of the true church heresies might be distinguished from errors and haye stubble from those things which eyther of themselues or by reason of the opinion of worship brought in are either vngodly or superstitious and yet that all the gouernours of the Chucch ought to vnderstand that as the alter was not in time past to be builded of stones garnished by the diligence of man neither yet that it was lawfull for them so much as to fasten a naile in the Tabernacle but according to the paterne which Moses had seene in the mount euen so now also all godly magistrates indeede and all true shepheards ought to endeuour that in restoring the temple of the Lord by so many means fallen down they shoulde not onely restore those thinges which haue beene ouerthrown by Antichrists but also that they should most diligentlye wipe awaye all euen the lightest spottes that haue proceeded from the same Antichrists although they be as it were waxen hard vpon the walles of the temple and that marking partly by the story of former ages and partly by the beholding of the present ruins of the Churche these former euils of Satan they should at no hand suffer themselues to be mocked by the allegation of the fragmentes of certaine of the auncient fathers or by any vayn shew of custom but rather that they should not leaue of vntill by doctrine both the Ceremonies and all the Ecclesiasticall gouernment also be apted not vnto some figuratiue Image of shew which was needful vnder the schoolemastership of the law but exactly framed according vnto the moste perfect paterne which the sonne of God him selfe by his owne mouth his Apostles after him haue moste perfectly set forth vnto vs in their writings But cōcerning this matter we wil elswhere speake more fully as I hope when we shal answere those notable meane men who reprehend vs as ouer seuere exactors of that work especially whē we shal seuerally answere vnto the writing of Cassander to the end al men may vnderstand that none more hinder the worke of the Lorde than these Samaritans VVhich be the principal points of the Catholique faith or religion Now because I sée some not yéelding vnto these things which we haue spokē in general cōcerning the fundamental or principall points of our religion again to demād what those shold be I answer that these articles are to be called grounds or principles which being laid the whole building remaineth which being ouer thrown al things builded therupon fall to the ground And al these things we profes to haue bene described with great shortnesse plainnes out of the word of God in the Créed which they cal the Apostles Which thing ought to be added to the ten commandements the Lords praier of the which that to wit the ten commaundements doth verie compendiously set out the order of Christian life and this that is the Lords praier doth very briefly also set out right inuocation and praier This I say is that fundamental true and perpetuall mark of the Catholike church which shall neuer bee blotted out vnto the worlds end but which neuerthelesse ought to be expounded out of the wrytings of the Prophets and Apostles frō whence it is taken that al men may vnderstand it and keepe it as much as in them lyeth Now the order of this exposition is 2. VVhat exposition of Catholique doctrine is required in the Church fold one more familiar which is necessary for al men an other more large and far more plentiful as we sée that the Apostles creed was afterwardes expounded by some other Creedes of the holy Synodes that heresies might bee met withall the Consciences established more and more in sound doctrine Therfore albeit that to the ende that some man might be a true member of Christ it be not necessary that he should most exactely vnderstande for what cause thinges are spoken and set downe and should know the determinations of disputations in diuinitie Yet euery one ought to know according to his capacitie what he doth beleeue and why he doth beleeue and not to rest in the deuilishe inuention of faith which they call vnfolded that is to beleeue as the Churche hath determined and to aske no further but to adde also vnto that familiar instruction the exposition of holy writings That the true yea the Catholique church hath more then once wanted an ordinary and lawful ministery and therefore that that ordinarie and lawfull ordination and succession of Pastors vvas for a time broken off of which Paul setteth before vs foure pointes 2. Tim. 3. to wit doctrine reproofe correction and comfort All which are by diligent Pastors and teachers publikely and priuately to be applied to the capacities of the beleeuers It remayneth that we declare howe much we ought to giue to personal succession and ordination We haue sayde that the onely true perpetuall and necessary marke of the catholique Church is that doctrine which diuersly and sundry maner of wayes first by worde and afterward by wrytings hath bene deliuered by the Prophetes and at the last most perfectly declared by Christe him selfe and that by his owne mouth and by his Apostles For this word as euen after Christe him selfe Peter sayth is that seede by which the Catholique Churche both at the beginning of the world appeared and by which also it shall continue euen vnto the ende of the world But seed is to no purpose except it be sowen and the Lorde who both vnder the olde and vnder the new Testament appoynted an order for the sowing of this seed by the ministry of men hath I say necessarily appointed this sowing for otherwise the spreading abroade of this Churche woulde quickly end to endure to the ende of the world Be it so truely Then thou wilt saye ordination also and succession of those persons is a true perpetuall and necessary mark of the catholike church agréeing altogether with that other to wit the mark of sowing So our aduersaries do conclude but falsly and foolishly For that I may let passe those two thinges already confuted by vs that is to say because they babble of the succession of persons omitting the succession of that Apostolicall doctrine Moreouer because that they propoūd an other succession than that which hath beene begun by the Apostles them selues either they do not see or they dissemble that they do see albeit the sowing also and the sowers are required no lesse than the seede to the tilling of this fielde of the Church that the same order hath not alwaies bene kept either of sowing the seed or of ordeyning them vnto whome this sowing is committed And this notwithstanding they ought to haue learned both by the fore tellings of the prophetes and also by the holy histories which things remaineth to be proued of vs. The Church therfore I confes was neuer without the worde of God But let these men also shew vs that there hath bene some one
yet a lawfull succession remayned as it was done against the Donatistes or againste them whiche brought forth new bookes of our religion as were in the beginning almost an infinite nūber as [a] I suppose that he speketh here of Simō Magus mentioned in Act. 8. of whom many thinges are writtē in the old writers specially he affirmed that Christe was not come neither suffered any thing of the Iewes but that he himself was Christ Simon [b] He amongst other things taught that Christ the sonne of God tooke not mans flesh of the virgin but that he had a spirituall or heauēly body which passed thorow the virgin Marie as water thorovv a pipe or Conduit He vvas about the yeere 150. Valentine [c] He affirmed that Christ appeared not in the substance of flesh but in a phantasticall body that one Simon vvas crucified in his steede about the yeare 124. Basilides [d] He taught that Christe vvas not very man and that he ascended into heauen vvithout his flesh and first made lavves for abstinence from meates and marriages hee vvas in the yeare 180. Montane to conclude the whole troup of most shamelesse men After this sort the Fathers of right iudgement gathered and reserued against these Such as pretended to be inspired vvith reuelations The Messalian heretiques vvere so called who affirmed that baptisme and the Lords supper did neither profit nor hurt but that those whiche gaue themselues to prayer onely or sleeping should be inspired vvith the spirite vvhich being once receyued aftervvards they had no need of the word or any other exercise of godlines but that he that vvas so inspired vvas altogether vvithout sinne and did foresee thinges to come and did sometimes behold God with their eies Enthusiasts saying If your doctrine be true eyther there hath not beene euer yet anye churche or the doctrine which you alleage is old and ancient But that both these thinges are false appeareth by that both because the apostles haue gathered together the churche of Christe and you teach your doctrines as taken not out of the writings of the Apostles but as newely reuealed vnto you by the holy ghost And agayne sayd the fathers both these things appeare by that that we count the beginnings of our churches by ascending vpward euen to the Apostles themselues but you could not haue receiued from the Apostles your thinges which ye first deuised Here remained one thing which the moste subtile of those moste fantasticall persons obiected to wit that all things were not reuealed to the apostles and therfore that men ought to beleeue their reuelations also But Tertulian whom I maruail could afterward be deceiued which Montanus holy ghoste most plentifully and strongly confuteth this prescription shewing that the Lord hath neither kept backe any thing from the apostles the chiefe builders of his church nor agayn that the apostles haue concealed any of those things which they had receiued of Christe After this sort I say the fathers vsed the argument of the succession of persons agaynste those heretiques altogether by demonstration as it were But they vsed it not in like sorte against the [a] So called of Paulus Samosatenus vvho denied the sonne of God to haue descended from heauén but that Christ did proceed from Marie in the earth hee was about the yeare 372. Samosatans [b] So called of one Sabellius who taught that there was but onely one person in the godhead confessed that the trinity was distincted in respect of names only not in respecte of persons He was about the yeare 320. Sabellians [c] So called of one Arrius who affirmed that the Son was not truly naturally God neither coeternall with the father but to haue had a beginning to be made of nothing he was about the yere 320 Arrians [d] So called of one Pellagius who held free will and that euery man might obtayne saluation by his owne workes that infants were borne vvithout originall sin and that Adam hurt himselfe onely by his fall He vvas about the yeare 466. Pelagians to be short againste anye with whome the questyon was not of the very bookes but of the meaning because this had beene verie foolishe Briefly therfore I answere these two thinges that the auncient Fathers whose authoritie these men shameleslie abuse haue neither at any time seperated the succession of their bishops from the succession of the Apostolical doctrine nor haue set this succession against any other heretiques but against those of whom some new reuelation was pretended As at this day of the [a] They mayntaine amongest other errors reuelations and take avvay the baptisme of infants Anabaptistes [b] They casting a side all feare of God vvhat so euer hold that men may lyue as they list Libertines [c] So called of one Casper Svvingfeldius vvho held the same matters that the Anabaptistes do Swingfeldians And therefore for as muche as now the controuersie is betwixt the Romanistes and vs for two thinges onely to wit for the interpretation of the Scripture and whether the wrytinges of the Prophetes and Apostles doe most fully contayne what so euer we ought to beleeue it is prooued that they in the first point impudently abuse the example of the fathers in alleadging against vs the argument of succession and in the other is ministred vnto vs a sure weapon to confute them And that this succession also was alleadged against the Donatistes as Schismatickes this nothing toucheth vs whom these men account not properly for Scismatickes but for heretiques of which thing notwithstanding we will say some thing in his proper place a That the false church of Rome is not onely not propped vp by the argument deriued frō the personal succession of the apostles but also ouerthrown although the questiō be not of the doctrine But go to let vs gratify them a litle and which thing may be done without any preiudice of the trueth Let vs graunt vnto these men how much force soeuer they can imagine of that their personall succession What shall this I besech you help their cause b That there vvas neuer any Apostolicall vniuersall ministeriall head and therefore that his succession is not Apostolicall For that we may begin at the highest step of their Hierarchie or priestlike gouernement as they call it that is at that vniuersall mynisteriall head vnto whome they afterwarde appropriated the name of Pope which before was common to all Bishoppes they shal as easely finde the Diuell him selfe in the kingdome of God as any such head either in the bookes of the◠newe Testament or in the auncient church For verie children know this how false folish and absurd arguments they be whatsoeuer they bring out of the scriptures to proue the same And as concerning the history of that auncient purer church that is to say in this behalfe verelie euen to the tymes of that manslaier Phocas they shall finde
they shall proue that there are more wise men than fooles Now then I thinke it doth sufficiently appeare that by this bare successiō which they brag of that true catholike church wherein we must abyde cannot be discerned from the false Churche from which we ought of necessitie to depart But yet before that we conclude this place we muste refell an argument which these Sophisters would haue to be deemed such a one as cannot be ouercome For say they Hovv the fathers vsed the argumēt of personall succession the fathers so dispute from the succession of bishoppes against auncient heretiques But againe what can be more corrupt than this subtle kind of reasoning for this is that which is well knowne euen to children which they are wount to call an elench [a] The fallacie of composition or diuision is a false conclusion made by a wrong application of wordes alleadged or spoken referring that to one which is alleadged or spoken to an other or a fallacy of composition and diuysion First therfore I deny that any of the auncient fathers were mynded to vse the recitall of Bishops but to haue recourse rather euen to the Apostles And why so that the authoritie of doctrine rather than of persons shoulde be mainteined But these men obiect vnto vs the succession of their bishops not in déede bishops so far letting passe the mention of that Apostolicall doctrine that they woulde haue it accounted a wicked thing to demaund it at his handes that woulde proue him selfe to succeed the auncient byshoppes Now I pray you howe many authors of blasphemies haue sit in those chiefe seates of Alexandria Antioche Constantinople yea what seat will these men shew me somewhat more famous where some hereticall bishops haue not helde their seate And as touching the Romish chayre from which these men by a rottē coard hang the catholique church Honorius the [a] Monothelites were certain heretiks about the yeare 565 who affirmed that there vvas but one will and one action in Christ denying that ther was in him two naturall willes and actions which might aunsvvere to his two natures Monothelite openly condemned of the sixt general councell and priuately of Agatho another Roman Bishoppe And Iohn the 22. thinking euill touching the soule of man in like manner condemned of the colledge of Sorbon in Paris were sounde to haue sit in that seate To let passe [a] Liberius for ambitions sake fell into the Arrian heresie Liberius [b] He while Siluerius the Pope liued by the ayde of Belisarius the captaine of the Emperors armie obteined the popedome Vigilius and [c] He meaneth of Anastasius the 2. who fell into the heresie of Arrius and Eutiches which heresies Acatius also him selfe did propound about the yeere 484. Anastasius whom I see of some to be excused although Gratian. 2. Disti 19. reckeneth this last also as an Acatian heretique amongst the condemned Popes But if any man would obiect that these are blotted out of the number of Byshops and therfore are not comprehended in that title or role of succession yet this he shal be inforced to graunt vs to wit that the succession of the seat of Rome was then at the least broken of when these were therefore blotted out which persons notwithstanding they themselues as yet number in their Catologue because they had declined from the Apostolicall doctrine Whervpon followeth that which Tertulian rightly affirmeth that religion ought to be proued or tried not by the persons Tertulian but the persons by religion But here truly I confesse that I do somwhat ouershoot my self for seeing the question is of doctrine what doth this appertaine to the Byshops of the Churche of Rome whome all Christendome knoweth nowe so manye yeeres to haue beene for nothing lesse carefull then for anye doctrine eyther true or false but onely for to establishe and enlarge theire owne tyrannie But they will say no man hath condēned these Popes I confes it For who would haue taken to himself this lawful authority against their tiranny who had perswaded all men that they ought to be iudged of none Therefore there hath bene not of late onely but many ages together not an interruption but a full abruption or renting of the succession of Rome from the body of the catholique true church except peraduenture these men iudge that it is something lesse eyther to belleeue nothing or to teache nothing than to be an Heretique And I beséeche you what impudencie is this True doctrine ought to go before true succession to haue the knowledge of trueth to hang vpon succession wheras on the contrary these men themselues can not deny but that the trueth ought necessarily to go before succession And these Sophisters The Christian church in the time of Christe coulde not be knovvne by the succession of Persons if they had bene in the times of Christ by what Bishoply succession would they haue acknowledged the true church surely not by the title or name of the Leuiticall high priests because that priesthood was then at an end and Christ cannot be called the successour of Aaron vnlesse Iudaisme be agayne established wherefore also he is sayd to be made a high priest Heb. 7.16.17 not according to the order of Leui but according to the order of Melchisedec Therefore the holy men at that time acknowledged the Catholique church without the marke of personall succession to wit by the comparison of the doctrine of the Prophetes with the doctrine of Christe him selfe and the Apostles Which is so farre true that on the contrarye none haue lesse acknowledged Christe than they that haue cleaued to a Byshoply succession Therefore that personall succession is no true and perpetuall marke of the Catholique Church These men happely beeing driuen from the Leuiticall succession will againe obiect another succession from the Prophetes But neyther so shall they speake the truth if they sticke in the persons them selues for the succession of Prophetes was not perpetuall no more than the succession of Priests yea rather it was broken of a long time especially after Malachie They wil also obiect vnto vs that saying Mat. 23.2 The Scribes Pharises sit in Moses chaire But agayne they shold remember the same Christ to haue said Take heed of the leauen of the Pharisees Mat. 16.6 And therefore by that saying of Christ we are not called backe to a succession of persons but to a succession of doctrine But I haue besides an other thing more peremptorye as they them selues speake to aunswere againste that in which these men falsly boast themselues to followe the authoritie of the Fathers in discrying the church by which thing also their wilines may more and more be made manifest I denie therefore The auncient fathers vsed not the argument of personall succession against all heretiques that any of the auncient fathers haue at any time made mention of this succession but either against Schismatiques whilest
ordination should be iudged of no force who hath not bene lawfully examined and chosen That no Pastors are ordeyned by the laying on of handes but being alredy ordeined are put into the possession of their office and commended vnto God and they that ordeyne suche to be subiect also to very gréeuous punishment And therefore they doe vainely challenge vnto them selues that which is no where found amongst them Moreouer this also they should know that Pastours are not made by the laying on of hands but being ordeined by a lawfull calling which is the voyce of God are so commended and put into the possession of the ministery For wheras they recken this ceremony of laying on of handes amongst sacramentes by the same reason that they recken baptisme and the supper of the Lord we say that it is altogether a vaine dotage seeing there is no expresse commaundement of that ceremonie extant neither is there ioyned vnto it any sacramentall promise neyther doe we reiect eyther this ceremony or iudge to bee vnprofitable the prayers of the church commending and as it were offering vnto God the Pastor that hee hath sent them for the sending of God is a lawful calling But here surely it falleth out with these hypocrites as it hath in other things also to wit that those things being omitted in which a true calling consisteth that is to say the trial of doctrine and of life and a lawfull election of the whole Church they sticke in the outward ceremonie whiche ceremonie also they haue defiled with infinit vicelike rites that I may let passe that horrible sale of benefices and treading vnderfoote of the old cannons made touching the multiplication of benefices as they call them and touching ordination by ouer leaping as they speake of inferior orders And yet notwithstanding they themselues are not ignorant that by the ful consent of the ancient Synodes not onely ordination but also other better parts of a calling are by the meanes iudged of no force That euen a lawfull ordination is not a perpetuall and altogether a necessarye marke of the true church eyther Catholique or particular But goe too let vs put the cafe also that all these men were both lawfullye chosen and ordeined Shal therfore their congregation be the catholique church or not rather a denne of théeues if in abusing their calling they turne lighte into darkenesse and perfourme this one thing alone to make slaues to Sathan the sheepe that shoulde bee brought to Christe And yet if forsooth the head of his false Church doe this as what els I pray you doth he he will not endure this that he may be iudged of any mortall man For so these men haue beene bolde nowe a long time not onely to speake but also to write And if this bee playnely to play the Antichrist what is this Catholique Church I beseech you of which Antichrist is the head Wherefore The conclusion of the whole former disputation of the personal succession ordination that I may at the length conclude this place I suppose that these two thinges doe nowe sufficiently appeare that neither a base succession of persons nor the obseruation of an outwarde vocation is that necessarye and perpetuall marke of the true Churche which the Logitians call proper after the [a] That is whiche agreeth to euery one of the kind onely to the kind and always to the kinde as to be apt to laugh agreeth to all men to men only and alwaies to them and to euerye particuler of that kinde fourth sort Neither although it shoulde be so doe these things at any thing at al belong to the Church of Rome such as now it is that is vnto the Popedome but rather what argumēts soeuer conuince the Churche of Antichrist the same doe so euidently appeare in this Harlot that he that would not acknowledge flye from and detest her as an adultresse forsaken of her husbande truelye A true definition of the true church and a proper necessary and perpetuall marke of the same must either nothing regarde these things or else be without all vnderstanding Nowe because we haue determined not onely to set out the false markes which thinges wee suppose wee haue done but also to poynte out as it were with the finger the true and proper markes of the Church Go to let vs attempt this latter point We say therefore that a true definition of a true Church eyther particularly or vniuersally considered is that by which it is said to be a congregation that confesseth the true Iesus Christe their onely sauiour For we say that Iesus Christe is that onely foundation of that true spirituall house of God Iesus Christ onely is the soule of that misticall bodie Iesus Christe onely is the square of that building The true Christe must be discerned from the false by the onely writinges of the Prophets Apostles The aduersaries will aunswere that they also acknowledge and preache the same thing Therefore we do adde seeing there be many false Christes that we dispute of the true Christe These men also will replie that they haue done and do the same In the third place therefore we adde that he is in deed the true Christ that hath most fully reuealed him selfe by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles And the mouth of the Prophetes and Apostles we interpret to be their authenticall writings wherin we affirme are most fully and moste perfectly comprehended all the pointes of the Christian faith partly plainely and partly by necessary consequences to be gathered thereof For we beléeue it to be as absurd that the true Christ must therefore be perfectly knowne by the writings of the Apostles prophets because they did fully and plainly both knovv and teach the whole Christian religion and the same Prophetes and Apostles do yet in their writinges teach it vnto vs. to thinke that the Apostles were ignorant of some thing of the misteries of christianitie or not to haue reuealed all thinges vnto the worlde both which Tertulian hath iustly accounted verie greate pointes of madnesse as not to haue put in writing all things necessarie to saluation or to be short not so to haue put them downe that either they should not be plaine inough of them selues or if any thing be written somewhat more obscure their true interpretation shoulde be els where sought than out of their very writings But here we haue the aduersaries manifestly disagreeing from vs yet not al neither those which like shamelesnesse For there be that graunt both these thinges that is to say that the Apostles knew perfectly all the doctrine of saluation and taught all the same most faithfully vnto the Church which thing in deed they iustly graunt for as much as Christ him selfe in the 15. of Iohn and the 16.13 witnesseth this in most plaine wordes And Paule in the 21.27 of the Actes Galathians 1.8 Hehrews 1.1 otherwise it shold be false at least in some
part which the same Apostle speaketh to wit That the Church is builded vppon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles And that which he witnesseth of the holy scriptures 2. Timot. 3.16.17 Moreouer that shall be false to which the same Apostle saith That the Churche is the piller of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Vnlesse all truth beeing ingrauen in that piller should be manifest Other some more shamelesse suppose there is left vnto these men whom they call the successours of the Apostles I know not what excellent thing and that they doe affirme so assuredly that they hold they can not be deceiued in that matter whose opinion I suppose néedeth not at this time amongst men of sound iudgement any confutation But in the ouerthrow of these two latter and especially of the last point I perceiue that all these men VVhat we ought to think of the vnwritten word are altogether of one opinion against vs. For they vrge I knowe not what vnwritten worde which they call Apostolicall traditions And verely I do not vnwillinglie graunt vnto them that all thinges were not seuerally put downe in wryting according to the circumstances of times place and persons which were obserued either by the Apostles or by their consent in the very forme and order of the seruice of God But who wil graunt that we must thinke the same of the decrees of the verie doctrine it selfe Finally when the aduersaries are bidden to bring forth what these pointes be then that lying spirit bewraieth himselfe because those thinges which they will haue deliuered from hand to hand could neither by word nor writinges haue bene deliuered by the Apostles but they should dissent from themselues But euen al the fathers of sound iudgement haue iudged farre other wise of the most excellent and moste sound perfection of the holy scriptures with whose testimonies being a thousand times alleadged I thought it not good now to fill these leaues There remayneth the question to be handled The interpretation of the vvritten vvord is not else vvhere to be fet then from the vvorde it selfe to wit by comparing of the places one vvith another and out of the analogie or proportion of the articles of our fayth touching the interpretation of the scripture Which truely is so tossed to and fro by these men that they cannot eschew the sinne of blasphemie There be I confesse some places of the scripture partly through the ignorance of tongs partly also throgh other faults of our owne so dark vnto vs euen vntil this day that as yet euen the most learned interpreters and such as be of best cōscience cannot thoroughly agrée what should be the proper natural meaning thereof There be some thinges also in the holy scriptures so profoundly spoken that euery one maye not lawfullye procéede so farre To be short there be some things also written in such terms that as Augustin saith it shold appeare the holy ghost would whet our diligence in the serching and meditating of them And vnlesse the necessarie points of doctrine and Christian religion were so playnely and clearly to be short so familiarly declared in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles that they may be the holy ghost being presēt amongst them whereby God lightneth all his sayntes manifestly vnderstoode in the Church to what end shoulde the Lorde haue sent his hearers to the scriptures Yea that more is to what ende haue both the Prophets and Christe himselfe also and the Apostles spoken if they would not haue these thinges to be vnderstood which all ought to know I will speake something more boldly which yet I hope I can proue VVe cannot by naturall vnderstanding knovv vvhat the pointes of Christian religion are but by the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles That we may consent vnto the points of Christian religion as vnto true groundes and muche more that wee may applye them vnto our selues it behooueth surely that wee shoulde haue our eares elsewhere opened a fleshly bea rt giuen vs to be short that we should elsewhere be taught tban of flesh and blood because the church is the congregation of them that must be taught of God to whome the arme of the Lord is reuealed Esai 53.1 and that men may vnderstand what the Prophetes and Apostles haue briefly thought and taught concerning euery article of our religion they haue neede not onely of a wit in some measure sharpened but also of the knowledge of tongues and of careful and diligent reading For it is one manner of thing to vnderstande what this or that man sayth then so to vnderstand the things which thou doest perceiue that thou also approue of them Comprehension knowledge and full perswasiō must be distinguished in the holy scriptures of which that to wit comprehension is naturall the other is in deede spiritual but also commō to many reprobates The third is proper to the children of God and not onely that thou vnderstand what the thing is but also wherefore it is and comprehension is another thing than knowledge euen in prophane matters and agayne in matter of diuinity this knowledge is another thing than full perswasion therefore comprehension belongeth vnto all men that are endued with some iudgement and vnto knowledge there is required also an outwarde lightning of Gods spirite by reason of the blindenes of mans iudgment which gift notwithstanding is common as well to many euil as to many good men But ful perswasion doth seperate the chosen children of God from the castawayes and is the proper riches of the Saintes Therefore we require In what points we doe at this day dissent when the question is demaunded touching the interpretation of Gods word the exposition of the worde of God not onely as profitable but also as necessary yet not for the same cause as these mē thinke neither yet wil wee fet it from the place frō whome these men suppose we wil take it for they think that that worde is so darkly deliuered that as thogh it were some darke thing it should neede light fetcht elsewhere then from it selfe and when we demand of them from whence at the length this light should be fet thē they lay vnto vs the vizard or bare shewe of the Catholique Church vnder which name somtimes they lay before the ignorant these or those of the Fathers sometimes the fragments of particular or general counsels to bee short they lay before them very often long custom for an argument that cannot bee refused to which thinges if a man doe not forthwith consent he is now layde open to the slaughter of the outragious people no knowledge of his cause beeing had before as thogh he were guilty of some haynous crime committed against God or man wheras in times past he was condemned to bee burned vnder some certaine colour of law And in deede this is now their zeale But we that we may in one word declare all thinges which belong to this
shall be truely gathered together in his name And to speake in fewe wordes where that true seede is sowen there is the Lords field and there that haruest groweth which shall neuer be burned But againe because it falleth out partly thorough the weaknesse of mans wit euen in the moste excellent men partly through the wickenesse or negligence of the pastors that scarce at any time since the time of the Apostles the doctrine of Christ hath beene so preached in the Church but that some blemish hath priuely crept in which thing appeareth to bee done euen by the Epistles of the Apostles and that whilest they also were liuing Finally because the Lord hath apointed not onely that the worde shoulde be taught but also that it shoulde not be taught of euery man And for this cause hath appointed certaine lawes touching this order I must here again declare two things to wit how farre it shoulde be necessarie that that onely marke of the true Church that is to say the preaching of Gods worde shoulde be pure and how much we should giue to the ordination and succession of the Pastors themselues Therefore How farre it is necessary that the doctrine of fayth should be pure in the Church that the Church eyther particular or general may be a true church as touching that former point I put downe three thinges One is that although there be nothing set out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures which is not most profitable and verie necessary as it were vnto saluation yet there are certaine chiefe points and as it were grounds of our religion which are to be discerned from the rest The second point is that there haue beene some matters which in times past haue beene rudimentes of the Catholique Churche and may in other times also be rudiments of some particular churches yet for all that those points cease not to belong to the true Churche The third is that the religion and marke of the Churche either vniuersall or particular is not to be measured by some thing that this or that Pastor teacheth by worde or writing neither by that that some sheepe by them selues haue thought this Or by the disputations of some whether they be many or few but by that doctrine which is commonly receiued in the Churches so that it be agreable to the word of God That all the points of christian religion are not of the foundation thereof Now because these questions are called into controuersie go to let vs confirme them by sure reasons examples As touching the firste the thing it selfe sheweth that there may be variaunce touching some things yet the soundation of christian religion remaine safe And againe some things cannot be taken away but that the whole building be vtterly ouerthrown He that denieth Christ to haue come in the fleshe Iohn 4.3 is not of God but is the spirit of Antichrist Therefore the companies of the * They denied Christ to haue come in the flesh Dochitae of the * The Marcionistes of whome he speaketh here did hold that Christ was not true man Marcionits and of such like be not the Church of Christe whereby it is prooued that the point touching both the natures of Christe is an article of Christian religion belonging to the foundation Againe the Churche of Ierusalem wherin who was better learned than Peter knew not the calling of the vncircumcised and yet what true Churche was there then in the worlde if the Church of Ierusalem were not it Therefore the point concerning the calling of the vncircumcised is not of it selfe of the points of Christian religion which concerne the foundation Therfore there is some difference betweene those thinges which are set forth vnto vs in the scriptures to be beléeued The second also may be prooued by a more euident example For who doubteth That there are some rudiments of particular Churches VVhich thing also in times past fall out in the Catholique church but that if euer there were any where a true and almost onely and wholy Catholique Churche that was Christes owne houshold being conuersaunt and that according to the fleshe with those his twelue disciples Who likewise is ignoraunt that the point of the resurrection the foundation wherof is the resurrection of Christ himselfe is of so great waight that the Apostle doth rightly pronounce that that beeing abolished the whole fruit of the Gospell shoulde be abolished but that very congregation could scarce beleue that Christ was yet risen And Thomas gaue not credite to his own very fellow disciples yea the disciples would not haue beléeued euen their owne verye eyes if the Lorde had not sayd Luke 24.39 VVe may not determine of the falshood or truth of any church by the doubting of either many or few A spirit hath not flesh and bones And that third thing is confirmed by the examples of the Churches of Achaia and Galatia which doubtlesse the Apostle would not haue called the churches of Christ and therefore true churches if hee had therfore thought that the church of Corinth had denied that article of the resurrection of the flesh the churches of Galatia had reiected the benefite of their liberty purchased by Christe because some in Corinth yea perhaps some of the pastors themselues did doubt of the poynte of the resurrection and the most part of the Galathians called backe agayn the vse of circumcision and other ceremonies seeing that yet notwithstanding Gal. 5.2 the same Paul sayth If ye be circumcised Christ doth profite you nothing and seeing that he affirmeth that those which vrged circumcision not of ignoraÌ„ce but of stubbornnes they were remoued alway vnto another gospel Gal. 1.6 Phil. 3.2 therefore he openly calleth theÌ„ Apostatates or fallers away and compareth them to Dogs that is to say to vncleane beastes But it is an other thing to erre through igâ—â—â—aunce than obstinately to resist the truth as wiful fellowes are wont Heresie which is without the Church if it be of some point of the religion that toucheth the foundation is an other thing than being deceiued or an error which requireth and suffereth it selfe to be taught To be shorte the Eclipse of the Sunne is an other thing than the absence of the same and the euening is an other thing than the darkenesse of the night yea the night it selfe which the day succeedeth is an other thing than the darknesse were Gen. 1.2 when they couered the depth These things then being put downe That some errours may creepe into the Catholique church yea and that in some point of faith which concerneth the foundation it shal be easie to iudge that euery error doth not take away the name of the true church and with al that to be most false which the aduersaries say to wit that the Catholique Church caÌ„not erre and yet that euery error doth not abolish the name of the Catholike Church For as touching this latter point if
of the Apostles as they call it But Gelasius the Pope him selfe doth recken these Canons amongst the writinges counted Apocrapha to wit I suppose at the least for the titles sake For he must needes be too impudent that woulde deny these Canons to haue bene made in more ages than one so farr is it of that ridiculous inuention attributed to I cannot tel to what Clement and lately published in Greeke and Latin in which the Apostles are brought in one by one establshing these matters may bee allowed of any man that is of any sound sense or iudgement But to what end should we handle these thinges so largely That the Euangelists were aboue the ministers of which we speake for otherwise Peter the Apostle calleth euen him selfe a fellow minister with thē 1. Pet. 5.1 these men dare not deny because the Apostle him selfe setteth them before Pastors and Doctors Ephe. 4.11 But euen Paul him selfe witnesseth that Timothie not appointed a Bishop to Ephesus or any other Churche but an Euangelist and the companion of Paule the Apostle did not receiue the imposition or laying on of handes no not from Paule him selfe but from the presbiterie that is from the companie or felowshippe of Elders Wherfore if these men that mind to defend the false bishoply tyrannie be disposed to reason let thē dispute not with Geminianus as the ciuil lawiers are wont to say but with Paul him selfe We verely thinke those to be lawfully ordayned who hauing according to the Apostles rule and exact inquirie of their doctrine and maners going before and a free and holy election by the consent of the whole Churche which they are to gouerne are consecrated and dedicated to God by solemne prayes and the very rite of laying on of handes vsed if men shall so thinke good but yet simple and of it selfe and not defiled with any traditions of men Now seeing these things are so The conclusion of the vvhole Treatie I say that the fauourers of the false Romishe Churche doe in vayne set out or obiect those three notes of the Church to wit succession méerely personall a calling sundred from the doctrine of the Apostles and the laying on of hands And I say this both because that none of these by it selfe can be either a true or simple necessary or perpetuall note of the vniuersal Church and also because that though it were so yet that no one of these notes at all can be founde in the false Romishe Church which doth notwithstanding cal hir selfe though most falsely the vniuersall Church and on the other side I affirme that that onely true necessary and perpetuall marke of the Catholique Churche that is to say that doctrine which is most perfectly contayned in the wrytings of the Prophetes and Apostles doth once agayne shine bright and cleere in our Churches and to be shorte that the very personall succession vocation and ordination of the holy and right ministrie are restored in the same our Churches and that we haue not forsaken Syon but haue fled out of Babylon as the Lorde warneth vs Reuel 18.4 that wee haue not rent in sunder the Church but following Pauls fact in the Church of Ephesus mentioned Acts. 19.9 haue seperated Disciples to the Lord and that we haue not by the example of Ieroboam 2. King 16.10 c. or the Donatistes set vp altar against altar but casting the altar brought from Damascus out of the Lordes house we haue begun to restore the true and sincere worship of God which worke also I hope although Sathan do by his ministers set himselfe against the same both within the Church and without it shall yet notwithstanding when that sonne of perdition 2. Thes 2.8 shall at the last be thorowly ouerthrowen by the spirit of Gods mouth be blessedly atchieued and finished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imprinted at London by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-barre in the Stronde neere vnto Somet-set house