vvorlde in these our daies for true knovvledg and vnfayned godlines vvhatsoeuer the papists doe lyingly and slanderously babble to the contrarie And as touching the matter it is that vvhich ought to be of greatest accompt amongest men and vvhich euen in respect of the bare name and title of it is verie glorious and excellent much more in respect of the substance thereof it selfe And for the manner of handling the things propounded it is short for auoiding of tediosnes it is plaine euen for the capacitie of the simple it is sound in respect of the truthe it propoundeth And it is sufficient not onely to instruct God his childrē but also to stop vp the aduersaries mouths in this matter and vvhat then vvanteth or vvhat can be more acceptable profitable vvherefore I doubt not but it shall haue good entertainment as amongest all the godly generally so particulerly of your vvorship vvho I knovv doth hartely loue the Church and carefully like and tender the causes therof vvhich also hath beene the principall matter mouing me to vndertake this trauaile and to dedicate the same vvhatsoeuer it be vnto your vvorshippe vvhome for sundry good graces that God hath bestovved vpon you I do vnfaynedly loue and reuerence in Christe Humbly praying and earnestly exhorting you according to your measure of light and knovvledge receiued from the Lorde to enforce your selfe to the vttermost of your habilitie euery maner of vvay to the preferring and promoting of these excellent matters and namely those that concerne the reformation of such corruptions as yet remaine amongest vs either touching the ministerie or the discipline of the Church for to this ende hath God endued you vvith all the graces that you haue presently receiued or may hereafter thorovv his goodnesse attaine vnto eyther of vvit vvealth learning credit countenance byrth office honor or vvhatsoeuer els vvherevnto I vvill thorovv God his grace not onely styrre you vp by all the holy and lavvfull meanes I can but also further you in my poore prayers to almighty God in that behalfe that you may daily encrease and continue in the sounde knovvledge of his truth in the stedfast faith of his promises in the sincere zeale of his glorie in vnfained loue of his holy vvord and the exercises thereof and in care and conscience to put in practise those good thinges that are enioyned you therein that your vvhole life maye tende to the glory of God the good of the Church and common vvealth and the faithfull seruice of her maiestie and your death be comfortable to your selfe as beeing the speedy passage to eternall life and profitable vnto others vvhile they be by your example instructed both to liue and die vvell vvhich God graunt for his crucified Christ his sake To vvhose gracious gouernement and good direction I doe humbly commend your vvorship and all yours both novv and for euer London the 16. of this Nouember 1582. Your worships alwaies ready in Christ Jesus T. W. the Lorde his vnworthy A TREATISE OF THE TRVE AND visible Notes of the Catholique Church MEN demaunde at this daie concerning the markes and authority of the church the question beeyng raysed by those who when they see their erroures to bee refelled by the worde of God obiecte vnto men that are vnskilfull of these matters the sacred name of the Church and by heaping vp the disputations of auncient fathers against Heretiques they bring vs into hatred as though we had corrupted both the bookes of Gods worde and also as though by violating all authority of the church we had after the example of the [a] They were so called of one Donatus who baptized such as imbraced his opinions though they were baptized before and made a schisme in the Church about the yeere 334. Donatistes set vp altar against altar to be short as though because wee haue shaken of the yoke of Babilon we had forsaken the Church without the which notwithstanding euen as we our selues confesse there is no saluation And neither doth this subtle kinde of reasoning dryue away the vnskilfull onely from the knowledge of the truth but also causeth some euen amongest them which séemed most stedfast to wauer Furthermore by this occasion very many take counsell betwéene both sides and as in opinions they indeuour to mingle light with darknesse so also in discerning of the true Church they labour to mingle the bastardly or false marks with the true and proper marks therof But except men would willingly be deceiued the deceit of these men might be very easely perceiued and auoyded Men must first define the Church before they enquire any thing of the authoritye thereof For first men should demaund what that Church should be before they determine of the boundes of hir authoritie which order they that doe not follow commit truely that grosse error and worthy of stripes which they call [a] That is the begging or taking of that as granted which is in cōtrouersie Petitio principij Go to then let vs sée what these men meane by the Catholique Church These men holde what so euer they dissemble that the Church in which we ought to abide That the Catholique Church is not rightly called euery congregation in which is a succession of Bishops if we will be saued is an assemblie of Bishops whose calling and names may bee fet from the Apostles them selues We say that this succession which is meerely personall neyther is the Church neither any whit at all pertayneth vnto those that alleadge the same That it is not the church may appear euen vnto very children first by this The order of Bishops is not the church that vnder the name of the church properly taken it is certain that not only the Pastors but also the flocks are comprehended Now it is altogether ridiculous to define a part as the whole it selfe because by that meanes the whole and the parte shoulde be one and the selfe same thing They reply The consent of a byshop and of a flock is not alwayes a note of a true church that they vnderstand together with the Pastors the very flocks them selues cleauing vnto them But this thing is also ridiculous séeing that both hereticall and backesliding Pastors may succeed Pastors of sound iudgement and hereticall flockes true sheepe and some times in deed the Pastors are hereticall and the sheep true contrary wise true pastors may haue hereticall sheepe When that thing falleth out to wit that both the Pastors and the flockes are heretticall the very aduersaries them selues dare not deny but that such a whole Church although it haue had auncestors in deed Apostolicall both the Pastors and the flocks do agree amongst themselues in falling away is yet notwithstanding altogeather a false Churche vnlesse they will take these speeches to wit to be hereticall and vniuersal for one and the selfe same thing But in the latter case at least wise in one part there is found
none that so interpreted the primacies and glorious titles which are attributed to the bishop of Rome although in deed the bishops of Rome ambitiouslie sought nothing more and there wanted not some who most shamlesly euen then flattered thē as that they did for all that gyue this degree of vniuersall head vnto him Therfore they haue not Christ nor Peter but that most vile man of al Phocas I say the emperor for the author of this vniuersallitie and they haue Boniface the thirde the head or beginner of this tyrannie or that I may vse the words of Gregorie the great himselfe the chiefe or head of Antichristianisme in so much that the Romishe popedome doth but onely sixtene yeares at the most goe before Mahumetisme or the turkishe religion But by what sleightes that monster hath vsurped and attayned this tyrannie who I praie you at this day can be ignorant vnlesse he be ignorant of histories or whose eyes Satan hath blinded yea seeing that this most holy father doth boast him selfe to be not the successor of Peter alone but of Paul also whose heads being cut off not so much by newes hang men as by the Pope himselfe he ingraueth in these his leaden seales it must needs be either that afterward two heads were growen into one whose authoritie afterward passed for sooth to this successor of them both or els that neither Peter nor Paule were this onely vniuersal ministeriall head except he woulde rather acknowledge that the catholique churche hath had at the beginning two heades vppon the earth But what say I that I may speake nothing here of so many Antipopes or Popes one against an other when as Liberius and Damasus at one and the same time as all men affirme obtayned that seate of Rome where was then that one vniuersall head And let these thinges be sufficiently spoken touching the deliuerie of that spirituall sworde from hand to hand And as concerning that other sworde which they call secular or politique wherewith they haue ouerthrowen all magistracie From whence I pray you do they take the beginning of this iurisdiction for though we shoulde beleeue that fable of the donation or gyfte of Constantine to be as true as it was shamelesly fayned yet truely it shal not be set from the apostles but frō the emperor neither yet graunted by Christ or by Peter but by men Which thing notwithstanding was neyther lawfull for Constantine to do nor for the Bishoppe of Rome to receaue although it had beene willingly offered him Wherefore if they shall of their owne authoritie requyre agayne these two feathers the churche those former to wit the ecclesiasticall gouernement and Kinges and Princes these latter to wit ciuill iurisdiction and authoritie both which in their time shall come to passe this fellow will then appeare not the head of the church but an vnfeathered cuckow And these things concerning this head haue I put down in few words because they haue of late by them of our side verie plentifully both out of the worde of God out of the truest histories of former times to be short out of the testimonies of the Popes thēselues ben manifestly declared and plentifully proued Now the head of this succession being cut off That there can be noe Apostolicall succession in the Cardinalles Metrapolitanes Primates or Archbishops what shall the rest of the body be but a roteen and stinking carkas Truely them selues are compelled to confesse that the next degree vnto this head to wit the order of cardinalles as it is nowe cannot be set from the more auncient time There follow primates and Archbishoppes for scarce the verie name of Patriarkshippe is yet remayning and Mahomet at the length hath ended the matter incontrouersie which firste arose betweene the [a] That is those foure men that tooke vppon them the gouernment of the vvhol world he meaneth the foure Patriarches to wit Hierusalem Alexandria Constātinople Rome Quartumvi i and afterwards betweene the [a] That is the fiue mē that toke vppon them the gouernement of the world Quintumuiri Therefore the Nicene councell it selfe doth not refer the beginning of these offices to the word of God or Apostolicall institution eyther written or not written but to ancient custome So that neither can this succession be thought to be Apostolicall The degree of Bishopps wherin they are exalted aboue the rest of the Ministers or Pastors was vnknowen to the Apostles and therfore that there is no Apostolicall succession therof There rest yet Bishoppes so called of them to wit which are set in euerie diocesse aboue ministers for the other inferiour orders these pleaders of succession nothing esteeme whose onely succession neuerthelesse hath some shew of Apostolicall succession But it maye plainely apeare out of the firste Epistle to the Corinth not onely that there was no suche degree of Bishops ordeyned by the Apostles as immediatly afterward was brought into the Church after the times of the apostles neither that ther was any such allowed of the Apostle to wit that ther should be one degree of a bishop and an other of a minister or that some man should be called a Bishoppe not in respect of a flock but in respect of his fellow elders For who doubteth but that the Apostle woulde haue gyuen this counsel vnto the Corinthians or himselfe woulde haue perfourmed it or haue attributed it to Caephas or Apollo if which thing Hierome hath written to Euagrius and in his commentaries vpon the first Epistle to Titus he had iudged this remedie profitable much more necessarie for the brydling of Schismes But whether it were lawfull to ordayne this degree in the Church or not for of this I like not nowe to dispute that thing is not only apparant out of Hierom vpon the epistle to Titus the Bishops are greater than ministers rather by custome than by the truth of the Lords appoyntment But also by witnesses which these men as greater than all exception are accustomed to alleadge as Lucius the Pope Clement the second Anacletus vnlesse their Epistles be rather counterfaite which yet these men cite for authenticall Lombard in his fourth booke of sentences the 24. distinct Gratian and to be short Cardinall Cusan in his booke of the vniuersall vnitie Platina in the life of Pope Bonifacius the third al which plainly witnesse that all this Hierarchicall or priestlike gouernment aboue ministers was deuised by men after the example of the Roman empyre that is to say that it is the true Imag◠of the beast described in the reuelalion of Iohn Reuel 13.1 Reuel 14.9 For whose cause some in the beginning also did trauaile which ment not to performe that which afterward insued The thing it selfe in fine taught vs that it was a matter of great importance to decline euen but a nailes bredth from the word of God The conclusion of the disputation touching the succession of persons sundred from the succession of
they shall proue that there are more wise men than fooles Now then I thinke it doth sufficiently appeare that by this bare successiō which they brag of that true catholike church wherein we must abyde cannot be discerned from the false Churche from which we ought of necessitie to depart But yet before that we conclude this place we muste refell an argument which these Sophisters would haue to be deemed such a one as cannot be ouercome For say they Hovv the fathers vsed the argumēt of personall succession the fathers so dispute from the succession of bishoppes against auncient heretiques But againe what can be more corrupt than this subtle kind of reasoning for this is that which is well knowne euen to children which they are wount to call an elench [a] The fallacie of composition or diuision is a false conclusion made by a wrong application of wordes alleadged or spoken referring that to one which is alleadged or spoken to an other or a fallacy of composition and diuysion First therfore I deny that any of the auncient fathers were mynded to vse the recitall of Bishops but to haue recourse rather euen to the Apostles And why so that the authoritie of doctrine rather than of persons shoulde be mainteined But these men obiect vnto vs the succession of their bishops not in déede bishops so far letting passe the mention of that Apostolicall doctrine that they woulde haue it accounted a wicked thing to demaund it at his handes that woulde proue him selfe to succeed the auncient byshoppes Now I pray you howe many authors of blasphemies haue sit in those chiefe seates of Alexandria Antioche Constantinople yea what seat will these men shew me somewhat more famous where some hereticall bishops haue not helde their seate And as touching the Romish chayre from which these men by a rottē coard hang the catholique church Honorius the [a] Monothelites were certain heretiks about the yeare 565 who affirmed that there vvas but one will and one action in Christ denying that ther was in him two naturall willes and actions which might aunsvvere to his two natures Monothelite openly condemned of the sixt general councell and priuately of Agatho another Roman Bishoppe And Iohn the 22. thinking euill touching the soule of man in like manner condemned of the colledge of Sorbon in Paris were sounde to haue sit in that seate To let passe [a] Liberius for ambitions sake fell into the Arrian heresie Liberius [b] He while Siluerius the Pope liued by the ayde of Belisarius the captaine of the Emperors armie obteined the popedome Vigilius and [c] He meaneth of Anastasius the 2. who fell into the heresie of Arrius and Eutiches which heresies Acatius also him selfe did propound about the yeere 484. Anastasius whom I see of some to be excused although Gratian. 2. Disti 19. reckeneth this last also as an Acatian heretique amongst the condemned Popes But if any man would obiect that these are blotted out of the number of Byshops and therfore are not comprehended in that title or role of succession yet this he shal be inforced to graunt vs to wit that the succession of the seat of Rome was then at the least broken of when these were therefore blotted out which persons notwithstanding they themselues as yet number in their Catologue because they had declined from the Apostolicall doctrine Whervpon followeth that which Tertulian rightly affirmeth that religion ought to be proued or tried not by the persons Tertulian but the persons by religion But here truly I confesse that I do somwhat ouershoot my self for seeing the question is of doctrine what doth this appertaine to the Byshops of the Churche of Rome whome all Christendome knoweth nowe so manye yeeres to haue beene for nothing lesse carefull then for anye doctrine eyther true or false but onely for to establishe and enlarge theire owne tyrannie But they will say no man hath condēned these Popes I confes it For who would haue taken to himself this lawful authority against their tiranny who had perswaded all men that they ought to be iudged of none Therefore there hath bene not of late onely but many ages together not an interruption but a full abruption or renting of the succession of Rome from the body of the catholique true church except peraduenture these men iudge that it is something lesse eyther to belleeue nothing or to teache nothing than to be an Heretique And I beséeche you what impudencie is this True doctrine ought to go before true succession to haue the knowledge of trueth to hang vpon succession wheras on the contrary these men themselues can not deny but that the trueth ought necessarily to go before succession And these Sophisters The Christian church in the time of Christe coulde not be knovvne by the succession of Persons if they had bene in the times of Christ by what Bishoply succession would they haue acknowledged the true church surely not by the title or name of the Leuiticall high priests because that priesthood was then at an end and Christ cannot be called the successour of Aaron vnlesse Iudaisme be agayne established wherefore also he is sayd to be made a high priest Heb. 7.16.17 not according to the order of Leui but according to the order of Melchisedec Therefore the holy men at that time acknowledged the Catholique church without the marke of personall succession to wit by the comparison of the doctrine of the Prophetes with the doctrine of Christe him selfe and the Apostles Which is so farre true that on the contrarye none haue lesse acknowledged Christe than they that haue cleaued to a Byshoply succession Therefore that personall succession is no true and perpetuall marke of the Catholique Church These men happely beeing driuen from the Leuiticall succession will againe obiect another succession from the Prophetes But neyther so shall they speake the truth if they sticke in the persons them selues for the succession of Prophetes was not perpetuall no more than the succession of Priests yea rather it was broken of a long time especially after Malachie They wil also obiect vnto vs that saying Mat. 23.2 The Scribes Pharises sit in Moses chaire But agayne they shold remember the same Christ to haue said Take heed of the leauen of the Pharisees Mat. 16.6 And therefore by that saying of Christ we are not called backe to a succession of persons but to a succession of doctrine But I haue besides an other thing more peremptorye as they them selues speake to aunswere againste that in which these men falsly boast themselues to followe the authoritie of the Fathers in discrying the church by which thing also their wilines may more and more be made manifest I denie therefore The auncient fathers vsed not the argument of personall succession against all heretiques that any of the auncient fathers haue at any time made mention of this succession but either against Schismatiques whilest
shall be truely gathered together in his name And to speake in fewe wordes where that true seede is sowen there is the Lords field and there that haruest groweth which shall neuer be burned But againe because it falleth out partly thorough the weaknesse of mans wit euen in the moste excellent men partly through the wickenesse or negligence of the pastors that scarce at any time since the time of the Apostles the doctrine of Christ hath beene so preached in the Church but that some blemish hath priuely crept in which thing appeareth to bee done euen by the Epistles of the Apostles and that whilest they also were liuing Finally because the Lord hath apointed not onely that the worde shoulde be taught but also that it shoulde not be taught of euery man And for this cause hath appointed certaine lawes touching this order I must here again declare two things to wit how farre it shoulde be necessarie that that onely marke of the true Church that is to say the preaching of Gods worde shoulde be pure and how much we should giue to the ordination and succession of the Pastors themselues Therefore How farre it is necessary that the doctrine of fayth should be pure in the Church that the Church eyther particular or general may be a true church as touching that former point I put downe three thinges One is that although there be nothing set out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures which is not most profitable and verie necessary as it were vnto saluation yet there are certaine chiefe points and as it were grounds of our religion which are to be discerned from the rest The second point is that there haue beene some matters which in times past haue beene rudimentes of the Catholique Churche and may in other times also be rudiments of some particular churches yet for all that those points cease not to belong to the true Churche The third is that the religion and marke of the Churche either vniuersall or particular is not to be measured by some thing that this or that Pastor teacheth by worde or writing neither by that that some sheepe by them selues haue thought this Or by the disputations of some whether they be many or few but by that doctrine which is commonly receiued in the Churches so that it be agreable to the word of God That all the points of christian religion are not of the foundation thereof Now because these questions are called into controuersie go to let vs confirme them by sure reasons examples As touching the firste the thing it selfe sheweth that there may be variaunce touching some things yet the soundation of christian religion remaine safe And againe some things cannot be taken away but that the whole building be vtterly ouerthrown He that denieth Christ to haue come in the fleshe Iohn 4.3 is not of God but is the spirit of Antichrist Therefore the companies of the * They denied Christ to haue come in the flesh Dochitae of the * The Marcionistes of whome he speaketh here did hold that Christ was not true man Marcionits and of such like be not the Church of Christe whereby it is prooued that the point touching both the natures of Christe is an article of Christian religion belonging to the foundation Againe the Churche of Ierusalem wherin who was better learned than Peter knew not the calling of the vncircumcised and yet what true Churche was there then in the worlde if the Church of Ierusalem were not it Therefore the point concerning the calling of the vncircumcised is not of it selfe of the points of Christian religion which concerne the foundation Therfore there is some difference betweene those thinges which are set forth vnto vs in the scriptures to be beléeued The second also may be prooued by a more euident example For who doubteth That there are some rudiments of particular Churches VVhich thing also in times past fall out in the Catholique church but that if euer there were any where a true and almost onely and wholy Catholique Churche that was Christes owne houshold being conuersaunt and that according to the fleshe with those his twelue disciples Who likewise is ignoraunt that the point of the resurrection the foundation wherof is the resurrection of Christ himselfe is of so great waight that the Apostle doth rightly pronounce that that beeing abolished the whole fruit of the Gospell shoulde be abolished but that very congregation could scarce beleue that Christ was yet risen And Thomas gaue not credite to his own very fellow disciples yea the disciples would not haue beléeued euen their owne verye eyes if the Lorde had not sayd Luke 24.39 VVe may not determine of the falshood or truth of any church by the doubting of either many or few A spirit hath not flesh and bones And that third thing is confirmed by the examples of the Churches of Achaia and Galatia which doubtlesse the Apostle would not haue called the churches of Christ and therefore true churches if hee had therfore thought that the church of Corinth had denied that article of the resurrection of the flesh the churches of Galatia had reiected the benefite of their liberty purchased by Christe because some in Corinth yea perhaps some of the pastors themselues did doubt of the poynte of the resurrection and the most part of the Galathians called backe agayn the vse of circumcision and other ceremonies seeing that yet notwithstanding Gal. 5.2 the same Paul sayth If ye be circumcised Christ doth profite you nothing and seeing that he affirmeth that those which vrged circumcision not of ignoraÌ„ce but of stubbornnes they were remoued alway vnto another gospel Gal. 1.6 Phil. 3.2 therefore he openly calleth theÌ„ Apostatates or fallers away and compareth them to Dogs that is to say to vncleane beastes But it is an other thing to erre through igâ—â—â—aunce than obstinately to resist the truth as wiful fellowes are wont Heresie which is without the Church if it be of some point of the religion that toucheth the foundation is an other thing than being deceiued or an error which requireth and suffereth it selfe to be taught To be shorte the Eclipse of the Sunne is an other thing than the absence of the same and the euening is an other thing than the darkenesse of the night yea the night it selfe which the day succeedeth is an other thing than the darknesse were Gen. 1.2 when they couered the depth These things then being put downe That some errours may creepe into the Catholique church yea and that in some point of faith which concerneth the foundation it shal be easie to iudge that euery error doth not take away the name of the true church and with al that to be most false which the aduersaries say to wit that the Catholique Church caÌ„not erre and yet that euery error doth not abolish the name of the Catholike Church For as touching this latter point if
of the true church heresies might be distinguished from errors and haye stubble from those things which eyther of themselues or by reason of the opinion of worship brought in are either vngodly or superstitious and yet that all the gouernours of the Chucch ought to vnderstand that as the alter was not in time past to be builded of stones garnished by the diligence of man neither yet that it was lawfull for them so much as to fasten a naile in the Tabernacle but according to the paterne which Moses had seene in the mount euen so now also all godly magistrates indeede and all true shepheards ought to endeuour that in restoring the temple of the Lord by so many means fallen down they shoulde not onely restore those thinges which haue beene ouerthrown by Antichrists but also that they should most diligentlye wipe awaye all euen the lightest spottes that haue proceeded from the same Antichrists although they be as it were waxen hard vpon the walles of the temple and that marking partly by the story of former ages and partly by the beholding of the present ruins of the Churche these former euils of Satan they should at no hand suffer themselues to be mocked by the allegation of the fragmentes of certaine of the auncient fathers or by any vayn shew of custom but rather that they should not leaue of vntill by doctrine both the Ceremonies and all the Ecclesiasticall gouernment also be apted not vnto some figuratiue Image of shew which was needful vnder the schoolemastership of the law but exactly framed according vnto the moste perfect paterne which the sonne of God him selfe by his owne mouth his Apostles after him haue moste perfectly set forth vnto vs in their writings But cōcerning this matter we wil elswhere speake more fully as I hope when we shal answere those notable meane men who reprehend vs as ouer seuere exactors of that work especially whē we shal seuerally answere vnto the writing of Cassander to the end al men may vnderstand that none more hinder the worke of the Lorde than these Samaritans VVhich be the principal points of the Catholique faith or religion Now because I sée some not yéelding vnto these things which we haue spokē in general cōcerning the fundamental or principall points of our religion again to demād what those shold be I answer that these articles are to be called grounds or principles which being laid the whole building remaineth which being ouer thrown al things builded therupon fall to the ground And al these things we profes to haue bene described with great shortnesse plainnes out of the word of God in the Créed which they cal the Apostles Which thing ought to be added to the ten commandements the Lords praier of the which that to wit the ten commaundements doth verie compendiously set out the order of Christian life and this that is the Lords praier doth very briefly also set out right inuocation and praier This I say is that fundamental true and perpetuall mark of the Catholike church which shall neuer bee blotted out vnto the worlds end but which neuerthelesse ought to be expounded out of the wrytings of the Prophets and Apostles frō whence it is taken that al men may vnderstand it and keepe it as much as in them lyeth Now the order of this exposition is 2. VVhat exposition of Catholique doctrine is required in the Church fold one more familiar which is necessary for al men an other more large and far more plentiful as we sée that the Apostles creed was afterwardes expounded by some other Creedes of the holy Synodes that heresies might bee met withall the Consciences established more and more in sound doctrine Therfore albeit that to the ende that some man might be a true member of Christ it be not necessary that he should most exactely vnderstande for what cause thinges are spoken and set downe and should know the determinations of disputations in diuinitie Yet euery one ought to know according to his capacitie what he doth beleeue and why he doth beleeue and not to rest in the deuilishe inuention of faith which they call vnfolded that is to beleeue as the Churche hath determined and to aske no further but to adde also vnto that familiar instruction the exposition of holy writings That the true yea the Catholique church hath more then once wanted an ordinary and lawful ministery and therefore that that ordinarie and lawfull ordination and succession of Pastors vvas for a time broken off of which Paul setteth before vs foure pointes 2. Tim. 3. to wit doctrine reproofe correction and comfort All which are by diligent Pastors and teachers publikely and priuately to be applied to the capacities of the beleeuers It remayneth that we declare howe much we ought to giue to personal succession and ordination We haue sayde that the onely true perpetuall and necessary marke of the catholique Church is that doctrine which diuersly and sundry maner of wayes first by worde and afterward by wrytings hath bene deliuered by the Prophetes and at the last most perfectly declared by Christe him selfe and that by his owne mouth and by his Apostles For this word as euen after Christe him selfe Peter sayth is that seede by which the Catholique Churche both at the beginning of the world appeared and by which also it shall continue euen vnto the ende of the world But seed is to no purpose except it be sowen and the Lorde who both vnder the olde and vnder the new Testament appoynted an order for the sowing of this seed by the ministry of men hath I say necessarily appointed this sowing for otherwise the spreading abroade of this Churche woulde quickly end to endure to the ende of the world Be it so truely Then thou wilt saye ordination also and succession of those persons is a true perpetuall and necessary mark of the catholike church agréeing altogether with that other to wit the mark of sowing So our aduersaries do conclude but falsly and foolishly For that I may let passe those two thinges already confuted by vs that is to say because they babble of the succession of persons omitting the succession of that Apostolicall doctrine Moreouer because that they propoūd an other succession than that which hath beene begun by the Apostles them selues either they do not see or they dissemble that they do see albeit the sowing also and the sowers are required no lesse than the seede to the tilling of this fielde of the Church that the same order hath not alwaies bene kept either of sowing the seed or of ordeyning them vnto whome this sowing is committed And this notwithstanding they ought to haue learned both by the fore tellings of the prophetes and also by the holy histories which things remaineth to be proued of vs. The Church therfore I confes was neuer without the worde of God But let these men also shew vs that there hath bene some one
certaine perpetual order both of that sowing of the persons admitted to that sowing and that the same hath bene tied also at all times to the same lawes of ordination before that first the lord had consecrated to him selfe the first begotten Exod. 3.2 and 19 22. and the 24.5 in whose steed afterward that Leuiticall priesthood was ordained almost with infinit ceremonies Num. 8.18 Therfore then at the length began that certaine ordinary order of succession ordination that is of sowing and of those vnto whom the charge of that sowing was committed Which succession and which maner of ordayning if before that time the Church lacked it it is prooued that that ordinary succession and calling hath neither bin alwaies necessary nor continual séeing that the visible Churche stood so many ages before both of them Now let vs see whether the Leuiticall priesthood hath cōtinued without interruption euen vnto the cōming of Christ In deed we read that the spreding abraod of Aarons posterity cōtinued vntill the ouerthrow of the tēple But euen as we say thogh Dauids stocke were not abolished yet Dauids kingdome euen as amongst other the prophets Ezechiel had foretold was broken of frō the dayes of Sedichia vnto Zorobabel frō whose tims in steed of kings they were Dukes and at the lengthe the Asmoney taking all power vnto themselues Dauids posterity I say in stéede of Dukes became Senators vntill at last they being also taken away by Herod a forrainer borne and Iudea being reduced to a Prouince and so in fine as Iacob had foretold all gouernment being taken from Iudea that sonne of Dauid sprang vp Gen. 49.10 to sit in the throne of Dauid for euer So it appeareth that all the Leuiticall priesthoode was not at once broken off vntil the eternal priesthood of Melchizedech succeeding it was wholy abolished For to let passe those publique miseries and slaughters of the people vnder the iudges and especially that time which is spoken of in the fiue last chapters of the story of the Iudges in which time it is euident that the publike ministery was greatly decaied and sometimes almoste abolished who will deny that there was any true church in the kingdome of the ten tribes from the time of Ieroboam the first king vnto the ouerthrow of Samaria and yet that there was no succession nor ordination of Leuitical priesthood amongst them appeareth by this because it is writtē of Leui that he departed from the kingdome of the ten tribes and by that same most heauy complaynt of Helias which is reported by the Apostle Rom. 11.2 for concerning that which is reported afterwardes of these hundred prophetes hid in a caue 1. Kings 18.13 it doth not prooue that there was there any ordinarye ministery The aduersaries will reply that the godly Israelites went to Ierusalem and therefore that they perteined to the Leuiticall priesthoode Bee it so that some went yet there was some true Churche then in the kingdome of the ten tribes not going to the Citie neyther vsing the ordinarye sacrifices nor reteining anye vse of the Leuiticall priesthoode But agayne these men say they had notwithstanding colledges of prophets and assemblies of Godly men also at their appointed dayes as appeareth namely out of the 2. Kings 4.23 and therefore the ordinary succession of the ministery did not then cease And neyther doe I conclude out of this place that there was then no holy ministry in the kingdome of Israell But this one thing I gather that the succession of the Leuiticall ministry which was the onely ordinarye ministerye was then all togeather broken off in the kingdome of Israell For neither were the Prophetes ordained by the ministrye of men neither was their order continuall They will againe reply that an ordinary succession may cease in particular Churches but at no hand in the Catholique church that is to say vniuersally seeing that then also the temple continued in the kingdome of Iudah But beside that I can replie out of the testimonie of the Prophetes that Iudah so behaued hir selfe not onely in maners but also in the very worshippe of God that she iustified Israell hir selfe Ezech. 16.51 and that also the temple of the Lorde was shut vp vnder Manasses after that it had beene imbrued with the blood of the Prophetes and that horrible idolatry declared vnto Ezechiel in a vision beside these things I say I furthermore adde two other one is that if some particular Church may be a member of the catholique Church without the marke of succession and ordinary ordination it necessarily followeth that those notes are not that which the Logitians cal proper after the fourth sort that is to say a terme that alwayes agreeth vnto one kinde and to euery particular of the same kind whereof we now demaund and in deed doe iustly demand it séeing the whole force of the definition consisteth properly in the knowledge of the difference The other is that if which thing we haue shewed before some parte of the Catholique Churche may lacke that successien and ordinary ordination for a tyme it followeth that that thing maye fall out in all particular and seuerall Churches For why shoulde it fall out to one rather than to an other But where this thinge shall fall out in what generall thing I praye you maye a man finde that which he wanteth not in all and euerie singular parte of the same But least these men should agayn cry out that yet that thing hath not fallen which might haue fallen out Let vs proceede further and let vs consider what the state of the Cotholike Church was vnder the captiuitie of Babilon Verely these men shall neuer prooue that there was then any ordinary ministery of the Leuites For the fable of Susanna is confuted out of the true story of Daniel so that it must be a narration either fabulous or meerely allegoricall euen as also the booke of Iudith is And though Ezechiel sometimes in some place exercised the office of a Prophete as it is manifest by his Prophecies yet by that it shall at no hande bee proued that the Leuiticall Priesthoode was not discontinued But thou wilt say Circumcision then continued I graunt it for this was the singuler benefite of God euen as Satan could not in our time and in the time of our Fathers bring to passe but that the Sacrament of Baptisme shoulde remayne But the selfe same Circumcision was not vsed those forty yeeres being the time of their wandering in the wildernes where notwithstanding if the Catholike Church were not it was no where Seing therefore the Churche may for a time want some sacraments truely this part of the publique ministerye is not absolutely the perpetuall and necessary marke of the Churche which thing yet cannot be sayde of the seede of the word it selfe for the patent it selfe of a couenaunt is another thing than the seale put to the patent it selfe so that the church may for a time