that thou alwayes be mindfull of vs. August epist â—â— Likewise Ierome writing to Augustine saith Domino vere sancto et beatissimo Papae Augustino Hierenimus in Domino salutem To the right holie and most blessed Pope Augustine Ierome wisheth health in the Lord. The very same words also are vsed vnto Augustine in his epistle 21. And so likewise in the rest Neither doe I speake these things to condemne those excellent auncient Fathers who otherwise many yeares were singular instruments profited greatly the Church of God but to shew how great a buses crept in duringe the most pure times like as hath been before said even in the time of the Apostles themselues and after more more vnto the full setting up of Antichrist the Pope that great Papa the Bishop of Rome who alone gat this naÌ„e Papa Pope at the last to be peculiar proper to himselfe Thus growing vp by little and litle from the first beginnyng of the petie Papa vntill he and all his cleargie with him came vp vnto their full perfection and papisticall dignitie Which time when it drew neere errours and most enormous and shamefull abuses crept not in by litle and litle but were throwne in by shouelles full and cart loads And further I noted it to set forth the wonderfull providence of God without which nothing is done in heaveÌ„ earth or hell To set such manifest charecters and markes vpon the first beginnings of mischeife which although it could hardlie be discerned in the beginnings thereof yet in the event and full high estate wherevnto they grew a very child might vnderstand perceaue and see it So that at the lenght when the new light of the gospell should shine even the old and first originall errors might therby the better be corrected For in Prophecies mysteries it must alwayes be obserued which that most auncient Father Ireneus saith in his 4. booke 43. chapter Omnis enim prophetia priusquam habet efficaciaÌ„ c. All prophecies saith he before they haue the effect be as it were riddles ambiguities vnto men but when the time is come and that is come to passe which is prophesied then the prophesies haue a cleare and vndoubted exposition So we see in this mysterie of Papa or Pope when it first began it was such an aenigma as was almost vnpossible to vnderstand wherevnto the old Serpent ment to bring it But now the event thereof being come and the Angell betweene heaven and earth preaching the everlastinge Gospell and setting up the new light thereof in many Nations and Churches every man that wincketh not may see it Now therefore to proceede as Augustine saith in his 18. booke and Second chapter of the Cittie of God That it may the better appeare how Babilon the first Rome keepeth her course with the Citie of God whom shee maketh a pilgrime or stranger in this world When the name of Pope had thus possessed the Bishops whereof many were both godly and learned yet they never drempt of the mischeif that followed nor of the great Papa the Pope that man of sinne even the sonne of perdition that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God and sitteth in the temple of God sheewing himselfe that he is God The mystery of which iniquity began to worke even in the Apostle Pauls time How be it the godly Fathers as I said little suspecting any such matter laboured tooth and nayle to keepe under the Pompe pride and ambition of the Bishops Pastors of the Church which they saw now began to grow both in riches and regiment and which after their time grew in few yeares beyond all measure But because I shall haue occasion to use the examples and doctrine of the auntient learned and godly Fathers against the poÌ„pe pride and lordly estate of Bishops A sufficient maiÌ„tenance is due to the ministery And what it may be least I should seeme to be injurous and prejudiciall to the sufficiencie of honor living and maintenance which both by the word of God and by the iudgment of the auncient Fathers doth of right belong vnto all Pastors Bishops or ministers of the word and which the authority of all christian Magistrats Princes ought to provide for theÌ„ I will adventure to set downe a proportion of such estate and living as I am fully perswaded doth of right and by the law of God appertaine vnto them and ought by Princes and Magistrats to be appoynted and provided for them Wherein I cannot but obserue the most excellent and honorable advice and charge which the Kings Majestie in his owne booke giveth vnto his Sonne our Noble Prince As first in his preface he saith I exhort my Sonne to be benificiall vnto the ministrie Basilicon doâ—oÌ„ praysing God that there is presently a sufficient number of good men of them in this kingdome of Scotland and yet are they all knowne to be against the forme of the English Church And in his second booke his Majestie chargeth him that he should see all the Churches within his Dominions planted with good Pastors the Scholes the Seminarie of the Church maintained the doctrine and Discipline preserved in puritie according to Gods word and sufficient provision for their sustentation It perteineth therefore to the duety of Princes to see that there be a sufficient provision for the sustentation and maintenance of their Pastors and suerly Gods law doth expresly requier it And as the law of God doth evidently forbid them a Lordly estate so it doth vtterly condemne the beggerly and miserable estate of the Pastors and preachers of his word Wherefore the law saith Beware that thou forsake not the Levite all the time that thou shalt be vpon the earth Vpon which place M. Calvine saith Deut 12 Moses addeth That the people should beware in any wise that they defrauded them not of their right And not without cause For as I haue told you before saith M. Calvine God had appoynted them of purpose to serue him Calvin and the greater parte of them also to teach his people that his law might be knowne Seeing it was so it was good reason that they should haue wherewith to finde and maintaine them For in very deede aparte of the inheritaunce belonged to them because they were descended of the linage of Abraham But God put them from it to the end they should not be troubled neither with tilling of the ground nor with any other businesses but onely giue them selues wholly to the doeing of their office And it is not without cause that Moses plainly exhorteth the people to doe their duety in this behalfe for wee see the vnthankfulnes of the world They Idolaters can finde in their hearts to mainteine their Preists and they spare for no cost but as for them that serue God purely there is commonly no account made of them as hath been seene in all times And further he saith And if it were in the worlds
vpon the Church of Sardis as a theife in the night and that they should not knowe vvhat hower he vvould come vpon them And to conclude that he vvould spue the luke warme Laodicians out of his mouth All vvhich greuous plagues in a short time fell vpon thos Churches of Asia And shall vvee escape if now in this great light of the Gospell vve retaine and maintayne any filthines of corruption in our Churches No God is not partiall neither vvith him is any variablenes neither shadowing by turnning Besides heer also it is vvorthly to be noted that among these seaven Churches of Asia representing all other thereis not one word spoken of an Archangel Archbishop or Lord Bishop that might over rule or governe all the rest vvhich in these our times are some of the greatest and most noisome corruptions vvhich doe overflowe all To vvhich purpose I heere set downe the vvords of M. Fox speaking of the first Primitiue Churches his vvords are these Act Mon. p 36 It is evident saith he to all men that haue eyes in their head c. that there was not then any one Mother Church aboue other Churches One Vniversall Church Militāt Invisible but the whole vniversall Church was the mother Church under which uniuersall Church in generall were comprehended all other particular Churches in speciall as sister Churches together not one greater then another but all in like equalitie c. But this ring of equalitie being broken all flewe in peeces Howbeit of this more shall be spoken God vvilling hereafter There remaineth now to speake of the third generall thing vvhich Christ heere commaundeth his servant Iohn to vvrite of namely Revel 1.19 the things that should come to passe cōcerning the Churches of God after the Apostles time to the end of the vvorld And how the Synagogue of Sathan and the vvhore of Babilon by litle and litle should creepe in and vvith her filthines endeavour to envenime the Churches till at the last she should become that glorious vvhore described in the 17. chapter clothed in scarlet and purple guilded vvith gold pretious stones and pearles and having a cup of gold in her hand full of abominations filthines of her fornication sitting upon the scarlet coullered Beast having seavē heads ten hornes and by her glorious power should banish the true Churches of God and make make them flie into the wildernes that is into secret places hidden and vnknowne vnto men But leaving the high estate of the Babilonish whore vvhich is the great Cittie that in Iohns time reigned over the Kings of the earth vvhich all men know vvas the Citie of Rome and now calleth her selfe the Catholique Church Leaving her as I haue said in her magnificence I vvill shew how by litle and litle she crept in and so at the last got vp vnto that her high estate Now this beginnyng of corruption both in doctrine and Discipline made no long delaye after the Apostles time Eusebius Hist Eccle For as Evsebius in his Ecclesiasticall History lib 3. cap 32. saith Vt vero et Apostolorum chorus c. As soone as the company of the Apostles and all that age which had received the hearing of the Lords owne liuely voyce was departed out of this world then as it were into an emptie house the wicked error of false doctrine thrust in and plunged her selfe Which thing also is euident by all Ecclesiasticall Histories as the heresie of Cerinthus sheweth about the yeare of our Lord 70. Which taught that the vvorld vvas not made of God but of Angells and that Circumcision vvas necessary to be observed and that the kingdome of Christ after the resurrection should be vpon the earth And likewise the heresy of the Ebionites about the yeare 85. Which taught that Christ vvas very man both by Father and Mother and that Moses law vvas necessary to be observed Thus daily many heresies and foule corruptions crept in so that by the time that Augustine and Epiphanius lived they vvrote speciall books against heresies to the number of an hundred severall heresies of note cōtayning all of them great corruptions some in doctrine and manners some in Discipline and orders of the Church Which corruption in Church-Discipline was often times the cause of the hereticall doctrine And heerin I purpose God assisting me cheifly at this time to insist shewing what the auncient Fathers of the Primitiue Church did practise teach in these pointes of religion now controversied among vs and likwise what the lightes of the gospell the blessed Martyrs of God from age to age since even vnto this day haue also practised and taught touching the same And this I doe the rather because many excellent men haue alreadie by manifold reasons grounded and taken out of the word of God proved that there ought to be a full reformation both in Doctrine and Discipline according to that order in the Church which Christ and his Apostles left Which must be acknowledged to be the onely sure ground of proofe for all pointes of controversie in the Church of God But because the enimyes of ful true Reformation of religion doe yet after the old fashion rest vpon custome antiquitie and auncient Fathers I haue thought good to follow this course before named that it might be plainely seene both how the cheife of the auncient Fathers and also of the principall lights set vp by the Lord in the deapth of the darknes of Antichrist with one voyce agrement taught practised and proved the same both by the scriptures and manifold reasons grounded thereon touching the matters of reformation now desired And heerin I thinke good for example before I enter into the rest to set downe out of Epiphanius the heresie of Audianus which heretickes were afterward called Anthropomorphits who being thrust out of the Church as simple men in time lacking learned teachers fell into a perswasiō and beleife that God was like vnto a man whereof they tooke the name of their heresie Erat autem vir a Mesopotamia oriundus clarus in patria sua c. Epiphanius de Heres Audianus saith Epiphanius was a man by birth of Mesopotamia a famous man in his owne Countrie for the sinceritie of his life and of faith and Zeale towards God which often beholding the things that were done in the Churches he did oppose himselfe against such evills even to the face of the Bishops and Elders and did reproue them saying These things ought not to be soe done these thinges ought not to be soe handled as a man studious of the veritie and of such thinges as are spoken by men which lead a most exacte life and are vsually spoken for loue of the truth Wherefore Audianus seeing such thinges as I haue said in the Churches he was driven to speake and confute it and kept not silence For if he saw any of the Cleargie to seeke after filthy luker whether he were Bishop or
see his iudgment that they are the Chaplines of Antichrist and not the Ministers of Christ which loue to be distinguished by apparell And touching the apparell M. Fox speaketh most plainly as hath ben in divers places noted before as also where he saith Fox fol 6 edit For diversity of apparrell I haue not now to stand particularly vpon euery kind forme when how by whoō it was inuented Yet because I see that false opiniō of antiquity deceaueth many in generall to speake of the whole I will recite the words written to Carolous Caluus the french King by the whole cleargie of Ravenna about the computation of our Lord 876. Which words shall suffice as a testimonie both to knowe what wee ought to do and what was then done in the Church The words in their Epistle to the King be these Discernendi c. that is We ought to differ from the people and others by doctrine not by apparell in conversation not in vesture in purenes of mind not in garment And touching the surplis by name speaking of a wicked persecutor one Blumfeild he saith But a litle before his death he bragged and threatned a good man one Simon Harlstone to put him forth to the officers because he wore noe surplis when he said service Whereby it is pittie that such baits of poperie are lefte to the enemies to take the Christians in God take them awaie or else vs from them For God knoweth they be the cause of much blindnes and strife among men Edit 2. pag. 2268. vlt. Ed pag. 2065. But let us see further what M. Beacon saith in other poynts that neede reformation against the unpreaching And in his answer to the 30. Article agreeing to that which you heard before of M. Fox where he saith Every Prelat or beneficed person ought to discharge his Cure without deputie or Vicar So saith this noble Martyr of God Iohn Lambard Where you speake of Prelats deputies I thinke that such are litle behouable to Christ flocke it were necessarie right that as the Prelats themselues will haue the Revenues Tithes and Oblations of their Benefices that themselues should labour and teach dilligently the word of God therefore and not to slippe the labour from one to another till all be left pittie it is to see undonne Such doth S. Iohn call fures et latrones theeues and robbers Now to that excellent Martyr and witnes of Iesus Christ M. Bradford M. Bradf Ridl lett to M. Ch Lib Epist Mar pag 69 who with the rest confirming his doctrine with the sheeding of his bloud commended by D. Ridley thus M. Bradford a man by whom as I am assuredly enformed God hath and doth worke wonders in setting forth of his word And in his letter to M. Bradford thus he speaketh to him O good brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that ever I knew thee And as he is so highly praysed for the excellent gifts of God in the wonderfull worke of his preaching so for his continuance and dilligence therein even to the time of his death it is said in our booke of Martyrs For the time he did remaine prisoner in the Counter he preached twice a day continually pag 1780 edit 1570 unlesse sicknes hindred him c. And further it is there said Preaching reading and prayer was all his whole life c. Whereunto I may very fitlie adjoyne the wordes of M. Musculus how to know a true Minister of Christ upon these wordes to the Romanes put apart to Preach the Gospell of God Vis cognoscere verum Christi Ministrum Rom 1 1 Vide an sit c. Wilt thou know saith Musculus a true Minister of Christ Then looke whether he be vtterly so seperated from all other busines that he doth meditate worke or liue in none other thinge whatsoeuer but in preaching and makeing manifest and plaine the Gospell of Christ and serue therein by all and whatsoeuer strength power is in him Act. Mo. pag 1780. edit 1570. Now this blessed Bradford saith our Booke of Martyrs D. Ridley that worthie Man and glorious Martyr of Christ afterward according to the order that then was in the Church of England called him to take the degree of a Deacon which order because it was not without some such abuse as to the which Bradford would not consent the Bishop yet perceiueing that he was willing to enter into the Ministery was content to order him without any abuse euen as he desired c. Wherin ye see both the precisenes of M. Bradford which would not enter into the Ministery because of the abuse in the book and the goodnes of the Bishop in leaving out the abuses But alas such good examples are rarely now to be found either in Bishops or Ministers Further in his letters to all Faithfull Professors he saith lib. Ep. Mar pag 441. If gods worde had place Bishops could not plaie Chauncellers and idle Prelates as they doe Preistes should be other waies knowne then by their shauen Crownes and Tippets And in another of his letters he saith What can the holy Ghost doe to us aboue this to marke us with the congnisance of the Lord of hosts This congnisance standeth not in forked cappes tippets shaven crownes or such other baggage and Antichristian pelfe but in suffering for the Lords sake Act. Mon pag 1178. edit 1. Is it not evident that M. Bradford was such a one as men now call a Puritane Which calleth forked cappes and tippites not onely baggage but even also Antichristian pelfe But he saith in his letters to the Universitie of Cambridge Wilt thou consider things according to the outward shew Was not the Synagogue more seemelie and like to be the true Church then the simple flocke of Christs Disciples Hath not the Whore of Babilon more costly attire and rich apparell externally to sett forth her selfe then that homelie Houswife of Christ And indeed as M. Fox saith in King Edwards time which was the time of M. Bradford as you heard before Notwithstanding saith he the godly reformation which was then begun besides other Ceremonies more ambitious then profitable or tending to edification they did still weare such apparell as the old Papists were wont to weare upon their heades they had a Mathematicall cappe with foure Angles deviding the whole world into foure parts I know not whether M. Fox in these words condemneth the square cap with more scorne and dispite or M. Bradford in calling it Antichristian pelfe Yet what Ceremonies more ambitious then profitable or lesse tending to edification were used in King Edwards time then are at this daye retayned in our Churches of England But let vs goe forward with M. Bradford and let vs see what he saith to the Lordship of Bishops Harpsfild that subtile Archdeacon of London comming to Mast Bradford being in prison and shortly looking for the bitter death of burning Thus reasoneth with