of the church of Christe as the Popish pastors do falsely boast to ordeine new lawes and to broach new opinions For the doctrine whiche was deliuered to the apostls of Christ is simply to be receiued of the church and simply and purely to be deliuered of the pastours to the church whiche is the congregation of such as beléeue the word of Christe And who knoweth not that it is sayde by the Prophete All men are lyars God only is true And the church is the piller and ground of truth bycause as it stayeth vpon the truth of the Scriptures euen so it publisheth none other doctrine than is deliuered in the scriptures neither receiueth it being published And who is he that will challenge to him selfe the glorie due vnto God onely God is the onely lawegiuer to all mankinde especially in those thinges which perteine to religion and a blessed life For Esaie sayth The Lorde is our iudge the Lord is our lawegiuer the Lorde is our king and he him selfe shal be our Sauiour And S. Iames also saythe There is one lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy God challengeth this thing as proper to him selfe to rule those that are his with the lawes of his word ouer whome he only hath authoritie of life and death Moreouer those lawes can not be godly whiche presume to prescribe and teache fayth and the seruice of God after their owne fancie The doctrine concerning fayth and the worship of God vnlesse it be heauenly is nothing lesse than that which it is sayd to be God only teacheth vs what is true fayth and what worship he delighteth in And therefore in Matthewe the sonne of God pronounceth out of Esaie In vayne doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commaundementes of men Ioyne herevnto also that from the newe constitutions of men there springeth alwayes vp a wonderfull neglecting yea and contempt of the word of God and of heauenly lawes For through our owne traditions as the Lorde also sayth in the Gospell we goe astraye and despise the commaundements of God. Nowe since it is manifest from whence the Pastour or doctour must fetche his doctrine to wit from no other place than out of the Scripture of the old and new Testament which is the infallible and vndoubted word of God and that therefore this doctrine is certeine and immutable There remaineth nowe also something to be spoken of the manner of teaching which the teacher or pastor of the Churche ought to followe And here I will onely briefly touche the shorte summe or effect of matters Afore all other thinges therefore it is required of Pastours that continually they account that to be spoken vnto them whiche the Apostle commanded to be often tolde to Archippus Take heede to the ministerie that thou haste receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it And moreouer 〈◊〉 they neuer turne away their eies from that liuely picture of a good and euill shepehearde whiche Ezechiel that famous Prophete setteth out after this manner Thus sayth the Lorde God woe be vnto the shepeheardes of Israel that feede them selues shoulde not the shepeheards feede the flocks ye eate the fat ye cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the shepe the weak haue ye not strengthened the sicke haue ye not healed neither haue ye bound vp the broken nor brought againe that whiche was driuen away neyther haue ye sought that whiche was lost but with crueltie and with rigour haue ye ruled them And againe I will feede my sheepe sayth the Lord God I will seeke that whiche was lost and bring againe that whiche was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feede them with iudgement Hereby we gather that it is the duetie of a good Pastour or shepeheard to féde and not to deuour the flocke to minister not to exercise dominion to séeke the safetie of his shéepe not his priuate gaine and also to séeke out againe the lost shéepe that is to say to bring again such as can not abide the truth and wander in the darkenesse of errous home to the church and vnto the light of the trueth and to restore and bring back againe the shéep that is driuen or chased away to wit such as are separated from the felowship of the Saintes or godly for some priuate affections sake to heale or binde vp such as are broken For he meaneth the wounds of sinnes whiche Ieremie also commaundeth to heale and to be short to strengthen the weake and féeble shéep and not altogether to treade them vnder foote and to bridle such shéepe as be strong that is to say men flourishing in vertues least they be proude and puffed vp with the giftes of God and so fall away But let him thinke that these thinges can not be perfourmed but through sounde and continuall teaching deriued oute of GOD his worde The manner of teaching extendeth it selfe to publique and priuate doctrines By publique doctrine the Pastour eyther catechiseth that is to say instructeth them that be younglings in religion or other whiche are grounded therein To the younglings or ignoraunt sorte he openeth the principles of true religion For Catechesis or the fourme of Catechising comprehendeth the groundes or principles of fayth and Christian doctrine to wit the chiefe pointes of the couenaunt the tenne commaundements the Articles of fayth or Apostles Créede the Lordes prayer and a briefe exposition of the Sacramentes The auncient churches had Catechisers appoynted properly to this charge And the Lorde commendeth vnto vs bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe with great earnestnesse the charge of the youth commaunding vs to instruct them both betimes and also diligently in true religion Moreouer he setteth out great rewardes and grieuous punishments in that behalfe Assuredly no profite or fruite is to bee looked for in the Churche of those hearers that are not perfectly instructed in the principles of religion by Catechising for they knowe not of what thing the Pastor in the Churche speaketh when they heare the couenaunt the commaundement the lawe grace fayth prayer and the sacraments to be named Therefore if in any thing then in this ought greatest diligence to be vsed The doctrine whiche apperteyneth to the perfecter sorte is specially occupyed in the exposition of holy Scripture It may appeare out of the writings of the old bishops that it was the custome in that happie and most holie primitiue churche to expounde vnto the Churches not certeine parcels of the Canonicall bookes neyther some chosen places out of them but the whole bookes as well of the newe Testament as the olde And in so doing there came no small fruite vnto the Churches As at this day also we sée by experience that Churches can not be better instructed nor more vehemently stirred vppe
he was conceiued by the holy ghost and borne of the virgin he tooke vpon him flesh and soule and sense that is he tooke on him very man neither lost he what he was but began to be what he was not so yet that in respect of his owne properties he is perfect God and in respect of ours he is verie man For he which was God is borne man and he which is borne man doth woorke myracles as God and he that woorketh myracles as God doeth die as a man and hee that dieth as man doeth rise againe as god Who in the same flesh wherein he was borne and suffered and died and roase againe did ascende to the father and sitteth at his right hande in the glorie which he alwayes had and yet stil hath By whose death and bloud we beleeue that we are clensed and that at the latter day we shall be raised vp againe by him in this flesh wherein we now liue And we hope that we shall obteine a reward for our good deedes or else the paine of euerlastinge punishment for our sinnes Reade this beleeue this holde this submit thy soule to this faith and thou shalt obteine life and a rewarde at Christ his hande S. Peter Bishop of Alexandria taught and beleeued the verie same with the blessed Athanasius and Damasus as it may be gathered out of the 37. chapter of the 7. booke and the 14. chapter of the 8. booke of the Tripartite historie The Jmperiall decree for the Catholique faith taken out of the Tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 7. THE noble Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius to the people of the citie of Constantinople We will all people whom the royall authoritie of our clemencie doth rule to be of that religion which the religion brought in by Peter him selfe doeth at this time declare that S. Peter the Apostle did teach to the Romanes and which it is euident that byshop Damasus and Peter the byshop of Alexandria a man of Apostolicall holinesse do followe that is that according to the discipline of the Apostles and doctrine of the Euangelistes in the equalitie of the maiestie and in the holy Trinitie we beleeue that there is but one godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste Those which keepe this lawe we commaunde to haue the name of catholique Christians But for the other whom we iudge to be madde out of their wits we wil that they susteining the infamie of hereticall doctrine be punished firste by Gods vengeaunce and after that by punishment according to the motion of our mindes which we by the will of God shall thinke best of Giuen the thirde of the Calendes of March at Thessalonica Gratian the fifte Valentinian andTheodosius Aug. Coss FINIS THE FIRST TABLE CONTEYning the arguments and summe of euery Sermon as they follow one an other in euerie Decade throughout the body of the whole booke The first number is referred to the Sermon the second to the Page where it beginneth The first Tome and first the summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the first Decade 1 OF the worde of God the cause of it and howe and by whome it was reuealed to the world Page 1. 2 Of the worde of God to whome and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse 14 3 Of the sense and right exposition of the worde of God by what manner of meanes it may be expounded 23 4 Of true fayth from whēce it commeth that it is an assured beliefe of the mynde whose only stay is vpon GOD and his worde 30 5 That there is one onely true fayth and what the vertue thereof is 40 6 That the faythfull are iustified by fayth without the law and workes 44 7 Of the first articles of the Christian faith conscined in the Apostles Creede 55 8 Of the latter Articles of the Christian faith conteyned in the Apostles Creede 67 9 Of the latter Articles of the Christian fayth conteyned in the Apostles Creede 77 10 Of the loue of God and our neighbour 91 ¶ The summe or contents of the tenne Sermons of the second Decade 1 OF lawes and first of the lawes of Nature then of the lawes of men 100 2 Of Gods lawe and of the two first commaundements of the first table 109 3 Of the third precept of the tenne commaundements and of Swearing 126 4 Of the fourthe precept of the first table that is of the order and keeping of the Sabboth day 136 5 Of the first precept of the second table which is in order the fift of the tenne commaundementes touching the honour due to parents 144 6 Of the seconde precept of the second table which is in order the sixte of the tenne Commaundements Thou shalt not kill And of the magistrate 163 7 Of the office of the Magistrate whether the care of religion apperteineth to him or no whether he may make lawes and ordinaunces in cases of religion 177 8 Of iudgement and the office of the Iudge That Christians are not forbidē to iudge Of reuengement and punishment Whether it be lawfull for a magistrate to kill the guiltie Wherefore when howe what the magistrate muste punishe Whether he may punish offenders in religion or no. 191 9 Of warre whether it bee lawful for a magistrate to make warre What the scripture teacheth touching warr Whether a Christian man may beare the office of a magistrate And of the dutie of subiectes 207 10 Of the thirde precept of the second table which is in order the seuenth of the ten Commaundements Thou shalt not commit adulterie Of wedlock Against al intemperancie Of Continencie 222 The second Tome and firste the summe or contentes of the tenne Sermons of the thirde Decade 1 OF the fourth precept of the second table whiche is in order the eighth of the ten commandements Thou shalt not steale Of the owing and possessing of proper goodes and of the right and lawfull getting of the same Against sundry kinds of theft 259 2 Of the lawfull vse of earthly goods that is how we may rightly possesse and lawfully spende the wealth that is rightly and iustly gotten Of restitution almes deeds 279 3 Of the patient bearing and abiding of sundrie calamities miseries and also of the hope and manifold consolation of the faithfull 270 4 Of the fift sixt preceptes of the second table which are in order the ninth and tenth of the tenne Commaundements that is Thou shalt not speake false witnesse against thy neighbour And Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house c. 318 5 Of the Ceremonial lawes of GOD but especially of the Priesthoode time and place appointed for the Ceremonies 327 6 Of the Sacraments of the Iewes of their sundry sorts of sacrifices and certeine other things perteyning to their Ceremoniall lawe 354 7 Of the Iudicial lawes of God. 387 8 Of
doth spring vp a great number of men that acknowledge cal vpon worship god as they ought to do The third cause whie matrimonie was ordeyned that Apostle Paul expresseth in these words To auoide whoredome let euery man haue his owne wife euery woman her owne husband It were good and expedient for a man not to touch a woman and to liue single but because this is not giuen to al men as that Lord in the gospel testifieth and that cōcupiscence of the flesh doth for the most part burne the greatest sort of mē the Lord hath appointed mariage to be as it were a remedie against that heate as the Apostle in an other place witnesseth saying Let them marrie which cānot absteine for it is better to marrie than to burne By this we learne that the natural cōpany of a man with his owne wife is not reputed for a fault or vncleanesse in the sight of god Whoredom is vncleannesse in the eyes of the Lord because it is directly contrary to the lawe of god But God hath allowed wedlocke and blessed it therefore married folkes are sanctified by y blessing of God throughe faith and obedience Neither lacke we here any euident argumentes and testimonies of Paule to proue it by For to the Hebrewes he said Wedlock is honourable among al men and the bed vndefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God wil iudge The Apostle here spake very reuerently and by the bed he vnderstode the natural company of a man with his wife which he saith plainely is vndefiled What God hath made cleane who shal call vncleane who cā denie that to the cleane al things are cleane Paphnutius therfore both bishop and confessour iudging rightly of this did in the Nicene counsel say opēly that the lying of a man with his owne wife is chastitie Neither was the most modest Apostle ashamed to make lawes betwixt a mā his wife For to the Corinthians hee saith Let the husband giue to the wife due beneuolēce likewise also the wife to the husbād The wife hath not the power of her owne body but the husband likewise also the husbād hath not the power of his own body but the wife Defraud ye not the one the other except it be with both your cōsents for a time that yemay giue your selues to fasting and to prayer and afterward come together again that sathan tēpt you not for your incōtinencie These words of the Apostle are so euident that they néede no exposition at all In the same Epistle againe he saith If thou mariest a wife thou sinnest not And againe If a virgin marie she hath not sinned Now what is more excellent pure and holy than virginitie is But a virgin sinneth not if she chaung virginitie for holy matrimony Very wel therefore doth Chrysostome in a certaine homilie say The first degree of chastitie is vnspotted virginitie the 2. is faithful wedlock S. Augustine also calleth mariage chastitie or cōtinēcie the place is to be seene in the 19. 20. cap. de bono coniugali in that 198. epist. This is the head frō whence doth spring y greatest part of publique honestie For god alloweth wedlock but disalloweth fornication and al kind of vncleannes It pleased him by his ordinance to exclude al vncleannesse frō his beléeuing seruants Let the saincts therefore but magistrates especially haue an especiall eye not to be slacke in promoating holy wedlocke but diligent to punish seuerely al filthie fornication and other vncleannesse This haue I hetherto rehersed somewhat largly out of the holy scripture to the intent I might proue to al men that wedlocke is holy that therfore no man cā be defiled with y moderate holy and lawfull vse therof and so cōsequently that marriage is permitted to al sorts of men For the Apostle saith Let a bishop be the husband of one wife let him rule his owne house wel and haue faithful children For it is manifest by the testimonies of scripture and ecclesiastical writers that the Apostles of Christ and other Apostolical teachers of the primitiue Church were married men and had wiues and children Neither is there any thing next after corrupte doctrine which doth more infect the Church of Christ and subuert al ecclesiastical discipline thā if the ministers of that Churches which should be lights of the whole congregation be fornicatours or adulterous persons That offence especially aboue all other is an hinderance and blot to al kind of honesty but touching this I purpose not at this time to discourse so largly fully as I might To this I ad that the band of wedlock is indissoluble euerlasting that is to say such a knot as neuer can be vndone For of two is made one flesh one body which if you seuer you do vtterly marre it What god hath ioyned together therfore let not man seperate They therfore do make a slaughter of this body that do comit adulterie For the lawes of God and men admit a diuorcement betwixt a man his adulterous wife And yet let not any lesse or lighter cause dissolue this knot betwixt man and wife than fornication is Otherwise God which in the Gospel hath permitted the lesse doth not forbidde the greater to be causes of diuorcement And in the primitiue church the Epistles constitutiōs of christiā princes do testifie that once cōmitting of fornication was no cause of diuorcement Of which I haue spoken in another place But that this holy knot may be the surer it is auayleable that marriages be made holilie lawfully with discretion in the feare of the lord Let them not be vnwillinglie agréed vnto and made vp by cōpulsion First let y good liking of their consenting mindes be ioyned in one whom the open profession of mutuall consent outwarde handfasting must afterward couple together Let them be matched together that are not seuered by alliaunce of bloud and nighnesse of affinitie Let them be coupled in one that may marrie together by the lawes of God and their countrie with the consent coūsel of their frends parents Let them which minde marriage haue a sincere hart purposely bēt to seeke their owne safegard continual felicitie that is to respect only the wil and pleasure of God and not admit any euil affectiōs as counsellers to make vp the mariage betwixt them Hierocles in his booke De nuptiis saith It is meere follie and lacke of wit which make those things that of thēselues are easie to be borne troublesome and make a wife a greeuous clog to her husband For marriage to many mē hath bin intollerable not because the wedded state is by default of it self or owne proper nature so troublesome and comberous but for our matching as wee should not it falleth oute as wee would not and causeth our marriages to be greeuous and noysome To this end verilie our daily marriages do commonly come For they marrie wiues vsually not for
stoppes this is one of the greatest that no small number eueÌ„ of the wisest sort do say that there ought no such hast to be made vpon priuate authoritie but that the determination of the general couÌ„sell in controuersies of religion must needs be stayed for altogether looked after without the iudgement whereof say they it is not lawful for a kingdome much lesse for any other common weale to aâ—ter any one point in religion once receiued and hetherto vsed But the Prophets and Apostles do not send vs to the counsels of priestes or elders but to the word of God yea in Ieremie we read How say ye we are wise we haue the law of the Lord among vs Truly the lying pen of the Scribes haue wrought a lye The wise haue beene ashamed they were afraide were taken For loe they haue cast out the word of the lord What wisedome then can there bee amonge them Againe in the Gospell we read No man that layeth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is fitt for the kingdome of God. Therefore the authoritie of the Prophets and Euangelists giueth counsell fully to absolue and perfectly to end the reformation of religion once begon with the feare of God out of or by the word of God and not to looke for or stay vppon counsels which are directed not by the word of God but by the affections and motions of men For the late examples of some ages within the space of these 400. last yeres or there about do sufficiently teach vs what we may looke for by the determinations of generall counsels The causes of counsels of old were the corruption either of doctrine or else of the teachers or else the ruine of Ecclesiasticall discipline And good and zealous men haue strongly cryed nowe by the space of 500. yeares and more that there are crept into the Church superstitions errours abuses that the salt of the earth is vnsauorie that is that the ministers of the Churches are by slouth ignorance and wickednesse become vnseasonable and that all discipline in the Church is fallen to ruine Bernard Clareuallensis being one among many is a notable witnesse of the thing coÌ„dition And for that cause there haue beene many counsels of priests celebrated at the calling together of the bishop of Rome together with the mutuall ayde of many kinges and Princes But what became of them what was done in them and what small amendment or correction of doctrine teachers and discipline there was by them obteyned the thinge it selfe the more it is to be lamented doth plainely declare For the more that counsels were assembled the more did superstition errour preuaile in doctrine abuse in ceremoniall rites pride riot couetousnesse and all kinde of corruption in the teachers or priestes a foule blurring out of all honest discipline For such men were made presidents of the counsels as had neede first of all themselues either to be brought into a better order or else to be vtterly excommunicate out of the congregation of the Saincts they being presidents did in the counsels handle causes neither lawfull nor lawfully For the word of God had amonge them neither due authoritie nor dignitie neither did they admitt to the examination and discussing of causes those men whom it was decent to haue chiefly admitted but them whom they themselues did thincke good to like off in them they sought not the glorie of God and the safegard of the Church but sought themselues that is the glory and pleasures of this transitorie world Therfore in the holding of so many generall counsels we see no amendement or reformation in the Church obteined but rather errours abuses and the kingdome and tyrannie of the priestes confirmed augmented And euen at this day although we would wincke not see it yet we cannot choose but euen with our hands feele what we may looke and hope for in a generall counsell There shall at this day no counsell haue any authoritie vnlesse it be lawefully as they expound lawfully called together None seemeth to be lawfully called together but that which the bishop of Rome doth call together that which is holden according to the auncient custome and lawes receiued namely that wherin they alone do sit haue as they call it deciding voyces to whom power is permitted to determine giue sentence in the counsel and to them who shall thinke it an heynous crime and directly contrary to the oth that is giuen them to do once so much as thinke much more to speake any thing against the bishop sea of Rome against the decrees of the fathers constitutions of the counsels What therefore may you looke for in such a counsell That forsooth which I tolde you that nowe by the space of 400. yeares and more the afflicted Church of God to the detriment of Godlinesse hath seene and felt namely that the sincere doctrine of Christ being trode vnder foote and holy discipline vtterly oppressed wee see that euery day more and more with the great and intollerable tyrannie of the Sea and Church of Rome there do increase and are confirmed vnsound and faultie doctrine most filthie abuses and too too great licentiousnesse and wicked liuing of the priestes They forsooth doe crie that it is an heresie to accuse the Pope of errour in the chest of whose breast all heauenly doctrine is layed vp and conteined They crie that all the decrees of the Apostolicall sea must be receiued euen so as if they were confirmed by the very voice of Peter himselfe They crie that it is a wicked thing to moue any controuersie or to call into doubt the doctrine and Cermonies receiued vsed in the Church of Rome especially touching their Sacraments whereof they to their aduauntage doe make silthie merchaundize They crie that the Church of Rome hath power to iudge all men but that no man hath any authoritie to iudge of her iudgement There are in the decretals most euident canons that do set out and vrge these thinges as I haue told them Now what maner reformation shall we thincke that they are likely to admitte which stand so stiffely to the defence of these thinges Truly they would rather that Christ with his Gospell and the true Church his spouse should wholie perish thaÌ„ they would depart one ynch from their decrees rites authorities dignities wealth and pleasures They verily come into the counsell not to bee iudged of others that they may amend those things which euen their owne consciences and all the world doe say would be amended but they come to iudge and yoke all other men to keepe still their power and authoritie and to ouerthrowe and take away whatsoeuer withstandeth their lust and tyrannie For afore there were sent out horrible thunders against the accusers or aduersaries of the Sea Apostolique that is of the Papisticall corruption after followed the hoat boltes of that thunder euen sentences definitiue of
office and dutie of Pastours than if they shuld set before the eyes of the world a companie of Idols For who dare denie but that a great part yea the most part of the byshops of Rome since Gregorie the great were suche maner of Idoles suche kinde of woolues and deuourers as are described by the Prophete Zacharie What than I praye you can the continuall succession of such false pastors proue Yea and they which were of the later time did they not fill almost the vniuersall churche with the traditions of men and partly oppressed the word of God and partly persecuted it In the ancient church of the Israelites there was a continuall order of succession of byshops without any interruption thereof euen from Aaron to Vrias who liued vnder Achas and to other wicked byshops also falling from the word of god to the traditions of men yea and also idolatrie But for all that that succession did not proue the idolatrous byshops with the churche that claue vnto them to be the true byshops of God and the true church of god Truely the true Prophetes of God the sounde catholique fathers preaching only the word of God without mens traditions yea cleane against all traditions were not able to reckon vp any continual succession of priests their predecessours to whome they them selues should succéede yet notwithstanding they were most excellent lights worthy members of the church of God they which beleeued their doctrine were neither Scismatiques nor heretiques but eueÌ„ to this day are acknowledged to be the true church of Christ When Christe our Lord the blessed son of God did teach here on earth gathered together his church the succession of byshops was on his aduersaries part But they for that cause were not rulers of the true church of God Christ of the heretical church The apostles of our lord could not alledge for theÌ„ selues their doctrine a succession of bishops not interrupted for they were ordeined of the Lord who was also him selfe created of God the high priest for euer after the new order of Melchisedech without the succession of the order of Leuie yet the church y was gathered by them is acknowledged of al men to be the true holy church The Apostles theÌ„selues wold haue none other to be accounted for their true felowes successors but those who walked vpright in the doctrin way of Christ For notable manifest is the saying of Paule Be ye the followers of me euen as I am of Christ And though he speaketh these wordes to al the faithful not only to the ministers of Gods word yet those wold he chiefly haue such followers of him as the residue of coÌ„mon christians that is to say euery man in his vocation calling The same Apostle speaking at MiletuÌ„ with the bishops of Asia amoÌ„g other things saith I knowe this that after my departing shall grieuous wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruers things to draw disciples after theÌ„ Paul y apostle not froÌ„ any other place than out of the apostolique churche it selfe yea out of the companie or assembly of Apostolique Byshops and Pastours fetcheth out of the woolues and deuourers of the Church But could not these thinke you allege the Apostolique successioÌ„ for them selues and their most corrupt cause that is to say that they be descended from Apostolique Pastours But for so much as forsaking the trueth they be falâ—e from the faith and doctrine of the Apostles the ofspring and Apostolicall succession doth nothing at all make for them Therefore we conclude that the continuall succession of Byshops by it selfe proueth nothing yea rather that that is no lawful succession whiche wanteth the puritie of the doctrine of the Scriptures and Apostles And therefore Tertullian greatly estéeming and that worthily the continuall succession of Pastours in the Churche yet requireth the same to be approued by the sinceritie of Apostolique doctrine yea hée acknowledgeth those Churches whiche are instructed with pure doctrine and yet not able to make any reckoning of succession of Byshoppes to be Apostolique Churches If anye man require the words of the author they be these But if there be any churches that dare presume to plant them selues in the very age of the apostles that therfore they may seeme to haue bene planted by the apostles bicause they were vnder the Apostles wee may say thus Let them bring foorth the first beginning of their churches let them turne ouer the order of succession of their Byshops so by succesâ—ions going from the first beginning that that first Byshop of theirs maye be found to haue for his authour and predecessour some one of the Apostles and apostolical sort of men and yet such an one as coÌ„tinued with the Apostles For by this meanes the Apostolique churches giue their iudgment As the church of Smyrna testifieth that they had Polycarpus placed there by S. Iohn And as the churche of Rome sheweth that Clemens was appointed by S. Peter And as in like sort also other do shew for them selues who haue their ofspring of Apostolique seede placed in their Byshopricks by the Apostles Let heretiques faine some such matter For after their blasphemies what is vnlawful for them But albeit they doe faine they shal not preuaile For their owne doctrine being compared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitie contrarietie therof shall shewe that it had neyther Apostle nor Apostolicall man for the author Bicause as the Apostles taught nothing that was contrarie among theÌ„ selues euen so Apostolicall men set forth nothing contrarie to the Apostles but only such as fel away from the Apostles and taught other doctrine In this manner therefore may those Churches appeale who albeit they can bring for their authour none of the Apostles or Apostolique men as those that are of farre later time are but nowe daily erected yet they agréeing in one faith are neuerthelesse counted Apostolicall for the likenesse of the doctrine The selfe same authour speaking of the auncient church of Rome and gathering the summe of that it either taught or learned saith Happie is that Church to which the Apostles haue vttered all their doctrine with their bloud where Peter in suffering is made like to the Lord where Paul is crowned with the like end that Iohn had where the Apostle Iohn after that he was plunged in hote scalding oyle felt no paine was banished into the Isle Let vs see what it lerned and what it taught how it doth agre with the churches of Africa it acknowlegeth one god the maker of all things Iesus Christ the sonne of God the creator borne of the virgine Marie the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh it ioyneth the lawe the Prophets with the doctrine of the EuaÌ„gelists Apostles froÌ„ theÌ„ drinketh that faith baptiseth with water clotheth with the holy ghost feedeth
church of Rome that it is reade as yet in all their churches that they fetch their disputations out of it in al their schooles yea also that the sacraments haue their right place vse therfore that we are wicked scismatiques who without any necessary cause to go away are departed from the catholique church most of all for the faultes of some of the clergie of the bishops I must needs therefore digresse a little contende with these defenders of the Popâ—she church and shewe that we neuer departed from the catholique church of Christe And beecause in this matter it chiefly beehoueth â—s to knowe who is truely said to bâ— an heretique or whoÌ„ is a scismatique of these matters I will first of all speake these few words S. Augustine thinketh that this differeÌ„ce there is betwene an heretique a scismatique that an heretique doth corrupt the sinceritie of faith and doctrine of the apostles with his wicked doctrine and a scismatique although he sinne not at all against the pure doctrine and sincere faith yet he rashly separates himselfe from the Church breaking the bond of vnitie And surelie he properly is an heretique whosoeuer hee bée that contrarie to the scripture whiche is the word of God against the Articles of faith or against the sound opinions of the Church grounded on the word of God through hope of any teÌ„poral commoditie of his owne braine and fleshly choice chooseth receiueth teacheth followeth straunge thinges and stiffely reteyning doeth both defend them and spread them abroade By the Imperiall edicte of Augustus Cesar Gratian Valentinian Theodosius they are defined to bée Catholiques or Christians who continue in that religion whiche S. Peter taught the church of Rome and which blessed Damasus and S. Peter bishop of Alexandria did teach that is to say confessing according to the teaching of the Apostles and doctrine of the Gospel the only Godhead of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost in equall maiestie and in an holy Trinitie And againe they are by them declared to be heretiques who followe contrary opinions whome they accompte both madd and infamous and worthie of punishment And he is a scismatique whosoeuer he be that separateth himselfe from the vnitie of the true Church of God and either himselfe gathereth together newe assemblies or ioyneth himselfe to congregations gathered by others albeit in doctrine he erre little or nothing And I thinke no man can either 〈◊〉 or gainesaye any thinge in these descriptions And therefore the defenders of the Romishe monarchie do greatly offend against vs euermore hauing in their mouthes against vs the most heyndus crimes of heresie and scisme For wee teach nothing against the sinceritie and trueth of the holy scriptures or against the articles of faith or against the opinions of the Catholique Church whiche be sounde established by the Canonicall scriptures If it had liked vs to haue sought earthly commoditie we would surely haue continued in the Popishe doctrine in which all things are gainefull But because we haue receiued the doctrine of Christ we are open to euery mans reproche Whereof wee were not ignoraunt when we departed from the doctrine of the Pope For no hope therfore of temporall commoditie doe wée embrace the doctrine of Christ neither doe wee presumptuously affirme any thing For if any man can teach vs any better out of Gods word wée will not refuse to embrace that whiche is better And moreouer with open voice and with all our hearts we condemne all heresies and heretiques whosoeuer they be which the auncient Church either in generall counsels or without Counsels hath killed with the sworde of Gods word But we striue against the false doctrine of the Pope his new decrées whiche fight against the word of God and most filthie abuses corruptions in the Church The bishops of Rome haue taken to themselues with their conspiratours a tyrannie ouer the Church playing the part of very Antichrists in the temple of GOD their tyrannie therfore and Antichristianisme wee flie and refuse Christe and his yoke wee refuse not the fellowship of saincts we flie not yea rather to that end wee may remaine in that societie and become the true meÌ„bers of Christ of his sainctes flying out of the Popish church wee are gathered together againe into one holy catholique and Apostolique Church And this Churche wee doe acknowledge to be the verie house of GOD and the proper sheepe-fould of Christ oure Lord whereof hee is the shéepeheard For fréely we confesse and with great ioy giuing thanckes to God that hath deliuered vs wee publish abroad that wee are departed from the Romishe Church and that we do at this day also abhorre the same But first of all wee distinguishe and put a diuersitie betwéene the old church of Rome and the late vpstart church For there was sometime at Rome a holy and a faithfull Church whiche Apostolique men and the Apostles of Christ themselues did establishe and preserue by the woord of GOD whiche auncient Churche was not onely without the Ceremonies there vsed and receiued at this daye but if shee had but séene them shee would surely haue accursed them That auncient Churche wanted the decrées wherevppon the Churche of Rome at this daye altogether stayeth her selfe She was ignoraunt of that Monarchie and all that stately court Therfore from that auncient and Apostolique Church of Rome wee neuer departed neither will we euer depart We ackâ—owledge moreouer all that are at Rome who at this day doe worshipp Christ and kéepe themselues from all Popish pollution to be our beloued brethren of which sort we doubt not but Rome hath a great many Finally wée doe not acknowledge that vpstart church of Rome to be the true church of Christ whiche doeth acknowledge and worshipp the Pope as Christ his vicar in earth and is obedient to his lawes Wherefore wee cannot be scismatiques who leauing the Church of Rome haue not departed from the true church of God. For the holy catholique churche cleaueth vnto her onely shéepeheard Christ beléeueth his word and liueth holily But you shall finde all thinges quite coÌ„trarie in the church of Rome so as it cannot come within the compasse neither of the outward and visible neither of the inward and inuisible church of god The godly beare with many thinges in the church that is to say in the members of the church and in the ministers as I shewed of late when I entreated against scismatiques but in that vppstart church of Rome thou shalt not finde small and tollerable faultes either of doctrine or of life or of errours all these faultes in her are heynous desperate and abhominable What manner of charitie should it bee therefore that could hope for better of these most vntoward and lamentable thinges Hypocrites and euill men are accompted to be parcell of the outward and visible church of God and are suffered in the same but these Romanistes
or apostolique men to reigne like vnto the Princes of this world Hée instituted ministers of the church who should serue the Churche She sitteth at the table the ministers sett that food before her which they receiue of the Lord and rightly diuide the woord of the lord Did not Christe him selfe refuse a Crowne vppon earth and did not hee that is Lord of all minister doth not he him selfe disallowe that any minister shoulde séeke any prerogatiue no not in respect of eldership He that is greatest among you saith he let him be as the yonger He therefore commaundeth an equalitie amongst them all And therefore S. Ierome iudgeth rightly saying that by the custome of man and not by the authoritie of God som one of the elders shuld be placed ouer the rest and called a Byshop wheras of olde time an elder or minister and a Byshop were of equall honour power and dignitie And it is to be obserued that S. Ierome speaketh not of the Romish Monarchie but of euerie bishop placed in euerie citie aboue the rest of the ministers Whiche thing I bring not out to that end we shoulde stay vppon the authoritie of man but to that ende I might shewe that euen by the witnesse of man it may be proued that that maioritie as they call it hath not the original from the Sonne of GOD and from Gods worde but out of mans braine and that therefore both Christe remaineth the onely head of his Churche and the bishop of Rome is nothing lesse than the head of the Church militant And ther withall we cleaue most stedfastly to the sacred and holie Gospell and to the vndoubted doctrine of the Apostles which doctrine taketh away all pride of Supremacie and commendeth vnto vs a faithfull ministerie and the equall authoritie and humblenesse of the ministers The Apostle againe witnessing and saying Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God. Herevnto belongeth almoste the whole tenth chapter of Iohn wherein the Lorde named him selfe the true and also the onely shephearde of the vniuersall Church The only shepefolde of this shephearde is the catholique Churche gathered together by the word out of the Iewes and Gentiles And shéepe of this folde are all the faithfull people in the world hearing and giuing them selues ouer wholy to be gouerned by this chiefe shepheard Christe who albeit he also communicate this name of Pastour or shephearde vnto the ministers appointed to the ministerie of the churche yet notwitstanding he reteyneth vnto him selfe the charge of the chiefe shephearde and also the chiefe power and dignitie Men that are Pastours of churches are all ministers and are all equall Christe our Lord is the vniuersall pastour and chiefe and Lord of Pastours The more worthy diligence and trust is in the Pastors the more worthy it maketh them Therefore when the Lorde saide vnto Peter Feede my sheepe he committed not vnto Peter any Empire eyther ouer the world or ouer the church but a ministerie to the behalfe of his redéemed Teach saith he and gouerne with my word my sheepe my sheepe I say whome I haue redeemed with my bloude For Paule saith Take heede vnto your selues and to the whole flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud The bishop of Rome therefore is deceiued who by the Lordes words spoken vnto Peter thinketh that full power is giuen vnto him ouer all in the church Let the Apostle Peter him selfe be heard talking with his fellow â—lders and as it were opening those wordes of the Lorde spoken vnto him The elders that are among you sayth he I beseeche which am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glorie that shall be reuealed Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mynde Not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Peter speaketh not of any Empire and Lordship yea by expresse words he forbiddes Lordly dignitie For euen as he is appointed of the Lorde a minister and an elder not a Prince and a Pope so also he appointed no Princes in the Churche but ministers and Elders who with the word of Christe should féede Christes flock that willingly and lawfully al wicked deuises at once set apart Hereto belongeth the whole 34. chapter of Ezechiel whiche a little before we alledged But had not the heart béene hardened and the eyes blinded of the byshop of Rome and his they shoulde long agoe haue séene that they coulde in no parte nor by no meanes haue béene numbered amongest the shepeheardes of the Churche and disciples of Peter They woulde at least haue marked that sentence of their owne Gregorie whiche sentence he reciteth vnto Maurice the Emperour almost in these words I affirme boldly that who so euer hee bee that calleth him selfe the vniuersall Prieste is a forerunner of Antichriste And anon after But for as muche as the trueth it selfe sayes Euerie one that exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lowe thereby I knowe that euerie puffing vppe is so muche the sooner broken how muche the greater it is swollen These are his sayings Last of all the estate of Christ and the Churche is shadowed out by the similitude of marriage betwéene the husbande and the wife For Christ is called the husbande of the Church and the Churche is called the spouse of Christe Sainte Iohn sayth to his disciples Ye your selues are my witnesses that I sayde I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him Hee that hath the bride is the bridegrome but the friende of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him reioyceth greatly bycause of the bridegromes voyce This my ioye therefore is fulfilled Hee must increase but I must decrease And in the Prophetes this Allegorie is very common In a certeine place is feigned a damsell despised and polluted to lye in her filthinesse and a certeine noble man commeth by who plucking her out of the myre and making her cleane from her filthinesse and also sumptuously apparelling her chose her vnto his wife And albeit this Allegorie declareth that heauenly benefite whiche GOD shewed vnto his people being in bondage in Egypt by the wonderfull deliuerance and adopting them into his peculiar people who notwithstanding séeth not that all mankynde from his first originall is defiled with sinne and wickednesse and sticketh fast in the myre of hell who knoweth not that the sonne of GOD came downe from heauen and washed all mankynde in his bloude and hauing purged her hath ioyned to him selfe a glorious Churche hauing neyther spot nor wrinckle nor any suche thing Surely by marriage is made a mutuall participation in common betweene those that are contracted of all
We acknowledge y men inspired with singular grace of the spirit which foresée foreshew things to come and be excellent interpreters of the scriptures or Diuines illuminated may be called Prophetes as we haue shewed elsewhere more at large But in the order of byshops and elders from the beginning there was singular humilitie charitie and concord no contention or strife for prerogatiue or titles or dignitie For all acknowledged themselues to be the ministers of one maister coequall in all thinges touching office or charge He made them vnequall not in office but in giftes by the excellencie of giftes Yet they that had obteyned the excellenter gifts did not despise the meaner sort neither did they enuie them for their giftes S. Paule sayth Let a man so esteeme of vs as the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God. The same Paule in more than one place caleth the preaching of the gospel the ministerie For that tooke déepe root in the auncient byshops hearts which the Lorde when his disciples striued for dignitie and as they say for the maioritie that is which of them shuld be the greatest setting a childe in the middest of them sayde Verily verily I say vnto you except ye turne and become as little children ye shal not enter into the kingdome of heauen Truly the martyr of God Saint Cyprian standing in the counsel of the byshops at Carthage wisely sayde Neither hath any of vs appointed him selfe to be a byshop of byshops or by tyrannous feare compelled his fellowes in office to necessitie of obeying since euery byshop hath according to the licence and libertie of his power his owne free choyce as if hee might not bee iudged of an other since neyther he him selfe can iudge an other but let vs all looke for the iudgement of our Lord Iesus Christ who only and alone hath power both to preferre vs in the gouernement of his Church and to giue sentence of our doing Thus farre he At that time therefore byshoppes contended not for I knowe not what primacie or patrimonie of Peter but that one mighte excell the other in purenesse of doctrine and holinesse of life and mutually to helpe one an other And then vndoubtedly the affaires of the Church went forward prosperously in so muche that though the most puisant princes of the world should haue persecuted the Church of Christe with fire and sworde yet neuerthelesse against all the assaultes of the diuell and the worlde she had stoode vnmoueable hauing wonne the victorie and had daily béene more inlarged also renoumed Oh happy had we béene if this order of Pastors had not béene chaunged but that that auncient simplicitie of ministers that fayth humilitie and diligence had remained vncorrupted But in processe of time all things of ancient soundnesse humilitie and simplicitie vanished awaye whiles somethings are turned vpside down somethinges eyther of their owne accorde were out of vse or else are taken away by deceite somethings are added too Verily not many ages after the death of the Apostles there was séene a farre other Hierarchie or gouernement of the Churche than was from the beginning althoughe those beginninges séeme to be more tollerable than at this day all of this same order are Sainte Hierome saythe In times past churches were gouerned with the common counsel and aduise of the elders afterward it was decreed that one of the elders being chosen should bee set ouer the other vnto whome the whole care of the church should perteine and that the seedes of scismes should bee taken away Thus much he In euery citie countrie therefore he that was most excellent was placed aboue the rest His office was to be superintendent and to haue the ouersight of the ministers and the whole flocke He had not as wee vnderstoode euen nowe out of Cyprians words dominion ouer his fellowes in office or other elders but as the Consul in the Senate house was placed to demaunde and gather together the voyces of the Senatours and to defende the lawes priuileges and to be carefull least there should arise factions amonge the Senatours euen so no other was the office of a bishop in the church in all other thinges hee was but equall with the other ministers But had not the arrogancie of the ministers and ambition of bishops in the times that followed further increased we would not speake a word against them And S. Hierome affirmeth that That preferrment of bishops sprange not by Gods ordinaunce but by the ordinance of man These thinges haue wee remembred sayeth he to the end we might shewe that amonge the old fathers bishops and ministers were all one but by litle and little that the plantes of dissentions might be pluckt vpp all the care was committed vnto one Therfore as ministers knowe that they by the custome of the church are subiect to him whiche is set ouer them so let bishops know that rather by custom than by the truth of the Lords disposition they are greater than the other ministers and that they ought to gouerne the churches together in common following the example of Moses who when it was in his power alone to gouerne the people of Israel chose out threescore and tenne other with whom he might iudge the people Thus he writeth in his commentarie vppon the 3. cap. of the epist. of Paul vnto Titus But the auncient fathers kept not themselues within these boundes There were also ordeyned Patriarches at Antioche Alexandria Constantinople and Rome There are appointed Archbishops or Metropolitanes that is to â—aye such as haue gouernement ouer the bishops throughout prouinces And to bishops of cities or inferiour bishops there are added such as were called Chorepiscopi or bishops of the multitude that is to saye at such time as the countrie or region was larger than that the care and ouersighte of the bishop placed ouer the citie would suffice For these were added as vicars and suffraganes who might execute the office of the bishop throughout that part of the countrie But we know that the functions of suffraganes or vicars generall in these last times are of a farre other maner in bishops courtes and diocesses And also vnder deacons were placed subdeacons and when wealth increased there were archdeacons also created that is to saye ouerseers of all the goodes of the church They as yet were not mingled with the order of ministers or bishops and of those that taught but they remained as stewards or factours of the goods of the church As neither the monkes at the beginning executed the office of a priest or minister in the church For they were counted as laye-men not as clearkes and were vnder the charge of the pastors But these vnfortunate birdes neuer left soaring vntill in these last times they haue clymed into the topp of the temple and haue set themselues vppon bishops and pastours heads For monkes haue béene and are both Popes archbishops bishops and
and exhortations If so be that euerie church had such a pastour which wold not easily forsake the flocke howe great fruite I pray you shoulde we hope for Wherefore not without cause are we commanded incessantly and earnestly to praye vnto God that he woulde giue faythfull wise godly and diligent Pastours vnto his Churche Thus haue I hitherto spoken of the doctrine of byshops in the church of god And vnlesse a byshop teach after this manner and do those thinges which are ioyned to teaching he is vnworthy eyther of the name of a Byshop Pastour or Doctour howe so euer he pretend an Apostolique title For certeine thinges are ioyned to the doctrine of the Churche which also are required of a preacher of the Gospell and belong to his office as are these to gather together an holie assembly wherein he may preache conceiue prayer and minister the sacraments But of these things shall be spoken in their place Nowe there resteth to be considered howe byshops may gouerne the Churche of Christe with holy example of their life The Lorde in the Gospell sayth to his Apostles Ye are the light of the world A citie that is set on an highe hill can not be hid neither doe men light a candle and put it vnder a bushell but on a candlesticke and it giueth light vnto all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men that they maye â—ee your good woorkes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen Wherefore Pastours not onely in doctrine but in holie life do giue light vnto the Churche whiche beholding their life agréeable to their doctrine is her selfe also moued to practise innocencie of life For the exaÌ„ple of a good man much preuaileth to the furthering of the loue of vertues And coÌ„trariwise the Scripture witnesseth that the corrupt example of the sonnes of Helie the chiefe rulers in religion was verie analyeable to corrupt the people For the Scripture sayth And the sinne of the children of Helie was to abhominable before the face of the Lorde so that the people beganne to abhorre the sacrifices of the Lorde For men séeing the corrupt life of the ministers of the church begin somwhat to dout of the whole doctrine crying If the pastor thought those things true whiche he teacheth vnto vs he him selfe would not liue so dissolutely Therefore such teachers are sayde to ouerthrowe that with their naughtie life whiche they haue builded with wholesome doctrine Wherefore Paul requireth a byshop or pastor of the people which shuld be blamelesse that is to say whiche can not rightly and worthily be reprehended of the â—aythfull For otherwise by howe muche euerie Bishop shall be more sincere and vpright by so much more shall he be subiect to slaunders and reproches of the wicked the Lord him selfe foretelling the same in the Gospell If they haue called saythe he the Lorde of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his housholde And If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you And againe Blessed are ye when men shall reuile you and persecute you and lying shall say all manner of euill saying againste you for my sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen Therfore a pastor ought verie carefully and as muche as in him is to take héede that both at home and abroad he liue a life worthy of him selfe and his calling Let him liue chastely as well being single as married Let temperaunce sobernesse thriftinesse or good husbandry hospitalitie and other vertues which I haue before rehersed out of the Apostle flourish in a bishop Let him gouerne his owne houshold wisely and godlily instruct theÌ„ and so bridle them that he giue not occasion of offence to the Church through riotousnesse or other misdéedes For so also the Apostle Paule hath commaunded who frameing againe the exercises of a byshop sayeth Till I come giue attendaunce to reading to exhortation and doctrine He requireth of Timothie a diligent reading that is to say a continuall studie whereby he may more perfectly exhort and teach But Paule requireth of him that hath bene brought vp in the knowledge of the Scriptures from a childe as elswhere he writeth a continuall studie of the Scriptures Howe great diligence then doth the Apostle require of them who as they haue not obtained so plentifull gifts of the spirit as Timothie had so they are not exercised in the Scriptures from their infancie Let a sorte of them therefore be ashamed of their vnskilfulnesse let them be ashamed of leasure not bestowed in studie and of their trauelsome idlenesse For as manye reade not any thing at all but continually liue idlely and as it were rot away in idlenesse so a number of innumerable others are busied in those thinges which nothing become Byshoppes Therefore the Apostle saythe No man which goeth a warrefare intangleth him selfe with the affaires of this life that hee may please him which hath chosen him to be a souldier Here were a fitte place to speake of stipendes due vnto Pastours but we will deferre it to an other place But if Byshoppes come abroade among the people at any time for businesse sake and be present in assemblies of honest men with no lesse care ought they to indeuoure leaste eyther by déede or worde or by apparell or companie kéeping or finally in the whole course of their life they giue any iust occasion of offence to the Churche Let there appeare in Pastoures in all places and at all times holy vprightnesse méete ripenesse of iudgement honest behauiour wisedome modestie humanitie humilitie and authoritie worthy of Gods ministers But let the contrarie vices and wicked misdéedes be farre from them In these fewe wordes I thinke are conteyned those thinges whiche other haue handled at large intreating of the discipline and behauiour of the Clergie For all ages vnderstoode that a dissolute and loose life was euill in all degrées and kyndes of men but in the ministers of the Churche worsse and moste intollerable For what can a minister of the Churche doe in the Churche whose authoritie is altogether lost Authoritie therfore is requisite in Pastors Of the want hereof manye doe complayne and séeing it vnder foote goe about to reare it vppe agayne with I can not tell what kynde of proppes of titles and ceremonies But authoritie is not gotten with suche light and vayne thinges It is rather obteyned by the Grace of God through the loue of trueth and vprightnesse of life if happily God touche mens heartes so as they vnderstande that GOD worketh his worke in the Churche by his ministers as by his instruments if they perceiue that ministers do the worke of the Lorde with feruentnesse of spirite and not coldly not fearing any thing in a good cause no not the wicked and mightie men of this world but doe resist them and yet that they doe nothing of hatred or malice but doe all
it cōmeth all to one reckoning to pray neuer a whit or not at all and to babble out words which are not vnderstoode Let euery nation therefore pray in that language which it vnderstandeth best and moste familiarly And no lesse madnesse is it in publique assemblies to vse a straunge language which thinge also hath béen the roote of the greatest euilles in the church Whatsoeuer the priests that were ordained of God and the Prophetes which were sente from him spake or rehearsed to the people of olde time in the church they did not speake or recite them in the Chaldean Indian or Persian but in the Hebrue tongue that is in their vulgar and mother tongue They wrote also bookes in their vulgar tongue Christ our Lorde together with his Apostles vsed the vulgar tongue He furnished the Apostles with the gift of tongues that they might speake to euery nation And for so much as in that age the Gréeke tongue of all other was most plentifull and common the Apostles wrote not in the Hebrue tongue but in the vulgar Gréeke tongue Truely it behoueth that those things that are done in the publique church for the holie assemblies sake shoulde be vnderstoode of all men For otherwise in vaine shoulde so many men be assembled together Whereby it is cléerer than the day light that they that haue brought in straunge tongues into the church of God haue troubled all thinges haue quenched the feruentnesse of mennes mindes yea and haue banished out of the church both prayer it selfe and the vse of prayer and all the fruite and profite that shoulde come of thinges done in the church And truely the Romane and Latine Prince hath brought this Latine abhomination into the church of god He crieth out that it is wickedly done if Germanie England Fraunce Polande and Hungarie do vse both in prayer and all other kinde of seruice in the church not the Romane or Latine tongue but Dutch or Germane spéech English French Polonish or the Hungarian language S. Paule once handling this controuersie saith in plaine wordes If I pray in a straunge tongue my spirite or voyce prayeth but my vnderstanding is without fruite What is it then I will pray with the spirite but I will praye with the vnderstanding also I will sing with the spirite but I will singe with the vnderstandinge also Else when thou blessest with the spirite howe shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned saye Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thankes well but the other is not edified I thanke my God I speake languages more thā you all yet had I rather in the church to speake fiue wordes with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others than ten thousande wordes in a straunge tongue And truely this verie place doth Iustinian the Emperour cite In Nouell Const 123. where he straightly commaundeth Bishops Ministers not secreatly but with a lowde voice which might be heard of the people to recite the holy oblation and prayers vsed in holy baptisme to the intente that thereby the mindes of the hearers might be stirred vp with greater deuotion to set forth the prayses of God. Moreouer it is euident that Gregorie him selfe who is called the great spake to his Citizens in the Citie of Rome in their countrie language which thinge he him selfe witnesseth in the preface of his Commentarie vpon Ezechiel to Marianus the bishop Of the Gréeke bishops no man is ignoraunt that they had their whole seruice in their Churches in their owne natiue language haue lefte their writinges vnto vs in the same tongue We might therfore worthily be iudged mad voide of vnderstanding if we also in the administration of diuine seruice in the church vse not our owne language since so many and so excellēt examples both of most famous churches of moste singular Bishops and gouernours of the church haue gone before vs that I speake not againe of the moste expresse and manifest doctrine of S. Paule the Apostle This place now requireth that I speake somewhat of singinge in the church and of canonical houres But let no man thinke that prayers sung with mās voice are more acceptable vnto God than if they were plainly spokē or vttered For God is neither allured with the swéetenesse of mans voyce neither is he offended though prayers be vttered in a hoarse or base sounde Prayer is commended for faith and godlinesse of minde not for any outward shewe Those outwarde thinges are rather vsed as meanes to stirre vs vp albéeit euen they also take little effect vnlesse the spirite of God doe inflame our harts Neither can any man deny but that the custome of singing is very auncient For the holy scripture witnesseth that the Leuites in the auncient church longe before the comming of Christ did singe yea and that they did singe at the commaundement of god And againe I thinke no man can deny that the same cunning kind of musicke brought into the church of God by Dauid was both accounted among the ceremonies and that the same was abolished together with the temple and the ceremonies We reade not of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the true Messias and full perfection of the law that he soung in any place either in the temple or without the temple or that any where he taught his disciples to singe or commaunded them to ordaine singing in the Churches For that which is read in Matthew and Marke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be englished And when they had soung an Hymne or psalme they went out into the mount of Oliues is such a kinde of saying as doeth not necessarily force vs to vnderstand that the Lord sang with his disciples For a Hymne which is the praise due vnto God may be hūbly vttered without quauering of the voice Truely the olde translation in both places as well in Matthew as in Marke constantly interpreteth it Et hymno dicto exierunt in montem Oliuarum that is to say When they had saide an Hymne they wente out into the mounte of Oliues Erasmus in Matthew hath trauslated it Et cum hymnum cecinissent whē they had sung an Hymne but translating Marke he saith Et cum hymnum dixissent whē they had said an hymne but in either place is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to prayse or to set forth ones prayse which both by singing also without singinge hath béen accustomed to be done And albéeit we neither reade that the lord himself commaūded singing to his Apostles neither that they ordained singing in the Church neither yet do reade in the Actes of the Apostles that they them selues did singe in holy assemblies yet Paule did not rebuke the church at Corinth which began to singe either of her owne accorde or by a certeine imitation of the olde Church because he sawe their māner of singing differed much
he might leaue off from béeing a clerke for that no man could well be bothe a monke and a clerke since the one is an impediment to the other Then liued they not of the common reuenues of the Church but of the trauel of their owne hands as the lay people do S. Hierome disputing of the originall of monkes in the life of Paulus hath thus written Among many it hath oftentimes been called into question who first beganne chiefly to dwell in the wildernes of the monkes Some fetching the matter somewhat farre off beginne to reckon from Helias the holy prophet and S. Iohn of whome Helias seemeth to vs to haue beene more than a monke and that S. Iohn began to prophecie before he was borne But others in which opinion the moste part of all people doe commonly agree affirme that saint Anthonie was the firste beginner of that order which in part is true For he was not onely the first but also the motioner of all others therevnto Amathas Macarius saint Anthonies scholars whereof the first buried his maisters bodie do nowe affirme that one Paulus Thebius was the first beginner of that way whiche thing we also confirme not only in name but also in opinion And anon hee addeth that Paulus forsaking the citie being thereto inforced for feare of torments vnder the persecuters Cecius and Valerianus departed into the wildernesse where he found a â—aue and lay hid therein vntil hee was founde out by S. Anthonie The Emperours Decius Valerianus gouerned the Empyre about the yeare of our Lord 260. but it is saide that S. Anthonie dyed when he was an hundred fiue yeres olde in the yeare of our Lord 360. S. Augustine in the 80. epistle to Hesychius who reporteth of his own time howe that he liued in the yeare of our Lorde foure hundreth and twentie but Eutropius and Beda reporte howe that he died in the yeare of our Lord foure hundreth and thirtie in the thirtie and one chapter of the maners of the catholique church reciting the manners and institutions of the monkes in his time reporteth suche thinges as are verie farre from the orders institutions of our Monkes now a dayes In the time of Iustinian the Emperour who made certeine lawes of Monkes and Monasteries there liued one Benet whom many of the Monkes nowe a dayes do call father whose life I will recite vnto you out of Trittenheymius who died aboue fiftie yeares since to the intent you may vnderstande what power and dignitie they obteyned in processe of time who at the beginning were contemned of none authoritie Benet Abbat of Cassina sayeth he first founder beginner and gouernour of the monkes in the West wroate in eloquent style and with graue iudgement the rule for monkes in one booke whiche beginneth Giue care O my sonneto my precepts c. and it conteineth thrée score and thirtéene Chapters He died in the yeare of our Lord 542. But Marianus Scotus supposeth that hée died in the yeare of our Lord 601. in the last yeare of the Emperour Maurice He writeth also of twentie orders of Monkes that were vnder Benets rule Of S. Benets order there haue béene eighttéene Popes in the Sea of Rome Cardinals aboue two huÌ„dred Archebishops in diuerse Churches to the number of one thousand sixe hundred Bishops almost foure thousand Famous Abbats who excelled in life doctrine and writings fiftéene thousand seuen hundred Of suche as are Canonized fiftéene thousand sixe hundred And that I may not recite many other orders of monkes it is knowne that the mendicant Monkes and Friers beeing the faithful diligent valiaunt Romane champions of the Pope and the spirituall Monarchie were confirmed by Honorius about the yeare of our Lorde one thousand two hundred twentie and two Hereby I would declare nothing else but onely that all men shoulde vnderstande that Monkerie was deuised by mannes inuention not deliuered vnto the Churche of Christe by the Apostles and that at the firste it sémed to be tollerable but afterward became altogether intollerable Howe profitable it is to the common wealth experience it selfe teacheth And who so euer knoweth not that it is quite repugnant to true religion knoweth nothing They feigne that it is meritorius before God and the state of perfection But who séeth not how repugnant it is to Christes merite and to the sincere doctrine of the Gospell What godlinesse or necessitie is it that moueth vs after that we haue wholy betaken our selues to one God in baptisme to betake our selues also and to make our vowes to Sainctes and to binde our selues by religioÌ„ of an othe to the obseruing of their rules True religion forbiddeth vs to vowe our selues to Saintes or by any meanes to depende in way of religion vppon them True religion forbiddeth vs to choose vs any other Fathers or Maisters True religion forbiddeth vs to deuise new maÌ„ners of worshippings or new religions or to receiue them that are deuised by others The example of Ieroboam and his fellows maketh vs affeard True religion forbiddèth vs to sweare by the names of other GODS Religion referreth vs to one GOD by faith and obedience Superstition breaketh this bande and admitteth creatures S. Paul to the Corinthians saith Euerie one of you sayeth I am Paules I am Apollos I am Cephaes and I am Christes Is Christ diuided was Paule crucified for you Or were you baptised in the name of Paule Beholde Christ is our redéemer and our maister The faith of Christe hath made vs one bodie By baptisme we are baptised into one body that we might be called Christians not Petrines or Paulines S. Paule would not suffer that Christians shoulde take their name of the Apostles how much lesse would he abide that at this day some shoulde bee called Benedictines some Franciscanes some Dominicanes We are the Lordes inheritance and possession it is not lawfull for vs to binde our selues to the seruice of men But who so binde themselues they teare in sunder the vnitie of Christes body they prophane the crosse and baptisme of Christ The Apostle sayeth playnly Is Christe diuided was Paule crucified for you or wer you baptised in the name of Paul And therefore although they be commonly called Spirituall persons yet are they nothing lesse than spirituall For the Apostle sayth When one of you sayeth I am Paules and I Apolloes are ye not carnall To what end is it after the receiuing of the gospel of Christe Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles whiche conteyne and deliuer vnto vs all godlinesse to inuent newe rules For truely when they had once founde out certeine peculiar lawes and meanes of liuing they separated themselues from the common sorte of Christians in all outward maner of liuing in their behauiour and in all their apparell to the intent that by that meanes they might make euident to all men that they woulde liue a-part as it were from that common laye and imperfect Church to liue more holily perfectly and
substaÌ„ces Iob. 1. Matth. 8 Iohn 8. Marke 1. Matth. 25. What maner of bodies they be whichâ— the diuels takâ— 1. Sa. 28. â— Cor. 1â— The diuâ—â—â— quickâ—â— craftie â—ightie An infinit route of diuels Mark. 16. Matth. 12. Mark. 3 Mark. 3. Diuel A lyer Ioh. 6. Sathan oâ— an aduersarie 1. Pet. 5. Matth. 13. Matth. 4 Matth. â— Gen. 3. â— serpentâ— dâ—agon 1. Tim. 4. 1. Pet. 5. A roaring lion A murtherer A temptâ—â— An euil vncleane spirit 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 The prince of this world cast out Princes oâ— the world The operations of the diuel Luke 22. Matth. 26. 1. Pet. 5. Gen. 3. Luke â—3 Mark. 9. Iohn 13. Matth. 12 The power of the diuel is definite or limited 1. Cor. 12. 2. thess. 2. We mustâ— fight manfully againste thâ—â—iuel buâ— we mustâ— not feare him â—latth 4. â— Iohn 5. 1. Pet. 5. Ephe. 6. 1. Cor. 10. The word Anima which we call soule is diuerslie taken The soule is breath and life Actes 20. Soule is taken for man. Leuit. 20. Rom. 13. Gen. 14. Soule a â—esire 〈◊〉 7. Soule is the spirite of man. The soule â—nd minde That there is but one soule That there â—s a soule What the soule is That souls are substaÌ„tes Luke 16. Luke 32. Apoc. 6. The soule is bodilesse or a spirit Iohn 10. Iohn 19. Luke 23. Matth. 27. Actes 7. What maÌ„ner of substance the soule of man is The soulâ—â—s neitheâ— God nor parte of God. Of the original of the soule Iob. 10. The operations powers of the soule Out of the 〈◊〉 cap. of Aâ—gust deâ—â—antitate â—â—imae Of the soule separated from the bodie The soule is immortall Of the death of soules 1. Tim. 1. 6. Gal. 1. Testimoâ—ies of the â—â—mortaâ—â—â—e of â—oules 〈…〉 Psal. 61. Eccle. 12. Gen. 3. Matth. 10. Matth. 16. Iohn 8. Iohn 8. Heb. 9. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Tim. 1. Apoc. 6. Wisd 3. All wise men haue thought that soules are immortal In what place soules liue when they are separated from their bodies Luke 16. Phil. 1. Iohn 14. Apoc. 6. â— Pet. 1. The soule returneth to the body but not before iudgment 1. thess. 4 Howe Soules should be translated to their appointed place Iohn 5. Iuke 23. At what time souls be carried vp into heauen Soules separated from their bodies doâ—â— not sleepe Soules 〈…〉 from the bodies are not caried into Purgatorie Soules are purged by the onlie bloud of Christ Iohn 3. Actes 4. 1 Pet. 1. 1. Ioh. 1. Apoc. 10. Ephe. 5. Tit. 3. Heb. 5. Gal. 2. Gal. 6. Eccles 11. That soules aâ— fully purged by the bloud of Christ Iohn 13. Iohn 17. Heb. 10. Marke 9. Of praiers for the dead 1. thess. 4. 1. Cor. 11. Aeriani coÌ„demned Matth. 8. Appearing of Spirits Deut. 18. Isa. 8. Luke 16. That souls separated from their bodies do not waÌ„deâ— in these regions Luke 12. Actes 7. Phil. 1. Gen. 25. Luke 16. Samuel 〈◊〉 his â—ath apâ—eared not 〈◊〉 Sâ—ule Sam. 28. Soules certainlie and immediately after the death of the bodie are blessed Iohn 3. The laste day of man. Iohn 5. Apoc. 14. Ecclesia a church or coÌ„gregation 1. Cor. 15. Actes 22. Synagogue What the church is The catholique church Galathi 3. The distinctioÌ„ of the church The triumphant church Reuela 7. Whence perfect holinesse procedeth 〈◊〉 12. The militant churche The holy churche beeleue â—he holie catholique church â— Cor. 6. The churche doeth comprehend the wicked The particular church Parish and parishe prieste Matth. 18. The church of God hath bene and â—halbe foreuer Matth. 28. Iohn 14. Matth. 16. The church of the diuell and Antichrist Math. 5. 6. 23. Math. 24. Howe hycrites are or may be accounted in the church of God. Matth. 12. 2. Cor. 6. Hypocrits Matth. 13 Matth. 13. Matth. 22. Matth. 3. 1. Cor. 5. 1. Iohn 2. Psal. 5â— Luke 22. Iohn 16. Al that be in the Church be â—ot the Church Rom. 9. Iohn 13. Iohn 6. Iohn 13. The visible and inuisible the outwarde inward Churche Of the outwarde markes of the church of God. Actes â— Matth. 28. Actes 2. Esai 59. Iohn 8. Iohn 10. Iohn 14. Iohn 18. 1 Cor. 12. 1. Cor. 10. How these marks declare the church What maner of Gods worde it ought to be that is the marke of the church After what sorte the SacrameÌ„ts ought to be vsed â— Reg. 12. â— Reg. 6. â—aptised of Hereâ—â—ques 〈◊〉 not reâ—aptised Of the inwarde markes of the church of God. Iohn 7. Iohn â–ª 14. 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 4. Rom. 8. Galath 2. Ephe. 3. 2. Iohn 4. Iohn 6. Iohn 15. 1. Iohn 4. Iohn 1. 13. 1. Iohn 4. Rom. 12. Of the originall oâ— the church Gala. 4. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 4. Rom. 10. The churche is not builte by the doctrine of men Matth. 16. Galath 1. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn â— Iohn 1â— Iohn 10. Colo. 2. Titus 1. Matth. 15. The churche is preserued by the worde of God. Epâ—â— 4. The propheticall Apostolicall and Or thodoxicall Church Of the coÌ„tinual succession of Bishops Zacha. 11. 1. Cor. 11. Actes 2â— TertulliaÌ„ of the coÌ„tinuall succession of Pastors The doctrine of the auncient church of Rome The churche is not builte by warre or deceipte 1. Cor. 2. 1. Thes 2. Matth. 26. Luke 22. 2. Thes 2 â—sai 49. Actes 21. Actes 23. Whether the church of God â—ay erre Iohn 13. 15 Rom. 7. How the holy church is without spotte wrinkle Iohn â— 1. Tim. 3. The Church is the piller and the grounde of the truthe Exod. 32. Ierem. 8. Of the power of the church Power of consecration The power of the keyes Power of inrisdictioÌ„ Power of preaching Power of iudgment or iudicial correctioÌ„ Power to receiue What power is Luke 9. 2. kindes of power Matth. 28. Reuela 1. Reue. 3. 2. Cor. 12. In what pointes ecclesiastical power consisteth To ordeine ministers of the church â–ª Actes 1. Actes 6. Actes 13. 1. Tim. 3. Power to teach Matth. 28. Mark. 16. Rom. 1. The power of the keyes Matth. 10. 2. Tim. 4 Luke 9. Power to administer the Sacramentes Power to iudge of doctrines 1. Cor. â—4 1. Thes 3. 1. Iohn 4. To call a counsel Actes 15. Power to dispose the affaires of the church â— Cor. 13. Of the â—â—udies of the church There is one holie Church of God. Cant. 4. Ephe 4. Apoc. 22. Matth. 22. Without the church is no light or saluatioÌ„ De simplicitate Praelatorum Institut li. 5. ca. 30. Againste certeine Scismatiques For the diuersitie of doctrin Scisme must not be made 1. Cor. 8. For the vices of the ministers Scisme must not be made â—latth 23. For the diuersitie of Ceremonies scisme must not be made For the impure life of men conuersant in the churche scisme must not be made For the vnworthie partakers of the Lordes supper Scisme must not be made 2. Cor. 11. Vnitie must be kepte and scisme eschued Of the departing from the church oâ— Rome â—ho is an 〈…〉 who a 〈◊〉 A
neuer so sound pithy and effectuall to be read in Churches They are like Physicians whiche forbid their patients all those meates which they may haue and would do them good and appoint them only suche as by no meanes they can obteine for it will not yet be that euery parish shal haue a learned able preacher resident and abyding in it And in the meane time it cannot be denied but that an Homilie or sermon penned by some excellent clerk being read plainly orderly distinctly doth much moue the hearers doth teach coÌ„firme confute coÌ„fort persuade euen as the same pronounced without the booke doth Perhaps some hearers whiche delight more to haue their eyes fed with the preachers action than their hartes aedified with his sermon are more moued with a sermon not read but to a good christian hearer whose minde is moste occupied on the matter there is smalods Better is a good sermon read than none at all But nothing say they must be read in the open congregation but the verie Canonical scriptures That rule is somwhat straite praecise Then may not either the Creed called the Apostles creed or the Nicene creed or the creed called Athanasius creed or any prayers which are not word for word coÌ„teined in the canon of the scriptures nor any coÌ„tents of chapters be read in the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ The church CongregatioÌ„ of the Colossians were inioyned by S. Paul Col. 4. ve 16. to read amongst them the Epistle written froÌ„ Laodycea which Epistle as Caluine thinketh was not writen by Paule but by the church of Laodycea and sent to Paule and is not conâ—eined in the Canon of the scriptures The Churche of Corinth also and other churches of the godly soone after the Apostles times as appeareth out of Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 23. and the writers of the Centuries Cent. 2. cap. 10. did vse to read openly for admonition sake certeine Epistles of Clement of Dionysius Bishop of Corinth Maister Bucer in his notes vpon the communion book in King Edwardes time writeth thus It is better that where there lackes to expounde the scriptures vnto the people there should bee godly and learned Homilies read vnto them rather than they should haue no exhortation at al in the administration of the supper And a little after he saith there be two fewe Homilies and too fewe pointes of religion taught in them when therefore the Lord shal blesse this kingdome with some excellent preachers let them be coÌ„maunded to make moe Homilies of the principal pointes of religion which may be read to the people by those pastors that cannot make better themselues And that worthie martyr doctor Ridley Bishop of London speaking of the Church of England that was in the reigne of king Edward as he is reported by maister Foxe in his booke of Actes and Mo To 2. Pag. 1940. sayeth thus It had also holy and wholesome Homilies in commendation of the principall vertues which are coÌ„mended in scripture and likewise other Homilies against the most pernicious and capital vices that vse alas to reigne in this Churche of Englande So long therfore as none are read in the Church but such as are sound godly learned and fit for the capacitie of the people and whiles they are not thrust into the Churche for Canonicall Scriptures but are read as godly expositions and interpretations of the same and whiles they occupie no more time in the church than that which is vsually left and spared after the reading of the Canonical scriptures to preaching and exhortation and whiles they are vsed not to the contempt derogation or abandoning of preaching but only to supplie the want of it no good man can mislike the vse of them but such contentious persons as defie all thinges which they deuise not themselues And if it be saide there be already good Homilies and those also authorized likewise wholesome expositions of sundrie parts of scripture tâ— the same purpose I graunt there be so But store is no sore And as in meats which are most deintie if they come often to the table we care not for them so in sermons which are moste excellent if the same come often to the pulpit they oftentimes please not others are desired But to end these sermons of maister Bullingers are such as whether they be vsed priuately or read publiquely whether of ministers of the word or other Gods children certeinely there will be found in them suche light and instruction for the ignorant such sweetenesse and spiritual comfort for consciences suche heauenly delightes for soules that as perfumes the more they are chafed the better they smell and as golden mynes the deeper ye digge them the more riches they shewe so these the more diligently ye peruse them the more delightfully they will please and the deeper ye digge with daily studie in their mynes the more golden matter they will deliuer forth to the glorie of GOD to whoÌ„ only be praise for euer and euer Amen ⧠Of the foure generall Synodes or Counsels SINCE THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES MANY Counselles haue beene celebrated in sundrye Prouinces Those Counsels then were Synodes or assemblies of Bishops and holy men meeting together to consult for keeping the soundnesse of Faith the vnitie of Doctrine and the discipline and peace of the Churches Some of which sorte the Epistles of the blessed martyr Cyprian haue made vs acquainted withall The first generall or vniuersall Synode therefore is reported to haue bene called by that moste holy Emperour Constantine in the Citie of Nice the yere of our Lorde 324. against Arius and his parteners which denied the naturall Deitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ And thither came there out of all nations vnder heauen 218. Bishops and excellent learned men who wrote the Creede commonly called the Nicene Creede Hitherto the Creede of the Apostles sufficed and had bene sufficient to the church of Christe euen in the time of Constantine For all men coÌ„fesse that all the churches vsed no other Creede than that of the Apostles which we haue made mention of and expounded in the firste Decade wherewith they were content throughout the whole world But for because in the dayes of Constantine the great that wicked blasphemer Arius sprange vp corrupting the purenesse of Christian faith and peruerting the simple trueth of doctrine taught by the Apostles the Ministers of the churches were compelled of very necessitie to set themselues againste that deceiuer and in publishinge a Creede to shewe forth and declare out of the Canonical Scriptures the true and auncient confession of faith condemning those nouelties brought in of Arius For in the Creedes set forth by the other three general counsels presently folowing neither was any thinge chaunged in the doctrine of the Apostles neither was there any new thinge added which the churches of Christe had not before taken and beleeued out of the holy Scripture but the auncient truth beeing wisely made manifest by coÌ„fessions made of
not lye which sayth that they shall not scape fcotfrée that take his name in vaine The mē of our time do not only take it in vain but doe of malice also blasphemously defile it I woulde to God the Magistrates would more sincerely set forth the worship of God among the people or else if this may not be obteined at their handes yet then at leaste that they woulde be no worse nor godlesse then Caiphas who when he heard as he thought blasphemie againste the name of God did rent his cloathes and crie that the blasphemer was worthy to dye For surely vnlesse our Christian Magistrates doe become more sharpe and seuere against blaspheming villaines I doe not sée but that they must néedes be a great deale worse then the wicked knaue Caiphas Vndoubtedly the Lord is true as euery one of you must seuerally thinke within your selues and he verily will punish in all men the defiling of his name but much more the malicious blaspheming of the same This very matter and place doe nowe require that I also speake somewhat here of taking an othe or swearing whiche is done by calling and taking to witnesse of Gods name Nowe in the handling of this matter many things are to be thought of and considered For first of al I sée that some there are which doubt whether it be be lawfull to take an othe or no bycause in Matthew the Lord hath said Ye haue heard what was sayd of old Thou shalt not forsweare thee selfe but shalt perfourme thine othes vnto the Lord but I say vnto you sweare not at all c. But the Lords minde in Matthewe was not to take cleane away the true and auncient law but to interprete it and to bring it to a saunder sense bycause it was before corrupted and marred by diuers forged counterfaite gloses of the Pharises For the people being taught by them had euermore an eye to kéep their mouthes from periurie but touching superfluous vnprofitable and néedlesse othes they had no care at all not thinking that it was amisse to sweare by Heauen and by Earth wherefore the Lorde expounding his fathers lawe sayth That all othes generally are forbidden to wit those wherein the name of the Lorde is taken in vaine and whereby we sweare when there is no néede at all In the meane while he neyther condemned nor yet tooke cleane away the solemne and lawfull othe Now there is great difference betwixt a solemne oth and our daily othes which are nothing els but déepe swearings not only néedelesse but also hurtfull But a solemne oth is both profitable néedfull The lawe of God and wordes of Christ do not forbid things profitable and néedfull and therfore they condemne not a solemne and lawfull othe Yea in the lawe too is permitted a solemne othe where there is forbiodē alone the vnprofitable vsing of the Lordes name And Christ our lord came not to break the lawe but to fulfill the lawe And therefore he in Saint Matthewe did not condemne an othe vnlesse a man shoulde goe about to proue that the Sonne taught a doctrine cleane contrarie to the doctrine of his heauenly father which is a blasphemie against the father and the sonne not to be suffered Moreouer God him selfe also sweareth which vndoutedly he would not do if an othe coulde not be taken without any sinne For after a long exposition of the lawe he saith Be ye holy for I am holy be ye perfect euen as your heauenly father is perfect We reade also that the holiest men of both the Testamentes by calling and taking to witnesse the name of God in matters of weight did sweare and that they sware without any sinne An othe therfore in the lawe of Christ is not forbidden and it is lawfull for a Christian man both to exact and also to take an othe I rather verily do not sée howe that man is worthy to be called a Christian which being lawfully required to sweare wil séeme to refuse it But of this I haue more fully disputed in another place against the Anabaptistes Secondarily we haue to cōsider for what causes we ought to swere In many cōmon weals it is an vsual and receiued custome to take an othe vpon euery light occasion and for that cause we sée that an othe is lightly set by and very little estéemed For what is this but to take the name of God in vaine Let Magistrates therfore learne and knowe that an othe ought not to be required but in earnest affaires as when it standeth for the glory of God for the safetie of our neighbour and for the publique weale We must marke therefore when and why the people of God haue sworne in the scriptures Abraham sware when he made that league confederacie with Abimelech The people of God doth very often sweare vnder their kings in making a couenant with God for the keeping of true religion They of olde time did cleare themselues of heinous suspicions by taking of an othe In Exodus we reade If any man shall giue to his neighbour a beast to kepe and it shall dye or be stoalne awaye no man seeing it then shal an othe by the Lorde goe betwixt them twaine that he hath not layd his hand on his neighbors thing which 〈…〉 owner of the thing shal take the other shall not restore it For Paule in the 6. to the Hebrues sayth Men verily sweare by the greater and an othe for confirmation is to them an end of all strife To this end therefore let Magistrates apply the vse of an othe and let them haue an especiall regard in giuing an othe to do it reuerently let the peeres of the people keepe inuiolably that which they sweare and let them take héed that they do not rashly require an othe of light headed fellowes let thē not compare any thing or thinke any thing to be equall to an othe but let them reuerently and last of all haue their recourse to that as to the vtmost remedie to finde out the truth and therewithall let them vse sharpe punishment against periured persons But woe to the peoples princes if through their wicked negligēce an othe be not estéemed For he without doubt will punishe them sharply for it who sayth By cause I will not suffer him to goe vnpunished that taketh the Lordes name in vaine Thirdly I will tell you what an othe is and what it is to swears An othe is the calling or taking to witnesse of Gods name to confirme the truth of that we say There is difference betwixt an othe and that déepe kynde of swearing whereby God is blasphemed torne in péeces There is difference too betwirt an othe and those bitter speaches where with we vse to curse and ban our neighbours They are not worthy doubtlesse to be called othes But for bycause this word Iuramentum is ouer largely vsed for any hynde of othe as well in the worse as better part therefore
haue the king to preach to baptize and to minister the Lords supper or the priest on the other side to sit in the iudgment seate and giue iudgement against a murderer or by pronouncing senteÌ„ce to take vppe matters in strife The Church of Christ hath and reteyneth seuerall and distinguished offices and God is the God of order and not of coÌ„fusion Hereunto tendeth our discourse by demonstration to proue to all men that the magistrate of duetie ought to haue care of religion either in ruine to restore it or in soundnesse to preserue it and still to see that it procéede according to the rule of the woord of the lord For to that end was the law of God giuen into the kinges hands by the priestes that hee should not be ignoraunt of Gods will touching matters Ecclesiasticall and politicall by which lawe hée had to gouerne the whole estate of all his realme Iosue the Capitaine of Gods people is set before Eleazar in deede but yet hee hath authoritie to commaunde the priestes and being a politique gouernour is ioyned as it were in one bodie with the ecclesiasticall ministers The politique magistrate is commaunded to giue eare to the ecclesiastical ruler and the ecclesiastical minister must obey the politique gouernour in all thinges which the law commauÌ„deth So then the magistrate is not made subiect by God to the priestes as to Lords but as to the ministers of the Lord the subiection duetie which they owe is to the lord himself and to his law to which the priestes themselues also ought to be obedient as well as the Princes If the lipps of the priest erre from the truth and speake not the word of God there is no cause why any of the common sort much lesse the Prince should either hearken vnto or in one title reuerence the priest The lippes of the priest sayth Malachie keepe knowledge they seeke the Lawe at his mouth because he is the messinger of the lord of hoastes To refuse to hear such priestes is to repell God himself Such priestes as these the godly princes of Israell did alwayes ayde and assist false priestes they did disgrade those which neglected their offices they rebuked sharpelie and made decrees for the executing and right administring of euerie office Of Salomon wee read that hée put Abiathar beside the priesthoode of the Lord that hee might fulfil the word of the Lord which he spake of Heli in Silo and made Zadok priest in Abiathars stéede In the second booke of Chronicles it is said And Salomon set the sorts of priestes to their offices as Dauid his father had ordered them and the Leuites in their watches for to praise minister before the priestes day by day as their course did require In the same booke againe Ioiada the priest doth in déede annointe Ioas king but neuerthelesse the king doth cal the priest giue him a coÌ„maundement to gather money to repaire the temple Moreouer that religious and excellent Prince Ezechias called the priestes and Leuites and said vnto them Bee ye sanctified and sanctifie ye the house of the Lord our God and suffer no vncleannesse to remaine in the sanctuarie My sonnes be not slacke now because the Lord hath chosen you to minister vnto him selfe Hée did also appoint singars in the house of the Lord and those that should play on musicall instruments in the Lords temple Furthermore king Ezechias ordeyned sondrie companies of priestes and Leuites according to their sondrie offices euerie one according to his owne ministerie What may be sayd of that too that euen hee did diuide to the priestes their portions and stipends throughout the priesthoode The same king gaue charge to all the people to â—éepe holie that feast of Passeouer writing to them all such letters as priestes are wont to write to put them in mind of religion and hartie repentaunce And after all this there is added And the king wrought that which was good right and iust before the Lord his God. When Princes therefore doe order religion according to the woord of God they do the thing that pleaseth the lord This and the like is spoken againe by the godly Prince Iosias Who therefore will hereafter say that the care of religion belongeth vnto bishops alone The Christian Emperours following the example of the auncient kings as of their fathers did with greate care prouide for the state of true religion in the Church of Christe Arcadius Honorius did determine that so often as matters of religion were called in question the bishopps should be sommoned to assemble a counsell And before them againe the Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius established a lawe wherin they declared to the world what faith and religion they would haue all men to receiue and reteine to witte the faith and doctrine of S. Peter In which edicte also they proclaimed all them to be heretiques which thought or taught y contrarie allowing them alone to be called catholiques which did perseuere in S. Peters faith By this we gather that the proper office of y priests is to determine of religion by proofes out of the woord of God that the princes dutie is to aâ—de the priestes in aduauncement and defence of true religioÌ„ But if it happen at any time that the priests be slack in doing their duetie then is it the princes office by compulsion to inforce the priestes to liue orderlie according to their profession and to determine in religion according to the woord of god The Emperour Iustinian in Nouellis CoÌ„stitut 3. writing to Epiphanius Archbishop of Constantinople saith Wee haue most reuerend Patriarch assigned to your holinesse the disposition of all things that are honest seemelie and agreeable to the rule of the holie scriptures touching the apointing ordering of sacred bishops reuereÌ„d clearkes And in the 7. Constitution hée saith Wee giue charge and commauÌ„demeÌ„t that no bishop haue liceÌ„ce to sell or make away any immoueables whether it be in houses or landes belonging to the Churches Againe in the 57. Constitution hée forbiddeth to celebrate the holie mysteries in priuate houses Hée addeth the penaltie and saith For the houses wherein it is done shal be confiscate and sold for money which shal be brought into the Emperours Exchequer In the 67 Constitution hée chargeth all bishops not to be absent from their Churches but if they be absent he willeth that they should receiue no commoditie or stipend of the prouinciall stuards but that their reuenue should be imployed on y Churches necessities In the 123. constitution the lieuetenauntes of euerie prouince are commaunded to assemble a counsell for the vse and defence of ecclesiasticall lawes if the bishops bee slacke to looke thereunto And immediatlie after hee saith Wee do vtterly forbid all bishoppes prelates and cleaâ—kes of what degree soeuer to play at tables to keepe companie with diceplayers to bee lookers on vpon gamesters or to runne to gaze vppon May games or
but Extraduce and by propagation For Iob in his fourtéenth Chapter saith manifestly Who can make or bring foorth a pure or cleane thing of that which is vnclean no bodie vndoubtedly is able to do it Of that sorte also there are many other sayinges in the fiftéenth 25 Chap. of the same booke And Paule the holye Apostle of Christe in the fifte to the Romanes doth moste euidently saye As by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne euen so death entred into all men in so muche as all haue sinned for vnto the lawe was sinne in the worlde but sinne is not imputed when there is no lawe Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also that had not sinned with like transgression as did Adam c. Doeth not the Apostle in these woordes manifestly shewe the propagation of sinne saying Sinne entred by one man into the worlde death entred into all men in so muche as they haue all sinned to wite in so muche as they are all subiect to corruption And that no men either beefore or after Moses might be excepted he addeth Death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also which had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam that is to saye ouer them which had not sinned of their owne wil as Adam had but drew froÌ„ him originall sinne by propagation Sainct Augustine doth more fully excusse and handle this argument in his first booke De peccatorum meritis et remissione in the ninth tenth and eleuenth Chapter and the reste as they followe in order Againe Paule in the seuenth to the Romanes calleth this euil the sinne y dwelleth in vs that is to saye the sinne y is begotten borne with vs For he addeth I am carnall solde vnder sinne And I knowe that in me that is my fleashe there dwelleth no good And therfore the blessed Apostle Euangelist Iohn telleth vs that if we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs. He saith verie significantly wee haue and not we haue had or we shall haue For by our corrupt nature we haue that proper vnto vs Therefore it is manifest that the fiction of the Pelagians is false whereby they affirme that wee are borne without vice it is false that the voluntarie action onely and not y corruption or deprauation which is not yet burst forth to the déede is sinne And Augustine doth in one place call euen that voluntarie sinne originall sinne and that two sundrie wayes firste not simply of it selfe but in respect of Adam because it beeing committed by the naughtie will of Adam is drawen and made hereditarie in vs Secondly because a naughtie lust may be named a will. For Lib. Retract 1. Cap. 15. he saith If any man doth sâ—ye that euen tâ—e verie lust is nothing else but will suche a will yet as is vicious and subiect to sinne he needeth not to be gaâ—â—said for where the thing is manifest wee must not striue about termes and wordes For so it is proued that without will there is no sinne either in deede or in propagation that is either actuall or originall Thus much Augustine who doth also alledge other sayings like to this in his thirde booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Chap. 5. It shal be sufficient to vs euen without them to learne by the testimonies of the holie Scriptures that sinne is not onely a voluntarie action but also an hereditarie corruption or deprauation that commeth by inheritance Not vnlike to all this is that sentence in Ezechiâ—l where the Lorde saith The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father but euery man shal dye in his owne sinne For Adams fall should do vs no harme if it were not â—o that eueÌ„ from him there is sprung vpp in vs such a peruersenesse as is worthie of Gods iust iudgement But nowe since all the inclination disposition and desire of our nature euen in a childe but one day olde is repugnaunt to the purnesse and will of God which is onely good no man therefore is punished for his father but euery one for his owne iniquitie and calamities fall euen on the yongest babes whome wee see to be touched with many afflictions by the holie and iuste iudgement of the moste iust God. Neither is their obiection anye whitt stronger which saye that the children of holie parents cannot draw or take any spott of their parents For they haue their line all descent of the fleshely generation and not of the spirituall regeneration And wheâ—eas the Apostle saide The vnbeleeuing husbande is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husbande else were your children vncleane but nowe are they cleane it is not repugnant to our former allegations For they are called holie not by the prerogatiue of their birth or generation as though children were borne holie without any spott or vice at aâ—l but for because they beeinge borne by nature corrupt are by the vertue of the couenaunt grace made pure vncleannesse is not imputed to them for Christ his sake or the remission oâ— sinnes which is pronounced in these woordes I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede after thee For of olde euen those children which of the seede of Abraham were holie blessed receiued notwithstanding the signe of circumcision Now what neede I pray you had they had of Circumcision or purging if by their birthe they had had no vncleannesse in them That therfore is vtterly false whiche ye heard euen now that Caelestius the Pelagian did vtter in these words We did not therefore say that infants are to bee baptised into the remission of sinnes to the end that wee should thereby seeme to affirme that sinne is extraduce or hereditarie which is vtterly coÌ„trarie to the catholique sense For it is catholique and true doctrine that the children of the Iewes were circumcised not so much onely beecause they were partakers of the diuine couenaunt as for because that all the antiquitie of holy fathers did so coÌ„fesse that in infants there was somewhat which had néede of cutting that is which had néede to be remitted by the grace of God and not bee imputed to them vnto death It is catholique true doctrine that the infantes of ChristiaÌ„s are baptised not so much because they are the children of God and fréely receiued into the couenant as for because there is in them euen from their birth somewhat which the Lord by his grace doeth wash awaye least it should bring vpon them death and damnation Yea that cannot bée catholique whiche doeth so manifestly repugne so many euident places of Scripture which proue that in infaÌ„ts there is sinne by propagation To coÌ„firme this wee may add that S. Augustine in his first booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Cap. 2. gathereth together the testimonies of the most excellent bishops and doctours in the primatiue Church by whiche hee proueth
that all the ministers of the Churches euen from the Apostles time did both acknowledge and openly teach original sinne In that place he citeth the testimonies of IrenÄ™us Cyprian Retilius Olympius Hilarie and Ambrose his father and maister in Christian doctrine Innocent Gregorie Basil and Iohn Chrysostome And at length hée inferreth Wilt thou now call so great a consent of Catholique priestes a coÌ„spiracie of naughtie men Neither thincke thou that S. Hierome is to be coÌ„temned because he was but a priest onely and no bishop who being skilful in the Greeke Latine and Hebrue tongues and passinge from the West vnto the East Church liued in holy places and the studie of the sacred Scriptures euen to his croane crooked age He read all or in a maner al the woorkes of them whiche in both partes of the world did write of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and yet he neither held nor taught any otherwise of this point of doctrine And againe the same Augustine in his third booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione Cap. 7. sayeth Hierome expounding the propheâ—ie of Ionas when he came to that place where meÌ„tion is made that euen the little children were chastened with fasting sayth It began with the eldest and came euen to the yongest For there is none without sinne no not hee which is but one day old nor hee whose gray head hath seene many yeares For if the starres are not cleane in the sight of God how much more vncleane are duste and putrifying earth and those which are in subiection to the sinne of Adams transgression To these words of Hierome doeth Augustine himselfe annexe this that followeth If it were so that wee might easilie aske it of this most learned man how many teachers of the holie Scriptures in both the tongues and howe many writers of Christian treatises would hee reckon vp which since the time that Christ his Church was first planted haue themselues nether thought of their predecessours learned nor taught their successours any other thaÌ„ this doctrine touching originall sinne I verilie thoughe I haue read nothing so much as hee do not remember that I haue heard any other doctrine of Christians whiche admit or receiue both the testaments whether they were in the vnitie of the Catholique Church or otherwise in Schismes and heresies I doe not remember that I haue read any other thing in them whose writinges touching this matter I could come by to read them if either they did followe or thought that they did follow or would haue men beleeue that they did followe the Canonicall Scriptures Thus farre hath Augustine teaching in the very beginning that all the Sainctes did by a full consent and agréement in doctrine most expressely graunt and confesse that originall sinne is euen in newe borne infants Mée thincketh that Sainct Hierome did not onely in Ionas but also much more euidently in Ezechiel confesse and affirme originall sinne His wordes are to bée séene Comment lib. 14. in cap. 47. ad Ezechielem and are verbatun as followeth What man can make his boaste that hee hath a chaste heart or to whose minde by the windows of the eyes the death of concupiscence or to vse a mylder terme the tickling of the minde doth not enter in For the world is set in wickednesse euen from his childhood the hart of man is set to naughtinesse so that not the very first day of a mans natiuitie his nature is free from sinne and naughtinesse Wherevppon Dauid in the Psalme sayeth For behold I was coÌ„ceiued in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued mee Not in the iniquities of my mother or in mine owne sinnes but in the iniquities of our mortall state And therfore the Apostle saith death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also whiche had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam Thus much hath Hierome and we haue hetherto alledged al these sayings to the end wee might proue that originall sinne is the naturall or hereditarie corruption of mans nature Let vs nowe sée what and howe great the hereditarie naughtinesse or corruption of our nature is and what power it hath to woorke in man Our nature verilie as I shewed you aboue was before the fall most excellent and pure in oure father Adam but after the fall it did by Gods iuste iudgement become corrupte and vtterly naught which is in that naughtinesse by propagation or Extraduce deriued into all vs whiche are the posteritie and ofspring of Adam as both experience and the thing it selfe doe euidently declare as well in sucklings or infantes as those of riper yeares For euen very babes giue manifest tokens of euident deprauation so soone as they once beginne to bée able to doe any thing yea before they can perfectlye sounde any one syllable of a whole word All oure vnderstandinge is dull blunt grosse and altogether blinde in heauenlie things Our iudgement in diuine matters is peruerse and friuolous For there arise in vs most horrible and absurd thoughtes and opinions touching God his iudgementes â— wonderfull woorkes yea our whole minde is apt and readie to errours to fables and our owne destruction and when as our iudgements are nothing but méere follie yet doe wée preferre them farre aboue Gods wisedome whiche wee esteeme but foolishnesse in comparison of oure owne conceiptes and corrupte imaginations For hee lyed not whiche saide The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned Nowe Paule calleth him the naturall man which liueth naturally by the vitall spirite and is not regenerate by the holy Ghoste And since we all are such wée are therefore wholie ouercome and gouerned of Philautie that is too great a selfeloue and delight in our selues whereby all things that wee oure selues doe woorke doe highly please vs loking still verie busilie to oure owne selues and our commoditie when in the meane time wée neglecte all others yea rather doe afflicte them Neither did Plato vnaduisedly estéeme that vice of selfeloue to bee the very roote of euery euill Furthermore our whole will is ledd captiue by concupiscence which as a roote enuenomed with poyson infecteth all that is in man and doeth incline drawe on driue man to things carnall forbidden and contrarie to God to the end that hée maye gréedilie pursue them put all his delight in them and content him selfe wyth them Moreouer there is in vs no power or abilitie to doe any good For wée are sâ—owe sluggish and heauie to goodnesse but liuely quicke and readie enoughe to anye euill or naughtinesse And that I may at last conclude and briefely expresse the whole force and signification of our hereditarie deprauation and corruption I say that this deprauation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting of Gods Image in vs There was in oure father Adam before his fall the very Image and likenesse of God
which god had threatened vnto him to wit that he shoulde so be humbled by the incest of his sonne c. And what is the cause that they demaund not if God for sinne did threaten that scourge why then when he had pardoned the sinne did he fulfill that whiche he threatened but for bicause they knowe if they demaund that question that they shall rightly be answered that the remission of the sinne was graunted to the end the man shuld not be by his sinne hindered to obteine eternall life but the effect of Gods threatening did followe after the remission of the sinne to the end that the godlinesse of the maÌ„ might be tryed and exercised in that humilitie In like manner God hath for sinnes layde bodily death as a punishment vpon the body of man and after the forgiuenesse of sinnes hathe not taken it away but left it in the body to be a meane to the exercise of righteousnesse Thus farre hath Augustine Nowe as concerning the punishments of the wicked If the most iust God doe in this worlde touch them with any let vs knowe that they bee the arguments of Gods iust iudgement who in this worlde beginneth to punishe them temporally and in the worlde to come doeth not ceasse to plague them euerlastingly The wicked verily perishe thorough their owne default For God beginneth to whippe them in this life to the end that they beeing chastened may begin to be wise and turne to the Lorde but they by his chasticement are the more indurate and murmur at the iudgements of God conuerting that to their owne destruction which was ordeined to haue bene to their health For as to them that loue GOD all thinges worke to the best so to them that hate the Lord all things do work to their vtter destruction This argument might bee extended further yet but for because I haue alreadie spoken a great deale to this effect in the third Sermon of this thirde Decade that whiche is here left out may there be founde therefore I referre you to the looking vpon that And so nowe hitherto touching sinne I haue with somewhat too long a Sermon dearely beloued by more than the space of two whole houres deteyned you here That therefore I may nowe make an end let vs humblie acknowledge our sinnes and méekely crye with prayers vnto the Lorde which sitteth in the throne of Grace saying Haue mercie vppon vs O Lorde for against thée haue wée sinned and do confesse our offences Thy debters are wée Forgiue thou vs our debtes as wée forgiue our debters and leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euil Amen ⸫ The ende of the thirde Decade of Sermons The fourth Decade of Sermons written by Henrie Bullinger ¶ Of the Gospell of the Grace of God who hath giuen his sonne vnto the worlde and in him all thinges necessarie to saluation that wee beleeuing in him might obteine eternall life The first Sermon AFter the expositioÌ„ of the lawe and those poyntes of doctrine that depende vppon the lawe I thinke it it best nowe to come to the handling of the Gospell which in the exposition of the lawe other places else hath bene mentioned often times Nowe therefore dearely beloued as I haue béene hitherto helped with your prayers to God so here againe I request your earnest supplications with mee to the father that I by his holie spirite may speake the trueth to your edification in this present argument Euangelium is a Gréeke woorde but is receiued of the Latines Germanes and at this day vsed as a worde of their owne It is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth good and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tell tydings For Euangelium signifieth the telling of good tydings or happie newes as is wont to be blowen abroade when the enimies being put to foyle wee rayse the siege of any citie or obteine some notable victorie ouer our foes The worde is attributed to any ioyfull luckie newes concerning any matter luckily accomplished The Apostles did willingly vse that terme not so much because the Prophets had vsed it before them as for that it doth wonderfully conteine and doth as it were laye before our eyes the manner and woorke of oure saluation accomplished by Christe wherevnto they haue applyed the worde Euangelium The Prophet Esaie as Luke interpreteth it bringeth in Christe our Lorde speaking in this manner The spirite of the Lord vpon mee because he hath annoynted mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to preache the Gospell hath he sent me to heale the broken harted to preach deliuerance vnto the captiue and recouering of sight vnto the blindâ— freely to sett at libertie them that are brused and to preach the acceptable yere of the Lorde Lo here the Sauiuiour of the worlde doeâ—h in the Prophet and the Euangelist expounde to vs what Euangelium is and wherevnto it tendeth The father sayth hee hath sent mee to preache Euangelium the Gospell to the poore And immediately after to shew who those poore should bee hee addeth whiche are broken hearted or broken minded to wite suche as finde in them selues no soundnesse or health but vtterly despairinge of their owne strength do wholy depend vpon the help of Christ their cunning and willing Physician Nowe the Gospell or good tydings which is shewed to the afflicted is this that the sonne of God is descended from heauen to heale the sicke and diseased soules To which also to make it more euident hee addeth another cause saying that the sonne of God is come to preache deliueraunce vnto captiues and the recouering of sight to the blinde c. For all men are helde captiue in the bondes of damnation they doe all serue a sorrowfull slauerie vnder their cruel enimie Satan they are all kept blinde in the darknesse of errors And to them it is that redemption deliuerance and the acceptable yere of the Lorde is preached Now this ioyfull tydings is called Euangelium the Gospell Therefore the Gspell is of all men in a manner after this sorte defined The Gospell is a good and a sweete worde and an assured testimonie of Gods grace to vs warde exhibited in Christe vnto all beléeuers Or else the Gospell is the moste euident sentence of the eternall God brought downe from heauen absoluing al beléeuers from all their sinnes and that too freely for Christe his sake with a promise of eternal life These definitions are gathered out of the testimonies of the Euangelistes Apostles For Sainct Luke bringeth in the Angel of the Lorde speaking to the amazed shéepeheards saying Feare not for behold I bring you good tydings of greate ioye that shal be to all people for vnto you is borne this daye in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lorde Lo here he taketh from the sheepeheardes all manner of feare with the 〈…〉 of good tydinges that is with 〈…〉 of health which is a 〈…〉 is full of
Gospell that is of that whiche giueth the spirite of Christ yea which poureth it into the beléeuers but they are not preachers of the letter of the lawe which doth not giue grace and remission of sinnes but worketh wrath and bringeth sinne to light Touching the keyes and the power of the keyes there will be elsewhere a more fit place to speake And moreouer it séemeth that here is a méete place for those things which I haue disputed of in the first sermon of this Decade touching the power and ministerie of the Church Againe whereas the Lorde vseth in teaching his Church mans helpe and vs as labourers together in finishing the saluation of mankinde he sheweth most euidently howe greatly he loueth vs and howe muche he estéemeth of vs who hath layde vp so greate a treasure in earthen vessels and euen in vs our selues worketh what so euer is most excellent and ouercommeth all the highe excellencie of the world Whereby we learne againe to attribute all the glorie vnto Christ Paul againe teaching vs and saying We preache not our selues but Iesus Christe the Lorde and our selues your seruaunts for Iesus sake For it is God that commaunded the light to shine out of darknesse who hath shined in our hearts for to giue the light of knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christe But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power may bee of God and not of vs Wee are afflicted on euery side yet are we not in distresse c. Moreouer all the members of the Ecclesiasticall body are wonderfully glued together by the Ecclesiasticall ministerie For this chiefly helpeth to make concorde and continue vnitie bicause we want mutuall instruction and vnto euerie Churche is one peculiar pastour appointed as a gouernour as it were some faythfull housholder gouerning and kéeping in order his whole familie Truely it can not be denyed that in time past that moste exquisite order of the tabernacle and temple and the tribe of Leuie consecrated to the priesthoode were to this ende ordeyned of God whiche as soone as that vngodly king Ieroboam throughe wicked presumption forsooke hee rent the kingdome in péeces and at the length vtterly ouerthrewe both his owne house and the whole kingdome S. Paule also speaking of the endes of the holy ministerie instituted of God doth not forget the vnitie of the Ecclesiasticall body wherevnto also he ioyneth other notable good things If any man desire his wordes they are these He instituted ministers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the woorke of the ministerie and for the edification of the body of Christe till we all meete together in the vnitie of faithe and knowledge of the sonne of god vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe that we henceforth be no more children wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceite of men and with eraftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue But let vs followe the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the heade that is Christe c. These endes of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie are manifest in the preaching of the worde of god GOD hathe instituted a ministerie in the Church that all the members may be brought into the vnitie of the bodye and that they maye be subiect and cleaue to Christe their heade that thereby we may growe to be of full age and become perfect men that we be not alwayes children and that we lye not open to the deceites and bewitchings of all heretiques but being ioyned together in true faith and charitie let vs holde fast the pure and simple truth of Christe and seruing Christe vnfeignedly in this worlde we may after death reigne with him in heauen Out of these things let vs also deriue this that the Ecclesiasticall ministerie thoughe it be executed by men yet is it not of man that is to say inuented by man For the beginning thereof is from heauen and the authour or institutour thereof is God him selfe and therefore the worthinesse of it doth greatly excell The first preacher in paradise was God him selfe yea the sonne of God him selfe who by the ministerie of the holy ghoste alwayes spake to the Fathers euen as afterwardes being incarnate he was giuen of the father to be a maister and teacher to the whole worlde He preached vnto our parentes Adam and Eue remission of sinnes and repentance He ordeyued and reuealed a sacrifice insteade of a sacrament wherein might be represented ratified vnto them y price of the redemptiō promised by the séed in time couenient to be paide c. There succéeded in the ministerie Adā with his sonnes nephues Seth Enos Enoch No◠Sem Abrahā with their sonnes and nephues euen vnto Moses in whose time while he gouerned the Church and after him there are giuen Prophetes and Priestes euen vnto the time of Iohn Baptist and Iesus the promised séed I meane Christe our king and highe Prieste He in likewise sent into the worlde his disciples that is to saye the Apostles who ordeyned for their successours Byshops and Doctours Of whiche thing I haue spoken more largely in an other place God him selfe therefore is hearde in the voyce or doctrine of his ministers So that we are commaunded to giue eare to the ministers preaching the Gospell as to the verie Angels of God yea as to the Lord him selfe For this cause Paule prayseth the Galathians saying Ye despised not neyther abhorred my triall which was in the flesh but receiued me as an angel of God yea as Christe Iesus Wherevpon S. Augustine also in his third treatise vpon Iohn Let vs heare sayth he the Gospell as if the Lord were present and let vs not say Oh happie are they who could heare him bycause there were many of them which saw him and yet consented to kill him and many among vs who haue not seene and yet beleued For that also whiche sounded precious out of the mouth of the Lorde is both written for our sakes and kept for vs and is also read for our sakes and for our posterities sake shall bee read vnto the end of the world The Lord is aboue yea and the Lord whiche is the trueth is here also For the body of the Lord wherewith he rose may be in one place but his trueth is spread abroade euery where Let vs therefore heare the Lord and that also which he shal giue vs of his words Thus much he The Lord our highe prieste speaketh vnto vs euen at this day by the ministers preaching his word And we haue all things what so euer the Lorde spake by the patriarches prophets and apostles set out in the scriptures which the ministers of the churche doe reade and declare before vs Who therefore hereafter can despise the ministerie and the faithfull ministers of Christe especially since our Lord and
to be looked for in them But in the latter times the Popes and bishops tyrannically taking that kinde of punishment into their handes and exercising it sacrilegiously contrarie to the first institutioÌ„ haue turned an holsome medicine into an hurtful poison making it abhominable bothe to the good and bad S. Paule teaching that this kinde of punishment was permitted by the Lord to restreine the licentiousnes of many sayth I haue decreed that he which hath committed this offence when you be gathered together in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ my spirite with you together with the power of our Lord Iesus Christe bee deliuered to sathan to the destruction of the slesh that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus Loe this is the power reuengement of the elders of the church The meanes is the destruction of the flesh The end is the safetie of the spirit 〈◊〉 the sauing of a faithful man For the fame Apostle to the thess. hath these wordes If there be any man sayth be that obeyeth not our words signifie to me of him by an epistle and fee that he haue nothing to do with him that he may be ashamed neither wil I you to acouÌ„t him as an enimy but warne him as a brother The same Apostle also plainely showing in an other place who ought to be punished by the Ecclesiastical sword not suche as be offenders throughe weaknesse of the fleshe or good men beeing adiudged for heretiques of the bishoppes onely and their companie about them or poore men for not paying their duetie to their ordinarie or their officiall but wicked doers pernicious men If any man sayth he that is called a brother bee a whore-hunter or a couetous person or an Idolater or a slaunderer or a drunkard or a theefe with such see that ye eate not S. Augustine doth admit moderation in giuing punishment and then especially when throughe punishment not the edifying but the destruction of the Churche is to bee feared Whiche feare might perhappes séeme eyther vaine or else too muche if the same Apostle who commaunded the incestuous adulterer to be deliuered to sathan had not saide in the latter epistle to the Corinthians I feare that when I come I shall not finde you such ones as I would shal mourne for many that offended before and haue not repented themselues of their vncleannes of their whoring and wantonnesse they haue vsed c. Truly he threateneth them hardly that he will not spare them but because he perceiued that it did rather tende to the vtter destruction and ouerthrowe of the Churche than to the gathering together increase thereof if as he did the adulterer he should deliuer them vnto sathan he vsed moderation therin according to Gods commandement Suffer both of them to grow lest that while ye pluck vp the cockle ye also pull vppe the wheate by the rootes It is necessarie therfore that holy indgement be vsed lest offence be committed either by too muâ—he fauour or by too muche extremitie Moreouer let spéedie reconciliation be of force among such as be repentaunt S. Paule faith It is sufficient to suche a man that he be thus blamed or chidden Saint Peter who shamfully denied the lord doth heare of women in the day of the resurrection the gospell preached by angels Moreouer we haue shewed that there is a magistrate in the church and authoritie to execute the sword vpon euil doers a magistrate which doeth iudge and exercise the sword and not withstanding is reckoned vp among the true members of the Church yea that a magistrate is very necessary for the church in respect of his office as it is set downe in our 7. and 8. sermon of the second Decade The speciall institutions and ordinaunces which God hathe appointed in the Churche are these that followe And truly amongst all the ordinaunces of the Churche wedlocke is not to be accounted least whiche if it be wel vsed it bringeth forth a great company of good fruits in the church but if it be not wel ordred it bréedeth a number of offences and deadly mischéefes in the Church For they iudge vprightly which say that that church is moste holie and best assembled which is gathered together froÌ„ out of many houses well ordered againe out of many wicked houses a wicked churche is assembled God therefore in his holy word doth diligently appoint couples and garnisheth wedlocke derie beautifully But it is not our purpose at this preset to set forth the praise of matrimonie For it sufficeth to knowe that God himselfe is the authour of wedlocke and that he instituted it first in Paradise and he did it to this end that man might liue wel and pleasantly with a followe to conclude he first coupled them man and woman together and being coupled he blessed them and that the most holy friends of God the patriarches princes prophetes kinges bishops wisemen and priestes liued in this kinde of life Whereof perhaps S. Paule said Wedlocke is honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled He in another place calleth the doctrine that forbiddeth wedlocke The doctrine of diuels For it is euidently knowen that Christes disciples and the Apostles were married men neither did they put away their wiues when they toke vpon them the office of preaching though some most shamefully feigne that they did It is notable that the Apostle requireth at the hands of a bishop or an elder to be the husband of one wife that in another place he plainly saith that it is lawfull to carrie about a Christian wife beeing in the calling of the Apostleship and he chalengeth it both to him selfe and also to Barnabas What shal I say moreouer that it was pronouÌ„ced in the counsel of Nice to wit that to lye with a mans owne wife is chastitie For Saint Paule had said before Let euerie man haue his own wife to auoide fornication And The bed of wedlocke is vndefiled Againe If a virgin marrie she offendeth not Wherefore we iudge that Papistical doctrine which forbiddeth marriage vnto ministers to be suche as the blessed Apostle S. Paule termed to be the doctrine of diuels The verie papistes themselues who haue not as yet put all shamefastnesse away wil confesse it with vs For if we iudge the trée by the fruits I pray you what fruits of single life may we recite What filthinesse what bamderie what aduiteries what fornications what rauishings what incests and heynous copulations may we rehearse Who at this day liueth more vnchaste or dishonest than the rabble of priestes and monkes doe For as they haue no care or regarde to obey Gods word and his lawes and to glorifie GOD with their holy life in chaste wedlocke euen so hathe God through 〈◊〉 desire of their hartes giuen them vp vnto all vncleannesse that their bodies may be stained with reproche But first of all the holie scripture
nor the lawe only kill 2. 〈◊〉 Moses doth 〈◊〉 deade to Christ 〈◊〉 lawe â—â—cheth 〈◊〉 riâ—â—tâ—ousâ—â—se The precepts of the law are the rudiments of the world The kinde of righteousnesse which was in the people of the old auncient world A carnall of fleshly people The lawe frameth the life of man. The lawe â—â—idleth the 〈◊〉 It is vnpossible for vs of our own strength to fulfil the lawe Paul spake in the 7. cha to the Romanes of his own person 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of the. The 〈…〉 Christ hath fulfilled the law is the perfectnes of the faythfull Life is promised to them that keepe the lawâ— Howe 〈◊〉 may 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Howe wee may keepe the lawe Gods commaundements are not heauie to be born Of the abrogation of the law 1 3 4 The 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 How farre â—oorth the ceremonials are abrogated Heb. 1. Ceremonies the niddle wal or patition Ceremonies of hand writing The citie and teÌ„ple of Ierusâ—leâ— destroyed â—ani 9. Num. 24. 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉 The priesthood abrogated 1. Cor. 9. Math. 10. The place â—or to worship God in is free â—or euery man to choose where hee listeth and the congregation liketh To 〈…〉 places The holy 〈…〉 The Romish Iubilie 1 2 〈…〉 2 The 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 is to 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 choice of meates abrogated 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—bidden of the 〈◊〉 The decree of the Synode held at IerusaleÌ„ The false Apostles doctrine They subscribe their owne names and inscribe the names of them to whom the the Epistle is sent â— Gal. 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 Spanâ— to the 〈◊〉 The exposition of the generall decree of the Synode held at IerusaleÌ„ 1 Act. 10. Men 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 S. Iames alloweth of S. 〈◊〉 opinioÌ„ From som certaine thinges must the Saintes abstaine S. Iames defended The abrogace of â—he Iudiciall lawes The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 peoplâ— The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 are all 〈◊〉 churâ—â—e and â—eople of 〈◊〉 and â—he same 〈◊〉 That the Fathers 〈◊〉 haue al 〈…〉 The Fathers and we haue al one faith The Fathers and we haue al one spirit Exod. â— Deut. 〈◊〉 The Fathers had the same hope and â—nheritaÌ„ce that we â—aue That Saluation was not promised onely but also performed vnto the fathers Ad inferos Ad inferos 1. Pet. 4. The Fathers and we haue al one maÌ„â—er of inuâ—cation 〈…〉 Of the difference of the olde newe testament and people Al thingâ—â— more â—â—ident in the newe people or couenant thaÌ„â—ere in the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 christ hath taken all burthens from our shoulders The bondage of the law in the old testament The people of the new testament are newe and without al number So that the people of this testament are after the name of Christ called Christians The giftes of the new testament are most ample and manifold The newe 〈…〉 no promise of 〈…〉 Of Christian libertie Who 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 Who 〈◊〉 â—e thaâ— Christe doth 〈…〉 What bondage is 〈◊〉 sorts 〈◊〉 bonâ—â—ge 〈…〉 A Paradox of libertie 2. Cor. 11. Spiriâ—â—â—l â—ondagâ— Abortion is made â—hen a woman is before her time deliuered of her childe The spirituâ—l libertie how farre forth we are made free by Christ Christian libertie Testimonies to proue christian libertie by Free froâ— the lawes and ordinances of men 〈…〉 The care of the body The 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 are 〈…〉 Christ The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 Licentiousnesse Of offencâ—â— Howe and by what meanes an offence is giuen Weklings 〈…〉 An offence giuen and an offence taken To giue offence is a great sin Offences 〈◊〉 not of the Gospel out of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 gospel Of good â—oorkes What worâ—â—s do 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 Good workes what they are The originall cause of good workes 〈…〉 No works do iustifie 1 2 3 Good workes aâ— no◠〈…〉 their 〈◊〉 is by 〈…〉 In what sense the scripture doth attribute iustification vnto good workes The 〈◊〉 of theâ— whic◠〈…〉 â—nto wâ—â—kes 〈…〉 to them that speake against the 〈◊〉 An other obiection The places â—f faith works that â—eeme at a 〈◊〉 to â—â—sigree 〈◊〉 here 〈…〉 1 2 The 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 The â—â—â—stles â—gainsâ— abuseâ— graceâ— faith â–ª 〈…〉 Origen in 3. cap. ad Roma Ambrose Chrysosâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 of 〈…〉 〈…〉 A rewarde is giuen to good workes To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈…〉 these places whiche confirme the reward of good workes Hire is due but heritage proceedeth of the parents good will. How or in what sensâ— God is said to giue a reward vnto oure good workes 1 â— S. 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Good workes muste be done according to the rule of the worde of God. Good workes indeed 1 â— The tenne commandements are a platforme of good workes 〈◊〉 be 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 To what end good workes must be done Rom. 2. 〈◊〉 came 〈…〉 The definition of sinne 〈…〉 The nature of maÌ„ is not the cause of sinne The diuel alone is not the cause of sinne That destinie is not the cause of sinne 〈…〉 〈◊〉 is not 〈…〉 God being good himselfe created all thinges good whiche be created 〈…〉 Sin 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 diuels 〈…〉 our corrupt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. Obiections are aâ—swered Why God created maÌ„ so fickle that hee should fall To what eâ—d God gaue the lawe to Adam There was 〈◊〉 corrupâ—â—â—â— or inâ—â—â—mâ—tie in â—dam beâ—â—re his fal 〈◊〉 image 〈◊〉 God. 〈…〉 An obiection How 〈◊〉 giueth ouer 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 câ—p 〈…〉 To harden God hardned Pharaoâ—s hart Amos 〈◊〉 How 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 euilâ— Noâ—e here 〈◊〉 first 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 euil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinges 〈◊〉 of god 〈◊〉 Go◠〈◊〉 God. The differences of sinne Originall sinne Originall sinne what it is The begining 〈…〉 The Pelagians 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 man. Voluntary sinne The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father To bee borne oâ— holâ— parâ—nts 〈…〉 Al the auâ—cient doctours or fâ—thers of the church confesse with one assent originall sin The East and west churches That is he taught held oriâ—â—nall sinne What 〈◊〉 how 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 nature 〈◊〉 Our deprauation is the blotting out of the Image of God in vs. Originall sinne condemneth 1 â— â—â—iginall 〈…〉 to all Where there is no lawe there is no transgression Rom. 7. Vldericke Zuinglius of original sinne Original 〈…〉 〈…〉 Christian faith consisteth in the consideratioÌ„ of two men Some were saued beside Israel but not without Christe The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sinne Sinne is repugnant to the law of God. The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 That k 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of ◠〈…〉 by 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Scelera delicta Peccata clamantia The 7. principal vices coÌ„monly called the 7. deadly sinnes Pecâ—atum alienum an otheâ—â— sin is 〈◊〉 an other made to sin by 〈◊〉 meaâ—es 〈◊〉 ye shall hereafteâ— perceiue â–ª The 〈◊〉 of ignorance Peccata aliena Others sinnes Both thesâ— sinnes an referred tâ— the compeller the one in respect of the man compelled the other in respect of the compeller
free coÌ„fession of departing from the Romishe Church The vpstarte churche of Rome is not the Churche The Church of â—ome â—â—th not be inward â—â—rkes of 〈◊〉 church â—f God. â— Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 in the â—â—â—stle of 〈◊〉 The Church of â—ome 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 outâ—arde â—â—rkes of 〈◊〉 church â—f God. The Lord â—eserueth to himselfe a Church thoughe the gouernoures of â—t erre 4. Reg. 16. 2. Par. 28. 4. Reg. 21. 22. 2. Par. 33. 34. 3. Reg. 12. 2. Par. â—1 Amos. 2. Amos. 7. 3. Reg. 19. Rom. 11. Though the Romish churche be noâ— the church yet God hathe a Church in Earth Dan. 9. 2. thess. 2. Apostolique churches Departure from the Romishe Church is coÌ„maunded Matth. 24. Matth. 9. Luke 6. Actes 2. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 6. The kinds of falling away The Church is the house of God. Matth. 16. 1. Cor. 3. Actes 10. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6. Esai 28. Matth. 16. Psal. 118. 1. Pet. 2. Acteâ— 4. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 3. Ephe. â— Psal. 18 Iâ—rem 17. Peter or the Bishop of Rome is not the foundation of the Church Matth. 16. â— Cor. 10. â— Cor. 3. Who bee Gods House â— Pet. 2. Ephe. 2. Christ the corner stoane The Tabernacle Temple figures of the Church Apoc. 2. The Church is Gods Vine Esa. 5. Iohn 15. The Church is â—he kingdome of God. The Church is â—hadowed but by mans bodie Ezech. 34. Matth. 18. Matth. 28. The Church of God hath no Vicar The head of the Church The Pope is not the head of the Church Ephe. 1. Ephe. 5. Luke 2â— Hierom in his commentaries vpon Titus and in his epistle to Euagrius The Church is the sheepe foulde of Christ Iohn 21. Actes 20. 1. Pet. 5. The office of a pastor is not a Lordly dignitie The Church is the spouse of Christ Iohn 3. Iohn 3. Ezech. 16. Ephe. 5. The Church or Mother begetteth Children Gala. 4. â— Cor. 3. Ephe. 4. The Churche a a virgine 2. Cor. 11. Adulterie and Fornication The Church of Rome is not the holy mother churche Apoc. 17. Whereâ—â—re God 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—f men in 〈◊〉 â—is Churâ—â—e Exod. 19. and. 20. Deut. 5. By the ministerie of the word God worketh saluation in his Church Actes 8 Gala. 1. Actes 10. Actes 9. Actes 26. Luke 1. 1. thess. 2. 1. thess. 4. Luke 10. Matth. 16. Iohn 20. Let euerie thinge be giuen to him that it belongeth I meane both to God thâ— minister â—nto the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 minisâ—â—rie 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 Cor. 〈◊〉 Iohn 1. Actes 26. The minnisterie is not appointed in vaine Iohn 15. Actes 1. 1. Tim. 1. Apoc. 1. 1. Cor. 3. 4. Matth. 13. 1. Cor. 3. â— Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 4. The ende of the ministerie Ephe. 4. The beginning of the ministerie and the worthinesse thereof Gala. 4. How miâ—isters are to be â—earde Rom. 15. Heb. 3. That the ministerie of the worde of God remaineth in the Church Iere. 31. How all may teach Deut. 6. What orders the Lord hath instituted in the Church Apostles Luke 6. Iohn 13. Mark. 16. Prophets Acte 11. 21. Euangelistes Pastours Iohn 10. and. 21. Doctours or Teachers Bishops Actes 20. Elders Nume 11. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Cor. 12. Deacons Women Deacons Rom. 16. 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 2. Priestes 1. Pet. 2. 2. Sam. 8. There is an interchanging betweene those names What maÌ„ner of order remayneth in the churche Equaliâ—ic betweene Bishops Elders 1. Cor. 4. â—atth 18. When the prerogatiue of Bishops be ganne and in what sort The 〈◊〉 and â—â—erogatiue of Bishops increased Clearkes Matth. 12 2. Tim. 4 â—ctes 19. â—â—pishe â—egular â—riestes Popishe Secular priestes Archepriestes Kindes 〈◊〉 Bishops The Popâ— or chiefeâ— Bishop Reade Anton. de Rosellis in his treatise of the power of the Pope and the Emperour Dan. 7. 8. Actes 20. 2. thess. 2. Whether it be profitable and necessarie that some one should haue preeminence ouer the Bishops Luke 22. * A birde that defileth all things she toucheth 2. Cor. 1. 1. Peter 5. Peter chief of the Apostles Of the donation of Constantine 4. Reg. 5. Augustine Steuchus of the donation of Constantine Actes 10. Apoc. 2â— Actes 12. Thou arte Peter c. Of the calling vnto the minisâ—â—â—ie and the kinde of calling Calling by fauouâ— and gyftâ— Symonie Iere. 23. A callinge necessarie in the Church Actes 13. Heb. 5. Rom. 10. Who may chose ministers in the church Actes 14. Nume 20. That Bishops alone haue not power to make ministers Time. 1. 1. Tim. 5. Deut. 16. Exod. 18. Deut. 1. What manner oâ— men are to be ordeyned Ministers Tit. â— 1. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 4. Censure examination What manner of examination the olde Bishops vsed The fourth Counsel of Carthage How they that are called are to be ordeined Actes 13. Actes 1. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1. A pall The pall was in old time frelie giuen Why we 〈◊〉 not â—â—ders at â—he hands â—f popishe â—â—shops Gal. 1. The othe of Bishops Pluralitie of Benefices Vnlerned ministers and many benefices the spoyle of the Churche What the office is of those that are ordeined in the Church Actes 20. 2. Tim. 4. Of the keyes of the church Luke 11. Matth. 23. Matth. 16. â—ohn 20. Luke 24. Mark. 16. Actes 2. Howe thâ— Apostles did binde and looâ—e Act. 16. Actes 13. Actes 18. Whence doctrine â—s to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Ezech. 3. â—ere 23. Matth. 28. Mark. 16. Rom. â— 1 â—et 4. The Bishops are not permitted tâ— make new lawes Esai 33. Iames. 4. Matth. 15. The scope â—â— drifte wherevnto the pastors in the churche should â—yme Coloss 4. Ezech. 34. Iere. â— 30. Esai 42. 8. Mat. 12. 19. Of the manner of teachinge the Churche The benefite of Catechisinge The interpretatioÌ„ of the scripture 2. Pet. 1. ApplicatioÌ„ of scripture Luke 12. 2. Tim. 2. Matth. 5. Titus 1. 2. Tim. 4. 1. Tim. 2 Care of the poore Actes 6. Priuate kinde of teaching Prayer for faithfull Pastours What things are ioyned to teachinge Of the holy and vnblameable life of Bishops Matth. 5. 1. Sam. 3. Matth. 10. Iohn 25. Matth. 5. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 2. Authoritie of pastours For the scarse good life of minisâ—â—rs good doctrine must not be reiected Matth. 22. 1. Tim. 5. Hyrelings 2. Thes 2. What â—â—â—yer is The defiâ—ition of â—â—ayer and â—hat be 〈◊〉 partes â—â—ereof Col. 4. Philip. 4. 1. Tim. 2. Kindes of prayers Actes 9. â— Tim. 2. Matth. 6. Of holie assemblies Gene. 35. Exod. 20. Luke 24. Actes 2. 1. Reg. â— Matth. 18 â–ª â— Cor. 14. We must pray Deut. 9. Ion. 3. 4. Esai 3â— Iere. 18. Obiection Matth. 6. 2. Thes 5. Ierem. 2â— Anabaptistes 1. Iohn 〈◊〉 Iohn 9. Prayers 〈◊〉 necessarie â—ames 1. â—ake 18. God is moued with prayers Why they that praye doe not alwayes receiue that they aske Prou. 21. Isai 1. Prou. 1. Iames. 4. Matth. 20. â—rou 3. Hebr. 12. Psal. 38. Why God â—eferreth â—o giue that which â—e meaneth to giueâ—
Gentiles Againe when the same Paule at Corinthe had preached Christe to the Iewes and they resisted and reuiled The Apostle shooke his rayment and sayde Your bloude be vppon your owne heades I am cleane from hencefoorth I will goe vnto the Gentiles And so he did â—â—nd the vnbeléeuers And God confirmed the preaching of Paule bycause it procéeded from God him selfe And vnlesse you put the proper and true keye into the locke you shall neuer open it The true and right keye is the pure worde of God the counterfet and théeuishe key is a doctrine and tradition of man estraunged from the worde of god I thinke I haue sufficiently proued by euident testimonies of the scripture that the keys giuen to the Apostles and Pastours of the Churche and so to the Churche it selfe are nothing else than the ministerie of teaching the Church For by the doctrine of the Gospell as it were with certeine keyes the gate of the kingdome of heauen is opened when a sure and readie meane and waye is shewed to come to atteine vnto the participation of Christe and the ioyes of euerlasting life by true fayth To the testimonie of God mans recorde agréeth For Sainte Iohn Chrysostome vpon Matthewe chapter 23. The keye saythe he is the word of the knowledge of the scriptures by whiche the gate of truthe is opened to men And the key-bearers are the Priests to whom is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the scriptures Other testimonies of olde interpreters of the Scriptures differing nothing from these of oures for that I am desirous to be briefe I do not bring Since these thinges are thus brethren and are deliuered vnto vs in the expresse Scriptures we will not therefore greatly passe what the Papistes babble touching the power of the keyes and what offices dignities preferments and I knowe not what other thing and what authoritie of Priestes they deriue from thence We haue learned not out of the wordes or opinions of men but out of the manifest worde of GOD that the keys are the ministerie of the preaching of the worde of GOD and that the keyes are giuen to the Apostles and to their successours that is to say the office of preaching remission of sinnes repentaunce and life euerlasting is coÌ„mitted to them Wherevpon we nowe conclude this that the chiefe office of a Pastour of the church is to vse those very keyes whiche the Lorde hath deliuered to his Apostles and no other that is to preache the onely and pureworde of GOD and not to fetche any doctrine from any other place than out of the verie worde of god For there is a perpetuall and inuiolable lawe at this day also layde vpon our Pastours which we reade was layd vpon the most auncient gouernours of the Churche the Lorde him selfe witnessing in Malachie and saying My couenaunt was with Leuie of life and peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afrayde before my name The lawe of truth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes he walked with me in peace and equitie and turned many from their iniquitie For the Priestes lippes shoulde preserue knowledge and they shoulde seeke the lawe at his mouth for hee is the messinger of the Lorde of hoastes Againe the Lord sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and giue them warning from me In Ieremie the Lorde sayth The Prophete that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and hee that hath my woorde let him speake my woorde faythfully He expressely puts a difference betwéene heauenly things and earthly thinges betwéene those thinges whiche are of the word of GOD and those that are feigned and chosen by man whiche hée willeth to let passe as vncerteine thinges and as dreames For he immediately addeth Is not my worde as fire sayth the Lorde and like a hammer that breaketh the harde stone And againe Heare not the wordes of the Prophetes that preache vnto you and deceiue you truly they teache you vanitie for they speake the meaning of their owne hearte and not out of the mouth of the lord Therefore all the true Prophetes of GOD haue this continually in their mouth Thus sayth the Lorde The mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it And therefore they deliuered vnto the people nothing contrarie vnto the worde of god The olde people had also the Scripture And the Prophetes were nothing else but interpreters of the Lawe applying the same to the place time matters and persons Also oure Lorde Iesus Christe sayth oftentimes that his doctrine is not his owne but the fathers Whiche thing if you vnderstande literally and according to his words I knowe not whether any thing can be spoken more absurde Therefore the Lorde meaneth that his doctrine is not of man but of god Doth not he sende vs continually to the writinges of the Lawe and the Prophetes and confirmeth his owne sayinges by them But Christe is the onely teacher of religion and maister of lyfe appoynted vnto the vniuersall Churche by GOD the father To this Churche he himselfe also sending teachers and shewing them what they shoulde deliuer fayth Teach them to obserue those thinges which I haue commaunded you Also Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures But the Apostle Paule witnesseth that the Gospel was promised by the Prophetes of God in the holy Scriptures And this doctrine receiued of Christe the Apostles deliuered to the nations adding nothing vnto it taking nothing from it and there withall also they expounding the auncient writings of the Prophetes yet neyther in this matter trusting any thing to their owne wit nor being ruled by their owne iudgement For the Apostle Peter saith As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one to an other as good stewardes of the manifold graces of god If any man speak let him talke as the words of god Tertullian also in his booke intituled De Praescript haeret which I haue also elswhere rehearsed expresly saith It is not lawful for vs in any thing to rest vpoÌ„ our owne fancie or iudgemeÌ„t neither yet to be negligent markers what any other man bringeth foorth of his owne braine We haue the Apostles of the Lord for authours for not they them selues did choose any thing whiche they might establish after their own fancie and the doctrine whiche they receiued of Christe they faythfully deliuered to the nations And therefore if euen an Angel from heauen should preach any otherwise he shal be accurssed at our hands Thus farre he We haue moreouer shewed in our sermons of faith and of the churche that faith dependeth vpon the only worde of God and that it wholy stayeth vpon the onely word of God also that the churches of god are builded and preserued by the worde of God and not by mans doctrine all whiche séeme to apperteine to this matter Neyther is it leâ—t to the byshops