Catholike which is a Gréeke word and signifieth no other thing than if thou shouldst saie vniuersall for that it is not bound more to one place than to an other But euen as God is a God of the whole vniuersall world euen so will he that the bodie of his sonne which is his church should be extended into euerie place With him there is no exception of persons neither had he respect whether those which he calleth into his church be either husbandmen or smithes men or women princes or seruants rich or poore barbarous citizens or Gentils as though he were moued for these outward things to choose them but of euerie nation he chooseth those whome he thinketh méet Wherefore the church is an vniuersall bodie compacted of men of euerie kind and condition But it excelleth also in a nobler societie which is of such sort as whosoeuer be truelie gathered togither into that bodie be indued with the same féeling of faith And vndoubtedlie in vaine shall euerie other consent be if minds disagrée in the doctrine of faith Neither is there euer anie thing that bringeth more detriment vnto this faith than the inuentions of men From hense haue flowed all the heresies that euer were which in verie déed are nothing else but the opinions of men conceiued besides the meaning of the scriptures and sowen abroad among diuers people as if they were certeine diuine mysteries which bring saluation or else works most acceptable vnto God And forsomuch as such doctrines are nothing else but deuises of men by which the authours of them haue sought their owne gaine and commoditie first they be méere lies deceipts and wicked iuglings secondlie when as they procéed from the inuentions of men they cannot satisfie all men For looke how manie men so manie sundrie opinions there be so that some dissent in one article of the faith and some in another So in verie déed it happened among the Gréekes and other Christians which inhabit towards the East part whome if thou examine thou shalt vndoubtedlie find that by a common consent they haue allowed the holie scriptures but in those sundrie superstitions the which they haue oftentimes deuised there will appeare great disagréement The Roman church aboundeth with superstitions 38 Howbeit in these deuises of superstitions the church of Rome carrieth awaie the price For while they prouide to stuffe into the pure and simple religion of Christ infinit abhominations drawne out of the sinkes of paganisme in restoring and as they saie or rather as they lie in reforming them to a better forme it hath troden vnder foote and destroied all things Also this it obstinatelie vrgeth that euerie mans faith dooth rest in such goodlie things And mens inuentions are more estéemed than the lawfull doctrine of the truth drawne out of the holie fountaines of the scriptures And this might not others which in like maner be infected with their owne superstitions abide that they anie lesse than the Romans should stoutlie kéepe still and defend their fained worshippings and humane inuentions But they which haue imbraced the principall and sincere doctrine of Christ be vtter enimies against those superstitions séeing they perceiue that thereby the glorie of Christ and his merits are altogither obscured the honour of God translated vnto his creatures his seruice vsed without his word set foorth onelie after the deuise of men so that the church which at this daie challengeth proudlie vnto it selfe alone the name of Catholike shée alone I saie more than others hath seuered and euen rent in sunder that common and vniuersall societie of the faithfull For if it had staid it selfe in that religion and seruice which the holie scriptures doo prescribe vnto vs there had not procéeded so manie schismes from thence But hitherto it hath vsed no measure of hir owne feined deuises and it hath endeuored by force armes to constraine euerie man to receiue the same From hence haue risen infinit dissentions amongst which there be some that remaine vnto this daie as experience it selfe plainlie testifieth And as touching those that haue béene in the former ages whosoeuer will diligentlie applie his mind in reading of histories shall easilie perceiue them Howbeit whatsoeuer sathan by his cunning The Catholike church standeth fast hath wrought the Catholike church remaineth still stedfast and immooueable and shall firmelie abide euen vntill the last daie of iudgement For the same betokeneth nothing else but an vniuersall bodie compact togither of men of euerie state and condition the which in what parts soeuer of the earth they dwell they reteine the same faith and grace righteousnesse holinesse and happinesse and finallie they imbrace euerie good thing offered them in Christ and so as they will neuer suffer themselues one iot to be led from that truth which the spirit of God hath reuealed to vs in the holie scriptures but they will assure themselues of that onelie worshipping to be lawfull and acceptable vnto GOD which hée hath prescribed in those holie scriptures 39 Neither are they for anie other end compacted togither in this societie A communion of the church but spirituall but that they should edifie one an other to their power euen as the ioining togither that is in the members of a mans bodie is chéeflie ordeined for the helpe and preseruation of euerie particular member The church striueth not to the intent it might challenge vnto it selfe some chéefe empire or temporall iurisdiction it promiseth no such end vnto it selfe as it would heape vp excéeding treasures and earthlie riches The scope thereof is not to rule nations to make warres to laie hold vpon cities What weapons the church hath and to vanquish them Indéed this bodie is not destitute of his weapons but these be spirituall and not carnall weapons namelie the word and the spirit with the which it ouercommeth the wisedome of man casteth it to the ground leadeth captiue the mind and cogitation to the obedience of Christ And the same vndoubtedlie oppresseth not the bodies with tyrannicall seruitude or draweth awaie mens goods by gréeuous tributes This selfe-same doctrine dooth Paule in verie manie words inculcate in his later epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10 4. where he verie well describeth the wrestlings of this congregation and he in the same epistle intreating there of his owne and of other of the apostles authoritie saith that The same was granted vnto him to edifie and not to destroie Vnto the which notwithstanding they doo singularlie bend themselues which will alone be called heads and apostles of the church Howbeit in the meane time with all their power they resist the word of God Neither doo they suffer the perfect state of our iustification to be preached but rather by their humane decrées and constitutions laie infinite snares against the miserable soules of the people committed to them the which notwithstanding are redéemed by the pretious bloud of Christ And yet further they pollute with their
of righteousnes taken by it selfe yet can it by no meanes be spoken of vs and of our righteousnes Wherefore séeing that sentence could neither edifie nor make anie thing to the purpose I sée not how Paule could so haue written howbeit in this matter I will not contend with Augustine more than is méet The third Chapter Of Faith and the certeintie thereof and of the vices of feare and securitie which are contrarie vnto the same also of the nature of our adoption and hope and vnion with Christ NOw it shall be conuenient to declare what faith is In Rom. 3 verse 22. Faith therefore is an assent A definition of faith and that a firme assent vnto the words of God obteined not by reason or naturall demonstration but by the authoritie of the speaker and by the power of the holie Ghost And this definition disagréeth not from that which Paule taught in th' eleuenth chapter to the Hebrues By this we may sée Verse 1. about what things faith is occupied namelie about the word of God And it is euident what the chéefe and principall ground is vnto which all things perteining to God are referred and that is The Lord hath said But the authoritie of the speaker cannot be of so much effect with vs as it ought to be vnles the persuasion of the holie Ghost be therevnto adioined In Gréeke it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are not accustomed to beléeue vnles it be in that thing whereof we be full persuaded Basil as touching faith when he expoundeth this place of the psalme Psal 116 10 I haue loued and therefore haue I spoken writeth thus Doo not contend to sée those things which are laid vp far off neither make those things doubtfull which are hoped for Two breake necks or downe-fals to be taken heed of In which words he sheweth that two principall things are to be auoided the one is that we be not with too much curiositie stirred vp to séeke out the proofe of things which we ought to beléeue which proofe so long as we liue here cannot be had the other is that although they be obscure yet we should not doubt of the truth of them And the same writer intreating of the confession of faith saith on this wise Basil saith that they swarue from faith which adde anie thing to the scriptures Iohn 10 vers 4. 5. It is a manifest falling awaie from faith and a point of pride either to refuse anie of those things that be written or to bring in anie thing that is not written forsomuch as our Lord Iesus Christ said My sheepe heare my voice before that he said But a stranger they will not followe but will flee from him bicause they haue not knowne his voice The apostle also hath by another humane example straitlie forbidden either to adde or to diminish anie thing in the holie scriptures when he saith Gala. 3 15. And yet no man dissanulleth the testament of man when it is confirmed neither addeth anie thing therevnto In which place a man may perceiue how warilie this writer affirmeth that as touching faith nothing ought either to be added or diminished in the holie scriptures Which thing maketh chéefelie against them that obtrude inuentions and traditions of men as of necessitie to be beléeued Further the same writer plainelie setteth foorth the certeintie of faith when he declareth the propertie thereof in his Morals the eightie Summe 22. chapter where he saith What is the propertie of faith He answereth and vnseparable certeintie of the truth of the words of God which is not atteined to by anie kind of reasoning or brought in through anie naturall necessitie nor being framed to anie pietie can euer be shaken off And he addeth that it is the dutie of one that beléeueth in such a certeintie to be affected to the power of the words spoken and not to presume either to disanull or to adde anie thing Rom. 14 23. For if it be so that Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne as the apostle saith And faith commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10 17. then whatsoeuer is not of faith being not conteined in the scripture inspired by the spirit of God the same is sinne This father togither with vs confirmeth the certeintie of faith and sheweth wherevpon the same dependeth when he calleth it vnseparable bicause when we beléeue we doo not examine by our owne reason what is possible or not possible to be doone And he séemeth to allude to those words which Paule speaketh of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4 20. that He wauered not through vnbeleefe where he vsed this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore let certeintie be the contrarie thing vnto doubting which happeneth through inquisitiuenes or examination of mans reason Moreouer Basil saith that is sinne which is without faith the scriptures Rom. 14 23. Note how Basil vnderstandeth this text whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin Faith differeth from opinion and suspicion that which he in another sentence had spoken he plainelie repeateth againe namely that Those things which are without the scriptures are not to be beléeued And this place of Paule Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne he vseth in his naturall and proper sense as we also vse it which thing our aduersaries cannot abide Faith differeth from opinion for opinion although it make vs leane vnto one part yet it dooth the same both with reason and also not without feare of the truth of the other part And suspicion dooth yet ingender a weaker assent than opinion dooth bicause it is both destitute of reason and also it leaueth men doubtfull of the truth of the other part It is true indéed that science ingendreth a firme assent but that is brought to passe by adding of demonstrations Forsomuch as we now sée plainelie as well what faith is as also how it differeth from opinion science and suspicion let vs sée how manie waies faith is taken How manie waies faith is taken For there is one kind of faith that is mightie perfect and of efficacie whereby we are iustified but there is another which is void without fruit and the same being vaine and during but for a time bringeth not iustification Which thing is manifest by the parable of the Gospell where it is said that The séed that is to saie the word of God Mat. 13 19. falleth sometimes vpon good ground and somtimes vpon stonie ground vpon thornes and by the high waie side where it is lost bringeth foorth no fruit Againe Iustifieng faith is not in all alike that faith which is good and profitable is not in all men alike for it hath degrées according to the greater or lesse infirmitie of the flesh Wherefore Paule saith Rom. 12 3. Euen as God hath diuided vnto euerie man the
testification of things Who hath in his owne power It is not in our owne will to be touched with that sight wherby our will should be mooued to faith to haue his mind touched with such a sight whereby the will may be mooued vnto faith And in his 61. sermon vpon Iohn All sinnes saith he are comprehended vnder the name of infidelitie And he addeth that Faith cannot be without hope and charitie which thing also he most plainlie teacheth vpon the 31. psalme The same father in his first booke and 19. chapter against the two epistles of the Pelagians at large intreateth after what maner we are drawne of God and amongst other things he saith that the Pelagians would too much triumph ouer the christians if they had not the word of drawing in the holie scriptures But forsomuch as that word is expressed in the verie Gospell they haue vtterlie no place to flie vnto Iohn 6 44. There are infinite other places in Augustine which doo confirme this opinion which now for breuitie sake I thinke good to ouerpasse 82 Cyrillus against Iulianus in his first booke Cyrill and 14. page saith The faith of Abraham and our faith is vtterlie one and the same And the same author vpon Iohn in the third booke and 31. chapter expounding this sentence Iohn 6 29. This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom he hath sent For faith saith he bringeth saluation and grace iustifieth but the commandements of the lawe rather condemne wherefore faith in Christ is the worke of GOD. In these words we ought to note that faith is it whereby is brought saluation and that we are iustified by grace And he declareth these things more plainlie vpon Iohn in his ninth booke and 32. chapter vpon these words And whither I go Iohn 14 4. ye knowe and ye knowe the waie For we are iustified by faith and are made partakers of the diuine nature by the participation of the holie Ghost Leo. Leo in his 13. sermon of the passion of the Lord The fathers saith he beléeued togither with vs that the bloud of the sonne of God should be shed The fathers were iustified by the faith of the same promises which we beleeue Wherfore there is nothing déerlie beloued strange in christian religion from the things which were of old signified neither was saluation hoped for at any time of the righteous men who haue liued before vs but by the Lord Iesus Christ for whom they did looke This and manie other like testimonies doo confute those chéeflie which dare saie that Abraham was indéed iustified yet not through faith in Christ but by faith touching earthlie promises Albeit this author may séeme to make against vs in that we saie that true faith is not found without charitie for in his sermon De collectione eleemosyna he thus writeth of sathan He knowing that God is denied not onelie in words but also in déeds hath taken awaie charitie from many from whom he could not take awaie faith possessing the féeld of their hart with the roots of couetousnes he hath spoiled of the fruit of good works those whom he hath not depriued of the confession of their lips These words if they be déepelie considered make nothing at all against vs for we speake of a true sound and liuelie faith But Leo vnderstandeth onelie a certeine outward profession of faith for when he would render a reason whereby it might appéere that faith was not taken from them he mentioneth onelie an outward confession of the lips which we also grant may consist without charitie and be oftentimes boasted of of manie men which neuerthelesse are most wicked And after this maner I suppose are to be expounded such like testimonies if anie happen in the fathers Gregorie Gregorie Bishop of Rome in his 19. homilie vpon Ezechiel We come not saith he to faith by works but by faith we atteine vnto vertues for Cornelius the Centurian came not by works vnto faith but by faith he came vnto works Acts. 10 4. for it is said Thy praiers and almes But how praied he if he beléeued not But now because he knew not that the mediatour was incarnate by workes he came vnto a more full knowledge Hereby I would haue our aduersaries to know that faith necessarilie goeth before all good works for they affirme that morall works which arâ—â—oone of Ethniks and of men not yet beléeuing in Christ are good which thing is in this place of Gregorie confuted The same author in his second booke and 25. chapter of his morals speaking of the same matter thus writeth Vnlesse faith be first gotten in our harts all other things whatsoeuer they be cannot indéed be good Beda although they séeme good Beda vpon the 2. chapter of Iames He onelie beléeueth trulie which by working exerciseth that which he beléeueth for faith and charitie cannot be separated asunder And this shall suffice as touching the fathers But what the African Mileuitan and Arausican councell doo teach concerning iustification faith grace and works we haue before at large declared in the former article This onelie I will now adde that our aduersaries when they saie that GOD offereth his grace vnto all men and giueth his gifts vnto men that desire them and take hold of them and forgiueth sinnes to them that doo that which they ought to doo for so much as in the meane time they omit the inspiration of the holie Ghost and the power of God which draweth vs and the inward persuasion of the mind and also those things which are most chéeflie required in this matter they are most manifestlie against those councels which we haue now cited Howbeit I cannot leaue vnspoken that in the councell of Mentz which was celebrated vnder Carolus Magnus in the first chapter is cited Gregorie who thus writeth He beléeueth trulie which by working exerciseth that which he beléeueth 83 Forsomuch therefore as we haue now hitherto spoken as touching this article namelie that men are iustified by faith in Christ and haue confirmed the same by scriptures and haue ouerthrowne the obiections of our aduersaries and alleadged testimonies of the Fathers to confirme our saieng let vs now come to the third article Wherefore we saie The third article that iustification consisteth by faith onelie Which saieng all those places of scripture doo prooue We are not iustified by faith onelie which teach that we are iustified fréelie and those which affirme that iustification commeth without works and those also which put an Antithesis or contrarietie betwéen grace and works all these places I say most trulie conclude that we are iustified by faith onelie although this word Onelie be not read in the holie scripture But that is not so much to be weighed for the signification of that word is of necessitie gathered out of them Further this also is to be noted euen as we haue alreadie before taught that we
the holie scriptures The elder fathers had but two sacraments The elder fathers had but two sacraments Sometimes they make mention of repentance These things Augustine wrote vnto Ianuarius in his third booke De doctrina christiana the 16. chapter Ambrose in his booke De sacramentis intreateth of these two Wherefore of necessitie these men must either confesse that they haue forgotten the sacraments or else that there was not receiued so great a number in that age That they forgat it we cannot saie séeing they compiled a whole treatise of that matter Therefore this multitude of sacraments was not receiued at that time Pighius definition of a sacrament 11 But let vs come to the defining of it Pighius also defineth a sacrament and saith that it is an effectuall signe ordeined by God whereby is signified vnto vs a certeine kind of effect of the helpe and grace of God which is present at all times so there be not some thing to let in them that vse the same Whereas he saith to begin withall that it is a signe or rite instituted by God that is true for it is not in the power of man to ordeine sacraments they be testimonies That it is in God not in man to institute sacraments Mat. 21 1◠and as one maie saie seales of the will of God and it is not the part of man to counterfet seales Furthermore this we learne out of the holie scriptures Christ asked the Scribes Pharisies from whence the baptisme of Iohn was If they had said Of men it had séemed friuolous for séeing sacraments belong to the nature of faith it is méet they should be drawne out of the holie scriptures from whence faith it selfe is taken And men which of their owne authoritie go about to institute sacraments doo make themselues to be gods To deale after this sort in religion were to worship God with commandements and traditions of men which Christ hath forbidden Lastlie séeing that Man is a lier and so is declared in the holie scriptures to be the things which are instituted by him haue in them no perfect truth wherefore sacraments must not be instituted by men He saith moreouer Psal 116 Rom. 3 4. that by this signe is signified to vs some sure effect bicause he will comprehend manie sacraments he will not restraine it to one effect namelie to the remission of sinnes He saith that the effects are diuers as the remission of sinnes offered which is offered in baptisme and in the Eucharist but besides he sheweth other effects of the worke of God that in matrimonie should be an inseparable coupling togither in the holie order should be a power of gouerning the church and so of other things vnlesse there be some let in them that vse those things This he saith to shew the efficacie of sacraments For in that some doo receiue the sacraments and obteine not the effects that happeneth bicause they come vnto them without religion and faith If he follow his definition he thinketh that he is able to comprehend manie sacraments But on the other side they which saie that the grace of the forgiuenes of sinnes is signified by the same doo tie themselues onelie to these two namelie baptisme and the supper of the Lord. 12 To define a sacrament we may saie Another definition of a sacrament that A sacrament is a promise of God touching the remission of sinnes through Christ signified and sealed by the institution of God with an outward or visible signe to the end that our faith should be lifted vp in vs and we to be more and more knit vnto God This séemeth vnto me to be a full definition Two things it conteineth namelie an outward signe and a thing signified Bicause the thing signified holdeth the chéefe place therefore I placed it first and said that It is the promise of God and is conuersant about the remission of sinnes thorough Christ For the sacraments which be in the holie scriptures doo chéeflie make mention thereof Furthermore this promise is sealed which thing the scripture sheweth calling circumcision a seale for the sacraments be certeine tokens and seales of the promises of God But forsomuch as these outward instruments be elements they cannot of themselues haue wherewith to signifie and seale therefore it is added By the institution of God The end is that our faith may be stirred vp by the holie Ghost which power the outward things haue not in them to shew the holie Ghost vseth these instruments and faith tendeth vnto that end that we should be the more knit vnto God The causes ye haue The formall cause is the signification and sealing The matter which is sealed and whereabout it is conuersant is the promise of God touching the remission of sinnes The efficient cause is the institution of God The finall cause is the stirring vp of our faith whereby we may be ioined vnto God And I allow of that which is commonlie said Sacraments be visible words they stir vp men by the sight other senses Rightlie dooth Chrysostome saie If we were spirits we should not haue néed of those instruments but we be compounded of a spirit and a bodie the senses of the bodie doo stir vp the mind 13 But if we prosecute this definition we exclude marriage Why we contend with the aduersaries touching the number of sacraments repentance orders confirmation and annoiling as I will particularlie declare after I haue said this one word that some will here saie Why doo ye séeke for a knot in a rush or make a doubt of a thing that is plaine These men would cote these seuen with the name of sacraments what haue ye to doo therewith It is not the name that we much stand vpon but it is the matter it selfe Wée knowe that it is lawfull for christians to vse the name so that there be no vngodlines hidden vnder it but let vs sée what they would haue to be signified by this word They saie that a sacrament is a visible forme of an inuisible grace and they adde it to be the cause so that they make these sacraments of theirs to be the instruments of saluation Then if they will receiue anie rites and cloke them vnder this kind of spéech it is vngodlie By men there can be no visible elements ordeined which may be seales of the promises wherfore let them either change this phrase of spéech and saie that a sacrament dooth not signifie these things and then we will grant vnto them or else if they will still vse this kind of spéech let them absteine from the name of sacrament The Maister of the sentences saith that The sacraments of the old fathers were not properlie sacraments bicause they brought no grace It is a detestable thing to take awaie this propertie from the institutions of God and to attribute the same vnto the inuentions of men What things be required in a sacrament To make the matter
answereth that the godlie sort liued as innocent perfect and vnblameable bicause infirmities and sinnes committed shall not be imputed vnto them by reason of their faith in Christ according to the saieng of Dauid Blessed be they Psal 32 1. whose iniquities are remitted and whose sinnes be couered blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord hath imputed no sinne Of Purgatorie the Papisticall fire 11 But now let vs speake of purgatorie In 1. Cor. 3 verse 15. Looke in Sam. 3 verse 35. What maner of place is feigned for purgatorie It is fained to be a middle place after this life betwéene euerlasting felicitie and the punishments of damned soules in such wise as they which be there are after a sort partakers of both For in so much as they be adorned with grace and be confirmed with hope that felicitie shall be giuen vnto them and doo suffer punishments with a patient mind they be counted among the number of the saints and blessed soules But in that they be tormented doo suffer gréeuous and manifold kinds of punishments in that respect they drawe néere vnto the lot condition of them that are in hell fire And they adde that purgatorie punishments haue not onlie an end and a set terme but that it maie be eased by the good works and praiers of them that be aliue The aduersaries indeuor by manie reasons to persuade that we must grant that there is such a place The first reason for purgatorie 2. Mac. 12 6 as we haue here defined Out of the old testament they cite the historie of the Machabeis where we read that Iudas a man well commended did beléeue that the praier for the dead to be deliuered from their sinnes is both comfortable and godlie The 2. reason Zach. 9 11. Further they flie vnto Zacharie the prophet where we read in the 9. chapter Thou hast loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water The 3. reason verse 14. The 4. reason Psal 66 12. Also the 4. chapter of Ecclesiastes Otherwhile a man commeth foorth of prison and chaines and is made a king They bring also the psalme where Dauid saith We passed through fire and water and thou broughtest vs foorth into a place of refreshing The 5. reason Matt. 12 31 Moreouer they repaire vnto the new testament and saie that in the Gospell there is such a kind of sinne as shall neither be forgiuen in this world nor yet in the other world which then might not be spoken saie they vnlesse there should remaine purgings of sinnes in another life The 6. reason Matt. 5 25. And they obiect that saieng in Matthew Least the Gaoâ—er cast thee into prison verelie I saie vnto thee thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou haue paid the vttermost farthing Also they bring that which is spoken by Paule in the first to the Corinthians The 7. reason 1. Cor. 3 15. the 3. chapter But he himselfe shall be saued as it were by fire c. To this purpose also they would haue that to tend The 8. reason Luk. 16 19. The 9. reason Apoc. 21 27 which is said of beggerlie Lazarus full of botches and of the riotous rich man They pretend also that place in the Apocalypse where it is read that No vnpure thing shall be admitted into the holie citie And they thinke that to make on their side The 10. reason Phil. 2 10. which Paule writeth to wit that All knees shall bow vnto God both of things that be in heauen and things that be in earth and things that be vnder the earth Againe they cite the Apocalypse in the 5. chapter that verse 13. All creatures which are in heauen and on the earth and vnder the earth and in the sea c. shall speake praises vnto God These and such other places of scripture they thinke doo make for them Sundrie opinions touching purgatorie 12 But we must marke this that the assertion of them which would néeds haue a purgatorie is not one and the same For some will force it to be as a sure doctrine an article of faith Others doo not so resolutelie and constantlie affirme the same but onlie they suppose and haue opinion that such a thing there is First therefore it séemeth good to shew that it belongeth not to the articles of our faith Whether purgatorie be an article of our faith that it is not a thing of necessitie to be beléeued Secondlie we will make it plaine whether either the opinion or suspicion wherby purgatorie is beléeued be reasonable or iust As touching them which do affirme that the doctrine of purgatorie is of necessitie we must néeds absolutelie hold that the doctrine and articles of our faith ought to be certeine stedfast and are most plainlie to be prooued by testimonies of the scriptures The articles of the faith ought to be certeine and prooued by the scriptures For we are not of their opinion which will make the Fathers or men to be authors of beléeuing of things for we should iudge of the holie Ghost contumeliouslie if we should thinke that such scriptures were deliuered to vs in the which is not wholie and perfectlie conteined whatsoeuer belongeth to our saluation 2. Tim. 3 16. The epistle vnto Timothie doth sufficientlie reprooue these men when it saith that The scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach and confute also to correct instruct that the man of God may be perfect and sincere instructed to euerie good worke Wherefore if thou bring anie worke that thou affirmest to be good or anie thing necessarie to be beléeued which cannot be confirmed by the holy scriptures I trulie would rather not saie that the things which thou hast brought are not good or profitable than to pronounce otherwise of the scripture than the apostle hath iudged thereof For we must not admit that which they commonlie vaunt of namelie that the apostles taught not all things nor that the primitiue church commanded all whatsoeuer should be for our comfort as though it were necessarie daie by daie afterward that more things should be made manifest This perhaps we might grant as touching politike gouernement The primitiue church had all things necessarie to be beleued Tertullian of things not necessarie to saluation but as touching doctrine and the articles of faith necessarilie to be beléeued the ancient Fathers had all no lesse than we haue Tertullian in his booke De praescriptionibus saith Happie is the church vnto the which the apostles haue powred out their whole doctrine with their bloud Christ said also All those things which I haue heard of my fatherâ— Iohn 15 15. I haue made them knowen vnto you These men saie that in déed all things were insinuated by the apostles but that the apostles did not make all things knowen vnto vs. Here saie we that they although they wrote not all things yet
abide the crosse while thou séest so great a good laid vp for thée For the passions of this life Rom. 1 â—… if we compare them to the glorie to come which shall be reuealed vnto vs are not to be esteemed Tertullian in his booke De resurrectione carnis That which the Hebrues call Chadarim and the Latins turne Cubicula he calleth Larders or saffes which he saith are for this cause vsed in the house that meate may be laid vp in them to be deliuered out againe vnto the vse of man Euen so saith he dead bodies are put into the graues to the intent that they should be brought foorth from thence againe But to returne vnto the lodgings or chambers and closets in the which God commandeth that the faithfull should bestowe themselues in the meane time namelie before the blessed life And if it be demanded what the godlie shall there doo while they be afflicted I answer that they be therein to the intent they may wéepe complaine themselues sigh call earnestlie for helpe and as it were to set foorth in the bosome of the father their gréefs and whatsoeuer dooth disquiet them For it is not the part of godlie men to bewaile their gréefs in the stréets in tauerns or in barbers shops or openlie to exclame of their oppressions for they must commit their cause to the iust iudge Euen in like maner as it is said by Peter 1. Pet. 1 13. in his first epistle the second chapter that Christ himselfe did shut the doore vnto thée for a little space The argument of this consolation is deriued from the shortnesse of time euen as Paule wrote in the second epistle to the Corinthians that The momentanie lightnes of the afflictions of this life 2. Cor. 4 1â— dooth breed vnto vs a great weight of glorie And it is called a short time which is appointed in the meane time till the resurrection and that not amisse although it should be a long time bicause this must be vnderstood by comparison For if a verie long time be compared with eternitie it is a verie short time After the same maner Apoc. 6 11. the soules of them that be slaine for the name of Christ which praied God that their bloud might be reuenged are willed to be at rest to attend a certeine time The testimonie brought out of the propht Esaie The opinion of Aben-Ezra of the Chaldean paraphrast touching resurrection euen Aben-Ezra a famous interpretour among the Hebrues referred vnto the resurrection of the dead And the Chaldaean paraphrast saith that Thy God shall throwe the dead into hell which saieing belongeth to the time of the resurrection I might also haue brought those things which be written by the same prophet Esai 30 33. Esaie 66 15. in the thirtie chapter and in the last chapter concerning hell-fire Topheth fire vnquenchable the woorms that shall neuer die sulphur the bellowes and such like but the time will not suffer and I come to Ezechiel 41 This prophet writeth that he was led by the spirit into a féeld filled with bones This happened two waies Ezec. 37 11 first bicause he sawe those things by the inspiration of God An excellent place of Ezechiel touching the resurrection expounded and not by humane sense or imagination secondlie bicause those things were not shewed him in the bodie but in the spirit and vision of the mind And it is to be vnderstood that the resurrection of the dead was openlie at that daie beléeued that therefore the prophet did deriue his argument from thence He sawe bones that were drie bare withered and woorme eaten that the greater difficultie of recouering former life might be expressed For dead carcases that be whole and full of moisture would perhaps be thought that they might more easilie be restored to life God said vnto the prophet Thou sonne of man thinkest thou that these bones shall liue He answered Lord thou knowest In verie déed his faith was tempted but he made a godlie answer as one that was neither Saducie nor yet Libertine But if the resurrection of the dead were an article of the faith and openlie receiued why did he not boldlie saie They shall liue I answer bicause albeit he did beléeue that the dead at the end of the world shuld be quickned yet was he ignorant touching them which were there shewed him at that time whether they should be raised vp in that houre and therfore he committed the matter vnto God So as if there be anie doubt obiected vnto vs touching the articles of faith we will fitlie and profitablie followe his example in referring the matter to God saieng He knoweth and is able And séeing he hath made his will manifest vnto vs in the holie scriptures we beléeue those things which he hath shewed should come to passe And as concerning the vision of the prophet we must vnderstand that the citie of Ierusalem being destroied by the host of Nabuchad-nezar and the temple ouerthrowne by Nabuzaradan the chéefe man that had to deale with life and death there séemed to be an vtter ruine of the Iewes being in captiuitie at Babylon Wherefore the restoring of them into the land of Chanaan was now in a maner despaired of But God confirmeth and aduanceth their hope deriuing his argument from the Maior vnto the Minor that is From the greater to the lesse and saith Seeing I am to restore life vnto the dead which is a far greater thing than to redéeme captiues I will also make you to be deliuered from captiuitie as I haue promised which is much easier than to raise vp the dead And to the intent that the antecedent that is the resurrection of the dead should be more thoroughlie perceiued more euident and more firme he set before the eies of the prophet that vision Wherefore by the resurrection of the dead which is a thing diuine and of much more difficultie he maketh credit to be giuen that that is to be doon which is temporall and of lesser importance The verie same kind of argument ought we to vse If God grant vs greater things we must not doubt but he will giue the lesser if we begin at anie time to doubt of wanting things necessarie vnto this life In that temptation let vs saie Séeing God will giue vnto our bodie eternall life and felicitie in the resurrection surelie he will not withdrawe from vs the necessarie sustenance of this life The Hebrues so ordered themselues in those daies as they beléeued the resurrection of the dead but of the returne into their natiue countrie they despaired when as neuertheles God promised both But the calamities which presentlie disquieted them so occupied their senses as either they forgat the promises of God or else they gaue little or no credit vnto them GOD commanded Ezechiel that he should prophesie and speake to the bones which were in his sight saieng in the name of God I will put breath
was not so changed as that he went into a round figure as be the bodies of the sunne moone and starres His face remained seuerall from the rest of his parts for the euangelist writeth Luk. 24 43. What maner of bodie Christ had after his resurrection that His face did shine like the sunne Furthermore when as after his resurrection he did eat and drinke togither with them I iudge he did it with his téeth mouth throte and bellie not with his féet or the skull of his head Also he talked with them and that no doubt with his toong and mouth not with his knées and legs Besides it is said in plaine termes Iohn 10 10. that he shewed his side that was piersed vpon the crosse wherefore he had the same distinguished from the other parts of his bodie So as these members were either members in verie déed or else counterfeit members and delusions If they were verie members let these men agrée that bodies with their seuerall members shall be restored in the resurrection But if they were delusions and counterfeit things the truth of the resurrection is ill prooued by a lie But they will saie that these were certeine prerogatiues belonging vnto Christ bicause he was not as we be conceiued of mans séed but by the helpe of the holie Ghost was fashioned in the virgins wombe Howbeit for my part I take the resurrection of Christ to be the image and similitude of our resurrection so that if to him were restored his owne proper parts they shall also be restored vnto vs. But they adde that these things were doon of the Lord with his apostles by a certeine dispensatiō when he was raised vp from death vnto life otherwise he shewed the condition of his bodie to be airie and spirituall Luke 24. 16 Ibidem 3◠when as he so delt wish his apostles as they knew him not and vanished not out of their sight in such sort as he became inuisible as also when he entred in vnto them the doores being shut But the apostles knew him not in respect that he himselfe was inuisible or that he wanted flesh and hands but because as saith the euangelist their eies were holden Ibidem 16. that they should not know him Wherefore when as they knew him afterward he writeth that their eies were opened to the intent we should knowe their eies to be letted and no diuersitie to be in the bodie of the Lord. Further he withdrew himselfe vpon the sudden from their eies neither did they sée him anie more bicause their eies were let that they should not perceiue his departing Apollonius the coniurer vanished awaie before Homitian Apollonius Tyanaeus when he was in the councell before Domitian was suddenlie taken from among them neither did he appéere anie more not that his bodie was made inuisible or vanished into aire but bicause the eies of them that were present were held by the coniuring of diuels that they could not sée him while he was yet present or when he went awaie Therefore that which was doone by diuelish sorceries about the bodie of a prophane man shall we denie vnto the bodie of Christ in whom was present the perfect Godhead Iohn 20 19 Also the argument as touching the doores is weake for it might be that he came in vnto the apostles by the house top or in at the windowes when as the gates were lockt And perhaps at his comming the doores gaue place and made passage for him But what néedeth much speach Ezech. 37 7 Ezechiel making mention of the resurrection of the dead speketh nothing of an airie or elementall bodie but he saith that the bones came vnto bones and euerie one to his owne ioint that they were iointed togither with sinewes couered with flesh and skinne put therevpon and that at the last they stood vpright vpon their féete And so the prophet describeth bodies euen as he knew that it would come to passe at the resurrection And Iob saith Iob. 19 26. In my flesh I shall see God with these eies of mine neither shall I be another but as touching substance the verie same that I now am These things are so manifest as they haue no néed to be explained That the bodies of them that rise againe shall be in a place 65 And in the resurrection we shall not onlie haue that bodie which we now haue but it shall also occupie a place neither can it be togither and at one time in manie places bicause the nature of bodies and especiallie of humane bodies suffereth not this for séeing they be limited and described with their parts members and lineaments they must néeds be conteined in certeine places And yet notwithstanding at this daie there be found some so shamelesse and vntemperate who to defend their opinion either of vbiquitie or of reall and substantiall presence of the bodie and bloud of Christ in the holie supper dare require of vs to prooue vnto them and that out of the holie scriptures that a bodie can not be without a place and that it can not be togither at one time in sundrie places What if we againe for our part should demand of them that out of the same holie scriptures they should shew vs by expresse words that a definite bodie maie be without place or togither at one time in sundrie places Certeinlie vnlesse they will vse other canonicall books than those which the catholike church acknowledgeth they shall neuer be able to shew vs anie such testimonie Wherefore the voice of nature which hath God himselfe to be author must be heard That vndoubtedlie hath decréed that these things can not be euen as our aduersaries them selues doo testifie And Augustine in his epistle to Dardanus hath acknowledged and Cyrillus also in his dialogs De trmitate who wrote that Euen the diuine nature if it were diuisible should be of quantitie and in anie wise in a place nor might not auoid circumscription Verelie the grounds of nature are not to be new made except it be when they withstand the word of God But these things which I haue declared are not repugnant therevnto Séeing then they cannot shew it to be otherwise had in the holie scriptures let them cease without them to obtrude vnto vs articles of faith That Christ his bodie risen from the dead was in a place which are not lawfull to be coined without the word of God But we will followe the teaching of the holie scriptures which wheresoeuer they speake of the bodie of Christ doo euerie where attribute a place vnto him sometime saieng that he was in Galile otherwhile at Ierusalem Iohn 2 1. 13. 14. Ioh. 12 1. now and then in Bethania or in the temple or in the house of Simon And they so assigne him a certeine place as they may exclude him from an other for he himselfe saith Matt. 26 6. when he went to raise vp Lazarus He is dead I am
for qualities haue their subiects according to the places That an accident cannot be togither in two subiects and it is vnpossible for them to be the same in number at one time in diuers subiects but all the parts of a liuing creature be the verie same in subiect and one by the knitting togither of members D. Tresham The reason of Didymus dooth procéed from that that is of it owne nature in manie places and not otherwise And all the Doctors agrée that Christ was borne his mothers wombe being close and that he rose the sepulchre being shut and that he went vnto his disciples when the doores were fast And Hugo de sancto victore saith that The angels are not circumscribed by place Wherefore although the bodie of Christ be properlie in heauen yet bicause it is spirituall it is not repugnant to the power of God but that it may be in manie places D. Martyr Whether the fathers vnderstand their reasons touching that which in his owne proper nature is in manie places I haue alreadie answered As touching the virgines wombe the sepulchres and the doores being fast shut oppose you and I will answer in place conuenient As for Hugo de sancto victore and others when they saie that angels are not conteined within the precinct of place they must I saie be vnderstood as concerning locall compasse whereby the bodies which are among vs are compassed about with the circumference of the aire or some other thing conteining them But these things cannot so be taken that the angels or anie creature should be vnderstood to haue no definit substance so as when they be in anie one place they cannot be else-where And so I returne to the argument it is a firme conclusion This thing is in manie places Therefore it is the Godhead D. Tresham I answer Christ is God and now the speach betwéene vs is as concerning the bodie which hath the Godhead ioined therewith D. Martyr I demand of you Is the bodie of Christ a thing created or no D. Tresham I grant it is but Christ is no creature D. Martyr But I saie that Christ is both to wit a creator and a creature Christ by reason of his sundrie natures is both a creature and a creator As touching his Godhead he is a creator and as touching his humanitie a creature and if a creature as these fathers doo affirme he cannot be in diuers places at once D. Tresham That which Christ tooke once vpon him he neuer let go and therefore bicause of his Godhead which is inseparablie knit vnto his bodie Christ must not be diuided but yet his natures must be disseuered the bodie of Christ may be in manie places D. Martyr We likewise doo not diuide Christ and yet will we haue both his natures to be whole And sith the Godhead doth not cause but that the bodie of Christ is a creature and you haue now heard out of Basil and Didymus that the powers created cannot be in manie places at once you your selfe sée what dooth follow D. Tresham They disputed of the nature of the thing not of the absolute power of God neither is reason or sense to be followed in matters of faith otherwise manie absurdities wold follow in matters of faith D. Martyr I cannot tell how they could haue spoken more apparantlie of the power of God when as Cyrill dooth not exclude euen the diuinitie it selfe when he saith If it were of quantitie it might not choose but be circumscribed And I acknowledge that which you saie that in matters of faith we must not follow reason nor yet sense Howbeit it is no article of the faith that the bodie of Christ is in manie places at once sith the scriptures doo not teach this anie where Naie rather we learne otherwise out of them to wit that Christ is verie man and that he hath a verie bodie whereto is verie agréeable that it should be limited within bounds and compassed within some certeine place And touching his bodie we beléeue that he is ascended into heauen that he hath left the world and sitteth at the right hand of the father The disputation of the second day which was the 29. daie of Maie betweene D. Peter Martyr and D. William Chadse D. Peter Martyr I Thinke it not méet right honorable that I should vse at this present anie preface For yesterdaie we declared those things which were thought good to be applied to the present purpose And by your good foresight authoritie it hapned that all things were peaceablie and quietlie performed which I hope this daie shall no lesse come to passe Now maister Doctour as concerning the matter you being present yesterdaie might sufficientlie vnderstand what questions are propounded perceiue some reasons of mine opinion wherefore to procéed in our purpose I desire you to shew what you doo iudge touching the questions neither doo I feare but that all things shall be spoken of you with indifferencie and modestie Howbeit before you answer you shall suffer me according to my accustomed maner to call for the helpe of God The Praier YEsterdaie O almightie GOD we began by thy gratious goodnesse to dispute and since this daie also wee shall proceed in that businesse we call vpon thee againe who art the founteine of light the most perfect truth and the most cleere wisedome that thou wilt so direct our words that we fall not into absurdities but rather that those things which shall be handled may both become more plaine and also be set foorth to the praise and glorie of thy name through Christ our Lord Amen The Preface of D. VVilliam Chadse GReat is the matter right famous Doctor and full of mysteries which yesterdaie was handled this daie shall be handled Great bicause we dispute of the bodie wherewith we be satisfied and doo liue for euer and of the bloud whereof wée drinke and which redéemeth the people a thing full of mysteries for vnlesse ye beléeue you shall not vnderstand My words are spirit and life It is the spirit which quickeneth Iohn 6. the flesh profiteth nothing The Capernaites heare and saie This is a hard saieng and who is able to abide it The Christians heare and crie incessantlie with Peter Thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6 68. we beleeue and knowe that thou art the waie the truth and the life We beléeue that thou diddest promise the holie Ghost not which should come after one or two thousand yeares but euen within a few daies after that thou hadst spoken it We acknowledge the performance of this thy holie spirit he shall lead vs into all truth he shall teach vs all things whatsoeuer thou hast said vnto vs. Forsomuch therefore as thou art true yea the verie truth it selfe sith those things which haue gone foorth of thy lips cannot be frustate I firmelie beléeue from thy mouth and pronounce it from my hart as touching the presence of thy bodie in the
6. He is risen he is not here Whereby he declared him to bee so departed out of the sepulchre as he was no more present there in bodie Actes 3. 21. And Peter in the 3. of the Actes pronounced of him Whom the Heauen must containe vntill the time that all things be restored c. If he shall be in heauen as touching his humane nature vntill the latter daie as the Apostle saide why séeke wee his flesh and bloud vppon the earth But what speake I of the Apostle Christ himselfe saide vnto his Disciples Iohn 16. 7. that he did leaue the world and depart from them and he warned them that they should alwayes haue the poore with them Mat. 26. 11. but that him they shoulde not haue Wherefore being thus perswaded and instructed by the diuine Oracles I doe beléeue that the humane nature of Christ doeth abide in the heauens seuered from the lower world euen vnto the ende of the world and that the same shall come againe from thence to iudge the worlde euen as the Apostles were warned by the Angels and as we confesse in the Article of our faith To speake briefelie this is my opinion touching the place and presence of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde But they which on the otherside forme and feigne to themselues * Or heauen euerywhere an vbiquarie heauen as though the matter thereof were soft like waxe and may easilie followe their feined deuises whithersoeuer they shall thinke good to drawe it and they which pronounce that the Lordes bodie is either in many places at once or else which is much more bolde doe saie it is euerie where who also ioine the same wheresoeuer in the world it bée to the breade and wine of the holy supper and finallie they which decree that it is there present without place and inuisibly all those I pray desire and heartilie beséeche that they will once at the length plainelie shewe these their goodly woonderfull I will not say monsterous deuises to bee registred in the holy Scriptures which if they shall doe wee will fréely confesse that they haue gotten the victorie But for so much as I doe certainely knowe that they cannot doe it I earnestly warne them from hencefoorth the they leaue of to coine on their owne heades newe opinions and newe Articles of that faith and to obtrude vnto vs those things to bee beléeued which are sprung vp in their owne house but are not sprung vp in the fielde of the holie scriptures I am not ignorant that they in all this whole reason vpbraide vs that we deale not as diuines but as naturall Philosophers For they graunt that those things which we say are by the ordinances of nature both true necessarie but that those mysteries which being diuine and celestiall doe many manner of wayes excell nature must not be made subiect to the rules and decrées thereof But that when in the comprehending and considering of them our reason is offended we must then beholde the diuine power which is infinite Howbeit it is no harde matter to confute these thinges First in that we followe the testimonies of the holie scriptures as we haue recited them thereby wée testifie that we follow not Philosophie but the worde of God Howe far foorth nature and the rules the e◠of must be followed Moreouer if we giue eare vnto nature where it is not repugnant to the wordes of God we doe nothing vnwoorthie of Christian diuinitie For nature hath God to be the Author and defender of it and for the same cause the rules and decrées thereof procéede not from thence but from God himselfe and therefore they must not be abolished and dissolued so long as it is not shewed that the worde set foorth in the holy Scriptures is repugnant vnto them This voyce of Nature did Augustine the greatest and best diuine in an Epistle vnto Dardanus hearken vnto when he saith Take from bodies the spaces of places and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not bée at all And this did he not pronounce treating of nature or of naturall bodies but writing purposely as touching the soule and bodie of the Lord. And the same voice of nature did Cyrillus hearkē vnto who wrote in his Dialogues De Trinitate that the verie nature of God if it were diuisible as some iudged it to be it shoulde in any wise be of quantitie and also in a place and might not choose but be measured about Wherefore in the defending of our opinion we first of all embrace the worde of God we hearken vnto the voyce of nature so long as it is not against the Author thereof and we doe this together with the Fathers that iudged aright That in this controuersie is no neede to flie to the power of God But that we should flie vnto the power of God in this controuersie propounded we haue no néede Neuerthelesse wee warne the godly that the diuine power which we together with all the godly doe beléeue 2. Tim. 2. 13. is not without all exception to be admitted For euen Paule excepteth it that God cannot denie himselfe It is excepted also in diuerse places that it can not be doone of God that those things which be made should be vnmade Also it is defined in the schooles of diuinitie that God can not doe those thinges which as they terme it implie a contradiction which thing comming to passe through the default of thinges not through anie infirmitie of God there is nothing of his high power diminished We must further consider that manie Heretikes haue vsed this shift when as their wicked and péeuish opinions are confuted by the holie fathers not onelie as absurde but also as impossible For they to defende themselues aunswered that all thinges are possible to God Therefore neither are we constrained to yeelde vnto them because Christ sayde of the bread Mat. 26. 26 This is my bodie and of the wine This is my bloud For since both their and our interpretation of those words is extant the place is made doubtfull albeit that vnto vs our exposition is most certaine But howe dull and weake an argument that is which is taken from a doubtfull thing all men doe knowe What then wil you say Will you teach that the supper of the Lorde is had without his bodie and bloud In what sort she bodie bloud of Christ is eaten and drunken in the holie Supper Howe will ye moreouer prooue that these things are eaten and drunken if they be not in verie déede present there Surelie the scripture testifieth both the one and the other that wee in the holie supper doe eate and drinke the bodie bloude of Christ To speake first of that whereof I am last demaunded I affirme that the bodie and bloud of the Lord is eaten and drunken spirituallie that is with the mouth of the minde which is indued with
condemne you for mangling his sacraments and prophaning his ceremonies with your false seruices for giuing vnto creatures anie part of the honour that is due vnto himselfe for turning your eares from him when he crieth vnto you out of his holie word for refusing the congregation of his saints and ioining your selues to Baal-Peor for greeuing his spirit when he sounded his voice into your deafe eares and for that yee haue persecuted him in his saints vpon the earth Now the time approcheth wherein the Lord shall preuaile against you and shall tread all his enimies vnder his feet Then shall ye know that the Gospell of Christ is his power vnto saluation to all them that beleeue and that hee hath continuallie since his departure spoken and interpreted to you by his holie spirit speaking out of his word whatsoeuer is necessarie to saluation but ye would not harken vnto him no more than the Iewes would vnto Christ when he told them plainlie that he was that verie Messias Therefore since ye will not giue credit vnto him by the soft still noise of his spirit speaking vnto you in his word he shall come in a mightie consuming fire with a voice more horrible vnto you than was heard vpon mount Sina more terrible than was there the face of his maiestie victoriouslie leading captiuitie captiue ioifullie with all his saints and triumphantlie with innumerable Angels He shall gather his elect from all the corners of the earth and all those which would not hearken to his voice he shall reiect as they that would not suffer him to reigne ouer them they shall be cast into the vttermost darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth But all vs that haue beene obedient to his word in this life and haue sought our righteousnesse in Christ onelie and which doo sigh and grone for his comming he shall raise vp on high vnto him and we shall see the saluation of our God Let vs therefore with ioifull and true harts looke vp to heauen aboue for our redemption draweth neere Let vs fix our eies and minds vpon our mightie GOD which commeth in triumph and victorie Let vs run foorth togither with palmes in our hands to meet our bridegroome comming vnto vs. Let vs spread our garments before him in the waie and crie Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in he highest Then will he receiue vs gladlie and imbrase vs and bicause we haue continued with him in his temptations therefore shall we eate and drinke with him at his table in his kingdome where hee reigneth euerlastinglie and shall iudge the world with righteousnesse and his owne people with equitie I H S A breefe waie how Ministers should order their studious exercises for to benefit themselues and their flocks and also what good vse they may haue by travelling in the Common places of the Scripture and in such bookes as are alreadie gathered to this purpose THese things doo I write to the Ministers and Curates of the seuerall congregations but speciallie to them which hitherto haue not obserued anie conuenient order or method in their studies wherby they might be able to edifie the Church and discharge their duties in so excellent and honourable a vocation And first I exhort them that they will giue themselues to a continuall and earnest reading and studie of the holie scriptures which is able to make them wise vnto saluation and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse For vnlesse they haue the scriptures verie familiar vnto them they will sticke at manie things and while they haue not what to saie they will either speake that which rashlie commeth into their owne mind or else what other men haue inuented And they which giue themselues to this studie it shall be requisite that they haue the knowledge of the toongs especiallie of the Hebrue and Greeke wherein the holie books of the scriptures were first written by the Prophets and Apostles for he that dependeth altogither of interpreters seeth with other mens eies and speaketh in another mans mouth Further it is necessarie that a Minister be well acquainted with the histories and examples not onlie of the holie scripture of the old and new testament but also of all prophane writers and that he be perfect in the histories and chronicles of his owne countrie that he may shew vnto his hearers what in old time was either profitable or hurtfull to their ancestors Besides this to the intent he may reape some fruit of his studie and labor two things aboue other are necessarie First that he conceiue a certeine summe of doctrine which he must drawe togither as it were into one bodie and distinguish the same againe into their members or common places that while he teacheth he may knowe vnto what places or cheefe heads the places of the scripture which he will interpret to the Church ought to be referred The other thing is that he knowe what waie of teaching to take for the commodious and profitable shewing to the people that which with much studie he hath learned so as it may serue for the instruction edification and comfort of the hearers An example of the first kind is the ten Commandements which afterward both Moses and Christ himselfe drew into a shorter summe on this wise Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy mind and with all thy cogitation and thy neighbour as thy selfe So as vnder this double loue to wit of God and our neighbour Christ comprehendeth all the whole doctrine of religion and christian life Howbeit if ye looke more neerelie into the matter both the loues are verie largelie extended for the loue of God stretcheth vnto his seruice as well inward as outward and togither with faith it comprehendeth the obedience which we owe vnto him likewise the loue of our neighbour is diuided into infinite kinds according to the diuersitie of men with whom we deale And in like maner did the Apostles as Jraeneus testifieth comprise in those few articles of the Creed the summe of Christian religion which articles in their sermons and writings they did more diligentlie expound Neuerthelesse bicause such expositions are not taught in the holie scriptures in one certeine place or continued order so as they can be perceiued of euerie one except he be a verie attentiue reader it is altogither necessarie that they which shall profit the Church doo knowe not onlie the summe in generall of the heauenlie doctrine but that they can distinguish it into parts and kinds and distribute the same into their parts and places both that they may vnderstand how largelie they extend and what may be godlie and soundlie said as touching each one of them Thus haue manie and godlie learned men of old but especiallie of our time doone And to this purpose are these Common places of our famous Diuine D. Martyr Vermilius according to which forme euerie learned
chaste both in bodie and spirit For those night visions by the which either the mind is troubled or the bodie defiled are certeine punishments of sinne especiallie of that which hath béene drawne from our first creation For so it should not haue béene in paradise if Adam had abidden in that truth wherein he was made as Augustine wrote in his fift booke and eight chapter against Iulian. Looke In Gen. chapter 20 verse 3. The sixt Chapter Of the holie scriptures out of the Preface vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians NOw wée must speake something of the holie scriptures whereby wée are both encouraged to studie them and somewhat also are holpen in the following of that studie A diuision and this shall be doon if I touch first in few words the woorthines and profit of them secondlie if we shew by what certeine marks tokens we may be able to iudge and saie what is the sense or meaning of them and lastlie if we shall open the waie and means how to challenge them vnto our selues Of the dignitie and vtilitie of the holie scriptures This diuision I mind to folowe as being most conuenient for the vnderstanding of those things which shall be spoken And first of al bicause we are to speake of the worthines and profit of the holie scriptures A definition of the holie scriptures I will giue this plaine and homelie definition of them For it is a hard matter for anie man perfectlie and exactlie to define those things which are of God The holie scripture inspired by the spirit of God Wherefore let vs define the holie scriptures to be a certeine declaration of the wisdome of God inspired by the holie Ghost into godlie men and then set downe in monuments writings That it is inspired by the inward motion of the holie Ghost for the saluation and restoring of vs Peter testifieth in the first chapter of his latter epistle when he saith 2. Pet. 1 21 that Prophesie came not in old time by the will of men but holie men of GOD spake as they were mooued by the holie Ghost And verie great honour hath come therevnto bicause as well Christ as the apostles The sute proofes of diuine things are takē out of the scriptures onlie and sound councels haue vsed the testimonie of it for the confirmation of those things which were decréed yea we may not thinke that anie traditions be necessarie to saluation which are not surelie and stronglie grounded therevpon And we must alwaies beare in mind Christ sent vs to the reading of the scriptures Iohn 5 39. how wée are sent awaie by Christ the best teacher of the church to search out the scripture when he saith in the fift of Iohns gospell Search ye the scriptures Moreouer euerie facultie and learning borroweth his woorthines from the matter about which it is occupied For according as that dooth excell so is anie science accounted of more or lesse estimation Wherefore séeing this science of ours intreateth of nothing else but of Christ The sum of all that is done in the scripture is Christ it is so much the more to be accounted the head of all other as Christ is the most excellent aboue all other things And as I suppose no man doubteth but that the new testament speaketh chieflie of Christ But bicause some man perhaps doubteth whether the old testament doo so likewise let him heare euen Paule writing to the Romans the 10. chapter Christ is the end of the lawe Rom. 10. And in the fift of Iohn when the Lord had said that which euen now I recited Search the scriptures Iohn 5 39. he added incontinent For they beare witnes of me And in the same chapter it is said of Moses He hath written of me Iohn 5 46. And manie other places may be brought to confirme this selfe-same thing but let vs content our selues with these for this time 2 The holie scriptures also are highlie commended The notable properties of the holie scripture They shine as a candle in the darknes through those excellent properties wherwith God hath adorned them For they are so glorious that they séeme vnto vs which walke as it were in darknes to be like a candle lighted of God whereof Peter hath admonished vs in the first chapter of the second epistle And we haue a sure speech of prophesie wherevnto if you giue heed as vnto a light shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1 19. ye doo well till the daie appeare and the daie star arise in your harts The holie scriptures be sure and certeine In which words thou shalt note this also that they be verie sure For godlie men are so assured of the truth of them that for them they feare not to suffer anie cruell death which thing hath seldome or neuer happened among naturall philosophers or mathematicians To the godlie they be cleere and perspicuous that they confirmed the opinions of their knowledge with their blood and with the losse of their liues And vnto faithfull and godlie harts there is in the scriptures no want of cléerenes which the Gréeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines perspicuitie For whatsoeuer the sounder Diuines dispute they alwaies finish their conclusion according to the testimonies of the scriptures as rules commonlie knowne among christians whereof it is not lawfull for any man to doubt So that this ought to be estéemed as the chéefe principle They are the cheefe principles of diuinitie by the which all matters of true diuinitie are to be resolued and examined to wit The Lord hath said But yet this perspicuitie is not to be sought at the light of mans sense reason but at the light of faith The clearenes of them is discerned by the light of faith Luke 24 45. whereby we ought to be most certainlie persuaded of whatsoeuer is contained in the holie scriptures For as we read in the last chapter of Luke when Christ was about to send out his disciples to preach throughout the world that they might increse the number of his disciples he opened vnto them the meaning of the scriptures which declareth that otherwise they were not able by their owne industrie to vnderstand them 1. Tim. 3 15. And in the first of Timothie the third chapter the church is for no other cause said to be the piller and ground of truth Why the church is called the piller and ground of truth but bicause it hath the word of God and vseth the same perpetuallie in hir opinions and definitions which when it doth not it dealeth not as the church of Christ should doo Augustine Augustine Contra epistolam Fundamenti saith that things defined in the scriptures must be preferred aboue all other Besides this the truth of them hath an euerlasting continuance The truth of the scripture is euerlasting Matt. 24 35. Which thing Christ taught vs when
voice of Christ that is to wit doo followe the true and naturall sense of the scriptures Againe we haue in the second chap. of the 1. epistle to the Corinthians A naturall man doth not perceiue those things that be of God 1. Cor. 2 24. neither is he able to do it bicause they be but foolishnesse vnto him But the spirituall man iudgeth all things And againe in the same place Ibidem 10. The spirit searcheth out the deepe mysteries of God And Christ himselfe said The spirit of comfort shall declare all things that I haue said vnto you Iohn 14 26. Also Iohn in his epistle saith 1. Ioh. 2 27. The spirituall vnction shall shew you of all things But some will saie These things be true indéede but we be destitute of the spirit To whom I answere saieng If you haue not the spirit Whether all men haue the spirit of Christ Rom. 8 9. how dare you call your selues christians séeing Paul to the Rom. sheweth vs that They be none of Christs which haue not the spirit of Christ And yet I speake not this as though I were ignorant that there must be degrées of this spirit geuen séeing it is euident that all men cannot haue a like vnderstanding of the scriptures But yet this I affirme Euerie one may gather out of the scriptures so much as is necessary to saluation Chrysost that there is no true christian man to whom so small a portion of this spirit is giuen but that he may gather iudge out of the holie scriptures such things as be necessarie to saluation so as he neglect not to be conuersant in the reading of them both daie and night Which thing Chrysostome vpon the preface to the epistle vnto the Romans hath plainlie declared when he saith This thing commeth not by ignorance but bicause they will not haue this holie mans writings continuallie in their hands Neither doo those things which we knowe if we knowe any thing come vnto vs by the goodnesse and pregnancie of our wit but bicause we being alwaies throughlie affected to that man we neuer cease reading of him For they which loue A similitude doo knowe more than all other the dooings of them whom they loue as béeing carefull of them Wherefore saith he a litle after if ye also will applie your minds and trauell in the diligent reading herof it shall not be néedefull to require anie other thing of you True is that saieng of Christ Seeke Matth. 7 7. and you shall find knocke and it shal be opened vnto you And there is no doubt but that Chrysostom spake these words to all men for he spake them in a sermon to the people And marke well what he affirmeth namelie that if they would but diligentlie reade saint Paules epistles they should not néed of anie other teacher The word is a sure token to find the truth of the scriptures 6 The second note and sure token by which we may throughlie search out the truth of the holie scriptures is the verie scriptures themselues For it is requisite that we should determine that péece of scripture which is hard and darke We must iudge of an obscure place by a more clere place by another part which is more plaine and easie Christ hath giuen vnto his church the old testament the authoritie whereof let the Manichies the Martionits and such other pestilent heretikes fret thereat neuer so much is most stable and sure insomuch as by it The old testament proueth the new Acts. 17 11. the old christians also haue iudged of the new testament It is written in the 17 of the Acts that the Thessalonians hauing heard Paule repaired to the scriptures to sée whether things were as Paule had declared or otherwise And Augustine De doctrina christiana teaching what manner of man a preacher should be willeth him to conferre the places of the scripture together and dooth not send him to search out the opinions of the fathers or to séeke out the determinations of the church or the canons or the traditions of men A third arbitter but no high censor is the consent of the church 7 To these two arbitrers which I haue declared to be the faithfull interpretors of the holie scriptures we willinglie ioine the firme consent and authoritie of the catholike church yet not in such sort that as our aduersaries indeuour to prooue all the iudgement of the scriptures should depend thereon For it is not lawfull either for a councell or for the church to interpret the scriptures as séemeth good vnto them For that were to haue dominion ouer the faith of godlie men Therefore when they interpret the word of God it is their part to prooue that they haue expounded such things according to the consent and proportiō of other places of the scripture Wherfore the most dangerous error of the antichrists must be auoided with great circumspection It is not the church that giueth authoritie to the word which presume to saie that it is the church which hath woone authoritie to the books of God where it is far otherwise For whatsoeuer estimation or authoritie hath happened vnto the church all that hath come from the word of God It is detestable to heare that the holie oracles woords of God should purchase their credit of men which otherwise are but liers Yet neuertheles such things they imagine and deuise that when they be found to decrée constitute in manie places of the sacraments and other points of doctrine far otherwise than Gods word doth permit they will maintaine that it is lawfull for them so to doo Looke part 4 chap. 4 art 12 and chap. 6 art 11. bicause the church saie they which hath brought credit and authoritie to the word of God may change alter therein whatsoeuer shall séeme good vnto hir Wherefore that which they ground vpon must by all maner of meanes be resisted Let vs not be brought to thinke that the holy scriptures haue gotten their credit and authoritie by the church And yet I vrge not this much as though I despised or contemned the dignitie of the church Three functions of the church about the word of God For I attribute vnto it thrée goodlie functions about the word of God The first is that I grant she doth as it were a witnesse preserue the holie bookes but it cannot be gathered thereby that it is lawfull for the church either to alter or peruert anie thing in the holie scriptures A similitude The church as a witnes preserueth the holie bookes Experience teacheth vs that both priuate and publike euidences are committed to registers notaries to be safelie kept and preserued and yet no man in his right mind will saie that it is lawfull for them to change any thing in them Neither may we thinke that the power of those registers can be greater than their wils which appointed them to be
these three be one but and if ye receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God is greater In this place thou séest saith he that the testimonie of the holie Ghost is called the testimonie of God whereby it is prooued that the holie Ghost is God The spirit bloud and water represent the three persons And that those thrée I meane the spirit bloud and water doo represent the thrée persons it is shewed by thrée reasons The first is taken from the Analogie or conueniencie of the signes which Augustine recited Secondlie thou perceiuest that those thrée are said to be one which is not méete for them vnles thou shalt respect those things which be represented for otherwise spirit bloud and water doo varie in nature or kind one from another Thirdlie those thrée nounes in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is water spirit and bloud be of the neuter gender vnto which afterward is put the masculine article in the plurall number namelie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is These three be vnto one or be one But the masculine article as touching signes which be of the neuter gender might take no place vnles it should be applied vnto those which are signified that is vnto the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost Neither let it trouble vs that it is read some-where These three be vnto one as though it should make for the Arrians which said that these thrée persons be vnto one bicause they consented togither in one testimonie as though the spéech concerneth not one maner of nature but one maner of will The Hebrue phrase And the phrase commeth néere vnto the Hebrue so as To be vnto one and To be one is the selfe-same thing As when we read in the psalme I will be vnto him a Father and he shall be vnto me a Sonne it is as if it were said I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne And in another place They shall be vnto me a people 2. Cor. 6 18. and I will be vnto them a God is all one as to saie I will be their God and they shall be my people And when it is said They be one there is signified both a distinction of persons and an vnitie of substance For vnlesse there were some distinction it should haue bin said It is one The 21. reason verse 57. 12 Also they alledge the song of the thrée children wherein when all creatures are stirred vp vnto the praises of God the Sonne the holie Ghost are not mentioned whereby it is plaine that they be not reckoned among creatures Neither maist thou saie that this song is a part of the Apocrypha bicause this part of Daniel is wanting in the Chaldean edition for thou shalt sée the verie same to be done euerie-where in the Psalmes of Dauid wherein is the same stirring vp of creatures vnto diuine praises Iohn in his first epistle saith 1. Iohn 5 6. The spirit is truth and this cannot be written of a creature séeing truth is chiefe and principall The 22. reason and dependeth not of another They are woont to alledge the beginning of the booke of Genesis The 23. reason where it is said The spirit of the Lord mooued vpon the face of the waters Genes 1 2. In which place they affirme that there is mention made of thrée persons namelie of the Father which created of the Sonne by whome all things were made as when it is said In the beginning it is all one as to saie By the beginning and of the holie Ghost I knowe that the Hebrue expositors interpret far otherwise of these words but I haue onlie taken vpon me to shew those places by which the fathers gathered the Godhead of the holie Ghost Wherevnto adde The 24. reason that Paule in his epistles seldome maketh mention of the father and the sonne but he also speaketh of the holie ghost either expreslie or by adding of somewhat pertaining to him And Basil sheweth The 25. reason that it was a custome receiued in the whole church to adde in the end of the Psalmes that which we now vse Glorie be to the Father to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost wherein the thrée persons are made equall the one to the other The 26. reason 13 The Synod of Nice set foorth a créed in which we saie I beleeue in the holie Ghost But it is verie manifest that we must not repose our confidence in anie thing that is created And bicause in those daies the contention was not much sproong vp of the holie Ghost there was nothing else added but afterwards when diuers and sundrie heresies grew vp as touching him The Councell of Constantinople then in the Councell of Constantinople which was the second among the foure principall manie things were added to make this article plaine For we grant that We beleeue in the holie Ghost both the Lord giuer of life By the particle Lord they make him equall vnto Christ who in the scriptures is commonlie called Lord which epitheton or addition they would therefore to be expressed Against the Arrians bicause the Arrians affirmed that Christ was altogether a creature but yet the noblest they said which next vnto God was the chéefe And they said that the holie ghost was yet lesse than the sonne and euen his minister Wherefore the Synod in place of Minister put the title of Lord. The selfe-same thing did they in the particle The giuer of life for they saw that it is written in Iohn that not onlie the father doth giue life but that the sonne also can quicken whom-soeuer he will and so least the holie ghost might séeme to be excluded from this propertie they added that particle And that his Godhead might be the more manifest it was added The 27. reason that He together with the father and the sonne is woorshipped and glorified 14 Further Athanasius hath in his créed The 28. reason God the Father God the Sonne and God the holie Ghost And to prooue this thing no lesse is the forgiuing of sins taken for an argument which they grant as proper to the holie Ghost For when Christ had breathed vpon his disciples he said Receiue yee the holie Ghost Iohn 20 22. and whose sinnes ye remit they be remitted vnto them and whose sinnes ye reteine they be reteined Whereby it appéereth that this power is yéelded to the holie Ghost and is proper vnto God And this euen the Scribes themselues testified The 29. reason who hearing Christ saie to the man sick of the palsie Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Matth. 9 2. cried out that he spake blasphemie in that he durst take vpon him the office of God Furthermore The 30. reason the holie scriptures doo call this self-same spirit both A sanctifier and giuer of light which faculties are méete to be attributed vnto God onlie In Exodus the fourth chapter
Augustine In the old lawe fasting was commanded to be onelie one daie once in a yeare wherein nothing should be tasted vntill night in which place it is not described with what kind of meat they should sup And in Augustines confessions we read that the eating of flesh made not godlie men anie thing the lesse acceptable vnto God 1. Kin. 17 6. And he maketh mention of Elias who being hidden was fed by the rauens with flesh Mat. 3 4. And Iohn Baptist in the wildernes did eate locusts But on the other side Gen. 25 32. Esau being beguiled with the most simple food of pottage sold his birth-right 20 Among the Fathers they continuallie alledge Gregorie What is to be thought of Gregory of whom I make no verie great account for he was the first that brought in manie superstitious things Touching the Fathers that went before him I thinke it hath been spoken sufficient Albeit the same Gregorie bishop of Rome as we find in the decrée the 4. distinction and in the chapter Denique writeth vnto Augustine bishop in England that The laie men were woont euen in the time of Lent to be verie desirous of flesh to fill themselues immoderatelie with the same and he iudgeth Gregories opinion of eating in Lent that the priests and deacons at the least ought to refraine But vnto others he durst not appoint anie commandement or lawe least peraduenture anie worse thing should happen They vrge vs also with Councels whose decrées neuerthelesse haue not alwaies béene firme and how little the bishops of Rome haue regarded them it may appéere in that verie manie both publikelie and priuatelie doo obteine licence for monie to eat egges butter and milke Licence for mony granted by the Pope to eat certeine kinds of meats vpon their fasting daies when as it was otherwise ordeined by those decrées The latter Popes of Rome haue made most seuere lawes concerning these things as they that made it but a small matter to laie manie snares to catch the simple people All these things were ordeined but yet there is no cause why we should therefore grant them to haue beene iust These traditions of men are pernicious bicause as Christ taught at length they make the commandements of God to be of none effect Mat. 15. 3. The Lord commanded How the traditions of men doo violate the commandements of God that we should haue one God and that we should not admit anie besides him at this daie the worshipping and inuocation of saints is confirmed by traditions God forbad images at this daie they be receiued into churches by the decrées of bishops God commanded that parents should be had in honour the tradition causeth that children setting light by that authoritie doo flie vnto monasteries God willeth that our neighbours should be holpen but through these traditions men go from helping of the liuing to helping of the dead The holie scriptures declare that there is but one mediator Christ Iesus who hath procured God to be mercifull towards all our wickednes but by tradition we are taught at this daie that he suffered for originall sinne and for those sinnes which were committed before baptisme but that it is necessarie for vs concerning sinnes done after regeneration to redéeme them by our owne works Thus are the commandements of God made frustrate by the traditions of men Whether the church haue power to make lawes 21 They saie the church hath power to make lawes Which thing I denie not for we are men and it is néedfull euen in those works which apperteine vnto the worship of GOD to haue good order established for which cause we grant that there may be other decrées established in the church But then there be certeine conditions strictlie to be obserued First and foremost Vnder what conditions ecclesiasticall lawes must be reteined that such kind of iustice be not contrarie to the word of God Secondlie we must prouide that we place not the worship of God iustification and remission of sinnes in them Besides this they must not be ouer manie in number least they ouercharge and pester the church Neither must they be decréed in such wise as though they ought to be of necessitie and that they must not by anie means be changed when the saluation of the faithfull shall so require Neither ought they in such sort to be made that if a man without offense and contempt doo not obserue them he sinneth deadlie Wherefore séeing that these lawes about the choise of meats as we haue declared are against the word of God which hath ordeined meats to be frée it is cléere that they are pernicious Moreouer in this decrée of theirs for making choise of meats they repose holines and the worship of God so as they account such as absteine not from the meats which they haue appointed to be neither good nor holie nor religious In processe of time those decrées of theirs haue growne innumerable neither is there anie end of them Augustine Augustine long since complained that All things in his time were full of presumptions so as now the state of the christians was woorse than the bondage of the Iewes Séeing he spake this of the time wherein he liued The sâ—ate of the christians at this day in more bondage than the Iewes what I beséech you would he haue said of our times wherein the church is pressed with infinit burdens First they would haue an abstinence for the Lent time then afterward they added fridaie and saturdaie and in some places wednesdaie euerie wéeke Foure ember wéekes they brought in last of all eues of a number of saints Which times Gregorie the seuenth of that name added that they which will not fast doo sinne as he termeth it deadlie Wherfore seing these traditions be so gréeuous to the church that they may be called burdens intollerable the which Christ did find falt with to be laid on men by the Scribes and Pharisies they ought in no wise to be suffered Finallie thou maist adde that they would haue such choise of meats to be so necessarie and inuiolable that the church could not stand without them And such account they make of their owne traditions that they punish the transgressors more gréeuouslie for them than those which haue broken the commandements of God as théeues adulterers church-robbers and such like 22 They alledge the Rechabites Ierem. 35 2. which are commended in Ieremie An obiection touching the Rechabits for their obedience vnto their father who commanded them to drinke no wine and to enioie no certeine possessions but to wander to and fro and dwell in no citie Vnto whom God bicause they faithfullie performed these things promised a liuelie posteritie and a long induring séed Here they saie that those things which Ionadab the sonne of Rechab commanded to his children make for the choise of meats wherefore the church by commanding of these things dooth not séeme
haue them to be of strength to the remission of sinnes and also to the diminishing of satisfactions inioined This began the Papists to denie which wrote against Doctor Luther They saie that none hath said that pardons doo satisfie for sinnes but for punishments onelie In that point a man must hold them hard for ye saie that no man hath said so Innocentius spake it in the same sort By their satisfactions they obscure the law and the gospell In verie déed they pretend nothing else by their satisfactions but to obscure the Gospell and the woorthinesse of Christ yea and they deface the lawe They appoint some works frée some vndue works and some works of supererogation as though the lawe bindeth not all the motions of men But we on our part fall not into these euils Albeit we saie that afflictions be asswaged yet doo we not saie that the same is doone by vndue works but by entring into an obedience which pleaseth GOD. Those things which they speake are snares to the conscience traditions of men and not voluntarie worshipping of God We denie not but that the godlie men which be alreadie iustified doo restraine their flesh but that cōmeth not by anie constraint of men euerie one dooth it as he perceiueth it néedfull Paule saith I chastise my bodie 1 Cor. 6 27 and bring the same into seruitude They crie out that we open a windowe vnto idlenes but this they them selues rather doo for true faith and repentance be neuer idle If we vnderstand satisfaction for a godlie life we saie that it is one of the parts of repentance An answer to the arguments of the aduersaries 35 There remaineth that we answer to the arguments of our aduersaries Whereas they saie that God dooth so forgiue the fault as yet he will laie some punishments vpon vs that is false God by Christ forgiueth the fault and taketh awaie the punishment This dooth the scripture testifie Ezec. 18 33 In what houre soeuer a sinner shall lament him I will no more remember his sinnes but if he mind to punish anie man he will remember them Ezechiel If they will repent them I also will repent me of the euill which I determined to bring vpon them He speaketh of the euill of punishment The prophet Osea Ose 13 14. O death I wil be thy death If they which be conuerted be sometimes vered those are properlie no punishments They said that confession was therfore inuented to the intent that priests might redéeme penance by sacrificing But that is vntrue for penance was doone to satisfie the congregation and to testifie that men did truelie repent Auricular confession was appointed that men might receiue comfort instruction helpe by praiers and such like They saie that the death of Christ in respect of worthinesse did satisfie for all men yet that God would not haue his death to be of efficacie to anie others but such as by repentance doo worke togither with the death of Christ and bicause we be his members our good woorkes are called his But if they be his works then are they none of ours It behooueth them that doo truelie satisfie that they satisfie with that which is their owne 1. Tim. 2 6. In the first epistle to Timothie the second chapter it is said of Christ Who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men he saith not For them which be labourers togither with him Vnto the Ephesians the first Ephe. 1 7. in the first to the Colossians Col. 1 14. In whom that is to saie in Christ we haue redemption In the first to the Corinthians the first chapter 1. Cor. 1 30. it is said of Christ Who was made for vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption They brought a place out of Deuteronomie Deut. 25 2. According as the measure of the fault is so let the measure of the stripes be This is a ciuill proportion he commanded that when anie man should be beaten he should suffer fortie stripes vnder that number they might bring in according to the proportion of the fault But if they will reteine ciuill precepts in confession whie doo they not also decrée that if anie man happen to steale an oxe he must repaie fiue for it if he steale one shéepe he must repaie foure I maruell that they brought a place out of the Apocalypse Apoc. 18 7. Euen so much as she magnified hirselfe so much as she liued in pleasure so much shall she receiue of torments These saiengs recoile against themselues In that place it is intreated of the harlot with whom princes haue committed fornication how much as the same hath liued in pleasures so much shall she receiue of torments and that not at the decrée of the priests but according to the iudgement of God Matt. 3 8. Doo ye the fruits of repentance This sentence we imbrace we saie it is the commandement of the Lord we appoint fruits of repentance Of lesse weight is that saieng Rom. 6 19. As you haue giuen ouer your members to be armour of vncleannesse and iniquitie c. These things be the duties of our life these things we ought to doo being absolued by Christ if they be commandements they be no works of supererogation They saie that the dispensation is committed vnto priests but they are not able to shew the scriptures for the same they bring foorth that sentence Matt. 18 18. Whatsoeuer ye binde in earth c. They are neuer without their erring keie bicause their keies be counterfeited and forged with traditions How knowe they how great a part of them is to be reteined 36 They that would haue repentance to be of value although that satisfaction come not therevnto doo obiect the repentance of Achab The repentance of Achab 1. Kin 21 27 who as yet was in sin He had not yet put awaie the hatred which he bare against the prophets he kept still the vineyard of Naboth yet they saie that that repentance pleased God Augustine Augustine in his sermon De tempore saith That repentance was for a time and therefore after a sort it pleased God He interpreteth these words He became humble before me that is to saie For my cause Others thinke it was no temporall but an hypocriticall repentance which was wrested from him onelie through feare Helias had threatened him whom he knew to be no vaine man wherefore he was sore afraid by some certeine faith such as it was no iustifieng faith but a faith gathered by experience God gaue some thing vnto that repentance as an outward discipline euen as he giueth to hypocrits that for a time they be of estimation God hath set such an order of things as men may followe either this or that yet neuerthelesse they please not God What did the Lord grant vnto Achab But little he deferred his punishment for a while but at length he was slaine and the dogs licked his bloud That all
they prouided that those things which they taught The traditions of the apostles prooued by the scriptures maie be manifestlie inferred by those things which be written either by themselues or in other holie bookes For otherwise sundrie superstitions receiued in old time would euerie where be boasted of as things deliuered by the apostles which things can no other waies be knowen but bicause they be altogither strange from the scriptures And that which I haue affirmed we maie prooue out of the scriptures themselues 1. Cor. 11 5. 1. Co. 14. 34. 2. Thes 3 10 There is a tradition of Paule that A woman should haue hir head couered in the church and should be silent in that place and that the christians which be poore should labour with their hands least they should liue idlelie But these things séeing he confessed to be his traditions he indeuoured to prooue them by the holie scriptures Thus let our aduersaries doo if they will haue anie place to be left for their traditions The church hath beene many times in doubt of purgatorie It was long ere the Greekes would admit it 13 But to returne to our purpose Verie oftentimes there hath béene a doubt made of purgatorie and the Gréeke church in the councell of Florence long resisted And it is a wicked thing to expound the places of the scripture which are brought for the proofe of this opinion otherwise than the proper and lawfull interpretation doth require But those places being vnderstood on this wise they leaue no place for purgatorie as we shall perceiue when we come to the declaration of the same Augustine also spake diuerslie of purgatorie for in his Enchiridion vnto Laurence in the 66. chapter and againe about the end of the 68. chapter writeth that It is not vncredible but that there hapneth some such thing after this life yet he saith a question may be mooued whether it be so or no and that it may or may not be The verie which words he plainlie writeth vnto Dulcitius question the first Also in his treatise De fide operibus the 16. chapter he saith Whether therefore men suffer these things onelie in this life or else whether some such iudgements doo also followe after this life it is not far as I thinke from reason He vseth as thou maiest sée a disiunctiue spéech and that the same be true it sufficeth that either part be true Touching the articles of the faith we must not speake doutfullie But of an article of faith who would speake so doubtfullie as to saie whether Christ had true flesh or fantasticall whether in Christ were the diuine nature or onlie the humane nature and such other saiengs Those things which belong vnto faith must of necessitie be defined and ought to be certeine The verie same Father in the 12. booke De ciuitate Dei the 26. chapter speaking of the fire of purgatorie I doo not saith he reprooue this Augustine put a peraduenture touching purgatorie But in matters of saluatiō there must be put in doubt bicause peraduenture some such thing is But as touching those things which are necessarie to be beléeued vnto saluation it is not lawfull either to write or deale in that sort Thou wilt saie perhaps Although Augustine in these places séeme to be doubtfull yet that in other places he doth certeinlie affirme it I answer that those places wherein he séemeth to affirme it must be interpreted by these foure other places in which he hideth not the ambiguitie of the thing Whereby we must confesse that he was rather persuaded thereof by a certeine opinion than that he beléeued it so to be without all doubt The nature of an opinion bicause the nature of an opinion is that we giue an assent not without some feare or doubt that the contrarie opinion is true 14 But me thinketh this maketh verie much against this fained deuise A great argument against purgatorie that the holie scriptures haue made no mention of it Gen. 23 3. that the holie scriptures haue passed ouer in silence and made no mention of this so great a worke of charitie whereby brethren parents and children might be released from the most gréeuous vexations of purgatorie Assuredlie this were verie much to be woondered at In the old testament it is verie diligentlie set foorth that funerals were extolled for Abraham bought a field for the buriall of his wife The caue is described the price is expressed and all such things are so diligentlie recited as thou canst not thinke anie thing to be ouerskipped where notwithstanding there is not anie mention made either of purgatorie Neither in the funerals nor in the sacrifices of the old lawe is anie speech of purgatorie or of the purging of soules or of ridding the soule of him that is departed from the paines thereof either by sacrifices or praiers And in Leuiticus and other bookes wherein the lawe is described séeing there be sacrifices and oblations described for all states of men and for euerie kind of fault who will not maruell that there was nothing appointed for the dead and that there was so déepe silence as concerning the purging of soules in purgatorie The prophets also being excellent interpretors of the lawe The prophets neuer spake of purgatorie when in euerie place they doo commend the duties of godlinesse and charitie neuer set foorth vnto vs in their sermons anie thing that might prouoke and drawe vs once to thinke hereof Paule hauing the like occasion offered vnto him 1. Thes 4 13 when he wrote vnto the Thessalonians for he taught how to vse moornings in funeralles and those whom he admonisheth he onelie incourageth with the hope of resurrection should at the least wise in that place haue admonished Paule hauing a fit occasion offered him spake nothing of it that setting aside teares for them which they loued déerelie they should praie that they might not long be vexed with the paines of purgatorie He bringeth no such thing but after the doctrine of resurrection at the end of his exhortation he saith Therefore comfort your selues one another with these words Yea and Dionysius Dionysius whom they call Areopagita in his treatise De Hierarchia ecclesiastica when he purposelie demandeth the question whie the minister of the church hath praiers for him that is alreadie dead he maketh no mention of purgatorie but laboureth earnestlie to shew other causes But if he had beléeued that there is a purgatorie he might verie easilie haue satisfied the question propounded but it séemeth that he would rather determine of anie thing than to teach that by those praiers the soules of them that were departed should be deliuered from the paines of purgatorie 15 But now let vs sée how the holie scriptures be against this opinion In the fift of Iohn it is written verse 24. The faithfull doo passe from death vnto life He that heareth my words beleeueth in
be as tow and the maker of your idols as a sparke of fire they both shall burne togither The strength of these men is euill doctrine idolatrie I meane the sparke shall set the tow on fire both shall be burned namelie the author of the doctrine togither with the tow with his opinions bicause euen those things shall not abide the author himself shall be much afflicted Paule alluded to the words of Esaie Neuerthelesse the sentence of Paule is not all one with that of Esaie but as I haue said he onelie alluded vnto it In 1. Cor. 3 ver 15. Luk. 16 19. To the right 31 Lastlie they brought an argument out of Luke concerning the rich man which was tormented in the flames But the same is said of manie to be a parabolicall narration of which mind Chrysostome is But admit it be an historie in déed how will it prooue that rich man to be in purgatorie Séeing betwéene the bosome of Abraham that place where he was punished it is said that There was an exceeding great Chaos so as from thence none might passe vnto Abraham An euident proofe that neither the praiers of the liuing nor yet intercession of saints is auailable for soules in purgatorie And it séemeth a wonder how that rich man séeing he was so greatlie afflicted did not desire to haue a yearelie memoriall nor yet the praiers of them that were aliue And séeing Abraham affirmeth that he might neither be holpen by him nor yet by Lazarus how can the massing priest trust that he by his masses and praiers can release the soules of them that be departed from the paines of purgatorie Vndoubtedlie the wise virgins imparted not their oile vnto the foolish Matt. 25 9 neither could Lazarus further the rich man It had béene better that they should haue pondered in that place They haue Moses and the Prophets Wherein it is shewed that the diuine scriptures are sufficient vnto saluation Men are not sent either to the Fathers or vnto humane traditions To the ninth As touching the holie citie which is the societie of the blessed I confesse that no vncleane thing must be let in vnto the same for they which die in the name of Christ be washed with his bloud Besides this there happened repentance and loosing of the flesh at the time of death wherefore they ought no more to be counted vncleane which are made partakers of eternall life Neither will we denie Phil. ◠10. but that In the name of Iesus euerie knee must bow both of things in heauen To the 10. and of things in earth and of things vnder the earth But these words must not be vnderstood touching the worshipping of GOD for it doth not onelie consist herein that knées should bow but it chieflie requireth spirituall affections and motions of the mind It is spoken there concerning the souereigne power giuen vnto Christ by reason whereof euerie creature both of heauen and earth and of things vnder the earth are put in subiection vnder him Yea and the diuell togither with the spirits of damned soules are put vnder his féet whether they will or no. And this doo the words that go before sufficientlie declare for it is said God gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name c. Which words if thou wilt applie to the worshipping of God as though they which worship God may be in purgatorie thou must of necessitie confesse that the diuell also and damned spirits doo worship Christ And of the same sense is that thought to be which is written in the Apocalypse namelie that All creatures Apoc. 5 13. To the 11. which be in heauen in the earth in the sea and vnder the earth celebrated the praises of God All things doo praise God according to their kind for they minister matter and occasion of diuine praises Otherwise thou wilt saie that hils mountains trées dragons and other such things doo trulie and properlie praise God 32 Touching the Fathers The greater number of fathers grant that there is a purgatorie but affirme it not to be an article of the faith what they haue iudged concerning this matter I haue not what else to declare but that the greater part of them are inclined to this opinion that there is a purgatorie But I remember not that I haue read among anie of them that it is an article of the faith in such sort as he that otherwise should thinke maie not haue saluation Neither must it straitwaie be accounted as a thing necessarilie to be beléeued whatsoeuer the Fathers haue said Heretiks called Millenarij Otherwise let vs subscribe vnto the Millenarij among whom were Irenaeus Victorinus Papias Lactantius Methodius and manie other notable men and men of worthie memorie Certeinlie all men subscribe not vnto Ambrose Ambrose Augustine had their errors when as in diuorsements he giueth leaue onelie vnto the man to be maried againe Neither will all men consent vnto Augustine that infants which die without baptisme are appointed to the punishment of hell neither that the Eucharist should be giuen to those infants The Papists against Augustine And our aduersaries themselues agrée not with Augustine when as he saith that All works of infidels be sinnes although it be a thing most true and most agréeable vnto the word of God Tertullian is withstood for holding that the soule commeth * Ex traduce by deriuation from one to another albeit that Augustine is not much against the same The errors of Cyprian Tertullian Epiphanius Ierom and of others They refuse Cyprian which held that heretiks returning vnto the church should be baptised againe Neither will they allow of Epiphanius when he saith against Arrius that It is the tradition of the apostles that sixe daies before Easter they should eate nothing but bread with salt And the same father in his Anchorato interpreteth the saieng of Christ The father is greater than I Iohn 14 18. to be spoken as touching his diuine nature Neither dooth he expound the same to concerne the nature of man as other men of right beléefe doo for he will by that kind of spéech that the sonne should be vnder the father And his opinion is that Christ when he praied in the garden Matt. 26 39. desired not that thing as though he would haue it so to be but bicause he would deceiue the diuell and prouoke him vnto a particular conflict as though Christ fained in that praier And it is not to be allowed in Ierom that he so smallie fauoured matrimonie that in his writing against Iouinianus he counted the mariage of two wiues or the second or third mariage in the place of fornication And Dionysius in his treatise De coelesti hierarchia when he sheweth the maner of burieng the bodies of the faithfull he saith that the dead carcases should be annointed which at this daie none of our aduersaries would doo I
beléeue that the ascension happened vpon a thursdaie We must not attribute ouermuch to traditions Wherefore let the Papists take héed how much credit they would haue to be giuen vnto their traditions for there be manie of them which the Papists them selues cannot denie but that they be ridiculous and vaine I knowe in déed that there be traditions which are necessarilie gathered out of the holie scriptures and for that cause they ought not to be abrogated But other traditions which be indifferent must not be augmented in number lest the church shuld be oppressed neither must they be thought so necessarie as though they may not be abolished And we must beware that the seruice of God be not thought to rest in them But as for those which are against the word of God they must not in anie wise be admitted In the distinction 76. in the first chapter Why the ember daies were inuented are added the ember daies or the foure quarterlie fasts The cause whie these haue béene distributed on this sort can hardlie be perceiued They cite Ierom vpon Zacharie who maketh mention of the fourth moneth the fift the seuenth and the tenth And they séeme to be mooued of a naughtie zeale to distribute these fasts into foure parts of the yéere And the fasts which the Iewes receiued euerie yéere for the calamities which they had suffered those also haue our men made yéerelie fasts But others haue inuented an other cause namelie bicause in those foure times of the yéere bishops are woont to promote Clerks vnto the ministerie and orders wherefore they saie that the people ought then most of all to fast and praie that God would grant them good pastors Fasting and praiers should be vsed at the time of ordering of ministers But I would demand of the bishops whie they ordeine ministers onlie at these foure times of the yéere Vndoubtedlie they can not shew anie certeine and iust cause whie 14 Augustine in his booke De haeresibus saith Augustine that Arrius contemned oblations for the dead Arrius the heretike and ordinarie times of fast bicause Christians were not vnder the lawe but vnder grace but he would that euerie man should fast at his owne pleasure when he himselfe would Certeinlie I allow not Arrius in that he was an Arrian but as concerning oblations and sacrifices for the dead he held that which is good and godlie Also touching ordinarie times of fasting I sée not whie he should be blamed vnlesse peraduenture he thought that fasts might not be proclaimed by the magistrate and by the church according as the danger of the time required The reason also which he vseth that Christians are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace is weake for we are not so deliuered from the lawe that we be fréed from all order Augustine also writeth Iouinian the heretike that Iouinian contemned abstinences and fasts as things vaine and vnprofitable wherein if he spake of bare fasts onelie and such as were appointed at certeine daies and certeine times of the yéere he iudged not ill For vnlesse they be adioined with faith and repentance and also with vehement praiers they nothing at all profit In the 58. chapter of Esaie the people complained We haue fasted verse 3. and thou hast not looked vpon vs. Which words doo shew that fasts without those circumstances which be requisite are not acceptable vnto God but if they be ioined with such things as are incident to them they be not vnprofitable Liberius By the decrée of Liberius who liued in the time of Constantius it may be perceiued that when the aire was vntemperat or when there was anie famine or pestilence or warre then they assembled togither to denounce a fast thereby to mitigate the wrath of God Augustine Augustine when he sawe his citie besieged by the Vandals gaue himselfe vnto fasting and praiers and in that siege died as Possidonius testifieth And generallie when we attempt anie great weightie matter as when we denounce war create Magistrates or ordeine Ministers of the church we haue most néed of feruent praiers for the feruentnesse whereof Matt. 4 2. fasting verie much auaileth Christ when he was to beginne his preaching went into the wildernesse and fasted A widow when hir husband is dead is left in a dangerous state therfore praiers fastings are verie méet for hir Luk. 2 36. Anna the daughter of Phanuel lead hir life in the temple where she gaue hir self to praier fasting 1. Tim. 5 5. Paule to Timothie saith A widow which is a true widow and desolate putteth hir confidence in the Lord and daie and night applieth hir selfe to praiers and fastings Acts. 10 3. Cornelius when as he was not sufficientlie instructed of Christ and was disquieted with a sorrowfull and heauie mind was in fasting and praiers at the ninth houre Acts. 3 10. to whom as we read in the Acts of the apostles the angell of the Lord appeared Whether fastings rightlie denounced must be obeied 15 But it maie be demanded that when fasts are commanded by princes and by the church whether men are bound to obey them or no Vndoubtedlie they are bound by the lawe of faith and by obedience For when fasts are set foorth which be agréeable vnto the word of God how can he that beléeueth in God refuse to doo them Assuredlie he cannot Howbeit this is to be vnderstood touching them which be of that state and condition that they be able to fast for if a man be hindred either by age or disease or labours Osc 6 6. The Gangrense councell in such a case that ought to be of force which the scripture saith I will haue mercie and not sacrifice But they which are not hindered ought to obeie In the Gangrense councell chapter 30. It is ordeined that if a man obeie not the fasts which are commanded him by the church hauing no bodilie necessitie howsoeuer he boast of perfection and proudlie contemneth the decrées of the church The canons of the apostles let him be accursed In the Canons of the apostles although they be Apocryphall conteine certeine strange things neither is the number of them sufficientlie agréed vpon I saie in the 86. Canon it is commanded that the clergie which fast not hauing no bodilie necessitie should be deposed Let infants in no wise be vrged and compelled to fast for that would be a hurt to their health Ioel. 2 16. Yet Ioel saith Sanctifie a fast gather togither old men and sucking children Iohn 3 7. And the Niniuits at the preaching of Ionas compelled beasts and infants to fast These were extraordinarie things neither are they set foorth to that end that we should imitate them 16 As for priuate fasts Augustine most men will haue them to be frée Wherefore saith Augustine to Cassulanus We knowe that we must fast when we are commanded but what daies we should fast
of those persons departed whose monuments they behold To this part dooth Augustine incline But as he saith it is obiected vnto him by Paulinus The saints as it is written by Paule in the 2. to the Corinthians the fift chapter shall stand verse 10. as well as other men before the iudgment seate of Christ that there euerie man may receiue according to that he hath doone in his bodie whether it be good or euill That the dead receiue not according to the requests of them that are aliue Therefore the soules of them that be dead are neuer a whit the better for the praier and intercession of them which doo liue here He answereth that there be some which haue no néed of these things as they which haue alreadie atteined felicitie and that there be others so condemned to euerlasting punishments as by no supplications they can be deliuered from thence But he will haue some to be found such as haue so behaued themselues in their bodie that they haue deserued to be holpen with the praiers of them which be yet liuing and vpon this foundation thus laid he concludeth that it may somwhat profit them that be dead if they be buried at the monuments of martyrs But let him take héed how firme is this principle of his we in verie déed accept it not being set downe without the scripture The prophets nor yet the lawe haue not made mention of anie such thing neither would the scripture haue silenced a thing so verie dutifull and of so great charitie towards miserable deceased sinners and haue spoken no where anie one word thereof But if thou wilt saie that it is a most ancient tradition of the church we grant it but it is not prooued or concluded by the holie scriptures not onelie it is not conteined in them but it is in no wise prooued out of them And if the church doo praie it was not for this cause doone in times past to the intent the spirits of them that be dead should be deliuered but as Dionysius testifieth it was in respect that the priest should doo the part of Gods interpretour and should in the title of the praier Why in times past they haue praied for the dead informe and certifie them that are present what God had doone for him that was dead or what we also are to hope for after this life 15 Nor obtrude thou to vs the second booke of Macchabeis it is not in the canon 2. Macc. 12 verse 43. Further it was written in those daies when Iudaea was pressed with the yoke of the Graecians whose maners it had now not onelie receiued but also imbraced the opinions which sauored of philosophie and deuises of mans reason euen as it had receiued a wrestling place brothell houses after the verie which maner it receiued by chance the inuention of purgatorie The originall of purgatorie which the prelates of the church by chance espieng to be obserued of godlie men with a certeine religiousnesse did not much passe to take the same vtterlie awaie but they altered and corrected it as much as might be Which Dionysius whatsoeuer he were dooth by a coniecture plaine inough declare vnto vs in his Treatise De ecclesiastica hierarchia where he obiecteth against himselfe Séeing the dead man hath alreadie that which he shall haue whie dooth the priest praie ouer his corps for his felicitie Not saith he to the intent he should be holpen with those suffrages but bicause it may be declared to them which stand by what God hath doone concerning him and thereby is giuen to the people present as well comfort as assurance both of the resurrection of the bestowing of eternall rewards So as the priest in that place vnder the pretence of praiers plaieth Gods interpretour And against the opinion of Augustine is the Bracarensin Councell in the 36. canon which decréed that at the oratories of martyrs the dead should not be buried And in the 13. cause question 2. chapter Praecipiendum the same is decréed out of the Varensin Councell Albeit in the same place in the chapter Nullus mortuus out of the Magociensin Councell the matter was brought to that passe as none should be permitted to be buried in the temples but bishops priests and abbats And this dooth reason persuade for temples are not for this purpose prouided that therein dead bodies should be interred but that sacraments should be ministred that sermons should be preached Burleng places set forth to the sale and that God should be praied vnto and praised in them But now among the Papists the churches are become churchyards which they make onelie for gaine sake And whereas it is expresselie commanded in the decrées that nothing should be taken for buriall Gen. 23 11. they séeme neuer to be satisfied Ierom treating on a place in Genesis saith If this man I meane Ephron would not receiue the things offered of Abraham and that when he was ouercome with gaine he receiued them is lightlie passed ouer what shall be doone as touching them which dare wrest awaie by violence Otherwise did Ambrose will to be doone when as he writeth in his Booke of offices The causes whit gold was giuen to churches that gold must be bestowed vpon the church not onelie that the church may doo good vnto the poore but also that there may be prouision made for the buriall of the dead Gaine and superstition haue brought in this kind of abuse Let vs not therefore be disquieted if we be not buried in churches for against the opinion of Augustine and against this peruerse custome speaketh Chrysostome Chrysost vpon the epistle to the Hebrues Wheresoeuer we be buried The earth is the Lords In the 13. cause question 2. the chapter Vbicunque Yet is not the care to wit the care taking for buriall or sepulture to be detested naie verelie it is lawfull for them that be aliue to choose themselues a burieng place Which we sée that the prophet did 1. kin 1◠15 which deceiued the other prophet for after that he heard he was dead he cōmanded his children that after his death they should burie him in the sepulchre wherein the other prophet was laid For he not onelie iudged that it would be an honor vnto him that his bones should be spared in the time of Iosias but he also thought it not amisse in the meane time that his bodie shuld be ioined with the dead bodie of the other prophet Iustlie therefore may we prouide to haue our bodies buried among our ancestors among godlie men and among our friends and acquaintance That our soules being loosed from the bodies doo not sleepe 16 When Paule saith in the 13. In 1. Cor. 13 verse 12. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians But then we shall see face to face c that same abuerbe of time then dooth signifie vnto vs the state of the time after death when the
among the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 5. the which is very much commended by Paul saying that they were instructed in all wisedome and in the worde Were they quiet among themselues There were Schismes among them Ibid. ver 12 They saide I hold of Peter I of Paul I of Apollo But thou wilt say they disagréed not as touching matters of weight Manie were at that point that they thought simple fornication no sinne 1. Cor. 6. 13 So as it behooued Paul to instruct them concerning the same Of the resurrection it selfe they iudged amisse If there be errours in the Anabaptistes or in others we agrée not with them Arrius In the latter age the Arrians did shake the Church for the space of 150. yeares and there were Ethnickes which were agréeued thereat Themistius For Themistius wrote of this matter vnto the Emperour Constantius Graunt me that the Ethnickes which then were reasoned against the Church How are ye Christians diuided among your selues In one Church was a Catholike Bishop in an other a Nouatian as at Constantinople was Chrysostome and Agelius In Africa also welnéere throughout euerie Church were two Bishops a Catholike and a Donatist A part would haue Images Epiphanius counted it as a thing detestable What shall we say as touching the Supremacie of the Pope They woulde haue it to be an article of necessitie vnto saluation but haue they all receiued the same Gregorie said that this is the title of Antichrist The Bishop of Constantinople sued against the Bishop of Rome At length the whole East part acknowledged not the Romane Bishop and yet they saide that it was the Church They say that they haue the Popedome ioyned thereunto God he knoweth But to deale frankelie with them let vs graunt them this It is a token that they are wholie carried vnto lewdnesse and it is rather a conspiracie than a veritie Dauid had the kingdome of God yet was it not quiet Such is the Church Of the true markes of the Church looke after Place 6. Art 16. and 38. c. Of diuers Ministeries of the Church 4 But nowe let vs obserue that the Apostles were to that ende chosen In Rom. 1. at the beginning that they shoulde institute the seruice of the Gospell The difference betweene the Apostles and the Byshops shoulde publish vnto the beléeuers the things which they had heard of Christ But the Bishops were ordeined to this purpose that they shold defend those things which are cōteined in the Gospel and the holie scriptures Looke in the Treatise against Gardiner p. 152 which they should so receiue to be defended as they must not ad vnto them anie new things and forge traditions at their owne will Further the holie fathers which were Bishops when they take in hand to write doe confesse themselues to be handlers of the holie scriptures and woulde not that those things which they write shoulde be accounted of so great authoritie as we attribute vnto the Cannon of the Scriptures Nay rather they forbid that anie credite shoulde be giuen vnto them if they speake anie thing against the holie Scriptures Thirdlie to the Apostolical doctrine were adioyned manie miracles whereby their authoritie is confirmed which we sée was not doon in the traditions of the Elders Againe we are sure that the Apostles wrote by the inspiration of the holie Ghost which we dare not affirme of our Bishoppes Whereupon we conclude that the Apostles could not erre in those things which they wrote but we sée that the Bishoppes haue oftentimes decréeed amisse as concerning the rules of Religion as it appeareth in the Councell of Ariminum and also in the second Synode of Ephesus and also in manie other yea and they erred verie much also in their Actions At Chalcedone and Constantinople were Synods gathered together in which Chrysostome was condemned and deposed Chrisostom condemned and deposed which also was doone in the name of those Bishops which were accompted Catholike And there might be alleadged manie examples of this sort 1. Tim. 1. 14. Also Paul writing vnto Timothie prayeth him to saue that which was giuen him to kéepe declaring that hée ought neither to ad nor diminish any thing of the doctrine of the Gospell receiued This is to preserue the thing giuen him to kéepe Adde hereunto that the Apostles be so vnto Bishops and ordinarie Pastors The Apostles are to the Byshops as the Prophets were to the high Priestes as in old time the Prophets were vnto the high Bishoppes and Priests For the Prophets might bring bookes and mixe them with the Canonical Scriptures For Samuel added his bookes vnto the Scripture Esay Ieremie and the other Prophets added their monumentes vnto the Scripture which the Scribes high Priests and Bishops might not haue done The Apostles called the Gentiles abrogated the Ceremonies of the lawe which was beyond the compasse of the high Bishops and Priests Therefore the Apostle setteth foorth himselfe by sundrie titles that when wée reade him or heare him wée may thinke that we heare not the wordes of a man but oracles powred out of heauen In Rom. 10. 5 But in the Scriptures there be manie places by which it may be prooued that the doctrine of the Gospell shoulde be published throughout the whole world by the ministerie of the Apostles Esay 24. 16. 59. 19. Mal. 1. 11. As in Esay the 24. and 59. Chapters and in Malachie and almost euerie where in the Prophets And if so be the Gospell were published throughout the worlde then coulde not the Iewes cauel that they had not hearde of it especiallie when as Preaching began at them according to that saying Out of Sion shall go the lawe Esay 2. 3. Actes 13. 46. and the word of the Lorde out of Ierusalem Neither did the Apostles turne vnto the Gentiles vntill they had nowe séene the obstinacy of the vnbeléeuing Iewes For then they went vnto the Gentiles who neuertheles also had Ministers of the word of God before although not in such plentie That the Gentiles had some ministers of the word before the Apostles and ordinary succession as the Iewes had Among the Gentils liued Melchizedeck Balam Job and the Sibils whose testimonies as touching Christ are reueiled of olde writers Ioseph liued in Egypt Ionas was sent vnto the Nineuites Daniel and his companions preached in Babylon Nehemias Esdras liued among the Persians all which men kindled some light of true godlinesse amongst the Gentils but at length the doctrine was made fullie compleate by the Apostles The Iewes therefore are confuted by an argument taken a minori that is of the lesse If the Gentiles being farre off and at the ends of the world did heare howe haue you Iewes not heard And this manner of exposition doeth Chrysostome follow Neither is it anie maruell that Paul in the tenth Chapter to the Romanes writeth Verse 18. that the Gospel is published euerie where
authour of this booke helde not the trueth but either the booke is faultie or the Interpretour erred or else thou doest not vnderstand it But in the workes of them that came after the which are contained in innumerable bookes but are in no respect made equall vnto that most sacred excellencie of the Canonicall scriptures yea in which soeuer of them is found one and the same truth yet the authoritie is farre vnequal Wherefore if perhappes anie things in them are therefore thought to dissent from the trueth because they be not vnderstoode as they be spoken yet the reader or hearer hath there a frée iudgement whereby he maie allowe that which shall please him or disallowe that which shall offende him And all which be of that sort vnlesse they be by sure reason or else by that Canonicall authoritie defended so as it maie be plainelie shewed that that which is either there disputed or declared is altogether so or that it might be so if it shall displease anie man or that he will not beléeue it he is not blamed And in the 19. Epistle vnto Ierom This frée seruice I owe vnto the diuine Scriptures whereby I so followe them alone as I doubt not but that the writers of them erred nothing at all nor put anie thing guilefullie in them And there is no antiquitie or dignitie of person so great as can prescribe vnto the word of God Whether we our selues saith Paul or an Angell from heauen shall preach vnto you anie other gospell than we haue preached let him be accursed 19 But our aduersaries continuallie make much a doe of yeares of times and of the holinesse of fathers But all these things ought to be of none importance against the word of God Christ and the Apostles neuer cited the Rabbins and Fathers although manie were verie well learned but they taught all the things out of the lawe and the Prophets Ierom. Ierom vppon Esay the 18. booke and 65. Chapter That they should not hasten to beléeue without reason let them follow Nathanael who was praised by the mouth of the Lord Iohn 1. 47. Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile He sought Christ by the authoritie of the scriptures and was desirous to haue knowledge of the Prophets saying Can there anie good thing come out of Nazareth And the sense is why bring ye me Messias out of Galile and from Nazareth whom I know was sent before out of Bethleem Iuda Wherefore the Apostles and Apostolicall men will so beget their children as they maie instruct them in the holie scriptures The same father vppon the 23. chapter of Matthew vppon these words Verse 35. And vpon you shall come all the bloud which hath beene shedde from the bloud of Abell the iust vntill the bloud of Zacharie dealeth with the place in controuersie who was that Zacharie that was slaine betwéene the Temple and the Altar And he alleadgeth the opinion of them which would haue him to be the father of Iohn Baptist who was slaine because he had preached Christ Wherof he thus speaketh Because this thing hath no authoritie of the Scriptures it is as easilie reiected as it is prooued And by these words he closelie quippeth Basil who was of the same mind So in the seuentéenth cha of the Actes Verse 11. when Paul had preached Christ to the Thessalonians they did not straight waie giue credite to his words but they tooke counsell of the scriptures whether the thing were so or no. 1. Cor. 3. 11. And vnto the Corinthians whē he had said An other foundation can no man laie than that which is laide euen Christ Iesus he addeth that some but not all doe build vppon it gold and siluer or pretious stones but othersome haie others stubble 20 When I read Augustine in the third booke de Doctrina Christiana in manie places where he intreateth of the interpretation of the Scriptures I neuer sée him send the reader vnto the fathers Howe the harder places of the scripture must be expoūded Look in the treatise against Gardiner pag. 279. If saith he there happen anie obscure or hard place in the scriptures conferre the same with an other place in the scriptures either more manifest or with the like Then if out of one place many senses maie he gathered chiefelie imbrace thou that which shall most séeme to edifie Thirdlie indeuour saith he that béeing instructed in the tongues thou maist come to the interpretation of the scriptures For it oftentimes commeth to passe that what thou vnderstandest not in one language thou maist vnderstand in an other Fourthlie let it not gréene thée to take counsell of sundrie interpretours for that which one hath expounded somewhat obscurelie an other hath expressed oftentimes more plainelie Fifthlie all circumstances must be diligentlie considered Sixtlie thou must sée what went before and what foloweth but speciallie saith he neuer remooue thine eyes from the purpose of the writer By this waie and meanes Augustine thought that we might most easily attaine to the sense and vnderstanding of the Scriptures Although I disallow not but that young men maie also take counsell of men better learned of interpretours Howbeit this let them remember that they whosoeuer they be although neuer so well learned cannot prescribe against the manifest word of God There is an excellent Epistle of Cyprian vnto Caecilius the 2. booke the 3. Epistle Cyprian We must not regard saith he what this man or that man shall iudge but what Christ shall doe and teach In that place was disputed against the Aquarian heretikes who in the celebration of the Lords supper vsed water in stéede of wine Those did Cypriā blame because they did it against the word of God At this daie the Papistes vse not water indéede instéed of wine but they teare and mangle the Sacrament and the one part they plucke awaie from the people neither doe they consider in the meane time what Christ taught or did but onelie what some men haue decréed against the word of God Euen so in those ancient times of the Iewes when all things were weighed according to the Scriptures all things were sound and perfect But when the controuersies were reuoked vnto the Rabbins who sate in the chaire of Moses all thinges were mard and corrupted And therefore the Pharises were reprooued by Christ because for their owne traditions they violated the commaundements of God 21 Further what else is there sought but that the minde maie be in quiet But the minde cannot be in quiet vnlesse it be in the word of God But the word of God say they is obscure Admit it be and the Fathers also be oftentimes obscure Wherefore they must néedes wauer alwayes in minde and conscience which take awaie this anchor from themselues This order also the Ethnicke writers followed For from things say they that be better knowen we must goe to things that be lesse knowen But those things which
called honorable amongst all men Hebr. 13. 4. And vnto the Corinthians it is written 1. Cor. 7. 9. They that doe not containe let them marrie Ibid. And it is better to marrie than to burne But they by their decrées and expositions exclude a great part of the world from marriages namelie all the holy Ministerie Exod. 20. 4. The Law of God commandeth that we should not make vnto our selues images to worship them these men commaund that images should be had and worshipped Col. 2. 16. Paul saieth Let no man iudge you in meate and drinke These in their interpretations haue peruerted this libertie and haue brought in a most seuere or rather ridiculous and superstitious choise of meates The holy scripture hath decréed That we by faith are iustified without workes Rom. 3. 28. They by their exposition affirme that wee are also iustified by workes Therefore their glosses be verie much against the text Neither are their interpretations anie thing else than corruptions Where the word of God commaundeth that we should set our mindes on high their interpretations draw vs downeward This power of expounding the scriptures haue the Popes therefore drawen onelie vnto themselues or vnto the Councels to the intent that they might after their owne pleasure bring in straunge opinions into the Church and contend against the worde of God howsoeuer they thought good Neither did the Iewish high Priests Scribes and Pharisées otherwise behaue themselues But Christ receiued not their peruerse interpretations Matt. 15. 4. c. Christ reiected false interpretations God commanded in the Lawe that children should obey their parents But the Priests being driuen by couetousnesse tooke away the strength of this commaundement in absoluing of children from the burthen of maintaining their parents perswading them to offer excellent and riche giftes the which should profit their parents much more than sustenance The Lord hath cryed out also against this craftie interpretation he testified that the commandement of God is made voide Matt. 5. 33. Also by their exposition they haue lessened the strength of others and haue taught that some are of strength and some féeble Here also the Lorde hath gainesaide hath confuted their Sophisticall interpretations Matt. 5. 20. They also taught that men satisfie the Law if onelie they conforme themselues vnto the same Christ reiecting these peruerse glosses hath declared that the law requireth not onelie outward works but also good motions of the minde Wherefore there is no cause why the aduersaries should compell vs without iudgement to repose our selues in their expositions Augustine wrote bookes of Christian doctrine where he teacheth manie wayes to interprete the Scriptures but among thē there is not one wherin he sendeth vs vnto the Pope or vnto the church In obscure things he willeth vs to vse the skilfulnesse of tongues to consider those things which goe before and which followe to expound a doubtfull place by another place which is more easie and manifest and such like things Thou canst no where finde in the Fathers that the Scriptures are in such sort that this or that Councell hath interpreted the same after this or that maner 14 But hereat they crie out that it is sufficient that Christ hath saide Mat. 18. 17 If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as an Ethnick and Publicane Howe that saying of Christ to wit that the Church must be heard is to be vnderstoode Vnto this I answer that it may séeme that Christ spake not there as touching the exposition of the scriptures but of brotherlie correction But setting this answere aside I saie that the Church must be heard so farre forth as it answereth or speaketh out of the word of God but if it bring forth onelie the deuises and traditions of men we must with deafe eares pretermit the same and specially then when it setteth foorth things that be against the worde of God To conclude we include the true Church in the word of God the which as a firme and certaine rule is fixed vnto it But as concerning power aboue the Scriptures The olde Fathers acknowledged not any power of the Church to which the word of God should be subiect which these men challenge to themselues the olde Fathers neither acknowledged nor sought In the Councell of Nice as the Historie of Theodoretus sheweth Constantine commāded the Fathers that were assembled together to define the controuersie as touching one substance of the Father and the Sonne by the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles there none withstoode him in saying that the Church of her own authoritie ought to iudge the controuersie because the same should not be subiect to the Scriptures but should rather haue them in her power Neither did they complaine that the Emperour plucked any thing from the Church séeing it subiected the same to the rule of the Scriptures 15 But they crie out that the Church is the pillar and ground of the trueth How that is to be vnderstoode which Paul saith The Church is the ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15 as it is written in the first Epistle vnto Timothie Here I saie that the wordes of the Apostle must not so bee vnderstoode as though the Church doeth vrge confirme and compare her authoritie with the word of God The case doeth not so stande The word of God is of it selfe most firme it indureth for euer neither hath it anie néede to be propped vp by men naie rather it sustaineth all things Heauen and earth passeth Matt. 5. 18. the wordes of God doe not passe But the Church is the pillar and ground of the trueth so farre forth as it hath the word of god with it as it preacheth retaineth and kéepeth it within it selfe as it defendeth and maintaineth it neither is the word heard without it but not as though that ground did yéelde strength or authoritie vnto the word wauering or like to fall So farre forth then as it speaketh out of it it erreth not nor cannot erre Whether the Pope may erre in the matter of faith but speaking or dealing without it not onelie it can erre but it doeth erre But our men on Gods name doe also attribute this vnto Popes that in the matter of faith as they call it they cannot erre When as neuerthelesse it most certainelie appeareth that Iohn the xxj The heresie of Pope Iohn the xx◠most shamefullie fell séeing he affirmed that the soules of men perish together with the body or as some more modestlie say doe sléepe and shall finallie be raised vp when as our bodies also shall rise againe from the dead at the latter daie Neither did the Bishops nor Cardidinals whom they saie doe represent the Church resist the Pope that erred so soulie and shamefullie The schoole of Paris resisted him and so informed the French king of his errour as he forbad all his the Communion of the Pope
were at Rome how long But forasmuch as the Fathers and the greatest part of the Ecclesiasticall historiographers affirme it I will not denie it But this I will boldlie affirme that hée liued not 25. yeares bishop of Rome as they woulde and that this is altogether against the course of times and against the holie Scriptures 21 But that is of verie small weight and ridiculous which they feigne namely that the Popedome of the Church of Rome ought to be preferred aboue the Church of Antioch and other Churches where Peter liued because hée died at Rome and no where else Therfore say they al those which are created Bishops of Rome do not onely succeed Peter in the bishopricke but also in the Popedome What of this shall there be more attributed vnto the death and Crosse of Peter than of Christ If Peter were slaine at Rome Christ was fastened to the crosse at Ierusalem I woulde moreouer heare of these men how it comes to passe that the bishops of Rome succéede Peter in the Popedome and that the bishops of Ierusalem succéede not Iames in the Apostleship and become not Apostles in like maner as the Romane bishoppes be Popes Heere they feine a difference out of mans reason but not out of the holy Scriptures Their reasō why those of Ierusalē receiue not the Apostleship from Iames as the Roman Byshops doe the Popedome frō Peter that the Apostleship was a dignitie of persons which together with the persons them selues was extinguished but that the Popedome is a function so necessary in the church as the same ought to be continued and indure perpetually When we afterwarde demaund of them whether they thinke that by the will of God or by the will of Peter the Church of Rome hath the Popedome and we say that that seemeth to be done by him because if he woulde haue gone away from Rome and haue gone to another Church and there haue died doubtlesse the Popedome should haue béene there appointed and not at Rome Héere they chase while they will that the Popedome should by the lawe of God be tied to the seate of Rome But setting aside the holy Scriptures out of which they haue nothing to make on their side they flie vnto féeble traditions A Fable touching Christ and Peter I will not say vnto fables they say that Peter when he was at Rome and the Christians there were most cruellie tormented vnder Nero at the last was perswaded by the brethren to goe from thence Who being come vnto the gate of the Citie saw Christ come to méete him When he had séene him he said Lord whither goest thou And he made answere vnto him I come to Rome that I may be there crucified againe By which answere they say that Peter knew he should die at Rome Hereof therefore these pleasant followes gather that the Popedome was confirmed to the seate of Rome and not to any other Church And they alledge an example of Marcellus Bishop of Rome A supposed example of Marcellus in verie déede not true but counterfait wherein hée writing vnto the men of Antioch saieth that the seate of Peter was sometime with them the which was afterward by the will of God translated vnto Rome These things are brought by them which they vtter being destitute of better arguments They haue not one out the holy Scriptures but they onely deuise wilie subtilties to confirme false doctrine They did feine that God chose Rome as the most mightie and most noble Citie of al the worlde wherein he might place the Popedome Neither doe they sée that it was his old maner and propertie to choose things base and abiect as Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 26 and the holy Scriptures in manie places testifie Whether the Apostles were Byshops any where 22 But as to this matter it séemeth much more likely that the Apostles were neuer Bishops for their charge was to trauell throughout the world to preach Christ and to raise him vp Churches in cities townes But the office of bishops is to reside in their Churches The office of a byshop and continually to féede the shéepe committed to their charge The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians put a difference betwéene Pastors and Apostles Ephe. 4. 11. but they of Apostles make Bishops Whether how Iames was bishop of Ierusalē I am not ignorant that it is declared by certaine of the most auncient writers that Iames the Apostle the brother of our Lorde was Bishop of Ierusalem This indéed they saie but the holie scriptures teach no such thing I suppose he was a great while at Ierusalem and from thence with his Councel studie and paines taking did helpe the Churches néere about I meane the Churches of Syria and Palestine but that he liued bishop in that Church I am not perswaded For the verie which cause I thinke that Iohn remained a good while at Ephesus to the intent he might both confirme and instruct the Churches of Asia which vndoubtedlie were verie manie And to speake that of Iames which commeth to minde by the waie Clement the Bishop of Rome and as they will haue it the successor of Peter calleth and saluteth him by the name of Bishop or Pastor of all the Churches of Christ But as touching this matter I will not contend ouermuch But if I shall graunt that the Apostles were Bishops I will aske our aduersaries where was the Bishops seate of Paul It cannot be denied but that they also ascribe the same vnto the citie of Rome How saie you Whether Peter and Paul could be Bishops both at one time at Rome Cardinal Pole Was Paul also made Bishop of that citie when as Peter liued Bishop there It is not méete that two should be Bishops at one time of one and the selfe same citie Cardinall Pole writing against Henrie the 8. King of England feineth that the bishops See or seat Apostolike of Paul was set as a graft in the Bishops See or Apostolike seat of Peter so as both together grue vp into one function All men sée these things to be lies and therefore feined because our aduersaries wanted other iust defenses of their lies If the thing might bee doone after this sort A decrée of the Synode of Nice wherefore did the Synode of Nice afterward charge that no Bishop in any Church shoulde bee ordained while the former Bishop were yet liuing And it gréeued Augustine verie much he hauing no knowledge of that Canon Augustine while Valerius the bishops of Hippo was yet liuing that he was appointed bishop of that Church But to returne to Paul We which from the Gentiles are conuerted vnto Christ ought rather to haue respect vnto Paul than vnto Peter Gal. 2. 7. séeing as it is in the Epistle to the Galathians the Apostleship of Peter had respect vnto the circumcised and the Apostleship of Paul
auncient Church These thinges must be examined and it must be diligently considered whether the thinges be aunswerable to the names otherwise the diuel himself transformeth himselfe into an angel of light How be they Apostolick when as they corrupt the Apostolicall doctrine Nor can they be called Catholike séeing they haue separated themselues from the greater parte of the Churches And how they haue fledde from the olde opinions rites and customes of the auncient Church wée néede not declare séeing the thing it selfe speaketh of it selfe They would be counted pastors when as they neuerthelesse seldome or neuer visit the flock of the Lord which they brag to be cōmitted to their charge much lesse doe they féede the same They think that the Churches which either by violence or by tyrannie they obtaine are nothing else but landes and farmes whereby yearely reuenewe may come vnto them by which they themselues may be fedde and the flocke of Christ be deuoured The Pope boasteth himselfe to be the pastor of all the shéep of the whole world vnto which he cannot haue accesse though he would neither dooth he labour to doe it He dwelleth at Rome and continually giueth himselfe vnto his delightes We are taught by mistresse experience and by common sense that it is not possible for the whole world to be fedde and gouerned by some one man In déede Christ said vnt◠Peter Feede my sheepe but he said not All Ioh. 21. 15. Nay rather he would that the rest of the Apostles should be fellowes with him in the exercising of that function But this is the more to be lamented that the Pope with his members doe disquiet the shéepe of Christ and in miserable wise slay them Euen as the Church in old time was oppressed by the Iewes so is nowe the Church of Christ by the Popes so farre is he from féeding and fostering them Euen in like manner as did the Hebrewes in olde time who while they boasted themselues to be the Church oppressed Messias and most grieuously persecuted the Apostles and had Herode to doe as they would haue him For when he had killed Iames and did perceiue that it was acceptable vnto the Iewes hée layd holde vppon Peter and cast him in prison that he might destroy him After the same manner Kinges Emperours and princes at this day because they may obey the Pope doe most cruelly afflict godly men And it is no maruell that the Romanistes which succéeded the reuerent and holy fathers did on this wise withstand the Gospell séeing the Hebrewes Rom. 9. 4. as Paule testifyeth to the Romans were Israelites and the adoption and the glorie yea and the testamentes and lawegiuing séemed to appertaine vnto them They had the worshipping and the promises and of them were the fathers of whom Christ as touching the fleshe was borne yet neuerthelesse they refused the Gospel were made altogether strangers from saluation 46 But to come neare to the shewing of that which was promised The marks of the Papisticall Church namely that we departed not from the Church that congregation frō the which we are separated must be described by the markes of the same that all men may vnderstand it to be nothing lesse than the Church for somuch as it is bent to the staying of the godly it is infected with hatred of the brethren it gathereth not but rather scatereth Christ his members it maketh more account of mens traditions than of the word of God it will haue it selfe to be heard not the scriptures which with incredible boldnesse it would haue to be subiect vnto the authoritie of it Now of traditions which they adde and plucke away at their pleasure séeing nothing of them abideth more than lyketh themselues they haue after a sorte made an Alcorom lyke vnto that of Mahomet and the same they endeuour to defend by the sword by force not by diuine Oracles And it is come to this passe that our Church is much more vnhappie than the Church of the Iewes For vnto that Church the scriptures of God were sufficient vnto saluation but vnto ours they are not sufficient vnlesse the traditions of the Pope be added But let them say what they will they shall neuer prooue but that the beléeuers and lyuers according to the prescript of the worde of God be happie The congregation from which we haue seuered our selues Matt. 13. 4. layeth grieuous and intollerable burthens vpon men which neuerthelesse the authors of them wil not so much as touch with their finger Further the kingdome which ought to be spiritual and heauenly is transformed into temporall and worldly Christ said Ioh. 18. 36. My kingdome is not of this world They on the other side say that their kingdomes be of this world And they dare vsurpe and stampe in their coyne The nation and kingdome that will not serue me shall be rooted out They séeke nothing else but that the prerogatiues of Emperours kings princes and magistrates may be cast downe at the Popes féete and that they may be obtained and gouerned at the wil of the seat of Rome We haue departed from that societie which hath polluted the Sacramentes either by bringing in of others which were not instituted by Christ or else by renting in sunder with many and sundry abuses defiling those which were giuē and deuised by him Ouer this it forceth vpon vs idolatrie towardes bread and wine and in like maner towards Images and that which they commonly call relickes of saintes it dilateth their philacteries and enlargeth the fringes of their garmentes while it ascribeth great power of diuine religion vnto garmentes shauinges annoyntinges outward ornamentes We haue left thē which build the sepulchres of the Prophets in saying Mat. 23. 29 Our fathers and auncesters haue slayne them but we in this behalfe follow not them but doe adorne honour and worship the Prophets slayne by them whenas they thēselues neuerthelesse doe as great yea they commit more gréeuous crimes For it is incredible to be heard how much innocēt bloud is shed by thē whenas notwithstāding they maruelously adorne and decke the monuments and bones of the auncient Martyrs They indeuour to lay away the institutions of Christ to abolish the decrées of the Apostles whereas all that be Christians ought to endeuour all their life long that they may be most soundly preserued 47 Wee haue departed from her that would be accounted the mother of the faithfull whereas in verie déede she is their stepdame She is not content with Christ to be head but appoynteth her selfe an other head vpon the earth which also she dare affirme to be necessarie vnto saluatiō Whether what ministerial head the Pope hath But I would fain heare of these men what manner of ministerial head as they terme it the Pope hath vpon the earth for euen he would be reckened among the members of Christ And this is certaine that none is head of
euils thus lost yee your commodities on this wise haue ye your selues cast awaie the honour and noblenesse of your order And yee haue caused manie to fall in the way c. Yee that should haue drawen men vnto God ye haue both by peruerse doctrine by example of most vnpure life and also by superstitious rites called them from the right course when otherwise they were in a good forwardnesse Yee haue made voide the couenantes of Leuie saith the Lord of hoasts c. The conditions and couenauntes shoulde haue béene inuiolate on both sides Let vs consider whether of vs kept or brake the promises I as I promised vnto your Fathers gaue you peace and life for they liued a long time in great glorie and happie state Yea verilie that same Phinees with whome I made my couenant liued a verie long time For as it is in the booke of Iudges Iud. 20. hee was yet on liue when all the Tribes made war against Beniamin And if we shall giue credite to Iosephus that people had from Aaron to the building of the Temple of Salomon onely 13. highpriests and all of one and the selfe same stocke namelie of Aaron and in the meane space were welnéere fiue hundreth yeares And no man can iustlie obiect but that they were accounted as the messengers of God Wherefore let vs confesse God to be faithfull whose wordes abide euerlastinglie in most assured equitie and trueth So nowe is the synceritie of Gods promise sufficiently prooued and made manifest But on the other side saith he you haue broken the couenant to whome onelie this sufficed and this yee accounted for your chiefe and singular benefite that your superstitious ceremonies tithes and reuenues might remaine vntouched but as for trueth knowledge equitie and compassion of heart you had none So farre were you off from bringing home and raising vp them that were fallen that ye haue béene a hinderaunce euen to them that goe and stande vpright Yée shewed not your selfe my Angels that is my messengers Naie rather ye haue pleaded for the aduersarie power for the world for darkenesse and for the Pope himselfe and sooner for anie power than for mine And euen I also haue caused you to bee had in contempt Nowe is the cause plaine why the ministers of God be cast downe why they are vile contemptible and in a manner despised of all men and maie séeme of all men to be made a mocking stocke Because yee haue not kept my waies c. Your calamitie is not ascribed to the fault of your order as though such were the condition and nature thereof For all thinges which be created haue these properties which the worde of God hath giuen vnto them Wherefore séeing wee perceaue them to be most surelie kept in other things can the holie ministerie which among the ordinances of God is so excellent be iustlie accused of falling awaie either through fault of God or it selfe from the auncient most excellent properties thereof It is said here to haue happened farre otherwise For because yee haue not kept my wayes but haue beene partiall in the lawe c. I beséech you déere brethren what is to bée parciall in the lawe in the administration of the worde of God but to haue in the holie ministerie a chiefe consideration of him selfe To prouide especiallie that no harme come to his owne commodities honours and substance that he hath gotten To take héede that he offende not the rich mightie noble nor principall men To prouide with singular care that they maie still retaine the partes and superstitious opinions which they haue once taken vppon them to defende Let rather the trueth say they preuaile let the scripture bee subiect to the traditions and inuentions of men Let the worde of God serue the priestlie maiestie or rather Tyrannie And as for Religion let not the heauenlie oracles of the diuine Scriptures but rather our wils order the same Verilie this saide the Prophete or rather God in him And yee haue beene parciall in the lawe Which thing the Apostles did not and the most godlie Prelates of the Church which liued in the best times thereof And in verie déede in the time of Moses and Aaron the Leuites were armed from gate to gate of the tentes sparing neither mother nor brethren nor children and for this cause are saide to haue consecrated their handes therein Therefore I heartilie pray beséech you my brethren for Iesus Christ his sake that so manie of you as either haue alreadie taken vppon you the holie ministerie or doe looke to come thereunto ye will regarde the same not as an vnprofitable and vile thing Consider diligentlie what bee the honours commodities and couenauntes thereof stand ye to the promised conditions and doubt ye nothing of the faith of Almightie God and of our sauiour Iesus Christ For he is true stedfast and most assured in perfourming those thinges which hee hath promised Heauen and earth saith the Lord shall perish but my wordes shall not perishe And these thinges as touching the holie ministerie are spoken to you that be the Elders Nowe I thinke it good to saie somewhat vnto the younger sort and to the children An Exhortation for young men to studie the holie scriptures I Reioyce gentle Auditorie at this your diligence in comming together to heare the interpretation of the holie Scriptures And this I doe not without a cause For since that this will procéedeth not from the fleshe from the sense or from nature it is vndoubtedlie giuen from aboue it is giuen you from heauen and from Gods holie spirite inspired into your heart For séeing the lawe is spiritual Rom. 7. 12 and the commaundement holie iust and good as Paul declareth and wee on the other side euil corrupt and altogether wicked it cannot bee but that we hate the sayings of God the lawe and the Scriptures Therefore so manie as shall not be stirred vp by the spirit of Christ doe both flée vnto them and doe also hate them most gréeuouslie not for anie fault in the scriptures but for their owne corruption That same people of Israel that was but a small nation and nowe hardened in perpetuall infidelitie did not onelie hate holie Moses Numb 11. 14. 16. c. but diuerse times indeuored to stone him to death which was the greatest punishment wherewith the people punished malefactors It cannot be declared howe gréeuous troublesome and hatefull that man of God was to the whole multitude whenas in verie déede he was most quiet amiable and courteous whom God pronounced to bee most méeke and gentle A true testimonie whereof he thereby showed in that he most earnestlie praied vnto God for them Ibidem whom he saw to bee inflamed with infinite enuie and vnspeakeable hatred against him and desired that himselfe might rather be wiped out of the booke of life than that they shoulde suffer extreme punishment as they deserued Wherefore it is plaine that
heare an other and one learne of an other Wherfore let thē be no more angrie with me which perhaps haue suspected that I goe about to wrest away from the faithfull either the reading or doctrine of the fathers I said not such things as they suppose I did but this I said that the fathers and euerie other writer must be read with iudgemēt so that euerie doctrine may be tried by the touchstone of the holy scriptures And if we will this doe wée shall not do any iniurie to the fathers nay rather which is a point of their godlinesse there can be nothing more thankful or more desired of them than is this 1. Co. 11. 13 Paul is content that his tradition as touching a woman to haue her head couered should be allowed of in like maner that the things which he decréeed 1. Co. 14. 37 namely that she ought to be silent in the Church should be iudged of such as be spirituall Wherefore the fathers also séeing they acknowledge themselues to be much inferior vnto Paul wil not disdain to be tried by the rule of the spirit of God and of the holie scriptures Séeing therefore the diuine scripture teacheth the knowledge of God sheweth the secrets of the will of God touching mans saluation ministreth in great store both armor and answeres against vngodlinesse let it be more precious and déere than all riches and worldly delights let it be plaine and in matters necessarie to saluation euident let it not be accounted so repugnant but that the dissention thereof may easily be reconciled let it be of it selfe alone able to confute heretikes neither let all the fathers be able to drawe out the full sense thereof but finally let all things be tried by the examination of the same I beséech you by the God immortall that wee may ioyne our labours together I in teaching you in hearing let vs applie our selues with all diligence to the word of God We are called diuines and such would we be accounted Let vs answere to our name and profession vnlesse in the stéede of diuine speakers we will be called father speakers Moreouer our profession altogether requireth that we should exercise the word of God wherein we do singular honour vnto him for we doe sacrifice in verie déede Prayers are accounted in the number of sacrifices Those the holy scriptures haue in euerie place Thanks giuings are hostes and they are euerie where in the holie scriptures Confessions of sinnes and praises of God are declared to be most acceptable sacrifices vnto God from which the holy scripture is neuer in a manner remooued And therefore since thanks be to God the masse hath béene taken away being a superstitious and detestable sacrifice as was affirmed let vs to this onely * That is to the reading of the scriptures sacrifice apply our selues with all our heart With these titles of the lippes God is delighted and while we speake with him in the scriptures he wil vndoubtedly vouchsafe to be present Againe if we shall purely and syncerely handle the holy scriptures as it becommeth vs we shall deserue well of them For they haue béene long time shut vp in the prison of obliuion deliuer you them by renewing the memorie of them They lay vnknowne in the darknesse of mans traditions set yée them at libertie by restoring them to their natiue and naturall sense They being oppressed did remaine in the filthines of superstitions bring yée them from thence that they may defende the pure and true worshipping of God They dwelt in the vncleannesse of the defiled and polluted life of sacrificing Priests now looke that yée garnish them with excellent and good manners This shal be a singular victorie These shal be iust triumphs for diuines that they haue procured libertie to the holie scriptures And this shall you not doe without your great profite and commoditie For as experience might teach you our heart is variable changeable and most inconstant but it can neuer be made firme and stedfast vnlesse it doe leane vnto some thing that is most firme and what can wee finde more firme and stedfast than the worde of God The same abideth for euer and wauereth on neither part Furthermore all that we haue is made bright and most beawtifull thereby This whereas I might shewe by many reasons I will only recite one example of Moses Exo. 34. 30. He by talking with God obtained such a brightnesse in his face that the children of Israel could not abide his fight or companie So shall it happen vnto you By frequenting of the holy scriptures you shall shewe foorth beautifull workes so that they which shall sée them cannot chuse but glorifie the father your words shal be so effectuall as when by the holie scriptures they be bent against impietie and error they shall séeme to be as thunder and lightening and trust me no aduersaries shal be able to abide them To conclude looke what felicitie can be had while we liue héere that is included in the holy scriptures Psalme 1. 2 For Dauid saide that he is blessed whose will is in the lawe of the Lord and in the same dooth meditate day night Which meditation that it may be rightlie prepared of you In what things meditation consisteth you must vnderstande that it chiefly consisteth in two things The first is that yée most diligentlie weigh the words and sentences which you happen to reade For they be most fruitfull and doe comprehend in them an innumerable sort of excellent thinges The seconde is that yée search among the scriptures for other places which concurre with those thinges that ye haue in hand For there is nothing that serueth more for explaning of the holy scriptures than do the scriptures themselues A profitable and also a pleasant hunting is this not of hartes or of bores but of heauenly treasures whereby we may prepare all things necessarie for our iourney euen into heauen But in hunting out of these thinges we must clime the most high mountaine whereby we may goe beyond reason sense and humane wisedome that we being placed in the most cléere region of diuine light may beholde the secrets of our saluation and of the high wisedome Moreouer we must desire with most feruent prayers that vnto the holy reading we may come instructed by the holy Ghost For vnlesse the same be giuen the holy scripture will be vnto vs a killing letter For they which be voide of the spirite receiue no fruite by diuine reading because they holde not the scriptures themselues but the carcase of the scriptures Whē you sée an excellent man I thinke yée take great delight in him A similitude His eies shine his countenance is pleasant his face is amiable a maruelous delightfulnesse is dispersed ouer all his partes Howbeit if a man should be demanded from whence hath come vnto him so great a beautie of the bodie hée coulde in a manner saie nothing else
2 38â— a To. Toombe Of Absaloms Toombe and the Cardinall of Yorke 3 321 b Toong Why the Hebrewes cal a Toong and glorie both by one name 3 342 b Giuen vnto men for diuerse endes as howe 1 7 a Against the vse of a strange Toong in Gods seruice 2 317b 318 a 3 309b 310. 311. Against them which hate the Hebrewe Toong and of the necessarie vse thereof 2 329 a Adam vsed and spake in it 1 126 b Toongs Of some that spake in many Toong vppon the sudden 1 â—7b 78a Torments The constancie of Anaâ—archus Zeno in their Torments 2 264 b In what Torments Virgil placeth such as murther themselues 2 392 b Tr. Tradition Tradition of watching in Easter night Apostolicall 3 2â—6 b The Tradition of the Church obiected for the defense of idolatrie 2 34â— b â—4 a Baptisme ordeined for infants by the Apostolicall tradition 2 228 b Traditions Note a good argument against mens Traditions 3 173 a They do erre and oftentimes are repugnant 4 5â— a Certeine of Basil 4 99 ab Cautions touching them in the Church 4 42 b 43 ab They may be altered and abolished 2 353b 354a Why we must not attribute ouer much to them 3 251a What we retaine and what wee reiect 2 348 b 34â— a Some necessarie and some indifferent 3 251 a Diuerse touching diuerse things 4 45 ab The Traditions of the Apostles prooued by the scriptures 3 233 b 234a 4 45 a What Cyprian determineth of Traditions 4 45 b How mens do violate Gods commandements 3 171 b According to the doctrines Traditions of men expounded 4 25 b Traffike The Traffike of Salomon 4 317 a 318 ab Transubstantiation Transubstantiation a fained miracle and why 1 62 b No néede thereof in the sacrament 2 590 a The Papists subtil shift as touching it 1 114a b The author thereof Innocentius 3 pag. 4. 91 b Miracles inferred for the approuing of it 4 185 ab 186 a Theodoretus an enimie to it 4 163 b The opinion which hath affirmed it 4 148a b The feined deuise of concomitancie therein 4 158 a The chiefe end of the Eucharist is let by it 4 158 b Arguments for proofe and disproofe of it 4 148 b 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 165. 166a newe opinion 4 183b Absurdities which follow it 4 155. 156 157. 158. 159. 160 Established by tyrannie 4 183 b Whether the fathers helde the doctrine thereof 4 160 b 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. c. 185 a Trauelling The commoditie that commeth by Trauelling 3 192 a What be the best causes thereof 3 191 a Why the Lacedemonians forbad it 3 192 a What it behooueth vs to take heede of therein 3 192 a What was meant by the Rechabites continuall Trauelling 3 190 a Platos Trauelling and others coÌ„mended 3 191 b ¶ Looke Peregrination Treason Treason defined and distinguished 4 298 ab Whether it bee at any time lawfull 4 297 ab 298 b 299 a 30â— a How the ciuil lawes in such cases do punish the children for the parents fault 2 367 b 493 b Not so ill a crime as adulterie 2 47â—a How it and espialship do differ 4 298 b The Treason of Iudas being euil brought foorth a good effect 1 51 a Triall The custome of Triall of an offender in some countries 4 309b What Triall springeth of patience 3 279 b 280 a Triall specially of doctrine compared to fier 3 239. 240. 241 Wherin it consisteth 3 241 a Tribute The definition of Tribute and of the eight part thereof paide for custome 2 472 b Whether Clergie â—en are to pay it 4 239 b 240 ab 33 b 34 ab They are stipends giuen to Princes 4 236 b Of what things they consist 4 239 b Trinitie The whole Trinitie is present at our prayers 3 306 b Essence is common thereunto 2 612 a Of the particular and common works thereof 2 599 b A distinction of the same 2 627 b 3 307a How in some places of Christendome it is painted 2 338 b Of the equall power of the Trinitie 4 81 b The heresie of Paulus Samosatenus touching the Trinitie 3 364 a The Trinitie vndiuideable cannot be separated in respect of God 1 26 a Strife about homousion a worde proper thereunto and agréement in the thing signified about the same 1 108 b The Hebrues will not acknowledge it in the diuine nature 100 b prooued against them 1 101 a Prooued by Augustine against Maximus the Arcian Bishop 1 105 ab Spirite bloude and water represent the thrée persons therein prooued 1 105a b In one substance represented by thrée faculties in mans soule 1 123 b When this worde spirite is taken for the Trinitie 1 103 a Trouble What this worde to Trouble meaneth 4 319 a The definition thereof 4 320 a Ciuil and religious 4 319 b Causes thereof 4 321 b 322 a Of what noble things it is an abolishment 4 320 b 321 a The vse of the word Trouble in holy scripture 4 323 b Trust Of Trust or confidence as it is ioyned with faith 3 90 ab ¶ Looke Faith Truth Truth is a part of iustice 2 542 b Commaunded by the forbidding of the contrarie 2 553 a A definition thereof 2 542 a Sundrie examples concerning the apprehension of the same 1 16 a Whether it be stronger in it selfe as it is laide hold on by faith or as it is ingraffed by nature 1 15 b 16 a With what bonds it is bounde and with what chaines it is tyed 1 15 a The error of the Academiks and Epicures concerning it 1 15 b Two kinds thereof one naturally graffed in vs the other attained vnto by our owne studie 1 15 b In what cases it is to be told and that sometimes it is not 2 542 ab The matter thereof is infinite as howe 2 549 b What thing it requireth 2 542 b Wherein faith and it doe agrée and differ 2 549 b It is to be considered according to thrée differences of time 2 542 b Testimonies of scriptures exhorting vs to speake it 2 543 a In whom it is withheld in vnrighteousnesse 1 15 ab and howe that is meant 10 b 11. all That all Truth commeth of God and how 1 11 b Two testimonies which helpe much to the knowledge thereof 3 283 a Perceiued by two tokens 1 41 a Teachers are instruments thereof but not authors 1 12 a Themistocles bare such Truth to his countrie that he woulde rather die than betraie it 2 285 a Tu. Turks Circumcision among the Turkes at 14. yeares 4 111 a Their lawe for punishing of adulterie 2 483 b They ought not to haue religious assemblies granted them among Christians why 2 330 a They admit no images at all 2 341 ab What kinde of faith they haue 3 106 b Of their Alcoran wherein lyeth their religious seruice 2 330 a What they beléeue together with vs. 3 73 b ¶ Looke Infidels Turning Howe Augustine expoundeth that Turning of