the chief corner stone that is the foundation of the Church Vpon this rocke I will builde my Church Mat. chap. 16. verse 18. Aug. lib. 1. retract cap. 12 By this word rocke Christ vnderstandeth himselfe whō Peter cōfessed The Apostle Peter cannot be the foundation of the Church for Peter was mortall and the foundation of Gods Church must be immortall 29 What the Catholike Church is The catholike Church is the number of all Gods elect which haue been from the beginning of the world and are nowe presently in the worlde and shal be vntill the ende of the world 30 The Catholik Church is not visible AL the elect whether they be in earth or in heauen do belōg to the Catholike Church But all these cānot be seen of vs. Christ when he vttered these woordes vpō this rock I will build my Church did meane that Church Mat. 16. which should be vnto the end of the world but that church is not visible If the Catholike Church were now visible it were vnproperly said in the creed I beleeue the Catholike Church for inuisible thinges are beleeued and not those which are seene They therefore which say that the Catholike Churche is visible eyther beleeue not that whiche they confesse in the Creede or speake otherwise then they beleeue whiche is a grosse absurditie I confesse that the particuler churches of Corinth Ephesus Thessalonica were visible in Paules time not onely because they of whome these Churches consisted were visible but because of the order and externall forme of those Churches which order and externall forme are the cause why the Churches are visible 1. King 19. The seuen thousand of whome Almightie God spake to Elias albeit they were visible in that they were men yet they were not in the visible Church otherwise Elias had seen them A fewe of Gods elect are called the Church but yet the inuisible Church not because 2. Tim. cha 2 verse 19. we do not see the elect but because wee do not descerne with our eyes who are Gods elect for GOD alone knoweth who be his FINIS ⧠A godly and shorte Treatise against the foule and grosse sinne of oppression Written by Robert Some Oppession maketh a wise man madde Ecclesiastes chap. 7. verse 9. To the Reader IT hath pleased an Englishe Papiste to giue out in print that the Church of Rome doth both teach and require actuall restitution and that our Church doth neither His speech of vs is verie slaunderous my treatise against oppression is argumentes inough to confute him If they of Rome teach and require actuall restitution it is no woorke of supererogatiō they do no more but their duties If wee shoulde faile in this cleare point we deserue great condemnation at almightie Gods hands I confesse that a man is good and therefore iustified in Gods sight before he doth good workes but with all I set downe this that good works doe followe him that is truely iustified and that such as haue oppressed or iniuried any man shal not be pardoned at Gods handes vnlesse they make actuall restitution if they bee able to doe it If any require proofe of this I refer him to this Treatise of mine against oppression A table of such pointes as are contayned in this Treatise 1 What oppression is 2 It is not lawefull for any man to oppresse another 3 They which haue done wrong vnto or oppressed any must make actuall restitution 4 It is the dutie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the handes of the oppressour 5 The Magistrate looseth nothing by deliuering the oppressed 6 Oppressours shall bee grieuously punished 7 Oppressours haue no religion in them A godly Treatise against the foule and grosse sinne of oppression Question VVHat is Oppression Answere It is vniust deailng vsed of the mightier either by violence colour of lawe or any other cunning dealing against such as are not able to withstande them The ground of this definition is conteined in these places of scripture Micheas chap. 2. verse 1.2 1. Thes chap. 4. vers 6. It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another Giue vs this day our dayly bread Mat. chap. 6. verse 11. Euery christian desires God to giue dayly bread that is all thinges necessarie for this life both to him selfe and to others therefore no christian is priuiledged to spoile another of his necessarie food If one of vs must pray for the good of another one of vs may not pray vpon an other Eccle. chap. 34 verse 23. Hee that taketh away his neighbours liuing is a murtherer Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours house his fielde c. Deut. 5.21 If wee may not desire his house or land then we may not spoile him of his house or land Mich. chap. 2.1.2 or inclose that ground wherby the poore either by right are or by right ought to be relieued If thou meete thine enemies oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt bring him to him againe If thou see thy enemies Asse lying vnder his burden wilte thou cease to helpe him thou shalt helpe him vp with it againe Exod. 23.4.5 Almightie God commaundeth vs to deale wel with our enemies Asse therefore we may not by vndoing our neighbour or spoyling him of any part of his lande or goods make him an Asse and send him a begging Hee that oppresseth the poore reproueth him that made him c. Pro. chap. 14. ver 31. It is a grosse sin to reproue the maiestie of God therefore it is a grosse sinne to oppresse the poore It was one of the sinnes of Sodom not to reache out the hande to the poore Ezech. 16.49 If it be a great sin not to releeue the poore it is a very grosse sinne to spoyle the poore The bread of the needefull Eccle. 34.22 is the life of the poore he that defraudeth him thereof is a murtherer There is a writte in England which beareth this name Ne iniustè vexes that is to say vexe not any man vniustly This is a godly lawe and is deriued frō the lawe of God which forbiddeth and condemneth oppression There are certaine beggers which of purpose keepe their legges sore to gette money by it If they are iustly misliked which gaine by their owne sore legges what deserue they to be thought of whiche gaine by other mens sore legs When thou sellest ought to thy neighbour or buiest at thy neighbours hande yee shall not oppresse one another Leuit. 25. ver 14. This is the will of God that no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter 1. Thes 4.6 Therefore men of trade may not gaine by litle measures false weights and false speeches othes nor any mightie men may gaine by cunning dealing by colour of lawe or by vsing any violence whatsoeuer 3 They which haue done wrong vnto or oppressed any must make actuall restitution GOd saith thus vnto Moses speake vnto the children of Israel when a man or woman
soueraigne medicine in Gods church is the punishment of the conscience not of goods nor of the body otherwise then by some shame reproch which waites vppon our separation from the Churche of God and so are S. Paules wordes of the destruction of the fleshe 1. Cor. 5. to be vnderstanded therefore they which haue purposed since the Popes excōmunication against her maiestie eyther to hurt her royall person or to depose her from her kingdome as they haue passed the listes and boūds of al excōmunication so their sinne is very grosse exāple very dangerous 3 The preaching of Gods word the sincere administration of the Sacraments are the essential markes of Christes Churche and where these markes are there vndoubtedly the true church is though there bee otherwise in that Church some blemishes IF the Church be the assemblie of the faithful Rom. 10. and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God it is a cleare case that the preaching of the worde belongeth to the essence of the visible Church We are taught in Gods booke Mat. 28. that the Sacraments instituted of Christ are the seales of Gods word therfore the Sacraments pertayne to the essence of the visible Church The Churches of Israel and Iuda were therefore Gods Churches because they had Gods law preached circumcision the passeouer which were their Sacramēts administred amongst thē Iosias 2. Chron. 34. 35. chap. that he might plāt Gods Church aright caused the booke of the lawe to be published and a passeouer to be proclaymed Nehem. 8. Ezra 7. Ezra after his returne from Babylon expoundeth Gods law to the Israelites restoreth the true vse of the Passeouer S. Luke setting down the estate of the Primitiue Churche in orient coloures Acts 2. saith that they continued in the Apostles doctrine which is the life of the Church and felowship that is in performing of Christiā dueties one to another breaking of bread that is in the administratiō of the holy supper prayers that is publike prayers in which consisteth the profession of our religiō This excellēt Church had the Apostles doctrine and the holye communion therefore it was the church of Christ If any saye that the Sacrament of baptisme is not here mentioned I aunsweare in a worde that Saynt Luke needed not to mention Baptisme seeyng he speaketh of such as were alreadie baptised 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Galat. 1. The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had great blemishes in them yet because they had Gods truth sacramēts among them they are accompted by S. Paule the Churches of God If the sound preaching of the worde and the administration of the sacramēts are the essentiall marks of Gods church then learned ministers are necessarie for they blow the Lords siluer trumpets Num. 10. put their handes to the framing of the siluer vessels of the temple If Godlie and learned ministers are necessarie and singuler ornaments in the Church of God then schooles of learning and Vniuersities wherein students are made fitte to serue Gods Church are especially to be regarded 1. Sam. 19. 2. King 2. 22. chap. Suche schooles of learning were at Nayoth in Samuels time at Iericho and Bethel in Elizeus time at Ierusalem in Iosias time Caluin in 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 32. at Corinth in S. Paules time and such are now with vs in Cambridge and Oxeforde If these be vpholden religion flourisheth and consequently Gods blessings increase in the land If these goe to wracke farewel religion and the good estate of the commō wealth But Vniuersities and schooles of learning must needes decay when the students are not prouided for imployed accordingly and preferred and imployed they cannot bee if either the Churches maintenance be pulled away or Church liuings be bought and sold for money or pensions 4 Godlie and learned Ministers must bee freely and bountifully prouided for BEware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vppon the earth Deut. chap. 12. ver 19. Almighty God commanded the Israelites to haue especiall care of the Leuite therefore they might not vse him like a drudge or send him a begging If the Leuite must be excellently vsed greater regarde must be had of the minister of the Gospell whose calling because it is greater then Iohn the Baptistes Mat. chap. 11. ver 11. is farre aboue the Leuites Gods Church is the piller ground of truth 1. Tim. cap. 3. ver 15. because by the ministery of the word Gods truth is preserued in the Church If the ministerye of the word preserues this precious iewel in the church as the priests did the fire vpon the altar in the time of the law thē they Leuit. chap. 6. which hinder Gods ministery doe robbe Gods Church of inestimable treasure hinder the ministery do they which discourage the learned ministers by powling thē of the churches prouision But if Dauid sending his seruaunts to comfort the king of Amon after his fathers death 2. Sam. 10. tooke in great dudgen the shauing of his seruantes beardes cutting of their garmēts will almighty God take it in good part that his seruants whom he hath furnished with excellent gifts for the cōfort of his church are polled shauē of their maintenance stripped as it were into their shirts and handled as dishcloutes Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost Who plāteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit therof Or who feedeth a flocke eateth not of the milke of the flocke 5. Cor. chap. 9. ver 7. If they whom S. Paule mentions in this verse are prouided for either of the common charge as the souldier or by the fruit of the vine as the husbandman or by the mylke of the flocke as the shepheard It is most equall that learned ministers should haue large allowance of the churches charge for their warfare vineplanting sheepfeeding doeth as farre passe the others as the precious diamond doth the peeble stone We beseech you brethrē that you know that is haue regard of thē which labor amōg you that ye haue them in singuler loue for their works sake c. 1. The. cap. 5 ver 12 13. If learned ministers must be especially fauoured they may not bee kept from their owne if they must be singulerly loued for their works sake they may not be trodē vpō as the mire in the streets nor spoiled by graceles mē of the churches maintenāce But churchpollers loue churchmē as Philippides did his father when hee cudgeled him Aug. epist 168. and as a rufler in Augustines time did his mother whom hee vsed in like sort most vnnaturally Balthasar the king of Babylon in the middest of a great feast called for the golden vessels which were brought from the temple of Ierusalem they were brought vnto him by his seruauntes The king his princes his wiues his concubines did drinke wine
in them but marke what followes in the Text. At the same houre appeared fingers of a mans hand which wrote ouer against the candlesticke vppon the playster of the wall of the kings pallace and the king sawe the palme of the hand that wrote Then the kinges countenaunce was chaunged and his thoughtes troubled him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against the other c. Dan. cha 5. ver 2.3.4.5.6 If Gods iudgementes appeared notably and strangely against a mightie monarche for drinking in a brauery in the holy vessels of the temple of Ierusalem will he spare meane men in comparison of him which by spoyling the Church robbe GOD of his glorie Gods ministers of their maintenance Gods people of the food of their soules If neither the great riuer Euphrates nor the high and thicke walles of Babylon could keep Gods iudgemēts from the king of Babylō shall any eyther cunning dealing whatsoeuer Theod lib. 3. cap. 12. 13 or mighty bulwarks be able to deliuer Churchrobbers frō the vengeance of almighty God Iulian the Emperour Iulians vncle commaunded the holy vessels to bee brought into his treasurie Almighty God punished him very strangely for it for he cast those excrementes vpward which shoulde haue passed downeward and so the beast died If God spare not the Cedars of Libanus he will not spare the Firre trees if the Oakes of Basan goe to wracke what shall the boxe tree looke for 2. Mach. cap. 8. ver 33. T. Liuius li. 29 Callisthenes set fire vpon the holy gates but he was burnt himselfe for it Pyrrhus robbed the temple of Proserpina but the shippes which carried that treasure did miscarrie and Pyrrhus himselfe neuer thriued after Heliodôrus Doe yee not knowe that they which minister about the holy thinges eate of the things of the temple they which wait at the altar are pertakers with the altar So also hath the Lorde ordayned that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospel 1. Cor. cap. 9. ver 13.14 As if S. Paule should say the Priests in the time of the law were bountifully prouided for therefore Gods ministers must be excellently dealt with The Apostle saith that the Lorde hath ordayned that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospell therefore they which are not carefull for the minister breake the Lords decree much more they which rob the Church the minister If any reply that S. Paule liued not alwayes of the Churches charge 1. Cor. chap. 9 ver 15. I graunt it to be true the reason why Paule abstayned was that he might not be inferiour to the false Apostles of Corinth which taught freely that they might corrupt thē of Corinth more easily Be not deceiued God is not mocked Galat. chap. 6. ver 7. Many amongest the Galathians defrauded the ministers of their maintenaunce least they should want some cloake for their absurde dealinges they gaue out that they must haue care of their families and that the ministers must preach the Gospel of free-cost but the Apostle aunsweares them roundly in this sort be not deceiued c As if he should say you that deale hardly with your ministers deceiue your selues and though you goe beyond them yet almighty God sees you well ynough and cannot be mocked It is Sathans drift to take from men if he can the truth of Gods religion and to that end he openeth his whole packe of subtilties When the Deuill cannot compasse that he laboures mightely to hinder Gods religion by alluring wicked men to pull away the maintenance of the ministers For what learned minister can attend vpon his study if he want bookes or teach Gods people if he want necessaries Aristotles drudge I confesse was enioyned to worke did abide chasticement Atist in Occon but he had meate that is to say all things necessary allowed him The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the worde and doctrine For the Scripture saith thou shalt not mouzell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne and the labourer is worthy of his wages c. 1. Tim. chap. 5. ver 17.18 If learned and painfull Preachers are worthy of double honour it is a foule shame not to prouide for them a grosse sinne either to crop or girdle their maintenance Saint Paule vseth two reasons to proue that the ministers must haue prouision accordingly the first is out of the lawe Deut. chap. 25. and is this thou shalt not mouzel the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne as if the Apostle shoulde say the Oxe may not be pinched of his prouender therefore the learned minister may not be pealted with The seconde reason is out of the Gospell and is this the Labourer is worthie of his wages Math. 10. as if he should say euery meane labourer must haue his hire as the Ditcher Thresher 1. Cor. chap. 9. ver 11. Dawber c. Therefore the learned minister which sowes spirituall things may clayme of duetie to reape carnall thinges and if of duetie hee may clayme them then he may not be either shauen or polled of them The ministerie is the strength of the lande and the life of the lande That it is the strength of the lande it is manifest for whē the ministers by sound preaching doe vanquishe riot adulterie couetousnesse pride idlenesse c. Of whiche sinnes many diseases beggery translating of inheritaunce frō the right heires vnnecessary dearth sedition rebellion polling of Churches and Churchmen c. doe growe they may be truely called the strength and defence of the common wealth In Elias time the strength of the Israelites armie did consist of Charriots and horsemen 2. King 2. Elizeus seeyng Elias taken vp by a whirlewinde into heauen vsed these wordes My Father My Father the Charriot of Israel the horsemen thereof whereby Elizeus meant that Elias by his ministerie had been both Charriot and horsemen for the defence of the Israelites That the ministerie is the life of the lande it is cleare by this Salomon saith that where prophesie that is to say the expounding of Gods worlde is not the people perish Prou. 29. therefore where Gods religion is taught the people are aliue Amos 8. Amos teacheth vs that no famine is so grieuous as the famine of Gods worde therefore where Gods truth is deliuered the people are free frō the sorest famine S. Paule charging them of Thessalonica not to quench the spirit that is the giftes of the spirite cōmands them not to despise prophecying that is to say 1. Thess 5. the expounding of the word therfore it is a good consequent that the ministery of the worde is the life of a Christian kingdome If the ministery be the life of a Christian kingdō what deserue they to be thought of which thrust it as lowe as may be and make it a
peece of their study not to benefite the Church which is euery mans duetie but to spoyle the Church of that maintenance which belongs of duety to learned Teachers If the good estate of the ministery be the strength of the land what do they deserue which wil very hardly allow it any good place in the lande If it bee the life of the Lande what friends are they to the Lande which for vyle bribes and cursed pensions preferre corrupt menne whiche for want of sound learning are vnfitte to teache and for want of Godly wisedome are vnfitte to gouerne It may be truely sayd that since the raygne of our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth manye Studentes in Cambridge and Oxeforde are come to excellent proofe If their learning soundnesse in Religion and other vertues bee regarded they are singuler if their wits they are I am sure equal at the least to other mens what seruice they are able to do would easily appeare to Gods glory the great good of the lande if they were employed according to their giftes I meane not siluer and golden gifts which are the best Logicke and surest Rhetoricke to perswade corrupt menne but Gods notable graces and gifts for the which Pharao preferred Ioseph in Egipt Gen. 41. Dan. 6. Darius preferred Daniell in Babilon Is it not a straunge case that in Trinitye and Saint Iohns Colledges in Cambridge whiche are two of the greatest Colledges wee haue not one fellowshippe falles voyde sometimes in a yeere and more Doeth not this speake yea rather cry very lowde that there is little hope of places for younger students that fitte men are not prouided for Possid in vita August 10. cap. 24. A noble man of Hippo in Afrike which liued at Carthage gaue a possession of his owne accorde to the Churche of Hippo where Augustine was Byshop he sealed his deede of gift sent it to Augustine for the Churches behoofe onelie he reserued for his life time the vse and profit but not the proprietie of that possession Augustine receiued the writinges and commended the giuer After a few yeeres this noble man desired his deed of gift againe but sent fiue poundes for the poores reliefe Augustine seeing the noble mans inconstancie was mightely grieued yet without delay deliuered the writinges but refused his almes and by letters tooke him vp roundly for his hypocrisie and exhorted him to earnest repentance c. If Augustine dealt sharply with the noble man of Hippo for calling backe his owne deede of gift how would he shake those cormorants if hee were nowe aliue whiche spoyle the Church of other mens deeds of gift If Augustine refused 5. pounds sent by this noble man of Hippo for the benefit of the poore what accompt would he make of their almes whiche poll the Church and Churchmen would he put it into the poore mans boxe It is certayne he woulde not least he shoulde bee guiltie of giuing countenance to gracelesse men and of giuing Gods religion a grieuous blowe Gods enimies Aug. lib. 8. Confes cap. 5. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 12. when they woulde ouerthrow religion gaue streight charge that the Christians should not be trained vp in learning so did Iulian the Emperour If I should say that they whiche either poll the Church liuings or for money preferre corrupt men are of Iulians stampe it might seeme a hard speech but it is neither so hard nor strange as their dealinges are For is it possible for schooles to thriue if the vniuersities decay And can the Vniuersities prosper when the learned studentes are not furnished with maintenaunce The Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxeford are the frie of the ministerie and the seede of religion in England If the good studentes which are worthy of preferment be not prouided for what place shall the younger students haue How shall they grow in studie when for want of conuenient encouragement in the Vniuersity they are fayne to leaue their studies before they be rype and so become pettye schoolemaisters or seruing men or vntimely ministers yea to speake more plainly who sees not if he bee not starke blynd that the want of encouragement for ours the bountifull prouision by the Popish sort for theirs is as a great bel to cal many to their seminaryes at Rome in Italy at Rhemes in France And who is there if he set not Gods feare before his eyes that is not easily moued to preferre wealth before want good maintenance before beggery I confesse their fault is great Exod. 16. which preferre the fleshpots of Egypt before the Lords Manna in the wildernesse Gen. 25. as the Israelites did and which sell their birthright for pottage as Esau did But woe to those Cormorāts whose Churchpolling and brybery is the great hurt of the Church and the spoyle and vndoyng of many a goodly witte But that I may somewhat comfort such studentes as are almost discouraged may it please them to call to mynd two Christian lessons first that Dauid and Moses which were excellent personages chose the one Psal 84. rather to be a doore keeper in the Lordes house then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse the other rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God Heb. 11. then to be called the sonne of the king of Egypts daughter Secondly that our life is more woorth then meate and our bodies then rayment Math. 6. that the foules of the ayre are fed that Lilies of the field are by almighty God more beautifully cloathed then Salomon in all his glory was therefore he will haue great care of godly studentes in such sort and time as shall make most for his greate glorye and their singuler comfort Bonus Dominus qui non tribuit saepe quod volumus vt quod malimus attribuat Aug. Epist 54. 5 Wee may not forsake Gods Churche though there be euill men or blemishes in it THE Apostle giueth streight charge not to forsake the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues Heb. chap. 10. ver 25. as the manner of some is Because forsaking of the Churche was a disease in that time the Apostle giueth them a medicine for it Esay 1. The Church of Ierusalem was greatly out of temper in Esaias time so it was in our Sauiour Christes religion was fowlly stayned and there was great corruption in their manners Notwithstāding the Prophets did neither erecte for themselues eyther new churches or new altars but offered vp prayers in the temple of Ierusalem which they would not haue done if it had byn lawful to haue departed from that Church 1. Cor. 3.5.6 12.15 cap. In the Church of Corinth contention was ryfe the incestuous man was tolerated the article of the resurrectiō was shrewdly shaken and Gods giftes were made to serue the ambition of men not the profie of the Church yet Paule willeth not anye man to departe from that Church Almighty GOD resembleth his Church to a vine
and yet he bragged that he had the Gospel The Donatists did carry the signe of Christ against Christ Aug. Epist 61 did bragge of the Gospel against the Gospel The old Emperours of Rome after their cōquests of cities had the mappes of those cities caried about in their triūphs the Papists after the ouerthrow of Christes Church vse in their triumph the name of the Church the Churche but they haue as much right to the name of the Church Dan. 5. as the Babylonians had to the holy vessels of the temple of Ierusalem after the ouerthrow of the City Ierusalem 9 The visible Church consisteth of good and badde BEfore Christ shal be gathered all nations Mat. 25. ver 32. and he shall separate them one from another as a shepheard separateth the sheepe from the goates c. If the sheepe shal not be seuered from the goates before the day of iudgement it is manifest that the badde and good are mingled together in the visible Church vntil that time The visible Churche is compared to a net Mat. 13. Mat. 3. 2. Tim. 2. wherein there are good and badde fishes to a floare wherein there is wheate and chaffe to a fielde wherein there is both wheate and tares to a greate house wherein there are vessels of golde and siluer and vessels of wood and earth Mat. 25. and to ten virgins whereof fiue were wise and fiue foolish In external assemblies the badde are mingled with the good so it was in Salomons Temple at the marriage feast Mat. 22. Gen. 4. Gen. 9. Gen. 16. Mat. 26. 2. Pet. 2 Cain sacrificed as well as Abel C ham was in the Arke as well as Iaphet Agar was in Abrahams house as well as Sara Iudas was in Christes company as well as Peter And euill Angels were in heauen till they were cast our from thence When we see any which seemed to vs goodly members sometimes of the Church to become enemies to Gods religion and the verye murrayne of the Church we may not be discouraged 2. Tim. 2. For we must remember that the Church is a great house and that if they had been of vs they should haue continued with vs 1. Iohn 2. that many wolues are within the visible Church and lastly that mens sinnes as fire couered with Ashes are hidden for a time but afterward appeare in their colours So did the sinnes of Cain Iudas Cham Saul Demas many others Question Why wil almighty GOD haue his Church consist of good and badde Answeare Aug. Epist 205. That the good may be exercised and tried as gold in the fornace that Gods loue may appere more notably which for a very little wheate spareth for a time great store of cares The Sodomites were spared because of Lot Gen. 19. Acts 27. the Egyptians because of Ioseph they which were in the ship because of Paule Obiection The Churche is the Communion of Saints therefore it hath not both good and badde in it Answere The meaning is not that all whiche are assēbled in the Church are truly sanctified but rather that there is no true communion no true holinesse but in the Church calling it as we commonly vse by the best part 10 The particuler Churches are mixt of the elect and reprobate but they are not called Gods Churches but for the elects sake The visible Churche for the electes sake is called the house of God 1. Tim. chap. 3. ver 15.1 the piller ground of truth this cannot be giuen properly to reprobates hipocrits For to be an hipocrite piller of trueth cannot stand together The Church is the spouse of Christ onely for the elects sake Ephe. chap. 5 ver 30. For wee are members of his body of his flesh of his bones By which words of the Apostle as the straight and neere knot betweene Christ the bridegroome the Church his spouse doth notably appeare so it were strange dealing to shut the reprobates hipocrites within that compasse I confesse that Christ is said to be the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Iohn 2. but he is so called because of the wheate that is Aug. Epist 4 8 Gods elect which is dispersed throughout the whole world A heape of wheat though it haue chaffe amōgst it is not called a heape of chaffe but a heape of Corne because it is a heape by reason of the Corne. A tunne of wine though it haue lees in it is called not a tunne of lees but a tunne of wine because it is a tunne by reason of the wine No man did euer call that the fielde Mat. 13. wherein the tares appeared with the wheat a field of tares but a field of wheate because it was sowen with wheate In like sort the visible Church though it consist of good and badde is and must be called Gods Church because of the elect When we say that the vyne yeeldeth wyne for the vse of man we meane not the dead and withered but the fruitful braunches of the vine In like case whatsoeuer is spoken of the church is so to be referred to the visible Church that it belonges to the elect onely not to the reprobates and Hypocrites 11 The externall estate of Gods Churche is subiect to many chaunges in the world therefore Gods Churche is not alike visible at all times Psal 80. GOds Churche is sometimes compared to a flourishing vine whiche filled the land and whose boughes were like the goodly cedars and sometymes to a vyne destroyed by the wild bore Aug. Epist 4◠and eaten vp by the wild beasts of the field It is compared to the moone which appeares not alwayes alike vnto vs yet neither the moone is destitute of light from the sunn nor the Church of the light of gods spirit frō the sonne of righteousnes Christ Iesus In Enos tyme the face of the Churche was beautiful Gen. 4. Gen. 7. but afterward it was shut in Noes family as in an Arke In the kingdom of Dauid religion flourished 2. Sam. 6. the Church was very glorious but after his time there was a great Eclipse and Gods Church was vnder a blacke cloude In the time of the captiuity in Babylon Read Dan. Nehem. Ezra the estate of Gods Church was very miserable but after the captiuity was ended and the Iewes returned to Ierusalem vnder Zorobabel the City was buylt the Temple was repayred the true worshippe was restored and the Church of GOD was very faire in the eyes of the Israelites In what case was Gods Churche when the horne that is the Emperors of Rome made battel against the Saints Dan. chap. 7. ver 21. preuayled against them In the time of the Pharisies Sadduces c. Gods church was in a strange pickle but Christ at his comming raysed it as it were from death and put life into it and made it very beautiful Since that
the true Churche neither is euery discorde a sure argument of a false Church THe Iewes which thinke that the Messias is not yet come haue had vnity many yeres but their consent proues thē not to be Gods Church Acts 19. Demetrius the siluer smith his company in Ephesus were at great vnity for the vpholding of Diana against S. Pauls preaching but that vnity was no argument that they were Gods Church Apoc. cap. 14. ver 8. The Angel saith that Babylon made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Therefore the generall consent and vnity of al nations in religion doth not make a true religion The Arrians Nestorians Eutichians the blasphemous Heretikes of the family of loue haue doe consēt in their blasphemous opinions but this consent of theirs prooues them not to be the true Church of God Vnity in the essential points of Gods religion is an infallible argument of the Church of God Euery discord is not an argument of a false church 1. Cor. 1. 11. cha There were dissentions in the church of Corinth and yet God had his church at Corinth The Bishops whiche were assembled in the Nicene counsell against Arrius were at greate variance Notwithstanding they were Gods seruants The East West Churches were greatly deuided about the feast of Easter and yet they were the Churches of God Acts 15 Galat. 2. Aug. Epist 9. There was hot stirre betweene Paule Barnabas betweene Paule Peter betweene Augustine Hierome yet all these were Gods seruants Gods truth sometimes deuideth the faithfull amongest themselues Iohn chap. 6. ver 66. Christes sermon that his flesh was the true meate was an vndoubted truth yet it made a partition between the twelue the other which beleeued in Christ I confesse that Gods spirite is the spirite of peace vnitie This spirit should wholly possesse vs if we were wholly regenerate But the best men are shorte of that 19 Multitude is not an infallible argument of Gods Church Gen. 7. 1. King 19. 22. chap. IN the times of Noe Elias Micheas c. The greater part was the woorse part when the x. tribes did set thēselues against the tribe of Iuda Gods Churche was in Iuda Except the Lord of hosts had reserued vnto vs euen a small remnant we should haue beene as Sodome Esay 1. ver 9 and should haue beene like vnto Gomorrha Whereby it is manifest that Gods Church was very little and that the greater number was the worse Enter in at the straight gate for it is the wide gate broade way that leeadeth to destruction many there be which go in thereat because the gate is straight the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that find it Mat. 7. ver 13.14 If the multitude had byn an argumēt of the Church Christes speech were not to be liked of Christ calles his flocke a little flock Christ himselfe was condemned to death by the greater number of the Iewes Luke 12. Math. 27. It is saide that Satan deceiueth all the worlde Apo 12. and 20. As the greater number is no sure proofe of the Church if they haue not the markes of the Church amongest them so is not the lesse number an argument of Gods church vnlesse they haue the essentiall markes of Gods Church amongest them if they may be come by 20 The Church is not to bee measured by the externall shewe Reioyce thou barren Gal. 4. that bearest no children c If the Apostle out of the prophet Esay call the Churche barren it is a good lesson to teache vs not to measure the church alwaies by the outwarde shew Esay 53. Christe the bridegrome was so afflicted that hee had neither forme nor beautie When the Churches case is such we must remember that it is Christes spouse When the Israelites were in captiuitie at Babylon Ezec. chap. 11 ver 15.16 Gods Churche was in Chaldaea as in a dungeon albeit they which remained in Ierusalem thought otherwise If Gods Church had beene measured by the outward shewe it had been wide with them which were then in captiuitie Cant. 6. I confesse that Gods Churche is saide by Salomon to be faire as the Moone pure as the Sonne But it is so to mens eyes not in the time of persecution but in the time of the peace of the church when as the order in Gods Church is very beautifull Esay 60.9 When we reade in Esay that the ships of Tharsis shall bring to gods churche sonnes from farre and their siluer their gold with them We must not by and by dreame of a golden church as the Iewes doe of a golden Messias but the meaning is that God will greatly aduaunce his Church and set it out with excellent furniture If they of Tharsis deserue great commendation for bringing their owne siluer gold with them to Gods Church I am sure they deserue very little which by cropping the Churches maintenance hinder the building of the spirituall temple For can gods churche be built without skilfull masons and carpenters I meane able ministers and cā they either prouide instrumentes for the framing setting vp of Almightie gods house when they are kepte fasting from the Churches allowance And is not this the true cause why in many places of this noble lande some such open Gods booke in the body of the church as would be goodly implements ornamentes in the Belfray I will not rub this sore any longer I am very sure that all whiche loue religion do pray heartily for the redresse of this 21 None which are or haue been alients from the church of God are to be admitted rashly into it If Rahab of Iericho and her companie Iosu 6. had been presently admitted into the Israelites assemblie their vncleannesse would haue been easily forgotten but the putting of them apart for a time without the host of Israel was of great force both to make them ashamed of their former behauiour to esteeme the companie of gods people afterward a more excellent benefit Acts. 9. The not admitting of S. Paul at the first amongest the Disciples did teache him to prefer the lowest place in Christs Church before the highest roome in the Sinagogues of the Pharisees and may teach vs not to open the Church dores ouer hastily to euery one without exception Acts. 19. Many which beleeued in Ephesus came confessed shewed their workes before they were ioined to the Church 1. Tim. chap. 3. ver 6. If no man may be admitted rashly into Gods church then no man may rashly be set ouer Gods Church Vnseasoned timber will not serue for a groundesell Hee is not fit to be a Captaine whiche cannot be accounted a souldier No man may be allowed a Prophet which hath not been the sonne of a Prophet 22 Gods Church may erre To erre is to goe
out of that way which almightie God hath prescribed to vs in his holy worde If the Church cannot erre what needed godly and learned Bishops ministers to looke to the Lordes fielde vine and flocke The familie of Sem was gods church Gen. 11. but idolatrie entred into that familie I confesse Gen. 9. that a singuler blessing was giuen to Sem but his posteritie coulde not be keept within their compasse If the Churche was any where in Esaies time it was amongest the Iewes But the Prophet saith that the Priest and the Prophet were not only corrupt in their manners Esay 28. vers 7. Eze. 8. but that they fayled in vision and stumbled in iudgement The flourishing Churches of Asia Grecia Affrica which had the precious treasure of Gods woorde plentifully amongst them are nowe stripped of Christian religion The Church erred before and vnder the lawe and in the time of grace beefore the lawe Gen. 3. Exod. 32. for Adam and Eue erred in Paradise Vnder the lawe for Aaron and the Israelites erred fouly in making a golden calfe In the time of grace for the Churches of Corinth Galatia Acts. 21. ver 20. and the Primitiue Church in Iudea erred about the obseruation of Moses law and otherwise The Churche in Augustines and Cyprians time did giue the holy Supper to infants Chap. 6. ver 3 grounding vpon the place of Saint Iohn but it was a grosse error Let no man deceiue you by anye meanes 2. Thes 2. for that day shall not come except there come a departing first This Apostasie or departing which Paule speaketh of is not in one or two Churches but euen in the body of the whole visible Church The holy ghoste did so prophesie Iesus Christ is the head of the church as of one body This head is vnto the Churche as reason vnto man so farre foorth as the desire of man obeyeth reason and the body of the Church the head of the Church it is wel with man with the Church The Church is as a Moone whiche hath no light but from Christe the sonne thereof When shee looketh towards him shee is bright and cleare the more shee turneth away from him the lesse brightnesse she hath Obiection The Churche is the piller of trueth 1. Tim. 3.15 therefore it cannot erre Answere The argument followeth not and S. Paules meaning is that Gods truth is preserued in the Churche by the ministerie of the worde the reason of this my answere is set downe in these wordes he gaue some to be Apostles some prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors and Doctors for the gathering together of the saints for the work of the ministerie for the edification of the body of Christ that we hencefoorth bee no more children wauering and carried aboute with euery winde of Doctrine Ephe. 4. ver 11.12.14 Obiection The spirit of truth will lead you into all truth therfore the church cannot erre Iohn 16.13 Answere If followeth not It is certaine that Christes Disciples which heard his heauenly Sermons were persuaded very hardly that the Messias shoulde die and they dreamed of a stately kingdome in the worlde both before his death as the sonnes of Zebedeus and after Christes resurrection as all the Apostles Mat. 20. Acts. 1. Our Sauiour Christ least they shoulde bee discouraged because they were not then able to beare digest his speeches comforts them in this sort the spirite of truth will leade you into all truth as if hee shoulde say your capacitie is weake and my speeches will not enter into you but be of good cheere it shall not bee so with you alwaies the spirit of truth shall open your vnderstanding lead you into all truth When we reade or heare that the spirit will leade vs into all truth wee muste not thinke that either the spirit doth lead vs without the word Esay 59. 1. Thes 5. as the Anabaptists teach for the spirite the worde cannot bee seuered or that the Church not bringing the worde for her warrant is in matters of faith Cypr. de lapsu to bee beleeued for hee is not ioyned to the Church which is seuered from the Gospel 23 The Church is not perfect in this worlde THe Gospel is a siue or fanne Matth. 3. which separateth the chaffe from the corne If chaffe were not mingled with the corne this fanne that is the preaching of the Gospell were needles The knowledge of the Church is but in part 1. Cor. 13. Matth. 6. and the whole Churche desires pardon of their sinnes The Church shall not be perfit before the last day but then it shall bee Apoc. cap. 21. ver 10.11.12 Which thing that S. Iohn might set before our eyes hee remembreth that the estate of the heauenly Ierusalem shal be most glorious after the ende of the worlde If wee consider the visible Church in her owne bodie it is farre from perfection For it is compared to a fielde Math. chap. 13 wherein is Wheate and Tares and to a drawe net wherein are good and bad fishes That Church which bragges of perfection in this worlde is a Pharisaicall Church Aug. epi. 48. Such Churches were and are the Churches of the Donatistes Nouatians and Anabaptistes Obiection Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not 1. Iohn 3. ver 6.9 Answeare By not sinning S. Iohn meaneth that the regenerate serue not sinne and that sinne raigneth not in them because they withdrawe them selues by Gods assistaunce from sinne and withall their heartes do giue them selues to holines of life It is very true that the faithfull doe sinne that is to say can not liue so holily but that they offende the Maiestie of god so did Aaron Noe Daniel Iob Barnabas Peter and the virgin Marie otherwise shee had not needed a Sauiour The iust mā falleth seuen times Prou. 24. 1. Iohn cha 1 If we say we haue no sinne wee deceiue ourselues c. Obiection Christ loued the Church gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it Ephes 5.25.26 27. clense it by the washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto him self a glorious Church not hauing spotte or wrinkle or any such thinge Answeare This Argument was vsed of the Pelagians in Augustines time Epist 50. 57. Idem lib. 1. retract cap. 19 li. 2. cap. 18 but August saith that the freedom of the Church frō all staines is not in this worlde but in the world to come Besids it is one thing to consider the church in it self another thing to consider it in Christ The Church in it self whether we respect eche mēber of it seuerally or all the members of it ioyntly haue many spottes and wrinkles otherwise it were not true that they are saued by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ as the Apostle Peter saith The Church considered in Christe Act. 15. ver 11 1. Iohn 1. Apoc. 1. 1.
Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 1. may bee said to be without spot because it is washed and purged by the blood of Christe and without wrinkle because it is clothed with the righteousnesse of Christe by the imputation of whose righteousnesse wee are at Gods handes both absolued and sanctified 24 The Church of Rome hath and may erre BEholde the bountifulnesse and seueritie of GOD towardes them Rom. cha 11. verse 22. whiche haue fallen seuerytye but towardes thee bountifulnes if thou continue in his bountifulnes or else thou also shalt be cut off If the Churche of Rome could not erre why should Paul write this Lib. 1. cont Marcionem Tertullian makes mention of alters dedicated to vnknowen gods which he calleth the Idolatrie of the Athenians and to vncertaine gods which he calleth the superstition of the Romanes Hormisda a Bishoppe of Rome in a writing of his to the Bishops of Spayne maketh this matter very cleare The sum of his wordes is this Dearely beloued let vs pray without ceasing that we may cleaue soundly vnto Christ and not forsake him least we be iustly forsakē of him If Saint Pauls doctrine in the Epistle to the Romaines be sounde whereof none that feare God doth make any question then the popishe Church whiche holdes many thinges disagreeing from that Epistle is not free from errour Let the questions of iustification election freewill obedience to the Magistrate be considered Besids their spoyling Christ of his priesthood and Gods people of the cup in the Lordes supper their transubstantiation a number of grosse absurdities which they hold are manifest demonstrations of the erring of the Popishe Church 25 They may not bee accompted Schismatikes which forsake the Church of Rome If any Church giue ouer the trueth of Gods religion wee must forsake that Church that we be not infected with that leprosie and yet wee may not be accompted Schismatikes for men are then Schismatikes when they depart from the true Church and doctrine not when they returne from errour to trueth He is a Schismatike whiche is the cause of schisme and not hee which beginneth the separation euen like as he whiche denieth the lawe is the cause of the processe and not he which first began The Protestantes haue not forsaken Siō but Babylon not Bethel but Bethauen they haue not erected Alter against Alter Aug. epi. 162. as Ieroboam and the Donatistes did but they haue cast the Alter of Damascus out of the Lordes house and haue restored the true worship of God 26 The Church must bee built vpon the word of God Ephe. chap. 2. verse 19.20 NOwe therefore yee are no more straungers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saintes and of the housholde of GOD and are built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christe him selfe beeyng the chiefe corner stone c. If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the foundation of the church howe can the Church stande if the doctrine be remoued and howe can the doctrine continue without sounde teachers and what hart canne they haue to teache when they want maintenance Shal they which bee noble mens and gentlemens gardiners huntsmen be bountifully prouided for of their Lordes and Maisters charge and shall not they which are fitte to attende vpon the Lords vine field garden orchard haue allowance of the churches charge If this soare be not looked vnto many students of diuinitie must of force betake them selues to some other course for men must liue and to go a begging is a point next the worse and a very vnfit occupation for a learned student in diuinitie The Gospell and spirite of life Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1.11 is the foundation and piller of the Church They which wil build Gods Churche without the foundation of the word build with vntempered morter for Gods word is the life of the Church Obiection The Church was before the worde of God therefore it is not built vpon the word of God Answere The argument followes not I confesse that Gods Church in the beginning as for example Adam Abel Enos Noe Sē Abraham and many other of Gods children was before Gods word was put in writing but Gods church was not before Gods word For if the Church be an assemblie of the faithful the mē cānot be called faithful wtout faith that faith cannot consist without the woorde of God it is a necessarie consequent that Gods woorde was before Gods Church Gene. 4. Heb. 11. Abell sacrificed vnto almightie God by faith Therefore Gods expresse woorde was his direction for faith hath relation to no other thing The difference of cleane and vncleane beasts is mentioned in Genesis before the flood Gece 7. but this difference could not bee vnderstanded but by the voyce of almightie God Noe after his comming out of the Arke offered a burnt offering this sacrifice of Noe pleased God therefore it is a good consequent that Noe had Gods worde to direct him for no wilworshippe did euer please God Obiection 1. Tim. 3. verse 15. The Church is the piller and grounde of trueth therefore the worde is not the foundation of the Church Answere It followes not and the Church is therefore called the piller and grounde of the trueth because amongst men it vpholdeth and retayneth Gods trueth 17 The Church is knowne by the worde of God SEarch the Scriptures Iohn chap. 5. ver 39. they testifie of mee saith Christ We knowe Christ by the Scriptures therefore we knowe the Church by the Scriptures This consequent is very good and is framed thus by Augustine In the Scriptures wee haue learned Christ Epist 166. saith Augustine in the Scriptures we haue learned the Church And a little after where we haue knowne Christ meaning in the scriptures there we haue knowen the Church which sentence he repeateth very often in that epistle The Donatists said that Christs church remained only in Africke Epist 166. but Augustine telles them that their warrant is not taken out of the lawe or the Prophete or the Psalme or the Apostle or Euangelist but out of their owne heartes and cauils of their progenitors by which words it is euident that the Churche is knowne and must be shewed by the worde of God We seeke the Church in the holy scriptures Aug. devnita Eccle. cap. 2. Epist 48. and in the same scriptures we doe manifestly knowe the Church 28 Iesus Christ alone is the foundation of his Church OTher foundation can no man laye then that which is laid 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. which is Iesus Christ Thus saith the Lord God behold I wil lay in Sion a stone Esai 28. ver 16 1. Pet. chap. 2 verse 6. a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation that is Iesus Christ so doth the Apostle Peter expounde it Yee are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophetes Ephe. chap. 2. ver 20. Iesus Christ himself being