Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	know_v	tradition_n	2,871	5	9.3405	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00958	Homelies sette forth by the righte reuerende father in God, Edmunde Byshop of London, not onely promised before in his booke, intituled, A necessary doctrine, but also now of late adioyned, and added thereunto, to be read within his diocesse of London, of all persons, vycars, and curates, vnto theyr parishioners, vpon sondayes, & holydayes.	Bonner, Edmund, 1500?-1569.	1555 (1555)	STC 3285.2; ESTC S103088	74,513	149

hath the true vnderstandinge of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluation To this church Christ maketh promis in the .xvi. of Iohn Ioh. 16. saying Whē that spirite of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this churche also he maketh that other promis written in the .xxviii. of Mathew where he sayth Math. 28. Beholde I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholyke churche thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assisted alwayes of Christ him selfe neuer yet fayled frō the tyme of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fayl to the worldes ende nether can it be deceaued in any necessarye truth accordyng as Chryst promyseth in the .xvi. of Mathewe Math. 16. saying That hell gates shal not preuayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catholyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapiter of his first epistle to Timothe Timoth. 1. calleth the catholike church the piller and grounde of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a company as among whych the trueth is openly preached ells Chryst woulde not haue sayd as it is wrytten in the .v. of Mathewe A citie that is set on a hyl Math 5 can not be hyd nether do men lyght a candel and put it vnder a bushel but on a candelstycke and it geueth lyght vnto all that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke churche is an vnknowen churche seing it is that citie which our sauiour there ment and that candell of whiche he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryste and refuse the doctryne thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in readyng of scrypture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into erroure and ignoraunce euē as a man that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour 2. Peter 1 Saint Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapiter of his second epistle geueth vs a most certayne and sure rule which if we folowe we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstande scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure worde of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take hede as vnto a lighte that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntyl the day dawne and the daye starre aryse in your hartes So that you first knowe this that no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For the scripture came neuer by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holi ghost Here you se how saynt Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meanynge of Chrystes churche and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or companye And in the thyrde chapiter of the same Epystle 2. Peter 3 he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to be vnderstanded whych they that are vnlearned vnstable doo peruerte as they doo also the other scriptures to theyr owne destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be warned afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S. Peter telleth the very cause why men mysvnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knoweledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignoraunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe pryuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scriptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytyng to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture 1. Timo 9 geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Timothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody and auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge whiche S. Paule sayth was commytted to Timothies custody was the truth of the catholyke fayth which he sayth some fell frome by reasone of new fangled termes and by reason also that they tooke vpon them knowledge beinge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrd chapiter of his seconde epistle to Timothie 2. Timothei 3 he farther sayeth Contynue thou in the thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. Ireneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke agaynst Valentyne the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapiter of the same boke sayeth Ireneus in his third boke against Valentine chap. 4. touchyng the catholyke churche in thys maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rych tresury all truth that who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of lyfe for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what and yf a controuersy should happen to ryse vpon neuer so smal a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the Apostles were conuersaunt and ther learne the truth in that controuersy ye what yf the Apostles had lefte behynde them no writyng at all must we then not haue folowed the order of tradition delyuered by them to such as they committid the churches vnto to which tradition manye barbarous nations beleuing in Christ do giue credite with out any other wrytyng then that which is in their hartes wrytten Al this wryteth Ireneus and within a lytle after he sayeth Yf to these barbarous nations any man should preach in their owne language these inuentions of heretikes by and by they would stoppe their eares and flye as farre as they could frō him and not once here his blasphemous talke thus sayeth S. Ireneus Now yf christen people at this presēt would folow this trade which this blessed martir here speaketh of thē should no mā runne into heresy but al mē shold cleue fast vnto the wholesome doctrine of the catholike church abhorre and detest whatsoeuer any precher wold vtter vnto thē contrary to the same For whosoeuer preacheth any doctrine not agreable to the general receiued doctrine in the open knowen church he it is such as be like to him of whō our sauiour biddeth vs to beware saiyng in the .vii. of Mathewe

Beware of false prophets Math. 7 which come to you in shepes clothing but inwardly they are rauenynge wolues Our sauior calleth them wolues for that they deuoure the soules of so many as giue credite vnto thē he sayeth fardar of them that they come in lambes skins because they pretend the woord of God and therewith bleare the eyes of poore simple men and make them beleue that it is as they saye where in dede whatsoeuer is taught contrary to that that al christendome openly teacheth and from tyme to tyme hath taught is false and cannot possible be true vnlesse we wold say that christ him selfe were not true For he promyseth that hym selfe wil be for euer with the churche and that the holy ghost shal for euer gouerne the same Forasmuch than as there is no other schole on the earth for men to learne theyr duety towardes God and the world but the catholyke churche nor no other doctryne auayleable to eternall lyfe but that whiche the catholyke churche teacheth therefore all christē people are requyred to make a solempne vow at theyr baptisme to beleue the catholyke churche And he that so doeth is in an assured trade of saluation if in his conuersation he folowe the same but contrarywyse he that beleueth it not is in a mooste certayne estate of euerlastynge dampnation Wherefore that you maye knowe what the catholyke churche dothe in all poyntes beleue there shal be hereafter particularly set forth vnto you the seuerall matters requisit to be beleued and practised of all Christen people that no man maye haue iuste cause hereafter to pretende ignoraunce but all men beynge sufficiently instructed maye by folowynge suche doctryne attayne to euerlastynge lyfe whiche sende vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste to whom be all honoure and glorye worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely of Christian loue or Charitye FOrasmuch as the pithe and summe of all thinges which be conteyned eyther in the lawe or in the prophetes doth stād and cōsist in the loue of God and in the loue of oure neyghboure as our sauiour Christ dothe plainely testifye in the .xxii. Chapiter of sainct Mathewe Math. 22. sayenge One of the Pharises beynge a doctoure of the lawe tēpting did aske him and say mayster what is the great cōmaūdemēt in the law Iesus answerynge sayd vnto hym Thou shalte loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy harte wyth al thy soule and wyth all thy hole mynde this is sayeth he the greatest and fyrste commaundement And the seconde is lyke vnto it Thou shalte loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe and of these two commaundementes al the lawe dothe hange and the Prophetes And forasmuche also as we can not loue God well except we doo loue oure neyghboure in a due order ne yet loue oure neyghboure well excepte we doo loue God in that due order that we oughte to doo Sainct Ihon the Euangelist so testifyeng and declarynge Iohn 3. and 4. in the thyrde and fourthe Chapiters of his fyrst canonicall Epistle And finally forasmuche as he that loueth not after this sorte is by the testimonye of the sayde sainct Iohn in the sayde thyrd Chapiter iudged to be in death therefore it is ryghte expediente and necessarye to haue alwayes this loue whiche nowe in oure vulgare tongue and common talke is ofte named by the name of Charitie but very megerly and coldely practised and set fourthe in dede as it shoulde be And of trouthe yf we woulde iudge vpryghtly and well we ought to saye that of all thinges that be good to be taught vnto Christen people there is nothynge more necessarye to be spoken of and daylye called vpon then charitie aswell for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decaye thereof is the ruyne of the worlde the banyshement of vertue and the cause of all vice And forasmuche as almost euery mā maketh frameth to him selfe a charity after his owne appetyte and howe detestable so euer his lyfe be bothe vnto God and man yet he perswadeth with hym selfe styll that he hathe charitye Therefore you shall heare nowe a true and playne descripcion of charitie not of mens ymagination but of the very woordes and example of oure sauioure Iesus Christe In whyche description euerye man as it were in a glasse may consyder hym selfe and see plainely without errour whether he be in the true Charitye or not charitie is to loue God with all oure harte withall our life with al our powers with all our strength With all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynde studie be set to beleue his woorde to truste in hym and to loue hym aboue all other thynges whyche we doo loue best in heauen or in earthe Wyth all oure lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye and delyte be sette vpon hym and his honoure and oure hole lyfe gyuen vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges wyth hym to lyue and wyth hym to dye yea and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or doughter house or lād more then me saieth Christ is not worthy to haue me Wyth all oure powers that is to saye that with our handes and feete wyth our eyes and eares oure mouthes and tongues and wyth all other partes powers bothe of body and of soule we shoulde be gyuen to the kepynge and fulfyllynge of hys commaundementes This is the fyrste and the principal parte of charity but it is not the whole For charitie is also to loue euery man good and euyll frende and fooe And what soeuer cause be gyuen to the contrarye yet neuertheles to beare good will and harte vnto euerye man to vse oure selues wel vnto thē aswel in woordes and countenaūce as in all our outeward actes and dedes For so Christ hym selfe taught and so also he perfourmed in dede And of this loue that we ought to haue amongest oure selues eche to other he instructeth vs thus Mathew v. You haue harde it taught in tymes paste Thou shalte loue thy frende and hate thy fooe but I tell you loue your enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you and doe speake euil of you doo well to them that hate you praye for thē that vexe and persecute you that you may be the children of your father that is in heauen For he maketh the sunne to ryse bothe vpon the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to the iuste and to the vniust For if you loue them that loue you what rewarde shal you haue Doo not the publicans lykewyse And yf you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derely beloued frendes what greate matter is that doo not the heathē the same also These be the very woordes of oure sauioure Christ him selfe touching the loue of our neighbour And forasmuche as the Phariseis wyth theyr moost

Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe also saye Math 23. that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he woulde the people should obey theyr lessons Euen so thoughe some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet oughte no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are sufficiente to declare the holye Churche what it is and howe it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and carye awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the catholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryghte godlye father in Christes Churche He sayth There are thre meanes to trye a churche Vincentius Lirenensis or doctryne the fyrst is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the thyrde is vnitie By the fyrst we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Christ and his apostles and hath contynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true fayth or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vnyuersallye in all countreys hath ben taught beleued By the thirde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or fayth of the church doth alwayes agre and is alwayes one Nowe those three thinges well noted may instruct and teache any Christen man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euer synce the Apostles tyme and in all countreys with one consent in al thinges concernyng our fayth hath shewed her self the worthy spouse of Chryst Contrary wyse false doctryne and heresye euer hath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende lately arise lurke in priuat corners neuer agre with itselfe Which thyngs I myght easelye at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstration But because in the nexte homelie I intende to speake of the aucthoritie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wyll make an ende Roma 12 besechyng all you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble and holy sacryfyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we may be altogether lyuelye membres of oure sauyoure Iesus Chryst and of his catholyke churche here vpon earth and after this lyfe partakers of the ioyfull kyngedome of heauen through the same our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye worlde without ende Amen H. Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homely of the aucthoritie of the churche declarynge what commoditie and profit we haue thereby LYkewyse as in the laste homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the churche is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholyke church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beynge members of the same churche Fyrste whan oure sauioure Iesus Christ dyd send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheife and pryncipall pyllers of this catholyke churche he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathewe beareth wytnes Math. 10 sayinge Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they shoulde cast them out and shoulde heale all maner of diseases and infirmities And sondrye tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryste doth speake to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit That is to saye He that heareth you Mathe. 10. heareth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanynge Iohn 13. and wyllynge thereby that all the worlde shoulde know and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholyke church whiche Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holye Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to them Iam non dicam uos seruos sed amicos c That is to say Nowe I wyll no more call you seruauntes Iohn 15 but frendes for al thinges that I haue herde of my father I haue declared to you Iohn 20 And agayne he sayth As my father sente me euen so I sende you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louynge sauiour dyd giue greate aucthoritie to his Apostles But nowe it is expediente and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthorytie doth consyste and that the same aucthorytie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Christe but also to theyr successours in the catholyke churche euer to endure Whiche aucthoritie thoughe it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that hereafter doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power The churche hath the true sence of the scripture and is iudge therof and aucthoritie to the catholike churche to haue the true sense and vnderstandynge of the holye Scripture yea and to approue also or reproue al wryting as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye cal to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the churche that is to wit the holy Ghost as Christe dyd promyse sayinge Ego rogabo patrem et alium paracletum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum ineternum Iohn 14. that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye abyde wyth you for euer And after that our Lord and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also Iohn 20. after hys ascension into heauen accordynge to his merciful promise he did sende downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles Act. ii as saincte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not gyuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manyfest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat vobiscum inaeternum That he should abyde sayeth he wyth you for euer Nowe we are mooste certayne Iohn 14 that the Apostles of Christe dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze sayd to thē Math. 28. Ecce ego vobiscū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consūmationê seculi That is Behold I am with you at al tymes euen to the ende of the worlde Wherefore we maye playnly see that the holy ghoste beynge promised to the Apostles to abyde for euer and to the very ende of the world was promised and giuen to them and to their successours in the churche where he doth and shall abide for euer Now

And in the Gospell of Saynt Mathewe also teachynge the order of brotherly reconciliation he saythe Yf thy brother trespasse agaynst the go and tell him his faute betwene hym and the alone but yf he hear not the Math. 18 yet take with the one or two yf he heare not them than tell the churche Oh Lorde howe shall he tell the church yf it be not knowen as the euyll doo contende Lykewyse Saynt Paule speaking to the preystes and elders at Ephesus Actu 20. doth warne thē to take hede to them selues and to al the flocke amonge whome the holy ghost sayth he hath placed you to rule the churche of God Thus playnely the scrypture declareth that the catholyke churche is and oughte to be manyfestly knowen yet lest you should anye thynge doute of the vnderstandynge of these scryptures heare I besech you howe playnely Saynt Augustyne doth wryte hereof Sicut per uerba dei nouimus ubi sit plātatus paradisus sic per uerba Christi ubi sit ecclesia didicimus Contra Petil. lib 2. Cap. 13. As by the woordes of God we know wher paradyse was planted so by the woordes of Chryst we haue learned where the churche is Marke here good people that Saynt Austen in thys place doth write agaynst an heretike being one of the donatyste secte who denying the catholyke churche dyd ascrybe the fayth of chryst and al saluation to them selues onely being a smale parte of Aphrica lyke as all scismatical congregations in thys late tyme haue done some saying in germany here is Chryst here is the churche some in Heluetia here is christ here is the churche other in Bohem here is Christ here is the churche and we in Englande here is chryst and here is the churche Wherof euery one dyssentyng from an other and that in maters of great weyght doth declare that the spyryte of God which is the spirite of truth and vnitie promysed by Christ to the catholyke churche dothe not leade nor gouerne suche sectes neyther oughte they to mayntayne and set furth false doctryne to the people vnder the name of the churche yet sainte Austen in the same place addyth hys or rather gods threatnyng Ibidem saying Ab isto uniuerso ad partem quamlibet quisquis separat hominem ille diaboli filius homicida conuincitur Whosoeuer doth seperate one man frō thys whole to anye parte he is proued to be the sonne of the deuyl and a very manqueller Alas than in what heauy case are those that haue separate from the catholyke churche not one man onely but many thousandes surelye in heauye and miserable case vnlesse they doo speadelye and in due tyme repent and doo penance Moreouer to knowe more manyfestly the catholyke churche of Chryst we ought to consider what Saynte Paule wryteth of the foundation thereof For al scismatycall congregations though they grounde them selues apparantly vpon the holye scrypture yet haue they there profession seuerally taken of some noughty man as saynt Augustyne sayth They are called euery one by proper names August de uitilitate cred Cap. 7. whiche they dare not denye But the catholyke churche though heretykes haue named it papysticall yet receyued it neuer any other name but catholyke and chrystian but al mē that rede may se how gloriously some haue vsyd the name of Marchion Ebion Arrianus Manicheus Pelagius Donatus and in our tyme lykewyse the name of Luther Zwinglius Carolstadius wyth thousandes such other which hereticall fashion S. Paule doth rebuke in hys epystle to the Corinthyans who were euen in lyke case and bostyng vpon men sayd Ego Pauli Ego apollo I hold of Paule 1 Cor 3 and I of Apollo But the holy apostle rebuketh them saying As longe as there is amonge you enuying and stryfe or sectes are you not carnall So that euerye chrysten man and woman may playnely se by the scrypture that these hauynge suche diuision and sundrye sectes amonge them selues are by S. Paule accompted altogether carnal and farre vnworthy to vse the name of the churche whiche is the onely and chaste spouse of Christ Ephes 2 But of the catholyke churche saynt Paule sayth Now therfore ye are not straūgers and foreyners but you are citisens with the saynctes and of the housholde of God and are buylded vpon the foundation of the Apostles prophetes Iesus Chryst hym selfe being the heade corner stone And further bycause saynt Paule throughe the holy Ghost in him dyd forsee that all heretykes would callenge to them selfes the aucthoritie of the Apostles prophetes and that they wold with out authoritie or knowlege wraste theyr writinges euery one to there owne sense therefore this holy apostle Ephes 4 in the same epystle tellyth vs the order whych Chryst hath apoynted to be obserued in hys church for he sayth that Chryst ascending into heauen dyd gyue gyftes to men and that he made some apostles some prophetes some Euangelystes some shepardes and teachers declarynge thereby that in the catholyke churche there are orders and offycers some hyer some lower whom the rest ought both diligently to heare and humbly to obey So dyd the same S. Paul 1 Timot 4 Tit. 1 before hys death apoint Timothe to the offyce of a Byshoppe and also Tite he dyd leaue in Creta that he shoulde ordeyne prestes in euery citie whiche preistes and Byshoppes should not be dysdained or litle regarded as in this tyme of manye they are but they shoulde dooyng there duetie haue double honoure and faythfully gouerne the church Actuo 20 Tit. 2 as saint Paule sayeth And writyng to Tite he byddeth him exhort and rebuke with al feruentnes of commaūdyng by these places of the holy scrypture you may easely see and vnderstand that in the catholyke churche there are and ought to be degres and orders and that whosoeuer doth breake contemne or deny the same he denieth and forsaketh the verye truth and ordinaunce of Chryste and his Apostles Nowe further we oughte to consider that as S. Paule dyd ordeyne Timothe and Tyte yea and other byshoppes and Preistes in his tyme so they by his commaundement dyd in theyr tyme ordeyne other delyueringe also to them the doctryne whiche they haue receaued of Paule and by contynuall discurse of tyme euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vpper hande accordynge to Christes promyse Math. 16 neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll and wicked synners For Christ hym selfe Math 13 doth compare the churche to a nette caste into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at the ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by

forasmuche as the holye ghoste is the gouernour and ruler of the catholyke churche we ought there onely and in no other corner to serche the true vnderstandynge and dyscernynge of the scryptures And for this cause the aucient fathers were they neuer so godly and so wel learned yet woulde they neuer presume vpon theyr owne iudgementes but euer referred them selues to the vnderstandyng and interpretacion of the catholyke churche before them Therfore the godly lerned and ancient father Ireneus Ireneus li. 3 capi 4 wryting agaynste schismaticall heresyes sayeth thus Quid enim si qui de aliqua modica questione disceptatio esset nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias c. that is to saye but what and yf there were contencion concerning some smal question were it not necessarye to returne to the mooste auncient churches and immediatly after he sayeth Quid autem si neque apostoli quidem scripturas reliquissent nobis nonne oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis quam tradiderunt hijs quibus committebant Ecclesias What sayeth this holye father yf the Apostles had lefte to vs no scripture at all had it not bene necessarye to folowe the order of that tradition whyche they delyuered to those to whome they dyd bequethe the churche Alas good people howe farre are manye in these dayes gone from this olde and aunciēt rule this blessed martir here exhorteth or rather commaundeth that yf any small dyscorde thoughe it be in a matter of lytle importaunce doo chaunce that we woulde not accordyng to our fantasy iudge therein but though we haue no scripture for the same yet sayeth he we ought to folowe kepe and obserue the tradition of the aunciente churches Where as in these late dayes the impudente procedars haue taughte the zely people that euery man shoulde and may be a iudge of controuersyes and that we oughte to obserue no tradition nor ceremonye other than we fynde in the holy scrypture Of suche the same holy Ireneus dooeth speake thus after many other notable lessons to the same purpose Omnes autem hij decidunt a veritate Ireneus li. 4 Cap. 43. et heritici quidem alienum ignem afferentes ad altare dei id est alienas doctrinas a celesti igne conburentur c. All these sayeth he doo fal from the trueth and the heretykes truely bryngynge straunge fyre to the aulter of God that is to saye straunge doctrine shal be brent with the heuenly fyre With suche lyke threatnynges in the same place to those that disobey the authoritie of the churche Lykewyse sainct Augustyne speakynge of the baptysme of chyldren and howe that sacrament can profyte them seynge many die before they know the effecte of the same affyrmeth that the faythe of those that brynge the chylde to christenynge shall profyte the childe that is broughte but for his probacion August de li. arb lib. 3. Cap. 23. he bryngeth thys Hoc commendat ecclesie saluberrima authoritas This thynge the mooste holsome aucthoritye of the churche doethe commende And euen wyth lyke reuerence the same saincte Augustyne dooth many tymes submytte all hys iudgementes Epist 7. In proemio Li. 3. De. Tri. and woorkes to the catholyke churche And fynally to declare hys iudgemente concernynge the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche He saieth thus Ego vero Euāgelio nō crederem nisi me catholicae Ecclesiae commoueret authoritas that is to say Truely August contra epist Manich. Capi. 3 I would not beleue the Gospell onles that the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche dyd moue me thereto And we ought here to consyder that after the ascension of our sauioure Christe for the space of certayne yeares there was no gospell at all wrytten but all thynges concernynge the faythfull christians were ruled and gouerned by the dyscyples of Christ beyng than the heades of the church Afterwarde we rede that dyuers of the dyscyples of Christe dyd wryte Gospelles as sainct Bartylmew Nicodemus and an other Gospel was called Euangelium Nazareorum But the authorite of the churche dyd onely admitte those fower euangelistes which nowe the whole churche dooth retayne Whyche thing might well seme maruelous seynge that bothe saincte Bartylmew and Nicodemus were present and dyd see the woorkes of Christ and also dyd here hys doctryne where as sainct Luke dyd learne hys gospell of saincte Paule and other and so lykewyse dyd S. marke but hereby it dooeth moost playnly appere that the catholike churche onely hathe this hye aucthorite to dyscerne scriptures and that scriptures allowed by the church shoulde not be refused of anye particulare persons Nowe therefore seynge that the catholyke churche bothe hathe delyuered to vs the scripture and in all ages and tymes hath bene taken of all Godly lerned men for the true iudge thereof I exhort and beseche all you good christen people that in all doutes opinions and controuersies ye would resort to the holy churche and there learne what the same catholyke church hath beleued and taught from time to time concernynge doutes or controuersies and yf wyth lowly and meke hartes ye wyll so doo surely the holy ghoste wyll instructe you he wyll comforte you and he wyl leade you into al trueth But yf in suche case ye wil fly from the catholike church aske coūsell of your selues or of any that dooth swarue from the sayd churche than for so muche as the holy ghost is not your guyde you shall fall from ignoraunce to errour and from doutyng and dysputyng to playne heresy and so from one to another to the vtter confusion An other aucthoriti of the churche of bothe body and soule Yet beside this great authoritie of the churche whereof you haue hearde there is an other gyuen by God of mooste hye excellencye that is power to forgyue and pardon the penitent synner and to punishe and correcte the obstinate or frowarde synner which power and aucthorite Leuit. 13. as it was fygured in the preesthood of the olde lawe as in Iudgynge of leprose persons and in punyshynge to death those that did not obey the priest euē so is it giuen by our sauiour Christ in very dede Deut. 17. in the gospel to his Apostles and to all theyr successours For after that our sauioure hadde rysen from deathe he came amonges hys Apostles and brethed vpon them and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum dimiseritis peccata Iohn 20. dimittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt That is take you the holy ghost whose sinnes you shall forgyue they are forgyuen to them and whose synnes you doo retayne they are retayned Whyche aucthorite by playne woordes gyuen by Christ though some hath or doo contemne and set at noughte Ciril in Iohn Lib. 12. capi 20. yet saincte Cyrill byddeth them cease to merueyle that Christ should giue suche power for he sayeth Certe absurdum non est peccata remitti posse ab illis qui spiritum sanctum in seipsis habeant

Surelye sayeth he it is no absurdyte that synnes are forgyuē by thē which haue the holy ghost in thē Nowe yf you wyll marke that not the preest onely but also the holy Ghost dothe woorke in remitting and pardonyng synnes than I trust you wyll see graunte this aucthoritie of Christes catholike churche which thyng euery chrysten man dothe confesse dayly in his crede saying not onely I beleue the holy catholyke churche the communion of saynctes but addyth also the remyssion of synnes to be in the same catholike churche i. Timo. 1. Doo not we rede that saynt Paule dyd vse this aucthoritie whan he did excommunicate Hymeneus and Alexander dyd not the holye Byshoppe saynt Ambrose vse this aucthoritie in euery poynt vpon the emperoure Theodosius Theodorit Lib. 5. hist. Eccle. ca. 18 Which holy byshoppe perceyuynge the emperoure had greuouslye offended dyd not spare to excommunicate hym yea and though he offered him selfe obedientlye to be receyued yet was it after longe penaunce that he was absolued this holy byshoppe dyd vse the authoritie giuen to him by God thys christen emperoure knowing the same dyd with al humilitie obey Yf the bishopes and preistes in time past and also the layitee had lerned and practsied there duetyes and vocations by this example surelye the churche of Chryste shoulde not haue come to such great disordre as we see neyther shoulde vyce and wyckednes so frely haue bene vsyd but bicause this mater is largely and lernedly set fourth in the sacramēt of penance I wil cease to speake any more hereof and nowe it remayneth to declare what cōmoditie and profytte we haue by thys catholyke church our lorde and mayster chryste in the gospell of saincte Iohn Iohn 15. doeth compare hym selfe to the vyne tree and all vs to the braunches and sayeth Manete in me et ego in vobis Abyde you in me that is to saye in the faythe of my churche And I wyll abyde in you Oh mercyful Lord what comfort and commoditye is this for a christen man to haue Christe to abyde with hym And farther he sayeth Yf you abide in me my wordes abide in you aske what you wyl it shal be graunted to you Here are we sure that if we abyde in christes catholike churche embrace the faythe and doctryne therof both Christ hym selfe by grace wyll abyde in vs and also oure prayers shal euermore be hearde And wythoute all doute there is no abiding in Christe vnles we abide in the vnyte of hys catholyke churche For as saynct Cipriane sayeth Ciprianus de simpli prelat Non potest habere deum patrem qui non nouit Ecclesiam matrem He cannot haue God hys father that knoweth not the churche to be his mother But a child of God knowīg the churche to be his mother lyinge in the bosome thereof may be sure that Christ the spouse of the churche Gene. 7.8 wyll neuer forgette hys nedefull requestes And as no lyuely creature was saued from death but suche onely as were in the arcke of Noe Gen. 7 8. so is there none saued from dampnation but those that are in the vnyte of Christes churche And therefore to gyue vs warnynge the holye doctoure Saincte Augustyne speaketh in thys maner mooste playnlye Quisquis ergo ab hac catholica ecclesia fuerit seperatus quā tū libet laudabiliter se uiuere existimet August epist 152. hoc folo scelere quod a Christi Vnitate disiunctus est nō habebit uitam sedir a dei manet super cū That is in englysh Whosoeuer therfore shal be seperatid frō this catholike church although he think himself to liue neuer so worthely yet for this onelye crime that he is separated frō the vnitie of Christ he shal not haue life but the wrath of god abideth vpon hym But what nede is it to allege saincte Augustine or any other auncient father herein seing almyghty God by hys prophet Esay hath set furthe to vs a lytle picture of hys churche Esai 5. vnder the name of a vyneyarde and the house of Israell There maye we see that thynge that we by experience doo knowe For almyghty God in that parable declareth by hys Prophete howe muche he had doone for the house of Israell a fygure of Christes churche in that he had planted them in a batsome and frutefull countrey and had gyuen to them good gouernours and orders wherein they myghte haue lyued and pleased hym but forasmuche as they dyd wylfullye breake the lawes of God hys ordinance he threatned them saying Auferam sepem eius et erit in direptionem c. Ibidem I wyll sayeth oure Lorde take awaye the hedge of my vyneyarde that it may peryshe Euen so hathe our sauioure Christe dealed wyth vs the people of his churche For where as by his preciouse deathe and passion he dyd purchase vs and lefte vs in the custodye of his catholyke church as is before sayde leauynge also to vs lawes to obserue and sacramentes wherewith we should be preserued And we naughty people haue dyspysed al his moost godly and holsome decrees and ordinances he hathe of his iustyce and accordynge to hys promyse euen in oure tyme punished vs and hath suffred the wicked to plucke downe the pale or hedge of his vineyarde I meane all good order as well in the churche as in the common wealthe and that for the space of many yeares paste Nowe here christen people thoughe you doo not consyder the plage of sundrye synnes that hathe in this late scysme possessed manye mens soules yet doo not dyssemble nor forgette the miserye that we all haue suffered outewardelye synce we were separate from the churche of Christe alas what Christen bloude wythin this Realme euen by oure owne countreimen hath bene shed Oh Lord how many poore wydowes without comforte haue bene lefte Howe many fatherlesse children without soccoure I leaue here to speake of the vnshameles breakynge of the deade mennes testamentes and theyr mooste godly intentes ordinances Abbais are poulled downe Collegis and Chantrees are ouerthrowē churches are robbed and poore Christ that is to saye the hungry and nedefull people famyshe and crye oute therefore All these surely wyth many mo haue come vpon vs bicause we haue bene oute of the house of God Wherefore in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe let vs all togyther lament and be sory for oure goynge astraye let vs come and fal downe before God oure father and confesse oure transgression and humblye desyre Luce. 15. that we maye be receyued into hys house whyche is the churche thoughe we shoulde all the dayes of oure lyues be but hyrelynges Quia melior est dies vnus in atrijs tuis super milia Psal 83. One daye Oh Lorde is better spente in thy house than a thousande otherwyse Fynallye yf we contynew obedyente chyldren in the bosome of our mother the holye churche we shall be fedde wyth