as may appeare not onely by the decrée of Boniface the eight wherein he commaundeth euery man vpon paine of damnation not onely to beléeue but also to be subiect to the primacie or supreme authoritie of the Bishope But also by that they doe euery where burne those for heretikes which acknowledge not the same The seuenth Chapter Howe the Bishops of Rome in olde time were subiect to ciuill Magistrates AND as in olde time the Bishops of Rome kept themselues within the bounds limits of their own prouince and precinct so were they also as wel as all other ecclesiastical persons subiect to their Emperors lawful magistrates yea and that not onely in causes ciuill but also in ecclesiasticall gouernement Gregorius surnamed Magnus was subiect to Mauritius called him Lord saying you were then my Lord when you were not Lorde of the whole Empire Gregor ad Mauritium August lib. Epist 3. Epist 61. behold Christ himselfe shall make you answer by me which am his most simplest seruant and yours And before him Eleutherius his predecessor bishop of Rome writing to Lucius king of this realme calleth him by the name of Christs vicar Boniface also the first by humble supplication obteined of Honorius his Emperour that a lawe was established none should be made Bishop of Rome by ambition Dist 97. ca. Ecclesiae ca. Victor Iustinian also Emperour of Rome ordeined and constituted many wholesome lawes for the ordering and gouernement of the Cleargie as that no Bishop or Priest should excommunicate any man before his cause were knowen and proued to be such as for the which the auncient Canons of the Church woulde him to be excommunicate And if any should otherwise procéed contrarie to the same then the excommunicate person to bée absolued by an higher degree and the excommunicator to be sequestred from the Communion 24. q 3. cap. dc illicita so long as it should be thought méete by him that had the execution thereof c. Besides these many other such like examples if it were not to auoyde tediousnesse might be inferred But séeing the question groweth to this issue whether the Bishops of Rome ought by the diuine law of Gods word to be subiect to their lawful magistrates or not we will omit and cease to heape vp a multitude of examples out of mās law and produce a fewe witnesses out of the worde of God And first of all Christ our Sauiour did not onely commaund his disciples to giue their alleageance to Cesar but also himselfe paide tribute And the Apostle Paul writing to the ancient Romanes saith Rom. 13. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers vnder whose obedience neither Pope Cardinall Patriarch Bishop Priest Frier nor Monke is excepted nor exempted Theophil as Theophilactus expounding the same place declareth saying Hee teacheth all sorts whether he be Priest or Monke or else Apostle that they should submit themselues vnder their Princes And S. Augustine writing ad Bonifacium sayeth in such like sort Whosoeuer refuseth to obey the lawes of the Emperour which make for the veritie of God incurreth the danger of great punishment Aug. contra Cresco lib. 3 cap. 5. Also writing vnto Cresconium hee hath these wordes Kings according as it is inioyned them of God doe serue God in that they are kings if they in their kingdome commaund those things that be good and forbid things that be euill such as appertaine not onely to humane societie but also to Gods religion Vnder the olde Testament were not the Priests and Leuites subiect to the ciuill Magistrates yea euen in matters of Ecclesiasticall gouernement when king Dauid disposed them into foure and twentie orders or courses appointing them continually to serue in the ministerie 1. Para. 23. 24. 25 euery one in his proper order and turne as came aboute And when good king Ezechias renued the same institution of the Cleargie being decayed 2. Para. 31. 2. Parapo Chap. 31. But the Byshop of Rome at this day with his shaued Cleargie can not in anie kinde abide to bée ordered or disposed by any and therefore iudge good Christian Reader whether wée or they in this respect come nearer vnto the auncient constitution of the Primitiue Church The eight Chapter Of iustification NOw as we haue heard how the ancient Bishops in former time neither exempted themselues frō subiection to their lawful magistrates nor chalenged vnto themselues any vniuersall iurisdiction ouer others so let vs also in other points of their religion doctrine compare them with the first and primitiue time and we shall most plainly sée they are altogether vnlike vnto themselues And here to begin with the article of iustification first the blessed Apostles thēselues in al their writings and namely Paul the doctor teacher of the gentiles setteth forth no other meanes for iustificatiō or remission of sinnes but only faith aprehending the body or person of Christ Iesus crucified For as there is no way into the house but by the doore so is there no comming to God but by Christ alone which is by fayth And as the mortall bodie without bodily sustenance of bread and drinke can not but perish so the spirituall soule of man hath no other refreshing but only by faith in the bodie blood of Christ Iesus And for this cause it is saide To him doe all the Prophets witnesse that through his name Acts. 10. all that beléeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Hee that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. and be that obeyeth not the sonne Ephes 2. shal not sée life but the wrath of God abideth on him For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God When the kéeper of the prison at Philippos asked Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saued they answered him Acts 16. saying Beléeue in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued With this Charge and to this end our Sauiour sent foorth his disciples into all the world saying He that beléeueth and is baptised shal be saued but he that will not beléeue shall bee damned So Paul witnesseth that hee was called and sent of God to call the people to repentance that they might receyue forgiuenesse of sinnes Acts 16. and inheritance among them which are sanctified by fayth in Christ Thus the Apostles preached and thus were the olde Romanes to whom Paul sent a worthie Epistle notably deciding this question taught Acts. 10. The same did Cornelius a Romane and first that was baptised of all the Gentiles learne of Peter when he receiued the holy Ghost not by his own workes which he did according to the lawe but onely by hearing the fayth of Iesus preached And in this faith and doctrine not only the Church of Rome but the whole congregation of Gods people continued many yéeres as more plainely may appeare by the
A Godlie and short discourse shewing not onely what time the inhabitants of this land first receyued the Christian faith but also what maner of doctrine was planted in the same Whereby may appeare howe the reformation at this day in England is not a bringing in of a newe Religion but a reducing againe of the olde and auncient fayth Ierem. Chap. 6. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and ye shall find rest for your soules LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1589. To the right honourable and his verie good Ladie and Mistres the Ladie Fraunces countesse of Hertford Christopher Rosdell wisheth increase of honor and endlesse felicitie IT is an opinion right honourable and most vertuous Ladie not so true as commonly beleeued and holden of a great manie that the doctrine faith and religion which the Popish Romanists professe and maintain is the olde and ancient religion ordeined of God witnessed by the Prophets and Apostles and practised of all the godly from time to time and that the doctrine or religion now professed in England is a new doctrine which had his beginning but hereby Which imagination or conceipt of theirs doeth by so much the rather please them for that by some hundred of yeres last past the true syncere doctrine of the Gospel being suppressed banished and in a maner extinguished the errours or rather the heresies of the later Church of Rome haue euerie where both flowed and flourished Wherby it is come to passe that like as a true and naturall mother that hath beene long absent from hir house and familie at the length turning home againe is not knowen no not of her owne children euen so the ancient and Apostolicall religion hath beene so long absent and lacking to her Christian children that nowe at her returne shee is almost a straunger to all and in deed knowen but to a few Hence commeth it that although vnfitly applied yet vsually it is sayde of Romish superstition and idolatrie The old Religion the old Religion and of the Euangelical doctrine of Christ Iesus The newe Religion the newe Religion Not for that it is so in deede but because it seemeth so vnto them who haue so long gaped vpon their golden God of Rome that they haue cleane forgotten poore and simple Christ Iesus of Nazareth Whereas if men would reade the Scriptures diligently iudge indifferently and speake vprightly they should soone perceiue that neither our religion is newe as they falsely charge vs nor theirs olde and auncient as they vainly boast of For in them we are taught the true immutable and most ancient faith and religion of the Patriarches Prophets and holy Apostles As that therefore which concordeth with them can not be newe so that which dissenteth from them can neither bee true nor olde The Lorde by the Prophet Ieremie saith Iere. 6.16 Stande in the wayes and beholde aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and ye shall finde rest for your soules Hiero. lib. 2. com in Ier. Which place Saint Herome expoundeth thus Wee must cleaue vnto the Prophets and diligently behold and aske for the olde and euerlasting wayes which more significantly in Greeke are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the good way conteyned in the Gospel we must walke in that which when it is found refresheth and purgeth the soules of the faithfull Ad Pomp. cont Epist. Stephan To the same effect S. Cyprian sayth Si ad diuina traditionis caput reuertamur cessat omnis error humanus c. If wee would returne vnto the heade of diuine tradition all humaine errour should cease c. If a water pipe quoth hee which before ran copiously and plenteously doe vppon the sudden giue ouer doe not men go vnto the fountaine that there the reason of the defection or giuing ouer might bee knowen c. Euen so it behoueth the ministers of God at this day to doe keeping the diuine precepts that if in any poynt the truth be changed or shaken we might returne vnto the originall of the Lorde the Euangelicall and Apostolicall tradition that then the reason of our action might arise from whence the order and originall hath proceeded Thus farre Cyprian Excellently therefore sayth S. Ignatius Antiquitas mea Iesus Christus Ad Philad lib. 4. de virginitat Christ Iesus is my antiquitie And Ambrose also We do rightfully condemne all those new things which Christ hath not taught for Christ is the way vnto the faithfull If Christ then hath not taught that we teach we iudge euen that also for detestable Hereunto Cyprian in another place If Christ only be to be heard we ought not to regard what anie before vs hath thought meete to be done but what Christ who is before all hath first done neither ought we to follow the custome of men but the truth of God O that according to this rule we might be heard our cause decided and the quarell ended then woulde it soone appeare howe vnder the visard of antiquitie they haue hidden a new startvp superstition yea that their whole pretenced religion is nothing else but a huge heape of hypocrisie and a store basket of all Apostacie Then should it be seene that this reformation is not a declining from the auncient faith nor a bringing in of a newe but a reducing againe of the olde and Apostolicall faith or religion For the better profe wherof most christian Ladie I haue in certaine of their chiefest holdes compared their assertions with the censure of the Prophets Apostles and auncient Fathers to the ende that the indifferent Reader might partlie iudge by these what is to be thought of the rest In publishing whereof I haue had speciall respect vnto the profite and commoditie of the common and vulgar sort of people that they might haue not onely at a small charge in respect of the price but also with litle losse of time in respect of reading whereby they might bee either instructed if they were ignorant or the better confirmed if they had some knowledge And these my labours whatsoeuer they are I am right well assured shall be by many degrees more gracious and acceptable vnto diuerse for that they proceede and come foorth vnder your honourable name and protection Most humblie therefore I beseech your honour to accept the same in so good part as with a good will it is presented vnto you Whereof as I nothing doubt so will I neuer cease to pray vnto the almightie that you may long liue in this worlde to his glorie and the benefite of his Church and finally after this life may for euer reigne with Christ Iesus in his immortall euerlasting glorie Amen December the 15. 1588. Your Honours faithfull seruant and Chapleine Christopher Rosdell The first planters of Christian faith in Englande The first Chapter THis Realme or kingdome of
testimonies of these ancient fathers Ambros li. 5. de orat Ambrose sayth it is not the lawe but the faith of Christ that congregateth the Church for the lawe is not of faith but the iust by fayth shall liue It is fayth therefore and not the law that iustifieth for righteousnesse commeth not by the law but by the fayth of Christ and he that refuseth fayth and prescribeth the workes of the law Ambros de vita beata lib. 1. cap. 6. declareth himselfe to be vnrighteous for the iust by fayth doth liue And the same father in another place sayth This is that which profiteth me namely that we are not iustified by the works of the law therefore I haue not wherein I may glorie or boast in my workes and for this cause I will glory in Christ I will glory not for that I am iust but for that I am redéemed not for that I am without sin but for that my sinnes are forgiuen me not for that I haue profited any or any hath profited me but for that I haue an Aduocate with the father euen Christ that shed his blood for mée Cyprian de passione domini Saint Cyprian writing vpon the passion of Christ sayth The gift could doe more than the transgresson and grace more then sinne for grace through the benefite of loue hath fréely without any merite absolued vs that were bound with the debt of condemnation Origen lib. 3 in epist ad Romanos Origen also vpon these words of the Apostle We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the déedes of the lawe sayth The iustification of faith onely is sufficient so that if a man beléeue onely he is iustified albeit no worke as yet hath bene fulfilled by him and so hee alledgeth the example of the théefe August super Psal 70. Augustine vpon the 70. Psalme sayth The grace of God wherby we are fréely saued with out any our merits is commended in this Psalme And a little after Séeing then we are deliuered not by our merits but by his grace let vs praise him vnto whom we owe our selues wholy whatsoeuer we be Hiero. ad Galat. 4. Hier. writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians saith that neither Moses nor any other famous man amōg the ancient fathers could be iustified before God by the law Gregor super Ezech. Hom 7. Gregorie vpō Ezechiel sayth Let vs not trust in our wéepings nor in our workes but in the allegation of our Aduocate who liueth and reigneth with the father in the vnitie of the holy spirite Fulgentius Fulgentius saith the God crowneth in his saints that righteousnesse which he gaue thē fréely and wil preserue fréely and will fréely make perfect Maxentius saith Maxentius we verely beléeue that from Adam to this day none hath bene saued by the strength of nature but through the gift of the grace of the holy spirite in the fayth of the name of Iesus for there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen c. Item all the faithfull from Abel vnto Christ as many as haue beene saued haue béene saued by the same grace whereby we are saued Chrysost in serm de fide lege naturae Chrysostome fayth I can shew thée a faithfull man who without his good déedes both liued and obteyned the kingdome of heauen but none without faith hath had life c. And least here thou shouldest say hee wanted time c. I will not contende with thée herein but this one thing I dare boldly say that fayth onely by it selfe did saue him Basil in cōtione de humilitate Basile likewise saith this is perfect true glorying in God when any is extolled not for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledging him selfe to be void of true righteousnesse is iustified by fayth onely in Christ Bernard orat prim omnium sanctorum And finally Bernard sayth What can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not bee as the Prophet sayth like a menstruous cloth And if it should bée strictly iudged all our righteousnesse should bée found vnrighteous What then shall become of our sinnes séeing our righteousnes is not able to answer for it selfe Therefore let vs earnestly cry with the prophet O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with all humilitie let vs flée vnto that mercie which onely is able to saue our soules By these testimonies gentle reader thou maist soone perceiue what was the iudgemēt of the godly learned in old time touching iustification And in this faith the Bishops of Rome with their Romanists should still remaine if they were such ancient Catholiks as they pretend and if they would follow the olde mother Church of Rome and hold the first liquour wherewith they were first seasoned But the sweete verdor sent of that liquor is now cleane put out through other vnsauerie infusions of the Popes thrusting in so that almost no taste nor péece remaineth of al that primitiue doctrine which Saint Paul and other Apostles planted among the Gentiles The ninth Chapter Of good workes ALbeit the godly fathers in auncient dayes as hath beene in the former Chapter sufficiently declared nowhere could find any sure cōfort for the soule or rest peace of conscience with God the Lord but through grace and swéete promises of God giuen to mankind in Christ Iesus his sonne Yet notwithstanding they were not only abundātly fruitfull in good workes themselues but also most vehement and earnest in calling vpon all true faithfull people to serue the Lord in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life as by their liues and sermons may sufficiently appeare For to this end are we elected created called and fréely iustified to do all such good works as God hath prepared for vs to walke in Hereunto tend many exhortations both of Christ and his Apostles and also of the Apostolicall fathers which succéeded them not onely by order of place but also veritie of doctrine The like example of whose teaching if we doe not now folow let our sermōs preachings writings exhortations and liues also beare record For although we exclude good works from the office of iustifying yet we exclude them not from the practise and conuersation of Christian life but most earnestly call vpō all the faithful in Christ to walke worthie their vocation to lay downe their old conuersation to giue their members seruants of righteousnesse to offer their bodies to God a liuely sacrifice c. In déed we do not after the maner of our new found Romanes set foorth for good works the deuices of men as prayer for the dead going of pilgrimage to dumbe idoles reckoning vp of a certaine number of prayers to some certaine Saints giuing of rewards or building of Monasteries for to pull soules out of Purgatorie and such like which because they neitheir haue commandement nor promise in the worde of God Matt. 15. our
which saieth whoso calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Iohn 4. Thus Christ hath taught vs saying when you pray say Our father which art in heauen and not our Lady which art in heauen Ephe. 3. Thus Paul bowed his knées to God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ not to any of the Saints Thus the congregation in the primitiue church prayed for the deliuerance of Peter out of prison Acts. 12. not to any of the Saints but to God himselfe and not through the mediation or intercession of any other then Christ For in those days long after the godly neither knew nor taught any other mediatour then the man Christ Iesus August de vera religi cap. vlt. As for the Saints departed Augustine sheweth what is to be done to them saying they are to bee honoured for imitation and not to be worshipped for religion And Epiphanius Epiph. con Collyridia lib. 3. tom 2. hae 79. speaking of the virgin Marie sayth In déede the body of the virgin was holy yet not God she was in déede a virgine and honourable yet not to be worshipped but shee did worship him that was borne of her according to the flesh They were wont to vse a poore reason taken from the similitude of an earthly king vnto whom men cannot haue accesse but by officers in their degrées As though God were like to a mortall man and had néede of a gard to saue him or of officers to informe him When the scripture saieth he knoweth all things yea euen the very thoughts of men and is more readie to heare our praiers then we are to make them Nowe whereas they make Christ the mediatour of saluation how agréeth it with commō sense and reason that they appoynt other intercessors séeing saluation is in Christ For saluation being once had what can wee require more or what lacketh he more to bee obteined of the saints which is sure to be saued only by Christ And yet in their Catholike denotations they teach men thus to pray to the blessed virgin Saue all them that glorifie thée What maruell though they agrée not with vs when they are contrary to themselues Here vnto also apperteineth the worshipping of reliques and the false adoration of Sacraments that is the outwarde signes for the things signified contrarie to the worde of God Deut. 4. Luke 6. which saith God onely is to be worshipped The xv Chapter Of the Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper THe corruptions and errours of this later Church of Rome as touching the Sacraments are neither small nor yet a few For first by the institution of Christ and ancient obseruation of the godly there are but two Sacraments of the new testamēt to wit Baptisme and the Lords supper they haue added vnto thē fiue other sacraments And for better profe hereof the Apostle Paul in all his Epistles maketh mention of no sacraments besides the sacramental Supper Baptisme or washing of regeneration August ad Ianuarium Epist 118. And August speaking of Christ saith He hath bound the societie of the new people together with sacraments in number the fewest in obseruation the easiest in signification the most excellent as baptisme which is consecrated in the name of the Trinitie the cōmunication of his bodie blood And in another place he saith August de doct christiana lib. 3 cap. 9. At this time since by the resurrection of our Lorde there hath appeared a manifest token of our deliuerie we are not ouerladen with the burden no not of those signes which we nowe vnderstand but the Lord and Apostolicall discipline hath deliuered a certaine few in stéed of many and the same most easie to be done noble to be vnderstoode and pure to be obserued as the sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the bodie and blood of the Lord. Ambrose Ambrose also in his booke of Sacraments if it bee his maketh mention onely of Baptisme the Eucharist Secondly where as the worde of God hath ordeined these Sacraments not that wee should séeke our saluation in them but that by them we might be admonished of our saluation purchased by Christ that the promises of God might bee firme in vs through faith and we againe not onely consecrated to God but also discerned from all other people Rom. 8. As God gaue vnto Abraham the sacrament of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which hee had when he was yet vncircumcised And also whereas by holy scripture we are taught that neither the Sacraments do nor yet the worde it selfe doeth profite vs without faith as appeareth not onely by the testimonie of the author to the Hebrews Heb. 4. where it is saide the worde which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in thē which heard it 1. cor 10. 11. But also by the example of the vnbeléeuing Iewes vnder the old Testament and of Iudas Simon Magus Ananias and Saphira his wife with others Iohn 13. Acts 5. who notwithstanding they both had vsed the Sacraments yet were they neuer the nearer to be saued because they wanted faith They contrariwise teach that the Sacraments doe not onely stir vp and confirme our faith in vs but also that they auaile and are effectuall without faith by the verie doing of the action without any good motion of the doer As is to be found in Thomas Aquine Scotus Catharinus others Thirdly beside manifold abuses which they commit in the sacrament of Baptisme by adding to the simple words of Christs institution diuerse other newe found rites fantasies of men where the old Church of Rome was wont to baptize men onely this later Church of Rome hath baptized Bels and haue applied the words of baptisme to water fire candels stockes and stones Finally as concerning the Lords Supper in the primitiue Church as appeareth by the example of Christ and testimonie of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. the vse then amongst them was to haue the participation of the bread called the Lords bodie and of the cup called the Lords blood administred not at an altar as now it must needes if it please the Pope but at a plain boord or table where not the minister alone did receiue and the other looked on but the whole congregation together did communicat with reuerence thankesgiuing Yea Chrysost ad Eph. ser 3. cap. 1. if any did absteine from the holy Cōmunion and would be but a beholder onely the old fathers and bishops of Rome in the primitiue church when as yet the priuate Masse was not hatched did excommunicate him as a wicked person an Ethnicke De cōsecra dist 2. cap. secularis De cōsecra dist 2. cap. peracta And therefore in old time Calixtus decréed that after consecration all should communicate vnlesse they had rather depart out of the Church for so haue the Apostles saith he