his spirit dwelling in vs to proove things that they notwithstanding dare so malapertlie exact of Christians a blind obedience and implicit faith Who setteth any wares a seale boasting of their fynesse and yet in any case will not have them lookt on or tryed but will bee blindlings believed vpon his baire word for me I would never seeke any greater argument that hee were a thiefe and no true marchant The Romanists plead stoutlie that the truth is with them why Because they are the Church and why the Church Because they have an ordinarie succession of Pastours since the Apostolik tymes If here you vrge that in so farre as often personall succession holdeth not the same doctrine but even all in common have and may fall therefrom therefore to approove themselves true successours to the Apostles they must also verifie themselves to hold the same doctrine then their hearts brust for anger and they will gnashe at you with their teeth and crie out fye on such an heretike as once thinketh such a blasphemie That no such thing hath befallen or possiblie could befall the Church If yet they bee requyred to bring then their doctrine to due examination by the written worde No but you must fide implicita believe them vpon their word And albeit Scripture did seeme never so farre to condemne them yet you must not suspect any evill of them why Because that is onely the true sense of Scripture which they approve so as you must not so much as doubt or once call in question their interpretation And why Because foresooth they are the Church Is not this proudlie to mocke God and impudentlie to delude men Is not this to picke out the eies of the worlde to cary them blindfolded as oxen to the slaughter and as fooles to the stockes for correction Augustin pleading for the truth and having trulie for him all which our adversaries doe falslie glorie of yet sheweth that he was of another spirit which taught him that verity was otherwayes to bee defended then by such subterfuges as they in an evill conscience flee to His words are these Nemo nostrum dicat jam inveâ—isse veritatem sic â—am queramus quasi ab vtrisque nesciatur Ita enim diligenter concorditer queri potest si nulla temeraria praesumptione inventa cognita esse credatur aut si hoc à vobis impetrare non possumus saltem illud concedite vt vos tanquam incognitos nunc primum audiam nunc primum discutiam justum puto esse quod postulo hac sane lege servata vt vobiscum non orem non conventicula celebrem non Manichaei nomen accipiam si non mihi de omnibus rebus ad salutem animae pertinentibus sine vlla caligine rationem perspicuam dederis That is let none of vs say that he hath alreadie found out the truth let vs so seek it as if it were vnknowen to vs both For so it may be diligentlie and peaceably sought out if in a rashe presumption men doe not esteeme that they have alreadie found and knowen it Or if neither this can be obtained of you yet grant me that other at least that I may now first heare you and now first trye you as vnknowen before I think it bee an equitable thing which I crave observing foresooth this rule that I neither pray with you nor keep conventicles nor take the name of a Manichaean except of all things concerning the salvation of my soule you give me without any obscuritie a most cleare reason And in that same place vt ergo hanc omittam sapientiam quam in Ecclesia esse Catholica non creditis multa sunt alia quae in â—ius gremio me justissime teneant Tenet consensus populorum atque gentium tenet authoritas miraculis inchoata spe nutrita charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oves suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendavit vsque ad presentem episcopatum successio sacerdotum c. Ista ergo tot tanta Christiani nominis charissima vincula recte hominem tenent credentem in Catholica Ecclesia etiamsi propter nostrae intelligentiae tarditatem vel vita meritâ—m veritas nondum se apertissime â—stendat Apud vos autem â—â—i nihil horum est quod me invitet ac teneat sola personat veritatis pollicitatiâ— quaequidem si tam manifesta monstratur vt in dubiuâ— veâ—iâ—e non possit praeponenda est omnibus illâ—s rebus quibus in Cathâ—lica teneoâ— that is to passe by then that wisedome which you beleeve not to be within the Catholike Church there be many other things also which most iustlie doe holde me within her bosome the consent of peoples and nations the authority by miracle begon nourished by hope increased by love and stablished by antiquitie a succession of Priestes from the selfe seat of Peter the Apostle to whom Christ after his resurrection recommended the feeding of his sheepe even to this present Bishoprike c. These then so many and deare bands of christianitie doe rightlie hold a maÌ„ beleeving within the catholik churh though for the slownes of our vnderstanding or merit of our life the truth do not as yet most plainly shew it selfe But with you where none of these are either to draw â—e or detaine me nothing soundeth but a bare promise of the truth which notwithstanding if you can so evidentlie shew as it cannot be doubted of it is to be preferred to all these other things whereby I am holden within the Catholike Church 23. But this truth say they can neither bee shewed but by the church which only hath it neither could men bee otherwayes induced to beleeve the Gospell except therewith the authoritie of the church did move theÌ„ as Augustin speaketh ego vero Evangelio noÌ„ crederem nisi me ecclesiae commoveret authoritaâ— We denie not that the church only hath and sheweth the truth Yea we grant also that according to Augustin his mind in that place the authority of the church is the ordinarie and necessarie motive whereby a infidell who neither knoweth Christ nor beleeveth the Gospell may wil be first induced to reverence religion but it is but a coÌ„motive and as the same Augustin speaketh oportunuÌ„ inquirendi exordium so as albeit men be so stirred to revereÌ„ce inquire yet they rest not vpoÌ„ this that the church saith so no more theÌ„ did the Samaritans vpon their womans report but because by the word spirit they finde that shee speaketh true non iam hominibus sed Deo intrinsecus mentem illuminante atque firmante for as in his testimonie little above cited he saith there be many things which be great motives to hold a man in the bosome of the church yet trueth manifested is to be preferred to all and as truth is only in the church and shewed onely by the Church so is it
the godly care which against the feritie of beastly persecuters was had of their funeralles and collecting of their dissipated relicts to how not only a superstitious dottage but even to how detestale an Idolatrie tyme by Sathan his subtilitie made it to degener in the worship not only of creatures but even of carions miserable experience hath proved The Fathers in a preposterous zeale and piece of carnall wisdome seeking to abrogate all memorie of Heathenisme and finding how difficill a thing it was to reduce superstitious people from a long and plausible custome of evills they turned all the solemne rites and festivities of tymes and places dedicated and practized in the worship of Heathen Idolls to the celebration of the memorie and honour of saints Thus as blind Steuchus foolishly glorieth of Satan his subtil successe in the mysterie of iniquitie Omnia Prophane Sacra effect◠〈◊〉 ritus profani corporunt esse â—itus sacri c. and by time through Satan his sleight working by the superstitious humours of vaine men what was gained hereby but that with interchange of Idolls the Idolatrie abode no lesse abhominable then before The execrable erecting and adoratioÌ„ of Images against plaine scripture expresse iudgement of the Fathers and cleare Canons of orthodox Counsells of what time it was the terrible Tragedies stirred vp thereabout and the proud and respectles renting of the Church of Christ have left vs too lamentable recordes If all the Fathers who lived even many hundreths of yeares after Christ were presentlie reduced to life did heare what a stirre is made in the world nowe about traÌ„ssubstantiation would they not all start at once astonied at so strange a sound and even bee greatly amazed what monstruous meaning vnder so prodigious a word could be implyed What would these holy Fathers who if in any other have most plainly left their minde in that point think of the doctrine which now the church of Rome holdeth of the sacred Supper When even the author of the glosse on the Decretal albeit him self plunged in a hudge measure of prevayling darknes yet did so farre skunner at the porteÌ„tous wordes prescribed by Pope Nicolam to Berengarius who as they have given out of him whither falslie or that fleeing one extremitie hee did fall perhaps too farre to the other did think too slenderly and speak to warshly of that sacrament that hee exclaimeth no small perill to be in them of breeding a worse haeresie then was that of Berengarius Who is so childish as to be ignorant how lately and how audaciously in an advowed contempt of the Lord his institution and of all ancient and pure practise of the primitive church the sacred supper was mutilated and the people proudly profanely prohibited all vse of the commanded cuppe Now in these two points wherby the Apostle designeth the devilish doctours of later times who knoweth not what libertie both is left to christians in the written word and was also long practised in the primitive Church and how that voluntarie abstinence in both kindes first to hyperbolically praised next too superstitiously admired albeit no way necessarily required yet brought men and woemen by time to delite too much in wil-worshippe and vainly to become votaries of more then either the Lord required at their handes or they were able to performe And Satan thus in end tooke advantage by his hypocriticall doctours to the overthrow of all christian libertie to lay on importable burdens on the consciences of men Single lyfe though by some Fathers too full of their owne sense it was over farre extolled even with the contumelious reproaching of that holy bande which the Lord him selfe first instituted that even before sinne came in the world which by his preseÌ„ce in the flesh he both countenanced graced and which by his Apostle he calleth honorable in al persons yet was it long ere SataÌ„ durst be so impudent as vnder any hypocriticall pretence of holynes by the vicar of his throne to open so plainly his Dragon his mouth as to come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which vsurpation how late it was the miserable vexation of manie churches of these in this our Iland in speciall for constant withstanding and at last this yoake of bondage not willingly receaved but violeÌ„tly imposed can wel enough verifie Now withall how cunninglie and by what degrees for advancing strengthening and maintaining of all these errors the vicar of Satan his throne vnder pretence of the Lamb his hornes ascended as Gregory speaketh culâ—â—â— singularitatis it hath bene a thousand tymes more then manifestly shewed And yet in a silly shift God wot our adversarie summoneth vs and that foresooth with certification to shew theÌ„ how tanquaÌ„ vomere tusco Erutusille Tages repente doctus in ipso nascendi articulo so the church of Rome hath in one instaÌ„t made defection and even in that point hath bene not only pointed at but also painted out as haereticall But vainly impertinently which once to think were execrable impiety had Antichrist his arysing and worke of iniquity beene of the holy Ghost named a mystery wherein Sathan in all deceaveablenes of vnrighteousnes should bring on such a common apostasie as whereby his vicar his throne should be erected even in the Church and who in his owne tyme should be discovered if the first degrees thereof had beene not onely exposed to common perception but noted also neither this only but also publikelie condemned of haeresie And what will you doe then with these men who will admit no other rules of disputation and examination but which are plainly repugnant to all the clearly foretold and fallen out course of GOD his wyse dispensation in the case of his Church and of her condition accordingly Now how aequitable our adversaries are in their owne case that they will foresooth he content to be tryed by a rule of their owne appointing so reasonable they shew themselves towardes vs in admitting vs to the defence of our doctrine but so as wee must take also from them the law of examination Namely that they will accept no defence of vs except we designe the particular persons who from age to age have holden the same doctrine which we professe and that in all the substantiall points thereof and whose writings in all points of religion wee will advow and byde at And is it so indeed that we have not a more certain rule of truth then what from age to age men may be cleared to have holden Or rather are not all ages and all men in all ages and all and whatsoever opinions of whatsoever men in any age to bee reduced to examination by that stable truth and everlasting Gospell which Christ and his Apostles first preached and thereafter by the will of God as sayeth Ireneus did put in writ to remain for ever the constant ground and rule of our faith Shall this invariable and
Satans throne in it and the vndoubted subversion of their execrable Ilium they cry out a great cry and a bitter That if thus men once depart from the iudgement of the Church what certain warrant can they ever finde to stay on or What guyde can they be sure to follow for finding out of truth So still they cease not to dallie and shameleslie in one sort Wee would not have men to depart from the iudgement of the Church which is the piller and stable seate of truth and without which is neither veritie nor lyfe but howe much we are necessarilie to cleave thereto so much the more carefullie by the right rule of examination to trye and discerne betwixt the Church and the pretending harlot and to this end the Lord hath given vs his word his spirit and in all ages hath recommended them to his owne children as vndoubted guydes in all doubtfull cases so vnder the lawe men are ever exhorted to the lawe the Testimonie David and the Prophets direct al men alwayes thereto they have the Lawe and the Prophets saith Abraham in parables And our Lord for cleare testimonie of himselfe biddeth the Iewes search the scriptures Peter from an other spirit then have our adversaries calleth the word of the Prophets a sure and certaine word and exhorteth to attend thereto And Paul even vpon this that the Church is the house of God the piller and stable seat of trueth and that godlines is a great mysterie groundeth both a reason why hee did write to Timothie and an earnest exhortation to take heed to the reading of the scripturs for that many diverting therefroÌ„ and giving themselves to spirits of error and fables should fall from the truth and teach doctrines of Devils We read many warning not to be miscaried with common errors or the authoritie of men yea as I have before touched divers times both Pastors and people in common are taxed for falling away from the word We are exhorted carefullie to proove and try what word men doe offer vnto vs but never in all scripture have we so much as one mine of secure relying vpon the authoritie of ordinarie Pastors without due examination and the iudgement of al sound antiquitie accordeth hereto One of the Fathers saith thus Qui vuls cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia non cognoscat nisi tautummâ—dâ— per scripturas and sone after Christiani ergo volentes firmitatem accipere doctrina verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas aliâ—qui si ad alia respexerint scandaliz abuntur peribunt non intelligentes quâ— sit vera ecclesia per hoc incident in abhominationem desolationis quâ— stat in sanctis ecclesiâ— locis the place is remarkeable in English thus who wil know which is the true church let him not seeke to know it but only by the scriptures c. Christians then willing to receave the stable assurance of true doctrine let them runne to nothing but to the scriptures otherwayes if they look to ought else they shall stumble and perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and shall fall hereby in the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the church This same is yet more plainly shewed in these wordes quum videritis c. that is when ye shall see vngodly heresie which is the armie of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church then let them who are in Iudea flee to the mountaines that is they who are of christianitie addresse themselves to the scriptures because when once that heresie hath obtained place in these Churches there can bee no tryall of true christianitie neither any other refuge for christians willing to know the veritie of the faith but the divine and holy Scriptures And the same Chrisostome in the same place Antea multis modis c. before many wayes was shewed which was the Church of Christ but nowe no maner of way but by the Scriptures Thus is cleare not only that the scripture is the sole rule of tryall but that the necessarie reason why only to have recourse thereto is Antichrist his obtaining so farre within the Church as to escape the abhomination of desolation standing therein also wee must runne and runne only to the Scriptures Non enim per alium saieth Ireneus dispositionem salutis nâ—strae cognovimus quam per eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nâ—â— quod quidem tunc praecomaverunt postea verâ— per Dei volâ—â—tatem in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrâ— futurum that is for by none other have wee knowne the disposition of our salvation but by these by whom the Gospell hath come vnto vs which then they preached and thereafter by the will of God delivered to vs in the Scriptures to remain in all tymes to come the foundation and piller of our faith The same father in another place speaketh thus Plantatus est enim Ecclesiae Paradisus iâ— hoc mundo ab omni ergo ligno Pâ—radisi manducabis id est ab omni scriptura dominica c. that is for the Paradise of the Church is planted in this world thou shall eat therefore of every tree of Paradise that is of all the Lord his Scripture And as Ierome sayeth both pleasantly and pertinently When ever the Church looketh to any other warrant egreditur de finibus suis she passeth out of her owne bounds let any man in whom is left any spunk of spirituall sense conferre these sayings of the Fathers with the dealing and doctrine of Rome now labouring ever to divert men from this Paradise of the Scriptures where only is the fruit of lyfe to a barren wildernes without water and Cisternes of their owne digging and thus making millions to fall in that abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the Church but their soares are seene they shal prevaile no longer 22. They exclame here against vs that thus we pervert all order in God his house making every privat Christian iudge over Pastours and subduing the spirit of the Church to every privat spirit And O how they both please themselves and play themselves in amplifying the absurditie as they think of this point But to calme a little their chear heerein First I aske them is it not a common direction for all Christians to trye spirits and not to believe every spirit Are we not coÌ„manded to proove al things to hold that which is good Are we not often carefully exhorted to beware of false Prophets While they cannot or dare not though they would gainsay so cleare Scripture they runne to this that the only sure trial is to acquiesce in the iudgement of the Church But shameles men is not this all one thing as if they said the best triall were to â—se no triall at all And what doe they hereby but still assume the question It is
we have no more ordinarie vocation then our adversaries alledge yet in so great a confusion brought in the Church by Antichrist and in such evidencie of truth in our side it sufficientlie answereth for our calling And albeit that perhaps it not onely may but also ought to be brought in defence of some particular men who waÌ„ting som ordinarie points of an ordinary vocation yet comming in the way of righteousnes and in evidencie of spirit and power coÌ„verting sinners and convincing errour witnessed clearelie their ministerie to bee from heaven yet for our Church in common I see no necessitie to have recourse heereto For whatsoever our adversaries may pretend heerein against some particular persons whose defect if it any were hurteth not the Church in common yet I marvaill with what face they can denye our first open contesters with Antichrist in common to have beene ordinarie Church-men bearing publike charg of Pastours or Doctours therin And that I goe not higher what iustlie can they lay heerein against VViclesse Iohn Husse Hierome of Prague and the Bohemian reformed Churches against Luther Melanâ—thon c. of the Churches of Germanie and whatsoeuer cavillation their peruerse contentious mindes may suggest to them against these yet what pretence can they have against the ordinarie vocation of so many famous Bishops and Pastours of the Church of England Yea and who of our first Preachers were not either ordinarie Church-men ere then had their admission to the Ministerie by the reformed Churches of England Geneva or Germanie If they were not blindlie miscarried they might perceave that what they speake and write of our men in derision and contumelie calling them Sir Iohn Knâ—x and Frere Iohne Craig c. it verifyeth their ordinarie vocation And giving that nothing might bee alledged for the ordinarie vocation of our first Preachers and that it were al 's essentiall a defect as our adversaries account it so as they had thereby a iust exception against our Church yet I pray you what doth this helpe them against the Church of England and so many other famous reformed Churches all agreeing in communion with vs and glad to give vs the right handes of fellowship What a peevish pretence is this for their errour and how weak an obiection against so many famous Churches convincing them that forsooth the Ministers of Scotland have no ordinarie calling But neither is the want of ordinarie vocation in our first Reformers anie iust exception against our Church as partlie alreadie and more at length heereafter shall bee shewed neither if it were may it be iustlie laide against our first Pastours They labour indeed much to convince vs as destitute of all lawfull either Pastours or Church and bringe to this end as seemeth to them an irresistable argument that ordination is only proper to Bishops But by evident scripture and cleare testimonie from antiquitie that is positive Whereby it is that our Reformed Churches agreeing soundly in all the substantiall points of faith without break of communion yet heerein for the matter of governement have takeÌ„ libertie diverslie as seemed best to each to rule either by Bishops or the common counsel of Elders which of them most laudably I do not here dispute Neither mattereth it much for the point coÌ„troverted with the coÌ„mon adversary For giving theÌ„ that the appropriating of ordinatioÌ„ to Bishops were not only tolerable but even most of all other commendable and also positively necessarie yet from the defect of that which by a positive law is or hath beene practised or which in the iudgement of many is still most expedient for common order to bee practised to infer that wee have neither any lawfull Pastours or true Church it is from that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or respectively necessarie to conclud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a necessitie absolut Wherin both antiquity standeth strongly for vs by clear Testimony of not onely lawfull power but also of approoved practise in that Ambrose recordeth â—lim in Aegipto Presbyteros absente Episcopo consignare solitos And Augustin also that in Alexandria per totâ—m Aegyptum si desit Episcopus consecrat Presbyter their owne lay Schoolmen also even in the last declining degree to ignorance and corruption yet heerein will plead our quarrel Our owne couÌ„trie man Ioannes Maâ—â—r in a much semblable case bringeth that distinction which in the Schooles of Sorbon hee had both learned and taught that ad actum moraliter bâ—nuâ— non â—equiritur quod à vera prudentia reguletur actuâ— sed sat est quod ab ignorantia invincibili vel errore noÌ„ imputabili reguletur erat jus Pontificium in oppositum quod non tenebatur sâ—ire Scripturii sacru devotionise accommodabâ—t c. in humanis legibus positivis â—nusquisqueâ— suo sensu abundat c. This same Major and with him all our ancient Historiens do witnesse that before the dayes of Palladius whom he and al others confesse to have bene the first either consecrated or consecrating Bishop in Scotland per Sacerdotes Monachâ—s sine Episcopiâ— Scoti in side erudiebantur Now I aske our adversaries who heerein as in a substantiall defect divini juris thinke they have enough wherefore to condemne all both our Church and Pastours for that their ordination hath not bene by Bishops if they dare say but in Scotland there was a notable Church excellently both learned holy Pastours long before Palladius if they would deny it they are coÌ„vinced by cleare and vniforme consent of storie and testimonies eveÌ„ of their owne men who all confesse it to have bene so by the space at least of two hundreth and twentie yeares and if not with more yet with alse high iust commendation both of learning and holynes as ever thereafter And if it cannot be denyed but such was the estate of our Church then dare they condemne those men for theeves who vnlawfullie had broken in vpon the sheepfolde whom they them selves have both superstitiouslie canonized and do still idolatrouslie worship Or if that was no essentiall defect in them or a relevant exception against our Church then how impudent are they therevpon to conclude so peremptorilie against vs as if all both light and life of a true Church did hange wholy vpon that one point of Episcopal ordination whereof when all is graunted that the most vehement and not shameles assertours thereof in al their partiall heat and all probable apparance can plead for yet besides a cleare shewed instaÌ„ce of more then two hundreth yeares practise in our owne Church and that in the primitive and most pure times thereof their owne schooles also in the height of palpable prevailing darkenes have given vs yet this to answer them quod ad actum moraliter bonum non requiritur vt à vera prudentia reguletur actus sed satu est si ab ignorantia invincibili errore non imputabili reguletur 4. Thus then
loude sweet a song of praise as the sound of douce and well tuned harpes could yeeld yea and albeit they keeped them selves in the mids of so commonlie a prevailing evill pure from spirituall fornication as which were all Virgines chast and faithful to their Spouse the Lambe yet while all the earthlie ones wondred and were in wonder miscaried after the beast none could either heare or learne their high and sweet song but themselves who in that cōmon Apostasie were bought from the earth to be the true Citizens of heaven and albeit in the earth yet not of it neither perceaved of their enemies till to their terrour astonishment and beginning fall it was saide to them Come vp hither and till that by degrees they did breake foorth through the middes of heaven with no new but even with that one and everlasting Gospell Our adversaries trifle by concluding from the whole church in common to vniversallie each one within it and from these who in the Church and even obtayning therein yet were not of it to these who were alwayes in it and albeit sometime borne downe yet were only of it Truth is alwayes in the visible Church yea no where els but yet not alwayes visible therein And who thervpō would infer this or that therfore it behoved alwayes to obtaine beare sway were in Logike no les ridiculous then who should cōclude that lies errour did ever prevaile therein for they ar alwayes in the church in that the envious one soweth his tares even with the good feed was a lier from the beginning God never forsaketh his church yet we must acknowledge to his glorie that sometimes if he had not left vs a remnant we had bene as Sodom had bene like Gomorrha Ipsa est sayth Augustin quae aliquando obscuratur tanquam obnubilatur multitudine Scandalorum aliquando tranquillitate temporis quieta libera apparet aliquando tribulationum tentationum fluctibus operitur at◠turbatur It is shee which sometime is darkened and as it were overcludded with multitude of offences sometime by trāquillitie of time quiet free sheweth her self somtime is covered and troubled with the waves of tribulations 14. But seeing by our owne cōfession truth ever abydeth in the church with whō shal it be foūd say they but with the ordinary pastors ministers therof whose lips should preserve knowledg at whose mouth the Lord wil have vs to aske coūsel shal the ordinance of God be despised each man follow his owne sense God forbid We know wel that howsoever the Lord be not tied to meanes but that against without al meanes he may accomplish his good pleasur yet that faith is by hearing it pleaseth the lord to save the world by the foolishnes of preaching we know that how soever the careful reading of scripture is both recōmēded to al is commendable in all yet that for vnderstanding what we read the cōmon sort have need of an interpreter a messenger who is a man of a thousand we are so far herein frō permitting every man to his owne sense as calūniouslie our adversarie give out against vs that we constantly avouch that who ever cōtemneth the Lord his ordināce herin he cōtemneth the Lord is worthily given over to giddines and blindnes of mind But because the Lord wil save by preaching and dispenseth all light and grace by Pastours doeth it follow heereupon that the ordinarie Pastours and Ministers can not erre and fall from this truth Or is the Lord the holy one of Israell so limited that though everie man be a liar yet his truth should faile or is he not able though all the naturall seed should degener yet of stones to raise children to Abraham And is hee not alike able yea hath hee not more then one to the praise of his power and truth when ordinarie Prophetes become fooles then even to open the mouthes of asses to rebuke the foolishnes of the Prophetes It is most certain that when prophecie faileth the poeple perish But from the necessitie of Prophecie and of Prophets togither that to the ordinarie succession truth alwayes is necessarily tied who seeth not herein a plain fallacy For though the ordinarie husbandmen becom murtherers and the ordinarie builders becom destroyers yet the Lord still maintaineth his promise reporteth fruit of his vineyard buildeth his house by stirring vp others extraordinarilie who come in the way of righteousnes and this is their fourth aequivocation in this their stout affeveration that the Church can not erre for that not only they conclude from the Church to Pastours a part of the Church which we could passe with them but that also from the necessitie of Pastours indefinitlie they conclude definitlie sophisticallie of ordinarie Pastours 15. Now I do not herefore affirme that ever God so left the ordinarie ministers of his church that albeit all did in cōmon yet that ever at any time vniversally each one did fal from truth Yea I am perswaded neither that by coniecture only but by cleare warrant of scripture that in all ages evē in most corrupt times of Antichrist God stil had a number of true and godly Pastors and that not only in them but also by them hee preserved light and life in his church howsoever for their tolerating in weaknes of spirituall fornication he had something against them But heere our adversaries fal in the fift that same aequivocation in the case of pastours wherby they deceave in the case of the church as if because truth still abydeth with by the ministrie of Pastors that therfore al or most part of Pastours did ever hold the truth or that amongst Pastours in common truth did alwayes obtaine and beare sway for it is most cleare and certain that howsoever vniversallie each one never do fal from the light life of God yet whē that carnallie presuming of God his promises and of their ordinarie place in the church they become secure and abuse their place to fulfil their owne lustes that then they both may and have communiter omnes al in common fallē away from the Prophet even to the Priest everie one following after his that then ther wil be a conspiracie of her Prophets in the mids of her thē all her watchmen will be blind and know nothing all dum doggs which can not bark lying and sleeping and loving to sleepe knowing no◠vnderstanding nothing but looking wholy to their own wayes So as most iustlie the Lord therevpon giveth them night for a vision darknes for a divination In which case for magnifying of his truth and power and for their confusion the Lord hath may extraordinarilie stirre vp men in the way of righteousnes to doe his work 16. But whatsoever say they might bee presumed of Pastours in common yet being assembled in Counsell or Synode they can
not so fall from truth As if forsooth where all the members are apart bad infected that togither they could make vp a good or sound body Yea as we have alreadie cleared that the argumeÌ„tation from the church or promises made thereto to ordinarie Pastors in common is vicious and from the ordinarie Pastours al in common to vniversallie each one is much more halting so here even from the whole Pastours vniversallie to the generall counsell it is still faultie For no generall counsel can be brought but that albeit al therein had erred yet numbers of ordinarie Pastours were besides who might have holden the truth O but the Counsels have a special promise of the Lord his presence as which doe represent the whole church and he blesseth his owne ordinance This is still impudently to oppone one the same thing I denie not but the Lorde hath promised that where or whensoever two or three assemble in his name he wil be in the midst of them And I am perswaded that no number how small soever of lawful pastours hauing God and his honour singlie before their eies and proponing and following onely his reveiled will and in Christian love agreeing in one in that disposition humblie heartily in calling to the Lord did ever assemble themselves or shall at any time convene which have not found and shal not find the truth of his promise That no man esteeme me herby to loose a liberty for men to contemne God his ordinance in the assemblies of his Church more then before in the meane of preaching of the worde But I pray you had ever the Lord so limited him selfe that al counsels shal vndoubtedly alwayes so assemble as they may be ever secure of that promise miserable experience in all ages hath taught vs clearlie the contrarie So as the holy â—an Nazienzen did not stick to say that hee never did see any good effect of counsels And Constantin the Emperour in his epstle to the Synode of Tyrus roundly telleth themâ— that in all the dealings of Bishops hee could see nothing but an overthrow of al religioÌ„ So while men ar miscaried with the spirit of contention bitternes pryde avarice ambition and selfe-love they cannot indeed make the promise of God of none effect which alwayes abydeth stedfast but they depryve theÌ„selves of the fruit therof Besides this where voices are numbred not wayed albeit many assemble with good hearts yet ofteÌ„ major pars vincit melioreÌ„ the grater part obtaine against the best Thus Michaia was not only disdainfully checked but also buffeted imprisoned Thus Ierâ—mie was condemned delivered to the secular power as a man who was worthy of death thus our Lord Iesus was convicted condeÌ„ned of blasphemy and adiudged to die Neither giveth this a liberty to despyse counsels as which are the Lord his appointment for the rule of his house but it warneth wathchmen in feare trembling to take heed to their ministry not vainlie while they securely follow their owne lustes yet presumptuously to cry out The Temple of the Lord The Tèple of the Lord. The law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the ancient For eveÌ„ the Lord answereth such men that the law shal perish from the Priest the counsel from the ancient And it is to waken al Christians wysely and carefully to discerne spirites Augustin in few wordes telleth how rightly both to trye and make good vse of counsels Nec ego Nicenam SynoduÌ„ tibi nec tu mihi Arminensem debes tanqua praejudicaturus obijcere Nec ego hujus authoritate nec tu illius detineris ScripturaruÌ„ authoritatibus non quoâ—umâ—â— proprijs sed quae vtrisâ— sunt coÌ„munes res cum re causa cuÌ„ causa ratio cuÌ„ratione certet that is neither ought I to obiect to thee as a preiudice the counsel of Nyce nor thou to obiect to me the counsel of Ariminum Neither am I holdeÌ„ to the authoritie of the one nor thou to the authoritie of the other let vs debate by authorities of Scriptures Which are common to vs both and not these authorities which are proper to either partie let matter bee set against matter cause against cause and reason plead against reason 17. The Romanists themselves perceaving well how weake incertain a warrant of truth is either the coÌ„munalty of pastours or the decrees of counsels which as Cadmus his race each al most destroy other they in end leave al other refuge and come to the Bishop of Rome and doe coÌ„fine al verity within his breast who though he be a Devill a Sorcerer a Sodomit a Simoniak a Murtherer an Heretik as was Ioh. 22. who denyed the immortality of the soule finally a despiser both of God and man yet he cannot erre in Cathedra in the chaire Thus as men mated with maintaining an vnequall match for a wrong cause their last defences are feeblest Wherein albeit not onely they be destitut of all warrant either of Scripture or sound Antiquity but that even a great part also of their owne Clergie are ashamed therof yet their Iesuits Seminaries are stil more then extreemly impudent It is inded true that some of the ancient fathers attributed much yea and too much to the church of Rome reverenced greatlie both the iudgement and authority thereof by reason of so many famous Bishops who still in that seat had both holden soundlie the true faith themselfes and had bene great ayders and conforters of others who in diverse parts did stryve and suffer for it And in this men otherwayes learned and holy were not only too liberal but even beyond measure prodigal because whatsoeuer either praise or prerogative they could have on the church of Rome as the course of things then went it made for the credit of their cause Satan even thus subtillie plowing with God his owne heifer for fetting forward the mysterie of iniquitie which mynding simplie but the defence of the good cause in the tyme these good men were not ware of But such an vnbridled blasphemous licence as the Popes since have vsurped taken to them selves and their Canonistes and Parasites have given them these god-fathers never dreamed of As any who readeth their writtes and stories and with iudgement considereth the cases and condition of these tymes will easely perceave and bee never a whit troubled with the hyperbolick and partly evill vnderstood partly false and supposititious praise and priviledges given to that seat Wherewith when any of the Bishops of Rome being too much tickled did presse thereupon to vsurpe intolerably they were theÌ„ oftner then once not only resisted but also their ambition freely checked and gravely rebuked As the headines of Viâ—â—â—r repressed by Ireneus Bishop of Lyâ—â—â— and Polycrates of Ephesus the act of the counsel of Chalcedon in favour of the Bishop of Constantinople constantlie maintained against all 〈◊〉 his chaffe and the act of the counsel of
by the Barbarous feretie of Vandall and Gothik Kings in Africk and Europe it was inforced and yet neither so could it ever either beare downe the truth or continue long vngone in smoke before it As for Mahometisme nothing bred it but preceeding degrees of Antichristian darknes decay of light in the Church and with Antichrist his arysing to a heigh it still increased as which was both an effect thereof and in God his wrath a punishment of Antichristian Idolatrie Neither doeth ought yet still maintaine it but ignorance of the Gospell the revived light whereof hath not as yet come to them For thereby first the waters of Babylon at which both they and the Iewes doe still stumble must be dryed vp that so the way may bee prepared for the East to receave the Gospell as increase of Antichristian Idolatrie the swelling of Euphrates first alienated the one from it and still holdeth the other in induration Moreover this instance of Mahomet and the comparison thereof with our powerful prevailing light of truth is ridiculous For that Mahometisme never was advanced one foot of earth but so farre as by sword and fyre it was set forward Wheras the Gospell having sword and fyre and when sworde and fyre even in the hands of pitilesse persecuters yet by the patience of Saints have fainted having nowe at last privie poisonings bloodie complots and all the treasonable and tragicall machinations which the Emissarie frogges of hell can hatch against it yet it prevaileth and still shall in despit of all opposition till Antichrist being vndone these errors of Iudaisme and Mahometisme shall also vanishe at the cleare light thereof when they shall even see him who pearsed him and shall mourne apart for him which great events no doubt are approching neere in such strange and busie endeavour â—â—â—he frogges of Satans mouth to assemble their forces to Armageddon that their iust destruction may much against their intention minister matter even of an Ebrew song in a sweete and high tuned Halleluiah 26. Their other obiection is the manifold Sectes which have sprung vp with the revived light of the Gospell each contrarie to other and all stoutlie acclayming the prerogative of truth And O howe our adversaries doe heere applaud themselves of their vnitie and how skoffinglie they exagitat this as they call it our distraction and multitude of opinions so as one of them in a faire but faintlie fought challenge sent to the Ministers of Scotland at the end of his weake wrestling minding to finishe it with a deadlie blowe concludeth his discourse in a good tale faire tale forsooth of this our diversitie which for the greater force hee fetcheth from a tippling Taverne in Germanie seeking belike in Vino veritatem But doe not these men erre because they know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God yea though they themselves bee Ministers of Satan his deceit and men of his right hande yet are they not skilled to discerne his slight and malicious maner of working Might not this wherewith they reproach our Churches have bene laid alse yea and more iustlie against the first out-going light of the Gospell and primitive Church raised thereby yea was not this then the common accusation thereof in the mouthes of all ignorant and earthlie men for that even with the beginning and prevailing light of the Gospell Sathan stirred vp such an infinite number of detestable heresies and prodigious opinions abhominable even to any naturall man of stayed witts and all vnder the name of Christianitie that therevpon without more sifting or tryall the worlde was stirred madlie to reiect and condemne the whole profession and with sword and fyre to persecute it as a horrible Pest. When Satan brooketh all at ease then is hee at rest but if a stronger then hee come in to spoile his house then hee imployed might and slight When by the valour of Michael and his Angels Sathan is thrust out from brooking a place in Heaven then commeth hee downe on earth with great rage then VVoe to the inhabitants of Sea and earth For being by the power of the Gospell cast out of Heaven and falling downe thence as lightning then seeing hee can not brooke a roome in God his house hee furiouslie mistrammeth his own When hee can not keepe downe the light of the Gospell nor by all his guyle and malice obtaine but that precious pearle must come foorth his next endeavour is to cast in therewith such a multitude of counterfaits as may make the vpright pearle either hardlie to bee discerned or then with the rest to be esteemed all alike false so to divert mens heartes from it This their obiection then maketh so little against the Gospell as it sheweth evidently by this angrie busines of Satan that he is indeed highlie chafed and therefore the wyse hearted ought the more diligentlie to search after that precious pearle the manifestation whereof so breeveth him for that true and vpright money which hee laboureth among the mids of his counterfâ—its and false coine to conceale â—r then to discredit When Satan by the beast of his throne and authoritie brooked all then was that â—ase and vnitie whereof our adversaries glorie For God had put in the heartes of the Kings of the earth with one consent to give their Kingdomes to the beast till the wordes of God were fulfilled Sahtan never invyeth vnitie in errour nor zeale in a false religion If vnitie simply without respect of that wherein parties are vnited were a note of the church then might hell vindicate to it selfe that title For the Deuills have an vnitie and Satan his kingdome is not divided against it selfe Brigands conspiring to shed blood and having one purse are vnited It is then vnitie in truth and not a conspiracie in errour or brotherhood in evill which men may glorie of As at the first publishing of the Gospell Sathan was put besides his possession and thereupon stirred vp swarmes of herefies so having once again by the beast of his power gotte his throne erected even in the Temple of God brooking al peaceably therein when again the litle long closed but at length opened sweetly swallowed booke gave hability by the right 〈◊〉 to examin him cast him out then he returned madly to his former policie Thus the sorcerers of Egipt to discredit the works of Moses 〈◊〉 did work the like and thus ever the invious one with the good seed soweth in his â—ares But all this maketh so litle against the truth that by the coÌ„trarie the vertue power thereof aâ— so much the more clearly manifested In that these who are the Sinagogue of Sathan calling themselves 〈◊〉 and â—re not ar eveÌ„ forced to come worshipe before the feet of Pâ—ilâ—â—â—â—ia and are compelled to know that God loveth her in that shee only is stablished and made a piller in the house of GOD which
and printe that if we could but once cleare the lawfulnes of our callings they would without more adoe or furder disputation about heads of doctrine give vs their handes For our vocation I have said somewhat against their obiections in my Treatise of defence and againe in my epistle to a recusant I have replyed to their censuring notes If I have cleared the point why remember they not their covenant If I have not yet why in place of refelling my argumentes and strengthening their owne point am I deceitfully drawen away from the question in hand by newe and impertinent demands of a different matter and yet if in this their shameles shifting there were in them any one spunke of sinceritie I could even gladly bee drawen to follow them for that I confesse it is a much more sure way from truth of doctrine to establish lawefulnes of vocation then vpon the slipperie ground of outward ordinary calling to build a warrant of doctrine But consider I pray you first the ingenuitie of the demaunder in the substance of his demaūds and next his aequitablenes in his prescribed rules wee are desired in summe to evince that the Church of Rome hath made apostasie from the truth and therewith to cleare that our doctrine is the veritie of God But shameles men what have we bene doing these more then a hundreth yeares agoe but filling the world with volumes whereby wee have so plainly discovered their abhominations and verified the truth of our Doctrine as wearied with contesting therabout or rather vexed with their cleare convincing power of light they were faine to cast vp all either disputation come in end as to their last refuge to quarrell our vocation the lawfulnes whereof when thervpō we have stablished against al their cavillations they leape now back of new again intend accusation against our doctrine what is this else but as children in their sporting childishly practise and more childishly speak to play titbore tatbore with vs Now as he hath forgotten all shame in so childish shifting the question so by his limitations laid down to vs I know not by what law how to answer him in both the points demanded he exponeth plainly to the perception of any sensible Reader what sound mind he hath what aequitablenes is in his dealing with vs. First for evincing the apostasie of the church of Rome we must take this law of the demander that in so farre as the Church of Rome was once the true Church of Christ we must therefore condescend what yeare of God shee made first defection and by whom accordingly shee was condemned of Haeresie Reasonable men indeed And yet their companions in spirit pretended in al 's bad a cause some more equitie VVe have a law said they by this law he ought to die Our adversaries neither having nor so much as pretending any stable law against vs and therefore in an evill conscience shunning all right lawes of examination they wil in no small modestie forsooth set downe rules of their owne braine whereby they will have both them selves and vs tryed But heerein first I can not but greatly muze whither foolishlie or fraudfullie the demander hath fallen vpon so either an improper or so presumptuous a maner of speach as indefinitlie and absolutlie to call the Church of Rome the true Church of Christ. that consequently all other churches may either bee secluded from this title or bee compelled to come in vnder the name of the church of Rome Neither doe I so much muze hereon for any doubt I have of the Demaunder his owne meaning for I know how blasphemouslie bold they are if not to mende the magnificat yet to carve careleslie at the Creed by adding Romanam to Sactam Ecclesiam Catholicam thus forcing all if not to receave the character yet at least the name or number of the beast but that he proponeth this as a point graūted by vs. I admire his impudencie for of the church of Rome before shee became a harlot we confesse that shee was a true church of Christ or one of his true churches or a true part of that his true church which is but one but to intitle any particular Church absolutly and indefinitly with the name of the true Church of Christ it is an insolent speach and not according to the stile of holy scripture which addeth alwayes some distinguishing designation as the Church which is at Rome in Iudea in Corinth of Galatia of Ephesus Smirna Pergamus c. As for the church of Rome at length becumming not only a harlot but also the mother of whoordomes in all the earth in which respect only it was that all commonlie therein did take her name wee deny her so to bee either the true Church of Christ or anie true part thereof but the Synagogue of Sathan and an abhominable Whoore borne vp and advanced by a blasphemous and bloody beast howsoever all the while vnder and within his vsurpation even where Satan his throne was the true Church of God long dwelt shruded and suffered to live vnder the name and number of the beast yet free alwayes from his character but least I seeme over narrowlie to sift syllables I passe this there whither ignorant or arrogant maner of speaking For prooving the church of Rome to have made apostasie from truth we must by our adversaries iniunctions cōdescend vpon the yere of God wherein the first made defection and who they were that therevpon even then convinced her of haeresie and shall this then serve to exime her or any other church from the blot of defection or haeresie in all time thereafter and make all whatsoever shee holdeth to be vndoubted truth if the first houre and firste degrees of her apostasie have escaped a publike note or howsoever noted if yet shee hath not bene publikely condemned of haeresie or howsoever both noted and condemned yet if no publike record thereof be extant to future ages shall any long space of time iustifie waxing and obtaining errour or is there any such prescription against truth but that jure postlimin◠at least it may alwayes pleade iustly for reposition I leave here to the vpright consideration of any indifferent minde what true confidence these men can have of their owne cause who prescribe such limitations and being challenged of sacrilegious guiltines will offer themselves no otherwayes to tryall then as if a cunning and long covered Thiefe tatched with innumerable fangges and having all his houses stuffed with stolen wares yet should partly protest that in so farre as he had bene once honest and of all men accounted so hee ought therefore to be reputed so still notwithstanding of any thing found by him except it may bee cleared what houre of his lyfe he did first begin to steale in what place and from what persones and therewithall who had even then convinced and condemned him for a Thiefe Or as if a subtile and long dissembling harlot