostles declaring to all and euery seuerall man the remission of sinnes is not sufficient except the sinner going to the priest doe confesse his sinnes and priuately aske and receiue priuate or peculiar absolution of him for the same For they thinke that for that priuate absolutions sake this priuate or auricular confession muste bee reteined in the Church But we will not saye they that all and euery peculiar sinne with the circumstances thereof should bee reckoned vp or rehearsed What of that then Who I praye you commaunded vs to whisper any sinnes at all into the priestes eare The primitiue Churche was wont to confesse to the priestes neither fewe nor many nor any sinnes at all Bonauentura recordeth that before Pope Innocent y thirde they were not counted heretiques which affirmed that confession made to God alone without anye priest is sufficient to them that doe faithfully beléeue but after the decree which he published touching confession to be made of euery man vnto his owne priest they were iudged heretiques that taught men to be confessed to God onely As though it laye in Pope Innocent to make a newe article of faith which the churche was without by more than the space of 1200. yeres after Christe Therefore if all they that liued before Innocent were without suspicion of heresie in that poynte and since we read that Nectarius and the churche at Constantinople was not condemned of heresie for abrogating and castinge out of the churche their Exhomologesis whiche séemeth yet to be farre better than this auricular confession no godly man vndoubtedly wil condemne vs which mainteine the confession instituted by God that is wont to be made to god and our neighbour but d ee onely resect and hisse at that secrete and auricular confession as that which bringeth more discommoditie than honest profite to the church of God. And for because I haue hitherto saide thus muche of secrete or auricular confession vpon which the treatise of satisfaction doth depend I shoulde here euen of necessitie say somewhat of satisfaction had I not sufficiently spoken of it in mine other sermons of this worke as in the sixte and ninthe Sermons of
excommunication the secular power hath nowe by the space of 30. yeares and more beene called on and persecution hath beene euery where raysed vpp against guiltlesse Christians not for committing heynous crimes and defending naughtinesse but for inueighing against mischiefes and mischiefous men and for requiring the reformation of the Church and yet euen at this day most cruell edicts are out and crueltie is exercised euery day more more against them that confesse the name of Christ yea such is their impudencie brasen-faced boldnesse they dissemble not that the counsell if any must be celebrated shall be called for the rooting out of heresies yea they doe openly professe that the counsell once held at Trent was to this end assembled Nowe since these things more clearely than the sunne are perceiued to be most true thou shalt most holy kinge doe wisely and religiously if without looking for the determination of a generall counsell thou shalt proceed to reforme the Churches in thy kingdome according to the rule of the bookes of both testaments which we do rightly beleeue being written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost to be the very word of God. But nowe that it is lawfull for euery Christian Church much more for euery notable Christian kingdome without the aduise of the Church of Rome and the members therof in matters of religion depraued by them wholie to make are formation according to the rule of Gods most holy word it is therby manifest because Christians are the congregation the Church or subiects of their king Christ to whome they owe by all meanes most absolute and perfect obedience Now the Lord gaue his Church a charge of reformation he commended vnto it the sound doctrine of the Gospell together with the lawfull vse of his holy Sacraments he also condemned all false doctrine that I meane that is contrarie to the Gospell he damned the abuse and prophanation of the Sacraments and deliuered to vs the true worship of God proscribed the false therefore Christians obeying the Lawes commaundements of their Prince do vtterly remoue or take away all superstition and do restore establish and preserue the true religion according to the manner that Christ their Prince appointed them He verilie is a foole or a mad man which sayeth that the Church of Christ hath none authoritie to correcte such errours vicces and abuses as do daily creepe into it And yet the Romish tyrannie hath so bewitched the eyes of many men that they thincke that they cannot lawfully doe any thinge but what it pleaseth Rome to giue them leaue to doe The Ecclesiasticall histories make mention of prouinciall Synods held in sondrie prouinces wherein there were handled matters of faith and the reformation of the Churches and yet no mention once made of the bishop of Rome What may be thought of that moreouer that in certeine Synodes not heretical but orthodoxasticall and Catholique thou mayest finde some that were excommunicated for appealing from their owne Churches vnto the Church of Rome Sainct Cyprian writing to Cornelius the bishop of Rome doth say Since that it is ordeined by vs all that it is iust and right that euery mans cause should be heard there where the crime is committed that to euery seueral pastour is appointed a portion of the flocke which euery one must gouerne make accompt of his doings before the Lord it is expedient verilie that those ouer whome we haue the charge should not gad to and fro by that meanes with their subtile and deceiptfull petulancie to make the concord of bishops to be at iarre but to pleade their causes there where they maye haue their accusers present and witnesses of their crime committed But letting passe the testimonies of men we do now come to the testimonies in the booke of god The most holy king Iosias most godly Prince may alone in this case teach you what to do and how to do with the warrant authoritie of God himselfe He by the diligent reading of the holy booke of God and by the contemplation of things present and the manner of worshipping God that then was vsed did vnderstand that his auncestours did greatly very farre erre from the plaine and simple truth for which cause he calleth together the princes and other estates of his kingdome together with all the priestes to hold and celebrate a counsell with them In that counsell he standeth not long disputing whether the examples of the elders ought rather to be followed or Gods commuandement simplie receiued whether he ought rather to beleeue the Church or the Scripture and whether all the iudgement of religion ought to be referred to the high priest For laying abroade the booke of the Lawe he submitteth both himselfe and all his vnto the Sacred Scripture Out of the booke of the Lawe both he him selfe doth learne biddeth all his to learne what thinge it is that pleaseth God namely that which was commuanded and learned in the reading of the Lawe of god And presently hee gaue charge that all men should doe and execute that not hauing any regard to the auncient custome or to the Church that was at that time he made all subiecte to the word of god Which deede of his is so commended that next after Dauid hee is preferred before all the kinges of Iuda and Israel Nowe your royall Maiestie cannot followe any better or safer counsell than this cōsidering that it proceedeth from God and that it is most fit for the cause which is euen nowe in hand The disputation is of the Reformation of Religion and the true fayth of Christ You know that that doth spring from heauen namely that it is taught by the word of God and powred into our hartes by the holy Ghost For Paul sayth Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ Therefore as true fayth is not grounded vppon the word of man so is it not taught or planted by the same For in an other place the same Apostle sayth My preaching was not in the enticing words of mans wisedome but in the shewing of the spirite and of power that your faith might not be in the wisedome of man but in the power of God. Not without good cause therefore doe we refuse the traditions of men and turne onely to the doctrine of the word of the Lord without which it is assuredly certeine that there is no doctrine nor any foundation of true fayth Neither are they worthie to be heard who thincke that the Canonicall Scriptures are not plaine enough full enoughe or sufficient enough to minister a perfect platforme of reformation They blaspheme the spirite of God imputing vnto it obscurenesse imperfection which faultes no prophane writer can well abide to heare off Sainct Paule in defence of the trueth sayth All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that
persecutours of Christ and his Church Such in these dayes are the heathen Turkes Iewes heretiques scismatikes and generally all such as are professed enimies to Christian religion And to these also wée may add hypocrites For it is no smal offence that the Lord him selfe in euery part of the Gospell doth so earnestly persecute and blame Amonge other thinges hee sayeth The Lord of that seruaunt shall come in the daye wherein he loketh not for him and in an houre that he shall not knowe off and shall diuide him and shall giue him his portion with hypocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Out of all doubt he signified the greatnesse of the offence by the sharpenesse of the punishment This Church doeth followe the motions of the diuel and the deuises or imaginations of her owne heart and is busied and exercised in all kinde of blasphemie and wickednesse wherein shée excelleth her selfe and at last sincketh downe to hell that shee be not in any place separated from that head whervnto she hath so diligently or rather obstinately ioyned her selfe I knowe right-well that ye will obiecte against mée for that I haue reckoned the hypocrites to bee in the outward communion and fellowship of the Militant Church and nowe againe to accompte them of the companie of the diuels Church Moreouer you will saye That it is impossible that the same hypocrites maye take part of both Churches differing betwixte themselues for that the Lord sayeth Either make the tree good and the fruite good or else the tree nought and the fruite nought And Sainct Paule also sayeth that there is no fellowship betwixt Christ and Belial twixt lighte and darckenesse twixt trueth and lying and that hypocrisie is lying and darckenesse Héere therefore I perceiue a fitt place to shewe by what meanes and howe farre I may accompt hypocrites to be of the congregation of the Churche First wee make a distinction or difference of hypocrites For there are certeine hypocrites that put their confidence in their humane iustice and equitie doeing all their woorkes openlye that they maye bee séene of men firmely trusting and stiffely standing to mens traditions To these it is a custome and propertie not onely to flie from the Church whiche teacheth the righteousnesse of Christ but also to curse detest and to persecute it with all crueltie Such kinde of people were the Iewes and Iewishe Phariseis with whome oure Lord Iesus Christe had much contention and with whom euen at this day the Church contendeth and maketh warres These be the plaine and visible members of the diuels Church and they are not to be counted of the outward Church yea they are not once worthie to be named in the Church of Christ Againe there are some kinde of hypocrites that are dissemblers whiche neither giue any confidence to their owne righteousnes and iustice neither yet doe greatly regarde the traditions of men These kindes of people neither hate the Church nor flye from it nor persecute it but outwardly they agrée with it professing the same faith and participating the selfe same Sacramentes but inwardly and in minde they neither beléeue vnfeignedly sincerely neither doe they liue holilie Of this sorte some of them for a season will cleaue to the fellowship and company of the Church and hauing any occasion giuen they wil fall from it as heretikes and scismatikes are wont to doe and such as of fréendes are become enimies Other there be againe that neuer fall from the Churche but kéepe them selues in the fellowship of the Church all their life time outwardly pretending and feigning Religion but inwardly giuing them selues vp to their owne errors faults and wickednes vnto whome without doubt the outwarde behauiour and fellowship profiteth nothing at all For we ought to liue for euer and to participate all heaueÌ„ly gifts with them that desire them to ioyne in fellowshippe with the Church of God not onely by outwarde and visible societie but by inwarde communion and felowship wherein consisteth life and saluation Of which matter we will speake in conuenient place Such Hypocrites or dissemblers hanging on the ecclesiasticall bodie are called members of the body and are said to be of the church Which matter that it may the better be vnderstoode of you all we wil set it foorth by certeine parables We say that the wicked or hypocrites be in like sorte in the Church as chaffe is in the corne which indéed is of an other nature and is no corne Like as therfore oft times their hang members vnto mens bodyes either drye or rotten or féeble which members although they haue no societie nor take parte with the liuely members in the vitall spirite yet by coupling together and certeine stringes they cleane fast vnto the liuely members by meanes whereof they are also called by men members and partes of the body whoe lest they should inâ—ect the other they cut them off oft times they let them alone lest by cutting them off the whole bodie shuld be in danger of life Euen so in like sort we saye that hypocrites are in the church of Christe though they be not vnited to the Church either by the bond of the spirit or offaith and loue neither are they to be taken for liuely members yet are they suffered lest some worse mischiefe happen to the whole bodie of the church and oft-times they are cut off wherby the better health may come to the ecclesiasticall body But let vs heare what the Euangelicall and Apostolicall testimonie saith The Lord saith plainly in the Gospel that in the lords field cockell groweth vpp béeing soawen by a wicked man whiche he forbiddeth to be plucked vpp least that therewith the corne be plucked vp also Beholde cockel soawen by an euil man I say by the Diuell him selfe which is no corne yet doeth it increase and is in the Lords fielde Againe the lord saith in the Gospel The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a nett which beeing cast into the sea draweth al maner of things vp with it and when it is filled it is brought to the shoare and there men sitting reserue that which is good in a vessell and that which is euil they cast away Againe beholde how ye may sée bothe good and bad to be drawen in the selfe same nett and therefore in the selfesame kingdome bothe good and euil to be reckoned Also in an other parable there entereth one in among the guestes which hath not on his wedding garment who is suffered for a season but yet at last is cast out of doores by the Lord of the feast In an other place it is said that he hath a fanne in his hand and clenseth the flower and burneth the chaffe with vnquencheable fire S. Paule in his Epistle to the Corinthes putteth a difference betwixt the professed and open enimies of Christes Church and the impure sorte of men who as yet are not quite repugnaunte and aduersaries to
office and dutie of Pastours than if they shuld set before the eyes of the world a companie of Idols For who dare denie but that a great part yea the most part of the byshops of Rome since Gregorie the great were suche maner of Idoles suche kinde of woolues and deuourers as are described by the Prophete Zacharie What than I praye you can the continuall succession of such false pastors proue Yea and they which were of the later time did they not fill almost the vniuersall churche with the traditions of men and partly oppressed the word of God and partly persecuted it In the ancient church of the Israelites there was a continuall order of succession of byshops without any interruption thereof euen from Aaron to Vrias who liued vnder Achas and to other wicked byshops also falling from the word of god to the traditions of men yea and also idolatrie But for all that that succession did not proue the idolatrous byshops with the churche that claue vnto them to be the true byshops of God and the true church of god Truely the true Prophetes of God the sounde catholique fathers preaching only the word of God without mens traditions yea cleane against all traditions were not able to reckon vp any continual succession of priests their predecessours to whome they them selues should succéede yet notwithstanding they were most excellent lights worthy members of the church of God they which beleeued their doctrine were neither Scismatiques nor heretiques but eueÌ„ to this day are acknowledged to be the true church of Christ When Christe our Lord the blessed son of God did teach here on earth gathered together his church the succession of byshops was on his aduersaries part But they for that cause were not rulers of the true church of God Christ of the heretical church The apostles of our lord could not alledge for theÌ„ selues their doctrine a succession of bishops not interrupted for they were ordeined of the Lord who was also him selfe created of God the high priest for euer after the new order of Melchisedech without the succession of the order of Leuie yet the church y was gathered by them is acknowledged of al men to be the true holy church The Apostles theÌ„selues wold haue none other to be accounted for their true felowes successors but those who walked vpright in the doctrin way of Christ For notable manifest is the saying of Paule Be ye the followers of me euen as I am of Christ And though he speaketh these wordes to al the faithful not only to the ministers of Gods word yet those wold he chiefly haue such followers of him as the residue of coÌ„mon christians that is to say euery man in his vocation calling The same Apostle speaking at MiletuÌ„ with the bishops of Asia amoÌ„g other things saith I knowe this that after my departing shall grieuous wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruers things to draw disciples after theÌ„ Paul y apostle not froÌ„ any other place than out of the apostolique churche it selfe yea out of the companie or assembly of Apostolique Byshops and Pastours fetcheth out of the woolues and deuourers of the Church But could not these thinke you allege the Apostolique successioÌ„ for them selues and their most corrupt cause that is to say that they be descended from Apostolique Pastours But for so much as forsaking the trueth they be falâ—e from the faith and doctrine of the Apostles the ofspring and Apostolicall succession doth nothing at all make for them Therefore we conclude that the continuall succession of Byshops by it selfe proueth nothing yea rather that that is no lawful succession whiche wanteth the puritie of the doctrine of the Scriptures and Apostles And therefore Tertullian greatly estéeming and that worthily the continuall succession of Pastours in the Churche yet requireth the same to be approued by the sinceritie of Apostolique doctrine yea hée acknowledgeth those Churches whiche are instructed with pure doctrine and yet not able to make any reckoning of succession of Byshoppes to be Apostolique Churches If anye man require the words of the author they be these But if there be any churches that dare presume to plant them selues in the very age of the apostles that therfore they may seeme to haue bene planted by the apostles bicause they were vnder the Apostles wee may say thus Let them bring foorth the first beginning of their churches let them turne ouer the order of succession of their Byshops so by succesâ—ions going from the first beginning that that first Byshop of theirs maye be found to haue for his authour and predecessour some one of the Apostles and apostolical sort of men and yet such an one as coÌ„tinued with the Apostles For by this meanes the Apostolique churches giue their iudgment As the church of Smyrna testifieth that they had Polycarpus placed there by S. Iohn And as the churche of Rome sheweth that Clemens was appointed by S. Peter And as in like sort also other do shew for them selues who haue their ofspring of Apostolique seede placed in their Byshopricks by the Apostles Let heretiques faine some such matter For after their blasphemies what is vnlawful for them But albeit they doe faine they shal not preuaile For their owne doctrine being compared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitie contrarietie therof shall shewe that it had neyther Apostle nor Apostolicall man for the author Bicause as the Apostles taught nothing that was contrarie among theÌ„ selues euen so Apostolicall men set forth nothing contrarie to the Apostles but only such as fel away from the Apostles and taught other doctrine In this manner therefore may those Churches appeale who albeit they can bring for their authour none of the Apostles or Apostolique men as those that are of farre later time are but nowe daily erected yet they agréeing in one faith are neuerthelesse counted Apostolicall for the likenesse of the doctrine The selfe same authour speaking of the auncient church of Rome and gathering the summe of that it either taught or learned saith Happie is that Church to which the Apostles haue vttered all their doctrine with their bloud where Peter in suffering is made like to the Lord where Paul is crowned with the like end that Iohn had where the Apostle Iohn after that he was plunged in hote scalding oyle felt no paine was banished into the Isle Let vs see what it lerned and what it taught how it doth agre with the churches of Africa it acknowlegeth one god the maker of all things Iesus Christ the sonne of God the creator borne of the virgine Marie the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh it ioyneth the lawe the Prophets with the doctrine of the EuaÌ„gelists Apostles froÌ„ theÌ„ drinketh that faith baptiseth with water clotheth with the holy ghost feedeth
was there any other cause why y the people being kept in bondage by the space of lxx yeres in the captiuitie of Babylō offered no sacrifices yet most certaine it is notwithstanding y both the prophets of God the holy true worshippers of God separated themselues both frō the worship and sacrifices which were vsed being contrarie to the word of god Surely we read in all the sermons of the prophets that both those sacrifices and also that Churche are condemned For whiche cause they thēselues also were condemned of the highe priest and other priestes of Baal as most abhominable heretiques and scismatiques euen as now a dayes also we are thrust through with the dartes of your curses for that we will not communicate with the Popishe church and her holy seruice and doe reiecte their holy seruice itselfe To this may be added that the sacrifices of the lawe beeing nowe fulfilled and abrogated by the lord the Apostles with manifest defection departed not only from the high priests and church of Hierusalem but moreouer gathered vnto Christe a newe church by the preaching of the Gospel and badge of the sacraments whiche church in the Actes of the Apostles we haue described according to whose patterne all churches ought of righte to bee refourmed euen as many as would be called Apostolique churches What haue wee therefore offended now adayes refourming churches after the likenesse of the Apostolique church whiche churches were of old prophaned by that sea of Rome and the members therof We read that the church of God before the comming of Christin the flesh was oftentimes defiled with filthie pollutions of corrupt men and that the same was purged againe and renued after the likenesse of the old church according to the word of god And why should not we take the same course in our age in the very same cause There remaine moreouer prophecies of our sauiour Christe and of the holye Apostles and Prophets liuely painting out this greuous oppression of the church of Christ vnder the furie of Antichristes tyrannie in this oure last age there remaine most weighty commaundements commaunding to flie from Antichriste from idolatrie false prophets For the Lord sayeth in S. Matthewes Gospel There shal arise false Christes false Prophets and shal shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie electe Beehold I haue told you before Wherefore if they shal say vnto you Behold he is in the desart Go not forth Behold he is in the secret places beleeue it not And againe Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Also Can the blind lead the blind shal they not both fall into the ditch S. Peter also sayeth very grauely Saue your selues from this froward generation And also in his second and third chapiters of his second epistle he entreates very largly of this matter And also S. Paule agréeing in all thinges with the holy Gospel and with S. Peter and painting forth Antichrist and those last times of Antichrist corrupt men not lightes but firebrandes of the church commaundeth the sainctes to departe from them and togather themselues together vnto Christe and his sincere trueth If any man aske for the places he shal find them 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 3. and 4. The same Apostle in another place euen the Apostle Iohn doth also say Flie from idolatrie And in the 6. cap. of the 2. epist. to the Cor. by expresse words and most manifest opposition he sheweth That there can be no agreement betweene Christe Belial light and darckenesse and betweene idols and the temple of God. And therefore he addeth by and by after Wherfore come out from among them and separate your selues sayeth the Lord and touche none vncleane thinge and I will receiue you To this apperteyneth that whiche the blessed Apostle Iohn in his reuelation shewed him by the lord Christ séeing the workes of Babylon heareth also therew t a voice cōming frō heauen cōmanding after this manner Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinns that ye receiue not of her plagues The same Apostle very often threateneth euerlasting destructiō to those y worship the beast but life glory to those that forsake and flée from the beast so as they cleaue only to the only sauiour of the world Iesus Christ Therefore that departure of oures from the sea or church of Rome is not onely lawfull but also necessarie as that which is commaunded vs of the Lord himselfe and by his holy Apostles vnto whome vnlesse we◠obey wee cannot be saued Otherwise we are not ignoraunt that fallings away are altogether abhominable and to be blamed amongst the which notwithstanding except we distinguishe it will not plainly appeare what wee either allowe or disproue either else what wee followe or flée from There is a defection of apostacie in the which thorough hatred of faith or religion Atheistes or godlesse men of méere vngodlines contempt of God with their wicked ringleaders Lucian and Iulian the Apostata fall away from the scunde and catholique faith and finally from the fellowshipp of the faithfull and moreouer do blaspheme rayle vpon the Christian veritie and either laugh to scorne or persecute the very Church of god There is also an heretical defection that is to saye wherein with Valentine Marcion Arrius Manicheus Artemones other such monsters certeine proude arrogant malapert wicked persons either refusing the verie Scripture or wresting the same despise and treade it vnder their féete or else do denie ouerthrowe and resist certeine articles of faith and the sound and auncient opinions of the churche of God and affirme the contrarie and so frame to themselues heretical churches and depart from the true auncient and catholique church There is moreouer a scismaticall defection such as was the Donatists who separated themselues from the true church of God vnder the pretēce of obteyning a more absolute kind of holinesse Wherof I haue spokē verie largly but a little before And the aboue remembred two kinds of defection are altogether abhominable wicked euen as also the third kind can by no meanes be defended But none of all these kinds can be imputed vnto vs nowe a dayes departing from the churche of Rome For y departure is voyd of all crime whiche is made not from the true but from the false church not from the people of God but from the persecuters of gods people not from the articles of faith and sounde opinions of the churche but from errours which obscure the articles of faith and from the wicked traditions and corruptions of men whiche moreouer is made not throughe any lightnesse but of necessitie not for inuocation but for true religions sake that leauinge the fellowshipp of darckenesse we maye bée gathered together againe with Christ the true light
is it read that amonge the old fathers there was any other consecrating of pastours As also all other thinges were simple and not sumptuous in the primitiue and Apostolique church In the ages following ceremonies increased but yet so that at the beginning to some they séemed not altogether to haue excéeded measure But to me the séemeth to be ouer much whiche at mans pleasure is added to Gods institution And I pray you what néede is there to patche mennes fancies and customes vnto the institutions of the Apostles Why doeth not the laying on of handes suffice thée since it sufficed the blessed Apostles who were farre holier than thou and more skilfull in heauenly matters There was afterward added oyle there was also added the booke of the Gospels For after this maner the 4. counsell of Carthage decreeth When a bishop is ordeined let two bishops place and hold ouer his head and shoulders the booke of the Gospels and one powring vpon him the blessing let all the other bishops that are present touche his head with their hands They of later time haue added heere vnto a pall But at this daye there is no ende of ceremonies nay rather of follies If any man doe diligently compare their ceremonies with the attyre of Aaron and the Iewishe priestes hee will sweare the whole Aaronisme is brought againe by them into the church yea that this is more sumptuous and burdensome yea and that contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell That at this time I affirme not their cōsecration to be both infamous and fully stuffed with excesse pride and offence and by the meanes to bée intollerable There is another thing to be noted whiche is that albeit amonge the old fathers consecration increased by the multiplying of ceremonies yet was it fréely bestowed neither was there any thinge either in it or in the whole Churche of Christ set to sale But at this day how déere palls are sould by that Romish Chanaanite and with how great costs consecrations are made it is a shame euen to speake Gregorie in the counsell at Rome celebrated in the time of Mauricius and Theodosius amonge other things thus decréeth Following sayeth hee the auncient rule of the fathers I ordeine that there bee nothing at any time taken of ordinations neither for the giuing of the pall nor for the deliuerie of the Bulls For seeing that in ordeyning of a bishop the high bishop layeth his hād vpon him and the minister readeth the lesson of the Gospel the Notarie writeth the epistle of his confirmation As it becōmeth not the bishop to sell the hand he layeth on so neither the minister nor the notarie ought in the ordination either the one to sell his voice or the other his penne But if any man shall presume to take any gaine thereby hee shal be sure before the iudgement seate of Almightie God to vndergo the sharpe sentence due to so horrible an offence Yet forthw t he addeth But if he that is ordeined not required but of his owne freewill only for fauours sake wil offer any thing we graunt he may I haue hetherto declared what manner of men and after whatsort bishops or pastours muste be ordeined in the church of god And albeit out of those things it may easily be gathered why at this day we suffer not oure selues to be ordeined of those who are called and séeme to them selues to be the only lawfull ordinaries that is to saye such as in the Romish church by continuall succession descend from the Apostles I will yet if I can declare the cause somewhat more plainely Of the continuall succession of Byshops or pastours and of the churche I haue spoken elsewhere so that it were superfluous here to repeate and rip vp the same againe I haue also proued that oure churches are the true churches of God though they agrée not with the late vpstart churche of Rome And it is euident that true churches haue power to ordeine pastours whether it be done by the voices of the whole church or by the law full iudgement of suche as are chosen by the church Wherevpon it consequently followeth that they are lawfully ordeined whiche our or rather which the churches of Christe doe ordeine And there are weightie causes why the holy churches of God doe refuse to haue their ministers ordeyned of Popishe ordinaries For S. Paule sayth Though we or an angel from heauen shall preach any other Gospell vnto you than that which wee haue preached vnto you let him be accursed But these men preache an other Gospell beside that which Paule preached whiche thing we will haue to be vnderstood as touching the sense wherin there is more daunger and not as touching the wordes And therefore from heauen these mē are stricken with this cursse or excommunication But who can abide to be ordeined of them that be stricken with a cursse or excommunicate Moreouer the chiefe thing in the ordination is the doctrine of the Gospel Séeing that to this end especially ministers of the church are ordeined that they preach the pure gospell of Christe vnfeignedly vnto the people and without mingling of mans traditions But this very thing they doe not only most streightly forbid them that are ordeined but also they compell them to abiure by a certeine kinde of othe whiche they offer vnto them For they are bounde by that wicked othe not vnto Christ but to the Pope against Christe For among other things thus they whiche are elected bishops take their othe I. N. elected bishop of N. from this time foorth will be faithful and obedient to blessed Peter and to the holy Apostolique church of Rome and to our Lord N. the Pope and to his successours entring canonically The counsel which they shal commit vnto me by them selues or messingers or by their letters to their hinderance I will not willingly disclose to any man I will be a helper vnto thē to reteine and defend against al men the Popedome of Rome and the royalties of S. Peter I will doe my indeuour to keepe defend increase and inlarge the rightes honours priuileges and authoritie of the churche of Rome of our Lorde the Pope and of his foresaide successours Neither wil I be in counsel practise or treatie wherein shall be imagined againste our Lorde the Pope him selfe or the same church of Rome any sinister or preiudiciall matter to their persons right honour state or power And if I shall vnderstand such thinges to be imagined or procured by any I will hinder the same as muche as lyeth in me and with as much speede as conueniently I maye I will signifie the same to oure sayde Lorde or to some other by whom it may come to his knowledge The rules of the holy fathers the decrees ordinaunces sentēces dispositions reseruations prouisions and commaundements Apostolical I wil obserue with my whole might and cause them to bee obserued of other Heretiques Scismatiques and rebels against our
Gentiles Againe when the same Paule at Corinthe had preached Christe to the Iewes and they resisted and reuiled The Apostle shooke his rayment and sayde Your bloude be vppon your owne heades I am cleane from hencefoorth I will goe vnto the Gentiles And so he did â—â—nd the vnbeléeuers And God confirmed the preaching of Paule bycause it procéeded from God him selfe And vnlesse you put the proper and true keye into the locke you shall neuer open it The true and right keye is the pure worde of God the counterfet and théeuishe key is a doctrine and tradition of man estraunged from the worde of god I thinke I haue sufficiently proued by euident testimonies of the scripture that the keys giuen to the Apostles and Pastours of the Churche and so to the Churche it selfe are nothing else than the ministerie of teaching the Church For by the doctrine of the Gospell as it were with certeine keyes the gate of the kingdome of heauen is opened when a sure and readie meane and waye is shewed to come to atteine vnto the participation of Christe and the ioyes of euerlasting life by true fayth To the testimonie of God mans recorde agréeth For Sainte Iohn Chrysostome vpon Matthewe chapter 23. The keye saythe he is the word of the knowledge of the scriptures by whiche the gate of truthe is opened to men And the key-bearers are the Priests to whom is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the scriptures Other testimonies of olde interpreters of the Scriptures differing nothing from these of oures for that I am desirous to be briefe I do not bring Since these thinges are thus brethren and are deliuered vnto vs in the expresse Scriptures we will not therefore greatly passe what the Papistes babble touching the power of the keyes and what offices dignities preferments and I knowe not what other thing and what authoritie of Priestes they deriue from thence We haue learned not out of the wordes or opinions of men but out of the manifest worde of GOD that the keys are the ministerie of the preaching of the worde of GOD and that the keyes are giuen to the Apostles and to their successours that is to say the office of preaching remission of sinnes repentaunce and life euerlasting is coÌ„mitted to them Wherevpon we nowe conclude this that the chiefe office of a Pastour of the church is to vse those very keyes whiche the Lorde hath deliuered to his Apostles and no other that is to preache the onely and pureworde of GOD and not to fetche any doctrine from any other place than out of the verie worde of god For there is a perpetuall and inuiolable lawe at this day also layde vpon our Pastours which we reade was layd vpon the most auncient gouernours of the Churche the Lorde him selfe witnessing in Malachie and saying My couenaunt was with Leuie of life and peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afrayde before my name The lawe of truth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes he walked with me in peace and equitie and turned many from their iniquitie For the Priestes lippes shoulde preserue knowledge and they shoulde seeke the lawe at his mouth for hee is the messinger of the Lorde of hoastes Againe the Lord sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and giue them warning from me In Ieremie the Lorde sayth The Prophete that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and hee that hath my woorde let him speake my woorde faythfully He expressely puts a difference betwéene heauenly things and earthly thinges betwéene those thinges whiche are of the word of GOD and those that are feigned and chosen by man whiche hée willeth to let passe as vncerteine thinges and as dreames For he immediately addeth Is not my worde as fire sayth the Lorde and like a hammer that breaketh the harde stone And againe Heare not the wordes of the Prophetes that preache vnto you and deceiue you truly they teache you vanitie for they speake the meaning of their owne hearte and not out of the mouth of the lord Therefore all the true Prophetes of GOD haue this continually in their mouth Thus sayth the Lorde The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it And therefore they deliuered vnto the people nothing contrarie vnto the worde of god The olde people had also the Scripture And the Prophetes were nothing else but interpreters of the Lawe applying the same to the place time matters and persons Also oure Lorde Iesus Christe sayth oftentimes that his doctrine is not his owne but the fathers Whiche thing if you vnderstande literally and according to his words I knowe not whether any thing can be spoken more absurde Therefore the Lorde meaneth that his doctrine is not of man but of god Doth not he sende vs continually to the writinges of the Lawe and the Prophetes and confirmeth his owne sayinges by them But Christe is the onely teacher of religion and maister of lyfe appoynted vnto the vniuersall Churche by GOD the father To this Churche he himselfe also sending teachers and shewing them what they shoulde deliuer fayth Teach them to obserue those thinges which I haue commaunded you Also Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures But the Apostle Paule witnesseth that the Gospel was promised by the Prophetes of God in the holy Scriptures And this doctrine receiued of Christe the Apostles deliuered to the nations adding nothing vnto it taking nothing from it and there withall also they expounding the auncient writings of the Prophetes yet neyther in this matter trusting any thing to their owne wit nor being ruled by their owne iudgement For the Apostle Peter saith As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one to an other as good stewardes of the manifold graces of god If any man speak let him talke as the words of god Tertullian also in his booke intituled De Praescript haeret which I haue also elswhere rehearsed expresly saith It is not lawful for vs in any thing to rest vpoÌ„ our owne fancie or iudgemeÌ„t neither yet to be negligent markers what any other man bringeth foorth of his owne braine We haue the Apostles of the Lord for authours for not they them selues did choose any thing whiche they might establish after their own fancie and the doctrine whiche they receiued of Christe they faythfully deliuered to the nations And therefore if euen an Angel from heauen should preach any otherwise he shal be accurssed at our hands Thus farre he We haue moreouer shewed in our sermons of faith and of the churche that faith dependeth vpon the only worde of God and that it wholy stayeth vpon the onely word of God also that the churches of god are builded and preserued by the worde of God and not by mans doctrine all whiche séeme to apperteine to this matter Neyther is it leâ—t to the byshops
of the church of Christe as the Popish pastors do falsely boast to ordeine new lawes and to broach new opinions For the doctrine whiche was deliuered to the apostls of Christ is simply to be receiued of the church and simply and purely to be deliuered of the pastours to the church whiche is the congregation of such as beléeue the word of Christe And who knoweth not that it is sayde by the Prophete All men are lyars God only is true And the church is the piller and ground of truth bycause as it stayeth vpon the truth of the Scriptures euen so it publisheth none other doctrine than is deliuered in the scriptures neither receiueth it being published And who is he that will challenge to him selfe the glorie due vnto God onely God is the onely lawegiuer to all mankinde especially in those thinges which perteine to religion and a blessed life For Esaie sayth The Lorde is our iudge the Lord is our lawegiuer the Lorde is our king and he him selfe shal be our Sauiour And S. Iames also saythe There is one lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy God challengeth this thing as proper to him selfe to rule those that are his with the lawes of his word ouer whome he only hath authoritie of life and death Moreouer those lawes can not be godly whiche presume to prescribe and teache fayth and the seruice of God after their owne fancie The doctrine concerning fayth and the worship of God vnlesse it be heauenly is nothing lesse than that which it is sayd to be God only teacheth vs what is true fayth and what worship he delighteth in And therefore in Matthewe the sonne of God pronounceth out of Esaie In vayne doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commaundementes of men Ioyne herevnto also that from the newe constitutions of men there springeth alwayes vp a wonderfull neglecting yea and contempt of the word of God and of heauenly lawes For through our owne traditions as the Lorde also sayth in the Gospell we goe astraye and despise the commaundements of God. Nowe since it is manifest from whence the Pastour or doctour must fetche his doctrine to wit from no other place than out of the Scripture of the old and new Testament which is the infallible and vndoubted word of God and that therefore this doctrine is certeine and immutable There remaineth nowe also something to be spoken of the manner of teaching which the teacher or pastor of the Churche ought to followe And here I will onely briefly touche the shorte summe or effect of matters Afore all other thinges therefore it is required of Pastours that continually they account that to be spoken vnto them whiche the Apostle commanded to be often tolde to Archippus Take heede to the ministerie that thou haste receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it And moreouer 〈◊〉 they neuer turne away their eies from that liuely picture of a good and euill shepehearde whiche Ezechiel that famous Prophete setteth out after this manner Thus sayth the Lorde God woe be vnto the shepeheardes of Israel that feede them selues shoulde not the shepeheards feede the flocks ye eate the fat ye cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the shepe the weak haue ye not strengthened the sicke haue ye not healed neither haue ye bound vp the broken nor brought againe that whiche was driuen away neyther haue ye sought that whiche was lost but with crueltie and with rigour haue ye ruled them And againe I will feede my sheepe sayth the Lord God I will seeke that whiche was lost and bring againe that whiche was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feede them with iudgement Hereby we gather that it is the duetie of a good Pastour or shepeheard to féde and not to deuour the flocke to minister not to exercise dominion to séeke the safetie of his shéepe not his priuate gaine and also to séeke out againe the lost shéepe that is to say to bring again such as can not abide the truth and wander in the darkenesse of errous home to the church and vnto the light of the trueth and to restore and bring back againe the shéep that is driuen or chased away to wit such as are separated from the felowship of the Saintes or godly for some priuate affections sake to heale or binde vp such as are broken For he meaneth the wounds of sinnes whiche Ieremie also commaundeth to heale and to be short to strengthen the weake and féeble shéep and not altogether to treade them vnder foote and to bridle such shéepe as be strong that is to say men flourishing in vertues least they be proude and puffed vp with the giftes of God and so fall away But let him thinke that these thinges can not be perfourmed but through sounde and continuall teaching deriued oute of GOD his worde The manner of teaching extendeth it selfe to publique and priuate doctrines By publique doctrine the Pastour eyther catechiseth that is to say instructeth them that be younglings in religion or other whiche are grounded therein To the younglings or ignoraunt sorte he openeth the principles of true religion For Catechesis or the fourme of Catechising comprehendeth the groundes or principles of fayth and Christian doctrine to wit the chiefe pointes of the couenaunt the tenne commaundements the Articles of fayth or Apostles Créede the Lordes prayer and a briefe exposition of the Sacramentes The auncient churches had Catechisers appoynted properly to this charge And the Lorde commendeth vnto vs bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe with great earnestnesse the charge of the youth commaunding vs to instruct them both betimes and also diligently in true religion Moreouer he setteth out great rewardes and grieuous punishments in that behalfe Assuredly no profite or fruite is to bee looked for in the Churche of those hearers that are not perfectly instructed in the principles of religion by Catechising for they knowe not of what thing the Pastor in the Churche speaketh when they heare the couenaunt the commaundement the lawe grace fayth prayer and the sacraments to be named Therefore if in any thing then in this ought greatest diligence to be vsed The doctrine whiche apperteyneth to the perfecter sorte is specially occupyed in the exposition of holy Scripture It may appeare out of the writings of the old bishops that it was the custome in that happie and most holie primitiue churche to expounde vnto the Churches not certeine parcels of the Canonicall bookes neyther some chosen places out of them but the whole bookes as well of the newe Testament as the olde And in so doing there came no small fruite vnto the Churches As at this day also we sée by experience that Churches can not be better instructed nor more vehemently stirred vppe
to wit that she should remember she is no Ladie or mistresse ouer the sacraments but a seruant or minister and that she hath no more power or authoritie to institute anye fourme of a sacrament than she hath to abrogate any law of god Aquinas also Part. 3. quaest 46. ariculo 2. saith He instituteth or is the authour of a thing which giueth it force and vertue but the vertue and power of the sacraments commeth from God alone therefore God alone is of power to institute or make sacraments And in déede God alone is of power to institute the true seruice and worship but sacraments belong to his seruice and worship therefore God alone doth institute sacraments If any one in the olde testament had offered sacrifice whiche God commaunded not or offered it not after that manner that God willed it to be offered it was not only nothing auailable vnto him but also his offence in so doing was rewarded with moste terrible and fearefull punishment Who knoweth not that the sonnes of Aaron for offering strange fire were horribly burnt and scortcht vp with fire which fell downe from heauen Suche sacrifices therefore displease God as prophane or vnholy neyther deserue they to be called lawfull sacraments whiche haue not God him selfe for their authour Herevnto is added that sacraments are testimonies and as it were seales of Gods good will and fauour toward vs And who I pray you can better more vprightly or more assuredly beare witnesse of Gods good will to vs-warde than God him selfe In no wise deserueth that to be called or counted the seale of God whereto he neyther set his hand nor printed it with his owne marke yea it is a counterfet seale bycause it coÌ„meth not froÌ„ God and yet in the meane time beareth a shew outwardly of the name of god In this behalfe is reade that saying of S. Augustine whiche is in euerie mans mouth The worde is added to the element and there is made a sacrament Whereby we gather that in the institution of sacraments the worde of God obteyneth principall place and hath most adoe The word I say of God not the worde of men nor yet of the Church Wherevpon it followeth that the signe ought to haue his procéeding euen from God him selfe and not from any manner of meÌ„ be they neuer so many be they neuer so clearklike or lerned be they neuer so harmlesse and holy of life of that nowe there can be no other authour of Sacraments than God him selfe alone As we doe receiue the worde of saluation and grace so it is néedefull also that we receiue the signes of grace Although the worde of God be preached vnto vs by men yet we receiue it not as the worde of man but as the worde of God according to that saying of the Apostle When ye had receiued the worde of God whiche ye hearde of vs ye receyued it not as the worde of men but as it is in deede the woorde of GOD. It is behoneful for vs to haue respect to the first authour thereof who when he sent abroade his disciples sayde Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures teaching them to obserue what so euer I haue commaunded you and baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghoste He that heareth you heareth mee and he which despiseth you despiseth me And therefore albeit by the handes of men the Sacramentes are ministred yet are they not receyued of the godly and religious as procéeding from men but as it were from the hande of GOD him selfe the first and principall authour of the same To this belongeth the question which Christe our Lorde asked in the Gospell saying The Baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men Truely Iohn who did baptise was a man but in that he baptised he baptised according to Gods institution and ordinaunce and therefore the baptisme of Iohn was from heauen though the water wherewith he baptised flowed out of the bottomelesse depthe into the riuer Iordan and Iohn him selfe conuersaunt on the earth To this also notably agréeth that which Paule sayth That whiche I deliuered vnto you I receyued of the Lorde Therefore although Sainte Paule were a man yea and a sinner too yet that whiche he deliuered to the Churche he did not deliuer it as from him selfe or as any inuention of man but as Christ had deliuered the same so that it is not his or mans but Christes tradition a diuine and heauenly tradition Besides this oure highe Prieste and euerlasting Byshoppe woorketh euen at this daye in his Churche whose ministerie they execute that is at whose commaundement they baptise and according to whose institution they which are the stewardes or disposers of the mysteries of GOD minister the holie Sacramentes of the Lordes Supper The institution therefore of the Sacramentes must be acknowledged of vs to be the verie worke of god And thus farre touching the authour of Sacramentes Peter Lombard in his sentences reckoneth vp thrée causes why Sacramentes were instituted that is to say why spirituall and heauenly thinges were deliuered and committed vnto vs vnder visible signes fourmes and ceremonies the first of whiche is so colde and weake that I am loathe to moue it to memorie He placeth merite in that that by Gods gouernement and direction as he affirmeth man séeketh saluation in thinges baser and inferioure to him selfe Vnto the whiche he addeth this afterward Although not in them yet in GOD through them he séeketh saluation which also vnaduisedly enoughe he hath vttered and not sufficiently considered The other two causes to wit that Sacramentes were inuented and ordeined vnder visible signes for oure instruction and exercise séeme not altogether absurde or disagréeing from reason The truest and most proper cause why Sacramentes be instituted vnder visible signes séemeth partly to be Gods goodnesse and partly also mans weakenesse For verie hardly doe we reache vnto the knowledge of heauenly thinges if without any visible â—ourme as they bee in their owne nature pure and excellent they be layde before oure eyes but they are better and more easily vnderstoode if they be represented vnto vs vnder the figure of earthly thinges that is to say vnder signes familiarly knowne vnto vs As therefore our bountifull and gratious Lorde did couertly and darkely nay rather euidently and notably set before vs to viewe the kingdome of GOD in parables or darke speaches euen so by signes it pleased him to lay before our eies after a sort the very same thing and to pointe out the same vnto vs as it were painted in a table to renue it a freshe and by liuely representation to mainteine the remembraunce of the same among vs This cause doth Iohn Chrysostome allowe as a chiefe and proper cause who in his eightie and thrée Homilie vppon Matthewe sayeth The Lorde hath deliuered vnto vs nothing that is sensible The
mingled with the wine in the cuppe the people is vnited vnto Christe and the multitude of the beleeuers is coupled and ioyned vnto him in whoÌ„ they beleeued And thus in blessing the Lords cup only water may not be offred neither in like sort may wine only For if any man offer onely wine the bloud of Christe beginneth to be without vs but if it be water only then doeth the multitude beginne to be without Christe But when they are both mingled together and are ioyned with a confused mixture betwixt them theÌ„ is there an heauenly spiritual sacrameÌ„t wrought By these words truly doth S. CypriaÌ„ shewe vnto vs a good mysterie but why doe we seeke to bee wiser than Christ and to mingle together moe mysteries than wee haue receiued of him The holy scripture maketh mention of no water but rather reporteth that the Lorde vsed nought else but meere wine For the Lord sayth Verily I say vnto you that henceforth I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine For he plainely sayde not the wine but the fruite of the vine that herein wee shoulde make no manner of mingling But what if that the holy martyr of God himselfe Saint Cyprian hath laboured by all the meanes hee might to shewe that the only is to be followed of the faithfull in celebrating of the Lordes supper which they haue receiued of our Lord Christe himselfe And forasmuche as that testimonie doth make much to all this our treatise concerning Christes supper to be celebrated according to the words of the gospel I will recite it worde for worde out of the second epistle of the 3. book of his epistles We must not sayth he depart in any respect from the doctrine of the Gospel and those things that our maister taught did himself the scholers also ought to obserue and do The blessed Apostle in another place speaketh more coÌ„stantly and stoutly saying I meruell that you are so soone chaunged from him that called you to grace vnto another gospel which is nothing else but there besome that trouble you go about to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ Howbeit if we our selues or an angel from heauen do preach vnto you any other thing than that wee haue taught let him be accursed As I haue said before so say I now againe if any man preache any other thing vnto you than that whiche you haue receiued let him be accursed Since therefore neither the Apostle himselfe neither an angel from heauen can preache or teache otherwise than Christe him selfe once hathe taught and his Apostles haue preached I muche maruell from whence this custome hath growen that contrarie to the doctrine of the Gospell and the Apostles in some places water is offered in the Lords Cup whiche being taken alone caÌ„not expresse the Lords bloud And againe there is no cause déerely beloued brother that any man should thinke that the custome of certeine men is to be followed if there be any that heretofore haue supposed that water alone is to bée offered in the Lordes â—up For it must be demaunded of them whom they haue followed herein For if in the sacrifice which is christ none is to be followed but Christe doubtlesse then ought wée to hearken vnto to do after that which Christ hathe done and commaunded to bee done since he him selfe sayeth in his Gospel If you do that which I commaunde you to do I will call you no longer seruaunts but friendes And the Christ alone should be heard the Father him selfe also witnesseth from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whâ—â—e I haue delight heare him Wherefore if onely Christe is to be heard wee ought not to regard what any other before vs hath thought meete for vs to doe but what Christ did first who is before all other Neither ought we in any case to follow the custome of men but the trueth of God considering what the Lord speaketh by the prophet Isaie saying They worship me in vaine teaching the commandements doctrine of men And againe the Lord repeating the selfe same words in the gospel sayth Ye set Gods commandementes aside to establish your owne traditions And in another place he sayth He that shall breake any one of the least of these commaundementes and shal on this sort teache men shal be accounted least in the kingdome of heauen But if it be not lawful to breake the least of the commaundementes of God howe muche more heinous is it to breake thinges so greate so weightie and so muche belonging to the Lordes passion the sacrament of our redemption or else to change it into any other order by mans traditions than is instituted by God And so forth as followeth There is no man can denie but that these thinges are of authoritie euen against the authour himselfe For neither by the scriptures nor by the example of Christe can it bee proued that water was mingled with the wine at the supper As for the authorities and testimonies which the author alledgeth euery man may perceiue how litle they make to the purpose yea that they be wrested froÌ„ their naturall meaning The gospel plainly pronounceth that the Lord dranke of the fruite of the vine vnto his disciples And as often as Paule maketh mention of the cup yet teacheth hee in no place that water was mingled with the wine or that it ought to be mingled with it Wherefore these watermen that is to say they that vse water only in celebrating the Lords supper are iustly condeÌ„ned such as the Martionites and Tâ—â—tianes were Howbeit it is an indifferent matter whether you vse râ—d wine or white in the supper Againe why did not the Lord deliuer the Sacrament of the Supper vnto vs vnder one fourme of bread or wine only but rather vnder both kindes the doctours of the church by one coÌ„sent suppose this to be the cause for that he would signifie or rather testifie vnto vs that he tooke both soule flesh vpon him and gaue the same for vs and also hath deliuered our soules flesh froÌ„ euerlasting destruction For although there be 2. kinds yet do they make but one sacrament and they may not be separated Neither is their opinion of iudgemente to be allowed of who of their owne priuat or rather sacrilegious authoritie do corrupte the institution of Christ offering to the Lay people whiche do coÌ„municate the one kind only of bread graunting to priests both kinds so challenging both kinds to themselues only But Paul the Apostle receiued the authoritie from the lord himself to admit all the faithful people of Christ vnto the Lords cup and therefore let these bold fellowes consider from whome they haue receiued commaundement to put back the Layitie and to forbid them the cup whiche by the Lorde our God is graunted vnto them For Christ in plaine wordes and as it were by the spirite of prophecie foreséeing what shoulde come to passe in the Church saide
him selfe Peccatum voluntariuÌ„ inuoluntarium See Augstine demendaâ—â— ad CoÌ„seâ—tium cap 9. 10. â—◠〈◊〉 mens 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 to be 〈◊〉 the best 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 hasteÌ„ 〈…〉 Sinnes hiddâ—n and 〈◊〉 Sinns mortal and veniall â—hether 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 after 〈…〉 sinne 〈…〉 Whether the vertuous works of the heathen are sinnes or no Whether the good workes of the Saints are sinnes or no Of the sin â—gainst the â—oly ghost What blasphemie is properly The beginning of this sinne against the holy ghost Blaspheâ—â—â— against 〈◊〉 sonne of man. The 〈◊〉 â—gainst 〈◊〉 holy 〈◊〉 Sinne against the holy ghost 〈◊〉 not remitted Or endler vnrepentance Of the 〈◊〉 certainâ— punishmeÌ„â— of sinners The places of 〈◊〉 The Lorde doth punish sinners iustly â–ª God punisheth most surely Examplâ— of Goâ— iustly 〈…〉 â—ods long 〈◊〉 Why sinâ— aâ— plagued with temporall punishments considering that they are forgiuen by the grace of God. Absolâ—â— defiled 〈◊〉 fathers bed 〈◊〉 by he 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 was huâ—bled Howe wicked punishâ—â— EuangeliuÌ„ the gospel Esai 61. Luke â— â—he Gosâ—â—ll what 〈◊〉 The definition of the Gospell That the Gospell is tydings from heauen The Gosâ—ell is the â—orde of â—â—d alâ—hough it 〈◊〉 vttered â—y the 〈◊〉 of â—en The â—â—spâ—ll 〈…〉 The word â—race 〈…〉 is The 〈◊〉 of Godâ— grace The cause of the Gospell The working of gods grace The coâ—trouersâ—â— betwixt Augustiâ—â— and Pelaâ—â—us toucâ—ing the grace of God. 1. Gratiâ— gratum ciens 2. Gratâ—â— gratis 〈◊〉 3. Gratâ—â— operaâ—â— gratia operaâ—â— 4. Graâ—â—â— praeueâ—â—ens tia 〈◊〉 quent 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈…〉 The promises touching Christ our Sauiour The first Euangelie Gospell or preaching of glad tydings Gen. 3. 1. Pet. 1. Deus 〈◊〉 essentâ—â—lis 〈◊〉 9. 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 God the father hathe through Christ perfourmed to vs that which hee promised to our forefathers Iesus is Christ thâ—â— is that looked for Messiaâ— The Iewes 〈◊〉 that â—hrist is 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Iesus 〈◊〉 Christe God the 〈…〉 the world is pleased with it in the Sonne 〈◊〉 things 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 giueÌ„ 〈◊〉 christ 〈◊〉 Christe alone is our life and saluation 〈…〉 fully 〈…〉 The vnsinâ—ere preaching of the gospel The sum of the gospel Saluation preached in the gospel doth belong to all â—â—erfore 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 saued The faithfull are saued The Gospel teacheth faith and repentance Howe 〈…〉 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 Howe Christ did preach the Gospel Of regeneratioÌ„ more largely is spoken in the SermoÌ„ of repentance Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 Paul 〈…〉 gospel The manâ—er and order of our sanctification purification iustification 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 hath seemed Errours refuted 〈◊〉 Aâ—raham â—e father 〈◊〉 the faith 〈◊〉 is iustiâ—â—â—d The righteousnesse of Christians is imputatiue 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 Why 〈◊〉 doctriâ—â—â—â—aith that iustifieth without workes is to be keâ—â— vncorrupted in the Church 〈◊〉 Christ See the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Actes 〈◊〉 the Apâ—stles 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Sermoâ— the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The conclusion summe of all To repent 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 worde 〈◊〉 〈…〉 it is What repentance is ConuersioÌ„ to God. The doctrine of veritie is needful to repentance 〈◊〉 feare 〈◊〉 God to 〈…〉 Our humbling and acknowledging of our sinnes The feare of God is of two sortes Sorrow to God ward 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 Sinnes are fully and surely forgiuen vnto penitents 1. Pet. 2. Against the Nouatians and Anabaptistes 〈…〉 Of the coÌ„fession of sinnes ConfessioÌ„ of sinnes ordeined of God. â—he conâ—â—ssion 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 to â—od Publique or open confession Leuit. 10. Actes 1 â–ª Confeâ—â— that is made tâ— our 〈◊〉 Consultation Confession of sinnes ordeyned of men Exhomologesis I find him otherwise called Natalius Luke 9. Ioha 8. * An 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Of auricular confession 〈…〉 was 〈◊〉 comâ—â—â—ded 〈…〉 Auricular confession can be proued by 〈◊〉 place in all the scripture 〈…〉 Wheâ— aurieâ—â— confeâ—â— is to 〈◊〉 kept 〈◊〉 churâ—◠〈◊〉 solutâ—â— sakeâ— Of the satisfaction of workes Note here the difference that they make betwixte Paena and culpa peccati â—od afflicâ—â—â— them â—hose 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many sinnes be forgiuen her because she â—oued much Of indulgencies 〈…〉 The filthy marte of indulgences 〈…〉 〈…〉 Of the power of man. VnderstaÌ„ding Will. Of the 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 of reâ—eneratioÌ„ What and of what kinde the Libertie is that is in man. 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 man 〈…〉 by 〈◊〉 spirite Of the worthie fruites or of the fruites worthie of repentaÌ„ce 〈…〉 of all 〈◊〉 What thinges are necessarie in penitentes The outwarde exercises of repentaÌ„ce 〈…〉 〈…〉 False and True repentance True penitentes are in an happie caâ—e Vnrepentantes are vnhappy 〈◊〉 not 〈…〉 No repentance commeth too late Math. â— Whether they that mind to reforme the Churches must state to looke for the determinatioÌ„ of a counâ—â—â—â— Ieremie 8. Luke 9. What counsels haue beene in these latter ageâ— celebrated What christians at this day may looke for by general counsels It is lawfull for enerie Christian Church to reforme thinges out of order Holie Kinge Iosias Faith cannot be refourmed but bâ— thâ— worde of God. Rom. 10. 2. Cor. 2 The scriptures doe sufficiently minister a full platforme howe to refourme the church Sundrie opinions coÌ„cerning God. â— Iohn 12 Wherevppon the diuersitie of opinioÌ„s coÌ„cerning God do rise and from whence the true knowledg of him must be setched â—hat 〈◊〉 is a God Psalm â— A 〈◊〉 is to 〈◊〉 kept 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 God 〈◊〉 Pro. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 19. 〈…〉 〈…〉 The fourmâ—â— and mâ—â—ners oâ— knowiâ—â— God. Exod â–ª Iohn 3. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 1. Cabala is a tradition of the Iewes leafte to them by Moses not in writing but from the father to the sonne wherein is conteined as wel the secrets of nature as the mysticall sense included in the wordes of the holy scripture Iah and Hu. Hu signifieth He or this Adonai The Loâ—â— of Sabboth or oâ— Hostes Daniel 〈◊〉 high 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Actes 17. Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim This Dii importech as much as if one shoulde say Gods. Schaddai Gene. 17 Saturâ—â—â— It seem that we English men do borrow of the 〈◊〉 manes their 〈◊〉 Gott 〈◊〉 turne their 〈◊〉 T 〈◊〉 D 〈◊〉 we soâ—â— God 〈◊〉 we shoâ—â— say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 Trinitie Dionysius of the names of God. Visions prosopographie of God. Prosopographie is a picturing or reprseentinge of bodily lineameÌ„ts Prosopopeie is where those are broughte in to speake that doe not speak Anthropomorphites How 〈…〉 tributeâ— God 〈◊〉 iâ— bodilesse Pâ—â—lm 94. These â—ordes of 〈…〉 taken 〈◊〉 of â—â—â—tulliaÌ„ How the pâ—triarchs 〈◊〉 see God. Iohn 1. 1. Tim. â— Exod. 33 God 〈◊〉 doe 〈◊〉 thinge 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 fathers his Soâ—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 God giueth his giftes frely without respect of mans merites How Goâ— did shew him selfâ— to Mose◠〈…〉 God doth most euidently open him selfe through Christ 2. Cor. 4. Hebr. 1. Iohn 6. Math. 11. Iohn 14. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 1. Gods wiâ—dome appeareth Gods goodneâ—â— appeareâ—â—â— Godâ—
be altogether perished in the captiuitie Furthermore they were called the sonns of the Prophetes for the affection which they bare towards their schole maisters as if they had bene their parentes and for their obedience and daily studie towards them But how muche the more noble and wise the Princes were so much the more diligence they employed in repayring scholes and restoring Ecclesiasticall orders Which a man may sée not in Dauid and Solomon onely but also in Iosaphat Ezechias and Iostas who were moste vertuous and moste happie Princes In the captiuitie and after the captiuitie of Babylon the Lordes people was dispersed and scattered into many kingdomes farre and wide But whether so euer they were carried they erected scholes or synagogues and when the citie of Ierusalem was restored then they often came vnto the same For therefore the Actes of the Apostles make mention that at what time Sainte Paule preached the worde of God among the Gentiles he went into the synagogues And Sainte Iames the Apostle saythe Moses of olde time hath in euerie citie them that preache him in the synagogues Where he speaketh not of the cities of Iude◠and Galilee but of the cities of the gentiles in Syria Cilicia and Asia But that which we reade in the Actes doth shew that they being dispersed and scattered abroade did sometime come vnto the holie citie of Ierusalem There were dwelling at Ierusalem certeine Iewes religious men of all nations that are vnder heauen And that also whiche Saint Paul reciteth of him selfe confirmeth the same that being borne frée in the citie of Tharsus he trauelled to Ierusalem vnto Gamalieles féete that is to saye to the intent to heare the instruction and to be a scholer vnder Gamaliel So likewise we reade that at Ierusalem there were Colleges or Synagogues of the Libertines Cyrenians Alexandrines Cilicians and Asians This vse of scholes continued vntil Christs time yea and after his asce nsion into the heauens almost vntill the destruction of the citie although in the meane time it maye appeare to haue béene sundrie times depraued Christe also the sonne of God our king and high Byshoppe he him selfe instituted the most famous schole of all other calling ther vnto the twelue Apostles and the seuentie disciples chosen men I say to the number of fourescore and two Yea the Apostles them selues drewe vnto them verie many disciples and first of all Saint Paule the most chosen instrument of God to conuert the gentiles is read to haue had in his companie Sopater of Berrhoe Luke of Antioch Marke of Ierusalem Barnabas Sylua or Syluanus Caius and Timothie Aristarchus and Secundus Tychicus and Trophimus Titus and Linus Crescens and Epaphras Archippus and Philemon Epaphroditus and Artemas and many other He hath also commended most diligently vnto good men the studious and the ministers of the Churches exhorting all men vnto liberalitie that they maye want nothing And writing vnto Titus Bring diligently saythe he Zenas the Lawyer and Apollo vpon their waye that they maye want nothing Moreouer it maye be gathered by playne and manifest proofes oute of the thirtéenth chapter of the Actes that there was a verie famous and that an Apostolique schole at Antioche in Syria Eusebius also of Cesarea aboundantly witnesseth what noble scholes were at Alexandria in Egypt and in other renouned churches And we haue also declared the same more at large when time serued in a booke which we haue written of the institution of Byshoppes But in processe of time when al thinges apperteyning to the Churche beganne to decline to the worsse Ecclesiasticall scholes also degenerated into Abbaies or into Colleges of Canons and Monkes But of all these thinges whereof we haue spoken I thinke it not vnknowne vnto any man that scholes doe principally belong to the preseruation of the Churche and the maintenaunce of the holie ministerie in which scholes good artes might be exercised verie profitable for the furtheraunce of the studie of the holie Scriptures of which sorte chiefest of all are the studies and knowledge of holy tongs of Logicke naturall Philosophie and the Mathematicks and these moderately knowne directed vnto the certeine scope and ende of Godlinesse For a man may sometime finde wittes worne and waxed olde in diuers Artes and disciplines howbeit not once medling or inured with holie exercises and studies But I woulde to God that the wicked being too muche glutted with prophane studie would also leaue to contemne holie Scriptures as thinges playne barbarous A man also may find some wits so busied in the studie of the Mathematickes that they are more méete to be maisters of buildinges than gouernours or pastoures of Churches Yea they are so farre crept into the studie of Astronomie and the Astronomers heauen that they quite forget the blessed heauen which is the seate of the blessed Saintes any thing to perteine vnto them and that they shall be sufficiently happie if they can but once atteine vnto the knowledge of the motion of the visible heauē and to the course of the starres As for those that meddle ouermuch with the studie of Philosophie and the trifles of Logicke and the rules of Khetoricke neuer attaine vnto any ende nor earnestly thinke vpon the bestowing of their trauels to the edifying of the Church commonly they become contentious and brawling disputers for the most parte and arrogant controllers vnto whom nothing sémeth to be neatly and aptly enoughe eyther spoken or done of others but that whiche is tempered and as it were tuned to their great conceiuing heades and so agréeing with prescript rules that they swarne not there from no not so much as a haires bredth These men snarle and intangle all thinges with their doltishe disputations puffing out nothing else but quarelling controuersies taking vpon them moste arrogantly to iudge all mens doings sayings what so euer you though they be good and tollerable they snap at them and maliciously cauill against them being rather vayne babblers than Philosophers yea the verie plagues of scholes and Churches who spitte out the poyson of debates contentions variances strises and diuisions at and into the Church Against these Sainte Paule the Apostle to Timothie séemeth to speake For after he hadde briefly set downe the summe of sounde doctrine he addeth there vpon This teache and exhorte Who so euer teacheth otherwise and holdeth not him selfe contented with the healthfull worde of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the doctrine whiche is according vnto godlinesse he is puffed vp knowing nothing but spending his time aboute questions and contention in wordes whereof groweth hatred strife slander euill suspicions vaine conflictes of men corrupt in hart and destitute of the trueth whiche suppose gayne to bee godlinesse Avoyde the companie of such Truely it neuer went well with the Churche when learned and studious men forsaking the playnenesse and purenesse of the worde of GOD turned their eyes an other way and aymed not at the
word of God alone They in auncient time did not contemne the worde of God but in the meane while they attributed more to traditions than was conuenient But by that meanes they bothe gaue occasion vnto errours and confirmed such abuses as were already brought in Certeine yeares past and gone Gratian and Lombard with other ecclesiasticall writers went about to make an agréement of opinions to gather togither a perfect and certeine sum of diuinitie But thereby they did not onely carried the scholes awaye from the Scriptures but also intruded straunge doctriâ—â—s into the churche After these there followed Alexander Albertus and Thomas who not onely depended vpon those sentences and commended them vnto others but also endeuoured to mingle Philosophie with Diuinitie and to couche them together into one body And heereof it came to passe that we had so many wayes and sectes so many puddles crauling full of frogges so many scholes so many Abbayes so many sophisters And if at this day likewise we continue vnhappily to couple Philosophie with the holy Scriptures and superstitiously call them into disputation and to call them vnto examination by humane rules or to the handling by artes then shall we also corrupt them in the scholes peruerting the integritie of the Apostolique doctrine to the great detriment of the Churche In the meane while certeine it is that good Artes and learning doe make muche vnto perspicuitie and playnenesse but moderately and religiously applyed with iudgement so that the scriptures may haue the vpper hand and all other Artes obey the same Wherefore let pure godlinesse be taught in the Ecclesiasticall scholes yea let godlinesse be the ende of all our studies at the first let the studious be diligently taught the Catechisme and let them neuer rest vntill suche time as they haue learned it perfectly and made it familiar vnto them selues then let this young begunne godlinesse be daily increased with Lectures and holy Sermons Let the writings of the holy Euangelistes and Apostles be alwayes read vnto theÌ„ that they may become perfect in them in due season Let them also commodiously learne the tongs and good Artes and let them be exercised in writing and reasoning But aboue all let dissolutenesse and wantonnesse be banished out of the godly instituted and Christian scholes Let discipline yea though it be somewhat sharpe flourishe For if youth be corrupted in the scholes and growe vp in that corruption what I praye you shall we looke for at their hands when they be set in authoritie ouer the Churche Let vs not beléeue that they wil be the salt of the church who as they are most dissolute and blockish so can they not abide sharpnesse in other Shall we thinke that they will become lightes of the churche who doe them selues hate the light and are delighted in darknesse and in the woorkes of darkenesse Wherefore that which the sonnes of Helie were in the Churche of Israel the same shall be and are the corrupt sonnes of the prophetes in the church of Christ They therfore shal likewise perishe with the people whiche are committed vnto them And therefore nowe adayes there is greate offence committed through too muche lenitie in the scholes a mischiefe whiche will neuer be washed away For a man shall come into many scholes where he shall thinke he séeth so many souldiers and ruffians not scholers and students whome they commonly call clearkes Neyther their fare neyther their apparell neyther their maners neyther their wordes neyther their déedes declare them to be of anye good disposition honest or studious I knowe that muche is to be ascribed vnto our vnhappy and most dissolute age in which the stubborne and rebellious will not hearken to the counsel of the elders and againe I knowe that there are great offences committed through the negligence and fonde gentlenesse of them that are in authoritie But for as much as the welfare of the Churche consisteth of scholes well ordered we ought all of vs to vse great diligence that in this behalfe there maye no offence be committed through our carelesnesse and negligence This muche haue I sayd concerning Ecclesiasticall scholes in as fewe wordes as I might conueniently of whiche I haue intreated more at large in my booke of the Institution of Byshops Furthermore to the end that scholes with the whole ministerie may be mainteyned together with all holy buildings and Ecclesiastical charges there néedeth to be some good wealth and abilitie correspondent This place therefore admonisheth vs to say somewhat concerning Ecclesiasticall goodes God in that commonwealth whiche he would haue to excell all other as best furnished with all things necessarie appoynted standing fées to be payde vnto the holie ministerie of the common charge to witte the tythes the first fruites and sundrye other kyndes of offerings These thinges are in the lawe expressed by Moses the man of God in many wordes who nothing feared least for handling of that matter he shoulde be accused of gréedie desire or couetousnesse For those thinges whiche God commaunded him to declare plainely to the people he vttered vnto them faythfully Yea the lawe of nature commaundeth to rewarde him that taketh payne and to maynteine common charges by common contribution And those reuenues or tributes that were publiquely gathered were not bestowed but to publique vses For they were partly giuen to the ministers for their ministerie and seruice partly they were disbursed vpon publique buildings holy charges and parte was employed to the reliefe of the poore And although by the newe Testament the Leuiticall lawe with the whole Priesthoode be abrogated notwithstanding it is certeine that the same vniuersall lawe whiche commandeth that publique charges shuld be leuied by publique contributions is not abolished For we reade that our Lorde Iesus Christe although he liued not of the tenths and reuenues of the Priestes yet liued he of the contributions of the godly For he executed a publique function And sending his disciples abroade to preache expressely sayth vnto them I woulde not haue you to be carefull for foode and apparell For the labourer is worthy of his hire Wherefore the Primitiue church which the Apostles haue gathered to Christe bestoweth their houses landes and monie for the preseruation of the ministerie and other thinges necessarie for the Churche The Priestes and Leuites at that time possessed the holie reuenues not giuing one iote to the Apostolique Churche whiche rather they wished might storue for hunger But the godly and faythfull people knewe verie well that earthly substance and riches were verie necessarie for the preseruation of the Churche For GOD hath appoynted men and not angels to be ministers of the Church and hathe recommended poore men vnto the Church to stand in his stead But they as men are wont to doe lacke and are destitute of many thinges wherefore good men through the motion of the holy Ghoste doe contribute together and bestowe mony houses landes and other