¶ A Godlie Treatise of the Church Written by Robert Some The Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued Act. 2. ver 47. You shall finde in the ende of this booke a Treatise against Oppression LONDINI Impensis Geor. Bishop 1582. ¶ To the right Honourable Sir Francis Walsingham knight principal Secretarie to her excellent Maiestie and one of her highnesse priuie Counsell Robert Some wisheth increase of Gods giftes by Iesus Christ IT pleased your Honour to fauour me both at and since my wayting on my Lord and maister the Earle of Leycester in the Courte I doe not forget your goodnes to me and I thanke God very heartily for your Honourable both care of and affection to Gods Churche and religion It is very cleere that many are as friendlye to Gods trueth and Church as the East winde is to the fruites of the earth I neede not remember particulers for there are so greate store and as it were swarmes of such that if almighty GOD did not bridle them as hee did Sanballat the Arrabians and the Ammonites in Nehemias time and rayse vp excellent personages for the rearing vp of his Churche nowe as hee did Ezra Nehemias Zorobabel and Iehoshua after the captiuitie of Babylon Gods Church shoulde goe to wracke and Religion shoulde bee handeled like a ward But Gods Church is aliue thankes bee to GOD howsoeuer wicked men doe make it eyther a faire marke to shoote at or a dead carcase to feede vppon and will outliue and outcountenance all enimies whatsoeuer Almightie God to that ende hath blessed this noble Land in our time with an excellente Prince of our owne nation as he did the Iewes with Zorobabel after the captiuitie and with manye notable personages vnder her Highnesse as hee did the Israelites with Eliachim vnder Ezechias the king of Iuda Amongest whiche excellent personages because your Honours place is greate in respect of the trust whiche is committed to you and that GOD hath moued you to fauour mee I doe present vnto you these my Treatises of the Churche and against Oppression as a sure argument of my duetifull mynde My meaning is not to set downe the seuerall poyntes of this Booke it were a needelesse labour and you haue it in your handes to reade at your good pleasure and leasure Thus with my heartie prayer to Almightye GOD for the increase of his good giftes in your Honour I take my leaue in most humble manner At Queenes colledge in Cambridge the first of Nouember 1582. Your Honours to commaund Robert Some To the Reader IF my Treatise of the Sacramentes founde grace with you as I heare it hath I presume these of the Church and against Oppression shall for they haue more variety in them by reading this booke you shall finde it so I haue not as yet written any thing of the Scripture and Confession but hereafter I will according to my promise by the grace of God to whose merciful protection I commend both you and my selfe Robert Some Jf any either haue or doe spoile the Church or Churchmen of their maintenance I referre them to this which immediatly followes and to the fourth Proposition in my Treatise of the Church and to my whole Treatise against Oppression Mich. 2. Iere. 5 IT is a grosse sin to grind the faces of others and to spoile them of that they haue Gods iudgementes against Oppressiō doe sufficiently proue this But to robbe the church and Churchmen is a fowler sinne and will haue greater vengeaunce from almightie God Is there any calling vnder heauen that pleaseth God more and doth greater seruice in a Christian kingdome then the noble estate of the ministerie Are they not the Lordes Embassadours Malach. 2. Mat. 5. 1. Cor. 4. Ephe. 4. 2. King 2. the salte of the earth the light of the worlde the dispensers of Gods mysteries the buylders of Gods Church and the charriot horsemē as Elizeus said of Elias of a Christian kingdome If they be so that by their sound preaching Luke 10. Sathan falles downe from heauen like lightning the walles of Ierusalem are built vp is it not most equal that they shoulde not bee robbed of the churches maintenāce which belongeth of dutie vnto thē Is is not a certaine truth in the eyes of all men that many in vplandish incorporate townes doe open their purses very willingly boūtifully for mē of their place for the maintenāce of godly preachers doth not almightie God besides the heauenly cōfort he giues thē repay those good mē with increase of earthly cōmodities Doth almighty God like of this Christian dealing do godly men both iustly greatly cōmend it and wil not gracelesse Cormorants be ashamed which in steed of helping the Lords plough forward hāg it vpō the hedge by making foule hauock of the churches maintenāce If these which either haue or doe feed vpō the church as the eagle doth vpō the carrion did see the goodly companie of students in Cambridge and Oxeforde or coulde consider what sharpe wittes and excellēt learning vertues almightie GOD hath geuen to many of them or woulde bee moued with the sight of those holy assēblies wherin Gods trueth is soundly taught and his people singularly comforted would they not condēne their vile course and be heartily sory for their monstrous dealings If this I haue already remēbred will not mollifie and bend their hearts then let them cast their eyes vpon many Churches in this noble lande which eyther want the preaching of the word or if they haue it they haue it strawberie wise that is once a yeere let them I say looke vpon the wofull estate of those places and if they be not hewen out of Okes and haue heartes of flint it will breake them in pieces If answeare be made that a sufficient number of preachers cannot be had to furnish the whole lande I graunt they say somewhat but sure I am that if very fit men in the vniuersities abroade were heartened and employed accordingly many should not be drowned in ignorance and poperie as they are and many treacheries against the religion and Prince would more easilie appeare and the number of skilfull ministers which are very precious iewels in a Christian kingdom would increase accordingly For who are there that haue spent their time profitably at their books are excellētly furnished for the building of Gods Church that would either hyde their talentes in a napkin Mat. 25. or burie them in the earth yea rather that are not with all their heartes desirous to blowe the Lords siluer Trumpets Num. 10. Ezech. 33. to be watchmen ouer Gods citie and feders of his flocke and what hope is there that these worthy men shall be employed when the Churches maintenance is not giuen vnto them accordingly but rather pulled from them most shamefully yea what meane men are there that will to their great charge maintayne their
Christ alone is the foundation of his Church 29 What the catholike Church is 30 The catholike Church is not visible ⧠A Godlie Treatise of the Church 1 What the visible Church is why it is called vniuersall THe visible church is the cōpany of those which make profession to serue the true God in Christ This visible Church is called vniuersal because it is tyed not to any certaine place persōs or time but is dispersed through the whole worlde and shall so continue vntill the ende of the worlde 2 Without the Church there is no saluation that is to say vnlesse we be of the assembly of Gods children we cannot be saued BEhold darknes shall couer the earth and grosse darkenesse the people but the Lord shall arise vpon thee his glorie shall be seene vpon thee Isa cha 60. ver 2. By whiche wordes it is manifest that onely the Church is partaker of the light of Gods spirit and of the brightnes of his fauour In Mount Sion and in Ierusalem that is to say in the Church shal be deliuerance Ioel chap. 2. ver 32. Therefore without the Church there is no saluation The Lorde added to the Churche from day to day suche as shoulde be saued Actes chap. 2. ver 47. Therefore without the Churche there is no saluation Christ and his Church are most surely linked together for Christ is the bridegroome and the Church is the spouse Ephe. chap. 5. ver 25.29.30 Howe then can any be with Christ which is not with his spouse that is to say in Christes Church Cyp. lib. 2. Epist 8. He cannot haue God to be his father which hath not the Churche to be is mother Cyp. de vnitate Eccle. The Church is called the mother of the faithful because she nourishes them alwayes by the word of truth Noe and his familie had perished in the flood if they had not continued in the Arke Gen. chap. 7. ver 21.22.23 The brāch which is cut from the vine cannot but wither A mās arme which is cut frō his body is quickly without life They whiche are without Gods Church are voyd of Gods spirit whatsoeuer visard of holinesse they put on amongst men Augustine is flat for this Epistle 50. and 152 So is Lactantius lib. 4. chap. 14. 30. When any Popish Heretike vses the name of the Church as an argument to draw vs from the written word we must aunsweare that hee is not ioyned to the Church which is seuered from the Gospell and that whosoeuer setteth vp a Church without the word buildes not a Church but a Hoggescote Question If there be no saluation without the Church what shall become of thē whiche haue not heard of Christ Answere They cannot pretend ignorance for the great booke of the heauens wherein Gods glorie is written in capital letters is opened wide vnto them Psal 19. vers 1. I graunt that the condemnation of such shall not be so grieuous as theirs which haue hearde the Gospell and contemned it notwithstanding they which haue not heard of Christ shall not bee saued seeing they haue in themselues sufficient matter of condemnation I meane first originall sinne and then manye actuall sinnes whiche flow from originall sinne as riuers doe from the spring head Question If there be no saluation without the Church in what case are they which are iustlie excommunicated that is to saye are cut off from the assemblie of the faithfull Answeare They are in a dangerous case for if it be a grieuous thing to bee cast out of a wel ordered common wealth it is more grieuous to bee cast out of the Churche which is Gods common wealth If Dauid when hee was shut from holy meetinges not for any fault of his but by the tyranny of his enimies lamēted his owne case very bitterly preferred the estate of the sparrowe and swallowe before his owne how would Dauid haue byn grieued if he had bin iustly barred from the Lordes tabernacles Psal 84. ver 1.2.3 Besides they which are iustly excommunicated are deliuered to Sathan that is to say are aliēts from Christes kingdom are vnder the power authority of Sathā so were the incestuous Corinthiā 1. Cor. 5. Theod. lib. 5. cap. 18. Theodosius the Emperour vntill they were reconciled to Gods Church The captiuitie of the Israelites was great vnder Pharao in Egypt vnder Nabuchodonozor and Balthasar in Babylon but the captiuitie vnder Sathan goes beyond it for whatsoeuer is bound in earth is bound in heauen Mat. cap. 18 ver 18. The Popes excommunication against our noble Queene and her best subiectes hath not so much groūd in Gods book to stand vpon as the Iewes excommunicatiō had when they cast Christ and his Apostles out of their Synagogues Question If the Popes excommunicatiō against our gracious soueraigne Q. Elizabeth were lawful whether might the subiects of Englande deny their obedience to her Maiestie and depose her from her kingdome Answeare They might not my reasons are these Tiberius was a wicked Emperor yet Christ and Peter payde him tribute Math. chap. 17. ver 24.27 1. Pet. chap. 2 ver 13. Nero Domitian were persecutours of Gods Churche yet the Apostles other godly men obeyed them The Emperour Iulian was a wicked Apostata but the auncient Christians obeyed him Euseb lib. 3. cap. 20. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 4. Theodosius the Emperour was excommunicated by Ambrose the Bishop of Mediolanū but Ambrose obeyed him euen during the time of his excommunication Theodor lib. 5. cap. 18. If these Emperors were obeyed shall not our gracious soueraigne though she were iustly excommunicated bee duetifully obeyed of her subiectes 2. Thessal 3. ver 15. Are wee commaunded to accompt another whiche is iustly excommunicated not as an enimie but as a brother and shall we not performe the like to our noble prince if she were iustly excommunicated and sure I am that those men are very farre frō performing this duetie to her Maiestie which denie their lawfull obedience vnto her Besides what warrant had Pius the first Gregorie the 13 to discharge the subiectes of England of their allegiance if it bee saide that Saint Peters keyes are warrant inough Platina in Greg. 7. and that Gregorie the 7. had no better when he dealt against Henrie the Emperour nor Gregorie the second Innocentius the fourth Paschalis the 2. when they dealt against the Emperours Leo Fridericus and Henrie the 4. nor Pope Zacharie and Martyn the 4. when they dealt against Childericke the king of Fraunce and Peter the king of Arragonia I aunsweare that Peters keyes though the Pope had good right to thē serue not to giue entrance into or to shut out of earthly kingdomes for they are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Math. chap. 16. ver 19. And who knowes not that the kingdome of heauen that is to say eternall life is a thing farre differēt from the kingdome of the world Lastly excommunication which is a notable
soueraigne medicine in Gods church is the punishment of the conscience not of goods nor of the body otherwise then by some shame reproch which waites vppon our separation from the Churche of God and so are S. Paules wordes of the destruction of the fleshe 1. Cor. 5. to be vnderstanded therefore they which haue purposed since the Popes excōmunication against her maiestie eyther to hurt her royall person or to depose her from her kingdome as they haue passed the listes and boūds of al excōmunication so their sinne is very grosse exāple very dangerous 3 The preaching of Gods word the sincere administration of the Sacraments are the essential markes of Christes Churche and where these markes are there vndoubtedly the true church is though there bee otherwise in that Church some blemishes IF the Church be the assemblie of the faithful Rom. 10. and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God it is a cleare case that the preaching of the worde belongeth to the essence of the visible Church We are taught in Gods booke Mat. 28. that the Sacraments instituted of Christ are the seales of Gods word therfore the Sacraments pertayne to the essence of the visible Church The Churches of Israel and Iuda were therefore Gods Churches because they had Gods law preached circumcision the passeouer which were their Sacramēts administred amongst thē Iosias 2. Chron. 34. 35. chap. that he might plāt Gods Church aright caused the booke of the lawe to be published and a passeouer to be proclaymed Nehem. 8. Ezra 7. Ezra after his returne from Babylon expoundeth Gods law to the Israelites restoreth the true vse of the Passeouer S. Luke setting down the estate of the Primitiue Churche in orient coloures Acts 2. saith that they continued in the Apostles doctrine which is the life of the Church and felowship that is in performing of Christiā dueties one to another breaking of bread that is in the administratiō of the holy supper prayers that is publike prayers in which consisteth the profession of our religiō This excellēt Church had the Apostles doctrine and the holye communion therefore it was the church of Christ If any saye that the Sacrament of baptisme is not here mentioned I aunsweare in a worde that Saynt Luke needed not to mention Baptisme seeyng he speaketh of such as were alreadie baptised 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Galat. 1. The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had great blemishes in them yet because they had Gods truth sacramēts among them they are accompted by S. Paule the Churches of God If the sound preaching of the worde and the administration of the sacramēts are the essentiall marks of Gods church then learned ministers are necessarie for they blow the Lords siluer trumpets Num. 10. put their handes to the framing of the siluer vessels of the temple If Godlie and learned ministers are necessarie and singuler ornaments in the Church of God then schooles of learning and Vniuersities wherein students are made fitte to serue Gods Church are especially to be regarded 1. Sam. 19. 2. King 2. 22. chap. Suche schooles of learning were at Nayoth in Samuels time at Iericho and Bethel in Elizeus time at Ierusalem in Iosias time Caluin in 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 32. at Corinth in S. Paules time and such are now with vs in Cambridge and Oxeforde If these be vpholden religion flourisheth and consequently Gods blessings increase in the land If these goe to wracke farewel religion and the good estate of the commō wealth But Vniuersities and schooles of learning must needes decay when the students are not prouided for imployed accordingly and preferred and imployed they cannot bee if either the Churches maintenance be pulled away or Church liuings be bought and sold for money or pensions 4 Godlie and learned Ministers must bee freely and bountifully prouided for BEware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vppon the earth Deut. chap. 12. ver 19. Almighty God commanded the Israelites to haue especiall care of the Leuite therefore they might not vse him like a drudge or send him a begging If the Leuite must be excellently vsed greater regarde must be had of the minister of the Gospell whose calling because it is greater then Iohn the Baptistes Mat. chap. 11. ver 11. is farre aboue the Leuites Gods Church is the piller ground of truth 1. Tim. cap. 3. ver 15. because by the ministery of the word Gods truth is preserued in the Church If the ministerye of the word preserues this precious iewel in the church as the priests did the fire vpon the altar in the time of the law thē they Leuit. chap. 6. which hinder Gods ministery doe robbe Gods Church of inestimable treasure hinder the ministery do they which discourage the learned ministers by powling thē of the churches prouision But if Dauid sending his seruaunts to comfort the king of Amon after his fathers death 2. Sam. 10. tooke in great dudgen the shauing of his seruantes beardes cutting of their garmēts will almighty God take it in good part that his seruants whom he hath furnished with excellent gifts for the cōfort of his church are polled shauē of their maintenance stripped as it were into their shirts and handled as dishcloutes Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost Who plāteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit therof Or who feedeth a flocke eateth not of the milke of the flocke 5. Cor. chap. 9. ver 7. If they whom S. Paule mentions in this verse are prouided for either of the common charge as the souldier or by the fruit of the vine as the husbandman or by the mylke of the flocke as the shepheard It is most equall that learned ministers should haue large allowance of the churches charge for their warfare vineplanting sheepfeeding doeth as farre passe the others as the precious diamond doth the peeble stone We beseech you brethrē that you know that is haue regard of thē which labor amōg you that ye haue them in singuler loue for their works sake c. 1. The. cap. 5 ver 12 13. If learned ministers must be especially fauoured they may not bee kept from their owne if they must be singulerly loued for their works sake they may not be trodē vpō as the mire in the streets nor spoiled by graceles mē of the churches maintenāce But churchpollers loue churchmē as Philippides did his father when hee cudgeled him Aug. epist 168. and as a rufler in Augustines time did his mother whom hee vsed in like sort most vnnaturally Balthasar the king of Babylon in the middest of a great feast called for the golden vessels which were brought from the temple of Ierusalem they were brought vnto him by his seruauntes The king his princes his wiues his concubines did drinke wine
the true Churche neither is euery discorde a sure argument of a false Church THe Iewes which thinke that the Messias is not yet come haue had vnity many yeres but their consent proues thē not to be Gods Church Acts 19. Demetrius the siluer smith his company in Ephesus were at great vnity for the vpholding of Diana against S. Pauls preaching but that vnity was no argument that they were Gods Church Apoc. cap. 14. ver 8. The Angel saith that Babylon made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Therefore the generall consent and vnity of al nations in religion doth not make a true religion The Arrians Nestorians Eutichians the blasphemous Heretikes of the family of loue haue doe consēt in their blasphemous opinions but this consent of theirs prooues them not to be the true Church of God Vnity in the essential points of Gods religion is an infallible argument of the Church of God Euery discord is not an argument of a false church 1. Cor. 1. 11. cha There were dissentions in the church of Corinth and yet God had his church at Corinth The Bishops whiche were assembled in the Nicene counsell against Arrius were at greate variance Notwithstanding they were Gods seruants The East West Churches were greatly deuided about the feast of Easter and yet they were the Churches of God Acts 15 Galat. 2. Aug. Epist 9. There was hot stirre betweene Paule Barnabas betweene Paule Peter betweene Augustine Hierome yet all these were Gods seruants Gods truth sometimes deuideth the faithfull amongest themselues Iohn chap. 6. ver 66. Christes sermon that his flesh was the true meate was an vndoubted truth yet it made a partition between the twelue the other which beleeued in Christ I confesse that Gods spirite is the spirite of peace vnitie This spirit should wholly possesse vs if we were wholly regenerate But the best men are shorte of that 19 Multitude is not an infallible argument of Gods Church Gen. 7. 1. King 19. 22. chap. IN the times of Noe Elias Micheas c. The greater part was the woorse part when the x. tribes did set thēselues against the tribe of Iuda Gods Churche was in Iuda Except the Lord of hosts had reserued vnto vs euen a small remnant we should haue beene as Sodome Esay 1. ver 9 and should haue beene like vnto Gomorrha Whereby it is manifest that Gods Church was very little and that the greater number was the worse Enter in at the straight gate for it is the wide gate broade way that leeadeth to destruction many there be which go in thereat because the gate is straight the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that find it Mat. 7. ver 13.14 If the multitude had byn an argumēt of the Church Christes speech were not to be liked of Christ calles his flocke a little flock Christ himselfe was condemned to death by the greater number of the Iewes Luke 12. Math. 27. It is saide that Satan deceiueth all the worlde Apo 12. and 20. As the greater number is no sure proofe of the Church if they haue not the markes of the Church amongest them so is not the lesse number an argument of Gods church vnlesse they haue the essentiall markes of Gods Church amongest them if they may be come by 20 The Church is not to bee measured by the externall shewe Reioyce thou barren Gal. 4. that bearest no children c If the Apostle out of the prophet Esay call the Churche barren it is a good lesson to teache vs not to measure the church alwaies by the outwarde shew Esay 53. Christe the bridegrome was so afflicted that hee had neither forme nor beautie When the Churches case is such we must remember that it is Christes spouse When the Israelites were in captiuitie at Babylon Ezec. chap. 11 ver 15.16 Gods Churche was in Chaldaea as in a dungeon albeit they which remained in Ierusalem thought otherwise If Gods Church had beene measured by the outward shewe it had been wide with them which were then in captiuitie Cant. 6. I confesse that Gods Churche is saide by Salomon to be faire as the Moone pure as the Sonne But it is so to mens eyes not in the time of persecution but in the time of the peace of the church when as the order in Gods Church is very beautifull Esay 60.9 When we reade in Esay that the ships of Tharsis shall bring to gods churche sonnes from farre and their siluer their gold with them We must not by and by dreame of a golden church as the Iewes doe of a golden Messias but the meaning is that God will greatly aduaunce his Church and set it out with excellent furniture If they of Tharsis deserue great commendation for bringing their owne siluer gold with them to Gods Church I am sure they deserue very little which by cropping the Churches maintenance hinder the building of the spirituall temple For can gods churche be built without skilfull masons and carpenters I meane able ministers and cā they either prouide instrumentes for the framing setting vp of Almightie gods house when they are kepte fasting from the Churches allowance And is not this the true cause why in many places of this noble lande some such open Gods booke in the body of the church as would be goodly implements ornamentes in the Belfray I will not rub this sore any longer I am very sure that all whiche loue religion do pray heartily for the redresse of this 21 None which are or haue been alients from the church of God are to be admitted rashly into it If Rahab of Iericho and her companie Iosu 6. had been presently admitted into the Israelites assemblie their vncleannesse would haue been easily forgotten but the putting of them apart for a time without the host of Israel was of great force both to make them ashamed of their former behauiour to esteeme the companie of gods people afterward a more excellent benefit Acts. 9. The not admitting of S. Paul at the first amongest the Disciples did teache him to prefer the lowest place in Christs Church before the highest roome in the Sinagogues of the Pharisees and may teach vs not to open the Church dores ouer hastily to euery one without exception Acts. 19. Many which beleeued in Ephesus came confessed shewed their workes before they were ioined to the Church 1. Tim. chap. 3. ver 6. If no man may be admitted rashly into Gods church then no man may rashly be set ouer Gods Church Vnseasoned timber will not serue for a groundesell Hee is not fit to be a Captaine whiche cannot be accounted a souldier No man may be allowed a Prophet which hath not been the sonne of a Prophet 22 Gods Church may erre To erre is to goe