such Miracles fol 251. 43 Our Aduersaries opposing Fathers against Fathers answeared fol. 255. 44 Our Aduersaries generall abiuring the fathers and condemning their Doctrine fol. 257. 45 The continuall Puritie of the Roman church acknowledged by our Aduersaries fol. 261. 46 The Catho of Rom. faith now taught is acknowledged by 47 Protestantes for sufficient vnto saluation 264. 48 A Testimonie from the enemye is of greatest accompt fol. 165. 49 Of the Puritie or rather arrogancie of the church of England fol. 266. 40 Of Heretickes impudencie fol. 268. 51 Heretiques Raylinges one against an other fol. 274. The Deathes of Luther Zuinglius and Caluin 181. To confirme these articles I will vse this triple probation Scripture the fathers or Doctors of the primitiue Church and Confession of the Aduersarie himself And to the end it may be the more euident that the Protestant religion is no other then a brainsicke inuention composed of old condemned heresies and also that you may see how repugnant your new reformers Luther and Caluin are in Doctrine to the primitiue church I haue vnder euery chiefe article adioyned their doctrine with the old condemned heresie from whence they deriue it Also for your better satisfaction I haue heere next following placed a true Catologue of the Pops of Rome and Doctours of the Catholicke church which may certifie you the age and tyme when thinges were done soe that to Say the Doctours of the church or church did erre is friuolous for choose your tyme wherin you would haue it to be most pure yea euen whilst the Apostles themselues liued you shall heere find it proued both by the Doctours and whole church of that age and likewyse by the confession of the chief and most learned ministers you haue had that the Romane faith now taught was the same with that then generally held in Gods church for the true Apostolike faith But that my oyle be not all in waste read with humility and prayer that God would assist you for S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 3.6 Iac. 1.6 Matt. 7.7 I planted Apollo vvatered but God gaue the increase And S. Iames saith God giueth aboundantly to all yea our Sauiour himself bideth you aske and if shal be giuen you wherfore there only resteth on your part that you aske with all sinceritie and puritie of hart not drawen away or led with any preiudicate opinion or Sinister respect This S Iames craueth of you where he bideth you aske in saith nothing doubting That is with a feruent desire and true zeal of the knowledge of God and his seruice ready to imbrace and preferre it before all the world A true catalogue of the Pops of Rome Matth. 16.18 c. And I say vnto thee because thou art Peter and vpon this roke will I buyld my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuail against her and I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what soeuer thou shalt bind one earth shalhe bound in heauen and what soeuer thou shalt loose one earth shal be loosed in heauen order yeeres of Christ gouerned yeeres montes days 1 44 S. Peter Apostle and Martyr 24 5 2 2 57 S. Linus Martyr Peter yet liueing 11 2 12 3 68 S. Clement Mart. the first after the 9 3 26   Death of saint Peter  4  4 77 S. Cletus Martyr 6 5  5 84 S. Anacletus Martyr 12 2 17 6 97 S. Euaristus Martyr 13 3 7 106 S. Alexander Martyr 7 5 19 8 117 S. Sixtus Martyr 9 10 9 9 127 S. Telesphorus Martyr 11 8 8 10 139 S Higinius Martyr 4 11 143 S. Pius I. Martyr 11 5 15 12 154 S. Anicetus Martyr 8 8 14 13 161 S. Soter Martyr 7 11 18 14 173 S. Eleutherius Mart. England 2. conuerted 15 13 15 186. S. Victor I Martyr 12 1 28 16 198. S. Zepherinus Martyr 10 17 17 218. S. Calixtus I Martyr 6 1 13 18 224. S. Vrban Martyr 7 7 5 19 232. S. Pontianus Martyr 5 5 2 20 236. S. Antherus Martyr 1 14 21 2â—7 S. Fabian Martyr 14 4 22 251 S. Cornelius Martyr 2 5 29 23 253. S. Lucius Martyr 1 4 14 24 255. S Stephan I. Martyr 3 3 24 25 258. S. Sixtus II. Martyr 1 11 3 26 260. S Dionysius I. Martyr 9 4 5 27 270 S. Foelix Martyr 4 5 28 274 S. Eutichian Martyr 9 6 9 29 283. S. Caius Martyr 12 4 6 30 295 S. Marcellinus Martyr 7 11 19 31 304. S. Marcellus I. Martyr 4 6 21 32 308. S. Eusebius Martyr 2 7 27 33 310. S. Melchiades Martyr 3 2 34 314. S. Syluester I. 21 4 35 336. S. Marke 8 22 36 336. S. Iulius 14 -5 19 37 351. S Liberius 15 10 18 38 373. S. Damasus 16 2 10 39 38â— S. Siticius 15 1 10 40 398. S. Anastasius 4 1 13 41 402. S. Innocent 15 2 10 42 417. S. Zozumus 2 4 7 43 420. S. Boniface I. 3 9 28 44 423. S. Caelestinus I. 8 5 3 45 432. S. Sixtus 3. 7 11 46 440. S. Leo the Great 20 11 2 47 461 S. Hilarie 6 3 9 48 467. S. Simplicius 14 6 14 49 482 S. Faelix II. 11 11 18 50 494 S. Gelasius 2 8 26 51 496 S. Anastasius II. 1 11 12 52 498 S. Simmachus 15 7 16 53 514 S. Hormisda 9 11 54 523 S. Iohn I. 2 9 14 55 526 S. Faelix III. 4 2 18 56 530 Boniface II. 1 2 57 532 Iohn II. 2 4 6 58 534 S. Agapetus 1 1 59 535 S. Siluerius 1 5 12 60 537 Vigilius 17 16 26 61 555 S. Pelagius 9 10 28 62 566 S. Iohn III. 10 15 63 577 S. Benedict I. 3 2 15 64 580 S. Pelagius II. 9 2 20 65 590 S. Gregorie the Great 1 6 8 66 604 Sabinian 13 5 9 67 60â— S. Boniface III. 1 2 28 68 608 S. Boniface IV. 6 8 13 69 614 S. Deusdedit 3 23 70 6â—8 S. Bonifice V. 3 9 19 71 622 Honorius I. 1 3 17 72 635 Seuerinus 1 4 73 638 Iohn IV. 1 9 16 74 640 S. Theodorus 6 5 18 75 647 S. Martine I. Martyr 6 1 26 76 653 Eugenius 2 9 â—4 77 657 Vitilianus 14 5 18 78 672 Adeodatus 4 2 5 79 676 Domino I. 2 5 10 80 679 Agatho 3 9 4 81 682 S. Leo. II. 10 17 72 684 S. Benedict II. 10 17 83 685 Iohn V. 1 9 84 686 Cuno 11 3 85 607 Sergius I. 13 8 3 86 701 Iohn VI. 3 2 13 87 703 Iohn VII 2 3 17 88 703 Sisinnius 20 89 717 Constantine 7 1 21 90 735 Gregorie II. 15 10 21 91 741 Gregorie III. 10 8 10 92 751 Zacharie I. 10 3 9 93 752 Stephen II. 3 94 752 Stephen III. 5 29 95 767 Paul I. 10 1 96 778 Stephen IV. 3 5 27 97 76â— Adrian I. 13 10 17 98 716 Leo. III. 20 5 18 99 716 Stephen V. 6 24 100 817 Paschal 7 3 17 101 824 Eugenius II. 3 6 â—4 10â— 827
Hierusalem what then the word of God is cleare and playne eat yee and drinke yee this wee must heere this wee ought to preferre before all Iacobs and all words of the church no otherwyse then God is preferred before the church These he Brentius also a Chief protestant in Germanie most euidently affirmeth the same according to the sentence and decree of the whole church of wirtem saying Both S. Peter saith he prince of the Apostles and S. Barnabas after they had receaued the holy ghost did erre together with the whole church of Hierusalem Luther saith yf the Councell should in any case decree this the communion to be receaued vnder both kindes of bread and wine least of all then would wee vse both kinds yea rather in the despite of the Councell and that decree wee would vse either but one kind only or neither and in no case both in parua con â—essione Also he saith concerning the eleuation of the Sacrament I did know saith he the eleuation of the Sacrament to be Idolatricall as making for sacrifice yet neuerthelesse I did reteyne it in the church at wittemberg to the end I might despite that Diuell Carolostadius sc a chief protestant in Syllogâ—thes Theolog pag. 464. A saying and practise so grosse that Amandius Polanus professor at Basil specially mentioneth and reproueth the same saying further I will not recyte more of Luthers absurde sayinges which are many May this man then besaid to be holy S. Martin Luther as g in his consid of the Papistes supplic p. 70. M. Iewell Apolog part 4. ca. 4 5.2 and in defens 4.15.11 pag. 428. M Fox act mon. p. 400. and pag. 416. M. Powell termeth him And as M. Ievvell saith of him a man sent from God to lighten the whole world Also M. Fox saith it pleased the lord to reforme and reedify the desolate ruins of his religion by the industrie of this Martyr Luther sent and set vp by the mighty sperit of God and that he is the Helias conductor and chariote of Israell infinit might besaid of him in this kind but I spare my labor in so Idle a busines THE 35. ARTICLE Of Confession THE CATHOLICKE DOCTRINE Christ did so committ the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vnto his Church that whatsoeuer her ministers the priestes of the new testament doe binde or loose in earth is bound or loosed in heauen saying whose sins soeuer yee shall remitt they are remitted theÌ„ whosoeuer you shall reteyn they are reteyned therfore they haue power which they exercise in the place of Christ to absolue coÌ„trite sinners such as coÌ„fesse SCRIPTVRE a Matt. â— ANd they were Baptized by him in Iordane Confessing their sins S. Luke hath the same b Ioan. 20. v. 22.23 Receaue yee the holy ghost whose sins yee shall forgoue they are forgiuen and whose you shall reteyne they are reteyned c Act. 19.18 And many of them that belieued came confessing their sins and declaring their deeds d Iames 5.16 Confesse theirfore your sins on to and other FATHERS Serm. 5. de lapsis S. Cyprian anno 240. saith Finally how much more great is their faith and feare of God more commendable who although not giultie of any haynous crime or fact where of they need by Sacrifice to be purged yet because they haue thought of som such thing they confessed the same with great sorrow vnto the priestes of God and simply confessing do cleare their conscience by expressing the burden of their soule and seek for a wholesome medicine though their wounds be little and smale Et infra let euery one I pray you brethren confesse his sin whilst the sinner yet liueth whilst his confession may be admitted whilst the satisfaction and absolution giuen by the priest is acceptable to God Homil 17. in Lucam Origen anno 230. expounding the words That the cogitations of many harts may be reuealed saith Wher vpon wee also if wee haue sinned must say I haue made my sin knowne vnto thee and I haue not hidd myne iniquitie I haue said I will declare myne vnrighteousnes vnto our lord against my self For if wee shall do this and reueal our sins not only vnto God but to those also that can heal our wounds and sins our sins shal be blotted out by him that saith behold I driue away thyne iniquities as a cloud and thy sins as darknes lib. 4. ca 17. de diuinaâ—um instit Lactantius anno 320. shewing the reason why God commaunded circumcision in the old testament saith for this cause God commaunded that flesh to to be made naked that heerby he might admonish vs not to haue a secret hart that is not to keepe hidden any fowle sin within the priuitie of the conscience this is the Circumcision of the hart where of the Prophets spake which God hath translated from the mortall flesh to the soule which Circumcision only shall continue for he being desirous to prouide for our life and saluation according to his eternall loue towards vs hath in that Circumcision propounded or set before vs penaunce that if wee will make cleane our hart that is if wee will by confessing our sins so satisfie God wee may obteyne pardon which is denied to the stubborne and such as hide their sins for he beholdeth not the outward face as man doth but the inward secreats of the hart Againe lib. 4. cap. 30 contra Nouationos he opposeth confession vsed in the Catholicke Church against the Nouations as a true note or marke wherby to know the true Catholicke Church saying Because euery company of heretiques saith he think them selues the best Christian and their owne Church to be the Catholicke Church wee must know that to be the true Church wherim is confession and penaunce which with wholesome medicines cure those sins and wounds where vnto the weaknes of the flessh is subiect S. Athanasius anno 340. vpon those words In Sermone ad finem goe vnto the villadge ouer against you and you shall find a coult bound saith thus Let vs examine our selues whether our bonds be loosed that wee may profitt the more and if thy bonds be not yet loosed goe vnto the disciples of Iesus for they be at hand whoe by that authority which they haue receaued from our Sauiour can absolue thee for he saith what soeuer you shall bind on earth shal be bound also in heauen and whose sins you shall remitt they are remitted vnto them S. Hilarie anno 350. saith Can. 18. in Matth. But for the terrour of that greatest feare whereby all men for the present ought to be kept in awe he hath appoynted the vnmoueable iudgment of Apostolicall seuerity that whomesoeuer they shall bind vpon earth as is whosoeuer they shall leaue wrapped in the fetters of their sins and whomesoeuer they shall absolue that is receaue by confession into the blessed state of Pardon or vnto saluation these men
pray for vs that wee be not ouercome by any teÌ„tation Againe y Serm. 5. Epiph Confirme frindships with the Angels Patriarckes Prophets Apostles and ioyne your selues to the martyres couet their riches and by good contention and emulation contend and striue for their fauours S. Iustine Martyr anno 150. saith z in 2 apolog 2. speaking in the name of all Christians explicating the faith of the whole Churh Wee worship adore him God the father and his son who came and taught vs these thinges and wee worship in word deed the whole troope of others that follow such like good Angels earnestly teaching it to all that desire to knowne how wee are taught instructed Origen anno 230. saith a homil 3. in diuersos The memorie of these as it is worthy is alwayes celebrated in the church b haeres 79. S. Epiphanius anno 309. refelliing their errour who offered sacrifice to the B. virgine Mary as vnto a Godes fearing lest by this occasion their should be no honour giuen vnto her as the heretickes of our tyme now put in practise he repeateth very often these wordes let Mary be had in honour God adored S. Chrysostome anno 380. saith c homil de Sanctis Inuentio Maximo you doe not worship the Saintes of auncient tyme and these later after a diuerse manner but all with the same alacritie of mynd infra And the martyrs that wee worship this day were present infra And therfor let vs often visit them adore their Sepulchers c. S. Cyrill Alex. anno 430. saith d lib. in iu. Iulianum vltra medium wee doe not say that the holy martyres are become God but wee are accustomed to giue them all honor S. Cyprian an 240 saith e lib. 4. Epist 9. The sufferinges dayes of martyres wee celebrate with an yearly remembraÌ„ce S Ambrose saith f Serm. 6 in sine whosoeuer honoreth martyres honoreth Christ and whosoeuer despiseth the Saintes despiseth God S. Hierome saith g edist ad Rigatiam wee honor the seruantes that the honour of the seruants may redound to the Lord. S. Bernard anno 1140. saith Serm. in illud SignuÌ„ magnum c. Serm. de Aquaeductu h let vs imbrace the steps of Mary and with most deuout supplication prostrate our selues at her blessed feet Againe Let vs with all the bowels of our hartes with all our affections and voues or desires worship Mary because such is his will who would haue vs altogether through Mary THE ADVERSARIE i in his def c agaiÌ„st the reply of Cart pag 472 473 Also D Couell in exaâ— c. pag 110 in â—â—uynder to Brâ—stow pag 5 and age nâ— Rhem. teâ— in 2 Pet. c. 1. s 3. fol. 44. and against Purgatory Pag. 310. Also Châ—m tamen part 3. pag 200. 211 The lord Archbishop of Canterbury M. Whitgist affirmeth that to vse his owne wordes almost all the Bishopes and writers of the Greeke and Latine Church for the most part were spotted with Doctrines of free will merite inuocation of Saintes and such like k M. Fulke saith I confesse that Ambrose Austine and Hierom hold inuocation of Saintes to be lawfull And againe he saith l that in Nazianzen Basil and Chrysostome is mention of the inuocation of Saintes That Theodâ—ret speaketh of prayer vnto Martyrs that Leo ascribeth much to the prayers of Peter for him that many of the auÌ„cient Fathers held that the Saintes departed pray for vs. Againe he affirmeth that about the yeare â—70 inuocation of Saintes was brought publickly into the Church by Ambrose Basil Gregory Naz Gregory Nyss Theodoret Hierome c. m vbi supra 211. Chemnitius alledgeth S. Austine inuocating S. Cyprian and concludeth saying These Austine doth without the scripture yeelding to tyme and custome The n Cent 3. col 84 line 23. and col 8 lnie 49. Centuristes charge S. Cyprian to affirme that martyres and dead Saintes do pray for the lyuing Also they charge Origen with prayer for himself to holy Iob saying o Cent. cap 4 col 33. lin 4â— Blessed Iob pray for vs wretches The affirme also that there are manifest steps of Inuocation of Angels in the Doctors of that age LVTHERS DOCTRINE p de adoratione Sacramenti ad waldenses I cannot saith he account you for heretickes as our Sophister doe because you neither inuocat the mother of God nor any other Saint but rest in Christ the only and alone Mediator although one may make intercession for another heere in this life yet for the intercession and inuocation of Saintes departed the Scriptures speake nothing Againe Inuocation of Saintes saith he is also one of the number of the Antichristian abuses q in attieulis ad Concil Mantuanum missis wherby he resisteth the chiefest articles blotteth out the knowledge of Christ. Philipp Melanchthon saith r in antithest verae Doctrinae and Pontificiae all inuocation of the dead is manifest Idolatrie such as is in the worship of Saintes Nicolaus Hemnimgius saith Å¿ in explicat Euang. de Festo Annunc Mariae inuocation of Saintes is a Diueliâ—h worship brought into the Church by the Diuell Iohan. Brentius saith t in Apolog. Confessions wittemberg wee grant that the Saintes in heauen do pray for the liueing on earth doth it therfore followe they are to be inuocated no such matter c. who commaunded you to inuocate the Saintes as the frindes of God for this verie worship of inuocating Saintes is idololatricall because God only is to be inuocated CALVINS DOCTRINE v lib 1. instit cap. 13. ¶ 12. Let that Platonicall Philosophie saith he of seeking recourse vnto God by Angels be of force and of worshiping them for this end wherby they may make more propitious and easie vnto vs which superstitious and curious men haue endeuoured from the begining to bring vnto our religion and doe so perseuere vnto this day Againe moreouer saith he it is a meere toy that Sophisters bable Christ is a mediator of redemption but the faithfull of intercession Againe x ¶ 21 for as much as perteineth to Saintes who are dead in flesh but liue in Christ if wee attribute any prayer vnto theÌ„ vvherby they may pray for vs in heauen let vs not dreame of any other way to beseech God by them then Christ who is the only way or that their prayers are accepted by God in any other name therfor for as much as the Scripture doth call vs from all vnto Christ only and our reauenly Father will haue vs to seeke all thinges in him it were to much blockishnes nay I say madnes for vs to seeke accesse by them and be led from him without whome they themselues haue no admittance But who dare deny but this hath bine practysed many ages and to this daye is in vse whersoeuer the Papacy raÌ„gneth Finally in all their litanies In fine Ibid. hymnes and prose
Caluin and M. Whitaker say q Cal. inst pr. at Geneua 1450. c. 8. de fide f. 37 â—8 M â—â—hit de Eccl. coâ—â— Bellar p â—81 285 M â—uike agâ—â—nst Heâ—â— Sand c. p. 5 9 5 6 560. The Church can neuer want Pastours and Doctours And certainly there can be no Pastour with out some knowne flocke M Fuike saith That Christ will suffer no particuler Church to continue with out a seruant to ouer see it that Pastours and Doctors must be in the Church till the end of the world euen from Christes tyme to Luthers age M. Sparke saith r in his answere to M. Iohn Albines pag. 11. The Church of Christ hath alwayes had and shall haue to the end successiuely in all ages in one place or other such as haue shewed the truth fully vnto others and haue shined as lightes in their dayes set vpon a Candlesticke M Fuike saith againe Å¿ in his answer to a counterfait Catholike p. 100. truth cannot be continued in the world but by ministery Also in t pag. 845. Certayne propositions and principles disputed in the vniuersitie of Geneua it is concluded that the ministerie is an assentiall marke of the true Church M. Deering saith v vpon the epist to the Hebrewes ca. 3 lectur 15. and 16. Salvation springeth in preaching of the Ghospell and is shutt vp a gaine with ceassing of it And a little further he saith Take away preaching you take away faith for which he citeth many scriptures And M. Fulk saith yet x vbi supra pag 11 92 That these Church Pastours at least some of them shall alwayes resist all false opinions Euen with open reprehension Also M. Dâ—ering saith y vbi sâ—pra c. 2. v. 12. lect 10 3. lect 12. The Religion being of God no feare of man shall keepe them backe because as M. Deering saith that were to keepe the honour of God for Cornets and solitary places for as the Apostle prescribeth y Rom. 19.10 z with the hart aman belieueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth confesseth to saluation a See Beza in his sermons vpoÌ„ the Cantiâ—les Englished p. 79. 80. Our Puritan Aduersaries acknowledge and teach that there must be Pastours and Doctors to the end of the world for the administration of the word and Sacramentes b 1 Cor. 11.29 For wee are thereby to shew the Lordes death till hee come M. Whitaker saith speaking to this end of the administration of the word and Sacramentes c contra Dureum l. 3. pag. 249. and That being present they constitute a Church and being abseÌ„t do subuert it d 260. And that they are essentiall notes of the true Church e in his synopsis p. 75 69. whit gift in his defeÌ„ce c. p. 81. M. Couell in his exam c. p. 21. say ye same Hip. in Method Theolog. p. 548 557. Pol. in part Theolog p â—04 Keck insistem Theolog p 408. M. Willet saith likewise of them These markes a cannot be absent from the Church and it is no longer a true Church then it hath these markes for saith he the only absence of them doth make a nullity of the Church Hiperius and Amandus Polandus affirme that these notes are needfull to distinguish the true Church froÌ„ the false that meÌ„ carefull of their saluation may know where the true Church is and to which company chiefly they ought to adioyne themselues Bartholomaus Keckermannus saith the Church of the new testament ought alwayes to be sensible and manifest by notes and externall forme that the other Gentiles which are yet without the Church may know vnto what Church to adioyne themselues which Esâ—y foretold of the Church of the new testament in most excellent wordes saying f Esay c. 61. v. 9. They shall know their seed in the Gentiles and their budd in the middes of peoples all that shall see them shall know them that these are the seed which the Lord hath blessed M. Henoth Clapham after many proofes alledged by himself from the scriptures and otherwise concludeth saying g in his soueraigne remedy against schisme pag 18. and 17. Not only all auncients euer held the Churches euer visibility but also all learned men of our age And againe Contrary to all scriptures they affirme that there hath bene no vibisility of the Church for former hundreth yeares which position is against psalm 72.3.17 and Esay 59.21 And againe h Matth. c. 24. v. 23.24.26 Our Sauiour for bides saith he all going out vnto such desert and Corner Ghospellers Caluin sayth i Instit l. 4 c. 2. sect That saluation or entrie into life is in or by this visible church And againe k q. 22. This benefit so wit of remission of sinnes is so proper vnto the church that wee cannot other wise enioy it but by remaining in the communion of it therfore let euery of vs thinke this to be his dutie not to seeke for remissioÌ„ of his sins elswhere but where the Lord hath appointed it to wit in the visible church These Caluin yet further he saith l â— 10. So great accompt doth the Lord make of the communion of his church that he shall be held a traiterous turne coate and forsaker of religion whosoeuer disobediently alienates himself from the Christian society whence it followeth that the departing from the church is the denying of God and Christ and therefore so much the more must wee be ware of such kind of disagreement or breach of faith neither can there be a more heinous crime imagined then which sacrilegiously to violate that wedlocke which the only be gotten sonne of God vouchsafed to contract with vs. These hee Melanchthon saith m in Concil Theolog Part. 2. pag. 293. and 344. It must needes be that wee confesse a visible church And againe what meaneth this monstrous assertion which denieth there is any visible church M D. Hamfrey saith n in Iesuitismi part â— rat 3. pag 140 It is made manifest wee doe not place the church in the aire but one the earth that wee coÌ„fesse the church to be a towne seated vp a o Matt. 5. hill which cannot be hidd p Esay 2. The high mountayne of the howse of God higher then all hils vnto which all nations shall fly c. therfore why doe they so earnestly labour to proue what was neuer denied by vs c. And againe q pag. 141. The church is visible by the exercises of pietie which are seene of all in the church for whilst the ministers teach others do learne they administer the Sacramentes these laity communicate c he which seeth not this is more blind then a mole she is visible because her signes are excellent and manifest c r pag. 242. secret a boades are not the Christian conuocation c because this communion of Saintes is an open testification of Christianitie M.
his reply pag. 110. 106. Melanchthon and M. Iuell The Second that all ciuil dominioÌ„ was forbidden to the clergie The third that the preaching of the worde is free for all meÌ„ in all places The fourth that open crimes are in no wyse to be suffered for auoiding of greater euill So evidently also did the Bohemians in all other poyntes of saith imbrace the Catholicke Doctrine Heere it is manifest that these were first no Protestantes wherin our Aduersaire could place his euer visible church besides being thus as they afferme called to the preaching of the worde extraordinarily they were as learned Protestantes write to confirme their new doctrine by signes and Miracles And for this cause M. Henoch r Soueraigne remedye gainst Scisme pa. 25. Clanpham reprehended Broune in that he took vpon him an extraordinary calling and wanted miracles Luther did Admonish to this end sayng Å¿ in loc coÌ„ class 4. c. 20. Pag. â—8 search whither they can proue their vocation for God hath not any tyme sent any man vnlesse called by man or declared by signes no not his only sonne And againe he saith t tom 5. Ion. Germ. fol. 498. from whence comest thou who sent thee c where are the signes that thou arâ— sent by men where are the miracles that should testifie that thou art sent from God v Adu Anabpt l. 3. c. 7. Bullinger saith to the Anabaptistes yf you say you haue like the Apostles a peculiare vocation proue it by signes and miracles as they did c. but this you will neuer do therfore your vocation is of no whorth yea it is pernicious to the church of Christ See also this saying alleadged to this end by M. Tho Bell in his x Regiment of the church z pag. 137. Neither can Luther or any of our aduersaries proue their owne vocation by this lawfull and absolute testimonie of signes and miracles wherfore this so confessed probation may fitly serue a gainst themselues as for any ordinary mission certenly they can shew none at least to preach false Doctrine or contrary to that which gaue them authoritie But perceauing their weake groundes for their visible church they fly with tooth and nayle to an inuisible church though quite contrary to all scripture and what they hadd formerly taught The Protestantes inuisible Church M. Parkins saith a vpon the crede pag. 400. in his reformed Caholick pa. 1229 and pag â—07 wee say that before the dayes of Luther for many hundreth yeares an vniuersall Apostasie ouer spread the whole face of the earth and that our church was not then visible to the world And he giueth the reason saying During the space of Nine hundreth yeares the Papish heresie spread it selfe ouer the whole earth M. Fulke saith b In his answere to a counterfaite Cath. pag. 16. M. Nappe vpon the Reuelations pag. 145. col 5. pag 191. 161 col â— pag. 106 2 7 2 â—ebast in epist de abrogaÌ„dis in vniuersum omnibus statutis Ecclesiasticis The church remained inuisible a longe season after Anno Domini 607. M. Iohn Napper saith That the Pope and his clergie hath possessed the outward visible Church of Christians 1260. yeares Gods true Church most certainly abiding so long tyme latent and inuisible Sebastianus FraÌ„cus affirmeth that for certen through the worke of Antichrist the externall church together with the faith and Sacramentes vanished away presently after the Apostles departure and that for these thousand fower hundreth yeeres the church hath bene no where externall and visible M. Bround saith c Vpon ye Reue. fol. 110. That the church was trodden downe and oppressed by the Papacy euen from Siluesters tyme vnto these tymes which he collecteth to be 1260. yeares M Iewell saith The truth was vnknowne at that tyme and vnheard of when Martyn Luther and Zuinglius first came vnto the knowledge and preaching of the Ghospell Bucer saith c Vpon ye Reue. fol. 110. c Luther is the first Apostle to vs of the reformed Doctrine Conradus Schlusselburge saith d fol. 12â— M. Iewell Apol. part 4. c. 4. diuis 2 and in his defence An. 1572 pag. 426. Bucer in ep An. â—6 ad Episcopum Iter. Ferd. Schluss in Theolog. Cal. l 2. fol. 1 0. Mil. in Aug confess explicat art 7. de Eccl. pag. 1. 7. 138. It is impudencie to say that many learned men in Germanie before Luther did hold the Doctrine of the Ghospell Georgius Milius saith if there had bene right belieuers that went before Luther in his office c there had bene no neede of a Lutheran reformation therfore saith he wee say that Luther was tayled vp by Gods speciall appointment and extraordinarily Benedict Margonstern saith f tract de Ecclesia pag 145 Luther in Epist ad Argentinenses An. 1525 It is ridiculous to thinke that in the tyme before Luther any man had the purity of Doctrine that Luther should receaue it from theÌ„ and not they from Luther Considering saith he it is manifest to the whole Christian world that before Luthers tyme all churches were ouerwhelmed with more then Chymerian darknes and that Luther was diuinely raysed vp to discouer the same and to restore the light of true doctrine in so much that Luther saith wee dare boast that Christ was first published by vs. The examples of Elias maketh wholy for vs and against our Aduersaries and is therfore by them either ignorantly mistaken g 3. Kinges c. 19. or wilfully misapplyed for it is euident that feering the face h v. 2.3 of Iezabell wife to A-Aâ—â—ab who sought his Life he lay there vpoÌ„ secret in a caue vpon mount i Horeb in the wildernes at the tyme of his forsaid complayning that he was lest a lone the which he then vttered not generally but in regard only of that countrey of Israel which was the kingdome of Achab wherin he then astraunger lay secret as appeareth most plainly in that God himself accordingly answeared his complaint with like respect to that only countrey saying as is obiected I haue left to me in Israel seuen thousand c. k 3. Kinges 18.13 one hundreth whereof Elias himself had then before speciall notice giuen as also that in those verie tymes the church did greatly florish in the other next adioyning Kingdome of Iuda and was as then to him there both knowne and visible vnder twoe good kinges l 3. Reg. 22.41.44 Asa and Iosaphat whoe raigned euen in the tyme of Achab. At which tyme the number of the faithfull was there so exceeding great that the m 2. ChroÌ„ 14 8.9 17.14 c. souldiours only were numbred to many hundreth thousandes examine this well and I doubt not but the obiection is solued Vpon due consideration of the foresaid premisses how iustly may wee thence take occasion to forewarne seuen in the very wordes of that auncient and holy father Vincentius Lyrinensis whoe liued in