together Luk. 17.37 And what is this dead body It is saith Saint Paul Iesus Christ he crucified besides which I wil knowe nothing vnderstanding by the name of Christ the person and by the word of crucified all that which he hath doone for vs euen vnto that last cry of his which shaked both the heauen and the earth saying All is finished And thus much touching the Doctrine As for the outward seruice himselfe speaking to that womā of Samaria which demanded of him whether they should worshippe in the Temple of the Samaritanes or of the Iewes confessed indeed that for a time it was the Temple of Ierusalem and no other which God had chosen there to be worshipped But saith he the time is come that men shall worship neither in this mountaine nor in Ierusalem but the true worshippers shal worship in spirit in truth Ioh. 4.21.24 that is to say without distinction of place they shall serue God with a pure spirituall seruice not with aultar or sacrifice but with a contrite and humble heart Psal 51.19 and with the fruits of righteousnesse Psa 50.23 Ro. 12.1 with the calues of their lips Ose 14.3 Moreouer if we respect the former time we shal find that it is true indeed that the couenant was residēt first in the house of Abrahā thē in the house of Isaack afterward in the house of Iacob But how was this house walked caried vp downe Go we farther we shal find that trauersing the desert it made 42. stations Nu. 33. being come into the land of Canaā the tabernacle vnto which the lord had as it were tied the seat of his couenāt both in respect of the doctrine the outward seruice changed frō place to place was in the end separated frō his Arke being taken prisoner among the Philistines on whō hauing wreked herselfe she reunited not herself vnto the tabernacle where the ordinary seruice was kept Finally behold the temple built as a permanent standing place Ierusalē the capital city both of the realme of the priesthoode But how many breaches interruptiōs were there in such sort that the temple was shut vp finally razed afterwards repaired after that most vilanously polluted defiled I demaund therefore where was then this catholick See yea whilest it stood were we to conclude as they do at this day who cal themselues Catholick Romanes the high-Priest is the successor of Aaron therefore he cānoter we must beleeue do whatsoeuer is taught cōmaunded by the catholicke church of Ierusalem I report me vnto al the Prophets whether they either made or taught others to make such a conclusion Nay did not contrariwise cry out both against the Priests against the temple it selfe for those abuses which were by thē there committed And indeed where by whom was Iesus Christ iudged worthy of death as being a blasphemer against God against the temple Where by whom was his doctrine condemned of impiety Where by whom were the Apostles forbidden to preach the gospel Where by whō for what cause was Steuen accused stoned to death It is then a meere bewitchednesse phrensie to tie the holy ghost vnto one place whatsoeuer it be or to any certaine estate of men to ground on them the rule of a mans faith without exception seeing that vnder the ancient people themselues among whom Ierusalē was the place which the Lord had chosen for his house habitation there were none more deceiued then they who without anie exception or limitatiō rested grounded themselues on that temple on the personall succession of Aaron Ierusalem being often the seate and See not of Truth but of Murdering of the Preachers of the Trueth the nest of the Baalims 5 But can it be shewen by the Scripture or by any testimony woorthy of credit that Iesus Christ hath established in the world one certaine place or catholick See that is to say where an head shuld be seated hauing autority ouer al the particular churches of the world And if it were lawful for men to constitute appoint themselues one why should Rome rather be chosen then Ierusalem the first the ancient of al the Churches Called of the Prophets the Citty of God From whence the word of God should go forth into al the world And founded notoriously by S. Peter the rest of the Apostles Or rather then Antioch where were named the first christiās where it is notorious that S. Pet. S. Paul liued But in sūme what reasonable man cā be ignorāt what is to be iudged of the See of Rome seeing that Daniel speaking clearly plainly of that God on earth calleth him by his name the God Maozzim which is as much to say in the languange of the Prophet as the God of Rome or the God of the Romanes Dan. 11.38 For it is euident that this word of Rome in the greek toung which was thē vsed in that country where this city was first built named signifieth as much as the Hebrew worde which the Prophet vseth And S. Paul speaking of him which raigned in his time I mean the Emperor of Rome saith expresly that of the destruction of him should be borne che child of perdition 2. Thess 2.7 and when Saint Iohn nameth expresly the Citie of seauen hils Apoc. 17.9 In a woorde therefore as it is the Lorde which hath of his great grace built his Coche where it pleaseth him neuer vsing the helpe of any for the inuenting the plat and model thereof but vsing indeede the ministery of certaine his faithful seruants al of them immediately chosen as was Moses after him the Apostles for the setting vp of it according vnto the forme and pattern which himselfe no other hath deuised giuing the name of Coch vnto this ecclesiastical gouernment he hath declared that hee woulde not make it abiding for euer in one place but hath vsed and doth vse shal vse it vnto the end of the world transporting it according vnto his good and holy wil pleasure 1. Cor. 12. 6 It remaineth we consider by peece-meale the building of this Coch according as the peeces thereof are set downe vnto vs in this place This discription therefore beginneth first with the matter wherewith the bodie of the Coch is built namely of the wood of Liban that is to saie of Cedar this tree hauing this property that it is as a man would say incorruptible This is it which I haue alreadie declared vpon the last verse of the first Chapter to witte that thereby thus much is declared vnto vs that this holy and sacred gouernement is inuincible both in respect of time and of men The reason is if wee consider the generalitie of the Church because the kingdome of this Bridegrome is euerlasting as the father promised him Dan. 7.14 and Luk. 1.33 reaching it selfe and as it were walking from one end
couetousnes of the other whereupon hath entred this notorious transformation of the spiritual beutie of the Christian Church into a vanity and pomp not simply carnal and worldly but truely Epicurian how euer it be hidde and couered vnder the cloke of deuotion Heereby appeareth the more then desperat impudencie and shamelesnes of them who by their goodly legends so false sottish as nothing can bee more in lieu of keeping themselues vnto the history and doctrine contained in the second booke of Saint Luke called the Actes of the Apostles expreslie vttered to the pen by the holy Ghost haue not shamed to chaunge and transforme the holy Apostles of the Lord into builders of Churches deuisers of crosses forgers of holy water sprinckles c. And what shall say of that most grosse and enormous an impudent boldnes of forging of Saint Peters patrimonie Of that monster crowned with three crownes caried and adored vpon mens shoulders Of such store of glittering pomps shining in euery place which are so manie spoiles of such Kings and Princes as haue beene bewitched and sacrilegious robberies of such goods as were vowed to the spirituall mainteinance of the Church of the Lord As it was so long agoe foretold yea painted out by the holy Ghost in the Apocalypse so far as to name the place and the name of such a confusion And who hath so expounded it The auncient Greeks and Latins whom the Pope himselfe liketh of and alloweth What shall wee saie of the infinity of these goodly votaries of pouerty these honest wallet brethren these good fathers besotted with the verie stones and sumptuosities of their pallaces wherein they dwell What shal wee saie of these new locustes and west Indie Popiniayes already borne to be bred specially of these lees dregs of the filth and mud of the bottomles pit open profaners of the name of Iesus disnesting the other rauening birdes and cormorantes to lay their egs where they had builded and hauing within the compasse of these fewe yeares gotten to themselues more goods and built more goodly pallaces then the rest haue done in fiue hundred yeares before Which thing calleth to my remembrance that which the Philosophers saie That the Serpentes become Dragons by eating of other little Serpentes As for vs contenting our selues with our smalnesse let vs oppose vnto al this statelie Masquâ—raâ—a with which the world â—eeâ—eth itselfe the lodgings and cabbins of the ancient true Pastors there to seâ—ke after and to finde the true church and not in this glittering and profane riches in which the prince of this world raigneth Mat. 11.8 borrowing the name of the Church preferring on the contrariside with Moses the afflictions of the people of God and the reproch of Iesus Christ before all the treasures of Aegypt Heb 11.25 let vs I saie keepe our selues vnto him who is our king and so crowned with glory on high that yet in his poore members he is crowned with thornes Col. 1.24 and not vnto them who part with others the spoile of Iesus Christ 16 Moreouer although this worde which we haue turned Cabbins or Lodges bee taken sometimes in generall for euerie place of dwelling or abiding notwithstanding this woord of Sheepheards which is added hauing as I sayd a respect vnto the manner of liuing of Abraham Isaac and Iacob as also of Moses and Aaron in the wildernes as it is spoken Psalm 77.20 sheweth that wee must so take it as wee haue saide And herevpon we ought also to bee warned that as the sheepheards abid not stil in one place but had their portatiue tents and cabbines as we see how the ancient Patriarches dwelt with their flocks here and there the Church of God chaunging his place by this meanes together with them so we must also take heed how we tie the name of the church so to any place as to think that it neuer stirreth from any nation people citie or towne But wee must beare in mind the aduertisement of Christ who warneth vs that if a man tell vs heare is Christ or there is Christ wee beleeue him not And where is hee then there where saith he the bodie is yea the carcasse of the dead bodie in which is life there are the eagles Matth. 24.23 28. that is to say there where Iesus Christ no other is preached I mean the true Iesus christ in whose only death wee finde life and of whom the Apostle saide that he thought no other thing worthie of knoâ—ledge but Iesus Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 and purely preached There must the eagles gather themselues together that is to say seeking to bee fedde with no other then with him crucified For there and no where els is the Church And where shal this true Iesus Christ be found In the cabbins and lodges of the sheepeheardes which are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles vpon which for this cause and for that they lay this only foundation which is Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3.11 it is said that this Church is founded Eph. 2.20 Apoc. 2.14 Yea but reply our aduersaries if the question be of the interpretation of a place of the Scripture drawen to a contrary sense to whom shall wee haue recourse to discerne the true sense from the false Certes againe to the cabbins of the sheepeheards and pastors the Church hauing none other true and certaine light then this written woorde whereunto we are sent backe not onely by the expresse commaundement of the Lord as we haue before saide but also by his own example who thus refuted and beat back againe the allegation of Sathan Mat. 4.7 as the weapons of the Apostles also were such and that against them who sate in the See of Ierusalem Act. 4.7 so far were they from aiding defending themselues with any vnwritten tradition or with any authoritie attributed vnto the See of Ierusalem seeing that was transformed into a denne of theeues Mat. 21.13 The like did the Iewes of Beroea found theÌ„selues in good case thereby Act. 17.11 the consent notwithstanding testimony of the true Church being not to bee reiected but greatly to bee esteemed of regarded which againe ought to be discerned from the false by the consent of their testimony with the Scriptures And this is it which all the ancient fathers lights of the olde Church haue declared protested must necessarily be doone in the reading of their writings 17 This then hath beene a very strange sleight and treachery of Satan to tie the spirite of trueth to the persons of Pastours and sheepheards without the examination of their doctrine by the scriptures nay which more is to subiect the scripture to their opinions and decrees as if the mason should order his plummet rule by the wall not frame the building to the rightnesse of his line and leuel We ought therefore to consider that the principal and chiefe stone Iesus Christ his doctrine haue beene from al times in
house of God Cor. 14.4 but what is this order Euē that which the Lord of the house hath established by his Apostles Let vs then first of all keepe and obserue this and hold all that for disorder which shalbee farther added diminished or chaunged I meane in the substāce of doctrine so that whosoeuer opposeth himself against this disorder whensoeuer it slideth into the Church may not be iustly held for author of confusion but ought rather to bee praised harkned vnto as the setter vp againe reestablisher of that order which the sonne of God established in his house Secondly although the forme of outwarde order be obserued yet we may not tie the holy spirit to persons without exceptiō for those reasons which I haue proued because that in many those things wherein they offend goe not before but followe their vocation as the Apostle warneth vs 1. Tim. 5.24 in whom the Church findeth afterward that shee hath beene deceiued as all the auncient heretiques and the greatest part of them of our time may sufficiently witnes But we are to follow the rule which the Lord gaue and which he also confirmed by his owne example The Scribes and Pharisees saith he sit in Moses Chaire do yee that which they say but do not that which they doe that is to say so farre as according vnto the order of God established by the ministery of Moses they preach the truth in the Synagogues their hypocrisie and wicked life otherwise maie not hinder you from receiuing and practising that which they teach for the truth dependeth not on the person of him which teacheth either in doctrine or in the sacramentes But what saith Christ in an other place Matth. 16.6 Take heede of the leauen of the Pharisees and in an other place Let them alone they are blinde and leaders of the blinde Mat. 15.14 And indeed himself openly condemned their false interpretations of the Law Matth. 5.6 and Mark 7.8 and cared as little for their excommunications Ioh. 12.42.44 What are we to doe then in such a case Wee must saith the beloued disciple proue the spirits whether they be of God 1 Ioh. 4.1 and Saint Paul we must trie all thinges and keepe that which is good 1. Thess 5.21 vnto whō is this said Vnto euery Christian who wil not willingly and wittingly be deceiued as well young as olde men as wemen Gal. 3.28 12 Neither doth there ensue hereupon any disorder or confusion at all for it is an other thing not to suffer a mans selfe to bee deceiued and to take vpon him the office and charge of teaching in the Church pretending that all are Prophetes or Apostles or Doctors and teachers a thing vtterly false and intolerable as appeareth 1. Cor. 12.29 For the sonne of God himselfe in as much as he was the minister of God his father for the preaching of his wil vnto the nation of the Iewes Rom. 11.18 he thrust not himselfe in into this charge Heb. 5.5 Such is then the duty of euery faithfull man in all times and principally in such a time as there is a medlie made of al things and when the light is smothered and darkned neither to beleeue euerie thing vpon the credit of an other neither also to set vp a new religion vnto himselfe apart 13 But what shall we say of thē among whom there is not only no order but which is worse though al things be turned vp-side-down notwithstanding with a desperate impudencie they attribute all this while vnto thēselues the precious name of the catholicke church Among whom the vocations ordained by the sonne of God for the seruice of his house are al of them mowled vpon the Image of the beast the auncient Romane Empire Where to bee called is nothing else but to haue posted best and to be first in dated Where there remaine nothing saue the simple bare names of charges and vocations of the holie sacred ministery Where the entrance into the house of god I mean the scripture in which he hath placed his truth is interdicted forbidden the people Where the house of praier is not only turned into an harbor of them who make marchandise of souls but is changed into a shop of al falshood and Idolatrie yea of more abominable Idolatry then all the Idols of the Paynims and heathen Where Iesus Christ is changed into a dead and senselesse thing which hath neither head nor feete naie which cannot keepe himselfe from the talantes of theeues nor the teeth of rattes and of mise and which perisheth of himselfe if he bee not the sooner deuoured In such a case should the poore famished sheepe I pray you goe vnto the wolues and saie cut our throates and deuoure vs Shoulde the consciences of men goe vnto them to bee resolued who maintaine themselues by deuouring of them quick and dead Should they to purge cleanse themselues shoue themselues farther and farther into such dirty myrie places Should men expect and waite vntill the hogges resolue themselues to liue neetely and cleanely or vntil the whore-maisters and whores take order for the stewes Naie contrariwise the whole church warneth enioyneth vs as touching doctrine to take heed of false Prophets to flie not only Idolaters but Idols also 1. Ioh. 5.21 So did the Leuites and the Priests retire themselues out of the kingdome of Israel when al thinges were there in vtter ouerthrow and confusion There continued notwithstanding an assemblie of Prophets which communicated not at al with the Baalims nor with such as assembled themselues there 2. Chr. 11.14 2. King 4.38.42 And the Lord himselfe saith Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind Matth. 15.14 but saie our aduersaries hee went vnto Ierusalem hee came into the Temple as others did yea into the Synagogues also I graunt but I aunswere that first there was but one Ierusalem where the publique outward seruice was administred according vnto the word of God the priesthood was yet on foote Moses the Prophetes were al of them in the Synagogues and albeit the doctrine was mingled with much leauē yet the true dowe remained still notwithstanding and the ceremoniall seruice continued in his entire estate Secondly it was to driue out of the Temple with the whip the buyers and sellers whome hee found in the Temple crying out ful loude and ful shrill against the leauen of the Pharisees Sadduces Herodians and others as likewise hee did in the Synagogues But if the Temple had beene brought to that passe as it was at that time when the aultar was made in al pointes like vnto that which Achas the king sent from Damascus 2. King 16.11 and 2. Chronic. 28.23 who wil persuade vs he would haue entred in thither to communicate there with them And when he was demaunded by what authority he did these thinges did he alleage vnto them Cayphas or the great counsel of Ierusalem Nothing lesse for this had bin nothing else but
to make satan iudge of the truth But he saith Search the scriptures Ioh. 5.39 credit the testimonie of Iohn or shew wherin it is false Mat. 21.25 which thing we haue done and counsailed others to doe at this day not to erect and set vp aultar against aultar as they falsly slaunder vs but to set vp the aultar of the Lord that is his holy ministery against the aultar of Damascus for the perfourmance whereof the Lord hauing aided with his grace many princes and potentates to follow the example of that good and holy king Ezechias the Lord hauing likewise raised vp in our time Eliasses and Eliseusses what should they else do but separate themselues from such pollutions and betake themselues vnder couert who are not among the pharisaical leauen simply but in the faire midst of the confusion of Babylon as this name was giuen the City of Rome in Saint Peters time if we wil beleeue the auncient expositors on that of Saint Peter 1. Pet. 5.13 and which name manie of the ancients after Saint Iohn haue most clearely applied vnto the Church of Rome in their time For I pray you if the Prophetical scriptures were sufficient in the time of Iesus Christ to make him throughly to be known and to cause al contrary doctrine to fal and vanish away the Apostolical writinges and scriptures haue they empayred and diminished this clearnes or haue they not rather bin as the sun rising after day break If the Baptisme of Iohn which was nothing else but the daies morning was sufficient to direct them whom Christ sent back thither Mat. 21.25 and Act. 19.30 ought we now to seek any other text or glosse then so authentick a testimonie sealed by so manie miracles and so faithfully registred in those writinges which wee call the newe Testament 14 In a word therefore in a time of such horrible darknes it is not vnto these false leaders that hee must seeke who will not be deceiued but he must goe farther and seek being destitute as it were of al ordinarie meanes vnto the Lord himselfe to bee nourished as it were in a desert And this we are taught in the historie of Elias who was nourished all the time of the first yeare of droughts by a Rauen 1. King 17.4 and afterward by a poor Sydonian widdow 1. King 17.8 and who afterwards by the strength of one meale walked fortie daies and fortie nights 1. King 19.8 By which example it is shewn vs that the Lord in such and so lamentable a time nourisheth those who are his though they be sometimes so scattered here and there that they cannot know one another 1. King 18.13 and 19.10.18 that is to saie he nourisheth his Church in that litle harbor of his vntill the time of his indignation be ouerpast Esaie 26.20 when the ordinarie minister is cut off as it came to passe in the time of our fathers in the East and West Church vntill such time as it pleased the Lorde to awake his spouse and to shew what difference there is between the vtter exterminatiō of Sodome and the visitation of Sion Esa 1.9 pittying the ruines thereof building it vp againe Ps 102.14 Which thing our time might haue taught vs and doth yet teach vs euery day to the end we acknowlege the great wōderful miracles of God which haue hapned since within these 60. yeares onelie and to pray vnto him daie and night to perfect this deliuerance of his people for the loue of his holy name to whom be al honor and glory for euer According vnto this holy doctrin we wil demaund of him grace and mercy as followeth saying Almighty God c. THE XXV SERMON Our helpe be in the name of God c. It is written as followeth in the third Chapter of the Canticle of Canticles the fourth verse 4 When I had past a little from them then I found him whom my soul loueth I tooke hold of him and left him not till I had brought him into my mothers house into the chamber of her that conceiued me 1 They who cal themselues the watch and watch are not good watchmen for al that 2 The Bridegroome causeth himselfe to be the better sought after by not suffering himselfe to be found at the first 3 An aunswere vnto diuerse temporisers or time-seruers opposed vnto the diligence of this spouse and what we ought to answere them who obiect the different opinions and diuerse interpretations of the Scripture 4 It is not enough to find that we seek after but we sease and laie hold on it hold it fast wherein haue beene diuerse faults heretofore and yet are committed 5 The loue of the Bridegrome guideth the spouse to seeke after him and to finde him 6 True faith is the onelie hand which reacheth after the spouse and seaseth on him 7 In what sense it is saide that the spouse hath a mother vnto whose house shee retireth her selfe with her Bridegrome 8 An application of this doctrine to the controuersies of our time 9 In what sort the Bridgroom is found of the spouse out of this house 10 In what sense it is saide that the spouse brought in her Bridegroome into the house of her mother 11 Howe wee must first necessarilie enter into the house and afterwarde into the Chamber of this Mother 12 An exhortation for the thorough practising of this doctrine IT hath bin shewed in the Sermon before what diligence the spouse vsed in seeking after this Bridegrome of hers who seemed for her to bee lost and how shee found him not in the open places nor could heare anie tidinges at al of him of the watch whereof we haue largelie entreated There remaineth notwithstanding one difficultie more in that wee said that by this watch were meant the false Pastors of the Citty of God which is the house of this spouse namelie the Church whereunto it seemeth that this which is here said is directly contrarie to wit that this watch was not asleepe in their priuate houses for had it been so the spouse had not met with them as neither would shee haue made this demaund vnto those which had been asleepe but that she found it where it should be to gard defend the Citty round about which thing the false Pastors are not wont to doe whome a man shal find rather in their beds or at table or in the stewes or anie where else then in their corps degard I aunswere that there are in general two sortes of these false Pastors for some of them are more shameful and detestable in their whole life and making their vices the onely trade of their life they shew themselues publickely and openly for such as they bee others there be to wit such are of the richest and wealthiest sort who are Church-robbers haukers and hunters dronkards fornicatours adulterers hauing no other god but their belly brieflie such as Bernard describeth the court of Pope Eugenius which is since nothing mended but hath