workemanship is prescribed by God himselfe whose diuine wisedome knowing what was in man would not leaue any thing to his braine-sicke if not braine-lesse inuentions namely First the Arke or Shippe of Noah Secondly the Arke or Tabernacle of Moses Thirdly the Temple of Salomon First Touching the Arke of Noah it was prouided for the preseruation of Gods Family which was the Church in the posteritie of Noah by Gods appointment only vnforeseene by the Patriarch himselfe and vnthought of by the rest of the world which were iustly destinated to destruction yet the making of the Arke is in all things prescribed by Almighty God p Gen. 6. 14 15 16. the Timber of Pine Trees gopher the Rabbines pitching within and without the length the breadth and height the windowes doore and seuerall roomes how to bee framed and placed Secondly the Arke or Tabernacle of Moses is appointed of God who ordered the worke and furnished the workemen with meete giftes for performance thereof q Exod. 25. 10 c. 26. pertotum 31. 2. to 10. the matter the forme the instruments the bars the pinnes the couerings the Snuffers the Priests garments and euery thing set downe at large r Heb 8. 5. by God himselfe for the place of his dwelling among his people for howsoeuer hee filleth Heauen an Earth with his presence yet his speciall residence is in his Church which is said to be Å¿ Psal 132. 5. 13 14. his habitation where hee will dwell for euer and hath a delight therein to conuerse with men there is his mercy seate t 1. Kin. 6. 13. and thence he giueth his Oracles and manifesteth himselfe and his will vnto the Church and Moses is very diligent in â—e ample discription thereof â—nd whatsoeuer appertained to â—he seruice of God therein â—hich was brought by Dauid â—fter he was setled in his Kingâ—ome with great solemnitie â— first to the house of Obed-Edom u 2. Sam 6. who was mightily blessed by Gods presence there and afterwards to his owne house in the Citie of Dauid Thirdly when Salomon would build a Temple and instead of a wandring Arke w 1. King 5. 5. 6. 2. 3. would haue a setled Seate for Gods habitation and exercise of Religion x 8. 4. hee brought the Arke and placed it as a Sacrament of Gods presence in his Temple which was an other illustrious and last figure of the Church of God in building whereof what soeuer God himselfe prescribed was most precisely obserued both for the matter and forme thereof and with what magnificenses and curiositie it was performed how mystically euery part was framed to represent Christs Church and spirituall Temple by a King of Peace for a King of Peace and to direct to the Kingdome of Peace is at large to be read in the holy History which is the most warrantable rule for vs to proceede by to square out our Church gouernours and gouernment and all variation from it is an aberration from the truth which is the chiefe pillar of Religion in the house of God Vse 1 And thus wee haue found out the chiefe Master builder which is Christ I will build saith he and the same is also y 1 Cor. 3. 11. the foundation of the building z 10. 4. the Rock and a 1 Pet. 2. 6 c. Corner-stone as he b Hebr. 9. 14. was the Priest and oblation the c 10. 8 12. sacrificer and the sacrifice so hee is d Eph. 1. 22 23 the head of the Church which is his mysticall body and in him wee grow together and are ioyned to him to be the members of his body and with him to be made e 1 Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. a liuing and holy Temple for the habitation of God through the Spirit Vse 2 This also doth teach vs the excellency of Christ aboue the Church which is built by him and on him as the chiefe foundation and hath f Apoc. 19. 13 to name the word of God and is g 1 Pet. 1. 25 Math. 24. 25. of euerlasting continuance and endureth for euer though Moses was a most excellent workeman in building the Typicall Tabernacle yet he was but a part of Gods house but Christ is the builder h Hebr. 3. 3. which hath more honour then the building and let the Spouse hearken obey the voice of her Bridegroome and then wee will obey her the Apostles required no greater obedience of the Churches then i 1 Cor. 11. 1. to follow them as they followed Christ Note 2 Build the Church is compared to a building the nature of which metaphor shall the morâ— plainely bee expounded by shewing what resemblance therâ— is betweene the Church of God and a house or building First the Metaphor of building denotateth vnto vs the order which ought to bee in the Church for edification thereof for it sufficeth not to heape vp stones and timber in a confused manner but to hew and square them out to compact them strongly togither and to frame it in comly order for the God of order and therefore the Apostle requireth of teachers k 2. Tim 2. 15. that they diuide the word of God aright for Gods vnder-builders are euer noted for skillfull worke-men indued with wisedome to pollish and perfect the workemanship which they vndertake as was liuely and figuratiuely represented in the builders of the of the materiall Tabernacle and Temple as namely l Exod. 31. 1 2 3 4 5. 6. Bezaleel Aholiab m 1. King 7 9 13 14. Hiram and such like skilfull workmen Secondly as Salomons Temple was n Iohn 2 20 fortie and sixe yeares in building so o Ephes 4 11 12. the Church of God is not hastily raised vp but ariseth by degrees vnto perfection and as we say in a common Prouerbe Rome was not built in a day so hee that beleeueth must not make haste to thinke he is a true member of Gods Church by participation of Sacraments but by profiting and proceeding in the knowledge of the Word of God p 2. Pet 3. 18. There is a growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Prophet Ezekiel in a Vision describeth the increasing of the graces of the Church q Ezek. 47 2. c. by a vision of waters which first came to the ancles then to the knees c. and Christ himselfe implyeth so much in the Parable of the Mustard-seed which being r Math. 13. 31. little at first groweth to a Tree wherein Birdes build their Neasts Thirdly as in a building the stones and timber must be hewen squared and made fit to ioyne not onely to the foundation but one to another so in Gods Church the members of Christs body are not onely required to be vnited with their Head but knit together in vnitie amongst themselues Å¿ Ioh. 13. 34 85 15. 12 17 1 Iohn 3. 23.
4. 7 12 21. He that loueth God must loue his brother also according to his commaundement and these two bee commonly if not alwayes conioyned as twinnes of one birth t Colloss 1. 4 Philem. 5 vers 1 Thes 1. 3. Faith towards God and Loue towards the Brethren 3. Text. My Church By Church here is vnderstood that Societie and communion of Saints u 1 Cor. 12. 11 12 27. which are knit together by faith in Christ and fellowship amongst themselues w Eph. 4. 12 13. by participation of Gods diuine Word and Sacraments which are the soule and sinewes of this body and are quickened by his Spirit x Deut. 14. 2. the voyce and word of God is the outward meanes whereby wee are called and gathered into an holy body y Exod. 19. 5 6. Rom. 4. 11. and we receiue the Sacraments as Seales of the grace and couenant betweene God and vs whereby he assureth vs z Deut. 26. 18 19. that hee will bee our God and we thereby bind our selues to be his people and to liue vnder his obedience and lawes a 1 Pet. 1. 15. Luke 1. 75. in holinesse and righteousnesse whereunto wee are called and Saint Paul writing to the Romanes doth not call them the Church but elegantly and significantly implyeth them to bee members of it when hee saith b Rom. 1. 6 7. They are the called of Iesus Christ and called to be Saints For that is The VVord and Sacraments are the infallible markes of the true Church the end of our vocation that we being chosen and called out of the world by the voice of Gods Word should bee an holy and precious people vnto him Ecclesia is therefore deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee chosen or called out of one Societie into another out of the kingdome of darknesse into light out of the world into the seruice of God and are seperated vnto that end that we might no more serue sinne in the lustes of our former ignorance but by faith to serue Christ as our Head that hath called vs as also to serue one another as mutuall members of the same body so the faithfull of the Iewes and Gentiles being conuerted by the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles c Acts 13 14 2. 38. to 42. Acts 5. 11 12 13 Became a Primitiu◠Church liued together in one place continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in common prayers in breaking of Bread that is communicating Gods holy Sacraments and this Saint Luke calleth the Church saying d Acts 2. 41 There was daily added to the Church such as should be saued These markes of the Church are euidently and euery where described and set foorth in the Scriptures but the markes of the Romish Church are not there to be found First their pretended Antiquitie cannot warrant the later Nouelties of their Churches inuentions Secondly their Vniuersalitie is too straightly restrained and pinned vp within the limits of their Citie and Territories Thirdly their Visibilitie fayleth when it falleth out that Elijah cannot see any face of a Church but crieth out that e 1. Kin. 19 10. Rom. 11 ◠4. he is left alone when yet God had a great people knowne to himselfe howsoeuer inuisible to the Prophet Augustine that learned Father and worthy Disputer durst affirme against their Visibilitie of the Church Quod aliquando Ecclesia fuit in solo Abraham c. That sometimes the Church visible was onely in Abraham Noah Lot Elijah c. Fourthly and for that marke of Succession of Bishops no way grounded on the Scriptures is as hardly to bee prooued otherwise then as Annas and Caiphas were Aarons successors in a broken and interrupted disorder neither called nor practising Gods Religion as Aaron but Simonists Sectaries prophane hypocries mis-interpreters corrupters of Gods Word and bloody murderers as likewise haue succeeded in Peters pretended Chaire at Rome Sadducees Monothelites Heretikes Sodomites and such disordered Chaire-masters as poynteth them out rather to bee the succeessors of Simon Magus for their Simonies then of Simon Peter for his singlenesse and sinceritie Let the Romanistes then returne from their pontificall portlinesse to the paterne of Peters pietie let them surcease f 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. to rule as Lords ouer Gods heritage feed the flocke of Christ of a willing mind and not for filthy lucre that we may find and acknowledge some similitude of their succession in the Apostolicall Chaire when we shall finde the Word of God there sounding out and his Sacraments worthily and without humane additions duely administred otherwise if they misse these markes we shall be so farre from acknowledging their Sea of Rome to be the Catholike or Vniuersall Church that wee shall doubt whether they be any particular Church of Christ or members of that mysticall body whereof hee is the onely Head and their false Prophet that teacheth lyes shall be but the g Isai 9 15 taile as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh which being out of conformitie with the body is a deformity to the whole body striuing to be another head with Christ produceth a monstrous and mishapen body of the Church with two heads as indeed they carry like Ianus two faces vnder one hood a shewe of holinesse in their mouthes but hollownesse and hypocrisie in their hearts and the woe denounced against the Pharises and Hypocrites by Christ himselfe shall fall vpon them for their merited portion for they h Matt. 23. say and doe not lay heauy burthens on other mens shoulders but will not touch them with one of their fingers doe all things to be seene of men garnish their garments with representations of holinesse loue the chiefest seates in Synagogues and assemblies and will be called and accounted the only Rabbies Doctors and Fathers of the Church they take away the Key of knowledge and shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen neither entring themselues nor suffering those that would deuouring Widdowes houses vnder colour of long prayers blinde guides and leaders of the blind professing blind ignorance for the mother of their Deuotion straine at a gnat and swallow downe a Camel make more account of a fasting day or holy-day than to commit murther of Princes and grosse Idolatry painted Sepulchers which haue all thinges outwardly beautifull make cleane Cuppes and Pottes but inwardly are full of briberie excesse rottennesse and corruption garnishing the Tombes of the Apostles and Martyres and haue martyred many that would haue imitated the doctrine and doings of Christ and his Apostles by these Emblemes Christ hath already decyphered them by these Markes wee shall vndoubtedly know them to bee the successors of the Pharises and indeede if Peter now could see his pretended successors hee might say as once Almighty God in derision said of Adam after his transgression i Gen 2. 22. Behold how the man is become as one of vs or Simia quam similis turpissima bestia
him nor parts of his true body p Ephes 1. 22. 23. which is his Church Vse Labour we therefore to get this faith and to nourish it by all good meanes and to hold fast the confession thereof vnto the end that so we may receiue the crowne of righteousnesse and be made pertakers of Peters blessednesse Epaminondas a Captaine in an hot skirmish being stricken downe sore wounded and taken vp for dead assoone as he came to himselfe first asked if his Target were safe fearing and being loath his enemies should get that so let vs looke to the shield of our faith least our enemie the Diuell which often woundeth vs dispossesse vs of that Target for without it thou maist be in the Church but not of the Church and extra ecclesiam nulla salus a desperate case where all out of Noahs Arke perish and are drowned in Gods wrathfull deluge Obiect Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church The Papists lay hold on this place as theeues doe on true mens goods endeauouring to proue hereby that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles and the head and foundation of the Church Sol. I Answer this prerogatiue was not pronounced or giuen vnto Peter alone but to him and the other Apostles for as Peter made this confession in the name of all so Christ made this protestation to him in the name of all and when hee said thou art Peter c. he alludeth only vnto his name importing that hee should be a principall pillar in the Church q Reu. 21. 14. Ephes 2. 20. as were also the rest of the Apostles which had like calling like graces like promises and like prerogatiues and meant not that Peter should bee the Apostle of the Apostles or haue any primacie ouer the Church Let the Reasons bee these Arg. 1 First if Christ had heereby made Peter the chiefe of the Apostles and the head and foundation of the Church thē should the Church haue had a weake fraile and ruinous foundation and vnfit to support so weighty a burden for if we search the Scriptures wee shall find that Peter was subiect to many infirmities and had many and more grieuous falls then any of the elect Apostles and was himselfe supported by Christ the foundation and onely Head of the Church and it seemeth that the Holy Ghost fore-seeing what these men would ascribe to Peter more then the allowance of Christ hath more particularly and at large set forth in the Gospell Peters infirmities in quality and number more then any of the other Apostles as if Almightie God foreknowing the superstitious inclination of the Jewes and all men most apt and prone to Idolatry would preuent their ouer much aduauncing of holy men which are and ought to be Sainted onely by God that they should place them in Gods throne to bee adored as Gods whom his Word of truth hath deciphered to be weake and sinfull men which mischiefe Peter himselfe in his life time found experience of and with all his might and power withstood this madnesse of the multitude who hauing seene the great myracle wrought by him vpon the poore Creeple in Salomons Porch gazed vpon him and flocked about him as if he had beene a God which Peter perceiuing cast away that opinion with both hands r Acts 32 7 10 11 12 13 both vilifying himselfe as a man full of infirmities an◠magnifying the name of Jesu◠by whose name and power th◠myracle was wrought and no◠by his owne power and godlinesse as the people supposed and in like case when the Centurion Cornelius directed by an Angell in a vision to send to Ioppe for this Apostle and of him to heare words whereby he and his houshold might attaine saluation he by and by conceiued such eminent opinion of Peters worth and worthynesse that when he came vnto him he prostrated himselfe at Peters feete and would haue worshipped him which excessiue dignitie offered to him being an indignitie against God whom hee taught to bee only adored ſ Acts 105 6 25 26. hee pronounceth himselfe to bee but a man that is an infirme creature seruant to the mighty God whose glory alone hee would haue preferred alone in all things and the like accident and course of proceeding happened vnto Paul and Barnabas who likewise had cured a creeple at Lystra in the word and name of Iesus but the idolatrous people would needs adore them for Gods and styled them and as they thought enobled them with the titles of their Gods calling Barnabas Iupiter and Paul Mercurius and would haue done sacrifice vnto them till Paul mightily refused and reprooued their errour t Acts 14. 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16. proclaiming themselues men subiect to infirmities as the people were and magnifying God for the myracle wrought in the name of his Sonne Iesus who is onely to be honoured so Almightie God himselfe wel knowing the prone disposition of the Iewish people to Idolatry concealed from them the body of Moses u Deu. 32 49 50 and 34. 5 6. whom he had secretly buried in Mount Nebo much against the Deuils proiects w Iude 9. who would haue made an Idoll of him but Michael euen Christ our Prince resisted him in that impious proiect So they made an Idol of the brazen Serpent being but a figure of Christ for that by that Sacrament x Num. 21. 8 9. they were healed of the stingings of the fiery Serpents in the wildernesse representing the spirituall healing of our sinfull soules from the deadly stings of that old Serpent Satan by Christ nayled on the Crosse y Iohn 3. 14 15 the most wise holy and heauenly Serpent as himselfe hath also interpreted it in so much that Hezekiah to represse the idolatrous madnesse of the multitude which began to idolatrize to the Brazen Serpent and to burne incense to it brake it in pieces burnt it to powder and made the people to drinke it z 2 Kings 18. 4. and called it Nehushtan an vnprositable piece of brasse But to come more precisely to our present purpose if our Romanists would beleeue the Scriptures or Peter himselfe they shall finde that neither Christ nor himselfe had any purpose to build a primacy vpon this infirme Rock which in very many particulars is noted a man full of passions and infirmities more then any other of the elect Apostles as is aforesaid First what ignorant presumption was it to a Math. 18. 21 prescribe forgiuenesse vnto his offending brother but to seauen times when his Master the God of charitie requireth endlesse charitie in forgiueing of offences b Verse 22. euen seauenty times seauen times c Luc. 17. 4 yea seauen times a day Secondly how carnall was his conceit in heauenly reuelations which would haue Christ d Math. 17. 4 Luc. 9. 33 to build Tabernatles of rest and pleasure vpon earth forgetting the felicitie of the heauenly Paradise which farre exceedeth in glory Thirdly obserue
Secondly and that hee had also a power to subdelegate his Assignes and Successors to haue the same power but if hee had it not himselfe in his life time he could neuer communicate it being dead to any Successors and it behooueth them to bring foorth his Will and Testament if he hath bequeathed it vnto them least the Churches of Ierusalem and Antioch where we know assuredly he held long residence and exercised his Apostle-ship came in for their interest with equall if not with more reason And how much power he deriued to his Successors is another question to be warily scanned least if we grant one absurditie it beget many First as whether Saint Iohn and other Apostles suruiuing Peter were vnder the Successors controlement and whether Linus Cletus and Anacletus or any Successor in the Sea of Rome had equall power as Peter by them is intended to haue had and might claime a superioritie o ouer the suruiuing Apostles of Christ which implyeth a ridiculous and grosse absurditie that a Bishop or Pastor should beare rule ouer an Apostle which were in the first and highest degree of Ecclesiasticall Orders as Saint Paul witnesseth saying God gaue vnto his Church c Ephes 4. 11. 1 Cor 12. 28. first Apostles that is by the Romanistes owne interpretation Chiefest for so they argue Peter was chiefe because the Euangelist sayth d Mark 3. 14. 16. Math. 10. 2. Christ chose his twelue Apostles and first that is to say chiefest Peter whence we conclude that after Peters death the Church wanted an Head except we allow Saint Iohn then liuing at Pathmos in banishment to bee the chiefest man of the Church and before Peters Successors because he was an Apostle which Peters Successors were not Obiect Secondly and againe as absurdly doe they reason for the authority of the Romish Bishop before Antioch for that Peter was martyred at Rome and not at Antioch or Ierusalem Sol. which may well bring a curse and no blessing vpon that Citie where the blood of Gods Saints is shed as Christ pronounceth desolation to Ierusalem for the blood of the Apostles shedde so abundantly there as hardly any could escape or perish elsewhere out of Ierusalem iustly therefore called the bloody citie where Manasses shed blood to maintaine Idolatry in all the streetes of Ierusalem which was a principall cause of that grieuous destruction of the Temple and the Citie and captiuitie of the Citizens which shortly ensued thereupon And vndoubtedly Rome may as properly bee called the bloody Citie being first inauspiciously built vpon the blood of brothers Rhemus and Romulus and so continued the maintenance of their Idolatry in tenne ensuing persecutions by vnspeakeable blood-sheddings and to this day their strongest Arguments are fire and fagot and other tyrannicall Inquisitions of which they make bold euen already to whisper vs in the eare they may indeed boast more of Peters persecutions then of any pontificall power which he exercised in Rome But they will not easily be drawne to follow Peter as he did Christ in suffering with him e Math 19. 27 Marke 10. 28. Luke 18. 28. and forsaking all to follow him nor can they truely affirme as he did f Acts 3. 6. that gold siluer they haue none as a Pope said once to Thomas Aquinas who readily wittily and pithily replyed neither can you say truely as Peter did to the Creeple Rise vp and walke For as the pontificall Prelates increased in wealth so they decreased in worth and lost that power which Peter had of working myracles no no they neither preach as Peter nor liue as Peter nor are willing to dye as Peter neither from him can they deduce any of their pompous portlinesse or papall practises g Acts 15. 6. Hee called not Councels but with the consent of the other Apostles he inuested not Bishops nor gaue them Palls hee neither had Crowne nor Mytre Cope nor Crosier he graunted no pardon for sinnes either past or to come nor sent out his Leaden Buls or Aureas Bullas glorious and golden braggs to bring in golden and siluer bags in exchange for that trash he cited no Bishops to appeare before him nor required them to take his Inuestitures and Consecrations wee may finde in all his Epistles h 1 Pet. 1. 7. 2. 21. 3. 16 17 4. 13. 5. 3 6. paternes of patience humility and obedience to Princes but not a word of his Decrees Decretals Extrauagants and Canonicall Constitutions hee lacked his Cardinalls Auditors Chancellors Inquisitors Notaries and Prenotaries hee neuer sate in the Laterane to measure out the spaces of Purgatory nor impounded poore soules there for want of money and released them at peculiar rates and prises none kissed his feet nor swore to him homage and Canonicall Obedience hee had no Coaches of Curtizans to fill his Courts nor Bastards to make Dukes in his Territories In these things they haue succeeded and exceeded Caiphas a pretended Successor of Aaron for pernicious Counsell and false Iudgements in condemning innocents i Math. 27. 24. in Pilats Bason they would wash their hands and then sit downe in Peters Chaire and pronounce their bloodie Sentences wee should thinke it some resemblance of a Successour if all or any of them would feed the flocke of Christ as hee k Ioh 21. 15. 16. 17. commaunded and commended vnto Peters care and Peter in like sort l 1. Pet. 5. 2. to all Pastors otherwise their boasting of succession to Peter is but like the glorying of a Traytor which hath nothing to say in his Iustification but that his father was a good Subiect and his Ancestors honest men whose condemnation is the more iust hauing so degenerated from the pietie of their predecessors Text. I will build my Church Heerein two notable poynts are presented to our consideration First of the Builder Christ I will build Secondly of the building the Church my Church Indeed euery one of these words are very significant and emphaticall and afford profitable notes and worthy the paines both of my writing and your reading I will build Doct. 1 First Christ is the only builder of his Church though as in the building of Salomons Temple there were many workemen and diuers degrees yet m 2 Sam. 7. 13 Salomon is only said by his wisedome to build the Temple which n 1 Kings 5 5 6. 2. prepared the materialls and gaue direction for the worke euen so Christ the true Salomon and builder of the true Temple hath ordained diuers Ministers and workemen but hee appointeth the materials o 1 Cor. 3. â— to 13. 12. 6. Ephe. 4. 11 12 Hebr. 3. 3 4. euen his word and Gospell which are the durable gold and siluer and not the hay and stubble of mens traditions and inuentions there are three notable and speciall figures and representations of the Church propounded in the Scriptures of the old Testament in all which the worke and
the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ u 1 Cor. 3. 12. in whom only consisteth the whole strength of the building though weake wood and timber be built thereupon so as looking into our selues and the examples of Gods best beloued Children yea Peter himselfe after this promise how foulely they haue falne we may euer finde cause of feare and distrust but lifting vp our eyes vnto God the stablenesse of his counsels and certaintie of his promises we may rest safely in confidence of his word which hath said w Ios 1. 5. I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee x Iohn 5. 24. hee that beleeueth in him shall not perish for euer He it is that doth nourish the holy fire in vs and keepes vs vnto the end y Iohn 13. 1. for whom hee loueth he loueth euerlastingly z 1 Ioh. 3. 9. and the seede of God abideth in the elect that being borne of God they sinne not vnto condemnation a Rom. 8. 1. for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Christ prayed for b Luke 22 31. Peter and he prayed also for vs c Ioh 17. 2. 12. 20 24. and for all that should beleeue in his name that none of his might be lost neither is any able to take them out of his Fathers hand which is stronger and greater then all and loueth vs in Christ as hee loued him before the foundations of the world were laid against these the gates of Hell cannot preuaile for they haue the Lords priuie Seale not seene nor knowne to men but d 2. Tim. 2. 19 the Lord knoweth his Vse 2 Secondly this Doctrine iustly impugneth that error of the Romanists holding opinion that the visible Church and the pretended successors of Peter cannot erre whereas the contrary is apparantly verified in the Scriptures that Peter himselfe did erre and therefore though it bee true that the inuisible Church that is the elect of GOD cannot erre finally yet the visible Church consisting both of good and bad may erre as appeareth through the whole History of the Bible and in the primatiue times particular Churches haue erred witnesse Corinth Galatia Philadelphia Pergamus c yea the Church of Rome it selfe whether wee regard the Head or the Body hath grieuously erred First as touching the Head Romish Bishops haue erred and diuers of them became Heretickes Scismaticks Antipopes Negromancers Sodomites and what not Marcellinus sacrificed to the Idols of the Gentiles Leberius was an Arrian Nicholas changed the decrees of Iohn the two and twentieth Gregory of Pelagius Innocentius of Gregory yea in those things which belong to faith Cardinall Ragusanus proueth that the Pope may erre and did in the great Schisme at Rome Cardinall Cusanus affirmeth the Pope may fall from the faith the Councell of Basill auoucheth that the priuiledge of not erring belongeth not to the Popes more then other Bishops Secondly and as for generall Councels which haue a more liuely representation of the whole Church and where the Bishops of Rome haue been present may yea they haue erred one repealed the Actes and Decrees of another and there can bee no correction without errour the Councell of Nice defended Images that of Constantinople was against them the third Councel of Carthage saith that he is Antichrist that calleth himselfe an vniuersall Bishop the Councell of Rome and Trent say and maintaine the contrary therefore except there be more Truths then one Councels may erre and the Pope may erre and consequently the whole visible Church may erre and the truth is e Isa 9 17. many hypocrites making a great shew of godlinesse haue fallen away from grace and the truth of the Gospell become Apostatates in faith and Satanists in conuersation and yet the Church standeth For f Rom 3. 4. Psal 116. 1â— Titus 1. 2. Hebr 6. 18. let God be true and all men lyers in his truth it standeth and Satan a lyer from the beginning cannot ouerthrow it g 2 Thess 2. 9. Antichrists deceiueable delusions and lying wonders cannot preuaile against it Verse 19. And I wil giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Vpon such a sure and grounded confession of Peter proceedeth a twofold promise of Christ 1. as is formerly laid down that hereupon he will lay an vnmoueable foundation of his Church that the gates of hâ—ll should not bee able to preuaile against it 2. that he would for the gouernment thereof commit to his Apostles and Ministers the Spirituall keyes of the kingdome of heauen with a power to bind and loose in such manner as he would ratifie in heauen their proceedings in earth according to the tenure of his Commission wherby hee had so authorized them to execute his power in his Church In these wordes obserue two things First Datum The donation wherein consider 1. who is the giuer 2. to whom 3. what was giuen Secondly Applicaum The Application in these wordes whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth c. Doct. Concerning the first in as much as hee saith I will giue it teacheth vs That Christ is the giuer of the keyes who onely had this power from heauen as the heire of God the Messiah and Mediatour betwixt man and God who h Heb. 2. 3. Psal 8 6. 1 Cor. 15. 27. Iohn 17. 2. Phil. 2. 9 10. put all thinges in subiection vnder him in heauen and earth and so the Apostle affirmeth that Christ first receiued this power from God his Father to bee made the head of his Church and onely had right to giue and communicate such power vnto his Church thus Christ expresseth it in the Gospel i Math. 11. 27. 28. 18 19. All power saith he is giuen me in heauen and in earth and thereupon he groundeth his commission to send his Apostles into all the world this point is not onely verified by apparant and plentifull texts of holy Scriptures but euen our aduersaries in words not greatly contradict it howsoeuer in their practice and in effect they haue paralelled sundry of the Saints with him as the Turkes and Infidels haue wholly dethroned him and placed their false prophet and abominable idole Mahomet before him and aboue him but because they deny the principles of faith and religion wee will not contend nor spend much time in disputing with them but willingly acknowledge and subscribe to the Soueraignty and absolute power of Christ as disposer of all things in heauen and earth Vse And let the true Church and Spouse of Christ heare and obey his voyce and deriue her subordinate power from him alone which hee then promised and afterward gaue vnto her to execute for him for wee must note that he then instantly gaue not Note 1 but speaking in the future