and all his members And in this sort now a dayes haue wee forsaken that sea of Rome flowing with false doctrine idolatrie and the bloud of innocent martyrs haue embraced the doctrine of the Gospel and of the Apostles and therefore Christ himselfe the head of the church which is the fellowshipp of all sainctes beléeuing in Christ And this hetherto haue I spoken by digression I nowe returne to the treatise of the catholique church that I may make an end of those thinges whiche remaine to be spoken And to that end that greater light and force maye be added to those thinges which I haue hetherto spoken of the churche I will nowe bring out certeine parables out of the holy scriptures whereby those thinges are as it were painted out before our eyes And so shal it be easie for euerie man to put a difference betwéene the inward and the outward churche and to knowe what either apperteyneth properly to euery one or else what is not proper First of all the church is set forth vnto vs vnder the shape and fashion of a house A house is builded to this ende that men maye dwell in it and it is builded by workemen of matter of all sorts of wood of stones and morter the foundation beeing first layde vppon which are set walls which are ioyned together with a corner stone last of all is added or placed alofte the roofe without whiche the whole building by little and little rotting woulde fall downe decay I said that the churche is the house of God the chiefe maister builder whereof is God himselfe who in the figure therof that is to say in the tabernacle made by Moses and temple builded by Solomon did deliuer both vnto Moses and Dauid the fashion of the temple according to whiche patterne they should build it For god from the beginning kept the Angels that they should not fall but repaired man being fallen into sinne death euen streighte wayes after the beginning of the world sanctifying a church vnto himselfe whiche hee also seuered out cōpassing it about with his word And this fashion of the church it is altogether néedful that we kéepe that we receiue not any other fashiō either of Emperor or Pope or deliuered by any other mā The true master builder of this house of God saith in the Gospel Vpō this rock I wil build my church For the same sonne of God is he that maketh vs worthie of his kingdome he giueth vs faith by whiche wee are made true members of the churche of god But albeit the Lord himselfe bée the onely and principall builder of his church yet he refuseth not the labours of men in the building yea rather hee ioyneth men with him in building of the church whome also he vouchsafeth to call maister builders For Paule sayeth As a skilfull maister builder I haue laid the foūdation And againe Who is Paule and who is Apollos but the ministers by whom ye beleeued as the Lord gaue to euery mā I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So then neither is hee that planteth any thinge neither hee that watereth but God that giueth the increase Againe We together are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandrie Gods building Wée will make the matter plaine by an example What time God would raise vp a house vnto himselfe amonge the Gentiles first of all hee endued with his grace Cornelius the gouernour of the Italian bande placed by Cęsar or the capiteine and Centurion by by after sending the Apostle Peter he prepared and made readie that house for himselfe For Peter teacheth and baptiseth Cornelius with his household hearkeneth beleeueth is baptised and becommeth the house of god the true church which church the Lord dwelles in by his spirite For euen as a house is dwelt in by men so GOD dwelleth in the church As Paul witnesseth saying The temple of God is holy whiche yee are Againe Knowe you not that your body is the temple of the holie Ghoste which is in you c. The foundation of this house is Christ For God sayeth by Esaie Behold I put or lay in Sion that is to saye in the Churche a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation Hee that beleeueth shal not make hast Which prophecie the Lord expoūding in S. Matthewes Gospel and applying it to himselfe as the foundation of the church saith vnto Peter confessing Iesus to bee the true sonne of the liuing God the Messias that was looked-for And vppon this rocke I will build my church the gates of hell shall not ouercome it There is moreouer to be added herevnto the exposition of S. Peter the Apostle who reciting the verye same words of the prophete Esaie and alluding to that saying of Dauid The stone whiche the builders refused is the head of the corner sayth exprefly that Christe is that liuing stone refused of men but chosen of God a sure foundation vppon whome whosoeuer stayeth shall not be confounded And also Paul the Apostle agreeth with Peter for hee sayeth And the rocke was Christ And againe An other foundation can no man lay than that which is layd which is Iesus Christ Therfore wheras he in another place nameth the selfe same foundation the foundation of the prophets and Apostles it is not so to be taken as if the Apostles and prophets were the foūdation of the church but that they layed Iesus Christ for the foundation of the Church builded the whole building vppon this foundation yea euen thēselues also For mortal men cannot be the obiect of faith and foundation of the church wherevppon the faithfull may stay Dauid crieth The way of God is vncorrupt the word of the Lord is tried in the fier he is ashield to al that trust in him For who is God besides the Lord And who is mightie or a rocke saue our God And Ieremie saith Thus saith the Lord cursed bee the man that trusteth in man maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the lord Blessed bee the man that trusteth in the Lord whose hope the Lord is So the writings of the prophets and Apostles with one consent shewe vs the rocke that is to say the foundation of the church to be Christ that it is he onely and alone Greatly do they erre therfore whosoeuer they be that do attribute to the bishop of Rome this diuine praise power and prerogatiue which is due only to the sonne of god And if so be it that they obiecte that many interpretours both Gréeke Latine haue vnderstoode by the rocke Peter himselfe we refuse mans authoritie and do affirme bring forth heauenly authoritie Christ said not I will build my church vpon thee but vppon a rocke that selfe same rocke that thou hast cōfessed Yea Peter taketh his name of Petra which signifieth a rocke euen
Lord fled into the wildernes wheÌ„ the people thoght to make him a king He knewe the HelisÄ™us by most wholesome counsel refused the reward of NaamaÌ„ the prince And the Giesi his seruant to his euerlasting reproche and ouerthrowe of his owne health required it afterward at his haÌ„d S. Peter would not take vppon him the charge of the poore least he should thereby with lesse diligence attende vppon prayer and preaching of the word of God whiche thing the Actes of the Apostles do witnesse who therefore thincketh it likelye that hee casting aside the office of Apostleship would haue receiued the Empire euen of the whole world Hée denieth that one man can both happily execute the charge of the ministerie of the word and also minister vnto the necessitie of the poore But what Pope wil they giue vnto vs that hath the spirite more fully than Peter had Which can performe that which Peter could not Whiche cannot onely now both serue at tables but also can gouerne the whole world Therefore they are trifles which they rehearse to vs touching the donation of ConstaÌ„tine Constantine was more sounde than that he would frame such a donation which he knew was repugnant to the doctrine of Christ Syluester was more vppright than to receiue that which he knewe could not be receiued without the vtter ouerthrowe of the ministerie of the word But if Constantine gaue that altogether which he is said to haue giuen that Syluester did not refuse his donation both of them offended Because both delt against the word of God. I sawe what of late yeares Augustine Steuchus a man otherwise well learned of much reading hath written touching Constantines donation against Laurentius Valla but he bringeth no sound arguments though hee wonderfully rage and put all the force of his eloquence in vre and finally doe buisily heape together from all places whatsoeuer by anye manner meanes maye seeme to further this cause And truely that booke séemeth better worthie to be troden vnder foot than to bee occupied in good menns hands For that I make no wordes that he calleth that ecclesiastical kingdome of Rome oftentimes eternall whereas the kingdome of Christ and the sainctes is onely eternall doeth hée not most manifestly place the Pope in the seate of Christe our Lord For after he had recited the testimonie of one Pope Nicholas hee forthwith addeth Thou hearest that the highe bishop of Constantine is called God couÌ„ted for god This verilie was done when hee adorned him with that famous edicte hee worshipped him as God as the successour of Christe and Peter As much as he could hee gaue diuine honours vnto him hee worshipped him as the liuelie Image of Christ Thus farre he in the 67. section of his booke Neither hath he written that whiche is vnlike vnto this 28. section For hee remembring certeine imaginations of his owne conceiued of the Pope he feigneth I cannot tell what fruite would come thereof if it were made knowne among the furthest Indians that all the kingdomes of the world are gouerned by the Popes becke that kings worship him as being a thinge very well knowen to them that he is the successour of Christe and therefore that they receiue him not so muche a mortall man as God himselfe in him who hath substituted him in his roome in earth and therefore wee oughte to absteine from reprochfull words if he sinne in any thinge as a man because in him they worshipp the Sonne of God. These wicked reioycinges these flattering or rather sacrilegious voyces would Peter haue suffered think you who lifted vpp Cornelius when hee fell downe before him and would haue worshipped him and said Arise I my selfe also am a man. We read also that the Angel himselfe said vnto Iohn whiche fell downe and would haue worshipped at the Angels féete See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruaunt and of thy brethren the Prophets It is also written of Herodes Agrippa because he repressed not the flattering voyces of the people whiche cryed when he had ended his oration It is the voice of a God not of a man that therefore hee was stricken of the Angel of God and hee rotted away being eaten of wormes Therefore we since wee knowe that Christ himselfe the sonne of God doth reigne as yet in the churche as to whome onely all glorie and power is giuen and hath not substituted any man on the earth in whom he wilbée worshipped and serued wee worship and serue Christe Iesus the sonne of God oâ—ely and vtterly abhore the Pope as antichriste and a dounghill God or if you wil a God of the iakeshouse together with his sacrilegious clawbackes and blasphemous flatterers The Lord in verie déed said to S. Peter Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will build my Church I wil giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. But what make these sayinges to establish the monarchie prerogatiue and dignitie of the Pope Peter is commended of the Lord for the constancie of his faith wher vpon also he receiued his name béeing called Peter A petra that is of the rocke wherein hee settled himselfe by a true faith Christ is that rock wherevnto Peter stayed He heareth that this shal be the perpetuall foundation of the churche that all shal be receiued into the fellowshippe of the church who with a true faith confesse with Peter that Iesus Christ is the verie sonne of God and rest vppon him as the onely rocke and saluation Moreouer the keyes of the kingdome of God are promised vnto Peter but when they are deliuered they are not giueÌ„ to Peter alone but to all the Apostles For The keyes are not as these men imagine a certein dominioÌ„ iurisdiction but the ministerie of opening and shutting the kingdome of heauen to lett into the church and to shutt out whiche is wrought by the preaching of the Gospell as it shall anon be said more aboundantly After the same manner when Christ said to Peter Feed my sheep he did not giue vnto Peter the monarchie of the whole world and dominion ouer all creatures but committed vnto him a pastorall cure Of whiche thing I haue spoken in my last sermon as also else where both often and largely against the supremacie of the bishop of Rome Vnto the auncient writers of the church which they obiecte vnto vs testifying I knowe not what of the supremacie of Peter we wil aunswere in one word that we care not so much what the old writers thought herein as what Christe the sonne of God instituted and what the Apostles whose authoritie doth farre excell the iudgement of the old writers practised and what they haue left both in their writing examples for vs to iudge and sollowe Whereof I haue also spoken in the 2. Sermon of this Decade Wée haue almost gone further than wee determined therefore that we may draw to an end we haue spoken of
our Lord declared and expounded by the same Apostle Paule Nowe Abraham and Dauid were alwayes men of chiefe accompt in the Church of god With whiche twaine the whole companye of the Prophets doe wholie agree For the Apostle Peter saith All the Prophets bare wittnesse to Christe that by his name euery one whiche doeth beleeue in him shoulde receiue remission of his sinnes And euen nowe by the mouth of Paule wee hearde saye that by the testimonies of the lawe and the Prophetes it is proued That the righteousenesse of God is freely bestowed by faith with out the Lawe We haue also the verie sonne of God Iesus Christe our Lorde whose authoritie excelling farre all y worldes beside may confirme vs well enough in this péece of doctrine For he as it were in certeine assembled counsels did determine and decree that which we in this place do counsell al men to reteine For hauing gathered togeather his disciples at Caesarea Philippi he demaunded of them what men did thinke of him Nowe when they answered diuersly according to the diuersitie of opinions that the common people had of him hee inquired of theÌ„ what they them selues thought of him Then Peter in the name of all the rest saide Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. To whome the Lorde replyed Happie art thou Simon Bar Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heauen In these woordes hee concludeth two seuerall thinges First that true faith doeth make vs happie Neither is it to be doubted but that to make happie is vsed here in that signification which ye hearde out of Paule euen nowe that Dauid vsed it in Lastly that that sanctifying faith is not the woorke of oure owne nature but the heauenly gifte of god And then also he taketh occasion vppon that notable confession of true faith to giue a newe name to Simon Peter for the eternall memorie of the thinge and for the imprintinge of the signification of that mysterie in all mennes mindes Peter confessed that Christ was a stone or rocke Therefore Christe syrnameth Peter a Petra that is a stone as if one shoulde call him a liuinge stone layde vppon a liuing stone or of Christe a Christian Yea and leaste peraduenture any man shoulde tye the thinge vniuersally beelonginge to the whole churche vnto Peter alone the Lorde him selfe doth apply it vnto all the Churche and saith And vpon this stone will I buylde my churche and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it As if he should haue sayd that which nowe is done in thee Peter shall hereafter bee done in all the faithfull Thou by faith art layde vpon me which am the stone and arte made a member of the Church I therefore do ordeine that whosoeuer confesseth mee to be the stone shal be a member of the Churche sanctified iustified and deliuered from the diuell and the power of death Thy confession that is I Christe the sonne of God whome thou confessest shal be the foundation of the Churche vppon whiche foundation whosoeuer are layde they shal be iustified and fréely saued For Paule also saide An other foundation cannot be layd than that that is alreadie layde which is Christ Iesus And the Apostle Iohn saith This is the victorie that hath ouercome the worlde euen your faith Nowe least Peter and his other fellowe disciples shoulde not knowe the waye howe other men shoulde be admitted into the fellowship of the Churche and receiued into the communion of Christe he addeth immediately And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shal bee loosed in heauen c. He gaue the keyes when hee sent the Apostles to preache the Gospell Therefore by the preaching of the Gospell which is the keye of the kingdome of heauen is heauen opened and the waye poynted out howe we being graffed in Christe the church may bee made the heires of eternall life to wite through faith in Christe which wee are taught by the Gospell of Christe Thus much touching the counsell wherof Christ himself was PresideÌ„t helde at Caesarea Philippi There is extant in Iohn an other counsell held at Capernaum both famous and ful of people For in a greate multitude of his Disciples and other men hee doeth determine that eternall life is gotten by faith in Christe and that there is none other waye for vs to come to life than this To eate his fleshe and to drinke his bloud that is to beléeue in him And when amongâ— the audience there was a Schisme by reason that many reuolted from Christe hee demaunded of them that were his neerest disciples whether they also woulde forsake him then Pâ—ter in the name of all the rest did aunswere since in thee O Christe there is life and saluation if wee departe from thee wee cannot bee partakers of lifâ— and therefore by faith wee will â—â—rmely sticke and cleaue close to thee for euer Moreouer here are to be reckoned two counsels also that were helde by the Apostles The one of whiche no man can denye to bee verie generall or vniuersall For in it there were dâ—uout men of euery nation vnder heauen In that counsell did Peter the Apostle in expresse wordes teache that Christe is the Sauiour of the worlde whome whosoeuer beléeueth hee shall haue life euerlasting The place is knowen in the Actes of the Apostles the second Chapter Before the chiefe of the Iewes the same Apostle declareth that there is saluation in none other than in Christ alone The place is extante in the Actes of the Apostles the thirde Chapter The like hee doeth to the firste fruites of the Gentiles Cornelius and his housholde in the tenth Chapter The seconde counsell which was famous also and passingly adorned with all good giftes is described in the fiftéenth Chapter of the Actes in whichâ— Counsell this proposition was allowed That faith without woorkes doth iustifie freely Touching which matter I haue spoken at large in an other place Nowe by all this I woulde haue it proued that the doctrine of Faith that iustifieth without woorkes ought to bée reteined vnmingled and vncorrupte in the Churche because as I maye so saye it is moste Catholique and altogether vnreproueable to the breache whereof this cuâ—sse or Anathematisme of the Apostle is added sayinge If wee or an Angel from Heauen shall preache to you anye other Gospell than that whiche we haue preached let him bee accursed The seconde cause why it is expedient that this doctrine bee kepte sincere in the Churche is because if it bee once put out of ioynte the glorie of Christe shall bee in daunger of wracke and in ieopardie For the glorie of Christe is darkened and corrupted in the myndes of men althoughe of it selfe it remaineth alwayes sounde and cleare if wee beginne to diuide the righteousenesse whereby wee stande and appeare before GOD attributing it to oure owne merites and good woorkes of
Iesu through the gospel And the same apostle saith in an other place Faith cōmeth by hearing and hearing cōmeth by the word of god Since ther fore faith cōmeth by hering hearing by the word of God and that specially by the word of God the church truely can by no meanes spring or be builded by the decrées doctrines of men Therefore we affirme that onely the word of god is apt for the building vp of the church of god Mens doctrines set vppe mens churches but Christes word buildeth the Christian churche For the doctrines of men proceede of flesh and bloud But Peter confessing Christ with a pure faith and therfore grounded vpon Christ who is the foundation of the church heard these words of Christ him selfe Fleshe and bloud hath not reuealed these thinges vnto thee but my father which is in heauē And therefore Paule saith When it pleased God that I should preach his sonne among the Gentiles I conferred not of the matter with fleshe and bloud c. He also most manifestly abolishing all doctrines of men from the setting vp building of faith and the church only commending the word of God saith to the Corinthians My word and preaching stood not in the enticing spech of mans wisdome but in plaine euidence of the spirit of power that your faith should not be in the wisdome of men but in the power of God. To this now perteineth these testimonies of Christ He that is of God heareth Gods word Againe He that is of the truth will heare my voyce And againe more plainely he saith The shepe wil follow the shepheard bicause they know his voyce They will not follow a stranger but wil run away from him bicause they know not the voice of strangers But vnder the voice of straungers we include all traditions and decrées of mē differing from the doctrine of Christ to which traditions the apostle S. Paul doth attribute the shape of wisdome but the truth he denieth them caleth them superstitious For our lord him selfe in the gospel bringeth foorth of the prophete Esaie the immutable saying They worship me in vaine teaching for doctrines mens preceptes Let vs therefore holde that the true church is not built by mans decrées but y she is founded planted gathered together builded onely by the word of Christe We doe adde that it is out of doubt y the church of God is preserued by the same word of God least at any time it should be seduced or least it shuld slip perish y neither can it at any time be preserued by any other meanes Paul againe witnessing and saying Christ hath giuē some to be apostles some prophets some Euāgelists som pastors techers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the work of the ministerie that is to say to teach preach the word for the edification of the body of Christ till we al meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ that we hēceforth be no more children wauering carried about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceit of mē marke I praye howe mens doctrines are condēned againe with great inuiolable authoritie with craftinesse whereby they lay in wait to deceiue But let vs folow the truth in loue in al things grow vp into him whiche is the heade that is Christ by whom al the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioint for the furniture therof according to the effectual power which is in the mesure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue increaseth the body vnto the edifying of it self through loue These words of the apostle are so plaine that they néed no better expositiō thā they haue of thē selues In this place also the order maner of the church by the preaching of Gods word shuld of right be set downe which many doe terme call the ministerie of the word or of the church but we wil speak of the God willing in the third sermō It shal be sufficient in this place to defend that our Lorde God hauing giuen doctours vnto the church doth found build mainteine inlarge the church by his word yea by his word only There come two things now to be cōsidered First that the church of good for y continual and constant studie of the word of God is called propheticall apostolical ye also orthodoxical For it is called prophetical or apostolical bicause by y trauell of the prophets apostles it was first builded by their doctrine is preserued euen at this time shall by it be spred abroad euē vnto the end of the world It is called Orthodoxical bicause it is soūd of iudgement opinion faith For without the church there is no true faith neither any perfect doctrine touching true vertue felicitie The faith doctrin of the church was reuealed from God him self by Adā the patriarchs by Moses the prophets by Christ and the apostles Wherby she elsewhere is named a mother whereof we will speake in the next sermon Secondarily that the succession of doctor or pastors of the church doth proue nothing of it selfe without the word of god The chāpions defenders of the papisticall churche do boast that they haue a most certein marke of the apostolique church to wit in y continuall succession of bishops cōming from S. Peter by Clemēt the first so to Clemēt y 7. to Paul y 3. who died of late so cōtinuing to Iulius y 3. not lōg agoe created Moreouer they add that al such members are cut off as do separate themselues from the church in that which only that apostolical succession is found And we do not deny but that the right succession of pastors in the primitiue church was of gret weit For thei which then were call pastors were pastors in déed executed the office of pastors But what maner of pastors they haue ben a great many yeares which of the rout of Cardinals mitred bishops sophisters haue ben caled pastors none is ignorāt but he which is altogether without any vnderstāding The Prophete Zacharie heard these words spoken to him from that lord take to thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd for loe I wil raise vp a shepheard in the lande whiche shall not looke for the thing that is lost nor seeke the tender lambs nor heale that that is hurt nor feede that that standeth vp but he shal eate the flesh of the fat and teare their hoofes in pieces Woe be to the idle shepeheard that forsaketh the flocke c. Therfore neuer a whit more do these men proue by their continuall succession of Byshops who teache not the worde of God sincerely nor execute the
as a Christian of Christ And Peter also himselfe by the rocke vnderstood Christ Herevnto maketh the authoritie of Paule saying The rock was Christ And Other foundation can no man laye than that whiche is laid whiche is Iesus Christ For Dauid before sayed Who is God besides the Lord or who is a rocke saue our God These testimonies I repeate not vnaduisedly for all those that are not beside their witts wil confesse there is more credite to be giuen to these most manifest testimonies witnessing Christ onely to be the rocke and placing him for the foundation of the Church than vnto those that teach both Peter the bishop of Rome together with Christ to bee rockes and foundations of the Churche I will vse no sharper speach at this time against them for asmuch as it is most manifest vnto all men what maner of men they be most vnworthie to bee reckoned with Peter but most worthie to be counted amongest Symoniackes Peter foresawe what manner of men they would bée and therefore least any man should be deceiued by them he painted them out in their colours in the 2. Chapiter of his 2. Epistle But leauing them wee will returne to the exposition of the parable we had in hand The matter of the house as the walls other parts are faithfull men builded vppon the foundation Christ Which thing those famous and principall workemen of this building Peter and Paule witnesse and explaine in these woordes Peter sayeth To Christ ye come as vnto a liuing stone disalowed of men but chosen of God and precious And ye as liuely stones bee made a spirituall house and holie priesthood to offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to GOD by Iesus Christ And Paule saith Now therefore ye are no more straungers forreyners but citizens with the saincts of the household of god And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone In whome all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy temple in the lord In whō ye are also built together to be the habitation of God by the spirite By the authoritie therfore of the Apostles wee learne that Christ is the corner stone in the house of God who least the walls should fall downe coupleth them together and vp houldeth the whole building He is also the roofe of the church that is to say the defender and ruler vnder whose defence the church liueth safe happie and blessed Herevnto apperteyneth the consideration of the tabernacle of Moses and of the temple of Solomon for either of them is called the house of god The tabernacle was distinguished into The holiest of all the holie place and the court and albeit these seuerall partes be named yet is it called one house of the Lord because there is but only one vniuersal church whiche neuerthelesse hath as it were her parts The holiest of all is a figure of the triūphant church in heauen where are our fellow seruauntes brethren the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the blessed spirites There doeth Christ our Lord appeare alwayes in the sight of god who is our arcke wherein is conteined the treasures of the church which is the fulfilling of the law the certeintie of the couenaunt our propitiation Thence haue we our Oracles In this part of the temple all thinges are sumptuous gold and precious stones For in heauen perfecte ioy is atteyned In the temple are formes of Angels palmes and floures for because in the life to come the elect shal be as the Angels of god Here they y doe ouercome are gréene for euermore To him that ouercommeth saith the Lord wil I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God. Here all thinges shine for in Christ and in the life to come wee shal be made bright The holie place representeth vnto vs the militant inward church sanctified with the bloud of Christe whiche hath not a shew of godlines onely but godlines it selfe For by faith they cleaue fast vnto God and with mutuall charitie they are knitt together amongest themselues they serue god in spirite hearing gods word and being partakers of the sacraments In the holy place therefore Solomon placed 10. candlestickes 10. tables and tenne cauldrons For in the church y saincts are daily lightened nourished purged through repentance Finallie the Court receiued the whole assemblie of the people For the Churche is the assemblie of all those that professe fayth hauing also hypocrites mingled with them Betwene the holy place and the Court or porch are two pillers in Solomons temple dedicated to the posteritie of Dauid For it is Christ that beareth vp the church by whom that way is open into the church Through the benefite power of Christ the church hath obteined that if shee continue in Christ she should also be the piller and ground of the truth But besids the tabernacle and temple of God there is no place but in the Churche wherein God receiueth the seruice done vnto him God is onely fauourable in the church of his sainctes Let the Iewes Turkes and Sarracens therefore do workes which in outward shewe are neuer so excellent yet without Christ his fellowship no man pleaseth god Againe the church of god is compared by Esaie to a most excellent vine who saieth by plaine words The vineyard of the Lord of hostes is the house of Israel the men of Iuda are his pleasant plant And also in the Gospel our lord in the parable of the vine plainly expoundeth that mē are the branches of this vine Yea and in Iohn he saith I am that true vine my father is an husbandman Euery branch that beareth not fruite in me he taketh away and euerie one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorthe more fruite As the braunche cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the vine you are the braunches he that abideth in me I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite for without me ye can doe nothing If a man bide not in me hee is cast forth as a braunch withereth and men gather them cast them into the fire they burne There is one church therfore for it is one vine Out of her come branches partly fruitfull and partly vnfruitfull For both the good or godly and true worshippers of God and euil men or hypocrites are counted to be in the church But hypocrits in their time are cutt off and throwne into euerlasting fire That the good remaine in the vine and are not cutt off but bring forth fruite that are they indebted for to Christ the foundation of the church and also the head preseruer of the same who by his spiritual liuely iuice makes them fruitful in good works Herein most euidētly
is of no force hee can make to bee of force Because in those thinges with him what he willeth his will is in steed of reason Neither is there any may saye vnto him why doest thou so For hee can dispense aboue the lawe of vnrighteousnes make righteousnes correcting and chaunging lawes For hee hath the fulnes of power Thus farre he But who heareth these thigs without horror both of bodie mind Who vnder stādeth not that the saying of Daniel is fulfilled He shal think that he may change times lawes Who vnderstandeth not that y saying of Paul is fulfilled who sayth I know this that after my departing shal greuous wolues enter in among you not spareing the flock also of your owne selues shal mē arise speaking peruers things to draw away disciples after them For frō bishops from them the aduance bishops came forth this man of sinne who placeth himselfe in the throne of the lambe and challengeth those thinges to him selfe whiche are proper onely to the lambe of which sort are the supreme gouernement priesthood lordship and full power in the churche Wherof I haue spoken inough in the former sermons Whom doeth it now not moue to thinke that that saying of Paule is fulfilled The aduersarie or enimie of Christ shal be reuealed shal be exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God. But the Popes chāpions dispute that it is for the profite saluation yea necessary for the church to haue some one bishop to haue preeminēce ouer the other both indignitie power But let thē dispute set forth this their idol as they please they which will simplie confesse the truth must néeds fréely acknowledge that the Pope is antichriste For that whiche these men babble of the supremacie of the 〈◊〉 is flatly 〈◊〉 to the doctrine of the Gospel and of the Apostles For what more euident thinge can be alledged against their disputations than that whiche the Lord said to his disciples when they striued for souercigntie The kinges of the Gentiles reigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called Gratious Lords But ye shall not bee so but let the greatest among you be as the least the chiefest as he that serueth For who is greater hee that sitteth at table or he that serueth is not hee that sitteth at table And I am amonge you as he that serueth This place I alledged and discussed briefly also in my former Sermon This simple and plaine trueth shall continue inuincible against al the disputations of these Harpyes The most holy Apostles of our Lord Christ will not be Lords ouer any mā vnder pretence of religiō yea S. Peter in plaine words forbiddeth lordship ouer Gods heretage cōmaundeth bishops to be exāples to the flock Wheras they obiect y Christ said to Peter thou art Peter vpon this rock I will build my churche I wil giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. And Feede my sheepe And therevpon that S. Peter was appointed ouer all the Apostles and in them ouer all priests ministers and bishops the chiefe and prince yea and the monarche of the whole world it maketh nothing at all to establishe their dominion or Lordship Wée willingly graunt that S. Peter is the chiefe of the Apostles wée also our selues doe willingly call S. Peter the prince of the Apostles but in that sense that we call Moses Dauid Helias or Esaie the chiefe or Princes of the prophets that is to say such as haue obteyned farre more excellent giftes than the rest But that Peter was the chiefe or prince after that sort that these men wil haue him we denie and denie againe most constantly And therewithall wee defend S. Peter and cleare him from those spotts wherewithall these men striue to defile him euen being dead He had not remayned faithfull towardes his maister if he had taken to himself rule or dominion In all places wee read that Peter was equall with the other disciples but in no place in the scripture that he was their master And S. Paule in the beginning of his epistle to the Galathians sheweth in many woordes that he in Apostleship is nothing inferiour to Peter Neither when hee came to Hierusalem came he to that end he might kisse his féete or to professe subiection but that by their méeting and friendly conference together euery one throughout all churches might vnderstand there was perfecte consent in opinions betwéene Peter and Paul and that as touching Apostleshipp their authoritie was equal In the same place Paule calleth Iames Peter and Iohn pillers He doeth not attribute that prerogatiue to Peter alone whiche notwithstanding he had rightly done if hee had receiued supremacie atthe hands of the Lord as these men doe affirme How commeth it that Peter doeth nothing of his owne head but referreth ecclesiastical matters to the rest of the disciples as to his fellowes in authoritie whiche thinge we may sée in the Actes In another place he calleth himselfe a fellowe elder not the prince of priestes When he was sent by the Apostles with Iohn into Samaria he requireth not another to be sent least his supremacie shuld séeme to be diminished but willingly obeyeth But if we shuld graūt that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles after the sort as these men do affirme would it thervpon follow that the pope is the prince of the whole church yea of the whole world For as the pope is not Peter so the 12. or 11. apostles are not the whole world Moreouer Peter could not giue that he had not he had not an empire ouer the whole world therefore he gaue it not But Constantine gaue it to Syluester say they But if we neuer so perfectly agréed that the donation of Constantine were true not feigned or forged which yet the best learned mē do affirme yet would not Syluester himself haue receiued an imperie or dominion though it had bin offered him For the voice of the high and heauēly prince Christ had béen of more authoritie with him The kinges of the nations beare rule ouer thē but it shal not be so with you thā the foolish affection of an earthly emperor Shal wee beléeue the Peter would haue receiued secular power with imperial gouernmēt if the emperor Nero had profered it him No in no wise For this word of the Lord toke déep roote in his inward bowels But it shall not bee so with you Before he had receiued the holye ghost wādring in blindnes with the rest of the multitude of Iewes he imagined that the kingdom of Christ in earth shuld be an earthly kingdome But after he receiued the holy ghost he vnderstood that the throne of Christe the chiefe king emperor was not on the earth but situated in heauē He knew that Christ our
the Apostles frame their exhortations Where againe the Analogie beeinge considered it hath very much light and force in it Trées are pruned and all that which is drie barren and superfluous in them is cutt away And so by circumcision they that were circuÌ„cised were put in minde to cutt away with the knife of the spirite whatsoeuer grewe vpp in the flesh against the lawe of god Herevnto had Moses respecte when he said in Dent Circumcise therfore the foreskin of your heart and bee no more stiffenecked Whome Ieremie following in the 4. Cap. sayeth Be ye circumcised in the Lord and cut away the foreskinne of your hearts c. Those thinges which the Apostle hath taught touching the celebration of y Passeouer are more plaine than that they néede héere to be rehearsed And I haue alreadie intreated of them at large in the sixte Sermon of my third Decade The verie same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes saith Knowe ye not that all wee which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue beene baptised into his death Weare buried then with him by baptisme into his death that likewise as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father euen so wee should walke in newnesse of life c. So wee are put in minde by that mysterie of baptisme to renounce forsake Sathan and the world to mortifie and subdue the fleshe and to burie the old Adam that the new man may rise vp againe in vs thorough Christ Furthermore the supper of the Lord doth admonishe vs of brotherly loue charitie of the vnitie that wee haue with all the members of Christe it warneth vs also of puritie and sinceritie in faith that because wee haue openly professed that wée are vnited to Christe and to all his members wée should haue a special care and regard that we be not found faithles and vntrue to our lord Christ and his church that wee should not defile oure selues with forreigne and strange sacrifices Wée are also admonished of thanckefulnesse to magnifie the grace of God who hath redéemed vs according to that saying As often as ye shal cate of this bread and drinke of this cupp ye shal shewe forth the Lords death vntill he come Thus farre haue I intreated of the force the ende and the effecte of sacramentes vnto the which I haue as I thincke attributed no more nor no lesse than I ought that is as much as may be proued out of the scripture to be due vnto them They are the institutions of Christ therefore they care not for counterfeite and strange praises They haue praise sufficient if they haue those praises whiche hee that instituted them namely GOD and Christ Iesus the high priest of the Catholique Church vouchsafed to attribute vnto them Nowe because there is mention made verie ofte of faythe in this whole booke I will further shewe also that without faith sacraments profite nothing and againe that to those which receiue them by fayth they are not superfluous or vaine For this séemeth as yet to belong to the â—ull exposition and coÌ„sideration of Sacraments That Sacramentes without fayth profite not it is easily proued For it is sayde that SacrameÌ„ts are seales of the preaching of the Gospell and things apperteyning to the same For if the preaching of the Gospell be hearde without fayth it doth not onely profite nothing vnto life but it turneth rather vnto iudgement to him that heareth the lord him selfe bearing witnesse and saying If any man heare my wordes beleeue not I iudge him not for I came not to iudge the worlde but to saue the world the worde that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last day To that saying of the Lorde agréeth this of the Apostle For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as well as vnto the fathers but the worde which they hearde did not profit theÌ„ bicause it was not coupled with fayth to them that heard Who now is such a dorhead which can not gather that sacrameÌ„ts without faith are vnprofitable especially since the same Apostle sayth Whosoeuer shal eate this breade drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloude of the Lord But all our worthinesse before God doth consist in fayth the same Apostle yet againe witnessing out of the prophete The iust shall liue by fayth And By faith the elders or fathers obteined a good report Wherevnto also belongeth that whiche is read in the Gospell They which were biddeÌ„ were not worthy Whervpon it followeth that worthinesse consisteth in faithfull obedience Herevnto also may be referred I thinke thoâ—e examples whereof mention hath béene made more than once already before Al our fathers were baptised and did all eate of one spirituall meate but in many of them God had no delight And Paule againe saythe Without faith it is impossible to please God therefore without faith Sacraments profite nothing The examples of Simon Magus and Iudas the traytor are verie well knowne of which one was baptised the other admitted to the Supper and yet had no fruite of the Sacramentes bicause they wanted true faith To these pithy and diuine testimonies of God we will nowe adde some places of S. Augustine out of his ninetenth booke against Faustus and twelfth chap. Peter sayth Baptisme saueth vs and least they shuld thinke the visible Sacrament were sufficieÌ„t by which they had the forme of godlinesse and through their euill manners by liuing lewdly and desperately shuld denie the power therof by by he addeth Not the putting away of the silth of the flesh but in that a good coÌ„science maketh request to god Againe Lib. 2. contra literas Petiliani cap. 7. he saith They are not therfore to be thought to be in the bodie of Christ which is the Church or congreagation bicause they are corporally partakers of his Sacraments For they in such are also holy but to them that vse and receiue them vnworthily they shal be forceable to their greater iudgement For they are not in that societie of Christes Church whiche in the members of Christe by being knit together and touching one an other doe growe into the fulnesse of god For that Church is builded on a rocke as sayth the Lorde Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church but they builde on the sande as the Lord also sayth Hee that heareth my wordes and doth them not I will liken him to a foolish man. And again in his treatise vpon Iohn 13. The syllables of Christes name and his Sacraments profite nothing where the faith of Christe is resisted For fayth in Christe and his Sacraments is to beléeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly to beléeue in the mediatour without whose intercession we are not reconciled vnto god Thus farre Augustine An obiection is made If Sacramentes doe nothing profite without our fayth then they depend on oure
either perish or degenerate into wolues so that to regenerate them againe into sheepe requireth no small labour The Churche in this time is like lande that hath lyen time out of minde vnmanured vncompassed vntilled by reason whereof it is so out of harte that it requireth armes of yron and legges of brasse to recouer it againe or like a ship soworne with windes and tempests so rente with rockes so crackt and vtterly decayed that it seemeth a rare peece of cunning to make her take the seas againe No remedie then but the ministerie of this time if there be any loue or feare of God in them if they would not haue all things run to ruine if they regard either God themselues or their brethrē must forthwith without further delay set thē selues to feede their flocks to teach to exhorte to strengthē to binde vp to builde to plant to water to set to graffe to leaue nothing vndone that apperteineth to the feeding fatting of the Lords flocks to the plāting of the Lords Paradise tilling of the Lords husbandrie dressing of the Lords vineyarde raising and rearing vp of the Lordes Temple What great want there is in many to discharge their dueties in this behalfe is verie lamentable and by some meanes as muche as is possible to be supplied and remedied rather than to be made a common theame and argument of railing whiche at this day many doe Wherein they shewe them selues like vnto those whiche finde faulte at other mens garmentes not for that they loue them or minde to giue thē better but for that they are proude of their owne would scornefully shame and vexe other The cause of this great want needs not heere to be disputed but in verie deede any man may iudge howe vnpossible it was for so populous a kingdome abounding with so many seuerall congregations to be all furnished with fitte and able pastors and that immediatly after such a generall corruption and apostacie from the trueth For vnlesse they should haue soudenly come from heauen or been raysed vp miraculously they coulde not haue been For the auncient preachers of king Eduardes time some of them died in prison many perished by fier many otherwise many also fled into other countries of whom some there died and a few returned which were but as an handful to furnish this whole Realme The Vniuersities were also at the first so infected that many wolfes and foxes crept out who detested the ministerie and wrought the contempt of it euerie-where but verie fewe good sheapherdes came abroade And whereas since that time now eighteene yeares the Vniuersities being wel purged there was good hope that all the land should haue been ouer-spred and replenished with able and learned pastors the diuel and corrupt patrones haue taken suche order that much of that hope is cutte off For patrones nowe a dayes searche not the Vniuersities for a moste fit pastor but they post vp and downe the countrie for a most gaineful chapman He that hathe the biggest purse to pay largely not he that hathe the best gyftes to preache learnedly is presented The Bishops beare great blame for this matter and they admitte say they vnworthy men See the craft of sathan falsly to charge the worthiest pillers of the church with the ruine of the church to the end that al church-robbers caterpillers of the Lords vineyard may lie vnespied There is nothing that procureth the bishops of our time more trouble and displeasure than that they zealously withstand the couetousnesse of Patrons in reiecting their vnsufficient clerkes For it standeth them vpon of al other that the Churche of God doth prosper in the decay and fall whereof they can not stande but perishe But how so euer it commeth to passe certeine it is that many are farre behinde in those gyftes which are necessarie for their function and small likelyhoode is there yet that the Churche shal be serued with better but rather with worse For it seemeth not that Patrones here-after wil bate one penie but rather more and more rayse the market The case standing thus their labour surely is not woorst bestowed neither do they promote the glorie of God or profite the Church least whiche to that end applie their endeuour that the ministerie which now is in place may come forward and bee better able to do their dueties I meane such as either set forth godly and learned treatises or expositions of the holy scriptures compiled by themselues in our mother tounge or else suche as translate the worthie workes of the famous diuines of our time bothe these sortes of men no doubt do muche aedifie all the godly and doe greatly helpe forward all those ministers whiche either not at all or verie meanely vnderstand the Latine tounge so that amongst them are found many which by painful industrie and diligent reading of suche bookes doe God good seruice in the Churche and so might all the rest of them do also if slouth and worldly affaires did not hinder them Some of that sort complaine that Caluins maner of writing in his institutions is ouer-deepe and profound for them Musculus also in his commonplaces is verie scholastical the commentaries of Marlorat vpon Iohn of Peter Martyr vpon the Iudges of Gualter vpon the small prophets and other many are translated and extant which altogether do handle most points of christian doctrine excellently wel but this sort of ministers for the most part are so bare bitten of their patrones that to buy thē al would deeply charge them Therfore questionlesse no writer yet in the hands of men can fit thē better than maister Bullinger in these his Decades who in thē amēdeth much Caluins obscuritie with singular perspicuitie Musculus scholastical subtilitie with great plainnes euen popular facilitie And all those points of christiā doctrine which are not to be found in one but hādled in al Bullinger packeth vp al that in good order in this one booke of smal quantitie And where as diuerse of the ministerie which lacke knowledge and some also which haue knowledge but yet lacke order discretion memorie or audacitie cannot by reason of those wants either expound or exhort or otherwise preache but onely read the order of seruice the Decades of Maister Bullinger in this respect may do more good than shall perhaps at the first be conceiued For in very deed this book is a book of Sermons Sermons in name and in nature fit to be read out of the pulpit vnto the simplest and rudest people of this land the doctrine of them verie plaine without ostentation curiositie perplexitie vanitie or supersluitie verie sound also without Poperie Anabaptisme Seruetianisme or any other haeresie and in number 80. eueri◠Decade conteining as the word importeth tenne so that they may easily be so diuided as there may be for euerie Sunday in the yeare one Neither is it materiall what those Phanatical felowes say which can away with no Homilies or Sermons be they
groweth vp in the Lords field which he forbiddeth to plucke vp c. 818. 1132 13 Riches are the thornes that choke the seede of the word of god c. 263 15 Whatsoeuer entreth in by the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast into the c. 325 15 Out of the heart procéede euill thoughts murthers adulteries whoredomes c. 503 15 This people honoreth me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me c. 652. 925 15 In vaine doe they worship me teaching doctrines the preceptes of men c. 19. 473 827. 906 16 What so euer ye shall loose in earth shal be loosed in heaueÌ„ c. 871 16 If any man will goe after me let him forsake him self c. 65. 309 16 Vpon this rocke I will builde my church c. 860. 861. 887. 890 16 And the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the church c. 816 16 Thou art truely the sonne of God c. 652 16 Fleshe and bloude hath not rellealed these thinges vnto thée but my c. 827 16 I will giue thée the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what so euer c. 902 16 Who so euer will saue his life shall loose it Againe who so euer will loose his life for my sake shall finde it c. 765 17 Of the transformation or transfiguration of Christ in the c. 87. 88 18 There is none good but one c. 657 18 Woe vnto the world because of offences It must néedes be that offences come c. 452 18 Derily verily I say vnto you except you turne and become c. 881. 958. 1014. 18 If he that offendeth the church wil not regard when he is waâ—â—ed 816 18 I say vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth as touching c. 915 18 It is not the will of my father which is in heaueÌ„ that one of these â—ittle ones should perish c. 104 18 Where so euer two or thrée be gathered together in my name c. 864 19 Verily I say vnto you a riche man shal hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen c. 263 19 If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements c 408. 478 19 If thou wilt be perfect go and â—ell that which thou haste and giue to the poore c. 263 20 Ye knowe not what ye aske c 919 21 The Chanaanites cast oute of Gods temple c. 698 22 He which had not on his wedding garment is suffered for a season among the other guestes c. 818 22 One onely vineyarde not two or diuers let out to husbande men c. 842 22 GOD is not the GOD of the deade but of the liuing c. 432 22 Ye â—rre not knowing the scriptures For in the resurrection they neyther marrie c. 732 22 What thinke you of Christe whose â—onne is he They sayd vnto him the sonne of Dauid c. 692 22 Giue to God that whiche belongâ—â—h to God and to Caesar c. 220 22 Loue thy neyghbour as thy selâ—â— c. 96 23 Woe to you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites whiche 〈◊〉 wâ—dowes houses vnder c. 507. 925 23 Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseâ—s hypocrites bycause ye 〈◊〉 vppe the kingdome of heauen c 901 23 The Scribes and the Phariseâ—s 〈◊〉 Moâ—es seate All therefore c. 846 23 I send vnto you Prophets and wisemen some of whome ye shall c. 155 24 There shall arise false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shew great signes c. 858 24 The Lorde of that seruant shall come in the day wherein he looketh not for him c. 817 24 Doe ye not sée all these things verily I say vnto you there shal not be left c. 415 24 Then if they shal say vnto you Loe here is Christe or there is Christe doe not beléeue c. 1092 24 Heauen and earth shall passe but in word shall not passe c. 37 25 Come â—e blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the c. 469. 699 25 Depart from meye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels c. 747. 1104 25 Verily I say vnto you in that ye did it not to one of the leaste of these ye did it not vnto me c. 1104 26 The Lord Iesus when he had taken breade he gaue thankes and brake it c. 969 26 Whome so euer I shall kisse that same is he take him c. 957 26 Put vppe thy sworde into thy sheath He that taketh c. 28. 832 26 Thinkest thou that I can not pray vnto my father and he shall sende me more than twelue legions of Angels c. 737 26 And Peter remembered the words of the Lorde which he had sayde vnto him before the cocke crowe c. 564 26 He began to be sorrowfull and heauie And Iesus saide My soule is heauie euen vnto death c. 690 27 Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me c. 625 27 So they went and made the Scpulchre sure and sealed the stone c. 1012 28 Tell his disciples and Peter that he is riâ—en and goeth before you into Galilée c. 569 28 Teach ye all nations baptisting them in the name of the father c. 821 28 All power is giuen me both in heauen and in earth c. 627. 836. 1053 28 I will reâ—aine with you continually vnto the end of the worlde c. 599. 699. 864. 1095 Out of the Gospell after Saint Marke 1 IOhn baptised in the wildernesse preaching the baptisme of Repenâ—ance c. 968 2 What haue we to doe with thée thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs c. 747 3 All sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith c. 517 3 My name is Legion bicause we are many c. 748 3 Hee casteth out diuels by the prince of diuels c. 748 9 If thou canst beléeue All things are possible to him that beléeueth c. 35. 646 9 And whensoeuer he taketh him he teareth him and he fometh and guatheth with his teeth and pineth away c. 751 9 And these shall goe into euerlasting punishment but the righteous into life euerlasting c. 717 10 Verily I say vnto you there â—â— no man that hath forsaken house c. 312. 4â—8 10 Suffer the young children to come vnto me and forbid them not c. 1014 11 Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray beléeue that ye shall haue it c 922 11 And when ye stande praying forgiue if ye haue ought against c. 924 13 They shall deliuer you vppe to counsels and in their Synagogues they shall scourge you c. 293. 294 14 The poore shal ye haue alwayes with you but me alwayes ye shall not haue c. 692 16 Goe ye into all the worlde and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature c. 644. 905. 963. 968. 973. 978.
saith Ill woordes corrupt good maners Moreouer a mans minde is bewrayed by his talke for of the hartes aboundance the mouth doth speake If therefore in any thing than in tongue especially it behoueth Christians to be sober and continent The Lord I confesse hath graunted man the vse of certeine pleasures For he may lawfully without offence to God cloath his body with garmēts 〈◊〉 thereby to kéepe his limmes from cold God hath and doth allowe the embracings of man and wyfe in holy wedlocke He graunteth choice of a dwelling place cōueniently situated against the vntemperatenesse of the ayre and biddeth vs not to wander like beastes and cattell throughe fields and desolate woods He hath for our necessitie and pleasaunte féeding allowed vs the vse of meate drinke He graunteth vs quietnesse ease and sléepe which doth wonderfully refresh the strength that is decayde and tyred with paines Therefore so often as a godly man doth enioy them doth vse them and is delighted with the honest pleasure of them let him giue thanks to God and vse them moderately in the feare of the lord For in so doing hée sinneth not against the Lord but by the abuse of those thinges by vnthanckfulnes for them and by immoderate vsing of them hée doth offende his God and maker For what is allowed or permitted to married folkes I haue already declared in this very sermon so that I néede not here againe to repeate it vn to you Solomon saith Be glad with the wife of thy youth let her be as the beloued Hinde and pleasaunt Roe let her loue alwayes refresh thee and bee thou still delighted therein c. In the meane time let euery one refrain from all abuse and intemperancie and if necessitie at any time require it let man and wife lye a sonder as Paule doth counsell them or else let them giue eare to the Prophete Ioel who saith Proclaime an holy fast gather the people together let the bride grome come forth of his chamber the bride out of her cloaset Our garmentes must bée cleanly and honest according to oure countrie facion to couer and become vs vnlesse our countrie facion be too farre out of order there must bée in them no hypocriticall sluttishnes beeyonde sea gawdes newfangled toyes nor vnséemely sightes The chiefe Apostles of Christe Peter and Paul were not ashamed in theyr Epistles to write somewhat largely touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel because that kinde of people doe most of all bende to that foolishe brauerie Let euerie faithful body thinke what is séemely for them to weare not so much by their degrée in dignitie or condition of riches as by their religion Excesse in euery thing is discommended in Christians And to what end doe wée iagge and gashe the garmentes that are sowed together to couer oure bodies but that thereby wee may as it were by a most fonde and ridiculous anatomie open and laye foorth to the eyes of all menne what kinde of people wée are in oure inward hearts iagged God wotte and ragged vaine lighte and nothing sounde And a linnen or wollen garmente doth as well couer and become the bodye as damasks and veluetts the coste whereof doeth ouerlade thy purse with expenses to buye them and misshape thée like an ill fauoured picture when thou wearest them vppon thée In buildinges God forbiddeth not cleanlynesse and necessary coste but sumptuous expense and gorgeous excesse For these ouer braue buildings are seeldome times finished withoute extorting wronge and ouer great iniurie done to the poore Ieremie bringeth in the Lord speaking against the king of Iuda and saying Woe to him that buildeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parloure with the goods that are wrongfully gotten which neuer recompenseth his neigh bours laboure nor payeth him his hyre Who saith to himselfe I will builde mee a wyde house and gorgeous parloures who causeth windowes to be hewen therein and the seelinges and ioystes maketh hee of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper Thinckest thou to reigne nowe that thou haste incloased thee selfe with Cedar Did not thy father eate and drincke and prosper well as longe as hee executed iustice and equitie Let none of vs therefore build sumptuous houses by robbinge the poore of their hyre for their labour Let euery one dwell in a house agréeable to his profession degrée and condition S. Hierome condemneth sumptuous coste euen in Churches and Temples Neither do I sée what gorgeous buildinges bringe to a manne but mischiefe and miserie Lord how vnwillingly doe wée die departe from goodly dwelings whereby we double the feare of death and terrour of sicknesse The Patriarches verily did dwell in tentes whereby they witnessed that they were pilgrimes and sought another countrie the heauenly Hierusalem Continencie in meate and drincke is not the loathinge of wyne and victualls but the moderate vsinge of them to supplie oure necessitie and not to cloye vs with gluttonie God in the Scripture doeth condemne gluttonie surfettinges riottous afterbanquettes and dronkennesse which hée forbiddeth moste of all For of dronkennesse doe springe endelesse miseries and innumerable mischiefes gréeuous diseases pouertie and pinchinge beggarie Solomon saith Who hath woe who hath sorrowe who hath strife Who hath brawling who hath woundes withoute a cause who hath redde eyes euen they that follow the wyne and seeke excesse thereof Looke not thou vppon the wyne how redde it is and what a colour it giueth in the glasse It goeth downe sweetely but at the last it byteth like a serpent and poysoneth like an adder I will not rehearse all which I could alledge oute of heathen writers against surfetting and dronkennesse Solomon alone in that one sentence conteyneth a great deale of matter Moreouer hée that heareth not Christ whom is it likely that hee wil giue eare vnto in all the world Now Christ in the Gospel by the parable of the riche glutton doth meruaylous euidently set forth the wofull end of insatiable paunches In the same Gospell also hée taketh occasion to touch the surfettings and dronkennesse of our age I meane the age which is immediately before the Iudgment day where hée saith As it happened in the dayes of Noe and Lot they did eate and drincke euen vntill the day that Noe entred into the arck and that Lot departed from amonge the Sodomits and then incontinently the deluge came and fire brimstome powred downe from heauen and destroyed them al. Againe he addeth Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be ouercome with surfetting and dronkennesse cares of this life and so that day come vpon you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwel vppon the face of the whoale earth Watch ye therefore at all times praying that ye may escape al these things and stand before the sonne of man. And I would to God that al men would not write this golden heauenly and diuine admonition of our
in God nor his couenaunts Finally circumcision did put the circumcised in mind of their duetie al their life long to wite that euery man should thinke that he had taken vpon him to professe God to beare in his bodie the SacrameÌ„t of the Lorde For that is the cause why the Israelites were named or had their names giuen them in their circumcision For it is euident in Luke that Iohn Baptist and Iesus our sauiour had their names giuen them at their circumcision euen as also the first circumcised at his circumcision was called Abraham whose name before was said to be Abram It did admonish the circumcised of his duetie for so much as he had giuen his name vnto the Lord his confederate to bee inrolled in the register of God amoÌ„g the names of them that giue them selues vnto the Lord wherefore he ought by couenaunt duetie to frame his life not after his owne lust and pleasure but according to the will of God to whome he did betake him selfe For the condition of the couenaunt was that the circumcised shoulde not defile them selues with idolatrie and straunge religions that they should not pollute with vncleane lyuing the bodies and mindes that were hallowed to the Lord but that they perseuearing in true faith should ensue godlynesse shewe the workes of repentance and be obedient to God in all things For thus saith Moses in the tenth of Deuterono Circumcise the foreskinne of your hearts and harden not your neckes any longer To which words the Prophet Ieremie alludeth in his fourth Chapter saying Bee ye circumcised to the Lord and cut away the foreskinne of your hearte And the Martyr S. Stephan rebuking the vnbeléeuing Iewes sayeth Ye stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearte and eares ye alwayes resist the holie ghost Verie rightly therefore doth the holy Apostle Paule in his Epistle to the Romanes declare that there are two sortes of circumcision the one of the letter in the fleshe the outwarde circumcision that is made with handes the other in the heart of the Spirite the inwarde circumcision which is made by the meanes of the holy Ghost The circumcision of the heart God doth like well of in those y be his but that in the fleash he doeth vtterly mislike of if as the fleashe is the heart be not circumcised The liking and misliking of these two circumcisions is in that which went before so plainly alreadie declared that I néede not to stick any longer vpon it And here I think it not amisse before I make an ende of circumcision to reherse vnto you déerely beloued the woordes of the auncient writer Lactantius lib. Instit 4. Chap. 17. where he speaketh of circumcision in this manner The meaning of circumcision was that we should make bare our breastes to wite that wee should liue with a simple and plaine dealing heart because that parte of the bodie which is circumcised is partely like to a heart and is the fore parte of the priuitie and the cause why God commaunded to make it bare was that by that signe he might admonishe vs not to haue a couered heart that is that we should not couer within the secretes of our conscience any crime whereof wee ought to be ashamed And this is the circumcision of the heart whereof the Prophets speake which God hath translated from the mortall fleshe to the immortall soule For the Lorde being whole set and fully minded according to his eternall goodnesse to haue a care for our life and safegard did set repentance before our eyes for vs to followe as a waye to bring vs thereunto so that if wee make bare our heartes that is if by confession of our sinnes we satisfie the Lord we should obteine pardone whiche is denied to the proude and those that conceale their faultes by God who beholdeth not the face as man doeth but searcheth the secrets of the brest Thus much hitherto hath that auncient writer of the churche Lactantiê° Firmianus declared vnto vs touching the mysterie of circumcision Nowe all this whiche hitherto I haue saide touching the meaning and mysterie of circumcisioÌ„ was set forth as in a picture to be séene of all mens eyes so often as circumcision was solemnized in the church There was the league as it were renued which God did make with men There was the grace of God his sanctification and our corruption declared therein did Christ the rocke of stone appeare who with his spirite doth cutt wash away all spottes of the Churche Moreouer the worshippers of God did learne by that signe and so by all the holie ceremonie that they beeing in one ecclesiasticall bodie ought to do their indeuour by purenesse of liuing to winne the fauour of God their confederate Because by the visible circumcision there was after a sorte an open confession made of the true religion of frée consent to the true religion and of a bynding by promise vnto the same He therefore that did despise or vnaduisedly neglect that holie ceremonie was sharply punished as may be gathered by the 17. of Genesis and the fourth Chapter of Exodus And so muche hetherto touching circumcision There followeth nowe the seconde Sacrament of the auncient churche I meane the Paschal Lamb. It is an Hebrewe word not signifying a passion as it should séeme if it were deriued according to the Gréeke etymologie but it signifieth a skipping a leaping or a passing ouer For the Hebrewe *** signifieth to leape or passe ouer The cause of this worde Moses him selfe sheweth in the lawe where he saith The Lord shall go ouer to strike the Aegyptians when he shall see the bloud vppon the vpper poste and the two side postes of the doore *** the Lord wil passe ouer that doore and will not suffer the destroyer to come within your houses This sacrament is knowen also and called by other names For it is called a signe a remembraunce a solemnitie an holie assemblie the feast of the Lorde a worship an obseruation an oblation and a Sacrifice But whereas that ceremonie is called a passing ouer that is not done without a trope For the passing ouer was the verie benefite wherein the Angel of the Lorde did passe ouer the Iewes leaue their houses vntouched and saue their liues but for because the Paschall Lambe was a memoriall a renuing of that benefite therefore it tooke the name of the benefite Euen as I admonished you before that it is vsuall in Sacramentes for the signes to bee called by the names of the thinges that they signifie béecause of the likenesse and mutual proportion that is betwixt them Let vs sée nowe what the passeouer was and what kinde of ceremonie did belong vnto it The Passeouer was an holy action ordeined by God in the killing and eating of a Lambe partely to the ende that the Churche might kéepe in memorie the benefite which God did for them in the land of Aegypt to be a testimonie of Gods
vncouered or hidden as it were vnder a vaile or figure They are conteined in the lawe and the Prophets euen till the time of the captiuitie at Babylon The blessed Apostle Peter doth in the 3. chap. of the Actes cite the prophecie of Moses touchinge the comming of the greatest of all Prophets The prefigured promises of Christ are the sacrifices whiche Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrues doth in a wonderfull summarie shortly declare The same Paule in the fift of the first to the Corinthians applieth the Paschal lambe to Iesus Christ The like doeth Peter in his first Epistle Againe the stonie rocke that was struck and gushed out with water S. Paul calleth Christ And Christ himselfe in the Gospel after S. Iohn doth say that he was prefigured in the brasen Serpent which was lift vp in the desart the mysterie wherof I haue in an other place more fullie declared Many more there are like vnto these a good parte whereof I haue alreadie touched when I had occasion to treate of the ceremonies and their signification Where he that listeth may read of it at large The vnfigured and vncouered promises are almost without number in the Psalmes and the Prophets Yea the Lord himselfe in the Gospel after S. Luke doth testifie that the description of all his office and businesse is at large conteined in the lawe the Prophets and the Psalmes And when S. Peter had preached the Gospel wherein he promised both Christ and the full remission of sinnes to all that beleeued he did immedately add All the Prophetes also from Samuel these that followed in order as many as haue spoken haue likewise told you of these dayes Dauid verilie in the 2. 22. and 110. Psalmes hath notably sett downe the two natures of Christ his Godhead and his Manhood Againe he hath layed before all mens eyes his hoalsome preaching his eternall priesthoode his euerlasting redemption and most bitter death and passion What shal I say of the Prophet Esay who was by no smal doctour of the church of Christ verie worthilie called an Euangelist rather than a Prophet as if he had writ a storie of thinges alreadie past and done by Christ not of thinges that should be done so truly did he foretel the state of Christ Now he maketh Christ to be verie God and verie man borne after the fleshe of the vnspotted Virgin who had to preach the word of life like a good shéepheard to feede his fearefull shéepe to bee the light of the Gentiles vnto the vttmost partes of the earth to giue sight to the blinde to heale the lame and diseased to be betrayed by his owne to be spitt vppon to be smitten to be hanged béetwixt théeues to be offered vp a sacrifice for sinne and finallie to make intercession for transgressours that hee himselfe being iuste might iustifie all that beléeue in his name Read Esaie 7. 8. 9. 11. 28. 40. 49. 50. 53. Chapiters and also al the last Chapter of all his Prophecie wherein he doth most fully describe the church or congregation of Christ Immanuel Ionas bare the most manifest type of the Lords sharp death and ioyfull resurrection Micheas also doth name Bethleem to be the place wherin Messiah should be horne whose beginning to wit of his diuine nature he doth referre to before all beginnings He doth also foretel that the preaching of the Gospell should from out of Hierusalem bee sowen abroade through all the compasse of the world Ieremie sayeth that God would raise vpp to Dauid a true séede or braunch that is the looked-for Messiah And in that Prophecie he alluded to the lawe concerning the raysing vpp of séede to the deceassed brother For the Virgin conceiuing by the holie Ghost brought foorth a sonne whose name is IEHOVAH being verie God in verie déede whom Esaie calleth Immanuel and is the true righteousnesse of all that doe beléeue in him For by Christ are the faithfull iustified For the same Prophete in the 31. Chapiter doth promise in Christ full or absolute remission of sinnes and aboundant grace of the holie Ghost whiche thinge Ioel also did not conceale Thus out of many testimonies I haue picked out onely these fewe in number For the whole bookes of the Prophets are occupied in the description of Christe and his offices The last promises concerning Christ were by God reuealed to the Prophets and by them declared to the Church of God euen in the verie time of the captiuitie at Babylon or else immediately vppon their returne to Hierusalem Ezechiel prophecieth of the shéepheard Dauid and of the shéepe receyuinge that shéepeheard whiche prophecies the Lord doeth in Sainct Iohns Eospel expound of himselfe The same Prophete treateth very much of grace and francke full remission of sinnes thorough the Sauiour Christ especiallie in the 34. 36. and 37. Chapiters of his prophecie Daniel verilie hath visions and many dreams but in them hée doeth so set Christ out vnto vs that it is vnpossible to haue him more better more euidently excellently described In his second Chapiter hee teacheth vs of his eternall kingdome and telleth vs that Christ should come vnder y Romane Monarchie at what tune the Romane Princes beeing by affinitie allied together should mutually in battell destroye one an other Whiche was fulfilled when Pompeie and Iulius Caesar Antonie and Octauius Augustus mainteyned ciuil warre Moreouer Daniels wéekes are vnknowen to no man wherein hée doeth as it were with his finger point at Christ the cōming of Christe and the reprobation of the Iewes because of their disloyaltie vnbeliefe Haggée the Prophete foretold the maner how the temple should be builded I meane the true temple in déede to witt the Church of Christ Zacharie doth excellently paint to vs many mysteries of Christ Hée layeth before vs the kingdome and priesthoode of oure Lord and Sauiour Hée commendeth to vs that one and onely eternall sacrifice whiche is effectuall enoughe to cleanse the sinnes of al the world Zacha 3. 9. 14. Chapiters Yea hee prophecieth of nothing else but of Christ his kingdome Malachias foresheweth the forerunner of the Lord and handleth no small number of mysteries concerning Christ Whereby we doe perceiue that Paule writt most truely in the first to the Romans saying That God did afore promise the Gospell by his Prophets in the holie Scriptures Nowe by these holy promises wee we gather this also that there are not manye or diuers Gospels althoughe wee denie not but that the same Gospell was penned by diuers Enangelistes but that there is one alone and that too as it were eternall For the verie same Gospell whiche is at this day preached to vs was at the beginning of the world preached to our first parents For it is assuredly certeine that by the Gospel were saued Adam Euah Abel all the Patriarchs Prophets and faithfull people of the old Testament Which thing we haue in an other place at large declared Wee are nowe come to
with the lords supper exhorteth with martyrdome cōtrarie to this institutiō receiueth no man This is the institution Thus far Tertullian in his booke which he intituled Of the prescription of heretiques The last thing that is to be noted is this that the lord God not only of old vnto this time but in these daies also giueth doctors and pastors to the church doctors I say and not leaders and captaines of hostes and armies of men not princes not souldiers not craftie men vsing deceitful meanes which in these days they call practises For by no other meanes or maner nor by no other instrument than by the doctrine of truth and founde simple godlinesse is that holy catholique church of God built vp fenced preserued wherof at the beginning simple men Christes Apostles by the preaching of the gospel laid the foundation Paule therefore remoueth all worldly wisedome and saith I was among you Corinths in weaknesse and in feare in much trembling neither stoode my worde my preaching in the enticing speach of mans wisedome but in plain euidence of the spirit of power that your faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of god The same apostle also banisheth al craftie counsel with al sorts of deceite whē writing to the Thessalonians he saith Our exhortation was not by deceit nor by vncleanesse nor by guile But as we were allowed of God that the gospel should be cōmitted vnto vs euenso we spake not as thei that please men but god which trieth our harts Neither yet did we euer vse flattering words as ye knowe nor coloured couetousnesse God is recorde neyther sought we praise of men c. Wherfore he is greatly deceiued madde the thinketh the church can either be gathered togither or being gathered can be mainteined preserued with practises that is to say with crafty counsels subtile deceits of men It is truly said of the common people That the same is ouerthrowne againe by mans wisedome which was first built by mans wisdome Besides this the Lord him selfe doth remoue force armes frō the building of the church since he forbids his disciples the vse of sworde vnto Peter ready prest to fight saith Put vp thy sword into the scabberd Neido we euer reade that any were sent of the Lord as souldiers which with armed force shuld bring the world in subiectiō But rather the scripture witnesseth the great enimie of God Antichrist shal be destroied with the breth of Gods mouth Wherefore there is no doubt that all those thinges which are reade in diuers places of the prophets and chiefly in the 12. of Zacharie cōcerning wars to be made against all nations by the apostles apostolical men ought to be figuratiuely expounded For the Apostles according to their manner fight as apostles not with speare sword bowe of carnal warfare but of spiritual The apostolical sword is the word of god Yet in the meane time no man denieth but that the wepons of carnal or corporal warfare haue béen profitable somtime to apostolicall men and to the church do good euē at this day No mā denieth the God doth ofttimes vse the helpe of souldiers magistrates in defēding the church against the wicked tyrants Yea rather al men wil confesse that a good and godly magistrate oweth a dutie toward the church of god For not without great cause the worthy prophete of God Isaie calleth kings noursing fathers Queenes noursing mothers Paul being oppressed of the Iewes in the temple of Ierusalem for preaching of the gospel amongst the gentiles by the army of Claudius Lysias the Romane tribune is taken away and rescued And not long after there was sent with the Apostle by the same Tribune no small companie of souldiers to wit a troupe of horsmen certeine companies of footmē by whom he was brought safely to Antipatris Caesarea before Foelix the Proconsul of Iudea Whiche thing is not rashly with so great diligence at large remembred by Luke in the Actes of the Apostles The Ecclesiastical history reciteth many examples of holy princes whiche haue defēded succoured the church But these things in another place in som measure I haue intreated of in the. 7. and 8. sermons as I remēber of the second decade And thus farre of the originall of the churche of God and of the increase and preseruation of the same haue we spoken In this place it séemeth vnto me not vnfitly may the famous question be hand led or briefly expounded whether the church of god may erre which that it may more plainely be vnderstoode I will briefly discusse the parts of this question I haue taught that the catholique church of God doth comprehend firste the blessed spirites in heauen then all faithfull Christians here on earth vnto whom I say did cleane the wicked or hypocrits feyning faith for a season Now therfore if we vnderstand by the church the blessed spirits in heauen the church can neuer erre But if we vnderstand the wicked or hypocrits ioyned mingled with the good the wicked alone by them selues they do nothing else but erre but as they are ioyned vnto the good faithful do follow thē they eyther erre or they erre not For the church of the good faithfull herevpon earth doth erre doth not erre Which thing we will declare when we haue weyed the diuersities of errors and gathered the number of them together wholy in a bundle Errours some be of doctrine and faith some be of life and maners And what maner of ones either of them be I think there is no man but knoweth Let vs sée then whether the church of the faithful vpon earth doe erre or no and if it erre in what point or howe farre it erreth As concerning the manners and life of the church it can not wholy and clearely acquite it selfe of errours that is to say frō sinne For alwayes so long as it is liuing here on earth it prayeth hartily And forgiue vs our trespasses as wee doe forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And GOD for his mercies sake doth alwayes purge in his Saints all dregs and infirmities as long as they liue in this world continually renewing and defiling the elect I am not ignorant what may here hinder thée faithfull hearer If the churche sayest thou be not holy and pure howe is it called of the apostle holy without spot and wrinkle I answere if thou wilt acknowledge no churche vpon earth but that which is altogether without blemishe thou shalte be forced to acknowledge none at all For there shall neuer be any suche kinde of Church remayning on earth where The moste righteous God as the Scripture witnesseth hath shutte vppe all things vnder sinne that he might take mercie on all men S. Paule therefore doeth call the church pure without spot or wrinkle through
the benefite of Christes sanctification not that by her selfe while she is in the flesh she is without spot but for that those spots in déede otherwise cleauing vnto her through the innocencie of Christ to those that imbrace Christe by faith are not imputed sinally for that the selfe same church in the world to come shall be without spot or wrinckle For hauing put off the fleshe cast off all miseries it shal at length be brought to passe that she shall want nothing Besides this it is saide that the church is without spot because of the continuall studie of the church wherby she laboureth and traueileth by all meanes that as farre as it is possible she may haue as fewe spottes as maye be And by that meanes and chiefly by the benefite of imputation the church erreth not but is moste pure and without sinne Moreouer as touching doctrine and faith the church of Christ doth not erre For it heareth the voice of the shepeherd only but the voice of straungers she knoweth not for she followeth her onely shepheard Christ saying I am the light of the world he that followeth me shal not walk in darknesse but shall haue the light of life Paule also to Timothie saith These thinges hitherto haue I writtē vnto thee that thou maist know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God whiche is the Church of the liuing God the piller and grounde of trueth But the Churche is the piller and ground of truth for that being stablished vppon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles Christe him selfe which is the euerlasting truth of God the only strength of the church receiueth this by fellowship which it hath with him that she also mighte be the piller and foundation of the truth For the truth of God is in the church and the same throgh the ministerie of the church is spread abroade and being assaulted and warred againste by the enimies abiding sure is not ouercome so farfoorth as being made one body with Christe she doth perseuere in the fellowship of Christe without whome she can do nothing Againe the same church doth erre in doctrine and faith as oftēn as she turning from Christ and his word goeth after men and the counsels and decrées of the flesh For she forsaketh that thing that hath hitherto stayd that she erred not which is the word of God and Christ I thinke no man will denie that the greate congregation of the people of Israell in the desert was an excellent Churche of God with the whiche the Lord made a couenaunt and bounde him selfe vnto it by Sacraments and ordinances And yet howe shamefully she erred whilest neglecting Gods word Aaron the high priest of religiō not cōstantly earnestly resisting she both made a molten calfe worshipped it as a God no man is ignorant Where also surely it shal be necessary more diligētly to looke into and mark the whole number of the church For many in the church erring it foloweth not that none at all is frée from error For as in the churche of Israell the Lord reserued a rēnant to him selfe I meane Moses Iosua vndoubtedly many moe as wel in the cōgregatiō as else-where without whiche did neuer worship the calfe so there is no doubt althoughe there doe manye erre in the Church but that the Lord through his mercie doeth preserue to himselfe a certeine number who both vnderstād a-right and by whose faithfull diligence errours are destroyed and the wandering flocke of the Lord brought backe againe into the holy fould The Church therfore is said to erre when a parte of it hauing loste Gods word doeth erre and the same erreth not wholie and altogether forasmuch as certeine remnauntes through the grace of God are reserued by whome the trueth maye flourishe againe and may againe be spred abroad in euery place S. Paule called the Churches of the Corinthians and Galathians The holie churches of God yet these erred greatly in doctrine in faith and in manners And yet who doubteth that there were many amonge them who were most sincere followers of the pure doctrine preached by Sainct Paule That holy Church therefore erred so farre forth as it cōtinued not stedfastly in true doctrine and it erred not so farre foorth as it departed not from the truth deliuered by the Apostles From hence it plainly appeareth to the whole world that those are most vaine lyars which commend vnto vs Churches not builded vppon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles but vppon the decrées of men which they shame not to commend vnto vs for most true Churches and such as cannot erre Dauid cryeth out Onely God is true and euery man a lyar Ieremie also cryeth They haue reiected the woord of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Therfore those Churches doe erre neither bee they the true Churches of god The true Church groundeth vppon Christ Iesus and is gouerned by his woorde onelye Vnto this treatise of the woord of God which is the onely rule whereby all thinges are done in the Church the disputation of the power of the church of God in earth of the studies thereof which also are directed according to the word of God is verie like But before I wil bring forth my iudgement that is to say the iudgement deliuered by the Scriptures I will briefly rehearse the summe of those things whiche the Papistes haue lefte in writing concerning this matter and doe vndoubtedly mainteine for sounde doctrine Iohn Gerson not much amisse vnlesse he haue an ill interpreter hath defined Ecclesiasticall authoritie to be a power supernaturally and spiritually giuen of the Lord to his disciples and to their lawefull successours vnto the ende of the world for the edification of the Church Militant according to the lawes of the Gospell for the obteyning of eternall felicitie But Peter de Aliaco the Cardinal sayth that this authoritie is sixe-fould to witt of consecration of administring the sacraments of appointing ministers of the Church of preaching of iudiciall correction and receyuing thinges necessarie vnto this life They call that the power of consecration whereby a priest being rightly ordered maye consecrate the body bloud of Christ on the altar This power they say was giuē to the disciples of the Lord by these words Doe this in the remēbraunce of mee But vnto the priestes in these dayes they thinke it to be giuen of the bishop giuing with the bread the chalice and saying Receiue ye power to offer vp to consecrate Christes bodie both for the quicke and the dead This moreouer they call the power of orders and a marke or character that cānot be wyped out The power of administring the sacraments chiefly of the sacrament of Penance they call the power of the keyes The keyes they make of two sortes The keyes of knowledge that is to say the authoritie of knowledge in the cause of a sinner makinge
most filthie life and wicked manners of the priestes of the Romishe Church I will at this time saye nothing For alreadie it appeareth I doubt not to them that are not wilfully blinde that that sea of Rome hath not the outward markes of the true Church of God ioyned with the pure word of God and sound preaching of the Gospell It wanteth I say a heauenly ministerie and lawefull ministers of the Church and also the wholsome vse of the Lords Supper and therefore it is not the true Churche of God from whiche no man may depart without béeing guiltie of scisme By this meanes some man wil say Christ shal haue no Church left him in the earth For they that be the gouernours of the Church if they erre and corrupt and forsake the word of God what hope I pray you remayneth of the Church Or where the markes of the Churche appeare not where I pray you is the Church I aunswere that almightie God in such calamities of the Church in the which the gouernours fall away from the word true worship of God and doe imbrace and bring in newe lawes and newe ordinances into the Churche the true outward markes of the Church being for a time either darckened or worne out of vse doth yet notwithstanding reserue vnto himselfe a Churche in the earth whiche Church also he furnisheth and repaireth with true teachers whome he sendeth into the same albeit they be not acknowledged for true ministers and teachers of Gods Church by those who will séeme to be the true and the ordinarie gouernours of the Church but are rather cōdemned as seditious disturbers of the Churche and execrable heretiques By examples taken out of the Scriptures the matter will be made more manifest In the time of Achas king of Iuda Vrias the high priest wincking at it and the princes of the land and priestes not resisting the king shutt vpp the temple of the Lord and toke awaye the holy altar whiche thing the Scripture expressely witnesseth and therefore both the ministerie of the word and the lawefull or ordinarie ministration of the Sacraments ceassed but yet notwithstāding there was a holy Churche in the kingdome of Iuda in the which as I may saye extraordinarilie no man doubteth the prophete Esaie with certeine other did preach Vnder Manasses the nephue of king Achas true doctrine and administration of the sacraments was banished except onely circumcision and that falling awaye continued vntill the Churche was refourmed by that most Godly king Iosias and yet in the meane season prophets were sent God had his Church in Iuda albeit the most part of the people with their gouernours did both followe and defende the wickednesse and defection of Manasses In the kingdome of Israel king Ieroboam thrust out of their offices the teachers and preachers of the lawe of the Lord and of the sounde trueth and in stéede of them gaue vnto the people prophane and vnlearned priestes and rulers And moreouer built newe temples yea those were cathedrall churches and sett vpp newe idols or calues a newe religion new altars and newe feastes and by this meanes abrogated the true religion of GOD to that end that there might no outward marks at all of the Church of God appeare in Israel and yet there is no doubt but God had a notable Church in Israel for the preseruation and repairing whereof from time to time God sent his Prophets albeit they were not acknowledged to be the true Prophets of God at the hands of the false church and of the false prophets Vnder Ieroboam the second of that name Amos the Prophete a shéepeheard or neateherd of Tecoa taught and preached the true word of God but he heard at the hāds of Amasias the high priest of the kingdome Get thee quicklie hence and goe into the land of Iuda and prophecie or preach there But prophecie no more at Bethel for it is the kings chappel and it is the kings court Furthermore when Achab passed all the kings before him in wickednesse and added moreouer to the vngodlines and falling away of Ieroboam y abhominable religion of Baal and had filled all the kingdome of Israel with superstitions idolatries enchauntments and sacrileges yea and moreouer persecuted the pure word of God in his prophets most cruely there was yet founde in Israel a most famous church of god Helias that great and most excellent prophet of God because of that horrible falling awaye from God and loathsomnesse of that most miserable people in whom there appeared no one token of the true Church of God flying into the wildernesse hid himselfe in cornērs and béeing asked of the Lord what hee did there he aunsweared I haue beene verie iealous for the Lord God of hostes for that the childrē of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunt cast downe thine altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I onely am lefte they seeke my life to take it away But streight wayes hee is sent backe into the land of Israel from whence he was fled and heard moreouer these words I haue left vnto my selfe seuen thousand mē in Israel who haue neither bowed their knees to Baal neither kissed him Behold this mightie prophet thought that only he himselfe had béene left of all the number of the faithful in Israel but he heard the God had reserued seuen thousand holy mē who had not bowed their knées that is to say had neuer serued Baal so much as with outward reuerēce But who knoweth not that the prophete vnderstood by the number of seuen an excéeding great number of the true seruants of God who vndoubtedly were circūcised not into the couenaunt of Baal but into the couenaunt of the eternall God The same men lacked not faith and therefore they were not without doctrine though the same were not so common neither séemed vnto the Baalits to be either ordinary or catholique But vndoubtedly they wanted the vse of the sacrifices for seeing they were not lawfully offered they would not be partakers of those that were vnlawful but in the meane season they were not destitute of the things which were signified by the outward signes or sacraments being partakers throughe faith of all the gifts of God. After the selfe same sort since the bishop of Rome after the maner of king Ieroboam hauing forsaken the sound preaching of the Gospell and hauing corrupted the first and simple institution of the Lords supper depraued and wrested to his owne profite other commaundements of God and placed himselfe in the throne or temple of God or in the church of God bragging that he is a God in earth surely the church of God oppressed with grieuous tyrānie could very hardly hetherto bee discerned by outward marks For in stéed of the sincere preaching of the Gospell a certeine kinde of doctrine mixed corrupted with mens decrées was set forth and in stéed of the Lords supper Popish masse was
their goods and as it were a certeine knitting together into one body not to be dissolued Therefore when Christ tooke vpon him our flesh both he became oures in all thinges and we also are members of the same body of his fleshe and of his bones In vs there is infirmitie sinne and death the same thinges hath our husband also taken vnto himselfe that he might make them hurtlesse vnto vs In Christe our husbande is iustification sanctification and life the same thinges dothe he communicate vnto vs his spouse that in him we might be iust and holy and might liue through him Of that lawfull ioyning together of the Lord and the Church are borne lawfull children vnto god Wherevpon the Churche is called a mother and a frée womā that is to say a matrone and a mistresse For the Apostle Paule sayth Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all For euen as through the ioyning of man and woman together by propagation of séede are borne children so Christe hath coupled the Churche vnto him selfe wherein he hath left the séede of his worde By the word our mother the Churche begetteth children whereof before I admonished you when I spake of the originall of the Churche that is to say whiles she reteyning the séede of the worde by the preaching of the worde doth fashion and nourishe vs in her wombe and after bringeth vs foorth into lighte whome afterwardes she nourisheth with mylke and bringeth vp with stronger meate vntill wée growe vp into a perfect man But euen as without a husbande without true fayth plighted and without séede there is no other euen so the Church without Christ without true faith and the séede of Gods worde is not that our mother that is a frée woman and our mistresse We haue by these things by the way learned why the Church of God is called a mother The same notwithstanding is also called a virgine For of this holie mother the Church the Lorde before all things requireth faith and integritie For the Apostle Paule saith I haue coupled you to one man to present you a chaste virgine vnto Christe Therefore it is the part of the spouse to bring vnto her husband for her dowrie her virginitie and to kéepe the same vndefiled But what manner of virginitie is that sincere faith in Christe whiche wholy or with all her mynde cleaueth for euer vnto one whiche commeth to passe when we giue eare only to our spouse and loue none but him alone to be short when we perseuere in the simplicitie of the Gospell For it followeth in the wordes of the Apostle But I feare lest it come to passe that euen as the serpent deceiued Eue with his subtiltie so your mindes should be corrupt from the simplicitie that is in Christe That simplicitie acknowledgeth Christe to be the meanes of saluation the recouerie of life and all heauenly treasures without whom there is no saluation nor no good thing But who wil call her a chaste matrone who gyueth eare to bawdes and setteth her hearte also vppon the loue of othērs neyther contenteth her selfe with her husbande onely will not all men cry out that she is a naughtipack and an adultresse lying with others and bringing foorth children of straunge séede And in the holy Scriptures spiritual adulterie and fornication is muche spoken of All the sermons of the Prophetes are ful of suche Allegories They call those men or Churches adulterers whoremongers and fornicatours which receiue straunge seede that is to say doctrine differing from the word of god For suche as they going a whoreing from God cleaue not vnto God only they loue not alone him with all their hart they do not worship serue call vpon him only yea rather they choose vnto them selues others whome they may worship and call vpon eyther instead of God or together with god Herevnto perteyneth a good parte of the fift chapter of Ieremie and all the second chapter of Osée Amongest other thinges the Lorde sayth I will not haue compassion vpon her children bycause they are children of fornications for their mother hath played the harlot for she hath sayde I will go after my louers c. Since these thinges are thus brethren there is no cause why any man shuld reuerence the Churche of Rome decking her selfe with the title and beautie of the holie mother the church For she is not the holie mother churche she is not an vncorrupted matrone and virgine For where is the husband who is the onely husbande of this chaste matrone where is the faith and integritie kept with her husband hath she not defiled her selfe with straunge séede hath not she receiued taught a newe and straunge doctrine from the word of God and by that means begetteth many childrē not to Christ but to antichrist Saint Iohn beautifying this churche with her apt title calleth her Great Babylō the mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth and a woman drunken with the bloude of the Saintes and with the bloud of the martyrs of Iesu Christe Our holie mother the church is an vndefiled virgine hearing only the voyce or doctrine of her only welbeloued husband placing all the meanes of life and saluatiō in him alone and depending onely vpon him in all things With many other Allegories doth the Scripture paint out the mysterie of Christe and the Church but thereof it sufficeth to haue spokē thus muche The Lord Iesu the true and onely shepheard of his Church bring hoame againe louingly the wandering shéepe into his fould and being gathered together in his Churche preserue thē for euer Amen Of the ministerie and the ministers of Gods worde wherefore and for what ende they are instituted of god That the orders giuen by Christ vnto the church in times past were equall Whence and howe the prerogatiue of ministers sprang and of the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome ¶ The third Sermon THE expositiō touching the Churche of God shal be trulyer vnderstoode brethrē by those things whiche remayne to be spokē out of the worde of the Lorde concerning the ministerie and ministers of the Church For I sayde the Church of God is builded and preserued by the worde of God and that through ministers appointed for that purpose by the Lorde so that nowe it followeth to speake of the ministers of the Churche and of their ministerie that is of that order wherwith God gouerneth his church And truely the Ecclesiasticall ministerie is extended both to stirre vp and also to mainteine publique prayers and the administration of the sacraments and especially it is occupied in preaching of the worde of god Of the two former I will speake in place and time conuenient Of the ministerie of the worde I will entreate at this present In consideration whereof first it is expedient to viewe wherefore God in instructing men vseth the ayde or ministerie of men and what men perfect or worke
sauiour tooke vppon him the ministerie and was made the Apostle and minister of the churche of the Iewes What and if those first ministers were such as no age in any doctrine of religion in holinesse and excellencie had their fellowes muche lesse their betters At this day in so muche as they are the last times wherein scoffers and Epicures haue their full range the ministerie of Gods word is of no value But if you runne ouer and weigh all the ages euen vnto the beginning of the world you shall finde that the wisest iustest and best men in the whole world had nothing in more reuerence than the word of God the prophets and the holy apostles of God. But before we procéede any further in other thinges belonging to this matter we wil make answere to some which euē vnder the pretence of the holy scriptures endeuour to peruert the ministerie of the word For they alledge this text of Ieremie No man shall teach his neighbour for al shall know me As we denie not that Ieremie hath so written so we say by that kinde of speache and figuratiue saying that he ment nothing else thā that the knowledge of God and heauenly things should be very common in the whole world Which Ioel also foretolde woulde come to passe and which Peter alledgeth in the Actes 2. chapter In the meane while those two Prophets as also all other verie often doe make mention of the teachers of the Churche whome the Lorde shoulde sende vnto his people which they woulde not haue done if they had vnderstoode that all preachers shoulde be cleane taken away Whereas other obiect that al haue the office of teaching committed alike vnto them to wit parents to teach their children and euery one to admonish his neighbour therefore that there is no neede of the ministerie of the worde of God in the church it is sophisticall For all of vs can and ought priuately to teache and admonishe our children and our neighbours but therfore the publique ministerie of the word of God is not superfluous For the same God whiche commaunded parents and vs all that they shoulde instruct their children in godlinesse and that euery one of vs also shoulde teache and admonish our neighbours hath giuen publique ministers vnto the Churche It is their office to teache openly or publiquely in the Churche neyther is this permitted to whome so euer will but onely to them that be lawfully ordeyned least happily if other teache they should not goe forward in the righte pathe For then it were lawefull for euery one being inspired with the spirit of God at what time and place so euer both soberly to gainesay and to affirme the trueth Therefore the publique ministerie of the worde remaineth neuerthelesse and that perpetually in the Church Thus much haue we spoken in generall of the ministerie and the ministers of the worde of god Nowe that which remaineth of this matter we will discusse by their kyndes and partes and first we will shewe what orders or what offices the Lord hath instituted from the beginning or whō he hath put in authoritie in the holie ministerie of the churche then what manner men and after what sorte it is méete for vs to ordeine ministers Last of all what maner of office it is that they haue that are ordeined in the church And that we be not troublesome vnto you beginning a long discourse from the Patriarches we will beginne at our Lord Christ him selfe of whom Paul the Apostle speaking Hee that descended sayth he is euen the same whiche ascended vp farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things And he gaue some Apostls and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Doctours to the gathering together of the Saintes into the work of ministration into the edifying of the body of Christ And so foorth as is read in the 4. chapter to the Ephesians Therfore our Lord ordeined Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours by whose labour he ment to builde preserue and gouerne the Church Let vs nowe sée what the scripture teacheth vs of them Apostle is a newe name giuen of the Lorde him selfe to those twelue whiche he chose peculiarly and ordeined teachers and maisters to all nations For thus we reade in the 6. of Luke The Lord called his disciples and of them he chose twelue whome also hee called Apostles For Apostle signifieth one that is sent a messinger embassadour or oratour For in the Gospell after Sainte Iohn we read The Apostle or messinger is not greater than he that sent him And truely there is verie often mention made of sending in the Prophets in the olde Testament from whence it séemeth the Lord borrowed that name We reade of no certeine boundes appoynted to the Apostles For the Lorde saith in the Gospell Goe ye into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures These are the maister builders of the firste Churche of God from whome among auncient writers they tooke the name of Apostolique Churches those I meane which the Apostles first founded as was the Church at Antioch Ephesus Corinthe and many other mentioned in the Acts of the apostles The name of a Minister and Prophete is excéeding large Whereof is spoken in an other place Prophetes in this place are they which excell in singular reuelation and by whome the Lorde foretelleth thinges that shall come to the Churche suche a one as we reade Agabus was which both foretold to S. Paule the famine whiche was to come and his bonds Wise and godly men indued with a singular gifte of interpreting the scripture in times past were called Prophetes as it maye appeare by the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. chapter An Euangelist is a preacher of the Gospell of Iesus Christe sente with Apostolique authoritie Such we reade were Philip and Timothie c. Pastours watche ouer the Lordes flocke hauing care of the Lordes people féeding the Churche with the worde of trueth and kéeping the woolues from the shéepefouldes The chiefe of these is that good shepehearde Christe which sayth vnto Peter Feede my sheepe Whereby he also ioyneth him selfe to shepeheards Doctours or Teachers haue their names of teaching Neyther do I sée what they differ from shepheards but that they did onely teache and in the meane while were not burthened with the care that belongeth to the Pastour of whiche sort in a manner are the interpreters of scriptures and gouernours of Christian schooles There are also found other names of the ouerséers of the Churche in the scriptures The Apostle Paule saith vnto the shepeheards gathered together in the counsel at Miletum Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the whiche the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God. But byshops are called Superintendents séers kéepers watchmē rulers The people of Athens called them whome they sēt to
goods wherby both the poore and also the holy ministerie may be mainteyned And herevppon also it is euident that the Church of the people of the new Testament hadde euer since the time of Christe and the Apostles goodes and possessions publiquely gathered and receiued and also layde out and bestowed them againe for publique and common commoditie Gregorie the first of that name bishop of Rome saythe that it was the custome in his time and also before his time that there ought to be foure portions or parts of the church of god One for the byshop his familie an other for the clergie the third for the poore and the fourth for the repayring of Churches But there are a great many that say that a byshoppe oughte not to receiue wages of the Church Let vs therefore examine what Christ and his Apostles do teach vs touching that matter Christe our Lord who neuer committed any vniust thing receiued as it is read maintenance from such women as he taught who ministred vnto him of their substance He also sending his disciples abroade and willing them not to be careful for meate and drink and rayment sayth further The labourer is worthy of his hire The Lorde iudgeth it to be worthy méete and right to minister necessaries vnto preachers Wherefore they doe no vnworthy déed which receiue wages thereby to prouide necessaries for theÌ„ selues and their familie yea he compareth preachers not to idle bellies not to them that eate fréely of other mens breade neyther to beggers but to labourers For as the Lord setteth downe in the lawe howe that it is a great offence to deny labourers their hire euen so their offence is not smal that suffer such as are faythful féeders of the flocke to perishe and decay thorough néed For in an other place the lord speaketh to his disciples saying Ye haue freely receiued it and therefore giue it freely But he speaketh of the gifte of working myracles and of the benefit of health to be bestowed vppon the sicke diseased and oppressed For thus it is written Heale the sicke cleanse the leaprous rayse the deade cast out diuels And to these words he added this saying Ye haue receiued it freely therfore bestowe it frely Therfore though the apostles receiued reward of theÌ„ to whom they preached yet neuer any man read the euer they tooke any thing for the gift of healing which they receiued in the lords name Like as Heliseus would not take any thinge at all though it were frely offred him by Naaman y Syrian capteine for that by his counsel he was healed of the leprosie Yet the selfe same Heliseus refused not the gifte of the man that came vnto him froÌ„ Baal-salisa Out of the selfe same Gospel of Christ our Lord Ministers haue to learne to what vse they ought to put that wages they haue of the church For what time the Lord commanded Iudas who carried the pursse to depart the residue of the disciples thought that he had ben commanded to go buy such necessaries as should serue for the holie day or else to bestow something on the poore Therefore it is plaine that the Lord vsed with the sâ—ipend whiche he receiued to prouide necessaries for him and his and alsâ— to giue almes therof Marke wel then that the ministers of the churche may prouide things necessarie for their liuing function and maintenaunce of their housholde of the wages they receiue of the church Againe they may also of the same wages giue almes vnto the poore euen as it were of their own goods truly gotten For the lord saith plainly in the lawe that the sacrifice of the Leuites made of tythes and other oblatioÌ„s or holy reuenues shall be as acceptable vnto him as their sacrifice that offer any thing out of their owne chest store or possessions Truly if a labourer do offer vnto God any thing of his hire or wages that is to say if he giue vnto the poore doth it not séeme a verie acceptable sacrifice vnto God Verie acceptable then is the almes that the minister of the churche doth bestow procéeding of the wages of the holie ministerie Put the case a labourer in building a church receyueth his wages of the Churche goods shoulde a man therefore say that the labourer tooke an almes that one almes ought not to be giuen out of an other He receiued wages for his worke For he did labour Therefore he giueth almes of his wages of his owne lawful proper goods Wherfore then shoulde the minister of the church séem to liue by almes that he ought not to giue almes of alms who notwithstanding dothe labour for his wages and therfore receiueth the reward of his work as a labourer doth vnto whom the Lord him self compareth the minister If any man be so far past honestie to think so he shal heare not what I say but what Paul the apostle saith If we sow vnto you spiritual things is it a great matter if wee mowe your carnall thingâ—s And againe Such elders as gouern wel are worthy of double honor and chiefly they that trauell in preaching teaching For the scripture saith Thou shalt noâ— mousell the mouth of the 〈◊〉 treading out the come And The labourer is worthy of his hire Behold therfore the apostle doth not think that that inestimable goodnesse of the ministerie can by any means be recoÌ„penced with a vile thing I meane with earthly wages Againe They that labour saith he They that labour say I not they saith he that loyter in teaching These doth he compare vnto an oxe that is a toyling beast and a thresher out of corn also to a labouring man That wherof I do so greatly warne you is that bycause in this our wicked vnthankfull world certeine men nay rather monsters most vnthankfull are to be found out that are persuaded that ministers doe nothing at all yea euen suche as moste faithfully do their dutie For they cry out saying They eate their bread as beggers do it costeth them nought By which name infamie they terrifie many fine wits make theÌ„ to forsake the studie of good learning diuinitie so that they vtterly abhorr the ministerie as it were a thing most beggerly vnhonest For in such sort y diuel can deuise to enlarge his kingdom abusing or rather fitly vsing to his purpose our ingratitude and malice But why do they not suffer theÌ„ selues to be numbred with Christ the holy apostles who were fed mainteined by that churches stipend than to be reckoned vp among those vnthankful proude people who haue seraped gathered al their goods together for the most part by vsery other wicked means or at the least if they haue not gotten their goods by sinister means they haue receiued theÌ„ through the liberalitie and méere goodnesse of God for the which they neuer sweat or tooke paynes S. Paule proueth by strong and many
the first to the Corinthians the sixtéenth Chapiter in the second to the Corinthians the eight and ninthe Chapiters And to the Galathians While wee haue time sayth he let vs do good towardes all men especially towardes the household of faith In the first epistle to Timothie hee warneth that there be consideration had who should be holpen and who not be holpen In the same epistle he giueth charge to Timothie and to all the bishopps howe to deale with the richer sort in the Church saying CoÌ„maund them that are riche in this world that they be not high minded neither put their trust in vncerteine riches but in the liuing GOD who giueth vs all things abundantly to enioy that they may do good that they may bee riche in good workes that they may be readie to giue bestowe willingly laying vp vnto themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they maye take hold of life euerlasting Also vnto the Hebrues To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased Wherfore riches were gathered eueÌ„ in the time of the Apostles to succour the necessitie of the poore withall Deacons were appointed by the church as prouiders and stewards amonge whom those first Deacons were most famous of whome the Actes of the Apostles make mention and also the noble martyre of Christ Laurence And the writinges of the auncient fathers doe testifie that with those ecclesiasticall goodes prisoners were redéemed out of captiuitie poore maydeÌ„s of lawfull yeares married finally hospitals almeries spittels harbours hostles and nourceries were builded namely to interteine poore trauellers for the maintenaunce of the poore that were borne in that countrie for the reliefe of the sick and diseased for the necessitie of old men and for the honest bringing vp of pupils orphans Concerning these matters there are yet extant certaine imperiall lawes Wherefore in refourming of Churches very diligent héed must be taken that there be no offence committed in this behalfe thoroughe ouersight or of purpose that the poore be not defrauded and that in taking away one abuse we bring not in many If there be plentie of goodes let them be kept if there be none let them be gathered of the rich Then let the state of the poore be searched and what euery maÌ„ néedeth most or howe prouision maye best be made for euery one Whiche being knowen let that which is méete and necessarie for euerie one be done spéedily gently and diligently If then any of the coÌ„mon goods remaine let them be kept against such calamities as may ensue Let nothing be coÌ„sumed vnprofitably or vngodlily Againe let not the treasure of the poore vnhappily be deteined from them by fraude and to the increasing of their pouertie For there maye be like offence committed on both sides For on eche side the poore are defrauded of their goods Touching liberalitie wée haue entreated in another place in these our Decades and of prouiding for the poore in other of our woorkes And Lewis Vines hath written very well of relieuing the poore The fourth last part o◠〈…〉 of the Church 〈…〉 holy buildinges as Churches scholes and houses â—â—longing to Churches and scholes 〈◊〉 which because of the companies gathered together in them are also called congregations are the houses of the Lord oure god Not that God whome the wide compasse of the heauens cannot comprehend doeth dwell in such manner of houses but béecause the congregation and people of GOD méete together in those houses to worshipp and performe due honour vnto God to heare the word of God to receiue the Lords sacramentes and to praye for the assistance presence of god Churches therefore are very necessarie for the Church and people of god Touching holy assemblies I haue said somwhat in the disputation of prayer And althoughe that at the commaundement of God Moses builded a moueable Church and afterward the most wise king Solomon founded a standing Churche not without great cost notwithstanding wee must not thincke therfore that God liketh of such great charges after that hée had sent Christ and fulfilled the figures For as before the lawe was made it is not to bee found that the Patriarches did euer build any Ministers or great churches euen so after the disanulling of the law in the Church of Christe a meane and sparing clenlinesse pleaseth God best For God misliketh that foolish madd kinde of buildinges not much vnlike to that vnwise building of Babylon enterprising to sett vp the topp of the tower aboue the cloudes For God liketh not the riotousnes of Churches who without all riot doeth gather his Church together from out all the parts of the 〈◊〉 whiche Churche also be hâ—th taught both sparingnes and thâ— contempt of all riot A church is large and bigge enough if it be sufficient to receiue al that belong vnto it For the place is prouided for men and not for god But aboue all thinges let that place be cleane and holy A Churche is hallowed or consecrated not as some doe superstiously thincke with the rehearsing of certeine woordes or making signes and Characters or with oyle or purging fire but with the will of GOD and his commaundement bidding vs to assemble and come together promising his presence amongst vs and also it is hallowed by the holy vse of it For in the temple y holy Church of God is gathered together the true and most blessed word of God is also declared in the temple the holy sacraments of God are receiued in the temple and also in the temple prayers are powred forth to God whiche are most acceptable vnto him Verily the place of it selfe is nothing holy but because these holy thinges are done in that place in respecte that they are done there the place it selfe is called holy Therefore not without great cause ought all prophanation filthines be farre from the holy temple of the lord The Senatours court or seate of iudgement is accounted so holy a thing that whosoeuer either in woord or déede vsed himselfe vnreuerently towardes it should be accused of treason And yet in this Courte the Senatours only are gathered and assembled together to heare the matters of suiters in thinges transitorie that shall passe away and perish By howe much the more then ought reuerence to bee giuen vnto temples into the which the children of God do come to worshipp him to heare the true word of God and to receiue his holy sacraments And therefore as we hate and abandon all superstition in temples so wee loue not the prophanation of them yea rather I say wée cannot abide it Neither haue we leysure at this time about the consideration of temples to rehearse and searche out open and plaine superstitions Of whiche matter wee haue spoken in an other place I finde it a matter of controuersie amonge the fathers of old time to what part of the world wee ought to
turne when wee pray Socrates the histographer in his fifte booke cap. 22. speaking of the most auncient Apostolique Church of the whole world at Antioche saith At Antioche whiche is in Syria the Church is set contrarie to other for the altar looketh not towards the East but towards the west It may be they did imitate the fashion of the old people in building and setting their tabernacle and in the fashion of their temple For they worshipped God turning towards the West without doubt because of the coÌ„ming of Christ in the latter time and at the end of the world Otherwise it is coÌ„monly vsed that men worshipp with their faces turned toward the East But in all these matters so there be no superstition dissention licentiousnes and offence a man may doe what him lusteth But there ought no temples to be built for the worshipping of Saincts For vnto God onely to whome all honour and worship is due we ought to build Churches which thing wee are taught by the examples of auncient fathers and the determination of the whole scripture The heathenish idolaters built temples vnto creatures sinning against the true and eternall God in coÌ„mitting a gréeuous offence S. Augustine in his booke De Ciuitate Dei sayeth plainely We build not temples vnto our martyrs And againe in his first booke against Maximinus a bishopp of the Arians If wee should saith he build a Churche of timber stones vnto some excellent holy angel should we not be accursed by the trueth of Christ the church of God Because wee should do that seruice vnto a creature that is due only to God Therefore if we should coÌ„mit sacrilege in making a temple to euerie creature whatsoeuer howe may it be that God is not true vnto whom we make no temple but we our selues are a temple for him Thus muche saith he Againe they are to be counted lyars who affirme that temples were built by certeine religious men in the worshipp of the Apostles while they were a liue Of whiche matter we haue spoken in times past as wée haue both against the riotousnes of the Churche and the vnprofitable expenses thereof in the first booke intituled De Origine erroris the 21. chapter Instrumentes belonging to the Church ought to be holy cleane and voyde of all riot and farre from any kinde of superstition The instrumentes be these an holy seate or pulpit in the whiche the minister maye teach and preach conueniente seates for the congregation a Fonte readie to baptise infantes in and the Lords Table with such thinges as are necessary thereto as water bread wine bookes candles baskets and cuppes These at sometimes were all of gold but good godly bishops haue oftentimes molten them and therewithal deliuered prisoners out of captiuitie and fedd such as were like to perish for hunger Many examples of this sort haue I gathered in my booke of the Iustitution of Bishops the 9. Chapiter As for candles whereof wée made mention euen nowe sure it is that the auncient fathers vsed them in the churches to driue away the darknes of the night as it appeareth in the twentie Chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles But it is a foolish matter nothing religious to vse lightes in the worshipping of god Lactantius crieth out shal we iudge him to be wel in his wits which offereth the light of a burninge waxe candle or taper for a present to the authour giuer of light Hee requireth other manner of light at our handes and that not smokie but cleare and bright to wit the light of the minde But a man may commonly sée in these dayes a great part of the worshipping of God to be reposed in the offering of candles whiche thing is cleane against the manifest trueth Amongest other instruments of the Church bells are reckoned vpp whiche at these dayes are vnto vs as in old time trumpets were vnto the people of god For they serue to call the congregation together and they are numbered among tokens and warnings About bells there is a wonderfull superstition They are christened by bishops and it is thought that they haue power to put away any great tempest In the old time men were stirred vp to prayer by the ringing of them what time any sore tempest did arise but nowe the very ringing of bells by reason of their consecration séemeth to haue a peculiar kind of of vertue in it Who can but meruel and he astonied at this extreme blindnes Moreouer they vse belles to bewaile the dead All which things are superstitious and vtterly to be contenmed Forsomuch as the true vâ—e â—f the church gâ—â—ds consisteth in those things whiche wée reckoned vp before it followeth that the abuse thereof must néeds be in the contraries whether we do offend in one kind or in many Iustice and equitie is to bee kept in these as well as in all other thinges Wée ought not to take from one man giue to another but wée must giue vnto euery one that which is his own Therfore we may not take any thing from the poore and giue it to the ministers of the Church neither is their portion and necessaries to be taken from them that the poore maye liue thereof The holy scripture giueth one portion of the Church goods to the ministers of the Churche and the same Churche willeth vs to giue vnto the poore their part Therefore if bishops or ministers of the Church doe challenge vnto themselues all the Church goods and giue not vnto the poore their partes due vnto them they destle themselues with sacrilege If the ministers doe not challenge vnto themselues all the goods of the Church and yet do take vniustly more then either it becommeth them or than néede requireth or otherwise than the decrée of God and the Apostles doeth allowe or else if they spend vnthriftily y portion due vnto them they gréeuously offend But they sinne greatly yea most horribly if they wast the goodes of the poore in hunting diceing drinking and rioting whore-hunting or else in warrefare and in the meane time haue no regard of the Churche neither care what is done there or howe But if a iust and good portion fall vnto the poore perhaps there will bée a fault in this poinct in the Steward or Almonar thoroughe fauour or hatred that they that haue most néede shall haue nothing and the least worthie shall haue most and in this case there is great offence committed thorough filthie abuse But of all abuses that séemeth to be the shamefullest whiche is nowe a dayes almost commonly vsed We bestowe great costes and charges vppon stones and stockes that is to say vpon idols void of all vnderstanding but there is no regard had vnto the poore who are the perfecte images of god Which kinde of madnes is heathenish and extreme folly But forsomuch as other haue alreadie very largly spoken of the abuse of the Church goods and we also haue set downe
substaÌ„ces Iob. 1. Matth. 8 Iohn 8. Marke 1. Matth. 25. What maner of bodies they be whichâ— the diuels takâ— 1. Sa. 28. â— Cor. 1â— The diuâ—â—â— quickâ—â— craftie â—ightie An infinit route of diuels Mark. 16. Matth. 12. Mark. 3 Mark. 3. Diuel A lyer Ioh. 6. Sathan oâ— an aduersarie 1. Pet. 5. Matth. 13. Matth. 4 Matth. â— Gen. 3. â— serpentâ— dâ—agon 1. Tim. 4. 1. Pet. 5. A roaring lion A murtherer A temptâ—â— An euil vncleane spirit 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 The prince of this world cast out Princes oâ— the world The operations of the diuel Luke 22. Matth. 26. 1. Pet. 5. Gen. 3. Luke â—3 Mark. 9. Iohn 13. Matth. 12 The power of the diuel is definite or limited 1. Cor. 12. 2. thess. 2. We mustâ— fight manfully againste thâ—â—iuel buâ— we mustâ— not feare him â—latth 4. â— Iohn 5. 1. Pet. 5. Ephe. 6. 1. Cor. 10. The word Anima which we call soule is diuerslie taken The soule is breath and life Actes 20. Soule is taken for man. Leuit. 20. Rom. 13. Gen. 14. Soule a â—esire 〈◊〉 7. Soule is the spirite of man. The soule â—nd minde That there is but one soule That there â—s a soule What the soule is That souls are substaÌ„tes Luke 16. Luke 32. Apoc. 6. The soule is bodilesse or a spirit Iohn 10. Iohn 19. Luke 23. Matth. 27. Actes 7. What maÌ„ner of substance the soule of man is The soulâ—â—s neitheâ— God nor parte of God. Of the original of the soule Iob. 10. The operations powers of the soule Out of the 〈◊〉 cap. of Aâ—gust deâ—â—antitate â—â—imae Of the soule separated from the bodie The soule is immortall Of the death of soules 1. Tim. 1. 6. Gal. 1. Testimoâ—ies of the â—â—mortaâ—â—â—e of â—oules 〈…〉 Psal. 61. Eccle. 12. Gen. 3. Matth. 10. Matth. 16. Iohn 8. Iohn 8. Heb. 9. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Tim. 1. Apoc. 6. Wisd 3. All wise men haue thought that soules are immortal In what place soules liue when they are separated from their bodies Luke 16. Phil. 1. Iohn 14. Apoc. 6. â— Pet. 1. The soule returneth to the body but not before iudgment 1. thess. 4 Howe Soules should be translated to their appointed place Iohn 5. Iuke 23. At what time souls be carried vp into heauen Soules separated from their bodies doâ—â— not sleepe Soules 〈…〉 from the bodies are not caried into Purgatorie Soules are purged by the onlie bloud of Christ Iohn 3. Actes 4. 1 Pet. 1. 1. Ioh. 1. Apoc. 10. Ephe. 5. Tit. 3. Heb. 5. Gal. 2. Gal. 6. Eccles 11. That soules aâ— fully purged by the bloud of Christ Iohn 13. Iohn 17. Heb. 10. Marke 9. Of praiers for the dead 1. thess. 4. 1. Cor. 11. Aeriani coÌ„demned Matth. 8. Appearing of Spirits Deut. 18. Isa. 8. Luke 16. That souls separated from their bodies do not waÌ„deâ— in these regions Luke 12. Actes 7. Phil. 1. Gen. 25. Luke 16. Samuel 〈◊〉 his â—ath apâ—eared not 〈◊〉 Sâ—ule Sam. 28. Soules certainlie and immediately after the death of the bodie are blessed Iohn 3. The laste day of man. Iohn 5. Apoc. 14. Ecclesia a church or coÌ„gregation 1. Cor. 15. Actes 22. Synagogue What the church is The catholique church Galathi 3. The distinctioÌ„ of the church The triumphant church Reuela 7. Whence perfect holinesse procedeth 〈◊〉 12. The militant churche The holy churche beeleue â—he holie catholique church â— Cor. 6. The churche doeth comprehend the wicked The particular church Parish and parishe prieste Matth. 18. The church of God hath bene and â—halbe foreuer Matth. 28. Iohn 14. Matth. 16. The church of the diuell and Antichrist Math. 5. 6. 23. Math. 24. Howe hycrites are or may be accounted in the church of God. Matth. 12. 2. Cor. 6. Hypocrits Matth. 13 Matth. 13. Matth. 22. Matth. 3. 1. Cor. 5. 1. Iohn 2. Psal. 5â— Luke 22. Iohn 16. Al that be in the Church be â—ot the Church Rom. 9. Iohn 13. Iohn 6. Iohn 13. The visible and inuisible the outwarde inward Churche Of the outwarde markes of the church of God. Actes â— Matth. 28. Actes 2. Esai 59. Iohn 8. Iohn 10. Iohn 14. Iohn 18. 1 Cor. 12. 1. Cor. 10. How these marks declare the church What maner of Gods worde it ought to be that is the marke of the church After what sorte the SacrameÌ„ts ought to be vsed â— Reg. 12. â— Reg. 6. â—aptised of Hereâ—â—ques 〈◊〉 not reâ—aptised Of the inwarde markes of the church of God. Iohn 7. Iohn â–ª 14. 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 4. Rom. 8. Galath 2. Ephe. 3. 2. Iohn 4. Iohn 6. Iohn 15. 1. Iohn 4. Iohn 1. 13. 1. Iohn 4. Rom. 12. Of the originall oâ— the church Gala. 4. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 4. Rom. 10. The churche is not builte by the doctrine of men Matth. 16. Galath 1. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn â— Iohn 1â— Iohn 10. Colo. 2. Titus 1. Matth. 15. The churche is preserued by the worde of God. Epâ—â— 4. The propheticall Apostolicall and Or thodoxicall Church Of the coÌ„tinual succession of Bishops Zacha. 11. 1. Cor. 11. Actes 2â— TertulliaÌ„ of the coÌ„tinuall succession of Pastors The doctrine of the auncient church of Rome The churche is not builte by warre or deceipte 1. Cor. 2. 1. Thes 2. Matth. 26. Luke 22. 2. Thes 2 â—sai 49. Actes 21. Actes 23. Whether the church of God â—ay erre Iohn 13. 15 Rom. 7. How the holy church is without spotte wrinkle Iohn â— 1. Tim. 3. The Church is the piller and the grounde of the truthe Exod. 32. Ierem. 8. Of the power of the church Power of consecration The power of the keyes Power of inrisdictioÌ„ Power of preaching Power of iudgment or iudicial correctioÌ„ Power to receiue What power is Luke 9. 2. kindes of power Matth. 28. Reuela 1. Reue. 3. 2. Cor. 12. In what pointes ecclesiastical power consisteth To ordeine ministers of the church â–ª Actes 1. Actes 6. Actes 13. 1. Tim. 3. Power to teach Matth. 28. Mark. 16. Rom. 1. The power of the keyes Matth. 10. 2. Tim. 4 Luke 9. Power to administer the Sacramentes Power to iudge of doctrines 1. Cor. â—4 1. Thes 3. 1. Iohn 4. To call a counsel Actes 15. Power to dispose the affaires of the church â— Cor. 13. Of the â—â—udies of the church There is one holie Church of God. Cant. 4. Ephe 4. Apoc. 22. Matth. 22. Without the church is no light or saluatioÌ„ De simplicitate Praelatorum Institut li. 5. ca. 30. Againste certeine Scismatiques For the diuersitie of doctrin Scisme must not be made 1. Cor. 8. For the vices of the ministers Scisme must not be made â—latth 23. For the diuersitie of Ceremonies scisme must not be made For the impure life of men conuersant in the churche scisme must not be made For the vnworthie partakers of the Lordes supper Scisme must not be made 2. Cor. 11. Vnitie must be kepte and scisme eschued Of the departing from the church oâ— Rome â—ho is an 〈…〉 who a 〈◊〉 A
wine In celebrating the supper nothinge to be followed but that which we haue receiued of Christ Of both kindes to be giuen and receiâ—ed in the â—upper Of the coÌ„sâ—eratioÌ„ of the breade and wine Whether there must be one chiefe dealer in the action of the supper Hebr. 10. Of the place wher the supper is to be celebrated Actes 20. Of the lords altar or table Of vessels belonging to the Lords supper What garment is to be worne at the supper What tongue is to be vsed What gestures Of taking it in the handes The remnantes of the supper Whether to be shut vp and adored Coloss 3. what time to be celebrated How ofteÌ„ to be celbrated For whom the supper is instituted The supper was not instituted for infantes Whether it be to be celebrated against imminent dangers The supâ—er not to â—e celebraâ—ed at 〈…〉 priuaâ—â—â—e for the â—icke nor whole Iames. 5. Actes 2. Deut. 16. The sacrament not to be offered for the dead Sacrifices of 2. sortes of expiatioÌ„ and confession Of the endes of the Lords supper The Lord witnesleth vnto vs his promise coÌ„munion OpinioÌ„ of bodilie presence confuted of the true vnderstandinge of the Lordes wordes This is my bodie When to depart froÌ„ the letter The auncient exposition of the words of 〈…〉 bodie A demonstration of the figuratiue words of the supper This is my bodie Iohn 16 Mark. 16. Luke 24. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Cor. 15. To ascend â—nto heauen Actes 1. Iohn 14. Matth. 24. Heb. 9. Miracles and the omnipotencie of God. O' Chrstes presence in the supper Matth. 28. Christ is not diuided Of the true eatinge of Christes bodie Howe christ hath giuen his flesh vnto â—s for bread that is to say to bee meate for vs. How Christes bodie is eaten and his bloud dronken 1 Heb. 11. 2 3 4 Iohâ— 4. 5 6 The fleshe profiteth nothing The lords wordes in Iohn 6. arfitlie to be applied to the matter of the supper Of two kindes of eating the Lords supper The third kinde of eatinge That Iudas was present at the Lordes supper What Iudas receiued of the Lord at the supper 2. Cor. 6. How the vnbeleuers are made guiltie of Christes bodie and bloud Iohn 13. Matth. 2â— Heb. 6. Of the other endes of the Lords supper 1. Pet. 2. Of worthily and vnworthilie eating and drinkinge the Lords supper Actes 13. Actes 15. To make difference of the Lords bodie The punishment of those that eate vnworthily Iohn 13. Luke 22. Howe we shoulde prepare our selues to the Lordes supper A comfort or afflicted consciences Matth. 26. Luke 22. The Lorâ— hath not burdened his church with infinite lawes The chiefest points of true godlinesse in the Churche Actes 2. Of scholes Gouernoures of Scholes 1. Sam. 10. 4. Reg. 2. 4. cap. Amos. 7. Amos. 2. Actes 15. Actes 2. Actes 22. Actes 6. Christe his Apostles do institute Scholes Titus 3. Scholes apperteine to the preseruation of the ministerie 1. Tim. 6. The corruption of Scholes The true ende of Scholes Discipline in scholes Of Ecclesiasticall goodes The câ—urche of the new testament hath goodes reuenues Luke 8. Matth. 10. Actes 4. Howe in olde time the church goodes were bestowed Ministers of Churches ought to be rewarded Matth. 10. Iohn 13. 1. Cor. 9. 1. Tim. 5. 1. Cor. 9. The Apostles receiued wagis Marke 6. S. Paule receiued no wages 2. Cor. 11. thess. 3. 1. thess. 5. Studentes to be mainteined by wages of the Churche The poore to de reliâ—ued by the Churche goodes The pore not to bee defrauded of theire portion Ezech. 16. Isai 16. 1. Iohn 3. Ezech. 16. Isai 16. Matth. 25. Mark. 14. Gala. 6. 1. Tim. 5. 1. Tim. 6. Heb. 13. Actes 6. Reformation of churches to bee made Holy buildinges Temples of christians Towarde what part of the worlde we must pray Churches not to bee builded to Sainctes Holy Instruments Abuse of the church goodes Holy time Discipline and correction of ministers 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 5. Of Synodes Ecclesiâ—sticall admonition correctioÌ„ 2. Cor. 5. 2. thess. 3. 2. Cor. 12. Matth. 13. 1. Cor. 2. Of Christian matrimonie Hebr. 13. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Tim. 5. Titus 1. 1. Cor. 9. 1. Cor. 7. Hebr. 13. CoÌ„tractes of mariage to bee soberly made 2. Cor. 6. 1. Pet. 3. Diuorcement I. Cor. 6. Of wiâ—ower Of virgins 2. Tim. 5 De bono viduitatis cap. 9. Of monasteries and â—onkes 1. Cor. 3. Of monasâ—ical vowes 1. Cor. 7. How the Church sealeth with the sicke Iames. 5. Annoynting with oyle Last annoyling Of funerals and buriall The churche hath â—o neede of the leagal instrucâ—ion Actes 15. Galath 4.
Gentiles Againe when the same Paule at Corinthe had preached Christe to the Iewes and they resisted and reuiled The Apostle shooke his rayment and sayde Your bloude be vppon your owne heades I am cleane from hencefoorth I will goe vnto the Gentiles And so he did â—â—nd the vnbeléeuers And God confirmed the preaching of Paule bycause it procéeded from God him selfe And vnlesse you put the proper and true keye into the locke you shall neuer open it The true and right keye is the pure worde of God the counterfet and théeuishe key is a doctrine and tradition of man estraunged from the worde of god I thinke I haue sufficiently proued by euident testimonies of the scripture that the keys giuen to the Apostles and Pastours of the Churche and so to the Churche it selfe are nothing else than the ministerie of teaching the Church For by the doctrine of the Gospell as it were with certeine keyes the gate of the kingdome of heauen is opened when a sure and readie meane and waye is shewed to come to atteine vnto the participation of Christe and the ioyes of euerlasting life by true fayth To the testimonie of God mans recorde agréeth For Sainte Iohn Chrysostome vpon Matthewe chapter 23. The keye saythe he is the word of the knowledge of the scriptures by whiche the gate of truthe is opened to men And the key-bearers are the Priests to whom is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the scriptures Other testimonies of olde interpreters of the Scriptures differing nothing from these of oures for that I am desirous to be briefe I do not bring Since these thinges are thus brethren and are deliuered vnto vs in the expresse Scriptures we will not therefore greatly passe what the Papistes babble touching the power of the keyes and what offices dignities preferments and I knowe not what other thing and what authoritie of Priestes they deriue from thence We haue learned not out of the wordes or opinions of men but out of the manifest worde of GOD that the keys are the ministerie of the preaching of the worde of GOD and that the keyes are giuen to the Apostles and to their successours that is to say the office of preaching remission of sinnes repentaunce and life euerlasting is coÌ„mitted to them Wherevpon we nowe conclude this that the chiefe office of a Pastour of the church is to vse those very keyes whiche the Lorde hath deliuered to his Apostles and no other that is to preache the onely and pureworde of GOD and not to fetche any doctrine from any other place than out of the verie worde of god For there is a perpetuall and inuiolable lawe at this day also layde vpon our Pastours which we reade was layd vpon the most auncient gouernours of the Churche the Lorde him selfe witnessing in Malachie and saying My couenaunt was with Leuie of life and peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afrayde before my name The lawe of truth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes he walked with me in peace and equitie and turned many from their iniquitie For the Priestes lippes shoulde preserue knowledge and they shoulde seeke the lawe at his mouth for hee is the messinger of the Lorde of hoastes Againe the Lord sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and giue them warning from me In Ieremie the Lorde sayth The Prophete that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and hee that hath my woorde let him speake my woorde faythfully He expressely puts a difference betwéene heauenly things and earthly thinges betwéene those thinges whiche are of the word of GOD and those that are feigned and chosen by man whiche hée willeth to let passe as vncerteine thinges and as dreames For he immediately addeth Is not my worde as fire sayth the Lorde and like a hammer that breaketh the harde stone And againe Heare not the wordes of the Prophetes that preache vnto you and deceiue you truly they teache you vanitie for they speake the meaning of their owne hearte and not out of the mouth of the lord Therefore all the true Prophetes of GOD haue this continually in their mouth Thus sayth the Lorde The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it And therefore they deliuered vnto the people nothing contrarie vnto the worde of god The olde people had also the Scripture And the Prophetes were nothing else but interpreters of the Lawe applying the same to the place time matters and persons Also oure Lorde Iesus Christe sayth oftentimes that his doctrine is not his owne but the fathers Whiche thing if you vnderstande literally and according to his words I knowe not whether any thing can be spoken more absurde Therefore the Lorde meaneth that his doctrine is not of man but of god Doth not he sende vs continually to the writinges of the Lawe and the Prophetes and confirmeth his owne sayinges by them But Christe is the onely teacher of religion and maister of lyfe appoynted vnto the vniuersall Churche by GOD the father To this Churche he himselfe also sending teachers and shewing them what they shoulde deliuer fayth Teach them to obserue those thinges which I haue commaunded you Also Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures But the Apostle Paule witnesseth that the Gospel was promised by the Prophetes of God in the holy Scriptures And this doctrine receiued of Christe the Apostles deliuered to the nations adding nothing vnto it taking nothing from it and there withall also they expounding the auncient writings of the Prophetes yet neyther in this matter trusting any thing to their owne wit nor being ruled by their owne iudgement For the Apostle Peter saith As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one to an other as good stewardes of the manifold graces of god If any man speak let him talke as the words of god Tertullian also in his booke intituled De Praescript haeret which I haue also elswhere rehearsed expresly saith It is not lawful for vs in any thing to rest vpoÌ„ our owne fancie or iudgemeÌ„t neither yet to be negligent markers what any other man bringeth foorth of his owne braine We haue the Apostles of the Lord for authours for not they them selues did choose any thing whiche they might establish after their own fancie and the doctrine whiche they receiued of Christe they faythfully deliuered to the nations And therefore if euen an Angel from heauen should preach any otherwise he shal be accurssed at our hands Thus farre he We haue moreouer shewed in our sermons of faith and of the churche that faith dependeth vpon the only worde of God and that it wholy stayeth vpon the onely word of God also that the churches of god are builded and preserued by the worde of God and not by mans doctrine all whiche séeme to apperteine to this matter Neyther is it leâ—t to the byshops
of the church of Christe as the Popish pastors do falsely boast to ordeine new lawes and to broach new opinions For the doctrine whiche was deliuered to the apostls of Christ is simply to be receiued of the church and simply and purely to be deliuered of the pastours to the church whiche is the congregation of such as beléeue the word of Christe And who knoweth not that it is sayde by the Prophete All men are lyars God only is true And the church is the piller and ground of truth bycause as it stayeth vpon the truth of the Scriptures euen so it publisheth none other doctrine than is deliuered in the scriptures neither receiueth it being published And who is he that will challenge to him selfe the glorie due vnto God onely God is the onely lawegiuer to all mankinde especially in those thinges which perteine to religion and a blessed life For Esaie sayth The Lorde is our iudge the Lord is our lawegiuer the Lorde is our king and he him selfe shal be our Sauiour And S. Iames also saythe There is one lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy God challengeth this thing as proper to him selfe to rule those that are his with the lawes of his word ouer whome he only hath authoritie of life and death Moreouer those lawes can not be godly whiche presume to prescribe and teache fayth and the seruice of God after their owne fancie The doctrine concerning fayth and the worship of God vnlesse it be heauenly is nothing lesse than that which it is sayd to be God only teacheth vs what is true fayth and what worship he delighteth in And therefore in Matthewe the sonne of God pronounceth out of Esaie In vayne doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commaundementes of men Ioyne herevnto also that from the newe constitutions of men there springeth alwayes vp a wonderfull neglecting yea and contempt of the word of God and of heauenly lawes For through our owne traditions as the Lorde also sayth in the Gospell we goe astraye and despise the commaundements of God. Nowe since it is manifest from whence the Pastour or doctour must fetche his doctrine to wit from no other place than out of the Scripture of the old and new Testament which is the infallible and vndoubted word of God and that therefore this doctrine is certeine and immutable There remaineth nowe also something to be spoken of the manner of teaching which the teacher or pastor of the Churche ought to followe And here I will onely briefly touche the shorte summe or effect of matters Afore all other thinges therefore it is required of Pastours that continually they account that to be spoken vnto them whiche the Apostle commanded to be often tolde to Archippus Take heede to the ministerie that thou haste receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it And moreouer 〈◊〉 they neuer turne away their eies from that liuely picture of a good and euill shepehearde whiche Ezechiel that famous Prophete setteth out after this manner Thus sayth the Lorde God woe be vnto the shepeheardes of Israel that feede them selues shoulde not the shepeheards feede the flocks ye eate the fat ye cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the shepe the weak haue ye not strengthened the sicke haue ye not healed neither haue ye bound vp the broken nor brought againe that whiche was driuen away neyther haue ye sought that whiche was lost but with crueltie and with rigour haue ye ruled them And againe I will feede my sheepe sayth the Lord God I will seeke that whiche was lost and bring againe that whiche was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feede them with iudgement Hereby we gather that it is the duetie of a good Pastour or shepeheard to féde and not to deuour the flocke to minister not to exercise dominion to séeke the safetie of his shéepe not his priuate gaine and also to séeke out againe the lost shéepe that is to say to bring again such as can not abide the truth and wander in the darkenesse of errous home to the church and vnto the light of the trueth and to restore and bring back againe the shéep that is driuen or chased away to wit such as are separated from the felowship of the Saintes or godly for some priuate affections sake to heale or binde vp such as are broken For he meaneth the wounds of sinnes whiche Ieremie also commaundeth to heale and to be short to strengthen the weake and féeble shéep and not altogether to treade them vnder foote and to bridle such shéepe as be strong that is to say men flourishing in vertues least they be proude and puffed vp with the giftes of God and so fall away But let him thinke that these thinges can not be perfourmed but through sounde and continuall teaching deriued oute of GOD his worde The manner of teaching extendeth it selfe to publique and priuate doctrines By publique doctrine the Pastour eyther catechiseth that is to say instructeth them that be younglings in religion or other whiche are grounded therein To the younglings or ignoraunt sorte he openeth the principles of true religion For Catechesis or the fourme of Catechising comprehendeth the groundes or principles of fayth and Christian doctrine to wit the chiefe pointes of the couenaunt the tenne commaundements the Articles of fayth or Apostles Créede the Lordes prayer and a briefe exposition of the Sacramentes The auncient churches had Catechisers appoynted properly to this charge And the Lorde commendeth vnto vs bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe with great earnestnesse the charge of the youth commaunding vs to instruct them both betimes and also diligently in true religion Moreouer he setteth out great rewardes and grieuous punishments in that behalfe Assuredly no profite or fruite is to bee looked for in the Churche of those hearers that are not perfectly instructed in the principles of religion by Catechising for they knowe not of what thing the Pastor in the Churche speaketh when they heare the couenaunt the commaundement the lawe grace fayth prayer and the sacraments to be named Therefore if in any thing then in this ought greatest diligence to be vsed The doctrine whiche apperteyneth to the perfecter sorte is specially occupyed in the exposition of holy Scripture It may appeare out of the writings of the old bishops that it was the custome in that happie and most holie primitiue churche to expounde vnto the Churches not certeine parcels of the Canonicall bookes neyther some chosen places out of them but the whole bookes as well of the newe Testament as the olde And in so doing there came no small fruite vnto the Churches As at this day also we sée by experience that Churches can not be better instructed nor more vehemently stirred vppe