is in the Catholike Church so compared in Matt. 13.38 for that the Children of the newe Kingdome are no more bounded vp in Canaan but growing in all nations And these kinde of Ministers haue commission to preach to these nations Who in one word are the Apostles and all such as the Lord vseth in that glorious ministration These are they who stand witnesses of the sacred othes ecclesiasticall and ciuil which by the Gentiles haue bin administred vnto the Iewish nation attending amongst them whether baptized or vnbaptized and that for their peaceable demeanor towards Christ and his church till it please him otherwise to awake for their general calling But ere I come to compare them with the Roe and Hinde let me dissolue one doubt May any Ministers after the first Apostles Euangelists and Prophets be saide to succeed them in that Ministery Many say no but I say yea For the approbation whereof let vs first consider what their Ministerie was secondly whether in the iudgement of ancient and Moderne Writers any haue succeeded in that ministerie And the rather because the blind Doctor of Brownisme doth terme such Ministers Iudes wandring starres like as they in print haue affirmed Mr. H. I. to haue a Seared conscience both which are termes only of finall reprobation I wonder what reuelation they haue had of our reprobation finall The ministerie of the Apostles Euangelists and Prophets were different in respect of forme in outward calling for Apostles had their calling immediatly from Christ. Euangelists immediately from the Apostles to whom they were Deacons in English Ministers the Prophets or new Testaments interpreters they had their calling immediately from the Church of Christ wherein they had receiued the faith But in the substance of their ministerie they were one and the same All of them were ordinarily employed in preaching Christ in gathering and planting the Churches As for the working of myracles necessarie the first preaching of Christ they all were endued therewith when so the spirit of Iesus deemed it necessarie The guift of myracles was not alwayes in their power as the guift of preaching was but only vpon extraordinarie occasion accompanied their preaching All these three Apostle Euangelist Prophet do differ in respect of some accident in their calling but for their worke they wrought gathering vnto Christ they accord all of them preaching and planting the faith they preached Apostles principall because their calling was immediately as Paul speaketh in Galat. 1.1 12. not of man but of God Euangelists in the neâ—t place because called immediately by the most excellent men of God namely the Apostles Such were Luke Marke Timothie Titus c. attending the Apostles as largely appeareth in their Acts and some of Pauls Epistles Prophets were the most inferiour of the three because their calling was immediately deriued from others of the churches lesse excellent than the former Of this number were diuers in the church of Antiochia in Act. 13. â— Of which sundry after were promooued to an higher degree as Barâ—abas and Saul seperated by the spirit of Christ to the Apostleship vers 2 3. And Iudas and Silas to attend the Apostles Act. 15 27.3â— The Apostle Paul in â—â—â—es 4. layeth downe the worke of Christes ministery to be this â— For the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie thâ—t is for the building vp of â—he body of Christ. The worke of the ministâ—â—â—e so standeth in these two things first in Gathering the Church secondly in Building it so gathered For these two purposes he hath giuen two sorts of Ministers first Apostles prophets and Euangelists Secondly Pastors and Doctors The three first for gathering the latter for building the Gathered Which causeth Maâ—ster Beza well to say that pastors and Doctors properly doe not build but properly do proceed in a Church already builded by building vnderstanding Planting or Estâ—blishing and by proceeding he meaneth edifying or building forward the worke whose ground worke is already laide In planting or establishing the Church which Maister Beza termeth Building The Apostles were Maister-builders or planters 1. Cor. 3.6.9 10. The Euangelists and Prophets helped as seruants For Pastors and Doctors they had their calling to particular Churches already plantâ—d wherto they were tied for building vppon the foundation there alreadie layde which well may be termed a proceeding in the worke The first three ufnctions might performe the duties of the latter because they were greater but the latter could not meddle with the work of the former three For the lesser offices are contained in the greater as particulars in the vniuersall but not the Greater in the lesser no more than a Generall in a speciall And hereupon it is that the Apostles the greatest function did euer in the first place execute all the inferiour duties euen of collecting and distributing the almes appertaining to the Deacon Who when they had sufficiently enformed the châ—rches of all things did ordaine vnto them Presbyters and Deacons for proceeding in the house of God already planted This distinction of Gathering and Building or of Building and Proceeding in the worke-builded it well remembred how easie then shall it be in the next place to finde foorth a ministerie which succeedeth the Apostles Euangelists and Prophets A ministerie one with them and not for seperable accidents which consisted in extraordinary reuelations and operations but for the Essence and Substance of their ministrie What was the substance of their ministrie but a Gathering of the elect by preaching of the scriptures sealing them vp in the Sacraments which word and sacraments they incommended to the Churches in their peculiar standing-ministrie The ministrie of Pastors and Doctors oâ— of Priests and Deacons is the same for substance with that of Peter Iames Iohn the Apostles of Marke Luke Timothie Euangelists of Iudas and Silas the Prophets Onely they differ in this that the one sorte are tied to no one particular people for that they are Gatherers the other are tied to a particular worke already to their hand gathered If we finde some ministry who besides the Gospel and Sacraments administration shall with the Apostles be vntied to any one particular Church yea that besides are found Gaâ—herers of people out of Babels mixture into Ierushalems vnitie and order shall wee not truely say they succeedâ— the Apostles But first let vs see whether the scriptures teach that such a ministrie should sâ—cceede the former secondly whether experience prooue that such a ministrie hath succeeded In the fourth of the Ephes. when in the eleuenth verse is repeated the ministers which Christ vseth and in the twelfth verse the worke of gathering and building wherein they should be vsed then in the thirteâ—ne verse is laide downe the time How long they shall be so vsed in these words Tâ—ll wee all meete together in the vnitie of faith c. that is to say in plainer and fuller speach That ministrie is to be vsed for gathering and
at the sea-foxe while he teares our sheepe fleeces them of their wooll causeth the marchant sheepe to keepe at home in their fold when for the good of our land they should be pasturing abroade Take vs these Foxes saith God to our Queene Alas she knoweth not sometimes of these traiterous huntsmen and sometimes when she knoweth them she cannot apprehend them For seldome time are such foxes destitute of a Fauourite in or about the Court Well walke on sweetest Elizabeth in caring for this vineyards safetie and if men faile to take them God himselfe will looke downe from heauen and take them in their owne snare The Minister that is the Preacher of Gods word he is called also to hunt the fox out of Christes vineyard And if the cause be such as he cannot be driuen out yet at least the Minister is to take him to apprehend him to endite him and condemne him if he cease not in time to be a Fox an enemy to the vineyard As the Mgaistrate is to draw forth the corporall sword so the Minister is to pull out the spirituall sword And this is done two ways first by the word including secondly by the word expulsing The word including is such an application of the word as it includeth the fox or subtile aduersarie within the outward league of the Church Such an aduersarie is in Math. 13. compared to a tare in the midst of the wheat Though a tare be visible and the word of the Churches Ministers doth condemne it yet that word of God in the Ministers mouth doth consider that subtile â—are within the Church and in such respect not to be expulsed the Church Nor is he not expulsed in respect of himselfe but in respect of the wheat which otherwise were like to be torne vp with the Tare And for this respect it was that Saint Iohn did take and condemne Diotrephes for a prowd vsurper neither doing good nor suffring others to doe good but yet wold not command the Fox to be excluded the vineyard And for this tarish respect a tare cannot be pulled vp but with the tearing vp of wheat wherewith it is closed Saint Paul wisheth certaine cut of from the Galatians whome otherwise he durst not commaund to be expelled the Church And in such tarish respect for these foxes haue such hold of simple soules as for these soules sake they be permitted to stay within the Church it was that the same Apostle condemned some in the Church of Corinth for vncleannes fornication and wantonnes already acted whome notwithstanding he wold not command to be excommunicate as Austen wel observeth As Tares represent not all ill but only such weeds as cannot be extirpate without wheats detriment so these tares that haue such cleauing and nere communion with the faithfull are commonly subtile Foxes hauing such perilous hold of the vines as drawen they cannot be therefrom but with the vines destruction Such clinging tares fast cliuing foxes such as Ioab and Shimei were whome Dauid for his time permitted but not approued the Ministers are to take them by their preaching to apprehend them but cannot adiudge them otherwise then as tares in the wheat field diseases in the body which can more easily be discouered and condemned then with the churches peace and good be seuered And this was the practise of the Sinagogues Prophets who continually cried out against the intestine aduersaries by legall menaces hunting them as foxes which aduersaries they cold not expulse the Church by anie ordinance of Moses The Magistrate could onely correct or take life away from the transgressors of the morall lawe for the Priests could only deale in the Tabernacles ceremonies and in the magistrates neglect of censuring the breach of the ten commaundements the Prophets were to shoote out the Lawes dartes as also in case of abusing the Tabernacles ceremonies The Magistrate ought to seaze on the Churches aduersaries by the sword the ministers by the word As the man and beast that touched the mount what time Iehouah did promulgate his law were to be smitten through with darts so these subtile vine-foes approaching the publike place of Gods presence are to besmit thorough with the lawes mysticall-iaueling And as the word including doth so take and sease vpon them in the publike diuiding of the word so the same word doâ—th take them in a grinne and snaâ—le them in ordinary discourse This appeareth againe and againe in the Ghospel when our Sauiour answered the high priests and Scribes after the Herodians and lastly the Sadduces by demanding them another question These seuerall foxes framed Dilemmaes or two-forked arguments wherewithall to endanger Iesus Hee teaching so his ministers yea all his members doth not answere directly with either yea or no for if he had so answered he had falne into the one danger but thereupon he propounds another question no lesse dangerous for them to answere Which perceiued of the subtill foxes they depart vnurging him to answere them because they could not without danger make answer to him If Christ could not vtterly auoide the temptings of such foxes neither can we his members Labour wee therefore to take them in a grinne as the Apostle sometimes did take the Corinths with guile and as God himselfe taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse The word expulsing it is that vse of Gods word whereby such foxes are hunted fooâ—th and expelled the Church like as the Incestuous was expelled of the Corinths 1. Cor. 3. and 1. Cor. 2. as Hymenâ—us and Alexander 1. Tim. 1.20 were expelled of Paul and as Timothie is charged of the Apostle to bridle such cancred Teachers as Hymeneus and Philetus 2. Tim. 2.16.17 And this is done by putting them forth of the Churches communion lest otherwise they should leauen the whole fellowshippe or canker-fret the faithfull Tunc antem hoc sine labe pacis vnitatis sinâ— laesione frumentorum fieri potest cum congregationis ecclesiae Multitudo ab eo crimine quod Anathematizatur aliena est And then this Expulsion may best be done without blot of peace and vnitie as also without harming the wheate whenas the whole multitude of the Church shall be free from â—ll partaking with the sinne that is to be anathematized Yea as Austin in the same place haâ—h when the crime shall be so cleare to all and of all held execrable so that the sinner hath either no defenders at all at least no such proctors as whereby a Schisme may fall out in the church then let not the sword of discipline any longer sleepe in the scaberd Then it is fit time to cut such workers of iniquitie from the cittie of our God for no beast that can be seuered with the Churches peace ought longer to abide in the mountaine of God his holinesse This cutting off is done partly or absolutely It is done in part when either the sinner is but debarred the Lords supper the Lords steward
thou turne her away from thee And to this end the Church hath vsed such scriptures as doe exhort to tendernesse to compassion and readinesse of forgiuing one another propounding also the Lords practise in Ier. 3.1 where the Lord propoundeth the state of his people generally to be no better then hers who hath played the harlot with many louers and yet notwithstanding hee offereth a renuall of his husbandlike loue vpon their penitencie and returning And what better president can we haue of our loue and tendernes one towards another then of God his loue and tendeâ—nesse towards vs For Apolúô vsed in Math. 5.32 19.8 signifieth at least somuch as the simple Lúô in 1. Cor. 7.27 which is to loose or vnbinde So that it is to be turned properly thus Who so vnlooseth his Wife except c euen as in the other place art thou loosed from a Wife The Latine word Soluo not Dimitto doth expresse it aptly That Apolú◠doth signifie an absolute loosing or vntying of a thing see further in Luke 2.29 Nún apolúeis tòn doúlón Now thou loosest thy seruant namelie by death and the vse of Luô in Math. 21.2 Mark 11.2.4 Luke 19.30 31 33 where the Disciples loose the colt As also in Iohn 11.44 where Lazarus is loosed not to point to other places ¶ Touching absolute Diuorce it is not deemed here expedient to discourse For the Ministers of the Church they may be assimilated to Doues not onely for the simplicitie and continencie of naturall and spirituall eyes wherein they are called to goe betweene others as also because they should be freer from gall and fretting bitternesse as Doues be rather then other birdes but further for that with the Syrian and Aegyptian doues they bee called to hold out and carrie forth the letters of God his written word all being as the Epistles which Christ by S. Iohn did send to the churches of Asia-minor betweene church and church for premonishing dangers for directing the Saintes in all businesses during the conflict they haue here with the Deuil the worlde and Flesh. But as it befalleth the poore Doue in her flight that sometimes for the letters sake is aymed at of the enemie and somtimes shot thorow euen so it bendeth these church-doues which Christ sends foorth with his word Not only be they continually aymed at but also by the dartes of wicked men smitte thorowe not so much because they hate the men as their mâ—nâ—stration the message of God committed vnto them Buâ— this must not be wondred at seeing so they dealt with the Lord of life before vs. So much for the commendations giuen by Christ. Now foloweth the praise which the church returneth Lect. XVI My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant THE Church herein laboureth to expresse the conceit she hath of her Messiahs feature And this she doth first by returning backe the word Iapheh faire vnto him as if shee should say I am Iaphah but that falleth out because thou first art Iapheh my fairenesse springs out of thee who art indeed the fountaine of spirituall beautie Thus Christ commendeth his grace in her and she praiseth him for the cause of that grace Such are the amiable speeches that intervene betwixt Christ and the faithful But here the church stayeth not for she addeth another Epithete of loue saying Thou art Nagnim turned of the Greekes hôraios which implieth the very Spring or flowre of beauty a terme farre beyond the former Whereby appeareth that there is in him a greater measure of beautie then is powred vpon the church And this falleth out because he hath receued the spirit beyond measure we in measure he is God infinite we mankind finite And all in Him must bee considered for surpassing beauteous as a flowre in the spring or budding is of more repute then in the full ripe-time For in the first is an expectation of beauties-growth but in the second of beauties consumption or Autumne But because we should be so neerely couered with his beauteous shine as may be his God-head hath assumed our Manhood and to it he hath wedded himselfe for euer Whether our vessell receiue more or lesse of his diuine beames of his budding beautie springing feature wee are Christs and Christ is Gods things present and thinges to come they are all ours God make vs thankfull Eyther of them hauing praised each other in seuerall speeches in the next place they ioyne heart and hand and with one voyce ioyntly they thus shutte vp the first section of their diuine Song singing Yea our Bedis greene The beams of our houses be Cedars our Galleries of Fyrre GRegorius Magnus doth so distinguish the sentences and respecting the matter I cannot disallowe it This ioynt-speach containes a glorious report first of the place of spiritual conception secondly of spirituall education The place of conception lieth in these words Our Bed is greene wherin by Bed the place of conception affirmed to be Greene is intended the churches fruitfulnes by conuersing with the spirit of Iesus by whose ouer-shadowing a spirituall seed is begotten Alluding herein to a greene florishing tree which either hath fruit vpon it or at least ministreth hope of fruit in due season bicause such greenenesse is a testimony of a vegetatiâ—e spirit or life within it In the first Psalme a blessed man is therfore compared to a tree whose lease is greene and whose fruit appeareth in due season but here the fruite is not so much the liuelines of faith for bringing forth good workes as the fertilitie of children that is of spirituall sons and daughters arising from the wombe of the Church specially of the Gentiles The Euangelicall prophet seeing this it causeth him to crie out The desolate hath moe children then the married wife adding because of the multitude Enlarge the place of thy tents let them spread out the curtaines of thy habitations And in another place after he crieth by way of admiration who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things Shall the earth be brought forth in one day Or shall a nation be borne at once For so soone as Zion trauailed shee brought forth her children that is the Sinagogue brought forth the Church For this lumpe followeth the naturall birth of the first fruites Iesus vpon the blessed virgine whereof the Prophet spoke in the next verse before saying Before shee trauailed shee brought forth and before her paine came she was deliuered of a man childe This spirituall encrease of faithfull it is not in the virgin-church without the holy-ghost ouershadow and for that it is here said not My Bed but Our Bed that is the vnion of Christ and his Church is cause of such perpetuall greenenesse and fâ—uitefulnesse Christ by his Spirit is Agent the Church in her senses and affections is Patient he soweth the Seede of his word she as ground receiueth the word into the middest of her heart Thus betweene them both spirituall sonnes
same place Whereto against the heart of Romanists I will adde that of Eckius Nor verely thinke I saith he that Christ speaketh here in Math. 7.25 of prophets telling future things by the holy spirit but rather that by Prophet he vnderstands an Expositour of holy scripture which whoso doe well vnfold they are termed good prophets but handling them badly and falsely are denominate Pseudo-prophets And that such expositours of scripture are termed Prophets it is sufficiently plâ—ine vnto vs from Paul who witnesseth that Christ gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets c. confirming the terme also from the 1. Cor. 14. Which well remembred how can they falt vs for terming Luther Tindall Husse Sauanarolâ— and all such the true Prophets of God sent of God not of their Church for calling forth people to the building vp of Ierushalems walls Whersom say of such that they were extraordinarie ministers I answer first there was nothing extraordinary in their ministrie seing it was expreslie to be proued by the written word Secondly it is no more to be held extraordinarie in the new church then it was in the old sinagogue In Mother Zion were vnlimited Ministers namely Prophets so to the new Testaments Prophets are giuing They had a standing minstry to their Temple and Tabernacle these were priests and Leuites so our churches of Christ their peculiar ministry of Presbyters Deacons The Presbyters and Deacons proceed in the worke established the Apostolicall Euangelicall Propheticall ministrie doth call people into order and recall the straiers vnto the first pattern And these new testaments Prophets for that semeth to me the aptest title they haue their calling as they of the old testament had Some stirrd vp immediatlie of God acknowleged to be such for their work sake some trained vp in the schools of Prophets and sent there-out by the voyce of the faithfull The first sent of God in times more desperate the other sent of the Church when her schooles of prophecie are rightly settled The more fully I haue spoken hereof because of fantastick spirits amongst vs who cannot abide to heare of anie ministrie but only of Parsons Vicars tied to their particular congregations or as they terme themselues Pastors and Doctors of particular Churches Would they but looke with a single eye into this point they should see that in the worst times it is liklyer to find that ministrie which for matter and maner do rather succeede the Apostles then occupie the place of Pastors that rather are appointed with Paul to haue the care of manie Churches then but one congregation laied vpon them This ministry so vnderstood let vs see how Apostles and their successors may be compared to Roes and Hinds of the field Lect VIII FIrst to the Roe It is a Beast right swifte coueting the height of mountaines and from the top thereof in time of Hunters strait pursuite will cast it self downe headlong in safetie by casting the bodie within the compasse of the hornes Hereto the Apostolicall ministrie may haue resemblance spiritually first for spirituall spedines through the fields of the catholike Church For in how few yeares after Christs ascention was the Gospel caried through the earth by the Head Apostles and their concomitants When Saint Paul writ his epistle to the Romans beholde their sound was gone through the earth and their words into the ends of the worlde They that were not tied to till one oxgang of land but to breake vp the whole earth before them it required speed Necessitie was laid vpon them and a woe vnto them in not doing the Lords woâ—ke spedily For their successors no such miraculous ministers how swiftlie haue they run through the Churches field Their speed from Church to Church from one land to another will teâ—tifie that No one of the Miraculous Apostles did runne through the whole earth for the ecclesiasticall writers declare in what contries each of them conuersed and the booke said to be written by Prochoruâ— the Deacon of Ierushalem saith they cast lots for seuerall portions but euery one in som parts more principally As for the Apostle Paul he was in his labours more aboundant then they all and for that cause Saint Luke hath speciallie drawne his jornall in the Acts. So it hath fared with such as haue succeeded in that worke Some haue labored more and some lesse Some haue cared for moe churches some for fewer No one with the Papall prelate tooke charge of all though with S. Paule he might care and thirst after the good of all Secondly this large ministerie hath with the Roe still affectioned the hiest places a propertie also giuen by Habakkuk to the Hinds when he saith The Lord will make my feet like the hindes and he will make me to walke vpon mine his places These hie places are not the earths-mountaines if we walke by a deeper mysterie but the heauens the hill of Gods holines and our happines whereto Paul ascended in the vision of his soule and wherto Stephens hart eye was lift vp in the end of his Apologie because his Defence was in the heauens Not from the mountaines of flesh and blood but from the heauens commeth our helpe But in a more literall sense considering the persons we speak of these Mountaines are also the Cities and chief townes of countries as Ierushalem Samaria Antioch Corinth Ephesuâ— Sâ—yrna Rome c. Whether this kind of ministerie still ascended with the Gospell As Sathan stil commaunded the pages or contrie-hamlets by the Idolatry planted in the Citties as heads of the countrie so the Lord euer by this Prophetical ministrie hath first smit these heads of the Nations that the Cittie 's wonne they might commaund the inferiour places The country-hamlets were called Pagiâ— and very probable it is that the terme Pagan was deriued thence because of the heathenisme in them when the Gospel was begunne in the Citty And hereupon it is that the Apostles direct their Epistles not to the Saints or church of such pagies or villages but of such such citties as mountaines and heades to the country as the head of Aram was Damascus and Samaria the head of Ephraims people Isa. 7 8 9. Thirdly in straite pursuite these ministeriall Roes haue cast their bodies and soules for safegard betweene their Heades auntlers Who is their Head Christ who also is called the Horne of our saluation Into his handes as into diuine antlers the prophet Dauid commended his Spirit nor did the faithfull euer find safetie in the mountaines offlesh and blood And therefore cast themselues thence into the mercifull handes of Iesus who hath giuen charge to his Angelles to vpholde them in all their wayes lest they dash their soules foote against a stone When Israels spies were let downe by Rahab ouer Ierichoes walles and the Apostle escaping the Damascenes by being let downe at a windowe in a basket by the side of the wall Act. 9.24 What didde they
eyther healed or saued Act. 4.9.10.12 So we must thinke of his insufficiencie and of our owne impotencie And the succour we receiue from him must teach vs to succour and sustaine one another Which caused the Apostle to exhort thus Beare yee one anothers burden and so fulfill the Law of Christ Galat. 6.2 Not looking euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of other men Which notably manifests the impietie of our age where ordinarily people look that others should sustaine them but they make no conscience of sustaining others Instead of vpholding their weake brethren with the Hart and Hinde they will labour rather to withdraw their shoulder in the time of surging affliction that so their fellowe-members may sinke and be drowned amidst their temptation Fiftly Their simplicitie in being ouer-reached by the huntsman during the time they attend melodie it putteth vs in minde of a double simplicitie in the Ministers and members of Christ Iesus and that in a double sorte abused of the wicked The first simplicitie is naturall the second spirituall By the naturall simplicitie they are carried many times to harken after the delights of this life Euen then the wicked world is readiest to smite them through yea Satan himselfe to snare them For while the spirituall hinde listneth to the diuell to the world and the fleshes Musicke then Satan lets his arrowes flie piercing Iudah galling Dauid snaring Salomon By the spirituall simplicitie they are carried to listen vnto heauens harmonie to be lifted vp in the spirite aboue the flesh and to mount into heauen by the wings of prayer This melodie is not as the former from an euill but from the good spirite of God But at such time of spirituall delight Satan is ready to pull the eye of Dauid downe vpon Bathsheba no lesse prest to buffet Paul and to gall him in the flesh Euen as the head Hinde Iesus was then most subtilly assaulted by the diuells armie whenas in the Garden he was praying seriously euen in the mount of Oliues contemplating diuinely In some measure all the members of Christ Iesus are adapted to the Roes and Hindes of the field specially his ministers but principally such of them as haue beene and are the Gathering ministerie ministers appointed to trauase the Catholike field of Iesus Which latter paineful mounting spirited ministerie are the sacred witnesses of the diuine allegeance whereto the proselites of the Iewes are sworne of the Christian Gentiles Sworne they are not to disturbe Messiah no not to stirre him vp till he please While thus they be charged to looke to their allegeance the Gentile Church is couched betweene his louing armes and sweetely passeth her time in sacred contemplation And with these their mutuall dilections the second part is finished The end of the second part THE THIRD PART of Salomon his Song of Songs Expounded and Applied By Henoch Clapham Esaiah 5.1 I will now sing to my Beloued the Song of my Beloued touching his Vine-yard Printed at London by Valentine Sims for Edmund Mutton dwelling in Pater-noster-Row at the signe of the Huntes-man 1603. ¶ To the Right Honourable Edmund Lord Sheffeild Knight of the Honourable order of the Garter c. I Doubt not Right Honourable but you well vnderstand the Romanists Equiuocations for so their false-packing is of some Secular Priests termed in print not making conscience many schollers of them how deepely they lie so it may bring present aduantage Yea an oth is nothing with such hauing their Match-diuell euasions as sometimes had their Obseruant Frier Forest. Who comming to be burnt for teaching people in secret how king Henry was not head of the Church in his dominions and then put in minde how he had taken an oth to the contrary he answered that hee tooke the oth with his outward man that his inward-man neuer consented These fellowes are like to one of whom Cicero writeth who hauing taken truce with his enemy for thirtie dayes did in the night season inuade his enemies land saying that The truce was taken for dayes not for nights Hence it groweth they will tell plaine people how Christ saide Masse and so the Apostles after as if that Masse indigestaque moles heape of riffe-raffe were not onely so ancient but had also Christ for the Authour But a Scholler can send them to their Infinite-booke containing eight and twenty huge Volumes dedicated to their Pope Greg. the thirteene comprising Tracts vtriusque juris gathered by Francis Zilettus where their Record runnes thus A Petro vltra c. Besides other Institutes we haue from Peter a part of the ordained Masse For after the consecration introduced of Christ he vsed which our Priests now vse that prayer Pater noster But Celestine gaue the Masses Introit Gregor found out the Kyrie eleyson Thelophorus the Gloria in excelsis deo The Collations were inuented by Gelasius the first and the Epistle and Ghospel were added to the Masse by Ierome The Alelujah was taken out of the Church of Ierushalem and the Creede from the Nicen councell Pelagius found out the Commemoration of the dead and Leo the third introduced Frankinsence We haue the kissing of the Pax from Innocentius the first but the singing of Agnus Dei was instituted by Sergius c. As thus they make their Masses beginning more Antient then it is by their owne Record so the same was as appeareth a long time raking into one Not a few hundred yeares was that Beggers cloke patched togither They will make a publike brag of their Papall succession and yet know that it is vndefined who succeeded Peter Some of them saying Linus some Clemens and some they know not what Wherewith we can put them in minde how a great sort of their Popes were sonnes begotten by Subdeacons Deacons Priests Who by an ordinance of their Apostaticall Church must needes be Bastards and so in their vnderstanding of Deu. 23.2 they must haue beene vncapable of all Ecclesiasticall function specially of Popeship Though Parentall vices must not be imputed to Children for thereby they would euade abusing Augustine therein yet Children in ciuill policie haue beene by lawe diuine and humane disinherited and made vncapable of many externall priuiledges by reason of Parents vices And by this rule it is that our late malcontented Seculars assuming Ro. Parsons the Iesuite to be a Bastard do vrge his incapabilitie of Church-function If such in the censure of their owne lawes haue beene the Succeeders a Dozen whereof Doctor Barnes from their owne writings hath produced how then not to touch their many Papall schismes can they prooue their bragged succession Herewithall we may put them in minde of Pope Ioane who brought forth her Babie in the open-streete betweene Theatrum Colossae and S. Clements Church whereof arose their tenne Pees Penes portam Petri Pauli peperit Papa pater patriae paruum puerum Graced as Chronica compendiosa vttereth