Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	church_n	true_a	1,534	5	4.9891	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68566	A briefe discouery of the vntruthes and slanders (against the true gouernement of the Church of Christ) contained in a sermon, preached the 8. [sic] of Februarie 1588. by D. Bancroft and since that time, set forth in print, with additions by the said authour. This short ansvver may serue for the clearing of the truth, vntill a larger confutation of the sermon be published.	Penry, John, 1559-1593.; Bancroft, Richard, 1544-1610. Sermon preached at Paules Crosse the 9. of Februarie. Selections.	1590 (1590)	STC 19603; ESTC S114383	37,378	68

latter ages should bee euill spoken of But heere you will saye that wee ground something for the proofe of the Eldershippe vppon the place of Math. 18. Tell the Church c. and that wee bring in the Iewishe Sinagogue for some purpose in this question True it is wee doe so And because you neither knowe as it appeareth what wee inferre nor weare able to aunswere them being made knowen vnto you therefore you did wiselie to set downe in our name your owne absurdities which of themselues with out any confuter desire for shame to be buried vnder the earth That which we affirme is this And we appeale vnto the conscience of the reader whether wee speake the truth or not First we prooue that the offices of Pastors Doctors Elders c. are perpetually to continue in the Church because the Lord hath appointed them to bee members thereof Romans 12.6.7.8 M. Cart 1. reply pag. 140. 141. Counterpoison Answere to Briges slanders And because Saint Paule writing vnto Timothie maketh the retaining of them in the Churche of Christ not arbitrarie matters left to the discretion of the Church but a commaundement which is to bee kept inuiolable vntill the appearing of the Lord Iesus Secondly we affirme that our Sauiour Christ did establishe Mathew 18. these wordes Tell the Church this Gouernment of his house by the offices of Pastors Doctors and Elders In that he commaundeth vs when a brother doth not profite by the degrees of priuate admonition which hee there mencioneth that wee should acquaint the Church with his offende Tell the Church saith hee By the Church in this place wee say that either the whole multitude must bee ment or some one man as the Bishoppe Chauncellour c. or els the Elders ioyned together with the Pastour and Doctrour if there bee any Nowe you will not say that a man should goe and seeke remedie at the whole multitude when his brother offendeth him On the other-side if you say that by the Church in this place is ment some one man in the Church and so goe tell the Church should bee The phrase of speach also that on man should be taken for the Church is vnwarrantable goe tell one man in the Church as the Bishoppe or Chauncellour The exposition is diuers vvaies prooued to bee false Because the degrees of proceedings which our Sauiour Christ setteth downe dooth ouerthrow it For wee are commaunded from a priuate reproofe of our brother between vs and him to rise vnto an admonition before one or two witnesses and so from two or three not to come backe again to make his fault known before one witnesse as the Bishop or Chauncelour but before many vz. the Church gouernors as before is set downe And in this speeche tell the assemblie of Church wee say that our sauiour Christ pointing out by the spirit of prophesie the gouernement of the eldership vnder the gospell doth allude vnto the forme of the Iews gouernment in their Sinagogues vnto whom whosoeuer gaue not eare was accounted as an heathen or a publicane This M. Bancroft is the sum of that which wee affirme out of Math. 18. when you can bring any thing against this exposition of the place you shall be answered by the assistance of God And it shall appeare whensoeuer you or yours dare abide the publike triall of your cause that there are not onely many that affirme this but also many that wil proue this to bee most true In the meane time wee refer the matter vnto the conscience of the reader whether you and your vpholders in expounding tell the church to be complaine to the Bishop or chancelour that is tell one man in the Church or wee which interprete the same to bee tell the gouernors of the Church to wit the Pastor Doctor and Elders ioyned together beeing not one but many doe peruert the meaning of the scripture and as his iudgement in these things shall be conuinced so let him account of you and vs accordingly D. BANCROFT page 9. They had say these men in their sinagogues the ● priests we must haue in euery parish our pastors they their Leuite we our Doctors they their rulers of their sinagogues we our Elders they their leuittical treasurers we our Deacons ANSVVERE And what can you say against this saying of theirs if it be false why doe you not confute it your abilitie indeed to disprooue the afternoon you shewe in that you leaue it as you found it And that the reader may perceiue what madnes it were for you to go about to weaken any part heereof I will brieflie note out the places wherein these offices are mencioned both in the olde and new testament First then for the offices of Priestes and Leuites Numb 16 9.10 and Deut. 33.9.10 and there you shall see the Priests and Leuites so distinguished as although they were both of them to teach Iaacob the iudgements and Israell the lawe yet was the Prieste alone to put incense before the face of the Lord Now vnder the new Testament answerable vnto the Prieste and Leuite there is the Pastor and the Doctor Ephe. 4 11.12 and both of them appointed for the gathering together of the Saintes by the worke of the ministerie yet both of them distinguished in their speciall subiects The one of them to attend a Rom. 12.7.8 vpon the gift of teaching the other vpon exhortation the one of thē to be in an especiall fort b 1. Cor. 12.8 indued with the word of knowledge the other with the word of wisedome Concerning those who in the new c Acts 12.15 c 18.8 testament are called the rulers of the Sinagogue the spirit of God in the old nameth them d 2. Chro. 19. ● the Princes or the chiefe of the families who although they were not of the tribe of Leui yet were they appointed for the cause and iudgements of the Lorde as well as the Priestes and Leuites themselues In like manner 2. Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8 Act. 20.28 1. Cor. 12.28 there are Elders in the newe Testament bearing a distinct office from the Pastor and the doctor and yet appointed to rule ouersee the house of God by vertue of their owne proper function Lastly as vnder the lawe wee finde Church treasures vnto whose custody 1. Chro. 26.20 28 2. Chro. 31.13.15 the dedicate thinges belonging to the sacrifices and the maintenaunce of the Leuites were committed So in the kingdome of Christ vnder the newe couenaunt are Deacons appointed Act. 6.2.3 Rom. 12 8.9 1. Tim. 3.6 whose office is neither to medle with the word and Sacraments nor yet with the gouernment of the house of God but onely to attend vppon the goods of the Church and the right distribution of them to the vse of the poore c. I omit heere that as the Gebonites and the Nethinimes were imployed about the inferior and baser offices of the temple and tabernacle so the holy ghost

long before their time and were neuer in a manner taken out of the ground vntill this latter age And all that the fathers decreed at Nice besides the matter of Arrius which is but one branch of religion farre from a perfect confession of faith let any man read their Cannons as they are set downe either by Ruffinus Ruffi lib. 2 cap. 6. or in the first Tome of the councels and hee shall finde my wordes to bee most true The errours concerning free will and mans abilitie to fulfill the lawe deriued from Iustin the martyr and Irenaeus was at this time in some ripenes and yet the Nicene Councell tooke no order with these thinges as it may appeare by their writinges who liued in the ages following And though Augustine long after against the pelagians els where gaue free-wil a deaths wound yet notwithstanding wee knowe that euer since the Apostles time in a manner it flourished euery where vntill M. Luther tooke the sword in hand against it And by Maister Bancrofts reason the Papistes defending free-will against Maister Luther helde the better part For it may be thought a strange matter in the sight of M. Bancrofts popish eyes that eyther mans free will and abilitie to fulfill the law of God shoulde in our time be thought erroneous and to annihilate the vertue of Christs kingdome and priesthood or that the Lord in his word should establish a contrarie doctrine therunto for his Church to follow vnto his comming againe whereas the same was winked at or buried when by all mens confession the diuinitie of our Sauiour Christe These are M. Bantro words the vertue of his priesthood the power of his office as he is a prophet and the honour of his kingly authority was so godly so learnedly and so mightily established against the Arrians in the Councell of Nice c. So that if this argument bee good and forcible against the Church gouernement it is also powrfull to ouerthrowe the maine point of our iustification by faith besides manye other corruptions which were past ouer yea and established at that councell which is iustly accounted one of the soundest that the ancient times can affoord vnto vs. Paphnutius alone was enforced to stande vp against the whole Sinode in the cause of the marriage of Ministers which notwithstanding he being a man himselfe indued with the gift of continency so defended that hee would not haue him that were a Minister being vnmaried Zoromen lib. 1 cap. 23. euer after to be joyned with a wife These things and many such like together with M. Bancrofts iudgement of vs pag. 11. and his treatise of the going out of false Prophets page 11.12 13. I overpasse because I would be briefe Concerning the 4. causes yelded by him why false prophets goe out into the world we denie not but the contempt of the true gouernours of the Church ambition selfe loue and couetousnes do cary many away from the sinceritie of the truth nowe whether these doe beare sway in M. Bancroft and out Bishops let the worlde indge The place of Ierom touched pa. 14. vnto Euagruis shal be afterward spoken off D. BANCROFT page 17.18.19 20. But the story of Aerius is most pertinent to shew that ambition driueth men to be false Prophets Epiphanius doth report it thus in effect Eustathius and Aerius stroue one against another for a Bishopricke Lib. 3. Tom. 1. haeres 75. Eustathius obtained it whereat Aerius began to repine and grewe to bee a scismatike defending that by the word of God there was no difference betweene a Priest and a Bishop Hee vsed the same arguments that now are vsed of these that maintaine his opinions As that the Apostle writing sometimes to priests and deacon sometimes to Bishops and deacons shoulde thereby signifie that a Bishop and a priest is al one In conclusion Aerius after due tryal and examination had by the learned fathers who then liued of his arguments and sleight was by the generall consent of the Church overthrowne and condemned for an heretick And to this day there was neuer any but heretikes and such lewde persons that condemned the callings of Lord Bishops for Antichristian ANSVVERE There is nothing brought in here out of Epiphanius but it hath beene answered long since by M. Cartwright M. Cart. 2. reply 1. part page 68. and shewed to be the reason of Pighius an Archpapist against M. Wicklieffe and the waldenses it besemeth M. Bancroft very wel to borow the weapons of such a champion to fight against the truth But first M. Bancroft I woulde knowe what you can say against the person of Aerius touching the truth which he defendeth we wil deale afterward you answere that Epiphanis reckoneth him vp amongst hereticks and so you account of him Wherevnto I reply that Ierome dealeth with vigilantius after the same measure because vigilantius held it vnlaweful to pray for the dead Ierom ad Riparium contra vigi antium to worship the dead bones and reliques of Saints and defended marriage to bee preferred before virginnitie Wherein Ierome though otherwise a godly man doth rather bewray his immodest rashnes then any wise discredit Vigilantius with those that know the truth The same is to be sayd of Epiphanius and Aerius And indeede for any thing that Epiphanius and Pighius hath brought or you can bring against him he was an honester man than either Eustathius his competitor or Pighius and D. Bancroft his confutors Hee is said indeed to be an Arrian but that could neuer be prooued as yet and it was rather an action of slander rather commensed against him by his proud enemies the Bishops then any true accusation whereof he can be prooued gilty You cannot finde Looke Danaeus in August de haeres cap. 53. in the whole Ecclesiasticall story written by these that liued after him that euer there was any crime of heresie layde to his charge whereas Eustathius his schoolefellowe and aduersary is recorded by them as also by Epiphanius for a knowen and famous hereticke Touching Epiphanius though I will not call his name in question yet thus much I may truly speake of him that he was as the lerned know wel enogh so besotted with the corruptions of the times wherin he liued that his credite alone is not of sufficient authority to passe sentence against Aerius For the proofe hereof the reader is to vnderstand that hee condemneth Aerius for a black heretike as well because hee helde it vnlawfull to pray or to offer anie thing for the dead as in that hee defended a Bishop and a Priest as M. Bancroft speaketh to be of equall authoritie As for Augustine whom you bring with Epiphanius against this poore heretike hee rather followeth the receiued opinion thē his own iudgement of him according vnto truth This much touching the person of the man as for his heresie if he had noe other then those which Epiphanius layeth to his charge

to atchieue his purpose And that is neither to father vpon vs such thinges as we neuer maintained nor yet to bring the testimonies of men to oppugn our conclusions whose grounds he is not able to shake but to set downe that which we holde indeed and with reasons rather to answere our premisses then with authorities to strike at our conclusions The contrary dealing may colour and white line the breaches of his cause for a time but in the end it will prooue to be the ruine thereof Vnconscionable and sophistical dealing can neuer be able to stand any long time He and his Masters would gladly beare the Magistrat in hand that we deny the congregations in England where the word is truly preached and the sacraments rightly administred to be the visible churches of God wheras the truth is that the Bishops and not we doe maintaine this error Let the reader judge whether I truly accuse them by this which followeth The visible church of God wheresoeuer it bee hath the power of binding ●nd loosing annexed vnto it as our sauiour Christ teacheth vs. Mathew 18. which authority is so essentially tied vnto the visible church that wheresoeuer this power is to bee found there the church of Christ is also visible Our Bb. are scismatickes and deny the assemblie of England to be visible church of God booke of Martins page 5. 6. and wheresoeuer there is a visible church there this authority cannot bee denied to be The which point that reuerend father M. Iohn Fox teacheth more at large Now the reader cannot be ignorant that our Bishops wil neuer grant that the visible congregations in England ought to haue this power of binding and loosing for then should they manifest themselues to bee professed tyrants The crime therefore of Scisme and Donatisme which M. Bancroft and the Prelates would fasten vpon vs doth justly cl●aue vnto them selues And if any of our poore brethren be caried away to thinke otherwise of the congregations of England which inioy the woorde truly preached and the right vse of the Sacrament● VVe cease not to pray that the Lord would reforme their iudgements But woe bee vnto our Bishops which are the cause of this their stumbling and maintainers of their error For the pore brethren doe holde nothing in this point but that which the learned fathers as M. Bancroft calleth them haue decreed And you shall see in this Treatise that he seeth no reason why Popery being now abollished Sermon pag. 3 wee should not reply vppon the determinations of these fathers as other men in time past of a great iudgement as we are haue done Let our Bishops then and their vpholders whisper into the eare of the Magistrate what they will it shall bee prooued in the end that they are the scismatickes and not we It shall appear that they are growing to make a body of their owne wherewith the church of God in a while if they hold on their course can haue no mote to do then in times past in had with the scismaticall Donatists The deuill indeede hath within this twelmoneth shewed himselfe to bee grieuously wounded in their persons because he hath raged so mightily as these 32. yeares his furie was neuer seene so great against the truth as at this present That vile and scurrilous Palmphlet An almond a Patrot latey suffered to come abroad by their priuity if not allowance and in their defence doth euidently shew that sathan feeleth the power and sway which he was wont to bear by vertue of the hierarchie to be greatly weakned And because he feareth that his time vnder their gouernment cannot be long therefore he meaneth now to infect the aire at once with all his contagions The strength which they get by such leud and filthie stuffe the discredit which thereby they worke either vnto the cause or the men and women whome they suffer to bee so vnworthilie traduced is not other then it were to bee wished that seeing they will needs be filthy they would publish such another booke euery day That then it might appeare indeede whose sonnes they are And this is all the confutation that I thinke so godles leud a scrole to deserue For thy selfe good reader thou seest the time of triall to be now at hand euen at the doore If thou meanest to be partaker of Christes kingdome after this life take heede that neither the feare of men nor the loue of the world draw thee to shrinke from any part of that truth which the Lorde hath reueiled in his word The Lord saith that whosoeuer shall be ashamed of him or his worde that is any part of his truth before men Luk. 9.26 of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in his glory VVell I thinke it now no time to dally with the Lord and his word but let vs craue strength at his hand that we stand vnrebukeable vnto the day of his appearance A BRIEFE DISCOVERY OF THE VNTRVTHES AND SLANDERS AGAINST Reformation and the fauourers thereof contained in D. Bancrofts Sermon D. BANCROFTS TEXT 1. Iohn 4.1 Dearely beloued beleeue not euery spirite b●●●●ie the spirites whether they be of God For many false Prophets are gone out into the world ANSVVERE IT hath bene the ancient custome of Sathan and his instruments in all ages I answere not the word but the abuse of the word to abuse the holy worde and name of God as a ground vnto all their vngodly proceedings against the Lorde and his Saints that there by they might haue some colour of their persecutions and wicked attempts against the truth and professors thereof That I bee not tedious in a matter too apparant hence it is that in all the condemnations of the holy Martyrs of Christ by that Romane Tyrant We see all their processes to begin in the name of God the accusasions laid to the charge of the Saints to bee so boulstred out with the testimonies of holy Scripture as though the spirite of God had none to condemne of heresie scisme sedition and treason saue onely the members and messengers of Christ Iesus And therefore M. Bancroft if you begin with Scripture and as I may say in the name of God begin to speake against God against his blessed verity and people you doe but your kind in treading the steppes of your predecessours You haue your forefathers the Scribes and Pharises that Antichristian beast of Rome his Cardinals Bishops Legates inquisitors and all others that haue coloured their garments with the bloud of the Lords chosen for your presidents and examples The delusion of your course could not bee so great if you did shewe your selfe in your colours Your Sermon declareth that your affection serueth you rather to fight against the truth with fire and fagot then by sober writing or speaking to stand in the defence of your cause Well you deale against false Prophetes Scismatiques giddy spirites disturbers of the church enemies

off after his wonted manner with idem peridem leauing his auditors in as great doubt as they were before And saith that the doctrine of the Church of England is pure and holy Page 89. lin 27 the gouernement thereof both in respect of her Maiestie and of our Bishops is lawfull and godly the booke of Common praier containeth nothing in it contrary to the word Her Majesties gouernement he knoweth well enough we call not in question He and his patrons haue corrupted the doctrine of our church as for the hierarchy cōmon booke when he hath made vp that holes which I haue alredy shewed to be in both besides the vncureable woundes that other men haue discouered he may build somthing vpon his conclusion which if he doe not his maner of disputation in crauing and begging the matter in cōtrouersie will in a while growe to bee a common prouerbe If we were such vnreasonable men as we would find salt with matters that are blamelesse his exhortation that priuate men would take heede page 8● 89. and the Magistrate take punishment of vs would carry vvith it some vvaight But in asmuch as both the Magistrate and people see that vvee haue cause to speake and perceiue that out aduersaries can doe litle if they cannot set a faire face vpon a crackt cause wee feare not any great hurt that his tongue can worke vnto vs. And the very same account doe we make of his speach where hee saith Page 94. that wee vse the same argumentes for the soueraigntie of our Presbiteries against the Prince in causes Ecclesiasticall that the Pope doth for his principallitie in the same and we answere as the Papists do him This is VVhitgifts quarel and answered long since But these thinges as hee saith hee cannot stand to prooue at this time onely hee thought it necessary to aduertise his hearers of it that they might the better beware of such kind of spirits Take his aduantage who list We care not how little a doo we haue at the Arches Answere and therefore we meane not to take any great aduauntage against your tongue any further then your blushing may be for the clearing of the truth The reader will thinke you worthy to be marked in the forhead according vnto the Romaine lawe except you prooue this which you haue so confidently set downe Though as it should seeme you haue a commission to vse your tongue and pen at your pleasure yet you cannot blot out the light of mens reading knowledge We are known to be so out of amitie in this case especially with all Romanists and you truly accounted to be so neerly allied vnto them that wee desire no other weapons to strike downe the hierachie then M. Luther and M. Caluine haue vse to ouerthrowe the Romaine chaire and her ministers How often shall it be tould you Page 95. that we would haue no ciuill matters handled in any ecclesiasticall meeting and therfore that we admit not anything in our assemblies to be decreed against the constitutions of Princes any further then Princes may account the truth of the word to bee against their statutes We are as far from making our owne wils Page 96. 97. to be the rules of other mens liues or from affirming that what wee speake is the very word of God as you are from being ashamed to lie in the face of the sunne you haue taken great paines in sowing the seed of most grosse vntruthes repent betimes least in the Lords iust iudgement you reape the fruits of your lying tongue Concerning M. Cartwright Page 97. 9S 100. VVE depend not vppon men Christ Iesus is our onely guide As concerning M. Cartwright whome you to keepe your tongue in vre with your naturall vaine call our ring leader wee blesse God that euer he hath vouchsafed vs such an instrument to stand in the defence of his holy gouernment and to giue your hierarchie and your high Prieste the shamefull foile But we follow him no further then he attendeth vpon the truth of his God And in that worke we are not ashamed to glaine after so worthy a man But what can you lay to his charge you say that hee alleadgeth Cyprian Ierom c. to prooue the equality that ought to be in the ministers of the word and Sacraments and that in the ancient times there was no difference betwixt a Bishop a Priest but that whosoeuer was a Bishop was a Priest also and that they had all equall authority within their own parishes whereas the cleane contrary say you is to be seene in their writings Then heauen and earth bee you iudges in this caus● that the mouth of this slanderer may be stopped First the place of Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. calleth him a Priest Defence 355. whome D. Whitgift would haue to be an Archbishop the papists affirme to be his elder brother the pope Therefore by Cyprians iudgement whosoeuer was a Bishop was a priest Again Cyprian speaking of the election of a priest by the consent of the whole people lib. 1. epist 4. hee maketh the same maner of electing Cornelius Bishop of Rome and calleth his Bishopricke a priesthood lib. 4. epist 2. Nowe Tom. 1. Can. lib. 4 epist 9. that Cyprian condemned superiority among Bishops or ministers his sentence in the counsell of Carthage prooueth it where hee saith that none of them made him selfe a Bishop of Bishops he also reprooueth Pupianus that he made himselfe a Bishop of a Bishop As to Ierom 2. Reply 1. part pag. 591. Ierom. ad Euag M. Cartwright alleadgeth these places out of him A priest that is to say a Bishop and a little after the Apostle doth plainely teach that a Bishop and a priest are all one And in another place Ad Oceanum a Bishop and a priest are the same againe although with the ancient fathers Bishops and priests were al one Now good reader beare witnesse whether Maister Cartwright hath falsified the ancients or not whether this past shame Doctour hath not cause to sow vp his lippes for euer opening them in pulpit again For the confirmation of the equalitie of Ministers that the name Bishop was common vnto al the Ministers of the word and Sacraments in the ancient times thou maiest adde vnto that which hath bene already spoken Ignatius ad Smyrnensis First the testimony of Ignatius which saith that it was not lawful for any to baptise but for the Bishop Where then M. Bancroft was the distinction betweene him and the priest or hys superioritie ouer the priest Secondly that in the time of Gregory the great priestes did ordaine Bishops and yet this is made one of the essentiall differences betweene a Bishop and a priest Greg in Euan. a VVhitgift page 387. a that a Bishop may ordaine whereas a priest hath no such authority Thirdly that Theod. mencioneth an 150 Bb. which were met for the election of the