Paul to the Colossians thus In 1. cap. ad Col. I supply the wants or rather the remnants of the afflictions of Christ as Ambrose doth translate it not that Christs passions are insufficient for vs but that the afflictions of his mysticall body the Church that is of the holy Martyrs are accompted the afflictions of Christ which he accompts his saying That which ye haue done to one of the least of these ye haue done to me Thus Gagneius expounds this place out of Ambrose he confesseth that Christs passion is sufficient for our redemption and that the passions and afflictions of the Saints are honoured with that honourable title that they are called also the afflictions of Christ because he is the head of his Church He brings in also another exposition of Photion that to fulfill the wants and remnants of Christs passion is nothing els then to suffer for him as he suffered for vs. For Christ suffered for you saith Peter leauing you an example that you should follow his steps Christ therefore suffered for vs what now remaines but that we should also be afflicted and suffer togither with him he that doth this fulfils that was wanting of the afflictions of Christ not on Christs behalfe but on his owne For although Christs afflictions were sufficient to redéeme all men yet on our behalfe this is wanting to them that we should suffer for the Church and one for another For by many tribulations we must go into the kingdome of heauen Therefore saith Saint Paul The want of his afflictions that is that which wanteth for vs to doe after his afflictions I fulfill in my flesh in stéede of Christ by so long and grieuous afflictions for his bodie which is the Church Our afflictions are Christs steps we must follow him in them they are no part of the price of our redemption they are the waie which wee must walke in if we will go to heauen they are not the purchase of heauen And these S. Paul endured for the Church in seruing it not in sauing it Stella also of Christs redemption writes thus In cap. Luc. 1â— Fourthly looking for their maister they make all things readie they strewe and sweepe their whole house So we also which looke for our maister must furnish our vnderstanding with the knowledge of God and our wils with his holy loue and our memories with the remembrance of all the good things which we haue receiued of his bountifull hand For when we were vtterly lost and vndone through the sinne of our first parents he redeemed vs so perfectly that Paul saith where iniquity abounded there grace superabounded for by his death he opened to vs the gates of heauen and gaue vs the resurrection of the flesh Stella here plainly confesseth that Christ redéemed vs perfectlie and that by his redemption whereas by the fall of Adam sin abounded to punish vs and to condemne vs now grace more abounds to pardon vs and to iustifie vs. Christs grace is not limited within the banks of the Babylonicall Euphrates that his merites should take awaie crime and not paine that thereby the merites of Friers and such like might gaine riches to the Church of Rome but it spreades it selfe farre beyonde all the bankes of mans reason and deuice The vertue force of Christs passion no man is able to comprehend his riches which all Gods ministers are commanded to preach with Saint Paul are vnsearchable they are without bottome or ende Ephâ—l 3.8 Euen vnto me saith Saint Paul the least of all Saints is this grace giuen that I should preach among the Gentiles the vnsearcheable riches of Christ And dare the Pope saie that hee hath found out the bottome of them to establish his pardons In cap. 8. Act. Ferus also verie excellentlie teacheth all Pastours what is meant by that phrase when it is said that the Apostles preached Christ To preach Christ saieth he is to teach that hee died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and that there is saluation in none other And it is to preach righteousnesse sanctification remission of sinnes and redemption For Christ is become all these thinges vnto vs. Therefore hee preacheth not Christ which teacheth to trust in works or to seeke by any meanes else saluation then of Christ As the false prophets doe which teach vs to seeke righteousnesse and remission of sinnes some where else then in Christ For they say Behold here is Christ behold him there In Christ onely these things are to be found For there is no other name vnder heauen in which we must be saued To this all the law and the prophets beare witnesse that we doe receiue remission of sinnes by his name If this be true then Poligranes and all the Popes pardon-sellers which teach that not onelie by Christs merites sinnes are forgiuen but ioine the merites of Martyrs and the treasure of the Church vnto them preach not Christ by his iudgement naie they are false Prophets Neither here nor there in no place else nor in nothing else remission of sinnes is to be had but onlie in Iesus Christ no not at Rome in the yeare of Iubile saieth Ferus In cap. 11. Act. Againe to the same effect the writes thus To preach Christ is to teach that all our trust is to be put in him alone man can doe no more but preach and exhort the which he that shall diligently do is guiltlesse before God if anie perish Ferus of Christes satisfaction verie excellentlie writes thus What sorrow was euer like mine Part. 4. pass 26. from the crowne of my head to the sole of my feete there was no found part what therefore remaineth O father but seeing that I make satisfaction so aboundantly but that thou lay apart thine anger forgiue them haue mercie vpon them and powre vpon them the streames of thy grace Ibideâ— Vpon these words It is finished Ferus writes thus Beholde now the Lord be praised by me is finished whatsoeuer my Father hath decreed I haue suffered whatsoeuer the law and the prophets haue foretold and whatsoeuer was necessary or profitable to mans saluation The sacrifice is made the figures are fulfilled the shadowes are taken away From whence springs the patience of Martyres but hereof Bar. in Ser. Cant. 61. that a Martyre by deuout and continuall meditation doth hide himselfe in the stripes and woundes of Christ The Martyre standes in this tryumphing and dauncing although his body bee all rent and the Sword pierce his side he beholds the holy bloud to boile out of his fide not onely valiantly but ioyfully Where then is the Martyrs soule Surely in safety that is to say in the rocke that is to say in the bowelles of Iesus His wounds being open that he may enter in thither If he were in his owne bowelles searching them without all doubt he would feele the Sword hee were notable to abide the paine he would yeeld he
they make the holie Ghost Christs Vicar and his vicegerent As hee also himselfe doth Iohn 16.7 Yet I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I go away I will send him vnto you The holie Ghost comes here in Christs place and hee is his Vicegerent hee placeth Byshops and Pastors in the Church Act. 20.28 13 2 10 19. hee separates Paul and Barnabas to the worke he appointeth them he sent Peter to Cornelius He is President in this councell And is not this to gouerne and to be head of the Church And a little after Ferus writes thus This is the chiefest point of all Christian Religion vpon which all other doe depend that in Christ Iesus is all fulnesse and therefore all that are iustified are iustified onely by faith in him and by nothing els This is the summe of all the Gospell this is the matter of all Saint Paules Epistles especially of those which he wrote to the Romaines Galathians and Hebrewes And here marke the conditions of false Apostles First they bragge themselues to be Christians They departed from vs but they were none of vs they are accounted in the number of Christians when as they are nothing lesse although they be baptized with water and partakers of other mysteries yet they are not baptized with the spirit nor incorporate into Christ from whome their life doth so greatly disagree Counterfeit Christians haue euer done more harme to the church of Christ then Infidels no enemies more hurtfull then false teachers and especially then those which teach men to trust in their workes For these reach vs a broken staffe and daube vp the wall without morter these Christ bids vs beware of saying Beware of false teachers Here Ferus declares his iudgement plainly concerning our iustification That we are iustified Vnica fide in Iesu Christo by onely faith in Iesus Christ and that this is the chiefest point of christian Religion and that this doctrine Saint Paul taught almost in euerie of his Epistles and that they which teach men to trust in workes are false teachers If this be the chiefest point of christian religion as it is indéede then in the chiefest point of Christian religion Ferus is on our side And as Basill writes of the Philosophers Bas ho. 8. in car The wise men of Greece saith he haue disputed much of the natures of all things but there is no reason there is no firme or set opinion among them the latter opinion euer ouerthrowing the former so that we may easily ouerthrowe their opinions when as they by their mutual distension are sufficient to ouerthrow themselues so I maie saie of the Papists Secondly if they be false teachers which teach men t s trust in their workes by Ferus his iudgement then are the Papists false teachers Againe of Christian righteousnesse Ferus writes thus He speakes not only of that righteousnes which giues euery man his owne speaking of Saint Paul making his Oration before Foelix and Drusilla but of Christian righteousnesse which is faith in Christ In cap. Act. 24. Onely faith in Christ by Ferus his iudgement is Christian righteousnesse The workes of the Pharisées were no doubt as painfull as are nowe the workes of the Papists Luk. 18.11 They fasted twise in the weeke they prayed they payed their tithes truely they were no extortioners they offered no man violence or wrong For Saint Paul is saide to haue beene brought vp in the Citie of Ierusalem at the feete of Gamaliel Act. 22.3 and instructed after the perfect maner of the lawe of the fathers And their workes were done also in the faith of Christ as well as ours they all beleeued that Messias should come as we now do beleeue that hee is comen and yet because by these their workes they went about to iustifie themselues Rom. 9.32 God condemned them and their workes they lost all their costs Ioh. 3. ver 8. and paines and labours whatsoeuer Let all christians learne to bee wise by their examples that they also loose not the workes which they haue wrought God cannot abide this mind in anie of his seruants that they should goe about to iustifie themselues in his sight Rom. 3.19.27 Psal 115.1 All mouthes before his Maiesty must be stopped All glory must be ascribed to him alone And therefore were we made and predestinate Ephes 1.6 that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace Let all men marke well this end Osorius also contrarie to the assertion of Poligranes of Christs merites and redemption writes thus He was so despised that we accounted him not a man De Sapie lib. 1 but he bare our infirmities and sustained our sorrowes But we supposed that he had beene stricken and reiected of God for his owne sinnes But he through his wounds did beare the punishment of our rebellion and was afflicted for our iniquities For this he tooke vpon him that he might establish by his punishments the nouriture and discipline of our peace by which he was to make vs perfect friends with God and that hee might heale our wounds by his stripes For we al haue gone astray like sheep euery man turned his owne way but the Lord appointed vnto him the punishments due to our sinnes These and many other things the Prophet Esay prosecutes by which he declareth the intollerable sorrowes of Christ and his most bitter and vnspeakable torments Thus farre Osorius In which words he teacheth that Christ suffered not onelie for the faults but also for the punishments due to our sinnes And that by his sufferinges wee are made perfect friends with God Ibidem And after hee writes thus But how this most pleasant liberty was established it is worth the marking that there might an end be made saieth he to sinne Sinne is iniquity against God which containes in it the seeds of all euilles And that this sinne might be sealed vp that is that it might now no more appeare or shew it selfe but that it should now be so couered by the mercy of God as though it had neuer been committed euen as Dauid saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Such a perfect redemption and propitiation of all our sinnes Osorius attributes to Iesus Christ Againe Lib. 4. de Sapi. of the merite of Christs redemption the same Osorius verie excellentlie writes thus Gods iustice required that there should be a iust recompence made of the law of God transgressed by man through his sins There was nothing of such force on earth that was able to make this satisfaction But without a iust satisfaction for the offence the equity of Gods iustice did not suffer that mankind which had offended the Maiesty of God and was now spotted with all manner of sinne should bee receiued into Gods
safe among their fellow Bishops wil keepe some priuate opinions to themselues which they haue once liked of Wherein wee will not vrge nor prescribe a lawe to any man when as euery one in the Church hath free power and authoritie to gouerne as he will and euery one is set ouer the Lords flocke beeing to giue account to the Lord of his doing Here is plaine by Cyprians and Ieromes iudgments the common honour of all Bishoppes that one of them cannot enforce another And that they haue euery one of them frée power of gouernment in their seuerall charges whereof they are to giue accompt to the Lord. And of the authoritie and necessitie of Bishops he writes thus in the same booke If at the praier only of the Bishop the holy ghost descended then they are in a lamentable case who beeing baptized by priests and Deacons in villages townes far distant places haue died before euer they were visited of the Bishops The health of the Church consisteth in the dignitie reuerence of the chiefe priests to whom if a peereles chiefe authoritie be giuen of all men there will bee so manye schismes in the Church as therē are Priests c. Héere wee may plainly see first the iurisdiction of Bishops ouer manie villages and countrey townes in which onelie Priests and Deacons were placed in Ieromes daies And that euen then as some now a daies thinke euerie pastor was not a Bishop in his flocke Secondlie what the authoritie of euerie Bishop was it was Exors it was péerelesse he had none aboue him in this world in his charge noe not the Bishoppe of Rome And lastlie that whereas M. Dorman in his booke against M. Nowell doth alleage this place to proue the Bishoppe of Romes authoritie and would proue that S. Ierome in this place ment him Marianus Victorinus Reatinus Episcopus who hath corrected S. Ieromes workes and newly imprinted them being a great Papist affirmes that this place is ment of euery Bishoppe in his Diocesse Hee calles saith he the Bishoppe the chiefe priest whose authoritie also to be greater thē the other priests hee doth otherwhere plainly and manifestly auouch So the Apostles whose roome the Bishops now occupie succeede in were aboue the 72 disciples whom as blessed Damasus the Priest doth witnes the Priests do now succeede So Aaron and the other hie priests were euer aboue the Leuites So that by his iudgment by this chiefe priest is not ment the Pope but euerie Bishop And that euerie Bishops authority is péereles And this vnitie of Bishops makes Ierome to be the vnitie of the Church Augustine writes thus The scribes and Pharisees sitte vpon Moses chaire doe what they say but doe not as they doe You see that in the chaire of Moyses to which hath nowe succeeded the chaire of Christ that also euill men doe sitte and yet notwithstanding the good thinges which they are about to teach doe not hurt their hearers Wherefore doest thou for the wicked mens sake forsake the chaire Returne againe to peace returne againe to vnitie which hurt thee not If I speake well and doe well followe me But if I doe not as I say thou hearest the counsell of the Lorde Doe what I say but what I doe doe thou not But yet depart not from the catholique chaire Héere we may sée that this chaire of Christ was in euerie countrey and that euery Bishop sate in it not the Bishop of Rome onelie Austen himselfe sate in it and to the vnitie of the chaire he exhorts schismatikes that they would returne Secondly we may note howe this chaire then was called Christs chaire not Peters chaire As the Pope nowe calles his Of the strickt vnitie that is betwixt Christ the head and his Church the bodie Aug. in psal 37. he writes thus Whē as Christ speaketh somtime he speaketh in the persō of the only head because he is a sauiour borne of the Virgin Marie sometime in the person of his bodie which is the whole church dispersed through the whole world And we are in his bodie if our faith be pure our hope sure and our loue inflamed And after where hee saith The wordes of my sinnes there is no doubt but that it is the voice of Christ But how come sinnes but of his bodie which is the Church because both the bodie of Christ and the head speakes Why speakes he alone because they shal be two in one flesh This is a great mysterie saith the Apostle I meane of Christ and of his Church And a little after If he hath sayd now they are not two but one flesh what maruaile is it if one flesh and one tounge vtter the same words as of one flesh one head and of one bodie let vs heare them as one but yet the head as the heade and the bodie as the bodie The personnes are not deuided but there is a differēce of their dignities because the head doth saue the body is saued The head shewes mercie the body bewailes her miserie the head is to purge sinnes the bodie to confesse sinnes and yet one voice of them both Héere we may sée the narrowe vnion betwéene Christ and his Church They are one flesh hee is an adulterer that intrudes himselfe betwéene these The Church sinneth euen the Pope himselfe if he be a member of this body by Augustines iudgment and the head alone saueth Christ alone is the head and all the rest are members Quaest ex vtroque testā quaest 101. Augustine of the Deacons of the Church of Rome which estéemed themselues better then the order of those whome they called presbyters writes thus But because they are the ministers or deacons of the Church of Rome therefore they thinke thēselues more honorable then in other Churches for the statelines of the Citie of Rome which seemes to be the head of all other Cities Let vs marke héere what priuiledge Austen giues to the citie of Rome and whie the Deacons thereof might perchance aduance themselues aboue other Deacons because the Citie of Rome saith he Was the head of all other Cities If it had been accompted the head of all other Churches no doubt Austen would haue here giuen it that commendation but hee saith no such thinge thereof but that the magnificence thereof consisted in that it was the head of all other Cities What can be plainer then this Shall wee not beleeue Austen And in another place of the foundations and bulwarks of the Church he writes thus Epist 56. Heretiques goe about to vndermine or ouercome the most sure foundations of the Church by the shew of reasō but that mercifull Captaine of our faith hath as it were with a most stronge tower defended his Church by the solemne assemblies of all nations people by the seats of the Apostles and by certaine excellent learned godly and spirituall men also he hath fenced it with the plentifull furniture of inuincible reason These are all the visible
our Lord Iesus doth hee not now euer gouerne the worlde with his Father and whether to this matter doth he call any man making him his imitator or follower that with him he should gouerne heauen and earth and all Christ by S. Austines iudgement calles no man to bee partaker with him in his gouernement of heauen and earth therefore not the Pope Primasius also S. Austines scholler writes thus Let no man glorie in men in false Apostles no nor in any eyther king or priest for all thinges are yours In 1. ep ad Cor. cap. 3. eyther Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death we are yours you are not ours c. Nowe if Peter had béen Christs vicar then the saints had béene his as they were Christs whose place he sustained But Primasius saith plainly that the Corinthians were Christs they were not Peters Therefore Peter was not in any respect their head but their seruant or minister That Christ alone is the head of the Church Theodoret writes thus Theod. in 2 ca. ad Col. Againe saith he he cals Christ the head and the congregation of the faithfull the bodie And he hath put downe all this place metaphorically for euen as in the bodie the braine is the root of the sinewes and by the sinewes the bodie hath feeling so the bodie of the Church by Christ our Lord receiues both fountaines of Doctrine and matter of saluation And that thing which sinewes are in the bodie that are Apostles prophets and teachers in the assemblie of the Church Thus much Theodoret the Apostles are but ligaments or sinewes by his iudgement nowe it is monstrous and against all reason to make a sinew a head In 1 ep Co. 10 And in another place he writes thus This is required of Stewards that they bee founde faithfull not that hee should take vnto him the honour o◠dignitie of his maister but that he should keepe his maisters good will In 1 ep ad Cor. cap. 9. And in another place of S. Paul hee writes thus Am I not free that is as much to say I am vnder no mans iurisdiction I am not in the place of a disciple But to whose credite the whole world was committed because he was called after Christs assumption And the same prerogatiue he yeelds also to S. Paul in another place vpon these words whereof I am made a minister The saluation of the Church was committed to me meaning S. Paul to me was committed the office of preaching that I should fill you all with heauenly doctrine And that word you doth not onely meane them but also the faithfull that are in the world Gregorie also writes thus In 5. psal penit Christ is one person with his whole Church which either now is conuersant here on earth or is in heauen now with him And as there is one soule which quickens the diuers members of the bodie so one onely holie spirit quickens and lightens the whole Church And as Christ which is the head of the church was conceiued by the holy Ghost so the holy Church which is his bodie is filled with the same holy spirit that it may liue and by his power is strengthned that it may stand in the ioining or coupling togither of one faith and charitie By which the whole bodie being ministred vnto built by ioints and couplings growes to the increase of God Gregorie here makes plainly Christ his Church whether in heauen or in earth to be but one bodie And that by the holie spirite he quickens strengthens and gouernes the same euen as our soule quickens and gouernes our bodies And that by ioints couplings not by any ministeriall head as the papists do imagine nay he saith that his triumphant and his militant Church is but one bodie So that then if they will make Peter the head of the militant Church he must also be the head of the triumphant which I thinke they will not graunt Lastlie to conclude to make the matter more plaine and to shew how farre Gregorie was from imagining Peter to bee the head of the whole Church he writes thus in another place In psal penit 3. 5. The Apostles were called feet because that as feet carrie the bodie so the Apostles carried Christ into the knowledge of al nations which were moued when they doubted that he whom they saw did suffer was the sonne of God In the bodie of the Church he compares Apostles to féete not to heades and that verie fitlie alledging that place of the Apostle Ro. 10.15 How beautifull are the feete of thē which bring glad tydings of peace And of the gouernment of his Church by his holie spirit our sauiour most manifestly speaketh himselfe And I will praie the Father and hee shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Io. 14.15 euen the spirite of truth As though he should say you are discomforted because I goe from you but I in my stead will send you a comforter which shall neuer forsake you but shall abide with you for euer And after I wil not leaue you like Orphans without a guide or gouernour but I will come vnto you meaning by his holie spirite The holie spirit then is the gouernour and guardian of Christs Church here on earth wee are not orphanes And the same lesson he taught al his Apostles again immediatlie before his ascension It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7.8 But you shall receiue the power of the holy ghost when he shall come on you Héere is the authoritie heere is the power and the gouernment of the Church And you shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the earth Héere also is the estate and condition of all the Apostles put downe no one of them is made better then an other They are all appointed witnesses of him no one of them Lord or Iudge And this authoritie and office of gouernment in the Church to declare that it was of God giuen to the spirit of God the spirit of God expresly oftentimes executed As when Peter doubted what the vision ment Act. 10.19 the spirit sayd vnto him Behold three men seeke thee Arise therfore and get thee downe and goe with them doubt nothing For I haue sent them What can be more plaine then this The holie ghost sent those thrée men from Caesarea to Ioppe and also sent Peter with them Is not this to gouerne If Peter had béen head appointed by Christ vnder him he might haue gone by his owne authoritie but here he is namelie sent of another to declare that the authoritie was not in himselfe And when Peter came again to Ierusalem Act. 11.3 They of the Circumcision contended with him about this matter And he alleadgeth this
are taught in this place first by this fact of our Sauiour that the authoritie of a kinge is of God which is both worthie of honour and reuerence So hee payde tribute to Caesar and to the tol gatherers of Caesar he would that tribute should bee paide of Peter and being asked whether tribute should be payde to Caesar hee answered Giue to Caesar the thinges that are Caesars He would be subiect to lawes euen from the beginning of his birth least he which should bee to others an example of life and holinesse should trouble the cōmon wealth which also came to amende that was amisse that he might also insinuate that a iust Empire hath lawes acceptable to all mē while the common wealth is maintained in peace iustice And for this cause no man ought to resist the higher powers when as Christ the example of humilitie would be subiect vnto them Thus farre Stella He excepts none from that subiection and obedience and paying of tribute neither Pope nor cleargie And whereas the Papists saye that one ministeriall head is necessarie for the gouernment of the Church August in psal 56. and that such a head is the Pope S. Austen concerning this matter writes thus Because all Christ is a head a bodie which I doe not doubt but that you knowe well enough our Sauiour himselfe the head who suffered vnder Pontius Pilate who now after he rose from the dead fitteth at the right hand of his father The Church is his bodie not this Church or that Church but that which is spred ouer the whole world nor that onely which is among men which now presently liue but they also belonging to her which were before vs and those also which shal be after vs to the worlds ende For the whole church consisting of all the faithfull because all the faithfull are mēbers of Christ hath now that head which is now placed in heauen which gouernes his bodie And although hee bee separated from sight yet hee is not separated from loue Therefore because all Christ is a head and his bodie therfore in al Psalmes let vs so heare the voice of our head as we also heare the voice of his bodie For he would not speake seuerally because he would not be separated Saying I am with you euen vnto the ende of the world If hee bee with vs he speakes in vs he speakes of vs and hee speakes by vs because we speake by him And therefore we speake truth because we speake in him For if at any time wee shall speake in our selues and of our selues we shall continue liers Thus far Austen where he saith plainly that Christ himselfe is a head gouerning his Church And that which is the chief part of a gouernor he speakes vnto it and that not by anie one but by all his ministers Fer. in 14. ca. Ioh. To whome hee hath promised He wil be with to the end of the world And how this gouernment is executed that is by his holie spirit Ferus verie excellentlie declares Christ alwaies saith he doth the part of a most faithfull Father For euen as a father his children being yet young doth not onely leaue them his inheritance and all the goods he hath but also placeth Tutors and guardians ouer them that may keepe that inheritance for his children and may resist those that would iniurie them which thing the children themselues orphanes could not doe So Christ here being not content by his testament to leaue vs his inheritance and his goods but moreouer he promiseth and appointeth the holie spirit to be our tutor and guardian who should take vpon him the care and guardianshippe of his Orphanes and should in euerie court before any Iudge King or tyraunt defende by his lawfull pleading the inheritance of the father bequeathed them in his testament nay written with his owne bloud and should haue a care least the children by their owne negligence should lose their inheritance Thus farre Ferus Now to be appointed tutor or guardian of the church what is it else but to be appointed gouernour of the Church Ieron in 4. ca. Mal. The Papists doe teach that before Antichrist Elias in his owne person shall come Concerning which thing Ierome writes thus The Iewes and heretiques following the Iewes before their Messias thinke that Elias shall come shall restore all things And hereupon in the Gospell this question was made to Christ Why the Pharisees doe say that Elias shall come To whome he answered Helias truly shall come And if you beleeue he is comed alreadie by Elias meaning Iohn Thus much Ierome Where we may note that Ierome calles them Iewish heretiques that looke for Elias And yet the Papistes at this daie looke for Elias If this had béen a point of Catholique doctrine in the Church in Ieromes daies no doubt hee would not haue béen ignorant of it neither would he haue called the professors thereof heretiques So that it should séeme the papists opinion concerning Antichrist was comed since Ieroms daies whereof this comming of Elias is a principall braunch And that the Papists are of this opinion Gagneius writes thus Neither in this place a mystical exposition of the number Gag in cap. xx Apoc. can fitly be applied when as in deede in the time of Antichrist that Elias shall come and preach according to the testimonie of Malachie we holde for a suretie Maister Bellarmine also affirmes the same De Rom. pont lib. 5. cap. 6. The third demonstration saith he is drawne from the comming of Enoch and Elias which as yet liue and liue to this ende that they may oppose themselues against Antichrist when he commeth and should preserue the elect in the faith of Christ and at the length should conuert the Iewes These are the causes why Maister Bellarmine saith that Elias and Enoch shall come But these causes haue no ground in the scripture and therfore the effect of them shall not follow For S. Paul saith Eph. 6.17 that the word of God is the sword of the spirit with which sworde no doubt all Gods enemies amongst whom Antichrist is chiefe must be wounded and confounded And S. Paul saith plainly that Antichrist must be consumed with the breath of Gods mouth 2. Thess 2.8 that is no doubt with this sword And as our Sauiour Christ fought against Antichrists father the Deuill saying Luk. 4.48 It is written and not saying thus it is taught by tradition so must all his souldiers fight against his sonne the sonne of perdition Antichrist himselfe saying Thus it is written Euerie Christian armed with the sword of the spirit that is with the word of God must oppose himselfe against Antichrist This sword is able to confound him and cut off his head There néedes not Elias and Enoch to come to oppose themselues against him They blunt the edge of this sword which teach this doctrine And with this sword also Saint Iohn armes euerie
THE TRVE CATHOLIQVE FORMED ACCORDING TO THE TRVTH OF THE SCRIPTVRES and the shape of the ancient Fathers and best sort of the latter Catholiques which seeme to fauour the Church of Rome The Contents vvhereof are to be seene in the Page following Exod. 12.35.36 And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moses and they asked of the Egyptians iewels of siluer and iewels of gold and rayment And the Lord gaue the people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians and they graunted their requests so they spoyled the Egyptians Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 3. And because now his second comming drawes neere his bountifulnesse and the great account that he makes of vs doth lighten our hearts vvith the light of truth euery day more and more Ambros de Abrah pat lib 2. cap. 9. We reade of a fire kindled at the sunne-setting which should lighten the euening of the world and should shine in the darknes and should reueale things which were hidden AT LONDON Printed by PETER SHORT dwelling at the signe of the Starre on Bredstreet hill 1602. THE CONTENTS OF this Booke 1 A Preface to the Reader 2 The true Catholikes Alphabet or A B C. 3 His Pater-noster or Lords prayer 4 His Catechisme or briefe summe of Religion wherein the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist is refuted and the true meanes of the calling of the Iewes is declared 5 His house or the notes and marks of the true Church drawne out of the Scriptures 6 Certaine godly Prayers which dayly he may vse 7 The liues maners of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Scriptures and Fathers To the Christian Reader I Offer vnto thee good Christian Reader in this Treatise the summe of our Religion And if forraine things delight thee as now adayes they do all men most commonly I do offer vnto thee I say our Religion proceeding out of the mouthes of the verie enemies thereof For as the people cried and said in Darius his dayes 1. Esd 4.41 Truth is the greatest and strongest thing of all others Euen so this sentence shall stand true for euer And here thou shalt see that performed in deed which Dauid did but prefigurate that Goliah his head is stricken off with his owne sword 1. Sam. 17.51 And surely if the bodie and the shadow bee relatiues as the Philosophers teach and that euerie shadow hath a bodie then truly Dan in the law may be also a figure of Antichrist in the Gospel Gen. 49.17 2. The. 2.2 and the Madianites of the Papists Dan as his name imports in Hebrew is a Iudge He will vsurpe the office of a Iudge amongst his brethren And euen so doth the Pope this spirituall Dan Leuit. 13.3 Matt. 8.4 He will be a Iudge also by vsurpation he will not iudge only betweene leprosie and leprosie that is betwixt notorious sinnes as the law commanded but he will iudge euerie light disease which the law commands not Hee will not bee iudge onely of those knowne sins which goe before to iudgement 1. Tim. 5.22.24 which Saint Paul bids Timothie that he should take heede of but also of those which follow after He will know the secrets of mens hearts of which Saint Paul saith Iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and then shall euerie one haue praise of God And is not this to be Dan Is not this to be a Iudge Madian signifies iudging And as hee is Dan so also his armie and souldiers are Madianites they come of Dan that is their name For they take their name of him as the Papists do of the Pope and they shal perish also as did the Madianites Of whose ouerthrow thus we reade Iudg. 7.22 When the three hundreth blewe with trumpets the Lord set euery mans sword vpon his neighbour and vpon all the host which fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah to the borders of Abel-Meholah vnto Tabbah Here first is the small number of the Lords armie the small number of the professours of the Gospell in comparison of the Madianites of Papists Friers Here are also the Lords weapons the trumpets of the Gospell against Madian and their destruction by one of them drawing swords against another Here is to make perfect this victorie and to conquer also Sathan the father of Dan the breaking of pitchers that is the mortification of the flesh Rom. 6.19 Col. 3.5 Matth. 16.24 and of the lusts thereof which Saint Paul so often teacheth and the denying of our selues and the following of him with our crosse on our backes which our Sauiour also commands And they fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah and to the border of Abel Meholah vnto Tabbah Here is that verified which our Sauiour saith of the eternitie of the Scriptures That heauen and earth shall perish Mat. 5.18 2. Tim. 3.16 Rom. 15.4 but not one ioâ—te or tittle of the word of God shall perish And that Saint Paul writes of the excellencie of them That all the whole Scriptures are giuen by inspiration from God And againe That whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning And againe Nowe all these things came vnto them for examples 1. Cor. 10.11 and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Euerie verse and word in them doe edifie and are of force nay they edifie and teach vs And in this one point they surpasse almost all other writings The lawes of Iustinian manie of them are not conuenient for our age nor Galens prescriptions of medicines for our bodies 1. Pet. 1.25 but the word of the Lord is the same for euer The Madianites fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah as to their castle of refuge and that is in our language to the afflicted house now readie to fall on their heads And do not euen now the Papists so Ierem. 7.4 Do they not crie as the Iewes did The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord So now they The Church of Rome the Church of Rome Is not the continuance thereof so manie yeares and the great glorie of it their Refuge Is not this one of their chiefest arguments But what is Rome Is it not Beth-hashittah Tserarah that is 2. Thes 2.8 that afflicted house now readie to fall on their heads It consumes daily by the Spirit of God as Saint Paul prophesieth that it should do and euerie day is it in declining And ere it belong in one day Reu. 18.8 that is sodainly as Saint Iohn prophesieth shall her plagues come vpon her death and sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire For it is the mightie Lord euen God himself that iudgeth her And she shall fall into that miserable sorow and destruction which here also followeth euen to the very border or lippe as it is in the Hebrew of Abel Meholah
nowe teachest he would by and by haue cried out and would haue stopped his eares and as his manner was he would haue said O good God into what times hast thou reserued me that I should heare these things Would not he also by and by haue fled from the place where sitting or standing he should haue heard such words Héere we may plainly see what maner of traditions they were which the father 's kept and in the commendations wherof they wrote that is such traditions as were agréeable to the scriptures and no other And this one place of Eusebius may be a rule to square all other places of fathers whosoeuer when they highly commend traditions To teach all Christians that they meane no other traditions then Policarpe and Irenaeus that is such as are agréeing to the scriptures Among the Iewes that olde and subtile serpent Sathan had sowen tares amongst the Lordes wheat Munster in annot in cap. 1. Gen. as appeareth by the manifolde dreames and strange opinions of the Rabbins besides the scriptures As that before the world God had created seuen things that is to say paradise the law the iust men the throne of maiestie Ierusalem and Messias Againe they say that the moone was in the beginning created equall in light with the sunne but that this her light was diminished In annot in 7. cap. Gen. for her pride Againe All the Rabbines of the Hebrewes thinke generally that the waters which increased in the floud were hotte and that so the fishes also perished What are all these but sathans plantes so ouershadow the Lords trueth So likewise amongst vs Christians in the time of the Gospell hee hath not beene idle He hath mixed his drosse amongst the Lords gold as appeares in the Popes Legend and other Histories Longinus was a certaine Centurion who standing with other soldiers saith their Legend by the commaundement of Pilate Legend aurea de sancto Long. thrust the Lords side thorow with his speare And after seeing the signes which then happened that is the sunne to be darkened and the earthquake he beleeued but especially for this cause as some say that when as his eies were dimmed either by some infirmity or by age by chance some of the blood which ranne out of Christs side running downe his speare touched his eies and presently he saw most cleerely This is one of their traditions But Granatensis as should séeme not liking this fable in his meditations of Christes passion I thanke thee saith hee O Lord Iesu Orat. 6. parad prec that thou wouldest suffer thy side to be pierced of a certaine soldier He names not Longinus but agreeth with the scripture and goes no further that a certaine soldier pierced him to the heart with his speare So likewise they haue added manie things to the other scriptures of God as in an olde printed booke in verse made in those daies I read thus of Putifats wife and Ioseph He said Madam I will be true to my Lord Traitor will I neuer be to my Soueraigne Therefore beleeue me at a word Rather then do so I had rather be slaine With that loude did she crie and brake her lace in twaine And smote her nose that it gusht out all on bloud And rent down her serket that was of silk ful good She told the Knights that Ioseph would by her laine And that he tare her robes all asunder And helpe had not come the thiefe had me slaine Heere is no mention made howe she kept his garment when he fled away from her whereof the scripture makes mention but of dashing her selfe on the nose and rending her robe whereof in scripture there is no mention Of the first originall of bonefires in their Legend Leg. aur in Nat. Ioh. bap thus wee may read The bones of dead beastes being out of all places gathered together are burnt of some vpon this daie whereof there is two causes as Iohn Beleth saith one an obseruation of an auncient custome for there are certaine beasts called Dragons which doe flye in the ayre and swimme in the water and goe on the earth and sometime when as they goe on earth they are inflamed with lust and doe throw their seede into springs and flouds whereof followed a plaguie and vnholsome yeare Against this this remedie was founde out that a fire should be made of the bones of beasts and this fire would driue them away and because this chanced about this time therefore yet this of some is obserued Another cause is to signifie vnto vs that the bones of Saint Iohn Baptist were burnt in the Citie called Sebasta of the infidels Also then they carie in their hands burning firebrands because Iohn was a light shining burning And they turne about a wheele because then the sunne declines in his circle to signifie that the fame of Iohn who was supposed to be Christ did descende and diminish What preseruatiues against Dragons what doctrines for their soules were these Io. 5 35. Especially when as they neuer then heard in the scriptures read that Iohn was a burning light But that fable of Formosus is notable Fasc Tem. 6 aetate Christi an Dom. 9 14. which Fasciculus Temporum makes mention of This Sergius saith that booke when as he came to Rome by the ayde of the French men tooke Christopher the Antipope and sate in his steed And to reuenge his repulse he drew the body of Formosus out of his graue and being clothed like the Pope he commanded his head to be chopt off in his pontificall chaire and to be throwne into Tiber. But the fishers brought him into the Church the Images bowing themselues vnto him and saluting him reuerently as all they did see which were present This is reported in that historie And after Fulbertus Byshop of Carnotensis in his sicknesse was visited of the blessed Virgin Marie and restored againe with her most blessed milke Also of the visitation of Elizabeth they saie in their Legend that the blessed Virgin carried with her Cousin three moneths waiting vpon her and that she tooke the childe being borne in her holy armes from the ground as it is written in the Scholasticall historie and did most diligently the dutie of a nurse carrying him about This teacheth their Legend Whereas the Gospel saith that she abode with her thrée moneths and after returned to her owne house Luc. 1.56 and that when Elizabeths time was comed that she should be deliuered she brought forth a forme and her neighbours and Cousins reioiced with her But this as should séeme was after Maries departure And this Stella affirmes also in 2. cap. Luc. Thus they erre not knowing the Scriptures That miracle is strange of Germanus the Byshop of Antisiodore Fasc temp Fol. 50. which is written of him that he restored three dead men to life againe and also his Asse That he would shew a miracle vpon his asse séemes verie strange But to
Christ and that doctrine which agrées with religion he is puft vp and knowes nothing And both these places of S. Paul teach one doctrine that he which besides the light of gods word of his own natural reason teacheth this worshipping of Angels is puft vp and knoweth nothing and intrudes himselfe into those things he knowes not For who knowes anie thing of the will of God but he which was in the bosome of the father and hath now made vs his friends and hath reueiled the same in his word Nay that which followes quite ouerthrowes the inuocation of Saints or Angels And not holding the head that is Coloss 2.19 Iesus Christ by which all the body furnished and knit togither by ioints and bonds encreaseth to that encreasing and perfection which God requires Do not all the members seeke for all things from the head Euen so should all Christians from their head Iesus Christ and from none other and by that grace they shall drawe from him they shall growe to the increasing of God that which God requires And who will haue anie more Let vs therefore cleaue onlie to our head as S. Paul here teacheth plainlie and looke and hope for all good things from him and not worship anie Angell or saint whatsoeuer We shall receiue from him sufficient graces to grow to the increasing of God And what néed we anie more Granatensis praies thus Orat. 1. de vita Iesu Giue me grace O Lord that in all the stormes of my persecutions and in all my tribulations temptations that I may flie vnto thee I may seeke thee I may only call vpon thee And yet in other places he makes his prayers to Saints And againe of Angels and Saints he writes That is the ioy of Angels and the desire of the Saints In med in ora◠dom and the reioycing of iust men to serue thee perfectly to be conformable to thy will in all things and whatsoeuer they doe to referre it euer to thy honour I know O my God that the Angels and soules of Saints in heauen doe reioyce more for the glorie and magnificence of thy name then for their owne and to be more carefull for the excellencie of thy honour then for their owne And that their will is so intermingled with thy will that their will is this that thy will may be pleased in all things and by all things If this be the will of the saints as Granatensis here affirmeth why doe we not honour God alone with these and surcease to honour them séeing it pleaseth not them they looke not for it at our hands nay it displeaseth them Againe Granatensis verie excellently and finely writes thus O the soule of my soule 2. Orat. pro conc Dei O the life of my life I desire thee wholy and I offer my selfe wholy vnto thee the whole to the whole one to one and one onely to only one O that that had place in me which thou praiedst to thy father O holy father grant that they maie be one as we are one and I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one This vnitie should be betwixt all Christians and Christ They should offer themselues as they are one so only to him alone 15. Of Prayers in a strange language THe Papists at this daie condemne their olde superstition of their priuate Latine prayers and as should séeme are ashamed of it For Master Stapleton our countrey-man in his booke against M. Iewell writes thus That in our countrey whatsoeuer they did fiftie or fortie yeers ago in the late raigne of Queene Marie the people had their common Mattines bookes both with Latine and with English Thus farre M. Stapleton He confesseth that the people were bereaued of the great benefit of their priuate prayers fortie or fiftie yeeres but he might as well haue said fiue hundreth yéeres or moe For they confesse that the peoples priuate deuotion should be in a tongue which they vnderstand So that then to teach English men to praie in Latine is to defraud them of the fruit and benefit of their prayers as they did manie hundreth yéeres till the Gospell began to shine in the world And yet also in their reformation as should séeme they are loth quite to banish all priuate Latine prayers but they adde Latin prayers and English togither as though those former Latine praiers not vnderstood were not hurtfull and might safely be vsed still so loth they are to forsake their former superstition Whereas other Catholikes doe account such prayers but lippe labours and chatterings as hereafter shall be shewed And here if they will grant that priuate deuotion ought to be made with vnderstanding whie ought not our common prayers to be made so also No doubt all common praiers are grounded vpon that promise of our Sauiour Mat. 18.19 Againe verely I say vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vpon anie thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my father which is in heauen And so haue the Papists themselues expounded this place Har. Euan. c. 72. Iansenius vpon this place writes thus But it shall be verie truely said that the Lord by this sentence would signifie how great the power of the Church that is of the congregation of the faithfull is to which aboue he would haue the vnrepentant brother to be manifested that is to say that if two of them onely agreeing togither they shall obtaine whatsoeuer they will much more the iudgement of any whole congregation is to be feared And no doubt that thing which she will shall be allowed of God Thus farre Iansenius The force of Excommunication lies in the consent and communion of the praiers of the Church Take this common consent awaie and take awaie also excommunication And after he writes thus Or els therefore he saith that he is in the midst of them that he should signifie vnto them that he would fulfill those things which they doe aske and that he would helpe all their enterprises that that which he attributed vnto his father in the former sentence now he should be vnderstood to attribute to himselfe For Christ is said to be in the midst of any that doe agree not onely by reason of the presence of his diuinitie according to which he is euery where but by reason of his speciall grace and assistance by which he makes their prayers acceptable to God his father as though also they were powred out of him or as though he did accept them perfect them By these sentences therefore he doth two manner of waies commend christian concord both for the great force thereof in obtaining with God the father and then that it is adorned and beautified with his presence Hereof may be learned how much we ought to attribute to synodes and generall councels gathered togither and assembled in the name of Christ for the obseruation of the faith and manners Thus