hee might be the first begotten amonge many brethren Moreouer whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also shal he glorifie Againe in the same epistle he saith We reioyce also in tribulations knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience proofe proofe hope and hope maketh not ashamed c. This do that priuate examples of the saints and publique examples of the whole Church very plainly declare Abraham Isaac Iacob had neuer knowne that Gods helping hand had bene so faithful and alwayes present with them they had neuer bene grounded in so sure hope nor shewed such especial fruit of their excellent patience if they had not bin exercised with many perils and as it were oppressed with infinite calamities Wherupon it cōmeth that Dauid cried It is good for me Lord that thou hast troubled mee The Church of Israel was oppressed in Aegypt but to the end that it might with the more glorie be deliuered and passe into the land of promise The Iewishe Church was afflicted by them of Babylon and the Assyrians so that their temple was ouerthrowne and the Saintes caried captiue with the worst of the people But the godly sort in their verie captiuitie doe feele y wonderful helpe of God and by that meanes are made the better by their afflictions so that the name of the Lord was knowne amonge the Assyrians the Chaldées the Medes and Persians to his great glorie and renowne as it is at large declared in the histories of Daniel Hester and Esoras Here also is to bee noted that certaine punishmentes are appointed of y Lord as plagues for certeine sinnes so that most commonly a man is plagued by the verie same things wherin he sinned against the lord Dauid offended God with murder and adulterie therefore is he punished with the shame of his owne house with whoredome incest detestable murder of his owne children lastly driuen out and banished his kingdome It was pride and arrogancie wherin Nabuchodonosor sinned and therfore being distract of his witts and turned into a beastly madnesse he led his life for a certaine time with beasts of the field But as Nabuchodonosor was when God thought good restoared to his kingdome So Dauid did in time conuenient féele the merrie of the Lord in settling him in his seat againe For this saying of the Lord is firmely ratified for euer not only to Dauid but to euerie one that beléeueth which is in these words set downe in that Scriptures If his children forsake my law and kepe not my commaundements I wil visit their sinnes with rodds their iniquities with scourges yet will I not vtterly take my goodnes from him I wil not breake my couenaunt neither wil I change the thing that is once gone out of my mouth Therfore it is to our profite that the Lord afflicteth vs as he himselfe testifieth in the Reuelation of Christ vttered by Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist saying Them which I loue I rebuke and chasten And Solomon long before that did say My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither faint whē thou art corrected of him For whome the Lord loueth him he chasteneth yet delighteth in him as a father in his sonne Now touching the persecutions terrible plagues layd vpon that neck of the whole Church of God or seuerall martyrs of that same as they were for the most part breathed out of worldly tyrants against the S. for their open cōfession and testimonies of their faith truth of the Gospell so most cōmonly the causes of those broyles were the sinns offēces of the S. which the iustice of God did visit in his holy ones no doubt to the good saluation of the faithful For of that bloudie persecution vnder the Emperors Diocletian and Maximiniā which caused many thou sands yea many millians of Martyrs to com to their endings we read this following in that historie of Eusebius of Cesaria who learned it not by heare-say but was himself an eyewitnes of the same When as by to much libertie and wantones the maners of the Church were vtterly marred and the discipline therof corrupted while among our selues wee enuie one an other diminish one anothers estimatiō while amōg our selues we snatch at accuse our selues mouing dedly warre among our selues while dissimulation sitteth in the face deceipt lurketh in the harte and falshod is vttered in woordes so that one euill is heaped still on anothers necke the Lorde beginneth by little and little and with the bridle to checke the mouth of his tripping church and reseruing the congregations vntouched he begineth first to suffer them to feele persecution which serued as souldiours in the camps of the Gentiles But when as by that meanes the people could not be made to remember them selues in so muche that they ceassed not to persist in their wickednesse that the verie guides of the people and chief of the church vnmindful of Gods commaundemēt were sett on fire among them selues with strife enuie hatred and pride so that they might think they rather exercised tyrannie than the office of ministers because they had forgottē Christian sinceritie and purenesse of liuing then at length the houses of prayer and churches of the liuing God were throwen to the grounde and the holie scriptures set on fire in the broade and open streetes Thus muche worde for worde out of the 8. booke of his Ecclesiastical historie And yet here I make difference betwixt sinne and sinne For the Sainctes sinne but yet they abstaine commonly from heynous crimes although nowe and then too they fall into them as it is euident by the example of Dauid But yet for the most parte they flye from theft murder whooredome and other grieuous sinnes like vnto these And while the Sainctes are afflicted by tyraunts it is not for their neglecting of iustice true religion but for that contemninge of superstition and stedfast sticking to Christ and his Gospell The Lorde therefore doeth forgiue and in the bloud of Christ washe away that sinnes of the holye Martyrs reputing them to suffer deathe not for the sinnes whiche they haue committed but for the zeale and loue of true religion He also punisheth the tyrants for the death of his Martyrs because in putting them to death they follow their owne tyrannous affection and not the iust iudgement of the liuing god The Lordes mynd verily was by tyrauntes to chasten his people Israel But the tyraunts as Esaie in his 10. Chapter witnesseth did not take it to bee so but rather following their owne affections they passed all measure in afflicting them and neuer sought after iustice and equitie they therefore are punished of the Lorde for killing his innocent and guiltlesse seruauntes For the thing which the Lorde did persecute in his people their sinnes I meane and offences that do the tyraunts neyther punishe nor persecute but
from the olde He therefore suffered singing of Psalmes but in the meane time he preferred before it prophecie or the office of preaching and he also required of them that did sing bothe a mesure to be kept and also that it should be done with vnderstanding without which doutlesse bothe prayer singing is not only vnprofitable but also hurtfull I wil pray with the spirit saith the Apostle and will pray with the vnderstanding also I will singe with the spirit and will sing with the vnderstanding also Neither doe I knowe that in any place else the Apostle maketh mention of singing in holie assemblyes vnlesse we liste to applie that hether which Paule hath left written in the 3. to the Colossians though that may séeme to be a priuate institution For that whiche he hath left written in his Epistle to the Ephesians in these words Be not drunken with wine wherein is excesse but be fulfilled with the spirite speaking vnto your selues in psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songes singing and making melodie to the Lord in your harts Giuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto God euen the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ What manner of saying it is it is easily iudged by the occasion and order of the words For he speaketh nothing of the publique singing accustomed to be vsed in the Church but of the priuate manner of singing For he had respect vnto riotous banquets where for the moste parte were vsed to be sung of such as were wel tippled songs which were not verie honest Be ye not therefore drunke with wine saith the Apostle lest ye sing songes that are scarse honest but rather if ye list to sing sing Psalmes and spirituall songes Wherevnto this also may be added that euen in those kinds of songs he requireth rather the songe of the hart than the warbling of the voice so far off is it that he at any time alloweth vncomely shrikings either publique or priuate albeit the sense and meaning shal be more simple and plaine if we vnderstand In corde which signifieth in the hart to be spoken in that place in sted of ioyfully or from the hart Wherfore no man can or ought to disallowe moderate and godly singing of Psalmes whethere it be publiquely vsed in holie assemblies or at home in priuat houses And truely you shall finde many testimonies in the ecclesiasticall historie written by Eusebius and Sozomenus declaring that the Esterne Churches euen immediatly after the time of the Apostles did vse to singe Psalmes and Hymnes vnto Christe our Lorde Ye shall also finde this that by certaine decrées of counsels it was ordeyned that no other thinge should either be read or soūg in holie assemblies but onely the canonicall Scripture For euen betimes there began neither a meane to be kept in the Churche neither the canonicall scripture only to be vsed for that certaine men intermedled their owne songes Yet héere déerly beloued I thought good to put you in mind of two excellent things concerning this matter The first of them is that the singing of the ancient Church was a far other kinde of singing than that which at this day is vsed For Erasmus Roter doeth rightly iudge that the singing vsed in the ancient churches was no other than a distincte and measured pronoūtiation such as at this day in some places is vsed in pronoūcing of the psalmes the gospel and the Lordes prayer Truly Plinie the Lieftenant in Asia by diligēt search or examinatiō of matters found out that the christians at certaine appointed times met together before day soūg a Psalme together amonge them selues vnto Christe their god The place of Plinie is to be séene in the 10. book of his Epistles to Traianus the Emperour Also Rabanus Maurus lib. insti Cler. 2 cap. 48. saith The primitiue church did so sing that with a little altering of the voyce it made him that sange to be heard the further so that the singing was more like lowd reading than song These things he borrowed out of the 33. chap. of S. Austines 10. book of confessions who in that place plainly confesseth that he doth sinne when he is more delighted with the swéetnes of the voices than with the sense of the words and therefor desireth that all the melodious tunes of swéet songs wherewith the psalter of Dauid is replenished might be remoued from his eares and the hearing of the Church For it séemed to be more safe which he remēbred he had often heard concerning Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria who with so little strayning of the voice made the Reader of the Psalme to vtter it that he rather séemed to read than to sing The last of the things I said I would put you in mind of is that singing howsoeuer it be an auncient institution neuerthelesse was neuer vniuersal of necessiti thrust vpō the churches but it was frée neither was it always vsed in all churches Whereunto may be added that which Sozomenus witnesseth that those Churches whiche did sing vsed not the very same kindes of prayers or Psalmes or readings or the very same time Socrates also in the 5. book of his historie cha 22. saith To be short in all Countries euery where you shall not finde two churches which in all points agrée together in prayer And that it was long yer the Westerne Churches receiued melodie or the custome of singing it appéereth euen by the testimonie of Augustine who in his 9. booke of Confess Chap. 7. rehearseth that Ambrose béeing oppressed with the snares persecutions of Iustina the Arian Empresse ordained that hymnes and psalmes should be soung according to the custome of the Easte partes since whiche time the custome of singing hath béene reteined and also receiued of other partes of the worlde Neuerthelesse before the Westerne churches receiued the order of singing they were estemed of all them of the East to be true Churches neither came it into any mans braine that therefore they were hereticall and schismaticall Churches or not rightlie gouerned because they were destitute of song or melodie No man gathered The Easterne Churches sing the Westerne doe not so therefore they are no churches If this vprightnes and libertie had remained safe and vnaltered that is to saye If according to that auncient vse of singing nothing had béene soung but canonicall scriptures if it had bene stil in the libertie of the churches to sing or not to sing truely at this day there should be no controuersie in the Churche aboute singing in the church For those churches whiche should vse singing after the ancient maner practised in singing would sing the word of God and the prayses of God onely neither would they think that in this point they surpassed other Churches neither would they condemne those Churches that sang not at all where as also these would not despise them that vsed soberly and godlily to sing For if godly men perseuere in the studie
Isai 49. Who is to be called vppon of them that pray â—sai 63. â—y whom God the Father is called vpoÌ„ Iohn 5. Iohn 14. 1. Iohn 2. Ephe. 3. What thinges prouoke man to call vppon God. Rom. 8. With whaâ— abilities â—he must bâ— furnished which coÌ„meth to pray vnto God. Dan. 9. Luke 18. Faith is 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 â—â—mes 1. Psal. 50. Psal. 145. Esa. 65. Matth. 21. Mark. 11. Iohn 14. Iohn 16. Psal. 22. Let the life of him that prayeth be answearable to his faith Prou. 2â— Isaie 1 Iohn 9. Iere. 7. 11. Ezech. 14. Our mindâ— must bee â—fted vp â—o heauenly thinges Dâ—niel 9. Actes 10 Let prayer proceede from loue Mark. 11. Matth. 6. Matth. 5. We muste not praye with the mouthe â—nely but with the â—aâ—t Matth. 15 1. Cor. 14. Matth. 23. We must require nothing that â—s vnworâ—hy for God to graunt coÌ„trary to his lawes 1. Iohn 53. Iudith 8. â— Samu. 15 We muste continue â—n prayer 1. thess. 5. Luke 1. Abâ—c 2. Heb. 10. When we must pray Ioel. 2. 1. Cor. 7. Of the place of prayer Iohn 4. To prayeâ— in the chamber Matth. 6. The gesture of theÌ„ that pray What we must aske or pray for of God. Ephe. 6. 2. thess. 3. 1. Tim. 2. It is lawful to aske corporall goodes of the Lorde In what tongue we must pray 1. Cor. 14 Of Singâ—â—ge in 〈◊〉 church â— Paral. 29 Matth. 26 Mark. 14. Paul rebuked not them that sounge 1. Cor. 14. Ephe. 5. The manner of the aâ—ncient singiâ—g in the Churche What maÌ„â— of singing was in old time vsed Song was alwaies fre but not â—niuersally vsed Agrement in singing in the Church Gregories singing what thinges are to â—e discoÌ„mended in the vse of singing in the church Of canonicall houâ—es Dan. 6. Leuit. 26. Pro. 24. Luke 17. Actes 3. Actes 2. Trip. li. 9. Cap. 39. How we must pray Whether we be tyed to the wordes of the Lords prayer What it needeth â—o expresse 〈◊〉 dâ—sires â—nto God 〈◊〉 wordes Howe lip-labour or muche babbling is forbidden * Or debtes * Or our debters The lords Prayer deuided Father The Lords prayer offered to the Father by Christ Psal. 103. Luke 15. Our Which art in heauen 3. Reg. â— Actes 7. Hallowed be thy name The name of God. To sanctifie or hallowe Thy kingdome come Thy will be done Psal. 113. As well in earth as it is in heaâ—en To will that which God willeth is a good part of happinesse Bread. Matth. 4. Deut. 8. Oures Daylie Giue Vs. This day Pro. 30. And forgiue vs. Our debtes Luke 7. As we forgiue our debters And leadâ— vs not into c. Iames. 1. But deliuer vs froÌ„ euill Amen * Whiche â—s coÌ„monly translaâ—ed Veriâ—y Verily For thine is the kingdome power and glorie for euer â—ro 18. Of thanks giuinge We owe thankes giuing oâ—ly to God Thankes are to be giuen to God thrughe Christ Ephe. 5. Hebr. 13. The beneâ—â—tes of God must be acknowâ—edged How the godly giue thankes vnto God. Psal. 8. 2. Sam. 7. ThaÌ„ks giuing a sacrifice Psal. 50. Psal. 116. Ose 24. Mala. 1. Of the force or vertue of prayer A signe DiuisioÌ„ of signes out of S. Augustine Iohn 12. Marke 14. Matth. 9. Signes disâ—inguished accordinge to their â—imes Matth. 12. Iosue 4. Iudg 6. Of signes some are giuen of men other some ordeined of God. Signes giuen of men Ezech. 4. The diuersitie of signes giuen of man. Matth. 26. Gal. 2. Iudg. 2. Signes giuen of God. The diuersirie oâ— Signes giuen by God. Signes wonders Luke 21. Miraculous â—ignes Esai 38. Signes paâ—adigmatical or for example Iere. 27. 19. 28. Matth. 18. Sacramental signes are seuered froÌ„ other signes with which theâ— haue many things common Sacrament What a Sacrament is Sacrament taken for â—â—orth Souldiers eath What a mysterie is Matth. 13. Ephe. 3. Matth. 7. What a Simbol is Onelie God is the authour of SacrameÌ„ts Esai 66. Leuit. 10. SacrameÌ„ts are to be receiued as it were at the handes of Christ 1. thess. 2. Marke 16. Matth. 28. Luke 10. Matth. 21. 1. Cor. 11. Why Sacramentes were instituted vnto vs in visible things ChrysostoÌ„e touching the cause of sacraments Iohn 3. Iohn 3. The lorde is to be praised for instituting sacramentes The wisdome of God shineth in thâ—â—nstitution of the SacrameÌ„ts The manner of making leagues or couenaunts Gene. 15. The number of sacraments WholsoÌ„e â—â—tes of the church are â—ot conâ—emned In his booke against 〈◊〉 Sacraments coÌ„sist of the signe and the thing signified Mark. 1. Actes 2. Matth. 26 Luke 22. Signes external and in warde thinges Signes earthly visible thinges heauenly inuisible The word and rite Promise ceremonie What is vnderstood by the worde iâ— the sacraments â— Reg. 5. 〈…〉 In the naÌ„e of the lord Iesus Christ the feeble are healed Actes 4. Actes 4. Actes 19. The place of Paule in the. 5. to the Ephe. is expounded Tit. 3. Iohn 15. Rom. 10. Actes 15. The â—ordes â—poken do â—ot form 〈◊〉 make sâ—â—raments â—ffâ—ctuall Whether by blessing the nature of thinges are changed Num. 20. Exod. 7. Iohn 2. Exod. 15. Exod. 7. 4. Reg. 6. The omnipotenciâ— of God. Gen 1. Of the worde Blessing â— Coâ— 10. Thankesgiuing blessing For what â—â—pose â—ords are 〈…〉 of what 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 Eccle. 12. Authours of gatheâ—inges he â—â—leth wise men bicase they gather the sayings of the wiâ—er â—orte of men in theire bookes Howe the power of almightie God is attributed to the worde Of true anctificaion or consecraâ—ion â— Tim. 4 Actes 10. Howe our Sacraments are confecrated The signe and the thing signified doâ—reteine there seuerall natures in the sacraments The wicked are not partakers of the thing signified in the sacraments The affinitie of the worde of God sacraments Heb. 4. Matth. 3. Pet. 3. The scripture maketh difference beetweene thâ— ministerie of man the operation of the spirit Iohn 3. 1. Cor. 3. The opinion of the Papistes touchinge transubstantiatioÌ„ is coÌ„futed That bread anâ— wine remaine in their substaÌ„ces afteâ— consecration Whether the bread and wine for their former substance are so called after consecration Coloss 2. 1. Tim. 6. The counsell of Laâ—eran was in the yeare of of the lorde 1215. Of the sacramental vnion It is declared how in SacrameÌ„ts the signes and the things signisied are ioyned together Signes borowe the names of things signified Circumcision The paschallamb Sacrifices Rom. 8. Hebr. 10. Zacha. 3. Isai 33. Iohn 1. 1. Pet. 1. Baptisme Actes 22. 1. Cor. 6. The supper of the lorde Sacramesâ—cal and figuratine speaches The maÌ„ner of speach which we daylie vse The auncient fathers moved no contentioÌ„s about the sacrameÌ„ts It is not saide the rocke signifieth Christ but the rocke is Christe Their error which will not haue sacramental speeches expouÌ„ded sacramentally Carnal boÌ„dage and seruile weaknesse How a figâ—ratiue speach is to be receiued and acknowledged The wordes of our sauior in the 6. of Iohn doe mak much for the in
neuer so sound pithy and effectuall to be read in Churches They are like Physicians whiche forbid their patients all those meates which they may haue and would do them good and appoint them only suche as by no meanes they can obteine for it will not yet be that euery parish shal haue a learned able preacher resident and abyding in it And in the meane time it cannot be denied but that an Homilie or sermon penned by some excellent clerk being read plainly orderly distinctly doth much moue the hearers doth teach coÌ„firme confute coÌ„fort persuade euen as the same pronounced without the booke doth Perhaps some hearers whiche delight more to haue their eyes fed with the preachers action than their hartes aedified with his sermon are more moued with a sermon not read but to a good christian hearer whose minde is moste occupied on the matter there is smalods Better is a good sermon read than none at all But nothing say they must be read in the open congregation but the verie Canonical scriptures That rule is somwhat straite praecise Then may not either the Creed called the Apostles creed or the Nicene creed or the creed called Athanasius creed or any prayers which are not word for word coÌ„teined in the canon of the scriptures nor any coÌ„tents of chapters be read in the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ The church CongregatioÌ„ of the Colossians were inioyned by S. Paul Col. 4. ve 16. to read amongst them the Epistle written froÌ„ Laodycea which Epistle as Caluine thinketh was not writen by Paule but by the church of Laodycea and sent to Paule and is not conâ—eined in the Canon of the scriptures The Churche of Corinth also and other churches of the godly soone after the Apostles times as appeareth out of Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 23. and the writers of the Centuries Cent. 2. cap. 10. did vse to read openly for admonition sake certeine Epistles of Clement of Dionysius Bishop of Corinth Maister Bucer in his notes vpon the communion book in King Edwardes time writeth thus It is better that where there lackes to expounde the scriptures vnto the people there should bee godly and learned Homilies read vnto them rather than they should haue no exhortation at al in the administration of the supper And a little after he saith there be two fewe Homilies and too fewe pointes of religion taught in them when therefore the Lord shal blesse this kingdome with some excellent preachers let them be coÌ„maunded to make moe Homilies of the principal pointes of religion which may be read to the people by those pastors that cannot make better themselues And that worthie martyr doctor Ridley Bishop of London speaking of the Church of England that was in the reigne of king Edward as he is reported by maister Foxe in his booke of Actes and Mo To 2. Pag. 1940. sayeth thus It had also holy and wholesome Homilies in commendation of the principall vertues which are coÌ„mended in scripture and likewise other Homilies against the most pernicious and capital vices that vse alas to reigne in this Churche of Englande So long therfore as none are read in the Church but such as are sound godly learned and fit for the capacitie of the people and whiles they are not thrust into the Churche for Canonicall Scriptures but are read as godly expositions and interpretations of the same and whiles they occupie no more time in the church than that which is vsually left and spared after the reading of the Canonical scriptures to preaching and exhortation and whiles they are vsed not to the contempt derogation or abandoning of preaching but only to supplie the want of it no good man can mislike the vse of them but such contentious persons as defie all thinges which they deuise not themselues And if it be saide there be already good Homilies and those also authorized likewise wholesome expositions of sundrie parts of scripture tâ— the same purpose I graunt there be so But store is no sore And as in meats which are most deintie if they come often to the table we care not for them so in sermons which are moste excellent if the same come often to the pulpit they oftentimes please not others are desired But to end these sermons of maister Bullingers are such as whether they be vsed priuately or read publiquely whether of ministers of the word or other Gods children certeinely there will be found in them suche light and instruction for the ignorant such sweetenesse and spiritual comfort for consciences suche heauenly delightes for soules that as perfumes the more they are chafed the better they smell and as golden mynes the deeper ye digge them the more riches they shewe so these the more diligently ye peruse them the more delightfully they will please and the deeper ye digge with daily studie in their mynes the more golden matter they will deliuer forth to the glorie of GOD to whoÌ„ only be praise for euer and euer Amen ⧠Of the foure generall Synodes or Counsels SINCE THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES MANY Counselles haue beene celebrated in sundrye Prouinces Those Counsels then were Synodes or assemblies of Bishops and holy men meeting together to consult for keeping the soundnesse of Faith the vnitie of Doctrine and the discipline and peace of the Churches Some of which sorte the Epistles of the blessed martyr Cyprian haue made vs acquainted withall The first generall or vniuersall Synode therefore is reported to haue bene called by that moste holy Emperour Constantine in the Citie of Nice the yere of our Lorde 324. against Arius and his parteners which denied the naturall Deitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ And thither came there out of all nations vnder heauen 218. Bishops and excellent learned men who wrote the Creede commonly called the Nicene Creede Hitherto the Creede of the Apostles sufficed and had bene sufficient to the church of Christe euen in the time of Constantine For all men coÌ„fesse that all the churches vsed no other Creede than that of the Apostles which we haue made mention of and expounded in the firste Decade wherewith they were content throughout the whole world But for because in the dayes of Constantine the great that wicked blasphemer Arius sprange vp corrupting the purenesse of Christian faith and peruerting the simple trueth of doctrine taught by the Apostles the Ministers of the churches were compelled of very necessitie to set themselues againste that deceiuer and in publishinge a Creede to shewe forth and declare out of the Canonical Scriptures the true and auncient confession of faith condemning those nouelties brought in of Arius For in the Creedes set forth by the other three general counsels presently folowing neither was any thinge chaunged in the doctrine of the Apostles neither was there any new thinge added which the churches of Christe had not before taken and beleeued out of the holy Scripture but the auncient truth beeing wisely made manifest by coÌ„fessions made of
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
beleeue that this sonne of God beeing God begotten of his father all together before all beginning did sanctifie the wombe of the virgin Marie and that of her he toke vpon him verie man begotten without the seede of man the two natures onlie that is of the Godhead and manhood comming together into one person onelie that is our Lord Iesus Christe Neither doe we beleeue that there was in him an imagined or any phantastical bodie but a sound verie bodie and that he both hungered and thirsted and taught and wept and suffered all the damages of the bodie Last of al that he was crucified of the Iewes and was buried and rose againe the third day afterwarde was conuersant with his disciples and the fortieth day after his resurrection ascended into heauen This sonne of man and also the sonne of God wee call bothe the sonne of God and the sonne of man. We beleeue verilie that there shall be a resurrection of the fleshe of mankinde and that the soule of man is not of the diuine substance or of God the father but is a creature created by the will of God The Creede of the fourth Counsell kept at Toledo taken out of the booke of Isidore AS we haue learned of the holie fathers that the father and the sonne and the holie ghost are of one Godhead and substance so is our confession beleeuing the trinitie in the difference of persons and openly professing the vnitie in the Godhead neither confounde we the persons nor diuide the substance Wee say that the father is made or begotten of none we affirme that the sonne is not made but begotten of the father and wee professe that the holie ghoste is neither created nor begotten but proceeding from the father and the sonne And we confesse that the Lord him selfe Iesus Christe the sonne of God and the maker of all things begotten of the substance of his father before all the worldes came downe from his father in the latter times for the redemption of the worlde who neuerthelesse neuer ceassed to be with the father For hee was incarnate by the holie ghoste and the glorious virgine Marie the holie mother of God and of her was borne alone the same Lord Iesus Christ one in the trinitie beeing perfect man in soule and bodie taking on man without sinne beeing still what he was taking to him what he was not touching his godhead equal with the father and inferiour to his father touching his manhood hauing in one person the propertie of two natures For there are in him two natures God and man And yet not two sonnes or two Gods but the same God and man one person in bothe natures who suffered griefe and death for our saluation not in the power of his godhead but in the infirmitie of his manhood He descēded to them belowe to draw out by force the Saintes which were held there And he rose againe the power of death beeing ouercome He was taken vpp into the Heauens from whence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead By whose death and bloud we beeing made cleane haue obteyned forgiuenesse of our sinnes and shal be raysed vp againe by him in the last day in the same flesh wherein now we liue and in that manner wherein the same our Lord did rise againe and shall receiue of him some in rewarde of their well-doing life euerlasting and some for their sinnes the iudgement of euerlasting punishment This is the faith of the Catholique church this confession we keepe and holde which whosoeuer shall keepe stedfastly he shall haue euerlasting saluation A declaration of the faith or preaching of the Euangelicall and apostolicall truethe by the blessed martyr Irenaeus taken out of the 2. Chap. of his first booke Contra Valent. THe churche dispersed through the whole worlde euen to the endes of the earth hath of the Apostles and their Disciples receiued the beliefe which is in one God the father almightie which made Heauen and earth the Sea and al that in them is And in one Iesus Christe the Sonne of God who was incarnate for our saluation And in the holie Ghost who by the prophets preached ▪ the mysterie of the dispensatiō the cōming of the beloued Iesus Christe our Lord with his natiuitie of the virgine and his passion and resurrection from the dead and his ascension in the flesh into the Heauens and his comming againe out of the heauens in the glorie of the father to restore all thinges and to raise vppe againe all flesh of mankinde so that to Christe Iesus our Lorde bothe God and sauiour and king according to the wil of the inuisible father euery knee may bow of thinges in Heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and that euerie tongue may praise him and that he may iudge rightlie in all things and that hee may cast the spirites of naughtinesse with the angels which transgressed and became rebells and wicked vniust mischiefous and blasphemous men into eternall fire and that to the iust and holie ones and such as haue kept his commaundements and remained in the loue of him partely from the beginning and partely by repentaunce he may graunt life bestowe immortalitie and giue glorie euerlasting The Churche although it be dispearsed throughout the whole worlde hauing obteined as I haue saide this confession and this faith doeth as it were dwelling together in one house diligently keepe them and likewise beleeue them euen as if it had one soule and the same hart and doeth preache teach and agreeably deliuer these thinges euen as if it had al one mouth For in the world the tongues are vnlike but the force of teaching is one and the same Neither doe the Churches whose foundation is laide in Germanie beleeue otherwise or teache to the contrarie neither those in Spaine nor those in France nor those in the East nor those in Aegypte nor those in Libya nor those whiche are in the worlde beside but euen as the Sunne which is the creature of God is one and the selfe-same in all the worlde so also the preaching of the trueth shineth euery where and giueth light to all men whiche are willing to come to the knowledge of the truth And neither shal he which among the chiefe ouerseers of the Church is able to say muche speake cōtrarie to this For no man is aboue his maister Neither shal he which is able to say litle diminish this doctrine any whit at al. For seeing that faith is all one and the same neither doeth he which is able to say much of it say more than should be said neither doeth he whiche saith little make it euer a whit the lesser Reade further in the fourth chapter of his third booke Contra Valent. and you shall perceiue that by the terme of Apostolicall tradition he meaneth the Creede of the Apostles ¶ A rule of faith after Tertullian taken out of his Booke De praescriptionibus
to lay hand on the life to come The faithfull Saints could in no wise haue don these things vnlesse the doctrine whiche they beléeued had béene of god Although therefore that the Apostles were men yet their doctrine first of all taught by a liuely expressed voyce and after that set downe in writing with penne and yncke is the doctrine of God and the very true word of god For therefore the Apostle left this saying in writing When ye did receaue the woord of God whiche ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in deede the word of God which effectually worketh in you that beleeue But nowe the matter it selfe and place require that I gather also and plainely reckon vp those bookes wherin is conteined the very word of God first of all declared of the Fathers of Christ himselfe and the Apostles by-word of mouth after that also written into Bookes by the Prophetes and Apostles And in the first place verely are set the fiue bookes of Moses Then follow the bookes of Iosua of Iudges of Ruth two bookes of Samuel two of Kinges two of Chronicles of Esdras Nehemias and Hester one a piece After these come Iob Dauid or the booke of Psalmes Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and Cantica With them are numbered the foure greater Prophets Esaias Ieremias Ezechiel and Daniel then the twelue lesser Prophetes whose names are very well knowne With these bookes the olde Testament ended The Newe Testament hathe in the beginning the Euangelicall hystorie of Christ the Lord written by foure Authors that is by two Apostles Mathewe and Iohn and by two Disciples Marke and Luke who compiled a wonderfull goodly and profitable booke of the Actes of the Apostles Paule to sundrie Churches and persons published 14. Epistles The other Apostles wrote 7. whiche are called both Canonical and Catholique And the books of the new Testament are ended with the reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche he opened to the Disciple whome he loued Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle shewing vnto him and so to the whole church the ordinaunce of God touching the Churche euen vntil the day of iudgement Therefore in these fewe and meane not vnmeasurable in these plaine and simple not darke and vnkemmed books is coōprehended the ful doctrine of godlynes whiche is the very word of the true liuing and eternall God. Also the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes through so many ages perils and captiuities came sound and vncorruptted euen vntill the time of Christ and his Apostles For the Lord Iesus the Apostles vsed those bookes as true copies and authentical which vndoubtedly they neither would nor could haue done if so be that eyther they had béen corrupted or altogether perished The bookes also whiche the Apostles of Christ haue added were throughout all persecutions kept in the Church safe and vncorrupted and are come sound and vncorrupted into our handes vpon whome the endes of the world are falne For by the vigilāt care vnspeakable goodnes of God our Father it is brought to passe that no age at any time either hathe or shal want so great a treasure Thus muche hitherto haue I declared vnto you derely beloued what the word of God is what the beginning of it in the Churche was what procéeding dignitie and certaintie it had The word of God is the speache of God that is to say the reuealing of his good will to mankinde whiche frō the beginning one while by his owne mouthe and an other whyle by the speache of Angels he did open to those first ancient and most holy Fathers who againe by tradition did faithfully deliuer it to their posteritie Here are to be remembred those great lightes of the world Adam Seth Methusalem Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iaacob Amram and his Sonne Moses who at Gods commaundement did in writing comprehend the hystorie and traditiōs of the holy Fathers whervnto he ioyned the written lawe and exposition of the lawe togeather with a large and lightsome hystorie of his owne lyfe time After Moses God gaue to his Churche moste excellent men Prophets and Priestes who also by worde of mouthe and wrytings did deliuer to their posterity that whiche they had learned of the Lord After them came the Onely begotten Sonne of God himselfe downe from heauen into the world and fulfilled all whatsoeuer was found to be written of himselfe in the Lawe and the Prophetes The same also taught a moste absolute meane howe to liue well and holily He made the Apostles his witnesses Which witnesses did afterwardes first of all with a liuely expressed voice preach al things which the Lord had taught them and then to the intent that they should not be corrupted or clean taken out of mans remembraunce they did commit it to writing so that nowe we haue from the Fathers the Prophetes and Apostles the word of God as it was preached and written These thinges had their beginning of one the same spirite of God and do tende to one end that is To teach vs men how to liue well and holily He that beléeueth not these men namely the only begotten Sonne of God whom I pray you will he beleeue We haue here the moste holie innocent vpright liuing most praise worthie most iust moste ancient most wise and most diuine men of the whole world and compasse of the earth and briefly suche men as are by all meanes without comparison All the worlde cannot shew vs the like againe although it shuld wholy a thousand times be assembled in Counsels The holy Emperour Constantine gathered a generall counsell out of al the compasse of the earthe thether came there together out of all the worlde thrée hundred and eightéene moste excellent Fathers But they that are of the wisest sorte will say that these are not so muche as shadowes to be compared to them of whome we haue receiued the worde of god Let vs therefore in all thinges beléeue the worde of God deliuered to vs by the Scriptures Let vs thinke that the Lorde him selfe whiche is the very liuing and eternall God dothe speake to vs by the Scriptures Let vs for euermore prayse the name and goodnesse of him who hath vouched safe so faythfully fully and plainely to open to vs miserable mortall men all the meanes howe to liue well and holyly To him be prayse honour and glory for euermore Amen Of the worde of God to whom and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse ¶ The seconde Sermon DEarely beloued in the laste Sermon you learned what the worde of God is from whence it came by whome it was chiefly reuealed what procéedings it had and of what dignitie and certaintie it is Now am I come againe and by Gods fauour and the helpe of your prayers I will declare vnto you beloued to whome and to what ende the worde of
are sowen abrode very vngodly spéeches For some there are which do suppose that the scriptures that is the very worde of God is of it selfe so darke that it cannot be read with any profite at al. And again some other affirme that the worde plainly deliuered by God to mankind doth stande in néede of no exposition And therefore say they that the scriptures ought in déede to be read of all men but so that euery man may lawfully inuent and choose to himself such a sense as euery one shal be persuaded in him selfe to be most conuenient These fellowes doe altogether condemne the order receiued of the Churches wherby the minister of the church doth expounde the Scriptures to the congregatioÌ„ But I déerely beloued if as ye haue begoon so ye will go forwarde to pray to the Lorde do truste by the hope that I haue in gods goodnesse that I am able plainely to declare that to the godly the scripture is nothing darke at al that the lord his will is altogether to haue vs vnderstande it Then that the Scriptures ought alwayes to be expouÌ„ded Wher also I will teach you the maner and some ready wayes how to interprete the scriptures The handling of these pointes shall take away the impediments which driue men from the reading of the word of god and shal cause the reading hearing of the worde of God to be both wholesome fruitful And firste of all that Gods will is to haue his worde vnderstoode of man kinde we may thereby gather especially bicause that in speaking to his seruaunts he vsed a most common kind of speach wherwithall euen the very idiotes were acquainted Neither do we reade that the Prophets and Apostles the seruaunts of God and interpreters of his high and euerlastinge wisedome did vse any straunge kinde of speach so that in the whole packe of writers none can be founde to excell them in a more plaine and easy phrase of writing Their writings are full of common prouerbes similitudes parables comparisons deuised narrations examples and such other like maner of spéeches then which ther is nothing that doth more moue plainely teach the common sorte of wittes amonge mortall men There ariseth I confesse some darknesse in the scriptures by reason of the naturall propertie figuratiue ornaments and the vnacquainted vse of the tongues But that difficulty may easily be helped by studie diligence faith and the meanes of skilfull interpreters I know that the Apostle Peter saith in the epistles of Paul Many thinges are harde to be vnderstoode But immediatly he addeth which the vnlearned and those that are vnperfect or vnstable peruert as they doe the other scriptures also vnto their owne destruction Wherby we gather that the scripture is difficulte or obscure to the vnlearned vnskilfull vnexercised and malicious or corrupted willes and not to the zealous and godly Readers or Hearers therof Therefore when S. Paule sayth If as yet our gospell be hidde from them it is hid which perish in whom the Prince of this worlde hath blinded the vnderstanding of the vnbeleeuers that to them there shoulde not shine the light of the gospell of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. He doth not lay the blame of this difficultie on the word of God but vpon the vnprofitable hearers Whosoeuer we are therefore that do desire rightly to vnderstand the word of God our care must be that Satan possesse not our mindes and close vp our eyes For our Sauiour also in the gospell sayde This is damnation because the light came into the world and men loued darknesse rather than light Besides that the holy Prophetes of God and the Apostles did not call the worde of God or the scriptures darkenesse obscurenesse or mistinesse but a certaine brightnesse and lightsomnesse Dauid saith Thy word is a Lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes And what I praye you is more euident than that which in makinge doubtfull and obscure thinges manifest no man doth referre to darkenesse and vncertainties Things vncertaine doubtful and obscure are made manifest by those things that are more certain sure and euident But as often as any question or controuersie doth happen in matters of fayth do not all men agree that it ought to be ended and determined by the scriptures it must therfore needes be that the scriptures are euident plaine and most assuredly certaine But though the scripture be manifest and the worde of God be euident yet notwithstanding it refuseth not a godly or holy exposition but rather an holy exposition doth giue a setting out to the worde of God bringeth forth much fruite in the godly hearer And for bicause many do deny that the scriptures ought to haue any exposition I will shew by examples which can not be gainsaide that they ought altogether to be expounded For God him selfe hauing often coÌ„munication with Moses by the space of fortie dayes and as many yeares did by Moses expouÌ„d to the Church the wordes of the law which he spake in Mount Sina to the whole congregation of Israeâ—l writing them in two tables which Moses left to vs the Deuteronomie and certaine other bookes as commentaries vpon Gods commaundements After that immediatly followed the Prophetes who interpreting the lawe of Moses did apply it to the times places and men of their age and left to vs that fellow their sermons as plain expositions of Gods law In the eight Chapiter of Nehemias we reade these wordes Esdras the Priest brought the Lawe the booke of Moses and stoode vpon a turret made of wood that is in the holy pulpet And Esdras opened the booke before the congregation of men and women who soeuer else had any vnderstanding And the Leuits stode with him so that he read out of the booke and the leuits instructed the people in the law the people stode in their place And they reade in the booke of the lawe distinctly expounding the sense and causing them to vnderstande the reading Thus muche in the booke of Nehemias Marke here by the waye my brethren that the lawfull and holy ministers of the Churche of God did not onely reade the worde of God but did also expounde it This manner of reading and expounding the Scriptures or worde of God oure Lorde Iesu Christe did neyther abrogate nor contemne when comming in the fleshe he did as a true Prophete and heauenly maister instructe the people of his Churche in the doctrine of the Newe Testament For entring into the Synagogue at Nazareth he stoode vp to reade and there was deliuered to him the booke of the Prophete Esay So he opened the booke and read a certaine notable place out of the .lxj. Chapter Then shutting the booke he gaue it to the Minister againe and expounded that which he had read declaring how that in him selfe nowe that prophesie was fulfilled Moreouer after that he was risen from death he ioyned him self in companie
saued Laste of all that that shal most assuredly light vpon the vngodly and the godly what so euer the holy Scriptures doe eyther threaten or promise Out of all these definitions there-fore being diligently considered we maye according to the Scriptures make this description of fayth Fayth is a gift of God poured into man froÌ„ heauen whereby he is taught with an vndoubted persuaâ—ioÌ„ wholy to leane to God and his word â–ª in which word God dothe freely promise life and all good things in Christe and wherein all trueth necessarie to be beleeued is plainly declared Whiche description of fayth I will by Gods helpe in this that followeth vnfolde into partes and by assertion of places out of the Scriptures will bothe confirme and make manifest vnto you Ye as hytherto ye haue done so still giue diligent care and in your heartes praye earnestly to God. First of all the cause or beginning of fayth commeth not of any man or any strength of man but of God him selfe who by his holy spirite inspireth fayth into our hearts For in the Gospell the Lorde sayth No man commeth to me vnlesse my father drawe him And againe fleshe and bloude sayth the Lorde to Peter confessing Christ in true faith hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heauen Whervnto the Apostle Paul alludeth when he sayth We are not able of ourselues to thinke any thing as of our selues but all our abilitie is of God. And in another place To you it is giuen for Christe not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake Fayth therefore is poured into our hearts by God who is the welspring and cause of all goodnesse And yet we haue to consider here that god in giuing and inspiring faith dothe not vse his absolute power or miracles in working but a certaine ordinarie meanes agréeable to mans capacitie although he can in déed giue fayth without those meanes to whom when and howe it pleaseth him But we reade that the Lord hath vsed this ordinarie meanes euen from the first creation of all things Whome he meaneth to bestowe knowledge and faith on to them he sendeth teachers by the worde of God to preache true fayth vnto them Not bycause it lyeth in mans power wil or ministerie to giue fayth nor bicause the outward worde spoken by mans mouth is able of it selfe to bring fayth but the voice of man and the preaching of Gods worde do teache vs what true fayth is or what God dothe will and commaunde vs to beléeue For God him selfe alone by sending his holy spirite into the hearts and myndes of men dothe open our hearts persuade oure myndes and cause vs with all oure heart to beléeue that which we by his worde and teaching haue learned to beleeue The Lorde could by miracle from heauen without any preaching at all haue bestowed fayth in Christe vpon Cornelius the Centurion at Cesaria but yet by an Aungell he dothe sende him to the preaching of Peter And while Peter preacheth God by his holy spirite worketh in the hearte of Cornelius causing him to beléeue his preaching Verily Sainte Paule sayth Howe shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard How shall they heare without a preacher And howe shall they preache if they be not sent So then fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God. In another place also Who is Paule sayth he or what is Apollos but ministers by whome ye haue beleeued according as God hath giuen to euery one I haue planted Apollos watred but God hath giuen increase So then he that planteth is nothing nor he that watreth but God that giueth increase With this doctrine of Saint Peter and Saint Paul doth that agrée which Augustine writeth in the Preface of his booke of Christian doctrine where he sayth That whiche we haue to learne at mans hande let euery one learne at mans hande without disdaine And let vs not goe about to tempte him in whom we beleeue neyther being deceiued let vs thinke scorne to goe to Churche to heare or learne oute of bookes looking still when we shal be rapt vp into the thirde heauen Let vs take héede of such like temptations of pride and let vs rather haue this in oure myndes that euen the Apostle Paul him selfe although he were cast prostrate and instructed by the calling of God from heauen was neuerthelesse sent to a maÌ„ to be taught the will of God and that Cornelius although God had heard his praiers was committed to Peter to be instructed by whome he should not only receiue the Sacramentes but shoulde also heare what he ought to beleue what to hope for and what to loue all which things notwithstaÌ„ding might haue bene done by the Angell c. The same Augustine also in his Epistle to the Circenses saith Euen he worketh conuersion and bringeth it to passe who by his ministers doth warne vs outwardly with the signes of thinges but inwardly doth by himself teach vs with the very things themselues Also in his treatise vpon the 26. of Iohn What doe men saith he when they preach outwardly What doe I now while I speake I driue into your eares a noise of words but vnlesse he which is with in doe reueale it what say I or what speake I He that is without doth husband the tree but he within is the creator of it c. This said he But euen as the Lorde his desire is to haue vs beleue his worde for the Prophet crieth out and saith To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your harts So in like maner he doth require of vs al which heare his word that we be not slacke in praying For in hearing the worde of God we must pray for the gifte of faith that the lord may opeÌ„ our harts coÌ„uert our soules breake and beate downe the hardnes of our mindes and increase the measure of faith bestowed vpon vs Of this order of prayer there are many examples in the holy scriptures WheÌ„ the Lorde in the gospell sayde to one Canst thou beleue to him that beleueth all things are possible He made aunswere saying I beleue lord helpe thou mine vnbeliefe The Apostles also cry to the Lord and say O Lorde increase our faith Moreouer this praier wherin we desire to haue faith powred into vs is of the grace gifte of God and not of our owne righteousnesse which before God is none at all This therefore is lefte vnto vs for a thinge most certaine and vndoubtedly true that true faith is the mere gift of god which is by the holy ghost from Heauen bestowed vpon our mindes and is declared vnto vs in the worde of trueth by teachers sent of God and is obtained by earnest praiers which cannot be tyred Whereby we learne that we ought often and attentiuely to heare the word of God and neuer cease to praye to God for the obtayning of true faith But that
of the Apostles Créede saith He sayd not in the holy church nor in the remission of sinnes nor in the resurrection of the body For if he had added the preposition In then had the force of those clauses beene all one with the force of that that went before For in those words wherein oure beliefe touching the Godhead is set downe we say in God the Father In Iesus Christ his Son in the holy ghost but in the rest wher the speach is not of the Godhead but touching the creatures or mysteries the preposition In is not added that we may say In the holy Churche but that the holy Church is to be beleued not as we beleue in God but as a congregation gathered together to God and that the forgiunesse of sinnes is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the forgiunesse of sinnes and that the resurrection of the flesh is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the resurrection of the fleshe So then by this sillable In the Creator is discerned from the Creatures and that that is Gods frō that that is mans This saith Cyprian S. Augustine in his booke De Fide et Symbolo hath I beleeue the holy Churche not I beleeue in the holy Church There are alledged also his wordes in his epistle Ad Neophytos touching consecration Distinct 4. ca. 1. We saide not that ye had to beleeue in the Church as in God but vnderstād how we said that ye being cōuersant in the holy Catholique Churche should beleeue in God. Much more euidently doth Paschasius in the first Chap. of his first booke De Spiritu Sancto say We beleeue the Church as the mother of regeneration we do not beleeue in the Church as the authour of saluation He that beleeueth in the Churche beleeueth in man For man hath not his being of the Churche but the Churche beganne by man Leaue of therefore this blasphemous persuasion to think that thou haste to beleeue in anye worldly Creature since thou mayst not beleeue neither in Angel nor Archangel The vnskilfulnesse of some haue drawne and taken the preposition In from the sentence that goeth nexte before and put it to that that followeth adding thereto also too too shamelesly somewhat more then needed This hath Paschasius in that booke of his which Saint Gregorie the greate Bishop of Rome liked very well of What say ye to that moreouer that Thomas of Aquine reasoning of faith in the seconde booke Part. 2. Artic. 9. quest 1. sayth If we say I beleeue in the holy Churche we muste vnderstande that oure fayth is referred to the holy Ghoste whiche sanctifieth the Churche and so make the sense to be thus I beleeue in the holy spirite that sanctifieth the Church But it is better and according to the cōmon vse not to adde at all the sillable In but simply to say the holy Catholique Churche euen as also Pope Leo sayth This hath Thomas So nowe ye haue hearde the opinions of the auncient Doctours of the Churche Cyprian Augustine Gregorie Paschasius Pope Leo and also of Thomas of Aquine whiche taught nowe in the later times And dearely beloued ye doe vnderstande by proofes taken out of the Canonicall Scripture that we must acknowledge and confesse the holy Catholike Churche but not beléeue in the holy Catholique Church And nowe we haue to sée what that is that is called the Churche and what is called the Catholique church Ecclesia whiche worde we vse for the Churche is properly an assembly it is I saye where the people are called out or gathered together to heare somewhat touching the affaires of the common weale In this present treatise it is the company communion congregation multitude or fellowship of all that professe the name of Christe Catholique is as muche to say as this fellowship is vniuersal as that that is extended throughe all places and ages For the Churche of Christe is not restrained into any corner among the Donatists in Aphrica it stretcheth out it selfe throughe the compasse of the world and vnto all ages and doth conteine all the faithfull from the first Adam euen vnto the very last Saint that shall be remaining before the end of the world This vniuersall Churche hath hir particular churches I mean the churche of Adam and of the Patriarches the Churche of Moses and of the Prophetes before the byrth of Christe the Christian Churche which is so named of Christe him selfe and the Apostolicall Church gathered together by the Apostles doctrine in the name of Christ And finally it containeth these particular Churches as the Churche of Ierusalem of Antioch of Alexandria of Rome of Asia of Aphrica of Europe of the East of the West c. And yet all these Churches as it were members of one body vnder the onely heade Christe for Christe alone is the heade of his Church not onely triumphant but militant also do make one onely Catholike Churche in whiche there are not to be founde either heresies or schismies and for that cause is it called the true Church to wit of the right and true opinion iudgement fayth and doctrine For in the Church onely is true fayth and without the Church of God is neyther any trueth nor yet saluation So then in this Article we confesse that all the faithfull dispersed through out the whole compasse of the earth and they also that at this time liue in heauen as many I say as are already saued or shall euen vntill the very end of the worlde be borne to be saued are one bodye hauing gotten fellowship and participation with God and a mutuall communion among them selues And for bycause no man can be made one with God vnlesse he also be holy pure euen as God is holy and pure therefore we beléeue that the Church is holy that is that it is sanctified by God the Father in the bloude of the Sonne and the gift of the holy Ghost We haue hearde testimonies inough in the former Sermons Therefore this one of Paule shall be sufficient which he writeth to the Ephesians Christe loued the Churche and gaue him selfe for it to sanctifie and to cleanse it in the fountaine of water through the worde to make it vnto him selfe a glorious Churche not hauing spot or wrinckle c. By which words we vnderstand that the church is called vndefiled altogether cleane not in respect of it selfe but bycause of Christe For the Church of Christ is so farre foorth holy as that yet euery day it doth goe forwarde in profiting and is neuer perfect so long as it liueth on the earth And yet notwithstanding the holinesse of it is moste absolutely perfect in Christ Wherevnto veryly belongeth that notable saying of the lord He that is washed hath no need but to washe his feete onely for he is wholy cleane For the faythfull are purely cleansed by Christe who washeth them with his bloud
rose againe from the dead But now this worde fleshe doth a great deale more significantly expresse the resurrection of this flesh then if wee should say the resurrection of the bodie Verily Cyprian saith that in some Churches of the Easte this article was thus pronoūced I belieue the resurrectiō of this flesh And Augustine also in the tenth chap. of his booke De fide Symbolo sayth Wee must without doubting belieue that this visible which is properlie caled flesh shall rise againe The Apostle Paule doth seeme as it were with his finger to point at this flesh when hee saith This corruptible must put on incorruption When hee saith This hee doth as it were put out his finger vnto this flesh This hath Augustine Moreouer Sainct Hierome compelleth Iohn Eishoppe of Hierusalem openly to confesse the resurrection of the flesh not of the bodie onely Fleshe saith he hath one definition and the bodie an other Al flesh is a bodie but euery body is not fleshe That is flesh properlie which is compacte of bloud veynes boanes and synewes A bodie althoughe it be called fleshe yet sometime is said to be of like substance to the firmamēt or to the ayre which is not subiect to touchinge or seeing and oftentimes too maye be both touched and seene A Wall is a bodie but it is not fleshe Thus much out of Hierome Let vs therefore belieue that mens bodies which are taken of the earth and which liuinge men beare aboute wherein they liue and are which also die and turne into dust and ashes That those bodies I say are quickned and liue againe But thou demaundest howe this fleshe beinge once resolued into duste and ashes and so into nothing can rise againe in the former shape and substaunce as when it is torne with the teeth of beastes or consumed to nothing with the flame of fyre and whē in the graue there is to be founde but a small and little quantitie of dustie powder I referre thee to the omnipotencie of God which the Apostle spake of where hée sayth Christ hath transformed this vile bodie of ours to make it conformable to his glorious bodie by the power wherein hee can make all things subiecte to himselfe Wherefore hee that in the beginning when as yet there was not a man in the world could bring forth man oute of the duste of the earth although the same man be again resolued into that out of which hee was taken I meane into earth as the saying is Dust thou art and into dust shalt thou retourne againe Yet notwithstandinge the same God againe at the ende of the world is able to rayse man out of the earth For the Lorde in the Gospell saith plainely The houre shall come wherein all they that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and shal come forth they that haue done good to the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill to the resurrection of iudgement And now by fayth wee are throughly persuaded As the Apostle sayth that he that hath promised is able also to per forme There are moreouer liuelie examples of this matter and moste euident testimonies of the holie Scripture Ionas is swallowed vp of the Whale in the Syrian sea but the third daye after hee is caste vppe againe alyue vppon the shoare out of the beastes entrailes which is a token that the fleshe shall verily rise againe Wherefore that is not harde to be belieued that in the Apocalipse is said that The Sea casteth vp her dead The force of fyre had no force to hurte the three companions of Daniel yea the rage of wilde beastes contrary to nature absteyned from bytinge Daniell himselfe What marueile is it therefore if at this day neither the force of fyre nor rage of wielde beasts is able to resiste the power of God being disposed to raise his creatures vp againe Did not our Lord Christ rayse vp Lazarus when he had lyen thrée dayes in the graue yea and stancke too to life againe Did not hée himself hauing once brokē the tyrannie of death rise vp againe the thirde day from the deade did he not rise againe in the same substaunce of fleshe and forme of bodie wherein hée hanged on the Crosse and beinge taken downe from the crosse was buried Not without good cause do wée looke back to Christe which is called the first begottē among the dead so often as we thincke in what maner the resurrection of our fleshe shall bee For the members shall rise againe in the same order that the heade is risen vp before them in Wee verilie shall not rise againe the thirde daye after our death but in our maner and order shall wee rise at the last daye yea and that too in the very same body wherin now wée liue I will adde a fewe testimonies to proue the resurrection of oure fleshe Iob confessing his faith touchinge the resurrection of the deade in his greate weakenesse affliction and sicknesse sayth I knowe that my redeemer lyueth and that in the laste day I shall rise out of the earth and shal be clad againe with my skinne in my flesh I shall see God whom euen I my selfe shall see and my eyes shal behold and none other This hope is layde vp in my bosome This testimonie is so euident as that it néedeth no larger an exposition No lesse euident are those testimonies oute of Esaie Cap. 26. Ezech. 37. Psalm 15. Matth. 22. Iohn 5. 6. 11. Throughout the Actes in euerie place is often repeated the resurrection of the dead S. Paule in the 15. Chap. of his first Epistle to the Corrinthians doth make a ful discourse of this resurrection In the fourth Chapter of his 2. Epistle hée sayth Wee which liue are alwayes deliuered to death for Iesus sake that the life of Iesus also mighte appeare in our mortal fleshe Sée now what coulde be spoken more plainlye then that the lyfe of Christe shal be made to appeare in this mortall flesh of ours For by and by after hee saith We know that hée that raysed vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vs vp also by the meanes of Iesus And in the fifth Chapiter againe Wee must all appeare before the iudgemente seate of Christe sayth hee that enerye man may receiue the woorkes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill Therefore these verie bodyes of ours shall rise againe in the day of iudgement And now déerely beloued I haue to declare vnto you in what manner our bodyes shall rise againe and of what sorte they shal be in the resurrection In the shuttinge vppe and ende of all ages or of this world our Lord Iesus Christe shall come to iudgement with great maiestie and then whomsoeuer that day shall finde alyue they shall in a momente of time be chaunged and first I saye shall all they that dyed from the firste Adam to the laste that shall dye ryse vppe
teache their children the. 10. commaundementes the Apostles Créed the Lords prayer and let them teach thē a briefe and ready rule out of the Scriptures for the vnderstanding of the sacraments Let them oftē and many times cause them to repeate the Catechisme and beate into their heads such sentences as are most necessarie to put them in memorie of their faith and duetie of life But if so it be that the housholder haue his dwelling with a people that persecuteth the Christian faith and doctrine which hateth the true and lawfull worship of Gods name cannot abide the congregation ministers of Christ as it hapneth in the Turkish captiuities and troublesome persecutions of our days then shal he take héede and kéep him self from idolatrie neither shal he in his owne person goe nor suffer his familie to come to those vngodly assemblies but shall rather in his owne house at home instruct them in true religion first in the Catechisme and then in déeper diuinitie Moreouer so oft as the case and necessitie shal require he must fréely and openly professe Christe and his Gospell For it is apparantly euident by the Epistles of Paule and other hystories that such Churches were in priuate houses of great cities in the time of the Apostles and thickest of those hote and auncient persecutions Neyther is it likely that the Iewes in their captiuitie at Babylon although they lacked the outwarde vse of sacrifices were altogether without all worship of god Although Daniel did not sacrifice yet did he at certaine houres in the day time worship God in his owne house The house of Cornelius at Cesarea was the Church wherin Peter preached in a very good and ecclesiasticall assemblie or congregation and he bycause Ioppe had no Church for him to pray in went vp to the higher part of the house to make his prayers there Neyther is it to be doubted but that the Eunuch of Quéene Candaces nobilitie of whome mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles did ordeine a Church in Aethiopia And let them be persuaded whiche are without the publique and lawefull vse of the Sacramentes that that shall not be imputed to their default whiche is committed not by them but by anothers offence For euen in such a case can the Lorde worke well by his spirite in the myndes of his people But whereas by the grace of God libertie is giuen for the congregation to assemble and to heare the frée sincere and true preaching of the Gospell and lastly to celebrate the Sacraments there must those priuate and domesticall Churches be broaken vp and come to an end not for bycause the house of a godly housholder is not nor remaineth still a Church but for bycause the hearing of Gods worde prayer and the celebrating of the Sacramentes ought to be publique and common to all the Saints For those assemblies by stealth which the Anabaptistes vse and all other sectaries are bothe worthily and vtterly condemned And now let vs heare the testimonies of Scripture which commaund all housholders to instruct holily their familie in the true religion and to declare to their children the meaning of the Sacramentes Moses in the sixte of Deuter. sayth Heare Israell the Lorde our God is Lord only Therfore shalt thou loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy might And these wordes whiche I commaund thee this day shall be in thy heart And thou shalt shew them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp And thou shalte bind them for a signe vpon thy hand and they shall be as frontlets betwene thine eyes And againe When thy sonne asketh thee in time to come saying what meane these testimonies ordinaunces and lawes whiche the Lord our God hath commaunded vs Then thou shalte say vnto thy sonne we were Pharaoes bondmen in Egypt and the Lorde brought vs out with a mightie hande and shewed signes and mightie wonders before oure eyes and brought vs out from thence and gaue vs all these preceptes and statutes to doe and to feare the Lord our God. Herevnto belongeth a great part of the. 78. Psalme And in the. 13. of Exodus the Lord doth say againe Sanctifie to me all the firste borne And when thy sonne shal aske thee in time to come saying what is this Thou shalt say to him The Lord slue all the first borne of Egypt and therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lord all the males that open the matrice Also in the. 12. Chapter God or Moses in Gods name expounding the mysterie or sacrament of the Passeouer sayde When your childrē aske you saying what manner of seruice is this that ye do ye shal say It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer which passed ouer the houses of the childrē of Israel c. These testimonies are sufficiently euident and néed no further exposition I will nowe therefore adde to these the other things which parents haue to teach their children Let the father instruct his children in manners We all from our byrth are clownish rude all childrē haue vnséemly and vnciuil manners which euill is made double as much by euill custome and clownish company Let the parents therefore teach their children manners betimes which may adorne them at home and become thē abroad Let him instruct him how to behaue him self decently in his going and gesture of his body howe in the Church how in the market howe at the table howe in mens companies and in all other places of companie There are excellent preatie bookes set out for that purpose so that I néede not stande to discusse to you the particularities thereof Lastly let the father place his children with expert and cunning workmen to teach them some handie craft whereby to get their liuing another daye But firste hée muste make tryall of their wits to sée wherevnto euery one is best apt and wherein he doth most delight For cunning will neuer be come by where good will is wanting in him that must learne it If thou hast any fit for learning thou shalt do a good and godly déede to train them vp to the ministerie of the churche or some other office that standeth by learning But of all other those parents are to be founde faulte withall that bring vp their children in lazie idlenesse For although there be left vnto them huge heapes of treasure yet in thrée or foure odde houres al may be wasted and come to nought Wherevnto then shall your deintie idle Gentleman truste what shall hee do when there is nothing left but his bare carkasse that is a lumpe of clay not good for any thing The inhabiters of Massilia would not admit any into the number of citizens but such as had learned an occupation to liue by For to a citie there is no greater a
the most vnfortunate For in so much as hee forsâ—â—ke the lawe of the Lord his God the Lord deliuered both him and his people first into the hands of the king of Syrians and afterward into the hands of the Israelites who in one day â—lew one hundred and twentie thousand Iewes and tooke captine away with them two hundreth thousand women and children So Achaz himselfe and all that were his by feeling had proofe of all kinde of calamities beeing made an example to terrifie all other that doe gaiâ—â—say the woorde of god The good and godly king Ezechias succeeded his vngodly father in the seate and kingdome Of him wee haue this testimonie in the holie Scripture Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid did Hee put away the high places and brake the images and cut downe the groaues and all to brake the brasen Serpent which Moses had made For vnto those dayes the children of Israell burnt sacrifice to it Hee trusted in the Lord God of Israell For hee claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commaundements which the Lord commaunded Moses And now let vs heare what followed vppon this obedience and faith of his The Scripture goeth forward and sayth And the Lord was with him so that hee prospered in all thinges that hee tooke in hand While hee did reigne the most auncient and puissant Monarchie of the Assyrians was broken and diminished For when Senachâ—rib king of Assyria besieged the citie of Ierusalem the Angell of the Lord in one night â—lue in the Assyrian campe one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand souldiours And the king of Babylon also did verie honourably by his ambassadours send prince like giftes vnto Ezechias desiring earnestly his amitie and friendshipp For the glorie of that most godly king was blowen abroade and knowen in all the world Againe when his sonne Manasses a verie wicked man did not treade the pathe and expresse the deedes of his most holy father but being made king in the twelfth yeare of his age did of purpose crosse the word of God and brought in againe all the superstition which his father had abolished hee was taken captiue and carried away to Babylon and although by the goodnesse and mercie of God hee was restoared to his seate againe yet when he died hee left a maymed and a trouble some kingdome vnto his sonne Ammon who also for his rebellion against the word of God as a most vnfortunate man reigned but two yeares onely and was at the last wretchedly slaine by his owne houshold seruaunts In place of his murdered father was his sonne Iosias settled in the kingdome being when hee was crowned a child but eight yeares old Of all the kinges of Iuda he was the floure and especiall crowne Hee reigned quietly and in all pointes most happilie by the space of one and thirtie yeares Now the Scripture which cannot lye doth paint out to our eyes the fayth and obedience which hee did deuoutly shewe to the woord of God for which that felicitie did accompanie his kingdome Hee was nothing moued with the admonitions of his father Ammons counsellours But so soone as hee had heard the woords of the lawe read out of the booke which Helkia the high priest found in the temple at Hierusalem hee streight way committed himselfe whoaly to God and his woorde Neither stayed hee to looke for the mindes and reformations of other kinges and kingdomes but quickly forecasting the best for his people hee beganne to reforme the corrupted religion which hee did especially in the eightenth yeare of his age And in that reformation hee had a regard alwayes to followe the meaning of the holie scripture alone and not to giue eare to the deedes of his predecessours to the prescribed order of longe continuaunce noâ— to the common voyces of the greatest multitude For he assembled his people together before whome hee layde open the booke of Gods lawâ— and appointed all thinges to be ordered according to the rule of his written word And therevppon it commeth which wee finde written that hee spared not the auncient temples longe accustomed rites which Solomon and Ieroboam had erected and ordeyned against the word of god To be short this king Iosias pulled downe and ouerthrew whatsoeuer was set vpp in the Church or kingdome of Iuda against the woorde of god And least peraduenture any one should cauill and say that hee was ouer hardie and too roughe in his dealinges the Scripture giueth this testimonie of him and sayth Like vnto him was there no king before him which turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and all his might according to all the lawe of Moses neither after him arose there any such as hee Whereas wee read therefore that this so commended and most fortunate king was ouercome and slaine in a foughten battaile that death of his is to be compted part of his felicitie not of his miserie For the Lord himselfe said to Iosias I will gather thee vnto thy fathers and in peace shalte thou bee buried that thine eyes may not see all the euill which I will bring vppon this place For there is no greater argument that the people and verie princes of the kingdome vnder that most holie king were meere hypocrites and idolaters than for beecause next immediately after his death both his sonnes and Peeres reiecting the word of God did bring in againe all superstition and blasphemous wickednesse Whereuppon wee reade that for the whoale 22. yeares wherein the kinges of Iudâ— did reigne after the death of Iosias there was no peace or quietnesse in Hierusalem but perpetuall seditions and most bloudie murders Next after Iosias reigned his sonne Ioachas but within three monethes after he was taken bound and ledd captiue away into the land of Aegypt After the leading away of Ioachas his brother Ioachim ware the crowne whom in the eleuenth yeare of his reigne being bound in chaynes was slaine by Nabuchodonosor and lastly as Ieremie saith was buried in the sepulcre of an Asse In Ioachims steede was his sonne Iechonias set vpp but about three monethes after hee with his Princes and substaunce was taken captiue and ledd away to Babylon After him the kingdome was giuen to Zedechias the sonne of Iosias but because hee would not obey the word of God preached by the Prophete Ieremie he looseth both his life and kingdome in the eleuenth yere of his reigne In whose time also the temple is set on fire Hierusalem is sacked and the people slaine for the most part or led away captiue Thus much hetherto touching the kinges of Iuda For in Zedechias both the kingdome and maiestie or dignitie thereof did fayle and make an ende To these if wee add the endes and destinies of the kinges of Israell we shal againe be compelled to confesse that all felicitie of kinges and kingdomes doe
do good vnto other and helpe the néedie and the man in miserie But the proper owning of seueral goodes being once taken away good déedes and almes must of necessitie bée vtterly lacking For if all thinges be common then doest thou giue nothing of that which is thine but all that thou spendest is of the common richesse Yet Paule the Apostle in his Epistle to the Corinthians biddeth euery one to lay vpp almes by himselfe which hée might receiue when hee came vnto Corinthe Hee doth also commaund euerie one to bestowe so much as he can finde in his hart willingly to giue and according to the quantitie that euery one possesseth not according to that which he possesseth not yet not to bestowe it so that they to whome it is giuen should haue more then enoughe and they which giue should bee pinched with penurie and lacke of things necessarie The same Apostle saith We beseech you brethren that you studie to bee quiet to doe your owne businesse and to worke with your owne hands as we cōmaunded you that you may walk honestly to them that be without and that ye may haue lack of nothing I could out of other his Epistles alledge many more proofes of this same sort but these are enoughe to declare sufficiently that proprietie of goods is in both the testaments permitted to Christian men In the Actes of the Apostles wée read that among them of the primatiue Apostolicall Church al thinges were common but that which followeth in the same booke doth declare what kinde of communion that was which they had For Luk saith None of them said that anything was his of that which he possessed Loe heere the first Christians possessed houses groundes other riches by the right of proprietie and yet they possessed them not as their owne goods but as the goods of other men as it were in common so notwithstanding that the right of proprietie did stil remaine in possessours owne hand if so be at any time necessitie so required they sould their lands and houses and helped the neede of them that lacked If they sould then that which they sould was vndoubtedly their owne For no good man doth sel an other mans substance but that which is his owne or that which hee hath taken in hand to husband as his owne Moreouer S. Peter compounding all this controuersie saith to Ananias whiles that land remayned was it not thine owne and when it was sould was it not in thy power How is it then that thou lyest to the holy Ghoste and kéepest backe part of the price of the land and makest notwithstanding as though thou haddest brought the whole price vnto vs It was in Ananias his power not to haue sold the land and when it was sold to haue kept to himself the whole summe of monie and yet for that deed hée should not haue beene excluded from the Church of the faithfull It was frée therefore at that time euen as at this day also it is eyther to sell or not to sell their landes and possessions and to bestowe it commonly for the relieuing of the poore Therefore that place in the Actes of the Apostles doth not take away the right of proprietie nor commaunde such a communion of euery mans goodes as our maddheaded Anabaptistes goe about to ordeine And forbéecause I perceiue that some doe very stiffely sticke to the letter and vrge that communion of substaunce it shal not be tedious to recite vnto you dearely beloued other mens iudgments touching this point I meane the opinions of them which by conference of Scriptures haue made this matter most plaine and manifest Whereas wee read in the second Chapiter of the Actes that all which beléeued were ioyned in one it must not so bee vnderstoode as though they like Monks forsaking euery one his proper house did dwell together in common all in one house but that they as it is immediately after added continued daily in the temple with one accord not that they left off euery man to eate in his owne house and to prouide things necessarilie required of nature or that euery one sold the house that hée had since there is afterwarde added Breaking bread from house to house If they brake bread from house to house let these Anabaptistes aunsweare in what houses the Christians at Hierusalem did breake their bread In the houses of vnbeleuers I think nay Therefore they brake bread eate meat in the houses of the faithfull Howe therefore did they all sell or forsake their lāds and houses howe did they liue together like cloysterers whereas Luke saith therefore that so many as beléeued were ioyned in one that is to be vnderstoode that they did often times assemble in the temple so then that communicating of goods among the Christians was nothing else but a sale which the welthier sorte made of their landes and houses to the end that by bestowing that money the poore might be relieued least they being compelled by penurie and famine should turne from Christianitie to Iudaisme againe Moreouer wée read in many places of the Actes that Christians kept to them selues the vse of their houses and ordering of their substaunce as in the ninth of the Actes we finde of Tabitha who was full of good workes making coates cloathinge for widowes and poore people In the twelfth of the Actes wée reade that Peter the Apostle béeing brought out of prison came to the house of Marie the mother of Iohn whose syrname was Marke where many were gathered togeather to praye he saith not to dwell but to praye whereby thou maist vnderstand that the congregation was assembled in that house to praye Againe in the ninth Chapter Peter stayeth many dayes in y house of Simon the Tanner which was a Christian man and dwelt in his owne house And in the eleuenth Chapter the disciples according to euery ones abilitie sent helpe to the brethren which dwelt in Iurie Lo here as euerie one saith he was of abilitie But what abilitie could any of them haue had vnlesse they had somewhat of their owne in possession In the 16. Chapter Lydia the woman that solde purple when shée was baptised did say If ye haue iudged me to be faithfull to the Lorde come into my house and abide there Why sayde shée not sell my house but come into my house but forbecause shée did so possesse her house after shee beléeued as that shée made it common to the Apostles In the 20. Chapter Paule doth glorie that he hath not desired any mannes golde siluer or pretious cloathes But what sense or reason could be in these woordes vnlesse it were lawfull for Christian men to keepe the possession of that which is theirs And in the 21. Chapter Phillip had at Caesaria a house and foure daughters why sold he not his house Philemon also Paules hoste had both a house and a seruaunt too It is therefore moste plaine and euident that the holie
of churcherobbers suche heades and ouerséers of holye religion as some Kinges of Iuda were but Ezechias especially and manye other Bishops and pastours of the primitiue church who in many troublesome broyles when either warres did waste theire countries and common weales or else when hunger or some other publique calamitie did oppresse and pinch their sillie countriemen did not stick to bestowe the churche goods liberally and to emptie the treasure of the hallowed money that thereby they might do the oppressed some good But they had vndoubtedlye béene wrongfull churcherobbers if they to spare money others vessels whiche are without life would not haue redéemed liuing creatures their countriemen from death and penurie There is an excellent place of this matter in Sainct Ambrose Officiorum lib. 2. Cap. 28. There are also notable examples hereof in the Ecclesiasticall historie Moreouer in the number of Churcherobbers diuines accompte Simoniakes that is Merchauntes I meane buyers and sellers of spirituall and Ecclesiasticall dignities For suche an one is Simon Magus their graunde Patriarche reported to haue béene in the Actes of the Apostles In the ciuile lawe whosoeuer went about with priuie giftes to buy the voice of any man to speake on his syde when publique offices or dignities were for to be bestowed he was guyltie of ambition and beside the shame and open infamie was coÌ„pelled to pay an hundred Crownes for his offence But because this belonges not to sacrilege we lett it passe and returne to our matter They are churcherobbers whosoeuer either do not paye at all or else do paye vnwillingly the goodes that are due to the church I meane their tithes and yerely reuenues It is to be seene in the Scriptures howe terribly the Prophetes doe threaten churcherobbers Haggeus testified that the grounde brought forth so yll and little fruite for nothing else but forbecause the people did not truely paye that whiche of duetie they ought to the temple In Malachie God promiseth the people to make their ground fruitefull if they will pay liberally the stipendes and tributes due to the temple Nowe the ministers of the churches may vse those reuenues or stipendes by as good lawe and right as they that vse the profite of the grounde which they them selues haue husbanded For so doth the Lord expressely teache them in the 18. of the booke of Numbers wherewithall Paules saying agreeeth in the ninth Chapter of his firste Epistle to the Corinthians And the Lorde Iesus him selfe also gaue almes to the poore of the stipend which he had as it is to be séene in the thirteenth Chapter of Sainct Iohns Gospell Moreouer beggers committe sacrilege who abuse the name of Christ and make their pouertie a cloake to kéepe them ydle still The Apostle commaundeth Timothie not to cherishe such ydle hypocrites and wandering vacabondes with the almes and expences of the churche-goods But nowe the greatest sacrilege of all is if a man translate the glorie of God the creator vnto a creature There is a kinde of theaft called Peculatus which is committed in filching the common treasure or purloyning away the princes substance This kinde of robberie bréedeth euery houre newe exactions and giueth wicked magistrates good cause and fitt opportunitie to poll the poore coÌ„monaltie Of this sort of robbers did Cato happily speake when he saide Priuate theeues do lead their liues in chaines and fetters but publique theeues in golde and purple Vnder this title of robberie are all those conteined which either do not pay at all or else paye with yll will the tributes and taxes that are due to their magistrates Lastly all they are compted faultie in this kinde of théeuerie who soeuer do abuse the publique wealth or treasure of the common weale Other some there are that take vp children whome they know verie well and sell them to other thereby to gett aduauntage or else do steale away other mennes seruauntes This kinde of theaft the Lawyers call Plagium And of this offence are those people guyltie whiche by euill whispering persuasion and seditious doctrine do drawe seruaunts handmaydes from obedience to their maisters and children from doing reuerence and duetie to their parents And when Capitaines that are hired of straunge Princes to serue for money in forreine warres do against the parents will and knowledge carrye awaye whole bandes of sillie young men whome they intice with many faire promises and entrap with sundry sleights leading them to warres wherein they perishe and neuer returne to their friendes againe Suche captaines I saye are to be reckoned in the number of menstealers This offence of old was punished by death as it is euident in the 21. of Exodus and in the law of Constantine which is to be séene Cod. lib. 9. tit 20. An other sorte of théeues there is which we call felones and those be they which steale and driue away other mennes cattel In this order of théeues are those people placed which do misuse the cattel that is lent them and they also which when they may will not helpe another mans cattell that is in ieopardie For the Lorde in the lawe commaunded to bring back that which goeth astraye and to restore it to the right owner Thus much hetherto haue I spoken my brethren touching the sundry kindes of theaft of the iust and lawfull getting of goods and also of the proper owning of peculiar richesse ¶ Of the lawfull vse of earthly goods that is howe we may rightly possesse and lawfully spende the wealth that is rightly and iustly gotten Of restitution and almes deedes The Second Sermon I Did in my laste Sermon dearely beloued declare vnto you by what meanes goods are rightly gotten howe many kinds of theaftes there be and sundry sorts of getting wealth vnlawfully there is yet behind an other treatise for me to adde and therein to teache you what is the true vse of goods rightly gotten and howe we may lawfully possesse them and iustly spende dispose them in this transitorie life For iustice doth not onely not descaude any man but doth so muche as it may endeuour it selfe to do good to al men Neither is it â—nough for a godly man not 〈…〉 vnlesse also he do good to all that he can And in this point do many men sinne while they are persuaded that they haue done al the duetie that they owe if they hurt no man if they possesse that whiche they haue without trouble to any man although in the meane while they haue no regarde whether they helpe or do good to any man or no. And he sinneth as greatly in the sight of the Lord which doth not vse rightly goods iustly gotten as he that hath heaped vp wealth in wickednesse and naughtie meanes I will tell you therefore so farre as God shall giue me grace howe in what sort godly men may holily possesse and dispose these earthly goods First of all that the vse of worldly wealth maye be healthfull
it were for the welfare of them for whome the lye was made Neither was S. Hierome without suspicion of Origâ—ns opinion For vpon the Epistle of Paul to the Galathians hée writ that Peter and Paule to serue the time did vse a kinde of simulation But S. Augustine admonishing Hierome of that matter denieth flatly that wée ought once to suspect that a ly is allowed in the sacred Scriptures On the other side againe S. Hierome telleth Augustine that the best interpreters of the auncient Church are full and whoalie of his minde There are to and fro verie learned and large epistles written on both sides which are extant nowe and to be séene amonge vs and therefore I néâ—de not 〈◊〉 hereupon any longer The same Augustine in the 15. chapter of his booke that he wrote ad CoÌ„sentium contra mendacium sayth Hee which saieth that some lyes are righteous is to bee thought to say nothing else but that some sinnes are righteous so consequently that some vnrighteousnes is righteous Than which what can be spoken more absurd For whereuppon is sinne but because it is contrarie to righteousnesse But 〈◊〉 things that are done against the law of God cannot be righteous Now it is said to God Thy lawe is truth and therefore that which is against the truth cannot be righteous But who doubteth but that euerie lye is against the trueth Therefore no lye can possiblie be righteous And so forth as followeth Now on the other side verie notable learned men haue thought that Augustine was somewhat too stubbornely set against lying And therefore some there are which going as it were betwixte both doe say that they whose examples I alledged eueÌ„ nowe were not altogether without all sinne and yet they suppose that their fault in those lyes was a very smal sinne I would wish those which will allowe themselues to lye officiously to take héede to themselues least by following their owne affections more than enough they do at last take that for an officious lye which is in déede a pernicious lye For the last and worst kind of lye is a pernicious lye And that procéedeth of a corrupt minde and tendeth to the damage of thy neighbour which hath deserued no hurt at thy hand This kind of lye is euery where cryed out vppon thoroughout the Scriptures and the fault thereof increaseth according to the quantitie of the mischiefe that it doth For diuines and ecclesiasticall preachers do lye of all other most perniciously while with lyes corrupt doctrine they kill the soules of men make the bodies and goods of sillie seduced people both subiect to the curse of God and in daunger of a thousand perils more And hereunto belongeth hypocrisie also which the Lord Iesus doth in the Gospel woÌ„derfully taunt and bayt excéedingly Now hypocrisie doeth shewe it selfe not onely and so much in craftie and deceitfull words as also and farre more in the whole coÌ„uersation of our liues as when we make semblaunce or else dissemble such thinges as are not by that meanes lying to God and beguiling oure neighbour Furthermore in this law are forbidden talebearings priuie slanders backbitings cloase whisperings and al suspicions which rise by such occasions Despiteful quips â—â—erfore and heades that are ready to speake euill of all men are plainely condemned For some there are which are without honestie not sticking to slaunder all estates and conditions both highe and lowe publique and priuate and people of all ages and for that purpose do they cast abroad infamous libels they sticke vp written Pasquils and set out pictures to diffame men withall And to themselues they séeme very eloquent while with bitter words they check and finde fault with all sortes of men yea they accompt the malapert prattling of their vnbrideled tongues to be a commendation of vncontrolled libertie and frée licence of speaking But they sinne very gréeuously which take delight in cursed speaking that is whiche carrie about a tongue full of bitternes curses and deceipt euen as they also are not without sinne that loue a life to heare enuenomed spech and hurtfull talking But wée make a difference do except from wrongfull quarels such accusations as are iustly made and openly shewed either by writing or word of mouth such kind of chiâ—ings and chastenings also as preachers vse in sacred sermons For they which do in that sort chastise and pursue wicked vices and errours do purpose nothing else but the glorie of God and safegard of meÌ„s soules which they desire to aduaunce by all the meanes they can not séeking to vtter their spight or wreake the malice of their naughtie affections But wée may gather by many argumeÌ„ts that it is a heynous crime falsely to slaunder and wickedly to backbite our brethren neighbours For there is scarsely any thing that doeth so much disgrace vs as backbyting doth Wée are made to the similitude and likenesse of God that wée may be the sonnes of God but false accusations do make vs of the sonnes of God to be the sonnes of the diuel Now wée all abhorre and vtterly detest the name of the diuel but if thou art a wrongfull slaunderer than art thou the very same that thou doest so detest For the diuel taketh his name of wrongfull accusing and is called a staunderer Moreouer in the booke of Preuerbes GOD is said to hate backbiters and wrongfull slaunderers And in that 19. Chap. we read The thought of a foole is sinne and a slaunderer is â—ated of men For a good name as the same Solomon witnesseth is a precious treasure When as therefore the fame and good name of a man is put in hazard by the false reportes and slaunders of a wicked tongue the chiefest iewel that a man hath is put in ieopardie so that in verie déede a slaunderer doeth séeme to sinne more deepely than a théefe vnlesse a man make more accompt of his transitorie richesse than of his name and good report And therefore it is straunge at this day that a théefe for stealing is neuer pardoned backbyters for slaunders are neuer once touched I would to God that magistrats would once rightly weighe the sundrie circumstances of sundrie matters and punish euery fault with penalties agréeable to the offence and reuenge the greater crimes with great and sharper punishmentes For God truly doeth require of and charge euerie one of vs to doe oure beste in mainteyninge trueth for the defence of oure neighbours good name and preseruation of his earthly substaunce In this lawe also it séemeth that flatterie is forbidden which as the prouerbe doth truely say maketh a foole madd and causeth him that is mad to be incureably mad And therfore Solomon saith that a flatterer is worthie to bée cursed of all men They sayth he which say to the wicked thou art iust shal be cursed of the people and hated of the tribes And in an other place The woordes of a talebearer bee as thoughe
booke saith that the reliques of the Romans were kept by the townsmen of Cęres in y Frēch warre at what time the Frenchmen inuaded Rome By which occasion it is likely that for remembraunce of the benefite all the worshipp due to God and all the holy rites or customes were according to the name of the towne vsuallie called Ceremonies But from whence soeuer the woord is deriued wée in this treatise vse it for the holy déede of worshipping God and the ecclesiasticall rites of sacred religion Now Ceremonies are holy rites belonging to the ministers of religion and also to the place time and holy worship exhibited to God all whiche howe they ought to be kept and obserued according as they should be the lawes called Ceremonial doe exactly teach and precisely describe Ceremonies therfore are the actions or rites which the lawes or rules called Ceremoniall doe frame or appoint Nowe Ceremonies are ordeyned either by God or men As touching those which God hath instituted they are of two sorts The one sort wherof he did ordeine in the old testament to the auncient Israelites and the other at the comming of Christe to vs that are the people of the new testament or couenaunt Of the Ceremonies of the new testament I meane to speake when I come to treate of the Church the Sacraments thereof At this time I wil discourse of the Ceremonies of the old testament which were holy rites and actions ordeyned and deliuered by God himself to the people of Israel vntil the time of amendement partly to represent in a shadowe to shewe the mysteries of God and partly to worship God by them and also with them to kéepe the people of God in a lawfull religion and in the societie of one ecclesiasticall bodie But men also haue brought in very many and sundrie sortes of Ceremonies as amonge the heathen the Archflamines did who were the priestes and ministers of Idols whiche offices and romes both their kinges and princes did sometimes supplie Among the Hebrues Ieroboam king of Israel to the destruction of him and his did chaung the Ceremonies which God had ordeyned into his owne that is into mens inuentions and detestable blasphemies In this latter age of the world wherein we liue there is no ho of Ceremonies that are instituted daily by brainsick people The miserie whereof many learned men both haue and do yet at this day lament and bewaile Angustine complayneth that in his time Ceremonies did increase too faste in the Church of God what would he say thincke you if hee were aliue to sée them now a dayes But of this I wil speake at an other time Now forbecause the word Ceremonies is attributed as a name to any heathenishe rites whatsoeuer I in this treatise would haue you to knowe y I speake not of euery Ceremonie but of those onely which were deliuered of God by Moses to the people of Israell not at the will of Moses but at the wil of God by the meanes or ministerie of Moses according as it was said vnto him See that thou doest all thinges according to the patterne that was shewed thee in the mountaine The originall therefore or beginning of these ceremonies which we treat of are referred to God himselfe y most true and assured author thereof and they did therfore please God because they were godly and might be exhibited in faith Contrarilie the Ceremonies in religion that are deuised and ordeyned of men are vtterly condemned as is to be seene in the 12. of Deuteronomie In the 17. Cap. of the 4. of kinges also we finde I srael walked in the ordinaunces or Ceremonies which they themselues had made to themselues It is knowne to all men what happened to Ieroboam and his houshold and all the kinges of Israel that walked in the wayes of Ieroboam So then these Ceremonies of ours I meane the Ceremonies wherof I speake are actions and rites not in prophane but holy matters which god himselfe did first ordeine which Gods people doth vse and exercise These Ceremonies were not deliuered to al people or nations but to the people of Israel only and that too as the Apostle saith vntill the time of amendment as that which should lye vppon the shoulders of the Iewes till the coming of Messiah at what time they should be taken away and after that appeare no more And in this sense verily the Apostle Paul calleth the lawe the schole mistresse vntill Christe We haue moreouer to note the end wherunto Ceremonies were ordeyned Ceremonies do especially belōg to the doctrine of pietie faith For they were added to the first table as a shoare or propp to vphold or staye it For they teach the outward worship of the true God which godly men do giue vnto him and by them were the Israelits drawen not onely from strange gods but from strange worships also wherewith they were too much and too long inured trayned vp in the land of Aegypt to the end they should not haue any occasion to receiue oradmit any strange kinds of worships when they were furnished and as it were wrapped in so exquisite sorts of curious Ceremonies This doth Moses in the 12. of Deut. make to be the cause why God appointed such busie Ceremonies Therfore Ceremonies and the vse of Ceremonies are in the scripture expressely called the worship of god For with them it pleased God to be worshipped and with them he did retaine his people in the true worshipping of him and in the true religion cōmunion of one ecclesiastical body For the church is seuered and diuided by the admitting or bringing in of new or strange ceremonies as it is euident in the states and dealinges of Solomon Ieroboam Moreouer the Apostle Paul said Are not they which eate of the sacrifice partakers of the altar so consequently of the whole religion Furthermore the chiefe or especial mysteries of Christ and his Church were shadowed in Ceremonies and were the Sacraments of the Iewish people wherwith the Lord would bind them vnto him put them in mind of his benefits and lastly kéepe the pietie obedience and faith of his people in vre exercise And because the Lord did especially require faith and faithfull obedience at the hands of his seruants in the obseruing of Ceremonies therfore those Ceremonies did not please but vtterly displease his Maiestie so oft as the people were ignorant of the meaning of the secret mysteries conteyned in those figuratiue showes so oft I say as they were without faith and obserued onely the outward actions or Ceremonies without inward zeale and touch of conscience For the Lord in Ieremie crieth out and saith Heape vp your burnt offerings with your sacrifices and eate the flesh For when I brought your fathers out of Aegypt I spoke no word vnto them of burnt offeringes or sacrifices but this I cōmaunded them saying Hearken vnto and obey my voyce and I wil be your
festiuall or holy day which by Gods appointment is holy to the Lord was kept for the deuoute exercising of Gods outward worship Therefore those dayes are not holie nor those feasts lawful which are not held to the one onely God IEHOVAH neither are those holy dayes lawfull in which the lawfull seruice of God is not lawfully exercised And for those causes the Sabbothes festiuall dayes of the Israelites are in the Prophetes many times reiected because they were vnlawfully solemnized without pure faith and sincere affections Nowe all holy dayes had one common name were called Sabbothes feastes holy dayes méetinges and assemblies All holy dayes what name soeuer they were called by were ordeined to God alone not to creatures not for surfetting and wanton chambering All holy dayes were inuented for the health profite and recreation of mankinde For holy dayes are no burden but the easing of our burdens Prophane workes I confesse are profitable but ease is also necessarie sor without rest labour cannot continue The Lords will therefore is to giue man a time of recreation and biddeth his seruaunts to be merrie on the holy dayes in holinesse and modestie so that their ease maye be an honest recreation and not reprochfull sensualitie Againe ease of it selfe is not good but in respecte of an other thing it is good God biddeth to cease froÌ„ worke but yet hée setteth vs on woorke another way hée willeth vs to cease from bodily labour and begin to woorke in hart and mind and wholie applie our selues to his holie seruice And therefore it is néedefull to haue holy assemblies the reading of the holy Scriptures publique prayers sacrifices for it is prescribed in the 28. and 29. Chap. of the booke of Numbers what they ought to offer at euery feast and holy day the celebration of the Sacraments and whatsoeuer else the Lord hath commaunded to be done at festiuall dayes and solemne seasons For that one thing is here required especially which Marie found as shée sate at the féete of Iesus and heard his word Moreouer all feastes generally doe conteine the memorie and put vs in the remembraunce of notable things euery feast according to the name The Sabboth did put them in minde of Gods good benefite in creating the world for the behoofe and profite of vs men It was also as Moses witnesseth Exod. 31. a signe of the true sanctification which God alone bestoweth vppon the people that call vppon his name The other holy dayes did beate into them the memorie of the other benefites that God had shewed them and had as I will anon declare their seuerall significations Nowe there was a measure and certaine number of holy dayes which were distinguished and very wisely ordered first into seuen nights wherof euerie one had in it one Sabboth that was the seuenth day then into monethes For the first day of euery moneth was holy to the Lord was called the feast of the New moone and lastly they were diuided into yearely feastes which returned once euery yeare at an appointed season of that sort of feasts there were thrée in number The Passeouer Pentecoste and the feast of Tabernacles Besides these there were also other made holie dayes which God had not commaunded but were receiued by the Church to the glorie of God the remembrance of his great benefites For the feast of Lotts which they called Purim was brought in by Mardocheus was receiued of all the Church as is to be séene in the 9. of Esther The feast of dedication was ordeined by Iudas Machabeus with y consent of all the Church in memorie that the temple was restoared and the people deliuered from the tyrannie of king Antiochus as is to be read in the 4. Chapter of the first booke of Machabees And Christ our Lord did honour that feast of dedication with an holy Sermon Moreouer there were solemne fastinges appointed to be kept amonge the people of God as in the fift moneth wherin the citie was set on fire in the seuenth moneth wherin Godolias was slaine and in the tenth moneth wherin Hierusalem was besieged Of which fastinges the Prophete Zacharie speaketh in his 7. and 8. Chapiters and in the time of Esther a fast was ordeined in the moneth Adar for a remembraunce of the calamitie whiche was wrought or rather purposed against the Iewes by the wicked Aman. Of the Sabboth and the signification therof I spake a little aboue and in an other place also where I expouÌ„ded the tenne commaundements The Sabboth was obserued by a naturall and diuine lawe euer from the first creation of the world and is the chiefe of all other holy dayes For it was not then first ordeined by Moses when the tenne commaundementes were giuen by God from heauen For the kéeping of the Sabboth was receiued of the sainctes immediatly from the beginning of the world And therfore we read that the Lord in the commaundementes did say Remember that thou kepe holy the Sabboth day And before the lawe was giuen there is euident mention made of the Sabboth in the 16. of Exod. the 2. of Gen. The second kind of holy dayes was the New moones which were solemnized in the beginning of euery moneth Mention is made of them in the 10. 28. Chap. of the booke of Numbers Samuel 20. Psal. 81. Ezech. 46. and 2. of Chro. 2. That solemnization is reported to haue béene ordeined in remembraunce of the light created to admonish the people not to ascribe the monethes to Ianus or Mars or any other planet but to the one onely God the maker gouernour ruler of al things and seasons Moreouer it was a signe of the reparation or renuing of faithful minds by the heauenly illumination that we Christians may truly and in déed solemnize the new moone wheÌ„ being brought forth of darcknesse into light by the sonne of God we walk as becoÌ„meth the children of light reiect the works of the diuel and darknesse The third kinde of holy dayes doth conteine the feastes y returne once euery yere of which I find to be thrée The Passeouer the Pentecoste the feast of tabernacles Now the Lords will was that in these thrée feasts there should be generall assemblies and solemne meetinges in the holy place to wit at the tabernacle and after the tabernacle at Solomons temple For thus saith Moses in Deut. Thrice in the yeare shal euery male appeare before the Lord thy God in the place whiche hee hath chosen that is in the feast of sweete bread in the feaste of weekes and in the feast of tabernacles Neither shall hee appeare emptie in the sight of the lord Euery one according to the gift of his hand and according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which hee hath giuen thee that is to say Euery man shall ofâ—â—r to the Lord according as he can and according to the measure of riches which the Lord hath
firste begotten or auncient of euery housholde did circumcise before the lawe which office was turned to the priestes when once the lawe was giuen It is a singular example and no more to be found like vnto it that Zippora the wife of Moses did circumcise her sonne Exod. 4. Chap. Nowe also the time of circumcision is set downe to wite the eighth day when the newe borne childe beganne to be of a little more strength And we gather out of the fifte Chapter of the booke of Iosue that they did circumcise them not with kniues of yron but of stone for in that Chapter the Lorde doth in expresse wordes commaund to circumcise the sonnes of Israel with kniues of stone But it is manifest by the rites of the sacraments that God doth alter nothinge in the ceremonies of the sacraments and therefore we coniecture and gather that Abraham vsed none other but kniues of stone especially since we read that Zippora Moses his wife did circumcise her sonne with a stone The rest of the Iewishe trifles which they sowe abrode touching the ceremonies of cicumcision I do of purpose here let passe For they are vtterly vnworthie to be heard and haue no mysteries conteined in them But the knife of stone is of force in the exposition of the mysterie of circūcision For circumcision had a mysterie and a moste certeine meaning hidden within it For firste circumcision did signifie that the whole nature of man is vncleane and corrupt and therfore that all men haue neede of cutting and regeneration And for that cause that cuttinge was made in the member wherewith man is begotten For we are all begotten and borne the sonnes of wrath in originall sinne Neither doth any man deliuer vs from that damnation but he alone that is without sinne to wite the blessed séede Iesus Christ our Lord who was conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne of the virgin Marie who with the shedding of his bloud which was prefigured in the bloud shed in circumcision doth cleanse vs from sinne and make vs heires of life euerlasting And now this circumcision maketh sorely against them that denye original sinne and putteth them to their shiftes that attribute iustification and saluation to our owne strength and vertue For if we were cleane if we by our owne power could get saluation what néeded our fathers to bee cutt in that sorte The things that are cutt off are either vnpure or else superfluous But God made nothing vnpure or superfluous Nowe hee made the flesh of the foreskinne If the fleshe of the foreskinne had béene euill God had not made man with the fleshe of the foreskinne The skinne therefore is not euill of it selfe nor yet superfluous but the cuttinge of the foreskinne doth rather serue to teache vs to vnderstande that by our birth and nature wée are corrupt and that wée cannot be cleansed of that corruption but by the knife of stone And for that cause verily was circumcision giuen in that member and in none other I will anon adde another cause out of Lactantius why it was giuen in the priuities and in none other parte of all the bodye Moreouer circumcision did signifie testifie that God almightie of his méere grace and goodnesse is ioyned with an indissoluble bond of couenant vnto vs men whome his will is first to sanctifie then to iustifie and lastly to inriche with all heauenly treasures through Christe our Lorde and reconciler For that was the meaninge of the stoanie knife Because Christ the blessed séede is the rocke of stone out of which doe flowe moste pure and cleansing waters and he by his spirite doth cutt from vs whatsoeuer thinges doe hinder the mutuall league and amitie betwixt God and vs he also doth giue and increase in vs both hope and charitie in faith so that wee may be knitt and ioyned to God in life euerlasting which is the blessed and happie life in déede Nowe here it is expedient to heare the testimonies of the lawe and the Apostles In the 30. of Deuteron Moses saith The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy harte and the harte of thy seede that thou maist loue the Lorde thy God. Now the outward visible cutting was a signe of this inwarde circumcision And Paule also speakinge of Abraham saith And he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faith which he had being yet vncircūcised that he should be the father of all them that beleeue though they were not circūcised that righteousnesse might bee imputed to them also c. Lo here Abrahams circumcision was a signe y God by his grace had iustified Abraham which iustificatiō he receiued by faith before his circumcision which is an argument that they which beléeue though they be not circumcised are neuerthelesse iustified with faithfull Abraham and againe that the Iewes which are circumcised are iustified of God by faith And for that cause was circumcision giuen in the verie bodie of man that he might beare in his bodie the league of God and be thereby admonished that hee is iustified by grace through faith Whereby wee gather also that the grace of God and the iustification of the godly is not tyed to the signe For if it had then had not Abraham béene iustified before his circumcision but euen in his circumcision Furthermore if it had béene so then the Lord whose wil is to haue mankind saued would not haue giuen commaundement to haue them circumcised vpon the eighth day For many children died before the eighth daye and neuer came to circumcision and yet they were not damned To which wee may adde that Sara Rebecca Rahel Iochabeth and Marie Moses sister with innumerable mo matrones and holie virgines could not be circumcised and yet they were saued by the grace of God through faith in the Messiah that was to come The grace of God therefore was not tyed to the sacrament of circumcision but yet it was not despised and neglected of the holy sainctes of the olde church but vsed to the end for which it was ordeined that is to be a testimonie and a seale of frée iustification in Christ who circumciseth vs spiritually without handes by the working of the holie Ghoste Furthermore God by the outwarde and visible signe did gather into one church them which were circumcised in which number those which he had chosen before hee did ioyne to him selfe with the bonde of his spirite For sainct Paule for the verie same cause did call the people of one religiō the circumcision as is euident by the 15. Chapter to the Romanes and the third to the Philippians Therefore by circumcision God did separate his people from the vnbeléeuing nations Whereupon it came that to be called vncircumcised was as great reproache among them as to be called dogge is nowe adayes among vs For an vncircumcised person was reputed for an vncleane prophane man and for such an one as had no parte
to stretche to that expence then did he offer a Lambe or a Kidde and yet againe if he could not offer that by reason of his pouertie it was lawful for him to sacrifice birdes not Géese or Cockes or other vncleane foules but Turtels and Doues and suche kinde of cleane birdes Nowe the manner of making this burnt sacrifice was in this order The beast that was to be offered was placed at the one side of the altar vppon which the priest did presently lay his handes and cut the throte of it The bloud was saued to be sprincled round about the altar the skinne was flayed from the slaughtered beast and that alone was all the fées that fel to the portion or share of the priest The legges were chopped off and washed together with the purtenance Immediately after a fire was made vppon the altar whereuppon was layde the whole sacrifice to wite the head the bodie y legges and the purtenance and were altogether burnte vppon the altar before the Lorde But if so be it happened that a Turtle or a Doue were offered for a sacrifice then did the prieste with his finger wreathe about and breake the necke thereof and the bloud was let droppe about the sides of the altar The fethers also were cast at the one side of the altar into a place where ashes laye the winges were ioynted and last of all the whole bodie was burnt vppon the altar This was the manner of the sacrifice or oblation which they did commonly call a burnte offeringe the signification whereof was moste chéerefull pleasant to them which were persuaded that by the burnt offering was prefigured the verie sonne of God to be incarnate of the vnspotted virgine and to be sacrificed once for the cleansinge of all the sinnes of the whole worlde For they in the glasse of that sacrifice did beholde the crosse and passion of the Lorde which tooke our sinnes vppon him selfe and beeing slaine did shead his bloud for the remisson of sinnes offeringe him selfe wholye to God the father in the fire of charitie heauenly zeale The verye same Christe is the Turtle or Pigeon Moreouer beside these ceremonies in the burnt sacrifice it was required that no burnte sacrifice of beastes should at any time bee made without that kinde of offering which they called Minha that oblation was an handfull of corne or of meale or else of crustie bread sodde in a caldron or a bowed piece of bread which we call a Cracknell baked in an ouen or in a frying panne which was burnte with oyle and frankincense vppon the altar of burnt sacrifices And Christ verily is the bread of life who by the eternall spirite as saith the Apostle did offer him selfe to God the father for vs to be the meate and preseruation of our life In the number of burnt sacrifices are reckoned the dayly sacrifices that were offered euery morning and euery euening and the sacrifices of the annoynting or consecrating of priestes Of the daily sacrifice a large exposition is made in the 29 of Exodus and the sixte Chapter of Leuiticus It was called the daily offering beecause euery morning and euening two Lambes were offered to wite one in the morning and another at the euening In these Lambes was Christ most manifestly prefigured who is that lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde whose vertue is alwayes effectuall and of power to take awaye the sinnes of the faithfull For that Lambe was killed frō the beginning of the worlde he was once slaine vppon the crosse but yet his merite and effectuall power endureth still and doth absolue all them that are deliuered from their sinnes Nowe the sacrifices of consecrating I meane of the priestes of the tabernacle and of all the vessels or instrumentes belonginge to the holie ministerie are in many pointes all one with the burnt offeringes and in some things differing from them as is fully to be séene in the 29 of Exodus and the eighth of Leuitic And Christe our Lord did first beginne the priesthood by his passion and after that hallowed all the faithful to be priests vnto him selfe The second kinde of sacrifices was the oblation which they called Minha a gift reward or sacrifice of a wheaten cake and by another name was called a meate offering This sacrifice was of the fruite of the earth was not offered alwayes after one sorte for there are reckoned thrée kindes of this sacrifice For there was offered either parched wheate sticking in the eares or wheate out of the eares or else cleane meale vnbaked or at least wise meale made vppe into bread which breade againe was made thrée sundrie wayes and in thrée sundrye facions For either it was baked in an ouen or fornace or else sodde in a pott or a caldron or else fryed in a frying panne like vnto cakes To these there was added as sauce to the sacrifice salte oyle frankincense Honie and leauen were by a generall rule vtterly barred from all sortes of sacrifices For cakes made with honie were neuer allowed of nor admitted in their offerings Yet in the feast of thankes giuing they did eate leauened bread Therefore when any man did offer wheate it was first annoynted by the prieste with oyle then seasoned with salte and last of all had frankincense put vpon it after that the priest tooke one handfull from out of all but in the sacrifice for the prieste all was burnt and burnt it vppon the altar the rest hee did reserue as a share to him selfe And in al meate offerings frankincense was alwayes vsed except in the sacrifice for sinne and in the sacrifice of ielousie as is to bee séene in the fifth of Leuiticus and the fifth of the booke of Numbers The rest that belongeth to the full rites and ceremonies of the meate offerings whosoeuer is desirous to knowe hee shall finde them in the seconde Chapter of Leuiticus For I meane not here particularly to repeate euery iott and title of their accustomed ceremonies Nowe euen as Christ was before prefigured in beastes and birdes so also is he represented in this bread or cakes For he is the bread of life and hath sundry facions of infirmitie and glorie In Christ thou shalt not finde any leauen that is sinne vncharitablenesse hypocrisie or pride There is in Christe no swéetenesse nor honnylike taste of worldly or wicked pleasures But salte thou mayst finde in him a well seasoned temperature altogether heauenly and moste absolute wisedome because of Christe for his sake all things of ours are acceptable vnto God for Christe his sake our prayers are heard of God the father vppon Christ therefore there is a swéete smelling frankincense in the nose of God the father And in these ceremonies are also shadowed the maner and matter of our sacrifices to wite that they should be without hypocrisie bitternesse hatred enuie fleshly pleasure and should be seasoned with godly continual prayers With the
might sanctifie the people with his bloud did suffer without the gate Hebr. 13. And although in this which I haue hetherto alledged I haue by fittes declared the ende and fruite of this ceremonie yet will I not thinke it muche here againe particularly to repeate the same againe since I sée that the holie Ghoste in the Scripture doth as it were take paines verie busily to beate the same into our heades The end of all this stirre and solemnitie is that all the sinnes I say all the sinnes of Gods vniuersall church are by the one and onely sacrifice once onely offered moste perfectly blotted out and absolutely purged Let vs therefore heare the verie woordes of the holie Ghoste which speaketh in the Scripture moste plainely and euidently saying 1. And the high Priest shall confesse ouer the Goate all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their trespasses all their sinnes 2. And the Goate shall beare vppon him all their misdeedes into the desart 3. The same daye shal the priest make an attonement for you to cleanse you that you may bee cleane from all your sinnes before the Lord. 4. And let this be an euerlasting ordinance vnto you to cleanse the children of Israel from all their sinnes once euery yere But who is so verie a sott or dull head as to thinke that all the sinnes of the people are washed awaye with the bloud of beastes If saith the Apostle they had once fully cleansed sinnes then would they haue ceassed to offer any more By this ceremonie therefore the mysterie of Christe to come was beaten into all mennes braines and once euery yere layed foorth to the eyes of all men to beholde For of this ceremonie did Zacharie borrowe his prophecie of Christ in his thirde Chapter where he saith Beholde I bring foorth the braunch my seruant For lo the stone that I laye before Iosua vppon one stone shal be seuen eyes behold I wil cut the grauing therof saith the Lord of hostes and I will take away the sinne of this lande in one daye The Lord doth promise the Messiah which was prefigured by the priestes and especially by the high priest Iosua Christe is the stone vppon which the eyes of all men are stedfastly fixed as vppon their onely sauiour He is digged in and cut in his passion and by suffering and dying once he purgeth the sinnes of all the earth Of this ceremonie and of this place of Scripture did Paule the holie Apostle of Christe borrowe his whole discourse almost in his Epistle to the Hebrewes touching the sacrifice of Christe once offered for all the sinnes of the whole worlde in which discourse he doeth verie often repeate out of the lawe the word Once and that with a certeine emphaticall vehemencie Now to appoint other Priestes to institute another time and to ordeine another manner of sacrifice is vtterly to kicke at and treade vnder foote this heauenly and moste euident trueth But this doctrine of the onely sacrifice of Christ is the true auncient sound vnreproueable and euerlasting doctrine by which all they are saued that are saued and by which all they haue béene saued that haue béene saued since the beginning of the worlde The enimies or aduersaries of this doctrine Paule the Apostle of Christ and the Gentiles whose skill in the lawe was inferiour to no mans doth call fooles madde vnconstant light headed carried with euery pusse of winde wicked apostataes which haue reuolted from Christe lyars false Prophets false Apostles deceiuers schismatiques dogges inchaūters witches detestable and cursed Therefore if an Angel from heauen teache vs any other wise let him bee to vs accursed Yet by the way this must not bee concealed that in that yerely sacrifice it was required and looked for at mennes handes first that they should confesse their sinnes then that they shoulde bee sorrie in their mindes in good earnest and in déede for theire sinnes committed lastly that they should kéepe Sabboth I do not meane an ydle resting from honest businesse but a quietnesse in the faith of Christ and a ceassing from yll déedes Who soeuer doth so prepare him selfe in the feast of attonement that is in the time of the preachinge of the grace of God through Christe hee is without doubt throughly cleansed by that only sacrifice of Christe Iesus of whiche I haue hitherto not without good cause spoken so largely as you perceiue that I haue For this one place doeth giue a wonderfull light both to the vnderstanding of many places in the Scriptures and also of the mysterie of our redemption and of Christe our redéemer so plainly that no other place doth so clearely expound set forth lay them open before our eyes to bée seene and looked on it doth also teache vs to vnderstand the wordes of Christ our Lord in the gospel of sainct Iohn where he saith There is one which accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye hope for had ye beleeued Moses ye would then haue beleeued mee for he wrote of mee Nowe with the sacrifice of attonement and the other cleansinge sacrifices we do aduisedly number the sacrifice of the redde cowe I meane of the cleansinge or of the cleansing or holie water that was ordeined against all sortes of defilings and vncleannesses for there were sundrie kindes of vncleannesses Of which there is a large discourse to be seen in Moses his law and by them is layde before vs y type of our corrupt nature and continuall sinnes There is fully described in the 19 Chapter of the booke of Numbers first the verie ceremonie and sacred rite then is declared the manner howe to make the holie cleansing water against all defylings lastly is added the vse and effect of that holie water There was brought to Eleazer the prieste a redde cowe without spot which neuer felte the yoake and that was out of hande carried out slayne without the hoast Parte of the bloud was saued by the prieste and with his singer he sprinckled it seuen times towardes the tabernacle of appointment But the whole Cowe he burnt with fire so that no parte of it was lefte and into the fire hee cast Cedar wood hysope and a scarlet lace This being once done the priest did washe him selfe in water and in his steede came another that was cleane who gathering the ashes did lay them vpp in a cleane place Therefore so often as néede required they did put off those ashes into an earthen vessel into which they powred running water in that sorte was the holie cleansinge water alwayes prepared which they did sprinckle with a sprinckler made of hysope vppon all such as were defiled This was the manner and ceremonie of the cleansinge the vse and ende whereof doeth immediately followe The Apostle Paule doeth testifie that the circumstances of this Ceremonie did lay before vs a most euidēt type of Iesus Christ for in the ninthe to the Hebrues he sayth If the ashes of a younge
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
that all the ministers of the Churches euen from the Apostles time did both acknowledge and openly teach original sinne In that place he citeth the testimonies of IrenÄ™us Cyprian Retilius Olympius Hilarie and Ambrose his father and maister in Christian doctrine Innocent Gregorie Basil and Iohn Chrysostome And at length hée inferreth Wilt thou now call so great a consent of Catholique priestes a coÌ„spiracie of naughtie men Neither thincke thou that S. Hierome is to be coÌ„temned because he was but a priest onely and no bishop who being skilful in the Greeke Latine and Hebrue tongues and passinge from the West vnto the East Church liued in holy places and the studie of the sacred Scriptures euen to his croane crooked age He read all or in a maner al the woorkes of them whiche in both partes of the world did write of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and yet he neither held nor taught any otherwise of this point of doctrine And againe the same Augustine in his third booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione Cap. 7. sayeth Hierome expounding the propheâ—ie of Ionas when he came to that place where meÌ„tion is made that euen the little children were chastened with fasting sayth It began with the eldest and came euen to the yongest For there is none without sinne no not hee which is but one day old nor hee whose gray head hath seene many yeares For if the starres are not cleane in the sight of God how much more vncleane are duste and putrifying earth and those which are in subiection to the sinne of Adams transgression To these words of Hierome doeth Augustine himselfe annexe this that followeth If it were so that wee might easilie aske it of this most learned man how many teachers of the holie Scriptures in both the tongues and howe many writers of Christian treatises would hee reckon vp which since the time that Christ his Church was first planted haue themselues nether thought of their predecessours learned nor taught their successours any other thaÌ„ this doctrine touching originall sinne I verilie thoughe I haue read nothing so much as hee do not remember that I haue heard any other doctrine of Christians whiche admit or receiue both the testaments whether they were in the vnitie of the Catholique Church or otherwise in Schismes and heresies I doe not remember that I haue read any other thing in them whose writinges touching this matter I could come by to read them if either they did followe or thought that they did follow or would haue men beleeue that they did followe the Canonicall Scriptures Thus farre hath Augustine teaching in the very beginning that all the Sainctes did by a full consent and agréement in doctrine most expressely graunt and confesse that originall sinne is euen in newe borne infants Mée thincketh that Sainct Hierome did not onely in Ionas but also much more euidently in Ezechiel confesse and affirme originall sinne His wordes are to bée séene Comment lib. 14. in cap. 47. ad Ezechielem and are verbatun as followeth What man can make his boaste that hee hath a chaste heart or to whose minde by the windows of the eyes the death of concupiscence or to vse a mylder terme the tickling of the minde doth not enter in For the world is set in wickednesse euen from his childhood the hart of man is set to naughtinesse so that not the very first day of a mans natiuitie his nature is free from sinne and naughtinesse Wherevppon Dauid in the Psalme sayeth For behold I was coÌ„ceiued in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued mee Not in the iniquities of my mother or in mine owne sinnes but in the iniquities of our mortall state And therfore the Apostle saith death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also whiche had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam Thus much hath Hierome and we haue hetherto alledged al these sayings to the end wee might proue that originall sinne is the naturall or hereditarie corruption of mans nature Let vs nowe sée what and howe great the hereditarie naughtinesse or corruption of our nature is and what power it hath to woorke in man Our nature verilie as I shewed you aboue was before the fall most excellent and pure in oure father Adam but after the fall it did by Gods iuste iudgement become corrupte and vtterly naught which is in that naughtinesse by propagation or Extraduce deriued into all vs whiche are the posteritie and ofspring of Adam as both experience and the thing it selfe doe euidently declare as well in sucklings or infantes as those of riper yeares For euen very babes giue manifest tokens of euident deprauation so soone as they once beginne to bée able to doe any thing yea before they can perfectlye sounde any one syllable of a whole word All oure vnderstandinge is dull blunt grosse and altogether blinde in heauenlie things Our iudgement in diuine matters is peruerse and friuolous For there arise in vs most horrible and absurd thoughtes and opinions touching God his iudgementes â— wonderfull woorkes yea our whole minde is apt and readie to errours to fables and our owne destruction and when as our iudgements are nothing but méere follie yet doe wée preferre them farre aboue Gods wisedome whiche wee esteeme but foolishnesse in comparison of oure owne conceiptes and corrupte imaginations For hee lyed not whiche saide The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned Nowe Paule calleth him the naturall man which liueth naturally by the vitall spirite and is not regenerate by the holy Ghoste And since we all are such wée are therefore wholie ouercome and gouerned of Philautie that is too great a selfeloue and delight in our selues whereby all things that wee oure selues doe woorke doe highly please vs loking still verie busilie to oure owne selues and our commoditie when in the meane time wée neglecte all others yea rather doe afflicte them Neither did Plato vnaduisedly estéeme that vice of selfeloue to bee the very roote of euery euill Furthermore our whole will is ledd captiue by concupiscence which as a roote enuenomed with poyson infecteth all that is in man and doeth incline drawe on driue man to things carnall forbidden and contrarie to God to the end that hée maye gréedilie pursue them put all his delight in them and content him selfe wyth them Moreouer there is in vs no power or abilitie to doe any good For wée are sâ—owe sluggish and heauie to goodnesse but liuely quicke and readie enoughe to anye euill or naughtinesse And that I may at last conclude and briefely expresse the whole force and signification of our hereditarie deprauation and corruption I say that this deprauation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting of Gods Image in vs There was in oure father Adam before his fall the very Image and likenesse of God
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
that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be Gods manie and Lords manie yet vnto vs there is but one God euen the father of whome are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and we by him Nowe I suppose these diuine testimonies are euident enough and do sufficiently proue that GOD in substance is one of Essence incomprehensible eternall and spirituall But vnder the one essence of the Godhed the holie scripture doth shew vs a distinction of the Father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste Now noate héere that I call it a â—istinction not a diuision or a separation For we adore and worshipp no more Gods but one so yet that we doe neither confound nor yet denye or take away the thrée Subsistences or persons of the diuine essence nor the properties of the same Noetus Anoetus in very déed and Sabellius the Libyan a godlesse bolde and verie rude Asse of whome sprang vpp the grosse heresie of the Patrispassians taught that the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste did importe no distinction in GOD but that they were diuerse attributes of god For they said that GOD is none other wise called the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste than when he is named good iuste gentle omnipotent wise c. They saide the Father created the worlde the same in the name of the Sonne tooke fleshe and suffered and againe in chaunginge his name he was the holie Ghoste that came vppon the Disciples But the true Propheticall and Apostolicall faithe dooth expressely teach that the names of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghoste doe shewe to vs what God is in his owne proper nature For naturally and eternally God is the the Father because he did from before beginnings vnspeakeablye begett the Sonne The same GOD is naturally the Sonne because he was from before beginnings begotten of the Father The same GOD is naturally the holie Ghoste because he is the eternall spirit of them bothe procéeding from them bothe béeing one the same God bothe with them and when in the Scriptures he is called a gentle good wise mercifull and iuste God it is not thereby so muche expressed what he is in him selfe as what a one hee doeth exhibite him selfe to vs. The same Scripture doeth openly say that the Father created all thinges by the Sonne and that the Father descended not into the earth nor toke our flesh vpon him nor suffered for vs For the Sonne saith I went out from the Father and came into the worlde Againe I leaue the worlde and goe vnto the Father The same Sonne fallinge prostrate in the mount of Oliues prayeth saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Againe in the Gospel he saith I will pray to the Father and he shall giue you an other comforter Loe here he saith the father shall giue you an other comforter And yet againe least by reason of those persons and properties of those persons we should separate or diuide the diuine nature the Sonne in the gospel saith I and the father are one For when he saith One he ouerthroweth them that separate or rent the diuine substance or nature and when he saith We are and not I am therein he refuteth them that doe confounde the subsistences or persones in the Trinitie Therefore the Apostolique and Catholique doctrine teacheth and doeth confesse that they are thrée distinguished in properties that of those thrée there is but one and the same nature or essence the same omnipotenciâ— maiestie goodnesse and wisedome For although there be an order in the Trinitie yet can there be no inequalitie in it at all None of them is in time before other or in dignity worthier than other but of the thrée there is one godhead and they thrée are one and eternall God. And the primitiue Church verily vnder the Apostles the times that came next after them did beléeue so simply despising reiecting curious questions and néedlesse disputations And euen then too did arise pestilent men in the Church of God speaking peruerse things whoÌ„e the Apostle doeth vppon good cause call greeuous woolues not spareing the flock They first brought in very straunge daungerous questions sharpened their blasphemous tongues against Heauen it selfe For they stoode in it that thrée persons could not be one nature or essence and therefore that by naming the Trinitie the christiaÌ„s worshippe many Gods euen as the Heathen doe And againe since there can be but one GOD they inferre consequently that the same God is father sonne and holie ghoste vnto him selfe For so it was agreeable that they should doate in follie whome the word of God did not leade but the grosse imagination of mortall flesh And God did by these meanes punish the GiaÌ„tlike boldenesse of those meÌ„ whose minds being without all reuerence and feare of God did wickedly striue to fasten the sight of the eyes of the flesh vppon the verie face of god But the faithfull and vigilant ouerséers and pastors of the Churches were coÌ„pelled to driue such woolues from the foldes of Christe his shéepe and valiauntly to fight for the sincere catholique trueth that is for the Vnitie Trinitie for the monarchie and mysterie of the dispensation That strife bred foorth diuerse words with which it was necessarie to holde and binde those slipperie merchants Therefore immediately after the beginning there sprang vp the termes of Vnitie Trinitie Essence Substance and Person The Gréekes for the moste parte vsed Ousia Hypostasis and Prosopon whiche wee call Essence Subsistence and Personne Of these againe there did in the Churches spring vppe newe and freshe contentions They disputed sharply of the Essence and Subsistence whether they are the same or sundrie thinges For Ruffinus Aquileiensis in the 29. Chapter and first booke of his Ecclesiastical historie sayeth There was moued a controuersie about the difference of substaunces subsistences whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For some said that substaunce subsistence seeme to be all one and because wee say not that there are three substaunces in God therefore that wee ought not to saye that there are three subsistences in him But on the other side againe they that tooke substaunce for one thing subsistence for an other did say that substaunce noteth the nature of a thing and the reason wherevpon it standeth but that the subsistence of euerie person doth shewe that very thing which doth subsist Basilius Magnus wrote a learned Epistle to his brother Gregorie about the difference of Essence and subsistence And Hermius Sozomenus in the 12. Cap. of his fift booke of histories sayth The bishops of many cities meeting together at Alexandria do together with Athanasius and Eusebius Vercellensis confirme the decrees of Nice and coÌ„fesse that the holy Ghost is coesseÌ„tiall with the
Christe And Paule the Apostle sayeth Seeing then wee haue the same spirite as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken wee also beleeue and therefore speake Vppon which testimonie Tertullian inferreth and no doubt soundlie It is one and the selfe same spispirite therefore whiche was in the Prophetes and the Apostles He promiseth that the selfe same spirite shal be alwayes in the Church They erred therefore yea foulye they erred who so euer among them of old feigned one God and spirite of the olde Testament and an other of the newe Testament Didymus Alexandrinus the bright light in his age of all the Grecian Churches in his first booke intituled De Spiritu sancto saith Neyther ought we to thinke that the holy Ghost is diuided according to substaunces bicause he is called the multitude of good graces For he can not suffer he can not be diuided neyther yet be chaunged but according to his diuers maners of workings vnderstādings he is called by mny names of good graces bycause he doth not indue his partakers with his cōmunion after one and the selfe same power c. Furthermore the holy ghost hath increasing or fulnesse and diminishing and want in man not that in God who as it is commonly and truely sayde neyther receiueth more or lesse there is any chaunge to be founde but bycause man according to his capacitie receiueth the spirite plentifully and liberally or measurably sparingly euen as it pleaseth the holy ghoste The portion of the spirite of Helias was giuen double from heauen to Heliseus And it is sayde of our Sauiour that the father gaue him the spirite not by measure For the Lord himselfe elswhere saith Whosoeuer hath to him shall be giuen and hee shall haue more aboundance but whosoeuer hath not from him shall bee taken away euen that he hath Saule had receiued excellent graces but bicause he did not vse exercise them the good spirite of God departed from him and the euill spirite succéeded and tormented him And the spirite of God departeth euen as it commeth also at one instant For when we are forsaken of the Lorde the spirite of God departeth from vs Wherevppon we reade that Dauid prayed Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me And againe Stablishe me with thy principall spirite Next after these things it séemeth y we must diligently search out what the effect what the power of the holy Ghost is The power of the Almightie and euerlasting God is vnspeakable therefore no man can fully declare what the power of the holie ghost is Yet somewhat I will say making those things manifest which he worketh chiefly in men For otherwise the father by the spirit worketh all things by him he createth susteyneth moueth giueth life strengtheneth and prescrueth al things by the selfe same he regenerateth his faythfull people sanctifieth and indueth them with diuers kyndes of graces Whervpon in the description aboue mentioned of him cōprising in foure members his principall powers and effectes which shewe them selues by their working in men I sayde that he doth illuminate regenerate sanctifie and fulfill the faithfull with all good graces Which things that they may the better be vnderstoode it shal be good first of all to declare as well as we can the appellatiōs or names of the holy ghost which the holy scripture giueth him and then to recite one or two places of the old and new Testament to set foorth declare the power of the holy Ghost First he is called the holy spirite of God bicause all creatures as many as are sanctified are sanctified by him The heauenly father sanctifieth with his grace but throughe the bloud of his beloued sonne and sanctification is deriued into vs and sealed by the spirite Therefore the holie trinitie being one God doth sanctiūe vs It is a wicked thing therefore to attribute sanctification to straunge and forreine things It is a wicked thing to translate purification and iustification from the Creator vnto the Creature Moreouer he is called holy to make a difference of him from other spirites For we reade in the Scriptures that there was and is a spirite of the worlde a spirite of infirmitie a spirite of fornication and vncleannesse and a spirit of pride From all these the holy ghost is separated which inspireth into vs the contempt of this worlde whiche openeth vnto vs the Scriptures and confirmeth vs in trueth whiche purifieth our heartes and maketh oure mynds chast and so preserueth them finally whiche maketh vs lowly and gentle and driueth away from vs all maliciousnesse The same holy Ghost is called the spirite of God and of the sonne Of God to make a difference betwéene it and the spirite of sathan And it is called the spirite of the sonne bicause it is the proper and naturall spirite of the sonne which he also communicateth vnto vs that we also might be the sonnes of god For Paule sayth Ye are the temple of God and the spirite of God dwelleth in you Againe If any man haue not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And againe Bicause ye are sonns God hath sent the spirit of his sonne into your harts crying Abba father Moreouer our Lorde him selfe in the historie of the Gospell calleth the holy Ghost a comforter saying I will pray the father and he shal giue you an other cōforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue bycause the worlde seeth him not neyther knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in you For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a comforter a stirrer vp or a prouoker an exhorter an aduocate or patrone which pleadeth the cause of his client For the holy Ghoste is the mouth the eye the heart the counsel the hande and the foote of all the faythfull Didymus in his worke intituled De spiritu sancto sayth Christe Giuing the holy ghost a name answerable to his working calleth him the comforter Bycause he doth not onely comforte those whō he findeth worthy of him and setteth them frée from all heauinesse and trouble of mynde but giueth vnto them a certeine incredible ioy and gladnesse in so muche that a man giuing God thankes bycause he is counted worthy of suche a guest may say Thou hast giuen me gladnesse in my heart For euerlasting ioy and gladnesse is in the hearte of them in whome the holy Ghost dwelleth The holy ghost verily alone maketh the consciences of men voyde of care quiet and at peace before God in the matter of iustification and in all temptations of the worlde Paule sayth This only I desire to learne of you whether ye haue receiued the spirite by the workes of the lawe or by the preaching of faith The Apostles being beaten with roddes when they were indued with the
you of true faith beléefe hath worshipped called vppon or serued the Patriarches the Prophets and y Apostles thoughe they were indued with most precious gifts wonderful in working of myracles Wee doe all worship call vpon serue God wée confesse y God worketh by his saints who together with the holy angels of God require nothing lesse than to bee worshipped called vppon and serued of vs For truly said Lactantius lib. Institut 2. cap. 18. Angels since they be immortall neither suffer nor yet are vnlling to be called Gods whose onely office it is alone to attend vpon God with their seruice to bee at his becke and to do nothing at all but at his comaundement For wee say that God so gouerneth the world as a king ruleth his kingdome whose officers no man wil say are fellows with him in ruling his kingdome albeit affairs be dispatched by their ministerie and seruice And therefore we read that s Augustine also said WheÌ„ the Angels of God heare hee himselfe heareth in them as in his true temple not made with hands Verily if wée looke more narrowlie into and weighe the holy scripture we shall finde not in one or two places that the name of God and Angels 〈…〉 For angels ar◠〈…〉 â—nd instrumentall as they 〈◊〉 theme but God is the 〈…〉 principall cause For in the Acts of thâ— Apostles wée read thâ—◠〈…〉 And when fourtie yeaâ—â—s wâ—r◠〈◊〉 there appeared into him in the wildernesse of mount Sinâ— an Angel. And by and by hee addeth â–ª And the voice of the Lord came vnto 〈◊〉 saying I am the God of thy fathâ—◠〈◊〉 He calleth the selfe same Lord whom a little before hée had called an angel to wit because he beléeued that an angel both saith and doeth all thinges at Gods commaundement that the word and the worke is proper to God the angels are as instruments Likewise in the booke of Iudges cap. 6. he 〈◊〉 called Lord which euen now was called an angel Hagar the handmaid of Sara receiued a great benefite in the desert by the angel of the Lord yet shée accompteth not the same receiued of the angel but of the lord She giueth not thankes to the angel neither doth she consecrate the memorie thereof to the angel much lesse doth she worship and call vpon the angel nay rather she referreth her speach also vnto god For so the holie scripture witnesseth â–ª And she called the name of the lord which spake vnto her Thou god lookest on mee c. The childreÌ„ of Israel before whome the angel of the Lord went in the wildernes neuer offered sacrifice to their guid or captaine neuer worshipped or serued him Euen so the seruaunt of Abraham being committed to the angel doth not make supplication vnto him desiring him well to prosper his purpose but hée prayeth vnto God requireth of him to shewe and giue triall of his mercie toward his maister Abraham In Daniel the 〈…〉 God â—nâ—ly For they 〈◊〉 Blessessâ—â— thou O Lord god of 〈◊〉 fathers â—ight worthie to be 〈◊〉 and honoured in that 〈…〉 So in like manner 〈◊〉 in expresse words â—â—nfeâ—â—â—th that 〈◊〉 god whose hée is and whome hée worshippeth â–ª though in the meanâ— while he had made mention also of an angel For so heâ— saith in the Acts There stoode by me thir night the angel of God whose I am and whome I serue that is to say god For in another place Iohn being willing to worshipp at the angels féete the angel crieth See thou doe it not for I am thy follow seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them which keepe the woords of this booke These plaine and manifest testimonies of holie scripture euidentlie 〈◊〉 vs that although God vse the ministerie of angels toward vs yet y they are to be acknowledged and confessed of vs to be ministers of God fellow seruaunts and therfore not to be worshipped nor called vppon but that God onely must be worshipped callâ—d vppon and serued From this holy doctrine of scripture certeine ministers and ecclestastical writers of the auncient Church haue nothing swarued For Lactantius in that booke whiche we cited a little before sayeth Angels wil haue no honour giuen vnto them whose honour is in god But they which reuolted and fell from the ministerie of God because they are enimies of the trueth offenders they goe about to chalenge to themselues the 〈…〉 I goe vnto 〈…〉 what prayer 〈…〉 deuouring to 〈◊〉 vnto thée â—â—d being not able of themselues haue assayed as I heare these wayes haue fallen into â— desire and 〈◊〉 aftâ—r curious visions 〈…〉 to be deceiued These thinges are extant Lib. 11. Confess cap. 42. 〈◊〉 which he sheweth at large that Iesus Christ is the onely 〈…〉 â—â—â—tercessour for all the faithfull â–ª The same Augustine in his 〈…〉 De Ciuitate Dei cap. 16. 〈…〉 words that the good angelâ— of God require sacrifices not for themselues but for god In his last chapter of his booke De ver a Religione hee sayeth Let vs beléeue that the best angel 〈◊〉 that God be serued with the 〈◊〉 and most excellent ministerie that toâ—â—ther with them we shuld 〈…〉 God in the 〈…〉 of whom they are blessed For we are not blessed by séeing the angels but by séeing the trueth whereby wée also loue the very angels and 〈◊〉 together with them Wherâ—fore we honor them for louâ— not of 〈◊〉 Neither doe we build temples vnto them For they are vnwilling in such sorte to be honoured of vs Béecause they know that we our selues if wee hée good are the temples of the most high god It is wel written therfore y an angel forâ—ad a man to worship him but willed him to worship onâ— only God vnder whome he also was a fellow seruant with him The same August therfore in his catalogue of heretiques 〈…〉 of Christ his church 〈…〉 of the author if any require 〈◊〉 thâ—se â–ª If we should make a temple 〈…〉 of wood stone to the holâ—â— angâ—â— that is most excellent shuld 〈…〉 â—ee cursed of the â—rueth of Christ and of the church of God because we do that seruice to a creature 〈◊〉 only is due to one god If therforâ— by building a â—â—ple to any kinde 〈…〉 we should â—ob God of his 〈…〉 not hee the true God 〈…〉 we build not a temple but 〈…〉 his temple â–ª Thâ—◠〈…〉 These 〈◊〉 haue I hether to 〈…〉 of thâ— holie oâ— good 〈…〉 〈…〉 of wicked angels 〈…〉 that is to say 〈…〉 diuels Hereof I wil 〈…〉 plainly speake that which the holy scriptures minister vnto meâ— That there are diuels y Saduceâ—s in times pâ—st â—eâ—ied and at this day also 〈…〉 religious nay rather Epicures denie the same Who vnlesse they â—â—pent shal one day féele to their excéeding great paine and smart both that there are diuels that they are tormenters and executioners of all wicked men and Epicures For the
or out of whiche if any departe hee is excluded from the hope of saluation and life euerlasting For oure Sauiour firste sayde that out of the sheepefolde life is not found Wherefore I can not maruell enough at the corrupt and Scismaticall manners of certeine men who separate them selues for euerie light cause from the moste wholesome and pleasaunt companie or societie of the Church For you shall finde in these dayes captious and phantasticall men not a fewe whiche of many yeares haue had fellowshippe with no Churche nor as yet haue fellowship with any For in euerie man that is they finde some kynde of faulte in them selues onely they finde nothing worthy reprehension Therefore they conceiue with them selues a wonderfull fashion of the Churche whiche except they sée somewhere established after that fashion whiche they them selues haue deuised they contende with shame enough that there is as yet no true Churche of Christ in the world They are worthy surely to be maister builders in Vtopia or Cyribiria where they might set vppe a building fit for them selues But it séemeth vnto them they haue iust cause of Scisme For they will not communicate with our Churche for that it séemeth the doctrine of the ministers in the Churche is not yet sufficiently cleansed and polished neyther yet loftie as they them selues terme it Hoch gnug gericht subtile and spirituall enough Elsewhere they complaine that in our Churches are diuers customes vsed Furthermore they desire the rigour and seueritie of discipline and finally an exact purenesse of life For they feare they shal be defiled with the vncleane companie of certeine men Many for the faultes and vices of certeine ministers eyther forsake or flée the congregation of the Churche of whiche sorte at this day are the Anabaptistes But there is as yet no sufficient cause alledged by these men for whiche of right they ought not eyther to be ioyned vnto vs or for the whiche they maye bée separated from vs. Wée acknowledge that there bée iust causes for the whiche the godly bothe maye and ought to separate them selues from wicked congregations in whiche not onely the lawfull vse of the Sacraments is altogether corrupted and turned into Idolatrie but also the sounde doctrine is altogether adulterated the preachers or pastours are not nowe Prophets but false Prophetes whiche persecute Gods trueth and finally to them that sitte to receiue the foode of lyfe they minister poyson But none of these things GOD be thanked can they obiect againste vs. For as concerning doctrine it consisteth partely in sure opinions and those as it were numbered firme and immutable of whiche kynde are the Articles of faythe and those withoute addition and corruption lawfully and sincerely vnderstoode and of that sorte are also those principles That al men are sinners conceiued and borne in sinne That none but those that are regenerate can enter into the kingdome of god That men not by their owne desartes but through the grace of GOD by the onely merites of Christe are iustified by fayth That Christe once sacrificed for sinne is no more sacrificed that he is the onely and perpetuall Prieste That good workes are done of those that are iustified and those are in déede good workes whiche the Lorde hath prepared for vs to walke in That the Sacramentes of the Lorde and of the Churche are to bée receyued and not to be despised That wée must pray cōtinually that in that maner which the Lord hath appointed vs And if there bée any moe of the same sorte But it sufficeth if these and other like groundes bée vniformely purely and simply taught in the Churche according to the Scriptures thoughe there bée added no Rhetoricall figures nor no paynted eloquence bée hearde For aptly the blessed Martyr Irenaeus after the rule of fayth sette out in his firste booke againste heresies Since there is but one onely faythe sayth hée neyther hee whiche can say muche of it sayth more than hee ought nor hee whiche sayth little thereby diminisheth it Therefore when the doctrine of ministers expoundeth those thinges in the Churche whiche are agréeable to the true and sincere fayth whiche it also corrupteth not what haue these captious smatterers of Rhetorique and selfe-learned to require though eloquence and plentifull learning be wanting in the teachers Was not the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes moste simple and moste frée from all subtiltie that rightly it might be said how much more simple it séemed to be so muche the safer it was But in the meane season I despise not true eloquence as that which is a singular gift of God as I haue elsewhere often witnessed And partly doctrine consisteth in the daily expounding of the Scriptures and in the applying of them to oure time place and affaires In that kinde was euer great varietie and diuersitie for whiche notwithstanding no wise man euer yet separated him selfe from the fellowshippe of the Church For it commeth to passe verie often that two or thrée or else moe may expounde one place not after one manner but after most diuers sorts There may be one that expoundeth verie darkely and an other expoundeth more plainlie this man hitteth the marke he comes not neare it And this man applyeth the place whiche he handleth very fitly some other vseth not like simplicitie of application in the meane season notwithstanding he saithe nothing contrarie to the soundnesse of faithe and the loue of GOD and our neighbour and vseth all thinges to edification I say that of this diuersitie no man taketh iust occasion to depart from the Church For al godly men proue all thinges and kéepe that which is good and in al sermons and holie exercises referr their whole studie only vnto edifying And moreouer the preachers agrée wel among themselues and herevnto direct all things that both them selues and their hearers may become better not that they may séeme better learned or to haue vttered that which no man sawe heretofore And the best learned loathe not their Sermons which are not so learned For albeit they may séeme not altogether to haue hit the marke yet for as muche as they haue taughte wholesome thinges they are praysed and not condemned albeit in fit time and place they be somewhiles admonished Againe they that are vnskilfull doe not enuie the giftes of the learned nor refuse to labour for more perfection neyther loath they or condemne they learned Sermons of those that be better learned but they prayse GOD and being warned striue to more perfection For wisely sayd S. Aurelius Augustine in his firste booke of Christian doctrine the sixe and twentie Chapter Who so euer sayth he seemeth to him selfe to haue vnderstoode the holy Scriptures or any part of thē so as of that vnderstanding he gather not the two folde charitie of God and his neighbour he yet vnderstandeth nothing But who so euer gathereth suche a sense thereof as may be profitable to him for the increase of charitie
and yet gathereth not that sense that it may probably seeme he whome hee readeth ment in that place he is not perniciously deceiued neyther lyeth he at all The same anon after Hee is notwithstanding to bee corrected and must haue it shewed him howe muche more profitable it were for him not to leaue the highway lest by accustomable straying hee be forced eyther to goe crosse or croked Thus farre he Therefore where an Ecclesiasticall interpreter doth erre grossely it is lawfull to a better learned brotherly to admonishe him but to make a Scisme it is not lawfull The authours of Scisme lightly are somewhat proude and arrogant and swell with enuie and therefore are voyde of al charitie and modestie they allowe nothing but what they them selues bring foorth neither will they haue any thing common with others they are alwayes musing some high matter nothing that is coÌ„mon or simple Vnto these men very well agréeth that saying of the Apostle Paul Knowledge puffeth vp but loue edifieth Therfore godly teachers in the church and also godly hearers for doctrine which is not altogether foolish though it be somewhat grosse yet being godly and tending to edification they neither leaue or forsake the fellowship of the churche neither striue they or contend but rather vse charitie in all things And if the ministers liues be attached with grieuous vices and yet in the meane season they be faithful in teaching admonishing exhorting rebuking and comforting if they lawfully distribute the lawful sacraments no man hath iust occasion to forsake the church The Lorde expresly saith in the gospel The Scribes the Phariseis sit in Moses seate Al therefore what so euer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their workes do not for they say and do not Behold the Lorde saith they say and do not therefore the teachers liues were not agreable to their doctrine yet for that they stoode in Moses seat that is to say bicause they taught the word of God lawfully and sincerely he biddeth to receiue their sincere doctrine but their life not being agréeable to their doctrine that he biddeth to refuse and therefore to make a scisme for the preachers euill liues sake the Lorde doth forbid Surely he commaundes to â—â—ée from false Propetes But not an euil life but false doctrine maketh a false prophet A great conâ—lict about this matter had the holy father S. Augustine with the Donatiâ—tes who contended that the ministerie was of smaller power through the imperfection of the ministers Which case is to be considered in an other sort But now what cause haue they to leaue and forsake our churches for the vnlikelinesse or varietie of ceremonies In the baptisme of childreÌ„ say they you obserue not one order and so also in the celebration of the supper Some take the breade of the Lorde in their handes sitting some do come and take it at the handes of the minister who also put it in the mouthes of the receiuers Some celebrate the Communion often some sildome and that but vpon set dayes And you vse not one forme of prayer Neither haue all your assemblies one manner neyther méete they at one time But howe shall we beléeue that the spirite of vnitie and peace is in you in whome is founde so great diuersitie For iust causes therefore we doe not communicate with you But of these customes we shall speake more fitly in their proper place But it is maruell that men not altogether rude and ignoraunt of Ecclesiasticall matters bring no other argumentes for defence of their wicked scisme Are the poore wretches ignoraunt how great diuersitie there hath bene alwayes in ceremonies vnitie notwithstanding alwayes remayning vndiuided in the catholique Church Socrates the famous writer of the ecclesiasticall historie in the fift booke of his histories the 22. chapter setteth out at large the diuersitie of ceremonies in the church of god Amongst other things he sayth No religion saith he keepeth all one kynde of ceremonies albeit it agree in doctrine about them For they which agree in faith differ in ceremonies And againe It shall be both laboursome and troublesome yea and impossible to describe al the ceremonies of all the churches in each citie regioÌ„ The blessed martyr Irenaeus writing to Victor bishop of Rome reherseth a great diuersity of the churches in their fastings and kéeping the feast of Easter and then addeth And yet not withstanding all these euen when they varied in their obseruations were both peaceable among themselues and with vs and yet are neyther doth the disagreement about fasting breake the agreement of faith And againe Blessed Polycarpus saith hee wheÌ„ he came to Rome vnder Anicete hauing some small controuersie about certeine other matters were by and by reconciled But of this kinde of matter they coÌ„tended not awhit For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarpus that he should not obserue those thinges which with Iohn the disciple of our Lord the rest of the Apostles with whom he had ben conuersant he had always obserued Neither did Polycarpus persuade Anicetus not to keepe that custome which by the traditioÌ„ of those elders to whom he succeeded he said he was to kepe And these maters thus standing they had felowship one with an other Thus far he Moreouer the auncient church vsed great libertie in obseruatioÌ„ of ceremonies yet so always as it brake not the bond of vnitie Yea S. Austine prescribing vnto Ianuarius what in this diuersitie of ceremonies he shuld either do or followe biddeth not him to make ascisme but iudging moderately wisely No rule saith he in these things is better thaÌ„ a graue wise christian who wil do in such sort as he shal se euery church do vnto which by chauÌ„ce he coÌ„meth For that whiche neither contrarie to faith nor good maners is coÌ„mauÌ„ded is to be counted indifferent according to their society amongst whom we liue to be obserued Againe least vnder pretence of this rule counsel any might force vpon euery maÌ„ what ceremonies they wold he addeth The church of God placed amidst muche chaffe cockle suffereth many thinges yet whatsoeuer is either coÌ„trarie to faith or good life she alloweth not neither holds she her peace neither doth she it Last of al whereas these men thinke that there is no true church where as yet faultie manners are to be séen in men conuersant in the churche by whose conuersation they feare to be polluted vnles either they come not at the churche or else quickly forsake it they fall into the madnes of the heretikes called Catharoi who deceiued with the false imagination of exact holinesse vsing sharpe crueltie fled from those churches in which the fruits of the doctrine of the gospel plainly appeared not Against these we set both the prophetical apostolicall to wit the most holy churches For Esaie Ieremie rebuking the maners of their time do greatly inueigh against corruption
of doctrine maners Neither charge they them with light coÌ„mon faults but heynous Esaie crieth That from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot there is no whole place and yet he departed not froÌ„ the churche nor planted him selfe a newe albeit froÌ„ al vngodlinesse corruptioÌ„ he kept him self very diligeÌ„tly How many faults nay howe many errours I pray you were there amongest the Apostles of Christ them selues what did our lord depart from them The church of Corynth was corrupted not only in maners but also in doctrine There was in it conteÌ„tions factioÌ„s brawlings Whordome breaking of wedlocke vndoutedly was coÌ„mon among them What thinke you of that the many of them were present at prophane sacrifices Surely it was no small error that they estéemed baptisme according to the worthinesse of the minister They had defiled the Lords Supper with their priuate prodigal banquets yea of the resurrection of the dead they thought not aright But did the apostle for the cause either depart from them him selfe or commaund others to depart yea rather he calleth theÌ„ a holy church greatly rebuking their coÌ„tentions he exhorteth al meÌ„ to obserue the vnitie of the church in the sinceritie of truth It is not to be douted therfore the they greatly sinne which abstein from the fellowship of our or rather the catholique churche in which albeit there be great corruption of life yet the doctrine is sincere the sacrameÌ„ts are purely ministred But these men obiect ye admit al men without exception to the receiuing of the Lordes supper wicked men drunkards couetous men souldiers such like kindes of men with whome the holy apostle forbids vs to eate coÌ„mon breade so far off is it that he graunteth vs to be partakers at thâ— lords table with such Except therfore we like to be defiled with the fellowship of the wicked it is néedful either not to ioyne with this societie or else altogether to flee from it But of the Lords supper the receiuing therof if I liue I wil speak in an other place apt for it At this time this onely we bring against them that Paule the most faithfull seruant of Iesu Christe was not sharper than his maister But it is manifest that he admitted Iudas to the holy table whoÌ„ he knew as it is wont to be saide Intus in cute that is to say throughly within without yet he did not put him by But he wold haue reiected him if he had knowne the rest of his disciples wold haue ben polluted with his coÌ„panie Iudas him selfe was polluted for his minde conscience were corrupt but the rest of the apostls whose minds were pure through perfect faith could not be defiled by another mans trecherie Therfore saith Paule the apostle Let a maÌ„ proue him selfe and so let him eate of that breade and drinke of that cup. He biddeth euery man to proue him self not to iudge an other mans seruant who standeth to his Lorde or falleth If thou béest indued with faith dost lawfully participate at the Lords table thou art not defiled with an other mans wickednesse Therefore to auoyd pollution there is no cause why thou shouldest be separated from the church in which thou séest the bad mingled with the good to be partakers of the Lords supper But if so be thou béest separated thou plainly declarest thy selfe being hardned with arrogancie to be partaker with those whome S. Aug. in his 3. booke against Parmenian the first chapter painteth forth with these proper liuely colours They are â—uil childreÌ„ who not for the hatred of other mens iniquities but throughe the studie of their owne contentions go about eyther wholy to alure or at lest to diuide the simple people prouoked with the bragging titles of their names puft vp with pride folish with frowardnes subtile with slaunders troublesome with seditions who least they shuld be detected to want the lighte of trueth pretend the shadowe of sharpe seueritie and those things which in the holy scriptures the sinceritie of loue beeing saued and the vnitie of peace beeing kept are commaunded for the correction of the faults of their brethren wherein moderation also should be vsed they vsurpe to the sacriledge of scisme and occasion of cutting off The same authour amongst other things godlily and wisely disputed in the two chapters following giues this counsel to modest wits That quietly they should correct what they may and what they can not mende they should patiently suffer and louingly mourne till God him selfe either amend it or in the day of iudgement fan away the chaffe Furthermore concluding this place I wil recite vnto you the words of the blessed martir CypriaÌ„ He in his 3. booke 3. epistle hath thus left it written If cockle appeare to be in the churche yet ought neither our faith nor our charitie be letted that bicause wee see cockle in the church we our selues depart froÌ„ the church we must rather labour to bee good corne that when the corne shal be laid vp in the lords barne we may receiue the fruite of our labour and trauell The Apostle saith in his Epistle but in a great house are not only vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and of earth some vessels of honor some of dishonor Let vs indeuour and labor what we may that we may be a vessel either of gold or of siluer But the Lorde only hath libertie to break in peeces the eartheÌ„ vessels to whoÌ„ also is giuen an yron rod. The seruaÌ„t can not be greater thaÌ„ his lord Neither let any man think it lawful for him to challenge that to him selfe which the father hath giueÌ„ only to his sonne that he might now be able to purge the â—â—owre or fanne the chaffe or by al the wit man hath to separate al the chaff froÌ„ the corne This is a proud obstinacie and wicked presumption which lewde furie taketh to him selfe And whiles some men alwayes take to theÌ„ selues a further dominion thaÌ„ peaceable iustice requireth they perish froÌ„ the church and whiles they proudly lift vp theÌ„ selues blinded with their owne presumption they are bereft of the light of truth The Lord Iesus reduce the wandering shepe into the vnitie of the catholique churche liuing in vnitie kéepe vphold them Amen These aduersaries of ours being ouercome there arise vp new cruel enimes that is to say the defenders of the Romane Monarchie of the apostolique sea as they cal it the most auncient church for they cry eueÌ„ while they be whorse that we are guiltie of the same cryme whereof we condemned the Anabaptistes certeine other fantastical fellowes For they say that we with a wicked scisme forced by no necessitie haue forsaken the olde Romishe church and haue set vp for our selues newâ— hereticall Synagogues And they alledge that the holy scripture hath as yet her authoritie in the
their tributarie cities subiecte vnto them diligently to sée and marke what they did in euerie citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say spyes and watchmen The Apostles called byshops watchmen and kéepers of the Lords flocke and the stewardes of Christe or disposers of the secretes of God in the Churche And Presbyter an Elder hath his name of age and auncient yeares In times past the care of the common wealth was committed vnto the elders as to those that were exercised with manifolde experience long vse of things For gouernours of cities are bothe called Seniors and Senatours And as common weales haue their Senatours so hath the church her elders as it appeareth in the Actes 14. 15. 20. 21. chap. It séemeth that the ordeining of elders came into the church out of the synagogue For thus we reade in the booke of Numbers Gather vnto me saith he three score and ten men of the elders of Israel whome thou knowest to bee the elders of the people and officers ouer them and I wil take of the spirit which is vpon thee and put vppon them and they shall beare the burthen of the people with thee least thou bee constrained to beare it alone Wherefore the elders in the churche of Christe are eyther byshoppes or otherwise prudent and learned men added to byshops that they maye the more easily beare the burthen layd vpon them and that the churche of God may the better and more conueniently be gouerned For Paule sayth The elders that rule well let them be counted woorthy of double honour most specially they which labour in the worde and doctrine There were therefore certeine other in the Ecclesiasticall function who albeit they did not teach by and by as did the byshops yet were they present with them that taught in all all businesses Perhaps they are called of the same Apostle elsewhere Gouernours that is is to say whiche are set in authoritie concerning discipline and other affaires of the churche And bycause we are come thus farre in this present treatise we will also declare other names of offices in the churche There is muche speache in the scriptures of Deacons and amonge Ecclesiasticall writers of Priestes In the primitiue Churche the care of the poore was committed to Deacons as it is plainely gathered out of the sixt chapter of the Actes of the Apostles There are also lawes to be séene which are prescribed vnto them by the Apostle in the firste to Timothie the thirde chapter The office of Deacons was separated froÌ„ the function of Pastours and therefore we do not reckon them in the order of Pastours The auncient fathers referred them to the ministerie but not to the Priesthoode We reade also that women not wedded but widowes ministred in the primitiue churche And among other Phebe of the churche of Cencâ—ea highly praysed of the Apostle is verie famous But he forbiddeth women to teach in the church and to take vpon them publique offices How therfore or in what thing did women minister in the churche vndoubtedly they ministred vnto the poore in duties apperteyning to women They ministred vnto the sicke and with Martha Christs hostesse they did with great care and diligence chearish the members of Christe For what other offices could they haue Moreouer the name of Priest séemeth to be brought into the churche out of the synagogue For otherwise ye shall not finde in the newe Testament the ministers of the worde of GOD and of churches to be called priestes but after that sorte that all Christians are called priestes by the Apostle Peter But it appeareth that the ministers of the new Testament for a certeine likenesse whiche they haue with the ministers of the olde Testament of ecclesiasticall writers are called Priestes For as they did their seruice in the tabernacle so these also after their manner and their fashion minister to the churche of god For otherwise the Latine word is deriued of holy things and signifieth a minister of holy things a man I say dedicated and consecrated vnto God to do holy things And holy things are not only sacrifices but what things so euer come vnder the name of religion from whiche we dee not exclude the lawes them selues and holy doctrine In the old testament we read that Dauids sonnes were called priestes not that they were ministers of holy things for it was not lawfull for theÌ„ whiche came of the tribe of Iuda to serue in the tabernacle but onely to the Leuites but bicause they liuing vnder the gouernement and discipline of priestes did learne good sciences and holy diuinitie Here it séemeth it must not be dissembled that those names which we haue intreated of are in the Scriptures one vsed for an other For Peter the Apostle of Christ our Lord calleth him selfe an Elder And in the Actes of the Apostles he calleth the Apostleship a Byshopricke For Saint Paule also calling the Elders together at Miletum and talking with them he calleth them Byshops And in his Epistle vnto Titus he commaundeth to ordeine Elders towne by towne whome immediately after he calleth Byshoppes And that they also are called both Doctors and Pastours there is none so grosse headed to denie Now by all these things we think it is manifest to all men what orders the Lord him selfe ordeined from the beginning and whome he hath consecrated to the holie ministerie of the Church to gouerne his owne church He layd the foundation of the churche at the beginning by Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes he enlarged and mainteyned the same by Pastours and Doctours To these Elders and Deacons were helpers The Deacons in séeing to the poore and the Elders in doctrine in discipline and in gouerning and susteyning other weightier affaires of the Churche Neuerthelesse it appeareth that the order of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophets was ordeined at the beginning by the Lorde vnto his Churche for a time according to the matter persons and places For many ages since and immediatly after the foundation of Christes kingdome in earth the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophets ceased and there came in their place Byshops Pastours Doctours and Elders which order hath continued most stedfastly in the Church that nowe we can not doubt that the order of the Churche is perfect and the gouernement absolute if at this day also there remaine in the Church of God byshops or pastours doctours also or Elders Yet we deny not that after the death of the Apostles there were oftentimes Apostles raysed vp of GOD whiche might preache the Gospell to barbarous and vngodly nations We confesse also that God euen at this day is able to rayse vp Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes whose labour he may vse to worke the saluation of mankinde For we acknowledge that holy and faithfull men whiche first preach the truth of the Gospell to any vnbeléeuing people may be called Apostles and Euangelistes
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
than with the wordes of GOD him selfe and with the faythfull interpretation of the bookes of the Gospell the lawe the Prophetes and Apostles Where by the way we giue warning that the interpretation of the Scriptures is not a libertie to feine what one lust and to wrest the Scriptures which way one will but a carefull comparing of the Scriptures and a speciall gyfte of the holie Ghoste For Sainte Peter sayth No prophecie in the Scripture is of anye priuate interpretation Wherefore no man hath power to interprete the Scriptures after his owne fantasie Neyther is that the best exposition which hath most fauourers as if that were the best interpretation whiche hath the consent of the greater multitude For Arianisme and Turcisme woulde by manye degrées excell Christianisme That exposition is best whiche is not repugnaunt to fayth and loue neyther is wrested to defend and spread abroad the glory and couetousnesse of men But I haue spoken of interpretation of the scriptures in the second sermon of the firste Decade But vnlesse the Scripture be aptly applied respect being had of place time matter and persons of euerie Churche and to this ende whiche I also taught in the thirde Sermon of this Decade that the Churche maye be edifyed not that the teacher in the Churche may séeme better learned or more eloquent his exposition of the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture shall be fruitlesse to the people The Lorde commendeth vnto vs the wise steward and sayth Who is a faythfull and wise stewarde whome his Lorde hath made ruler ouer his housholde to giue them their portion of meate in due season And as followeth in the twelfth of Luke Saint Paule also writing to Timothie the Byshoppe sayth Studie to shewe thy selfe approued vnto God a woorkeman not to be ashamed rightly diuiding the worde of trueth Meate is vnprofitable vnlesse it be diuided and cutte into partes But heere the housholder knoweth what portions he shoulde gyue to euerie one in his familie not hauing regarde what delighteth euerie one but what is most profitable for euerie one The same Apostle teaching that all the actions of a preacher in the Churche ought to be directed to edification sayth He that prophecieth speaketh vnto men to edifying and to exhortation and to comforte Therefore to the teaching of the perfecter sorte perteyneth not onely the exposition of the holie Scripture but also a playne demonstration and manifest as may be of the principles and groundes of Christianitie and chieflye an euident doctrine of repentaunce and remission of sinnes in the name of Christe and also a sharpe rebuking to be vsed in due time or a graue but yet a wise reprouing of their faultes For the Lorde speaking to his Apostles sayth Ye are the salte of the earth if the salte become vnsauorie wherewith shall it be salted Herevnto also perteyneth the confuting of errours and repressing of heresies and the defence of sounde doctrine Paule sayth That the mouthes of vayne talkers and seducers of myndes must be stopped and sharply rebuked Neyther is it enough simply to teache true religion vnlesse the teacher in the Churche by often teaching constantly vrge defende and maynteine the same Herevnto chieflye belong these wordes of Paule I charge or adiure thee therefore before GOD and before the Lorde Iesus Christe which shall iudge the quicke and deade at his appearing and in his kingdome preach the woorde be instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhorte with long suffering and doctrine For the time will come when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares ytching shall after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers and shall turne their eares from the trueth and shall bee giuen vnto fables But watche thou in all thinges suffer aduersitie doe the woorke of an Eâ—angeliste make thy ministerie fully knowne Therefore there néede verie often exhortations that what the church by ofteÌ„ plaine teaching vnderstandeth eyther to be followed or to be anoyded the same she may being stirred vp coÌ„pelled by a feruent exhortatioÌ„ eyther constantly followe or refuse And here it shal be néedfull for a preacher to vse long sufferaunce leaste foorthwith he cast away all hope if he sée not by and by such happie successe as he wisheth for and that some mightie and impudent aduersaries obstinately striue againste him For Paule sayth The seruauntes of the Lorde must not striue but be gentle vnto all men apt to teache suffering euill with meekenesse instructing them that are contrarie minded if God at any time will giue them repentaunce to the knowledge of the trueth and that they may come vnto them selues againe out of the snares of the diuell which are taken captiue of him at his will. There néedeth moreouer milde and quickening comforte For many are troubled being tried with diuers temptations whome vnlesse you faythfully comforte they are ouercome of Sathan These and suche other like doe perteine to the teaching of the perfecter sorte Here I may also make mention of the care of the poore For this especially perteineth to a minister and to their publique preaching whereby he maye continually prouoke the richer sorte to mercie that they may be ready to distribute The apostle Paul hath left vs notable examples of this matter almost in all his Epistles but specially in the sixtenth chapter to the Romanes and in the first to the Corinthians and also in the eight and ninth chapter of the latter Epistle to the Corinthians Sainte Peter Iames and Iohn commended verie diligently to saint Paule the care of the poore as Paule him selfe rehearseth in the seconde chapter to the Galathians And albeit Peter in some place refuse the office of distribution yet herein he is altogether carefull that godly and faythfull disposers may be appoynted for the poore Therefore the care of the poore perteyneth chiefly to the Pastours that they be not neglected but tenderly cherished as the members of Christ The priuate kynde of teaching differeth nothing in the thing it selfe from that publique kynde but it is called priuate in respect of the learners For some one commeth to the Pastour after the manner of Nicodemus and desireth verie familiarly to be instructed of him in things properly concerning him selfe Besides that this shepehearde goeth priuately and instructeth those whome by euident tokens he hath learned by priuate conference may be more easily wonne vnto Christe than by publique preachings Moreouer he priuately admonisheth and taketh heede in time leaste they that are more vnaduised be déepelyer plunged in euill Hetherto perteyneth the visitation both of sicke persons and prisoners none of whome a faythfull Pastour neglecteth but visiteth them so muche the more diligently as he perceyueth theÌ„ more grieuously tempted For a good Pastour is alwayes watchfull ouer the whole flocke of Christe for whome sathan layeth snares raungeing aboute séeking whome he maye deuoure Him the Pastoure resisteth by prayer admonitions teaching
it cōmeth all to one reckoning to pray neuer a whit or not at all and to babble out words which are not vnderstoode Let euery nation therefore pray in that language which it vnderstandeth best and moste familiarly And no lesse madnesse is it in publique assemblies to vse a straunge language which thinge also hath béen the roote of the greatest euilles in the church Whatsoeuer the priests that were ordained of God and the Prophetes which were sente from him spake or rehearsed to the people of olde time in the church they did not speake or recite them in the Chaldean Indian or Persian but in the Hebrue tongue that is in their vulgar and mother tongue They wrote also bookes in their vulgar tongue Christ our Lorde together with his Apostles vsed the vulgar tongue He furnished the Apostles with the gift of tongues that they might speake to euery nation And for so much as in that age the Gréeke tongue of all other was most plentifull and common the Apostles wrote not in the Hebrue tongue but in the vulgar Gréeke tongue Truely it behoueth that those things that are done in the publique church for the holie assemblies sake shoulde be vnderstoode of all men For otherwise in vaine shoulde so many men be assembled together Whereby it is cléerer than the day light that they that haue brought in straunge tongues into the church of God haue troubled all thinges haue quenched the feruentnesse of mennes mindes yea and haue banished out of the church both prayer it selfe and the vse of prayer and all the fruite and profite that shoulde come of thinges done in the church And truely the Romane and Latine Prince hath brought this Latine abhomination into the church of god He crieth out that it is wickedly done if Germanie England Fraunce Polande and Hungarie do vse both in prayer and all other kinde of seruice in the church not the Romane or Latine tongue but Dutch or Germane spéech English French Polonish or the Hungarian language S. Paule once handling this controuersie saith in plaine wordes If I pray in a straunge tongue my spirite or voyce prayeth but my vnderstanding is without fruite What is it then I will pray with the spirite but I will praye with the vnderstanding also I will sing with the spirite but I will singe with the vnderstandinge also Else when thou blessest with the spirite howe shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned saye Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thankes well but the other is not edified I thanke my God I speake languages more thā you all yet had I rather in the church to speake fiue wordes with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others than ten thousande wordes in a straunge tongue And truely this verie place doth Iustinian the Emperour cite In Nouell Const 123. where he straightly commaundeth Bishops Ministers not secreatly but with a lowde voice which might be heard of the people to recite the holy oblation and prayers vsed in holy baptisme to the intente that thereby the mindes of the hearers might be stirred vp with greater deuotion to set forth the prayses of God. Moreouer it is euident that Gregorie him selfe who is called the great spake to his Citizens in the Citie of Rome in their countrie language which thinge he him selfe witnesseth in the preface of his Commentarie vpon Ezechiel to Marianus the bishop Of the Gréeke bishops no man is ignoraunt that they had their whole seruice in their Churches in their owne natiue language haue lefte their writinges vnto vs in the same tongue We might therfore worthily be iudged mad voide of vnderstanding if we also in the administration of diuine seruice in the church vse not our owne language since so many and so excellēt examples both of most famous churches of moste singular Bishops and gouernours of the church haue gone before vs that I speake not againe of the moste expresse and manifest doctrine of S. Paule the Apostle This place now requireth that I speake somewhat of singinge in the church and of canonical houres But let no man thinke that prayers sung with mās voice are more acceptable vnto God than if they were plainly spokē or vttered For God is neither allured with the swéetenesse of mans voyce neither is he offended though prayers be vttered in a hoarse or base sounde Prayer is commended for faith and godlinesse of minde not for any outward shewe Those outwarde thinges are rather vsed as meanes to stirre vs vp albéeit euen they also take little effect vnlesse the spirite of God doe inflame our harts Neither can any man deny but that the custome of singing is very auncient For the holy scripture witnesseth that the Leuites in the auncient church longe before the comming of Christ did singe yea and that they did singe at the commaundement of god And againe I thinke no man can deny that the same cunning kind of musicke brought into the church of God by Dauid was both accounted among the ceremonies and that the same was abolished together with the temple and the ceremonies We reade not of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the true Messias and full perfection of the law that he soung in any place either in the temple or without the temple or that any where he taught his disciples to singe or commaunded them to ordaine singing in the Churches For that which is read in Matthew and Marke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be englished And when they had soung an Hymne or psalme they went out into the mount of Oliues is such a kinde of saying as doeth not necessarily force vs to vnderstand that the Lord sang with his disciples For a Hymne which is the praise due vnto God may be hūbly vttered without quauering of the voice Truely the olde translation in both places as well in Matthew as in Marke constantly interpreteth it Et hymno dicto exierunt in montem Oliuarum that is to say When they had saide an Hymne they wente out into the mounte of Oliues Erasmus in Matthew hath trauslated it Et cum hymnum cecinissent whē they had sung an Hymne but translating Marke he saith Et cum hymnum dixissent whē they had said an hymne but in either place is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to prayse or to set forth ones prayse which both by singing also without singinge hath béen accustomed to be done And albéeit we neither reade that the lord himself commaūded singing to his Apostles neither that they ordained singing in the Church neither yet do reade in the Actes of the Apostles that they them selues did singe in holy assemblies yet Paule did not rebuke the church at Corinth which began to singe either of her owne accorde or by a certeine imitation of the olde Church because he sawe their māner of singing differed much
And truely the greater or more famous solemne Churches whiche at this daye they call Cathedrall to witt of Cathedra a Chayre or of the order of Prophetes teaching or professing there as some time the Churche of Antioche Corinth Alexandria and suche like séemed to haue béene at certeine houeres to witt in the morning at noone yea at Euening also assembled to expound or discusse the holie canonicall Scriptures The foundations of that obseruation séeme to bee layed in the Churche of the Corinthians Of whiche the Apostle aboundauntlie witnesseth 1. Corint 14. Chapter Eusebius in the fifte Booke of his ecclesiastical historie and 9. Chapter making mention of an ecclesiasticall Schoole at Alexandria sayeth From a long time the doctrine and exercise of the holie Scriptures flourished among them which custome also continueth euen to our time whiche we haue hearde also to be instituted by menne mightie in Eloquence and in the studie of the holie Scriptures to witt after the example of the Corinthian Church Some markes of this moste wholesome rite or custome appeared sometime in the Occidentall or Weste Church as it is to be gathered out of the writinges of Sainct Ambrose and Augustine But truely in these very times and in the times immediatly following when all nations in a manner were together by the eares with perpetuall warres and when the Romane Empire in reuengement of the bloud of Christe of his holie Apostles and Martyres according to the Prophecie of Daniel and Sainct Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste was torne in peeces made a pray for all people The Gothes or Germanes rushing vppon them on this side the Hunnes and other barbarous Souldiours on the other side assaulting Rome sharply the best Scholes were spoyled goodly Libraries were burned honest good studies perished whervpon were giuen vnto the churches Doctors or teachers most vnlike vnto the auncient doctours and teachers who were not furnished with that abilitie that they could deale in the holy Scriptures with such dexteritie and fruitefulnesse as their predecessours In this disorder downefall least nothing should remaine of the canonicall scriptures vntouched it is euident that there rose vp men not altogether negligent of the canonicall doctrine who diuided the whole canonicall scripture after such a sort into parts and for the whole course of the yeare that they might once in a yeare read ouer the whole Bible and the Psalter oftner yea euen euery seuenight They vsed the psalmes in stéed of prayers to whiche as times increased many other prayers also were ioyned And least the verie reading of the scripturs should séeme to want al exposition the readinges lectures or homilies of the fathers were therevnto added at the length not that the priestes should read them secretely to thēselues as at this day in a maner they are woont to do or that they should with a post-hast reading mumble them vp in stéede of mattins but that they should throughly handle them in the open church as an exercise before the people to the edification of the church That I maye not nowe rehearse that this rite was not receiued of all men so farre off is it from beeing streictly commaunded Of whiche thing there remain some tokens or proofes In Distinct 15. Sancta Rom. Furthermore of reading the canonicall Scriptures those houres wherin they were read séemed to be named Canonical as also Canons are so called of studying and reading the Canonicall Scriptures But at what time this was done and who were the doers thereof it is not certeinely knowen Some doe attribute some parte hereof to Hierome other some to Damasus and some to Pelagius the second of that name othersome also to Gelasius and Gregorie And because homilies and lectures not a few are said to be Bedaes and other doctours of later time finally for that many other thinges are read in those hourely prayers whiche sauour neuer a whit of antiquitie truly as it is an institution patched vpp diuersely and at sundrie times so is it farre more new than the papists thincke or take it to bée Neither are there some wanting which affirme that at the request of Carolus Magnus Paulus Diaconus or monke of Cassina and monke Isuarde ordeined and deliuered to the Churche selected or chosen lessons those especially which cōcerne the Saincts and are accustomed to be read in these houres But howsoeuer the matter standeth most certeine it is that those houres at this day commaunded and called Canonicall are the inuention of man and not of God and ragged and rotten reliques or shadowes of the old law Wherevnto beside that there are many fables toyes follies annexed it cannot be denied Truly at this day there appereth such a mingle mangle or hotch-potch that it séemeth vtterly vnworthy either to bee vsed or suffered any longer in the church of Christ vnlesse wée had rather that care were taken for the bellies of some than for the good state and well-fare of the whole Church Of whiche thus much thus farre It remaineth in the last place to discusse howe wee must praye what words or what fourme of prayer wée must vse Truely there are many fourmes of prayer but none better than that whiche our Lord the onely beloued sonne of God the father hath deliuered Neither is there a more certeine forme as comprehending in fewe words all in all In this summarie hee hath prescribed what is worthie of him what is acceptable to him what is necessarie for vs and to bee short what hee is willing to graunt Wherevppon S. Cyprian expounding the Lords prayer amonge other thinges sayeth Hee that made vs to liue the same hath taught vs also to pray euen of the same his bountifulnesse whereby hee hath vouchsafed both to giue and to bestowe all other thinges whatsoeuer that when wee speake with the father in that prayer and supplicaton whiche the sonne hath taught vs wee may bee the more easlie or readily heard and may truly and spiritually worshipp him For what prayer can bee more spirituall than that whiche is giuen vnto vs of Christe from whome also the holy Ghoste is sent vnto vs What prayer before the father more true than that of the sonne proceeding out of his mouth who is trueth it selfe So that to pray otherwise thā he hath taught is not onely ignoraunce but also offence since hee him selfe hath sett downe and saide Yee cast aside the commaundement of God to stablish your owne tradition Therefore dearely beloued brethrene let vs pray as God our maister hath taught vs It is a friendly and familiar prayer to call vppon God in such manner as hee hath taught vs and when that the prayer of Christ commeth to his eares let the father acknowledge the woordes of his sonne when wee pray Hee that dwelleth within the heart let him also bee in the tongue And since wee haue him oure aduocate with the father for oure sinnes when wee beeing sinners aske pardon for oure offences let vs vtter the woordes of
finde that they of the old Testament had Sacraments after one kynd and they of the newe Testament Sacraments after an other kind The Sacraments of the people vnder the old Testament were circumcision and the Paschal lambe to which were added sacrifices whereof I haue aboundantly spoken in the thirde Decade and the sixt Sermon In like manner the Sacraments of the people vnder the newe Testament that is to say of Christians by the writings of the Apostles are two in number Baptisme The Supper of the Lorde But Peter Lombard reckoneth 7. Baptisme Penance the supper of the Lorde Confirmation Extreme vnction Orders Matrimonie Him followeth the whole rablement of interpretours and route of scholemen But all the auncient doctours of the Church for the moste part do reckon vp two principall sacraments among whome Tertullian in his first fourth booke Contra Marcionem and in his booke De corona militis very plainly maketh mention but of two onely that is to saye Baptisme and the Eucharist or supper of the Lorde And Augustine also Lib. 3. de doctr Christiana cap. 9. sayth The Lorde hath not ouerburthened vs with signes but the Lorde him selfe and the doctrine of the Apostles haue left vnto vs certeine fewe thinges in steade of many and those most easie to be done most reuerend to be vnderstoode most pure to be obserued as is baptisme and the celebration of the body and bloude of the Lord. And againe to Ianuarius epist. 118. he sayth He hath knit and tyed together the fellowship of a newe people with sacramentes in number verie fewe in obseruing verie easie in signification verie excellent as is baptisme consecrated in the name of the Trinitie and the partaking of Christs body and bloud and whatsoeuer thing else is commended vnto vs in the canonicall scriptures excepte those thinges wherewith the seruitude of the olde people was burdened according to the agreeablnes of their heartes and the time of the prophets Which are read in the fiue books of Moses Where by the way is to be marked that he sayth not And whatsoeuer things else are commended vnto vs in the canonicall scriptures but And what so euer thing else c. which plainely proueth that he speaketh not of Sacramentes but of certeine obseruations bothe vsed and receyued of the Churche as the wordes of Augustine whiche folowe do declare Howbeit I confesse without dissimulation that the same Augustine elsewhere maketh mention of the Sacrament of Orders where neuerthelesse this séemeth vnto me to be also considered that the selfe same authour giueth the name of Sacramentes to Annoynting and to Prophecie and to Prayer and to certeine other of this sorte as well as he dothe to Orders and now and then among them he reckoneth vppe the Sacramentes of the Scripture so that we may easily sée that in his workes the worde Sacrament is nowe vsed one way and sometimes an other For he calleth these Sacraments bicause being holie they came from the holie Ghoste and bycause they be holie institutions of God obserued of all that be holie but yet so that these differ from those Sacramentes whiche are holie actions consisting of wordes and ceremonies and whiche gather together into one fellowshippe the partakers thereof But Rabanus Maurus also Byshoppe of Mentze a diligent reader of Augustins works Lib. 1. de Instit cleric cap. 24. sayth Baptisme and vnction and the body and bloude are Sacramentes whiche for this reason are called Sacraments bycause vnder a couert of corporall thinges the power of GOD woorketh more secretely oure saluation signified by those Sacramentes wherevppon also for their secrete and holie vertues they are called Sacramentes This Rabanus Maurus was famous about the yeare of the Lorde eight hundreth and thirtie so that euen by this we may gather that the auncient Apostolique Churche hadde no more than two Sacramentes I make no mention here of Ambrose although he in his bookes of sacramentes numbereth not so many as the companie of scholemen doe bycause some of those workes sette foorthe in his name are not receyued of all learned men as of his owne doing so I little force the authoritie of the workes of Dionysius whiche of what price and estimation they be among learned and good men it is not needefull to declare But howe so euer the case standeth the holye Scripture the onely and infallible rule of life and of all thinges whiche are to be done in the Churche commendeth baptisme and the Lordes Supper vnto vs as solemne institutions and Sacramentes of Christ Those two are therefore sufficient for vs so that we néede not be moued what so euer at anye time the subtile inuention of mans busie brayne bring against or beside these twaine For why GOD neuer gaue power to any to institute Sacramentes In the means while wee doe not contemne the wholesome rites and healthfull institutions of GOD nor yet the religious obseruations of the Church of Christ We haue declared elswhere touching Penaunce and Ecclesiasticall Order Of the residue whiche latter writers doe authorize for Sacra ▪ mentes we will speake in their conuenient place So haue we also elsewhere so farre foorthe as we thought requisite entreated of the likenesse and difference of Sacramentes of the people of the olde and newe testament Nowe let vs sée in what thinges Sacramentes consiste By the testimonie of the Scripture and of all the godly men they consiste in two thinges to witte in the signe and the thing signified in the worde and the rite in the promise of the Gospell and in the ceremonie in the outwarde thing and the inwarde in the earthly thing I saye and the heauenly And as Irenaeus the Martyr of Christe witnesseth in the visible thing and inuisible in the sensible thing and the intelligible For heerevnto belongeth that whiche Sainte Iohn Chrysostome vppon Matthewe sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRIST deliuereth nothing vnto vs that is sensible but vnder visible thinges the outwarde thinges are sensible but yet all spirituall But hee calleth those thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensible whiche are perceyued by the outwarde senses as by séeing hearing tasting and touching but those thinges he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligible or mentall whiche are perceyued by the mynde the vnderstanding consideration discourse or reasoning of the mynde not of the fleshe but of fayth By the testimonie of the Scriptures this thing shall bée made manifest .. The Lorde sayeth to his disciples in the Gospell Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures and he whiche shall beleeue and bee baptised shall be saued Yee shall baptise in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghoste The same sayeth of Iohn Baptiste Iohn baptised in the wildernesse preaching the baptisme of repentaunce for the remission of sinnes So also Sainte Luke witnesseth that Sainte Peter sayde to the Israelites Repent yee and bee baptised euerie one of you in the
the Apostles frame their exhortations Where againe the Analogie beeinge considered it hath very much light and force in it Trées are pruned and all that which is drie barren and superfluous in them is cutt away And so by circumcision they that were circuÌ„cised were put in minde to cutt away with the knife of the spirite whatsoeuer grewe vpp in the flesh against the lawe of god Herevnto had Moses respecte when he said in Dent Circumcise therfore the foreskin of your heart and bee no more stiffenecked Whome Ieremie following in the 4. Cap. sayeth Be ye circumcised in the Lord and cut away the foreskinne of your hearts c. Those thinges which the Apostle hath taught touching the celebration of y Passeouer are more plaine than that they néede héere to be rehearsed And I haue alreadie intreated of them at large in the sixte Sermon of my third Decade The verie same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes saith Knowe ye not that all wee which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue beene baptised into his death Weare buried then with him by baptisme into his death that likewise as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father euen so wee should walke in newnesse of life c. So wee are put in minde by that mysterie of baptisme to renounce forsake Sathan and the world to mortifie and subdue the fleshe and to burie the old Adam that the new man may rise vp againe in vs thorough Christ Furthermore the supper of the Lord doth admonishe vs of brotherly loue charitie of the vnitie that wee haue with all the members of Christe it warneth vs also of puritie and sinceritie in faith that because wee haue openly professed that wée are vnited to Christe and to all his members wée should haue a special care and regard that we be not found faithles and vntrue to our lord Christ and his church that wee should not defile oure selues with forreigne and strange sacrifices Wée are also admonished of thanckefulnesse to magnifie the grace of God who hath redéemed vs according to that saying As often as ye shal cate of this bread and drinke of this cupp ye shal shewe forth the Lords death vntill he come Thus farre haue I intreated of the force the ende and the effecte of sacramentes vnto the which I haue as I thincke attributed no more nor no lesse than I ought that is as much as may be proued out of the scripture to be due vnto them They are the institutions of Christ therefore they care not for counterfeite and strange praises They haue praise sufficient if they haue those praises whiche hee that instituted them namely GOD and Christ Iesus the high priest of the Catholique Church vouchsafed to attribute vnto them Nowe because there is mention made verie ofte of faythe in this whole booke I will further shewe also that without faith sacraments profite nothing and againe that to those which receiue them by fayth they are not superfluous or vaine For this séemeth as yet to belong to the â—ull exposition and coÌ„sideration of Sacraments That Sacramentes without fayth profite not it is easily proued For it is sayde that SacrameÌ„ts are seales of the preaching of the Gospell and things apperteyning to the same For if the preaching of the Gospell be hearde without fayth it doth not onely profite nothing vnto life but it turneth rather vnto iudgement to him that heareth the lord him selfe bearing witnesse and saying If any man heare my wordes beleeue not I iudge him not for I came not to iudge the worlde but to saue the world the worde that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last day To that saying of the Lorde agréeth this of the Apostle For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as well as vnto the fathers but the worde which they hearde did not profit theÌ„ bicause it was not coupled with fayth to them that heard Who now is such a dorhead which can not gather that sacrameÌ„ts without faith are vnprofitable especially since the same Apostle sayth Whosoeuer shal eate this breade drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloude of the Lord But all our worthinesse before God doth consist in fayth the same Apostle yet againe witnessing out of the prophete The iust shall liue by fayth And By faith the elders or fathers obteined a good report Wherevnto also belongeth that whiche is read in the Gospell They which were biddeÌ„ were not worthy Whervpon it followeth that worthinesse consisteth in faithfull obedience Herevnto also may be referred I thinke thoâ—e examples whereof mention hath béene made more than once already before Al our fathers were baptised and did all eate of one spirituall meate but in many of them God had no delight And Paule againe saythe Without faith it is impossible to please God therefore without faith Sacraments profite nothing The examples of Simon Magus and Iudas the traytor are verie well knowne of which one was baptised the other admitted to the Supper and yet had no fruite of the Sacramentes bicause they wanted true faith To these pithy and diuine testimonies of God we will nowe adde some places of S. Augustine out of his ninetenth booke against Faustus and twelfth chap. Peter sayth Baptisme saueth vs and least they shuld thinke the visible Sacrament were sufficieÌ„t by which they had the forme of godlinesse and through their euill manners by liuing lewdly and desperately shuld denie the power therof by by he addeth Not the putting away of the silth of the flesh but in that a good coÌ„science maketh request to god Againe Lib. 2. contra literas Petiliani cap. 7. he saith They are not therfore to be thought to be in the bodie of Christ which is the Church or congreagation bicause they are corporally partakers of his Sacraments For they in such are also holy but to them that vse and receiue them vnworthily they shal be forceable to their greater iudgement For they are not in that societie of Christes Church whiche in the members of Christe by being knit together and touching one an other doe growe into the fulnesse of god For that Church is builded on a rocke as sayth the Lorde Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church but they builde on the sande as the Lord also sayth Hee that heareth my wordes and doth them not I will liken him to a foolish man. And again in his treatise vpon Iohn 13. The syllables of Christes name and his Sacraments profite nothing where the faith of Christe is resisted For fayth in Christe and his Sacraments is to beléeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly to beléeue in the mediatour without whose intercession we are not reconciled vnto god Thus farre Augustine An obiection is made If Sacramentes doe nothing profite without our fayth then they depend on oure
of the ecclesiasticall ministerie and preseruation thereof there are partly certeine peculiar or diuances of the Churche whiche the Churche can not want Whereof in this last Sermon of this Decade so farre as the Lord shal giue me grace to speake I intende as briefely as I can to intreate First of all we muste knowe that the Lord our God hath not burdened his Church with ouer many lawes and institutions but hath set downe a fewe easily to be numbred and those not costly nor intruate nor long but proâ—â—table â—imple plaine and shorte In time past when as vnder the lawe the Lorde appointed vnto the people a costly sumptuous worshipping of him notwithstandinge all thinges therein were certeine 〈…〉 and moderate neither would hee haue any thing added to or taken from iâ— at the pleasure of men or to be otherwise vsed than he had appointed Who then wil thinke that after the abrogating of the Lawe the Lorde would deliuer vnto the Churche of his new people asumptuous and an infinite discipline Wherefore it is partly the couetousnesse of the pastours and estates of the Church and partly the monstrous superstition of the common people that hath made euery thing so sumptuous and infinite in the Churche Let vs sticke vnto this that the Lorde our God hath instituted in his Churche but verie fewe thinges and such as are necessarie and therefore we ought all to indeuour that the Churche be not ouer-burdened with traditiâ—â—s and institutions which procéeded not from God him selfe The Church of God is gorgeously enough â—ecked and furnished if the â—eteine and kéepe the institutions of her God and Lord. The chiefe and principal pointes of the Godlinesse of the Churche of GOD are the sincere teaching of the lawe and the Prophets of Christ and â—he Apostles faythfull prayer offred vnto her onely GOD through Christ 〈◊〉 a religious and lawfull administratioÌ„ receiuing of Christs sacrameÌ„ts wherof we haue intreated hitherto through fiue Decades Here vnto belongeth charitie also whiche is a communicating of riches or wel doing whereof we haue saide somewhat alreadie in the first Decade will say somewhat else in this Sermon Neither doth Luke in the Actes make mention of any other thinges describing what maner of Churche the faithful primitiue Church of Christ was being fouÌ„ded by the Apostles what were the principal pointes thereof They were continuing sayth he in the doctrine of the Apostles and in coÌ„municating in breking of bread in prayer Vnder these few points all godlinesse is comprised Vnto the Ecclesiasticall ministerie are ioyned these that follow Christian schooles haue the first place which bring forth a plentifull increase of Prophetes or ministers of the Church All nations vnlesse they were altogether barbarous haue vnderstoode that without schooles no kingdomes or common weales can happily be mainteined And therefore not only Moses in the booke of Genesis but also Strabo in the 17. booke of his Geographie reporteth how that among the Egyptians were instituted most famous Colleges for Priests and Philosophers Histories also make mention that the most noble men of all the world traueled into Egypt to obtein wisdome in which number Plato also is said to be the first of the chéefe principall among the Philosophers Neither is it vnaduisedly written in the booke of the kinges that Solomon excelled the wisemen of the Egyptians in wisedome And not only the Egyptians but also the Palestines a Nation more famous for warres than for learning are saide to haue had their priestes of whom they asked counsell in matters of doubt as writeth Samuel in his holy hystorie And Daniel also witnesseth that the Babylonians had moste famous Schooles as also had the Medes and Persians from whence sprang foorthe their Magi I would say wise men notable in all partes of Philosophie I néede not to speake any thing of the Gréekes and Romanes since there is no man but knoweth theire moste famous citie of Athens which is so much spoken of by all learned men and also the goodly Colleges of their Priestes and South-sayers But omitting forreigne examples let vs alledge our owne or suche as are Ecclesiasticall GOD who gaue vnto his people a moste absolute fourme of an happie Common-weale and kingdome distributed schooles throughe fourtie eight townes of the realme Those townes by reason of the Philosophying Leuites were called Leuitical For he had consecrated al the Leuitical tribe vnto the priesthood and to studies Not for that it was not also lawfull for gentlemen of other tribes to studie Philosophie or wisedome But because the Leuites were peculiarly appointed vnto holy studies For it is euident that Esaie and Daniel two of the moste brighte lights of the y prophecied were of the tribe of Iuda Other tribes also haue brought foorth men right singular in al kinde of knowledge And those townes likewise were called Leuitical and priestly not that priests only dwelt in them but because they had synagogues in them But at the tabernaele in 〈◊〉 and specially in the citie of Ierusaleâ— there was a schole surpassing all â—ther and in maner of an vniuersitie as they call them now adays And the same holy history witnesseth the moste famous men had the gouernment of those scholes For we reade in Rama that Samuel who was the very chiefest in all wisedome godlinesse and learning was gouernour and principall of the Naioth that is to say the Burse as they terme it or College of the Prophetes Helias and Heliseus the most cleare lightes of the Church of Israel were rulers ouer the schole of Hierico and Gilgal That naughtie Ieroboam did pul downe the scholes and troad vnder foote the order of the Priestes and placed without all choice some that were of the refuse of the people in their places But the men of GOD Helias and Heliseus knewe well that without scholes the sound doctrine could not flourishe or be preserued and therefore they applyed them selues wholy to the renuing of scholes And when lawfull tributes were denyed them being by wicked Princes bestowed vpon flatterers and bellieâ— that is to say priestes of the Idols of calues and of Baal yet it came to passe by the goodnesse of the Lord that some good men bestowed somwhat vpoÌ„ such as were destrous of learning who holding theÌ„ selues contented with a mean liuing behaued themselues valiantly in that most corrupt age But those notable men those wise men and Prophets who had the gouernment ouer scholes were called fathers wher vpoÌ„ also the disciples and scholers were termed the sonnes of the Prophetes Amos and Ieremie call them Nazarites For sayth Amos I am no Propheâ— neither the sonne of a 〈◊〉 to wit not brought vp in the knowledge of 〈…〉 And the same man sayth againe I haue raysed vp of your sonnes for Prophetes and of your yong men for Nazarites But he commendeth also the manner of them that studied which in his lamitations he bewayleth to
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
turne when wee pray Socrates the histographer in his fifte booke cap. 22. speaking of the most auncient Apostolique Church of the whole world at Antioche saith At Antioche whiche is in Syria the Church is set contrarie to other for the altar looketh not towards the East but towards the west It may be they did imitate the fashion of the old people in building and setting their tabernacle and in the fashion of their temple For they worshipped God turning towards the West without doubt because of the coÌ„ming of Christ in the latter time and at the end of the world Otherwise it is coÌ„monly vsed that men worshipp with their faces turned toward the East But in all these matters so there be no superstition dissention licentiousnes and offence a man may doe what him lusteth But there ought no temples to be built for the worshipping of Saincts For vnto God onely to whome all honour and worship is due we ought to build Churches which thing wee are taught by the examples of auncient fathers and the determination of the whole scripture The heathenish idolaters built temples vnto creatures sinning against the true and eternall God in coÌ„mitting a gréeuous offence S. Augustine in his booke De Ciuitate Dei sayeth plainely We build not temples vnto our martyrs And againe in his first booke against Maximinus a bishopp of the Arians If wee should saith he build a Churche of timber stones vnto some excellent holy angel should we not be accursed by the trueth of Christ the church of God Because wee should do that seruice vnto a creature that is due only to God Therefore if we should coÌ„mit sacrilege in making a temple to euerie creature whatsoeuer howe may it be that God is not true vnto whom we make no temple but we our selues are a temple for him Thus muche saith he Againe they are to be counted lyars who affirme that temples were built by certeine religious men in the worshipp of the Apostles while they were a liue Of whiche matter we haue spoken in times past as wée haue both against the riotousnes of the Churche and the vnprofitable expenses thereof in the first booke intituled De Origine erroris the 21. chapter Instrumentes belonging to the Church ought to be holy cleane and voyde of all riot and farre from any kinde of superstition The instrumentes be these an holy seate or pulpit in the whiche the minister maye teach and preach conueniente seates for the congregation a Fonte readie to baptise infantes in and the Lords Table with such thinges as are necessary thereto as water bread wine bookes candles baskets and cuppes These at sometimes were all of gold but good godly bishops haue oftentimes molten them and therewithal deliuered prisoners out of captiuitie and fedd such as were like to perish for hunger Many examples of this sort haue I gathered in my booke of the Iustitution of Bishops the 9. Chapiter As for candles whereof wée made mention euen nowe sure it is that the auncient fathers vsed them in the churches to driue away the darknes of the night as it appeareth in the twentie Chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles But it is a foolish matter nothing religious to vse lightes in the worshipping of god Lactantius crieth out shal we iudge him to be wel in his wits which offereth the light of a burninge waxe candle or taper for a present to the authour giuer of light Hee requireth other manner of light at our handes and that not smokie but cleare and bright to wit the light of the minde But a man may commonly sée in these dayes a great part of the worshipping of God to be reposed in the offering of candles whiche thing is cleane against the manifest trueth Amongest other instruments of the Church bells are reckoned vpp whiche at these dayes are vnto vs as in old time trumpets were vnto the people of god For they serue to call the congregation together and they are numbered among tokens and warnings About bells there is a wonderfull superstition They are christened by bishops and it is thought that they haue power to put away any great tempest In the old time men were stirred vp to prayer by the ringing of them what time any sore tempest did arise but nowe the very ringing of bells by reason of their consecration séemeth to haue a peculiar kind of of vertue in it Who can but meruel and he astonied at this extreme blindnes Moreouer they vse belles to bewaile the dead All which things are superstitious and vtterly to be contenmed Forsomuch as the true vâ—e â—f the church gâ—â—ds consisteth in those things whiche wée reckoned vp before it followeth that the abuse thereof must néeds be in the contraries whether we do offend in one kind or in many Iustice and equitie is to bee kept in these as well as in all other thinges Wée ought not to take from one man giue to another but wée must giue vnto euery one that which is his own Therfore we may not take any thing from the poore and giue it to the ministers of the Church neither is their portion and necessaries to be taken from them that the poore maye liue thereof The holy scripture giueth one portion of the Church goods to the ministers of the Churche and the same Churche willeth vs to giue vnto the poore their part Therefore if bishops or ministers of the Church doe challenge vnto themselues all the Church goods and giue not vnto the poore their partes due vnto them they destle themselues with sacrilege If the ministers doe not challenge vnto themselues all the goods of the Church and yet do take vniustly more then either it becommeth them or than néede requireth or otherwise than the decrée of God and the Apostles doeth allowe or else if they spend vnthriftily y portion due vnto them they gréeuously offend But they sinne greatly yea most horribly if they wast the goodes of the poore in hunting diceing drinking and rioting whore-hunting or else in warrefare and in the meane time haue no regard of the Churche neither care what is done there or howe But if a iust and good portion fall vnto the poore perhaps there will bée a fault in this poinct in the Steward or Almonar thoroughe fauour or hatred that they that haue most néede shall haue nothing and the least worthie shall haue most and in this case there is great offence committed thorough filthie abuse But of all abuses that séemeth to be the shamefullest whiche is nowe a dayes almost commonly vsed We bestowe great costes and charges vppon stones and stockes that is to say vpon idols void of all vnderstanding but there is no regard had vnto the poore who are the perfecte images of god Which kinde of madnes is heathenish and extreme folly But forsomuch as other haue alreadie very largly spoken of the abuse of the Church goods and we also haue set downe
diligently teacheth all men to haue a speciall care that they contracte matrimonie deuoutely holily soberly wisely lawfully and in the feare of God and that no euil disposition of couetousnesse desire of promotion or fleshly lust may lead and prouoke theÌ„ and that wedlock be not entred into otherwise than either the lawes of man or of God will permit And in this place we must consider of the degrées of consanguinitie and affinitie of publique honestie of the reuerence of bloud of offence towardes other and that no man take vnto wife a heathen woman or one that is of a contrarne religion For we are expressely forbidden to yoke oureselues with the vnbeléeuers Againe we are taught to enter into the knot of wedlock lawfully godlily and holily with prayer the receipte of Godly blessing in the temple of the Lorde bothe in the sight and with the prayer of the whole congregation and to beware that in any case we bee not stained in this pointe with all prophanation of the filthie world Neither be we ignorant in this case also that men of this worlde are commonly wonte to celebrate their weddinges more fitte for the diuell than God with riotting pride surfetting drunkennesse and all kinde of wantonnesse Moreouer we are taught to dwell with our wyues according to knowledge moderation patience faith and loue and also to bring vppe our children vertuously and honestly and them also to place and bestowe when time requireth in holy wedlocke But if for adulterie or some other matter more heynous than that necessitie forceth to breake wedlocke yet in this case the Church will do nothing vnaduiâ—edly For she hathe her Iudges who will iudge in matters and causes of matrimonie according to right and equitie or rather according to Gods lawes and the rule of honestie The holy Apostle woulde not haue the faithfull to contend and stande in lawe in the court of the vnfaithfull wherefore he exhorted them to take vmpiers to make agréements friendly betwixte them that were in contention But in causes and matters of matrimonie there are farre greater matters that forbidde the parties that sue or be sued to come before vnbeléeuing iudges Therefore the Churche of God hath very wel appointed a court to trie matters of matrimonie But bicause we spake of wedlocke in the tenth sermon of the second Decade also haue set forth somtime a booke specially concerning the same I haue knit vppe this matter in these fewe woords touching christian wedlocke The Church of God hath widowes in it but such as the Apostle of Christ doth describe in this sort saying Shee that is a widowe and a lone woman in deede trusteth in God and continueth in prayer and supplication night and day But she that liueth in pleasures and delightes is dead thoughe she be aliue The same Paule doeth will the yonger sort to marrie to gett children and to gouerne the house neither to giue any occasion at all for the enimie to speake euill of them the place is euident in the first Epistle of S. Paule to Timothie the fift chapter The Church also hathe virgins These be careful only for those things that long vnto the Lord are true virgins without all deceit or hypocrisie Paule saith A virgin careth for that that belongeth to God that she may be holy both in bodie spirit There are many that rule and gouern their bodies but not their mindes God requireth bothe and especially of the minde It is an easie matter to deceiue men but we cannot by any meanes deceiue god S. Paul in the first epistle to the Corinths the seuenth chapter setteth forth the praise of virginitie and by comparing a virgin to a married wife he sheweth how great the goodnesse of virginitie is Notwithstanding it is lawfull for virgines to marrie if they will whiche thing the same Apostle plainly sheweth in the selfe same place of Scripture Vnto this testimonie of God the testimonie of man also is agréeable For Cyprian with his fellowe Bishoppes and Elders making answere to a question demaunded by Pomponius saith Doest thou desire that we shoulde write vnto thee what we thinke of those virgins who after that they once determined to continue their state continently and stedfastly are found to haue lien and continued in the same bedde with men concerning which thing because thou dost desire to knowe our iudgement thou shalt vnderstand that we do not departe from the traditions and ordinaunces of the Gospell and the Apostles whereby we should so much the lesse strongly and stoutly prouide for our brethren and sisters and that Ecclesiasticall discipline should be kept by all meanes for their profite and safetie And it followeth But if thoroughe faith they haue vowed vnto Christ and continue chastly shamfastly without leasing let them stedfastly and stoutely looke for the rewarde of virginitie But if they will not or can not continue it is better that they marrie than to fall into the fire of their delights pleasures And so forth S. Augustine disputing of the wordes of the Apostle Hauing the greater damnation because they brake their first promise and faithe ascribeth not this damnation to the marriage following but to the inconstancie going before Suche are damned sayth he not because they entred into the bonde and promise of wedlock but because they brake the firste promise made of continencie and chastitie And a litle after that hee addeth these wordes They therefore that say suche marriages are no marriages in deede but rather adulteries it seemeth to mee that they speake foolishly and without consideratioÌ„ And thus much he I vnderstande that by this worde Condemnation or Iudgment is men by the Apostle Reprehension whiche wee Switzers terme Ein anszricteâ— oder nachred For they be euil spoken of by many for that they haue broken their firste faith that is to say they haue broken the promise of continencie Wherefore the Apostle thinketh it much better for young women to matche themselues in marriage then to set downe to themselues suche an order of life from the which although necessitie forceth them thervnto they cannot depart without reprehension of men But in that place he speaketh not of virgins but of widowes Saint Cyprian speaketh simplie of virgins Monkes and Nonnes were altegether vnknowne in the primitiue churche of Christe and the Apostles the latter ages had monkes but not such as are nowe a dayes whiche are their owne rule and lawe whose monasteries abound in all filthinesse and vncleannes Which though we should holde our peace yet to be true trueth it selfe and experience wil sufficiently declare And those that séeme to bee gouerned by more seuere discipline are defiled with hypocrisie I wil say none other thing Touching the firste monkes they dwelt not in cities neyther intermedled them selues with worldly affaires We haue declared in another place howe that a writer of the middle age being made an Abbat required that
of God about burials and graues But howe muche there was in the time of Poperie no man can declare in fewe wordes These be the necessarie institutions of the Churche of GOD and are by the faithfull religiously obserued without superstition to edification as for other matters which are onely deuised by the inuention of man the godly nothing weighe them I knowe what thinges may here be obiected That forsoothe the auncient people of the olde Testament had sundrie and manifolde rites ceremonies instituted of God by his prophetes because beeing rude they had néede of such instruction But since the common sorte of Christians are also more rude than is to be wished so many sundrie and diuerse ceremonies were deuised by the auncient fathers not without the motion of the spirit which they must also obey I answer that this is no true nor sounde reason whereby the weake in faith may receiue commoditie For surely then would not the Apostles of Christ haue saide nothing therof Moreouer experience teacheth that the state and condition of the weake and simple is such that the more ceremonies are left vnto them the more their mindes are diuersly dispersed and are lesse vnited to Christ to whoÌ„ alone al things are to be ascribed For it pleased the father that all fulnesse should dwell in him and to heape together in him al things apperteining to our life and saluation Yea the diuine wisedome of God hathe taken away y who le externall discipline instructioÌ„ setting a difference betwéen vs them We should therefore procéede to bring againe Iudaisme if we shuld not leaue of to multiplie heape together rites ceremonies according to the maner of the olde Church For in olde time those ceremonies were had in vse althoughe they were not infinite but comprised within a certein number At this present there is no vse nor place for theÌ„ in the church Neither do we want moste graue authoritie to proue the same The Apostles and elders in a greate assemblie méete together at HierusaleÌ„ at a couÌ„sell where the Apostle Peter plainely telleth them that they tempt the Lord in going about to lay the yoake of the lawe vpon the frée necks of the Christians There is also a Synodall Epistle written wherin by one consent they testifie that it hath séemed good to the holy Ghost them to lay none other burthen 〈…〉 the church of Christ thaÌ„ y which 〈…〉 in few words To the intenâ— therby it may be euident that the doctrine of the Gospel is sufficient for the Church without the câ—remonies of the law If he would 〈…〉 haue the rites which in olde time were by God instituted to be ioyned to the Gospell how much lesse ought we at this present to couple therewith the inuentions of men Vnto which moreouer is wickedly ascribed either the preparation to the grace worshipping of God or part of our saluation that we may say no lesse at this day than S. Paule said long agoe After that you haue knowne God howe chaunceth it that ye returne againe to weake and beggerly elements which you would begin to serue a new Ye obserue days moneths times yeres I am a feard lest I haue taken paines aboute you in vaine Vnto all these things this is also to be added that this instruction of ceremonies whereof they speake belongeth to the worshipping of god But we are fordidden to deuise vnto ourselues any strange worshipping we are forbidden also to put too or take away any thing from the institution or word of god Wherfore the Church of God neither ordeineth nor receiueth of other any other such constitutions Of which matter we haue also spoken somewhat before whereas we intreated of the abrogating of the lawe and of Christian libertie I trust that in these fiftie sermons I haue as shortely conueniently as might be comprehended the whole matter of faith godlinesse or true religion also of the Church That which I do often repeate in al my sermons my books that do I also againe repeat in this place that the learned may with my goodwill and thankes gather and imbrace better things out oâ— the scriptures Vnto the Lorde our God the euerlasting founteine of al goodnes be praise and glorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen FINIS Esai 58. Esai 62. Iohn 21. 2. Tim. 4. Dan. 12. 1. Tim. 4 Ezech. 3. Ierâ— 1. â— Cor. 9. â— Pet. 5. Apoc. 20. Ezech. 32. The Nicene counsel The counsel of CoÌ„stantinople The counsel of Ephesus The counsel of Calcedon About the yeare of our Lord About the yeate of our lorde 185. About the yeare of our lorde 210. â—bout the â—are of 〈◊〉 lord 〈◊〉 About the yeare of our Lorde 336. Catholiques Haeretiques Verbum what it is In English a thing The worde of God what it is Of â—he 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The word of God reuealed to the worlde by men Howe and by whom the worde of God hath bene reuealed from the beginning of the world Abraham The clearest lights of the firsâ— world Adam and Methusalem Noe. â—em Iaacob Kahad Amram Moses The chief contents of the holy fathers liuely tradition God. CreatioÌ„ of the world Sinne and death Grace life and redeÌ„ption by Christ Fayth The lineall descent of Messias The league of God. The worship of God. Life eternall and the day of iudgemeÌ„t The true â—ystoricall â—arration â—eliuered by the fathers to their children Moses in an hystory compileth the traditioÌ„s of the fathers The auâ—horitie of Moses very great The proceding of the woord of God. The Prophetes The Law. The auâ—â—oritie of â—he holy â—â—ophetes â—as very great Polyhistoâ— 2 Pet. 1. The word God reuealed by the onne of God. The chief coÌ„tents of Christe his doctrine The Apostles of Christ â—â—hn Bapâ—â—st and â—â—ule The authoâ—â—tie of the Apostles â—â—y great 1. Thes 2 The roll of the bookes of the diuine Scriptures The scripture is sound and vncorrupted â—o whom 〈◊〉 worde â—â— God is â—â—ealed What haue I to doe what was written to theÌ„ of olde time The writings of the old testament are also giuen to Christians To what â—nd the â—ord of God is 〈◊〉 Gods goodnesse to be praysed for teaching vs. All points of true godlinesse â—re taught â—s in the holy scriptures â— Tim. 3. The Lord bothspake did many things which arâ— not writteÌ„ The Apostles set downe in writing the whole doctrin of godlinesse Against the liuely and faiâ—â— traditioâ—â— of the Apostles Howe the worde of God is to â—e hearde The diseaâ—es and plagues of the hearers of gods word What the power and effect of Gods word is Gods will is to haue his wordâ— vnderstoode Difficultie in the scriptures The word of God requireth an exposition A solemn exposition of Gods worde what their meaning is that wil not haue the scriptures expounded The scriptures are 〈◊〉 to be â—orrupted with fortune exposâ—tâ—ons The holy scriptures â—re not to be expouÌ„ded according to â—ens fanâ—â—sies The