to conclude that onely God knowes his elect chosē Yet neuerthelesse we beleue that ther is a holy church whiche is conceiued imagined and beleued not seene For if we shuld otherwise saie thereof would ensue that whiche is most repugnaunt to reason For if the churche be vnknowen vnto vs to what flock shal we stickto be pertakers of saluation when to the Church only Christ extendeth his power saluatiō we say therfore that althoughe that Churche can not be discerned by sight yet when we seeke to what flocke and companye we ought to assocyate oure selues ther be certayne notes wherby we may know discerne yesame namely the pure worde of god and the syncere administration of the sacraments These be the cleare and euident marks thereof neither is there any doute but whatsoeuer these be ther is also the true Church of god Furthermore we say That al those that professe true religiō are charitablye to be counted amonge the number of the faythful vnlesse the lorde do playnely detest their hipocrisy and dessemblynge Whereof Paule giueth vs a manifest president callinge the Corinthians and Galathians faithfull i. Cor. ii a and applying to them the general name of the churche albeit in thē there was great imperfection aswel of learning as life whiche in diuers places he himselfe complaineth For all those that haue any foundation doe not alwaies builde on the same golde siluer and pretious stones onely but also oftentimes hey chaffe and sedge i. Cor. ii c xii In this maner and sort therefore we vse to speake of the church least we should seme to appoint any fantasticall thing or that should consiste in imaginations onely or least we mighte geue any colour to ill disposed persones to deeme vs suche as were in times past y◠Canthares and Donatistes and in this our age are the Anabaptistes against whō we haue oftē reasoned about this question Nowe let vs come to the markes and signes of the true churche whiche is necessary to be discerned knowen sith out of her is no saluation And for that cause Sathan that olde enemye of man hath attempted by all meanes possible to disguise and counterfayte her to chaunge her auncient sygnes and fayne newe in their places Her vncertaine and vndoubted markes we haue sayde to be two that is to wēte the pure preachyng of the woorde and administration of the sacramentes Hereto doe some adioyne ecclesiastical discipline and fruites of fayth And trulye it is necessary that euery flock should haue some head and guyde whō they oughte to obey yf they mynde to liue in safetye but forasmuche as oure owne iniquities often tymes are the cause that we wāt the two last markes let vs content our selues with the fyrst Therefore that the worde of god is the certayne sygne of the churche herby it appeareth that bothe Christe and Peter compare the same to seede Mat. xiii a. iii iiii xi i. Pet. i. d. For the whiche cause also Paule sayth that he begat the Corinthians in Christ by preachyng the worde i. Cor. iiii c. xv Therefore in dyuerse places it is called one foode and nouryshemente this also Christe hymselfe witnesseth to pertayn to his shepe saying that they heare his voice and no others Iohn x. We adioyne hereto the Sacramentes also for that Christe woulde not onelye to oure eares but also to our eyes and the reste of oure bodylyesenses wytnesse his grace And therefore he ordeyned the Sacramentes to be certain and visible signes both of oure vnion with hym and also of charitye and loue among oure selues For that cause duryng the olde Testament it was sayde that they shoulde be banyshed the companye of the faythfull whiche had not the sygne of cyrcumcision And furthermore decreed that all householders shoulde thrice in the yere appeare before the Lorde at Ierusalem by common sacrifyce to testifye the vnitye of fayth and religion Exodus xxxiiii d. xxiii Afterwardes the Vyneyarde beyng spoyled the Gentyles grewe in one bodye with the Iewes not onely by preachyng the woorde but also by the Sacramentes of Baptysme and of the bodye and bloude of oure Lord. Yea and Christe commaunded his Apostles so to dooe saying goe ye and teache all nations Mat. xx ◠xix This is the doctryne of the woorde to the which he foorthwith adioyneth the Sacramentes saying Baptysing in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost For to baptisme also must we applye that which Paule writeth of the supper saying that what he receiued of the Lorde he deliuered to vs. i. Cor. xi c xxxii And thesame he testifieth in an other place also Namely that the Churche is founded vppon the foundation of the prophetes and the Apostles Ephe. ii d xx that is to wete vpon Iesus Christ who is the summe substaunce of all the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes So also must we vnderstande another texte of the same Apostle Where he sayeth that the Churche is a piller of the liuing God a bolster of truthe i. Timo. iii. d. xv Whiche meaneth that the woorde of God whiche is the truthe it selfe dothe staye and vpholde the church or els is placed in the church as in an open and sure fortresse for y◠in her god extendeth his power health to all beleuers Rom. i these are the true and visible signes of the churche Whiche therefore is called the mother of the faithfull for that they wer begotten in her by incorruptible seede and nouryshed and fed with the same fode If the preaching of the woorde and the true administration of the sacramentes be necessarily required in the churche thē muste there needes be pastours teachers to execute thesame As the holye scriptures sufficientely witnesse but chieflye Paule writyng to the Corinthians and Ephesians this was the cause that this thirde marke was adioyned hereto i. Cor. xii d. xxviii Ephe. iiii vi xi i. Timo. iii. a Ti◅ i. a vi Namely ordinary succession from the time of the Apostles Hereto we aunswer that such succession is muche to be esteemed if it be wel considered and applied after the example of the auncient fathers who groūded thereon against heretikes there newe opinions As Tertulian Ireneus and Austine againste the Maniches and Donatistes but because many lay the same against vs as though we had cōueyed into the churches new scismes and heresies it is necessarye that we should shew our minde herein We say therefore that there is one succession of doctrine an other of persōs Doctrine we graunt to be the true and vndoubted mark of the churche as it hath bene already saide For although the doctrine of the Gospell bee not therefore the more to be credited for that it is the auncientest of all other thoughe it happen many tymes for oure synnes that thesame seeme so new straunge to menne as it ought to bee familiar and vsuall yet neuerthelesse the witnesse of the continuall
Church is it which is euery where knowen and of all meÌ„ To the authority of yâ— church he sayd al interpretation of Scriptures and making of traditions ought to bee referred Saying that the succession as well of that Church as of the pastours therof was perpetual but of the Lordes Supper he so entreated the touching nothing at al of the chauÌ„ge of the natures of the elements he came very nye to their opinion which ioyne the body bloud of Christ with the elementes And say that they be both vnder them and in them Which afterwardes we vnderstode was done for a polecy partly to procure their fauoure whom he had so kindly clawed and partly to make vs the more hatefull to them Neither yet did he plainly agree with them but shewed that in thys respect he did willingly ioyne with them that they myghte ioyntly warre against vs. The ende of his oration was to this effect That the kyng and his counsell leauing our opinion should folow the steppes of theyr for fathers and not leaue their accustomed vsage When he had ended we desired that presently whiles the memory therof was yet fresh we might satisfye his obiections and refute his argumeÌ„tes For we feared least after thys the Cardinals answere we should scarcely haue leasure or liberty afterwardes to speake Bicause the day afore many bragged that we shuld loke for nothing els thaÌ„ condemnation the thuÌ„derbolt of excomunication Neyther wer we ignorant therof The Queene taking the aduise of her couÌ„cel coÌ„maunded vs to depart saying that we should answere it an other tyme that she would appoint vs a day wheÌ„ we shuld be preseÌ„t again And surely meruaile had it ben if the byshops which wer of that couÌ„cel would haue geueÌ„ any other councel The next day againe we desired that we might be preseÌ„tly heard and the tyme no longer proloÌ„ged But we could obtayne nothing neither wer we heard before the eight day In the meane time false rumors were spred abrode that we wer ouercome put to sileÌ„ce had nothyng to say Whereas we were ready to haue answered their oration presently And how false such tales be here by men may sufficiently gesse that the Bishops did what they could to breake of the coÌ„ference so that at the last by their importunity they obteined of the Queene that the matter shuld not be opeÌ„ly heard afore the king but in a more secret place afore few Therfore it was deferred til the .xxiiii. day of that moneth at the whiche coÌ„maunded to returne to Poyssye we came before the Quene the king Queen of Nauarre the rest of the Lordes and counsallours there were present also â—… Cardinalles and many Byshops and diuynes of al sortes we the mynisters were admitted only to the number of xij Those being seuered which wer seÌ„t froÌ„ other Churches which afore were ioyned with vs. For now the matter was heard both in narower place in lesse companye than before the Cardynals of lorayne shewed in few wordes that this assemblye was to this end that if we would obiecte any thing agaynst that which he had sayde eyght dayes before we might freely speake shuld be herd Then Beza in the name of vs al said That he would haue wished that immediatlye he might haue aunswered the Cardynalls oration whyles the same was fresh in memorye or at the least that he might haue had som copye therof that he might auÌ„swere certaynly perfectly to euery poynt but forasmuch as he coulde not obtayne that he woulde aunswere so much as he coulde call to mynde Fyrste there fore as concerning the article of the Churche which the Cardinall fyrste handled he deuided it into thre partes First what it is Then what are the marks therof Thirdly what and how great is the authoritie therof It is wel knoweÌ„ quoth he that this name Ecclesia which signifieth the church is deriued from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to call froÌ„ on place to another Of calling we find .ii. sorts in the scriptures the one coÌ„ioyned with the working of the holy ghost wherof Paul to the Romains writeth whom he called them he iustified Rom. viii c. xxviii The other althoughe in outward shew It be al one with the first yet is altogether vnprofitable to saluation And that only through the fault of man beyng deaffe at the calling of God Of this calling spake the Lorde when he sayde That many wer called but fewe choseÌ„ Mat. xxii b. xiiii Hereof it happens that the name of the church which signifyeth the congregacion of those that are assembled by the word of god is taken .ii. wayes For generally it contayneth al those which outwardly professe to folowe the calling of god Neyther is it to be doubted but manye hypocrites and reprobate persons are within this nuÌ„ber Neither we thanks be to god therefore haue at any tyme Either written or taught otherwise for asmuch as both the scripture and also common experience doth plainly proue the same but takyng this name of the churche proprely and streyghtlye as manye tymes we doe we then say that it comprehendeth onlye the electe and chosen of god And that al men may know that we be not the authours of this maner of speache or of this doctrine when it is written that the church is the body of Christ bones of his bones fleshe of his fleshe yea when the name of Christ it selfe is geuen vnto it Eph. ii g. xxx as Paule wrytyng to the Corinthians ioyning the members with the heade calleth her Christ i. Cor. xii b. xii xvii how could in the number be contayned the reprobate in as muche as they are the members of the deuill For it cannot bee that we shoulde be members bothe of Christ and of the deuil which Austine writyng agaynste Cresconius well noteth in his seconde booke and xxiiii Chapter He also writyng on the .lxiiii. psalme vsed this distinction of the churche saying yâ— that church whiche is signifyed by IerusaleÌ„ toke her begynnyng of Abel and Babilon of Eain And afterwardes in his fyrst booke of baptysme agaynst the Donatistes the seconde Chapter wheras he taketh the name of the church more largely he saieth that he that begot Abell Enoch Noe Abraham the reste of the Prophetes begot also Cayn Ismaell Dathan and suche lyke Therefore to conclude we muste take that whiche Austine hymselfe wrote in the seuenth boke of the same booke the. 51. chapter whiche is also rehearsed .xxiiii. ix i. a. ca. All thyngs consydred it is said that there are two kynde of men in the churche Some of them sayeth he bee the members of Christe and of the house of God yea the house of GOD it self Other some bee in the house but not of the house For they bee as chaffe with the corne tyll suche tyme as they bee seuered Hereof ryseth a questyon whether the Churche bee inuisible Whiche I thynke good to affyrme and
succession therof is of no small force to wynne it authoritye amonges menne As to the succession of persones we admitte it but so that it be conioyned wyth the succession of the Propheticall and Apostolyke doctryne in substance and the chiefe poyntes and groundes atleaste But we speake of the doctryne it selfe not of theyr maners For albeit it be required of true and faithfull pastours that in doctryne and lyfe they be sounde and pure yet for the ignoraunce of some thynges or for the diuersitie of opinions in doctrine so that it stretch not to the substaunce of our saluation or though ther life be not of the perfectest yet for these thynges we doe not reiect them but beare them So they kepe the grounde and foundation And that we ought so to doe Christ teacheth vs saying that whē the Scribes and Pharises sitting in Moyses chayre teache vs we oughte to folowe their doctryne and not their deedes Mat. xxiii a. ii iii. Whiche place Austine writing vppon Iohn sayeth ought to be vnderstande of suche hyerlyng pastours as keepe the sounde doctrine but not of false Prophetes of whom Christ contrarywyse sayde August tracta xlvi Beware of the leauen of the Pharisees Mat. xvi a. vi vi xi Whyle they sitte sayeth Austine in the chayre of Moyses they teache the lawe of God and so god teacheth by them But yf they teache theyr owne doctryne neyther heare theyr woordes neyther folowe their deedes That also the same author expresseth more at large in hys xlix Sermon of the woordes of the Lorde Forasmuche as therefore false Prophetes and wolues maye succede to true and faythfull pastours we dooe not onelye not admitte personall succession but euen condemne it vnlesse the successiō of doctrine be ioyned with all because it is a meete cloke for anye lye or errour Furthermore if personal succession of it self shoulde be taken for a certayn mark of the church ther ought to haue ben som promis of god shewed wherby he hath limited his grace to any certayn sea or countrey Whiche in the new Testament we shal not find In deede he promised that the churche shoulde be Catholike that is to were vniuersall whiche is so called for that the particuler members thereof are here and there dispersed throughoute the whole worlde Whersoeuer it pleaseth god to shewe his iudgementes eyther vpon those whō he vtterly cutteth of or whom he chasteneth for a tyme or in shewyng mercy to them whō he furthereth better and better or whom he calleth to his knowledge and saluation For in some places the Lord iustly reuenging himself so destroyeth the churche that he seemeth euen to roote it oute and not to leaue so muche as any signe therof as it hapned amonges the barbarous nations and in the most part of all the Easte Otherwhere as in Greece and other realmes more nie to vs he hath lefte some tokens of the churche Agayne sometyme the Lorde dothe cut and breake of onely the personall succession of pastours as it hapned at Antioche in the time of Samosatenus and at Alexandria after the banishment of Athanasius and in many other churches And that we neede to seeke no further the personall succession then at the least fayled in the Romaine churche when Honorius being bishop was condemned for the detestable heresie of the Eutichians And so likewise in the time of Iohn the. xxii of that name who was also cōdemned for heresie Vnlesse perhaps some man wyll mayntayne that those that are manifestly condemned of heresye be pastours Furthermore in what case this succession stoode vnder Iohn the shee Pope through the scismes and cōtentions of diuerse striuyng for the Popes sea the histories sufficientlye witnesse Wherfore we conclude that not respectyng the personall succession of pastours we must alwayes haue regarde to the purenesse of doctrine and the sincere administratiō of sacramēts so that they onely be to be counted successours of the Apostles whiche beyng lawfully called doe buylde vpon theyr foundation Whether they deriue their succession from them or whether thesame haue fayled And contrarywyse they that neyther buylde nor teache or preache theyr owne doctrine in stede of the Apostles although they were able to shewe neuer so many and continuall presidentes of their predecessors are not to be taken for pastours but to be shūned as wolues as Christ and his Apostles teach Some manne parhappes will obiecte Is it therfore lawfull for any man to teache and mynyster the Sacramentes no. For it behoueth as the Apostle sayeth that al thinges bee done in the house of God ryghtly and orderly i. Corint xiiii g. xi Who then shall bee taken for true pastours they whiche are lawfully called It remayneth then that we vnderstande what is a lawfull callyng And here I must craue attention For we saye that some callyng is ordynarye and some extraordinarye Ordinarye is it in the whiche is obserued the order appoynted by GOD in hys churche In that order these three thinges are chiefly requyred Firste the examination of his doctrine and lyfe that shal be ordayned thē a lawfull choyse and election And lastlye the laying of handes And these we all gathered out of diuers places of the scripture As oute of the Actes of the Apostles and the writinges of Paule to Timothe and Titus Ac. i. d. xii Ioh. vi a. vi i. Tim. ii a. ii et iii. d. xxii Titus i. a. vi This therefore is the ordinarye callyng Whereby we may well discerne whiche is it that we call extraordinarye Namely it that wāteth som one or other or al these cōditions and yet the same grounded vppon the authoritie of God and lawfull That god vsed suche extraordinary callyngs it plainly appeareth throughout the whole scripture For who laid handes vpon Moyses that he myght consecrate Aaron Who gaue the gyfte of Prophecye to Esay Danyeil Amos and the rest Exodus xxviii Esa vi b. xciii Dani. i. c. ◅vii Amos. vii xiiii Yea was not this geuen them when they that ordinarilye had the charge thereof abused it For then it was necessarye that god shoulde put to his hande extraordinarilye not to trouble or confounde the order of hys churche but to correcte them whiche vnder the pretence of ordinary succession dissordred all This well proue the writyngs of the Prophets which most of al pertain to y◠orders of the priestes Ps xxviii vi vii Iere. vii a. iiii et xxiii a. xi Ezec. xxii e. xxvi Soph. iii. a. iiii But if it be obiected that suche men gaue some certayntye of their vocation as either some miracle or some heauenly signe I graunt the same to be true in some but not in all Neither can any mā say otherwise vnlesse he wil plainly denye the truth Neither do Iwel know whether we shall find many prophetes of the stocke of Aaron or vpon whom after the ordinary maner hands were layde But yf any man will take this exceptiō that those prophets vsed only to rebuke
vice and wēt no farther but abstained frō sacrifice I aūswer that that is not true in all For Samuel which was not of the stock of Aarō sacrificed in Mispa And Elias of Galaad in y◠mount Carmelus i. Samu. vii c. ix i. Regum xviii f. xxvi Then is it not to be maruelled that the prophets of that time woulde extend theyr office so far as to circumcise sacrifice whereas that by enheritaunce appertayned onely to the tribe of Leuy But suche enheritaunce at this daye hath no place thus you see what we call the church what we think of her markes and of the callyng of pastours in her Which yf you please to applye to oure Churches or to oure selues we hope that by the helpe of god we shall shewe such profe and witnesse therof out of the holy scriptures as no man shall haue any occasion to doute thereof And that both according to the worde of god also to the writings of that godly man Austyne at the least in that treatyse which is reckned among his workes and intitled of 65. question the last question Now let vs speake of the authoritye of the churche By that which we haue alreadye spoken it appeareth that we derogate frō her none of those hye precious titles that the holy ghost doth geue her but say that she is the bodye of our lorde obtayning the same here only in part til such time as ioyned to her head she shall fullye and perfectly enioye the same Heb. xi c. xv i. Co. i. a. vii i Cor. xiiii vi v. Ep. iiii c. xv She is the house of god but suche as is daylye put of and increased She is ruled by the spirite of god but as yet she stri◅eth agaynst the flesh Gala. v. c. xvii She is clensed washed but so that by litle and litle she shal be brought to that perfect beautye in the which ther shal be no spott no wrinkle Ep. v. f. 25 i Co. 3. c. 4 She knowes god but only in part And in these our maners of speache we wish the Apostles wordes to be weyghed to conclude we graunt that there is no saluation without the church For ther is no saluation but in Christ Iesus i. Ihon. v. c. xi Iohn iii. c. xviii And Christ dothe no where extende his saluation but in those members whose congregation and communion is called the churche but it is doubted whether she maye erre in this worlde whether we bee subiecte to the scripture or els her authoritie excede thesame We aunswere that her seuerall members maye erre and dayly fall and fayle as well in doctrine as in lyfe accordyng to the saying of Paule In parte we knowe i. Cor. xiii c. ix Also Iohn saieth If we saye that we haue no sinne we deceue our selues and there is no truthe in vs. i. Iohn i. d. viii Wherfore if any man will goe aboute to excepte the doctours from this number lette him pardon vs that we beleue him not For we coulde easily shewe many authorityes wherein do appeare the manifest errours of the best learned moste auncient doctours Be it spoken wyth their leaue and fauour whom as well for their singuler learnyng as also for their passing pitie we doe muche reuerence Neither truely my L. Cardinal if I wel vnderstoode him doth admy◅ thē without iudgement This therfore is our opinion of y◠mēbers of y◠church seuerally whose inperfection is not so material but that the church may cōsist of thē For by litle litle they daily profit encrease aswel in amending of their liues as encreasīg their learning But now cōsidering y◠parts of the Churche more generally as deuiding it into seueral diocesses prouinces shal we say that they may erre That they bothe may erre also haue erred my L. Cardinal if Iwel remēber hath alredy graūted And the same is also cōfirmed with so great long experience that no wise man maie wel doubt therof It remaineth therefore to consider the whole vnyuersall churche But first we must see in what sort For if we consider it as it is represented by som general counsel assuredly we must not thinke that the whole power that the holy gost extēdeth to that church is restrained to any certain nūber of bishops which oftētimes are neither the best learned nor best liuers For howe oft hapneth it y◠some one priuate man passeth the best lerned yea somtimes the whole coūsel in wit knowledge For this cause lōg since it hath bine writen that better credyte is to be geuen to any pryuate mā groūding a better reason thā either to any coūcelor or pope glo in ca. significasti de elect i ibi pauo And hereof their is a notable example in the councell of nyce For what stayed that the prohibition of mariage Which hath bred so much filthynes in that church had not then bine stablished decreed only paphumtius as the history recordes with stode it Or what conuocation of any generall councel hitherto hath bene so larg but that a greate number of holye and learned men yea of the worthyest bishops hath bene ouerpassed therin And who will affirme that nothing more is reueled to those that are absente than to those that are present at the coūcell Furthermore you are not ignorante what horrible confusiō ther hath bene and is at this present in the church and chiefly amonges those that sitt in hyest comes So that the Church of god euen there wher it should be most pure and perfect doth appeare most confuse and desolate And long time hath this wretched case continued there yet remaine so many greuous leude complaintes of good bishops on the same that the soūde of thē semeth euē now presētli to pea◅re ◅yne eares What in his time Be◅a had wrote in his bokes de consideratione et sermone 33 ch ▪ vppon the Lan◅a Lan◅corum ▪ also in hys sermō of the cōuersiō of Paul it is no lesse cōmon than true Alas alas o lord god they are chefe in perse◅īg that ▪ which seme to be chefest in thy church to beare the greatest rule therein They haue take the castell of Sion they haue wonne y◠m◅nicions now frely by cōmaundemente they ◅ōsume with fyer the whole citye ▪ These things we speake not in reproch of any ◅ā but to shew that for as much as that chef callīg in the church are cōfounded gone astray it can not be proued that ◅ vn◅uersal coūsels which haue bin assēbled many times of a multitude of mē most vnfit therfore are so guided with y◠grace of y◠holi gost that they may not erre The old priest of whom I would make no mētion but y◠his example is cōmonly aledged for that profe hereof although he were vitious wicked did prophēcye ◅◅r◅tel that it was necessari that on mā shuld die for y◠people least the whole nation
neither if any manne should ryse from death would they beleue him Or howe did they which had the writings of the Apostles onely when neyther bookes nor commentaries were written of thesame But whereas my Lord Cardinall woulde haue that taken for an Apostolike tradition whiche hathe bene receiued of the church at al times in all places and of al men I see not howe these iii. pointes maie be proued For how great diuersitie shal we find in the bookes of auncient fathers yea and euen in the verye articles of oure faith If these wordes should be weyed at all tymes and of all men wher shall we beginn but at the Apostolike church Who shall be firste in order but onely the Apostles Whose liues and doings are partly faithfully written by Luke and partly gathered out of their owne writinges To be shorte we returne at the last to the first foundatiō of the scriptures sith all truthe came from god who cōmaunded the prophets and Apostles to bee interpreters messengers of oure saluation In the meane time we dooe not reiecte the councels of the fathers as farre as they be confirmed with the testimonies of the holye scripture For them as Austine sayeth the holy◅ ghost hath so tempered that it which◅ in some place is obscurely spoken in some other is expressed more plainlye and more at large And that rule chiefly amonges others he geueth whereb◅ we may vnderstande the scriptures i◅ that booke whiche he wrote of christia◅ doctrine yet there remaineth som◅ doubt in this question Some mē hau◅ thought that the will of God in these thinges whiche pertaine to oure saluation is not fullye declared in those writinges whiche the Prophetes and Apostles haue lefte vnto vs. Whiche doubte if it should take any place what a gap wer ther opened to all mischefe And certes this was the breache by the which Sathan first pearced into the vine yard of the lord to destroy it God truely before the tune of Moyses with visiōs reuelatiōs directed his church in like maner yeapostles before thei put theyr doctrine in writīg taught yesame by worde of mouth But because the nūber of men encreasing their noughtynesse encreased also the lorde would y◠this doctrine shoulde bee contayned in writinges and monumentes Whiche might be vnderstoode and perceiued of al men why so that he might confoūd the impudence and rashnesse of suche as wil set foorth cloke their dreames with the name of tradition reuelation and custome But if the doctrine of god be written onely in some part to what purpose is this remedy Truely it can not be so Iohn spake of the scriptures when he sayeth that those things which are written are written to that ende that we beleuing them may haue life euerlasting Iohn xx ◅ ◅xi whiche he had falslye sayde yf thei themselues had concealed any doctrine necessary to life and saluation But Paule when he declareth the vse of scripture vnder the person of Tymothe teacheth all ministers yf anye thing should haue ben added to the scriptures wuld not haue affirmed that by them the man of god is made perfecte i. Timo. ii d. xvi Neither do we denye but y◠at all times there haue ben somtraditions of the apostles which be not written But those were suche as pertained to the ciuil order of the churche But forasmuche as many men haue abused this name this great while I thinke good to shewe what traditions ought to bee counted Apostolike Whiche shall not be hard yf in iudgyng and discernyng them we vse the markes For fyrst we must consyder whether they doe agree with the doctryne of the woorde and then whether they bee apte and meete to edify◅ For it is certayne that the Apostles dyd neuer institute any rites and ordinaunces whiche eyther directly or els in anye parte were contrarye to theyr owne doctryne or myghte withdrawe menne from spirituall worshippyng whereof theyr owne wrytynges beare sufficiente recorde If thys rule be obserued bothe doctrine shall easilye be discerned frō traditions also false traditions frō the true Neyther are you ignorant how foolishe Tertullian iudgeth their opinions which think that the apostles haue ouerpassed an◅thīg necessary to saluatiō which ether by word of mouth or writīgs thei haue not taught but we will adde more hereto Namely that those things which herein the Apostles decreed were not continuall Truelye their instytutions passe all exception yet neuerthelesse by the rule of charitye they yelded somewhat to the weaknes of men As when the eating of suffocatorū and bloud was forbid the Iewes Also those thynges which Paule himselfe taught and obserued in Timothe and his own persō Ac. 15. f. 25. Act. 16. a. ◠i Co. 16. d. xxix i Co. 11. a 7 Which now truly shuld haue no place but by the generall rule of charitye whereby we are willed in things indifferēt to apply our selues to our neighbours Other such like may be gathered of their rytes as of kissing vncouering the head which was the signe of authority and other such lyke whiche at this daye are contrarye to y◠customes of many nations amōg whō it would seme most folish the men should kisse the one the other to talke with the heade vncouered is commonly a signe of y◠lowest state and condicion These thinges therefore ought to be considered before anye custome be thought Apostolyke Also no man must grounde vppon the authority of the Apostles to trouble the church As it hapned in the cōtrouersye of the daye in the which Easter should be kept whiche bred miserable deuision and euē in the Apostles tyme by those that did abuse the authoritie of the churche at Ierusalē to myngle Iewishnesse wyth Christian religion Of whom it is writen in the Actes of the Apostles where it was decreed by a councell that no man should lay that yoke on mennes cōsciēces Wherby it may easely be perceiued that the Apostles could not be the authoures of so many ceremonies to the which afterwardes Satisfaction merites and remission of sinnes wer attributed For they taught far otherwise And so much they dissented from makyng newe ceremonies that they gaue no place to those of Moses lawe of the whiche God was the author Of thys yoke of traditions obseruances Austine long since writing to Ianuarius much cōplained if he had liued in our tyme how would he haue lamented thē Wherfore to be shorte we desyre that the Scripture whiche herein is playne maye iudge good traditions frō euil holy from prophane profitable frō hurtful necessarye frō superfluous When of these articles we are once agreed this question shall easily be dissolued whether the authoritie of the church be greater thā of the woorde of god which certes is no lesse fonde than if a man should doubte whether the sōn ought to be aboue his father the wife aboue her husbande or man aboue god And sure neuer the true church or any godly mā woulde moue such
a doubt but wil willingly submyt himself to her iudgemeÌ„t Nether doth it make agaiÌ„st vs that the church was afore the word For it is most certain that the word which afterwards was put in writing is much more auncient For by it was the church coÌ„ceued born bred But this saying of Austine is not to bee obâ—…ected that he wuld not beleue the scripture vnlesse the autoritie of the scripture moued him therto But we must vnderstand yâ— in that place Austine spake of himself as of a Maniche w e whose erroure he was once seduced I pray you if ther rise ani doubt of the truth of any writing to whoÌ„ go we to trie it but to yâ— coÌ„moÌ„ notary to whose custody al writiÌ„gs monumeÌ„ts are coÌ„mitted Neyther therfore doth it folow that the autority of the writyng depeÌ„deth on the witnes of the notarye For of it self it is true though no mortal maÌ„ beare witnesse hereof So truely must we answer theÌ„ which thynk yâ— the authoritie of the holy scripture dependeth vpoÌ„ the coÌ„stitutioÌ„s decrees of the church The decrees of of that couÌ„cels are manye tymes coÌ„trary in this question But all these things shal be more fullye opened in disputation consereÌ„ce I wil shewe only reason confirmed with the autority of certayn auncient allowed fathers Christ himself gaue so much authority to the doctrine of the prophets whom he had sent afore that by theyr witnesse he would confirme his doctrine Paul also suffred the ThessaloniaÌ„s so to do willed theÌ„ to searche the scriptures to know whether he had taught theÌ„ truly Ac. xvii c. xi Peter allowed that selfesame reason ii Peter ii d. xix They therfore which boast theÌ„selnes to be the vicars of Christ the successors of Peter Paule ought not to refuse yesame coÌ„ditioÌ„ Ca. ix li. ii Truely Ierome vpoÌ„ Hieremy sayth that nether the error of the fathers nor of our auncesters by the authority of the Scriptures is to be folowed ChrisoftoÌ„ vpon the .xxiiii. Chapter of Mathew the 49. Homelye erpounding thys place Those that be in Iury let them flye to the mouÌ„taynes sayeth that is those that be Christians let theÌ„ flye to the Scriptures And again Wherefore doth he in this tyme wil al Christians to fly to the Scriptures Bicause in thys tyme since heresy inuaded the churche there can be no other proofe of true Christendome neither any other refuge for Christians minding to knowe the true fayth but the diuine Scriptures For afore it appeared by many signes which was the church of Christ and whiche it of the Gentiles But now whosoeuer wil seke it can by no other meanes discerne which is the true church of Christe but onely by the Scriptures Also he saieth further If a maÌ„ therfore be wylling to knowe the true church of Christ howe should he know it in so great coÌ„fusyon but only by the Scriptures Yet further therfore the lord knowiÌ„g that ther shuld be so great coÌ„fusioÌ„ in the latter dayes therfore doth Christ coÌ„mauÌ„d the those that be in christianitye such as be willing to streÌ„gtheÌ„ theÌ„selues in 〈◊〉 faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…o other thing but the Scriptures Otherwise if they â—…pâ—…e any other changes they shal likely â—… 〈◊〉 â—…sh not vnderstaÌ„ding which is the true châ—…rch and so shal they faâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of defolatioÌ„ which 〈◊〉 yâ— holy places of the churche 〈◊〉 in his moralls writeth thus If whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne as the Apostle â—…ayth and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God whatsoeuer is besides Scripture inspired of God is â—…n Also in the Sermon of the confession of faith If God be faithful in al his words and hys commaundementes â—…me and stable for euer done in truth iustice to reiect any thing that is written or to bring in any thing not written is a sweruing from fayth manifest pride Thus much was spoken of the churche her signes authority and succession afore the Lordes and Bishops and diuerse other which heard thesame very attentiuely But bicause hys oration had bin already somewhat loÌ„g it semed good then to entreate nothing of the supper Wherfore Beza medestly excusyng hymself declaryng also that we wer ready to shew a reason of that article and as much as lay in vs to satisfy theÌ„ if they would commaund vs forthwith to doe it When Beza had ended the Cardynal beckned to Spensa to speak and to answere our reasons He protestyng with many woordes that he had long wyshed for this coÌ„ference disputatioÌ„ that he neuer lyked alwaies contrary to those cruel punishmeÌ„ts which had loÌ„g tymes bene vsed toward them answered that those thinges were true which we had sayd of the churche her sygnes and succession If we had so taught and spoken at the first we should neuer haue neded to haue come to this controuersy But whereas we spake of the callyng into the churche he muche maruelled by whose authoritye or by what callyng we entred into the churche and toke vpon vs to teache Forasmuch as we wer not instituted by any ordinaryes neyther they at any tyme had layd theyr handes vpon vs. And hereof he gathered yâ— we wer no good pastors For by ordinary meanes quoth he you wer not called and muche lesse by extraordinary For extraordinarye vocation must bee proued eyther by miracles as the callyng of Moses was who was raysed vp of God to delyuer his people or els by the witnesse of the scripture as the callyng of Iohn whose vocation is plainlye proued by a terte of Malachye you want bothe Whereof it foloweth that youre ministerye is vnlawfull But as concernyng tradytions and the interpretyng of the scryptures yf there ryse any controuersye we ought to referre it quothe he to the ordinary successours as those to whoÌ„ the holy ghost is promised and are appoynted of God for the same cause He brought foorth the exaumples of the olde Priestes and Leuites whiche in tymes paste in doubtful matters gaue the people couÌ„cel to whose iudgemente the people were so bounde to stande that from theyr decree it was not lawfull for them to swarue neyther on the ryghte hande neyther yet on the left And that we had many thinges by tradition whiche no manne doubtes of no not we oure selues As yâ— the father is without beginnyng the son equall in substance to him also that yong children ought to be Baptised that Mary was a virgin after her deliuerance such lyke So he affirmed that those thinges which are descended vnto vs from the auncient fathers albeit they bee not written yet are certainelye to be beleued and no lesse to be allowed than if they were confirmed by the authority of the Scriptures That whatsoeuer is decreed by generall councels is certain and that they can not erre in doctrine But as to that which is cyted out of Austine that the first counsels ar amended by the later that he said neuer
Sacramentes And we againe aske of hym by whom he was chosen and institute Whether by the voices of the elders of his church whether he were desyred of the people whether there wer any inquisitiō made of his life doctrine He woulde soone say yea But he wuld soone be proued alter Whereof we desier no other witnes thā their own cōsciece which heare vs know that whole matter perfectly If he would obsect against vs that we are no ministers because we wante the laying on of hands we would reply again that he is no bishop because in institutions of hym those things wer not obserued which are appointed for the chief substantiall poyutes by the law of god And when our talke wer more whether perhappes we would goe farther and say in this sort You boaste of the laying on of handes which whosoeuer lacketh you thynk no perfect minister what if you wante the two other points which are the chiefest Namely inquisition of lyfe learning the election of the elders of your church may ye not then much lesse thā we bragge of the name of a pastor It was decreed by the councel of Chalcedon that the ordynation of the bishop or prtest shoulde bee frustrate of no force which is not specially appointed to some one churche And forasmuche as they would haue it doyde to the iniury of hym that ordayneth it much more may we obiect thesame agaynst the bishop that thus reasoneth with vs inasmuch he is destitute of the two chiefest conditions prescribed by the apostle i. Tim. iii a. Titus i Another thyng also may bee added hereto which we speak vnwilling neuerthelesse we are enforced therto the euery man maye perceiue that this disputation of our vocation may not be touched with out great peril If we should ask of that same bishop who layde their hādes on him or whether he bought it not with money what would he aunswer He would deny that he bought it and he would say that those bishops layd hāds on him which had autority therto of the church Again if we should enquire how much his authoritie cost hym he would say he bought it not but yet he woulde confesse that he gaue some thousandes of crownes As though he shoulde saye I boughte not the bread but the corne wher with the bread was made This reasonyng if it should be parted by the autority of the coūcels canōs of the churches woulde shame a greate many byshops pastours And sure we would not enter therein least any man should be offēded therby Neyther wyll we yet touche it or sek◅ to reuenge oure selues only we mynde to shew y◠we dyd of late purposely answere shortly briefly to those thyngs y◠wer layd agaynst vs for that we woulde haue all gently and myldly handled But as for the Lords supper we spake more sparely therof bearyng with the infirmitte of some whiche not accustomed to that doctrine are wont to be offended assoone as they heare anye thing y◠is strange or vnwōted to thē And truly we had rather that thei thēselues shuld learne thesame out of the aunciēt writings of the Doctors of the church th◅ by vs which we hoped should haue com to passe if my lord Cardinal had kepte his promisse For he promised opēly to instruct vs chiefly in this article of the lords supper out of their writings whiche wrote therof with in .v. C. yeres after Christ so that we would now agree to receyue the light if it appered that thesame was hitherto hiddē frō vs. To satisfye this our expectatiō or rather the expectatiō of an infinite nūber of mē he seperated this article frō others verye necessary gaue it to vs alone And required vs to subscribe to it saying y◠otherwise the conference would be brokē of yf we should plead our cause in prison you woulde scarce vse suche talke towardes vs as to saye subscribe hereto or els we condemne you Certainly this is no part of your charge For that office which ye now professe requyreth y◠if we walk in error you should reduce vs beyng once cōuict therof into the way and exhort vs with wholesom doctrine And chiefly those which offer thēselues to yelde an accompt of theyr fayth by the scriptures And truly if thys kinde of condemnation be straunge certainly muche more straunge is the way and meanes wherby you procede to yesame We came together here chieflye for .ii. causes First to render an accompte to god to you to the whole worlde of oure fayth Not to trauel for gods cause the kings the whole kingdom to fynde some way and meanes wherby the troubles late stirred in religion may be appeased Now if we bee reiected or dysmissed wtout leaue or liberty to dispute whatsoeuer shal be done vnto vs shal be declared to all Christendome the olde tumultes shal be nothyng appeased as thei know right wel which go about to preuēt it If the matter did only belōg to vs that are here present truly at your plesure with out peril as farre as mā may iudge you might dayly with vs. But you must cōsider that we stand here in the name of al those that professe the gospel not onely in this realme but euen in Swicerlād Poole Germany England and Scotland whiche all looke for som certayne happy end of this assēbly What may they thinke when in stede of disputatiō conference which was promised vs they shall vnderstande that the tenth part of one article was offred to vs wyth this addition Subscribe to this or els go no further And yf we doe subscrybe what shall you be the better They that sente vs wyll desyre to knowe whether we were compelled therto by force or els conuict by good sure argumente So what els shall happen of this order which you now begin to take thā gret offence and grudge wee beseche the Queene therfore that she wyll not suffer this holy purpose to be brokē of but cōmaund that certain learned mete men be chosen out that will wyllynglye conferrs with vs. Neuerthelesse least we should seme to answer nothyng to those thynges that haue ben obiected agaynst vs whatsoeuer M. Spēsa gaue vs writen out of Caluins booke we receyue allowe But as to the article whyche my Lord Cardinal offred vs take or rather gelded out of the cōfessiō of Awgspurge we say there are many thynges therin to be considred First that the whole confession should haue ben offred vnto vs. For it is agaynst reason to proffer vs one article without the reste Then we woulde knowe whether of theyr owne heads priuately whiche we are lothe to think neuerthelesse we woulde gladlye knowe the truth therof or elles in the name of all the Lords they offer vs the confusion of Augspurge that al doutes taken away we may more freely conferre For so it would come to passe the thanks shuld generally be geuē to god for y◠my