ouersight in this point also is not vnworthy to be taxed who being so hardly kept and continued in this newe and liuing way that leadeth to the holye place are yet in all itching curiositie so carryed awaye and inclined to newes and newe things and so running and starting out into euerie new deuise that is pleasing to our fences that nothing can content vs except it bee very newe nor the selfe same delight vs long after while when it waxeth olde or common How straunge and vnwontedly new is our apparrell both in matter and forme both in substaunce and fashion so that garments are not stored to the proportion of mens bodies 〈◊〉 â—y the straunge varietie and newnesse of their apparrell they tranceforme themselues like Proteus to appeare in what forme they lift How vnsatiable are our eyes to beholde vanities and gaze after newe deuises New buildings newe manners newe dyet newe sportes newe fashions which are chiefelye sought out and looked for in euerye science and trade and are onely nowe in price and estimation among vs And yet our eares more precise and curious so as scarse anye thing maie content vs but that which we heard not or we knew not either in matter or in forme before It must be new or else it is tedious it must bee hotte from the forge or else it is vnsauery If you bringe not newe and vnwoonted matter which is commonly looked for at least you must dyppe it in a newe dye and deliuer it in a different manner or else mens eares are hedged with thornes it will not enter it is no other then the passage of a ship through the waues or of a birde in the ayre which vanish in their course afterwards are not once remembred or seene But if we so delight in new thinges at least let vs reforme our iudgemeÌ„t herein The thing y t is hath bin saith Salomon and there is no new thing vnder the sun But behold saith Esai speaking of this new way of our redemption by the blood of Iesus Olde thinges are come to passe and newe thinges doe I declare and or euer they come I tell you of them If wee so delight in newe thinges let vs serue God saith Saint Paule in newnesse of the spirite not in the oldenesse of the letter Let vs put of the olde man with al the deceaueable lustes therof and put on the newe man which according to God is shapen in righteousnesse and true holines let vs put on Christ in whom neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but a new creature And so as those that looke for a new heauen and a new earth let vs walke worthy of y t vocation wherunto we are called in all newnes of life by this new liuing way into y t holy place which is the new Hierusalem heauenly Citie of God This is y â— new liuing way blessed are they y t doe walke in the same this is the waye of righteousnes and truth which hath neither end nor error let vs walke therin with an vpright hart and turne neither to the right hand nor to y t left this is the way of peace which the wicked cannot finde and the straight and narrowe waye wherein the multitude delight not this waie is high for suche as contemne the world and yet both lowe and easie and the humble shall walke therein this is the way of the commaundement wherin it is required that we run now the Lord hath set our harts at libertie And therefore let vs purge clense it from all filthines of the flesh and of the spirite let vs decke and adorne it with flowers of good life and conuersation and with the spoiles and garlands as I may say of our conquered affections and lustes and so holde vp our goeings stedfastly in this path that our footesteps slip not And although there be many causes in our selues to discourage and withhold vs from entraunce thereinto beeing euerye waye so let and pressed downe with the burden of our sinnes although there are and wil be many impediments in y e worlde to staye and hinder vs in our course yet many more are our comforts againe and more forcible are the causes that shoulde embolden and excite vs thereunto seeing we haue not onely the things mencioned before concerning the sacrifice and offering of the blood of Iesus for the expiation of our sinnes and reconcilliation made with God But moreouer according to the figures and former shadowes of the lawe both a temple euen the house and Church of God wherein our prayers shalbe heard our petitions graunted and wee remaine as safe from the rage of the Enemie as was Noe in the arke from drowning in the waters And also an high Priest and mediator euen the man Iesus Christ which ruleth and gouerneth the same And then if hee bee on our side who can be against vs If hee haue iustified vs who shall condemne vs if he haue chosen vs who shall lay any thing to our charge If he be our shepherd how can wee lacke any thing If hee bee our high Priest how shall wee not bee accepted For the sweete smelling sacrifice that hee hath offered vnto God the father for vs And if he haue giuen vs libertie with boldnesse to enter who shall abridge the same to hold vs backe from the grace that is offered Seeing hee is the highe Prieste and ruler ouer the house of God Who for this cause hauing offered vp himself without spot to purge our conscience from dead works to serue the liuing God is set downe at the right hand of Maiestie in heauenly places far aboue al principalities and powers and might and domination and euery name that is named both in this world and in the worlde to come who is appointed ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body and the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all thinges in whome dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodyly and the hidden treasures of the wisedome and knowledge of God and to whom al power is giuen both in heauen and earth That in all things he might haue the preheminence to bee crowned with maiestie and honor as an eternall high priest for euer hauing sole and supreme authoritie and rule ouer the house and Church of God both in heauen triumphant and militant here in earth Which Church which house which familie and peculier people of God thus purchased with the blood of Christ nourished with his worde and sacraments preserued susteyned directed by hys grace and holy spirite wherin he hath promised to abyde and dwell as in his holy resting place for euer whilst it is here militant whiche concerneth more pertinently our present instruction and whilst we are here wandring and soiourning on the earth is not now to be sought for in the Region or land of Iewry as the Iewes would haue it nor driuen onelye into Affrica as the Donatistes imagined nor
fastned vnto Rome as the Papistes maintaine and holde it But GOD hauing taken downe the partition wall in the reconciled bloode of his sonne hath chosen for the seede of Abraham all which haue the faith of Abraham and for the familie of Iacob all that worship the Lord in spirite and truth and for the materiall Temple the heartes of faythfull Christians The Church and house of God is called a Cittie hauing twelue gates opening vnto euerye corner of the worlde accepting all refusing none so that all the worlde is nowe indifferentlye without exception or perticion the Churche and Temple of the Lorde All Countries are Iudea all Citties are Hierusalem all houses all places all persons are the familie and house of God wherein Christe gouerneth and ruleth by faith in their harts This place would yeild if time did permit to speake thereof at lage very large and ample matter both touching the argument handled before for the new Priesthoode of Christ succeeding and abolishing the olde order of Aaron whereby as in manner of Applcation the whole doctrine of this place is shadowed out vnto vs most plainly prefigured as S. Augustine saith in the reiected priesthood of Ely the established priesthoode of Samuell as also touching the whole rule and gouernment of the church of God for euer to the composing of the greatest matters in controuersie at these daies For if there can bee but one head of the body and one husband of the spouse and one high priest a ruler ouer the house of God which is Christ I see not what title the Bishop of Rome can haue herein but as an vsurper by intrusion vppon the prerogatiue of Christ as had Absolon sometimes in Dauids kingdome which although it hath bin more then sufficiently and euen ad nausem discussed refuted and reiected by inuincible demonstrations proofes by disputing writing preaching in this place and in all places and euerie where and euery way to the tedious wearines of all indifferent eares Yet wante there not we see new rescues and supplies to defend it and such as would heale vp if it might bee that deadly wounde of the beast as S. Iohn before hath tolde vs. Among many other Doctor Stapleton of whom I spake before in the preface to his booke of Cōtrouersies called Principiorū fidei Doctrinalium demonstratio dedicated to Gregorie the .13 Bishop of Rome blusheth not to entitle him most flatteringly and falsely Basim et fundamentum Columnam et firmamentum totius Orthodoxae Religionis The ground woorke and foundation the piller and strength of all true Religion Generalem et oecumenicum Patriarcham nostrum Principem Our generall and oecumenicall Patriarch and Prince Omnium Ecclesiarum caput The head of all Churches Verticem et Coripheum Apostolicae Ecclesiae The top or crowne and ringleader of the Apostolique Churche Nay Coripheotatum et totius orbis magistrum The supereminent and incomparable ringleader and maister of the whole world Piscatorem maximum The greatest fiisher Confirmatorem fratrum The strengthner of his brethren Patrem familias et primo genitum pastorem gregis dominici The father of the house and the first borne shepherd of the Lordes flocke and at last according to the highest name and title giuen here to our Sauiour Christ himselfe Rectorem Domus Dei The ruler ouer the house of God And Supremum in terris numen The highest Godhead in earth And all these with manye more the lyke vnsauery and vnchristian speaches hee counteth not iniurious or derogatorie vnto Christ if they be smothed ouer with a little vntempered morter shadowed w t a few fig leaues of their own distinctions betwene Caput vitale Ministeriale as he saith or fundamentum principale and ministrans as Turrianus imagineth which both to reason to nature to the manner of speaking and all sounde Diuinitie are most repugnant And yet for all these so great and glorious tytles most peruercely collected out of the holy Scriptures and more blasphemouslly applyed contrarye to all sence and meaning of the Scriptures Melchior Canus a famous schoolemā of theirs after he had labored to proue the primacie of Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles wherein hee washeth an Aethiopian and plougheth in the sandes confesseth though not with a minde to confesse the truth but vrged by the inuincible force of truth that Romanum pontificem Petro succedere non esse quidem in sacris litteris reuelatum sed aliunde constare That the Bishop of Rome is Peters successor whereuppon dependeth the whole state and substance of their supremasie is not at all declared in holye Scripture but is prooued by other meanes wherein besides the irrecouerable foyle hee geueth to that their ruinous and declining cause hee is flatlye agaynst Stapleton who in the sixt booke and fifteenth Chapiter of his forenamed Controuersies of purpose though indeede to little purpose there vndertaketh to prooue the same by Scripture But Canus woulde helpe it out againe with a generall rule and Maxime which must helpe them at all assaies Lib. 7. De Aucto Sanctorum where inueying against Caieton who preferred reason proofe before authority hath these words Although perhaps of Philosophers you may well require a reason of their philosophicall positions or conclutions in sacrarum tamen litterarum intelligentia maioribus nostris debes etiam nulla ratione habita credere et quas sententias de lege de fide deque religione ab illis accepisti defendere Yet for the vnderstāding of the Scriptures you must beleeue our forefathers euen without all reason and whatsoeuer opinions of the law of faith and religion you haue receaued from them to defende Nowe the Minor must be added but you haue receaued from your forefathers as a matter of faith and religion the Popes supremacie and rule ouer the house of God and therfore euen without all reason as here and besides all scripture as before you must maintaine and defende the same wherin he pleadeth as wel and deserueth as much see of the Iewes and Turks for patronage and protectiō of their Talmied and Alcoran as hee doth of the Papistes for defending the Popes supremacie and rule ouer the house of God To which and other their lyke absurdities whereof I may truely say as Sainte Augustine dyd sometimes of the Manichees Obsaena illorum misteria in lucem protraxisse hoc erat vicisse To bring their filthie secretes and misteries into light was sufficiente to refute and ouerthrowe them I cannot more fitly and breefely returne them answere then by their owne speach and place abused out of Saint Augustine by their owne Gregory Martin in the preface to his discouery Dulcissime vanos esse non peritos sed perituros nec tam disertos in errore quam desertos a veritate That they are verie plausiblie vaine not abounding in knowledge but neare vnto destruction neither yet so elloquent in defēce of their errors as vtterlie forsaken and giuen vp
before that which commeth nearest in affinitie to the nature therof the breache of concorde and vnitie it may seeme both conuenient for our instruction and the scope of the place doth aptly beare it which being directed to the aduauncement of loue and charitie commendeth vnto vs on the one side the effect thereof good workes and on the other reproueth those that puffed vp with a vaine conceited humor of priuate excellencie in themselues and forestalling their iudgement in preiudice and contempt of other that like not the same dyet they haue seasoned for their owne taste by deuision and seperation and forsaking the communion of Saints the societie of Christians the fellowship and vnitie wee should haue among our selues doe worke the vtter ruine and ouerthrowe thereof When God would confound their proude attempt in building the Tower of Babel He deuided their language and so scattered them abroade into all places of the earth which thing the Diuell seeing to the ouerthrowe of his Kingdome practiseth againe on the contrarye side by like confusion scisme and scattering of the workmen to hinder and set back the building of Gods spiritual house and temple When king Cirus woulde passe ouer to conquer Scithia as sayth Herodotus comming to a great and broade riuer whiche hindered his iourneys his policie was this to cutte it and deuide it into manye armes and sluces and so made it passable for all his armie this pollicie is most ready and common with the Diuel also who bringing his power of darkenesse to inuade ouerrun vs finding his passage stopped by the flowing streames of loue concorde hath put in execution his wonted meane and practise to separate and diuide vs into many partes factions For as truly sayth S. Aug. Concordes nos scit et quod sic possidere non potest Hee knoweth that being at concord and vnitie together he cannot so possesse vs Hee cannot nowe deuide one true God among vs he can no more inforce false Gods vpon vs well he hath yet another way Sentie vitam nostrā esse charitatē mortem dissentionem He seeth that loue charitie is our life that discord dissentiō our destruction death And therefore Lites immisit inter Christianos He hath sent strife debate among Christians And because he cannot frame vs to many Gods hee laboureth to multiplie distract our opinions and soweth tares of sects errours in the Lords wheat Hereof cōplaineth Basil also and we may iustlye with Basill Facti sumus vnusque apud seipsum tanquam arena non coniuncti inter nos sed singuli per se diuisi Charitas relicta est pugna inter nos versatur vniodata est at odium accensum est Wee are become like sandes not ioyned together but euery one deuided by himselfe Charitie is reiected and discorde raigneth among vs peace and vnitie was commended vnto vs but wee haue kindled the fire of grudge and hatred But who sayeth that good father will graunt me a solitarie place a voyce like a trumpet the fountayne of teares and pitifull complaint of Ieremie to break my hart with sorrowes and bewayle the common miserie Quia defecit charitas radix mandatorum dei because charitie is decayed the roote of Gods commaundementes and discorde hath preuayled the cancker and contagion of all true godlinesse For the building cannot stād whose ioyntes and handes are loosed the bodye cannot continue in health where the members are rent and torne asunder the Citie must needes bee desolate that is dedeuided in it selfe we cannot I say drawe nere vnto the holy place we cannot build the Lordes Temple we cannot be ioyned to Christe our heade if wee bee not tyed together with handes of loue and charitie if we be not compacted as members of one body if we once forsake the fellowship that we haue among our selues as the manner of some is The Prophet Dauid sayth Ierusalē a figure of the church is built as a citie that is at vnitie in it selfe When the holy ghost came downe in visible signes vpon the Apostles They were all with one accorde in one house The whole multitude of them that beleeued in the first times had but one heart and one soule It is sayd of all Israell That they came togeather as it had bene one man with the same minde and intent not with as many opinions as persons The Iews had but one kinde of worshiping prescribed and that onely in one Temple but their rebellious preuarications were multiplyed in that they woulde yet run about to sacrifice vpon euery high hill and vnder euery greene tree and euery one doe that which seemed good in his owne eyes It is said and set downe fo◠a speciall and most singuler blessing of almightie GOD That the hande of th◠Lorde was in Iuda so that hee gaue them one harte to doe the commaundement o◠the King and of the Rulers according to the worde of the Lord woulde God this effecte were accordinglye wrought in vs also and his hande after this sorte stretched out still vpon vs. Wherefore if wee will become a spirituall building vnto God if we looke for the promise of the holy ghost if wee will bee of the number of the faythfull if we will worship in spirite and truth if we will haue the hand of the Lord vpon vs and so in deede draw neare to the holy place we must be at vnitie and concorde within our selues wee must abide with one accord and one minde in a house wee must haue one hart to doe the commaundemente of the King and of the rulers we must not leaue the Temple to sacrifice vpon euery high hill and vnder euery greene tree to follow euery opinion that seemeth good to our selues wee must not breake the bondes of peace and cast away the cordes of vnitie from vs and so forsake that fellowship wee should haue among our selues as the manner of some is The winde Cecias hath a qualitie contrary to other windes to gather together cloudes into the ayre and so procureth violent and vehement stormes and suche is also diuision and discorde both in the Church and common wealth It hath sometimes an vsurped face or show of holines of zeale and conscience but the sequel is pernicious and draweth after it whereof Pithagoras rule and precepte might warne vs to beware a lothsome blacke taile of destruction or great disturbance And therefore may well be resembled to the riuer Hipanis which about the head and first arising is sweete and holesome but afterwardes being mingled with the spring Exanthus is so bitter and of so deadly a tast that no man may abide it Example among manie other may be the Church of Corinth who beginning about matters of Ceremonies and pollicie proceeded first to deuision and separation some holding of Paule some of Apollo some of Cephas and some of Christ and so to false doctrine denying the resurrection And therefore