Redemption The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our onely Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchizadech that with once offering of himselfe hath for euer made perfecte them that bee sanctified But the Church of Roome telleth vs that Christe hath a state of Priesthoode succeeding him which must dayly and continually offer the very natural body and blood of Christe to God the Father for the remission of the sins of y e quick the dead The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christe is the only Mayster and teacher of his church in his holy word hath deliuered vnto it al truth But the Church of Roome teacheth vs that Christ hath not deliuered vnto vs all truth but that there be many thinges necessarye to be beleeued which are not contained in the Scriptures herevpon doe they ground al their vnwritten verities and vayne tradicions of men saying that they are to bee receiued with the like Reuerence that the written worde of GOD is The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is the onlye Heade of his Churche and the Ruler and gouernor of the same but the Church of Rome would perswade vs that the Pope his successors are the heads of the vniuersall church of Christ The doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is the only Foundacion ground of his Church wherevpō it resteth and is stayed for S. Paule sayth that No man can lay any other foundacion then that is layd Christe Iesus But the church of Rome teacheth vs that S. Peter and his successours be the foundation of the Church and that Hell gates shall neuer preuayle against that church that is builded vpon that foundation This may you see very euidently how well the doctrine of the Church of Roome agreeth w t the doctrine of y e Apostles And therfore though they haue personall Succession neuer so muche yet because they haue not Succession of this true doctrine that may not iustly be taken for the right Churche of Christ Now if they will continue to aske of vs where oure Succession is We aunswere that wheresoeuer since the comming of Christ there hath bene any persons vpon the the face of the earth that haue confessed this sincere truth and doctrine We say that they are our predecessors we are their Successors and with them members of the true Church Therefore our church is not so new a Church as they would make it but as auncient as the Doctrine is which is the most auncient Doctrine y t euer was vpon the face of the earth But if this their personal Successiō be the greatest proofe of their Church What will they saye of the Grecians Who haue hadde Successyon of Bishops for as long continuaunce as they haue and yet did neuer acknowledge the Supremacy of Rome nor that it was the only Catholike church but a member of it only as others were Oh will they say The Grecyans were Scismatickes yea but they haue cōtinual succession of Bishops professing Christ And by what authority proue they that forsooth because they separate themselues from the Apostolicall Sea And is that sufficient Why if the Grecians are to bee counted Scismatyckes because they forsake the sea of Roome howe muche more is Roome it selfe to be counted no true Churche whiche hath swarued from Christe himselfe as before I haue declared both in Doctrine and in the right vse of the Sacramentes Wherefore their alleadging of the name and Title ot the Church is euen a lyke shyft as the Jewes vsed against Ieremie and the other Prophets of God in old tyme saying Templum Domini Templum Domini i. The Tēple of the Lord The Tēple of the Lord. Whereas the Lord did acknowledge nothing among them to bee his So do they now crie we are the catholique church We are the catholique Church and God hath promised that he will neuer forsake it but alwaye assiste it with his holye spirite and therefore hath it prospered so many yeares Or if the Churche of Roome be not the true Church there hath bene no church at all for certayn hundred yeares For where was your churche scene within these fourty yeares before Luther began What token was there of your Doctrine had christ no church at al yes truely had he God forbid that Christ at any time should not haue his true church But good people it is not alway necessarie that the churche of GOD should be Notable or flourishe in the outwarde face of the Worlde by continuall Successyon of Byshops GOD and the worlde bee contrary and therefore often times the Churche is more notable by contempte of the world and persecution then by great Number or Power Yea sometime they whiche in the outwarde shewe of the Worlde and by certayne externall Signes mighte seeme to bee the Church and haue taken vppon them the name of the Churche and people of GOD haue bene persecutors and to theire power the Oppressors of the true Churche of God as it appeareth towarde the Prophets towarde Christe himselfe and towarde his Apostles Wherefore though the heads and gouernors of the church with the assistance of the greater number doe forsake the true worde worshipping of God doe make new lawes repugnante to gods word do bring newe Rites ceremonies into the church and vtterly corrupt and deface the righte Sacramentes and true markes of the Churche yet GOD reserueth to himselfe his true churche sending from tyme to tyme Doctours and Teachers to lead them although the same bee not allowed by them that will bee counted the Ordinary gouernoures of the churche but esteeme them as Scismatiks as Heretiques as disturbers of the people of God So were the Prophetes vsed so was Christe himselfe and his Apostles serued by the Jewes that woulde be counted the true churche of of GOD. But this I wil declare vnto you by particuler Examples Noe had preached as some write sixe score yeares but to howe small effecte it did afterwarde appeare when that in the Deluge eyghte personnes onelye of his Familye were saued Consyder then what countenaunce the Churche of GOD had in the World before the Deluge when it consisted onlye in eighte Personnes and they not the best esteemed in the time of Abraham Isaac and the Patriarches In how few and small families were they dispersed vpon the face of the Earth in whome the dignitie of the Church consisted Achas King of Iuda Vria the high Bishop and the other Priests not resisting him shut vp the Temple of GOD and tooke away the Chayre so that vndoubtedly the ordinary Sacrifice and Teaching of Gods Lawe did cease and yet was there an holy and true Church in the Kingdome of Iuda where Esay and other good men did Teach but extraordinarily Vnder Manasses the true Doctrine and celebration of the Sacramentes ceased and so this Defection continued vntill it was refourmed by the good King Iosias yet
notwithstanding in that tyme GOD did sende his Prophets and there was a true Church of God in Iuda In the Kingdome of Israell Ieroboam deposed the true Teachers of the Lawe and placed other prophane and vnlearned Priestes in their roomes yea hee made Temples with Caluish Idols new Alters wholy a new worshipping of God so that in Israell appeared no external token of the church of God And yet certainly it cannot be denied but God euen then had his Church in Israell whiche to repayre and mayntayne he did at sundry times send his Prophets Preachers but how they were vsed and estemed the scriptures doe well declare Achab the most wicked of al other who to the wickednesse of Ieroboam added the detestable idolatrie of Baal and so cleane defaced the true worshipping that Elias that good Prophet begā now to loà th that people in whom appeared no token of Gods true worshippinge therefore fledde into a Caue And when GOD asked him what hee didde there Oh Iorde sayde he thy people haue forsaken thy couenaunt they haue pulled downe thyne Aulters they haue killed thy Prophets so that I only am lefte and yet they seeke to haue my soule also What shewe had the Churche of God then when Elias thought there had beene no moe but hym selfe And yet God aunswered that he had left vnto him euen in Israel a populous Church of 7000. that neuer bowed their knee to the Image of Baal This may be a full answere to them that feare if we shoulde not acknowledge the Churche of Rome to be the true Catholike Church that Christ should haue no Church at all Yes vndoubtedly in the greatest tyrannie and corruption of the Churche of Rome God reserued to himselfe a great and populous Church and companie of good people that neuer were distained with the wickednesse of that Sea and sought to worship God truely according to his holy worde althoughe in some finall errours they were caryed away with the blindnesse of the time And this could I confirme by very Notable examples yet remaining in histories if the time would serue As I haue sayd of the time of the Prophetes so may I say of Christes time and his Apostles The Jewes were then esteemed the people of God they had among them the lawe of God they vsed sacrifices appointed by God yet did they put Christ to death yet dyd they persecute his Apostles yet dyd they endeuour to extinguish both the name of Christ and also his religion Wherefore looke what Defence or what comforte of conscience the Prophets of GOD in olde time had Christ himselfe at his comming and his Apostles afterwarde myghte haue agaynst the Bishoppes and Priestes of the Jewes alleaging that they were the Churche of GOD that they had the temple of God that at their mouthes shoulde bee fette the interpretation of the law of God The same defence I say the same comfort strength of conscience may We haue against those at these dayes that assault our cōsciences w t the Title of y ◠church of Rome saying that they are y ◠Catholike church that they haue the true doctrine of God y t they haue authoritie to interprete the scriptures and word of God and thereby seeke to make vs ashamed of the Gospel now preached c. The end of the second Sermon ¶ The third Sermon Non me pudet Euangelij j. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for c. I Wil now come to those that seeke to make mē ashamed of y ◠Gospell by saying that y ◠professors thereof are in life dissolute licentious y ◠they are in common Weales troublesome seditious y ◠they are in their doctrine disagreeing contentious with such other quarrels rising of malice rather then anye good truth As touching the first point I will be the shorter becanse I haue so much spoken of y ◠thing before as y ◠whatsoeuer by frailtie happeneth among y ◠protestantes sure I am our greatest aduersaries cannot iustly say or surmise that our doctrine in it selfe maintaineth any such dissolutenes of life I confesse vnto them y ◠there be diuers y t turne the grace libertie of y ◠Gospel to a licentiousnes of lyfe by their examples cause men to suspect y t our doctrine as hurtful to good manners an enimie to vertuous liuing This is so plaine I will not denie it It is so euill I can not defend it It is so grieuous I may not dissemble it Yea I graunt furthermore y ◠among the best professors of y ◠Gospel I see not that perfectnes that should be but somtimes euill and hurtfull examples our fault I confesse is the greater and with heauie hartes we may acknowledge it to be true But what of all this Is that cause sufficient to feare mē frō our Doctrine is that ynough to cause men to be ashamed of y ◠Gospell God forbyd The like vndoubtedly were in Christes time the like were in the Apostles time Yea among the .xii. there was one wicked Iudas and yet thoughe some were euill all were not so Christ himself was reproued as a drunkarde or glutton the Apostles were called seditious the fathers were noted to disagree among themselues What meane those vehement exhortations y t S. Paule vsed to moue men to puritie innocencie of life What meaneth y ◠terrible threatnings against wicked and vitious liuers Doe they not euidently declare that godlynes innocencie was more cōtemned wickednes naughtines more embraced then dyd become y ◠true professors of y ◠Gospel And yet could not mē at y t time take iust cause to bee ashamed of the Gospell But this is not a litle to be maruailed at y ◠the same persons that pretend themselues to be so greatly offended eyther w t the licentiousnesse of the false Gospellers or with the frailtie of them that truely professe it can winke with both eyes and without offence suffer in the Cleargie of Rome shamlesse Simonie incōtinence druukennes Diceplaying hunting Nicromancie ambition vriberie crueltie couetousnes extortion and open iniurie I know comparison is odious by example of other I learne that to make offers in this place is daūgerous Yet notw tstanding this offer will I make that if all the aduersaries of the Gospell be hable vpon any credible proofe more than their owne sclaunderous libells to shewe so many horrible examples of all kinde of wicked vices in the professors of the Gospell that haue bene since God restored to the worlde the trueth of his worde as I will shewe them by testimonie of theyr owne Histories and other probable writers to haue bene in the sea of Rome it selfe that among their most holy Fathers and heades of their church then I say I wyll openly confesse that theyr lyfe and doctrine is better then ours But if they cannot shame it is for them anye longer
authoritie which preachers haue had the very same intertainmēt at their hands y ◠the ancient Prophets had of y ◠false prophets priests Princes of y ◠people We must not therfore beleue y t he is a true minister of god a deliuerer of sound Doctrine y t is furnished w t ordinary authority challengeth y ◠cōmendacion of successiō lawful calling for the wolues often times be couered w t that clothing And I wil note vnto you in this place one claw whereby you shall not lightly fayle to Discearne the greedy and greeuous Wolfe that is Tyranny crueltie and blood for the false Prophets are alwayes cruell and bloody Take Example of the olde false Prophets in the time of Esay Ieremie Micheas Zacharie and other and Christe himselfe doeth note that Marke in them in sundrye places of the Gospell Howe blooddye and cruell Eusebius and the other Arians and false Teachers were toward Athanasius other Godly catholike Bishops of that time the ecclesiasticall Histories doe largely declare might be layde down in this place if time would serue But neuer was shewed more notable examples herof thē in these oure dayes by the Popes their Prelates which to extinguish y ◠Gospell the true preachers professours therof haue bene Trompets to mooue Princes to war murder by sword fyre haue imbrued the whole earth with the blood of Gods saintes and blessed martirs But cōtrariwise the spirit of truth in the right preachers of God is alway charitable mild merciful so much as possible may be with the safety of the church of Christ detesting crueltie and blood Let example bee taken hereof by the practise of all the primatiue church for the space of sixe hundred yeares and of all the professoures of the gospell in these latter dayes in comparison of the contrarye part The third Lambes cloathing wherewith false prophets seeke to couer and hyde themselues is the goodlye name title of y e Holy Apostolical Catholique church wherewith they seeme gloriously to aduance set forward themselues as though that all their Doctrines Traditions deuises of new worship proceded not frō thēselues but were established by the perpetual consent of y ◠church and allowed by the sentence and interpretacion of the holy counsailes and ancient learned fathers Doctours and yet whē it shalbe rightly trulye examined it is nothing so In deede cōsent of y ◠church to true godly Preachers is not onely a goodlye and bewtifull Garment but a moste necessarie Ornament that men may not faigne and deuise Doctrines opinions and Phantasies of their owne heads but professe beleeue and teache the consent of the true Catholike Churche in that doctrine that was first planted in Paradice by God him selfe and after renewed and continued by the Patriarches and Prophetes and so published into the whole world by Christ himselfe and his Apostles The summe whereof is briefely contained in the articles of our faith teaching vs the vnestimable goodnesse of Almightie God towarde vs as well in making of the world as in redeeming mankinde by the Incarnation and deathe of hys Sonne c. This faith and beliefe ought to be established and conserued by the consent of the Catholike Churche from the beginnyng But it is of all Christian heartes to bee lamented that most wicked and rauening Wolues vnder this cloake of the Churches Consent do abuse the people of God bring into the Churche and maintaine straunge worshipping of God and what soeuer they haue newly deuised of themselues without iust warrant of the holy Scriptures and contrarie to the manifest doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles and auncient Fathers of the Primitiue Church And by the authoritie of this Title of the Church doe persecute and feare men from embracing the reformation of the Gospell and striue still by violence to keepe them in the blindnesse of ignoraunce and errour But for so much as I haue sufficiently and at large in another place spokē against this Lambes clothing and haue taught men how by certayne Tokens to espie the same I will not stande longer vpon it at this time but will referre the reader hereof to the seconde Sermon made vpon this Text the briefe some whereof was recited in this place The last Lambes clothing that I meane to note vnto you at this time is their Vaunting of myracles wonderous workes that haue bene done for the confirmation of their doctrines Ceremonies which they haue brought into the Church For as Christ by myracles did confirme the true doctrine of the Gospell so doe the Scriptures witnesse that wicked teachers members of Antichristes schoole shoulde vse the countenaunce of the same to leade men into errour For the Diuel doth often turne himselfe into an Angell of lyght and wyll seeme to imitate the diuine power of God That false Prophetes doe sometimes vse this clothing to commende themselues and their profession it is euident in many places of the Scriptures Iannes and lambres by this meanes resisted Moyses and did harden the heartes of Pharao and the Aegyptians against the messengers and people of God Simon Magus Elymas the Sorcerer by such straunge working seduced many Moyses giueth warning of such and wylleth the people of God to take heede of them saying If there arise among you a Prophete or a dreamer of dreames and giueth thee a signe or wonder and the signe or wonder that he hath tolde thee come to passe saying Let vs goe after other Gods c. Thou shalt not harken to the wordes of that Prophete for the Lord your God doth proue you to knowe whether you loue him with all your heart c. Christ himselfe sheweth that they be not all by and by true Prophetes and ryght teachers that haue power to worke Myracles Many will say vnto mee in that day Lorde Lorde haue not we in thy name prophesied haue we not cast out Diuells in thy name and by thy name haue done many great workes But it followeth Then I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you departe from mee all yee that worke iniquitie Here we see that with wickednesse and corrupt doctrine may be ioyned working of Myracles and straūge doyngs And agayne our Sauiour Prophesying of y e latter dayes sayeth Then if one saye vnto you beholde heere is Christ or there is Christ beleeue hym not for there shall aryse false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shewe great Signes and wonders in so muche that if it were possible the verie elect of God shoulde bee seduced Beholde I haue giuen you warning before And Saint Paule in lyke manner giuyng vs warning of Antichrist and his false Prophets sayth Whose comming is after the working of Sathan with all power signes and lying wonders and in all deceaueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of the truth
these manye hundred yeeres and by that meanes it is come to passe that the Texte of the Scriptures is nowe better vnderstanded than euer it was in anye age That sundrie poyntes of doctrine bee refourmed without which men can not possiblye haue anye true sense of Christianitie as the doctrine of Originall Sinne of the Lavve and the Gospell of Repentaunce of Faythe of Hope and Charitie whiche before were maruaylouslye corrupted and wrapped in darkenesse and errour Principally the wholesome doctrine of the grace and merite of Christ of Remission of Sinnes of eternall lyfe receyued by fayth in Christ and Sealed and confirmed by his Sacramentes doth in these dayes bryng vnestimable comforte to troubled consciences as well at all other tymes as chiefely at the houre of death when Sathan most seeketh to shake mennes consciences wyth desperation The sence hereof the godlesse Epicures and secure Hypocrites haue not but suche as feare God and haue any touche of conscience conceiue exceeding comforte thereby Men in these dayes also are better instructed to praye and call vppon the name of God and indeede doe the same more sincerely because they vnderstande what they speake whereas before when they were taught to praye in a straunge tongue it coulde not possibly bee that their heartes and lyppes coulde goe together which of al other was a most myserable seducing of the people and as it were a mocking of God and his seruice and a singular instrument of the Diuell to keepe the people in errour and blindnesse Lastlye as I haue fayde reformation of manners and lyfe in verye many hath beene wrought and I doubt not but a great deale of euyll in these myserable and corrupte latter dayes restrayned by the sincere Preachyng of the Gospell and earnest callyng of men to repentance whiche otherwyse surelye according to the infection of this tyme woulde haue broken out to greates corruption of mannes lyfe These fruites and a number suche lyke althoughe the aduersaryâ—â— wyll not acknowledge I trust suche as feare GOD and wyll but indifferently iudge of thinges can not choose but perceaue and wyth comforte confesse to bee true Thus haue you hearde that externall shewe of honest lyfe ordinarie callyng and succession the Tytle and Name of the Catholike Churche the vse and workyng of Myracles bee in deede the clothing of Christes true sheepe but yet that rauening Wolues oftentymes hyde themselues vnder them to deceaue Gods people You haue hearde that the fruites whereby false Prophetes are discerned and knowen is corruption of doctrine and teaching of errours and lyes And you haue hearde it euidentlye proued as well by the testimonie of Saint Iohn as other partes of the Scripture that those fruites haue beene in the Churche of Rome and not among vs whiche submit all our doctrines to the touchstone of Gods holye worde Lastly you haue hearde by comparison that the good fruites of godly life and detesting of sinne hath more prospered among the professors of the Gospell than among the patrones of the Churche of Rome The Lorde graunt vs the grace of his holye spirite that to his glorie vice and wickednesse may dayly bee more repressed and vertue and honestie more aduaunced ⸪ Amen ¶ Certaine Sermons made vppon this Text. 1. Cor. 10. 1. c. Moreouer brethren I would not that you should be ignorant that al our fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the Sea and did all eate of the same spirituall meate and all drunke of the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ But with manye of them God was not pleased c. SAint Paul dearely beloued from the beginnyng of this Epistle blamed the Corinthians for sundry faultes and corruptions among them As that they had factions and dissentions one parte against another that they more esteemed in their Preachers eloquence of speeche then the simplicitie of Christ crucified that they made small accompt of him in coÌ„parison of some other corrupt teachers that they suffered incest among them vnpunished that they resorted to Idolatrous feasts with the heathen and did eate of those things that were offered to Diuels contrary to the sinceritie of true Christians Now because men are very prone to flatter their owne mindes by vaine pretences and to feede themselues in euill doing he preuenteth an obiection or excuse y â— happily they might make for themselues For they might haue said Sir we beare y â— name of Christ and bee Christians wee haue his Gospell among vs and vse hys Sacramentes whereby his merite is sealed in vs. Therefore wee are sure that wee are in the fauour of God and that his displeasure and plague shal not lyght vpon vs. c. To this S. Paule aunswereth that this trust and secure confidence in the profession of Christianitie and vse of the Sacramentes is but vayne vnlesse they approue make good their fayth and outward profession of Christ wyth the exercise of honest lyfe and Godly conuersation This he confyrmeth by comparison of the Israelites The people of Israell sayth S. Paule were the chosen people of God they had his law and Ceremonies among them yea they had promise of saluation by the same blessed sede that we haue they did vse in effect the same Sacramentes that we doe they were baptised in the Cloude and in the Sea they did eate of the same spirituall meate that we doe they did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that we drinke of for the Rock that they dranke of was Christe And yet many of them by Gods heauy hand perished in the Wildernesse And if you looke into the cause you shall fynde it to be nothing else but for y â— they were inclinable proane to the corruption of Idolatrie that they were giuen to fornication and vncleannesse that they tempted Christe and munnured against God and committed other like naughtinesse against the will of God c. Seing it is so you may be sure that God is no changeling but will deale in the same manner with you nowe as he did with his people before time Now for so much as S. Paules reason doth principallie stand vpon the vse of the Sacramentes and that the people in those dayes were more skilfull and better taughte the effecte nature and strength of a Sacrament theÌ„ in this time they be through slacknesse of teaching and way wardnesse in learning before I come to that which S. Paule principallye respecteth in this place I thinke it necessary for your better instruction fyrst to speake generally of Sacraments and to shew what a Sacrament is of what partes it standeth for what causes they are ordayned and what fruite maye be taken of them Secondly because he sayth The Rocke was Christ and that they did eate and drinke of the same Christ I will declare what manner of speethe this is and shew why Chist
to bee of this Churche which yet in Gods appoyntment are the certaine members of it as euidently was shewed in the example of S. Paule But the visible Churche that is discerned of man and by outwarde tokens is knowne to the worlde maye in thys manner bee described to you It is the multitude of all them bee they fewe or manye whiche beeing vppon the face of the earthe and called by the worde of the Gospell protest to beleeue in our Sauiour Christe looking for sanctification and saluation by hym and worshipping him according to his holy word That it is the whole multitude of all beleeuers it is euident when Christ himselfe sayth Ite predicate Euangelium omni creaturae i. Go ye and preache the Gospell to all creatures He excepteth none and therefore the grace of God and benefites of his Church are not tied to anye one place as to Rome to Hierusalem to Constantinople to Antioche or any other place That the number of this Church may be as wel small as great Christ himselfe teacheth saying Grex meus pusillus est i. My Flocke is verye small And where two or three be gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them Hereby maye you learne that the argument of Multitude or great number is not alwaye strong For by it the Doctrine of the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles mighte be reiected which vndoubtedly were but few in comparison of them that misliked and reproued it That this multitude must be called by the word of the gospel S. Paule affirmeth Rom. 10. Fides ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei Et quomodo predicabunt nisi missifuerint that is Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And how shall they preache vnlesse they be sent And therefore Christ did sende his Apostles to preache the Gospell that thereby they mighte by brought to the beleefe of the Church The members of the Church be graffed into it by professing the beleefe saluation in Christ In the 8. chapt of the Acts. When the Eunuche desyred Baptisme Phillip aunswered If thou beleeue with all thy harte thou mayst he aunswered I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God By this branche of the description the Jewes and Turkes are excluded and as many as seeke other meanes of saluatioÌ„ then by Christ Jesus though y t they pretend to be christians though that they pretend to be the church This church is knowne by certayne markes and tokens Nowe what they are lette vs consider The Gentiles for the state of their Religion alleadge Pindarus and other Poets The Jewes their Talmud The Turkes their Alcorane and all sorts doe ground their religion vpon some authoritie But God in Esay to his people saith this Ego ineo cum his quiresipuerint in Iacob hoc meuÌ„ foeduâ— vt Spirit us meus qui est super te verba mea quae posui in ore tuâ— non recedant ab ore tuo neque ab ore seminis tui amodo vsque in saeculum i. I will make this my couenaunt with them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob My spirite that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede from henceforth euen for euer Here you see that God willeth his church to sticke vnto his word And in the 10 of Iohn Qui ex deo est verbuÌ„ Dei audit He which is of God heareth Gods word And Oues meae vocem meam aâ—diunt c. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me A stranger they wil not follow c. True doctrine then according to the word of God is one vnfallible token of the righte church of Christ For god by his Prophet by his sonne witnesseth that it is his worde and that it is his voyce that his people doe staye vpon This marke S. August acknowledgeth in his Booke Contra litteras Petil. I haue the manifest voice of my shepheard sayth hee without all circumstaunces declaring which is his Churche My sheepe heare my voice and they follow me Beholde we heare his plaine and euident voyce For how dareth he call himself christes sheepe that doth not vouchsafe to followe christe Let no man saye vnto mee what sayde Donate what sayde Petilian or Pontius for wee must not consent to catholike Bishops if they be in any pointe deceaued and iudge contrary to the canonicall scriptures c. And agayn If thou crie out recite vnto me any other thing vnderstaÌ„d then that after the voice of our sheapherd vttered euideÌ„tly vnto vs by the mouth of the Prophets by his owne mouth and by the mouth of the Euangelists we will not hearken to your voices nor giue eare to any thing that you shal speake Whosoeuer wil not waÌ„der froÌ„ his flock let him hearken to him let him folow him Now as Christ y â— true sheapheard doth call his sheepe by his voice lead them by his word so doth he mark theÌ„ by his Sacraments The Gentiles the Jewes the Turkes haue their ceremonies but only the church of christ hath the true SacrameÌ„ts by him appointed distributeth the same orderly lawfully vnto faithfull people according to his Justitucion for by one spirit saith S. Paule are we al baptised into one body And of y â— Lordes supper he saith We being many are one bread one body because we are all partakers of the same bread By these marks theÌ„ of baptisme the Lords supper Christ doth vnite his flock togeather in one folde maketh them known to be his Now let vs examine these tokens how well they agree to the Church of Roome Touching the fyrst how can they haue truth of doctrine which vse not that rule of Religion nor that Touchstone whereby onely all truth of faith and holinesse is tryed Can that Goldsmith alwaies haue good and pure mettall that doth not vse a right and true Stone to trye it The right touchstone perfect directory whereby all trueth in doctrine is known is The word of God deliuered in his holy scriptures Therefore sayth y â— Psalmist Thy word is a lantern to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And Christ himself saith vnto y e Jewes Search the scriptures for they beare witnes of me He imputeth the grosse errours of the Saducies to the ignoraunce of the scriptures The Conuerts of Berrhaea in the Acts to trie Paules doctrine did dayly search the scriptures whether all thinges were so as Paule preached This is it then wherby preachers and teachers are discerued This is it whereby the true church of God is tried This is it wherby al truth of doctrine is examined So sayth Chri. The Lord knowing the coÌ„fusion of al things that would be in the latter dayes
commaundeth that christians willing to vnderstand the sure ground of faith should haue recourse to no other thing but to the Scriptures And agayne in the same place Before time it was euideÌ„t by many meanes what the true churche was and what gentillitie but now after that heresie is growne into the church there is no way whereby it may be knowne but only by the Scriptures Now Dearely beloued we shunne not this Triall we desyre to be iudged hereby only we say with Moyses yea with God himselfe Nothing is to be added or taken away from his worde We say with S. Iohn 20 chapter So much is written that if we beleeue we shall haue saluation by the name of Christ We say with S. Paule that the scriptures can make vs wise to saluation We say with S. Paule agayne that the scriptures written by the inspiration of the holy ghost are profitable to teache to reproue to correct to instruct in Iustice and to make a man perfect in all good workes Finally we say with S. Ambrose Noua omnia quae Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus vita Christus est i. All newe Doctrine which christ hath not taught we rightly condemne because that christ is life to all the beleeuers Contrariwise the aduersaries of the Gospell will not abide this triall of their Doctrine but seeke by all meanes they can to auoide it I wil not in this place discribe their whole practise herein but I will note vnto you three pointes First the keeping of the scriptures in an vnknowne tongue from the common people and to make it little lesse then Heresie to haue it in their mother tongue Haue not many good men partly lost their liuing and borue fagots partly bene burned for no other cause Manye yet aliue knowe it to bee true But they did not only finde this meanes to keepe it from the common people of GOD but brought to passe that it was almost out of vse euen with the learned sorte of which very fewe did reade the Texte of the Bible you had almost tenne that wrotte vppon the mayster of the sentences The greate heapes of schoolewriters declare this to be true Secondly they doe marueilously disgrace and discredit the Scriptures as vnsufficient to saluation and not contayning all necessary truth but that there are manye Articles of necessity to be beleeued whiche are not contayned in the Scriptures So sayth Lindan lib. 1. Cap. 10. The Apostles sayth hee Woulde not committe certayne principall pointes of our Fayth to paper and ynke thereby to perishe and be forgotten but they committed them to the faythfull hartes of Christians As though those thinges remayned more sure whiche be committed to the frayle memorye of seeble men in this sinfull world then those thinges that by the spirite of God are put in writing Doe you not see howe this malicious and reuolting Aduersary doth ouerthwart the gratious and ordinary prouidence of God in preseruing the truth of his doctrine and holy will When God saw that the law written in the heart of man was in continuaunce of time by corruption of the world greatly blemished and almoste cleare forgotten then that it might bee renewed and remayne more surelye in the memoryes of men did hee not by Moyses put the same in writing But this is the manner of the olde Heretiques as Irenaeus sayeth When they are confuted by the Scriptures they fall to blame and accuse the scriptures as though they were not in good case and of sufficient Authoritie and because they may be diuersely interpreted or as though the truth could not be knowne by them without the knowledge of Traditions For say they the truth was not deliuered by them but by the liuely voice of the speaker Hitherto Irenaeus This was the gappe whereby almoste all Heresies were drawen into the Churche that eyther they deâ—ied the Scriptures or else depraued them as vnsufficient without priuate traditions reuelations And so the aduersaries at these dayes strine to keepe the same gappe open as well for the maynteinaunce of their tradicious as for that they see they are not by them hable to maintayne the moste of their Doctrines What shall I say of them which are not contented by these means to accuse and discredit the Scriptures as the old Heretiks did but giue vnto the sacred written worde of God contemptible and blasphemous titles of reproche as to call it A dead writing A dumbe maister doubtfull and vncertaine A black Gospell Dead ynke Ynkie Diuinitie A Nose of waxe A leaden Rule c. But the eternall and euer liuing God whose immortall word scede of life they so reuile sitteth in heauen and seeth their wicked blasphemy howsoeuer conningly they will seeme to cloake their doinges Thirdly they say the scriptures take authority of the church and therfore that the Church is aboue y e scriptures and her authoritie the greater Sine authoritate ecclesiâ— saith Friar Soto Scriptura sacra non habet authoritatem hoc certissime fatemur i. Without the authoritye of the Church the holy scripture hath no authoritie This we confesse most certainly As though the maiestie of Gods wisdome the truth contained in the scriptures depended vpon the authoritie of man For though the Church be neuer so holy yet it consisteth of men which maye and often times do erre when they leane not to the word of God Oh say they how know you that the Scriptures came from God but by the church I graunt dearely beloued that the true church that is the faythfull people of God haue the spirit of discretion to discern what writings are according to the law Prophets which are not And therfore the Godly Fathers in the primatiue church partly in the time of the Apostles partlye after reiected many counterfeyted writinges fathered by Heretiques vppon some of the Apostles because they agreede not with the lawe and the Prophets nor were agreeable to the Analogie of fayth and truth of Doctrine contained in them and so by their witnesse they iustifyed the truth of those canonicall scriptures and that no other ought to be Judges ouer them or in any part of doctrine in them or to haue authoritie aboue them or withoute them When a Prince sendeth a commission to certayne â—ounsaylers they may by their skil in the lawes in the realme and practise of gouernmente consult whether it be a right true commission or other wise but when they haue by their iudgement determined that it is a true commission vnder the Princes hand and seale they take not to them Authoritye ouer it yea they submitte themselues in all thinges to bee ruled by it They may not be so bold to ad to diminish to change or to interprete it further then authority doth warrant theÌ„ So is it with the church of Christ it must submit it selfe to be directed by the word of God