against so many violent persequutions for so longe a tyme haue endured vnless some potent and prudent gouuernour by his lavves vvisdome and authoritie had vpholden guided and directed it And the reason is bicause in a societie and especially that of the Church are diuerse men yea diuerse nations and diuerse men haue diuerse natures and diuerses natures haue diuerse dispositions and diuerse dispositions cause diuerse opinions and diuerse opinions moue cōtradictions and contradictions ende in factions and factions make an end of all societies vnlesse ther be a moderatour to preuent them by his vvisdom or appease them by his authoritie A head then is necessary in all societies and not only necessary but also principalle For although the obedient complying nature of the subiect doth help much to the maintenaunce of peace and order yet the head and Superiour most of all preuaileth For as the head is the principall part so doth it beare most svvay in the gouernment of the body vvich is the cause vvhy the body is affected according to the head and vvhy the subiect follovveth the princes humour Yea euen as vvhen the head in mans body is intoxicated the vvholle body reeleth and if the head vvant eyes the body tumbleth into ditches and falleth into daunger so if the head of a societie be inconstaunte the vvholle societie vvauereth if the superiour vvant eyes of circumspection the subiectes are in daunger Vvherfore Philip King of Macedo and father to Alexander the great vvas vvonte to say that he had rather haue an armie of fearfull harts gouerned by a Lion then of lions ruled and commaunded by a harte insinuating ther by that as the head in a societie is the principall mēber so is it the most necessary If then the Church of Christe be a peaceble and vvell ordered body it hath a head to guide and rule it And if vve looke into the gouernment of the same euen from the beginning vve shall finde that this goodly common vvelth neuer vvanted a Prince and gouernour In the lavve of nature first of all Adam our first parent as he vvas our common father according vnto flesh so vvas he a preest and pastour of the soules of all those vvhoe liued in his tyme and a gouernour of his familie vvhich vvas descended of him not only in domesticall ciuill or temporall but allso in spirituall matters concerning fayth and religion For this cause he vvas indevved vvith all knovvledg and science that as the first doctour he might instruct and direct his posteritie and although by his falle he lost all infused knovvledg yet did he still so longe as he liued remain pastour and supreme head of the Church Vvherfore Theophilus Bishop of Antioche sayeth l. 2. ad Autol. that God for no other cause framed Eue out of Adams side but to demonstrate vnto vs a mysterie and figure of the monarchie of his Church that as Adam vvas head of the same in his tyme so euer after ther vvas one pastour the cheef of all Ho 34.1 Cor. And sainct Chrisostom sayeth plainly that Adam vvas one head giuen vnto all and his reason is bicause sayeth hee God Knevv that aemulation could not be auoided amongest aequalls vvherfor he vvould haue no popular gouernment but a kingdom After Adams death Seth and others succeeded him in the like pastorall authoritie euen vnto Noe. Noe dying Sem his eldest sonne vndertooke the same charge and euen vnto Aaron the first high preest of the Leuiticall lavve all the heires males of euery familie if vve beleeue sainct Hierom vvere preests q. heb q. 7. vvho ministred sacramentes and offered sacrifices euery one in his familie And amongest all the preests of diuers families one vvas the supreme pastour and Iudge of the rest to vvhom belonged the finall sentence in matters of religion and this supreme authoritie as it seemeth belonged allvvayes vnto the most ancient to vvhom all the rest as they vvere in age inferiour so vvere they subiect in authoritie As for example Abrahame and Sem vvere preests at one tyme bicause Abraham vvas the eldest sonne of Thare Sem of Noe yet bicause Sem vvas the moste ancient he vvas the higher preest Gen. 11. and therfore to him for the Hebrevves as sainct Hierom vvitnesseth affirm that Sem and Melchisedech vvere all one Abraham offered tithes and vvas blessed of him as of his superiour Yea it seemeth probable that Melchisedech in his tyme vvas the highe preest and supreme head of the Church Vvherfor Theophilus speakig of Melchisedech Supra vttereth these vvords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This man vvas a preest the first of all the preestes of God the highest Vvhere he can not mean that Melchisedech vvas the first in tyme yeares bicause Adam Abel and Noe vvere before him and therfore his meaning must bee that Melchisedech vvas the first preest in dignitie the highest of all the preests of his tyme. So that euen in the lavv of nature that is from Adam to Moyses ther vvas allvvayes an highe preest to rule the Church and to compose controuersies that might arise in matters of religiō After that in the lavve vvriten the high preest ruled all in ecclesiasticall affayres as is playn in the books of Exodus and Leuiticus In Exodus vve read hovv Moyses like a spirituall Iudge giueth sentence in causes ecclesiasticall and ansvvereth all doubtes and questions vvhich arose concerning the obseruation and interpretation of the lavv Exod. 1◠and although to ease him selfe he vvas persuaded to lay part of his charge burden vppō others shoulders yet still he reserueth to him selfe the iudgment of all marters concerning the lavv and ceremonies c. 17. And in Deuteronomie vve finde that the people vvere commaūded in all difficulties of religion to haue recourse vnto the preest of the Leuiticall lavv vvho ruled at that tyme and God threatneth that if any bee so proud and stubborn as to refuse to obey his sentence he shall suffer death by the decree of the Iudge Vvhere a blind man may see that the synagogue had her Iudge to decide all cōtrouersies in religion And shall vve imagin that the Church and spouse of Christe vvanteth a head to direct her and a Iudg to giue her satisfaction in all doubts of religion No no in the lavve of grace as God hath bestovved more grace on his Church then on his Synagogue so hathe he prouided her of a Iudge and gouernour vvhom for his Churches sake he assisteth more particulerly And first of all Christe him selfe vvhilest he liued gouerned this Church him selfe and in all points played the parte of a supreme head high preest and pastour For he instituted a nevv lavv a nevv sacrifice nevv sacramentes he ordayned preestes and ministers and gaue them authoritie to preach to minister and to gouern in the Churche vnder him And after that he had vvithdravven his visible presence from vs he lefte vs not vvith out an vnder-pastour but presently
and heresies PArricide and murder of parents in old tyme vvas deemed so hainous an offence so vnvvorthy a facte as being not only contrarie to reason but also repugnaunt vnto nature that Solon the famouse lavv-maker decreed no lavve against it not for that he thought it not vvorthy punishment but bicause â—ee counted it more barbarouse and inhumain then could be by man comitted And in deed mans nature so much abhorred this vn naturall fact that vntill six hundred yeares after Rome vvas built no man euer is read of so vnkiÌ„de as vvho could finde in his hart to imbrevv his haÌ„des in his pareÌ„tes bloud Cic. pro Roscio Lucius Ostius as some do think vvas the first vvho laying aside all humanitie against natures propension and naturall affection layed violent hands vppon his father depriued him of being of vvhom he had receiued being Vvhich facte vvas no sooner committed but nature abhorred it the Romaines then the most ciuill people to represent the enormitie of the offence diuised a punishmeÌ„t vvhich should not only be a iust payne but also an embleme of the fault Cic supra Iuuen Saâ—yr â— Plut. in vi â—a Ostij They decreed first of all that the murderer should be sevved vp in a lether sack SecoÌ„dly that sacked he should be cast into the vvater thirdly vvith him vvere included a cock a viper an ape and a dogge to acompanie him at his death vvhose natures he had imitated in his life he vvas inclosed in a sack and so cast into the riuer that so at one tyme he should lose the light of the sonne vvhich he could not see of the fyer vv ch he could not feele of the aire in vv ch he vvas not permitted to breath of the vvater in vv ch he svvimming vvas not refreshed of the earth vv ch he touched not and so he vvas depriued at one tyme of the benefit of the sonne and the fovvre elemeÌ„tes of vvhich all vvere produced bicause he had been vnkind and vnnaturall to him of vvhom he vvas begotten His companions at his death vvere a Cocke bicause as this byrd fighteth vvith his fire and treadeth the heÌ„ne vvhich hatched him so he hath been iniuriouse to him that begotte him A viper bicause as this beast eateth him selfe out of his damnes belly so he ruineth him vvho gaue him being an ape bicause as he imitateth man in his actions and some vvhat resembles him in forme of body yet is in deed no man but a beast so this vnnaturall murderer caryeth the shape of a man but in conditions is noe man bicause he hath cast of all humanitie And lastly a dogg that this creaturs faythfull seruice to his master vvho only feeds him may confound this monster and coÌ„demne his treacherie vvho hath been so false to his pareÌ„t vvho hath not only fedd him but begotten him This kinde of death in myne opinion vvere a punishment not vnfitly to be layed on heretikes especially the most mallicious for vvith theÌ„ vvho erre not of mallice I vvishe more geÌ„tle dealiÌ„g vvho are so vnnaturall children to Christ their father as shall appear in the third booke vvho so reuile miscall the ancieÌ„t fathers of vvhom they receiued fayth and religion and are so vnkind vnto the Catholique Church their mother vvhich by the Sacrament of Baptisme regenerated them and gaue them their spiritual being For they deserue to be depriued at one tyme of the heauens and elemeÌ„tes of vvhich all thiÌ„gs are in some sorte produced vvho coÌ„temne the Churche the councells the fathers and cheef pastours of vvhom and by vvhome they receiued their supernaturall being by vvhich they are Christianes They deserue a cock at their death bicause as the cocke fighteth often tymes vvith his sire and abuseth the henne that hatched him so they contend vvith ancient fathers and as much as in them lyeth deflovver their mother the Churche vv ch bare them spiritually a viper also ought to dye vvith them bicause like vipers by schismes and heresies they eare them selues out of the vvombe of the Church an ape must also suffer vvith them bicause as he resembleth man but is in deede a beast so they like apes imitate true Christians bearing the name of Christe as they do admitting certayne scriptures and Sacramentes as they do deuising superintendeÌ„tes for the bishops of the Church ministers for preestes tables for aultars a prophane Cene and supper for the sacred Eucharist and yet in deed are no true christianes but monstrouse infidells and vvorse then Ievves and Paganes Th. â— 2 q. 〈◊〉 ar 6. a dogge also to make vp the number they vvorthily deserue to put them in mynd that dogges may teach them fidelitie for dogges though they receiue some tymes blovves and neuer any greater benefit then crustes and bones yet are so faythfull to their masters that they vvill not leaue theÌ„ todeath vvheras the heretike is so vngratefull and vnfaythfull to Christe and his spouse the Churche that for no other cause then an itching humour of pride and self love hee vvill ronne after euery sectmaster that can only dropp a fevv textes of scripture interpreted by his ovvne spirit leauing the Churche ancieÌ„t fathers and consequently Christ him selfe bicause they ever vvent together and vvho heareth one heareth the other But least I condemne them to the punishmeÌ„t of parricides for conteÌ„pt of ancieÌ„t fathers before I proue them to bee guiltie of the fault I vvill sett dovvne vvord by voord their ovvne sayings and assertions by vvhich shall appear vvhat respect they beare and vvhat kindnes they shevv tovvards their ancient forfathers Ex Epiph. her Basilides an infamous heretike vaunted that he and his only knevve the truth and that all his forfathers vvere sues canes hogges and dogges not vvorthy of the margarites of his doctrine Lib. s.c. â—0 The Valentinians sayeth Ireneus if you vrge them vvith scriptures vvhich they can not ansvver vvill denye them if you prouoke them to be tryed by tradition deliuered vnto vs by a succession of preestes and fathers aduersantur traditioni dicentes se non solum presbyteris sed etiam apostolis existentes sapientiores sinceram inuenisse veritatem they oppose against tradition saying that they being vviser then the preests and apostles 〈◊〉 3. haue found out the sincere veritie Arius as before I haue rehearsed thought none of the fathers comparable vnto him Nestorius disdained to read their vvorks and our reformers of this age shevv by their vnreuerent and rayling speeches against the fathers that they are descended of the same race of parricides and reuilers of their ancient fathers To beginne therfore vvith the first patriarch of this nevv religion Martin Luther that man of God although by his ovvne confession he vvas so familiar vvith the deuill that he hathe eateÌ„ a bushell of salte vvith him in his book against the king of England hauing called him blokhead l. â— cont Reg. Axgl. fol. 348 beetlehead grossehead
is allvvayes conformable Vvhich tvvoe vvilles in Christ are not contrarie bicause the one feares death as it is contrarie to nature and the sensuall parte the other imbraceth deathe as it is the price of maÌ„nes redemption and the obiect of gods vvill nether dothe the latter vvill correct the former but bothe are right in their kinde For as deathe is against nature it is to bee feared and as it is the obiecte of fortitude and the meanes of mannes redemption it is to bee imbraced the one shevveth Christ to bee a man the other declares the force of grace vvherevvith the vveakenesse of humaine nature is corroborated And so Christ knevv that his fathers vvill vvas that he should suffer and his vvill also in the reasonable parte vvas resolued but yet to shevve him selfe a man according to his sensuall parte he sayed if it bee possible free me from his chalice Novve if you desire a reason vvhy Christ that vnder tooke our mortalitie vvould none of our ignoraunce diuines vvill giue you one moste euident Bicause Christ saye they vnder-tooke only those imperfectioÌ„s of our nature vv ch ether vvere necessarie to declare him selfe a man or to make satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes or to giue vs example bicause obedience fasting prayer humilitie pouertie such like serued for paternes for vs to imitate hee vvas obedieÌ„t he fasted prayed humiliated him selfe liued poorly and bicause also honger thirst colde heate mortalitie vvere necessarie to suffer and to satisfie for vs hee vvas houngrye thirstie hoat colde and mortall and lastly bicause nothing more declared that hee vvas a man then feare of deathe vvhich manes nature abhorreth he feared and svvet for feare not vvater only but also blood But bicause sinne vvas against the end of redemption vvhich hee proposed to him selfe hee vvould none of that yea hee could not bicause hee vvas the some of God and for as muche as inordinate motions of the fleshe serued nether for example nor satisfaction yea vvere rather contrarie hee also refused them and bicause ignoraunce also is manye tymes ioyned vvith sinne ether as the cause or effecte of sinne for vvhoesoeuer sinneth sayeth the Philosopher is ignoraunte inconsiderate yea bicause this vvas repugnaunt to the office of a Messias vvhoe vvas to instructe the vvholle vvorlde in heauenly doctrine and vvas not necessarye to declare him selfe to bee man bicause feare and other imperfections serued for that purpose sufficiently yea could not demoÌ„strate him to bee man bicause angelles and deuills may bee ignoraunt he vvould take noe ignoraunce vppon him But let the heretike blaspheme a vvhile and let him exceed the deuill his father in blasphemy if Christ vvere ignoraunte he vvas subiect also to sinne bicause he might haue follovved his ignoraunce For if the vnderstanding may erre or bee inconsiderate the vvill vvhich is directed by the vnderstanding may vvander and banger and svverue from reasons rule and Lore and consequently also may sinne And so our reformed Christians vvill make a deformed Christe of our Messias vvho being him selfe subiecte to sinne as hee is if he can bee ignoraunt or in coÌ„siderate and consequently hauing need him selfe of a redeemer vvill yet take vppon him to redeeme others and to saue others vvho him selfe needeth a Sauiour See hovv basely these men conceiue of Christ vvho though they saye that they giue all vnto him yet do make him an ignoraunte and inconsiderate man and yet they theÌ„ selues vvill bee so eagle-eyed that they caÌ„ finde out all the true meaniÌ„gs of Scripture vvith a priuate spirit and knovve as vvell as the begger his dishe theyr ovvne iustificatioÌ„ predestinatioÌ„ But to come nearer to our purpose and conclusion if Christ vvere ignoraunt and inconsiderate then can the truthe erre vvisdom can bee deciued the vvay can goe out of the vvaye for hee vvas the vvaye the truth and the life and the vvisdome of his father Io. 14. If Christ can bee ignoraunte he may bee deceiued if he maie be deceiued he may deceiue bicause he may teach according to his errour if he maie deceiue paraduenture he hath deceiued and then peraduenture his preaching his ghospell and vvhatsoeuer he hathe taught of Christian religion is errour and deceipte and so by litle and litle heresie leadeth to Atheisme and this their blasphemouse doctrine ruinethe Christianitie But fye rather vppon these blasphemers Christe is the vvisdome of his father and so can not bee deceiued he is prima veritas the prime veritÃe and so can not deceiue and he is summum bonum cheefest good yea goodnes it selfe and so vvill not deceiue and our ghospellers are heretikes that is deceiued and deceiuers The tenth chapter shevveth hovv they make Christe a desperate man vvho not only feared the iudgement-seate of his father but also despaired for the tyme of his ovvn saluation THese Reformers haue not yet in their opinion deformed Christe sufficiently for not content to haue made him an ignoraunte man they auouch also that he feared his fathers tribunall and dispaired of his ovvn saluation and so they vvill make him also a desperate man Caluin in his Harmonie of the ghospells sayeth that vvhen Christ vvas in his agonie in the garden In c. 26 Mat. § 37. in fine it vvas not the feare of deathe only vv ch made him svveat blood and vvater but sayeth hee It vvas the terrible iudgement-seat of God and the Iudge armed vvith incomprehensible vengeaunce vvhich he proposed before his eyes and on the other parte our sinnes vvhich he had taken vppon him pressed him vvith their vveight so that it vvas no meruail if this bottomlesse pitte and horrible coÌ„fusion of damnation did so feircely torment him vvith feare and anguish And a litle after § 3â— death of it selfe could not so have tormented the soule of the sonne of God had it not been that he perceiued that he had to do vvith the iudgement of God And again he repeates this his blasphemie least you should thinke that it escaped him vnaduisedly Ibidem VvheÌ„ce it follovveth that he feared a greater euill then deathe vvhich prouoked him to desire to bee exempted from death vvhich vvas that proposing before his eyes the vvrath of God in so much that he presented him selfe before his iudgement-seate being charged vvith the sinnes of the vvholle vvorld it vvas necessary that he should be affrighted and afrayed of the profound bottomless-pitte of death And vvith in some fevv lynes after he sayeth that this deadly svveat could not proceed but from an vnaccustomed and horrible fear Yea sayeth he to thinke that this agonie proceeded only from feare of deathe vvere to attribute vnto Christ a pusillanimitie vvhich vve vvould condemne in an ordinarie man Here Christian Reader do not they eares burne to heare blasphemie so often repeated and vvill thy Christian zeale permit such disgrace to be offered thy redeemer vvhat Ihon Caluin did Christ feare the tribunall seat of his father then feared he the Iudges