scripture should be profitable But the Scripture is sufficient to those things Ergo. Thirdly that which maketh a man perfect and furnished to euery good worke that same must needs be perfect but the Scripture doth so Ergo. The Maior is therefore true because there is no effect which is more perfect then its cause or because a perfect effect presupposeth the cause to be perfect and nothing can giue that to another which it hath not it selfe if the Scripture therefore make men perfect then it must also be perfect VVhat is the third proprietie of the holy Scripture That in the Articles of faith which are necessary to saluatiō it be plaine easie and perspicuous easie I say and perspicuous first in respect of them to whom it ought to bee a light for their saluation according vnto that 2. Cor. 4.3 If our Gospell be hid it is hid to thē which perish whence it necessarily followes that the Gospell is not hid but cleare and open to those which do not perish as Peter saith 2. Pet. 1.19 You doe well in that you attend to the word of the Prophets as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Psal. 19.15 The word of God is cleare Psal. 119. The word of God is a light to our feete and steppes Secondly the Scripture is easie as it is an instrument which it hath deriued to it from the principal guide the holy Spirit who is that true teacher and interpreter of the Scripture Ioh 14.26 The aduocate which is the holy Ghost he shall teach you althings 1. Ioh. 2 27. That anointing that is the holy spirit teacheth vs of all things Also Ioh. 16.13 VVhen that Spirit of truth shall come he shall leade you in all truth Lastly it is easie if that in the handling of it wee vse conuenient meanes and expound one place by another according to the rules of good and lawfull exposition which you may reade in the 201 page of my Systeme of Diuinitie If then any shall demand who hath the authoritie to interpret the Scripture if the Pope of Rome bee hee I answere that euery one is the best interpreter of his owne words whereas therefore the Scripture is the Word of God of the holy Ghost and not of the Pope of Rome therefore the holy Spirit hath the authoritie to interpret as that true aduocate and teacher of verity But why then doth the Bishop of Rome chalenge to himselfe this authority to interpret the Scriptures I answer because hee knowes well enough how bad his cause is and therefore dares not submit his Tenents to the Word of God or the Scripture if it be rightly vnderstood and therfore will he wrest and stretch the Scriptures at his owne pleasure Touching which point I would haue you note the words of a certaine Apostate from the faith Caspar Schoppius Papist who is now at Rome with the Pope he in that Epistle he wrote touching his defection from vs vnto the Papists about sixe yeares agoe set out at Ingolstadium in the 24 page saith thus The summe of all controuersies betwixt the Catholikes the Lutherans consists in these two things That besides the holy Scripture the Traditions of the Apostles of the Church are necessary to be belieued And that the holy Scriptures themselues neither can nor ought to be interpreted of any with authoritie saue of the Catholike Romane Church In which two Doctrines if one be once perswaded and setled he will easily yeeld and adioine himselfe to the Church of Rome in the rest of the chiefe points of faith For if I were to dispute with the Heretikes about any article of faith it must needes be that there be somewhat set downe in the Bible touching my opinion or that there be nothing at all to be found for it If there be nothing in the Bible for me presently then I say that it was wont so to be obserued by tradition from the Apostles in the Church of Rome But if there be somewhat contained in the Bible touching mine opinion and the Heretike will interprete it another way then might serue my turne then presently I oppose to him the Church of Rome that it hath so interpreted it so that euery Dispute ought to be reduced to these two heads Thus farre he And truly this is it that the Pope of Rome labours for that he may wrest the Scripture as seemeth him good and then it is as if any offering to fight with another and the weapon should be a sword he would fight vpon this condition that he may be suffered to weild his aduersaries sword as he will And so it is likewise as if any would haue a suit in Law tryed before the Iudge according to the lawes but vpon this conditiō that it may be lawfull for him to interpret the law on his owne side iust so the Pope doth for he saith I will dispute with you out of the Scripture but so that it may be lawfull for me to interpret the Scripture on mine owne behalfe I would haue this also noted that if the Papists demand who is the Iudge in the controuersies of faith Wee answer that the chiefe and highest Iudge of controuersies of faith is he who is the Author both of faith and of the Scripture to wit the holy Ghost According to that of Ioh. 16. When the comforter shall come he shal reprooue he will iudge the world of sin And then only the Scripture to be the Law and Sentence of this iudge according whereunto iudgement must be giuen concerning controuersies of faith as it doth most manifestly appeare by Iohn 5.45 There is one who accuseth you euen Moses i. e. the writings of Moses which giue iudgement against you and yet more manifestly Iohn 18. vers 48. He that reiecteth and receiueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him This word c. It is not true therefore which the Pope of Rome saith that he is the chiefe Iudge and decider of controuersies for he is not fit to be a iudge who is accused and found guiltie of deprauing and falsifying the word of God I haue heard you sufficiently about the former sort of knowledge of Christian Religion or touching the principles of Diuinitie to wit God and Gods word Now I desire to be instructed in the second kinde of knowledge arising from the former that is touching the parts of this heauenly Doctrine which doth spring from the Doctrine which is of God and of the holy Scriptures You tell me right and I perceiue you well vnderstand the method and progresse which ought to be obserued in vnderstanding the doctrine of Religion and therefore now will I instruct you touching the parts of Diuinitie or Christian Religion How many parts hath this secondarie or deriued knowledge Two whereof the former is of the end it selfe the latter is of the meanes that leade vs to that end What is the end of Diuinitie Saluation or life euerlasting How many
Systeme of Diuinitie and may serue for a Catechisme of Christianitie WHat is Christian Religion It is that worship and seruice which euery good godly man ought by vertue of bond and obligation to tender vnto God himselfe Wherein is chalked out vnto vs the way as wel of liuing heere honestly as liuing hereafter happily as Augustine saith in his booke of true Religion the first Chapter The onely course of liuing well and happily consists in true Religion whereby we know the onely true God and worship him in holy purenesse For by religion the soule of man which before by sin was separate from God being now reconciled is againe tied and re-vnited to God from whence Religion hath its very name For when we re-lige as it were that is oblige and binde ouer againe our soules vnto God then we empty our selues of all superstitious worship contrary to Gods seruice So saith Lactant. lib. 4. ca. 28. l. 6. c. 1. We are by the tye of Religion bound and obliged vnto God whereupon it is called re-ligion not as Cicero wil haue it of relection but of religation in as much as God doth heereby binde vs ouer to his seruice whom it is our part to serue as our Lord and to obey as our Father For in very deed this is the dutie of man wherein the sum of all and the summitie of a blessed life doth consist This is the very first step in wisdome to know what it is for God truely to be a Father vnto vs and him with all sanctitie to worship and reuere obeying his will and wholy deuoting our selues to his seruice Which be then the principall parts wherin Christian Religion or the speciall actions wherein the worship of God standeth There be three of them 1. The meditation of the word of God and consequently of faith in Christ our Sauiour which is especially comprehended in the word of God to whom wee must referre all in our meditation 2. The vse of the Sacraments instituted by Christ. 3. Inuocation of Gods holy name ioyned with the loue of God and our neighbour Of the formost and last part of Christian religion we haue spoken elsewhere and at another time at this opportunity it is our purpose only to treat of the middle or second Branch of Christian Religion or the seruice of God and therin touching the vse of the principall Sacrament of the new Testament namely the Lords Supper which is called commonly the holy Communion as also the Eucharist that is a most eminent sacrifice of thanksgiuing to Christ our Sauiour Wherein consisteth the true vse and due preparation to the holy Communion In two things to wit in Knowledge and Deuotion Of what sort is that knowledge which appertaineth to our commendable preparation vnto and our lawfull vsing of the holy Communion It is of two sorts Generall and Particular Of how many kindes is our generall knowledge Of two either it is Primary and independant or Secondary and arising from the former How many parts hath the former kind It consists of a double doctrine the one of God the other of Gods Word What is God God is a spirituall essence 1. before all most perfect eternall 2. infinite 3. almighty of incomprehensible wisedom goodnesse 4. mercy 5. Iustice subsisting in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost What are we to consider in God Two things the Essence and Person What and of what sort is the Essence of God It is most simple and onely one so that God in regard of his Essence is simply one as the Scripture witnesseth Deuter. 6. vers 4. Heare oh Israel the Lord our God is one God 1. Tim. 2. v. 5. One God and one Mediatour What is the Person It is the maner of being in God whereby Gods Essence is made relatiue and respectiue which relation notwithstanding neither multiplieth the Essence nor diuides it into parts which may in some sort appeare by the degrees of light and heat For in the Sunnes light there are certaine degrees as morning or twilight and noon-light or perfect sunne-shine And yet for all those degrees the light is the same So in heate luke-warm and scalding hote though they make two degrees yet they make vp but one numericall caliditie which in a higher degree is in boyling water now before being in the same water inclining to feruent heat in a lower degree So then that we may apply this instance to our present purpose in some resemblance the Persons of the Deitie or these diuers maners of Gods being do not multiply the diuine essēce no more then the diuers degrees of heate or light do multiply the light or heat so that I speak right whē I say there are mo persons in the diuine essence but it cannot bee vttered without blasphemy to say there are in God more Natures or mo Gods thē one How many persons are there Three the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost which is prooued by manifest Testimonies of holy Writ Matt. 28.19 Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name so by the authoritie and appoyntment of the Father the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Iohn 15.26 When that Comforter shall come whom I will send to you from the Father euen the Spirit of truth who proceedeth from the Father hee will testifie of me where they are all three plainly named The Father from whome the holy Spirit is sent the Sonne who sendeth and the holy Ghost who is sent 1. Ioh. 5.7 There bee three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one in essence or nature How prooue you that these three Persons be that one God First I must haue it granted that these three persons are distinct because he that sendeth is distinguished from him that is sent he frō whō is distinguished frō him that is sent Now Io. c. 15. plainly saith that Christ is hee that sendeth the Holy Ghost him that is sent and the Father from whom the Sonne sendeth the holy Ghost Whence I doe necessarily infer that these three manners of being in God are distinct which being graunted I shall easily prooue this three-fold manner of being or these three Persons in the diuine Essence to be that true God For first as touching the Father the very aduersaries themselues yeeld that he is truely God And touching the Sonne we haue manifest testimonies of the Scripture Rom. 9.5 Of whom namely the Israelites are the fathers of whom Christ came as concerning the flesh who is God aboue all blessed for euer If aboue all therfore aboue those who by reason of their excellent guifts are called Gods That the holy Spirit is God these Sentences of Scripture plainely prooue Acts 5.3 Peter saith to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lye against the holy Ghost And presently he addeth v. 4 Thou hast not lyed
it what a disgracefull thing had it been and vnworthy a Bishop to forsake his brother and his owne companion Bellarm. saith that Peter was at that time gone abroad to visit the Churches But we answer that it was not meete that he should go away then when hee should haue assisted his brother but should rather haue put off the visitation vnto some other time which hee would haue done doubtlesse if he had been at Rome Againe I say that Bellarm coines that answer of his because he neither backs it with any place of Scripture nor of any Historian but speaketh it out of his owne braine III. This may be concluded by the circumstance of time for they say that Peter was 25 yeares at Rome and 7 yeares at Antiocheia which he make 32 yeares and yet they say that Peter was crucified at Rome vnder Nero and that hee came to Rome the 2 of Claudius the Emperour Now Claudius raigned but 13 yeares and Nero 13 so that both their Regiments lasted but 26 yeares how then could Peter come the 2 of Claudius and continue 27 yeares Bishop of Rome and yet be crucified vnder Nero. IV. We say that Eusebius and Hierome who are of that opinion do not agree with themselues yea and Hierome especially manifestly contradicts himself For when as hee in one place had said that Peter was crucified vnder Nero afterward expounding those words of Christ Matt. 23. Luke 11 Behold I send vnto you Prophets c. Flatly affirmes that Peter was crucified by the Iewes at Ierusalem When the Ancients therefore are opposite vnto themselues hereby it may appeare that they knew not certainely in this point and consequently how much we are to detest the impudency of the Popes which set downe for certainty that Peter was Bishop of Rome The fifth errour is that they inferre the Pope of Rome to be Peters successour for first there is no sure ground to euince that Peter was euer at Rome how then could the Pope of Rome succeede Peter Secondly if wee grant this to the Papists out of pitty that Peter was at Rome yet it doth not follow that the Pope of Rome was Peters successour for the Turke also hath his seate at Constantinople notwithstanding it doth not follow that the Turke is the lawfull Emperour of the East or of Greece the Emperours before hauing their lawfull residency and abode at Constantinople for the place makes not the succession lawfull but two things there bee which make lawfull succession first the power giuen of God secondly the imitation of the Predecessors in life and manners As Cyprian saith in a certaine place and after him Ambrose and Hierome True succession is succession in doctrine and hee cannot bee said lawfully to hold the Chaire of Peter who holdeth not the doctrine of Peter But neither of these the Pope of Rome hath first whence will hee proue that God hath giuen him that power to sit at Rome as the Monarch of the Church surely he cannot bring so much as one letter out of the Scripture of God to proue this nay Christ enioyned the contrary to his Disciples to wit that one of them should not desire to bee aboue another 2. The true succession which is in doctrine the Pope of Rome hath not for if the Decrees of the Pope and the Epistles of Peter be compared together there will appeare as great difference betwixt them as betwixt light and darknes yea we are about to proue by and by that the Pope of Rome is the Ringleader of idolaters so farre is he off from being Peters successor in doctrine Which bee the Members of the Church They be all the faithfull which do belieue in Christ vnto eternall life for they all are vnited to Christ euen as the members of our body vnto their head They are vnited I say by the holy Spirit who produceth such like motions in them as are in the humane nature of Christ assumed that is he maketh that the faithful become partakers of the Sacerdotall Propheticall and Regall power which is in Christ. About which matter Peter epist. 2. c. 2. v. 9. speaketh most sweetly You are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy Nation a people whom God hath chosen as peculiar to himselfe that the virtues of him might be manifest who hath called you out of darknes into his admirable light See concerning this most comfortable doctrine to wit the vnion of the members with Christ the Head in the Syst. of Diuinitie pag. 376. What sorts be the members of Christ They be of two sorts the Ministers of the Word and the hearers Here the Papists challenge vs that wee haue no lawfull Ministers in the Church and by consequence that there be no lawfull sheepe because say they where there are no lawfull and true Pastors and Shepheards there can be there no lawful or true sheepe But wee deny the Antecedent where they say that in our Churches there bee no lawfull Pastors because he is a right Pastor who rightly and lawfully executes his charge which is don by the pure preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments But say they from whom had your Luther and Caluin their callings We answere That we depend not on Caluin and Luther but of the Prophets themselues and the Apostles As for Luther and Caluin they were neither Prophets nor Apostles but if they would know what kind of calling Caluins and Luther his was we answere It was ordinarie for Luther by the publike authoritie of the Vniuersitie at Witenberg was created Doctor of Diuinity and so was hee called to teach by an ordinary vocation Yea but the Vniuersity at Witenberg it was Papisticall Answere True it was so at that time yet it called Luther to the sincere preaching of the Gospell For the Papists themselues say not that when Luther was called by them to teach that he was called to teach heresies but to teach the Truth Therefore when afterwards he taught the truth he taught it being ordinarily called thereunto although he taught it not according to the Popes mind and his Bishops Yea but hee taught errouâ—s of Papistrie before I answer that that fault of Luther made not his vocation voyd the same we say of Zwinglius Caluin and others which were created by Bishops where notwithstanding it must bee considered that vnto that ordinarie calling there was somewhat extraordinary adioined to wit in that God set forth and adorned those first Ministers of the dostrine of the Gospel with a singular vertue to discouer the terrible abominations of Poperie for the rest of our Ministers which haue and yet doe teach in the Reformed Church they were called ordinarily by them who haue authoritie and as yet to this day are so called Now I much desire to heare of the proprieties of the Church first tel me what kinds be the proprieties of the Church of They bee of two kinds some of them doe notifie and point out
vnto vs where the Church is other are proprieties How many demonstratiue proprieties of the Church be there or how many be the true markes of the Church There be onely two first the puritie of doctrine and sacraments Secondly obedience and sanctity of conuersatioÌ„ answerable to the word of God which is proued out of the tenth of Iohn My sheep heare my voyce Mat 28. Go and teach ye all nations baptising theÌ„ Ioh. 5.4 Ye are my friends c. Ioh. 13.32 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples c. The Papists say these are not the notes of the true Church for say they all hereticâ—s can challenge to themselues thus much that they haue the pure word of God and the lawfull vse of the Sacraments Therefore I answer that that which is but by an accedent doth not take away that which is per se. Now it is but by accedent that the heretiques take this vsurpation on themselues for what is there more excelleÌ„t in the Church then the pure Word of God and the lawfull vse of the Sacraments But in setting downe the markes of the Church they doe not agree among themselues See the 396 page of my Syst. of Diuinitie Yet generally they say that these are those marks 1. Antiquitie Whereto I answere that if they brag of antiquity simply the Diuell also is a most ancient Serpent neither is he in that regard any whit the better therefore wee ought to seeke after antiquitie of true doctrine which wee say and affirme to bee in our Church in that namely her Note and Marke is the pure Word of God then which nothing is more ancieÌ„t But your Church do they obiect began but with Luther some 80 yeeres agoe therefore it is not the true Church I answer that it is an vntruth that our Church did but begin then For our Church begun presently in Paradice and was also in the time of the Prophets The second marke they make a continuall succession or a perpetuitie of doctrine in the Church and so condemning our Church as in which there hath been no such continuall succession they insult ouer vs saying Where were your Churches before Luther those 600 yeares wherein you say the world was obscured by the darkenesse of Poperie Whereto we answer that the Church is somtime more clearely manifest sometime it is more obscurely apparant if therefore by succession they vnderstand the state of the Church alwaies alike flourishing then wee say that it is false that such a succession is a propriety and mark of the true Church for the visible state of the Church consisteth in religious worship and in doctrine wherein the Church is not alwaies like vnto it self hauing her obscurings and as it were eclipses such as the Sunne and Moone haue and sometimes it is wrapped about with errours so that it cannot shew its head by any visible estate or ministerie whereunto the Scripture beares manifest testimony 2. Chro. chap. 28. where it is plaine that the estate of the Church was altogether obscured insomuch that Elias thought with himselfe that he alone was left aliue of all the members of the Church being priuie to none beside himselfe that worshipped God purely yet euen then the Lord said vnto him I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand which haue not bowed their knees before Baal So in the time of Christ his liuing vpon the earth the state of the Church was a most corrupt state so that beside Christ and his Apostles there were very few members of the true Church yea and before Christs birth a little Marie Ioseph Zacharie and Elizabeth and a few more which lay so secret that there was no shew of them to any man made vp the true Church Such like vnto these was that estate of the Church those 600 yeares vnder the Papacie of which time there was expresse prediction before Reuel 12. that the time to wit should come that the Church should be obscure as it were hid in the wildernesse But therefore can any conclude that there was no Church No surely no more then it doth follow This man is hid therefore hee is not a man There were in that most thicke darkenesse of Poperie and vnder the Kingdome of that Antichrist of Rome true members of the Church although by reason of that cruell tyrannie of the Pope they lay hid neither was there so few of them as the Papists faine which at that very time vnder Poperie had the pure doctrine and the Sacraments but there were verie many of them euen whole Countries that were not defiled by the corrupt Doctrine of the Papists as the Albingenses and the Valdenses and they of Picardie who propagated the holy Truth in Bohemia and Polonia in spite of all the Popes resistance As also a hundred yeares before Luther there were the Hussites Brethren of Bohemia who maintained the true Doctrine of the Gospell as those times would giue them leaue Yea and further in all and euerie of those yeares there were by Gods working continually raised vp Witnesses and Teachers who openly and before all shewed their detestation of the Pope and Popish errours which Witnesses of the Truth euen in the time of Papacie they are all gathered together in a Booke most worthie the perusing which we ought alwaies to oppose to the Papists which hath for its Title Catalogus testium veritatis that is A Catologue of the Witnesses of the Truth The third Note the Papists do make vniuersality because forsooth the Church dispersed ouer all the world ought to bee Catholike I answer That the Papists here do contradict themselues when they say the Church of God must be Catholike and yet the Romish Church must be that Church of God which is all one as if I should say the Church must be the vniuersall Dantiscan Church or the vniuersal Cracouian Church or a particular vniuersall Church for to bee the Romish Church and to be a particular one is all one Againe we answer that we doe not denie that the Church ought to be Catholike in that sence wherein the word is vsed in the Creed as afterward it shal be made plaine And we say that our Church hath alwaies been and now also is Catholike because that after the Apostles had gathered the Church out of all Nations there did alwaies from time to time remaine some reliques of the true Church in all Nations although those reliques were hid and obscured as that book Catalogus testium veritatis which wee haue a little before cited doth testifie that in the very time of Popery there was alwaies in Greece Italie Spaine Germany Bohemia Polonia some found that opposed and resisted the Pope But whereas the Iesuites obiect vnto vs that in America and in the East Indies there are no Protestant Preachers of the Gospell as yet but all Papists and especially Iesuites labouring the conuersion of the