to haue satisfied them No but he takes it yet higher In the church of God wherein we must not liue after examples or the commandements of men for the commaÌ„dement saith he V. 25. was by the hand of the Lord by the hand of his Prophets And wee must not thinke that al this while Hezekiah was attended vpon or assisted by others in that manner as so good a worke might haue required The Priests in the verie reformation of these sacrifices are found to be but fewe in number Those which haue the chiefest charge in the church are not alwaies the first that do reforme it for want of them he was constained to set a worke the Levites wee in our daies might say for want of Bishops the Priests or Deacons those which are lesse bounde to prevent and forbid these corruptions The Levites saith the holy story being found to be V. 34. 35 more vp right in heart for to sanctifie theÌ„selues then the Priests c And so the service of the house of the Lord was set in order In the like maner doth Hezekiah proceed to the reformation of the sacrameÌ„ts he publisheth a passeover to be kept throughout al Israel and that such a passeover saith the authour of this holy storie as for a long time before they had not celebrated after that manner as it is written to wit in the law of God For a long time before saith he This might haue beene enough to stop all reformation and if we had liued at that time wee had bin ready to tell them haue not our fathers done it on this manner Are they all damned What need is there then of such a change will we be wiser then they wifer theÌ„ the Priests wifer then the church it selfe But what then would Hezekiah haue told vs The same truly that he told them 2. Chron. 30.16 Ye children of Israell turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac Iacob It is no time now to stay still in these Abuses And he caused this to be cried every where throughout the land V. 7. Be not yee like your fathers like your brethren which trespassed against the Lorde God of their fathers What proportion I pray you is there betweene that respect which you owe to your earthly fathers and that duety which you owe to the Lorde God of you and of your fathers also There were not wanting saith be some men in Ephraim Manassen and Zebulun that mocked them being now growne old in their filthines neuerthelesse the greater part submitted themselues In Iudah especially with one heart V. 12. according to the word of the Lord. They take away therefore the altars that were in Ierusalem and all those for incense tooke they away they celebrated the passeouer according to the Law Some at legth of the Priests were ashaÌ„ed sanctified theÌ„selus the Levits supplying the places and the duty of those that were obstinate against theÌ„ And the like thing the like passeover was not seene in Ierusalem since the time of Salomon and of David V. 26. for many ages together And it followeth in the same place that assoone as the passeover was finished by the same commaundement all the people being inflamed with a new zeale went out and brake the images cut downe the groues and brake downe the high places and the altars But behold they did more yet at the same time also for it is to be read in the same verse the Authour maketh not two narrations of this and that which went before 2 King 18 v 4. Numb 21 v. 9. he brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made by the expresse commandement of God for a present remedy against the bitings of those fiery serpents to him that did looke on it as a signe of Christ the Son of God which was to be lifted vp on a tree for a remedy against sin the biting of that old serpent to him that would turn the eies of his faith towards him Because that now indeede of that present vse which remained no loÌ„ger tâ—ey had made an abuse of the signe and sacrament of Christ which was to come they had made it as the thing it selfe and had given vnto it divine honours and had lastly converted this so healthfull an image into an abominable idoll Wherefore also when he brake it hee gaue them to vnderstand that it was but Nehushtan a piece of brasse contemptible in it selfe hereafter for ever vnprofitable I daÌ„gerous too by reason of that relation which it had vnto Christ seeing they abused it And hee was very highly commended for it by the Spirit of God for hauing done vprightly in the sight of the Lord and because he trusted in the God of Israell for having laid aside al humane considerations that hee might retaine or restore the purity of his service And indeede by reason of the conditioÌ„ of the church wherein wee obserued hir to haue bin at that time as also by reason of the coÌ„nivence the slacknes and corruption of the Priests which then were it is not to bee doubred but that he met with some that contradicted him then is it not said here for naught that hee trusted in God to wit against the murmuring of the people And vnto those daies the children of Israell burned incense to it alleadging without doubt a prescriptioÌ„ of so many yeares but especially that this serpent was instituted by God and erected by Moses himself But against all this that answere which our Savior gaue here to the Pharisie stood him insteede Non sic fuit ab mitio From the beginning it was not so It was ordained to be a remedy for you against the biting of he serpents in the wildernesse and now you are no longer in that â—ase For a signe that on that Christ which was to come the sonne of the liuing God did depend all your health both temporall and spirituall and you now haue attributed all that to this image and transferred the honour of the Creatour to the creature of the ordeiner himselfe to the thing ordeined by him And therfore hath he now brought it backe againe to his first nature And I woulde to God we had not many thinges in our Christian ReligioÌ„ which haue very great need of the like remedie Iosiah likewise is renoumed amongst the kings of Israel 2 Chron. 34. 35. because hee had reformed the church that on good grouÌ„ds for Manasseh had defiled all the service thereof had brought in false Gods in steed of the Almightie and Amon his son the father of Iosiah had not done much better then he 2 King 22 23. Iosiah began this reformation by repairing the ruines of the Temple whereof he laide the charge on Hilkiah the high Priest It happened so that Hilkiah amongst many other old registers 2 King 22 which he sought for found the booke of the Law in the
leaue this world to withdraw his voice together with his flesh from vs. hee hath perpetuated it vnto vs in his Gospell He hath giuen vs EuaÌ„gelists Apostles whose pens he hath inspired In them by them if thou wilt hee speaketh vnto thee thou needest not climbe vp into a mountaine for it or enter into a cloud or be ouertaken with feare thou needest only his bountifulnesse and grace alone of him I say speaking in these Euangelists his heauenly father telleth thee as well now as then Heare him â—â—are him in them As well as our Lord at euery table where his Sacrament is celebrated according to his institution telleth thee yet throughout the whole world Hoc facite Doe this And communicateth vnto thee on the one part his Spirit in his word on the other his body his flesh and his blood in his holy table Which also is the reason why every one of these good ancient fathers in al those conflicts of heresies did in times past betake themselues to this testament did therein take couÌ„saile from the mouth of Iesus as in old time froÌ„ God in the Arke and did therehence carie awaie healthfull answers to the peace of their conscience and the pacification of the Church Miserable men that we are if some meÌ„ had said vnto vs heare Plato hearken vnto Aristotle wee would vnderstand it so Opt S. Aug. that he had directed vs to their books and would goe to buy them at the Stationers nor would wee any way trouble our selues to seeke their persons either in Hell or in their feined Elisian fieldes But when it is said vnto vs Heare Christ we begin to wauer make as if we were very idiors but indeed are malicious aske where hee is Herevpon marke what Optatus saith that great African Doctour contesting against the Donatists Opt. Milevit l. 5. contra Parmen You Donatists say yea we Catholiks say Nay In the midst of your yea and our nay mens soules are in doubt None will beleeue you nor vs also because therefore that we are at ods we must seeke iudges The Christians saith he are the parties themselues the heathen cannot conceiue our mysteries And therfore can there be found no iudgement on earth Must wee seeke it in heaven Note here the question marke how hee answeres it But what go wee to seeke for in heaveÌ„ seeing we haue a Testament in the Gospell So long as the father is present hee chargeth every one of his childreÌ„ what they are to do There is as yet no need of any testament And so Christ gaue to these Apostles their charge whilest yet he was on earth But as an earthly Father seeing himselfe to be neere the graue maketh his will for to preuent and end all controversies betwixt his children then men goe not to seeke him in his tombe but in this will wherein he speaketh as if he liued and though dumbe yet is vnderstood so indeed Christ he that hath made the TestameÌ„t is in heaven but let vs seeke his will in his Gospell as in his testament For even these very things which some of you do now hee did euen at that time see you do them And as at that time he did foresee them as being God euerlasting vnto whom all things are knowne from eternity so without doubt hee hath manifestlie prouided against them he hath preuented all chances and anticipated all tricks and cauils heare also S. Augustin Optatus his Country-man which either had learned it of the other or was inspired by the same spirit We are brethren why striue wee one with another Our father died not without a Testament he made a will and then died died rose againe Men do pleade concerning the succession of the dead vntill the will be brought forth It being brought forth every one is silent that it may be opened rehearsed The Iudge harkeneth at tentiuely the Advocates holde their peace the Cryers cause silence the people stands in suspeÌ„se whilest that the wordes of the deceased are a reading who lyeth in his tombâ— without feeling and yet his words haue their force Christ is seated in heaven shall he bee contradicted in his Testament August in Psal 21. Open then and let vs read we are brethreÌ„ why are we at variance Let vs appease our anger our father hath not left vs without a Testament His Gospels A Testament saith S. Basill Basil de Fide vnto which nothing ought to be added It would be false nay sacriledge The Apostle saith he by a worldly example forbiddeth vs exprestie to adde any thing to the holy Scripture wheÌ„ he saith And notwithstanding no maÌ„ reiecteth the Testament of a maÌ„ or addeth any thing therevnto if it hath once beene established Wherefore we haue alwaies knowne that we must flie from every voice and all meanings which are beside the doctrin of our Lord. Beside saith he and not against And now in the mouth of these three witnesses shall not our speech be confirmed vnto you God will haue it hath appointed that his well beloued Son should be heard Heard here beneath so long as he conuersed here in his owne person and heard in his holy Gospell sealed vnto vs by his Apostles by the will of the Father and the commaÌ„dement of the Sonne since that he hath been lifted vp from this world Heard doe you tell vs in his Gospell I you to heare him Then behoveth it vs to reade May we do so without being excommunicated or anathematised A book so dangerous full of ambushes full of snares HOW the world is changed nay euen the very voice of the Church since the time of these good fathers That the law of our Lord which is to decide all our controuersies should be esteemed of in these daies as a matter of question and this Testament which ought to bring to an agreemeÌ„t the most contentious brethren as a bundle of contradictorie clauses Could this Testament euer haue beene altered Seeing that we agree in this that it could not what remaines then but that this alteration proceeds not from the truth of the thing but from the malice of the persons Thy father hath made a wil doth it not concern thee to see what hee leaueth thee and vnder what title to know also what things he chargeth thee to doe Were hee the greatest stranger in the world wouldst thou not be so curious as to reade it Hee that would conceale it from thee yea and keepe thee from reading it couldst thou beleeue he did this without fraud And being curious in euery other thing wilt thou be negligent in this Thou that seemst to bee a quicke fellow and wouldst bee esteemed of for such a one in all thy businesse wilt thou in this bee an idiot lesse then a babe Canst thou doe this without a contempt to God Canst thou doe this if Gospell and an eternall life Tell mee in thy conscience if thou hadst lived in
Whosoever shall put away his wife except it bee for whoredome and marrie another committeth adulterie How many thinges might the Pharises haue to say hereupon in a matter wherein Moses was touched that great captaine of Gods people which had spokeÌ„ to him face to face had receiued the law from his hand authorised by so many miracles By a prescription of two thousand yeares By so long a forbearaÌ„ce And that vnder so many kings Priests and Prophets And yet they stand here at a stay yeeld without once coÌ„tradicting this sentence From the beginning it was not so In Paradise this was ordered otherwise If then this hold in a law that concernes only ciuill societie howe much more in Ecclesiasticall lawes which concerne religion and Gods service the articles of our faith the saluation of our souls and things spirituall Wherein the naturall man discerneth nothing nor the spirituall man perceiueth anâ—e more then as far as the Spirit of God guideth him and being guided by the spirit of God caÌ„ go no farther then as he keepes himselfe to his word how illuminated soeuer he either bee or seeme to be he caÌ„ adde nothing to Gods work to his commandement whatsoeuer he putteth to it is but imperfect and full of filth And hence it is that the Politicians do so often rehearse vnto vs that to the vpholding of the lawes of any common-wealth it is necessarie that they should be recalled from time to time to their principles to wit against all tricks side-stroaks as it were of such as wrest de praue them And therefore for a greater cause was Gods people enioind so carefully to knowe the law of God and his seruice at their fingers end that so as many men as there were of theÌ„ so many coÌ„trollers there might be in the church for to keep hir in and call her backe againe to her bounds And therefore was it that Esay cryed so lowd To the Law and to the Testimony Esay 8.20 if they speake not according to this word it is because ther is no light in them No saluation for this people TheÌ„ is this a rule which is to be receiued for the direction of Gods church to containe all whatsoeuer concernes the true religion the whole duty of man towards God his owne saluation and for such a one hath it indeede alwaies bin vsed as often as there was in hande any reformation of the Church David had established Gods seruice in the middest of his people according to the ten or of his law And many of his successors either dronken with the seruice of false Gods or neglecting the seruice of the true God had partly corrupted it and partly suffered it to go to decay and now that good king Iosaphat mooued with a true zeal of God is about to restore it againe It is said 2. Chron. 17 v. 3. vn to the 9. That he walked in the first waies of his father David He stood not vpon that which his father Asa though a godly Prince had either done or tolerated and stood as little also on that which so many other in all this while had done for to drawe a president from their example but turned back euen vnto David vnto the first waies of David vnto his best yeares and those very best ones yet did he examine by the lawe of God when it is added that he sought the God of his father not that which his father had done but that which the God of his father had appointed to he done he walked in his commandements and not according to that which Israel had done he ordered himselfe according to the law and not after the vsuall custome of the church he tooke away the high places and the groues out of Iuda which had bin tolerated amongst them by most of their best kings To a young and tender king this toleration might haue scrued for an excuse And that his people might also seeke the same waies he sent Priestes and Leuites as also some of the chiefe men of his Estate to assist them That they should teach those of Iuda But how Having the booke of the law of the Lorde with theÌ„ for to recall their faith to this beleefe their worship to his ordinances their crooked depraued waies to this square to this rule And we find not that in all this circuite which they make any one doth once obiect vnto them either the tradition or the authority of the church or the toleration of the Fathers So well had every one of them learned remembred euen in the middest of that corruption that there where the God of their fathers spake was no place at all to hearken vnto either the Church of Israel or all their fathers togither Likewise Hezekiah when he came to the crowne he had had to his father king Ahaz which had broken the vessels of Gods house and shut vp his temple that is to say had cast down his seruice 2 Chron. 28. v. 24. built vp altars to the false Gods in all the citties of Iuda insteed of the true Altar many thousands of false ones as superstition of its owne nature doth multiply all this might haue beene a great stumbling blocke to this youÌ„g Prince but yet he goeth on farther Euen in the first yeare of his raigne hee openeth the dores and repaires them and which is more doeth send for the Priests and Leuites those which ought rather to haue preuented him and commanded them to cast forth the filthines By filthines he meant all kinds of strange seruices All what was not in the law that counted he to be strange because they might haue said as we at this day haue not our fathers liued as wel as thou what wilt thou theÌ„ do He cutteth theÌ„ short with this our fathers haue trespassed 2. Chron. 29. v. 6.7 and done evill in the eies of the Lord our God haue turned away their faces from him and turned their backs they haue quenched the lampes of the Temple What light theÌ„ can we look for or what darknes ought not we to expect from them And therefore did they arise at this word and gathered their brethren and being convicted and sorrowfull in their hearts sanctified themselues cleansed the house of the Lord caried the filth therof out vnto the brook that it might neuer at any time be remembred And all this was done according to the commaÌ„dement of the king as it is saide there But what is added V. 15. By the word of the Lord as before was said of Iosaphat And that for to abolish all false worshippings He beginneth afterwarde to establish the true worship the maner of their sacrifices by the same authority and in the like method according to the coÌ„mandement saith he of David and Gad and Nathan V 25. This might seeme enough to content them seeing these were such excelleÌ„t prophets But doth he stay there and thinketh he therby
Temple You may imagine to what a straight the church was brought when the high Priest himselfe findeth this booke but by a chance No sooner had he found it but hee sendeth it to Iosiah by Shaphan the Secretarie which read it be fore him therein hee findeth that it was a thing of nothing to build vp againe the Temple of God vnlesse hee also would establish againe his seruice that it rained not only on the hoâ—se top as they say but that the inside also was posaned and the Sanctuarie filled with Idolatry And hereupon beginneth hee nowe to detest the sinne of the Church rent his cloathes taketh counsell with the Prophetesse and humbleth himselfe Here the Priest might haue coÌ„forted himselfe with this that he knew his lesson by hearte might haue contented him with the tradition of the Church which neuer faileth never lieth but what do'es he He gathereth together the Priests and the Levits in the house of God all Iuda all Ierusalem from the verie least to the greatest At that time was it not the fashion to get a dispensation for to read the holy Scriptures In the middest of them all he causeth this booke to bee read which being read hee maketh a couenant to obserue it and bindeth therewith all the people And after al this he purgeth the Temple from all idolatrie and superstition and driueth out al the Priests thereof hee casteth their vessels into the fire and breaketh down the high places euen those that were in the cities of Iuda hauing beene tolerated by so many good kings in the which the Priests of the stock of Leui those that had their lawfull calling did sacrifice vnto the true God And hereupoÌ„ there might haue beene much to gainesay what is there wanting to these sacrifices Are they not offered to him and by those to whome and by whom they ought to be offered Is this therefore any thing else but a desire of noveltie And put the case that there is some defect in them is it not for all that tolerable having already beene tolerated by so many good kings by so many high Priests for so many yeares to gether And is it not in this that that law of policy is to take place that a thing once well setled though it bee euill ought not to bee taken away but to shun all inconueniences it ought to be left still in his place And neuertheles our rule makes him not sticke at all this Deut. 12 v. 11. From the beginning it was not so There shall be a place saith Moses which the Lord shal chuse to cause his name to dwell there thither shall you bring all your burnt offerings and your sacrifices c. Take heed V. 1â— that thou offer them not in every place that thou seest and which thou thinkest to be fit for thy purpose As if he said for I will not take any of thy pretended supererogations for sacrifices or worshipping I will be worshiped according to that which I haue commanded thee and not after thine owne fansie Because indeed that God the very reason and cause of all things hath his end in all whatsoeuer he ordeineth for to direct all nations to the sacrifice of his onlie sonne alone hee would haue but one temple one sanctuarie and one altar whereas thou dost darken and confound his meaning by thine owne inventions by thy pretended good purposes and by such a multitude of thine high places and thine altars every sacrifice of thine is a wroÌ„g worship Therefore also is it said in that which followes that he commanded the people to keep the Passeover But how As it is written in the booke of the covenant 2 Kin. c. 23 according to the word of the Lord delivered by the hand of Moses He sendeth them to the originall to the old form thereof and indeed it is added There was no Passeover holden like that from the daies of the Iudges that iudged Israell V. 22. nor in all the daies of the kings of Israell and of the kings of Iuda not in Samuels time no nor in the time of Hezekiah himselfe So necessarie a thing did hee esteeme it to keepe himselfe exactly to the law of the Lord and to his holy Scriptures In the time of the captiuitie of Babylon the Church of God Gods Israell in the midst of the Chaldeans those great masters of ceremonies and patrons of al idolatrie and superstition could not possibly haue stood out so long without being corrupted What does then Esdras in this case when he bringeth back the people into Ierusalem Howe doth he proceed to set them in order againe Truely it is said that as soon as they were come into Ierusalem Ieshua the son of Iozadak with his brethren the Priests and Zerubbabel the sonne of Salathiel the captaine of the transmigration Builded the altar of the God of Israell to offer thereon Esd 3 v. 2 not according to their owne fansy nor according to that which they might haue learned in that medlie of the heathen but saith hee as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God As if it were said that they calling to minde the punishment of the sonnes of Aaron which were consumed by the fire of the wrath of God for hauing offered vnto him a strange fire they reestablish after the same manner the service of God in Ierusalem as it is written in the booke of Moses they are not ashamed to go and learne their lesson therein And yet are wee not to thinke that they wanted amongst theÌ„ such men as were of courage and had in theÌ„ presumptioÌ„ enough to adde somewhat of their own therevnto Lastly to apply somwhat neerer our text to this purpose Esdras the restorer of the Church at that time was fully informed how that many of the cheefest of the people yea soÌ„e Priests also against the expresse law of the Lord had taken vnto themselues strange wiues Chap. 9. of those nations which were forbidden them whereupon hee rent his clothes pluckt of the haire of his heade and of his beard fell on his knees and coÌ„fessed both his owne and the peoples sinnes in the preseÌ„ce of God V. 7. from the daies of our fathers saith he haue wee beene in a great trespasse vnto this day The longer that the sinne had lasted the greater doth hee acknowledge to bee the fault so farre was he from taking thereby any right occasion to continue it But did he stay here only No he returned to his principle Thou hadst forbidden vs to do so Levit 18. â— 25 27. saith he by thy servants the Prophets Deut. 7.3 c. And now shall wee returne to breake these commandements Shall wee goe on stil ô Lord in these abominations So that being strengthned by the assistance of honest men amongst others by Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel hee caused the people to sweare bound them with a newe oath to the keeping of Gods
of sacrifice taken in a large sense with this word did they qualifie the christian service their prayers their Sacraments their Almes How farre safer had it beene to keep them in their owne proprietie and to teach them the right end of the old sacrifices that is their end in my cone only Sacrifice I had also appointed for a sacrameÌ„t of this one sa crifice of my flesh crucisied and of my blood shed for you That bread which you break 〈◊〉 Cor. 10 〈◊〉 16. the CoÌ„munioÌ„ of my body that cup which you blesse the Communion of my blood The reall communication in summe of all the blessings and benesittes that redound vnto you by this sacrifice And in as much as their devotion did wax cold instead of making my people participate of them they haue thought it enough onely to she we them vnto them they haue also taken my cup from them But I say vnto you that From the beginning it was not so Do but read the Apostle Without sheading of blood is no remission of sinne Heb 9. v. 22. And wilt thou therefore for the remission of thy sinnes take vnto thy selfe the place of the Iewes wilt thou once againe shedde my blood Read on further that which hee rehearseth vnto thee so often Christ hath appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of him selfe V. 26. It is not then for nought that they shewe him so manie times vnto thee Againe We are sanctified by the offering of the body of IeÌ„sus Christ once made C. 10. v. â—0 With one offering hath hee consecrated vs for ever and iffoneuer V. 14. why then doe we begin againe euery day That therefore which I haue fulfilled at once effectually and perfectly doe not thou accuse it of imperfection by reiterating it doe not darken the truth nor belie the vertue therof by the friuolous repre sentations That which I haue giuen thee for a Sacrament thanksgiving of that vnspeakable benesit do not thou account it as a Sacrifice That which God hath ioined seeing I haue ioined them to wit the sacraments in my holy Supper thou man vnder what colour soeuer it be do not separate them But lastly could our Fathers then oversee so grosly These good kings Iosaphat Hezekiah Ioziaâ— those good servantes of God Hilkiah Esdras others did never make this questioÌ„ Seing they had the booke of the law and did know that therein they had the ordinaÌ„ces of God they rent their clothes beate their breastes confessed both their owne their fathers sins before the Congre gation they exhorted and by their own example brought the whole people to repentance What therefore coulde our Saviour euer leaue vs as Orphanes and his barke without a guide On the contrary hath he not left vs a lieuetenaÌ„t general a vice-God this man God on earth Else what becomes of that Tues Pe trus Pasce oves meas Thou art Peter and feed my sheepe But here our Lord wil answer thee I am that everlasting word that was made flesh for thee The on ly Emmanuell God with thee with you by my Spirit in mine holy word I am with you vntill the end of the world Maâ—th 28 As for lieuetenants I haue as many as there are good Pastors and holy dispensers of my word and Sacraments here on earth But as for Generall or Vice-God there ought none to be over my state because I am every where present I haue no need of any how much so ever the maÌ„ be limited to a certaine place or be he as quick as he wil or is able to be I haue said indeode vnto Peter one of mine Apostles and vnto one for all Thou art Peter on this Rocke wil I build my church On this Rocke that is on his coÌ„ fession for he had confessed vnto me Matth. 16 Thou art the Christ the son of the living God And therevpon haue you placed vnder an Altar at Rome the supposed Reliques of Peter and haue called them the confessioÌ„ of Peter On this pretended confession haue you built S. Peters church It was not so that this holy Apostle vnderstood it when he told vs Peâ— 2. v. â— Be yee as liuely stones made a spirituall house But vpon what truly not vpon this your coÌ„fession but vpon his owne vpon him that is that living stone reiected by me and yet the chiefe Corner-stone elect and precious in Gods eies I told him also the gates of hel should not prevaile against it and all the power of Sathan shall be found weake against it And you haue thereby gathered that it must be a temporall puissant and invincible Empire But Peter vnderstood farre better this my style language He that shall beleeue in it in this liuing Stone in mee that am the Rocke of Israel shall never be confouÌ„ded I had likewise said vnto Peter I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven Ioh. 22. whatsoever thou bindest on earth shall bee bound in heaven And I gaue them indeede vnto him vnto all his fellowes after my resurrection to wit the ministrie of reconciliation by the preaching of the Gospell And thence you haue concluded Thou art Peter Ergo the Bishop of Rome is the vniversal Bishop of the world hee shutteth and no man openeth he openeth no man shutteth Hee hath in his hands al power both temporall and spiritual he openeth heaven he shutteth hell quencheth the fire in Purgatorie he commandeth the Angels hee keepeth in awe the Divels he saveth or daÌ„neth men at his owne pleasure he giueth dispeÌ„â—ations contrary to the lawe of God and to his Gospell being not so much in the place of God as against God himselfe And yet are wee bound to beleeue that God is changed in opinion when he is altered in his But betweene these two propositions Thou art Peter The Bishop of Rome is Vice-God nay more then God What a gulfe is there to be filled And whence can it be filled but froÌ„ that bottomlesse deepe How much better did the holy Apostle vnderstand this Feed my sheepe that is with my word Feed saith he you Priests my fellowes in the Priest hood the flocke of Christ which is coÌ„mitted to your charge not as bearing rule over the inheritance of the Lord bee they of the Clergie or lay-men but so that ye may defend the flock And wheÌ„ the chiefeÌ„ shepheard shal appeare you shal receiue that incorruptible crowne of glory And not here on earth a triple crown or kingdome This therefore was the meaning of the Lord farre different from thy glosse yet Peter himself is the interpreter And therfore would he haue answered thee here as before FroÌ„ the beginning it was not so The first Bishops of Rome for the space of 300. yeares vnder the HeatheÌ„ Emperors for the most part were all Martyrs knewe neuer what this temporal iurisdiction meant As for the 400. years following vnder the