of the Apostles as they call it But Gelasius the Pope him selfe doth recken these Canons amongst the writinges counted Apocrapha to wit I suppose at the least for the titles sake For he must needes be too impudent that woulde deny these Canons to haue bene made in more ages than one so farr is it of that ridiculous inuention attributed to I cannot tel to what Clement and lately published in Greeke and Latin in which the Apostles are brought in one by one establshing these matters may bee allowed of any man that is of any sound sense or iudgement But to what end should we handle these thinges so largely That the Euangelists were aboue the ministers of which we speake for otherwise Peter the Apostle calleth euen him selfe a fellow minister with thē 1. Pet. 5.1 these men dare not deny because the Apostle him selfe setteth them before Pastors and Doctors Ephe. 4.11 But euen Paul him selfe witnesseth that Timothie not appointed a Bishop to Ephesus or any other Churche but an Euangelist and the companion of Paule the Apostle did not receiue the imposition or laying on of handes no not from Paule him selfe but from the presbiterie that is from the companie or felowshippe of Elders Wherfore if these men that mind to defend the false bishoply tyrannie be disposed to reason let thē dispute not with Geminianus as the ciuil lawiers are wont to say but with Paul him selfe We verely thinke those to be lawfully ordayned who hauing according to the Apostles rule and exact inquirie of their doctrine and maners going before and a free and holy election by the consent of the whole Churche which they are to gouerne are consecrated and dedicated to God by solemne prayes and the very rite of laying on of handes vsed if men shall so thinke good but yet simple and of it selfe and not defiled with any traditions of men Now seeing these things are so The conclusion of the vvhole Treatie I say that the fauourers of the false Romishe Churche doe in vayne set out or obiect those three notes of the Church to wit succession méerely personall a calling sundred from the doctrine of the Apostles and the laying on of hands And I say this both because that none of these by it selfe can be either a true or simple necessary or perpetuall note of the vniuersal Church and also because that though it were so yet that no one of these notes at all can be founde in the false Romishe Church which doth notwithstanding cal hir selfe though most falsely the vniuersall Church and on the other side I affirme that that onely true necessary and perpetuall marke of the Catholique Churche that is to say that doctrine which is most perfectly contayned in the wrytings of the Prophetes and Apostles doth once agayne shine bright and cleere in our Churches and to be shorte that the very personall succession vocation and ordination of the holy and right ministrie are restored in the same our Churches and that we haue not forsaken Syon but haue fled out of Babylon as the Lorde warneth vs Reuel 18.4 that wee haue not rent in sunder the Church but following Pauls fact in the Church of Ephesus mentioned Acts. 19.9 haue seperated Disciples to the Lord and that we haue not by the example of Ieroboam 2. King 16.10 c. or the Donatistes set vp altar against altar but casting the altar brought from Damascus out of the Lordes house we haue begun to restore the true and sincere worship of God which worke also I hope although Sathan do by his ministers set himselfe against the same both within the Church and without it shall yet notwithstanding when that sonne of perdition 2. Thes 2.8 shall at the last be thorowly ouerthrowen by the spirit of Gods mouth be blessedly atchieued and finished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imprinted at London by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-barre in the Stronde neere vnto Somet-set house
vvorlde in these our daies for true knovvledg and vnfayned godlines vvhatsoeuer the papists doe lyingly and slanderously babble to the contrarie And as touching the matter it is that vvhich ought to be of greatest accompt amongest men and vvhich euen in respect of the bare name and title of it is verie glorious and excellent much more in respect of the substance thereof it selfe And for the manner of handling the things propounded it is short for auoiding of tediosnes it is plaine euen for the capacitie of the simple it is sound in respect of the truthe it propoundeth And it is sufficient not onely to instruct God his childrē but also to stop vp the aduersaries mouths in this matter and vvhat then vvanteth or vvhat can be more acceptable profitable vvherefore I doubt not but it shall haue good entertainment as amongest all the godly generally so particulerly of your vvorship vvho I knovv doth hartely loue the Church and carefully like and tender the causes therof vvhich also hath beene the principall matter mouing me to vndertake this trauaile and to dedicate the same vvhatsoeuer it be vnto your vvorshippe vvhome for sundry good graces that God hath bestovved vpon you I do vnfaynedly loue and reuerence in Christe Humbly praying and earnestly exhorting you according to your measure of light and knovvledge receiued from the Lorde to enforce your selfe to the vttermost of your habilitie euery maner of vvay to the preferring and promoting of these excellent matters and namely those that concerne the reformation of such corruptions as yet remaine amongest vs either touching the ministerie or the discipline of the Church for to this ende hath God endued you vvith all the graces that you haue presently receiued or may hereafter thorovv his goodnesse attaine vnto eyther of vvit vvealth learning credit countenance byrth office honor or vvhatsoeuer els vvherevnto I vvill thorovv God his grace not onely styrre you vp by all the holy and lavvfull meanes I can but also further you in my poore prayers to almighty God in that behalfe that you may daily encrease and continue in the sounde knovvledge of his truth in the stedfast faith of his promises in the sincere zeale of his glorie in vnfained loue of his holy vvord and the exercises thereof and in care and conscience to put in practise those good thinges that are enioyned you therein that your vvhole life maye tende to the glory of God the good of the Church and common vvealth and the faithfull seruice of her maiestie and your death be comfortable to your selfe as beeing the speedy passage to eternall life and profitable vnto others vvhile they be by your example instructed both to liue and die vvell vvhich God graunt for his crucified Christ his sake To vvhose gracious gouernement and good direction I doe humbly commend your vvorship and all yours both novv and for euer London the 16. of this Nouember 1582. Your worships alwaies ready in Christ Jesus T. W. the Lorde his vnworthy A TREATISE OF THE TRVE AND visible Notes of the Catholique Church MEN demaunde at this daie concerning the markes and authority of the church the question beeyng raysed by those who when they see their erroures to bee refelled by the worde of God obiecte vnto men that are vnskilfull of these matters the sacred name of the Church and by heaping vp the disputations of auncient fathers against Heretiques they bring vs into hatred as though we had corrupted both the bookes of Gods worde and also as though by violating all authority of the church we had after the example of the [a] They were so called of one Donatus who baptized such as imbraced his opinions though they were baptized before and made a schisme in the Church about the yeere 334. Donatistes set vp altar against altar to be short as though because wee haue shaken of the yoke of Babilon we had forsaken the Church without the which notwithstanding euen as we our selues confesse there is no saluation And neither doth this subtle kinde of reasoning dryue away the vnskilfull onely from the knowledge of the truth but also causeth some euen amongest them which séemed most stedfast to wauer Furthermore by this occasion very many take counsell betwéene both sides and as in opinions they indeuour to mingle light with darknesse so also in discerning of the true Church they labour to mingle the bastardly or false marks with the true and proper marks therof But except men would willingly be deceiued the deceit of these men might be very easely perceiued and auoyded Men must first define the Church before they enquire any thing of the authoritye thereof For first men should demaund what that Church should be before they determine of the boundes of hir authoritie which order they that doe not follow commit truely that grosse error and worthy of stripes which they call [a] That is the begging or taking of that as granted which is in cōtrouersie Petitio principij Go to then let vs sée what these men meane by the Catholique Church These men holde what so euer they dissemble that the Church in which we ought to abide That the Catholique Church is not rightly called euery congregation in which is a succession of Bishops if we will be saued is an assemblie of Bishops whose calling and names may bee fet from the Apostles them selues We say that this succession which is meerely personall neyther is the Church neither any whit at all pertayneth vnto those that alleadge the same That it is not the church may appear euen vnto very children first by this The order of Bishops is not the church that vnder the name of the church properly taken it is certain that not only the Pastors but also the flocks are comprehended Now it is altogether ridiculous to define a part as the whole it selfe because by that meanes the whole and the parte shoulde be one and the selfe same thing They reply The consent of a byshop and of a flock is not alwayes a note of a true church that they vnderstand together with the Pastors the very flocks them selues cleauing vnto them But this thing is also ridiculous séeing that both hereticall and backesliding Pastors may succeed Pastors of sound iudgement and hereticall flockes true sheepe and some times in deed the Pastors are hereticall and the sheep true contrary wise true pastors may haue hereticall sheepe When that thing falleth out to wit that both the Pastors and the flockes are heretticall the very aduersaries them selues dare not deny but that such a whole Church although it haue had auncestors in deed Apostolicall both the Pastors and the flocks do agree amongst themselues in falling away is yet notwithstanding altogeather a false Churche vnlesse they will take these speeches to wit to be hereticall and vniuersal for one and the selfe same thing But in the latter case at least wise in one part there is found
falsehood although on both sides that personal succession may be found Therfore neither the succession of persons by it selfe neither such maner of consent doth of necessitie prooue a true Church for as much as where both are found yet some times there maye be a false church and there in some sort may be a true church where the pastor dissenteth from the sheepe or the sheepe from the pastor Now that men may by examples both past and present prooue that these things haue too often times fallen out no man I suppose will denie But againe they say that they dispute not of particular Churches which they graunt may fall away but of that Catholique or vniuersall Church 1. Tim. 3.15 which is the piller foundation of truth But how I pray you do they define this catholike Churche Firste by a certayne place as those that will haue catholicke and Roman to be al one Secondly by the multitude Catholique and Roman are not all one as they which vpbraide vs with fewnes Let vs see therfore what manner of arguments these be They be if they be kept within the iust rules of reasoning vnlesse I be deceaued these and such like The church of Rome teacheth so very many in respect of a very few so beleeue and so it was from hand deliuered vnto vs. Therefore this is the catholique truth But who is so far void of all reason that he seeth not here againe Petitio principij and the thing in controuersie to be taken as graunted Shew vs therefore ye Sophisters or at least wise teach vs probablie firste how a part should be the whol that we may graunt vnto you your Romish church to be a principall member of the catholicke church And then from whence I pray you haue ye learned this Romish Church to be ordayned for a perpetuall rule of truth and from whence haue ye drawen that to be true which is approued of the greatest number Verely ye shall neuer proue this out of the bookes of the old or new Testament For those corrupt argumentes Vpon this rocke I haue builded my Church Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.23 I baue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not and that saying of Christe thrise repeated feed my sheepe Ioh. 21.15.16 with men not altogether ignorant of these thinges need not any further confutation But happely ye will prooue it out of the writinges of auncient fathers As though for sooth it were the same thing to commende the faith and religion of the church of Rome as long as it was worthy praise and to establish hir for the catholicke church or a perpetuall rule to the catholicke church And seeing that by the name of the church of Rome if these flatterers will speake that they thinke they doe vnderstand no other thing than the byshop of Rome him selfe what madnesse is this I beseech you to haue the deciding of so great a controuersie to depēd vpon that seat in which their own writers being witnes not so much the monsters of men as Sathan himselfe doth seeme to haue sit so many ages together These men replie that the dignitie it selfe and the authoritie of the seate is not taken away by the faults of the persons euen as the Leuiticall high priesthood was true then also when it was exercised by vngracious and wicked high priestes And neither do we thinke that either the dignitie or els the efficacie of the ministerie may be abolished thorowe the faultes of the ministers which thinge these men yet thinke when it pleseth them as they that hang that their transubstantiation vpon the intēt of their sacrificing priestes a very rotten coard surely but this we say that their principle being graunted to wit that the Byshop of Rome is that head that should stand the catholique church as in stead of a soule it must altogether followe that this head be wyse if they will haue all his members that is the particular Churches to be wise And againe if that be frantick that the whole Churche must be franticke also Now that the Romish Bishoppes haue beene franticke many ages together not onely as priuate men but specially also as Bishops that is to say that euerie one of them almost haue bene not onely the most wicked of all men in respecte of their conuersation which thing these men can not denie vnlesse they woulde rather be conuinced by their owne testimonies but also as concerning the points of our religion whilst that partly they haue neglected all true religion and partly also haue set them selues against it so much that which thing two or three ages ago Petrarcha hath written whose verses they commend Rome hath beene a thousande yeeres at the least the temple of heresie and hath vtterly subuerted as much as was in hir all the offices of Christ yea so far forth that shee hath exalted hir selfe aboue Christe him selfe as the Apostles Iohn and Paule greater than all exception haue fore tolde all the beste approoued writers Gréeke Latin being the Byshops of other churches so interpreting the same vnlesse we haue sufficiently heretofore proued it we are ready again to prooue it before all vpright iudges Let this controuersie therefore be firste decided O yea Sophisters before that ye of this fained foundation as it were graunted vnto you But go to let vs graunt that the Byshoppes of Rome were suche whose so great and large succession is alleadged by these men Who yet vnlesse he be vtterly out of his wittes will therefore conclude that the bishop of Rome is the vniuersall head to whome who so euer doth cleaue is to be iudged a true member of the Catholique Church And yet these be the sophistications of these goodly fellowes which will haue catholique and Roman to be one and the selfe same thing to wit because Paule wrote that in his time Rom. 1.18 the faith of the Romans was famous throughout all the world But how much more rightly nowe may we say that the stenche of that whore hath not onely filled the earth but hath ascended also euen to heauen and that excellent epistle of the Apostle written to the olde Romans ought now truely to be written againste the Romans their successors Let vs now come vnto those who esteeme their catholicke churche The Catholike Church must not be esteemed by the multitude by the number and glorious shew of pages or seriaunts Verely if these men speake truth Christ and his flocke shall iustly be pronounced excommunicat and that multitude shal be the catholicke church which so often times cried out Take him away Mat. 26.23 take him away crucifie him The Apostle also shall be found a lyar writing to the Corinthians Brethren yee see your calling 1. Cor. 1.26 that we are not many wise according to the fleshe not many mightie not many noble to be shorte then these men shall be worthie whom to confute we may take paines when either by reason or examples
none that so interpreted the primacies and glorious titles which are attributed to the bishop of Rome although in deed the bishops of Rome ambitiouslie sought nothing more and there wanted not some who most shamlesly euen then flattered thē as that they did for all that gyue this degree of vniuersall head vnto him Therfore they haue not Christ nor Peter but that most vile man of al Phocas I say the emperor for the author of this vniuersallitie and they haue Boniface the thirde the head or beginner of this tyrannie or that I may vse the words of Gregorie the great himselfe the chiefe or head of Antichristianisme in so much that the Romishe popedome doth but onely sixtene yeares at the most goe before Mahumetisme or the turkishe religion But by what sleightes that monster hath vsurped and attayned this tyrannie who I praie you at this day can be ignorant vnlesse he be ignorant of histories or whose eyes Satan hath blinded yea seeing that this most holy father doth boast him selfe to be not the successor of Peter alone but of Paul also whose heads being cut off not so much by newes hang men as by the Pope himselfe he ingraueth in these his leaden seales it must needs be either that afterward two heads were growen into one whose authoritie afterward passed for sooth to this successor of them both or els that neither Peter nor Paule were this onely vniuersal ministeriall head except he woulde rather acknowledge that the catholique churche hath had at the beginning two heades vppon the earth But what say I that I may speake nothing here of so many Antipopes or Popes one against an other when as Liberius and Damasus at one and the same time as all men affirme obtayned that seate of Rome where was then that one vniuersall head And let these thinges be sufficiently spoken touching the deliuerie of that spirituall sworde from hand to hand And as concerning that other sworde which they call secular or politique wherewith they haue ouerthrowen all magistracie From whence I pray you do they take the beginning of this iurisdiction for though we shoulde beleeue that fable of the donation or gyfte of Constantine to be as true as it was shamelesly fayned yet truely it shal not be set from the apostles but frō the emperor neither yet graunted by Christ or by Peter but by men Which thing notwithstanding was neyther lawfull for Constantine to do nor for the Bishoppe of Rome to receaue although it had beene willingly offered him Wherefore if they shall of their owne authoritie requyre agayne these two feathers the churche those former to wit the ecclesiasticall gouernement and Kinges and Princes these latter to wit ciuill iurisdiction and authoritie both which in their time shall come to passe this fellow will then appeare not the head of the church but an vnfeathered cuckow And these things concerning this head haue I put down in few words because they haue of late by them of our side verie plentifully both out of the worde of God out of the truest histories of former times to be short out of the testimonies of the Popes thēselues ben manifestly declared and plentifully proued Now the head of this succession being cut off That there can be noe Apostolicall succession in the Cardinalles Metrapolitanes Primates or Archbishops what shall the rest of the body be but a roteen and stinking carkas Truely them selues are compelled to confesse that the next degree vnto this head to wit the order of cardinalles as it is nowe cannot be set from the more auncient time There follow primates and Archbishoppes for scarce the verie name of Patriarkshippe is yet remayning and Mahomet at the length hath ended the matter incontrouersie which firste arose betweene the [a] That is those foure men that tooke vppon them the gouernment of the vvhol world he meaneth the foure Patriarches to wit Hierusalem Alexandria Constātinople Rome Quartumvi i and afterwards betweene the [a] That is the fiue mē that toke vppon them the gouernement of the world Quintumuiri Therefore the Nicene councell it selfe doth not refer the beginning of these offices to the word of God or Apostolicall institution eyther written or not written but to ancient custome So that neither can this succession be thought to be Apostolicall The degree of Bishopps wherin they are exalted aboue the rest of the Ministers or Pastors was vnknowen to the Apostles and therfore that there is no Apostolicall succession therof There rest yet Bishoppes so called of them to wit which are set in euerie diocesse aboue ministers for the other inferiour orders these pleaders of succession nothing esteeme whose onely succession neuerthelesse hath some shew of Apostolicall succession But it maye plainely apeare out of the firste Epistle to the Corinth not onely that there was no suche degree of Bishops ordeyned by the Apostles as immediatly afterward was brought into the Church after the times of the apostles neither that ther was any such allowed of the Apostle to wit that ther should be one degree of a bishop and an other of a minister or that some man should be called a Bishoppe not in respect of a flock but in respect of his fellow elders For who doubteth but that the Apostle woulde haue gyuen this counsel vnto the Corinthians or himselfe woulde haue perfourmed it or haue attributed it to Caephas or Apollo if which thing Hierome hath written to Euagrius and in his commentaries vpon the first Epistle to Titus he had iudged this remedie profitable much more necessarie for the brydling of Schismes But whether it were lawfull to ordayne this degree in the Church or not for of this I like not nowe to dispute that thing is not only apparant out of Hierom vpon the epistle to Titus the Bishops are greater than ministers rather by custome than by the truth of the Lords appoyntment But also by witnesses which these men as greater than all exception are accustomed to alleadge as Lucius the Pope Clement the second Anacletus vnlesse their Epistles be rather counterfaite which yet these men cite for authenticall Lombard in his fourth booke of sentences the 24. distinct Gratian and to be short Cardinall Cusan in his booke of the vniuersall vnitie Platina in the life of Pope Bonifacius the third al which plainly witnesse that all this Hierarchicall or priestlike gouernment aboue ministers was deuised by men after the example of the Roman empyre that is to say that it is the true Imag◠of the beast described in the reuelalion of Iohn Reuel 13.1 Reuel 14.9 For whose cause some in the beginning also did trauaile which ment not to performe that which afterward insued The thing it selfe in fine taught vs that it was a matter of great importance to decline euen but a nailes bredth from the word of God The conclusion of the disputation touching the succession of persons sundred from the succession of
matter say that the Church of Christe is a schoole in which the worde of the Lorde is not onely barely to be read as out of the letter written but also to bee taught that it maye bee rightly vnderstoode and so to be taught that exhortations corrections and consolations both openly and priuately maye bee vsed which in Paul is vnderstoode by the name of Prophecying Rom. 12.6 Moreouer this also wee adde which thing ought here chiefly to bee marked that the interpretation of those scriptures are to be set no where else then out of the scriptures themselues not onely because the word of God is able to giue credite to it selfe but also because that trueth is reuealed vnto vs no where els then in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles For that saying of Austen is well knowen and is most true That the scripture is to be expounded by the scripture Neither shall it irke me heere to put downe that nonotable place out of the 49. Homelie of the imperfect worke vpon Mathew because it agreeth altogeather with our times He that will know saith he which is the true Church of Christ let him not know it but onely by the scriptures And by and by after Christians therefore beeing willing to receiue the certainetie of true fayth let them flie to nothing but to the scriptures otherwise if they shall haue respect to other thinges they shall stumble perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by this meanes they shall fall into the abhomintaion of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the Church But to whom shall belong will these men say the interpretation of scriptures Verily all be not Prophetes all be not teachers But againe Esay Esay as crieth that both Priestes and Prophetes haue erred in their vision neither would Christ haue admonished Math. 16.6 Math. 23.2 That the leauen of the Pharises should be auoyded if we shoulde without exception haue consented vnto them That sit in Moses chayre Neither should the false Prophetes be eschued if all the Prophetes did speake the truth neither would Caiphas and the whole Synode of the Priestes haue condemned Christ if the holy Ghost had beene tried without exception to those that sit in Aarons seat What then Antiquitye or noueltye maketh nothing at all to instruct men to discerne the true interpretation of scripture from the false Let these men therefore heare at length that which we haue so often times cryed out vnto deafe men to wit that we do not simply reiect neither the old nor the new counsels whether they be particular or generall vnlesse they be plainly theeuish that we do not simply refuse neither old nor new writers vnles they be manifestly either superstitious or ridiculous or by cōmon consent abrogated That we doe not simply cast from vs the writings neither of auncient nor new writers whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Laicall as these men call them for God is no accepter of persons and often times euen by the basest sorte he confoundeth the pride of the most wise vnlesse they be plainly wicked superstitious or foolishe But this onely we require which the most learned and euery the most religious of the old writers monish carefully to be don to wit that all these thinges should be diligently examined according to the rule of the written word of God For antiquitie and authoritie of those that wryte may in deed set some collour of truth vpon falshood but that it shoulde be true which disagreeth neuer so little from the writings of the Prophets and Apostles that truely it can neuer bring to passe Furthermore The Creeds of the ancient Synodes the iudgement of the fathers against heretiques are at no hand reiected by vs yea rather they are strongly defended against aduersaries although not as yeelding credite themselues experience it self more than sufficiently declareth that there haue beene long time since builded vpon the foundation layd by the Apostles not onely bay and stubble but also yron and rust to be short lies vppon trueth All which thinges muste at the length be consumed by the light and fire of Gods word Now least these men shoulde agayne complaine that what soeuer hath bene established by counsell after consell in the auncient Churche shoulde by this meanes be called into doubt we confes that we doe acknowledge the Créedes which were alwayes approoued by the common consent of the whole Church to wit the Creed of the Apostles Nice Athanasius his creed the creed of Constantinople Chalcedon togeather with the curses pronounced in the second counsel of Ephesus againste Nestorius And that we both with mouth and hart detest al heresies which either by open or secret consent of the whole Church were out of the word of God condemned in those 4. councels and also ouer throwen in the fifth and sixth councels of Constantinople And all other heresies whatsoeuer which afterwarde eyther newlye sprong vp or are newly polished not that the truth hangeth vpon any Synods or Creedes but because we acknowledge that the thinges which are prescribed and established in them The conclusion of the disputation of the true Christ who is the only true perpetual and absolute necessary note of the true Church may be rightly iudged by the writings of the prophets and Apostles so far of is it that we take away the authority of the church or dispise the consent of the godly either ancient or new writers which thing our aduersaries falsly shamlesly obiect vnto vs. Now the summe of al these things is this that Christ is the true perpetual necessary to be short the onely marke of the Church yea I say the true Christ that is suche a one as he from the beginning hath most perfectly touching the matter and maner of saluation reuealed him selfe both in the writings of the prophets and of the Apostles Mat. 12.13 For that saying standeth sure He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad and that saying 1. Pet. 2.7 that christ is that corner stone of the foundation vppon whome the whole building riseth vp And that onely head which ministreth vnto his body that is vnto the true catholique Church al féeling and mouing To be short Iohn 10.7 Iohn 14.6 Iohn 11.25 he is the dore the way the resurrection and the lyfe Therfore whersoeuer that word is heard as it ought to be there in deed Christe raigneth and where Christe raigneth there in deed we iudge the Catholique visible Churche to be neither tied to any certaine place nor vnto the multitude for where that dead carkas is Mat. 24.28 to wit Christe crucified there be those Egles there is saluation Act. 4.12 where that onely name is in which we must be saued there be the children of light where that sonne shineth there be the true sheepe Where the voyce of that sheepeheard is heard Mat. 18.20 although two or three onely throughout all the world
haue polluted the Sacrament of Baptisme with infinite corruptions And that they haue taken awaye euen at the firste one Element of the Supper of the Lorde And whilst that afterwarde by a more than abhominable wickednesse chaunging that Sacrament into that detestable propitiatorie Sacrifice they haue vtterly taken awaye all that holy action and therefore openly haue by violence pulled away the seale of the couenant of the new Testament To be shorte that they haue by as many false Sacraments as it pleased them to deuise taken to them selues the authoritie of Iesus Christe oure onely lawe gyuer Therefore what parte of Gods worde haue not these men corrupted or rather cleane taken away And then where is that onely true perpetuall and necessarye marke of the Catholique Churche Where is that Seede whiche beeing taken away the spreading of the Church also vppon earth muste needes be taken away Now if the question be touching that Ecclesiasticall gouernement that I may speake some what more fully of this matter than heretofore I haue done what I beseeche you can a man finde in the Popishe cleargie but that Image of the beast Hath not this high Bishoppe succeeded the other high Byshoppe of Rome which was wont to be therin the hyre of the Gentiles What say I Hath not that Romishe Pope snatched to him selfe by occupying nowe at the laste and in some ages here to sore by sittinge in Rome the verye name and all the authoritie of the verie Emperour of Rome For the thinges whiche yet remayne there beeing Reliques not so muche of the Romaine empire as of the Germane kingdome and gouernment what are they more I pray you but a bare shewe and name not onely because the emperours themselues doe of their owne accord at this day worship the féet of this beast but also because he suffereth not so much as one of his false cleargie to be subiect to any secular power as they call it yea rather who perceiueth not this wicked fellow not contented with this so great wickednesse to be the very same person whom Paul fore told should sit after the empire of Rome was destroyed In the temple of God 2. Thes 2.4 and exalt him selfe aboue all that is called God For is not this he that openly affirmeth that he muste bee iudged of no man no not of the Aungelles Who if his price be giuen him boasteth that he can open both heauen and hell who at his pleasure openly breaketh all lawes both of God and men who also more than once with in these few yeares hath vndone lawes established by nature it selfe which wickednesse also the prophane city of Rome in time here to fore in the raigne of Claudius the emperor abhorred who hath sold euen for a farthing those very canons whose name was wont to make a fraide the ignorant people And as for those purpled Cardinals what other thing are they than an Image not of the auncient senate of Rome but of that senate which serued the emperors and deuiding the gouernement betweene them but who is so ignorant of the state of Rome that doth not perceiue that that distribution of gouernments is a picture of the empire of Rome ouerthrown which thing also the Bishops of Rome themselues and the writers that be addicted to them do witnesse And as concerning other ecclesiasticall functions such as they were ordained of Christ by his Apostles what doth there remaine among them but most vayne names and bare titles For the office of a bishop which in the beginning that is while the Churche florished was as Hierome also witnesseth nothing els but the office of an elder whilst euen immediatly after the time of the Apostles it proceeded to those heights of dignities or as they them selues speake prelacies of which we haue before spokē is now a good while ago wholly vanisht awaye amongest them Nowe what is it with them to bee a minister Is it to be appointed to feede some flocke Is it to haue the ouersight of manners and to beare rule in the Censures of the Church No in deede but to haue aucthoritie to offer Christ agayn What is it to bee a Deacon Is it to take charge of the goodes of the Church and righty to dispence them to the ministers and the poore and to render an account of that which is receiued and layde out Fye fie for this except alwais the yéelding of accounts is rather the onely chiefe and common office to all of the whole Popish clergie specially of the Pope himselfe and that so openly and so carefully indéede or couetously rather exercised that they exact euen of those that bee deade manye yeeres before a greate Tribute and vnto them that be aliue they doe not fréely giue anye thing though neuer so little Therefore there is no suche eyther Byshoppe or Minister among them as the apostle alloweth of and as for Deacons not so muche as one at all And yet these bee the men that obiecte vnto vs the succession of the Apostles And if so bee that that one olde Canon so often times repeated in the aunciente Synodes and altogether agreeable to the woorde of God did preuaile to wit that that ordination which is boughte by money that I may omit the principall parts of a iust ecclesiastical calling that is to say trial and election ioined with the free consent of the whole Churche which are wholly abolished by them if a man consider the thing it selfe should be iudged I say altogether void what marke of Apostolicall ordination shall there bee founde amongst them vnlesse happelye they meane that it is one and the selfe same thing to mocke at the order instituted by the Apostles and to keepe that Order diligently which hath beene deliuered frō hand to hand and vnlesse they wold prooue that lawfull and currant coyne were to be knowen from counterfeit mony by the bare image grauen vpon it and not rather by the matter it selfe especially as often as they shewe the same image to both parties To be short therefore what maner of one is that Catholique church in which in steed of true Christ a most false idoll at least wise in respect of his office is set vp and where in steed of Gods pure word partly the traditions of men and partly the traditions of the Deuill are placed and where also in steed of succession Apostolicall ordination nothing hath place all most but most manifest and detestable euen to the Deuill him selfe as it were both bying and selling of soules redéemed by the blood of Christ in so muche that they woulde haue it to be accounted an vnlawfull thinge to searche into these matters yea so farre haue they procéeded that they would cōdemne men though their cause be not heard yf high treason against God and man wheras on the other side if a man should graunt these things there shold be nothing so wicked so blasphemous and so horrible to be thought which a man might
they shall proue that there are more wise men than fooles Now then I thinke it doth sufficiently appeare that by this bare successiō which they brag of that true catholike church wherein we must abyde cannot be discerned from the false Churche from which we ought of necessitie to depart But yet before that we conclude this place we muste refell an argument which these Sophisters would haue to be deemed such a one as cannot be ouercome For say they Hovv the fathers vsed the argumēt of personall succession the fathers so dispute from the succession of bishoppes against auncient heretiques But againe what can be more corrupt than this subtle kind of reasoning for this is that which is well knowne euen to children which they are wount to call an elench [a] The fallacie of composition or diuision is a false conclusion made by a wrong application of wordes alleadged or spoken referring that to one which is alleadged or spoken to an other or a fallacy of composition and diuysion First therfore I deny that any of the auncient fathers were mynded to vse the recitall of Bishops but to haue recourse rather euen to the Apostles And why so that the authoritie of doctrine rather than of persons shoulde be mainteined But these men obiect vnto vs the succession of their bishops not in déede bishops so far letting passe the mention of that Apostolicall doctrine that they woulde haue it accounted a wicked thing to demaund it at his handes that woulde proue him selfe to succeed the auncient byshoppes Now I pray you howe many authors of blasphemies haue sit in those chiefe seates of Alexandria Antioche Constantinople yea what seat will these men shew me somewhat more famous where some hereticall bishops haue not helde their seate And as touching the Romish chayre from which these men by a rottē coard hang the catholique church Honorius the [a] Monothelites were certain heretiks about the yeare 565 who affirmed that there vvas but one will and one action in Christ denying that ther was in him two naturall willes and actions which might aunsvvere to his two natures Monothelite openly condemned of the sixt general councell and priuately of Agatho another Roman Bishoppe And Iohn the 22. thinking euill touching the soule of man in like manner condemned of the colledge of Sorbon in Paris were sounde to haue sit in that seate To let passe [a] Liberius for ambitions sake fell into the Arrian heresie Liberius [b] He while Siluerius the Pope liued by the ayde of Belisarius the captaine of the Emperors armie obteined the popedome Vigilius and [c] He meaneth of Anastasius the 2. who fell into the heresie of Arrius and Eutiches which heresies Acatius also him selfe did propound about the yeere 484. Anastasius whom I see of some to be excused although Gratian. 2. Disti 19. reckeneth this last also as an Acatian heretique amongst the condemned Popes But if any man would obiect that these are blotted out of the number of Byshops and therfore are not comprehended in that title or role of succession yet this he shal be inforced to graunt vs to wit that the succession of the seat of Rome was then at the least broken of when these were therefore blotted out which persons notwithstanding they themselues as yet number in their Catologue because they had declined from the Apostolicall doctrine Whervpon followeth that which Tertulian rightly affirmeth that religion ought to be proued or tried not by the persons Tertulian but the persons by religion But here truly I confesse that I do somwhat ouershoot my self for seeing the question is of doctrine what doth this appertaine to the Byshops of the Churche of Rome whome all Christendome knoweth nowe so manye yeeres to haue beene for nothing lesse carefull then for anye doctrine eyther true or false but onely for to establishe and enlarge theire owne tyrannie But they will say no man hath condēned these Popes I confes it For who would haue taken to himself this lawful authority against their tiranny who had perswaded all men that they ought to be iudged of none Therefore there hath bene not of late onely but many ages together not an interruption but a full abruption or renting of the succession of Rome from the body of the catholique true church except peraduenture these men iudge that it is something lesse eyther to belleeue nothing or to teache nothing than to be an Heretique And I beséeche you what impudencie is this True doctrine ought to go before true succession to haue the knowledge of trueth to hang vpon succession wheras on the contrary these men themselues can not deny but that the trueth ought necessarily to go before succession And these Sophisters The Christian church in the time of Christe coulde not be knovvne by the succession of Persons if they had bene in the times of Christ by what Bishoply succession would they haue acknowledged the true church surely not by the title or name of the Leuiticall high priests because that priesthood was then at an end and Christ cannot be called the successour of Aaron vnlesse Iudaisme be agayne established wherefore also he is sayd to be made a high priest Heb. 7.16.17 not according to the order of Leui but according to the order of Melchisedec Therefore the holy men at that time acknowledged the Catholique church without the marke of personall succession to wit by the comparison of the doctrine of the Prophetes with the doctrine of Christe him selfe and the Apostles Which is so farre true that on the contrarye none haue lesse acknowledged Christe than they that haue cleaued to a Byshoply succession Therefore that personall succession is no true and perpetuall marke of the Catholique Church These men happely beeing driuen from the Leuiticall succession will againe obiect another succession from the Prophetes But neyther so shall they speake the truth if they sticke in the persons them selues for the succession of Prophetes was not perpetuall no more than the succession of Priests yea rather it was broken of a long time especially after Malachie They wil also obiect vnto vs that saying Mat. 23.2 The Scribes Pharises sit in Moses chaire But agayne they shold remember the same Christ to haue said Take heed of the leauen of the Pharisees Mat. 16.6 And therefore by that saying of Christ we are not called backe to a succession of persons but to a succession of doctrine But I haue besides an other thing more peremptorye as they them selues speake to aunswere againste that in which these men falsly boast themselues to followe the authoritie of the Fathers in discrying the church by which thing also their wilines may more and more be made manifest I denie therefore The auncient fathers vsed not the argument of personall succession against all heretiques that any of the auncient fathers haue at any time made mention of this succession but either against Schismatiques whilest
yet a lawfull succession remayned as it was done against the Donatistes or againste them whiche brought forth new bookes of our religion as were in the beginning almost an infinite nūber as [a] I suppose that he speketh here of Simō Magus mentioned in Act. 8. of whom many thinges are writtē in the old writers specially he affirmed that Christe was not come neither suffered any thing of the Iewes but that he himself was Christ Simon [b] He amongst other things taught that Christ the sonne of God tooke not mans flesh of the virgin but that he had a spirituall or heauēly body which passed thorow the virgin Marie as water thorovv a pipe or Conduit He vvas about the yeere 150. Valentine [c] He affirmed that Christ appeared not in the substance of flesh but in a phantasticall body that one Simon vvas crucified in his steede about the yeare 124. Basilides [d] He taught that Christe vvas not very man and that he ascended into heauen vvithout his flesh and first made lavves for abstinence from meates and marriages hee vvas in the yeare 180. Montane to conclude the whole troup of most shamelesse men After this sort the Fathers of right iudgement gathered and reserued against these Such as pretended to be inspired vvith reuelations The Messalian heretiques vvere so called who affirmed that baptisme and the Lords supper did neither profit nor hurt but that those whiche gaue themselues to prayer onely or sleeping should be inspired vvith the spirite vvhich being once receyued aftervvards they had no need of the word or any other exercise of godlines but that he that vvas so inspired vvas altogether vvithout sinne and did foresee thinges to come and did sometimes behold God with their eies Enthusiasts saying If your doctrine be true eyther there hath not beene euer yet anye churche or the doctrine which you alleage is old and ancient But that both these thinges are false appeareth by that both because the apostles haue gathered together the churche of Christe and you teach your doctrines as taken not out of the writings of the Apostles but as newely reuealed vnto you by the holy ghost And agayne sayd the fathers both these things appeare by that that we count the beginnings of our churches by ascending vpward euen to the Apostles themselues but you could not haue receiued from the Apostles your thinges which ye first deuised Here remained one thing which the moste subtile of those moste fantasticall persons obiected to wit that all things were not reuealed to the apostles and therfore that men ought to beleeue their reuelations also But Tertulian whom I maruail could afterward be deceiued which Montanus holy ghoste most plentifully and strongly confuteth this prescription shewing that the Lord hath neither kept backe any thing from the apostles the chiefe builders of his church nor agayn that the apostles haue concealed any of those things which they had receiued of Christe After this sort I say the fathers vsed the argument of the succession of persons agaynste those heretiques altogether by demonstration as it were But they vsed it not in like sorte against the [a] So called of Paulus Samosatenus vvho denied the sonne of God to haue descended from heauén but that Christ did proceed from Marie in the earth hee was about the yeare 372. Samosatans [b] So called of one Sabellius who taught that there was but onely one person in the godhead confessed that the trinity was distincted in respect of names only not in respecte of persons He was about the yeare 320. Sabellians [c] So called of one Arrius who affirmed that the Son was not truly naturally God neither coeternall with the father but to haue had a beginning to be made of nothing he was about the yere 320 Arrians [d] So called of one Pellagius who held free will and that euery man might obtayne saluation by his owne workes that infants were borne vvithout originall sin and that Adam hurt himselfe onely by his fall He vvas about the yeare 466. Pelagians to be short againste anye with whome the questyon was not of the very bookes but of the meaning because this had beene verie foolishe Briefly therfore I answere these two thinges that the auncient Fathers whose authoritie these men shameleslie abuse haue neither at any time seperated the succession of their bishops from the succession of the Apostolical doctrine nor haue set this succession against any other heretiques but against those of whom some new reuelation was pretended As at this day of the [a] They mayntaine amongest other errors reuelations and take avvay the baptisme of infants Anabaptistes [b] They casting a side all feare of God vvhat so euer hold that men may lyue as they list Libertines [c] So called of one Casper Svvingfeldius vvho held the same matters that the Anabaptistes do Swingfeldians And therefore for as muche as now the controuersie is betwixt the Romanistes and vs for two thinges onely to wit for the interpretation of the Scripture and whether the wrytinges of the Prophetes and Apostles doe most fully contayne what so euer we ought to beleeue it is prooued that they in the first point impudently abuse the example of the fathers in alleadging against vs the argument of succession and in the other is ministred vnto vs a sure weapon to confute them And that this succession also was alleadged against the Donatistes as Schismatickes this nothing toucheth vs whom these men account not properly for Scismatickes but for heretiques of which thing notwithstanding we will say some thing in his proper place a That the false church of Rome is not onely not propped vp by the argument deriued frō the personal succession of the apostles but also ouerthrown although the questiō be not of the doctrine But go to let vs gratify them a litle and which thing may be done without any preiudice of the trueth Let vs graunt vnto these men how much force soeuer they can imagine of that their personall succession What shall this I besech you help their cause b That there vvas neuer any Apostolicall vniuersall ministeriall head and therefore that his succession is not Apostolicall For that we may begin at the highest step of their Hierarchie or priestlike gouernement as they call it that is at that vniuersall mynisteriall head vnto whome they afterwarde appropriated the name of Pope which before was common to all Bishoppes they shal as easely finde the Diuell him selfe in the kingdome of God as any such head either in the bookes of the◠newe Testament or in the auncient church For verie children know this how false folish and absurd arguments they be whatsoeuer they bring out of the scriptures to proue the same And as concerning the history of that auncient purer church that is to say in this behalfe verelie euen to the tymes of that manslaier Phocas they shall finde
ordination should be iudged of no force who hath not bene lawfully examined and chosen That no Pastors are ordeyned by the laying on of handes but being alredy ordeined are put into the possession of their office and commended vnto God and they that ordeyne suche to be subiect also to very gréeuous punishment And therefore they doe vainely challenge vnto them selues that which is no where found amongst them Moreouer this also they should know that Pastours are not made by the laying on of hands but being ordeined by a lawfull calling which is the voyce of God are so commended and put into the possession of the ministery For wheras they recken this ceremony of laying on of handes amongst sacramentes by the same reason that they recken baptisme and the supper of the Lord we say that it is altogether a vaine dotage seeing there is no expresse commaundement of that ceremonie extant neither is there ioyned vnto it any sacramentall promise neyther doe we reiect eyther this ceremony or iudge to bee vnprofitable the prayers of the church commending and as it were offering vnto God the Pastor that hee hath sent them for the sending of God is a lawful calling But here surely it falleth out with these hypocrites as it hath in other things also to wit that those things being omitted in which a true calling consisteth that is to say the trial of doctrine and of life and a lawfull election of the whole Church they sticke in the outward ceremonie whiche ceremonie also they haue defiled with infinit vicelike rites that I may let passe that horrible sale of benefices and treading vnderfoote of the old cannons made touching the multiplication of benefices as they call them and touching ordination by ouer leaping as they speake of inferior orders And yet notwithstanding they themselues are not ignorant that by the ful consent of the ancient Synodes not onely ordination but also other better parts of a calling are by the meanes iudged of no force That euen a lawfull ordination is not a perpetuall and altogether a necessarye marke of the true church eyther Catholique or particular But goe too let vs put the cafe also that all these men were both lawfullye chosen and ordeined Shal therfore their congregation be the catholique church or not rather a denne of théeues if in abusing their calling they turne lighte into darkenesse and perfourme this one thing alone to make slaues to Sathan the sheepe that shoulde bee brought to Christe And yet if forsooth the head of his false Church doe this as what els I pray you doth he he will not endure this that he may be iudged of any mortall man For so these men haue beene bolde nowe a long time not onely to speake but also to write And if this bee playnely to play the Antichrist what is this Catholique Church I beseech you of which Antichrist is the head Wherefore The conclusion of the whole former disputation of the personal succession ordination that I may at the length conclude this place I suppose that these two thinges doe nowe sufficiently appeare that neither a base succession of persons nor the obseruation of an outwarde vocation is that necessarye and perpetuall marke of the true Churche which the Logitians call proper after the [a] That is whiche agreeth to euery one of the kind onely to the kind and always to the kinde as to be apt to laugh agreeth to all men to men only and alwaies to them and to euerye particuler of that kinde fourth sort Neither although it shoulde be so doe these things at any thing at al belong to the Church of Rome such as now it is that is vnto the Popedome but rather what argumēts soeuer conuince the Churche of Antichrist the same doe so euidently appeare in this Harlot that he that would not acknowledge flye from and detest her as an adultresse forsaken of her husbande truelye A true definition of the true church and a proper necessary and perpetuall marke of the same must either nothing regarde these things or else be without all vnderstanding Nowe because we haue determined not onely to set out the false markes which thinges wee suppose wee haue done but also to poynte out as it were with the finger the true and proper markes of the Church Go to let vs attempt this latter point We say therefore that a true definition of a true Church eyther particularly or vniuersally considered is that by which it is said to be a congregation that confesseth the true Iesus Christe their onely sauiour For we say that Iesus Christe is that onely foundation of that true spirituall house of God Iesus Christ onely is the soule of that misticall bodie Iesus Christe onely is the square of that building The true Christe must be discerned from the false by the onely writinges of the Prophets Apostles The aduersaries will aunswere that they also acknowledge and preache the same thing Therefore we do adde seeing there be many false Christes that we dispute of the true Christe These men also will replie that they haue done and do the same In the third place therefore we adde that he is in deed the true Christ that hath most fully reuealed him selfe by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles And the mouth of the Prophetes and Apostles we interpret to be their authenticall writings wherin we affirme are most fully and moste perfectly comprehended all the pointes of the Christian faith partly plainely and partly by necessary consequences to be gathered thereof For we beléeue it to be as absurd that the true Christ must therefore be perfectly knowne by the writings of the Apostles prophets because they did fully and plainly both knovv and teach the whole Christian religion and the same Prophetes and Apostles do yet in their writinges teach it vnto vs. to thinke that the Apostles were ignorant of some thing of the misteries of christianitie or not to haue reuealed all thinges vnto the worlde both which Tertulian hath iustly accounted verie greate pointes of madnesse as not to haue put in writing all things necessarie to saluation or to be short not so to haue put them downe that either they should not be plaine inough of them selues or if any thing be written somewhat more obscure their true interpretation shoulde be els where sought than out of their very writings But here we haue the aduersaries manifestly disagreeing from vs yet not al neither those which like shamelesnesse For there be that graunt both these thinges that is to say that the Apostles knew perfectly all the doctrine of saluation and taught all the same most faithfully vnto the Church which thing in deed they iustly graunt for as much as Christ him selfe in the 15. of Iohn and the 16.13 witnesseth this in most plaine wordes And Paule in the 21.27 of the Actes Galathians 1.8 Hehrews 1.1 otherwise it shold be false at least in some
part which the same Apostle speaketh to wit That the Church is builded vppon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles And that which he witnesseth of the holy scriptures 2. Timot. 3.16.17 Moreouer that shall be false to which the same Apostle saith That the Churche is the piller of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Vnlesse all truth beeing ingrauen in that piller should be manifest Other some more shamelesse suppose there is left vnto these men whom they call the successours of the Apostles I know not what excellent thing and that they doe affirme so assuredly that they hold they can not be deceiued in that matter whose opinion I suppose néedeth not at this time amongst men of sound iudgement any confutation But in the ouerthrow of these two latter and especially of the last point I perceiue that all these men VVhat we ought to think of the vnwritten word are altogether of one opinion against vs. For they vrge I knowe not what vnwritten worde which they call Apostolicall traditions And verely I do not vnwillinglie graunt vnto them that all thinges were not seuerally put downe in wryting according to the circumstances of times place and persons which were obserued either by the Apostles or by their consent in the very forme and order of the seruice of God But who wil graunt that we must thinke the same of the decrees of the verie doctrine it selfe Finally when the aduersaries are bidden to bring forth what these pointes be then that lying spirit bewraieth himselfe because those thinges which they will haue deliuered from hand to hand could neither by word nor writinges haue bene deliuered by the Apostles but they should dissent from themselues But euen al the fathers of sound iudgement haue iudged farre other wise of the most excellent and moste sound perfection of the holy scriptures with whose testimonies being a thousand times alleadged I thought it not good now to fill these leaues There remayneth the question to be handled The interpretation of the vvritten vvord is not else vvhere to be fet then from the vvorde it selfe to wit by comparing of the places one vvith another and out of the analogie or proportion of the articles of our fayth touching the interpretation of the scripture Which truely is so tossed to and fro by these men that they cannot eschew the sinne of blasphemie There be I confesse some places of the scripture partly through the ignorance of tongs partly also throgh other faults of our owne so dark vnto vs euen vntil this day that as yet euen the most learned interpreters and such as be of best cōscience cannot thoroughly agrée what should be the proper natural meaning thereof There be some thinges also in the holy scriptures so profoundly spoken that euery one maye not lawfullye procéede so farre To be short there be some things also written in such terms that as Augustin saith it shold appeare the holy ghost would whet our diligence in the serching and meditating of them And vnlesse the necessarie points of doctrine and Christian religion were so playnely and clearly to be short so familiarly declared in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles that they may be the holy ghost being presēt amongst them whereby God lightneth all his sayntes manifestly vnderstoode in the Church to what end shoulde the Lorde haue sent his hearers to the scriptures Yea that more is to what ende haue both the Prophets and Christe himselfe also and the Apostles spoken if they would not haue these thinges to be vnderstood which all ought to know I will speake something more boldly which yet I hope I can proue VVe cannot by naturall vnderstanding knovv vvhat the pointes of Christian religion are but by the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles That we may consent vnto the points of Christian religion as vnto true groundes and muche more that wee may applye them vnto our selues it behooueth surely that wee shoulde haue our eares elsewhere opened a fleshly bea rt giuen vs to be short that we should elsewhere be taught tban of flesh and blood because the church is the congregation of them that must be taught of God to whome the arme of the Lord is reuealed Esai 53.1 and that men may vnderstand what the Prophetes and Apostles haue briefly thought and taught concerning euery article of our religion they haue neede not onely of a wit in some measure sharpened but also of the knowledge of tongues and of careful and diligent reading For it is one manner of thing to vnderstande what this or that man sayth then so to vnderstand the things which thou doest perceiue that thou also approue of them Comprehension knowledge and full perswasiō must be distinguished in the holy scriptures of which that to wit comprehension is naturall the other is in deede spiritual but also commō to many reprobates The third is proper to the children of God and not onely that thou vnderstand what the thing is but also wherefore it is and comprehension is another thing than knowledge euen in prophane matters and agayne in matter of diuinity this knowledge is another thing than full perswasion therefore comprehension belongeth vnto all men that are endued with some iudgement and vnto knowledge there is required also an outwarde lightning of Gods spirite by reason of the blindenes of mans iudgment which gift notwithstanding is common as well to many euil as to many good men But ful perswasion doth seperate the chosen children of God from the castawayes and is the proper riches of the Saintes Therefore we require In what points we doe at this day dissent when the question is demaunded touching the interpretation of Gods word the exposition of the worde of God not onely as profitable but also as necessary yet not for the same cause as these mē thinke neither yet wil wee fet it from the place frō whome these men suppose we wil take it for they think that that worde is so darkly deliuered that as thogh it were some darke thing it should neede light fetcht elsewhere then from it selfe and when we demand of them from whence at the length this light should be fet thē they lay vnto vs the vizard or bare shewe of the Catholique Church vnder which name somtimes they lay before the ignorant these or those of the Fathers sometimes the fragments of particular or general counsels to bee short they lay before them very often long custom for an argument that cannot bee refused to which thinges if a man doe not forthwith consent he is now layde open to the slaughter of the outragious people no knowledge of his cause beeing had before as thogh he were guilty of some haynous crime committed against God or man wheras in times past he was condemned to bee burned vnder some certaine colour of law And in deede this is now their zeale But we that we may in one word declare all thinges which belong to this
shall be truely gathered together in his name And to speake in fewe wordes where that true seede is sowen there is the Lords field and there that haruest groweth which shall neuer be burned But againe because it falleth out partly thorough the weaknesse of mans wit euen in the moste excellent men partly through the wickenesse or negligence of the pastors that scarce at any time since the time of the Apostles the doctrine of Christ hath beene so preached in the Church but that some blemish hath priuely crept in which thing appeareth to bee done euen by the Epistles of the Apostles and that whilest they also were liuing Finally because the Lord hath apointed not onely that the worde shoulde be taught but also that it shoulde not be taught of euery man And for this cause hath appointed certaine lawes touching this order I must here again declare two things to wit how farre it shoulde be necessarie that that onely marke of the true Church that is to say the preaching of Gods worde shoulde be pure and how much we should giue to the ordination and succession of the Pastors themselues Therefore How farre it is necessary that the doctrine of fayth should be pure in the Church that the Church eyther particular or general may be a true church as touching that former point I put downe three thinges One is that although there be nothing set out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures which is not most profitable and verie necessary as it were vnto saluation yet there are certaine chiefe points and as it were grounds of our religion which are to be discerned from the rest The second point is that there haue beene some matters which in times past haue beene rudimentes of the Catholique Churche and may in other times also be rudiments of some particular churches yet for all that those points cease not to belong to the true Churche The third is that the religion and marke of the Churche either vniuersall or particular is not to be measured by some thing that this or that Pastor teacheth by worde or writing neither by that that some sheepe by them selues haue thought this Or by the disputations of some whether they be many or few but by that doctrine which is commonly receiued in the Churches so that it be agreable to the word of God That all the points of christian religion are not of the foundation thereof Now because these questions are called into controuersie go to let vs confirme them by sure reasons examples As touching the firste the thing it selfe sheweth that there may be variaunce touching some things yet the soundation of christian religion remaine safe And againe some things cannot be taken away but that the whole building be vtterly ouerthrown He that denieth Christ to haue come in the fleshe Iohn 4.3 is not of God but is the spirit of Antichrist Therefore the companies of the * They denied Christ to haue come in the flesh Dochitae of the * The Marcionistes of whome he speaketh here did hold that Christ was not true man Marcionits and of such like be not the Church of Christe whereby it is prooued that the point touching both the natures of Christe is an article of Christian religion belonging to the foundation Againe the Churche of Ierusalem wherin who was better learned than Peter knew not the calling of the vncircumcised and yet what true Churche was there then in the worlde if the Church of Ierusalem were not it Therefore the point concerning the calling of the vncircumcised is not of it selfe of the points of Christian religion which concerne the foundation Therfore there is some difference betweene those thinges which are set forth vnto vs in the scriptures to be beléeued The second also may be prooued by a more euident example For who doubteth That there are some rudiments of particular Churches VVhich thing also in times past fall out in the Catholique church but that if euer there were any where a true and almost onely and wholy Catholique Churche that was Christes owne houshold being conuersaunt and that according to the fleshe with those his twelue disciples Who likewise is ignoraunt that the point of the resurrection the foundation wherof is the resurrection of Christ himselfe is of so great waight that the Apostle doth rightly pronounce that that beeing abolished the whole fruit of the Gospell shoulde be abolished but that very congregation could scarce beleue that Christ was yet risen And Thomas gaue not credite to his own very fellow disciples yea the disciples would not haue beléeued euen their owne verye eyes if the Lorde had not sayd Luke 24.39 VVe may not determine of the falshood or truth of any church by the doubting of either many or few A spirit hath not flesh and bones And that third thing is confirmed by the examples of the Churches of Achaia and Galatia which doubtlesse the Apostle would not haue called the churches of Christ and therefore true churches if hee had therfore thought that the church of Corinth had denied that article of the resurrection of the flesh the churches of Galatia had reiected the benefite of their liberty purchased by Christe because some in Corinth yea perhaps some of the pastors themselues did doubt of the poynte of the resurrection and the most part of the Galathians called backe agayn the vse of circumcision and other ceremonies seeing that yet notwithstanding Gal. 5.2 the same Paul sayth If ye be circumcised Christ doth profite you nothing and seeing that he affirmeth that those which vrged circumcision not of ignoraÌ„ce but of stubbornnes they were remoued alway vnto another gospel Gal. 1.6 Phil. 3.2 therefore he openly calleth theÌ„ Apostatates or fallers away and compareth them to Dogs that is to say to vncleane beastes But it is an other thing to erre through igâ—â—â—aunce than obstinately to resist the truth as wiful fellowes are wont Heresie which is without the Church if it be of some point of the religion that toucheth the foundation is an other thing than being deceiued or an error which requireth and suffereth it selfe to be taught To be shorte the Eclipse of the Sunne is an other thing than the absence of the same and the euening is an other thing than the darkenesse of the night yea the night it selfe which the day succeedeth is an other thing than the darknesse were Gen. 1.2 when they couered the depth These things then being put downe That some errours may creepe into the Catholique church yea and that in some point of faith which concerneth the foundation it shal be easie to iudge that euery error doth not take away the name of the true church and with al that to be most false which the aduersaries say to wit that the Catholique Church caÌ„not erre and yet that euery error doth not abolish the name of the Catholike Church For as touching this latter point if
of the true church heresies might be distinguished from errors and haye stubble from those things which eyther of themselues or by reason of the opinion of worship brought in are either vngodly or superstitious and yet that all the gouernours of the Chucch ought to vnderstand that as the alter was not in time past to be builded of stones garnished by the diligence of man neither yet that it was lawfull for them so much as to fasten a naile in the Tabernacle but according to the paterne which Moses had seene in the mount euen so now also all godly magistrates indeede and all true shepheards ought to endeuour that in restoring the temple of the Lord by so many means fallen down they shoulde not onely restore those thinges which haue beene ouerthrown by Antichrists but also that they should most diligentlye wipe awaye all euen the lightest spottes that haue proceeded from the same Antichrists although they be as it were waxen hard vpon the walles of the temple and that marking partly by the story of former ages and partly by the beholding of the present ruins of the Churche these former euils of Satan they should at no hand suffer themselues to be mocked by the allegation of the fragmentes of certaine of the auncient fathers or by any vayn shew of custom but rather that they should not leaue of vntill by doctrine both the Ceremonies and all the Ecclesiasticall gouernment also be apted not vnto some figuratiue Image of shew which was needful vnder the schoolemastership of the law but exactly framed according vnto the moste perfect paterne which the sonne of God him selfe by his owne mouth his Apostles after him haue moste perfectly set forth vnto vs in their writings But cōcerning this matter we wil elswhere speake more fully as I hope when we shal answere those notable meane men who reprehend vs as ouer seuere exactors of that work especially whē we shal seuerally answere vnto the writing of Cassander to the end al men may vnderstand that none more hinder the worke of the Lorde than these Samaritans VVhich be the principal points of the Catholique faith or religion Now because I sée some not yéelding vnto these things which we haue spokē in general cōcerning the fundamental or principall points of our religion again to demād what those shold be I answer that these articles are to be called grounds or principles which being laid the whole building remaineth which being ouer thrown al things builded therupon fall to the ground And al these things we profes to haue bene described with great shortnesse plainnes out of the word of God in the Créed which they cal the Apostles Which thing ought to be added to the ten commandements the Lords praier of the which that to wit the ten commaundements doth verie compendiously set out the order of Christian life and this that is the Lords praier doth very briefly also set out right inuocation and praier This I say is that fundamental true and perpetuall mark of the Catholike church which shall neuer bee blotted out vnto the worlds end but which neuerthelesse ought to be expounded out of the wrytings of the Prophets and Apostles frō whence it is taken that al men may vnderstand it and keepe it as much as in them lyeth Now the order of this exposition is 2. VVhat exposition of Catholique doctrine is required in the Church fold one more familiar which is necessary for al men an other more large and far more plentiful as we sée that the Apostles creed was afterwardes expounded by some other Creedes of the holy Synodes that heresies might bee met withall the Consciences established more and more in sound doctrine Therfore albeit that to the ende that some man might be a true member of Christ it be not necessary that he should most exactely vnderstande for what cause thinges are spoken and set downe and should know the determinations of disputations in diuinitie Yet euery one ought to know according to his capacitie what he doth beleeue and why he doth beleeue and not to rest in the deuilishe inuention of faith which they call vnfolded that is to beleeue as the Churche hath determined and to aske no further but to adde also vnto that familiar instruction the exposition of holy writings That the true yea the Catholique church hath more then once wanted an ordinary and lawful ministery and therefore that that ordinarie and lawfull ordination and succession of Pastors vvas for a time broken off of which Paul setteth before vs foure pointes 2. Tim. 3. to wit doctrine reproofe correction and comfort All which are by diligent Pastors and teachers publikely and priuately to be applied to the capacities of the beleeuers It remayneth that we declare howe much we ought to giue to personal succession and ordination We haue sayde that the onely true perpetuall and necessary marke of the catholique Church is that doctrine which diuersly and sundry maner of wayes first by worde and afterward by wrytings hath bene deliuered by the Prophetes and at the last most perfectly declared by Christe him selfe and that by his owne mouth and by his Apostles For this word as euen after Christe him selfe Peter sayth is that seede by which the Catholique Churche both at the beginning of the world appeared and by which also it shall continue euen vnto the ende of the world But seed is to no purpose except it be sowen and the Lorde who both vnder the olde and vnder the new Testament appoynted an order for the sowing of this seed by the ministry of men hath I say necessarily appointed this sowing for otherwise the spreading abroade of this Churche woulde quickly end to endure to the ende of the world Be it so truely Then thou wilt saye ordination also and succession of those persons is a true perpetuall and necessary mark of the catholike church agréeing altogether with that other to wit the mark of sowing So our aduersaries do conclude but falsly and foolishly For that I may let passe those two thinges already confuted by vs that is to say because they babble of the succession of persons omitting the succession of that Apostolicall doctrine Moreouer because that they propoūd an other succession than that which hath beene begun by the Apostles them selues either they do not see or they dissemble that they do see albeit the sowing also and the sowers are required no lesse than the seede to the tilling of this fielde of the Church that the same order hath not alwaies bene kept either of sowing the seed or of ordeyning them vnto whome this sowing is committed And this notwithstanding they ought to haue learned both by the fore tellings of the prophetes and also by the holy histories which things remaineth to be proued of vs. The Church therfore I confes was neuer without the worde of God But let these men also shew vs that there hath bene some one
lacke this by reason of many letts cast in the way but that to wit the worde it can neuer lacke although he that dispiseth that to wit the Sacrament despiseth both and therefore shall worthily bee iudged out of the Couenant What then truely the Church can neither at any time lack the séeds of the word neither the sowing nor the sowers but yet the sluggishnesse and wickednes of the Pastors chiefly hindereth that we cannot restraine both the sowing and the sowers to an ordinarie succession and calling And this thing falleth out by two meanes By one when the chayres or places be not empty but they which sit in them haue entred in either by the doore or by the window and do either wholly neglect their dutie or mingle cockell with seed or els sowe nothing but poyson as such was the state of the ancient catholique church vnder the moste parte of the vacant gouernments of the iudges afterwards in Iuda vnder the moste of the kings and at the length in the times of Christ being conuersant vpoÌ„ the earth By the other wheÌ„ as that ordinary both sowing and also ordinary calling of sowers ceaseth being for a time as it were more than halfe dead for we doe not acknowledge that these things can all together be abolished before the ende of the worlde and such was as we haue sayd the outwarde forme and face of the Church of the tenne Tribes and of the Catholique Church in the captiuitie of Babylon I say therefore that the very same thing hath some times thorow the iust iudgement of God fallen out in the Churche in respect of the sowing and the sowers which often times falleth out in the times of famine and warre to wit that there is vtterly no place for sowing Which when it coÌ„meth to passe al do not yet die but the hunger staruen that remaine are relieued by the fruits gathered in the haruest of the former yeares euen as heretofore in the times of Ioseph the Egiptians did sow nothing but in the very seuenth yeare of the famine So it behooued Daniell Ezechiell Zorobabell Ezra Nehemia and the remnaunt of the godly in Babylon when an ordinary ministry was wanting to be Prophetes and Pastors vnto themselues ioyning with most feruent praiers the continuall reading and meditation of the holy scriptures as in that story we reade to haue bene done vnlesse we woulde rather say that Moses and the other Prophetes whose wrytinges were then extant although they them selues were dead long a goe were notwithstanding their Pastors in this exile vntill the Lord in his time should haue mercy vpon Syon But amongest these breaches of the Church That the mark of succession and ordinarie vocation is nor abolished by euery fault that may fall out in the minister there is yet muche difference For where the Pastors doe their duties onely negligently or else offend only in manners neuertheles the double mark of the Church which is ordinary and to be séen remayneth By the double mark of the Church I mean the séed and the sowing and also ordination if so bee that these Pastors although negligent bee notwithstanding lawfully called And if they mingle only some leauen The leauen is to be taken beede off but the pastors notwithstanding are to be hard so farre foorth as they sit vppon the chayre not of Peter but of Christ neither doth such a congregation therefore ceasse to bee deemed as a member of the Catholique Churche or els the Catholique visible Church is no where although perhaps no other but negligent Pastors corrupt in maners and mixing some leauen be found throughout all the whole worlde Such were in the times of Christe the Pharisees and Saduces and the Doctors of the Lawe whose Leauen hee teacheth Math. 16.6 must bee auoyded which yet hee commaundeth to bee hearde Mat. 23.2.3 So long as they sit in Moses Chaire But this place peraduenture is not of euery one diligently inoughe marked for it is to bee noted oute of other places that the writinges of Moses and of the Prophetes were reade bee piecemeale in the Synagogues Which thing the Sections noted euen at this daye by a true order in the Hebrewe Bybles doe declare Nowe vnto this pure and sincere reading was added an interpretation full of Leauen of which sorte are these pointes which especiallye in Mathew are plentifully confuted by Christ Therefore Christ commaundeth those thinges to bee heard out of the Pulpit which were by custome syncerely recited out of Moses and the Prophetes in the Synagogues but the Leauen wherewith they did corrupt the puritye of Doctrine to be eschewed So it is not to bee doubted but that that outwarde Worshippe in the Temple was in the times of Christe diligently exercised without Idolatry which also Godly men did diligentlye perfourme although the right vse of the sacrifices and of the whole lawe was vtterly destroyed by the iusticiarie Pharisees and by the Sâ—duces which denied the resurrection that is to say the chiefe ende of sacrifices What maner of marchandize of high priestes office there was then and that againste the prescript of the lawe appeareth by historyes But this fault of persons in so great confusion of thinges did not abolishe the very facts of the priesthoode which did depend not vpon the priest but vpon the ordinance of God For there is some certain mean thing betweene men meerely pryuate and men lawfully called to wit when as some exercising the place of those that be lawfully called are either thorow ignoraunce or thorow winking at them borne with al and in their name execute some publique office as we read that it was ordayned in the lawe of the Romans concerning one Barbarius Philippus of which matter we haue in an other place spoken more fullye Therefore the Church in deed retayned and that in Pharisiisme and Saducisme hir note both of Gods seed and in some sort also of the very sowing thereof although it were some what defaced and yet neyther Pharisijsme nor Saducijsme was a parte of the sound Church But as often as euen openly In the Romish church such a one as now a good while it hath been all the notes of the true Catholique Church are not in some sort defaced onely but euen vtterly taken away as was foretolde by the Apostles the chayre of truth is vtterly destroyed so that on the one side syncere breade is not propounded vnto vs so that a man maye receiue it and on the other side some Leauen is so set before vs that a man may not reiect it but poysons are drunke to men vnwilling of the same who will account the congregation of these Wolues or of those which followe them for the true eyther Catholique or particular Churche Now I affirme that the Popedome that is to saie the Churche of Rome as at this daie they call it hath by little and little growen to be suche a one Seeing that those thinges beeing in deed fulfylled which both
not with their good leaue liking think speak and write But these men wil say although we were nothing lesse than we will séeme to be doth it followe that the name of Catholique Church which yee take frō vs doth agree vnto your Churches No verely Wherefore we haue in vayne now a long time agoe desired triall to be made by the matter it selfe That our Churches haue all the true markes of the Catholique Church and specially the pure vvorde of God if their bare deniall may be accepted We therfore affirme that the three notes of the Catholique Church to wit the seede of the written worde and the right and lawfull Ecclesiasticall calling and succession all which we haue restored are in our possession and stand on our side These things they stoutly deny In déed this controuersie cannot be decided in a few words neither do I at this present goe about it But that which I had taken in hand to prooue I hope I haue perfourmed to wit that the false and counterfeit notes of the Church which they alleaged are sufficiently confuted and the true notes of the Churche set forth and approoued For it is one thing to dispute of those markes which they are and another to dispute who haue them Notwithstanding because I haue in few wordes declared that they haue not those marks this thing also I may now speake that we haue at least two very waighty coniectures which make for vs agaynste them to wit that in discerning and triyng of opinions we stay our selues vppon the only written word of God that is the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that we require the interpretation of it by the onely conference of places and proportion of the articles of fayth Neither do we refuse the writinges of any either old or new author so that they may be examined by the rules afore sayd by Gods worde and the proportion of faith But what these mē obiect against these vpright requestes it sufficiently appeareth Now in the question of succession and ordination they haue thought that not many yeares agoe they haue found out That our Churches haue the true Apostolicall succession a more certain reason to dispute against vs. For they demaund euen with great loftinesse and pride that we shoulde shew them whom they haue succeeded which in our times haue established our Churches as though we were no better able to shew our original thā the Donatistes coulde theirs We aunswere that the doctrine which we defend hath euen from the time of the Apostles although heresies haue assaulted it the Romish false bishops and others made drunke by the harlot haue by al the means they could and that for the space of certaine yeres polluted it continued notwtstanding euen vntill our times shall continue euen to the end of the world and that about 200 yeeres since this light of the Gospell began againe and that thorow the singular goodnes of God in the west to apeare out of the filth of popery those hiddē places into which these mē had thrust it vntill the cādelsticks which were takē away were set again in their places by that means the elect people of God did from all quarters flow together vnto the sayd truth But as concerning the succession of the holy ministery 2. The. 2.7 we say that that mistery of iniquity which the Apostle witnesseth in his time to haue beene begun was not accomplished but in some processe length of time and therfore that that old Church of Rome became that but by little litle of Apostolical Apostatical that is fallen from the truth and we affirme that other Churches as it is euident by histories did not straightwaies fall away from the foundation but thē verely when as in the church the false bishop 2. The. 2.4 and sonne of perdition in deed calling him selfe the vniuersall head of the Church did at the length exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God And that this was don when the kings and Princes yea and the very Pastors them selues in other countries being bewitched by this harlot had submitted them selues to the feet of Antichrist Now when by what degrees and sleights that hath bene brought to passe cannot else wher be better not only known but euen perceiued almost by the very eyes than by the very liues of the bishops thē selues declared by good and sufficient writers the euents and falling out of things iustlye agrreing with the foretellinges of the Apostles and the expositions of the learned both ancient and also certaine new writers which our very aduersaries dare not refuse in so much that the which the Apostle heretofore spake of his ministry 2. Cor. 4.24 that his Gospell was had in deed frō them that should perish whome the God of this world had blinded that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ should not shine vpon them the same we may now most truely affirme of this wicked Antichristian sinck faining or pretending the name of the Catholique Churche Therefore we haue next after the Apostles for successors those very right iudging pastors not onely of the Roman church but of other churches also whose succession beeing broken of by these wolues tirants we haue begun thorow Gods goodnes at the last to restore so farre of is it either that we are destitute of the lawful argument of succession or that they shoulde bee able to alleage any Apostolicall succession That the Catholique Church hath bene and in some respect as yet is in the Popedome thogh the Popedome be not the Catholique church nor any part thereof Math. 21.33.34 Therefore say these men where was that Catholique visible Church aboute two hundred yeres past Christ himself maketh answere for vs that it hath bin heretofore and as yet in some respecte is in the handes of the wicked busbandemen who themselues slewe the seruauntes of the Lorde being sent vnto them and with all as much as they coulde euen the Sonne himselfe beeing cast oute of the Vineyard and in steede of him they haue placed a Christ in words wherwith thei mocke the people but in deede euerye one euen the wickedst of theire owne sort that they can or could get But it is well that neyther the eternall keeper of that vine can againe in déede be caste out neither could againe be slaine who liueth vnto God and who also nowe againe appearing hath begun to lette out that Vineyard to good and faithfull husbandmen Paule also aunswereth in oure behalfe foretelling that which wee sée fulfilled To wit that that wicked one shoulde vsurpe to him self the Temple of the Lorde 2. Thes 2.4 vntill the Lorde shoulde agayne discouer him Iohn also aunswereth that that woman hauing lately brought foorth hir Childe bath togeather with hir Childe layen hidden in the wildernesse free from the Dragon who trusted to and vsed also and was euen as it were vpholde with the power of
Kinges and Princes And that that holy Citye hath in the meane time continued sure not for a smale time but for two and forty monethes or a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes But we leaue the acccount of those dayes to sharper witted men we vrge onely the matter it selfe Therefore to speake plainely we say that so long as that great Michaell did appeare by little and little killing that Dragon with the swoorde of his worde which hee hath agayne committed to his faythfull seruauntes or with the spirite of his mouth that so long the Catholique Churche that is to saye euery number though neuer so smal of such as helde fast both the personne and also the office of the true Christe laye hidde in the filthinesses of the Romish Babylon whilest the wicked one with his angels vsurping the seate of the ministery and the harlot that sate vpon the seuen hilles did make the world drunke with her dreggs But they say that this true Churche ought always to be visible To this if I shall aunswere that the true Church indeed hath alwaies beene visible and so shall be so farre forth as she consisteth of true visible members and that it is not a counterfayte thing In what sense the true Church is called visible and also that it is visible so farre forth as it hath outward and euident marks yet not in such sorte visible as though they that embrace true religion should always so agree that euery man might pointe out with this finger both who they are and where they are if I saye I shall aunswere this I shall indeede speake as the matter is and that which I haue a little before by reasons and examples declared But I make not this place my refuge for I saye that if wee will fetch recordes euen from the Apostles themselues who haue as it were with their finger poynted oute this wicked one and all his false Church that then we shall find that there scarce hath beene any age but that therein so soone as this Antichriste began to shew his head the Lord hath alwayes stirred vp some who did set themselues against his tyrannie If they denie this thing let them laye a wager but withall let them giue pledges or sureties for the perfourmaunce I doubt not but we shall shew foorth euen to al men that the thing is so vnlesse they had rather be willingly blynd yea and that by good and sufficient witnesses and by cleare euident and manifest testimonies drawen out of their very owne courtes and records But the aduersaries cannot so be brideled but that they will reply That the true laying on of hands remayneth vvholy with vs. demanding at the last what laying on of hāds we are able to alleadge that they haue receiued by whō in our time our churches haue bene established For so I remember Spensa a Doctor of the Sorbonistes did cry out against vs by whome afterward there was published concerning these matters a voulome verye grosse and full of slaunders Hovv farre forth the laying on of handes hath beene counted necessari to a lavvfull calling First I answere that which he himselfe elswhere hath noted out of Hierom against the * So called of one Lucifer vvho helde that the soul vvas of the substance of the flesh Luciferians which place also Gratian hath put into his decrees to wit that the laying on of handes after baptisme perteineth rather to the honor of priesthood as they call it than to bind anye by necessitye of lawe to obserue it After this sort therefore I saye did Hierome iudge whome they call vppon amongste their Sayntes But they will replye forsooth that he disputeth of laying on of haneds in confirmation and not of laying on of handes in ordination as they are woonte to speake Whiche that I maye graunte to bee so although Spensa thoughte otherwise what shall this replication or exception helpe them for they themselues do not onely number confirmation among the Sacraments but also when it pleaseth them they account it more excellent than Baptisme it selfe But let vs omit this thing They confesse vnlesse they will dissent from Bernard in his Epistle 77. who notwithstanding standeth bothe vppon the worde of God and also vppon the authoritie of Austen and Ambrose that those whiche are of the yeeres of discretion are blotted out of the Churche for contempt of Baptisme and not for the want of it And what shall let vs that wee maye not muche more speake the same thing of the laying on of handes vsed in giuing orders vnlesse peraduenture they shall saye that that is more to bee required vnto the holy Ministerye than Baptisme vnto saluation But howe can these excellent seruauntes of God seeme to haue contemned the laying on of handes which in our time by a verye Heauenlye inspiration haue deliuered the Churche from the Tyrannye of Antichriste when as they had none of whome they could lawfully euen by the warrant of the olde Canons themselues aske or receiue the same for I haue before shewed yet affirme this thing that there can not be found one amongst the whole clergie of Rome which is able by the pure and auncient canons to defend their ordination to be lawfull What say I It appeareth that euen in the most pure Churche also the laying on of handes was not counted so necessary for who I besech you laid his hands vpon Philip that of a Deacon he shold be made an Euangelist Act. 8.4 who laid handes vpon them in that firste dispersing of them selues abroad at Hierusalem the very Apostles also being ignorant therof preached the Gospell with so great fruit in Samaria but these men Peter and Iohn were afterwarde sent who should lay their hands vpon them Act. 8.14 Yea for sooth vppon those who beléeued and were baptised for as for thē which first had preached the Gospell vnto thē there is no mentiō at all made of them But let vs put the case that this place were to be vnderstood of these men also The Apostles therefore ratified that which the other as occasion serued had done euen before examination and before ordinary election not meaning to make the laying on of hands to be absolutely necessary And if these men be the successors of the Apostles as they will be called and accounted why haue not they them selues also that by the example of the Apostles made haste to approoue at the least the zeale of godly men Or why did they not helpe the attempt of that Archbishop of Colen rather thā they should haue betrayed him to that Romish Antichrist for a reward also of which wicked déed Gropperus had the Cardinals hat bestowed vpon him a couer in deed worthy for suche a cup. For sooth they will say because ye are heretiques Therfore the question must be of the doctrine and not of the laying on of handes and then as I hope we shall get the victory But they