new forme of Churches beginning Whereas alas it may be reformed and purged but no more is to be planted as at first it was by the Apostles For as the beginning of plantation was euer practised by miraculous ministers witnesse Moses and Aaron to Israel and the Apostles to the new Testaments kingdome so besides that it was to incommend vnto such Churches new lawes for the substance therof which before they had not As for vs Christians we receiued such a kingdome as for the substance thereof it hath euermore preuailed against infernall powers And gladly I would know of our Schismatikes if so the Being vnder Romes gouernment it simply or essentially caused all such to be limmes of Antichrist and that to be the beastes marke for the which all such should drinke of the wine of God his wrath I would then demaund of them First where the Church then for 1000. yeares hath been visible and so consequently what assurance they haue that their present faith for the substance therof hath preuailed They can make no answer but against all scripture Secondly I would know of them why the corrupt gouernment of Rome should make all vnder it Antichristian and then the Nicolaitans Balaamits Iesabels disciples and all Anabaptists they should not be to vs as well true visible Christians Seeing these were and are in the Brownistes iudgement vnder the true externall Church-gouernment of Christ Is Romes gouernment stronger for euill then Christes for good Either here they must answer blasphemously or else they must grant truly That the essence or Being of true Christianitie and Antichristianitie it resâ—eth not in outward Church-gouernment but in an obedience and subiection to a foundation of faith truly Christian or Antichristian And for this cause as Antichrist is 2. Thess. 2.4 termed Anti-kâ—imâ—nos a a layer of an opposite foundation so it is his false fundamentall doctrine which is his marke euen as it is not outward Church-gouernment which marketh therfore out a true Christian for heretikes oft haue that skin of the sheepe but a firme biding by the foundation as the Apostle noteth to the Corinths And this ground is it wheron Master Caluin staÌ„deth wheÌ„ he beleeues the saluation of diuers Ancients liuing in too to corrupted ages But here the Romanists will say Then you Protestantes are gone out of the Church inasmuch as you are departed from vs. I answer we departed but from a notable foundation of faith opposite to the very grounds of the gospell Which opposite ground as it was long in laying so it was fully setled by theÌ„ in that infamous Councell of Trident. Besides we doubt not but we haue left some true Christians in that Church witnes such as amongst themselues they daily persecute euen as the many thousands of Iewes left Daniel and some others behinde in Babell what time they returned vnto Ierusalem But as those of the returne could not be called schismatikes from Daniel first because the time of captiuitie was expired secondly because Daniel should haue done better to haue followed them then they to haue returned vnto him euen such is our case First it was decreed and experience will manifest that how we should be for 1260. yeares captiued then that the beast should begin to kill faster then before the reason was because now the Prophets were more zealous then afore whereupon a tenth part of the Beasts Citie or congregation should fall away from him their kings and rulers now hauing in their heart to be auenged by fire on that purple whore which before had made them drunken as swine Our King Henrie began that worthie worke his princely son Edward continued it happily but our soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath not only brought her own people vnder the banner of Iesus but hath lent her princely hand vnto Churche's all abroad countenauncing and assisting them with monâ—e men and sacred counsaile So that it was well said of M. Penry in Scotland that the Gospell was more beholden vnto Queene Elizabeth then vnto all the Princes in Europe Against which Elizabeth who so shall arise let their forehead with Miriam be smitten with leprosie and not for seuen daies but seuen yeares yea for euer let them be abandoned the Commonweale of England This briefly for the Churches perpetuitie and for essentiall Christianitie touching faith manners euen through the midst of Antichristes pride and tyrannie Other things will be necessarily met withall in the comparison following So much for the thing compared Like to a man which sowed good seed in his field c. Not to vrge here the care good householders should haue to see their fields vineyards gardens sowen and planted with that which is good that so they may not onely returne peeces of siluer to themselues as the vineyard of Baal-Hâ—man did vnto Salomon but also propound hereby good vnto the countrie as resemblances of God his care to create all good verie good passing by that let me directly come vnto the precise sense of the Parable For the vnderstanding whereof let vs heare what exposition our Sauiour himselfe giueth hereon In verse 37. he saith He that soweth the good seed is the sonne of man And in the next verse And the field is the world and the good seed they are the children of the kingdome A certaine poore soule once ignorant how any open wicked might vpon any occasion be suffered once to grow in the Church he makes such an exposition here as whereby he may shut Tares quite out of the Church for thus he writes Did not God at first make the world and all things in the same good was it not corrupted c. to this question I answer it is true he did so but this is not consonant to this place for the Sonne of man is not God the Creator but God the Redeemer neuer called Sonne of man vntill he was incarnate So that here is no speech of worlds Creation but of Christ Iesus incarnate who by his owne ministerie and the ministerie of his Apostles did plant the childreÌ„ of the kingdome or new Testaments Church in the face of the whole world and this by preaching the word of the kingdome termed also the immortall seed of God For here is no comparison framed to the world but to the kingdome of heauen the state of the new Testaments Church Where he addeth and all our Schismatikes from him that here is no speech of the Church because our Sauiour saith And the field is the world I would first demaund what they meane by the world By the world they can not vnderstand the wicked seeing before they say God made the world c. But God made not man wicked except to Brounisme they adde Manichisme therefore by the worlde they must meane the circuite of the earth wherein Christ planted his Kingdome from one corner and sea vnto another Touching the tares that in his own place The Father hauing from mount Sion proclaimed
saith that The Kings daughter is all glorious within And so our king hâ—mselfe saith that this kingdome is within not to be seen of the world or heretikes by Lo here Lo there as it were by outward appearances on which externall show the Preâ—â—sian Pharisee then rested Secondly seeing the olde Testaments kingdome once shaken it gaue place to this new kingdome and that for euer and euer we first ought to obserue the former kingdomes basenes in comparison of this Euen as we know the firmamentall starres to be inferiour for light vnto the Sunne by reason their shine is darkenes when once her beames irradiates our Hemi-â—phere For if that which should be abolished was glorious much more that which remaâ—neth is glorious Nor can this be remembred without compassionating our elder brother the Iew wâ—o poore soule not perceiuing the abolishment of the first by reason of the lawes letter hanging as a vaile before his eies he therefore abhorreth communion with the second Standing with the elder brother without grumbling and grudging at his yonger brother feeding of the slaughtered Bullocke within Shems tent Nor maruell I much at them for many come within in part they do in some part stand without saying They dare not touch they dare not tast they dare not handle they dare not pray in a Synagogue Which al perish with the vsing according to the destinie of commandements and doctrines of men Which things indeed haue a shew of wisedom in a voluntary religion and humblenes of mind and in not sparing the bodie but they are in troth of no value saue for satisfying the flesh For if we be risen with Christ nothing to the pure can be vnclean if not of meat going with in vs though vnder the law it was otherwise much lesse of stones and timber without vs for all the creatures of God are sanctified vnto them by the word and praier and it is lawfull In all places to hold vp hands prouided it be without wrath and doubting Besides this kingdome being of an euer-enduring nature and no more to be remoued it not onely â—utteth off these heretikes that from Revel 14.6 dâ—â—â—eare themselues in hand that this word of the kingdome sâ—all be vtterly abolished and another new Gospell preached For as Paul commaunds vs to hold that Angell accursed that brings another Gospell so that is nothing else but a renual of our Gospels preaching more vniuersallie by the which a way is prepared to Babylons downefall Which might well begin with our Wicliffe and be continued through the midst of the Church by Luther and others As I say the perpetuitie of this kingdome it cutteth off such new gospellers so besides that it câ—nâ—inceth many of ignorance who contrarie to scripture all antiquitie and experience doe affirme that there hath beene no visibilitie of the Church for former hundreds of yeares Besides that such a position is opposite to all those scriptures Psal. 72.5.17 Isa. 59.21 Math. 16.11 1. Tim. 3.18 Reuel 11.2.3 for as the Centurists well reason if it continue vnder Antichristes tyrannie and exaltation much more after but also it is an embasing of this kingdome before the kingdome of Moses For was not the ancient Church the figure and type hereof was it not alwaies visible No saie our ignorant Reformists and Schismatikes The Church was inuisible in the time of Elias But the Lord saith no First by rebuking the Prophet pronouncing vnto him that there were 7000. in Israell that did no outward homage vnto Baal Nor let a man iudge otherwise it could be seeing not onely there were plentie of Prophets when Obadiah hid them by 50. and 50. in a caue but also there were schooles of Prophets what time Elias was readie to be rapt vp Secondly the holy Ghost recordeth Elijah to haue spoken against Israel not against Iudah For as he knew that good Iosaphat at that time raigned in Iudah so he wel knew that there was not only the church visible but also mightily reformed Nor can I but wonder that man can read the third Chapter of Luke where the principall starres of the Church from the first Adam to the second are genealogically numbred and yet after the reading thereof not to see that euen in them the Church was ay visible But those peruerters vnable to answer those scriptures they will now presse me with men although at no hand we may presse them with men and that thus To teach the Church ay visible is to teach Poperie and all our learned men haue alleadged this of Elijah against that doctrine c. I answer it is false not onely all ancients euer hold the Churches Euer-visibilitie but also all learned men of our age amongst the rest read Caluin his Institutions booke 4. Chap. 2. Section 12. and Chap. 7. Sect. 25. Peter Martyr in his common places Classis 4. Sect. 41. place 6. the foure Centurists in Centurie 1. booke 2. Chap. 4. Also our Nowell on the Article Communion of Saints c. to which purpose our meÌ„ against the Romanists haue commonly vrged that of Tertullian Vbitres Ecclesia est etiamsi Laici A Church is where but three be although they be Lay-people They haue not alledged Elijahs complaint against Israel for prouing al nullity of Churches visibility for that is not the question betweene vs and Papists but it is alledged against visible Constitution of Church in Israel The Romanists vrging their Church for vniuersall and ay constituted according to the first patterne of externall pollicie we affirme that the new Testaments Church sometimes looseth such visibilitie of vniuersalitie and externall constitution euen as the ancient Church her figure did If we consider typicall Israel first we see her great and glorious going out with army of banners Anone ten parts fall away though midst these ten God ay stirred vp Prophets and prouoked some to an essentiall obedience at home destitute of Iudahs sacrifices and Church pollicie Anone the two tribes goe into Babel and Ierusalem is trampled vnder foote for many sabaoths Yet the Church visible true Iewes and true Prophets though Priest and Teraphim ceased Anone they returne backe by Cyrus but still trampled vnder foot by Persians Grecians Seleucians And all out of order when Messiah came yea high-priests made by Herod that were not of Aarons line as Iosephus recordeth and we may well credit a Ieâ—e when hee testifies their owne shame So say we vnto the Romanistes it hath fared with Christ his Church Catholike trod vnder foot for 1260. yeares as Iacob Brocard Fr. duâ—lan Iunius Napeir haue well obserued during which time our Church was in the midst of Babel and the man of sin exalted in the midst of it Which point obserued it not onely stoppeth the Romanists mouth demaunding of vs what are become of Grandfathers and Grandmothers but also it dammeth vp a foule stream that carieth many head-long into Schisme expecting euerie sect a
best it cannot be auoided but Deacons must be fitted that way that so ministring well they may be preferred in time to a greater degree For the Widowes in 1. Tim. 5. there is no controuersie but that they should be concluded from Rom. 12.8 he that is mercifull that is worse then childish For euerie child knows that He is not a She. The Brownists to couer this foppery they say not Widowes but Relieuers that so vnder this new word they may steale into y ◠Church Widowers so well as Widowes Yet where it is said they should attend on sicke as scripture speaketh of no such matter so if we remember that she must not be vnder 60. years aged as also one that hath no helpe from her kindred it should seeme to me that she is rather receiued to be ministred vnto then to minister Vnder excellent termes thus odde inuentions of men haue beene broached First condemning things at home which they soberly vnderstand not secondly applauding things abroad which scripture and antiquitie neither vnderstand Yet because first abroad and now at home I resist those nouelties according to knowledge the Brownists abroad sparse notable vntruthes against me witnes those to whom my treatise of the sinne against the holy ghost is dedicate and the seditious at home quickly sup vp the euomitings of the Brownist that so thereby they may defile me and my ministery The Pharisee an enemie to the Sadducee the Sadducee to the Pharisee but both will ioyne in one confederacie against the truth Further then I haue sound reason I desire not to be accepted but if my reasons be equiualent to the waights of the sanctuarie cast not the precious pearle away because of the propounders basenes The Apostle would know no one of the Lords people no not Christ according to the flesh what art thou then to hold the faith in respect of persons Nine sermons I publikely and largely deliuered in Southwarke by London vpon the Parable of tares That I haue drawn into the compasse of one sermon for thy good Common doctrines of ordinarie course I here haue omitted holding me for the most part vnto certaine grounds of controuersie by the which disquieted soules may be setled I choose this Parable before other scriptures because it is a ground of grounds for direction vnto Churches state and condition the verie scripture which many peruert to their owne ruine and yet ni malè memini the first scripture whereby I recouered my standing Pray in humilitie yet thou read Read without preiudicate affection Ponder what thou readest But giue no definitiue sentence before thou haue read the whole What here may be deliuered too succinctly that if God will may once be deliuered more largely Meane time be thankefull vnto God for this and helpe me with thy prayers The Lords most vnworthie Henoch Clapham Math. 13.24 Another Parable put he forth vnto them c. SEeing speech is here of a Parable it would be considered first whether the word carie with it mo senses then one in Canonicall writ and then in what sense it is peculiarly vttered For varietie of sense I rest well resolued in that auncient collection of the Greeke father Chrysostome who vpon the 48. Psalme according to the Septuagints or Greeks account for they ioyne the 9. and 10. Psalms in one with vs and the Hebrew distinctly two and then for keeping the number of 150. psalmes they cut the 147. psalme into two beginning their 148. with the 12. verse Laud the Lord O Ierusalem c. which account the old Latine also obserueth on the same 48. psalme he collecteth two senses from the olde Testament according to the Septuagints version and other two senses in the new Testaments Greeke that is foure senses in the whole In the olde Testament he first obserueth it for a Rebuke or opprobrie as where in psalme 44. we read Thou hast set vs for a Parable that is for a by-word or marke of rebuke And in Iudges 14.14 it is taken for a Riddle where of Samson Be-dan sprong of Dan it is written Out of the eater came sweet c. which in vers 12. is termed well a Riddle but in the Greeke a Parable In the new Testament lieth other two senses which Hysteron proteron for methode sake I rehearse thus In Hebr. 11.19 speech hauing passed of Abraham his offering Isaac it is said That from the dead he receiued him En parabole in a Parable or type or as we haue it well after a sort The fourth sense is that which here in Mathew is vsed and that is for a Similitude as if he should haue said Another similitude Iesus he put forth vnto them Wherin if we obserue first the partie which propounds the parable then secondly the parties to whom it is propounded it shall carrie with it his proprietie of edification The propounder is Iesus in plaine English He that was appointed to saue his people from their sin appointed by God the father to saue the whole Israel of God The heroicke condition of his person essentially God essentially man by true distinction of natures constituting but one person Mediatour Christ it may cause vs with more reuerent attention to listen his similitude For sentences deliuered by persons of state they ordinarily stand for Maximes of mightie consequent And if we consider his inestimable loue towards his people that may moue vs more for who will not be vrged by a sweet and trustie friend But if it be remembred that he is not onely our mightie friend but also He whom the Prophets call Counsailor and the Wisedome of God in whom the whole worke of Creation restes surely this may be a furtherance not onely to attention but also to perswasion for a readie receipt of those words of wisedome Touching the parties to whom this Sauiour of ours speaketh it is the multitude his disciples not exempted The Parable vnexpounded is principally because of the people concerning whom the scripture had foretold That in hearing they should not vnderstand and seeing they should not perceiue because of the fatnes of their hearts c. So that our Sauiour vseth not Parables so but when he hath warrant of scripture nor fat hearted and insensible soules are not so spoken vnto but when scripture will be so verified vpon them Our Sauiours enigmaticall speeches may teach vs to obserue the times and so Origen and others do read Rom. 12.11 Seruing Kairô Time not Kuriô the Lord considering A word spoken in his place is like Apples of Gold and pictures of Siluer Vnto some holy mysteries are to be sealed but vnto leane hearted disciples and such as will not play the hogs and dogs with pearles the written mysteries of God are to be reuealed His truthes are not like Isis and Osyris mysteries in Aegypt who are to be locked vp in the bosomes of their sacred priests Indeed the priests of spirituall Aegypt do locke vp
his Sonne Regent from the Sunnes rising to his going downe the Sonne labours the plantation of this his possession by sowing the same Gospell which of yore was preached to Dauid to Abraham and first of all to Adam in Paradise For the which as Matthew produceth the Gospell from Dauid and Abraham because it was written in Hebrue and specially for the Iewes who altogether bragged of Abraham and Dauid so Luke respecting Iew and Gentile and all he ioyneth the Church of peculiar faithfull on the one hand with God and on the other hand with Iesus because without respect of person the Iesus was in Paradise first preached by God to Adam This Gospell not yea and nay but Amen Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer by it the Sonne of man begetteth sonnes for his Kingdome a Kingdome vnable to be shaken and remoued except that Christ her foundation can be remoued To omit common places here touching the Seede of God state of Vnregeneration Regeneration c. obserue wee here the fulnesse of time for Iaphets people the nations or Gentiles their comming vnto Shems tent whereof Noah arising as a Giant from wine by the abundance of spirit did fore-prophecie but this receipt of the Gentiles a graffing in of the wild Oliue is done oh the wisedome of God with a cutting off of the naturall Oliue Shems people who after the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in are againe vniuersally to be receiued into the open state of saluation That the Iew should first be exalted by reason of faith in Messiah and the Gentile glorified that way in the second place Irenaeus vnderstood it typically by Thamars twynnes The ancient Tertullian vnderstood the case to be figured vnder Rebeccaes twinnes The same doth Augustine As for Theodoret he conceiues also Lea and Rahel to be types of Iewes and Gentiles the latter to be more acceptable to our Iaakob Israel preuailer with God and in another place vnder Zara and Phares Thamars twinnes And vsually vnder Gedeons fleece floore the one deâ—ed from heaueÌ„ when the other stood drie the ancients vnderstood the same mysterie and thereunto doth Chrysostome applie the 6. verse of Psal. 72. And touching the recalling of the Iewes after fulnes of Gentiles come in as they were not ignorant so Gregorius Papa after whose time presently euen fully in the Lords yeere 666. Machomed in the East vniuersall Pope in the West that two horned power was exalted he is plentifull in this testimonie The Church being at first shut vp amongst the Iewes elder brethren by grace from Shem but Gentiles Iaphets people by nature now the Church was to enlarge her tents and to stretch her coardes vniuersally through the earth for which cause it is called Catholike and Vniuersall so it cutteth the throat of hereticall Donatists that would shut it vp in a corner of Affricke or in some chamber in London or in some citie of the Low-countries Nay let the Pope of Donatisme say that he hath some of his sheepe in the Low-countries some in diuers holes in England some in Ireland no Pastor or Biâ—â—op in England hath so large Iurisdiction yet for all this so long as we remember that article of faith I beleeue there is an holy catholike Church an article grounded on Scriptures enow wee dare not say but his Church is a faction gone out of the catholike Arke though our Sauiour forbids going out vnto such desart and corner Gospels and Christs and by reason of such schisme although with such arguments as were able almost to â—educe the elect couering their thorne and thutle schisme with sheeâ—ish skin or conuersation by reason I say of such schisme and vniuersal condemning all they depart from for onely visible limmes of Satan and Antichrist we must beleeue they in such estate are exposed to the ouerflowing wrath of God This Gospell of the kingdome as the Apostles had commission granted and giuen for sowing throughout the earth so the sound thereof went quickly through the earth And no maruell for now Daniels stone was to roule all abroad first for battering downe opposite power secondly for setting vp a kingdome which should neuer be destroyed the little stone so becomming a great mountaine And though we Brittaines tearmed of their word Brith painted because our people painted and dyed their bodies monster-like as indeede wee were a most sauage Nation though we were couched here in an vttermost coast yet it is registred to God his praise and our comfort that this Prouince was first of Prouinces in receiuing the Gospell openly as Sabellicus testifies Polydore Virgil maketh Coyl the king here a receiuer of the faith in our Lo. y. 182. But the holy faith planted in our land before by Ioseph of Arimathaea who with some others came hither obtained a mile of ground neere Wels afterwards called Glascon And this by ancient Gildas testimonie should be in the yeere of Christ 60. Who also saith that they suffered a notable persecution here by Diocletian Romes Emperour The excellent Theodoret writeth that the Apostle Paul presently after deliuerance out of his first captiuitie at Rome hee came then hither This Apostle in his second Epistle to Timothie and last Chapter he remembreth one Claudia an excellent christian woman then at Rome whom Martial the Poet affirmeth to be of Brittaine thus Claudia caeruleis cum sit Rufina Britannis edita cur Latiae pectora plebis habet c. In a word the ancient Registers haue so vniformely consented in this point namely that Britannia in the Apostles times it receiued the holy faith as also that the Ministers were maried nor after 600. y. what time Austin the Monke came hither from Rome could or would giue any hope of yeelding therein to Romes perswasion whose Cities Ministerie then was much gone out of the way this point I say is so vniformely witnessed as our Schismatikes may so well aske me what assurance I haue that here was a king Henry as demaund what assurance I haue of the other And this comfortable point I haue the rather vrged because some too ignorantly seeke the beginning of a Church here within these hundred yeeres and the Schismatikes impudently affirme that they themselues are the first visible Church sprung vp in England The founder whereof was Browne Which man if so he had been stirred vp by God to such a miraculous worke not onely he should haue been vpheld in that worke as Moses and Aaron to the old Church and the Apostles to the new Church for God neuer forsooke his principall Church-planters but also he should haue begun that worke with a better miracle then by alluring seruants from their masters children from their parents wiues from their husbands with whom they had smitten couenant although to their bodies hurt and affliction Thus the seed of the kingdome vniuersally preuailed maugre the malignitie of the
to the Donatist hereof writeth thus Ipse Dominus c. To the seruants willing to gather the tares the Lord hiâ—selfe saith Suffer yee both to grow vntill the haruest The cause hee premiseth saying Least peraduenture while ye would collect the tares together with the same ye pull vp the wheat Wherein he sufficiently sheweth when such cause of feare is not but a certaine safetie altogither of the graine with certaine stabilitie abideth that is when as euery such one his crime is knowne to all and to all appeaereth execrable insomuch as it hath no one or not such defenders through whom a Schisme may fall out then Non dormiat seueritas disciplinae Let not disciplines seueritie sleepe Then this may well be done without spot of peace and vnitie as also without detriment to the wheate c. Wherein he concludeth a practise of disciplines seueritie when Churches peace and vnitie may be preserued but otherwise not Nor is this permission a stranger in scripture no more then the practise of excommunication For as in 1. Cor. 5. the Apostle Paul vrgeth a putting out so the Apostle Iohn Diotrephes the affector of preeminence a pratler a busie bodie and one that would neither himselfe harbour such as came from the Apostle nor yet suffer others The Apostle promiseth if hee come to lay him out in his colours intending thereby no doubt to prepare a way for his casting out but meane time hee permits him inasmuch as he bids them not deliuer him to Satan Such tares were the factious teachers in Galatia Churches ioyning Circumcision and Baptisme together c. whom the Apostle in those wordes Would to God they were cut off doth secretly permit in that he dare not as in another case giue it in command And when to the Corinthes he writes I feare when I come againe my God abase me among you and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned ALREADIE haue not repented of their vncleannes and fornication wantoâ—nes which they haue committed here the Apostle not wishing the Corinthes to deliuer such to Satan as in 1. Cor. 5. he willeth the incestuous to be giuen vp for whose behoofe no one with face could stand but plainly seeing yet after a sort halfe winking at those notable euils he giueth notice as Augustine also hence vrgeth that it was because of their tarish clasping condition And for no loue to the tares but for loue of Church and Common-wealthes peace it was that Dauid permitted Shimei of Beniamins quarrelling tribe fauourite to Saul as also suffered bloody Ioab to liue all his dayes for that otherwise he might haue brought all the souldiers on his necke for auenging the death of their worthy Generall Now if a Tares condition be considered can any other conclusion be vrged for it is not as many weeds who may be seuered without daunger but as it growes vnder the leaues of wheat vnseene like an hypocrite at first so it 〈◊〉 after bewraies it selfe by the fruit but then so clasping the wâ—eat by running about it as it cannot be pulled vp thâ—n but 〈◊〉 â—resent danger to the wheat And such varietie of â—aladies â—â—â—etimes fall in mans bodie whereof some may be purged â—â—d some limmes cut off without the liues destruction but some of such nature and in such pâ—rts as they cannot be remoued but with depriâ—ation of life And for this cause namely for preseruation of life and auoiding some great euil ensuing we oftentimes permit that we like not Nor is he fit to gouerne a family much lesse a Church that walketh not by this rule consideration If any now demand what if Diotrephes repent or for want of repentance he be by Iohn in after time cast out is such a one yet a Tare Two answers are hereto framed The first is yea as Simon was surnamed Leper because once a Leper so may such a one be called a Tare because once a Tare The second answer I giue thus if either of the former things fal out he may be said to haue stood for the former clasping season as a tare but now he bewraies himself not to be such EueÌ„ as the incestuous person was deliuered vp to Satan for leauen a seruant to Satan who after proued a man of true spirit holines The Parable as other Parables it must not be stretched beyond the purpose of our Sauiour made manifest by other consent of scripture and so I haue proued Augustines collection to be found irrefragable If any reply only those open wicked ones are Tares as die Tares because it is after said they shall by the Angels in the great haruest be gathered vp â—so could add because Tares are bid to grow vntil the last haruest therfore none are Tares that liue not vntill the last haruest As also by that reason we should neuer know who are Tares vntill death and so to no purpose commaunded to let them grow togither seeing after death they can no more grow togither To auoid such foolish consequents the proprietie of a Parable must therfore ay be heeded The former conclusion remembred downe fals the Libertines collection who would haue all publike wicked permitted seeing here is not speech of all euill ones but of a kind of euill-ones which cannot with kingdomes children their good be pulled vp or cut off by Magistrate or Minister Euen as in the Parable of the fiue foolish virgins he declareth not open wicked but hypocrites seeing they had their lamps and lights and went to meet the bridgroome so well as the other fiue Nor was their foolishnes discouered to the Church vntill they had slep the sleep of all flesh good and bad and were raised againe by the shout of the Archangell so euerie Parable hath his owne propriety Here also falleth to ground all such as haue with Chrysostome and Erasmus vnderstood them to be heretikes whom the Magistrates should permit to growe vntill happily they might become wheat Yet Chrysostome addeth Non prohibet c. Our Sauiour forbiddeth not to dissipate the conuenticles of heretikes the stopping of their mouthes to cut off all libertie of speaking onely he forbids the killing of them But as he hath no warrant hence of preseruing heretikes liues so he hath warrant inough from many places for scattering the assemblies stopping their mouthes c. And surely the Magistrate can neuer be thought to be zealous for the Lord when he beares as the ordinarie States of Germanie doe a sword for their ciuill matters but none for the Lords religion To ground also here falleth the Anabaptistes doctrine of Christians vnlawfulnesse for bearing and exercising the sword against trangressors seeing say they foolishly from hence they may liue to become true Christians In a word diuers fantasies here fall downe as Dagon before the Arke nor meruell seeing tymber hay and stubble is in the Lords day appointed to burne that so gold siluer and precious stone it may be