themselues many also of the râ—probaâ—e beleeue the mystery of the Trinity the truth of the doctrine coÌ„cerning the vvorkes of the creation redemption and sâ—…ctification but they looke for â—o benefite to redounde to themselues by the fame therefore they beleeue and tremble beeing excluded from all hope But this true catholike faith teacheth the faithfull so to beleeue the doctrine concerning God and his vvorkes that they beleeue also in particular that the benefite thereof belongeth to themselues beeing already receiued into the housholde of faith and made members of the holy catholike church For otherwise then by this faithfull perswasion how could they be induced to beleeue in God and to place their assured hope and confideÌ„ce in him For to beleeue that God is a father redeemer and sanctifier to other and to doubt whether he be such a one to me also were but a cold comfort and a very faint and feeble motiue to induce me to beleeue in God to devote my selfe to his service and to associate my selfe to his church VVherefore it is not to be doubted but that the liuely members of the holy catholike church hauing an holy assurance of the grace and favour of God towardes themselues and being resolued that he is now become their louing father in Christ and hath cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea doe thereby beleeue and reioyce in Gods mercies and so grow daily by little and little into a stedfast aâ— assured perswasion of their full and finall glorification But the church of Rome teacheth her children not to seeke for any assurance in particular of the favour of God and of the remission of their sinnes by the death of Christ but still to doubt and to be in suspence thereof so by keeping them from the true faith excludeth them out of the number of the faithfull and so by consequent out of the true church Whereas the true church the spouse of Christ hauing a stedfast assurance of the loue of her bridegrome is thereby induced not onely to trust confidently in him and to loue him againe but also to testifie the same by harkening most reverently vnto his vndoubted will and resting her selfe onely vpon his most sure word and yeelding all â— Pet. 1. 19. obedience to the same And hereof it is that this true church is sometime called Gods feilde wherein the most pure seede of his Math. 13. 3. holy worde is sowen and not the darnell and cockell of mens inventions sometime his sold wherein are his sheepe which harken onely Ioh 10 5. to the voice of their sheepheard not to the voice of a stranger sometimes Gods family and housholde wherein he ruleth alone all autority Eph 2. 19. of commanding being yeelded to him sometime the mother of the faithfull hauing her children begotten by the immortall seede of the worde of God and nurced also by the sincere milke thereof drawen out of her two brestes which are the olde and the newe testament Lastly Aug in ep Ioh. tract 3. Apoc. 8. 20. she is called a goldeÌ„ candlesticke for that she resteth not on her own light but holdeth out the candle of the word of God to al such as are of his family houshold to direct them therby in the waies of the Lorde and to detect vnto them all stumbling blockes by pathes which might cause them either to stumble or fall or else to wander out of the right way And the verie name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a convocation or congregation doth signifie a company wakened by the shrill call of the voice of a crier out of the drowsie sleepe of ignorance and sinne emploied in the workes and the waies of piety and godlines By all which appellations is signified that the true church hath her children begotten onely of the immortall seede of the word of God and nourished with the sincere milke of the same directed by the light thereof and alwaies ruled by that autority wakened thereby when they fall a sleepe and reclaimed when they beginne to wander made fruitfull also to all good workes Now the church of Rome hath her children begotten also of the corruptible seede of mens traditions and ruled by her owne decrees and decretals for shee will not haue them harken onely to the voice of the true shephearde vttered in the sacred scriptures nor to be obedient to the commaundement of the master of the family onely therein contained nor to be guided by the candle onely of that vndoubted will of God shee deemeth that foode to be to harde meate for them and therefore shee setteth before them the festivityes of her golden legend so causing the prophecy of the Apostle to be fulfilled who saide that the time should come that men shoulde turne away their eares from the truth and 2. Tim 44. should be turned vnto fables Moreover shee addeth to the Canonicall scriptures the bookes Apocrypha and her vnwritten verities to the written word and whereas the holy scripture is profitable after so sufficient a manner to teach that the faithfull christian the man of 2. Tim. 3. 17 God may thereby be made absolute and perfect shee denieth this sufficiency and perfection thereof and whereas the spirit of truâ—h calleth this word a light she calleth it darke and whereas hee avoucheth it to be easie to him that will vnderstand she chargeth it to be an obscure and hidden doctrine even to the Lords owne chosen and peculiar people yea whereas our blessed Saviour the very wisedome of God speaking to the multitude commandeth them to search the scriptures yet shee very flatly forbiddeth the same Ioh. 5 39. Where by it is evident that seeing shee thus disgraceth the holy scriptures inspired of God that vndoubted worde of the bridegrome and his last will and testament sealed with his own blood calling light darkenes and darkenes light harkeneth not wholy â—sa 5. 20. to his decrees therein contained neither suffereth him to strike the stroke only to rule therewith in his owne family repealing disanulling his direct coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts that therefore shee is not to be esteemed the chast faithfull spouse of Christ but a cursed harlot a faithles adulteresse The which thing that it may more evidently appeare I wil here set downe sixteene distinct direct oppositions betweene the true church and the false betweene the faithfull servantes of Christ and the Sinagogue of Satan the limbes of Antichrist Opposit 1. The faithfull especially vnder the raigne of Antichrist flye only to the scriptures as to the onely sufficient iudge for the deciding of all controversies and that according vnto the precise commandement of Christ and the ensample of his faithfull servantes whereas seducing and seduced heretikes take away this key of knowledge and shut the gates against the truth not onely defaming the faithfull for the study of holy scripture but also disgracing those most holy bookes
thy nâ—…e giue the praise for thy loving mercy for thy truthes saâ—e Oh saith Aust God doth prevent thee in all thinges prevent thou also his wrath How Confesse that all good thou receivest of him and all evil Serm. 10. de ver Apost from thy selfe But the Church of â—ome regardeth not this holesome counsel of this learned Father shee will not haue her children to disgrace themselues so much as to confesse themselues voide of al goodnes and replenished with all evill neither will shee haue the free mercy of God in Christ so farre foâ—th mâ—gnâ—fied and extolled as iâ— all the due deserved glory of al celestial graces were to be ascribed thervnto and therefore God in his iust wrath hath given her over to her owne blindnes that making her boast that her faith No manerreth more then hee that thinketh he never erreth cannot faile yet shee teacheth divers and manifold errours contrary to all the grounds of the Catholike faith For many grievous and damnable are the heresies wherewithall the Bishop and Church of â—ome are most truely and iustly charged by vs which professe the Gospell of â—esus Christ for the removing wherof the words indeed of the scripâ—ure are alleadged by them but the question being of the right sence thereof albeit the children of that Church pretende for the iustifying of their interpretations the consent of fathers Stap. doct princ li. 7. ca. â—…â—… 8 10. â— l. 10. cap. 11. the common testimony of the faithfull the decrees of councels yet at the last only or at the least principally they rest vpon the definitiue sentence and censure of the Pope So that the question being whether the Pope bee Antichrist the ful and finall decision thereof must in the ende as they teach be devolved to the Pope himseâ—fe and hee must be the Iudge in his owne cause Now what is this but aske my fellow nay aske my selfe whether I am a thiefe Whereby they make manifest vnto the whole world the great weaknes and wretchedneâ— of their owne cause which cannot otherwise be iustified approved vnlesse the guilty parties theÌ„selues be suffered to pronounce the definitiue sentence Whereas our Saviour Christ testifieth of himselfe saying If I shoulde beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not Ioh 5. 31. Ioh. 8. 54. true And againe If I should honour my selfe my honour is nothing worth If then our Saviour himselfe would not be beleeved vpon his owne bare word bâ—t had his doctrine confirmed by his Fathers voice from heaven by the testimonies of the Prophets and by his owne miracles what pride possesseth the Popes heart that he will not submit himselfe as Christ did and be tried as he was tried Now herein the Antichristian presumption of the Bishop of Rome in exalting himselfe aboue our Saviour Christ beeing manifestly detected with the great nakednes and wretchednes of his cause his friendes to shadow darken â—he same haue raised Camp rat 2 Poss Bibl. select no. 7. cap. 18. vp a mist of a most notorious slander against vs as if we were those parties that would be tried by none but by our selues and would allow in no manner of controversie the iudgement of any Interpreteâ— but Luthers Melancthons Caluins Bezaes or the like The which thing if it were true we see no reason why we may not iustifie the same far better then they can their depending vpon the Popes chaire For these meÌ„ were painefully exercised in praierâ— reading and meditation and were furnished with the knowledge of Artes and tongues which are great helpes to the attaining vnto the right interpretation of holy scriptures Whereas it is averred by men of their ovvne profession as a thing notorious that many of their Popes haue not vnderstood the Alphonsus li. 1. c. 4. groundes and principles of the very Grammer it selfe and of those that haue beene learned the greater sort haue beene expert in pointes of policie rather then in sound and profound Divinity Now right interpretation of holy scriptures being obtained from God not extraordinarily by revelation in these daies but ordinarily by meanes let all indifferent persons iudge vvhether the vnlearned or politike Popes or the other so wel studied learned men were like to be the better Interpreters of holy scriptures But indeede we stand not vpon this exception but constantly avouch that this their accusation is a most impudent and shameles slaunder raised vp in al likelyhoode even against their ovvne consciences as it may appeare by the appeale of that reverend Father John Juell in diverse controversies betweene theÌ„ and vs made vnto all approved antiquity cited censured euen by themselues For vve like of the testimonies of Fathers Camp Rat 5. Church and Councels and haue iust cause in many pointes to allovv of their decisions but we tie not the truth necessarily vnto them but vnto the spirit of truth who being the Autor is also the best interpreter of holy Scripture having therefore plainely set downe in them all necessarie points of faith that the plaine easie places therof might be as lightes to the darke and obscure for the better opening and explaning of the same Yea as in al Artes Sciences there are some principles and grounds vndeniable and vnavoideable having open manifest truth in themselues evident to the light of nature shining in vs and winning credit to theÌ„selues by their own perspicuous verity by the which the certainety of al other precepts of lesse perspicuity authority is to be tried eveÌ„ so in Theology also there are certaine principles grouÌ„ds having open confessed vndeniable truth in themselues such as are the Articles of the Apostles creede vnto which the interpretations of darker places are to be referred by which the doubts coÌ„troversies in matters of faith are to be decided For these are even as great torch-lightes lightning both themselues others also And as any having but meane skil in that craft if he set but the level to the worke shal soone see whether it be right or if he rub the mettal vpon the touch-stone he shal quickly perceiue what it is even so to any that is but meanly experienced in the doctrine of Christ if he compare his faith to these grounds of faith he may soone perceiue whether he hold a souÌ„d faith For as in Law Physicke in al other libeâ—al Arts Sciences the painfull studeÌ„t may attaine to a sufficient knowledge of the same by the helpe especially of their maine groundes and principles albeit there bee no vnerring Interpreter able to decide al doubts and controversies therein even so in Theology albeit there be none vnerring Interpreter amoÌ„g meÌ„ yet the studious devout Christian may attaine to a sufficient knowledge of al such points of faith as are necessary to salvatioÌ„ by the helpe of the maine grounds principles of faith Or may we suppose that the God of all but especially of such
beleeue though one rose from the deade Signes â—uk 16 31. â—ar 16. 20. â—eb 2. 4. vvrought by diuine power were diuine witnesses to giue testimony to the doctrine that it vvas diuine nowe the doctrine is receaued as a diuine doctrine what neede is there of witnesses stil to testifie the same Hee is a monster saith Austine that as Aug. de civ Dei l. 22. c. 8 yet seeketh for a miracle The doctrine in truth of Antichrist and of all false prophets hath neede of new miracles because their doctrine is straunge and new and the Deuil as the spirite of Mat 24 24. â— Thess 2. 9 â—hrys in Mat. hom â—9 Christ hath foretolde shal be ready to furnish them vvith great variety thereof that so hee may prevaile the more by them and leade the greater number thereby into errour VVherefore in that the church of Rome boasteth greatly of her miracles and taketh exception against our doctrine for vvant thereof thereby shee betrayeth her infidelity and bewrayeth her selfe not to bee the church of Christ but the very seate of the great Antichrist Opposit 4. The faithfull servauntes of Christ by the preaching of the worde of God having their secret sinnes disâ—layed and their consciences touched to the quicke and feeling in their hartes the divine power and maiesty purity and perfection thereof lightning their mindes sanctifying their affections and converting their soules doe fall downe as the Apostle saith and worshippe God and say that God is in you of a trueth acknowledging the preachers of that worde to be Gods ministers and 1. Cor 14. 25. the worde it selfe to bee Gods word vvhereof they haue so good proofe and so sufficient warrant in their owne heartes whereas faithlesse hypocrites having felt within them no such divine power of Gods heavenly worde doe not beleeue it to bee the worde of God for the words sake it selfe but for the outwarde testimony and witnes of the church THE mighty and powerfull worde of Christ is the scepter of Heb. 1. 8. 4. 12. Isa 11. 4. Apo 19. 15. his kingdome whereby he ruleth and raigneth in the heartes of his loyal and obedient subiects the most sharpe sword whereby he subdueth and vtterly destroyeth all his enimes By it he beateth downe in the heartes of his chosen infidelity Idolatry pride and vnthankefulnes and whatsoeuer lifteth vp it selfe against God and planteth faith piety humility and an hearty desire of sincere obedience and thankefulnes vnto God In this word being laide open the infinite and inestimable dignity of the sufferings and death of Christ whereby ful reconciliation is obtained with God satisfaction made for sinne to the vttermost and a perfect purchase made of the kingdome of heauen how are the faithful encouraged with ful assurance of faith to come vnto God and to place their whole trust and confidence in him As by the dreadful denunciations of Gods wrath against all iniquity and sinne set downe in this word especially by that seuere execution of the iustice of God in the death of Christ in whom the sins of all the elect were so seuerely punished that in vnspeakeable mercy they might be most freely pardoned vnto themselues how are the faithful touched to the quicke pricked at the very hearts humbled and after a sort cast downe into hell that they might be lifted vp againe by the Lordes mercy tast see how gracious the Lord is So like wise vvhen the infinite wisedome equity iustice righteousnes integritie puritie sanctity vprightnes which is in every one of the commaundementes of God is made knowen in some measure to everie of the faithfull how doth it winne all his affections to the loue of this lawe and cause him to lay it vp fast in his heart as a most precious and invaluable treasure O theâ— saith he with the prophet David the law of the Lord is an vndefiled law 〈◊〉 19. converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple the statutes of the Lord are right reioice the hart the commandement of the Lord is pure giueth light vnto the eies the feare of the Lord is cleane indureth for ever the iudgmentes of the Lord are true righteous altogeather And more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hony and the hony combe The SamaritaÌ„s who at the first were induced to beleeue in Christ vpon the testimony of the womaÌ„ which said vnto theÌ„ come see a man which hath told me all whatsoever I did is not he thâ— very Christ wheÌ„ they had heard theÌ„selue the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth had felt in their heartes the power of his doctrine theÌ„ they said to the woman that first brought theÌ„ to Christ Now we do not beleeue for thy words for we haue heard him our selues â—…h 4. â—…om 13. â—ug Conses â—ib 8. â—ap 12. do beleue that he is the very Christ So Austin wheÌ„ he was a coÌ„teÌ„tious carnall Manichee would not beleue the gospell but for the testimony of the church but when by the divine oracle being admonished to take the booke of God into his haÌ„ds to reade therein he had read Let vs walke honestly as in the day-time not in gluttony and drunkennes nor in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and envying but put yee on the Lord Iesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it this did seeme so holy heavenly and divine a doctrine vnto him and such an admiration and alteration it wrought in his hart that theÌ„ no doubt he did not beleeue for the bare outward testimony of the church but for the divine fruite vertue power puritie of the divine word of God that he himselfe had felt in his own hart VVherefore in that the children of the church of Rome doe teach and avouch that they doe not nay cannot beleeue the divine scripture to be the worde of GOD but for the testimony of the church it is manifest that they haue not felt the divine power thereof in their heartes nor haue beene translated thereby out of the slavery of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Opposit 5. The mighty and speedy prevailing of the Gospell of Christ both at the first publication thereof by the Apostles of Christ and also at the renovation of the same in these last daies and that vvithout any earthly helpes or furtherances yea maugre the malice and spite of the Devill who set all the power and pollicy of the world with might and maine to suppresse and to roote out the same declareth the great â—fficacy of this most mighty truth vvhich thus hath hitherto and will still prevaile IT is a thing worthy to be obserued that the mystery of iniquity 2. Thes 2. 7 beganne even in the Apostles times creeping in by little and little being long in working before
of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
my sins and also MERITORIOVS of eternall glory wherefore pretende no longer your Romish doctrine to bee the Catholike faith seeing that it is directly contrary to the maine grounds and Articles of the Catholike faith Lastly by this treatise it may be perceived how the Bishop of Rome and his aaherentes haue brought in that great Apostasie from the faith foretold by the Apostle and haue also fulfilled all the other prophecies which dâ— concerne the great Antichrist and therefore that hee is most truly and iustly charged by the professors of the Gospell to be that very grerâ— Antichrist THE TRIALL OF TRVTH CHAP. 1. 1 That all fundamentall pointes of faith are contained within the articles of the creede by the iudgement of diverse catholicke men that lived in former ages and that all such are to be taken for false prophets which teach any other faith then is contained in these groundes of faith 2 That the people ought to examine the doctrine of their pastors teachers by the rule levell of the canonical scriptures and the grounds of faith therein contained 3 That all pointes of faith necessary to salvation are plaine and easie to every faithful and humble christian who is sufficiently exercised in the word of God 4 That the people ought to vnderstand the severall pointes of their faith and not beleeue in grosse and blindefully as the church beleeveth THIS word SymboluÌ„ signifying a summe The Symbole or creede of the Apostles an heape coÌ„gested togither or a signe or badge to discerne one from another teacheth vs that in these articles of our faith is contained the whole summe of such things as are to be beleeued of every true faithfull christian whereby both the teacher of the true faith may bee discerned from the false and a right beleever from a wrong The creede as testifieth an ancient writer is a perfect August ser 115. de tempore collection and summe plaine shorte full that the playnnes might helpe the weakenes of the hearers the shortnes their memory the fullnes their instruction Vnto whom consenteth Cassianus the creed saith Lib. 6. de Inâ— car domini he is called a collection or summe because whatsoever is plentifully dispersed throughout the body of the divine scripture is heere all collected knitte vp togeather in a perfect brevity the Lord herein as a most louing father providing both for the slowenes and also for the dulnes of some of his children that the simple and weake minde shoulde not be troubled to vnderstand that which also it might easily keepe in memory Russious saith that In exposit Symboli this creede is called a signe or badge because in the apostles as it may appeare by the Actes of the Apostles many of the circumcised Iewes did fayne themselues to be the apostles of Christ and either for their bellies sake or for gaine went forth to preach setting out the gospell of Christ not with that sincerity and integrity as it was delivered by the apostles Therefore saith he the Apostles made this creede to be a marke whereby it might be knowen vvho did preach Christ truly according vnto the rules of the apostles Now by these interpretations of the name Symbole made by these auncient and learned fathers we may obserue these fowre thinges 1 First that seeing in their iudgementes this creede containeth a perfect summe of our christian faith therfore the doctrines of the church of Rome concerning pilgrimages pardons purgatory the papall supremacy and the like being neither expresly set downe therein nor necessarily to be drawen out of the same are no fundameÌ„tall pointes of our christian religion Nay may they not admit this as a sufficient exception against them all they are none of my creede therefore I neede not beleeue them Nay further doth noâ— this vehemently vrge and presse our Romanistes with the badge and marke of false prophets in that they teach other fundamentall pointes of faith then are delivered in this summe of faith 2 Secondly we learne that seeing the people that were coÌ„verted to the faith of Christ in the primitiue church were by this rule to examine to discerne the doctrine of the true teachers from the false that even so the faithfull people are novve also by the same rule to examine to discerne the doctrine of their pastors teachers and not in a sottish and brutish simplicity to pinne their faith vpon their sleeues and without all examination and triall blindfully to followe whithersoever they leade them and to beleeue as they beleeue Nay they are to be thankefull to their most gracious God who hath provided for theÌ„ so good a meanes whereby they themselues albeit weake and simple yet may discerne truth from falsehoode and rest on their owne most assured knowledge embracing the substance of christian religion not for company but for conscience yea the devill raging and the limbes of Antichrist threatning and our great and manifold sinnes deserving that God should take againe from vs the vse of his worde how ought especially the simple so to lay vp in their heartes the true sence and meaning of these articles of our creede that it may never be takeÌ„ from them but that even thereby they may be enabled against all their adversaries to iustifie their sound christian faith be made ready to confirme and seale it with their bloud 3 Thirdly we learne that seeing the articles of our christian faith were set downe with that shortnes and plainnes that all the faithfull be they never so simple might vnderstand them and keepe them also in memory all pointes of faith necessary to salvation or at the least the hardest pointes being in them contained therefore all thinges necessary to salvation are plaine and easie even to the simplest amongst the Lordes people if so be Prov 8. 9. 9. 4. Hebr. 5. 14. they be desirous in all holy humility to vnderstand the truth are sufficiently exercised in the word of truth 4 Fourthly we learne that seeing these articles were set downe plainely for the capacity of the simple therefore they ought nor to be debarred from the right vnderstanding of them detained in the darkenes of ignorance as it shall be further declared in the nexte chapter Now on the contrary side the church of Rome teacheth that all pointes of faith necessary to salvation are not set downe no not in the large volumes of the canonicall scriptures much lesse within the straiter boundes of this shorte summe of faith that the people should not presume to examine discerne the doctrine of their pastors teachers that the doctrine of faith is full of hardenes and difficulty aboue the capacity of the Lords people and therefore that they must content themseâ—ues to be without this knowledge perswading themselues that ignorance is the mother of devotion as may well be of their blinde superstitious devotion CHAP. 2. That it is not enough for the lay
theÌ„selues for that their erroures are in them reproved and adding also vnto them their vnwritten verities and their wilworshippes of their owne devising IN doubts coÌ„troversies of Christian religioÌ„ the spirit of God sendeth vs neither to the Bishop of Rome neither to any other Bishop or Bishops nor yet to Councels nor to any inter pretouâ—s to rest our faith vpon their resolutions but rather willeth vs to try the spirites whether they bee of God or no and no further 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Aug cont â—rescon l 2. cap 31. to beleeue them then they bring warrant for their doctrine out of the holy Canonicall scripture For not vvithout cause as Austine saith was the ecclesiasticali Canon ordained with most holesome vigilancy vnto the which certaine bookes of the prophets and Apostles doe appertaine vvhome in no case vvee dare to iudge and by vvhome vvee may freely iudge of the other vvritinges of beleeuers and infidels For shoulde not a people enquire of their GOD To the lavve Isa 8 19 oâ— Opta l. 5. ad Parâ—… saith Esay and to the testimonie In earth saith Optatus there can bee no iudgment of this matter vvee must seekâ— for a iudge from heaven but vvhy knocke vvee at heaven vvhen vvee haue his vvill here in the Gospell Then the Pope by the iudgement of Optatus is no competent iudge nor any other Bishoppe or Bishoppes here on earth for that either they bee ignorant in the cause or else partiall or giuen to sides but only GOD himselfe in his Canonicall scriptures And verely for such as vvill not admitte of GOD to be their iudge where shall vve finde a competent iudge Surely our Saviour Christ when controversie vvas betweene him and the Pharisees coÌ„cerning the truth of his doctrine appealeth not to any interpreter but to the iudgment and sentence of God in the scriptures Search Ioh. 5. 39. the scriptures saith he for in them yee thinke to haue life and they are they vvhich testifie of mee Let the divine scripture saith Basile be asked Bas in ep â—a Eust concerning these thinges and let the decision of truth proceede altogeather from it I beseech you saith Chrysostome let vs set aside what seemeth Chrys hom 13. in 1. Ep. ad Cor. to him or to him and let vs seeke for all these thinges out of the scriptures The writinges saith Constantine of the Evangelistes and Apostles and the oracles of the auncient prophets do instruct vs plainely what Trip. hist l. 2. Cap. 5. we ought to vnderstande and beleeue of Gods pleasure And therefore all contention set apart let vs seeke the solution of these thinges that be propounded out of the scripiures of God When yee shall see saith the autor Op. imperâ— in Math. hom 49. of the imperfect worke vpon Matthew wicked heresie which is the army of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the church then they that are in Iury let them fly to the mountaines that is they which are in christianity let them betake themselues to the scriptures And a litle after Why doth hee commande all christians to betake themselues then to the scriptures Because since the time that heresies haue possessed the churches there can be no proofe of sound christianity nor any other refuge of Christians that vvoulde knowe the true faith but the divine scriptures And againe The LORDE knovving that in the last daies there vvould bee such a confusion of thinges did therefore command that the christians then liuing being desirous to holde the sinceritie of the true faith should retire to nothing but to the scriptures For otherwise saith he if they rest on any thinge else they shall stumble and perish and not come to knowe the true church but shall fall into the abomination of desolation vvhich standeth in the holy places of the church And so verely hath this prophesie beene fulfilled in all the members of the church of Rome who are now fallen into the abominatioÌ„ of desolation staÌ„ding in the holy places of the church embracing Antichrist in steede of Christ for that they refused to to be directed onely by the divine scriptures which are onely able to stay vs vpright and to preserue vs from all errours heresies 2. Tim. 3. 15. and from all the power of the kingdome of darkenes As on the other side the sincere embracers of the Gospell of Christ haue hereby beene preserued from the snares of Antichrist in that according to the prophesie of S. Ierome they haue fled to the mountaines of the scriptures haue made them their place of refuge Hiâ—…onymus in Nahum Cap. 3. Before saith he the coming of the Messias c. the people shal be raâ—sed vp and shall prophesie vvho before vnder their masters vvere lulled asleepe and they shall goe to the mountaines of the scriptures and shall finde there Moses and Iosuah the sonne of Nun the mouÌ„taines the prophetes the mountaines the Apostles and Evangelistes and when any slieth to these mountaines and is occupied in the readâ—ng of the same albeit hee finde none to teach him yet his care shall bee approved â—hr that hee did flie vnto the mountaines Contrarily as Chrysostome Op. imp in Matt. hom 44. Luc. 11. 52. saith Hareticall Priestes shutte vp the gates of truth taking away with the Pharesies the key of knowledge for they are assured if truth bee once knovven their church vvill soone be forsaken and themselues throwen downe from their priestly dignity In evangelio regni ca. 23. 33. Scriptura rij to be esteemed no better of then other men Henry Nicholas master of the family of Loue glorieth in the name of Vnlearned in a scoffe termeth the learned in the scriptures scripture-vvise or scripture-men warning his scholers to be ware of such whereas he and his like should soone haue beene descried in former ages Lucifugae scripturaruÌ„ Tert. de resur and noted in their faces with a blacke coale if it had once appeared that they shunned the light of the sacred scripture For it is not the conference of the scriptures that is the path-vvaie to haeresie but the ignorance of those holie vvritinges Yee err â—aith our Saviour the teacher of truth to the seduced Sadduces not knovving the scriptures out of vvhome there most sufficiently Mat. 22. 29. Chry. hom 3 de Lazaro he confuteth their heresie So Chrysostome the ignorance of the scripture hath bredde haeresies and hath brought in a corrupt life and hath turned all vpside dovvne And therefore they are impudent and shamles haeretikes vvho vvhen they are reproved out of the scriptures sette themselues as Irenaeus saith to Iren. l. 3. cap. 2. reproue the scriptures as if they vvere not right and that they are vttered ambiguously and that the truth cannot be learned out of them by such as knovve not tradition For if GOD be faithfull Bas in asceâ— serm de fiâ—e in all his vvorkes as Basill saith then it
is a manifest falling away from the faith and a note of pride either to reiect any of those thinges vvhich are vvritten in the Lordes bookes or to bring in any thinges vvhich are not vvritten but are either receaued by tradition from other or else are sucked out of our own braines yea that is the vilest as Austine saith and the basest kinde of Aug. de veâ— rarel ca. 38. Idolatrie when men vvorshippe GOD after their ovvne fancies obseruing that for a religion vvhich their deceiuing and svvelling mindes imagine Nay it is no lesse an offence to frame God after our ovvne Hil. in Ps 1. fancy then to deny him And therefore it is not vvithout cause that Saint Austine is so bolde to say that if any one concerning any Aug. coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 3â— 6. thing whatsoever which doth belonge to our faith and our life albeit hee bee an Angell from heaven shall â—each you any thing besides that vvhich yee haue learned out of the scriptures of the lavve and Gospell let him bee accursed VVherefore the church of Rome in that shee restraineth the people from the reading of the scriptures disgracing those holy and heavenly bookes and reproaching such as are studious of the same denying also the sufficiency of the doctrine therein contained and adding thereto her vnvvritten verities and her vvil-vvorshippes of her owne devising is most iustly charged to haue fallen from the faith and to haue sorted her selfe both vvith olde â—nd nevve haeretikes to haue spotted her selfe with the vilest and bâ—…st kind of idolatrie and with the deniall of the trewe GOD and therfore to be held for a cursed company and for the Congregation of the malignant Opposit 2. Dumbe and dead images are blinde and wrong guides which turne vs out of the way of truth and verity but the writings of the Apostles and prophets are sure guides and vn erring teachers appointed by God to bee our instructers and to set before our eies and after a sorte to painte out vnto vs in most liuely coloures all those thinges vvhich concerne the true worshippe of God and the salvation of our ovvne soules IMages are teachers of lies especially such as are made to represent Hab 2. 18. Ier. 10 8. Aug. de â—iv Dei l 4. c. 31 Idem de coÌ„sens Evâ—ng lib. 1. ca. 10. Lact instit lib. 2. ca. 19. the sacred Trinitie which cannot be represented for that it is invisible and incomprensible And therefore al such images doe both diminish the feare of the divine maiesty and also teach errours concerning the same VVherefore they haue deserved to erre vvho haue sought CHRIST not in the sacred hookes but on painted vvalles and may vvorthily bee iudged to haue no religion at all or at the least no sounde and sincere religion For al sound and sincere religion is to bee learned not of dumbe and mute images but out of the canonicall and sacred scriptures vvhich Rom. 15. 4. wer not only writen by the appointment of god that they might be our instructers and teachers but also were so penned by the direction of his Spirite that they are very profitable and availeable thereunto yea they are so profitable to this purpose that they are able to fence vs against all corruptions both in doctrine and 2. Tim 3 15 16. manners and to make vs vvise vnto salvation through faith in Christ For in them are most liuely drawen out the true images of a sounde faith and of an holy and a godly life vnto the which if we vvill compare the counterfeites of the same dravvne out by men we shall easily be able to giue a true iudgement therof O foolish Galathians saith the Apostle vvho hath bewitched Gal. 3. 1. you that yee shoulde not obey the trueth to vvhome Iesus Christ vvas before your eies painted and even crucified among you And in deede Christ is best painted out before the eies of the people by the doctrine of his painefull pastours and teachers and not by the pensile of the artificiall painters Such a faithful teacher vvas Iohn Hus of vvhom it is recorded that hauing painefully taught in his church called Bethlehem the gospell of Christ dreamed a little before his death that he had drawne out there divers goodly images the vvhich being defaced by the limbes of Antichrist hee further dreamed that hee sawe the same more liuely drawne out againe by better painters vvhereby vvas fore-signified the preaching of the learned and godly preachers of these last times And verily where the dignity and povver of Christs death is sufficiently set out by painefull preaching there is no neede of painting it in pictures and images made and framed by artificiall painters It vvas the Devils vvorke to cause that kinde of teaching to cease which was made the meanes ordained by God both to convert the infidels and also to confirme the faithfull in the truth of the gospell to bring them out of the kingdome of darkenes into the kingdome of light that he might bring in his kingdome of darkenesse by the corrupt teaching of blinde and dumbe Images VVherefore seeing that the church of Rome alloweth still of these her lay mens bookes vvhich the prophets call teachers of lyes and vvill not haue all trueth to bee learned onely out of the booke of bookes the booke of truth no mervaile that shee hath so shamefully embraced lies and so fowly fallen away from the truth Opposit 3. The doctrine taughte and penned by the prophets and Apostles hath no neede of any nevve miracles seeing it is sufficiently confirmed alreadye by olde but the Turkes Alcharon and the Popes Decretals haue neede to bee confirmed with new miracles for they containe new doctrine OVr faith is neuer so honourable nor GOD so well pleased with vs as when we seeke no signes for the confirmation therof when the word of God hath such a perswasioÌ„ in our hearts we haue so deepely tasted of the sweetnes therof that vve are ready to say to al miracles Get you hence Blessed vvere they vvhen miracles vvere in vse that by miracles vvere brought to embrace the true faith but more blessed are they that embrace faith for it selfe and not for that it is testified by miracles Blessed no doubt vvas Thomas for that hee sawe and beleeved â—…h 20. 29. â— Cor. 1. 22 â— Cor. 14. â—… but blessed are they rather vvhich see not and yet beleeue The vnbeleeuing Iewes sought for a signe and had also in admiration strange tongues vvhich vvere appointed for vnbeleevers to conuert them to the faith they that are already converted haue no neede of the same VVhen they vvere offered of God he shevved his compassion on mans infirmity now he hath taken them avvay he shevveth greater mercy in that he strongtheneth our faith vvithout them And verily if the vvorde it selfe being now acknovvledged to be the vvorde of God bee not able to vvinne credite to the doctrine therein contained neither vvill vvee
in respect of them for that their number is alwaies the greater â—as shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy in respect of the godly for that they are the better part Wherfore all vngodly and faithlesse dissembling hypocrites as they seeme onely to be holy and are not so they seeme also but are not in deed the true members of the holy catholike church For how can they haue the church to be their mother which are not begotten againe of the immortal seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for euer How can I say those bee members of the holy catholicke church and haue her for their mother vvho haue not God for their father who as they honour not God as a father neither endevour to resemble his image so he doth not acknowledge them for his sonnes nor accept them as inheritours of his heavenly kingdome And doth not our creede reach vs also that this holy catholike church of Christ is a communâ—on of saintes who haue in this life remission of sinnes and shall attaine in the life to come to a glorious resurrection and to lâ—e everlasting But the wicked vngodly dissembling hypocrites the sonnes of the bond woman which are base-borne and bastarde brethren they haue no part nor portioÌ„ in these blessings of God with the sonnes Gal. 4. 30. of the free woman which are the elect chosen children of God and the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ Wherefore the church of Rome greatly disgraceth this holy catholike church of Christ in that shee would allowe an interest in her to impuâ—e and vngodly dissembling hypocrites as on other respectes shee advaunceth her to high in assigning her that priviledge that shee cannot erre and graunting that ability vnto her children whereby they may perfectly fulfill the law of God Div. 4. That the church may erre in matters of faith THe Apostles prophets had their doctrine from God not onely mediately by instruction but also immediatly by revelation Holy but revelations are now ceased and the church hath her doctrine now mediatly onely by instruction out of the divine and sacred scriptures and therefore the church may erre albeit the Apostles and Prophets were free from errour For in learning out of the scriptures the dulnesse and blindnes of our capacity oftentimes misseth of the true sence and meaning thereof which is no impediment when as the spirite of God by revelation vseth not the blockishnesse of our vnderstanding to bring vs to the knovvledge of God but doth immediately by his power shâ—dde it in our heartes or else teacheth vs by such as are instructed immediately 〈…〉 2. Div. 3. That every member of the church breaketh the law and doeth not perfectly fulfill the same NO man loveth the Lorde with all his heart power and strength so that all his â—ffections cogitations thoughts are only employed in the Lords service and in obedience to his commandementes and therefore no man perfectly fulfilleth the whole law For our loue doth so follow ouâ— knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God that perfectly knoweth not his loue and goodnes towardes vs but in this life wee knowe but in 〈◊〉 13. 9 parte vvee vnderstande but in parte wee see as through a glasse and in a darke speaking and so our loue also is but in parte it is no wise so perfect as it ought to be VVherefore that perfect loue beeing not in any which the lawe requireth that which wanteth thereof is sinne â—…p 29. and a breach of the lawe and commaundementes of God For to loue the Lorde withall our hearte soule and strength is not a point of perfection counselled onely in the gospell aboue the lawe but a necessary duety commaunded in the lavve and therefore our Saviour calleth it in slâ—tte tearmes not onely a commaundement 〈◊〉 â—…2 38. but also the first of the commaundementes VVherefore all being guilty of the breach of this commaundement there is none that is able to fulfill the vvhole lawe much lesse to doe any worke of supererogation more then is commaunded in the law of God Many prowde debtours hauing not as yet wasted their whole stockes but beeing only declining and ready to fall conceaue so well of themselues and of their owne ability that when they looke but vpon the particular billes of their debt they conceaue some hope to recover and to bee able in time to discharge all but vvhen they cast them all togither and so take a viewe of the totall summe that appeareth by and by to bee so great that thereby they are cleane dismaide and discouraged and vtterly excluded from all hope But the pride of our Romish banke-ruptes is in a farre higher degree in that the summe of all the commandements contayning the summe of our vvhole debte bee it neuer so great and neuer so huge yet it doeth not mooue them to acknowledge their inhabilitie but they still imagine themselues to be able to fulfil the whole lavve and so to discharge their vvhole debte yea and more also vvith the surplussage vvhereof beeing due vnto them The meanest in the church of Rome are taught that they may fulfil al the commandementes whereas the very best in the church of Christ more or lesse faile in all vppon a reckoning and an accountes they thinke themselues able to helpe tovvardes the dischardge of the debtes of others also VVhereas in trueth if vvee vvoulde duely looke into the greatnesse of the duety that is required at our handes in any one of the commaundementes wee should perceiue the very debte of every one of these particular billes to amounte and grovve to so great a summe that as long as vvee liue heere in this life such is our spirituall penury and beggary vvee are neuer able to discharge the same 1. CoÌ„mand For vvho is there euen amonge the most perfecte and iust that neuer preferreth profite or pleasure or the satisfying of one affection or other before iustice and righteousnesse and before his loue and obedience to God thereby placing them after a sort in Gods throne 2 who alvvaies so highly conceiveth of the incomprehensible maiesty of the almighty Iehovah as hee ought to doe and of his incomparable and vnmatchable glory that cannot be resembled by any similitude without great impeachment and derogation to the same 3 Who conceiveth so reverently of the infinite power of the most mighty creator of heaven earth that hee neuer taketh his glorious and dreadfull name in vaine but euer vseth it with such reverence and feare as is due vnto it 4 VVho sanctifieth on that manner the Sabaoth day that ceasing altogither from satisfying his owne vvill hee suffereth the Lord by his holy spirite and sacred vvorde vvholy to vvoâ—ke in himselfe and so employeth himselfe only in his service Yea who is it that keepeth a perpetuall Sabaoth vnto the LORDE 5 VVho is it that so honoureth his pâ—rentes and the rest of his
the chiefest foundation of our Christian faith 3 That the principall point of his Antichristian doctrine wherevnto hee and his adherentes shall ascribe greatest perfection shall bee the vowe of single life and abstinence from diverse kindes of meates and other such will-worshippes of their owne devising 4 That it is a manifest mark of the AntichristiaÌ„ pride of the B. of Rome against God in that he ascribeth greater perfection to the rules of his religious orders then to the lawe of God himselfe yea in that he taketh vpoÌ„ him to dispence with the law of Goa as if he were superior to God 5 That it is a manifest marke of the Luciferlike and AntichristiaÌ„ pride of the Bishop of Rome against all that is called God and counted worthy of honor here in his church in that as a presumptuous vsurper he exalteth himselfe not only against the Ecclesiasticall but also against the civill governors yea against generall councels themselues which after a sort represent vnto vs the whole church 6 That the Bishop of Rome in his Antichristian pride mainetaining his owne faith to be an immoueable rocke which cannot be shaken his decisions to be infallible oracles which cannot erre his church to bee eternall which cannot perish declareth himselfe most manifestly to bee that vaine glorious whore of Babylon which vaunteth her selfe and saith I sit as a Queene am no widdow shall see no mourning 7 That the seat designed by the spirit of God for the great Antichrist of these last times is that city which in S. Iohns time raigned over the kings of the earth that was Rome as it may be also conâ—ectured by the number of Antichrists name shadowed in the figures 666 expressed by Lateinâ—s that is a Romane or by Romijth or Italica Ecclesia in the account of the Hebrewe and Greeke letters and that is the church of Rome 8 That a Papist as a Papist is a limbe of Antichrist and so no member of Christ and therefore hath no interest in the worke of our Redemption wrought by Christ of the which if he will be partaker hee must flatly renounce all society with Antichrist and fight the Lordes battles against him vnder the banner of Christ 1 BEllarmine that great pillar of the heresies In prafâ—… lib de contâ— rel tom 1. Act. 24. 14. Cyp l. 2. â—p 3 and Idolatries of of the church of Rome endeavoureth by this meanes to fasten on vs vvho beleeue all thinges that are vvritten in the Lavv and in the Prophets and vvhich our Lorde Christ who vvas before all hath delivered vnto vs the heresies that vvere to arise in these latter times for that vvee vvithstande boldly and coÌ„stantly the most grieuous corruptions of the church of Rome For saith hee the Devill the founder of all falshoode and lies the enemy of God and of all truth the oppâ—gner and vnderminer of all the articles of our Christian faith as in former ages he hath assaulted the first pointes thereof vvhich concerne the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie so to shevve his hatred against all the pointes of the same hath novve by vs as he vvould haue the vvorlde perswaded in these last times endeavoured the overthrovveof those other articles vvhich concerne the holie Catholicke Church But his collection heerein is sophisticall for that it is one thinge to reprooue the errours of the Church of Rome that novve is and an other thing to deface the holy Catholicke Church for that the church of Rome that novve is is fallen from that faith vvhich vvas there first planted by the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul as it may appeare to any indifferent person that vvithout partialiality vvill compare the most parte of that doctrine vvhich shee novve mainetaineth but vvith that onely vvhich is delivered by the Apostle Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romanes The trueth is that the Devill in the Primitiue Church made his chiefe battery against the doctrine of the most glorious Trinity but that his repulse therein vvas not such as caused him altogeather to giue over that enterprise For â—ee hath in some countreyes renevved the same assault againe in these daies hath laboured a fresh to shake that very â—elfe same foundation And albeit he be an enimie to al the members of Christs mystical body yet his cheifest malice is against the heade And Gen. 3. 15. 1. Cor 3 11 Mat. 16. 18. for that the doctrine of our Redemption wrought by CHRIST it that invincible rocke vvhereon the church is builte his cheifest assaultes haue beene set against the same by his Ministers the false Prophetes and Antichristes of these latter times vvho are therforâ— in holy scripture not so much called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they shoulde vtterly deny GOD or oppugne the doctrine of the blessed Trinitie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they shall albeit not in outward shevves but in effect and deede evacuate the crosse of CHRIST and the vvorkes of our redemption vvrought thereby The great Antichrist as saith Saint Iohn shall haue two hornes like a lambe that is shall pretend the two folde autority of Christ the immaculate and vndefiled lambe of God and as the Apostle testifieth he shall sit in the temple of God as God that is as Gods Leifetenant generall Christs Vicar vniversall represeÌ„ting his person executing his autority and shall pretend himselfe to be the church of Christ or at the least shall arrogate to himselfe the cheife â—eate Aug. de civ dei lib. 20. Cap. 19. in the same as S. Austine testifieth and Theodorete and Pâ—…masiaâ— vpon the same place of the Apostle And verely if Antichrist when he came had openly revâ—…ed the olde condemned heresies of the Arrians Marcionites Manichees and the like and had in flat tearmes denied either the natures or the offices of Christ our Saviour what Christian would not soone haue espied his wickednes and what faithfull person woulde not straight waies haue abhorred his blasphemy Therfore that the greate Antichrist might the more easily bring in a greate Apostasie from the faith and the sooner make drunke all the kingdomes of the earth with the cuppe of his spirituall fornication and adultery he was to come like an whore with Apoc. 17 4 2. Th. 2. 10. flattery and deceit vvith stronge delusion and all deceaueablenes of vnrighteousnesse and to offer forth his poison in a cuppe of gold that is he vvas in outvvard appearance to make gâ—…ate shevve of the Gospell and faith of CHRIST and most gloriously to pretend that he and his adherentes are the onely Catholikes and the onely pillers of CHRISTES church The asse perceauing that all the beastes of the forest stooped and bovved lovve before the Lion vvrapped himselfe in a Lyons skinne and in confidence thereof came among them and beganne to make an harrish noise that so he might receaue honour of them the lesser beastes beholding this bugge fell downe
bountifully bestowed vpon vs. 1 The will of God is to be respected of vs in doing good workes for that it is holy good perfect Rom. 12. 1. If then we wil bee assured to haue our workes good wee must haue our eies bent vpon the will of God that must most carefully be respected of vs yea the holy good and perfect wil of God must be the motiue and inducemeÌ„t vnto vs for the most willing and ready performing of the same The Apostle St. Paule hauing sette downe in the former part of his Epistle to the Romans the principles and groundes of our Christian faith being in the latter part thereof to deliver the doctrine of good workes beginneth that matter after this manner I beseech you saith he by the mercifulnes of God that you giue vp your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable serving of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be yee changed by the renewing of your minde that ye may prooue what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect In which wordes we may obserue these two pointes first in what things the service of God consisteth not in the sacrificeing vp of vnreasonable beasts but in offring vp of our selues for that is our reasonable serving of God secondly who ought to be our directers and guides in performing our service due vnto God not the customes or fashions of this world nor the intents and divices of our owne harts but the good will of God acceptable and perfect Wherby we are to learne that if we wil be the approoved servaÌ„ts of God and haue our service allowed of him we must haue an intentiue eie to the Lords will make it the rule of all our works yea if wee will be citizens with the saintes and of the housholde of God and fellow servants with the Angels themselues then as they stand prest ready alwaies before God to attend his pleasure and to performe his will so must wee also walke continually before God as in his eies in his presence presenting our selues vnto him in our dayly praiers and still labouring by all meanes possible that his will may be done here by vs on earth as it is in heaven Mat. 6. 10. by his holy Angels When that kind of serving of God by the sacrificing of beasts was most in force Samuel said vnto Saule who had transgressed the flat commandement and wil of God to offer as he pretended sacrifice to God Is God so well pleased with sacrifice as when the voice of the Lord is obeied Beholde to obey is better 1. Sam. 15. 22. then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of Rammes It is the highest degree of wisedome and goodnes of himselfe to be able to conceiue that which is good and the second degree is of such as knowing their own wants betake themselues to be wholy guided and ruled by those in whom dwelleth wisedome in al abouÌ„dance Now perfect wisedome and goodnes dwelleth only in God his will is most holy iust and perfect yea it is the most perfect rule of all holines and of all iustice Neither doth God will and commande things so much for that they are iust lawful and good but rather those things are therefore iust lawful good for that they are willed and commanded of God When vpoÌ„ occasion of this holy and comfortable doctrine of the gospell that the sinnes of the faithfull doe the more evidently set forth the mercy of God in Christ in that he is of himselfe so good and so good vnto such which Rom. 3. 5. are so and so vnworthy in themselues obiection was made If our vnrighteousnes setteth forth the glory of Gods goodnes then the Lord may seeme to be vniust in punishing sinne for that his glory is thereby the more furthered the Apostle answereth by an exclamation or rather by a detestation saying God forbid else how should God iudge the world Seeing he is not a iudge after the manner of mortal men who being advanced to high estate do many times corruptly abuse their high authority but it is not so with God For his being iudge of the world is not by birth or electioÌ„ or suite or purchase but by nature For in that he is God creator of all hee is iudge of all and his most vpright and vncorrupt will is the soveraigne rule of all righteousnes and it his is the extraordinary prerogatiue of this his most righteous will that hee cannot possibly wil or coÌ„mand any thing that is vniust So that if he coÌ„mand the Israelites to borrow of the Aegyptians Iewels of silver Exod. 3. 23. Iewels of gold so to rob the Aegyptians they may boldly do the same and keepe those Iewels to their owne vses as his lawful gifts as the pledges of his fatherly loue If God coÌ„maÌ„d Levy to Exod. 32. 27 consecrate his hands in blood if he know not father nor mother brother nor friend but execute the Lords veÌ„geance without respect of persons he shall receiue a blessing for the same So likewise if Abraham be commanded of God to kill holy innocent Isaak Gen. 22. 16 his deare and only sonne from whom was to proceed that holy seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed if hee but intende in all humble obedience to the will and commaundement of GOD to performe the same GOD will so â—pproue and like of him for it that hee will in recompence thereof even vow and sweare his everlasting blessednes Nay if the most holie but secret counsell of God wherin he hath chosen some to eternall life before they were borne yea before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid and refused other be called in question and condemned also by the corrupt reason of maÌ„ yet this is a sufficient iustification thereof vttered by the Lordes owne mouth I Exod. 33. 19 Voluntas beneplacitâ— Mat. 11. 26. will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and I will haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion Whervnto our Saviour also subscribeth saying even so O father for so was it thy good pleasure And the same plea is made likewise by the Apostle in the same case he will haue Rom. 9. 18. mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will he hardeâ—eth But this secret wil of God is mainly improued by the Church Not only the secret but also the revealed will of God is blasphemously defaced by the church of Rome voluntas signi of Rome yea and flatly condemned of cruelty and tyranny Neither hath shee any better regard of the revealed will of God set downe in the sacred bookes of the canonicall scripture For shee hath presumed to plucke downe out of the seate of highest iudgment the booke of God in that tongue wherin it was penned by the speciall direction of Gods vn-erring spirite hath
the knowledge of all such things as shal be necessary to our own salvation Marcus Aemilius Seaurus when he was accused to haue received mony to betray the common vvealth beganne in his ovvne defence after this manner It is O yee Romanes an harde course vvhereas I haue lived in one place to giue an accounte of my life in another yet I vvil be bold to make vnto you this one demaunde VARIVS SVCRONENSIS saieth that MARCVS AEMILIVS SCAVRVS beeing corrupted vvith bribes hath purposed to betray the people of Rome MARCVS AEMILIVS SCAVRVS denieth himselfe to be guilty of any such crime To vvhich of vs vvill yee giue credite The plainetise and the defendant beeing only named the people straight-vvaies refused to take notice of any such accusation So may the vvorde of God contained in the Canonicall Scriptures complaine of great vvtonge offered vnto her by the Church of Rome and say Oh yee Papistes yee haue expelled mee in your schooles and assemblies out of the seat of iudgement as I vvas delivered vnto you in my originalles and out of the handes of the people in their vulgar and knowne languages and tongues and haue accused mee to bee darke and obscure and full of ambiguities and harde to bee vnderstoode but I say that I am a lanterne to your feete and a lighte shining in a darke Psal 119. place and plaine and easie to him that vvill vnderstande And now 2. p. 1. Pro. 8. vvhich of vs I praye you deserue to bee credited the more Surelye hee is most vvorthye to bee deceived that vvill giue more credite to the slaunderous accusation of the Antichristian Church of Rome then to the most evident and plaine testimonye of the vvoorde of God for the clearing and iustifying of it selfe Nowe then seeing that our doctrine is plaine that wee must renounce our selues and our ovvne fancies and condemne all our owne imagination of blindnesse and folly and continually resort by our prayer to God and by our study vnto his vvorde as vnto the onely vnerring teacher of all trueth allowing of no one pointe of faith that is not most evidently set dovvne in the Canonical Scriptures therefore wee are most vniustly charged to teach the people to make choice of their faith according vnto their owne private fancies and so to open a doore vnto heresies vvhereas in trueth the Church of Rome herselfe teaching the people in divine matters somevvhat to relye vpon the naturall light of their owne vnderstandings and vpon the choice of their owne free vvill as likewise vpon the censures of Popes and canons Aug. l. 2. de bapt cap. 3. The doctrine of the word of God is catholike albeit it be embraced but by one alone and the doctrine of men are private albeit they be received by never so many 1. Kin. 19 10. Ier. 15. 10. 1. Kin. 22. 8. of Councels which may deceiue and bee deceived wherof the latter may correct the former as experience taught Saint Augustine to iudge and vpon traditions and vnwritten verities hath giuen them occasion to make choice of such things as shall best fitte their owne fancies and bee most agreeable to the humours of men and so hath set them in the ready way to embrace errour insteed of truth and to fall from verity into damnable heresie That doctrine we may be sure is sound catholike which hath his foundation in the Canonical scriptures the which hath his authority from the first author and not from the professours there of the which is not to be condemned for private and singular albeit it bee embraced but by one man For as Panormitan coulde avouch one singular man alleadging Scripture is to bee preferred before a generall Councell as it vvas put in practise in the Councell of Nice vvhere the sentence of Paphâ—utius vvas preferred before the generall opinion of the vvhole assembly Elias Ieremias and other of the prophets that vvere raised vp by God in their several times to reforme the worshippe of God that was generally corrupted had fewe and sometimes none at all to assist them in the execution of their charge but were after a fort left alone to contend and striue with the vvhole earth and yet their prophesies and interpretations of Scriptures were not condemned by any of the faithfull for private and singular for that as S. Peter testifieth they proceeded not from the 2. Pet. 1. 20. wil of man but from the motion of the spirit of God So in the primitiue church albeit Liberius bishop of Rome stood after a fort alone against the Arrians in the defence of the most Catholike doctrine of the divine nature of the coessential and consubstantial son of God and interpreted the scriptures for the confirmation of that faith yet his alonenes made not his interpretations private but that they were most catholike and sounde For whatsoever proceedeth from men be they few or many that is to be taken for private and vnfounde and certainely in the ende it shall come to nought whereas not one lote or tittle of the law shal Act. 5. 38. Mat. 5. 18. perish til al things be fulfilled Vnder the time of the law for that in the bookes of Moses all points of faith were not set downe with such perspicuity plainnes that they could be so fully easily vnderstood then as they may now vnder the gospel therfore the Lord raised vp vnto theÌ„ many vnerring interpreters for the supplying of that defect Yet hee did not giue any such ordinary and perpetuall priviledge to the successors of Aaron that they should be alwaies maintainers of truth albeit they made claime to such a prerogatiue as it may appeare by their own vaunts The law shall not perish from the priest Ier. 18. 18. nor counsell froÌ„ the ancient but he raised vp Prophets extraordinarily when and where he thought good who were priviledged in deed from falling into heresie and from the misinterpreting of the law of God and by them he reformed al such abuses as were crept into his owne worship and service But now al revelations are ceased and the raysing vp of vnerring interpreters is come to an end for that in the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists al points of faith necessary to salvation are set down with al perspiculty and plainenes and for that also there is very great aboundance of the spirit given to al the faithful servaÌ„ts of Christ which reverently and religiously employ themselues in the zealous study of those holy bookes The Apostle Saint Iohn writing to the 1. Ioh. 2. 27. church concerning deceivers telleth the faithful that the means wherby they must be armed against them is to hold fast that doctrine which they had heard from the beginning the which being throughly setled in their hearts by the effectuell working of the spirit of God wherewithal they were before annointed and made christians they needed not that any man should teach theÌ„ Not that the continual
the Interpreter but vpon the light it selfe of the divine doctrine which is now sufficiently manifest vnto them being duely vveighed and considered without the auctority of the Interpreter When wee beleeve saith Austine being now made more strong in the faith we vnderstand that vvhich we beleeve not novve men but God himselfe inwardly strengthning lightning our mind And thus do we teach the people of God which are already setled in the faith of Christ not to ground their faith vpon their owne private fancies nor vpon the private opinions of any other man or men be they few or many nor yet vpon any humane interpretations of scripture but vpon the plaine sentence of GOD himselfe deciding and determining what is falshood and what is truth that is vpon the interpretations of holy scriptures which are delivered in the scriptures theÌ„selues eveÌ„ vpoÌ„ those plaine manifest places therof which are in theÌ„selues so evideÌ„t cleare that they stand in neede of no interpreter at al not yet to frame their liues according vnto the decrees of the church the special rules of such as are fouÌ„ders of any private devotioÌ„s but according vnto the general laws coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„ts of God hiÌ„selfe For theÌ„ wil both our faith life be acceptable to God when this is throughly fixed and setled in our harts we can truly sincerely say Thus do I beleeue thus do I liue because the Lord himselfe whose servaÌ„t I am hath coÌ„maÌ„ded me thus to beleeue thus to live For this is not a sufficient warraÌ„t security for vs to say My conscience iudgeth this or that to be good therfore it is good or my coÌ„scieÌ„ce iudgeth this or that to be evil therefore it is evill to be avoided for then should al superstitious Idolatrous kindes of serving of God be good ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ evil because the coÌ„sciences of all Infidels allow of the one condemne the other before the eies of their minds be lightned their coÌ„sciences reformed by the holy and heaveÌ„ly rules of our ChristiaÌ„ professioÌ„ And verely not our selues our own consciences but God only is our Lord iudge who hath autority to enact lawes to set theÌ„ out vnto vs as limits bouÌ„ds the which if we in any wise traÌ„sgresse we do coÌ„mit iniquity sin And therfore albeit the Apostle teacheth that he that Rom. 14. 23. eateth of things lawful sinneth if in coÌ„science he doubt whether he may do so or no yet herein he sinneth not for that he traÌ„sgresseth any law of his own coÌ„science seeing she hath noÌ„e autority to make any but for that either doubting in coÌ„scieÌ„ce whether God doth allow of his fact or no or else being parswaded that he doth disallow it yet he wil needs do the same being carried away with his own headstroÌ„g affectioÌ„s or by the perswasioÌ„s of othe meÌ„ For heerein he doth tredde vnder foote the autority of God sette GOD himselfe after a sorte at naught in that hee resolveth to do this or that albeit he doubteth whether God doth allowe it yea albeit he is perswaded that God doth disallow coÌ„demne the same Our conscience then must not be our canon rule in matters belonging to the service of God but God himselfe in his Canonicall scriptures For they are the onely sure and infallible witnesses of the will of God and our consciences cannot rightly bee assured of any thinge that is not delivered in those bookes And therfore seeing that in what thing soever we do belonging to the worshippe service of God we must be assuredly perswaded that it pleaseth God for whatsoever is done without Rom. 14. 23 this faith certain persuasioÌ„ is sinne we must not be ledde therein either by the vncertaine guesses of our owne coÌ„sciences or by the doubtfull coniectures of other men but only by the warrant of the Canonicall scriptures But the church of Rome will haue the deciding of all doubtes and controversies to be devolved froÌ„ Alabaster the scripture to the interpreter that is from the text to the glosse from God to man from the master to the servant from the iudge to the minister as if the iudge himselfe could not sette downe his owne definitiue sentence no not in writing as plainly fully and sufficiently as it can be delivered by the mouth of his messeÌ„ger and shee commaundeth the people to sette their faith vpon the decisions of the Pope and vpon the determinations of his counsellers vpon the bookes Apochryphs vpon traditions and vnwritten verities and to order their lives not according vnto the prescription of the law of God alone but also according vnto her owne ordinances and the rules of the founders of her relligious orders Wherefore shee which most vniustly accuseth vs to misleade the people into errour and heresie may in truth bee most iustly charged therwith seeing the cause of heresie is not the diligent and humble resort to the word of God the very fountaine and welspring of all heavenly truth that by this touchstone wee may trie discerne sound and currant doctrine from vnsound counterfeite but either the vtter reiecting forsaking of this holy word or the mingling of our owne fancies and dreames therwith or the dotages and inventions of other men For by this meanes hath truth faith bin banished heresie Idolatry brought in even froÌ„ the beginning of the world vnto this day For how â—ell Adam and Eue into their Apostasie but by forsaking the commaundement of God delivered vnto them by the Lords own mouth And what was the cause that al the posterity of Adam excepting only the family of Abraham fell by little and little into al errour and heresie vntil they came into most grosse and damnable Idolatry but as the Apostle testifieth for Act. 14. 18. that God suffered them all to walke in their owne waies For he had given his word only to Iacob his statutes ordinances to Psal 147. 19 Israel he had not deâ—lt so with any other nation neither had the heathen knowledge of his lawes And amongst this people of Israell vvhat was the cause that the tenne tribes at once fell avvay from God They fell avvay from the house of David because of the sinnes of Solomon and by the folly of Rehoboham his sonne but they fell from God when they vvoâ—shipped the calues that vvere set vppe by Ieroboham vvho made Israell to sinne contrary to the lavv and commaundement of God they forsooke the vvorshippe of God in Ierusalem ordained and established by the Lordes ovvne vvorde and set vppe in Dan and Bethell a new kinde of worshippe of God according vnto their owne inventions and so they fell avvay from the living GOD. And when those tenne tribes for their Idolatries and sinnes were carried out of their owne countrey into captivity by the king of Ashur the Samaritanes were placed in their roomes the cause also
of their Idolatries was their following of the corrupt customs of their owne countries and their refusall of the ordinaunces and 2. Kin. 17. 34 lawes of God And what was the cause that the Iewes theÌ„selues also which had the law and the prophets to direct them in al the waies of God did so often fall away from the service of God and defile theÌ„selues with abominable Idolatries but that they either vtterly forsooke the directioÌ„ of the word of God and follovved their owne inventions or the corrupte customes of their forefathers or else they mingled their owne dreames and the traditioÌ„s of their elders togither with the worshippe of God delivered in his worde which ought to haue bin kept pure and sincere without any mixture without any such hotch-potch mingle maÌ„gle The cause of the Idolatries that so much abouÌ„ded in the time of the Iudges was for that there was no king in Israel who was to coÌ„mand Iud. 17. 1. the carefull keeping of the law of God but every man did that which was good in his owne eies And what was the cause of those outragious dolatries in the daies of the kings especially in the daies of Manasses and Amon his sonne but this that the lavve of 2. Chro 34. 14. God was so neglected that the very autheÌ„tical coppy therof given by the hand of Moses himselfe was lost And if we will know also what was the cause of those damnable Idolatries that so prevailed in the daies of the prophets we may heare the same out of their mouthes who were the principall actors or at the least the chiefe abetters therof The word say they to the prophet Ieremy which thou hâ—st spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare Ier 44. 16. it of thee but we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to â—…rae incense to the Queene of heaven and to powre out our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we and our Fathers our kings our Princes in the cittie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and felt none evill Their wilful reiecting of the word of God and their obstinate resolution to follovve their ovvne customes and the practise of their forefathers vvas the cause of all their abominable Idolatries Neither vvas the vtter reiecting of the woorde of GOD the cause of so many corruptions in the Iewish religion but alâ—o the mingling therewith of their ovvne Inventions and of the traditions of their forefathers For in the Lordes fielde there oughte nothing to bee sowen but the most pure seede of the worde of God whatsoever is beside the same it is not good corne but cockle and darnell and they of the Lordes family are onely to be fedde with the holesome foode of that vvorde which is provided for their sustenaunce by their heavenly master whatsoever meate they take beside it is corrupte leaven yea deadly poison And therefore both GOD himselfe did most sharpely reproue the hypocriticall Iewes in the time of the Prophete Isay and our Saviour CHRIST the Scribes and Phaâ—isies in his dayes not foc that they did vtterlie reiect the service of GOD prescribed in his own word for it is cleare manifest that they did not so but for that they did corrupt the same with the mingling of their owne leaven they condemne that worship for Isa 20. 14. Mat. 1â— 9. vaine which is prescribed either wholy or in part by the precepts and doctrines of men And verily as in the bodies of men either want of good holesome food or the receiving of corrupt and bad either wholy or but in parte is the cause of many bodily disâ—ases even so either the want of the holesome food of the worde of God or the receiving of the corrupt food of humane doctrins either wholy or in part doth breed many sins corruptioÌ„s in our soules and make them sicke even to death Yea this hath bred al manner of errours heresies and Idolatries in all ages and at all times This was the cause of errour vnder the law and that amoÌ„g the Lords own people They erred in their hearts saieth the Lorde Psa 95. 10. himselfe because they haue not knowne my waies And why erred the Sadducies at the time of our Saviours appearing in the flesh so grosly and that in the chiefest grounds principles of the faith Mark 12. 23 Aug. in psa 131. Cyp. de simpl praelatorum Chrys hom 3. de Laza Yee erre saith our Saviour vnto them not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God This is the cause of all evill saith Austine that the scriptures are not knowne Hence saith Cyprian proceede errours for that menreturne not to the head nor seeke to the spring of truth nor keepe the doctrine of our heavenly Master The reading of the scriptures saith Chrysostome is a strong fortresse against sinne and the ignoraunce of them is a great downefull and a deepe hell to know nothing of â—he divine lawes is a great losse of salvation this thing hath bred heresies and brought in a corrupt life and hath turned al topsie turvy For how can it otherwise be but that health must needes decay and sicknesse grow where either holesome foode is not received at all or else is not received alone without the mixture of that which is corrupt And how can it otherwise bee but that weedes must needes spring vp where either good seed is not sowen at al or else not without the mixture of cockle and darnell And how can it otherwise be but that such must needs be misledde which either will not at all follow those are vnerring guides or else will not be guided by them alone but by such also as may be deceived Wherfore in that the church of Rome doth not only keep the greatest part of the people from the liberty of reading the holie scriptures but also doth mingle with the pure foode thereof the corrupt leaven of humane doctrines it cannot otherwise be but that spiritual sicknesses must grow in her apace ghostly health and strength greatly decay And seeing that shee soweth in the harts of the people not the sincere seede of the worde of God alone but also the darnell of mens inventions it caÌ„not be but that weedes must neâ—des mount vp and overgrowe the good corne And seeing she will haue her followers ledde by bookes Apocripha vnwritten verities ordinaunces of the Church decrees of Popes canons of Councels rules of Friers customes of the multitude traditions of forefathers and the like and not by the books alone of the Canonicall scriptures who are the only sure and vndeceiueable guides it is no marvaile that shee hath beene so misledde out of the way of truth hath wandred in the by-pathes of heresies and Idolatries even as the Idolatrous Iewes and Gentiles haue bin before her for that they followed the same
as beleue hath bin more careful for the naturalmaÌ„ by leaving those principles which stande vpon their owne ground that so he may attaine to the knowledge of all such Arts sciences which are profitable for the maintenaÌ„ce of this teÌ„poral life that he hath not left the like principles and grouÌ„ds for the regenerate maÌ„ wherby he may attaine to the knowledge of al such things as do coÌ„cerne eternal life And if Aristotle bee iudge in Philosophy Galene in Physicke Iustinian in the law albeit many of their rules precepts he diversly expounded by their Interpreters even so albeit there be diverse expositions of holy scripture yet God forbide but the holy scripture of God the most cleare pure fountaine of truth should be the iudge of faith that especially by the maine grounds of faith therein coÌ„tained The which are therefore named by the auncieÌ„t Fathers the key A bâ— serm 38. Aug. de doct Christ l. 3. cap 2. 3. De Temp. Serm 119. So r. hist Eccles lib. 5. Cap. 10. and rule of faith for that the perspicuity plainnes of theÌ„ doth open as it were a doore into all the mysteries of faith And hereof it was that not only Theodosius the Emperor vsed theÌ„ as a meanes to end all coÌ„troversies in his time but S. Austin also being to expouÌ„d the first booke of Moses called Gen. setteth theÌ„ down in the forefroÌ„t of his worke as a rule whereby he meaneth to frame al his interpretatioÌ„s that if they misse in the meaning of any particular place yet they may not erre in the substaÌ„ce of faith because he avoucheth nothing but that which is agreable to the grouÌ„ds of faith So likwise TertulliaÌ„ Iraene that liued near the Apostles See Kemnis Exa Trid. Conc. de traditionibus time wheÌ„ certaine heretikes charged the scriptures as the meÌ„bers of the Church of Rome doe now that they were in sufficieÌ„t dark ambiguous that the truth could not be fouÌ„d out by them without traditions they ioined issue with theÌ„ referred themselues to the iudgmeÌ„t of that doctrine which the Apostles delivered by tradition to the Churches the suÌ„me whereof they relate altogeather as it were eveÌ„ as it is set down in the Apostles Creed being the very pith substaÌ„ce of that faith which was delivered first by mouth by the Apostles theÌ„selues afterward set downe in their writings that it might be the pillar fouÌ„datioÌ„ of faith al interpretatioÌ„s of scripture they require to be agreable to this entire perfect body of truth as they had learned of the Apostle S. Paul that al prophecie should bee Rom. 12. 6. sutable proportionable to the faith Vnto the which Testimonies of these learned Fathers I adde the iudgment of Beza KeÌ„nitius quoted before that al indiffereÌ„t persoÌ„s may perceiue that we walke in the saÌ„e waies that these learned Fathers haue trod out vnto vs vsed the same meanes to attaine to the right interpretatioÌ„ of holy scripture and to a sound catholike iudgment in matters of faith No huÌ„ble Serm. in c 3. Cant. christiaÌ„ saith Beza if he desire to be taught caÌ„ be deceiued in the interpretatioÌ„ of holy scripture if he diligeÌ„tly coÌ„fer place with place according vnto the exaÌ„ple of our S. Christ the Math. 4. 7. practise of the auncieÌ„t CouÌ„cels if with all he referre the whole vnto the correspoÌ„deÌ„cy of the articles of our faith which we call our Creede being the suÌ„mary abridgmeÌ„t of every fuÌ„dameÌ„tall point of our Christian religioÌ„ Most notable also to Serm 4 de Incarnat Dumini this purpose is that of Leo If any saith he shal preach vnto you any other thing besides that which ye haue learned let him be accursed preferre not wicked fables before evideÌ„t truth whatsoever it shall happeÌ„ that ye read or heare coÌ„trary to the rule of the Catholike Apostolike Creede accouÌ„t it altogeather daÌ„nable divelish By which testimony of this learned Father we may gather that the doctrine of faith sette down in the Creede is that evideÌ„t truth which was delivered by the Apostles whatsoever is contrary to the same is a wicked fable to be accursed as being no better then flat daÌ„nable divelish Wherefore good ChristiaÌ„ reader if thou wouldst not willingly hold that faith which is fabulous accursed daÌ„nable diuelish examine thy faith according to those grouÌ„ds which are both easie short perfect least thou shouldst plead ignoraÌ„ce in thy selfe or leÌ„gth tediousnes in the worke it selfe Be not ouer credulous in this matter of so greate moment nor so simple as to receaue any pointes of faith which are not agreeable to this rule of faith No although that they be taâ—ght by that Church which maketh her boast that she caÌ„not erre and that the faith of her cheife governor caÌ„ never faile Nay rather if thou wilt be a sound scholer in the schoole of Christ learne to yeelde that reverence honour only to the bookes of Aug ep 91. ad â—litron the diuine scripture that thou firmely beleue that none of the Autors of theÌ„ erred any whit in the penning of the same giue this prerogatiue only to the worde of God that it hath his sufficieÌ„t warraÌ„t credite in itselfe because it is inspired of God proceedeth froÌ„ him which caÌ„not erre deceiue or be deceiued as for the writtings of all other albeit they excel in wisdom holines receiue theÌ„ not because they haue thus iudged but for that they are coÌ„firmed by the autority of the Canonicall scripture or by some reasoÌ„ agreable vnto Hom. 13. in 2. ep ad Cor trueth And verily it is an absurd thing as Chrysost saith in a mony matter not to trust an other but to tell that eveÌ„ after a mans own father in matters of farre greater momeÌ„t which coÌ„cerne Gods glory the salvatioÌ„ of our owne soules in a simple sottish credulity to follow the iudgmeÌ„ts of other men whereas also we haue a most exact ballaÌ„ce rule even the ceÌ„sure determinatioÌ„ of the divine lawes Yea whereas we are precisely coÌ„maÌ„ded to proue all to approue the best â— Th. 5. 21. 1. Ioh 4. 1. 1. Cor. 14. 32. not to beleeue every spirit but to try the spirits whether they bee of God or no for that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets therefor by trial to be fouÌ„d true before they be beleeued Neither is it any disgrace to the iudgmeÌ„t of man to be subiect to the ceÌ„sure of Gods spirite already set downe in the canonical scriptures for eveÌ„ the spirit of God speaking in S. Paul was coÌ„teÌ„t to be tried by the sacred scriptures that is in truth by himselfe the BereaÌ„s at coÌ„meÌ„ded Act 17. 11. Apoc. 2. 2. for doing the same as the Angeâ—l of the church of â—phesus is also coÌ„mended for examining
theÌ„ which said they were Apostles finding theÌ„ liars So likewise our Saviour Christ the wisdome of God in whome were hid al the treasures of knowledge willeth his auditors to search the scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. so to try by theÌ„ whether he taught any other doctrine theÌ„ was coÌ„tained in these sacred bookes for in them saith he ye thinke to haue life they are my deponeÌ„ts witnesses Neither doth he desire any better lurers to giue evideÌ„ce coÌ„cerning the truth of his doctrine And S. Hierome foretelleth of the faithfull of these last daies that they shall not suffer In Nah. c. 3. theÌ„selues any longer to be kept in ignorance by their blind guides but shal ascend vp to the mouÌ„taines of the Apostles Prophets that by the cleere light of their infallible doctrine they may be directed in the right way to their eternall salvation Wherefore as many of vs as desire to be saued by coÌ„ming 1. Tim. 2. 4. to the knowledge of the truth let vs follow the commandemeÌ„t of Christ and his Apostles the example of the noble BereaÌ„s of the faithful of these last time let vs asceÌ„d vp to the mountaine of the Apostles Prophets take them to be our guids in all our ghostly spirituall affaires let vs by their Canonicall writings especially by the fouÌ„datioÌ„s of faith in theÌ„ coÌ„tained as by a most certaine sure rule try the doctrine of al meÌ„ angels of al particular Churches whatsoever be they FreÌ„ch Duch Spanish or Italian I hat law that will not be tried is worthely suspected that doctrine which flieth the light is the doctrine of darknes For truth seeketh not corners it would not be covered vnder a bushel but set on a caÌ„dlestick she would not haue her face masked lest she should passe vnknown she would appeare with opeÌ„ couÌ„tenaÌ„ce that so she might be iustified of all her childreÌ„ For thy furtheraÌ„ce herein good ChristiaÌ„â—eader in this short treatise the which if it giue but occasioÌ„ to some other to haÌ„dle the same matter in maÌ„ner more suffiâ—ient I neede not accouÌ„t my labour to be lost I haue laide purple to purple that it might the better be discerned as also the cloth of the coÌ„trary colour that is I haue ioined to the Articles of our Christian Creede the points of our Christian faith agreeable therevnto as also such erronious and heretical positions which are repugnaÌ„t contrary to the same The which thing being so behouefull and necessary it had bin convenient that some one of great giftes had been emploied therin neither could his learning eloquence haue beene more advanced then in being handmaides in so profitable a service But now it pleaseth the Lorde to send this present vnto thee by the hands of a simple servitour and in a rude and vnpolished speech as in an earthen platter or wodden dish that so the meate may rellish for the meates sake it selfe not for the fairenes or goodlines of the dish But first thou must purge and free thy taste froÌ„ the corrupt humors of partiality and of al obstinate wilful resolutioÌ„s neither must thou presume to appointe of thy selfe what shal be sweet what sowre but suffer the Lord himselfe only to be thy taster therein and so thou maiest also in thy course both taste and see how gracious the Lord is and at the length attaine to the blessednes of al such as place their whole hope and confidence in him The Lord for his mercies sake disperse more more the grosse misles of al spirituall blindnes and darknes and open thine heart as hee did the heart of Lidia giue thee vnderstanding in all things Act. 16. 14. graunting vnto thee the spirit of truth to leade thee into al truth for his owne glory and thine vnspeakeable comfort and ioy Thine in the Lord JOHN TERRY The principall vses of this Treatise FIrst here the Reader may behold the pointes of faith with the errours repugnant therevnto referred to the Articles of our Christian faith and to the residue of the maine grounds and principles of our Catholike profession Secondly in this collation he may perceiue both the particular pointes of faith to be a light for the better vnderstanding of these grounds of faith also the groundes of faith to giue greater strength for the confirmation of the particular pointes of faith and for the confutation of the erroures that are contrary thereto Thirdly whereas the people for the most part cannot read the holy scriptures nor so well vnderstand and keepe in memorie the sentences takeÌ„ out of the Apostles Prophets as they can these grouÌ„ds of our ChristiaÌ„ professioÌ„ by reason of the more familiar vse of the same therefore the particular pointes of faith being made open and knowen vnto them the more easily by this collatioÌ„ they may the sooner hereby be brought to the knowledge of the truth and also confirmed and established in the same Fourthly wheras the most venemous Doctrine of Antichrist is the more A preservatiue for the simple against the polloned doctrine of the Romish Antichrist being offered vnto them in a cup of gold that is vnder the name the of Catholike faith readâ—ly received for that it is delivered in a cuppe of gold that is vnder the name of the Catholike faith even the simple vnlearned may receiue by this collation a most soveraigne preseruatiue against the same For it is an vndoubted trueth agreed vpon of both sides that these grouÌ„des of faith are Catholike and Apostolike therefore that all such doctrines as are not agreable thereto but are contrary to the same are neither Catholike nor yet Apostolike How then may even a simple man say to such as would seduce him to the Popish religion vnder the preteÌ„ce of recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ to the Catholike faith caÌ„ that doctrine be Catholike which teacheth it to be sufficient to beleeue in grosse as the Church beleeueth wheras the scope end of my Catholike Creede is that I not only know vnderstaÌ„d but also be able to make a distinct coÌ„fession of the very hardest pointes of the Christian faith SecoÌ„dly he may say how can that doctrine be Catholike which teacheth me to doubt of particular faith whereas the Catholike Creede teacheth every faithfull Christian constantly to professe without wavering I BELEEVE Thirdly be may aaâ—e how can your Romish doctrine be Catholike which teacheth me to beleeue in the Church in the Saintes wheras my catholike Creede teacheth me to beleeue the Church and not in the Church but only in God Lastly to omitte the rest whereas my Catholike Creede teacheth me that Christ only suffred died for my sinnes that he is my only Redeemer Saviour how can your Romish doctrine be Catholike which teacheth that the Saintes also suffered and died for me and that their sufferings being applied vnto me by the Popes Pardons are both SATISFACTORY for