falsehood although on both sides that personal succession may be found Therfore neither the succession of persons by it selfe neither such maner of consent doth of necessitie prooue a true Church for as much as where both are found yet some times there maye be a false church and there in some sort may be a true church where the pastor dissenteth from the sheepe or the sheepe from the pastor Now that men may by examples both past and present prooue that these things haue too often times fallen out no man I suppose will denie But againe they say that they dispute not of particular Churches which they graunt may fall away but of that Catholique or vniuersall Church 1. Tim. 3.15 which is the piller foundation of truth But how I pray you do they define this catholike Churche Firste by a certayne place as those that will haue catholicke and Roman to be al one Secondly by the multitude Catholique and Roman are not all one as they which vpbraide vs with fewnes Let vs see therfore what manner of arguments these be They be if they be kept within the iust rules of reasoning vnlesse I be deceaued these and such like The church of Rome teacheth so very many in respect of a very few so beleeue and so it was from hand deliuered vnto vs. Therefore this is the catholique truth But who is so far void of all reason that he seeth not here againe Petitio principij and the thing in controuersie to be taken as graunted Shew vs therefore ye Sophisters or at least wise teach vs probablie firste how a part should be the whol that we may graunt vnto you your Romish church to be a principall member of the catholicke church And then from whence I pray you haue ye learned this Romish Church to be ordayned for a perpetuall rule of truth and from whence haue ye drawen that to be true which is approued of the greatest number Verely ye shall neuer proue this out of the bookes of the old or new Testament For those corrupt argumentes Vpon this rocke I haue builded my Church Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.23 I baue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not and that saying of Christe thrise repeated feed my sheepe Ioh. 21.15.16 with men not altogether ignorant of these thinges need not any further confutation But happely ye will prooue it out of the writinges of auncient fathers As though for sooth it were the same thing to commende the faith and religion of the church of Rome as long as it was worthy praise and to establish hir for the catholicke church or a perpetuall rule to the catholicke church And seeing that by the name of the church of Rome if these flatterers will speake that they thinke they doe vnderstand no other thing than the byshop of Rome him selfe what madnesse is this I beseech you to haue the deciding of so great a controuersie to depēd vpon that seat in which their own writers being witnes not so much the monsters of men as Sathan himselfe doth seeme to haue sit so many ages together These men replie that the dignitie it selfe and the authoritie of the seate is not taken away by the faults of the persons euen as the Leuiticall high priesthood was true then also when it was exercised by vngracious and wicked high priestes And neither do we thinke that either the dignitie or els the efficacie of the ministerie may be abolished thorowe the faultes of the ministers which thinge these men yet thinke when it pleseth them as they that hang that their transubstantiation vpon the intēt of their sacrificing priestes a very rotten coard surely but this we say that their principle being graunted to wit that the Byshop of Rome is that head that should stand the catholique church as in stead of a soule it must altogether followe that this head be wyse if they will haue all his members that is the particular Churches to be wise And againe if that be frantick that the whole Churche must be franticke also Now that the Romish Bishoppes haue beene franticke many ages together not onely as priuate men but specially also as Bishops that is to say that euerie one of them almost haue bene not onely the most wicked of all men in respecte of their conuersation which thing these men can not denie vnlesse they woulde rather be conuinced by their owne testimonies but also as concerning the points of our religion whilst that partly they haue neglected all true religion and partly also haue set them selues against it so much that which thing two or three ages ago Petrarcha hath written whose verses they commend Rome hath beene a thousande yeeres at the least the temple of heresie and hath vtterly subuerted as much as was in hir all the offices of Christ yea so far forth that shee hath exalted hir selfe aboue Christe him selfe as the Apostles Iohn and Paule greater than all exception haue fore tolde all the beste approoued writers Gréeke Latin being the Byshops of other churches so interpreting the same vnlesse we haue sufficiently heretofore proued it we are ready again to prooue it before all vpright iudges Let this controuersie therefore be firste decided O yea Sophisters before that ye of this fained foundation as it were graunted vnto you But go to let vs graunt that the Byshoppes of Rome were suche whose so great and large succession is alleadged by these men Who yet vnlesse he be vtterly out of his wittes will therefore conclude that the bishop of Rome is the vniuersall head to whome who so euer doth cleaue is to be iudged a true member of the Catholique Church And yet these be the sophistications of these goodly fellowes which will haue catholique and Roman to be one and the selfe same thing to wit because Paule wrote that in his time Rom. 1.18 the faith of the Romans was famous throughout all the world But how much more rightly nowe may we say that the stenche of that whore hath not onely filled the earth but hath ascended also euen to heauen and that excellent epistle of the Apostle written to the olde Romans ought now truely to be written againste the Romans their successors Let vs now come vnto those who esteeme their catholicke churche The Catholike Church must not be esteemed by the multitude by the number and glorious shew of pages or seriaunts Verely if these men speake truth Christ and his flocke shall iustly be pronounced excommunicat and that multitude shal be the catholicke church which so often times cried out Take him away Mat. 26.23 take him away crucifie him The Apostle also shall be found a lyar writing to the Corinthians Brethren yee see your calling 1. Cor. 1.26 that we are not many wise according to the fleshe not many mightie not many noble to be shorte then these men shall be worthie whom to confute we may take paines when either by reason or examples
matter say that the Church of Christe is a schoole in which the worde of the Lorde is not onely barely to be read as out of the letter written but also to bee taught that it maye bee rightly vnderstoode and so to be taught that exhortations corrections and consolations both openly and priuately maye bee vsed which in Paul is vnderstoode by the name of Prophecying Rom. 12.6 Moreouer this also wee adde which thing ought here chiefly to bee marked that the interpretation of those scriptures are to be set no where else then out of the scriptures themselues not onely because the word of God is able to giue credite to it selfe but also because that trueth is reuealed vnto vs no where els then in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles For that saying of Austen is well knowen and is most true That the scripture is to be expounded by the scripture Neither shall it irke me heere to put downe that nonotable place out of the 49. Homelie of the imperfect worke vpon Mathew because it agreeth altogeather with our times He that will know saith he which is the true Church of Christ let him not know it but onely by the scriptures And by and by after Christians therefore beeing willing to receiue the certainetie of true fayth let them flie to nothing but to the scriptures otherwise if they shall haue respect to other thinges they shall stumble perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by this meanes they shall fall into the abhomintaion of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the Church But to whom shall belong will these men say the interpretation of scriptures Verily all be not Prophetes all be not teachers But againe Esay Esay as crieth that both Priestes and Prophetes haue erred in their vision neither would Christ haue admonished Math. 16.6 Math. 23.2 That the leauen of the Pharises should be auoyded if we shoulde without exception haue consented vnto them That sit in Moses chayre Neither should the false Prophetes be eschued if all the Prophetes did speake the truth neither would Caiphas and the whole Synode of the Priestes haue condemned Christ if the holy Ghost had beene tried without exception to those that sit in Aarons seat What then Antiquitye or noueltye maketh nothing at all to instruct men to discerne the true interpretation of scripture from the false Let these men therefore heare at length that which we haue so often times cryed out vnto deafe men to wit that we do not simply reiect neither the old nor the new counsels whether they be particular or generall vnlesse they be plainly theeuish that we do not simply refuse neither old nor new writers vnles they be manifestly either superstitious or ridiculous or by cōmon consent abrogated That we doe not simply cast from vs the writings neither of auncient nor new writers whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Laicall as these men call them for God is no accepter of persons and often times euen by the basest sorte he confoundeth the pride of the most wise vnlesse they be plainly wicked superstitious or foolishe But this onely we require which the most learned and euery the most religious of the old writers monish carefully to be don to wit that all these thinges should be diligently examined according to the rule of the written word of God For antiquitie and authoritie of those that wryte may in deed set some collour of truth vpon falshood but that it shoulde be true which disagreeth neuer so little from the writings of the Prophets and Apostles that truely it can neuer bring to passe Furthermore The Creeds of the ancient Synodes the iudgement of the fathers against heretiques are at no hand reiected by vs yea rather they are strongly defended against aduersaries although not as yeelding credite themselues experience it self more than sufficiently declareth that there haue beene long time since builded vpon the foundation layd by the Apostles not onely bay and stubble but also yron and rust to be short lies vppon trueth All which thinges muste at the length be consumed by the light and fire of Gods word Now least these men shoulde agayne complaine that what soeuer hath bene established by counsell after consell in the auncient Churche shoulde by this meanes be called into doubt we confes that we doe acknowledge the Créedes which were alwayes approoued by the common consent of the whole Church to wit the Creed of the Apostles Nice Athanasius his creed the creed of Constantinople Chalcedon togeather with the curses pronounced in the second counsel of Ephesus againste Nestorius And that we both with mouth and hart detest al heresies which either by open or secret consent of the whole Church were out of the word of God condemned in those 4. councels and also ouer throwen in the fifth and sixth councels of Constantinople And all other heresies whatsoeuer which afterwarde eyther newlye sprong vp or are newly polished not that the truth hangeth vpon any Synods or Creedes but because we acknowledge that the thinges which are prescribed and established in them The conclusion of the disputation of the true Christ who is the only true perpetual and absolute necessary note of the true Church may be rightly iudged by the writings of the prophets and Apostles so far of is it that we take away the authority of the church or dispise the consent of the godly either ancient or new writers which thing our aduersaries falsly shamlesly obiect vnto vs. Now the summe of al these things is this that Christ is the true perpetual necessary to be short the onely marke of the Church yea I say the true Christ that is suche a one as he from the beginning hath most perfectly touching the matter and maner of saluation reuealed him selfe both in the writings of the prophets and of the Apostles Mat. 12.13 For that saying standeth sure He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad and that saying 1. Pet. 2.7 that christ is that corner stone of the foundation vppon whome the whole building riseth vp And that onely head which ministreth vnto his body that is vnto the true catholique Church al féeling and mouing To be short Iohn 10.7 Iohn 14.6 Iohn 11.25 he is the dore the way the resurrection and the lyfe Therfore whersoeuer that word is heard as it ought to be there in deed Christe raigneth and where Christe raigneth there in deed we iudge the Catholique visible Churche to be neither tied to any certaine place nor vnto the multitude for where that dead carkas is Mat. 24.28 to wit Christe crucified there be those Egles there is saluation Act. 4.12 where that onely name is in which we must be saued there be the children of light where that sonne shineth there be the true sheepe Where the voyce of that sheepeheard is heard Mat. 18.20 although two or three onely throughout all the world
shall be truely gathered together in his name And to speake in fewe wordes where that true seede is sowen there is the Lords field and there that haruest groweth which shall neuer be burned But againe because it falleth out partly thorough the weaknesse of mans wit euen in the moste excellent men partly through the wickenesse or negligence of the pastors that scarce at any time since the time of the Apostles the doctrine of Christ hath beene so preached in the Church but that some blemish hath priuely crept in which thing appeareth to bee done euen by the Epistles of the Apostles and that whilest they also were liuing Finally because the Lord hath apointed not onely that the worde shoulde be taught but also that it shoulde not be taught of euery man And for this cause hath appointed certaine lawes touching this order I must here again declare two things to wit how farre it shoulde be necessarie that that onely marke of the true Church that is to say the preaching of Gods worde shoulde be pure and how much we should giue to the ordination and succession of the Pastors themselues Therefore How farre it is necessary that the doctrine of fayth should be pure in the Church that the Church eyther particular or general may be a true church as touching that former point I put downe three thinges One is that although there be nothing set out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures which is not most profitable and verie necessary as it were vnto saluation yet there are certaine chiefe points and as it were grounds of our religion which are to be discerned from the rest The second point is that there haue beene some matters which in times past haue beene rudimentes of the Catholique Churche and may in other times also be rudiments of some particular churches yet for all that those points cease not to belong to the true Churche The third is that the religion and marke of the Churche either vniuersall or particular is not to be measured by some thing that this or that Pastor teacheth by worde or writing neither by that that some sheepe by them selues haue thought this Or by the disputations of some whether they be many or few but by that doctrine which is commonly receiued in the Churches so that it be agreable to the word of God That all the points of christian religion are not of the foundation thereof Now because these questions are called into controuersie go to let vs confirme them by sure reasons examples As touching the firste the thing it selfe sheweth that there may be variaunce touching some things yet the soundation of christian religion remaine safe And againe some things cannot be taken away but that the whole building be vtterly ouerthrown He that denieth Christ to haue come in the fleshe Iohn 4.3 is not of God but is the spirit of Antichrist Therefore the companies of the * They denied Christ to haue come in the flesh Dochitae of the * The Marcionistes of whome he speaketh here did hold that Christ was not true man Marcionits and of such like be not the Church of Christe whereby it is prooued that the point touching both the natures of Christe is an article of Christian religion belonging to the foundation Againe the Churche of Ierusalem wherin who was better learned than Peter knew not the calling of the vncircumcised and yet what true Churche was there then in the worlde if the Church of Ierusalem were not it Therefore the point concerning the calling of the vncircumcised is not of it selfe of the points of Christian religion which concerne the foundation Therfore there is some difference betweene those thinges which are set forth vnto vs in the scriptures to be beléeued The second also may be prooued by a more euident example For who doubteth That there are some rudiments of particular Churches VVhich thing also in times past fall out in the Catholique church but that if euer there were any where a true and almost onely and wholy Catholique Churche that was Christes owne houshold being conuersaunt and that according to the fleshe with those his twelue disciples Who likewise is ignoraunt that the point of the resurrection the foundation wherof is the resurrection of Christ himselfe is of so great waight that the Apostle doth rightly pronounce that that beeing abolished the whole fruit of the Gospell shoulde be abolished but that very congregation could scarce beleue that Christ was yet risen And Thomas gaue not credite to his own very fellow disciples yea the disciples would not haue beléeued euen their owne verye eyes if the Lorde had not sayd Luke 24.39 VVe may not determine of the falshood or truth of any church by the doubting of either many or few A spirit hath not flesh and bones And that third thing is confirmed by the examples of the Churches of Achaia and Galatia which doubtlesse the Apostle would not haue called the churches of Christ and therefore true churches if hee had therfore thought that the church of Corinth had denied that article of the resurrection of the flesh the churches of Galatia had reiected the benefite of their liberty purchased by Christe because some in Corinth yea perhaps some of the pastors themselues did doubt of the poynte of the resurrection and the most part of the Galathians called backe agayn the vse of circumcision and other ceremonies seeing that yet notwithstanding Gal. 5.2 the same Paul sayth If ye be circumcised Christ doth profite you nothing and seeing that he affirmeth that those which vrged circumcision not of ignoraÌ„ce but of stubbornnes they were remoued alway vnto another gospel Gal. 1.6 Phil. 3.2 therefore he openly calleth theÌ„ Apostatates or fallers away and compareth them to Dogs that is to say to vncleane beastes But it is an other thing to erre through igâ—â—â—aunce than obstinately to resist the truth as wiful fellowes are wont Heresie which is without the Church if it be of some point of the religion that toucheth the foundation is an other thing than being deceiued or an error which requireth and suffereth it selfe to be taught To be shorte the Eclipse of the Sunne is an other thing than the absence of the same and the euening is an other thing than the darkenesse of the night yea the night it selfe which the day succeedeth is an other thing than the darknesse were Gen. 1.2 when they couered the depth These things then being put downe That some errours may creepe into the Catholique church yea and that in some point of faith which concerneth the foundation it shal be easie to iudge that euery error doth not take away the name of the true church and with al that to be most false which the aduersaries say to wit that the Catholique Church caÌ„not erre and yet that euery error doth not abolish the name of the Catholike Church For as touching this latter point if
some particular Church may erre euen in some chiefe head or article of Christian religion and yet it ceasseth not therfore to be a true Church wherefore shal not a man say the same of al particular Churches not considered one by one but vniuersally for this is the Catholique Church Truely it is not probable that there liued then any men when Christ rose againe better or more perfectly instructed in true faith then those twelue Disciples And yet we see this whole congregation for a time as I euen now sayd so to haue doubted of the resurrection of Christ that for that cause as Luke writeth Christ remayned with them fortie dayes after the resurrection Act 1.3 that he might fully assure them of his resurrection Wherefore this thing we conclude that the chiefe points of our religion ought of necessitie to remaine sound in the Catholique Church that it maye be called Catholique But there may some times fall in some cloud specially through the negligence of the Pastors which may some times darken one while this an other while that article which neuer the lesse when the holy Ghost appeareth straight wayes vanisheth away Therefore Catholique is not as the vnlearned imagine alwaies and with out exception the same that right or sound is seeing that euen some vniuersall error may continue for a time And the same thing may and ought muche more to be spoken of the particular congregations of this vniuersallitie And if these things be true euen in the very grounds of our religion how much more may wee thinke the same to bee true as often as errours creepe in by which the very foundations of religion are not ouerthrown And this is the stuble or chaffe which sometimes as S. Paul sayth 1. Cor. 3.12 are builded vpon the foundations of the Apostles which at the length shall vanish away when the day of the Lord appeareth But this day sheweth it selfe sometimes sooner somtimes later So I had almost sayde all the Byshops of Africa thought with Cyprian that baptisme administred by heretikes was of no force Which thing although it were false might neuertheles so long as the sum of fayth remayneth sound and vnhurt be wrongfully taught and beléeued But this errour continued not long There is a like consideration to be had of many traditions which for that cause began at the length falsely to be called and to be deemed Apostolicall because that being once confirmed by continuall vse they were supposed to haue come euen from the Apostles them selues which traditions also by reason therof the day of the Lorde which hath againe in our times shined forth cannot now abolish with out very great contentions Be it therefore farre from any to thinke that for such maner of blemishes some congregations should be thought not to belong to the bodye of the Catholique Churche That blemishes at the first somtimes tollerable cease to be blemishes and grow to bee cankers although godly and diligent Pastors shoulde giue very great diligence that these spottes also shoulde be wiped away with the sponge of Gods word But this thing first of al must here be marked that these blemishes and as it were byles or swellings do some times so farre increase that they growe to a canker and that they pull away the very members from the body which thing the most shamefull examples both of auncient times and also of our times declare to haue fallen out especially by the fault of the pastors As for example exorcisme or cuniuring one sort of it being proper to them that were possessed with ill spirites and an other common to all that were growen in yeares and came from Paganisme to Christianitie brought in also by the negligence of pastors into the baptisme of Infants that were borne of Christians was at the beginning onely a blemish and yet not being looked into of the old Byshoppes at the length increased so farre that in the papacie it was retained as necessarie and so became a wilworship a matter now at no hand indifferent And in some Churches although lightened with the Gospell it is retayned as not vnprofitable with great shame truely to the pastors of so great importance is it in season to preuent euen the smalest errors The ceremonie of anoynting with oyle in baptisme which was ministred to those that were as it were to fight against the Deuil and the fleshe was in the beginning chaffe but this chaffe how farre in processe of time it grewe we see Chrisme in baptisme prefered before water the element of the sacrament when the Crisme also began to be reuerenced which thing notwithstanding did not fal out in the very water a true and an essential signe of baptisme So it is manifest that the signe of the crosse was at the beginning an open profession of christianitie the abuse wherof at the last brought to passe that the very crosse was set vp in the place of Christ crucified neither is there any idolatry in all the worlde more detestable So the remembrances of martyrs and the funerals of the more famous Byshops were celebrated both with Orations in the praise of thē and with incredible concourse of people from whence by and by after sprang vp inuocations of the dead at their sepulchers and in processe of time the worshippinges of reliques also The paineting of walles brought into the Christians temples about foure hundred yeares after the deathe of Christe and that without any worship thereof was in deed accounted haie But howe farre this blemish hath growne we see insomuch that the second of the ten commandements was vnder that colour openly by the Papists blotted out and which thing cannot bespoken without the incredible shame of some that second commandement is also at this day numbred by certein men which should not so deale amongest the ceremoniall commandementes Such was in the beginning the lenten fast and some choise or difference of meates without any opinion of worship added therto Which things we nowe see so established that sundrye and those no small persons but such as wil seeme to be most Catholike do most obstinately defende that in the doing of them consisteth in some respect the forgiuenesse of sinnes yea the worthinesse of merites or power to deserue What I beséech you coulde seeme at the first to haue been more indifferent then for the celebration of the supper to haue a table of stone or of wood But if the Grecians in the celebration of the saide supper had neuer vsed their * That is their Altars dedicated to Deuils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines their Alters but had beene content with their cōmon tables which was in vse in the Apostles times likely it is that the controuersie touching that detestable idolatry of the masse by which we see the whole worlde at this day to be set on fire could neuer haue sprung vp Now to what end tend these things to wit that first in descrying the marks
A DISCOURSE OF the true and visible Markes of the Catholique Churche VVritten by M. THEOD BEZA Vezelius GOD IS MY HELPER GOD IS MY HELPER Psal 7.11 AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-bar in the Strond neere vnto Sommerset-house ⧠TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull Sir George Carey knight knight Marshall of her Maiesties bousholde c. T. VV. his poore welwiller wisheth aboundaunce of all good thinges in this life and eternall blessednesse in the life to come through Christe HOVVE glorious and excellent a thing the church it selfe is may appeare Right VVorshipfull by many meanes And amongst the rest euen by this that all both good and bad do challenge and claime whether justly or vnjustly I minde not much novve to dispute not onely the name and tyâ—le thereof but the verie possession of it also I hope I shall not neede much to busie my selfe in the proofe of this point Because as it manifestly appeareth by sundry examples of former times and particularly by the people of the Iewes in the dayes of Ieremiah the prophet who cried out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lorde as is to be seene in the seuenth chapter of his booke So haue vve a most euident and playne testimony of the same in this declining and doting olde age of the world For whereabout are those large disputations which at this daye are handled betvveene the catholiques as they would be called and the true professours of Christs Gospel moste occupied I pray you but speciallye about this question and other controuersies concerning the same The thing rather that in my mind is more to be stoode vpon is this namely to see what shoulde be the cause why that notwithstanding that same greedye desire that the greatest number haue to retaine with them both the name of the Church and the Churche it selfe yet so fewe haue it hold it fast All men haue in them notwithstanding the defacing of God his image in them through sinne by some small sparkes of reason and iudgement which yet remayne in them vndefaced A certaine thirsting after Blessednes and the hope of a better life And this is the more inkindled in mennes hearts and heads when it pleaseth God to vouchsafe them in some measure of his mercy some light and knowledge of his holy truth by which they see that with out the Church there can bee no saluation And that causeth them to presse on forward to vvish to be of that number that hath so gracious a Priuilege graunted vnto the same And yet all this notwithstanding it is a vvonder to see how the greatest part of the vvorlde is deceiued vvith a bare shadow and shevve of the same For that I may speake nothing of the Infidelles in their idolatries nor of the Turkes cleauing fast to their Mahomet Nor of the Ievves openly dispiting Christe the Sauiour of the vvorlde and therefore all of them of necessitye out of the Church and consequently void of saluation also because they hold not the head which is Christ To let all these passe I say and to come to them vvhich in outvvard shevv make profession of Christianitie and true religion hovv many of them are there that are violently carried avvaye vvith as grosse and palpable Idolatrie as the heathen VVhat infinite multitudes perish thorough ignorance and want of the sound knovvledge of God in Christe hovv many are drovvned to the hazarding of their ovvne soules vvith horrible erroures and heresies And what a number are there in the vvorlde beside that shaking handes as it vvere vvith Atheists ye the vvorst people of al do lye vveltring in the pleasures and profits of this life making no account at all either of God in heauen or of his Church here in earth And vvhat would the Lord teach vs by al this verely first that vve must haue better eyes to discern his congregation by then the light of our ovvn reason for if euen then vvheÌ„ vvee haue his vvorde vvee can yet hardly discry it partly because it is discerned spiritually and partly because by the hard dealings of the enimies it is sundry times brought to so lovv an eb that it seemeth to be shut vp in one mans person And therfore do say in the confession of our Christian faith that vve do beleue that there is a holy catholique Churche that then vve shall neuer be able to seperate it from the Synagogue of Satan by our ovvne vnderstanding and vvit vvhich consideration is yet further profitable euen for the confutation of that immagination and conceit which our aduersaries haue and hold concerning mans freevvil for if vve cannot by our ovvn coÌ„prehension perceiue eyther the place in vvhich or the personnes amongst vvhome the Church it selfe is but that vvee must haue from aboue for that purpose greate enlightning both of knovvledge and fayth much lesse shall vve bee able to comprehend those vvonderfull treasures of most sounde comfortable and profitable doctrine that the Lord hath freely bestovved vppon his sayde Church Of vvhich the Apostle saith that the eye hath not seene them the eare hath not hearde them neither can mans heart comprehend them 2. Cor. 2.9 VVherefore the case standeth not vvith vs as heretofore wee haue beene borne in hand And as yet to this day is openly defended amongst Papistes that man in his meere naturall gifts hath vvill to desire and povver to perfourm suche thinges as are good for if it bee God that worketh in vs both the vvill and the deed that according to his ovvn good pleasure Philip. 2.13 And that vve are not sufficient of our selues as of our selues to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3.5 It must needes follovve that vve can not claime any such thing vnto our selues vvithout robbing God of his glorie without lifting vp of our selues aboue measure and trueth and vvithout impeaching the authoritie and credite of the Scriptures which in many places affirmeth and namely Genes 6.5 that all the immaginations of the thoughtes of mans heart are only euil euery day But to let this passe and to come to the thinges we haue in hande VVe are hereby in the second place instructed that vvee muste haue more sure and infallible markes to knovve God his Churche by than those vvhich the Papistes giue vs to wit vniuersalitie Antiquitie and consent for if beside that great number of Idolatours and misbeleeuers mentioned before vvho also can alleadge for themselues great antiquity agree and as he that is not vvilfully blinde may easilye see there are and that euen in the lappe and bosome of the Church many hypocrites and heretiques also vvhich yet shall not be saued we may then safely conclude that the forenamed things are not only not the assured notes but no notes at all rather of the true Church of God both because they are common to many things besides the Churche yea euen to euill thinges and also because that though that
assemblye vvhich pretendeth to bee the Church shoulde haue them and yet haue not therevvithal the trueth and sinceritie of God his doctrine it is no vvhit at al the better for all that All these thinges tende to this end that for as much as in trueth there is but one Churche euen as the heade thereof is one and therefore so must the body be or else it shoulde be monstrous notvvithstanding that there bee sundry particular partes and members thereof as vvee see in a mans body all yet making but one and the selfe same body And forasmuche also as vvithout that Church there can be no saluation because vnto it alone is it that the Lord hath made such large and gracious promises as The gates of Hell shall not preuayle agaynste it and that to it onely belongeth the forgiuenesse of sinnes in this life and euerlasting saluation in the life to come And lastly forasmuch as it behoueth euery one euen as he tendeth his ovvne peace of conscience and regardeth the hope of eternall blessednes to be vvatchfull in discrying and knovving this Church and carefull in vniting himselfe vnto the same euerye good man therefore should earnestly labour not onely to knovve it but also stedfastly to ioyne himselfe vnto it in the religious exercises thereof That so in the holye feeling of the communion of Saints he may bee a fruitfull partaker of all those excellent graces that God in great mercie hath bequethed to the same True it is that Satan the common enemy of mankinde vvho in his ovvne person and the personne of his instruments and ministers laboreth to hinder vvhat he maye the vvorke of oure saluation hath in all ages vsed and yet presently doth vse manye subtile and slie shiftes to let vs from the apprehension and vnderstanding of these great graces for somtimes he maketh men vtterly and altogether carelesse of the Churche and of the benefites and blessinges of God promised thereto As vvee maye see in that troup of prophane Atheistes and vvorldly minded men vvho make no more account of the Church and the holy exercises therof than of a vaine tale or vnholy matter no nor so muche neither many times for the one they embrace vvith greedines vvonderfull delight the other they doe either most dispitefullie contemne or most negligently vse vvithout any spirituall profite at all vnto themselues But to beate dovvne these men there is no better VVeapon vvay then to send them to the fearefull iudgementes of Almightie God and to the horrors of hel and eternal condēnation which many times they feele in themselues though thorough the profites and pleasures of this present euil vvorlde they vtterly put them out already prepared for them and in due time to be perfourmed to them Sometimes againe hee discourageth men by setting before them the feareful persecutions and troubles that follovve and take holde of the particular members of the Church for the syncere profession of God his vvorde for the surmounting of vvhich assaulte men muste often meditate vppon those same large comfortable discourses that are put dovvn and conteined in God his vvord for their comfort in that behalfe and to holde them back from the fearful fall of renouncing god his truth hauing their eye fast fixed also vpon the particular deliuerances that God in al ages hath vvroght for his children vvhich are as it vvere so manye seales set vnto the vvriting that he vvill alvvaies deale so graciouslye vvith his children as shall make most for his ovvne glorie and their eternall comfort Sometimes he deceiueth other somme and that no small some by the bare name and vizor of the Churche alone as vve may see in that miserable sect of seduced Papists vniustly called and claiming vnto themselues the name of Catholiques vvhoe vvillingly embrace vnder the title of the Churche euery fabulous falshood corruptiō vvhatsoeuer not only not looking vpon the things giuen or offred vvhich euery vvise man vvill doo least he receiue poyson in steede of vvholsom and nourishing foode but also not considering the personne of the giuer neither yet vvhat right and authoritie he hath to bestovv the thinges giuen vvhich blockishnesse of the aduersaries is rather to be lamented because it is altogether voide of common sense and reason than largely or learnedly confuted And yet vve see that manye good men haue not spared to take great paines in that behalfe both by preaching vvriting to vvinne seduced souls vnto Cod. Somtimes hee setteth before other some either the hardnesse that there is to discrie the true Church from the false Church by remember I pray you that vvhen I giue the name Church to corrupted and counterfaited assemblies I do it by abusion as they say or else layeth out the great iarres and dissentions that many times are in the same that so he may discourage them from ioyning themselues to that holy societie And indeede by this assault he specially preuaileth against them that are in some forvvardnes to encline to the truth And yet by reason of some certaine vveakenesse in them are easely turned the one vvay or the other but these men for the better staie of themselues are to knovv that there must be heresies euen among the godly that they vvhich are approued among them might be knovvne 1 Cor. 11.19 and to be exhorted that they labour to abounde in al holy knovvledge of God his vvil reuealed in his vvord For therefore they erre and are so vnstable in their opinions because they knovv not the Scriptures nor the povver of God Novve therefore necessarie is it that these stumbling blocks cast by Satan his seruants in our vvaies to hinder vs in the race and course of Godlines should be remoued that so vvee maye the more cheerefully and readily goe forevvard vvith faith patience and constancie euen to the goal that is set before vs. In vvhich respect that excellent instrument of God in his Churche M. Theodor Beza hah notably trauailed by publishing in the Latine tongue a most learned Treatie of the visible Notes of the visible Church And I for the same consideration haue according to my small measure faithfully turned the same into our vulger speech offring these my poore trauailes vnto you right vvorshipfull and in you to the vvhole Church of God in this land as a sure testimonie of that vnfained good vvill vvhich in the Lorde I haue carried and vvill carry tovvards you all the dayes of my life I hope I shall not neede to spend many vvords eyther in commending the vvorke it self or in declaring the resons that haue moued me to attempt this matter for if either the man vvho is the author therof or the matter vvhich is propounded or the maner that he vseth in laying out of the thing may add cōmendation vnto it it shal not vvant any grace that may bring it into loue and lyking vvith the Godly for as touching the man himselfe hee is euen the miror of the