A BRIEFE collection of the Church and of certayne Ceremonies thereof gathered by Thomas Sampson LONDON Printed by H. Middleton for George Bishop ANNO 1581. TO THE RIGHT worshipful Master Francis Hastinges Sheriffe of Leicestershire IN the French historie which you did leaue with mee I did find the whole historie of the Colloquie had at Poissie much more largely written in French than euer I did see it in Latine At this Colloquie the Cardinal of Loraine being the chiefe and capitaine on the part of the Papists made an oratiō more glorious in shew thā sound in trueth The which to doe hee had both the aduise and prompting of the papistes assēbled vnder him as of that subtill Sorbonist Despense of that little furie Xaintes with their mates Thus being vnderpropped this Cardinall made an oration touching two pointes The one was of the Church the other of the Sacrament which with thē is called the Sacrament of the Altar This later point by him handled after his sort did so please our Papistes that some of them did both translate and publishe it in English being as it were taken hott out of the Cardinalls mouth The seconde part touching the Church he handled like a Cardinall painting Rome so cunningly as he coulde vnderpropping it with the holow and rotten postes of Visibilitie of personall succession and ordinarie calling as they call it and such like stuffe And therewith did he driue with might and maine to deface the true Church of Christe into which it hath pleased God to call vs to whome he hath giuen grace to professe his holy gospell Our Church hee woulde deface because wee haue not those rotten pillers of visibilitie personall succession and ordinarie calling in such sorte as he claimeth them for Rome I founde in your booke a verie short but a pithie answere made to this latter part of the Cardinalls oration touching the Church the which because I had not read it before did easily holde me in it I liked it well and so I thinke will you I haue not the skill to be a perfect translator out of the French tongue neither doe I take vppon me so to do But yet I haue truely set downe in English the whole matter conteined in the answere That little which I haue added to that which is in the French is not from the purpose I trust This I giue to you now as I did before A briefe confession of the christian faith which I founde in that booke And one thing more by the grace of God I intend to giue hereafter if I may see the other volumes accordinge to your promise This little scrappe taken out of the large French booke I sende to you not that you neede it for you doe vnderstand the French tongue much better than I but I giue it to you to the ende that it may remaine with you as a testimonie of my dutie of thankefulnesse to you for your great good will alwayes borne towards me that by these Englished scraps you may be prouoked at your leasure to reade the whole booke your selfe and in the meane time you may communicate in Englishe some part of that good which is in the French booke to such as you thinke good Accept my poore labour in good part I pray you I shall indeuour to doe more God of his goodnes ayding me to whose goodnes and direction I doe commende you Yours in Christ T. S. A BRIEFE COLlection of the Church Gathered by T.S. THE name of the church is in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche worde is also taken out of an other Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call a man from one place or state of life to another And we doe finde in the holy scriptures that there are two kinds of calling The one is ioyned with the efficacie power and worke of the holy ghost Of which kinde of calling the Apostle doth speake in the Epistle to the Romans where he saith that God doth iustifie them whom he hath called Rom. 8. The other calling is of lesse force efficacie because men are deafe and dul such as wil not heare nor vnderstande Of this kinde of calling doth the Lorde Iesus spake saying Manie are called but few are chosen This name Church Matt. 20. therefore in the cause which we haue in hande doth signifie the companie of them which are called and gathered together by the voice of God who doth by his owne word call them In the which company we do see two sorts of men For taking the word Church generally to comprehende all them which are called and doe make an outwarde profession to obey the voyce of God wherby they are called doubtles among them many hypocrites are to be founde and reprobates as both the holy scripture speaketh of the Church and experience doth declare to be true But if you will take this worde Church more properly and straitly as oftentime it is to be taken then wee must say that it signifieth only the assembly of the elect of God and of those his children whom God hath predestinate to life euerlasting This church is called and is the body of Christ members of his bodie bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh In which number the reprobate cannot be conteyned For they are the members of the diuel It is vnpossible for one to be a member of Christ and a member of the diuel at one time as Augustine well noteth Lib. 2. cont Cresc ca. 21. This distinction of the name of the church the same father vseth writing vppon the threescore and fourth Psalme when he sayeth that the Church which is signified by Hierusalem had the beginning in Abel and that which is signified by Babylon did begin in Cain And yet in his booke written of baptisme against the Donatistes Lib. 1. ca. 16. taking this word Church in the more general significatiō he sayeth that it is it which engendred Abel Enoch Noah Abraham the Prophets also that it engendred Cain Ismael Dathan and such other like to them To conclude this matter let vs take that which Augustine writeth in that same treatise Lib. 7. ca. 19. that other place which is taken out of Hierome and is cited in the decrees 24. Q. 1. Omnibus consideratis where it is said that there are two sortes or manners of men in the Church One sort are the members of Christ and the verie true Church and are in such sort of the house of God that they are the house of god it selfe whereby it may be gathered that the other sort are in the house of God but are not of it at all They are as chaffe mingled with the Wheate vntill they be fanned out of it Hereof nowe will arise this question Visibilitie of the Church that is whether the church be visible or not Truely God alone doth know thē which are his electe and we do professe that we doe beleeue
the least three times in the yeare before the Lord in Hierusalem to testifie by their sacrifices their vnion in faith and religion Now after the wall of separation was brokē down which was between the Iewes the Gentiles they both the Iewes I say the Gentiles are brought into one body not only by the preaching of the one gospel of Iesus to them both but also by administring to them the Sacramēts which the lord Iesus hath ordeyned that is Baptisme the sacrament of his body bloud Iesus sayde to his Apostles Matth. 28 Goe teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father the sonne and of the holy Ghoste Here is enioyned both the teaching of the gospel of Iesus also the ministring of the sacrament of Baptisme And with the ministerie of baptisme is the administration of that other sacrament to be ioined which S. Paul did also ioyne in his ministerie 1. Cor. 11 when he did so deliuer the holy supper as he had receiued the same of the Lord. Thus is the church grounded vpō the foundation of the Prophets Apostles that is euen vpon Iesus Christ him selfe who is the verie substance of the doctrine Propheticall and Apostolicall And this is it that S. Paul teacheth when he sayeth that the Church is the piller of the trueth For the worde of God 1. Tim. 3 which is the trueth as Christ sayeth Ioan. 17 doth sustaine vphold the Church as Chrysostom expoundeth that place And to this purpose serueth that which olde father Irene writeth Iren. lib 3 cap. 11. Columna firmamentū Ecclesiae est Euangelium spiritus vitae The piller and the buttresse of the church is the gospell and the spirite of life The gospell is the ground on which the true church is planted and set Likewise the church doeth staye it selfe onely vpon the worde of God is stayed by it without which worde the church could neither be a true churche of Christ nor be stayed in him By the ministerie of the church the trueth is spread abroad vppon the earth among men The true church of Christ doeth truely teach publish the gospell of Christ which is the trueth The trueth worde of God is placed in the church as in a sure well knowen place For God doeth by it shew his power to saue al them which do beleeue Rom. 1. These are therefore the true and infallible markes of the church which is for this cause called the mother of the beleeuers which are engendred and nourished in it by this true and vncorrupted pasture and foode Nowe if there be the saide preaching of the worde of God and syncere administration of the holy sacraments it must needs followe that there are also pastors and teachers to whome this charge of teaching administration is cōmitted And this is the cause why some haue added to these marks this as a third marke of the church that is the ordinarie succession of these pastors and ministers from the time of the Apostles till nowe In deede such a succession is greatly to be liked regarded and embraced but so that this succession be rightly considered examined explicated and applyed to the purpose And so did many of the auncient fathers ayde them selues much against the heretikes which did start vp in their dayes as Irene Tertullian and Augustine did against the Marcionites Manichees and Donatistes But because some men do vse this matter of succession as a weapon against vs as though we were newe heretikes deuisers of newe doctrines therefore you shall knowe what wee doe thinke touching this matter of succession Succession We saye that there are two kindes of succession The one is of doctrine The other is of persons Touching the succession of doctrin we holde that it is an vnfallible rule and marke of the true church But as touching the succession personall wee do allowe it vppon this condition that it be ioyned with the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles in the substanciall pointes thereof Wee speake of doctrine and not of manners For though there be required in a true pastor sound doctrin and godly life yet it may be through some ignorance that a pastor may fayle in some such point of doctrine as is not a substantiall point of the doctrine perteining to our saluation whome we will that notwithstanding accompt as a true pastor so that he holde the foundation sure and soundly Likewise though he doe faile in some point of manners and doe become faultie yet wee will esteeme him as a pastor and teacher if he doe teach soundly Wee are taught thus to doe by the saying of our sauiour Iesus Christe who teacheth vs to heare the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. which doe sit in Moses chaire Wee must doe that which they teache but we must not doe that which they do Which sentence Tract 46 Augustine writing vpon the gospell of Saint Iohn openeth thus That it is to bee vnderstanded of hyrelings which do teach sounde doctrine and that it is not to be vnderstanded of false teachers For of them Christ sayde Beware of the leauen of the Pharises They which do sit in Moses chaire sayth Augustine do teach the lawe of God and God doeth teach the people by them But if they will teach their owne doctrines heare them not do not as they teache The same thing doeth Augustine in an other place handle that is De verbïs Domini Serm. 49. Because false teachers may succeed the true in the teaching place and so the wolues may succede good sheapheardes we do not therfore receiue and allowe all personall succession For this kinde of succession may giue a cloke to falshod if the succession of doctrin be not ioyned to it as the foundation thereof Moreouer those men which will holde the succession personall simply and of it selfe alone to be a true infallible mark of the true church these men must shewe vs some promise of God by which hee hath promised to binde his grace to those certaine seates places and countries that in them shoulde be such a sure and continuall succession of holy men Bishoppes succeeding one an other This promise we finde not in the newe Testament Wee learne there that Christe will alwayes haue his christian catholike and vniuersall church the particular members and partes whereof are dispersed scatered abroade throughout the whole vniuersall worlde as it pleaseth God to exercise his iudgementes vppon them whome either he cutteth off for euer or on them whome he doth chastice and afflict for a time and to enlarge his mercies vpon them whō hee leadeth from good to better or that hee doeth call some of them anewe to the true knowledge of himselfe For sometimes the Lord God shewing foorth his iust vengeaunce doeth so cast downe and cutt of all that hee will not leaue so much as a trace of his true church in a place as sometimes he
chosen So were the Deacons chosen And hereto do those rules serue which S. Paul doth giue in his Epistles writē to Timothie and to Titus touching the admission of church ministers You see nowe what the ordinarie calling is out of which we may easily gather what the extraordinary calling or vocation is which hauing an authoritie from God is lawfull notwithstanding that one or two pointes appertayning to an ordinarie calling bee wanting in it The Lord hath oftentimes vsed the seruice of men called to the ministerie of the word by such an extraordinary calling as appeareth by the holy scriptures Moses had no ordinarie calling by men Iirmiah Ionas had none Daniel Amos and diuerse other of the Prophetes had no ordinarie calling by men and yet the Lord God called these men such like to the ministerie of the word whē they which kept the place of the ordinary calling did abuse the same Thē I say then God vsed to lay to his hand extraordinarily to the worke which they that had their ordinarie calling did not onely neglecte but bring into ruine Thus the Lord god himself did and yet he did not bring any disorder or confusion into his house by this meane But thus did he to correct and reforme that confusiō disorder which was brought into his house by them which vnder the colour of ordinarie succession did ouerthrowe all good order peruerted it This doth the writings of the prophets witnes in which the priests are chiefely reproued If you will say that the men whome the Lorde did thus call extraordinarily had yet some outwarde miraculous testimonie of this their heauenly calling It is so in deed of some but it was not so in all I doe not finde that many of the Prophets did come of the race of Aaron nor that the ordinarie imposition of handes was layde vppon them Nor that they testified their vocation and calling by working straung signes and miracles If you will say that these prophetes teachers which had this extraordinarie calling did content themselues with that part of the church office which is to teach and to reprooue but they did not meddle with the sacrifices This is not altogether true For Samuel who was not of the stock of Aaron 1. Sam. 7. did sacrifice in Mizpah as it is written And Eliah beeing a Galaadite did sacrifice in Carmel 1. Reg. 18. Again it is no maruel if the prophets of that time did not extende their commission of their extraordinary calling to circumcise and sacrifice for that was the charge and priuiledge then expressely committed to the stock of Leui for that time Thus you heare what is the church and what bee the markes thereof and what is to bee thought of the vocation or calling of the Pastors and teachers of the church And thus doe wee at this present approue our christian church the ministers thereof by the rule of Gods word Tom. 4. fol. 160. And in this behalfe doth that make for vs which Augustine writeth in his booke of 65. questions and in the last question where he teacheth that wee shall knowe that he is sent of God who is not chosen by the flatterie of a fewe men but he whō life good manners and the doing of the Apostolike Priests do commend who seeketh not to be aloft but to be profitable to others Of the authoritie of the church Nowe let vs come to the authoritie of the church and speake a little thereof It doth appeare by that which is said before that wee do not take away any thing of those high and glorious titles whiche the holy ghost doeth giue vnto it We say that it is the body of Christ but so that part thereof is yet in pilgrimage looking for the full inioying of the heade Iesus Christ This is the house of God which hee doth dayly builde so that it groweth stil more and more It is gouerned by the spirit of God stil fighting against the fleshe It is purified but so that it is by little and little brought towards that perfection of beauty in which is neither blemish nor I pot It knoweth God truely but yet in part In which kinde of speaches I doe vse the very wordes of the holy scripture Out of this Church is no saluation For life and saluation is no where else but in Christ Iesus alone and onely neither doeth the Lorde Iesus powre foorth his quickning power grace but onely vpon his owne members The vnion and assembling of them together in their head Iesus is called and is the true church of Christ If you aske me whether this church being in this worlde can erre and whether it be in authority aboue the holy scripture or else it be subiecte to the holy word of God Howe the Church may erre To the first I answere that it is out of doubt that the members of the church counting each one by himselfe in particular may erre And that there are of them which do erre in doctrine maners of life For they knowe but in part 1. Cor. 13. as S. Paul saith And Iohn saith 1. Iohn 1. If we do say that we haue no sinne we do deceiue our selues And in this number we may and do recken the olde doctors For many faultes are to be founde in them and therefore they are not to be receiued in al things without exception Thus doe we thinke of the members of the church in particular whose imperfections doe not so prevaile but that of them knitte together in trueth is made a true church For they do by little and little growe and goe forwarde in the knowledge of God and of his trueth and holinesse of life But if wee will consider the partes of the Church more generally as it is diuided into diuerse Diocesses and Prouinces we say playnely that it may erre Card. Lotha It is also confessed by one of the chiefe capitaines standing for the Pope his Lorde that particular churches and prouinciall Synodes may erre and haue oftentimes erred Which thing long experience hath prooued true Let vs then consider the church in the vniuersalitie thereof which is as some say considered in that it is in a generall councell represented There is no cause why we shoulde thinke that all the power and giftes which the holy ghost doeth bestowe vpon the vniuersall church shoulde be restrayned to a certaine number of prelates gathered together in a generall councell which are not alwayes the best learned nor the best men which are in the whole chuch although they doe there represent the whole multitude of them which did sende them thither For it falleth out often times that a simple man shal be founde to haue better vnderstanding than the greatest man in the whole assembly Panormitan Which caused one famous Canonist to write vppon the chapter Significasti tit de Electionibus that sometime more credite is to be giuen to one priuate man beeing a