1215. And I will not héere tell howe gréeuously the consciences of the godly were by this Romishe and Papisticall confession troubled and howe they learned more euill thereby than good and howe horrible and fylthie factes were in this confession committed and howe the same serued to vpholde the power pryde errours and disceiptes of that vnspirituall spiritualtie as they call them selues But it is no small fortresse or foundation of their kingdome and therefore no maruell thoughe they so earnestly and busely labour to defende and kéepe the same But all these things thanks bée vnto God are made manyfest vnto the whole worlde The. Lj. Question Whether those things which the Priest dothe enioyne vs to do for our sinnes which we haue confessed are not to be done as the punishments and deedes of tepentaunce â–ª and whether this our satisfaction be hurtefull or contrary to the satisfaction of Chryste The Answere NEyther the confession whiche is done to the Priest neither yet the payne or penance which is ioyned for the same haue any authoritie froÌ„ the holy Scrypture but are onely grounded vppon the authorities of a fewe fathers And therfore I answere that the faythfull are not bounde by the word of god to do that penaunce which they call satisfaction neither I say to require or doo them For there is one eternall satisfaction that is to say a price reconciliation redemption from our sinnes to wit the death passion of Chryst by meanes wherof al our sins â—ffences and punishments deserued for the same are clerely forgiuen and wyped away And this is confirmed by Esai 53. the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles and chiefly of Paul to the Romanes the thirde and fifth chapters and 1. Cor. 1. c. If therefore by our workes and penaunce which we suffer that is to say if we attribute to our satisfaction which consisteth in the correctioÌ„ of our body fasting prayer almes other such like workes the remission of our sinnes the punishment due therefore or if wée suppose that by this satisfaction we satisfie and requite all those things for the which we were gilty before God then truely this satisfaction is directly coÌ„trary and striueth agaynst the satisfaction of Chryst. Or else must they say that Paule in the like case reasoned not aright when he sayd For if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then is Chryst dead in vayne For euen after the same maner doo wée also reason saying If wee our selues can make satisfaction for our sinnes what neede then had Chryst to dye Wherfore the Chuche kéepeth still that one eternall satisfaction euen the death of Chryste and héerewith doo all the faythfull content them selues iudging their works not to bée so perfecte or worthy that by them their sinnes should be forgiuen and that God by them should bée satisfyed and eternall lyfe bée purchased Here also is to be noted that the faythful which acknowledge Chrystes death to be their onely satisfaction and redemption and are delyuered by hym doo earnestly and diligently auoyde sinne and willingly suffer whatsoeuer God layeth vpon them and yet not to make any satisfaction therby bycause Chryste already hathe fully satisfied but bycause it pleaseth God so to exercise them and call them from their sinnes shewing howe gréeuously the same offende him and by this meanes exerciseth their fayth and maketh them partakers of the afflictions of Chryst. And therefore when GOD receyued Abraham and Dauid into fauour for Chrystes sake and had forgiuen theyr sinnes yet dyd he exercise them in this lyfe with the mortification of their fleshe Chryste also in the Gospel sayth vnto the man which he healed Behold thou art made whole see thou sinne no more least some worse thing happen vnto thee And therefore wée vse commonly to say to doo the same offence no more is a great punishment but yet the beste punishement And out of thys penaunce and satisfaction whiche standeth by no warrant of the Scripture is farrowed all the Whelpes of Romishe indulgences For after they had layde moste gréeuous penaunces and punyshments vppon the poore Penitentiaries for which they must make satisfaction for their mortall sinnes as by fasting many yeres togither then by their Indulgences they mitigated the same agayne and so by this meanes heaped vy huge heapes of money and so of Gods house they made an house or shoppe of Marchaundise yea rather a very denne of théeues and therefore doubtlesse God will shortly whip them out of his house The thirtenth Common place Of the authoritie or power of Priestes The. Lij Question Whether Priests haue power and authoritie to forgiue or retayne those sinnes for the whiche wee bee sory and confesse our selues The Answere THe power which Christ hathe giuen to the Ministers of the Churche is rather an office than a power for power belongeth to Christ alone And that power or Office which the Ministers or Priests haue receyued is to edifie and not to destroy as Paule manifestly teacheth 2. Cor. 10. And the keyes of the kingdome of god are giuen in déede vnto the Ministers of the church For our Lord promised them to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Math. 16. with these words I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt lose in earth shal be losed in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth shal be bound in heauen the same he gaue to all the Disciples John. 20. saying Euen as my father sent me so sende I you who soeuers sinnes you shall remitte they shall be forgiuen and whose sinnes you shall retayne they shall be retayned Therefore to lose is to forgiue sinnes and to binde is not to forgiue or to retayne sinnes But bycause no man can remit or forgiue sinnes but God onely therefore the Ministers of God by his commaundement preaching the Gospel doo declare that god forgiueth their sinnes and remitteth all punishmente if they beléeue in Chryst and that on the other side their sinne remayneth and that they shall bée punyshed for the same if they beléeue not in Chryst and therfore for this cause dothe the Scripture say that the Minister doth bind or lose forgiue or retaine sinnes And as the minister doth truly preach this so doth it vndoutedly come to passe both on the faithfull and vnfaithfull For God being in heauen performeth that which his ministers héere doe promisse on the earthe By this we may easily gather that the keyes are nothing else but the preaching of the gospel and not a peculiare iurisdiction or power as oure aduersaries reache For euen as a maister of some house giueth his keyes vnto his seruaunt to open and shut the house to let men bothe in out So is the church the house of God in the which who so euer abideth is an inheritor of the kingdome of heauen those which through infidelitie are not in the churche haue no portion in the
in Chryst is the fulnesse of all and that in him wanteth nothing belonging to intercession but that he moste perfectly dothe all things with his father and that therefore hys onely intercession is sufficiente for the faythfull yea they see that the father loueth mankinde and woulde that all men which obteine grace mighte bée made partakers therof by Chryst. And therefore is it written that the elders fall downe before the throne of God and giue all glory honour vnto him and that amongest other thinges they say vnto the Lambe Thou onely arte worthy to take the booke and open the seales thereof for thou arte slayne and haste redeemed vs by thy bloud Apo. 5. Neither dothe our charitie ceasse towardes the Apostles althoughe wée pray not to God for them For wée beléeue that they are blessed and haue no néede of our prayers Wherefore in lyke sorte when they nowe in heauen see that nothing is wanting to the intercession of Chryste and that there néedeth no mo intercessors but him alone dothe not then their charitie still remayne althoughe they make no intercession for vs The .xxviij. Question Whether the Saincts in heauen be inferior to mē liuing here on earth Therfore sithe Paule commaunded vs to pray one for another and the Apostles eche where required others to pray for them whether ought we not to desire the praiers of the Apostles being in heauen as more worthy and more effectuall The Answere IT appeareth by thys question that they goe aboute to defame vs that we think no better of the Sainctes in Heauen than wée doo of sinnefull men lyuing héere on the earthe and as thoughe wée affirmed them to bée subiecte to infirmitie and myserie But héerein they doo vs great wrong For wée include not the Sainctes in heauen as subiecte to any corruption or infirmitie but rather their doctrine is to bée suspected hereof For we teach and beléeue that the Sainctes whiche are in heauen are far better than they which lyue héere in this worlde bycause they are frée from all infirmitie and are perfecte and pure subiecte to no sorrow but without all care and trouble liue with God reioycing in euerlasting ioyes and therfore are they ignorant of our miseries which else would vexe trouble make them sorowfull And that they be frée from al cares and all things that might trouble them in any thing we may read in the. 7. and 21. Chapters of the Reuelation And as touching the miseries of this worlde they are onely knowen to God and to his sonne our Lorde Jesus Chryst and yet without all manner of gréefe and sorrowe vnto them But the Sainctes knowe not all things which are done euery where through the worlde nor are not omnipotent to help neither are they presente in all places nor knowe the harts of men for the secret thoughts are secrete and hydde from them and where as they say that the Saincts doo beholde and sée all things in God as in a moste brighte and cleare mirror this is more foolishe than néedeth confutation And as touching these thinges aforesayde they are onely proper to the maiestie and wisedome of god And as touching the Sainctes they enioy all glory moste perfectly of the heauenly lyfe And whereas the Saincts in this lyfe haue commaunded vs to pray one for an other and haue also here prayed for others and required others to pray for them yet héereby it followeth not that they which are in heauen pray for vs or that wée ought to desire them to make intercessiō for vs that they might nowe pray for vs in heauen bycause they prayed for vs when they were here on the earth And yet notwithstanding we ought to pray one for an other so long as we liue héere And there is also as we haue sayde an other state of the saynctes in heauen for they doo not all that there which they did héere on earth We are expresly commaunded to pray one for an other in this life But let them shewe vs one worde or sentence in the holy Scripture where the Saincts which now liue in heauen are commaunded to pray for vs or else shewe where the Apostles did cōmaund vs to pray vnto the Angels and Saincts to make intercession for vs or let them bring one example where any of the Apostles dyd pray vnto any Angell or Saincte to make intercession for him Wherefore if they can bring foorth no one example as in déede it is impossible so to doo bicause the inuincible veritie testifieth that they prayed to one God onely and were contented with the intercession of Chryste then should they also contente them selues with Chryst and byd that their intercession fare well for which they are not able to bring foorthe any one worde or testimonie of the holy Scripture And no doubt if there were any intercession of Sainctes in heauen the Scripture would in some one place or other make mention of it The. xxix Question Whether the riche man which was condemned dyd not in hell pray for hys kinsefolkes Althoughe he were not heard bycause of hys sinne and damnation which thing the Saincts and Angels haue not The Answere SUrely it had bene much better for these myserable wretches if they had let slippe this Question sithe they haue no better argument testimonie than that they haue from this damned rich man But this is Gods iudgement for that they are not content with that most sure excellent faythful and perfect intercession of Chryste For if they thought this intercession onely sufficiente why then make they mention of any other intercessors And bycause they often speake of other intercessors whiche yet notwithstanding are none neyther would they bée and bycause they set foorth rather the intercession of creatures than of Chryste as not contente with him therefore are they iustely for their desertes punished with so greate blyndenesse Furthermore it is not written in the Scripture that the riche man dyd call vppon GOD and pray for hys brethren that GOD myghte haue mercie ouer them But rather defired that him selfe mighte bée deliuered to the ende that he mighte warne them And therfore was it denied him bycause God will not haue the lyuing to haue any respecte to the deade as to looke for any Doctrine Reuelation or saluation from them but to content them selues with the doctrine of the holy Scripture Wherefore if our Aduersaries acknowledge thys then on Gods name let them contente themselues with the intercession of Chryst which the holy Scripture dothe allow and commende vnto vs onely And this similitude maketh quyte agaynst themselues The. xxx Question Whether they beleeue that the blessed virgin and mother of Chryst the Angels Apostles Martires and the other saincts in heauen be not to be worshipped honored and prayed vnto to helpe vs and make intercession for vs The Answere WE must here touching this worde woorship make a certayne distinction For if by this worde worship is vnderstanded adoration
inuocation prayers holy dayes fasting dayes gyftes sacrifices almes dedicating of Churches lyghting of Candles and such lyke then saye wée that God alone is to bée worshipped inuocated and honoured and not the Sainctes Yea the Sainctes wyll not bée worshipped and serued in this sort But if this worshippe signifie to reuerence and honestly and reuerently to thynke of them and acknowledge them prayse and commende them as the deare frendes of God and to imbrace them as the singular Ministers and members of Chryste then doo wée gladly beléeue and truely confesse that all the godly the blessed virgin Mary the Angels Apostles Martyres and all other Sainctes oughte by good right to bée worshipped Furthermore wée condemne all those which contemptuously thinke any thing of the Sainctes whiche lyue in heauen And chiefly we confesse that the blessed virgin Mary is woorthy all prayse and that shée is a pure vndefyled virgin bothe before in and after the birthe of Chryste and that shée is blessed aboue all other women and that of hir wombe was borne the sonne of God and therefore may very well be called the mother of god Yea wée also acknowledge and confesse that shée was the dearely beloued handemayden of God who for hirâ—faythe loue puritie lowlinesse holynesse pacience hope and suche lyke vertues can neuer bée sufficiently praysed and that shée was aboue all others beautified with moste singular gifts of grace and therfore we ought to thinke moâ—e reuerently of hir And as touching the Apostles of our Lorde Jesus Chryst we acknowledge them to bée the chosen and singular frends and seruaunts of God indued with most excellent giftes by whom it was his pleasure that the gospel should bée preached vnto vs that thereby the worlde mighte receyue lighte and wée bée delyuered from the mouthe of Sathan and adopted in Chryste into the number of the children of god Yea wée defende the doctrine faythe loue vertues and example of lyfe bothe of the Apostles Martyres and all other the godly agaynst all the enimies of GOD and of the Sainctes yea wée prayse God in them and loue them as the very members of the selfe same body with vs vnder our onely heade Chryste wée studie to followe the example of their lyues and faythe that wée may togither with them after this lyfe haue the fruition of eternall ioyes with god Furthermore whatsoeuer the holy Scripture teacheth or God commaundeth to bée done vnto them we muste readily and willingly yéelde it vnto them But nowe why wée doo not attribute and giue vnto them those honors which the Papists require that is to aske séeke helpe of them in time of trouble as from our intercessors sauiors I wil héere bréefly render the reasons and further also shew why we so earnestly teache and affirme that god alone ought to be worshipped called vppon and serued our lord Jesus Chryst to be acknowledged the onely euerlasting mediator and intercessor before god the father in heaueÌ„ First we haue a manyfest commandement that in all necessities God only is to be prayed vnto and called vppon and that he alone is sufficient for vs and that he bothe can and will giue vnto vs all things necessarie bothe for our bodies and soules for he him selfe calleth vs vnto him and promiseth vs all good things and is displeased so often as wee seeke vnto others and not vnto him and therfore when we come vnto him we greatly delight him and thereby worshippe him Secondely by the examples of all Sainctes and in the Psalmes also wée are taughte that God alone in all cases is to be called vpon and to be thanked for those benefites whiche we receiue what so euer they be Thirdely that common and holy prayer called the Lordes prayer can onely be sayde and offered to God the father and to no maner of creature Wherefore if we had no other thing but this prayer of our Lorde yet might wée thereby sufficiently knowe that none other is to be called vppon but God only Last of all S. Paule saith he ought to be called vppon on whome we doe beléeue but we doe beléeue in God only and therfore we ought to call vpon him only as he who alone knoweth is able and will helpe vs And yet we do not reiecte the intercession of Christ neither say we that we haue néede of no intercessor with god But like as God alone is to be called vpon so ought we to vse none other intercession nor any other aduocate or intercessor before God than Christe Jesus onely bicause the father hath appoynted him alone to this function therefore in him he heareth and receiueth oure prayers as I haue héeretofore sufficiently preued Wherfore if we would doe obedient seruice to the Sainctes then should we content oureselues with God and Christ our sauioure only For vnto this marke haue the Sainctes alwayes sent all menne and would not suffer themselues to be worshipped or called vpon Wherfore if they suppose that the saincts did not send men to Christe alone but to others also then let them shewe vs who they were to whom they sent theÌ„ For we haue our opinion confirmed by the manifest scriptures For when S. John twice as appeareth in the Reuelation 19. 22. fel downe before the Angell to worship him the Angell answered Take heede thou do it not for I am thy fellovve seruaunte and of thy brethren the Prophets worship thou God. Againe at the mariage in Cana a citie of Galelei when there lacked wine the mother of Jesu saide vnto him They haue no vvine Iesus ansvvered vnto hir and sayde vvoman vvhat haue I to doe vvith thee mine houre is not yet come His mother said to the seruaunts vvhat so euer he sayth vnto you doe it And this is the only will of the virgine Mary that what so euer hir sonne commaundeth we should do it And bicause he commaundeth vs to come vnto him to cal on him to pray in his name doutlesse the blessed virgin wold haue vs so to do to serue him and not hir which thing we do when we call vpoÌ„ hir son not vppon hir In the Actes also it is written of Peter and John that when they hadde healed the lame at the gate of the Temple the whole multitude being amazed ranne vnto them but the Apostles sent the people from them selues vnto Christe saying vvhy meruell you at this Or vvhy looke you so on vs as thoughe by our povver or vertue vve had caused this man to vvalke God hathe in this sorte glorified hys sonne c. Likewise Paule and Barâ—abas when they had healed the man that was as is wrytten in the foure twentienth of the Acts of the Apostles and that the menne of Lystra woulde haue done Sacrifice vnto them Paule refused it as a thyng horyble in the sighte of GOD and so renting hys garmentes diligently taughte them that God onely was to be woorshipped and not the Apostles
vs to eternall life â–ª For the body of Christe which was 〈…〉 uen for vs and his bloud that was shâ—â— for vs is our lyfe or lyfe is therby purchased to vs and these do we receiue bâ— faithe so as thereby Christe dothe liâ—â— in vs and we in him Wherfore in thâ— holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christe â–ª we do not eate bread and drinke winâ— onely but his body and bloude also buâ— yet in suche sorte as before I haue said spiritually by faithe so as the presence of Christe in this supper is spirituall is the eating therof also is For the body of Christe which is and remaineth 〈…〉 heauen euen vnto the laste day is a â—aturall body subiecte to a place and â—s therefore in heauen ouer vs and can â—n no wise bodely or fleshly be in diâ—ers places at once vppon this earthe â—r be carnally eaten And therefore in the celebrating of this Supper they haue alwayes sayd Lift vp your harts and therefore the aunciente wryters haue alwayes in interpreatyng the â—oordes of Christe touching the eating and drinking of his body and bloud exâ—ounded the same to be done spiritually by faithe bicause the fleshe profiteth not as in the sixth Chapter of John and therefore they haue interpreated these â—oords of Christ This is my body This is my bloud thus It so signifieth or it is the signe or Sacrament or token of my body and bloud For euen immediatly after the forsaid words our Lord himself â—aith Do this in the remembraÌ„ce of me And Paule saith shevv you the Lordes death vntill he come to witte to iudgement Wherefore to this Question we Answere that the naturall body and true bloude of Christe is in heauen as touching the substance and that in the supper or in the bread and wine which two retaine their propre substaunces they are Sacramentally or spiritually present not substancially or bodily For the bread and wine are the true Sacraments or signes of the bodye and bloud of Christe which being once offered on the Crosse â–ª are now abiding in heauen and are spiritullay by faithe receiued of vs vnto eternall life But some not being concente with this plaine exposition obiecte that in oure dayes there is great strife aboute the sacrament some teaching that Christ must be eaten spiritually other some saying that it ought to be carnally c. And these men we hartely beseeche that they woulde diligently marke those which thus so earnestly holde that the breade it selfe or that vnder the breade or formes thereof the very body of Christe is presente and corporally to be eaten for after they haue contentiously tossed themselues and others herein yet at the last they come to this poynt that they confesse this not to be done so grosly or carnally bicause the whole matter is heauenly Sacramentall and Spirituall Wherefore if this be true why then yéeide they not here vnto and ceasse hencefoorth to bée contentiouse and to perswade this thing to bée carnally spirituall and that the substaunce of bread no longer remayneth c. Wherby neither them selues nor yet others can tell what they meane Let the auncient doctrine of Chrystes Churche remayne which alwayes beléeued that Chryste had a true naturall body and that glorified in hys resurrection yet still remayning a true naturall body euen suche as our bodies shall bée at the last day and that with this body he ascended into heauen there remayneth and shall from thence come to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead And that yet neuerthelesse he is present spiritually in the Sacramente of the supper and so receiued of the faythfull spiritually and not carnally vnto eternall life This is the auncient playne Apostolical truth to whiche not onely thou mayest yeelde thy selfe but also know what thou beléeuest Wherfore if thou goo foorth any further to séeke to contende or to quarel then must we let thee alone that euen through thine own default thou maiest al thy life long remayne and continue a most miserable man c. The. xlj Question Whether they do beleeue that Christ being present in the Sacrament is to be worshipped wheÌ„ the same is eleuated or lift vp by the priest giueÌ„ vnto other caried to the sicke or is otherwise shewed or caried about The Answere TOuching the presence of Chryst we haue answered in the former question but if any man bée not sufficiently answered therwith let him heare the answere of S. Augustine vpon the words of Chryst Tracâ— in â—oan 50 The poore shall you haue alwayes with you but me shall ye not haue alwayes Thus he wryteth Accordyng to that substance after which he was borne of the Virgin taken of the Iewes nayled on the Crosse and appeared manyfestly in the resurrection according to that substance you shal not haue me alwaies with you VVherefore he was conuersaunt bodily fortie dayes with hys disciples and after ascended into heauen and is not nowe héere on earth For there he sitteth on the righte hande of his father yet is here also for the presence of his Maiestie did not depart Therfore according to the presence of his maiesty we haue Chryst always present but as touching the preseÌ„ce of his humane body we haue it not For the Church had him present but a few dais yet faith appreheÌ„deth him though our eyes see him not And this is S. Augustines doctrine Touching the worshipping of Chryste we beléeue he oughte to be worshipped in what place so euer he bee in bodie For whylest he was héere on earth the Apostles and others dyd worship him here and after he ascended into heaueÌ„ they worshipped him there Luk. 24. Wherfore sithe we haue already sufficiently declared that Chryst is not bodily presente in the earthe vnder the fourme of bread but is in heauen therfore is he to be worshipped in heauen sitting on the right hande of God and not vnder the fourme of breade Furthermore touching the worshipping of the Sacrament we haue neither commaundement from God nor example of the Apostles For the Lorde sayth Take yée eate yee and not shew it and worship it Neither dyd the Apostles kéepe this Sacrament and shut it in a Boxe carrie it to the sicke or in procession or dedicate any festiuall day vnto it no more than they did to Baptisme which notwithstanding is an holy Sacrament giuen in the name of the blessed Trinitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost And wée truely do worship rightly the holy Trinitie and yet not in Baptisme Laste of all it is euident by Histories that 1200. yeres and somewhat more after Chryste the inuention and buylding of Chappels to the Sacraments and feastes and carying of the same aboute on procession was inuented and ordeyned onely by men cleane contrary to the worde of god Dan. 11. and Math. 24. The. xlij Question Whether those Priests which are not consecrated suche as a greate many bee amongest the gospellers haue power to make of bread and wine the
kingdome of heauen but are euen as it were in hell and the ministers receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen from Christe that is to say the preaching of the Gospell that therby they might open shut Therefore they open when they teache true faithe promisse eternall life and exhort all men to come vnto Christe that they may be saued And they shutte vp the kingdome of heauen when they threaten eternall damnation against the vnbeléeuers wicked men and suche as do not repente testifying vnto them that they are excluded from the kingdome of god But the power or effecte to perfourme appertaineth onely vnto the Lorde like as Paule compareth the ministers of the Churche to husbande men saying Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he vvhich vvatereth but God vvhich giueth the increase VVhat then is Paule or vvho is Appollo are they any other but Ministers by vvhome you haue beleeued euen as God hathe giuen the gifte vnto euery one Therefore it is God onely that dothe forgiue or not forgiue ours sinnes and the ministers which haue receiued the keyes are onely the publishers of this deliueraunce or captiuitie Wherefore some of the Fathers haue vsed in this case a certaine distinction saying that Christe gouerneth in the Churche by his owne proper power and the ministers as seruauntes onely And héereby it manifestly appeareth that these Romishe champions which after so straunge a manner claime vnto them selfe the power of the keyes and persuade the simple people that by the authoritie of them they haue obtained I knowe not what wonderfull power are like those vnthriftie and vntrustie seruauntes who hauing receyued some certaine and limitted office not being therewith content doe vnder the pretence thereof vsurpe the power and authoritie of their Lorde and maister So these good fellowes conuerte the vse of the keyes which they haue receyued to the accomplishing of all that them selues do like off For of the keyes which in déede is the office of preaching these Popish prelates frame vp great and maruellous matters for by them they doe aduaunce and lifte vp them selues and their authoritie aboue Kings Emperors yea ouer the soules of men their dignities goodes and bodyes Furthermore vnder the pretence of these their keyes they heape vp great treasures searche out the conseiences of men and mainetaine theyr purgatorie of which muche mighte be spoken that we heere willingly ouerpasse But we knowe that the office giuen to the priestes and ministers of the church was to preach the word of God and to giue good examples of life to the congregation administer the Sacraments to féede and preserue the flocke of God as S. Paule teacheth bothe to Timothe and Titus And as touching any other greater power which the Romishe prelates chalenge in the churche there is not one woorde spoken in the Scripture sauing that in an other respect there is somewhat written thereof in the Reuelation of S. John the. 9. 11. 13. 17. and 18. chapters The. liij Question Whether mē by this retaining of sinnes are by excommunication seperated from the churche of Christe and are deliuered to the power of sathan And whether he be to be iudged a Publicane or Heathen which will not heare the church The Answere IN good soothe I maruell that these mē dare make once mention of that kinde of excōmunicatiō which the Scripture speaketh of for it it were in vse and mighte haue his force then should them selues be firste excommunicated For euē in the same place wher Paule commaundeth him to be deliuered to Sathan which had committed incest with his mother and that to be don to the destruction of the fleshe euen there also dothe he forbidde the faithfull to haue any company with whooremaisters couetous oppressers drunkardes idolaters c. And in déede we bothe knowe and confesse that the churche of Christe hathe power to admonishe exhorte punishe correcte and to Excommunicate all those who liue in sinnes wickednesse slaunders and Idolatries hauing no regarde to repentaunce and amendment of life But howe I beséeche you haue oure Romish spiritualtie as they call them vsed excommunication in their church who are they whome they haue excommunicated For they neuer vsed the same to the rooting vp of vice and vngodlynesse but to the aduauncing and setting vp of theyr owne glory and couetousnesse yea héereby as with a bridle they haue helde in the godly to be subiecte to theyr Tyranntcall power And therefore diuers Popes and Bishoppes by meanes of this Excommunication haue not onely Excommunicated but also persecuted Kings Emperoures Princes whole Common weales and sundry honest menne yea héereby setting them together by the eares and that onely to the ende this proude spiritualtie might beare the sway alone and purchase to them selues all the authoritie and power giuen by God to the magistrate and so make Kings and Princes subiecte to them Reade the Histories of Gregorie the seconde of Gregorie the thirde and Gregorie the seuenth of Paschalis Gelasius Innocentius Alexander Bonifacius and other Popes what they did to Leo the thirde Henrie the fourth and Henrie the fifthe to Phillip and Fredericke what they did to the Princes and kings of Germanie and France with diuers others whome these Popes moste miserably bothe against the lawe of God and man excommunicated and vexed with their whole kingdomes In like manner we confesse that all those which will not heare the Church according to the woordes of oure Lorde and Sauioure Jesus Christe in the eightienthe Chapiter of Mathewe are like vnto the Publicanes and heathen But what I pray yée is this vnto the Papistes Doe they thincke that all those which speake and doe against the Church of Rome are Publicanes and Heathen Lette them selues firste become the Churche of Christe and then shal they be Publicanes and Heathen that will not heare them But if these Romishe sorte be Publicanes and Heathen themselues then shall all those be called and be in very déede true Christians which sette themselues againste their churche To conclude admonition exhortation reprouing correction and punishment ought to be in the churche of Christ and must be applied as cause requireth to edifying and therefore who so euer resisteth this good order doth gréeuously offend The. xv Common place Of Matrimonie Vowes and Chastitie The. liiij Question Whether mariage be lawfull and free for all men The Answere OUr Lord Christ after he had in the. 19. of Mathewe taught that a man mighte not put away his wife for euery cause and there vppon the disciples had said If the matter bee so then is it better not to marie He answereth All men cannot receiue thys saying saue they too whome it is geuen and then making mention of thrée sorts of chast addeth Hee that is able to receiue this let hym receiue it By which wordes in déed he testifieth and manifestly teacheth that the gifte to liue chast and without mariage is not common or giuen to all mē