experience that there hath beene a change when we compare the doctrine of the Apostles with that which prevailed in the church afterwards and cleerely manifest the strange diversity repugnancy there is betweene them When we compare the state of the Romish Church with that of the church in the first purest ages and make the diversitie betweene them visible and palpable Although this kinde of proofe being not easie but to those who haue skill in the languages we stand not chiefly vpon it And although it should faile vs which yet it doth not yet therefore there should not be any prescription or exception against Scripture That which is come vp since is new in respect of it though ancient in respect of vs. But here the question is not about the Antiquity of persons To which we adde that if there should bee any thing found as ancient as the Scripture being not conformable vnto it if its antiquity commend it its falsity condemneth it so much the more as it is the nature of evill to be the more pernicious the more ancient it is CHAP XXIII That it is not ingenuous dealing to vrge vs to answer where our Church was and what Pastors it had before the Reformation NOw the authors of these wrangling cavilling proceedings might cease their captious quirkes and take time to blush a while But as the contentious spirit of Sophistrie is infinite in the invention of new trickes to perplexe a cause they giue vs here another knot to vntie God they say hath alwaies had a church on earth this wee confesse and that church hath from time to time had her Pastors here we agree with them too But then say they Where was your Church before Luther What Pastours what Doctours had it See here againe how from the ignorance of man they conclude the not being of the thing Presuming that we cannot satisfie these demandes and assuring themselues that we knowe not where our Church hath beene and by whom it was guided they take it for a matter already out of question that therefore our Church was not at all In which inference there is discovered a notable peece of wrangling for it being presupposed which yet is false as it will appeare by and by that we knewe not where our church was and who haue beene our Pastours since the alteration and defection hapned in the church of Rome might it in conscience hence bee concluded that it was not therefore at all Would this consequence be admitted Thou knowest not such a thing therefore it is not or hath not beene Yet this is the manner of their argumentation against vs. You knowe not say they where your Church was nor who were her Pastours therefore she was not at all Vpon this it is that they triumph and insult over vs as if wee answering that we knowe not where our Church was nor what Teachers it had we should implicitly yeeld in the same answer that she was not all or if she were that shee was destitute of Pastours The like argument once deceaved the Prophet Elias when he knewe not where the church of the tenne Tribes was nor who were its Guides They haue forsaken thy covenant saith he they haue broken downe thy altars they haue slaine thy Prophets and I am left alone and they goe about to take away my life also Hee thought himselfe to be alone because his fellows were vnknowne vnto him But the Lord made him see the imperfection of his vntoward Logicke advertising him that he had reserved seauen thousand to himselfe which had not bowed the knee to Baal If then the Church of Israel might subsist so secretly that Elias knewe neither her abode nor her Pastours who will thinke it strange that the same case should happen in the time of our Grandfathers that then when the earth was overclovded with darknesse God had a Church albeit we are not able to specify the place of her residence or names of her Pastours It may not here be replied that at that time beside the hidden company God had a flourishing Church in Iudah in as much as it hath often fallen out that the Church of Iudah equalled yea exceeded the church of Israel in corruption So that then to behold the face of the church as it was obvious to humane view it could not be said but all lay in desolation But albeit that lamentable defection had not beene vniversall in â—srael and Iudah yet the argument drawne from the estate of the Israelitish church would still retaine its force seeing that if such a part of the Church might exist vndiscernable why may not the other parts also and all other particular Churches subsist vnknowne It 's a necessary consequence that that which hindreth the whole Church from lying hid ought also to hinder any of her parts and the same power which preserueth and sustaineth the parts of the Church viz particular Churches amongst the most tumultuous confusions and disorders shall conserue likewise the whole Church If we are to thinke that the Church is alwaies visible and may be pointed at with the finger because the Lord prescribing the meanes to compose differences hath said Tell it to the Church seeing they are particular Churches to whom recourse in this case is to be had this reason will proue as strongly that particular Churches should alwaies be visible If it hinder not but these may be invisible as it is agreed vpon neither will it hinder that the Church totally in her vniversality may sometimes be invisible If the Church be alwaies set vpoÌ„ the tops of mountaines if in consequence she be alwaies visible the particular Churches shall be so too seeing she cannot be taken notice of but in them and by them and if she bee not alwaies glorious and conspicuous in her parts no more shall shee be in the whole If lastly it be thought that the Church ought alwaies to be visible alwaies exposed to the eyes of men because her Pastours are the lights of the world compared to candles which are not put vnder bushells but vpon Candlestickes seeing this appertaineth to the Ministers of particular Churches the Churches in which these Ministers are by this argument shall continue alwaies visible to the eyes of carnall men which is manifestly false But certainâ—ly God hath not promised that his Church should bee alwaies elevated vpon mountaines he promised indeede that she should be placed there and so no man doubteth but that this promise from time to time hath had its accomplishment But he neuer promised that she should be placed there alwaies no more hath it fallen out so On the contrary God hath promised that there should be wings giuen to his Church that shee might fly vnto her place before the persâ—cuting Dragon And whereas the Lord hath commanded vs to empty our grieuances which wee haue against her brethren in to the bosome of the Church when priuate reconciliation is impossible this
truth for so a lye is never approued of but masked with the looks of its opposite Yea our owne passions varnish it over or at least hinder vs from tearing of its vaile for feare least we beholding it with a narrow eye stripped of the borrowed face of truth should be affrighted by its vglinesse CHAP. II. That this imperfection of iudgement proceeding from passion is discouered principally in the cause of Religion IT may be that in the civill part of mans life where if the worst come to the worst it toucheth but the temporall good this affected winking of the vnderstanding is not altogether hurtfull But in Religion it fareth otherwise the danger here is dreadful and the losse beyond recovery when all here is embarked and carried away the body the soule not to be no more which would be at least a forlorne kinde of happinesse but to be everlastingly miserable which is the wofull complement of all vnhappinesse And yet for all that this mischieuous quality hath so encroached vpon our nature and insinuated it selfe into such good footing that it 's never more domineering and peremptory then when the question is concerning Religion the salvation of the soule and the worship which God requireth of vs. The poore Indians so long as they are shewed braue ensigne or curious picture because the imbroderie and painting ravish the sense and man is naturally idolatrous runne to them like birds to the fowlers crye even to adore them as if they enshrined some Deity But otherwise let oâ—e tell them of their errours of the errours of their fore-faâ—hers they will demand as did the Prince of Frisland What is become of their progenitors and friends formerly dead in their errours And if one answere them that they are in hell they will reply that they will goe thither also secretly giuing vs to vnderstand that there is no likelyhood they should be there The loue which they beare towards them maketh them mistake this sad truth for a lye because it implieth the condemnation of those whom nature or acquaintance hath most indeared to them If by reasons so sensible that meere sense might comprehend them it be strongly endeauored to make the folly of the Turkish Religion visible vnto a Turke all this while the Sunne is but shewed to a beetle the Turke sees not a whit not as if that had impaired his senses but it being an irksome businesse to acknowledge the horrid absurdities of his superstition his passions grow furious either besot his vnderstanding or divert it from a discontenting speculation of such a truth which being assented to would force him to pronounce sentence of condemnation vpon his country-men his Sultan his friends and kindred This is so torturing a griefe vnto him that nature will not suffer him to beleeue it and so it remaineth as incredible vnto him as it is vnpleasant vnlesse God worke aboue nature Let vs accuse the obstinate Iewes of blasphemy by testimonies of Scripture wee shall stop their mouths we shall convince them but yet for all that not convert them An inconsiderate zeale without knowledge as the Apostle hath obserued it a superstitious reverence of the traditions of their fathers a sottish doting vpon their owne righteousnesse a desire of the restauration of their state of their restablishment in the land of promise overspread their eyes as it were with a vaile so that they cannot behold the glory of God in the face of Christ who nullifieth their traditions teareth from them the false covert of righteousnesse who confoundeth their hope of an earthly kingdome and prosperity who frustrateth their expectation of a King a Messias triumphing in secular pompe who bindeth them to the taking vp of his Crosse presenting himselfe to them crucified and in his Crosse the shame horrour of the rebellion of their Ancestors All this is thus and more harsh to the naturall apprehension of the Iew and therefore hee is no lesse blockish and backward to beleeue it In as much as he considereth not neither alloweth the true full poise to those meanes whereby this truth should be proued vnto him It is then from his passion that this his affected voluntary and in consequence malicious ignorance proceedeth CHAP. III. That the vnderstanding troubled by the affections of the heart alwaies findeth pretences to make it selfe beleeue that which it desireth should be true IT is not so for all this that this ignorance wanteth colour which giueth it at least the aspect and complexion of a true knowledge insomuch that it deceiueth him who hath it and oftentimes others also The Paynims puffeâ— vp with a conceipt of their owne wisedome esteemed the doctrines of Christian Religion to be meere dotages To this purpose they alledged all that which reason blinded with passion could furnish them with albeit that in their superstition they beleeved many things much more repugnant to humane reason They alleâ—ged Antiquity and yet all the Pagan superstition sprang vp long after the truth Had we but the â—earned discourse of Iosephus against Appion it is enough to instruct vs that that wisdome so much vaunted of was of late birth in comparison to thâ—t of God to that of the Church They alleaged aâ—so their miracles their prodigious wonders their oracles tâ—e disasters which befell the world after the publication of Christianity as if it had not beene confirâ—ed by many and most admirable miracles against the contemners of it as if it had not bin promised spokeÌ„ of long before by oracles far exceeding theirs in clearnesse antiquity and truth as if whilst the Pagan superstition flourished the world had not smarted vnder the same evills which it felt since the preaching of thâ— Gospell or as if it had felt more tolerable plagues And as iâ— this multiplication of evills were not rather to be attributed to the contempt of so excellent a graâ—e tâ— tâ—e butcherie and martyring of so many poore soules guilty of nothing but Christianity blamelesse in all other respects living not so much like men as Angels If you please but to read the relation of Symmachus to tâ—e Emperours Theodosius Valentinian and Arcadius apologizing for Paganisme you shal find there were never grosser vntruthes invented nor yet more like vnto truth that nothing could be spoken with more impiety or more plausibility the author being as eloquent as he was irreligious These poore Paynims little thought they maintained a bad cause their affection to it made them mistake it for good They excused that in Paganisme which in Christianity they esteemed a folly a crime a sacriledge· For Paganisme they enslaved their vnderstandings busied them to search out reasons against reason in it they swallowed even Elephants On the contrary in the Christian Religion they accuratly strained and sifted every circumstance the propension of their affections swayed them to an approofe of the
antient people heauy and toile some If he adde that it is to be presupposed that those things which are obserued by the whole world although vnwritten haue notwithstanding beene ordained either by the Apostles or by the Councells this he restraineth neverthelesse to a small number of feastes of the passion Resurrection and ascension of our Lord of the comming of the Holy Ghost yea in closing his discourse with this supposition and if their bee any thing obserued by the whole Church he plainely giues vs to vnderstand that their were very few things beside those by him specified and those to of very small moment The doubting particle If their be any imports that necessarily And truely if the ceremonies had amounted then as they doe now to an heavy burden by reason of their number the difficulty and trouble of obseruing them If in obscurity of signification they had matched the Iewish ceremonies yea if they had beene taken from the ceremonies of the law as the Popish are all excepting those which are borrowed from Paganisme this good father should haue contradicted himselfe if hee had thought that either the Apostles would or Councels could haue imposed them vpon the Church He had said that our Lord had subiected his Church to an easy yoke and a light burden should he then say that the Apostles and Councels had beene willing to make this yoke irksome and burden heauy Elsewhere he complaineth of the excessiue number and intollerable multitude of ceremonies admitted into particular Churches bemoaning the condition of the Church by this meanes more slauish then that of the Iewes But this number was not so insupportable in respect of the seruitude it brought vpon the Church as dangerous in regard of the superstition it begate And certainely here is the venome incorporated into humane inventions which vnder some well composed lookes of piety and deuotion insinuating themselues into the true seruice of God they stifle that and aduance themselues into its roome Our Lord marked ouâ— this euill when his Disciples being accused of transgressing the traditions of their fathers he not only iustifieth them but also condemneth their accusers for hauing made void the commandement of God by their traditions who is so blind that hath not seene that sees not daily that the commandements but falsely called the commandements of the Church are more religiously respected and with more scruple violated then those which all confesse to be the commandements of God Notwithstanding the infinitenes of their number and variety the sottishest dullest amoÌ„gst theÌ„ haue theÌ„ at their fingers eÌ„ds the spirituall seruice of God in the meane time and the manner of its performance is vnknowne vnto them the precepts which inioyne and teach it are strange to the greatest part of them A pregnant argument of the hypocrisie and corruption of mans nature which is delighted in that which is fleshly and outward neglecting that which is spirituall and inward This is that which gaue occasion to that antient and grievous complaint of the Prophet conceiued in the name of God This people draweth neere vnto mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me for their feare and seruice is the commandement of men A man continuing without any exercise of religion can hardly be at peace with himselfe and therefore he ventureth vpon some kind of deuotion but the mischiefe is that he is not pleased but in that which is outward and sensuall carnall as he is in that which is carnall the more then that a religion is sensible and mechanicall as wee may terme it the more acceptable it is vnto him the more intellettuall and spirituall the more vncouth and harsh For this cause even vnder the new testament and vnder grace now when the Lord hath advanced his Church to an estate meerely spirituall he hath left her neuerthelesse some ceremonies by reason of her infirmity but few in number and without brauery accompanied with the preaching of the word for feare of danger namely the Sacraments of Baptisme and the holy supper For he would elevate our hearts vnto a sublime pitch and set them on high and fixe them vpon their Principall obiect drawing them from sensible and materiall obiects to more refined and purified affections and meditations Pondering these reasons we make no more apologies for our selues to those who cast in our teeth our penuâ—y of ceremonies Nay wee thinke this our glory seeing in this point we stand vpoÌ„ the same tearmes with the blessed Apostles wee haue the same defence which they had the condemnation of our accusers for that by their trumperies they haue smothered the syncere simplicitie of true worship Wee tell them that this multitude of rites and traditions is more suteable to the superstition of Turkes Iewes and infidels amongst whome all these vanities haue beene and are still in reâ—uest Christian religion is not capable of them they cannot stand either with the spirituall estate or poore condition of the Church Superstition the mother of ceremonies is lavish prodigall Spirituall whordome as it is it hath this comoÌ„n with the bodily Both of them must haue their paintings their trinkets their inveaglemeÌ„ts this caÌ„not be without charges The Church cannot afford such cost vpon ceremonies and bables her stock is so employed in succouring the liuing images of Christ that shee cannot tâ—inke vpon wooden babies the world is so hard wâ—th her that shee hath nothing to cast away in the guilding of Alters in erecting proud edifices in adorning walles with tâ—peâ—lrie in maiestick and stately processions through the streets CHAP XI That the policie of the Roman Church serues all for preiudice against her WEE haue seene then that neither the pompe nor the ceremonies of the Church â—f Rome can doe her any seruice but only to make her the more suspected the more shee stands vpon them euen as the riotoâ—s luxury aâ—fected postures of countenance and mâ—ltitude of compliments in a woman make her chastitie more questionable But peradventure the policy government and authority which she takes vpon her hauing a visible head siâ—ting in a throne more then imperiall in the citty of Rome heretofore the Queene and Empresse of the vniverse and now by vsurpation greater then ever she was having succeeded the Empire and in this succession surmounted it in greatnesse of soveraigntie which she takes vpon her exercising dominion over the body and the soule in this life and after it in this world without the circuit of it without being accountable to any submitting all to her selfe not only the outward man but the inward also even the conscience Peradventure we say this consideration may make vs both to reverence and admire her This doubtlesse may set her out most amiably to carnall eyes but the spirit iudgeth otherwise yea quite contrary of it When the protestation of Christ shall come into our memories that his kingdome is not of this world the exhortation of
Christ that his Disciples should not be like to the kings of the nations the example of Christ who being himselfe Lord of Lords King of Kings during the time of his abasement became tributary to a Prince a tyrant The commandement of Christ when he bid to pay vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods The practice of this commandement in the Apostles who acknowledged themselues subiects to superiour powers subiecting to them every soule by their eâ—hortations when they protested that they were the servants of the faithfull for Christs sakee that they had no power over their faith These considerations make that which ravisht fleshly eyes mishapen hideous and terrible to a spirituall view especially when it shall bee considered that this boundlesse power and transcendent dignity is a character of Antichrist the true condition of his Antichristian kingdome directly contrary to that of our Lord Iesus Christ. Certainely be it as it will that there haue beene are and will be many Antichrists and false teachers which oppose themselues against Christ yet there is one of them to whom this title is by an vnhappy excellency principally due Inasmuch as that beside the abominable impurity of his doctrine which is common to him with the others hee invades the royall prerogatiue of Christ hoising himselfe aboue the Magistrate and the Angells themselues and so aboue all that is called God for these are they to whom this name is allowed in Scripture whil'st arrogating to himselfe a power over consciences hee pretends a supremacy over all Christians a supremacy of religion and which is spirituall and so fits in the temple of God behaving himâ—elfe as if he were God taking vpon him the power of binding loosing conscieÌ„ces of making that sinne which God hath not called sinne of giving dispensations where God giues none of rating good workes and setting a price vpon them enhauncing and moderating the market according to his occasions When he hath terrified the consciences of the greatest Monarchs working this impression into them by his deputies that how serious soever their repentance may be yet they cannot enioy peace either of soule or body vnlesse his absolution come betweene Whil'st he makes vncleane the vse of creatures whom God hath sanctified by his word not commending a fast but inforcing an abstinence from certaine creatures against the expresse word of God which pronounceth this doctrine a doctrine of Divells Whil'st he vndertakes to make marriage vnlawfull which the Scripture hath called honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled When hee dispenseth with the breaking of vowes when hee allowes for honest those marriages which the word of God hath declared to be incestuous When he declares by his indulgentiall Bulls that prayers had in a plâ—ce by him assigned are more pretious then if they had beene without his assignation Exercising this traffique that with the sale of things spiritual of soules and consciences he may stuffe his treasures which he imployeth as the world knoweth either in maintaining warre against Christian Princes or in promoting his kindred or in making his proud prophane Epicurean court swimme in superfluities of dissolute luxury What shall we say more When he vndertaketh to shut and open at his pleasure the gates of Paradise to prolong or abbreviate the torments of those that are departed When arrogating to himselfe this power he vseth such a partiality in the execution of iâ— partiality say we When he proceeds in such niggardlinesse and avarice yea such barbarous inhumanity savîng only whom it pleaseth him to saue being able if you will beleeue himselfe to saue all Is not this to arrogate a power proper and peculiar to God alone But this power which in God the Lord and Master of all is no whit tyrannicall in man who is obliged to doe for another all he can possible to loue his neighbour as himselfe more then tyrannicall Finally when out of his authority he employeth the Angells in the pretended execution of his commandements vâ—urps not he an authority more then humane altogether divine Yet notwithstanding this so strangely vsurped power is the master sinew of that policy by which this vnwildy body subsisteth the Colossus and maine pilâ—ar of the Roman Church a nerue which taking its originall from the head straggles through the whole body being distributed to every member proportionably to its vse even as in the kingdomes of the world the Monarches reserving with themselues as it were the spring-head and sunne of soveraignety nevertheles communicate the streames of this spring the beames of this sunne in proportion to their officers according to each of their functions CHAP. XII That although it hath beene foretold that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God yet that Church which acknowledgeth him cannot be the true Church BVt there remaineth yet this scruple that how tyrannicall and Antichristian soever this policy be yet the Church where it is practised may not a whit the lesse bee the true Church Yea rather seeing that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God considering this power and dignity wee haue iust reason to presume that the Church of Rome wherein it beares sway may be truly the Temple of God This scruple cannot stagger or stay him who shall examine whether this power be to be exercised by the Church or against her to be approved or deâ—ested by her who will consider that the followers of Antichrist at any time now if he be already come as certainely he is or for the future if he be not yet come as a great part of the world dreameth may oppose the church by the same argument alleaging that they are the true church because Antichrist is amongst them One therefore adventured to interpret these words sitting in the Temple of God in a sense which runnes sitting against the Temple of God grounding vpon the words in the originall which may denote as well an opposition against the church as a residence in it But let vs take the words in the former sense that Antichrist must sit in the church of God yet it will never follow that that church which aâ—knowledgeth him for her head obeyeth and adoreth him hath any thing of the church but the bare name Let him then be in the church but as a canker is in the body a tyrant in the commonwealth It may seeme that for this cause the Apostle vsed the word Temple rather then Church that hee might expresse vnto vs this mystery of iniquity by allusion to the Temple of Ierusalem called by an excellency the Temple of God signifying vnto vs that as the Temple of God had beene anciently the place which God had consecrated to tâ—e outward exercise of his service but that men aftâ—rward transformed it into a den of theeues retaining for all that the title of the Temple of God in regard of it's primitiue and sanctified
vse even so the church of Rome is stiled the Temple of God as being primordially planted and dressed by his hand consecrated to God and the Lord Iesus Christ and is so still at this day outwardly by baptisme and profession of the Christian faith although they haue degenerated from their originall purity and by their abominations prophaned their consecration belied their profession Like vnto rebells who notwithstanding their rebellion retaine the name still of kings subiects as vsually he that is the ringleader of a conspiracy obeyed by his confederates is said to vsurpe rule over the kings subiects So the adulteresse keepes the name of a wife still After this fashion that may bee called the Temple of God which is become a den of theeues that wherein not Antiochus but Antichrist hath set vp the abomination of desolation But granting them that the Temple of God wherein Antichrist must sit should be the true Church it cannot thence bee concluded that the Church of Rome should be the true Church this will imply no more then that the Temple of God are the faithfull both those which haue been heretofore and those which are still as it were impledged in the Church of Rome as anciently the Iewes were in Babylon and all Israell in Aegypt Over them the Pope long since sate and at this day sits and in this sense sits in the Temple of God in the rigour of its signification They in the meane time never were and now are not of the Romane church as the graine is in the chaffe but not of it As some vpright Iustices may be in a Court of corrupt Iudges but not of their confederacy a few wholsome bodies may be with a multitude of infectious but not of their company Finally to cut them off from all evasioÌ„ we say that the Pope sitteth in the church of God in regard of the vnlimited authority he vsurps over all christians even those which are separated from his slaues vndertaking as their Iudge to proceed against them with his tyrannous censures and constraining Princes to persecute them It is then a certaine truth that this policie of the Roman church being of the same nature with that of the Antichristian church it is a disgracefull and scandalous badge of her corruption and apostacy On the other side let the government of the reformed churches be obserued in them there is no supreame iurisdiction but an authority which alwaies submitteth it selfe to the rule of Gods word and Canons of a discipline regulated by it Every man being assubiected to the iudgement not of one alone but of many and those many not vndertaking to binde any man by their authority but only by the equitie of their decrees submitting themselues to the controll of any man yea and yeelding to it if it be accompanied with reason The true church is of so ample a circumference that she cannnot be governed by one alone and of so Royall a descent that in that which concerneth the conscience she cannot be ruled by any but God himselfe Any other whosoever he be imployed in any function concerning her must behaue himselfe as her servant not as her Lord not prescribing her any thing but bearing witnesse to what hath beene prescribed her not advancing himselfe aboue kings but bowing vnto them not thinking that his spirituall liberty exempts him from bodily loyaltie but giving to Caesar that which is Caesars to God that which is Gods honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute belongeth This is the platforme and ground of iurisdiction in the protestant churches very different from the Popes who establisheth a spirituall monarchie in the church who taketh vpon him to iudge all without being iudged by any who requireth a blind obedience grounded not vpon the reason and equity of his iniunctions but vpon the vncontrolable eminency of his place making as much of his ordinances as if they were brought downe immediatly from God as having in the registry of his breast the fulnesse of infallible knowledge CHAP. XIII Whether vnion and discord be markes by which the true Church should bee discerned from the false ALL the advantage then that the Church of Rome gets by this clatter of externall pomp of ceremonies iurisdiction and authority by which it is endeavored to make her greatnesse more venerable stands her but in this sorry steed to strengthen the suspicion of her falshood into her conviction On the contrary the innocent basenesse simplicity and humility notable in the true church maketh her more louely affording vs sound matter of a pressing coniecture a strong presumption that she is indeed as well as in stile The Reformed Church This perceiued maketh vs presage that all the other exceptions which the Church of Rome darteth against vs will be of the same making with this first having more plausibility then soundnesse partiality then iustice colour then strength as we shall see by Gods assistance in the progresse of this examination Let vs consider then in the second place what weight there is in the pretended vnity of the Church of Rome opposed to the discord surmised to bee amongst vs. Now we say that it is not generally true that vnity should alwaies be a note of the true Church or discord of the false We sâ—y also that the vnity of the Romane Church is in shew only not in deed that it is rather a conspiracy then a vnion like vnto that amongst those which were besieged in Ierusalem who disagreeing betweene themâ—elues ioyned forces neverthelesse against those which besieged them being divided at home and vnited abroad And on the other side that our discord is only surmised and tâ—at we are in truth vnited not only against the common enâ—my but also betweene our selues That it is true that vnion is not a marke of the true Church nor disvnion a iust presumption of the false see we not that in the times of the Apostles there were great discords in the Church Some of them were of one opinion some of another one thought that the ceremonies of tâ—e law were to be retained another that they were not And this divisioÌ„ had made such an alienation of hearts in tâ—e Church that St Peter himselfe was compelled to be a timeserver and diversly to apply himselfe according to places and persons vntill he met with a rough censure from St Paul who resisted him to his face and sharply rebuked him for not walking vprightly according to the truth of the Gospell I vnderstand saith the same Apostle writing to the Corinthians that there are dissentions among you and I partly beleeue it for there must be heresies amongst you also that they which are approued may be made manifest Behold in the meane while amongst the Iewes the Scribes Pharisees and Sadduces vnited together vnder one head the high Priest Could they then benefit themselues with this pretence and vpbraid the Christians with their discord True it is the Sadduces agreed not
honest chast woman might it not be presumed that she were either mad as well as dishonest or else as impudent as vnchast What should that Physitian bee thought of which being examined about a fact of impoisonment obiected against him instead of iustifying his prescriptions and his application of them according to the rules of Physicke would onely cry out that hee was a Physitian of much skill experience and fidelity We accuse the church of Rome she who will needs be called so of being the whore and the Babylon in the Revelation We accuse her Doctors of impoisoning soules she answereth vs that she is chast and that she is the spouse of Christ her Doctors tell vs that they are the successours of the Apostles and the servants of God contenting themselues with this poore silly answer without any other proofe to iustifie themselues Truely if we should accord that the Papacy is the spoâ—se of Christ and that its Doctors are the heires of the Apostles they would haue gained the caâ—sâ— but what man is there so stript of reason which seeth not that when we accuse the Church of Rome for having erred and plaied the Apostate wee accuse her of not being the true Church That when wee accuse the teachers of the church of Rome for being seducers we deny them to be the successours of the Apostles So then when for their compleat defence they only oppose against vs these glittering titles they doe no more then simply affiâ—me that which was principally called in question a pretty defence for them who haue none at all True it is that their proceeding would haue some equitie in it if our accusation consisted in a naked assertion and if we barely affirmed that which we were not able to proue for to a simple yea it is enough to oppose as simple a nay You say it we deny it Yet he that is innocent will not content himselfe with this easie come off couragious as he is he will doe more then acquit himselfe But here the question is not about a bare affirmation but a rationall proofe so strongly backed that there is no shift in sophistry no wrangling devise which they haue not recourse to that they may not be bound to answer directly Wee offer to lay open the whoredomes of the Church of Rome and the impoisonments of her teachers We propound this accusation fortified with reasons and proofes Is not this on our part to proceed as we should and on theirs by this vaunting as vaine as it is bold of the venerable title of the Church the Pastors and Teachers of the Church which they oppose vs with to make themselues rather more suspected then any whit iustified Yet when they are prosecuted and driven even into the vttermost corner of their evasions their last mine as it were by which they blow all vp is We are the Church of Catholike Doctors As if we disputed not with them about the truth of this title as if this were not the summe and substance of our accusation that they are not such as they would make vs beleeue they are In doing which they are like vnto a company of vnlearned Professors who when they are puzled nonplust by their auditors for want of other reply betake themselues to the authority of the chaire and prerogatiue of the square cap. CHAP XXI That it is an vniust proceeding to deny the change happened in the Church vnder pretence that the Authors time and place of it cannot be specified FOr all this they imagine that they come over vs againe very shrewdly by a demand which they vrge vs with pressing vs to tell where when and by whom the change in the Church was begunne For presuming that we cannot answere them exactly concerning this they promise to themselues in the sequell this aduantage that we shall be forced to yeeld vnto them that since the times of the apostles matters haue continued at that point which wee see them to be at at this day neuer considering that it is the vnhappie condition of time and the ordinary pace of the world to runne on into woâ—se to loose and destroy with time that good which deserued to haue beene perpetuated by it Not as if this corruption or contagion could at all endanger or hurt the true Church the number of the faithfull and the elect whom God sustaineth in the midst of the greatest confusions and enlightneth in the most fearefull eclipses as wee haue formerly shewed but in as much as time shriueleth and wrinckleth as it were the face and outward hue of all things Vnder the old Testament before the publication of the yeare of Gods good pleasure he alwaies preserved his Church viz. his owne yet no man denyeth but the outward face of the Church was the subiect of many and great alterations all confesse it and hee which should not would deny the Scripture Vnder the new Testament the same is happened the Church of God neuer altered in that which is essentiall much lesse hath shee vtterly failed but if wee consider her outwardly in the multitude in which shee lay hid as the graine amidst the chaffe here the change is notorious wee offer to manifest it to him who doubteth of it But wee say it is a tyrannous law to compell vs to particularise the persons times places by whom when and where the change and reuolt was begunne When the concealer of stolne goods is attached for felonie the lawfull owner challenging his goods and verefying his title gaineth his cause and ouerthroweth the concealer although he cannot shew where when and by whom the theft was committed The Physitian forbeareth not to iudge of a disease and to apply conuenient remedies vnto it although he be ignorant of the time place and occasion of it Surely it is a weake conclusion in all matters especially in religion to infer that no alteratioÌ„ hath beene vnder colour that the author time and place of it cannot be punctually specified Such an accurate enquirie aknowledge so exact in such circumstances dependeth of the histories of times past what then if those histories bee not knowne what if they bee not to bee found in the Records of Antiquity What a multitude of alterations haue all along happend the first authours times and places of which it is impossible to specifie But who is not acquainted with the ordinary dealings of Innouatours who knoweth not that they vse to mislay or abolish such copies and evidences as might one day be produced against them How many bastardly books haue beene fathered vpon ancient and famous authors which they would haue reiected as monsters This hath beene practised in all faculties in Phisick in Law and also in Diuinity It is then a hard and vniust proceeding in Romanists to bind those who accuse theÌ„ for being Innouatours to produce against them fragments foisted into the Registrie by their owne confederates whereas they produce more autheÌ„tique vnquestionable evideÌ„ces He that should vndertake to
they added to this truth their lyes to this spirituall bread their leauen then they sate in their owne chaire they were to be heard no farther then the true church stopt her eares against them the false she listned to them Thus we answer to this importunate questixon How may this be By the same reason also we are not perplexed for an answer when they aske vs what is become of our forefathers This interrogatory proposed by the Pagans to the first Christians extorted from them an answer odious in the mouthes of children speaking of their parents that God was marvellous in his waies but in all likelihood they were damned Thankes be to God we are not driuen to such straites In Paganisme there was nothing which might saue no word of grace and mercy in the doctrine published in the church of Rome there was something to beâ— chosen and they who picked it out carefully and applyed it to their vse were saued Why should wee doubt but that many thousands of our fathers did it God hath knowne how to preserue a church to himselfe in the midst of the most horrible Apostacies confusions and desolations happening vnder the old Testament since Malachie Should his arme be shortned vnder the new No but Eternall as he is he is alwaies like himselfe Now then let the importunate curiosity surcease those questions framed only to distract the simple Where was your Church Where were your Pastours Our church was in Babylon and her Teachers for want of better were the Teachers of Babylon Concerning that which they trouble vs farther with why therefore we haue not imitated our forefathers example why we are come out of Babylon if they were saved in it We will giue reasons for it hereafter in their proper place CHAP. XXV Of the true succession of the Church what it is that it dependeth not of succession either naturall or Politicke NOw because they mainely oppresse vs with the preiudice which they make against vs about Succession which they say is of great moment and pretend moreover that they haue it and that we haue it not that they haue continued alwaies that we are lately come in by the by crossing their line of succession let vs consider what strength this pretence for them exception against vs may haue Now that the ambiguitie of the word may not intangle vs we must knowe what kinde of succession they meane If it be a naturall succession from father to sonne from generation to generation we say that the succession of the Church dependeth not of such a succession It was and is still the prerogatiue of the obstinate Iewes that they are the successours of the Patriarches and Prophets in respect of carnall and naturall generation yet they are farre enough from being the true Church They haue succeeded their religious Ancestors in being men this succession is naturall They haue not succeeded them in being faithfull men this succession is spirituall If they vnderstand a politicke succession in respect of the place and auctority one succeeding another in order and without out interruption we affirme that the Church is not fastned to such a succession How often doe the Prophets complaine that the people of Israell their kings and Priestes were all gone out of the way and quite disordered by idolatry albeit their kings were successours of good kings and their Priests of good Priests The Scribes and Pharises enioyed not they this kind of succession which we call Politicke Were they for all that the true Church yea were they not seducers of the people corruptors of the Law sworne and deadly enemies of the Lord and his doctrine Now against this truth so evident it is impossible they should reply any thing but it will be very friuolous If it be said that Malachie prophesieth that the Priests lips shall preserue knowledge that the people shall seeke the law at his mouth wee answer that in that place there is not contained a prediction of an after euent but a declaration of a duty For indeede presently after the Prophet accuseth the Priest for hauing gone out of the way for causing the people to stumble A manifest proofe that these words the lips of the Priest shall preserue knewledge haue no other emphasis theÌ„ to signifie that the lips of the Priest ought to preserue knowledge There is nothing more frequeÌ„t in Scripture theÌ„ to propose a duty in the future tense Almost all the commandements of God runne in this forme Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven image Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. He that should inferre vpon these formes of speech that these CoÌ„mandements shall never bee broken would hardly proue himselfe a reasonable creature So the true succession of the Church is not alwaies ioyned to this politicke succession which of it selfe without the succession of piety is like to the succession of darknesse to light of sicknesse to health of an infectious aire to a wholesome of barrennesse to fruiâ—â—ullnesse of a Tyrant to a good Prince That ought to be accounted the true succession which is the suâ—cession of truth To haue the same minde and opinion is to haue succession of the same seate not to haue the same opinioÌ„ is to be contrary in respect of the seat The succession of the seate hath but the name of succession the succession of opinion hath the truth of it said Nazianzane and in saying so hath taught vs in what sense the Lord would haue the Scribes and Pharises to be heard as sitting in Moses chaire to wit when they tought like Moses so farre as they are the successors of Moses in doctrine But that hindreth not but that he hath commanded also to take heed of the leauen of the Pharises when they sit not in his Chaire but vpon a stoole of their owne making But what hath the Church of God then no certaine succession on earth Yea the Lord hath said that as the substance of the oke and Teyletree is in that which they cast so the holie seed shall be her substance But this succession is not tyed either to the naturall or to the politicke succession but it dependeth onely of the free disposition of him who turneth riuers into a wildernesse and the water springs into drie ground A fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein who turneth the wildernesse into a standing water and drie ground into water springs CHAP XXVI That the Popes authority is not originally deriued from the Apostles BVt to come nearer to this matter the Romish Church hath no kind of lawfull succession not that of gouernment and policie not that of rites and ceremonies no not the succession of persons least of all that of doctrine Shee hath not that of the policie of the ancient Church for in the ancient Church there were no
beleeued that wee may with a sound heart in a full perswasion of faith yea with boldnesse goe to the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need They teach that it is presumption that we must vse the mediation of the Saints to God as we doe the intercession of Court favorites to the King Antiquitie beleeued that only God knoweth the heart They beleeue that the Saints knowe all our secrets Antiquitie alloweth not prayer for the dead wee say true Antiquity which is the Scripture for it teacheth that after death commeth iudgement which must be vnderstood immediatly after for otherwise one might say as well that after our birth commeth iudgement On the contrary they beleeue that iudgement commeth not immediatly after death and vpon this opinion they ground their prayers for the dead Antiquitie beleeued that that which entreth in at the mouth of a man defileth not the man They beleeue that eating of flesh in Lent defileth the man Antiquity beleeved that to command abstinence from marriage and certaine meats is a doctrine of Divells The Romanists command and practise both Antiquitie beleeued that images were not to be worshipped The Romish Church is full of such idolatrie Antiquitie beleeued that God is to be worshipped in spirit and truth The Romish Church thinkes there can be no religion where there is not a multitude of ceremonies Antiquitie beleeued that he which laboureth not should not eat The greatest Saints amongst them abstaine from lâ—bour and are most idle Antiquitie beleeued that it was a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue They beleeue farre otherwise for the most holy amongst them place their felicitie in povertie Antiquity beleeued that it was expedient to pray to God against poverty They beleeue that its best to vow it CHAP. XXX That there is not so much as the succession of persons in the Church of Rome BVT how will this matter goe if it appeare that they are destitute not only of the succession of Ecclesiasticall policie of the succession of ceremonies of the succession of doctrine but also of the succession of persons If it hath fayled in the Popes themselues shall it not by the same reason haue fayled in the whole body depending of them Now he that would deny that this succession hath not beene interrupted amongst the Popes he must impudently venture to deny also the outragious schismes made by the Antipopes whilst there were two sometimes three who claymed this successioÌ„ It cannot be said that only one of them had it for what 's then become of the Churches that depended on the other Popes Shall they be excused by the pretence of their well-meaning because every one of theÌ„ beleeued that they depended on the true Pope This good intention then shall excuse the Donatists for they thought they adhered to the succession of the Apostles and why should not the same excuse the Protestants also seeing they beleeue verily that their Ministers are the successours of those Pastours which the Apostles planted in the Primitiue Churches It is to no purpose to produce here the example of Barbarius Philippus who being a slaue his determinations which he gaue during the time of his iudicature were currant neverthelesse even after he was discovered to be a slaue For there is not the same reason in the Ecclesiasticall functions Civill functions depend of the approbation of men these of God The Popes the being not true Popes but vsurpers before God could haue no authoritie whatsoever men esteemed of them It is as idle to alleage the example of Iudas because that although he were a wicked man yet he was a lawfull Apostle not an intruder but one lawfully called to the Apostleship which caÌ„not be verified of those Popes which were thrust out becausâ— thrust into the châ—ire Genebrard goes farther then all this when he pronounceth all those Popes vnlawfull in whose election the Emperour of Germany bare the sway although there were many of them succeeding one another without ever being deposed The succession then hauing fayled in the Popeship as I may so speak seeing the Pope is the head of the whole body of the Romane Church it would be labour in vaine to shew that it hath beene personally interrupted in his members who haue no other succession then what is derived from his CHAP. XXXI That its meere wrangling to demand by what authority one requires an holy Reformation BVt be it say they that we haue in so many kindes degenerated from the purity of our ancestors who gaue you authority to reforme vs Who hath appointed you iudges over vs See them againe at their preiudices So the Pharises anciently outbrâ—ved the Lord. In what authority doest thou thâ—se things But what haue wee done that they should presse vs so much to shew our authority We haue espied the wolfe in the fold we haue cryed ouâ— the enemie not at the gates but in â—he cittadell and we haue sounded alarme We haue observed the Traytors and fingered them out To proceed thus farre there needeth no other authority then the zeale of the honour of our Soveraigne Lord of the peace of his Ierusalem and prosperity of his house If the Wolfe hath made no spoile if that man of sinne hath not taken possession of the temple of God if the watchmen of Israel are not become gluttonous and drowsie dogges then our zeale hath beene without knowledge yea not zeale but madnes We intreat them to giue vs leaue to make it appeare that we cryed not out but vpon a iust and necessary occasion if we cannot verifie this let vs bee condemned But let vs not be thrust back vpon the simple preiudice of want of authority in our persons to giue warning and advise it is insteed of all authoritie to knowe how to giue it seasonably He that can shew that he hath given an opportune and necessary advertisement sufficiently purgeth himselfe from the crime of rashnesse Here then is the pith of the matter to examine whether we haue so proceeded or no This being cleared the question touching authority will be found to be but a wrangling quirke craftily invented to make vs loose the principall for who doubteth but if that the desolation of the outward face of the Church hath beene so lamentable as we pretend that every one ought rather to striue to succour it with some timely remedie proportionably to the measure of his skill then to make it worse by dissembling it In the common wealth if any one arise against the ordinary officers of the King this is called sedition rebellion treason but if this insurrection bee occasion'd by a treason attempted by those officers against the King and state if this be verified it is no longer a crime but an heroicke exploit and an example of loyalty so much the more famous by how much lesse note and authority he was of who
be without a methode but commandeth to sollicite the principall businesse the more zealously because there is lesse possibilitie of compassing it the ordinary way Methode is commendable in all things but when exigences are so violent that they make it impossible nature lawes customes instruct vs to betake our selues vnto that which is most necessary This then is not to giue example to tumultuous persons or to open a gap to confusion for he is truely tumultuous who contemneth order not he who cannot finde it he who neglecteth it without any good motiue not he who is constrained to passe over it It supposeth then not introduceth a confusion to permit the exercise of a function to one who is capable of it destitute of a humane calling then when the calling is impossible the exercise of the function necessary But whilest the ordinary formalities may bee obserued and the case is not so vrgent as to exact an extraordinary proceeding it would be truely to open a gate to disorder So it maketh no way for sedition in a citty or mutinie in a campe to permit that in case of treason the citizen should rise against the subordinate Magistrate the Souldier against his Captaine without any other commission then his owne private motion if he cannot haue time for a more formall course Confusion is only when without this case this licence is permitted So the first obiection drawne from the inconvenience which the liberty of not observing order and formes of law when it is possible draweth after it cannot disadvantage our predecessors although they were not furnished with an outward calling seeing they were driuen to such plunges as gaue them not leaue safely to follow the methode of law For the affaires of the Church being at that passe that heresie and idolatrie bare the sway that they which had the outward calling not only exercised it abusiuely but which is worse hauing the authority to conferre it they bestowed it not vpon those who would and could exercise it aright keeping backe as some times the Pharises did the key of knowledge shutting vp heaven gates neither entring in themselues nor suffering any other to get in It was necessary then albeit they had no outward calling in an extraordinary case to venture vpon an extraordinary proiect St Paul had foretold that there should come a falling away so notable that by a kinde of singularity he calleth it Apostacy Not then one heresie one sect a part by it selfe for there had been already in his time such fallings away but a revolt which should ouerspread the face of the Church so that she might hardly be espyed through the thicknes of so horrid a cloud Now who are those which were to oppose theÌ„selues against this revolt Doubtlesse not the Apostates themselues not they who persevered in this revolt but they who separated themselues from it who protested against it be it that they either had authority amongst the fallen away as the Levits amongst the tenne revolted Tribes or be it that they had it not But they will say perhaps we our selues haue made this revolt Let this then be our question the preiudice laid aside and then we must come to the examination of doctrine which is all that we desire CHAPTER XXXIV That the example of the Priests vnder the law cannot be drawne into argument to proue that a man may not sometimes exercise a function in the Church without an outward calling THE second obiection which they make against vs is that as it was not lawfull to occupy the roomes of the Priests in the ancient law even during their revolt so it is not lawfull for any man in the revolt of the Doctors of the Christian Church to take the place of a Doctour But there is not the same reason betweene the Pastours of the Christian Church and the Priests of the Iewish Church Their function was typicall carnall and therefore fastned to certaine typicall and carnall circumstances of times places and persons they were not to sacrifice but at a certaine time it was not permitted but to a certaine race to exercise the Priests office and that in the Land of Iuda only The administration of the Gospell is reall spirituall free from all circumstances Preaching may bee in all times at all places by all men of ability who both may and ought to preach when it 's requisite Salvation depended not vpon the carnall and typicall administration the ceremoniall sacrificing in the law the omission of which the circumstances of times places persons requisite for the businesse ceasing as in the time of captivitie of it selfe endangered not mens soules as doth that of the preâ—ching of the word which the Lord even vnder the old Testament set free chaining it not to these conditions to such a time such a place such a person because it is simply and absolutely necessary to salvation Whence it was that there were teachers out of all the Tribes of Israel who although they supplied not the defect of Priests for so much as was typicall and ceremoniall in their charge as in offering of sacrifice this part of their charge being especially appropriatâ—d to their persons neverthelesse in that which concerned teaching and instruction they were substituted for aid and releefe and were to make good those stations which the others had forsaken Witnesse the Prophets and the Sonnes of the Prophets being indifferently of any Tribe witnesse the Pharises whose calling our Saviour alloweth censuring only the abuse of it who were not only of the Tribe of Levi but of all Tribes of which St Paul furnisheth vs with an example in his owne person being of the stocke of Beniamin and yet a Pharisee borne of a Pharisee And indeed if here were fit place to alleage the ancient law against this truth as it was not lawfull but for one Tribe to execute the Priesthood of the old Testament and but at a certaine time only and in a certaine place we should by the same reason circumscribe the calling of Ministers vnder the Gospell with the same limits and girde in their liberty with the same fetters making it requisite that they should be of a certaine family and exercise their calling at a definite time and place Whence it is manifest that the priesthood of the old Testament cannot be brought for an example when the controversie is about preaching vnder the new that being tyed to certaine circumstances from which this by the propertie of its nature is freed CHAP XXXV That the example of Iudges in a Commonwealth is impertinent to proue that outward ordination is alwaies necessary in the Church IT is to as little purpose to produce the example of a Iudge in a Commonwealth where no man what necessity soeuer there be what ability soeuer he hath may presume to thrust himselfe into that office without being called to it For besides that wee haue formerly shewed that in the time of confusion the King installeth Iudges himselfe not