their prosperous estates at this day to imbrace commemorate the doynges of such godly learned fathers there liuing as haue bin yet are souÌ„d faithful furtherers of Gods glory coÌ„stant friends of that truth which we also now professe Wheras Right honorable Earle sith by Gods gratious prouidence his church with rare excelleÌ„t benefits is thus many yeers fructifiyng amongest vs Especially vnder the protectioÌ„ of the immediat next vnder god supreme heade thereof so gratious a Queene so godly religious a Princes our deare Soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth thus prosperously and prudently vpholding her house with the wise woman Prou. 14. that As the Sunne shineth ouer all the worlde from the seate of the most highest So the beautie of so good a woman so vertuous a Virgin Queene and so gratious muste needes be not onely the principall ornament of her owne house Ecele 26. but also is a light of excellent comfort vnto the faithfull throughout all Christendome Which I pray God continue to the end of the world And again sith in respect of her â—ise honourable graue counsellers with those godly lerned Fathers of the spiritually this prosperous peace may verify that Prouerb with vs Salua res est consuliante Sene Who doubteth to the glory of God be it spoken that the churche of Englande is the Phoenix of the world The Rose planted in Hierico Eccle. 24. yea the flower of the fielde and the Lillie of the Vallies Cantic Canticor cap. 2. The which blessed estate when euery member thereof is bounden by all good gifts to adorne As it is my onely by simple Summum Bonum now then too edifie my slender capacity in translating and writing So at this present with the furtheraunce of the right reuerend father in God my good Lord the Bishop of London by his auctority and by some helpe of a learned Diuine my friendly well willer herein I haue translated this book and geuen it the name or Title of A Godly and Learned Assertion c. Now published as a true testimony of my bouÌ„den duety and earnest zeale too the welfare of Gods Church present and of the posteritie And for good causes mouing me I haue chosen your good Lordship the Patrone thereof As one whose noble progenie heretofore loyall too their Prince and louing too their Countrie especially the Lorde Roos in the raigne of the most victorious King Henrie the viii for his noble valiaunt and renoumed seruice in Scotlande most woorthy of memory your honor deseruing no lesse well to bee thought of for your like loyalty learning wisedome godly zeale and like true seruice also if like time of neede should require And thus humbly crauing pardon of your honor for my boldenesse proceeding of an intier good will towardes you And therwith beseeching your noble bountie to graunt the same fauourable protection vnder the winges of your godly zeale as an earnest Hypotheca of my duetifull true hearte towardes your honour which as I shall perceiue to bee affected towardes my good meaning in this behalfe so by Gods grace shall I not onely take further encouragement of duetifull gratitude towardes your honour and my natiue Countrie But also as heeretofore so still shall I rest heartily and incessauntly praying vnto the maiestie Diuine and Lorde of Lordes too endue your Honourable Lordeshippe and the honourable Ladie your Louing Spouse with long life perfect health augmentation of honour and true renowme in this world And finally the inexpressible ioyes of life eternall in the heauenly Hierarchie of the moste highest Ichâ—ua Your Honorable Lordships moste humble and bounden poore Orator Richard Robinson Of the Churche and of the Auctority of the woorde of God IT was accustomed oftentymes to be disputed vpon how much credit might be giueÌ„ vnto the opinioÌ„s of the Churche decrees of Synodes and sayings of wryters For although wee holde it for a rule that wee embrace and haue the worde of God in reuerence yet notwithstandinge when there seeme doubtfull places in the wrytinges of the apostles as it were to occurre or come in the way some men doo dispute that the opinions of the churche rather are too bee followed than the wrytinges of the apostles Moreouer they pretende that the Autority of the church is to be preferred before the word of God and that the Churche hath power to change or alter suche thinges as are delyuered in the worde of God Vnto these opinions doo they cite the saying of S. Augustyne which is this I woulde giue no credit vnto the Gospel were it not but that the auctority of the Catholike Church mooued me therevntoo And therfore vnder a false colour of the name of the Church do the Pope and Bishops decree and commaunde many thinges for their sensuality contrary vnto the word of God yea they confirme and stablish wicked doctrine Idolatry And also by this meanes the very name only of the Churche terrifieth very many nowadaies from the true doctrine of the Gospel which we professe Therefore needful it is that men bee admonished rightly as touching the autority of the Church Againe also certaine more malaparte busiheades when they imagine newe opinions out of sayings of the scriptures which are lewdely wrested doo vtterly despyse the consent of the true Churche and all Synodes without difference As when Seruetus wrangleth with the Churche of al ages and dooth depraue the sayings of the word of god in the first Chapter of S. Iohns Gospel and seeketh after a more fitte interpretation as hee thinketh To the ende therefore that such a malaparte busibraine shoulde bee restrained and brydeled the Church had need of her bouÌ„ds by al meanes if I may so say as the olde synodes and wryters doo alleadge their first testimonies which they haue taken from the Apostles and other Authors Tertullian wryting against Praxeas sayeth thus wee must holde this for a rule against al Heretykes Rectum esse quodcunque primum quodcunque verò posterius adulterinum That whatsoeuer was firste was good but whatsoeuer was last is couÌ„terfait And surely he calleth that first which the Apostles for certaine did deliuer for so he doth interprete himselfe Irenaeus wryting against Florinus allegeth the autority of them which were in the firste age and namely the autority of Policarpus who was the disciple of S. Iohn the Apostle for hee saith that he woulde haue detested the opinions of Florinus if hee had hearde them woulde haue shunned the place wherin they were declared as lothsome and polluted Basilius alledgeth his nurse whose godlinesse hee sayeth was then specially commended and he addeth that shee receaued her doctrine of Gregory Neocaesariensis which at that time for his learning miracles was famous also refuted Samosatenus and left his posterity a briefe confession of the faith which conteineth an excellent testimony of the Trinity And it is apparant in the 7. booke of the ecclesiastical history Origen alledgeth the
if once the opinions of the Churche be reiected many will deuise straunge and vngodly interpretations of the 〈◊〉 This daunger when it is not too be contemned and that it is profitable too restrayne that libertie we must then agayne 〈…〉 foorth the autority of the Church is to be required For Seruetus when he reneweth the wicked error of Samosatenus and denieth the wordâ— too bee vnderstood the person in this saying 1. Iohn In the beginning was 〈◊〉 worde doeth mightilly extoll the autoritie of the Scripture he biddeâ—â— that this autority be preferred before the decrees of the church After that he disputeth subtilly saying The woorde is simply too bee so vnderstood But whereas the Woorde in the common speech of men doth not signifie the person hee denieth that in Iohn 1. it is too bee vnderstood the person As if Demosthenes shoulde reade this saying In the beginning was the woorde surely he woulde not thinke that any person were to bee vnderstood I aske the question therefore whether it proffit not against such to oppose the autority of the churche Heere I answere That the Churche is to be heard so farre forth as the gospel commaundeth So I say alwaies the congregation is too bee hearde with whome the woorde of God hath bene and which is called the churche euen as we commaunde our Pastors to bee hearde Let vs therfore heare the church teaching and admonishing vs. But we must not ground our beliefe vpon the autority of the church for the churche doth not institute The articles of the fayth shee doth only teach and admonish vs. But for the woorde of God must we beleeue when namely we being admonished of the church do vnderstaÌ„d that this sentence is truely without subtil allegation deliuered in the worde of God Peraduenture Demosthenes woulde not thinke of a person if hee shoulde reade that sentence In the beginning was the woorde c. But the hearer beeing admonished of the church that the word signifieth the person to say the sonne of God is nowe helped of the church teaching and admonishing him the same hearer doth beleeue the article not for the autority of the Churche but by cause hee seeth this sentence to haue assured testimonies in the same scripture hee seeth there is mention made of a certaine person who taking vppon him nature of man in the worlde was conuersant with men Hee seeth that this person is called the woorde her gathereth apt and firme testimonies of both natures in Christe For hee knoweth that touching the nature of God we must beleeue the heauenly voyce vttered and that it is great wickednes too inuent opinions as touching The nature of God without his testimony 2. Peter 1. and 17. Math. Heare yee him Also The firste Churche is of force as The witnesse of the Apostles But I speake as touching doctrines and not mans traditions for they woulde haue doctrines too bee firme and perpetuall but mans ordinaunces they woulde not haue to bee perpetual and immutable Neither did the Apostles erre in doctrine Therefore it is profitable to reteine those testimonies whereas the moste auncient wryters doo alleadge the autority of the Apostles As Origen Tertullian Irenaeus Gregory Neocaesariens Alexander Bishoppe of Alexandria and many others doe cyte their testimonies touching the Trinitie Who when they doe witnesse that the doctrine of the Trinitie was receaued of the Apostles do greatly stablish and confirme the Godly Therefore suche testimonies are not at all too be despised nor contemned And I sayde also that the writers are to be hearde as now in like manner we say that our Preachers are to be heard because there do some remayne still in the Churche which doe retaine and embrace the trueth in some place more pure in some other places lesse pure and corrupt But heere we must adde this That they which are hearde are too bee iudged by the woorde of God which thing the rule of doctrine instituted alwayes admonisheth Examples Augustine touching originall sin more sharply contendeth then the rest Therefore hee doeth bothe teach and admonishe and when we see him truely and without subtilety to recite any sentence of the scripture we theÌ„ beleue the article not for Augastyne but for the worde of God and wee see that the wryters named haue helde the same opinion although they haue not handled this article so copiously or so plainly An other Peter Bishop of Alexandria contending against Meletius affirmeth that such as slyde away from the fayth are to bee reentertained and hee alledgeth an ancient autority For these wordes Epiphanius reciteth as the doctryne which hath come to vs in our age doth declare Therfore the same Bishop of Alexandria doth both teach and admonish that such as slyde away are to bee reentertained Thiâ— doo wee beleeue not for this Bishop but bicause wee see this sentence is expressed in the woorde of God and heerevnto testimonies of the auncient Church do condiscend also Synodes or Councels The same doo I say touching Synodes or Councels That they are also too bee hearde which when they doo dispute touching the worde of God doo teache and admonishe vs but thereunto let iudgement bee adioyned when they deliuer vntoo the worlde thinges which are true let vs giue credit vntoo them for the woorde of God As the Nicene Councel taught both godly and profitably and admonished al posterity of the sonne of God But we beleue the article not for the Synode or CouÌ„cell but bicause wee see it so expressed in the woorde of God The other thinges which are without the Scriptures are not so wel to be embraced As the Councel of Nicene instituted Canons of repentance which are maÌ„s traditions besides the scriptures and haue beene the seedes of many superstitous opinions Sampsons guestes coulde not expounde the ridle which was proponed at the feast but that his wyfe was firste asked the question Wherefore Sampson sayde vnto them except you had first plowed with my heckfer you shoulde not finde out my question So lykewyse muste wee diligently looke about and make inquiry where the Church is which hath the woorde of GOD and wee must see which multitude of the fathers or of Councelles is the purer vncorrupt that is which of them haue the lesse opinions besides the word of god These things doth the church teache admonish and testifie But we must see whether those things which shee proponeth or decreeth haue the firme testimonies of Gods woorde yea or no. And truly it becommeth the godly too acknowledge and confesse that the fathers haue deserued well of their posterity which with sharpe and earnest contentions haue defended and retained godly doctrine that benefit is not smally to be accompted vpon Heerevnto pertaineth that saying of S. Augustyne I woulde not beleeue the Gospel were it not but that the autority of the Churche mooued mee therevntoo Augustyne dooth not heere thinke that the
Apostles as touching baptising of infantes For he saith that in the 6. Chapter of S. Paule too the Romanes it appeareth that the Churches receaued their tradition from the Apostles that infants might be baptised These do rightly alledge the auctority of the churche Wherfore I wil orderly declare what the church is what Churche is too bee heard that wee must vse approoued testimonies And yet notwithstaÌ„ding that the doctrin is to be iudged out of the woorde of God that the chief autority of Gods word may remain according to that saying If any man shal teach any other doctrine let him be holdeÌ„ as accursed But first when I speake of the Churche I do not meane Popes Bishoppes and others which do allow their opinions in this behalf For these are the enimies of the true church some of them being Epicures and othersome of them manifestly giuen to Idolatry But I call the Churche the society of them which truely beleeue which haue the Gospel and Sacramentes and are sanctified by the holy Ghost as in the 5. Chapt. of S. Paule too the Ephes the Church is there described and as in Iohn 10. Where it is saide My sheepe heare my voyce And although it bee needful that this true church should be euerlasting bicause the kingdom of Christ endureth for euer it is writteÌ„ I will remaine with you vntil the ende of the world Mat. 28. Yet wee must vnderstand and know that this true church doth not alwaies florish togither in one place but oftentymes becommeth a very small Churche and afterwardes againe is restored by God when true teachers are sent therevntoo As in tyme of Noah the church was in a narrowe rowme a congregation of a fewe persons So after the deluge Melchisedech w c was the sonne of Sem the sonne of Noah reteined the true doctrine And whan Idolatry increased amongest the Chaldees that the true doctrine of God was almost extinguished euery where God by calling Abraham renewed his Churche Afterwardes the family of Abraham and a fewe of his â—earers became the Church when as in meane tyme the Chaldees and Egyptians boasted themselues too bee the posterity of the fathers that they reteined the examples of the fathers and manner of woorshipping God openly declared themselues to bee the people of God when they retained not Gods word amongst them although they had reteined ceremonies whervnto notwithstanding they deuised peruerse opinions and moreouer added Idolatry In the time of Achaz was the church extinguisht in Israel afterwards againe by Elias Eliseus it was encreased and yet after that did it decay againe When Christe was borne there was a very small Churche in Iury namely Mary Ioseph the family of Zacharias Symeon Anna the sheepeheardes and a fewe others In the meane time Ecclesiastical iurisdiction was in the dealing of the Pharisees and Saducees which were notoriously knowne a wicked people Also the Saducees were Epicures and yet notwithstanding challenged they the title and name of the people of God vnto themselues especially And so in time of the Prophetes the true church was but sleÌ„der as in Esay 1. Where it is testified Except that the Lord had left vntoo vs seede we shoulde haue beene made like vnto Sodom Gomorrha These wordes most grauely do admonish vs that we shold not think or iudge of the church as of a worldly gouernment neither that wee measure the same by succession of Bishops or by degree or seate of the Bishops of Rome but that we do acknowledge the church to bee amongst theÌ„ which retain the true doctrine of the gospel In this society there must needs be some true beleuers For vnto this society doo the promises pertain Therfore Esaias bereaueth the princes chief bishops in his time of that stately title saith That there was a small offspring in that selfsame people left which was called the people of God And in the time of Ieremy wheÌ„ the kings Priests set theÌ„selues against him the churche consisted not in the multitude of those priests but of them which beleeued the preaching of Ieremy Amoz 3. So and in such manner shal Israel bee deliuered That if the Sheepheards do take twoo legges or a peece of an eare out of the Lyons mouth c. And finally at the length there was a very smal church in respect of the multitude of the wicked ones when as all nations the people of Iuda onely excepted had vtterly loste the knowledge of God The Scripture also foresheweth that after the Apostles tymes there shoulde happen deadly persecutions vnto the Churche as in Math. 14. Many false Prophets shall aryse and shal deceaue many Again our sauiour Christ saieth When you shall see the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place c. Mat. 24. Here doth he signify that in the churche which is so called shall Idolatry aryse whereby true doctrine and true worshipping of God shall bee ouerwhelmed and there shal bee made a desolation of the Church that is too say a solitarines or suppression thereof And so indeede it hath come to passe For after that the abuses of Masses and superstitions of traditions did once aryse there haue followed darkenesse of true woorshipping God of fayth of inuocation in fayth and of functions in vocations too bee performed Bycause mans conscience beholding her owne merites is not able too vnderstande the forgiuenesse of sinnes nor comprehende the manner of true calling vppon GOD and the expecting for his diuyne helpe Moreouer it is saide They shall woorke signes and wonders that if it may be possible the very elect ones shall bee deceaued 2. Thess 2. There shall happen a departing from the fayth c. Also Luke 18. Thinke you that when the Sonne of man commeth he shal finde fayth vpon earth Againe in the 88. Psal Hast thou made al men for nought For it is a complaint vpon the decay of the Church in tyme to come These sayinges doe witnesse although it be needefull that the Churche bee preserued notwithstanding in the latter age especially that it is little or a companie of a few persons which are despised and abiect in this life as S. Paule saith Not many wise not many mightie men c. 1. Cor. 1. These testimonies haue I cited too that ende that wee may firste consider wwhat the Church is and that the minde bee withdrawen from carnall opinions which imagine that the Church is the pollicie or constitution of the Bishoppes and doe tie the same vnto the ordinary succession of Bishoppes as the states of gouernment doe consist in the ordinary succession of the Princes But it goeth otherwise with the Church For this is a multitude not tyed vntoo ordinary succession but vnto the woorde of GOD. There is the Churche renewed where God restoreth doctrine and giueth his holy spirite And that Churches are thus
Neither doth the cannon of Basilius containe this oblation but after this I will speake more concerning the Lords Supper These things onely haue I added too the ende I might declare how that in tymes paste the auncient writers now then haue borrowed incoÌ„uenient speeches of the people as it is wont to happen in all ages Somtimes they are ouercome with iudgments examples of the multitude w c is not godly that they bee drawen into superstitious by some humane imagination As in the Nicen CouÌ„cel except Paphnutlus alone had w tstood the same the opinion of them had beene allowed for good w c woulde haue made a decree that priests shuld abstain froÌ„ their wiues So did custome ouercome Cyprian and many others insomuch that they did allowe the forbidding of marriage Also the whole Nicene Councel beyng ouercome with the agreement of a multitude or of time ratified the Canons of penaunce which afterwardes brought foorth intollerable erroures Examples also of greate personages doe oftentimes deceaue the Godly Like as the example of Antonius caused many too erre Hitherto haue I spoken of the godly which although they bee holy yet notwithstanding very many of them are weake Nowe will I proceede further touching those which doe transgresse Sometimes the Godly doe vtterly transgresse and lose the holy Ghost as I do iudge that Origen did vtterly fall especially if hee affirmed those moÌ„struous errours That there shoulde be innumerable worldes That the very Diuels at the last day shoulde be saued Tertullian also doth vngodly disallowe the seconde marriages but peraduenture they haue afterwardes repented For many hauing fallen in deede both in life and doctrine haue and yet at length doe amende And very oftentimes doth it happen that holy men doe thorowly fall and doe not iudge according too the worde and spirituall light but are deceaued by the imagination of reason which notwithstanding afterwardes doe better aduise themselues Like as Gedeon altogether traÌ„sgressed when by mans aduise and counsell he ordayned straunge kindes of woorshipping God Of all these followeth this conclusion although the true Church which is but small in number retaine the articles of the faith yet notwithstanding the same true Churche may haue her faults obscuring the articles of the fayth Furthermore many doe so fall that they altogether allowe and ratifie wicked errors against the articles of the faith although peraduenture som of them do afterwards ameÌ„d First therefore when the autority of the Church is alleadged wee must searche whether it be the consent of the true Church agreeyng with the worde of God Secondly it is so to be saide that the writers which are extant haue oftentimes fallen and peraduenture some of them were no members of the Church at all Thirdly an other Difference is too bee added In that societie which is called the Churche there is a greate number of vngodly persons of whome many excel the others in autority outward shewe of religion opinioÌ„ of doctrine such as were the people of Iuda in the tyme of Hieremy the Bishoppes wicked priests that alledged against Hieremy the autority of the seate of the lawe the very promises affirming that the lawe shoulde not perishe from the Priestes they denyed that their congregation coulde erre when notwithstanding they did altogither erre and disgereede in matters from Hieremy Also in Christes tyme there were very fewe godly persons namely Zacharias and Symeon Furthermore when the vngodly multitude hath autority in the Churche it ordaineth many false and wicked thinges in the name and vnder the title of the Churche Such alyke multitude firste embraced the application of Masses for the quicke and dead moreouer the estimation of vowes and woorshipping of Sainctes afterwardes the very example of these thinges did hurt the godly And such a multitude decreede in a certaine Synode that marriages of Priestes shoulde vtterly be taken away For it oftentymes comes too passe in the churche that vngodly persons of excellent wittes boldly challenge vnto themselues the ordinance of religion by mans wisedome who when they bee not mooued or affected by the woorde of God but are led therevntoo by the imagination of reason and seeke for apte opinions for their purposes do breede wicked errors lyke as Samosatenus Arius and Pelagius Others seeke to establish merites or seeke for fayre kinde of gouernement good ordering of the people and with these causes are mooued to the institution heaping vppe of sundry ceremonies as the Monks do as Gregory did and as at this day the Popes bishops Princes many learned meÌ„ desiring to ordain a forme of the church are mooued with mans wisedome reiecting the word of God wil establish a church according to their owne imaginations neither doo they see it is a horrible impiety to slide away froÌ„ the word of God to seeke god without his word to ordaine meanes maner of worshipping god by maÌ„s opinioÌ„ without the expres coÌ„maundement of god to chauÌ„ge the true opinions oppresse the purity of gods word When therefore the autority of the Churche is obiected vntoo vs as of the application of Masses the church doth not erre The Churche hath thus many ages vsed Masses Therfore this custome is to bee obserued We must answer vnto the Maior The vniuersal churche which is the multitude of them that gouerne in the church may erre as the Bishops and Priests in Hieremies time in Christs time did alsâ—â—rre And although besides that number there are some godly persons which retaine still the Articles of the faith Notwithstanding euen they beeyng moued with examples doe 〈◊〉 yeelde vnto certaine erroures whereby it comes to passe that they retayne the same articles of faith lesse pure then they ought too doe Like as Bernarde is seene too haue had better iudgement then others although yet hee yeelded and condiscended vnto many errors to the abuses of Masses too the Popes power too vowes and woorshippings of Saintes Therefore the autority of the multitude is not at all to be alleadged against the worde of God But we must returne to the rule If anie man teach any other Gospel let him bee holden accursed Gal. 1. Let the chiefe autority â—e of the worde deliuered by God Afterwards that is to be reputed the church which agreeeth with that worde as Christ saith My sheep heare my voyce Iohn 10. and Sainte Augustine sayeth The question is Where the Churche doeth consist What shall wee then doe Shall wee seeke the same in our woordes or in the woordes of the chiefe head thereof our Lorde Iesus Christe I thinke thâ—â— wee ought too seeke the Churche in his woordes who is the trueth and 〈…〉 â—est his owne body But heere obiection is made if the autoritie of the Church bee refused â—henis graunted too much and 〈◊〉 large liberty vnto the malaperâ—nesse of mens inuentions For
Churche would consider the greatnes of these dueties Let them haue an eye vnto their posterity For whom as they haue a desire to leaue a well ordained common wealth so much more ought they deliuer true knowledge of God vncorrupte religion sincere doctrine of the Gospel and after this maner well gouerned Churches Like as Paule writing vnto Timothy saith thus commaunding him Faithfuly to kepe that which is committed vnto him that the same may come whole and vncorrupt vnto the posterity VVith this care nothing at al we see the Bishops of Rome either Bishoppes of theyr affinity either any Monkes or Chanons to be any way mooued but they contend touching worldly wealth and promotions which they woulde haue not touching Doctrine Therefore let others in schoole and gouernment of Cities take this care in hand This sacrifice especially dooth God require of all men as Peter sayth We are called to the ende we should celebrate the benefites of God towardes vs 2. Pet. 1. This ought to be the ende in all Councels and enterprises of wise men to set forth and aduance the glory of Christ For the performance of this duetie God himselfe promiseth great rewardes in this little verse Blessed shal they be which shall loue the Church Psal 120. Hee promiseth them sure defence good prosperitie and euerlasting felicitie which loue the true church With this voyce let the godly ones stirre vp their mindes to the care of aduauncing and adorning the church and not onely confirm them selues against the threatning of Tyrantes but also let them fortifie themselues as armed agaynst the sub till Sophystrie of those which falsely alleadge theyr testimonies of Antiquity and of the churche for the defence of their wicked opynions which to refute and vanquishe I haue somewhat here thought good to instruct the mindes of godly disposed persons Soli Deo Gloria ⧠Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vinetree by Thomas Dawson 1580. What the aduersaries do argue A wrong opinion touching the auctority of the church alleged by the aduersaries What the aduersaries do vnder a false collour of the name of the Churche Pantaleon testifieth that this Michael Seruetus for holding a new erronious opinion of the Trinity and of our Lorde Iesus Christ was afterwards put to death at Geneua Anno 1553. Examples of the fathers alledging the Church Tertullian his testimony Ireneus Basilius allegeth his nurse for her godlynesse Origen allegeth the Apostles Phil. Melancthons purpose in diffinition of the true Church of God Galat. 1. Hee sheweth who be the enimies of the true Chuâ—â—â—e What who bee the true Churche and where The Church 〈◊〉 the first age of the world before the deluge The Church iâ— the same age after the deluge The Chaldeaâ—s and the Egiptâ—â—ans vainly boâ—â—sted themselueâ— to be the churâ—â— and were not Anno Mundi 3970. Luc. 2. â—ros â— cap. 22. Regnante Octauiâ—â— Augusto The churche in tyme of the prophetes Howe the church is to bee reputed accepâ—ed beleeued Enimies of the church of Esayas tyme. Enimies of the churche in Hieremyes tyme. Al Nations except Iuda onely had vtterly lost the knowledge of God A premonstration of the state of the churche after the Apostles tyme. Matt. 14. The Romish Synagogue reputed for the Church One probable testimony by the abuses of Masses c. The Church of the latter age The Churche ought in the laâ—ter age especialâ—ly to be cared for and preserued The Churche is not tied vnto ordinary succession of humanâ— state but vnto the worde of God The true Churche Where and which S. Pauâ—â— reputeth teacheth the Churche 〈…〉 Noâ—â— Authoritie of the Church obiected More touching the true church â—t retayneth the doctrine of the Gospel The Apostles â—â—er the church but yet they â—either knew what the â—hurch was beâ—ore the resurâ—ection of Christ neither what manner â—ingdom Christes kingdome should be Example therof by Peter Many weake members of the Church in the Apostles time Christes prophesie of the Church in the latter age Mat. 24. The true Church remaineth in some one place or othen effectuall from time to time An inuincible grounde of the true Church mentioned by S. Paule And a weake ground of the wrong Church subiect to ouerthrowes Melancâ—â—onâ— opinion of the builders in both churches Fasting stubble added by Ambrose Monkery stubble added by Basilius Esay 29. â—9 Punishmentes by canonicall lawe Stubble added by Cyprian Errors of satisfaction reprehended The Supper of the Lorde called after the maner of the peoples oblateâ—n Dionysius his booke concerning ceremonies The multitude holding some one Church haue borne a great stroake with some persons Custome also hath done the like Examples of great personages apt to seduce the people into darknesse Oriâ—en a godly member of the church had his erroures Tertul an other had also his infirmities Many godly members of the Church being deceiued by the imagination of reason haue yet at length vene reclaymed The true Church may sometime haue her faultes Authoritie of the true church alleadged how to be prooued Writers of the Church In the Church are not al members likewell disposed Example in Hieremies tyme. The vngodly multitude firste embraced Masses The vngodly multitude decreed that marriages of priests shoulde vtterly be taken away Samosatenus Arius and Pelagius heretikes liuing about the yeeres of our Lorde Samosatenus 274. Arrius 320. Pelagius 435. Alleadging of Masses Bernarde condiscended vnto many errors The first autority being of the worde of God proueth that to be the true Churche which is agreeyng therwith Obiection if the autority of the Church bee refused Seruetus the he retique his opinion How the church is to be hearde Touching vnderstanding the worde to be the second person in trinity The first church of the Apostles touching dotrine and not mans traditions Auncient Fathers citing testimony of the Trinity How writers of former ages are to be heard Examples of the same wryters Opinion of an ancient father touching such as slyde away froÌ„ the church Examples How Synoâ—â— or Councels â—re to be heard â—udicum cap. 14. â— comparison â—or triall too â—now where the â—â—urch of God 〈◊〉 The godly must acknowledge that the fathers of the Churche haue wel deserued of their posterity Augustynes opinions touching the Church The Churche hath none autority to ordayne any thing contrary vnto the word of God Testimonies of Councels The common sort haue alwayes held antiquity in great estimation Concilium Neocesar vnder Coustantinus Anno. 315. Present thereat Germanus Leontius Basilius Longinus aliis Nicene Councel vnder Constantyne Anno. 324 Present there at 268. bishops Nicene Count. Policies for the gouernment of churches deuysed at the said Councel Ceremonial institutions were causes of superstitions Fathers faulty Canons of repentance The councel of Constantinople secundum Pantaleonem vnder Gratian. Anno 383. Present thereat 180. Fathers Controuersies Heretikes Pollicies The 3. Councel of Ephesus secund Pantal. Romanis ducibus