Wherfore to conclude Folio 9. b. Ioan. 4. the only swete water to quench our thyrsts must be fet from the fountayne of Gods eternall wyl There is the well that springeth vp into euerlasting life Beware of the puddle of mens traditions it infecteth ofte féelde it refresheth We must not vse the pretexte of custome but enquire for that which is right and good Chrisost in Gen. cap. 20. Hom. 56. If any thing be good if it profyt and edify the church of Christ let it be receiued yea though it be straunge If any thing be hurtful and preiudiciall to the true simplicitie of the Gospell let it be abandoned though .xv. hundreth yeares custome haue confirmed it For my part I craue no further credit than the christian conscience groūded on the word of God shal of indifferency and good reason graunt me The Lorde directe your hearts in his loue and feare confound Sathan with all hys wickednesse and giue the glory onely to Christ His name be praysed for euer and euer So be it To the first Article HAuing to erecte the house of god wherto we ought to be fellow workers we are bound especially to sée to this that neyther we builde on an euill ground therby to lose both cost and trauail nor set to sale and cōmende to other a ruinous thing or anye waye infectious in steade of a strong defence or holesome place wherevpon to rest The Apostle commending his doctrine to the Corinthians sayth Vt sapiens architectus fundamentum posui 1. Corin. 3. As a skilfull masterbuilder I haue layde the foundation And other foundation can no man laye than that which is layde which is Christ Iesus Christ hath receyued of his father all things he hath conferred vpon vs no lesse he by his death hath made entrance into life for vs he is become our wysedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption By his name we must onely be saued by hys doctrine we must only be directed vpon that rock that fayth of his we must substantially be grounded If any man teach other lessons than of that we must say with Paul Si Angelus è celo Gallath If an Angel from heauen teach otherwise than the Apostles haue preached to vs let him be accursed And with S. Iohn Quod audistis ab initio id in vobis permaneat Let that abide in you which you haue heard from the beginning so shal you continue both in the sonne and in the father And this is the promise that he hath promised vs 1. Ioan. euen eternall life If any man do not bring this doctrine with him do not so much as salute him Ioan. 14. Math. 15. neyther receiue him into your houses For he that loueth God heareth his voyce sayth Christ And they in vayne do worship him that teach the doctrine and preceptes of men Men in God his matters not to be beleued vvithout the vvord Men haue their errors and imperfections though they be the children of God yet they be not guided by his good spirit alwayes Euery man that hath an instrument in his hand can not play on the same nor euery man that hath learned the science can please the eare But if the strings be out of tune or frets disordered there wanteth the harmony that should delite So whensoeuer we swarue neuer so little from the right trade of Gods holy word we are not to be credited we ought not to please Wherefore sith the way is daungerous our féete slippery that we fall oft and are slyding euer no maruell if the best of vs sometime do halte It falleth oft that such as preach professe Christ builde sometime on him euill vnsound and corrupt doctrine Not that the word of God is occasion of heresies but that men lacke right vnderstanding and iudgement of the same which commeth only by the spirit of God And this it is that S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 5. how some do builde vpon Christ the foundation golde siluer and precious stones But some other timber hay and stubble Yet must we not take the hope of Gods mercy from such euill carpenters as lay so rotten a couering vpon so sure a building where as otherwise they offending in trifles be sound inough in greater matters sticke to Christ the only substantiall and true foundation Yet such their errors and imperfections being brought to the fier of gods spirit De doctrin Christiana li. 2. ca. 9. sequentibus and tried by the word shal be consumed Augustine therfore when he would frame a perfecte preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together He sendes him not to the Doctours distinctions nor to the censure of the Church nor canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quiet and content himselfe with the word of God Therfore in the primitiue Church when as yet the new Testament was not written al things were examined according to the sermons and wordes of the Apostles For which cause S. Iohn writeth Qui ex Deo est nos audit 1. Ioan. 4. He that is of of God heareth vs and he that heareth vs not is not of God So farre therfore as men accorde with the holy Scripture and shape their writings after the paterne that Christ hath left them I will not only my self estéeme them but wish them to be had in most renoune and reuerence Otherwise absolutely to trust to mē which may be deceiued gather out of the fathers writings whatsoeuer was wytnesse of their imperfection is neyther point of wisdome nor safety In euery age God raysed vp some worthy instrumētes in his church And yet in no age any was so perfect that a certaine truth was to be builded on him Which thing by example as wel vnder the law as in the time of grace god hath sufficiently by his worke declared Among the Iewes who was euer comparable vnto Aaron Aaron who fell so shamefully he assented for feare vnto the peoples Idolatry Among the ministers of the Gospell who had so great rare gifts as Peter who did offende so fleshely Peter for dreade of a girle he denied his master Which thing was not done without the prouidence of almighty God thereby to putte men in remembraunce of their frailty further to instruct them whence truth in doctrine must only be fetcht Trust not me Pro loco li. 3. de Trinita To. 3. sayth Augustine nor credit my writings as if they were the canonical scripture But whatsoeuer thou findest in the word although thou didst not beleue it before yet groūd thy fayth on it now And whatsoeuer thou readest of mine vnlesse thou knowest it certainly to be true giue thou no certaine assent to it Epist 48. ad Vincent de Vi coer her And in an other place reprouing suche as will bring forth cauils out of mens writings therby to confirme an error he saith that a difference should
them vnto men as percell of religion and worshipping of God Christ vsing the ministerie of the Romaines so destroyed the temple that for these fiftene hundreth yeares they haue had no place no respite to repaire it And when they did attempt the matter they were as you alleaged by diuers meanes destroyed and disappoynted namely by the dreadfull apparition of a Crosse Whereof ye might haue gathered that God so misliked the superstitious ceremonies of the temple that he would not suffer the stones of it to stande The lyke plague shall ensue to all that hauing light wil follow darknesse that being frée will bring a slauery vpon them that being deliuered by Christ from these outwarde things and hauing Christ yet will be wedded to these outward things as if that God were pleased with them Wherefore remember Saul let no disguised cloke of a good intente couer an ill acte contrary to the worde Leuit. 10. Nadab and Abiu brought in straunge fyre not commaunded of the Lorde The fyre of the Lorde therefore consumed them 2. Sam. 6. Vzah when the Oxen did shake the Arke of a good intent did put his hand vnto it and was stricken deade for his offence Melior est obedientia quam Victimae sayde Samuell Better is obedience than sacrifice Better is a naked seruice with the worde than a a gorgeous solemnitie not cōmaunded by the worde Quicquid ego praecipio vobis Deut. 12. hoc tātum facite Whatsoeuer I do commaunde you sayth the Lorde doe that and that onely Non addes quicq̄ nec minues Thou shalt not adde any thing to it nor take away any thing from it When Christ shall appeare in brightnesse of his glory when he shall sytte as a iust iudge at his seconde comming to aske a straight accompt of all your life fayth and religion what can ye answere what wil ye say vnto him We haue garnished thy temple with golde and syluer we haue set vp candels vpon thine altares we haue sainsed thy saincts we haue erected estemed honored thy Crosse What shal he then reply to this Esay 1. Leuit. 26. Esay 52. 1. Cor. 6. 2. Cor. 6. The worde of his Prophete Esay Quis requisiuit ista de manibus vestris Who did require these thinges at your handes My temple ought your own heartes to be as I my selfe pronounced and my Apostle Paule bare witnesse with me This should haue bene adorned with chastitie simplicitie feare of my name loue of my mercies innocencie of lyfe integritie of fayth Such resting place and such ornaments therof haue I required but you haue them reiected No altare of squared stone haue I appointed my selfe on the altare of the Crosse abolished it I only ought to be the altare nowe wherevpon your sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing should be layd and light of your good workes shining to the world be set vpon But me and my death ye haue adnihilated to magnifie your owne imaginations my sainctes should haue bene paternes of holy lyfe and true fayth vnto you not haue vsurped my rowme and office to become mediators and be called vpon The swéete perfume of prayer shuld haue arisen from the saynsure of your heart to me and no flinging of coales about the Church to other But you haue sticked onely to the Iewish and hipocriticall obseruaunce The truth exhibited in time of grace ye haue not receyued The memory of my death by preaching of the worde and due administration of Sacramentes in the Church should haue bene continued according to my wyl The members of my body the liuely counterfets of myne owne person the poore the naked the comfortlesse christians should haue bene relieued clothed encouraged but by your Imagry you haue excluded my word by your Roodes Crosses and crucifixes vtterly as much as in you lieth defaced the glory of my death departe ye therefore away from me ye workers of iniquitie let nowe the God that you haue serued saue you Entre into euerlasting fier prepared for the Diuell and for you his Angels Thys when God shall lay vnto your charge this fine shall followe of it and when in the terrible conflict with Sathan ye shall call your consciences to accompte and sée those ydle toyes that you haue trusted to to be voyde of comforte what shall ye then doe but be dryuen to dispeire and say to the mountaines fall downe vpon vs. Luke 22. Wherefore if yet there be any place of repentaunce left for you if malice and obstinacy haue not vtterly secluded Gods grace from you take vp by times Séeke Christ in his worde forsake your will worshippings Set not your follies in the seruice of God agaynst the wysedome of the Almighty reuealed in his worde You thinke your holde is good God knowes it abydes no stresse Ye say ye séeke the Shepherd I proue ye finde the Foxe To the thirde Article FOr declaration and proufe of your thirde Article Folio 36. b. which is that euery Church Chappell and Oratory erected to the honor and seruise of God should haue the signe of the Crosse ye bring foure reasons whereof the two first be too vnreasonable grounded vpon folish fables The third is insufficient to confirme a doctrine The fourth is a custome of error not consonant to truth For the first ye alleage one of Abdias tales whome you affirme to haue sene Christ in the flesh Folio 38. b. to haue follovved Simon and Iude into Persia and to haue bene made Byshop of Babilon by the Apostles Abdias To speake somewhat of your famous father that he sawe Christ in the fleshe what maruell was it if he were one of the .72 disciples as you and Lazius that foūd the lying legend in his proface vpon Abdias witnesse Concerning his auncienty no maruel if ye cite him For if ye make accompt of his yeares by probable coniecture out of his boke ye shall finde him almost as olde as Mathusale He liued long after S. Iohns time for he citeth authorities out of his Gospell Ii 5. in fine diuers And speaking of a miracle done at S. Iohn his tombe how Manna sprang out of it he sayth Quam vsque hodie gignit locus iste that is to say Which Manna this place bringeth forth to this day Then if it were so strange a matter as he would haue it séeme many yeares were runne betwene the death of the Apostle and writing of his booke But Iohn himself was an hundreth yeare olde lacking two when he dyed For as your Abdias sayth Cum esset annorum nonaginta septem c. When he was foure score and seuentéene yeare olde Christ appeared to him and so forthe And Abdias if he were one of the .72 Disciples was called to hys ministery the selfe same yeare that Iohn was to his Apostleship So that by all likelyhoode hée was then as olde as Iohn and liuing long after Iohn How old was hée say you But a man of those yeares being broken
Euan. Io. Hom. 29. I wyll feare no daunger I wyll conquere where I lust A vanitie it is of you M. Martiall to bryng for proufe of a present vse that which was done so long ago Remember what father Gregory doth say Nolite fratres amare signa quae possunt cum reprobis haberi communia sed charitatis atque pietatis miracula amate quae tanto securiora sunt quanto occulta de quibus apud dominum eo maior fit retributio quo apud homines minor est gloria Brethren be not in loue with signes whiche may be had common with the reprobate but loue ye rather the miracles of charitie and true godlinesse which the more secret the more secure and for the which the lesse estimation that there is with men the greater is the rewarde wyth God In the first beginning and gathering of the Churche many thynges were necessary whiche nowe be nedelesse Miracles were vsed then which outwardly be denied now Whē we go about to plant a trée so long we water it A similitude vntyll we sée that it hath taken roote but when it is once substantially grounded and braunches spreade abrode we take no more payne to water it on lyke sort as long as the people were altogether faythlesse thys meane of miracles was of indulgence graunted them but when spirituall instructiō had taken better place the corporal signes surceassed strayght Wherfore the Apostle sayeth Linguae in signū sunt non fidelibus sed infidelibus 1. Cor. 14. Straunge tonges are for a signe not to them that beleue but to them that beleue not And playnly to argue that a thing is good bicause a miracle is shewed by it or else to approue a present vse by that which nedefully sometyme was done hath to many absurdities and inconueniences to be yelded to S. Augustyne Aug de vni Eccle. cap. 16. denyed that argumente of Petilian he would not admyt the doctrine of the Donatistes although they had wroughte all wonders in the world Non dicat sayeth he ideo verū est quia illa illa mirabilia fecit Donatus vel Pontius vel quilibet alius aut quia homines ad memorias mortuorum nostrorum orant exaudiuntur aut quia illa illa ibi contingunt Let not the aduersary say therfore it is true bicause Donate or Pontius or any other hath done these and these wonderfull and straūge thynges or else bicause men do make their prayers at the tumbes of our dead and be heard or bicause such thinges and such thynges do happen there for these may be aswell figmēta mendacium hominum vel portenta fallacium spirituū The fayned deuises of lying men or straūge wonders of deceitful spirites As vvell vve maye haue any signe of Idols as the signe of the Crosse if miracles may make it Wherfore if miracles proue the vse of a Crosse why should they not cōfirme the doctrine of the Donatists Yea if miracles may commende a thing I wyll not onely haue the signe of a Crosse but the signe of a diuell Macrobius in hys Saturnalibus li. 1. ca. 7. Speaking of the Sacrifices vsed in the raygne of Tarquine the proude sayeth Effigies Maniae suspensae pro singulorū foribus periculū si quod immineret familijs expiabant The Images of madnesse hanged before euery mans doore made cleare for all daugers that hanged ouer the householde wherefore I wyll thus reasō with you Eyther the miracles that you do speake of were false tales or else they were truthes If they were false tales a true man ought not to alleage them nor a Christian beleue them Whether it be true or false that M. Martiall reporteth of the Crosse it cannot proue the lavvfull vse therof The Scripture warneth vs that in the latter dayes there shall be strong spirites of illusion so that the electe themselues if it be possible may be seduced Wherfore if the diuell at any tyme by the priestes as of olde tyme by the wisemen of Egypte haue wroughte wonders about Roodes and Images no doubte but by shewyng vnwonted thynges he goeth about to allure vs to thynges vnlawfull And therefore suche miracles should not be credited But on the other side if it pleased God to vse the signe of a Crosse in dede as a meane to worke some miracles in the worlde yet is it no sufficient cause to confirme the hauing much lesse the honoring of it now To mollifie the hartes of visible and mortal men God vsed visible and mortall meanes not to confirme a reuerence to them but to establishe an honoure and seruise to hymselfe God spake vnto Moses Moses oute of a fyrye bushe Shall nowe the fyre or the bushe be honored A good cause is broughte why God appeared in a bushe Bushe rather than any thyng beside that the peoples eyes myghte teache them that whiche their heartes and soules oughte to beleue For the thornes of the bushe dyd signifie the sinnes for whiche the lawe came And as the bush prickes not in the roote but is gentile and smoth though the body and braunches be full of thornes so are not our synnes of our first creation but by growing in the fleshe we haue gathered them vnto vs. As the bushe was not confumed by the fire but the fire glisteringly dyd set foorth the bushe so were not synnes abolyshed by the lawe but onely notified not taken awaye but layed open afore vs. For the lawe coulde no more but tell vs our disease onely the grace of Christe doth cure vs. As God appeared in forme of fier and not in an earthly shape so muste we learne to followe God to rayse oure thoughtes and desires vpwarde and not be depressed with downfall cares As God vouchesafed to appeare in a mountayne thereby to put vs in minde of hys heyghte farre passing Princes and all worldly sublimytie so muste we consider the worthinesse of our calling and be wel assured that such a hil must be climbed of vs as hath all the earth subiecte vnderneth it Wherefore as so great miracle was wroughte by fier in a bushe on a mountaine not to enforce an estimation of the meanes but only to driue mē to the endes aforesayd so by the Crosse miracles haue bene wrought not for the wods sake not for the metall but only for confirming of a fayth in Christ Thys fayth then let vs retain let the Crosse alone Exod. 4. Moses auoided the wrath of god escaped death by cutting of the foreskyn with a sharpe stone this is as much as Saint Martines signe wherby he auoyded the fall of a trée Shall now a sort of stones be brought into the Church and honored of vs Moses dyd sée the Angell of the Lorde ready to destroy hym bicause he dwelling in the lande of Midian neglected the circumcising of hys sonne and he that was a messanger of the God of Abraham had not in hys childe Circumcision
the signe of the fayth of Abraham wherein the Iewes might and did glory Thys circumcisiō then wherby suche perill miraculously was shunned was done by a stone not that an earthly stone should be the more estemed but Christ the corner stone be signified by whom al sinnes and transgressions be cut of Exod. 7. and by whom the daunger of eternall death only is auoyded The rod of Aaron Aarons rod. was often turned into a serpent often returned into the own nature which in a figure represented Christe from lyfe to death Exod. 15. from death arising vnto lyfe againe or els that as the rod by deuiding the red sea made a passage open into the lāde of promise so Christ through baptisme into hys death hath prepared the way into lyfe for vs shall nowe the rod of Aaron bicause it wrought such miracle be set vp in the Church The vvod of Marah The trée that was cast into the waters of Marah dyd make them swete in token that the bitternesse of the lawe was taken away by the death of Christe and nowe the mindes of the faythfull people be replenished thorow it with spirituall and aboundaunte pleasure shall therefore the signe of that piece of wood now be worthied of honor The Iewes were preserued from the serpentes stinges Num. 14. by loking on the brasen Image representing also the death of Christ which from infection of damned spirites The brasē Serpent Nume 20. The vvater out of the rock saueth hys elect shal now a piece of brasse or signe of a serpēt be set vp in Churches and reuerently adored The Rocke smittē with Moses hande gushed out of water and the streames flowed in the parched fieldes to satisfy the drought of the thirsty people whereby is signified Christ to be the stone cut out of the quarrey Sine manibus precidentium without any workmans hand which by the liuely liquor of his eternal testament quencheth the thirst of incredulitie crying continually Si quis sitit veniat ad me bibat Ioan. 7. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Shall nowe for this respect the rock or riuer be exalted set in place of Gods seruice The fléese of Gideon Iud. 7. Gideons fleese was onely moysted with the deawe when al the earth beside was drie agayne it was only drie vpon the fléese when the deawe fell vpon all the ground to note the Gentilitie of all the worlde destitute of grace voyd of that heauenly and spirituall deawe when onely the fléese of Israell the people of the Iewes were comforted with the showers of Gods word promises Agayne that for want of true beliefe the foresayde people should wither wyth the drought of infidelitie when the heathen folke should be all to be sprinckled with the deawe of heauen as nowe we are by preaching of the gospell But where the threshing place of the barne and fleese of Hierobaal were the meanes whereby the miracle was wrought shall any of them both be nowe magnified of vs Sampson with the Iawbone Iud. 15. Sampsōs Iavvbone of an Asse slewe a thousand men and oute of the chéeke tooth thereof the water ranne to asswage his thirste in signification how Christ our aduocate and mediatour hath ouerthrowen the aduersary power hath by one death destroyed all the enimies of life and hath refreshed the drye soules of faythfull people which be the members of his body with the spirituall drinke of affiance in him Shall we now haue Iawebones and chéeke téeth 2. Reg. 2. Elias cloke 2. Reg. 5. in the Church Elias with his cloke deuided the water of Iordā insinuating vnto vs how Christ by hys incarnation hath made a way to baptisme that by faith in him we may walke on the dry land of securitie dreadelesse of the waues of synne Shall therefore a cloke be hanged vp and a candle lighted before it Naaman Naamans vvashing the Syrian by washing himselfe in Iordan was clensed of his leprosie And shall the signe of Iordan be worshipped of vs The hem of Christs garment The shadovve of Peter Paules handkerchefe The hem of Christes garment conferred health vpon the womā touching it And shal the signe of this be had in estimation The shadowe of Peter healed also some that passed by Likewise the kerchefe handkerchefs of Paule cured diseases and droue out euill spirites shall nowe the signe of a shadowe shall a sory clout be so much made of Therefore if miracles of olde time past wrought as I may graunt you though absolutely I am not bounde to beleue all that you doe bring by meane of a Crosse shall be sufficient cause to make the signe thereof or the selfe same thing to be erected and honoured then shall the fyry bushe the Mountayne of the Lorde the Circumcision of Moses the Rodde of Aaron the woode of Marah the brasen serpent the water of the rocke the fléese of Gideon the Iawebone of Sampson Mat. 9. Act. 5. Act. 19. the cloke of Elias the washing of Naaman the hemme of Christes coate the shadowe of Peter the handkerchefe of Paule be set vp in the Church themselues or their signes For by none of these but miracles were done and as good reason in this respecte to set vp in the Church any one of these as otherwise the Crosse As I haue shewed you the effecte and ende of other miracles reported in the Scripture So when it pleased almighty God to bring moe nations to one fayth in Christ and vsed the Crosse as a meane to worke the lyke by you must as well vnderstande the meaning not to bring the woode into an admiration not to teach vs the seruice of a signe but to confirme the fayth in the crucified and due obedience to him that was signified Fol. 108. a. A Ievvell you saye a precious stone of some straunge vertue if a man haue it muste be kepte vvarely nor the stone be suffered to be broken And shall vve Christen men breake the Crosse of Christ c. An hearbe in the garden medicinable for this or that dysease muste not be rooted out And shall vve roote out of our gardens the holy signe of the Crosse and so forth Well M. Martiall let me aske you this question If ye haue but a glasse and repute it a diamond doth your estimation bring vertue to the thing If ye had a good hearbe and the same be nowe withered wyll ye make as much of it as if it were in the prime The Crosse that ye make so greate accompte of that ye couet to haue set vp in Churches hath not the vertue and power that ye talk of It can not heale It can not preserue It can not daunt the affections of the fleshe It can not driue the wicked spirites from vs. As the meane is gone of the foresayd effectes so are the effectes themselues ceassed Possible it is that in time paste men dyd some good by