either Civill or Naturall or Written in the word I say these Particulars only notwithstaÌ„ding this Commandement are permitted to men to appoint or to change againe at their discretion In this text then there are 3. points to be noted 1. The matter 2. The Author 3. The respect due from vs vnto the matter heere contained The matter is the whole spirituall Meanes of worshipping the true God And namely the Outward spirituall meanes that is Gods Visible Church his Ministery his whole Outward Worship and Service 2. The Author of all this is precisely determined viz. God himselfe and no Man 3. Such Inventions of men must haue from Gods people no reverence but Gods owne ordinances must And thus this 2. Commandement is truly vnderstood To this effect likewise â—re many other places of Scripture excellent expositions and interpretations of this maine Commaundement As “ Deu. 12 32 Whatsoever I commaund you take heed that you do it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom * Isa 30.21 This is the way walke ye in it turne not to the right hande nor to the left “ Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect § Psal 119.113 I hate vaine inventions but thy lawe doe I love “ Nomb. 15.39 Yee shall have fringes that when ye looke vpon them ye may remember all the commandements of the Lord and do them and that yee seeke not after your owne heart nor after your owne eyes after the which ye go a whoring * Matt. 15.13 Every plant that my heavenly father hath not planted shal be rooted vp “ 2. Tim. 3.16.17 The whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God making the man of God perfect vnto every good worke * Ioh. 16.13 The holy Ghost shall lead you into all trueth “ Gal. 3.15 No maÌ„ adde to any thing to a mans Testament much lesse may we adde vnto Christes Testament Which is only the holy Scriptures of the Apostles and nothing els in the world Lastly * Rom. 16.17.18 Marke them which make schismes and offenses “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scâ— Gal. 1.8 1. Cor. 3 1â— Besides the doctrine which you haue learned and avoid them For such seruenot the Lord Iesus Christ c. With manie other mo places to the same purpose Out of all which this doctrine remaineth cleare and firme that all Humane inventions or Vnwritten Traditions Ecclesiasticall are directly contrarie to Gods woord Yea being but Beside the Scripture they are flatly contrarie to it in these places And therfore Gods owne word which is only the holy Scriptures as was before noted ought to be religiouslie beleeved and held to be for vs as a most perfect and absolute demonstration of all things whatsoever being properlie and simplie Ecclesiasticall or religious Which was the speciall end and vse they were given for As likewâ—se they were given vnto the Iewes even to be so absolute and perfect for them ever since God did give them any holy Scripture From which groundes principall places of Gods worâ—e thus declared we will now conclude and frame our first Reason Reason 1 IF we have Diocesan and Provinciall Churches vsing governement Ministeries or Offices proper to them and also Ceremonies that is Rites now in controversie all which are Inventions Traditions vtterly without the Scripture Vnwritten Traditions then we have some reputed Churches as touching their outward visible forme and ministeries and Ceremonies contrarie to Gods worde But we haue Diocesan Provinciall Churches vsing government their proper Offices viz. the Provinciall Diocesan * viz. as they inflict Ecclesiasticall Censures high Commission Provinciall and Diocesan Ruling Bishops also controverted Ceremonies which are all Ecclesiastical vnwritten Traditions no wayes contained in but cleane beside the Scripture Therefore they are contrarie to these places of Gods word they are simply evill of necesitie the other viz. the Parish Churches in England ought to bee reformed freed and cleered of them all Where it is first to be noted Note 1 that alâ— those forenamed matters Ecclesiasticall or any other els which may or can be lawfull are and ought to be coÌ„taineâ— in the Scripture either expreslie or by necessarie consequence Otherwise we affirme they are meerely Humane Inventions Traditions contrarie to the Scripture Note II Reputed Visible Churches of divers kindes Againe it is to be noted that in the esâ—imation of men a Visible Church that is which is indued with power of Spirituall outward governement is of diâ—ers formes and natures Nevertheles in trueth and in veâ—ie deed Christ hath ordeined for vs only one kinde of a Visible Church in his worde And this only ought to be allowed and believed to be a true Church by all Christians For who is it that can or ever could make any societie of people to be a Visible Church but Christ onely Some men esteeme the Vniversal nomber of professed Christians in the world to be one visible Church calling it the Catholike or Vniversal visible Church And the Catholikes taking holde hereof do conclude that likewise there is ought to be one Catholike and vniversall governement Ecclesiasticall vnto which all other Churches and their governments must be subordinate But in Gods worde there is no such visible Church nor governement anie where to be found This is meerly devised by the witte and will of men Againe men esteeme a whole Nation professing the Gospell to be one visible Church and they call it a National church Likewise a Province a Provincial church and a Diocese a Diocesan Church But none of these likewise can be found in the whole new TestameÌ„t of Christ Only a Particular ordinary constant Congregation of Christians in Christes Testament is appointed and reckoned to be a visible Church Particular Parishionall Churches are the onely true Visible Churches And therefore so standeth the case now heere with vs in England also and so we ought to esteeme it The which that it may more clearelie appeare to be true I have thought good to sett downe this brief Table following wherein all the divers and sundrie senses of a Church in the * We speak not of the Iewes churche vnder the Law which wee knowe was Nationall only one in the world vnder one High Priest Which were Figures and are ceased Such also was that One Church in the wildernes Acts 7.38 which was yet nevertheles but one particular Assembly aâ—â—o in one plate gathered to geather so neere as such a multitude could be Exod 19 11 c. New Testament are plainlie distinctlie shewed And yet none of the 4. forenamed visible Churches as some do repute them are any where there to be found A Table briefly shewing all the divers and sundry significations in the New Testament of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which coÌ„monly we translate a Church Wherein we may easily see which is the onâ—â—e true and
only by his Priestly Office that is only by the Sacrifice of his owne sufferings yet he worketh our Salvation and accomplisheth his Mediation not but by all these 3. his Offices iointly togeather So that it is the error of a nomber who thinke to beleeve only that Christ dyed for vs this is enough to salvation We need not to regard in Christ any more Whereby men coÌ„monlie forget the other partes of Christes glorious worke toward vs viz. his holy compleat Doctrine and Governement But both these also ought to be believed yeelded vnto the person of our Saviour Christ intirely wholy even in respect as he is our Saviour Mediator no lesse then the other that he perfectly suffered for vs as our Redeemer This is well to be considered The Assumption our adversaries do make to be true For they take froÌ„ Christ personally a manifest part of his Propheticall Office and likewise of his Kingly Office It is a part of Christes owne proper Propheticall Office to teach vs with authoritie by him selfe * Proved in Reason 1. pa. 1.2 c. And Heb. 3.2 3 â— 6. Math. 17.5 Iohn 14.6 and 16.13 alone in his owne word and Testament the outward forme nature and constitution which is but one of all his Visible Churches whether in Countries rich or poore Monarchies or Democraties c likewise all the true Ecclesiasticall Offices and Ministeries in them with every kinde of action and thing properly Ecclesiasticall vsed in the Church or where soever els Religiously Also it is a part of his proper Kinglie Office “ Matth. 6.33 and 22.2 c. Luke 19.14 27. Iam. 4.12 1 Cor. 12.5 Mat. 18.17 Iohn 20.23 by him selfe to constitute and inioyne the singular and only true forme of all his Visible Churches and to admit whersoever none other spiritually to rule to guide and to blesse vs in them only by his owne Ministeries and Ordinances instituted by him selfe or by his Spirite in his Apostles and by none other All which the foresaide Diocesesan ruling Bishops c. do take from Christ himselfe personally and do * D. Whit-gift against Mai. Cart-wright pa. 370.376 permit them vnto Men. Saying it is indifferent and somwhere somtimes convenient for Christians thus to do Therefore the Assumption is true It wil be said if this be so then likewise the ancient Writers Austine Ambrose Chrysostome Leo Gregorie c. did erre in faith to salvation and believed not som partes of the fundamentall Offices of Christ our Savior For those ancientes did hold sundry Ecclesiasticall Inventions of men besides that they were theÌ„selves Diocesan ruling Bishops Wherefore by this reason they diminished not a little of our Saviors most holy healthfull Offices both Propheticall and Kingly Which to affirme wil be very hard The same must be saide likewise of our late blessed Martyrs Cranmer Ridley Latimer Ferrar c. I answer we embrace these holy men of God both the elder and later for their other manifolde testimonies of pietie Therefore we iudge them as faithfull servantes of Christ according to that measure of light wherein they lived That is they did generally and indistinctly beleeve and professe soundly all the whole Offices of Christ to salvatioÌ„ Yet true it is they erred in these foresaid external partes pertayning to Christes Prophecie and Kingdome through the common sway of the times then the Mysterie of iniquitie that is Antichrist advancing it selfe daylie very much even by them and by these their errors though they for their partes were vnwitting vnwilling The case thus standing with them we are not to doubt but these their errors though of them selves very great were graciously pardoned in Christ chiefly considering that these matters were not then examined nor any thing looked into which with vs now these 40. yeeres have ben much debated tried and sifted Yea and by Gods worde are so cleerlie discovered that we must needes now say He that is ignorant let him be ignorant stil and he that is perverse let him be perverse still Wherefore the condition of our Diocesan L. Bishops c. in England is farre vnlike at this day and in no sorte to be compared with that of those Bishops then Ours have no excuse which they might have Cyprian saieth well in such another case * Cypri Epi. 2.3 Si quis de antecessoribus nostris vel ignoranter vel simpliciter non hoc observavit tenuit quod nos Dominus facere exemplo Magisterio suo docuit potest simplicitati eius de indulgeÌ„tiâ Domini venia concedi nobis verò non poterit ignosci qui nunc à Domino admoniti instructi sumus If any before vs either ignorantly or simply hath not observed and kept that which the Lord by his example doctrine hath taught vs to do by the Lords mercy his simplicitie may be pardoned but we cannot be forgiven who are now warned and instructed of the Lord. Yet some will say We can not shew any such forme of a Visible Church somtime for many hundreds of yeares togeather Shall we then thinke that this is Christs perpetuall ordinance I answere first for 2. hundred yeares after Christ there is no man can shew any other forme of a Visible Church but this any where in the whole world as in the next Assertion presently God willing we shall further see Which beside the all-sufficient word of God is an excellent testimonie also neither need we looke further into Humane writinges for the perpetuall necessitie heereof Second they who list to search may finde argumentes of divers particular Congregations being intire Visible Churches in all ages I thinke Howbeit what is that to vs Must the Christian faith or any part of it stand or fall by the report of Mens stories Or may we in this case conclude from them Negatively Mens writings mention not such a Church at somtime Therfore then there was none And specially to inferre thus Therefore this is not Christs ordinance alwayes necessarie for vs. To esteeme mens writings so sufficient as that by them we should prove or disprove a matter of Religion I say it is verie foolish at the least Finally our Adversaries will obiect that by these Assertions and defences we detract from the Kings authoritie power namely thus misliking that which he alloweth specially holding an authority Ecclesiasticall not derived from him I answer even so did evill slanderous men accuse the faithfull Christians in the primitive age They cryed that * Act. 17. â—â— These all do against the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King one Iesus Our reply therefore vnto them for this shall stand in 4. points 1. We most gladlie do * Math. 20.21 give vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars but to God the things that are Gods “ Tertul. ad Scapulaâ—â— 2. Colimus Imperatorem vt hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem We honor the King as
in Scotland is “ To the Reader the only true forme of Gods worship which we vnderstand as spoken in this respect that they professe to renounce all humane Traditions therein For these thinges have those evill Beastes maliciously reproched his Maiestie as if this were worthy of no better name then a Puritan opinion In deed for this only opinion thus they have and do still revile vs. But we commit the iudgement heereof to the Lord. Wherefore finallie let vs observe heere in regard of the premisses that godly wise and necessarie counsell of Peter Martyr a man of worthy memory Saith he * Martyr Epist ad Dom. Polo Consulo praeterea vt Disciplinam quanto ocyùs fieri poterit in vestras Ecclesias omninò invehatis c. I counsaill you moreover that as soone as possible may be you bring in the Discipline wholy into your Churches For if it be not receaved at the beginning when men are whot in love with the Gospell it will not be easily lett in afterward when som coldnes shall creepe in as vsually it commeth to passe And how vainely men labour without it England described very many Churches may be an example vnto you which from the foundations of their restoring when they would not vndergo so healthfull a yoke they could never after in their life and maners be brought into order by any rule Whence it is with grief I speake it that all thinges almost have little firmenes and do threaten ruine on every side Therefore it is a grievous dammage and a certayne destruction of the Churches if the sinew of discipline be wanting vnto them Neither may they be said truly and soundly to have and professe the Gospell which either want the Discipline or despise it or have no desire of it Surely seeing it is delivered vs with so great diligence in the Gospells and Apostles Epistles we must confesse it to be not the least part of Christian Religion Whereby it commeth to passe that the Gospell seemeth to be neglected by them who do put away from theÌ„ so excellent a part thereof c. Thus say these learned men Howbeit yet our Adversaries do will accuse vs that we are Schismatikes and Seditious in refusing the Diocesan Bishops authoritie and rule Ecclesiasticall which is publikely receaved But we answer It is no sedition nor disloyaltie at all it is no misbehaviour against the King dutifully to endevour that those partes of Christes Gospell which yet are wanting should be entertayned among vs that Christes true Visible Churches should be acknowledged and regarded as by Gods word they ought to be that in theÌ„ Christs owne spirituall ordinances and none other should be established Nay it were disloyaltie against the King and his estate to endevour otherwise Againe touching Schisme 1. We affirme with the Canonistes Non separatio sed causa facit Schismaticum Not separation but the cause maketh a Schismatike Wherefore it behoveth all wise men to see where the cause is 2. Then we affirme proove that our adversaries themselves do cause or make the Schisme which in deed is amongst vs. For the Apostle saith They make Schismes who teach any thing Ecclesiastical * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.17 beside the doctrine which the Apostles left vs they ought to be avoyded Now our Adversaries do teach and vrge all their forenoted Traditions most evidently besides the Apostles doctrine and ordinances Yea verily contrary vnto them as before we have shewed Whereby it is manifest who are in deed the Schismaticks and to be refused To which purpose also Cyprian witnesseth saying “ Cypr. de Lapsiâ— Non Ecclesiae iungitur qui ab Evangelio separatur He that differeth from the Gospell ioyneth not to the Church but schismeth from it And Augustin †Aug. coÌ„â— Peril 2.25 Vtrum Schismatici nos sumus an vos nec ego nec tu sed Christus interrogetur vt indicet Ecclesiam suam Lege ergo Evangelium respondet tibi c. Whether we or you be Schismatickes aske not me nor your selves but aske Christ that be may shew his owne Church Read the Gospell therefore and it answereth thee c. Againe * De Vnitâ— Eccle cap. 3 Ibi quaeramus Ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram Nolo humanis documentis sed divinis oraculis sanctam Ecclesiam demonstrari “ Contr. Crescon Gram. 1.33 Ecclesiam sine vlla ambiguitate sancta scriptura demonstrat There in the New Testament let vs seeke the Church There let vs examine our cause I cannot abide that the holy Church should be shewed by mens doctrines but by the Divine Oracles The holy Scriptures do demonstrat the Church without any doubt * Chrysost operis imperfect Hom â—3 Ecclesia cognâ—scitur tantummodò per Scripturas Onely by the Scriptures is the Church knowen And another saith †Basil de confes sid Manifesta â—st 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Fide Superbiae crimen aut reprobare quid exijs quae sâ—ripta sunt aut aliquid superinducere ex non scriptis It is a manifest falling away from the faith a sinne of pride either to refuse any thing of that which is written or to bring in any thing besides that which is written Againe Cyprian saith * Cypr. epi. 2.3 No other thing ought to be don of vs then that which our Lord for vs hath don before vs. “ Epist 1.7 Whosoever gathereth from any other ground he scattereth It is adulterous it is impious it is sacrilegious whatsoever it be which mad men do institute violating thereby the Divine or dinance And againe †Ad Pomp. Vnde est ista Traditio Whence commeth this Tradion speaking namely of an outward Ecclesiasticall custom Whether is it from the Lords authoritie in the Gospells or from the Apostles preceptes and Epistles Where his meaning in brief is that every such that is Ecclesiasticall Vnwritten Tradition whatsoever ought to be vtterly reiected These Reasons I had Christian Reader which long since perswaded me in this cause Wherfore I was moved in conscience to communicate them to Gods people now in this seasonable and necessary time Considering that these things are farre from matters indifferent or arbitrarie but are in deed very greatly importing the common salvation Besides we have ben often vehemently provoked therevnto And the present opportunitie exacteth it at our handes as all men do vnderstand To God only wise be praise through Iesus Christ for ever Rom. 16.27 Via vna cor vnum AN EXHORTATION To all the godly learned and faithfull Pastors of the severall Churches in England HENRY IACOB Minister of Gods word wisheth grace and peace to be multiplied in CHRIST IESVS BRETHREN my hearts desire prayer to God for the People of England is that they may be saved And this you know well can not be attained ordinarily with comfortable firme assurance in Gods Promises vnto vs but by