which being necessari to the body do in processe of tyme waxe olde waste and consume away suche as be condicion rychesse and grosse elementes of thys worlde But circumcision was not taught by the false prophetes as an outwarde thyng but as a necessary needeful thyng to saluacion which thei dyd very vrgently and instantly persuade that it shoulde bee obserued kepte yea and all the whole law besyde Hereof dyd ryse the disputacion whche is written of in the xv chap. of the Actes Els Paule dyd circumcise Timothie for peace and tranquilitie sake and because that he woulde not offende certayne weake bretherne in the Churche but after that some men dyd vrgently bring in circumcison as necessary Paule dyd greatly repugne woulde not suffer Titus to be circumcized .xvi. of the Actes .ii. Galat. This sedicioÌ„ therfore that thou aledgest here hathe a greatter cause then an outwarde thyng Sy. Howe darest thou call richesse outwarde thinges which do exclude a maÌ„ from the kyngdome of Heauen For Christ sayeth that it is easyer for a camell to go thoroughe the eye of a nydle then for a ryche man to entre into the kyngdome of Heuen Io. We doo know well inoughe the false sighynges and teares of the Crocodyle which these light and inconstant Anababtistes do poure doune daily dispisynge richesse none other wyse then the Foxe dyd in tymes past dispyse the sweete grapes that she could not come by Richesse are by them selues nether good nor euyll but the vse dothe make theim either good or euyll If thyne eye be simple and lyghtsome all the body shal be lyghtsome but if thyne eye be wycked and euyll all thy body shall be darkenesse Mat. vi Therfore if a riche maÌ„ be faithfull and godly the richesse that he hathe be good and that by reason of the good vse If the master or owner of the richesse is vnfaythful or an infidell his richesse are nought Luke .xvi. Such do christ speake of when he bringeth in the similitude of the camell and of the eye of the nedle There wer innumerable bothe in the olde newe Testament whiche in great richesse were called no small frendes of God as Noe Abraham Lot Isaac Iacob Iob Ioseph c. Whiche in the myddest of their rychesse dyd cleaue vnto God with a sincere harte and good fayth Loke what opinioÌ„ Paul hathe of this thyng and what he writeth of it .i. Timoth. vi Therfore I care not what these hipocrites doo bable and prate sith that the richemen may doo good to the poore in Christes Churche whiche occasion they that haue no richesse doo lacke To what purpose or intent doo then these mad braines trouble all the worlde for trifelyng and vnnecessary thyngê I do know sum which if thei had as much as they do lacke thorough their owne negligence and slugherdnesse they woulde fynde by and by a way to iustify their vniust and euyll gotten goodes Sy. I doo let that passe I pray the to proue the seconde conclusion Peraduenture I shall learne somewhat by it Ioiada That Christ dyd neuer cause tumult for outwarde thynges but dyd alwayes study to peace tranquilitie we wyl bring the .xvii. of Mathew where he speaketh to Peter after this maner Lest we do offeÌ„d them that is to say that do receyue the didragme go thy waye to the sea cast in thy hoke and the fyrst fysh that cometh open his mouth thou shalt fynde a stater take it and geue it for the me In the. xxii of Math when he was asked of the yearely tribute that was payed vnto Ceasar he did so fly from tumulte that he dyd iyone bothe god and Ceasar togither biddyng them to pay their duty to eche of them Nor he dyd not condempne them that dyd receyue Nor agayne he dyd not say Blessed are they which doo geue He dyd not say ye owe nothyng by Goddes law but notwithst andyng geue wo be vnto hym that dothe receyue In the .xiii. of Iohn Christ doth so teache hys Disciples I geue you a new coÌ„mauÌ„dement that ye loue eche other as I haue loued you By this shall all men know that ye be my Disciples if ye loue eche other And incontinent in that long sermon that he made vnto his Disciples after his Maundy he doth chefely speake of the Spirite of the faythfull And a lytell afore he shoulde sende his Apostles he dyd saye Peace vnto you as my father hathe sent me so I sende you The .xiiii. chap. Rom. Paule sayeth The kyngdome of God is neyther meate nor drinke but rightousnesse peace and gladnesse in the holy ghost For he that serueth vnto christ in those thyngê is accepted both before GOD and before men Therfore let vs followe that whiche belongeth to peace and edifieng one towarde another In the .i. Cor. i. he dothe exhorte the CorinthiaÌ„s after this maner I beseche you brethren in the name of oure Lorde Ihesu Christ that ye dooe speake all one thyng and that there be no dissencioÌ„s among you but that yee bee one whole bodye of one mynde opinion Let no suche contencioÌ„s be among you that one shoulde say I am Cephas disciple another I am Pauls an other I am Christes Is Christ diuided was Paul crucified for you Or were ye baptised in the name of Paule When ye do say so ar ye not yet carnal Moreouer loke consider what Paul writeth in the xii cha to the Cori. exhortyng them to concorde charitie by the exemple of the body and the lymmes In the .xiiii. he sayeth apartelye that God is not aucthor of discencion but of concorde and peace whiche thyng may be sene in the Churches of the faythfull In the .iiii. to the Ephesians Paule doeth exhort vs to behaue oure selues and walke so as it doeth become the vocacion wherwith we are called with all obeisaunce lowlynesse with gentlenes of hert forbearing eche other thorough charitie and that we shoulde studye to kepe the vnitie of the spirite by the bounde of peace beyng sayth he one body one spirite as yee are called in one hope of your vocacion There is but one Lorde one fayth one Baptisme one God and father of vs all â–ª c. In the â–ª ii chap. to the Philippians with lyke study exhorteth he the faythfull to be of lyke affection to haue betwene them selfes loue charitie to be of lyke mynde lyke iudgement and that nothyng shoulde be doone among them by contencion or vayneglorye But by humilitie lowlynesse of hearte euerye man shoulde thynke an other maÌ„ to be more excellent then he is himself c. Are not these sufficient testimonies Sy. What dooe these thynges agaynste the Anabaptistes Io. Very much for thei proue and shew manifestli that the Anabaptistes be authors of tumulte and sedicion Sy. What is that Ioi That is to say that they against al good ordre and exemple of the Apostles dooe make stryfe contencion in the Churche of Christ
that only for certayne outwarde trifles Sy. But they doo teache many thynges of God and of faythe What outewarde thynges are they wherfore they do make diuision in the Churche Ioi If they shoulde preache none other thyng but of God of faith charitie and innocencye of lyfe it should be no neede of this seperacion For these thynges are taught also in our Churches so that it is no neede at all that they shoulde preache But they seperate them selues therefore because that they teache these thyngê hereafter rehersed that is to saye That we haue neede of a new Baptysme and that a Christen man may not receyue rentes nor reuenewes That Christen men are free frome paiyng of tythes That a christen man may not beare rule or be a maiestrate That no man is bouÌ„de to make a lawful othe when he is commaunded by the maiestrates And also they doo take away richesse from christeÌ„ men Are not these outwarde thynges And agayne do they not for suche thynges diuide trouble the Churche Besyde that they doo bynde their disciples that they shall not heare the worde of God among them where Baptysme of chyldren is vsed rentes and tythes payed any lawfull othe is made magistrates be richesse ar counted good Nowe call in remembraunce the places and testimonyes that we haue brought and aledged afore of Christ of his Apostles ponder well whether this seperation is Apostolicall or sedicious Sy. It skylleth not that ye cal them sedicious For that dyd chaunce to Christ and to his Apostles to be accused of tumulte sedicion But in this thyng they do prayse God and geue thankes that they be counted worthy to suffer for the name of Iesu remembring what Christ sayeth Blessed are ye when men dooe curse you and speake all euyll against you reioice and be glad for your reward is great in heuen Ioia Why doest thou leaue that clause which Christ added vnto it when he was speakyng suche thynges Sy. What haue I lefte Ioia Lying sayth he for my sake That we dooe call the Anabaptistes sedicious it is not doone for Christes sake but because that they do diuide Churches beyng well ordered and pacified for the thinges afore named The which thyng neuer Christ nor his Apostles dyd Nor we doo not lye when we accuse them of tumulte and sedicion For the thing is so manifest that it can not be denyed But they that imputed suche thinges to Christ and to his Apostles dyd lye and dyd not say trewe as it appeareth by the xxiii of Luke the .xvi. .xxiiii. of the Actes There were some which dyd falsely reporte that they preached agaynst paiyng of Tribute vnto Ceasar seducyng the coÌ„mens and mouyng sedicion whiche thynges were not true For neither christ nor his Apostles dyd it but rather taught the contrary alwayes But the Anabaptistes because that they repugne against publike magistrates or rulers and go aboute to abolysshe the ordinance of God are ryghtfully called tumultuous rebels and sedicious heretikes Symon I woulde gladly if I myght obteyne that thyng of thee that thou shuldest leaue that word Heretike For as often as I heare it I dooe all quake and tremble in my herte Ioia When I dooe say heretike I dooe not vnderstande him that the rude vnlerned people doth meane but him that is aucthor of sectes and maketh diuision in the Churche which doth obstinately breake and trouble the vnitie of the Churche with false and erronious opinion But I wyll bringe mo places to confirme my conclusion Symon I wyll gladly heare them Ioia In the xx of the Actes Paul speakyng vnto the ouerseers beynge assembled togither at Miletyng dyd byd them to take heede to them self to the whole flocke ouer the whiche the holy gost hathe made them ouer seers to gouerne the Churche of God whiche he had purchased with his owne blood For sayeth he I do know this well that greuous wolfes shall after my departyng entre in not sparyng the flocke euen from you shall ryse men speakynge peruerse thynges to drawe after them disciples Thou seest my Symon the nature of heretikes whiche is to make diuision in the Churche to get vnto them disciples or folowers of their heresye not to spare the flocke to sowe discorde to teache peruerse thynges to allure men to reyse or styr vp partes sectes factions to congregate a particuler Churche Sy. These argumentes do almost touche the Anabaptistes For they make diuision in the Churche and do bring vp and maintayne a singularitie amonge theim or by themselfes But hast thou more testimonies or places Ioiada Paule doth warne the Romaines with these wordes saiyng I pray you brethren that yee looke vpon them that cause among you dissencion and strife agaynste the doctrine that yee haue learned that ye doo flye from theim For they that are such do not serue vnto our lord Iesu Christ but to their belye and by blandiloquence flatteryng disceiue the hartes of the simple Sy. This aucthoritie the Anabaptistes do vse but agaynst you Io. Consyder my Symon in your mynde howe truly thei do bring such thyngê agaynst vs. Where dyd we euer make diuision in the Churche whiche thynge is familier and proper vnto them Where dyd we euer put offeÌ„dicles or stombling blockes vnto the church Where as they haue made an innumerable sorte of meÌ„ so perplexed and doubtfull that they do abhorre from the gospell do beleue neither vs nor them Paule did more lyuely expresse them that do disceyue seduce the people with fayre speakyng seruyng to their belyes in the iii â–ª chapiter to the Philipenses with these wordes For many do walke of whom I haue spoken many tymes and now doo speake weeping enemyes of the crosse of Christ whose ende is perdicion whose belye is their God and glorie or reioysyng in their opprobriousnesse Which do care for earthly thyngê only Nowe iudge my Symon vnto whom these thinges may be applied vnto vs or vnto the Ana. baptistes They vociferate and crye alwayes agaynst Tythes Tributes Riches Othes Magistrates propertie of goodes We do preach Faith Innocency of lyfe Charitie that men may vse all thinges well as the gyftes of God Who boasteth more or reioyseth in reprochefull thingê then thei do that is to say in their Catabaptisme or oppinion agaynst Baptisme in forsakyng of their houshold in their slouthfulnes wherin thei do wander aboute as ydle vacaboundes Moreouer of these thynges that they do teache tumultes sedicioÌ„s warres robbyng and spoilyng dyd alwayes ryse I thynke thou doest vnderstande whom Paule dothe call belyes and enemyes of the crosse of Christ Sy. If thou hast any more testimonies or places I pray you hyde not them from me Ioia Touchyng the vnitie of the church against the Anabaptistes ther is a singuler place in the â–ª x. of the Hebrues Let vs sayth he consider looke one vpon another for thys intent that wee maye prouoke eche other to charitie good workes
accordyng to the preceptes of the apostle Donatus dyd gather a particuler Church Nonatus lykewyse bothe in Affrica And yet not withstandynge none of theim both was called or sent by god And their Churche also were no Churches but conuenticles or assembles of Heretikes Symon What thynkest thou by the saiyng of s Paule .i. Corin. xiiii where he doth geue free libertie vnto all men to preache or interprete the Scriptures Ioiada I am of the same selfe opinion that Paule is Two or three sayth he may speake in the church Let the other heare and iudge Finally if it be reuelated to an other syttyng by let the other holde his peace And by and by it followeth For ye may al prophecy one after another that all may learne and haue cousolacion Symon By these wordes it appeareth that Paule dothe not geue libertie to euery man to preache what he listeth whē he nameth ii or .iii. and byddeth the other to heare to geue attendance to that that the Prophetes in the newe Testament suche as do expounde the scriptures are called Prophetes do expounde and set furthe out of the scriptures Nor he doth not gyue lysence to the hearers to interrupte the sermons of the Prophetes excepte it be when any thyng is lefte or peruersly expounded by the Prophet or interpretor By this it foloweth that it is not semely ne comely that any mā shuld interrupt if the truthe be sufficiētly enucleated shewed muche lesse that any man shoulde vnder suche pretence and colour sewe in or bring in his errors I doo see perceiue that the effecte of the matter doeth consist in thys thyng If it be necessary if any thyng be omitted and lefte by them that are Prophetes that oughte not to bee omitted or whiche beynge lefte maye dooe harme and agayne which being shewed may edifi the churche that then it may be shewed vnto them by any mā but that with al sobrenesse and charitie If nothing be wanting or lackynge all the audience to holde their ptace Ioiada Thou takest the ryght sense of it For it foloweth by and by The spirite of the Prophetes is subiect to the Prophetes For God is not the auctor of confusiō but of peace The Holy ghost doth not breake furth rashely with affection and stryfe but is treatable nor he dooeth not styffely contende for euery lyght matter but suffereth him self to be instructed and taughte so geueth easely place to him that hathe better vnderstandyng But the Anababtistes are farre from al such thinges boastyng neuerthelesse a spirit but as Iudas did boast his Apostleship sayut Iames dyd not without a cause warne vs saiyng Let not many masters be among you knowynge that we shall receyue greatter dampnaciō or iudgement that is to say we that are teachers Symon But here thou haste brought me into a greter dout For now I aske the Whether of theym two ▪ is greatter the Prophet vnto whom the spirit is subiect or the spirit If thou sayest that man is gretter then the spirite beware that thou doest not attribute to much to a mortall and frayle man If the spirite is hygher how can that thyng which is gretter be subiecte to a thyng that is lesse If so bee that thou preferrest the spirite vnto men agayne wyll haue the saiyng of Paule to be true I do not perceiue by what reason it can stande Or howe can a man be greatter then the Spirite whiche maketh hym a Prophet Ioiada Thou dooest aske righte well this question But it is to be noted that Paul doeth not here take the spirite for the holy ghost whiche is the thyrde persone in trinitie but for the gyfte operacion of the spirite of God The sense and meanyng of this place is therfore that the gyfte of prophecy is so in the power of the Prophet that hath it that he maye bothe speake holde his peace in the congregacion of the sayntes when and as long as it is expedient for the hearers For they are not so instructed and moued with the spirit as mad and phantasticall men are that they shoulde all cryout at once with an vnsemely clamor murmuryng one agaynst another with a debatefull contencion stryfe For so one coulde not vnderstande another The spirite of God is gentle treatable and peasable not stirrynge or mouyng any man to contenciō and debate but to peace and vnytie Wherfore he sayeth ye may Prophecy all one after another To the which exposiciō Theophilactus agreith interpretynge this place after thys maner The spirite that is to say the grace of the holy ghost which is in thee the operacion or workyng that hath inuaded thee is subiecte to the gyfte or grace of another man which is moued to Prophecy that is to say dothe geue place hearing But now if thou be so pleased let vs go aboute the thirde Conclusion Symon I am well content begynne thou The. VI. Treatyse or Dialogue Of the Vnitie of the Churche against the Sectes of the Anabaptistes Ioiada IChynke that thou wylt say nothyng agaynst the thyrd conclusion For what canne be sayde more truly then that Christ and his Apostles dyd alwayes congregate or assemble the Churche and that thei dyd neuer tumultuate or moue sedision for outwarde and temporall thynges Or is there any man that can say the contrarye Symon I wyl shew hym vnto the by by that is to say Christ whiche dothe saye I am come not to bring peace but the swoorde Ioiada Thou dooest writhe and wrest the wordes of Christ For he speaketh nor these wordes of his Churche that they shoulde disagree within themselues as the Anabaptistes do moue tumulte in those churches where Christ and the Gospell is preached sincerely but doth expres the nature of the infidels whiche doo persecute the faythfull For whersoeuer Christ is preched they that are godly do receyue and embrace him gladly and they that are vngodly doo bothe let and persecute Christ and his Disciples Now Christ doth cal this discenciō a sword which sworde is not among the godly in the Churche but the infidels do vse it agaynst them that ar godly Dothe not Esaie say that there is no peace to the vngodly The cognisaunce or badge of them that ar godly is Charitie Peace and Concord Wherfore the Lorde dothe call them that be peasable or loue peace blessed and chyldren of God Mat. v. Symou I do easely graunte that peace and vnitie ought to be in the Church But that Christ and hys Apostles dyd neuer moue sediciō for temporall thynges thou doest affirme it scantly Ioiada yea and truly also or elles shewe thou the contrary Symon In the .xv. chap. of the Actes we do reade that Paule and Barnabas had no small discencion and reasonyng agaynst them which dyd teache Circumsicion Who wyll deny circumcision to be an outwarde thyng Ioiada I vnderstande call outward thynges that dooe helpe nothyng to our saluacion perteining to the body more then to the soule and