Dan. 11 17. she is termed Bath-Nasim Cleopatra the glory of a countrey for the King of kings hath vnited her to himselfe for euer Heereof a certaine Auncient he thus writeth The citty of our Sauiour is builded And the Name of that Citty shall not be as was the first Ierushalem interpreted Vision of Peace * Ierom here on Vrbs Saluatoris extructa est c. but Adonaj-sama Ierom vseth Adonaj for Iehouah according to the maner of the Hebrues which in latine speach is turned Dominus ibidem who will neuer departe from it as from the first people he did saying to his disciples Iohn 14. vlt. Arise let vs go hence and vnto the Iewes Math. 23.38 your house shall be left desart But this shall haue an eternall possession and he himself wil be the possession vnto it promising so to the same disciples saying Beholde I am with you vnto the ende of the world Ludouic Lauater hereon And a later Writer speakes thus The Citty was foure-square whereby is signified the firmitude of the Church because it cannot be euerted Howsoeuer assailed it euer riseth vp against all assaults Iehouah there Out of this citie the Lord will not depart He will not leaue it as he did the synagogue but in all ages he will be There according to that in Math. 28. I will be with you vnto the end of the world Briefly then I inferre 1 First that Christians are not to retaine the whole or any part of Moses ceremoniall kingdom in the nature of that ceremonie 2 Secondly that the new testaments kingdom once established it neuer after can be totally remoued These two doctrines how they be receued of Romanists Anabaptists Brownists c. I shall briefly examine The Romanists commaunde in their Church the vse of sundry creatures as garments oyle water salte belles c. and as their Prouinciall Moguntine synode affirmeth Mogunt councel held Anno 1549 Ecclesiam exorcizandi potestatem accepisse c. that the Church hath power of coniuring salt and other creatures for auerting the diuelles traines and noysome pestilences so as they write their Pope Alexander of old vrgeth his holy water from Leuies ceremoniall water and they from the Aaronicall priesthoode do vrge garments and other ceremoniall creatures What must their arguments now be 1 The Church hath receued power no lesse than the Synagogue to exorcize creatures for driuing away Diuelles or 2 Moses commanded to the Synagogue holy water holy oyle holy garments c. therefore the church of Christ may or ought also so to consecrate and vse them First I passe by their misconstruing of the Leuiticall ceremonies who neither were by the Priests exorcised or coniured nor yet after their consecration set aparte for such ridiculous purposes as to feare away the diuel driue away pestilences preserue corne from thunder c. Secondly I answere it followeth not that what ceremonies God by Moses did prescribe vnto the synagogue that these must of God by Christ Iesus be continued in the new Testaments church for then it should followe that not onely some ceremonies but all should be translated into the Church But as the Apostle saith that Leuiticall or Ceremoniall meates drinkes Coloss 2.16 17. and holydaies they were but a shadow of things to come the body or substance whereof was Christ and therfore had their sacramentall end in Christ so the same Apostle termeth the obseruance of Iudaicall ceremonies A yoke from which Christ hath made vs free And in deed to retaine these Ceremonies what is it else but the rearing againe of the particion wall which stood between Iew and Gentile and so consequently to deny that Messiah is come in the flesh seeing his appearance in our nature it was for the abolishment of that particion wall of ceremonies Wherevpon a certaine Auncient could well conclude * August de doctr christ l. 3. c. 9. that after Christ by his resurrection manifested himselfe to be the freer of vs from the burden of legall ceremonies he himselfe and th'apostolicall discipline deliuered vnto vs quaedam pauca pro multis a certaine Few for Many sicuti est Baptismi sacramentum celebratio corporis sanguinis Domini as namely the sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of our Lord his body and bloud As for Ordination by presbyterall imposition of hands mentioned by him elsewhere for a kinde of * Aug. contr Parmen li. 2 c. 12. alibi So Bucer expresly in l. de vi vsu ministerii Caluin in Instit l 4. c. 3. sect 16 ch 14. sect 20. ca. 19. sect 28 31 So hath Apologia Augustanae confess graunted by Chemnitius in exam Trident Concil So hath our doctor Bilson in his perpetuall gouernment ca. 9. and 10. sacrament and in the new church practised precisely and plentifully by the Apostles and Presbyters he in this place passeth by it because neither it was a ceremonie to the whole Church nor now instituted but an auncient sacred signe continued whose signification had no end in Christs manifestation For Christians to reuiue the legall shadowes it is but to cast againe a vaile vpon Moses and to hinder vs as the Iewes are yet hindred from seeing into the ende of things which by Messiah are abolished But in very troth the Romanists their coniuring of creatures for driuing away Diuelles it is so farre from being Mosaicall much lesse Christian as it rather is borrowed from Ethniks who so hoped to pacifie their Daemones or else from Tobits Apocryphall Angell who taught the fugation of a diuell by Archangeli expos in Conclus Mirandula Cabalistes termed Asmodeus the prowde diuell and that by vertue of a fume made vpon a fishes heart and liuer The Romanistes coniured creatures tending thus not to so reasonable a woorke as to reare vp the partition wall againe but to a reuiuing of Gentiles idolatrous worship or at best a putting of spirite into Rabbinicall blasphemous figments to the violation of Messiahs kingdome Nor doth this doctrine any iote help them which contende against certaine garments in our church And why because such garments are not with vs vrged for Ceremoniall or Sacramentall garments but onely as is open in our lawe for decencie and comlinesse Christs appearance did put an end not to the vsing of the creature but to the vsing of it So that is from vsing it sacramentally figuratiuely typically Touching which free vse of all his creatures I shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter Touching the Brownists and Anabaptists they would not be thought to bring vs backe againe to Iudaisme but iudge of them by this their argument The Israelites in Deut. 12.2 are commaunded to destroy all the places wherein the nations serued their Gods therfore all the Temples or churches wherein the Romanists haue serued their Images they are to be destroyed Or thus It was simplie vnlawfull for the Israelites to sacrifice in the high places therefore simply vnlawfull
for christians to preach or pray in the Temples of Romish or Idolatrous christians By this argument they conclude a nullitie of all diuine woorship in our churches and by the former a ruinating of them to the earth And the one and the other is drawen from a ceremoniall commaundement in the lawe That the commaundement was morall and so in that kind perpetuall it cannot be First because the destruction of such Idoll Synagogues it was opposed to the standing of one peculiar place which God would choose in Israel for putting Shemó Sham his name there And for this cause Moses precisely hauing spoken of such vastation he commaunds his people to repaire vnto this one place wherein he put his name So that betweene this one place and the other there was a flat opposition th' one falling th' other standing And therefore the people no longer commaunded to destroy the one then the other stood But this was not to stand for euer therfore the commaundement of destroying the other not morall nor continuing for euer Secondly who knoweth not that the Tabernacle and Temple were figures of the new Testaments church And for that cause we are commaunded 2. Pet. 2. Rom. 12.1 1. Cor. 3.16 6.19 as liuing stones to become a spirituall house to offer vp our selues for a quicke and liuing sacrifice and plainly told that we be the Temple of the holy ghost Now will they and euery one grant the Tabernacle and Temple to be figures of the new church Then by proportion it must follow that the former materiall Idoll houses they as was Babylon Sodome Aegipt were figures of the many false assemblies schismaticall and hereticall that would be opposit vnto the catholike body All which spirituall synagogues or assemblies of false woorshippers were by the spirituall Israel of god and specially by their spirituall weapons to be ouerthrowen and dissipated that happily so they may returne to the vnitie of the Catholike Church And to this purpose where the twelue Trybes were armed with carnall weapons the twelue Apostles were armed with spirituall weapons whereby they did not cast downe materiall synagogues but hawtie imaginations of men and euery thing that was spiritually exalted against God Thirdly admit which they would haue that all our Churches had bin reared vp by Antichrists limbs and dedicated vnto Idol-worship should it follow that these houses should be as deep in pollution as these that serued the Gentiles The vncircumcised Nations in Canaan had nothing in their woorship but their owne inuentions altogether ignorant and vnbeleeuing the Couenant of Grace As for our predecessors subiected to Romes gouernment the written word of God for the substance thereof specially at time of Churches building it was preached amongst them and no doubt a seed of God euer amongst them Nor was there other place where God had put his Name for our predecessors to repaire vnto then within the limits of the Romish iurisdiction in the midst of which part of the Temple of God that blasphemous horne of Rome was after mounted If the commandement in Deut. 12.2 were moral and perpetuall touching destruction of Pagans houses it yet followeth not that the Idolatrized houses of Christians they were aswell to be torne vp There is a great difference first betweene the woorshippers secondly betweene their woorships thirdly betweene the end they referred their houses vnto Except with the Stoiks we held Omnia peccata paria that all sinnes were alike and of equal weight in the ballance we otherwise cannot argumentate thus The Pagans Idolatrie which is an Idolatrie in the highest degree it was to suffer this iudgement therfore Christians in any kind of Idolatrie are to suffer the same The Hebrew that stole another Hebrue Deut. 24.7 compared with Exod. 22.1 ch 22.22.28 c. and afterwards sold him or made marchandize of him he was to die the death but he that stole an oxe or sheepe and sold it was only to restore it with some aduantage So Adultrie was death fornication not and yet both sin and abuse of the bodie Where the aduersarie replyeth these Churches may be spared from the rasing downe and applied to ciuill vsage as for Barnes Stables c. Herein they ouerthrow themselues for the law of Deut. 12.2 admitted no such ciuill vse but without all exception they were to be battred downe And thus these fellowes will take away our libertie and giue vs libertie not according to setled Scripture but their owne vnsetled fancie Fourthly it seemeth not simply vnlawfull for Israelites to haue sacrificed prayed preached in their hie-places and Idol-houses This I collect from the 1. Kings 3. chap. and also the 13. chap. Wherewith may also be considered Israels sacrificing Samuels benediction thereof also in the hie-places 1. Samuel 9.12 13 14. In the third chap. it is said that Salomon sacrificed and praied in Gibeon the chiefe hie-place The fact seemeth excusable because to that day no house was built vnto the name of the Lord. The Tabernacle through age was far spent and therefore the Arke of God his presence sometimes placed in Roumes that might haue been bettred and yet at this time seated in Ierusalem And as in such respect the holie ghost seemeth to excuse the matter so in the second place he plainly protests that God in Gibeon appeared to Salomon and highlie accepted of his praier for wisedome Touching preaching in those places the 13. chap. manifesteth how A man of God that is a Prophet or Preacher of God he commeth to Bethel and there entring into the Idoll temple dedicated by Ieroboam vnto a Caluish worship he there by the Alter-side standeth and pronounceth the will of God against that Idol-worship and Priesthood and this in the face of Ieroboams presence By all which it seemeth vnto me that God and the people of god did put a great difference betweene the houses which Canaanits reared vp for their Religion substancially and wholie euill and these places which Idolatrous Israelites did reare vp for their linsy-woolsie medley religion Who notwithstanding their Idolatrie were euer interessed with Circumcision the seale of the Couenant wherby they stood a seperate people from the Heathen and still amongst propheticall menaces they had this Euangelical speach from the mouth of God Israel my people Which if the former law in Deut. 12.2 were moral should teach vs a great different vse betweene Pagans temples and Idolatrized Churches yea though the Christians were so deep in Schisme Idolatrie as it should be vnlawfull for Iudah in such their estate to ioyne fully in spirituall communion with Israel Fifthly where they teach that we can haue no spiritual vse of the houses which Antichrist or Romanists haue Idolatrized they forget how the Temple was vsed for God his worship sundrie times after it had been horribly prophaned If they replie we except not against such houses simplie for hauing been prophaned but for hauing been dedicated from the very foundation to Idolatrie I
demaund of them first how it doth appeare in Deut. 12 that the Israëlites were tyed to examine whether all such places had been so dedicated from the verie foundation Secondly I would know of them how they know that all our Churches were founded by Romes Apostacie to that Idolatrous woorship Here they must make a religion of it to search after the ages of Churches and whether they were builded since Anti-christ was mounted Here I will help the Nouices Dioclesian destroyed the Temples Euseb l. 8. cap. 2. as Eusebius recordeth verie aged were these Churches and then the Gentiles vpbraided the Christians saith Orig. ad Celsum l. 4. Arnob. l. 2. Origen with their lacke of Temples as now they might well laugh vs to scorne if we would pull down our Churches for satisfaction of Brownists who neuer are like to build a Church destroyers somuch as in them is both of Churches materiall and spiritual The former losse by Dioclesian was recouered by the edict of Galerius Maximinus after the hand of God had been sharp vpon him as Euseb l. 8. c. 16. 9. ch 10. Niceph. l. 7. c. 3. Eusebius and Nicephorus witnesse After this how bountifull Constantinus Magnus was this way th'ecclesiasticall hystories sufficiently vtter Nor was this of Constantine effected so late as 340. yeeres from our Sauiours incarnation Now let our Church-ruinors teach vs First when Antichrist had subdued our Westerne parts vnto him so that thence-forth all stood subiects to that Beast Secondly let them proue vnto vs that our Churches in such and such times of Antichrist they were builded at his commandement and by his members vnto his apostaticall woorship Sixtly admit that Antichrist and whosoeuer had reared vp and dedicated our Temples to idoles yet the creature recouered out of their handes it ceaseth not to be the good creature of God 1. Tim. 4.4 5 For the Apostle teacheth me that euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to bee refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing and reason heereof he thus rendreth Because it is sanctified by the word and praier If no meat entring into me though once vncleane by the Lawe can now pollute the beleeuer much lesse can garments and houses that are creatures externall and outward The Apostle indeede saith that in not touching tasting handling such things as the Law once counted vncleane Coloss 2 it hath a shew of wisedome but in trueth no substance of wisedome And for that cause he calleth it no better then Ethelo-threskeia A will-worship whereas if we be risen with Christ then wee will vse our Christian liberty in the free vse of God his creatures not bring our selues backe into a Iudaicall bondage Iohn 4.20 21. c. Hereof the woman of Samaria coulde not be ignorant who by our Sauiour himselfe was taught that not in Iaakobs mountaine nor yet in Beniamins hilles was Gods worship or sacrifice to bee longer seated but the houre was comming and euen then was begunne for abolishing that forme of sacrifice as also the Place And hitherto Saint Paul had relation when hee writeth thus vnto Timothy 1. Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that the men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubting Because foolish man hath dedicated Creatures to the patronage of this or that true or false Saint I must therfore abhorre the creature specially in ecclesiasticall or spirituall vsage By this crooked rule I may not preach nor pray in England because it was dedicated to Saint George nor in Wales because Dauid is there made patrone nor in Ireland by reason of Saint Patricke nor in Scotland bicause of Saint Andrew nor in Fraunce because of S. Denys nor in any countrey where Rome hath domineerd because all is dedicated to somewhat Nay I must in no one day of the yeare preach or pray because they haue to euery day giuen a Saint Thus if a man desire to runne himselfe into a labyrinth and endlesse Maze let him but leape into the Brownists and Anabaptists faction This shal suffice for manifestation of the former Doctrine namely That Christians are not to retayne the whole or any part of Moses Ceremoniall kingdome in the nature of Ceremony THE Second Sermon THe second generall doctrine That the newe Testaments kingdome once established it can neuer bee totally remooued that remaineth in the next place to be further cleered And that by the grace of God shall be done first by obseruing the difference betwixt vs and the Romanists we both holde the Church euer visible but they in one forme we in another secondly by examining the Arrians Anabaptists and Brownists allegations whereby they would haue the Church for very many yeares to haue no Face or visibilitie at all Touching the discrepance twixt Romanists and vs it lieth heerein they hold that the new Testaments church once generally planted the face thereof continueth euermore gloriously visible And to this end they alledge diuers places specially out of the prophets which doe inferre a large and glorious face of Christ and his kingdome here We of the other side doe teach that this new church howsoeuer in her first plantation by the Apostles it was both passing large and glorious yet in succeeding times it wained with the Moone shee lost much of her glory and of her outstretched visibilitie And to this purpose wee allege first the state of Israels church as a tipe and figure thereof secondly very many scriptures old new which can admit no other collection lastly we vrge experience it self First I. Type touching the Type or Figure we see the church of Israel going out with banners in the wildernes and finally seated in glorious Canaan by Ioshuah After his death al ranne out of order the vncircumcised had them long in subiection there was no king in Israel and euery man didde what was good in his owne eyes Then in Saul Dauid Solomons times we see the church by sundry steps mounted enlarged but in Rehoboams dayes wee see ten tribes schisme from the twoo that is from Iudah and Beniamin and that which was worse didde reare vp and woorshippe first calues in Dan and Bethel secondly Baalim with his abhominations Nor was the bodie of these tenne tribes at anie tyme recouered but finally in Hosheahs raigne carried away by the Assyrian armie Colonies of straungers beeing in their rowme transported vnto theyr Metropolitane Citie Samaria and them parts In the meane time the little kingdome of Iudah contayning also Beniamin it did not euer retayne the face of her orderly gouernement for sundrie of the Kinges brought Idolatrie in but by others agayne in some good sorte purged Yet finally such was the height of their sinne GOD left them to the boyling potte of the North euen to Nebuchadnetzar who spoyled their Cittie and Temple and departed the chiefe of the Royall seede vnto Babel Then for seuentie yeares did orderly sacrifice cease their Iudiciall pollicie giuen
by God at mount Sinai so well as the ecclesiasticall it was subiected to the pleasure of straungers then where was their beauteous Constitution And at the end of seauenty yeares Babels Monarch was subiected to the Medes and Persians who licenced Iudah to returne for building their Cittie and Temple which after some nine and fortie yeares were reedified but where was the sacramentall Arke of God his presence Where was Moses originall copie Where was Vrim and Thummim for decision of extraordinarie scruples What was become of Aarons rod and the sacramentall Manna And that which was not least what became of their Iudiciall pollicie from that time vnto Christ Iesus Somewhat I know there was but farre from the first patterne Curtailed they were of their Mosaicall constitutions First by Babels monarch secondly by that of Medes and Persians thirdly by the Greekes Alexander fourthly by the two legged gouernement of Aegypt and Syria springing out of the third Monarch and lastly by that last Monarch Rome swallowing vp the former togither with Messiahs appearance who had so manacled Iudah that they coulde not condemne Iesus but by the policie of wicked Rome This being the condition of the typical church it followeth say we that the New-testaments-church be in some measure thereto analogized And then onely it is so when we find after her fulnesse of grace a declining thereof running into schismes and desperate apostacies whereby God is prouoked to lessen her light to diminish her glory to ouer-turne her constitution to abbreuiate her pollicie Scripture II. Secondly the scriptures which inferre such lamentable ruine of the church they be many wherof a few to this purpose pregnant That 89. psalme is a typicall prophecie of Christ his kingdome who grants not wherein wee first see a glorious large kingdom giuen to Christ for his possession but anon behold as grieued at his Messiah or vncted who hath sinne considered as vpon him but in his members he casteth his crown on the ground he breaks downe his walles ruinates his fortresses and leaues him to be spoyled rebuked of the multitude Wherof the learned monke Folengius thus writeth These things may be applyed to the Christians times and perchance to our present times Presently whervpon he plainely saith that Religion is conculcate and trode vnderfoote And Aben-ezra citeth a certayne Spanish Iew so amazd at this psalm for the Iews dreame Io. Baptista Fol. in psa 89 40. Ad christianorum tempora forsanque praesentia aptari possunt that Messiahs kingdome shoulde be according to the worlds glory so perpetuall as he refused to reade it euen as the Romanists at this day can not abide to hear or reade any thing that crosses their Iudaicall opinion touching the outward face of Messiahs kingdome Nor maruell I thereat seeing heere in the person of Aetham brought in by the holy Ghost expostulating the cause of such downfall wee are taught howe hardely our nature brooketh the cast-down estate of Messiahs outward glorie Another Scripture wee haue in the foure and twentieth of Mathew whereas our Sauior euidently foretelleth the notable intricate estate of the faithfull in after times namely that many false christs false apostles false prophets shoulde arise in the church to the seduction of many charitie growing colde and iniquitie hauing the vpper hande Yea heerewithall that seduction and delusion as in the second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians and the second chapter should be so strong that if it were possible the very elect of God shoulde be seduced This generalitie of false prophecie of horrible iniquitie and mightie delusion it can not stand with a notable and glorious visibilitie of the Church nor yet can be considered where the constitution and pollicie is as at first sounde and vnshaken Nay it argueth according to that of Saint Paul in 1. Tim. 4.1 2 3. and 2. Timoth. 3.1 2 3 4 5 c. and that of Saint Peter 1. epistle 2.1 c. that all shall lie in horrible confusion and disorder do the holy men of GOD what they can Which also is denoted by the * This I haue manifested largely in my Antidoton Hieron in Zeph. 1.12 Recte aeutem Ierushalem c. parable of tares Math 13.24 c Touching which first and latter estate of the Church hearken what Ierome writeth on Zephaniah 1. Chronic. verse 12. I will search Ierushalem with candles Rightly Ierushalem that is the church which first was called Iebus that is trode vnder foote Because it was conculcate of the Gentiles and was a laughing stocke to the Deuils it was called Iebus And after the peace of the Lord began to dwell in it and his place made in peace it was called Ierushalem But because in the last-times as I haue oft said Charitie shall freeze and Iniquitie shall be multiplied yea the light of the Sun shall withdraw from Ierushalem and the vastation shall be so great that the verie elect of God shall hardlie be saued the Lord therefore then with the Lanthorne of his word and Reason will search all the vices in Ierushalem and bring them into sight Another plaine scripture we haue in Reuel 6. where after our Salomon hath rid foorth vpon the cleere word of Truth Ps 45.4 and Meeknes and Iustice and by the bowe of his right hand hath subdued a people vnto him We presently after see bloodie persecution scarsitie death slaughter together with a fearfull darkning of the Sunne blood stayning the Moone accompanied with a generall Apostacie of the Church-starres from the kingdome of heauen vnto earthly conuersation effecting therewith a generall dissolution of all good order All which thinges can be but mystically vnderstood according to the nature of prophecie and so a plaine declaration of the Church turned vpside downe with a losse of her large visibilitie and glorie Other Scriptures may of Romanistes be held more litigious these shall here suffice Besides the type and plaine euidence of Scripture III Experience I will adde the argument of experience signed by Antiquitie For the first 300. yeeres and better after Christes incarnation we are not ignorant of a reasonable glorious estate of the Church for the which some haue not altogether vnfitly vrged that of the Apocryphall Esdras 2. Esd 7.28.29 a thing that he might gesse at by comparison of Scripture where in the person of the Lord he saith My sonne Iesus shall appeare with these that be with him and they that remaine shall reioyce with him 400. yeeres After these yeeres shall my son Christ dye and all men that haue life as if he should say Christ shall liue in his Church 400. yeeres then shal he dye and the Church be darkned And indeed for so long we find the writers giuing in a more excellent testimonie then for the 200. yeeres after But after 600. yeeres or there abouts I trow that by one litle horne starting vp at Rome and an other in the East vniuersall Pope and
Machomet both affirming they haue the kaies of Paradise and speaking well of Iesus in generall tearmes a foule beast was mounted that opened a bottomles pit of humane inuentions that darkened all Sozomen eccl hist l. 6. c. 5. Anthonie the Heremite about the beginning of Constantines raign he is said to see in a dream certaine Mules Altare insultantes calcibus c. leaping vpon the Altare with their feete and ouerturning the sacred table whereupon he should say that by mixt and adulterate doctrine and by rebellion of Schismatikes the Church should be harmed And indeed not long after Arriani potiti sunt Ecclesiarum gubernaculis the abhominable Arrians got the Churches reines in their hands Yea saith venerable Beda Bedae eccl hist de gent◠Angl. l. 1. c. 9. Peace was in the Church vntill the times of Arrius his frenzie which corrupto orbe toto the whole world being therewith corrupted did also with the venome of his errour infect this Iland of Britaine so far remoued out of the world And this as againe he after vrgeth notwithstanding it was condemned in the Synode of Nice If Arrianisme so quickely got such an vniuersall head what did also Pelagius Macedonius Nestorius Martian and all other heretikes their doctrine All of them marching in battell aray against the Church all of them termed by Chrysostoms Riuall on Mat. 24. Incertus anther on Mat. 84. the army abhominable in the midst of the Temple preparing a seate for Antichrist Ech of these wonne disciples did drawe apart and teare the vnseamed coat of Iesus in a thousand peeces Not long after wee finde a man of sinne mounted in the midst of Gods temple aduancing himselfe as a god exalting himselfe aboue the thinges of God treading christian kings vnder foote and subduing all to his lustes as the apostle S. Paul and S. Iohn euidently fore-prophecied Clem. Alexandr in stro lib. 1. fol. 2. If Clemens could say of the churches next succeeding the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Few children like the Fathers for few conuaied the doctrine vncorrupted what may we say of the doctrine and churches estate in times long after euen that which Ierome long since said Inter Nitentia culta Lappaeque et tribuli et steriles dominātur Auenae Ierome against the Luciserians Burres thistles and wilde-oates Domineere in midst of the wheate field To spare the repetition of odious particulars Experience hath taught vs how the wheate field after some sleepinesse of Ministers it became so pestred with visible and incurable tares that hardely anie wheate could be seene The Lord his vineyard became so clogged with thornes and briars that hardly any Vine coulde bee discerned The Barne floore was so full of chaffe that the Grayne was almost inuisible The holie man Iob was scabs from the crowne of the head vnto the soule of the foote he sate vpon ashes scraping himself with a potshard his breath was corrupt his friends could hardly know him but yet not destitute of motion of spirit of a good conscience The Church indeed was in Babylon subiected vnto Babels externall gouernment but with Daniel and the three yong gentlemen of Iudah it preserued a good conscience The yeeres of captiuitie expyred it coms forth of Babel in a great measure but without expectation of the former Apostolicall glory Yong-men wil think the last Temple superexcellent but Aged spirited-ones will weep at the inferioritie thereof in comparison of the first Diuers yet with Daniel bide behind in Babel which somtimes come to their graue in peace somtimes do buckle with Lyons and depart to heauen in a firie chariot with Elijah So far are we whatsoeuer the Romanistes barke from condemning all our predecessors or yet adiudging to Hell all such as liue and dye amongst them For as there be in our Church who are not verily of it so we beleeue there be many in their idolatrous Israell who notwithstanding are not verily of it Thus briefly I haue cleered that notwithstanding the Church hath been euer visible yet she hath somtimes as also her Figure been spoiled of her glory darkned in her members captiued of her aduersarie destitute of her constitution Now remaineth it I examine the reasons of such aduersaries as deny the Church alwayes to haue been visible The Arrians Anabaptists and Brownists gone out of the Catholike communion they oppose to the Church her euer visibilitie thus First the typicall Church was not euer visible Secondly direct scriptures testifie that the new-Church should not be euer visible For probation of the first they say that the Church was not visible in Elias his time and to that purpose they alleage the Prophets complaint against Israell Rom. 9.2 1. Kings 19. Whereto I answere First it is an ill shaped forme of reasoning to say Elias saw no Church therfore no church was any where visible Elias saw no church in Israel therefore there was no church visible there nor yet in Iudah It is a sophistication of this nature Thomas seeth not therefore Peter seeth not There is no light here therefore no where Secondly I answer Elias did not so reason for his complaint was not against Iudah wherin he knew that the Church then florished vnder good Iehosophat but against Israel the ten schismaticall Trybes where then he feared that bloody Ahab and Iesabell had slaughtred all from whose furie he then fled But the Prophets assertiō is corrected of the Lord saying that he had reserued 7000 soules which bowed no knee that is did not outward substantial homage to Baal And indeed if we consider besides these Prophets which Obadiah hid in caues the sundry schools of Prophets at Elias his time of being rapt vp we may easily beleeue that God had a notable people in that schismaticall Israell seeing he sendeth not forth many prophets but when he is minded to gather in some large Haruest Thirdly we can by plaine demonstration poynt foorth the Churches visibility from the verie first Adam vnto Christ the second Adam In the houses of 1 Adam 2 Sheth 3 Enosh 4 Kainan 5 Mahalaleel 6 Iered 7 Henoch These 10. see in Gen. 1.3 c. 8 Methushelah 9 Lamech 10 Noach The Church was visible in them till the floud After the floud the Church stretched it selfe thorough the houses of Noach 1 Shem 2 Arphaxad These ten see in Gen. 11.10 c. 3 Selah 4 Heber 5 Peleg 6 Reu 7 Serug 8 Nachor 9 Thara 10 Abram From Abram to the captiuitie of Babel and from thence vnto Iesus Saint Mathew draweth a direct line in three times foureteene Generations that is two and fortie according to the number of Israels stations or pitching places mentioned in the booke of Numbers chapt 33. As for Saint Luke hee in his third chapt doth point out the first fruits of God from the first Adam vnto the second Saint Mathew from Dauid dooth vnto the captiuitie passe through the house of Solomon
of Gods people For Simon Iustus called also Hillels son or disciple and Zecharie Iohn Baptists father as also the Elders of our Sauiour so well as others whose names are vnknowen they conserued doubtles the Substance of religion not bowing their knees to the traditionary and sectarie Baal The last times of Iudahs church is a type of our times For in all times the Lorde reserued to himselfe a Church yea in the midst of heresies schismes corruptions And them times were a type of these our last times wherein at this day we liue In which pad of Bullinger Caluine Peter Martir al of any note in these latter times do vniformely walke This poynt I will to the shame of hereticall Christians shutte vp with Sybillaes prophecie Sed postquam Roma Sybil. l. 2. Aegyptum reget imperioque Froenabit summi tum summa potentia Regni Regis inextincti mortalibus exorietur Rex etenim sanctus veniet quitotius Orbis Omnia seclorum per tempora sceptra tenebit Wherein she plainely affirmeth that after Rome shall rule ouer Aegypt and that it did presently after Herods creation of King for Iudaea a most high King namely Messiah should set vp a kingdome ouer the whole world whose kingdome shal haue no end In the second place so this secōd doctrine is clered namely That the New-testaments Kingdome once established it neuer after can be totally remooued Nowe it remayneth we consider more particularly this same Cittie and that is doone by searching out first what is the Citties foundation then in the next place who bee the Citizens The foundation of this City that is of this Church it is first Personall secondly Reall Personall as the Church is sayd to be built vpon some person or persons Reall as it is said to be built vpon some Thing or matter The foundation personall is two-folde first as it is built vpon Christ secondly vppon the Apostles and Prophets That Iesus Christ is the foundation harken to Paul 1. Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Iesus Christ That the Apostles and Prophets are also termed Foundation harken to the same Apostle Ephesians chapter 2. verse 20. And ye are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone Nor is the word foundation expressed in both these places otherwise then by one and the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Themélton in the original Aquinas Tho. Aquin. super 1. Cori. 3. remembreth both these thus Vnum habet per se soliditatem c. The first of them hath the soliditie of it selfe like as some Rock wheron some edifice is builded and vnto this foundation Christ Iesus is resembled for he is the Rock spoken of in Math. 7.24.25 Th' other foundation it hath the soliditie not of it selfe but of the other solide subiect like as stones which first are placed vpon a solide Rock and in this sense the Apostles are called the foundation of the Church Ephes 2.20 So far the Schoolman Touching the foundation Real it is onely the Faith or Gospell of Christ Iesus whereon the Church or faithfull are said often of diuers to build And this Gospell is somtimes called Simply the gospell of God and Christ Iesus as in Rom. 1.1 9 16 and 15 16 19 29 c. Sometimes Respectiuely the Apostles gospell as in Rom. 2.16 and 16.25 The Gospell of God and Christ Iesus it is as they are the Authors therof but the Apostles gospell as they are the Preachers therof Both these senses of foundation remembred let vs come to examine the Romanistes on the one hand and then the Brownists on the other hand The Romanists from these words in Matth. 16.18 Thou arte Peter and vpon this Rocke I will builde my church they with tooth and nayle labour to enforce that Saint Peter is the Churches foundation that vpon him as on a Rocke it is builded as if these wordes on this rocke were spoken of Peters person and which more is of al Romish Pops succeeding in that Sea Let vs examine the Text. Our Sauior demanding of the Apostles whome they did say him to be Peter in the name of all the rest answereth Thou arte the Christ the sonne of the liuing God Then Iesus saide vnto him Blessed arte thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it to thee but my Father which is in heauen And I say vnto thee Thou arte Peter and vppon this Rocke I will builde my Church Vpon which Rocke vpon Peter Then hee woulde haue said Thou arte Peter and vpon thee not vpon this rocke I will builde The change of speech from The to This from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou Peter to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vppon This very Rocke it argueth that Iesus would haue Peter to looke from himselfe to some other person or thing If to some other person then only to him selfe whom Peter had confessed to be the very Messiah Which Christ is onely sayd to be the Rocke 1. Corin 10.4 The worde Foundation is communicated also with the Apostles and Prophets but the tearme Rocke is neuer giuen vnto anye meere creature For hee that is God can onely be the rocke of our saluation And to keepe people from applying the tearme Rocke vnto Peter the Holy-ghost presently after recordateth how because of his euill counsaile soone after our Sauiour saith vnto him Matth. 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan thou arte an offence vnto me c. And not long after hee three times forsweareth his Maister Yea after he hadde receiued in the day of Pentecost a fulnesse of the Holy-ghost he halteth in his ministerie and draweth Barnabas into the same dissimulation Galathians chap 2. verse 11. c. for which the holy apostle Paul resisteth him to the face and blameth him And that this was Saint Peter the Apostle and not some other Cephas as some malitious Romanists haue lately vrged but indeede an auntient errour first obserue how they oppose to Paul who saith it was Peter whome in the Syriacke terme hee before calleth * Elias in Thisbi affirmeth that Simon Iesus of Nazareth his disciple he was called Cepha whiche signifieth Strength Cephas but also vnto the antient Fathers as Tertullian in praescriptionibus aduersus haeret Ambrose in ep Gala cap. 2. Chrysostome on the Galat. chap. 2. Augustine contra mendac ad Consentium cap. 12. Ierome on Galat. 2. Cyrill contra Iulian. li. 9. in fine * Collecting it out of Austines epistle to Ierome as also out of other his writings So doth Aquinas on the same place Baeda on Galath 2. c. Yea heerein they oppose vnto Gregorius Magnus their Pope cōfuting the same fond fancie in his eighteenth homily vpon Ezekiel post B. Thus the Romanists propound vnto vs weake foundation Peter for Christ the creature for the Creator To shutte vp this poynt briefly hearken to Augustines testimonie
* August in Ioh. ttact 124. The Church is founded vppon the Rocke whereon Peter tooke his name * Non enim a Petro Petra sed Petrus a Petra c. For the Rocke was not deriued of Peter but Peter of the Rocke euen as Christ is not so termed of Christian but Christian of Christ. Vppon this Rocke therefore saieth hee whome thou hast confessed I will build my Church for the Rocke was CHRIST vpon which foundation also Peter himselfe is builded Whereunto ioyne that of Isidore * Isid hisp lib. 7. etymologiarum c. 9 Peter tooke his name of the Rocke that is of Christ vppon whome the church is founded For Christ was the Rocke vpon which foundation Peter himselfe was also builded If they will that Peter shoulde be in some sense a foundation then they must admitte all the residue of the Apostles in the same respect to be foundations And that is it which Saint Iohn in his Apocal. 22.14 speaketh of when hee seeth this Ierushalem to haue twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue Apostles Obiection But Peter only had the keyes giuen to him Answer First that is nothing to this Secondly it is false for the keys namely the power of binding and loosing is afterwardes giuen to many others euen to the whole Church so well as vnto him Iohn 20.22 23. And this Origen precisely from the same place of Iohn doth prooue in his Homily on Mathew 16. not to speake of other Ancients as Cyprian de simplicit praelat Aug. super Ioh. 124. Tertull. scorp aduers Gnostio c. 10. Rabanus c. 8. de poenit Ansbert li. 3. c. 5 in Apoc. c. who grant that in Peter was considered the church to whom the power is giuen of binding and loosing spiritually If we consider Faith that is the Gospel to bee the foundation of the Church then that is it which diuers haue well vnderstood seeing Faith is the hand which coupleth Christ and his church together Hence it is that Chrys Chrys serm de Pentecoste Super hanc petram non dixit super Petrum c. thus writeth Vpon this Rocke not vpon Peter for not vpon man but vpon the Faith Christ buildes his church And what was that Faith namely Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Nyssenu in testim delect ex vet testa vtters the same So do Theophil in Mat. 16. Smarag on the same place and Vict. Antiochenus saith that frō this faith sound doctrine Peter receiued his name on Mar. 3. not to mention any others Thus respect we scripture or heare we the Antients their testimony the Romanists still are found loosers For the Brownists what foundation doe they by their necessarie consecution propound to vs This forsooth The outward Constitution of the Church that is The forme of plantation and church-gouernement and this is their Puppis and Prora the load-star of their Course Insomuch as they deny to haue communion in prayer in preaching in sacrament with any such Church whatsoeuer which hath not bin so planted is not so gouerned as they conceiue of the Primitiue churches their plantation and gouernement And as they deny spirituall cōmunion with England Scotland as failing in both so let it be such of the Dutch French churches as haue planted their chur rightly in their own iudgement yet bicause of som few things in gouernment ecclesiasticall which they dislike they not onely deny communion with them yea for very hearing the worde but also excommunicate such of their people * So Maister Pe. Al. Maister M. Sl. c came to be excommunicate as shall but ioyne with them in prayer or in preaching Whereby it commeth to passe that this people maintaining that that their father Browne dare not they conceiue of themselues for the onely true visible church of God which can be throwly communicated with Briefly to returne answere first they take it for granted that the faith of Christ was amongst vs first planted by force of the sword not by preaching of the worde whereby came to passe that all wicked were receiued c. Let it be so Augustine August in ep 48. indeede was once of opinion that no compulsion herin was to be vsed but by his felow ministers being put in mind how his owne citie was wholy Donatists til feare of imperiall lawes brought them from that schisme to catholike vnity the good man changeth his minde alleadging such Scripture Prouerb 9 9. and 29.19 c. And I woulde gladly know of these men to what end a Christian hath the sword put into his hand if not with Nehemiah Iosiah Hezekiah Iosaphat Asa c. to driue the subiectes vnto outward conformity of holinesse righteousnesse Take away this vse of the sworde and then so wel with Anabaptistes remooue Magistrate and his sword out of the church Obiection But it was prophecied that the Church should be a voluntary people Psal 110.3 and Christ gathered and planted his Church by the word onely Answer The Anabaptists do apply these thinges aswell to their purpose adding further The Primitiue churches had no Kings in them c. therefore Kings as Kings not of a true established Church And thus Brownisme leadeth to Anabaptisme But least the crie of these Lapwings draw me from my purpose I leaue the Brownist to answere the Anabaptist and this shall be my answere to the scripture and our Sauiours practise It is true people were and did voluntarilie giue vp their names to Christ vpon the Gospels preaching Christ herein would not vse the sword not because it had been vnlawfull for he in himselfe vsed a whip in the Temple and forcibly ouerthrew their chaunging tables but because for the first plantation of the Gospell he saw it not to be expedient The weakest and foolishest meanes in mans iudgement 1. Cor. 1 27 28 29 he now did vse that so no flesh should reioice in his presence As he vsed onely his woord so he chose vnlearned men for the publication thereof And because none should say that it was no maruell though simple subiects became Christians seeing some of their Kings were first Christians the Apostle therefore before said Not many Mighty not many Noble are called To conclude now That the Sword hath not his vse in churches plantation c. they may aswell conclude That Noble men wise and learned men they haue nothing to doe in Church plantation Indeed when there commeth a New-Christ and new Apostles we will either graunt they conclude well or else we wil hold them and the new Christ accursed Secondly they assume That the sword planted first the Faith here which we deny First it cannot be but the first plantation of the Faith wheresoeuer it must bee by the Gospell preached The sword may make a noyse together with the Words voice but none can by the sword alone take any knowledge of the Gospell Besides it appeareth by auncient record that the Gospell came