did in Iurie and is in our time come to passe in Barbarie In some other place he doth so destroy that yet hee leaueth there some little trace and token of a church as now we may see in al Graecia and in some other places also more neare to vs. Sometimes also the Lorde doeth cut off the personal succession of Pastors by the fault corruption negligence and sluggishnesse of the Pastors themselues or by such violence as is vsed against those pastors which are good Of the firste wee may take example of the church of Antioche in which Samosatenus an euill heretike did thorowe corruption and ouersight succeede good fathers going before him Of the seconde the church of Alexandria may giue vs an example out of which when good Athanasius was banished Arians did succeed The like is to be seene also in moe other churches by him that will marke the histories of the church Such a cutting off and breaking of personall succession was euen in the church of Rome more than once or twise As when Honorius the first of that name being Pope and Bishoppe there was condemned for partaking with the horrible heresie of Eutiches about the yeare of our Lorde 623. And when Iohn the xxii of that name was by a general coūcel condēned for heresie Likewise was the personal successiō cut off in Rome when that womā Pope Anno Do. 854. whom in her popedome they called Iohn who before was called Agnes was Bishoppe of Rome as Ioannes Chemensis Episcopus doeth report in his booke intituled Onus Ecclesiae So was it cutt off also in the person of Siluester the seconde and of Gregorie the seuenth and in a number of such necromanticall Popes Likewise it was cut off in the times of the romish schismes and when schismaticall Popes who were in those schismes helde the helme and did sit as they say in Peters chaire when Pope was against Pope euen in Rome one Pope cursing an other Pope chalenging to each of them Peters chaire that for the space of many yeares And sometimes they all that thus chalenged were turned out of the seat of Rome and that by decree of a generall councel As at Constance three Popes were vnpoped at once and at Basill one This proueth sufficiently the of cutting of the personall succession in the Popes and Bishoppes of Rome To this also may be added the tragedies which Pope played against Pope from the time of pope Formosus which was about the yeare 893. vntill the time of Pope Leo the viii of that name The wise reader shal easily perceiue how Pope sought to cutt off Pope both in person and proceedings one condemning that which an other had decreed besides cruelties exercised on the bodyes of some of them being deade This schisme in the church of Rome is noted haue bene verie long therewith most cruell So that if there were want of other helpes the Popes themselues haue holpen vs plentifully to see how the personall succession in the church of Rome hath beene cut off by Popes themselues The cruel and popelike tragedies in Rome doe so displease the Papistes themselues that one of them Fascicul temp writing the history of this time bursteth out into this exclamation O most cursed times Nauclet to 2. And one other hath it in horror to report howe many things were wickedly done by no fewer thā 28. popes one succeeding an other Let the godly reader also wey what cutting of ther was of this personall succession whē by the pott of poyson Pope after pope was cutt off by that cunning poysoner Brazutus which yet at the length made some stay in one of the worst that euer did sit at Rome Gregorie the seuenth as no lesse man of credite than a Cardinall doth write Beno So that if either cutting off persons or cutting off the doctrines degres of popes may bee taken to bee a cutting off the personall succession in Rome then was it cutt off many yeares since Therefore without looking to this personal successiō which doth oftē and by many occasions faile a godly christian may full well know the true church of Christ And so shall he doe if hee will obserue when and where the true doctrine of God is taught and the syncere administration of the holy Sacramentes is obserued They are to be taken for the successors of the Apostles which being lawefully called to this ministerie do build vpon the foundation of the Apostles and doe enter into their labours whether they haue among thē a personal succession in perpetuitie or that it hath bene cut off for a time or that themselues bee the first that preach the Gospell in the place to which they are called to exercise the office of a true minister of Christes church And on the contrary part those pastors in place which do not preach the gospell of God at all or which in steade of preaching the doctrine of the Apostles do preach their own doctrine by themselues inuented though they doe alleadge a thousand of their predecessors which folowed one an other in personall succession yet are they not to bee taken for true pastors but are wolues and so to be takē neither are they nor can they be reputed nor taken to bee the true pastors of Christs church how largly soeuer they account of personall succession His worde is not in their mouthes neither are the congregations which are misseled with such wolues to bee taken to bee the true church of Christ For the true church of Christ doeth not heare the voyce of a stranger But this misseled church doeth both heare and receiue the voyce of a straunger and straunge doctrines They haue not the worde of Christ taught They wil not heare it neither will they haue his holy Sacramentes syncerely administred to them If any man wil aske whether it be lawful for euery mā that wil of his own priuate authoritie to preach the gospell to minister the holy sacramentes I aunswere no truely For all thinges in the house of God must be done in good and comely order as the Apostle doth teach vs. 1. Cor. 14. Who then will you say are the verie true pastors and teachers Euen they which are lawfully called to that office and doe it faithfully Now then we must knowe what a lawfull calling is There is a forme Of calling or maner of calling ordinarie Ther is also a form or maner of calling extraordinarie That is rightly ordinarie in which that order is obserued which God hath established in his worde and church In this order is first right assigning of men to do the office truly to which by the worde of God they are called Then a triall must be had of their habilitie in doctrine and examination of life Then a lawfull election or choosing Last of all followeth the imposition of handes This is to be seene by the example of the practise of the Apostles themselues For so was Mathias
A BRIEFE collection of the Church and of certayne Ceremonies thereof gathered by Thomas Sampson LONDON Printed by H. Middleton for George Bishop ANNO 1581. TO THE RIGHT worshipful Master Francis Hastinges Sheriffe of Leicestershire IN the French historie which you did leaue with mee I did find the whole historie of the Colloquie had at Poissie much more largely written in French than euer I did see it in Latine At this Colloquie the Cardinal of Loraine being the chiefe and capitaine on the part of the Papists made an oratiō more glorious in shew thā sound in trueth The which to doe hee had both the aduise and prompting of the papistes assēbled vnder him as of that subtill Sorbonist Despense of that little furie Xaintes with their mates Thus being vnderpropped this Cardinall made an oration touching two pointes The one was of the Church the other of the Sacrament which with thē is called the Sacrament of the Altar This later point by him handled after his sort did so please our Papistes that some of them did both translate and publishe it in English being as it were taken hott out of the Cardinalls mouth The seconde part touching the Church he handled like a Cardinall painting Rome so cunningly as he coulde vnderpropping it with the holow and rotten postes of Visibilitie of personall succession and ordinarie calling as they call it and such like stuffe And therewith did he driue with might and maine to deface the true Church of Christe into which it hath pleased God to call vs to whome he hath giuen grace to professe his holy gospell Our Church hee woulde deface because wee haue not those rotten pillers of visibilitie personall succession and ordinarie calling in such sorte as he claimeth them for Rome I founde in your booke a verie short but a pithie answere made to this latter part of the Cardinalls oration touching the Church the which because I had not read it before did easily holde me in it I liked it well and so I thinke will you I haue not the skill to be a perfect translator out of the French tongue neither doe I take vppon me so to do But yet I haue truely set downe in English the whole matter conteined in the answere That little which I haue added to that which is in the French is not from the purpose I trust This I giue to you now as I did before A briefe confession of the christian faith which I founde in that booke And one thing more by the grace of God I intend to giue hereafter if I may see the other volumes accordinge to your promise This little scrappe taken out of the large French booke I sende to you not that you neede it for you doe vnderstand the French tongue much better than I but I giue it to you to the ende that it may remaine with you as a testimonie of my dutie of thankefulnesse to you for your great good will alwayes borne towards me that by these Englished scraps you may be prouoked at your leasure to reade the whole booke your selfe and in the meane time you may communicate in Englishe some part of that good which is in the French booke to such as you thinke good Accept my poore labour in good part I pray you I shall indeuour to doe more God of his goodnes ayding me to whose goodnes and direction I doe commende you Yours in Christ T. S. A BRIEFE COLlection of the Church Gathered by T.S. THE name of the church is in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche worde is also taken out of an other Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call a man from one place or state of life to another And we doe finde in the holy scriptures that there are two kinds of calling The one is ioyned with the efficacie power and worke of the holy ghost Of which kinde of calling the Apostle doth speake in the Epistle to the Romans where he saith that God doth iustifie them whom he hath called Rom. 8. The other calling is of lesse force efficacie because men are deafe and dul such as wil not heare nor vnderstande Of this kinde of calling doth the Lorde Iesus spake saying Manie are called but few are chosen This name Church Matt. 20. therefore in the cause which we haue in hande doth signifie the companie of them which are called and gathered together by the voice of God who doth by his owne word call them In the which company we do see two sorts of men For taking the word Church generally to comprehende all them which are called and doe make an outwarde profession to obey the voyce of God wherby they are called doubtles among them many hypocrites are to be founde and reprobates as both the holy scripture speaketh of the Church and experience doth declare to be true But if you will take this worde Church more properly and straitly as oftentime it is to be taken then wee must say that it signifieth only the assembly of the elect of God and of those his children whom God hath predestinate to life euerlasting This church is called and is the body of Christ members of his bodie bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh In which number the reprobate cannot be conteyned For they are the members of the diuel It is vnpossible for one to be a member of Christ and a member of the diuel at one time as Augustine well noteth Lib. 2. cont Cresc ca. 21. This distinction of the name of the church the same father vseth writing vppon the threescore and fourth Psalme when he sayeth that the Church which is signified by Hierusalem had the beginning in Abel and that which is signified by Babylon did begin in Cain And yet in his booke written of baptisme against the Donatistes Lib. 1. ca. 16. taking this word Church in the more general significatiō he sayeth that it is it which engendred Abel Enoch Noah Abraham the Prophets also that it engendred Cain Ismael Dathan and such other like to them To conclude this matter let vs take that which Augustine writeth in that same treatise Lib. 7. ca. 19. that other place which is taken out of Hierome and is cited in the decrees 24. Q. 1. Omnibus consideratis where it is said that there are two sortes or manners of men in the Church One sort are the members of Christ and the verie true Church and are in such sort of the house of God that they are the house of god it selfe whereby it may be gathered that the other sort are in the house of God but are not of it at all They are as chaffe mingled with the Wheate vntill they be fanned out of it Hereof nowe will arise this question Visibilitie of the Church that is whether the church be visible or not Truely God alone doth know thē which are his electe and we do professe that we doe beleeue
the least three times in the yeare before the Lord in Hierusalem to testifie by their sacrifices their vnion in faith and religion Now after the wall of separation was brokē down which was between the Iewes the Gentiles they both the Iewes I say the Gentiles are brought into one body not only by the preaching of the one gospel of Iesus to them both but also by administring to them the Sacramēts which the lord Iesus hath ordeyned that is Baptisme the sacrament of his body bloud Iesus sayde to his Apostles Matth. 28 Goe teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father the sonne and of the holy Ghoste Here is enioyned both the teaching of the gospel of Iesus also the ministring of the sacrament of Baptisme And with the ministerie of baptisme is the administration of that other sacrament to be ioined which S. Paul did also ioyne in his ministerie 1. Cor. 11 when he did so deliuer the holy supper as he had receiued the same of the Lord. Thus is the church grounded vpō the foundation of the Prophets Apostles that is euen vpon Iesus Christ him selfe who is the verie substance of the doctrine Propheticall and Apostolicall And this is it that S. Paul teacheth when he sayeth that the Church is the piller of the trueth For the worde of God 1. Tim. 3 which is the trueth as Christ sayeth Ioan. 17 doth sustaine vphold the Church as Chrysostom expoundeth that place And to this purpose serueth that which olde father Irene writeth Iren. lib 3 cap. 11. Columna firmamentū Ecclesiae est Euangelium spiritus vitae The piller and the buttresse of the church is the gospell and the spirite of life The gospell is the ground on which the true church is planted and set Likewise the church doeth staye it selfe onely vpon the worde of God is stayed by it without which worde the church could neither be a true churche of Christ nor be stayed in him By the ministerie of the church the trueth is spread abroad vppon the earth among men The true church of Christ doeth truely teach publish the gospell of Christ which is the trueth The trueth worde of God is placed in the church as in a sure well knowen place For God doeth by it shew his power to saue al them which do beleeue Rom. 1. These are therefore the true and infallible markes of the church which is for this cause called the mother of the beleeuers which are engendred and nourished in it by this true and vncorrupted pasture and foode Nowe if there be the saide preaching of the worde of God and syncere administration of the holy sacraments it must needs followe that there are also pastors and teachers to whome this charge of teaching administration is cōmitted And this is the cause why some haue added to these marks this as a third marke of the church that is the ordinarie succession of these pastors and ministers from the time of the Apostles till nowe In deede such a succession is greatly to be liked regarded and embraced but so that this succession be rightly considered examined explicated and applyed to the purpose And so did many of the auncient fathers ayde them selues much against the heretikes which did start vp in their dayes as Irene Tertullian and Augustine did against the Marcionites Manichees and Donatistes But because some men do vse this matter of succession as a weapon against vs as though we were newe heretikes deuisers of newe doctrines therefore you shall knowe what wee doe thinke touching this matter of succession Succession We saye that there are two kindes of succession The one is of doctrine The other is of persons Touching the succession of doctrin we holde that it is an vnfallible rule and marke of the true church But as touching the succession personall wee do allowe it vppon this condition that it be ioyned with the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles in the substanciall pointes thereof Wee speake of doctrine and not of manners For though there be required in a true pastor sound doctrin and godly life yet it may be through some ignorance that a pastor may fayle in some such point of doctrine as is not a substantiall point of the doctrine perteining to our saluation whome we will that notwithstanding accompt as a true pastor so that he holde the foundation sure and soundly Likewise though he doe faile in some point of manners and doe become faultie yet wee will esteeme him as a pastor and teacher if he doe teach soundly Wee are taught thus to doe by the saying of our sauiour Iesus Christe who teacheth vs to heare the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. which doe sit in Moses chaire Wee must doe that which they teache but we must not doe that which they do Which sentence Tract 46 Augustine writing vpon the gospell of Saint Iohn openeth thus That it is to bee vnderstanded of hyrelings which do teach sounde doctrine and that it is not to be vnderstanded of false teachers For of them Christ sayde Beware of the leauen of the Pharises They which do sit in Moses chaire sayth Augustine do teach the lawe of God and God doeth teach the people by them But if they will teach their owne doctrines heare them not do not as they teache The same thing doeth Augustine in an other place handle that is De verbïs Domini Serm. 49. Because false teachers may succeed the true in the teaching place and so the wolues may succede good sheapheardes we do not therfore receiue and allowe all personall succession For this kinde of succession may giue a cloke to falshod if the succession of doctrin be not ioyned to it as the foundation thereof Moreouer those men which will holde the succession personall simply and of it selfe alone to be a true infallible mark of the true church these men must shewe vs some promise of God by which hee hath promised to binde his grace to those certaine seates places and countries that in them shoulde be such a sure and continuall succession of holy men Bishoppes succeeding one an other This promise we finde not in the newe Testament Wee learne there that Christe will alwayes haue his christian catholike and vniuersall church the particular members and partes whereof are dispersed scatered abroade throughout the whole vniuersall worlde as it pleaseth God to exercise his iudgementes vppon them whome either he cutteth off for euer or on them whome he doth chastice and afflict for a time and to enlarge his mercies vpon them whō hee leadeth from good to better or that hee doeth call some of them anewe to the true knowledge of himselfe For sometimes the Lord God shewing foorth his iust vengeaunce doeth so cast downe and cutt of all that hee will not leaue so much as a trace of his true church in a place as sometimes he
the holy Church But a man is not saide properly to beleeue that which hee seeth For beleefe is of thinges not seene but of such thinges as God hath promised though they bee not seene with the bodilie eye Nowe of visibilitie I say that as Christ Iesus our Lorde beeing in the worlde to worke the worke of our saluation was visible in the glorie and maiestie of the true Messiah so is his true Church visible in the worlde Iohn 17. For as hee was in the world so are they which are his that is his true Church in the worlde so seene and visible that the children of God the verie elect of God are both illuminate to see it to ioyn themselues to it as Simeon Anna Zacharie and other did see and ioyne themselues to the person of Messiah So did that blinde man which was cured as we doe reade in the gospell Iohn 9. Iohn 4. Likewise did the simple woman whō Christ Iesus did vouchsafe to teach in the same Gospell see more of the glorie and maiestie of the true Messiah in the person of Iesus than did al the bishops priests Scribes and Pharisees which caryed the countenance and credit of the Church among mē And as Obadiah did see 1. Reg. 18. and ioyne himselfe to the true Church of God in the darke dayes of Achab It is also so visible that satan is suffred to espie it and by his members to persecute it euen as hee did the person of our Lorde Iesus who is the heade of his true Church If men wil not content themselues with this sight but will haue their sight satisfied after their fansie with a visible worldly glorie of a church in this worlde more visible than Christ himselfe was whose Church in this worlde shall haue and bee in the same condition that himselfe had in it let these men take heede that they doe not fall into the lappe of the whoore of Babylon and take her for the church of Christ For the whore of Babylon hath her glorious visibilitie in the worlde shee is visible that in great worldly pompe glorie Now thē some will say to what companie or church thē shal I ioyn my self how shal I know finde that church in which I may heare receiue the doctrine of saluation yea if the church be inuisible so that we cannot see it we cānot heare the doctrin therof we shal not come to the true knowledge of GOD to worship him nor yet of our dutie to our king nor our rulers nor yet how we are bownde to obeye them I answere that though the church be invisible in that respect that I haue spoken off yet when it commeth in question to what company or church we shuld ioyn our selues we haue certein sure markes to directe vs rightly in this doubt These markes are The open Markes and true preaching of the worde of God and The sounde administration of the holy Sacramentes which markes are playne and apparant Wheresoeuer these marks are without doubt we are bounde to beleeue that there the true Church is and that companie wee ought to esteeme to bee the faithfull Church which doth professe the religion of the Lord our God as it is taught in his holy word Thus the Apostle doth call the companie dwelling in Corinth and the Galathians faithfull and Sainctes and giueth vnto them the name of the Church in generall although there were amonge them great faultes aswell in ignorance of doctrine as corruption of life Which thing also he taught 1. Cor. 3. when hee saide that all they which did holde the foundation did not alwayes builde vpon it golde or siluer or precious stones but also stubble and hay Thus wee speake of the Church in sounde and substantiall trueth We doe not make of it a fantasticall thing conceiued onely by imagination neither are we carried away in the fonde conceites of the Donatistes or Catharians nor in the furious frensies of the Anabaptistes Let mee therefore nowe speake somewhat of the marks witnesses of the Church which ought well to bee knowne marked because by them we may be directed rightly to that Church in which saluation is to be had Neither is there any one thing by which Sathan our olde enemie doeth labour more to deceiue men then by the title wrong opinion of the Church There are two marks as I said most certaine and infallible by which the true Church is knowne and discerned from all other conuenticles and assemblies of men The first is the pure preaching of the worde of God The second is the sincere administration of the holy Sacramentes To these some haue ioyned the true discipline and the fruite of obedience to the gospell preached And in truth there ought to be such a christian policie for the gouernement of the church as the lorde of the church Christ Iesus hath ordeined such obedience shewed to the gospell as it commaundeth But because the abounding force of our sinnes are such that often times these two last things do not so fully apeare in their maiestie and excellencie as they ought to doe therefore we doe rest our selues vpon the two first named markes The preaching of the word is a most sure and certeine marke token of the true church of Christ And therefore the preaching of the gospell is compared to the seede sowen Matt. 13. and by the preaching of the gospell it is sayd 1. Cor. 4. that the Corinthians were begotten vnto God For this cause also is the preaching of the gospell called the pasture in which the children of God do feede It is the nurriture with which they are nourished And Christ Iesus sayeth My sheepe do heare my voice Ioan. 10. and that they do not heare the voice of a strāger Yea Christ teacheth vs how by hearing and not hearing the worde of God wee shall know them which are of God For he sayeth Ioan. 8. He that is of God heareth Gods words Ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God They which are of God doe heare receiue and obey his worde they are his true church They which do not heare nor receiue his worde are not of God are not his true church The second sure tokē of the true church is the sincere administration of the holy sacramēts For it is the good pleasure of God to call feed his flock not onely by the voice of his gospel and worde sounding in their eares but also by mouing their eyes and other senses bodily And therfore he ordeyned that his sacraments should be certein witnesses visible seales of the vnion of his childrē with him selfe of one of them with another And this was one cause why it was sayd to the people of God Gen. 17. that he that was vncircumcised should be rooted out from among the people of god To this end also did all the heads of housholds apere at
faithfull man and who hath on his side better authoritie reason than is to be giuen to the whole Councell or to the Pope him selfe And in that great and first Councel of Nice it was long of one poore Paphnutius that the lawe of sole life which since that time hath brought much filthinesse into the church was not then established Againe when shall there so generall a Councell be assembled in which a great number of learned holy men are not left out of the Councell And who can assure vs but that they which are absent may not sometime haue more vnderstanding of a trueth than they all which are present at the Councell It is also wel known how long time now an horrible confusion hath reigned in the church that chiefely in the greatest dignitie of the prelacie So that the greatest desolation in the house of god hath ben is by the means of them by whome it should haue been best furnished Which hath caused some bishops churchmen to cast foorth many grieuous sighes cōplaints most cleare and so lowde that wee do yet heare the sound of them It is knowne also that complaints hereof haue passed the penne of the Pope himselfe at sometimes Pope Hadrian 6. haue slipped out of the mouthes of Popish Bishops at many times as the bookes of the Councels doe testifie Bernard also in his bookes of Consideration in his sermon which he made vpon the conuersion of saint Paul speaketh both openly and truely Alas Lorde saith he they which do loue the first chiefe places in the church and to beare the chiefe rule in it are the first which do persecute thee They haue taken the Arke of Sion they haue taken the castell and afterward haue set the whole citie on fire By this wee may see that they which then had the highest and most principall places in the church were farre out of order The same men doe holde and will holde the same places still Now surely the generall Councels at the time which were haue ben gathered of such persons so euill qualified haue not ben so conducted by the holy ghost but that they might erre And euen so the whole vniuersitie of Paris did think iudge of the Councell holdē at Rome by Pope Leo the tenth of the name therfore they apealed frō him his said Councel Againe if a generall Councell hath receyued this priuiledge that it can not erre in doctrine let vs knowe of what date this priuiledge is and when it was giuen There was yet neuer but one true faith But there haue beene many errours For euen in the church which was in the olde testament the Prophets doe tell vs plainly and the histories of that time do proue that there were errours and foule faults among them which should haue beene the teachers of the trueth Isay 56.10 All their watchmen sayth the Prophete I say are blinde they knowe not thing Iirm. 6.13 they are all dumme dogges The Prophet Iirmiah sayth From the Prophet to the Priest all do deale falsely And because these reproofes should not be restrained to the particular liues and manners of men he sayeth plainly Iir 14.14 They do prophesie false things a lying vision Isai 29.14 Againe Isay sayth that the wisedome of the wise shall perish and the vnderstanding of the prowde shall vanish and that God will stop the eyes of the Prophets euen of the chiefe of them The Prophet Ezechiel sayeth Ezech. 7. that the lawe shall perish through the Priest that is through the fault of the Priest And in deede who did condemne the true Prophets and seruants of the liuing God Iirmiah Micheah and other yea euen the verie sonne of God him self and after him his Apostles who did this but the assemblies Councels of the prelats which were in those dayes If you will saye These things happened in the olde Testament that cannot warrant our times 2. Pet. 2. For first the time of the newe Testament is not priuiledged from hauing of such false teachers Saint Peter telleth vs plainly that as there were false Prophets in the olde time so there should be in the time after him Furthermore of the time of the newe Testament S. Paul speaketh plainly Act. 20. that euen in our time of the newe Testament Wolues shall come out of the midst of the pastors And in another place That the child of perdition shall sit in the temple of God 2. Thess 2. And in conferring the Councelles together the one with the other wee shall finde such contrarieties in them that it will easily appeare that they did not alwayes heare and obey the holy ghost but that Satan transforming him selfe into the forme of an Angel of light hath ruled and ouerruled in some generall Councels Aug. lib. 2. de baptis contra Donatist cap. 31. Augustine saith that the Epistles of particular Bishoppes are corrected by prouinciall Councels and that prouinciall Councels are corrected by the generall The former amended by the later when as by more experience had of things that which was before secret and vnknowen is made more knowen and that which was hidden is brought to light Neither is this rule to be restrained to such exterior things as may be altered changed as the necessitie of the time doth require This worde Emendari which Augustine doeth vse presupposeth a fault committed and afterwarde amended be it in doctrine or maners And Augustine doth not speake there of any external policie but of a point of doctrine that is of the opinion of Ciprian of the Councel of Afrique touching rebaptising If you wil say that our Sauiour Iesus hath promised to be in the midst of two or three which are gathered together in his name therfore he wil be in the midst of a general Councel This may wel be presumed but there is a difference between a presumption a necessary conclusion For since the malice of men proceedeth so farre often times euen to abuse the most holy name of God to fortifie falshod such mē may haue God in their mouth which are his enimies in their hearts The weaknesse of the vnderstanding of men is such that it is often seene howe corrupt affections do blinde their eyes and mindes so that hee which hath none other foundation but the aduise of men is more often in danger to be deceiued than otherwise Is then the doctrine of the church vncerteine will ye saye or can the church erre Of the erring of the church I haue alreadie spoken therfore vnto the first question I answere thus The doctrine which the Lorde our God hath deliuered to be the doctrine of his church is moste certeine and sure But because men do yet knowe but in parte as Saint Paul sayeth in this respect somtime errour is mingled with the trueth in the knowledge of men This is true that the Lorde our God will not suffer that
feeble a slender ground For we shal find the determinations of councells which are called the church representatiue one contrarie to an other as by conference of them together it will appeare Herevnto I will adde this reason Iesus Christe is hee whome all the true Prophetes honoured for as their Lorde he did send thē and yet they are not aboue him but he aboue them notwithstāding he doth approue his doctrin by their testimonies S. Paul suffereth the Bereites to do the like with his doctrin Act. 17. S. Peter prayseth greatly this kinde of doing 2. Pet. 1.19 Therefore they which doe call themselues the Vicars of Iesus Christ the successors of Saint Peter and Paul may not refuse this condition To this purpose serueth that which Hierome writeth We must not sayth he followe the errours of fathers nor of auncestours But wee must follow the authorite of the holy scriptures And Chrysostome writing vppon the 14. Lib. 2. in lir cap. 9. chapter of the gospell of Sainte Mathewe saith That hee which will knowe which is the true Church of Christ when thinges are in confusion through likelihoode hee must knowe it by the scriptures And in the same place vppon these wordes Hom. 49. Let them which are in Iurie flee vnto the mountaines he saith Let them which are in the christianitie retire and drawe them selues to the holy scriptures For when the time is such that heresie doeth possesse the Churches so that one cannot haue by or in the church any sure or certaine tryall to prooue which is true christianitie there can bee no other refuge to such christians as are desirous of the christian faith but only to the scriptures whosoeuer then will not know which is the true church of Christe how shal he know it but only by the holy scriptures saith this ancient father Againe he saith The Lord knowing that great confusion should come in the later dayes doth commaund that the christians which doe desire to take some holde of true faith should haue their refuge to nothing but to the holy scriptures For otherwise if they will haue regard to other thinges they shall be offended and perishe not vnderstāding which is the true church and so shall fall into the abhomination of desolation which wil hold it self in the holy place of the Church An other olde greek writer Basil I do meane in the nienth Summe of his moralls Cap. 22. saith If all that which is not of faith be sinne as the Apostle saith and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God then all that which is out of the diuine holy scripture is sinne Againe in a Sermon which hee maketh of the confession of faith If God be faithfull in all his purposes and his cōmandementes be sure for euer being done in trueth and right it is manifestly to turne from the faith and a sinne of pride to throwe any thing away of that which is written or to bring in any thing which is not written Thus much in answere to that which our Romish rufflers do bellowe for their church the power and glorie thereof And to shewe what a christian may and ought safely to thinke of the church and how to giue humble credit to the holy scriptures and to giue to them their due authoritie To this Oration made and pronounced in that Colloquie had at Poyssi by that singular instrument and seruant of God Theodore Beza the Papistes and their capitayne the Cardinall did not reply For I thinke they had not the hartes to withstand the trueth Yea they were so far from denying of it that euen then and there their chiefe doctor Despense was in approbation thereof content to saye that hee did allowe that in generall which was sayde in this Oration of the church and saide that hee had alwayes taken this for a wicked blasphemie that some doe say that The church is aboue the holy scriptures But touching that which was in this oration saide of the ordinarie succession of Pastors hee was not yet fully satisfied He added that he did not take the pastors of the Churches reformed by the Gospell to be lawfull ministers because they had not the handes laide on them by the Bishops To this the doctor was aunswered then Impositiō of handes and thus That there are markes of the lawfull calling of Pastors of which some are substantiall and may not bee omitted others may Substantiall things not to bee omitted are these First that the person admitted into the ministerie bee appointed to doe that office wich is enioyned the minister of Christ in his church by the worde of God which is to preach truely the doctrin of Iesus and sincerely to administer the holy sacramentes Agayne that before his admission he bee tryed and examined howe fitt and able hee is to doe this worke of the Lorde and so he must by tryall be founde able in doctrine and of a godly conuersation of life Thirdly that then hee be chosen to the office by forme and order of a lawefull election But as touching imposition of hands it doth concerne but an externe forme and serueth as it were but to put him in possession and vse of the holy ministerie it doth not make him a minister it is not of any such force Hierome writing against the Luciferians saith expressely that the imposition of handes is not of necessitie prescribed by the law but it is a certaine honour done to the priesthoode Eliah and Samuel did both of them sacrifice and yet did not any of the ordinary priestes lay their handes on them It may be further saide in answere that if the romish maisters now wil needs haue vs to receiue impositiō of hands of them or else they will not take vs to be lawfull ministers they muste shew first that them selues are right and lawfull ministers of the gospell of Iesus But that they cannot do For touching their institution it is as strange and vnknowne to the gospell as was the institution of the priestes of Ieroboams calues strange to lawe of God For the Romish priests are instituted to haue authoritie to offer sacrifice to God and to say masse for the quick and the dead as the Popes Pontifical beareth record and that in the name of the lord say they But the Popish Pontificall doeth herein greatly abuse the name of the Lord. For the Lord God doeth not in the whole newe Testament ordeyne any such kinde of sacrifizing or massing Priestes And therefore the order of the Popish priesthood is as farre wide from the gospell as the calues of Ieroboam were from the lawe of God and his priestes frō the Lords priestes Now in the execution of that office which the Priestes in poperie pretende to haue and to exercise they doe likewise depart from the trueth For they preach not the gospell of Iesus but the deuises of men contrarie to the doctrin of Iesus They do not administer his holy sacraments